GBP Chapter 460 The Prince of Xuannan is about to enter the capital
Chapter 460 The Prince of Xuannan is about to enter the capital
The Prince of Xuannan's injuries are no longer serious, and he will continue his journey to the capital starting today.
It was Lin Mo who sent back the message. Previously, the Prince of Xuan Nan only had fifteen days left to travel, and the carrier pigeon could reach the capital in just one day.
In other words, the Prince of Xuannan will be entering the capital in fourteen days.
We need to get ready. We can't withdraw the manpower from the Marquis of Chengen's place. We might actually need that kid Lin Qi this time.
Lin Mo cannot return for the time being; he must accompany the Prince of Xuan Nan's entourage and continue to keep watch.
After searching around, I found a portrait of Prince Xuan Nan hand-painted by Elder Chen of the Hanlin Academy on the desk.
Of course, it refers to the Prince of Xuannan from more than a decade ago, since he never returned to the capital after leaving for his fiefdom.
The long journey was one issue, but another was the watchful eyes of foreign tribes, and the Prince of Xuannan also needed to oversee the southern border.
For more than a decade, the Prince of Xuannan was stationed in the south, and the border remained peaceful.
This return to the capital was carefully planned, for fear that the southern barbarians would cause trouble while the Prince of Xuan Nan was away.
The man in the portrait is very heroic, with only faint wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and piercing gaze.
How should I put it? He looks like a general who has been through countless battles on the battlefield.
But to be honest, his appearance bears absolutely no resemblance to His Majesty the Emperor.
Uncle and nephew, they shouldn't be completely unsimilar.
This portrait is not a new work by Lord Chen; it was painted more than ten years ago. So it's not that Lord Chen is old and his memory is failing.
After all, more than a decade ago, Mr. Chen was in his prime; it's impossible for someone in their forties to have failing eyesight.
Among the hunting scenes in the archives, there is also a portrait of the Prince of Xuan Nan riding a horse and drawing a bow.
Although it's a side profile, compared to this front view, it's clearly the same person.
The person depicted by the palace painter and by Lord Chen is the same person.
Jiang Xiaoqi made a miniature copy of the portrait, rolled it into a thin roll, stuffed it back into the bamboo tube of the carrier pigeon, put the lid on, and tied it to the leg of another carrier pigeon.
The little guy who just got back needs a good rest; we can't let the pigeons work non-stop.
Jiang Xiaoqi didn't know why she always doubted the authenticity of the Prince of Xuannan on the road. Even if he was a fake, he would find someone with a similar figure and appearance and dress up.
If he can buy a human skin mask in the system store, does that mean there are no talented people in the Great Zhou?
Maybe their technology isn't any worse than the system's. Oh well, I've already sent out the carrier pigeon, so Lin Mo can have a reference too.
That kid has an unusual ability to observe; he might be able to spot details that others miss or easily overlook.
It had indeed been snowing in the capital, but Prince Xuan Nan, who was on his way, was greeted by a heavy snowfall.
However, just a few hundred miles away, the capital city was so dry it was almost crumbling, while hundreds of miles away it was a vast expanse of white, with each step sinking above ankle depth.
Even though the wild grass and withered branches weren't covered by a white "quilt," the northward-bound team was not having an easy time.
Many people caught a cold, and Prince Xuan Nan was no exception.
Inside the most luxurious and exquisitely crafted carriage, a beautiful maid was feeding medicine to the Prince of Xuan Nan.
"Your Highness, please have a little more! Your injuries have only recently healed, and now you've caught a cold. You can't afford to make things worse!"
The pale-faced old man waved his hand, signaling the maid to leave.
The maid wanted to persuade him further, but was interrupted by the young man beside her, "Step back, Your Highness, I'll keep an eye on things here, nothing will happen!"
The maid was somewhat resentful. She was the most capable servant of the old princess, but now that she was by the prince's side, she was not even as good as this pale-faced, beardless sissy!
Hmph! What kind of advisor is he? He's just a lowly eunuch! Does he think everyone doesn't know that? Pshaw!
The young man watched the maid leave, a barely perceptible sneer appearing on his face.
He walked to the bedside, looked at the Prince of Xuannan on the bed, and said softly, "Your Highness, you'd better cooperate with me obediently, otherwise this medicine will be more than just a cure."
The Prince of Xuannan glared angrily, but because he was currently too weak to resist, this so-called cold was just a conspiracy!
He wasn't exposed to any wind at all; the charcoal brazier inside the carriage was burning brightly, making it as warm as springtime. How could he, who never leaves the carriage, have caught a cold!
"Why does Your Highness look at me like that? I'm only doing this for Your Highness's own good!"
Your dear nephew has been quite worried about you. I went to great lengths to keep your tail from getting too cocky, which is why you had such a peaceful journey.
"Oh, my lord, how can you be so ungrateful?"
The man's slender hand traced across the wrinkled face of the Prince of Xuan Nan. The Prince of Xuan Nan struggled to dodge the hand, already covered in sweat.
Just then, a commotion arose outside the carriage. The young man's expression changed, and he quickly wiped the sneer off his face, walking briskly to the carriage door and lifting the curtain to investigate.
It turned out that a group of refugees who had fled due to the snow disaster had blocked the way for the group. They were ragged, emaciated, and begging for some food.
The young man was secretly annoyed, but fearing further complications, he put on a smile to appease the refugees.
At the same time, he instructed people to prepare some dry food, nothing too fancy, just enough to fill their stomachs, preferably the kind of beans and coarse grains usually used to feed livestock.
After finally getting rid of the group of refugees, the man returned to his carriage and saw that Prince Xuan Nan was still in the same position as before, seemingly without having moved at all.
"The prince has learned his lesson a lot now, unlike at the beginning when he always loved to cause trouble."
Of course, this earned him another eye-roll from the Prince of Xuan Nan.
The old man was clearly very angry; his beard was trembling.
Just as the man was about to continue his sarcastic remarks, the carriage suddenly began to shake violently, and shouts of killing erupted outside.
Suddenly, a group of men in black appeared out of nowhere and began a fierce battle with the guards.
The refugees who had just dispersed suddenly reappeared from nowhere, pulling weapons from under their tattered clothes and joining the battle.
The man had a bad feeling; this must be a trap. He quickly turned around, intending to take the Prince of Xuan Nan hostage.
"You think you can control everything? Today is your death day!"
Before anyone could react, people had already approached the carriage, and a large number of people dressed as guards of the Prince's Palace fell to the ground.
However, no sign of heartache or panic appeared on the Prince of Xuan'nan's face, since these so-called guards of the Prince's palace were not his men at all.
His men had long been replaced by the person in front of him, leaving only a helpless maidservant to serve him. The maidservant was from his queen's side; she was trustworthy, but not very bright.
At this moment, the shouts of battle outside the carriage gradually subsided, as if the fighting had ended.
At this moment, the pale-faced, beardless man's face turned even paler, whether from fright or from the cold, it was hard to tell.
There was complete silence inside and outside the car; even the air seemed frozen.