"Unlike him!" Dugu Mingyu shook his head, "He seems more like a newcomer."
"Which newcomer do you think could suppress Xiahou Ying?" They exchanged glances and then chuckled. Xiahou Ying was already considered a rising star among the Yunqi prodigies, and Yunqi had no newcomers capable of suppressing him!
"Prepare yourselves. We will fight again tomorrow and will surely drag this person hiding behind the scenes into the light."
"Yes."
"Mingyu, stay."
After the generals departed, Xiao Luo finally spoke, "The new commander of Yunqi, have you already guessed who it is?"
Dugu Mingyu fell silent for a moment before raising his head and saying, "This combat style is quite reminiscent of my sister's. Currently, only two people in Yunqi have been personally guided by my sister. One is Xiahou Ying, and the other is..."
"The Young Emperor of Yunqi."
Dugu Mingyu nodded. "Exactly. The only one who can suppress Xiahou Ying and has received my sister's true teachings is him. His military strategy was taught to him by my sister, hand in hand. If he is truly at Pingxi City, Young General, you must be extremely careful. This person is ruthless and vicious. If you fall into his hands, there is no possibility of survival."
Xiao Luo pondered for a moment. "From now on, you will not engage in battle."
"Why?"
"If your guess is correct and the person who came is the Young Emperor of Yunqi, what do you think his purpose is in personally coming to the battlefield as the ruler of a nation?"
Dugu Mingyu's heart trembled. "He... he's after me!"
"Most likely."
"What qualifications do I have to make him cast aside the dignity of a nation's ruler and personally hunt me down!" Fierce hatred erupted in Dugu Mingyu's eyes. "Coincidentally, I also want to kill him. We were both taught by the same sister; I want to see who is superior!"
"Mingyu, do not be impulsive," Xiao Luo analyzed calmly. "I always feel that the Yunqi Emperor's presence on the battlefield is not simply to capture you."
"Then what is it for?"
"Perhaps he wants to lure someone into a trap by capturing you." Xiao Luo felt that Murong Shengrui, as the ruler of a nation, had no need to personally capture Dugu Mingyu. If he truly valued Dugu Mingyu so much, he would not have allowed him to escape in the first place.
"Could he be trying to lure Zhan Tianque into a trap?" Dugu Mingyu thought carefully. Only this possibility made sense. Zhan Tianque was the commander of the Scarlet Feather Iron Cavalry, and the formidable nature of the Scarlet Feather Iron Cavalry was something even Murong Shengrui would likely not be able to easily dismiss.
"Scarlet Feather Iron Cavalry..." Xiao Luo felt a vague unease. He had received a letter from his father stating that Man'er had a deep connection with the Scarlet Feather Iron Cavalry and that he must control the flow of information from Yunzhong City, ensuring it never reached Yunqi. Could the Yunqi Emperor's target be Man'er?
No, Xiao Luo shook his head. Man'er was currently unconscious and could not possibly be here. Even if Murong Shengrui captured Dugu Mingyu, Man'er would not awaken from her coma to come and save him!
The image of Xiao Man bringing Chu Qingge to Yunzhong City flashed through Xiao Luo's mind, and the fact that no one in the capital noticed her departure... Was the person severely injured and recuperating in Gan'ye Temple truly his sister?
A hint of jealousy welled up in Xiao Luo's heart. He stared at Dugu Mingyu with complex eyes. Could Man'er like this brat? Xiao Luo recalled Xiao Man's attentiveness and intimacy towards Dugu Mingyu. No matter how he thought about it, he felt that Xiao Man was infatuated with Dugu Mingyu!
"This brat is truly lucky!" He actually won his sister's affection. Although he felt Dugu Mingyu was not worthy of his sister, if his sister liked him, he couldn't say much. He could only try his best to protect him!
At Pingxi City, Murong Shengrui's expression was grim. Discovering that Xiao Man was not the person he was looking for, the young emperor became temperamental again.
"Your Majesty," Xiahou Ying bowed, "Xiao Luo is here to challenge."
"Ignore him." Murong Shengrui swirled the luminous wine cup in his hand and drained the ambrosia within. What was Zhan Tianque trying to do? Find a substitute, or perhaps use the power of Yusheng to kill him?
No, Zhan Tianque was a stubborn man. Without his mother's order, he would never act rashly. But he had acted, meaning his mother ordered him to. Yet, could the dead truly be resurrected?
No, mother was still alive, she must still be alive! Murong Shengrui picked up the wine pot and poured it directly into his mouth. The wine flowed down his neck and into his clothes, yet he seemed oblivious.
"Your Majesty, drinking is harmful to your health," Xiahou Ying advised.
"Xiahou, did you also advise mother like this before?" Murong Shengrui, holding the wine pot, looked at Xiahou Ying. "I was truly jealous of you back then. Why did I have to stay in Shengjing to review memorials and listen to those old ministers drone on, while you could follow mother, fight on the battlefield, and listen to her teachings?"
Xiahou Ying lowered his body slightly. "Your Majesty is the ruler of a nation and naturally cannot risk your own life."
"Mother was also a person of immeasurable value, so why could she risk her life?" Murong Shengrui acted like a child who hadn't received candy, throwing a tantrum.
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is a woman of golden status..."
"If I say she is a person of immeasurable value, then she is a person of immeasurable value." Murong Shengrui was somewhat drunk, his young face filled with pain. He curled himself up. "Mother, mother, where are you?"
Xiahou Ying clenched his fists. Didn't you poison the Empress Dowager to death? You should know best where she is!
"Your Majesty, you are drunk."
"Xiahou," Murong Shengrui suddenly asked, "If I capture Dugu Mingyu, will mother come to save him?"
Xiahou Ying's head drooped even lower. "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has already..."
"Shut up!" Murong Shengrui smashed the wine pot in his hand onto Xiahou Ying. "Mother is just hiding. I will find her, I will."
Xiahou Ying fell silent. The young emperor couldn't listen to anything. He was always so stubborn. When the Empress Dowager was alive, he would still listen to her words. Now that she was gone, he wouldn't listen to anything.
"Your Majesty," a woman pushed open the door and walked in gracefully, truly as lovely and pitiable as a delicate flower.
Xiahou Ying frowned. This woman again. What did she want?
Murong Shengrui raised his eyebrows and glanced at her, his face immediately showing displeasure. "Do you have something to say?"
"This concubine received news that would make Your Majesty happy," Wen Moyu said with a charming smile. "Does Your Majesty wish to hear it?"
Murong Shengrui sat up straighter, his expression returning to the coldness and loneliness befitting an emperor. "You are Wei Wuji's subordinate, not a prostitute from a brothel. Why are you imitating the behavior of a brothel prostitute? It's simply disgusting!"
Wen Moyu's face turned pale. She lowered her head and gritted her teeth. "This subordinate knows her mistake."
"Speak."
"This subordinate received news that Xiao Man is severely injured and unconscious, recuperating in the capital." Wen Moyu secretly glanced up at the capricious young emperor. "And Zhan Tianque has appeared in Cangzhou, not far from Yunzhong City."