Huo Fenglie had just recovered from his serious illness and was exhausted. No matter how mischievous Liu Zhenqing was, he couldn’t bully the other person at this time, so he just cuddled with him and slowly wrote to him about recent events.

So many things had happened these days. He initially thought that Huo Fenglie would be shocked, but when Liu Zhenqing finished writing, he was very calm.

Liu Zhenqing inquired in confusion, and Huo Fenglie said that it was not difficult to attack Western Shu. Fifty thousand Huo family troops could be mobilized from the west. The emphasis was on the time.

What does that mean?

Two months later is the Longevity Festival.

Liu Zhenqing was suddenly taken aback. Two months later, it would be…..Yuan Jue’s birthday.

He instantly understood Huo Fenglie’s meaning. According to previous conventions, unless he was unable to leave the battlefield, Huo Fenglie must return to the capital. It wasn’t that he returned to celebrate a certain person’s birthday, but because during the Longevity Festival, hundreds of civil and military officials, relatives of the emperor, and foreign envoys gathered at the capital’s Imperial Palace. The uneasy factors were more than during the Spring Plowing Ceremony. For the safety of the emperor, as the general who guards the country, how could he not leave this region behind and guard the safety of the capital?

But currently, the source of the rebellion was hidden in the capital. They were stuck here because of this matter. Coupled with Liu Zhenqing’s various speculations about the real and fake kings of Western Shu, Huo Fenglie naturally thought of the Longevity Festival.

And what role did Yuan Jue play in this? Did he really not notice anything strange, or was he taking advantage of the situation to loosen the reins in order to grasp them better? 

Liu Zhenqing was pondering this when he heard a hoarse voice: “The King of Western Shu’s……guard.”

Startled, Liu Zhenqing looked up at Huo Fenglie and said in surprise: “You can speak? Can you hear me?”

Huo Fenglie nodded: “Somewhat…..”

Liu Zhenqing immediately smiled and leaned toward Huo Fenglie’s ear: “What do you want to say?”

“That day…..he was very familiar with my moves when we fought.”

The smile on Liu Zhenqing’s lips instantly froze. This was an unexpected shock. He looked up at Huo Fenglie and said: “You think……”

“He has the internal strength of royal orthodox martial arts, as well as the Huo family’s external strength mixed with the tricks of several masters in the capital. And those masters have all taught me. Not many can reach these conditions.” Huo Fenglie looked at Liu Zhenqing with a heavy gaze.

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes flashed. In the end, he took a deep breath. “You think it’s Liu Qiao, don’t you?”

“He seems……very familiar.”

Huo Fenglie knew that Liu Qiao was very important to Liu Zhenqing, and that it would be the most troublesome situation if they were hostile.

But Huo Fenglie was very sure that that person was Liu Qiao. Even though they hadn’t seen each other in eight or nine years, and both of their martial arts had improved, that person was once the one he was most jealous of.

Because Huo Fenglie had always wanted to be Liu Zhenqing’s bodyguard when he was a child, he was also aware that he was very talented in martial arts, and it seemed that there was no one more qualified than him for this role. But in the end, Liu Qiao was picked up.

Although he soon decided to enter the battlefield and help Liu Zhenqing from another angle, he still felt that no one was more suitable than him to protect this dream.

But Liu Qiao’s martial arts were not ordinary at all. He’d started later than him, but actually became a master in a short period of time but was unable to defeat him in a duel. He challenged him every time and failed every time. He watched Liu Zhenqing give him a sword, watched Liu Zhenqing praise him. The memory was quite profound. In order to win against him, Huo Fenglie practiced his martial arts diligently and didn’t slack off even when he went out to lead troops in battle.

So even when Liu Qiao was in disguise, Huo Fenglie could recognize him just by his moves. But at that time, he had internal injuries and couldn’t tell Liu Zhenqing right away.

And he also had some scruples. After all, Liu Qiao was supporting the king of Western Shu.

Liu Zhenqing was in a daze for a good while. “You probably…..aren’t wrong about his identity.”

Huo Fenglie gave Liu Zhenqing a worried look. His vision was currently recovering.

But Liu Zhenqing suddenly said out of the blue: “What do you think about that King of Western Shu?”

Huo Fenglie was a bit puzzled, but said: “His martial arts skills are very similar to the guard’s, but a little more immature and rough. It seems that he learned all of it from the other person, so his skills are not bad, but not perfect.”

“I’m asking about his appearance, not his martial arts. How do you think he looks?” Liu Zhenqing asked speciously. 

“It was over quickly and I didn’t get a good look. Does Qing-ge think he looks like someone? Could it be someone you know?” Huo Fenglie looked in confusion at Liu Zhenqing beside him.

Liu Zhenqing gave a dry smile and said: “I mean that he’s pretty good-looking, much more pleasing to the eye than that Qiao An.”

There had been many situations where Liu Zhenqing had said impractical things, so Huo Fenglie didn’t think too deeply about it. He was not willing to speak with Liu Zhenqing about the appearance of the man who sent flowers to flirt with him.

But after Liu Zhenqing spoke, he felt that Liu Zhenqing was not in a cheerful mood, and was in fact a bit sad. Because he couldn’t see clearly, it was impossible to accurately determine the look on Liu Zhenqing’s face at the moment, but his mood was indeed low. Was it because Liu Qiao was with the King of Western Shu?

“Qing-ge, if it’s really Liu Qiao, are you going to recognize him?” Huo Fenglie asked.

Although he was currently with the King of Western Shu, Liu Qiao didn’t have many conceptions in this area. It may have something to do with his background. He was not loyal to the Great Zhou Dynasty, only to Liu Zhenqing. So now that he was with the King of Western Shu, it couldn’t be said that he was betraying Great Zhou. According to Liu Qiao’s character, as long as Qing-ge spoke the words, Liu Qiao would return. It was impossible for him to be their enemy. When the time came, they would help him change his identity and become Liu Qiao of Great Zhou. 

Therefore, Huo Fenglie felt that as long as Liu Zhenqing confirmed Liu Qiao’s identity, he would definitely…..

“I’m…..not sure.”

Huo Fenglie was somewhat dumbfounded. “Are you afraid that his heart has changed after so long?”

Liu Zhenqing shook his head lightly: “How could that blockhead change? I made him leave in the first place, and in fact, I gave him his freedom. I’m not sure if he’s following that person of his own volition now, or…..”

If he was still bound to Liu Zhenqing.

“I want him to live well. It may not be a good thing for him if we recognize each other.”

And if he intended to recognize Liu Qiao, it would inevitably involve the other person. And if they were with each other for the long term, their friendship must be very deep. He…..

Huo Fenglie abruptly grasped Liu Zhenqing’s hand. “Qin-ge, don’t worry. If you don’t recognize one another, I won’t give him difficulty on the battlefield. I will never let anything happen to the people you care about again. And since his martial arts skills are so high, ordinary people won’t be able to give him difficulty, right?”

Liu Zhenqing’s heart moved, but he didn’t quite dare to look at Huo Fenglie.

This guy trusted and liked him so much. If he knew that the things he had done back then might have even led to the current situation, would Er-gou be disappointed in his Qing-ge, ah?

Liu Zhenqing had a clear conscience for so many previous crimes, so in the face of Huo Fenglie’s trust, he would certainly not be moved to feel guilty.

But now…..he felt guilty.

He didn’t dare say it, and even hoped that everything they’d analyzed was a coincidence, that that person was not Liu Qiao. That Liu Qiao was living happily elsewhere, and the person he was following wasn’t…..

. . . . . . . .

On the other side. Western Shu Kingdom.

The news about the true and false kings of Western Shu had been deliberately spread by Nanfeng City. Everyone in Western Shu had now heard about it, but the whole nation wasn’t in turmoil because of it. Firstly because Qiao Jin had been king for several years, and his gradually deepening prestige could not be provoked. Secondly, it was impossible for any nation to send someone to say that he was a prince and ask them to recognize him as king, so the mood of resistance across the country was still relatively strong.

But there were also some with doubts.

“It’s better to go to the common border and confront them as they wish, so as to calm the hearts of our people in Western Shu. 

“You’re making me laugh to death. They’re just speaking arbitrarily. Can we allow our king to be treated like this? This is simply Great Zhou looking down on us and insulting us. If they want to fight, we’ll fight. I still don’t believe they can force a false king on us.” The ranks of Western Shu’s military commanders were relatively bolstered now, because under Qiao Jin’s command, they had successfully annexed the lands of neighboring countries. They were continuously winning battles, but now it was somewhat up in the air. 

“General, don’t forget who is leading the troops on the other side.” The person said in an insidious voice: “And how do we know that the person being pushed over is a fake…..”

Before he could finish speaking, there was a pop, and blood splattered three feet. 

Everyone present were as quiet as chickens for a moment, heads lowered as they didn’t dare to look at the person wielding a sword in front of them.

“Those who don’t believe it can verify it for themselves, but for those who make false claims in front of me, this will be their fate.” Qiao Jin swung his sword and blood splashed onto the faces of everyone present, causing them to bow down more forcefully.

“King, I will catch that imposter for you!” A military official stepped forward. 

“Oh? You’re not afraid of Huo Fenglie?” said Qiao Jin.

“I have never faced him before. I don’t believe the myth that he’s truly invincible!” The military official had a large belly, and seemed like a person who was fearless out of ignorance.

Qiao Jin regarded him with a smile, then nodded and ordered him to lead his troops directly to Nanfeng City and tell Tang-chengzhu their answer.

Once everyone dispersed, Liu Qiao came down and said: “You sent him?”

Qiao Jin said with a sneer: “It’s rather appropriate for a useless person to lead the charge, paralyze the other side, and test the opponent’s strength.”

Liu Qiao couldn’t understand this, and asked directly: “This is how you plan to follow the wishes of the people in the capital?”

Qiao Jin: “It’s not harmful to me, ah, as long as Huo Fenglie doesn’t go crazy and conquer the Western Shu Kingdom.”

Liu Qiao frowned.

Qiao Jin looked at him and said: “I can’t defeat him. So until this war is over, you can’t leave my side, not even if the deadline is reached. Understand?”

Liu Qiao was somewhat impatient. “You want to fight for so long? Is this also what the people in the capital intend?”

Looking at Liu Qiao’s expression, Qiao Jin suddenly became irritable and said: “I just don’t get it. You can’t wait to leave me, but where can you go? What can you do?”

Liu Qiao was slightly stunned, and seemed to not know how to answer. He just carried out everything he was supposed to do step by step, and didn’t think about much else.

Qiao Jin reached out to grasp Liu Qiao’s wrist, saying: “You have no place to go. Is it so difficult to take refuge with me?”

Liu Qiao stared blankly. The man before him looked rather fierce on the surface, but he still seemed to see in those eyes the fragility of when he was young and afraid of being left behind, and felt a bit dazed for a moment. 

As ever, when faced with a troublesome problem, Liu Qiao didn’t dwell on it overmuch and simply avoided it. “You are not where I belong.” Having said this, he vanished.

The angry Qiao Jin cursed furiously: “Blockhead! You blockhead!”

A few days later, 10,000 Western Shu troops pressed on to the border and sent people to shout in front of Nanfeng City. The gist of it was that they didn’t believe that the person inside was a real prince, and felt that Great Zhou simply wanted to interfere with their politics. That being the case, they were not afraid of trouble. They could still exist peacefully if the false prince was handed over to them, but if their king was humiliated, their troops would certainly come to the city walls.

From the perspective of the Western Shu Kingdom’s propaganda, the morally reprehensible party seemed to be Great Zhou.

For a time, the land of peace and prosperity vanished, replaced by a gloomy atmosphere full of uncertain factors.

Although Dai Tingyu had deployed the defenses in advance to ensure the safety of Nanfeng City, but having gone through bloody battles in the early years, the common people of the city still feared that it would be the same as ten years ago, the city and its people practically abandoned.

It wasn’t until the current morning that news came out that the General Who Guards the Country had returned, and then everyone seemed to be a little more at ease.

In fact, Huo Fenglie had completely recovered. Wearing silver armor and black civil and military robes, he stood at the city gate. The guards couldn’t help but hold their heads higher and higher to ingratiate themselves to this man, who looked majestic simply standing there.

Huo Fenglie was touring around for an inspection. Seeing the rising smoke past the dense forest in the distance, he knew that the army was stationed there.

“There are currently 5,000 defenders within the city, and they have brought 10,000 troops. It isn’t suitable to make the first move for the time being,” Dai Tingyu analyzed.

Huo Fenglie’s transfer order had only been delegated not long before, and it would take time for the army to arrive.

Huo Fenglie said calmly: “Send someone to shout that if they dare step into the forest, we will consider it an active attack and respond in kind.”

The dense forest was considered a common zone, and generally neither party would step foot in it so as to avoid disputes. And now Huo Fenglie was saying so forcefully that they treated the forest as their own territory, and stepping into it would be an infringement of territory.

Dai Tingyu knew that this was to protect the face of the Great Zhou Dynasty. After all, the enemy was pressing in at the border, and if they failed to react at all, that would give them the opportunity to press farther. But it was 10,000 against 5,000, so wouldn’t defending the city be a little too perilous? But at the thought that this was an order from Brother Huo, there was nothing for him to question, and he immediately sent someone to do it.

Just as they were speaking, there was a sound on the stairs by the city gate. The two looked over to see several people coming up.

Huo Fenglie’s eyes naturally locked onto Liu Zhenqing’s form.

Liu Zhenqing directed a wink at him and smiled.

And standing next to Liu Zhenqing was Qiao An, who was finally meeting Huo Fenglie. He had previously heard that Huo Fenglie was back, but hadn’t come to see him, a prince. This very much displeased him. When he learned that he was here, he rushed over in a commotion and finally glimpsed the actual person. 

Just one glance at that tall, handsome, majestic image made Qiao An blush. His legs were even a little weak as he walked with urgent quickness in Huo Fenglie’s direction. His form looked as if it was about to collapse.

“I am the real prince of the Western Shu Kingdom. You’re General Huo. You’re finally back. I’ve been humiliated like this, so General Huo must take charge of me, ah.”

After witnessing Qiao An’s behavior toward Dai Tingyu before, the group of people were already used to this, but his tone seemed softer than last time, like a spoiled child.

Looking at him, he seemed to have really dressed up today. Beneath the splendor, there was a sense of vulnerability that could make a man extremely protective, along with red powder at the tips of his eyes. He really knew how to grasp the psychology of men. Was this prince planning to seek power by taming many underlings through seduction?

Seeing that Qiao An’s footing was unstable and he was about to fall toward Huo Fenglie, Liu Zhenqing watched Huo Fenglie’s reaction in amusement.

In the end, he didn’t see how Huo Fenglie dodged. He just felt that Huo Fenglie passed by Qiao An straight to Liu Zhenqing, and Qiao An fell to the ground with a thud.

Everyone watched on, dumbfounded. But Huo Fenglie turned a deaf ear and came to Liu Zhenqing, saying: “It’s still dangerous at the city gate. Don’t come up here during the day.”

Liu Zhenqing nodded in acquiescence. 

At this time, Qiao An’s eyes were red with anger as he was helped to his feet. “General Huo doesn’t take this prince seriously.”

Others may have to be courteous when facing Qiao An, but Huo Fenglie had higher status. Not to mention that Qiao An was currently not king, even if he was the King of Western Shu, he must obediently bow before Huo Fenglie according to his status. This Qiao An was truly ignorant.

Huo Fenglie gave him a cold glance, and the prince who was so arrogant just now felt as if he was being strangled by the throat. How could this little prince withstand Huo Fenglie’s cutting gaze? He was unable to speak a word.

“If the prince doesn’t want to die, I suggest he remain at the City Lord’s manor. It’s best to not go near the city gate in the future,” Huo Fenglie said frostily, completely different from the manner in which he’d told Liu Zhenqing not to come up here.

Unexpectedly, Qiao An was so angry that he began to cry on the spot. Dai Tingyu couldn’t help but complain again. “Are we really going to reposition this piece of work?”

Tang Mu looked over the bleak city and sighed. “Looking at the current situation, the Kingdom of Western Shu seems to be as guilty as a thief. War is inevitable.” Such a person was also not worthy of those going to the battlefield.

Qiao An was still making a fuss when suddenly, a long-range spear shot through the air straight toward the city gate.

Although such attacks were more about intimidation than actual killing, it instantly triggered an instinctive reaction from everyone present.

Huo Fenglie took Liu Zhenqing into his arms and shielded him firmly. Dai Tingyu also stood in front of Tang Mu.

The other guards were vigilant, but Qiao An, who was making a fuss just now, saw the spear pass in front of him and fell to the ground in fright. He crawled toward Huo Fenglie’s feet as if he knew it was safe there, then proceeded to wail until he was out of breath.

And the spear that was driven into a building by the city gate had words of humiliation hanging from it.

This was obviously the response they received after sending someone to shout. The other party had chosen to directly provoke them.

It was unknown if the other party was overconfident and wanted to challenge them, or if they seized the opportunity because they knew that reinforcements had not yet arrived at Nanfeng City.

Immediately after, undercover sentries from their own army came back with a message. The other side’s army had entered the dense forest. Such impatience.

“Brother Huo!” Dai Tingyu immediately looked toward Huo Fenglie.

Huo Fenglie nodded and said: “You defend the city. Give me one hundred cavalry, the fastest ones! We depart immediately.”

Faced with a military order, Dai Tingyu unquestioningly went ahead.

“One hundred versus ten thousand?” Tang Mu said in shock.

Liu Zhenqing also couldn’t help frowning, but seeing Huo Fenglie’s tranquil appearance, he must have a method. He gave Tang Mu a reassuring look.

But he had no chance to see it. Because Huo Fenglie would not allow them to remain on a dangerous battlefield, when he set off on Chen Jiangyue, he told Liu Zhenqing and Tang Mu to take the weeping Qiao An back to the City Lord’s manor to wait for news.

It was already noon when Huo Fenglie set out. Liu Zhenqing estimated that no matter what Huo Fenglie was going to do, it would take at least a day or two.

But as soon as night fell, Nanfeng City was boiling over.

Liu Zhenqing and Tang Mu were chatting when they saw some soldiers rush up and say, “General Huo has returned victorious!”

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Chapter One Hundred Nine << Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred Eleven