Seeing this, Yang Fan said, "Since we've decided to take the risk, then the fewer people escorting His Highness, the better. If there are only two people, once their identities are exposed, no matter how strong they are or how skilled they are in martial arts, it will be very difficult for them to protect His Highness from the heavy encirclement. Therefore, the level of this person's martial arts isn't important. What's important is that this person needs to be bold and careful, able to adapt to changing circumstances and be able to deal with all kinds of situations. From this angle, I feel that Miss Gao Ying is more suitable! "
Yang Fan was the leader of this group. Since he said this, everyone naturally had no more objections.
Xu Liang said, "Lieutenant's words are reasonable. This Xu also feels that Miss Gao is a suitable candidate. However, this Xu feels that Lieutenant is not a suitable candidate to escort His Highness. "
Yang Fan was slightly surprised and said, "What do you mean?"
Xu Liang said, "Even if they don't know who we are or what our identities are at the beginning, they should know about these things after we were attacked at the inn in the county that day. Since they know that Lieutenant is the leader of our group, if they don't find you beside the fake His Highness on the road ahead, wouldn't it be very easy to arouse their suspicions? "
Yang Fan blushed and said, "That's right! Then … "
His gaze swept across, and Zhang Xitong, Wei Yong, and the others immediately puffed out their chests. Especially Wei Yong, who had once been on the same field as Yang Fan and had an old friendship. He thought that Yang Fan might give him this mission because of this friendship, so his expression was especially fervent.
Yang Fan lowered his eyes and thought quietly for a moment. He suddenly raised his eyes and looked at Xu Liang with a slight smile. He said, "Travel Marshal Xu, to be able to think of this, it shows that you have a meticulous mind. I think … this candidate is none other than you!"
Xu Liang said cheerfully, "Even if this Xu's bones are crushed, I will protect His Highness!"
Yang Fan slapped his knee and said, "Good! Then it's settled. I'll leave His Highness' safety to you and Miss Gao Ying! Everyone else must remember, even if His Highness is not by our side, our mission is to make the assassins think that His Highness is with us, so the danger we face is even greater. Everyone must be on high alert at all times. Towards the Prince that Miss Gu is pretending to be, we must always treat him with the same respect as a real Prince. We must not reveal any flaws! "
Everyone agreed loudly.
After more than two hours, the bushes parted, Li Guo 'er pushed the bushes aside like she was brushing away the willows. She walked out from the narrow path in the middle, her slender waist curling up, it was very attractive.
Those who were discussing the details immediately stopped talking and looked in her direction. However, no one was looking at her, who was displaying her youthful charm. Instead, they were looking behind her. Li Xian, the Prince of Luling, was walking behind her. He was wearing an ordinary robe with a round neck and a hat of horsetail feathers on his head.
Miss Gu had deliberately altered the Prince of Luling's appearance. At this moment, the Prince of Luling's appearance was somewhat different from his true appearance, but everyone present was familiar with him and they were certain that this person was him. Therefore, at a glance, they could still quickly recognize him. He … was the Prince of Luling!
However, if he was the Prince of Luling, then who was the person walking behind him? That person was also wearing the same robe with the same round neck, the same hat of horsetail feathers on his head, the same beard on his chin, the same wrinkles on his face, the same bloated figure, and even the way he walked was exactly the same. His expression and gaze were also exactly the same.
If there was a difference, it would be that this Prince of Luling's appearance was slightly different from the Prince of Luling walking in front of him. However, the Prince of Luling walking in front of him was also not the Prince of Luling's original appearance. These two people's appearances were sixty to seventy percent similar to the Prince of Luling's original appearance, yet they were not completely the same.
Li Guo 'er walked out of the bushes like a flower brushing away a willow, stood to the side, and looked at everyone with a smile. Everyone looked at the two Princes of Luling standing side by side as if they were looking at an illusion. With their sharp eyes, they carefully examined them and discovered that both of their necks were the same color, and their jaws were similarly loose and wrinkled. It was not easy to tell which one was real and which was fake.
Yang Fan stood up and said with a smile, "Hehe, Miss Gu's skill is truly marvelous. This time, even I can't recognize you. Your Highness? "
The two Princes of Luling looked at Yang Fan at the same time and called out, "Yang Xiaowei!"
Yang Fan had never seen Gu Zhuting's vocal skills, but he had seen her disciple Tin Aino's. At this moment, when Gu Zhuting opened her mouth, her voice and intonation were exactly the same as the real Prince of Luling, so Yang Fan still couldn't tell the difference.
Li Guo 'er giggled and tugged on the sleeve of the person standing next to her, saying, "Miss Gu, don't joke around with everyone. Proper business is more important."
That 'Prince of Luling' laughed, still imitating the Prince of Luling's voice. However, he didn't manage to hold it back, so his laughter was slightly thin and carried a hint of femininity.
Yang Fan asked curiously, "Princess can recognize him? Ah! That's right, Princess is naturally very familiar with your esteemed father's appearance. Others might not be able to recognize him, but how could Princess not? "
Li Guo 'er shook her head. "That's not true. It's also extremely difficult for me to recognize him. It's just that … "
Li Guo 'er pointed at the feet of this fake Prince of Luling. Everyone followed her gesture and looked over, then compared it with the feet of the other Prince of Luling. Only then did they realize that the two Prince of Luling were identical in every other aspect, except for the boots. The fake Prince of Luling's boots were brand new, while the real Prince of Luling's boots were old. There were even some faint blackened bloodstains on the upper of the boots. Presumably, Li Guo' er had used this to distinguish the real from the fake.
Yang Fan gladly said, "There's no problem with this. In that case, Miss Gu can definitely pass off the fake as the real one!"
… …
Yang Fan pointed at the distant mountain range and said to everyone, "We can't take the road ahead. Since they could set up an ambush in Gushui Town, they must have guessed that we would choose to enter the mountain from here. Let's go west and circle back to Luyang Pass, then enter Duji Province from there! "
The sun was setting in the west, casting a vast expanse of land. The setting sun was like blood on the horizon, and the distant mountain seemed to be covered in a layer of red. It stood there in solitude. Who knew how many people were lying in ambush, sharpening their blades, waiting for them to walk in. Thinking of this, everyone felt a chill in their hearts.
Yang Fan said, "Commander Xu and Commandant Gao, escort His Highness down the mountain first. After descending the mountain, all of you can rest nearby. After that, you can completely rely on yourselves. You can adapt to the situation and change your identity at any time. In short, ensuring His Highness's safe return to the capital is the most important task!"
Xu Liang and Gao Ying respectfully nodded. Standing between them, the Prince of Luling took a step forward and grasped Yang Fan's hand. He sincerely said, "Commandant Yang, if we can escape this time, the life and future of my Li Xian's family will all be thanks to Commandant!"
He took another step back and cupped his hands to all the cavalrymen and inner guards. "It is all thanks to everyone. I, Li Xian, solemnly swear to the yellow sky and thick earth that the kindness of all warriors this time is as high as the heavens and as deep as the earth. I, Li Xian, will never forget this!"
Everyone hurriedly returned his salute. Li Xian then turned to Li Guo 'er and gently stroked her head. He softly said, "Guo' er, being born a daughter of the Li family has truly been hard on you."
Li Guo 'er's eyes were sparkling as she said in a low voice, "Daddy, there's no need to feel guilty. If Daddy feels that you've let your daughter down, then live well. Only when Daddy reaches the capital safely can our family have hope!"
Li Xian nodded forcefully and said to Xu Liang and Gao Ying, "Let's go!"
The three of them walked down the mountain under the setting sun. They needed to conceal their identities and couldn't even ride horses. In just a short while, the three figures disappeared into the lush forest.
Yang Fan looked at their receding figures and gently exhaled. He then turned to the others and said, "We should also go down the mountain. His Highness's health is not good and his movements will be slow if he can't ride a horse. We can't walk too fast either. We have to help His Highness attract the attention of the assassins. After we go down the mountain, we have to find a donkey or a carriage for Miss Gu to sit on. Our disguise as His Highness must be flawless. "
After saying this, Yang Fan turned to the fake Prince of Luling who was standing next to Li Guo 'er and said, "Miss Gu, if we encounter an enemy, you must not make a move at any time and under any circumstances unless we have the confidence to completely annihilate them!"
The fake Prince of Luling nodded solemnly.
The speed at which Yang Fan and the others descended the mountain was not fast. After all, there were still a few injured imperial guards among them. They only arrived at the foot of the mountain when the sky turned dark. The scouts in front had sent back news that there was a small village not far away. In order to avoid causing panic among the villagers by entering the village at night, the group decided to rest for the night on the outskirts. At dawn the next day, they would send someone to the village to get some food and some transportation.
They rested in a poplar forest and gathered the remaining dry rations they were carrying and brought back some water from the river. This was a depression and the surrounding forest was so deep and dense that they were not afraid of being seen by others when they started a fire. Even so, they still dug a deep pit to prevent the flames from rising too high.
The dry rations and dried meat were put together into a pot of porridge, which the exhausted group ate with relish. After quickly filling their stomachs, they found a place to rest for the night in the forest.
Yang Fan arranged for four imperial guards to stand guard at the four corners of the forest and personally patrolled the area before returning to the forest. A few thick pieces of wood were placed on top of the fire, causing the pit to emit a dark red glow. Although the fire did not seem to be very strong, it was still very hot, so hot that even the nearby ground was heated up.
Little Princess Li Guo'er was currently the most respected person in the group. She slept right next to the pit, and around it were the fake Prince of Luling, Miss Gu, and a few injured imperial guards.
Everyone was scared out of their wits last night and had rushed up and down the mountain in a hurry. They were all exhausted and slept soundly as soon as they lay down. Yang Fan lightened his footsteps and did not disturb them. He circled around them twice before stopping beside Huang Xuchang.
Huang Xuchang had cut some branches and placed them on the ground, then covered them with a thick layer of weeds, making this' bed 'both soft and bouncy. He had even moved a smooth piece of dead wood to use as a pillow, showing that he knew how to make full use of the surrounding conditions to create the most comfortable environment for himself.
Seeing that the 'bed' was very wide and the 'pillow' was also very long, Yang Fan did not hesitate to lie down and rest next to Huang Xuchang. Huang Xuchang did not sleep. The moment Yang Fan lay down and the 'bed' sank, Huang Xuchang opened his eyes, which flashed with a shrewdness that did not match his rough appearance.
He lowered his voice and whispered, "Now that I think about it, there are still six people who are the most suspicious!"
Yang Fan frowned and whispered, "There are still so many! Who are they? "
… …
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
