Yang Fan smiled and said, "I'm very tired, so let's rest early. The closer we are to Luoyang, the more we can't let our efforts go to waste. We'll set off when the sky is barely bright, and we'll reach Luoyang by noon." After saying that, Yang Fan crouched down to wash his face before walking away.
Li Guo'er lightly curled her lips and muttered, "What's there to be proud of? When I become a princess, hmph!" Before she could finish, Li Guo'er had already turned around and walked toward the carriage. In front of the carriage, the Prince of Luling had just gotten off the carriage with the help of Xu Liang and Gao Ying. He was currently stretching his arms and legs.
Yang Fan looked at them from afar and chuckled softly, an unfathomable expression on his face.
In the deep of the night, the sleeping Wei Yong suddenly felt his heart palpitate. Opening his eyes, he saw a black figure squatting in front of him. Startled, Wei Yong reached out to touch the steel saber under his pillow, but that person stopped him and shouted, "It's me!"
Startled, Wei Yong exclaimed, "Erlang!"
Looking around, it was still dark and the sky was still dark. Wei Yong asked, "What are you doing in front of me instead of sleeping?"
Yang Fan smiled and said, "It won't be too late to sleep somewhere else. Wake up now!"
"Hmm?"
Bewildered, Wei Yong sat up. Yang Fan had already walked away and was patting the second person awake.
Originally, after a day's journey, everyone was extremely tired. At this time, their bodies had not yet recovered and were sore all over, but they were woken up by Yang Fan one by one. Everyone was a little baffled.
Yang Fan said, "Let's leave this place immediately and sleep somewhere else!"
Li Guo'er opened her sleepy eyes and poked her head out of the carriage, grumbling, "Why do we have to leave all of a sudden?"
Yang Fan didn't reply, only urging everyone to saddle up their horses and carriages and get ready to move.
About half an hour later, everyone was finally ready. Yang Fan said, "Follow closely, we're leaving now."
No one knew where he was going, so they could only follow him. Yang Fan walked along the riverbank. After walking for about two miles, the sky had already begun to brighten. A small bridge appeared in front of him. The bridge was very narrow, only allowing one person and one horse to cross. Yang Fan smiled and said, "It's here. Abandon the carriage and cross the river!"
Zhang Xitong was startled. "Lieutenant, crossing the river is the road to Dragon's Gate."
"That's right," Yang Fan said, "Let's go back through Dragon Gate. Wangye is returning to the Capital, it's a good omen."
Wei Yong didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "A good omen? I say, Erlang, you still have the mood to be so carefree at this time. We have to walk dozens of miles from here to the Dragon Gate … "
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly felt two hard things pressing against his waist. When he turned around, he saw Gao Ying and Lan Yiqing standing behind him, smiling at him, but their eyes were cold, as cold as ice. The smile on Wei Yong's face froze.
The group crossed the bridge, and Yang Fan ordered, "Destroy the bridge completely!"
Immediately, two hundred cavalry rushed forward and completely destroyed the small bridge that the villagers had built to cross the river.
Many people hadn't noticed Wei Yong's abnormality. Wei Yong stood there stiffly and didn't have any reaction. He only used a frightening gaze to follow Yang Fan slowly …
…
The torches were like spots of starlight, dancing in the distant night sky as they got closer and closer. Not only were there torches on the road from Luoyang, there was also a large group of torches from Yingyang. The two groups were getting closer and closer, and it was obvious that they were galloping.
Li Dayong led his men and was out of breath from running. When he saw a group of people coming from afar, he immediately raised his guard and ordered his subordinates to be on guard. The two groups stopped a stone's throw away and shouted a few words from afar. Only then did he realize that it was the people who were coming from Luoyang to provide support.
Li Dayong was relieved and led his men to continue forward. At the same time, he was secretly puzzled. The two groups had already met, but he still hadn't seen Yang Fan's group. Could it be that they had grown wings and flown into the sky? If they were to stop in the forest halfway, their actions would probably be seen by them and they would alert the enemy.
Seeing that the two groups were about to meet, Li Dayong suddenly pulled on the reins and bent down to look at the ground.
"Light up!"
Li Dayong ordered. A few of the cavalry lowered their torches and saw a belt on the ground. It was pointing diagonally at the grass by the side of the road. Li Dayong revealed a sinister smile and shouted, "Go down and search along the river bank for me!" After Li Dayong finished speaking, many of the wolf-like imperial guards rushed down the road while Li Dayong quickly rode to meet the people on the other side.
"Brother Zheng!"
Li Dayong cupped his hands at the person coming up to meet him. This person was tall and had broad shoulders, fierce eyebrows, and leopard-like eyes. He looked very fierce and his name was Zheng Yu. He was also one of Wu Sansi's fierce generals. Zheng Yu cupped his hands at him and returned the greeting, "Brother Li!"
Li Dayong said, "Your Highness received this little brother's messenger pigeon?"
Zheng Yu said, "I received it. This Yang Fan is too cunning. He mixed the truth with the lies and made us exhausted. His granny! But don't worry, this time he definitely won't be able to enter Luoyang. Not only did Your Highness send me here, but he also ordered people to guard the city gates. He won't let them take a single step in. "
Just as he was speaking, there was a loud shout from the riverside. Li Dayong and Zheng Yu quickly rode their horses to the riverside. They saw that the ground was a mess and there were many sleeping bags that they didn't have time to put away.
Li Dayong said, "They must have rested here last night. They shouldn't have gone far."
Zheng Yu excitedly said, "Chase! Once this merit is made, you and I will enjoy endless riches and honor in our lives! "
There were weeds and footprints on the riverside. These people searched carefully and followed the traces all the way. Soon, they arrived at the small bridge.
At this time, the sky was already bright. Although the sun had not risen from the horizon, it was early summer, and the earth was already bright. Their torches had been extinguished, and only wisps of smoke were still curling up from the torches.
These people held the smoking torches and stared at the broken bridge in front of them. Zheng Yu gritted his teeth and said, "He's really as cunning as a ghost and as cunning as a fox. This bastard went to Dragon Gate!"
Li Dayong said with a gloomy face, "No matter how cunning he is, he won't be able to enter Luoyang. Brother Zheng, immediately send a message back. I will bring people to find a way to cross the river. Let's let that person die on Dragon Gate Mountain!"
…
Dragon Gate, Hot Spring Supervisor.
Yang Fan soaked in the hot spring for a full hour. His fatigue was washed away. He felt refreshed and refreshed. Yang Fan came out in a bathrobe. As soon as he saw Xue Tangcheng waiting there, he smiled and nodded, "Xue Tangcheng, thank you for your trouble."
Xue Tangcheng, who was dressed in a green robe, had a hooked nose, two fleshy cheeks and a moustache, quickly said to his old superior, "Captain is too polite. Captain, you … you brought hundreds of cavalry and internal guards here in a hurry. Is there something important?"
Yang Fan glanced at him and said with a deep meaning, "It's not that I don't want to tell you. It's just that it's better for Xue Tangcheng not to know about this matter."
Xue Tangcheng's heart skipped a beat and he quickly shut his mouth.
Yang Fan said, "The people I brought with me are the Hundred Cavalry and the Inner Guards. This time they left the Palace on an imperial edict. After a long and arduous journey, it was not easy for us to return to the Capital. Mayor Xue Tangcheng, please prepare some fine wine and food for them. As for the Sinong Nong Temple, I will inform them."
Xue Tangcheng quickly said, "No need to tell me. Your humble officer has already arranged it." Feeling uneasy, Xue Tangcheng casually said a few words and excused himself.
After changing his clothes, Yang Fan went to the outer room. He saw Wei Yong sitting at the table in a daze, like a wooden statue. Gao Ying and Lan Yiqing stood on his left and right, still standing behind him.
As soon as he saw Yang Fan come in, Wei Yong slowly raised his head and looked at him with a somewhat sluggish gaze.
Yang Fan said to Gao Ying and Lan Yiqing in a friendly manner: "You two ladies have worked hard. Go take a bath and rest."
Gao Ying pouted her lips at Wei Yong. Yang Fan smiled and said: "No problem!"
The two ladies also believe that with Yang Fan's skill, Wei Yong will not be able to do anything to him. Thus, they complied and left. Yang Fan slowly sat down in front of Wei Yong. A difficult smile slowly appeared on Wei Yong's face. "How did you discover me?" he asked quietly.
Yang Fan said: "Because you were too careless after Commander Huang's death. We stopped at Wuyang City and Xiangcheng City for a night each. You didn't forget to send a message to both places. It's hard for me not to discover you!"
Wei Yong sighed softly and silently closed his eyes.
Yang Fan looked at him with a pained expression. "Brother Wei, I really don't want to see our old friends end up like this."
Wei Yong said in a stupefied voice, "I never thought that the struggle for the world would cause us brothers to meet on the battlefield! When I accepted King Liang's benefits, I never thought that this day would come. Actually, I've only accepted benefits from King Liang all this time. I haven't done anything else.
This time, I didn't know what you were after when you brought us south. I didn't contact King Liang either. It was only when something happened in Fangling and I was thrown into prison that I learned your goal. Ever since I joined King Liang's side, I became one of King Liang's people. I couldn't just watch him fall.
At that time, I didn't have any way to contact King Liang, so I took the risk of using a military relay station to send a message to the capital. Fortunately, no one made things difficult for them when they heard that it was a letter from the Liang Manor. Only after that did I receive an order from King Liang on the way back, and I obtained a way to contact others. "
Yang Fan said sadly, "One wrong step, and I became a thief in the end!"
Wei Yong's face twitched a few times. He became agitated. "Thief? Who's a thief? If I succeed, I'll be a king. If I fail, I'll be a thief. "
Yang Fan shook his head. "Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together!"
Wei Yong sneered. "How do you know that your path is correct? Huang Xuchang is a Brigade Marshal, and his rank is higher than mine. Wasn't he bribed by King Wei in the end? "
Yang Fan fell silent for a moment. Then, he said slowly, "Brigade Marshal Huang is not a traitor!"
Wei Yong's body trembled. His eyes widened in shock. His voice trembled as he said, "What … what did you say?"
Yang Fan raised his voice and enunciated every word clearly. "I said, Huang Xuchang is not a traitor!"
Wei Yong stared at Yang Fan as if he had seen a ghost.
Yang Fan said, "What I told you on the mountain in Ye County was almost all true, including the fact that I was spying on Brigade Marshal Huang. Only one thing was false, and that was that I discovered that Brigade Marshal Huang was a traitor. You hid it very well, very well. I tried to bait you again and again, but I couldn't fish you out.
But with a traitor by your side, we couldn't complete our mission. That was why after the plan to lure the snake out of its hole failed, I discussed it with Brigade Marshal Huang and set up a trap. I already found out that the person staying in the inn is King Liang's man. Heh, you don't need to ask me how I know. Most of the local officials are fence-sitters.
They don't dare to go too far in any aspect, so they want to leave a way out for themselves. In any case, I know that King Liang has already sent someone to stay in the inn. Why is he staying there? To wait for that traitor, of course. That's why I asked Brigade Marshal Huang to pretend to be King Wei Chengsi's spy! "
Wei Yong sneered. "You really dare to take such a risk. Aren't you afraid that we'll find something amiss when we confront each other?"
Yang Fan raised his eyebrows. "Are King Liang and King Wei on good terms? Are they a pair of scheming enemies, or are they brothers in love? "
Wei Yong was immediately at a loss for words.
Yang Fan continued, "Those maidservants of the internal guards are too impatient. Ever since they found out that there was a traitor, they've been looking at people with strange expressions. I reckon that this cunning traitor has long since sensed that I'm already suspicious. This act of mine will make the traitor think that he's not the only traitor. Once we get rid of this traitor, he will no longer be suspected.
We'll kill the traitor Huang Xuchang, then let Miss Gu leave first. She can continue to strut around as the Prince of Luling, while we escort the real Prince of Luling back to Luoyang. Heh heh … this plan was meant for you, the traitor. Actually, the Prince of Luling we picked up in Ye County was a fake. It was Miss Gu, who arrived at Ye County before us. "
Wei Yong's face twitched a few times. It was hard to tell whether he was crying or laughing.
Yang Fan said, "After that, everyone thought that the traitor had been eliminated, and the traitor let down his guard. I knew that this traitor would definitely spread the news, and sure enough … I found you! They thought that I was escorting the real Prince of Luling this time, so they threw everything aside to chase after me. That way, the real Prince of Luling would be able to enter Luoyang safely. "
Wei Yong's face froze for a long time before he slowly said, "So you couldn't find the traitor, so you used him! I … have been used by you all this time? "
Yang Fan looked at him sympathetically and nodded. "That's right! The 'dead' Commander Huang also left after we left to escort the real prince back to Luoyang. Everyone thought that the prince was with me, and everyone thought that Commander Huang was already dead. A 'dead man' was protecting a 'non-existent man', so I believe that no one would bother him along the way. "
Wei Yong stammered, "But … but I saw Miss Gu kill Huang Xuchang with my own eyes."
With a flick of his wrist, Yang Fan took out a sharp dagger from his sleeve. Yang Fan used his fingertip to lightly touch the tip of the dagger, and the blade shrank back and forth. With flagging interest, Yang Fan said, "It's just a small toy. If the hilt is first filled with blood, it'll look even more like it. On the way to Fangzhou, I learned it from that old man who plays with illusions. What do you think?"
Yang Fan's thumb lightly flicked the hilt, and the dagger fell on the table. With a bang, the end of the dagger vibrated. Yang Fan said, "Only after flipping this switch can the dagger really kill!"
Wei Yong slowly stretched out his hand and pulled out the dagger. He slowly pointed the tip of the dagger at his heart, just like how Gu Zhuting had pressed the dagger against Huang Xuchang's chest on Ye County's mountain.
He knew that regardless of whether or not Yang Fan felt pity for him, he would not let him off today, whether it was because of those dead cavalrymen and inner guards, or because of the importance of this matter. Since Yang Fan had told him the answer to this riddle before the Prince of Luling had returned to the capital, he could only die.
Since he could only die, why should he beg for mercy?
With a force of his wrist, the sharp dagger pierced into his heart.
Wei Yong only let out a soft hum, like a sigh …
… …
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