Chapter 15.1
On the way out of the barracks, Mu Yuanlong’s expression was terrifying.
The cavalry all knew that General Mu was in a bad mood, moreover, all of them were really anxious. No one dared to go up and provoked this misfortune, and the road was so quiet that only the sound of horses’ hooves could be heard.
Zhao Yebai was the horse left by the Third Highness. The Fifth Prince before had been greedy for it for a long time, but not only did Mu Yuanlong not let him borrow it, he also didn’t even let him take a look at it.
Fortunately, the Fifth Prince didn’t have the guts to go to Emperor Yuan to ask for the horse, therefore the matter was settled by leaving it unsettled.
“General Mu, this is…”
When the Garrison guards on duty saw Xuan Cavalry came with a group of people, they hurriedly stepped forward to inquire. After knowing that the horse left by the Third Prince had gone missing, they hurriedly notified the Commander-in-Chief.
After a while, Duan Junhao hurried over with the sword tightly gripped in his hand but quickly loosened it after learning about the situation.
When the Third Prince was still alive, the Xuan Cavalry was famous in the entire Great Wilderness. As soon as their flag was raised, the enemy would be terrified and their morale would be greatly reduced.
Although the general was absent and the deputy general took over, his position in the hearts of the people was still undiminished.
As far as the Garrison Army was concerned, in the battle of Hangu Pass a year ago, if the Third Prince hadn’t led the three thousand Xuan Cavalry to support them, not to mention whether their fifty thousand-strong army would have been wiped out, even the Imperial City of Great Yuan would have possibly fallen that time. Therefore, they usually made it convenient for the Xuan Cavalry, and they would try to make it as convenient as possible.
In addition, the garrison also provided them with a lot of leads, but the guards here said that they did not see any trace of Zhao Yebai. Such a well-fed excellent horse would not go unnoticed when entering the City. As for the young man in white clothes, there were too many, but he had never seen the young man with eyes covered in white silk.
Since it didn’t enter the City, it must be outside the City. Mu Yuanlong turned his horse’s head and said, “Disperse and look around the City Gate. The other two, go to the Proton Mansion and ask if the Ye Proton has seen where the person had gone off to.”
The Xuan Cavalry carried out the orders and started the thorough search.
Seeing that this Xuan Cavalry General had no intention of leaving for a while, Duan Junhao also asked one more question, “Zhao Yebai was fine in the military camp on weekdays, why did it suddenly get lost?”
It wasn’t that he wanted to meddle in his own business, it’s just that no one in the army didn’t knew that Xuan Cavalry treated Zhao Yebai like a precious baby in their eyes. To be able to get lost under such circumstances, something bizarre must have happened.
“Commander Duan doesn’t know anything.”
Mu Yuanlong didn’t shy away. “Recently, according to rumors, a student from the Baijia Banquet has won the good graces of the King of Beining, and he was in the limelight during the banquet. Commander Duan should have heard of it….This student has gone a bit crooked. It’s not enough to use the guise of His Highness to take advantage of opportunities, he also had the idea of taking Zhao Yebai away…it’s really hateful.”
Hearing this, Duan Junhao looked a bit weird.
What happened at the gate that day had spread throughout the Imperial City. Originally, he thought that the matter had already been settled under the interference of the King of Beining, but Duan Junhao did not expect that these days, many forces would come to him to inquire about the specific situation of that day.
These waves of people include not only the few persons in the Capital who were fighting the Crown Prince position, but also the people from the Prime Minister’s Mansion, and now even the General Mu of Xuan Cavalry had come. It really made people more and more unable to see the direction of the situation.
As the Commander-in-Chief of the Garrison Guards, Duan Junhao, like his father, was directly loyal to Emperor Yuan, no clear standing in the Capital and only watching the seizing of the Crown Prince position in the sidelines. Therefore, in the face of these forces, he still held water with his eyes open, and he would not be biased.
In the final analysis, this matter was wicked. Even if the disciple named Gu was in the limelight at the Baijia Banquet, he wouldn’t have brought all these big men to him, right?
Furthermore, the princes, the close friends, the subordinates…these were people who had close contact with the Third Prince. It would be impossible to have no doubts at all.
Duan Junhao remembered that day. At that time, he almost believed in his heart that Gu Luo was the Third Prince, therefore he sent someone to Zongzheng Mansion to invite someone to come and decide. Unexpectedly, the King of Beining extinguished his intentions halfway.
Whether it is in terms of status or other aspects, it was impossible for Duan Junhao to compare with the brothers who grew up together in terms of the number of meetings and familiarity.
Although this matter was over, Duan Junhao still had misgivings in his heart, full of hesitation, and pressing these doubts deeply in his heart.
While he was still thinking, Mu Yuanlong said again, “Commander Duan, what happened in front of the City Gate that day? Can you tell me in detail?”
Duan Junhao: “..…”
These doubts should absolutely never be said to Mu Yuanlong.
It was a well-known fact that Xuan Cavalry were loyal. Since even the King of Beining had denied it, his suspicions were nothing but just his own, and he might offend people if he really spoke out.
Duan Junhao was just ordinary, and he only learned ten percent of Duan Shui Kungfu from his father. Therefore, he simply repeated his remarks as he did with other forces, without any slight embellishments.
“What? Still having trouble with the thought of Qixing Longyuan?!”
After hearing this, Mu Yuanlong’s face darkened and his brows were tightly furrowed. The anger that had just subsided was stirred up again, causing the black horse under him to use his front hooves to scrape the soil impatiently.
First, he was dressed like His Highness, next, Qixing Longyuan was with him, and now Zhao Yebai was involved. It was clear that this person was shameless and determined to imitate His Highness all the way.
There was also the King of Beining, who was afraid that the world would not be in chaos–denied his identity in public, but as a result, turned around and gave him his jade.
Thinking of this, Mu Yuanlong was furious.
Even if His Highness was no longer valued by His Majesty during his lifetime, he still decided that he should never be humiliated by this kind of thieves and rascals.
He pulled the reins. He planned to go directly to the palace to report and seek justice for His Highness.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, a Xuan Cavalry soldier, who was searching everywhere, returned, with a beautiful white horse with a magnificent look behind him.
“Zhao Yebai!”
Mu Yuanlong hurriedly dismounted, checked Zhao Yebai’s whole body carefully, and after confirming that nothing was amiss, he breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s fine.”
When His Highness was still alive, the degree of doting on his horse was obvious to all. Even in the case of being surrounded as in the first battle of Hangu Pass, it was made sure that Zhao Yebai could return safely.
Mu Yuanlong didn’t dare think of any negative possibilities. If Zhao Yebai really got lost or something really happened, how shameless would it be for him to see His Highness after a hundred years.
The cavalry who brought Zhao Yebai back asked, “General Mu, the people you sent to the Proton Mansion….”
The general in black armor was silent for a while, “You send someone to call them back, no need to ask again.”
After such an interruption, Mu Yuanlong also calmed down. On second thought, it was only postponing the matter of wanting to enter the palace to report.
Today’s Emperor really doesn’t have such a good personality. Moreover, His Highness was not favored, this was an indisputable fact. Even if he sacrificed his life for the country and conferred the posthumous title of Crown Prince, he could still not compare to the pampered Ninth Prince in the deep palace.
In addition, Xuan Cavalry couldn’t bear the loss in Nanliang. Although the Emperor didn’t say anything to Mu Yuanlong when they returned to the Capital, and only asked him to recondition themselves and await orders, compared with the King of Beining, who received a soft-hearted reward. it may just be assumed that they would have to wait long before an assignment arrived.
If this kind of trivial matter attracts trouble, if things don’t work out, Xuan Cavalry might even be implicated. Mu Yuanlong can be indifferent, but he cannot implicate these brothers who went through life and death together with him.
The Xuan Cavalry General clenched his fists and said reluctantly, “Go back.”
Mu Yuanlong was suppressing a stomach full of anger.
He only hoped that the man who deceived the world and stole fame would better seek more blessings for himself and not appear in front of him, otherwise, even if he escaped the punishments, he would still force him to accept all the consequences.
