Chapter 83

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Long Xinghu stepped up to the carriage, clasping his hands together, "This old minister Cheng Wuben welcomes the princess back home!"

The words "welcoming the princess back home" instantly brought tears to Min Ruoxi's eyes. The bittersweet memories of the past period welled up in her heart, making her nose tingle. She opened the carriage door, bent down, and stepped out. Looking at the old general Cheng Wuben, she felt like a little girl who had been wronged outside, seeing her elders at home, and tears streamed down her face.

"General Cheng!" she choked out.

At the first sight of Princess Zhao Hua, who still looked as beautiful as ever, Cheng Wuben felt a great relief. But seeing the princess crying uncontrollably, his eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he looked toward the direction of the Long Xiang army. "Princess, did they do anything disrespectful? Would you like this old minister to take revenge for you?"

"No, no, I just felt emotional seeing General Cheng," Min Ruoxi shook her head. "Given the current situation, it's not wise to create more trouble."

"Everything will be as the princess commands," Cheng Wuben nodded.

Min Ruoxi stepped out of the carriage and then turned around. Cheng Wuben was taken aback, and then he saw a young man emerge from the carriage. The noble princess actually extended her hand to support the man's shoulder, helping him down. "Be careful," she said softly.

Seeing this, Cheng Wuben couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock.

"General Cheng, this is Qin Feng, the captain of the Western Border Army's Death Battalion, who protected me and helped me escape from the tiger's mouth!" Min Ruoxi, noticing Cheng Wuben's gaze, blushed and explained carefully, "Qin Feng is severely injured and can't use his strength."

"Oh, I see!" Cheng Wuben feigned understanding, but in his heart, he was muttering. Even if he was injured, the princess wasn't without attendants. Why was she so unreserved, sharing a carriage with a young man and acting so intimately, with such an ambiguous demeanor?

He, a thousand-year-old fox, naturally wouldn't point this out, pretending not to see. He nodded at Qin Feng, "The first fierce general under General Zuo, I have heard much about you. This is our first meeting, and I didn't expect you to be so young, just over twenty!"

Facing the most powerful general of the current Da Chu, Qin Feng felt a bit nervous and bowed, "Qin Feng greets General Cheng!"

Just as he bent down, Cheng Wuben reached out to support him, "No need for formalities. Captain Qin, you have traveled a thousand miles to escort the princess back to the country, establishing great merit for the nation. I should thank you."

In this moment of support, a wave of internal energy had already circled Qin Feng's body, and even with his extensive experience and peak ninth-level strength, Cheng Wuben was amazed by the unusual state of Qin Feng's body.

Qin Feng smiled bitterly and explained, "In the final battle, my internal energy went out of control, and I fainted. I thought I was surely going to die, but somehow I mysteriously came back to life. There is now an external internal energy in my body, and I don't know who did this."

Cheng Wuben nodded in understanding, "I see. But this person must have had no ill intentions. If it weren't for this force restraining your out-of-control internal energy, you would have died long ago. The martial arts you practice are too domineering and overly yang, which is a flaw."

"General Cheng's insight is profound," Qin Feng said admiringly. At their first meeting, with just a light test, he immediately saw through his problem, living up to his reputation as a renowned expert.

"General Cheng, can you treat him?" Min Ruoxi asked with concern.

Seeing the princess's worried and concerned face, Cheng Wuben shook his head helplessly, "Princess, the person who restrained Qin Feng's out-of-control internal energy is far more powerful than I am. If even he could only do this much, how can I have a solution?"

Min Ruoxi was immediately disappointed, "So even General Cheng has no solution. I thought you might have a way to help him."

Cheng Wuben smiled, "Your Highness, I am not particularly skilled in martial arts. Captain Qin's problem is no small matter, but it's not impossible that there is no one in Da Chu who can treat him. Perhaps the experts in the Ten Thousand Sword Sect can find a solution."

Min Ruoxi's eyes lit up, "General Cheng is right. After returning to the capital, I will take Qin Feng to the Ten Thousand Sword Sect. No matter what, I must cure his illness."

Cheng Wuben squinted his eyes, looking at Qin Feng and then at Min Ruoxi. The relationship between these two seemed far from ordinary. The princess's concern was not just the usual concern for a subordinate.

"Princess, after receiving the news in the capital, the emperor was greatly pleased. General Yang Qing of the Inner Guard, along with a group of imperial physicians and chefs, has been traveling day and night to Kunling Pass and is now waiting inside the pass. Let's go in first. We can think of ways to treat Captain Qin's illness later," Cheng Wuben said with a smile.

"Is Father well?" Min Ruoxi asked with concern.

"The emperor is well," Cheng Wuben nodded. "Princess, this is not the place to talk. Please get back in the carriage, and we will discuss it further once we return to the pass."

"Alright," Min Ruoxi nodded. "It's been almost two months without any news from the capital, which has been a great worry to me."

Turning around, she helped Qin Feng back into the carriage. Seeing their intimate interaction, Cheng Wuping's eyes flashed with a hint of worry. The political upheaval in the capital, the downfall of the Crown Prince, and the ascension of the Second Prince were inevitable. The emperor's health was deteriorating, Yang Yihuo had been dismissed, and the right chancellor Ma Xiangdong had been promoted to left chancellor. The power structure of the court was undergoing a dramatic shift, and a purge was inevitable. As the eastern commander, Cheng Wuben had always been close to the Crown Prince, and he feared that once the court stabilized, the Second Prince would target him.

The Second Prince, Min Ruoying, had always been a representative of the radical faction, advocating for the unification of the world by force, with the primary target being Da Qi. However, as the eastern commander, Cheng Wuben, who had fought against Da Qi for many years, knew the strength of Da Qi. Although Da Chu had grown strong under Yang Yihuo's governance over the past decade, its national strength was still far behind Da Qi. Defending was manageable, but an offensive would be like hitting a stone with an egg. This was why Cheng Wuben had always supported the more pragmatic Crown Prince.

For Cheng Wuben himself, there was no personal preference between the two princes. He had always supported the Crown Prince based on strategic considerations. If the Crown Prince could ascend to the throne, everything could continue to develop smoothly according to the current national strategy. If Da Chu could develop for another ten to twenty years and Da Qi faced some internal issues, it would be the right time for Da Chu to conquer Da Qi. Now, it was simply not the right time.

However, the惨败 of the western border army changed everything. Cheng Wuben still couldn't believe that all this was done under the direction of the Crown Prince. To completely defeat the Second Prince, the Crown Prince dared to commit such a heinous act, defying the world's moral standards?

Cheng Wuben didn't believe it. But the complete case file brought by Yang Qing of the Inner Guard left Cheng Wuben speechless. Based on the current evidence, the Crown Prince had no defense, with both human and physical evidence present.

Crown Prince, how could you make such a grave mistake? Haven't I told you that as long as you don't make mistakes, others can't criticize you? At this stage, doing nothing and saying nothing is the best strategy. So many eyes are watching you, and even a small mistake will be magnified, let alone such an unforgivable error.

With the Second Prince in power, he would not let go of a border commander who had always opposed him. To implement his national strategy, the Second Prince would certainly remove all obstacles in his path. Cheng Wuben knew his days as the eastern commander were numbered, but as long as he had one day left, he would do his best.

Even though he felt it was irreparable, Cheng Wuben still submitted a sincere memorial to the emperor, stating that the current focus should still be on defense.

Do what you can, and leave the rest to fate.

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