Chapter 406: Where Did That Trick Come From?

Someone let out a low laugh, then hastily covered their mouth.

The townsfolk stirred in a commotion.

Tuan Tuan, who had been standing beside the carriage listening for a while, tugged at Chu Yuan's sleeve: "Master, does that paper say Father lost the battle?"

Chu Yuan nodded lightly.

"But Father clearly won!" Tuan Tuan was bewildered: "Why are they writing nonsense?"

Chu Yuan sighed: "Because they want everyone to believe Father is a bad person."

"Why?"

"Because," Chu Yuan weighed his words, "if the populace believes Father is a villain, they'll think those spreading lies are the good ones."

"They need Father to play that villain."

Tuan Tuan, half-understanding: "Master, is the Twelfth Prince really emperor now?"

The Twelfth Prince is only five! About your age.

Chu Yuan grew more helpless: "That's what the notice says."

Tuan Tuan grew more confused: "What about the Imperial Uncle? If the Twelfth Prince is emperor, where did the Imperial Uncle go?"

Chu Yuan shook his head, offering no reply.

The silent Xiao Er grew even more silent, standing aside like a stone statue, fists clenched tight.

Gongsun Yue stepped forward, staring at the notice again and again, face full of shock: "Prince Ning clearly won, yet this says he's a defeated general—how can that be?"

Chu Yuan let out a soft sigh: "This notice must have been posted in every city; surely someone will take it as truth."

Tuan Tuan released Chu Yuan's hand, ran to Father's horse, and lifted her small face: "Father, they say you lost the battle."

Her voice clear: "Then let's go to Jingcheng, find whoever wrote this, and ask why they're spouting nonsense. Okay?"

Xiao Yuanhang lowered his gaze to his daughter's clear, big eyes, which held only the simplest sense of right and wrong.

"All right." He bent down, reached out, lifted his daughter onto the horse's back, placing her in front of him: "Father will take you back to Jingcheng to get to the bottom of this."

He lifted his eyes, gazing toward the direction of Jingcheng, where dark clouds hung low.

"Issue the order! Advance at full speed, straight to the capital region!"

"Yes!"

The great army set out once more.

The orderly hoofbeats and footsteps hammered heavily upon the ground.

The townsfolk silently watched them pass before their eyes, and whispers began:

"They certainly don't look like deserters! I just wonder, how could the War God suffer defeat?"

"What Prince Ning just said made sense—if they'd really fled, why come here?"

"What on earth is going on? The Imperial Court's notice doesn't say that!"

The garrison commander on the city tower turned to his deputy with a wry smile: "Did you see? These are the true soldiers returning from the battlefield."

"What should we do? Stop them?"

The commander fell silent for a long while, then waved a hand: "Just pretend we didn't see them; let them pass."

"But what about the Regent King's side?"

"The Regent King?" the commander scoffed, "What Prince Ning said is true—this notice is posted all over the realm, but do you see an imperial seal on it? Without the seal, how can it be considered legitimate?"

"This realm may yet be undecided."

After several days, the last bit of food they carried was finally gone.

The marching pace slowed.

Hungry and weary, men and horses alike, the army resembled a fatigued beast, each step unusually heavy.

All they encountered along the way were cold stares and doors shut in their faces.

Village and town gates were tightly closed.

Occasionally a bold townsfolk peered through a crack, eyes full of wariness and estrangement.

That notice plastered everywhere was like an invisible iron wall, separating this victorious army from the people's hearts.

That evening, the army set up camp in a leeward hollow.

The pot rack was raised, burning half‑dry withered grass; the pot boiled some wild greens and roots gathered along the route, mixed with the last pinch of salt, the greenish broth weakly bubbling.

Each person had only a small bowl of thin soup and a piece of wheat cake as hard as stone.

No one complained; only the sound of silent swallowing, mixed with sharp intakes of breath when the cake struck their teeth.

Xiao Yuanhang handed his portion to a young soldier running a slight fever.

The soldier hastily tried to decline, but Xiao Yuanhang's gaze pressed him back: "Obey orders, drink."

The soldier's eyes reddened, he lowered his head, and sipped it little by little.

Xiao Ningxun and Xiao Ningchen sat behind their father, likewise taking only a few sips of clear broth.

They unconsciously tucked the cakes into their bosoms, not knowing when the next meal would come—better to keep them.

Xiao Ran held his bowl, suddenly finding all this absurdly laughable.

They had defeated the strongest foe, yet now they lived like a band of beggars.

Tuan Tuan sat in the carriage, holding a fine wheat cracker, carefully breaking it into three pieces and forcibly stuffing them to Chu Yuan and Xiao Yueyue: "If you don't eat, neither will I!"

The two had no choice but to accept them.

She looked at the cake in her hand, then through the carriage window at everyone else's food, finding she could barely swallow.

No food remained—everyone was starving!

The next day, the army continued on the road, the roadside scenery gradually becoming familiar.

"Second Uncle, where are we?"

Xiao Er laughed, "Miss, you think it looks familiar? We've arrived at Xibei!"

Xibei? Horse gang?

Tuan Tuan's eyes lit up; she rummaged through the small Sachet and found the bone whistle that Xuan Fu Weng had given her.

Uncle Xie and Grandfather should be here, right? We can ask them if they have any food!

If they do, we can help Father then!

She stuck her little head out of the carriage window, took a deep breath, puffed out her cheeks, brought the bone whistle to her lips, and blew with all her might.

"Wooo—puff! Whoosh—!"

A sharp, high‑pitched whistle rang out, tearing the surrounding silence and carrying far away.

The sound resembled a trapped little bird screeching wildly in a net.

What is Tuan Tuan doing?

Xiao Yuanhang heard it and felt like covering his ears, while Xiao Ran looked up in astonishment.

Xiao Ningxun and Xiao Er exchanged glances: "This is the Western Ridge Horse Gang's signal whistle!"

Tuan Tuan blew forcefully, and suddenly, "Chee—! Chee chee—!"

From the southeast direction, a sudden short, sharp bird call rang out!

The rhythm was clear, the pitch harmonious, completely different from Tuan Tuan's blowing.

Immediately after,

"Di—da! Chee chee!"

From the Xibei direction, an urgent bird call also came!

Then, from all directions, similar rhythmic sounds arrived.

Countless bird cries, bearing a sense of imminent danger, intertwined and echoed through the silent mountains and fields.

Hearing so many responses to her own sound, Tuan Tuan blew even more joyfully.

After a good while, until all the calls faded, she finally stopped.

She hadn't expected this little thing would get tiring after a long blow.

She rubbed her cheeks, slipped out of the carriage, hugged Xiao Er's neck: "Second Uncle, does it sound good?"

"I learned it from Grandfather! What are they saying to me?"

Xiao Er: "…"

Miss, that's what the horse gang uses to communicate with each other.

You just blew it all randomly; how could I know what they're saying!

After a moment, the ground began to tremble faintly.

Dense hoofbeats grew louder from afar, and countless cavalry units appeared from all directions.

The men on horseback were all fierce, brandishing their sabers, shouting:

"Where did this trick come from? How dare you rob the Western Ridge Horse Gang? Do you have no life?"