Chapter 416: Stealing

Xiao Ningchen hoisted his sister in one arm, stood up, his face ashen: "Don't be afraid, second brother will rush back to the capital, we'll never let them succeed!"

Tuan Tuan strained, hugging his neck, her little head buried in his collarbone: "Second brother, let's go right now!"

Xiao Ningxun hurriedly grabbed him: "Second brother! Listen to father!"

Everyone looked at Xiao Yuanhang.

Xiao Yuanhang slowly stood: "Go, all back to the tents."

The group returned to the tents; Xiao Yuanhang looked at the map on the table, silent.

The tent curtain lifted, Xiao Jieyun walked in.

Everyone knelt and saluted: "His Majesty!"

Tuan Tuan rushed forward: "Imperial Uncle! They want…"

"I understand." He bent down, lifted Tuan Tuan, walked to the table and sat down, "Everyone stand up."

The group rose, but no one sat.

"Yuanhang."

"You must immediately mobilize troops, bring thirty‑thousand elite, depart tonight, return to the capital to rescue."

"If any of the nine gate commanders in the capital dare to block, they may be beheaded before reporting."

Xiao Yuanhang stood still, unmoving.

He lowered his eyes, staring at the notice on the table, the words "Ning Prince's Mansion family" especially striking.

His mother, wife, and eldest son were all listed there.

After a long while, Xiao Yuanhang finally spoke: "Your Majesty, I, cannot leave."

The Emperor suddenly looked up: "What did you say?"

"If I now lead troops back to the capital," Xiao Yuanhang lifted his head, looking straight at the Emperor, "it would be right into the Ni Ze's clutches."

He stepped forward a few paces: "Your Majesty, please see."

He pointed at the map: "Our army now camps here, backed by the Xibei supply route, easy to defend, hard to attack. The rebels were terrified the last time they were defeated, so they dare not act rashly."

His finger traced an arc, landing on the capital's location.

"Chen Wang and Qing Wang could each send a hundred‑thousand army here; the forces they keep in the capital, by my estimate, number at least sixty‑to‑eighty thousand, stationed at various passes."

"They are holding their troops, waiting for me to leave with my army."

He withdrew his hand, standing upright: "Now our forces and the rebels are in a stalemate, forces equal; before reinforcements arrive, neither side may move a step."

"If I split my troops to return to the capital, the rebels will pour out and rush at Your Majesty!"

"If I take the fifty thousand troops with Your Majesty away, the rebels will chase us relentlessly, right to the foot of the capital, leaving our army trapped front and back."

The more they heard, the colder their hearts grew; Prince Ning, seasoned in battle, would not be wrong.

Xiao Jieyun's complexion also changed; he didn't lack understanding, only acted in haste.

At this moment, being pointed at by Xiao Yuanhang, he was instantly startled awake.

"Moreover," Xiao Yuanhang continued, "if I lead the great army back, we can only take the official road."

"The rebels need only ambush along the way, set defenses at every stage; by the time I reach the capital, our men will be exhausted and our horses spent."

"Then the capital's rebels can comfortably wait, shut the gates and stay inside."

"Our army will fall into a death trap, fortified ahead and pursued from behind."

He inhaled deeply: "Thus, I would not be rescuing anyone, but leading these fifty thousand boys to their deaths."

Everyone fell silent at this point.

Going means certain death; not going means watching one's kin die.

Tuan Tuan didn't understand, lifted her small face to look at the Emperor: "Imperial Uncle, I miss mother, I haven't seen her for a long time, nor eaten the dishes she made for me."

Xiao Jieyun felt a pang, brushed Tuan Tuan's hair: "Caught between a rock and a hard place, Yuanhang."

He looked at the loyal minister who had charged ahead for him, following to this point: "But she is your mother! Your wife and child! How can you not save them?"

Xiao Yuanhang closed his eyes.

After a moment, he opened them: "Your Majesty, since ancient times great ministers and generals have always faced the dilemma of loyalty versus filial piety. I am no different."

"Your Majesty," he knelt slowly, forehead touching the ground, "I humbly plead, allow me to stay."

The Emperor's hand, holding Tuan Tuan, trembled slightly.

A single "allow" weighed like a thousand pounds, stuck in his throat, unable to be spoken.

"Your Majesty." Xiao Ningxun stepped forward, lifted his robe hem, knelt beside his father, respectfully kowtowed once.

"Father cannot leave, but mother and elder brother also cannot be left unsaved."

"The great army must not be moved lightly; I volunteer, taking a hundred‑person elite unit back to the capital to rescue!"

Xiao Yuanhang suddenly snapped his head toward his son.

Xiao Ningxun continued: "I can enlist the power of the jianghu, infiltrate the capital covertly, and act when the chance arises."

The tent fell silent.

"Father Emperor!" Xiao Ran also stepped out, kneeling beside Xiao Ningxun: "I, your son, wish to go together!"

Xiao Ningchen walked to his third brother, just about to kneel, but was stopped by a glance from Xiao Yuanhang:

"You stay, and guard the Main Camp with your father."

Xiao Ningchen clenched his fists, hesitated a moment, then retreated.

Tuan Tuan brushed against the Emperor's chest: "Right! Imperial Uncle, I am the Lord Master of Tianji Pavilion! I also want to go with Third Brother!"

Xiao Jieyun gave no answer, looked at the kneeling crowd, let out a long sigh.

"Xiao Ningxun, how confident are you?"

Xiao Ningxun was silent for a moment: "The capital is already a dragon's den and tiger's lair; with Qing Wang and Chen Wang pressing so hard, they must have set a net over the sky and earth; I have little confidence."

He paused: "This journey will surely be nine deaths to one life."

"But," he lifted his head, eyes gleaming, "I want to go and give it a try."

Xiao Jieyun gazed at him deeply, after a long while: "I approve; you must bring the person back safely. Everyone, rise."

Xiao Ningxun kowtowed heavily: "Subject, I receive the command!"

Several people rose, Xiao Yuanhang patted his son's shoulder: "You must be extremely cautious; as your father, I wait here for you to bring them back safely."

He waved: "Tuan Tuan, come over."

Tuan Tuan wriggled out of the Emperor's arms, ran up to him: "Father! I want to go with Third Brother, okay?"

Xiao Yuanhang bent down and lifted her up, without hesitation: "Good!"

Everyone looked at him with faces of disbelief.

Xiao Er hurriedly said: "Prince! This journey is extremely perilous, Miss..."

"She must go."

Xiao Yuanhang thought it through clearly: "Tuan Tuan's abilities, you all know; precisely because this journey is extremely perilous, if we reach a critical juncture, likely only Tuan Tuan can break the deadlock."

Tuan Tuan looked at her father's face, eyes lighting up: "Exactly! Father, rest assured, I will surely rescue Mother!"

Xiao Yuanhang kissed her cheek: "Father knows, our Tuan Tuan is the most formidable."

He looked again at Xiao Ningxun: "Remember, if the matter cannot be done, you must never force it."

Xiao Ningxun nodded heavily: "I understand, son."

He turned to Lu Qi: "Lu Qi, you must set out immediately, take Tuan Tuan's Mystic Mechanism Order, rush to Jingcheng, and have all the experts of Tianji Pavilion in Jingcheng mobilize."

Lu Qi replied: "Yes! Third Young Master, what should they do?"

Xiao Ningxun's lips twitched: "Steal something."