Chapter 539: The First Barrier to Entering the Capital

"Princess?"

"Your Highness!"

"Greetings, Princess!"

A group of people were startled the moment they saw who had arrived.

Xie Chan?

Liu Zheng stared blankly at Xie Chan, speechless for a moment.

Xie Chan had changed into light, casual clothing; noticing the way Liu Zheng was looking at her, her pretty face flushed red, and she glared at him: "What are you looking at? Keep looking and I'll gouge your eyes out!"

"Ah!"

Liu Zheng finally snapped out of it and hurriedly bowed.

Xie Chan stomped her foot in annoyance: "Enough, enough, don't give me that. Once in the army, I am General Xie of the Western Regions Construction Corps, understand?"

The group breathed a sigh of relief and laughed in agreement, though they remained respectful in their speech.

Xie Chan glared at Liu Zheng again, suppressing the shyness in her heart, and bit her lip: "Prefect Liu, do you not hold General Xie in your eyes? Discussing important military matters without even bothering to inform me?"

Liu Zheng looked embarrassed.

The group ushered Xie Chan inside, and she looked coldly at the map on the table, asking through gritted teeth: "The one who killed my Xiao Tao is this Xie Ling?"

Xiao Tao's death had left Xie Chan grief-stricken for a long time.

Although she had moved on now, the hatred remained buried deep in her heart.

This time, hearing that Xie Ling had returned, how could she not be furious?

Liu Zheng nodded: "I fear that Shi Ke, having heard you have awakened, will not let this go easily either."

This was another headache-inducing problem.

Xie Chan laughed coldly: "That charlatan, if he comes again, this Princess will surely cut off his head!"

After this boast, she looked at the map on the table and asked: "Who is the garrison commander of this Yang'an Pass?"

Someone replied: "Jinghua General, Cheng Anguo!"

Xie Chan asked indifferently: "Does he dare to defy the imperial court?"

The group was stunned, then shook their heads.

Xie Chan sneered again: "Does he dare to make a move against a Princess?"

The group shook their heads again.

Xie Chan looked at Liu Zheng with a mocking smile: "Since he dares not, he knows we are entering the capital under summons, while that rebel army, though they are Xie Ling's men, has no legitimate cause. Prefect Liu is a hero of the world; surely you know the principle that he who strikes first gains the advantage?"

Liu Zheng was shaken to his core, suddenly enlightened: "Does the Princess mean?"

A sharp light flashed in Xie Chan's eyes, and she said coldly: "The Yang'an Pass has thirty thousand garrison troops; how many of them would actually want to follow Cheng Anguo to help Xie Ling? Since Cheng Anguo dares not take action against us himself, we can enter the pass, seize Yang'an Pass, and use this ancient, majestic fortress to hold off those fifty thousand rebels. Why not?"

"Even if the fifty thousand rebels are already hidden within the pass, once Cheng Anguo is dead and you raise your arms in a call to action, the pass will surely fall into chaos. Will the leaderless thirty thousand garrison troops listen to the Princess, or to those rebels?"

Upon hearing this, the group was overjoyed.

Liu Zheng also looked at Xie Chan with newfound respect.

Those involved are often confused, while bystanders see clearly.

Xie Chan's words instantly cleared Liu Zheng's thoughts.

They were entering the capital legally.

Xie Ling was acting like a thief.

This was the greatest difference between the two sides.

They would not only go to Yang'an Pass, but they would go with great fanfare! They would go with gongs and drums! They would let the entire Longyan Dynasty know they were going. They would let the garrison commander Cheng Anguo know from a hundred miles away that Prefect Liu had arrived, and the Princess had arrived.

Prefect Liu has arrived.

The Princess has arrived.

The next day.

Gathering the three thousand soldiers from Liangzhou and the three thousand troops of the Prince of Yong, a total "grand army" of six thousand sounded their military horns. The procession stretched out long, and under the watchful eyes of the commoners and some scouts, this mighty force marched toward Yang'an Pass.

The entire Longyan Dynasty was watching this.

The entire Longyan Dynasty was in an uproar.

Knowing there are tigers in the mountain, yet choosing to walk toward the tiger's mountain?

Did this Prefect Liu truly have a strategy, or had he really lost his mind?

If you must go, then go.

But to go all the way with gongs, drums, and constant horn-blowing? Are you showing off your power, or are you provoking Xie Ling?

Many people were amused by Prefect Liu's mysterious operation.

Along the way, following Liu Zheng's instructions, the Prince of Yong had prepared a special band; the journey was filled with celebration, and those who didn't know better might have thought someone was getting married... The music traveled across plains, through forests, over rivers, and across streams.

"Prefect Liu has arrived!"

"The Princess has arrived!"

The whole world knew that Prefect Liu had arrived.

Cheng Anguo at Yang'an Pass naturally would not be unaware. This sturdy, dark-skinned man stood up abruptly upon receiving the news.

"So early? How much longer until they arrive?"

Cheng Anguo asked in a booming voice.

The scout said: "General, it's not that it's early, it's that, it's..."

"It's what?"

"It is because they have made such a huge commotion all the way here..."

The Scout then reported the situation he had seen on the road truthfully.

"Ah?"

Cheng Anguo was stunned to hear this. Coming with gongs and drums? What kind of maneuver was this? He had assumed that the Prefect Liu and the Prince of Yong would at least be on high alert, moving silently, or at the very least, they should have sent a Scout to communicate with him about the situation in Guanzhong.

He had not expected...

He gave a cold laugh: "It seems His Highness was right; this Prefect Liu is truly somewhat arrogant..."

"General, then what should we do?"

Cheng Anguo said indifferently: "What should we do? What does it have to do with us? His Highness's people are thirty miles outside the pass; whatever happens there, does it have any relation to us? No matter who it is, we shall just wait in Guanzhong!"

"Yes!"

Xie Fang had not slept for several days.

He even had dark circles under his eyes.

"Everyone, are we truly not going to rescue Prefect Liu?"

He had been so conflicted these past few days that he had even lost the mood to watch the show.

"Your Highness, stay steady!"

"Your Highness... this is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity to get rid of Prefect Liu! Haven't you noticed that even the Emperor has said nothing?"

"Indeed, it seems the Emperor's will is that even if it means sacrificing the Princess, Prefect Liu must be liquidated!"

A group of people persuaded him again.

Xie Fang clenched his fists tightly.

"Your Highness, to have no faults is an achievement, to have no faults is an achievement!"

"Shall we go together to the Ministry of Rites and help count the gifts?"

Along this journey.

The restless Xie Chan had long since ignored everyone's objections, put on her military uniform, and was riding her horse side-by-side with Liu Zheng.

The scenery along the way was pleasant, and her gaze drifted toward Liu Zheng from time to time.

Hmph!

Bad man!

How many days had it been since he last wrote her a letter?

Could it be that because she had put on a military uniform, she no longer looked like a woman?

However...

She actually quite enjoyed it when Liu Zheng was stiff and formal, calling her General Xie.

Hmm, how should she put it?

It was adorably dorky!

"Pfft..."

As she thought about it, Xie Chan secretly laughed out loud.

Liu Zheng chuckled: "What is General Xie laughing at?"

Xie Chan gave a soft hmph: "I won't tell you."

Seeing that Liu Zheng did not speak, she could not help herself: "Then tell me first, why are you making all this noise with gongs and drums? It's so annoying!"

Liu Zheng smiled and asked: "Has General Xie ever considered, if the enemy forces were to set an ambush in the area before the pass, how should we resolve it?"

Xie Chan was startled, pulled on the reins, and the War Horse came to a sudden stop. She blinked: "That wouldn't happen, would it?"

Liu Zheng laughed: "It is not a matter of whether it would, but a certainty."

His expression turned stern: "Therefore, I believe we should wait at least thirty miles outside the pass for Cheng Anguo to come and welcome the Princess into the pass. If he complies, we can hold him hostage to enter the pass; if the rebel army disregards Cheng Anguo's safety, the garrison will naturally know they should come out of the pass to rescue him. If he does not comply, we can have the Messenger kill him, seize the pass, and lead the army to attack from both sides! What does the Princess think?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Chan's face beamed with joy: "Great Good!"