Chapter 5, the prince returns to the palace

As soon as Zhou De's words fell, everyone was astonished; in addition to the one thousand garrison troops in each county of Guxi County, there were also a total of one hundred eighty thousand troops, of which eighty thousand were under the direct command of the King of Guxi, including three thousand from the Yulin Army, four thousand from the outer city guards, twenty thousand from the Imperial Guards, and fifty thousand stationed at the borders of Guxi County; the remaining one hundred thousand were under the command of the heir apparent, led by A Guqie.

Zhou Yi's analysis put many people at ease, but Aguqi still worried. The prince had been pursued multiple times by the men in black yet managed to escape death each time. What does this indicate? Who sent them? It is feared that the prince may already know. The heir is the prince's only son, so he is naturally safe, but that puts himself in danger.

"Your Highness, did you not say that the Chengqian Hall is your residence? How could a commoner dare to overstep?" Upon entering the inner city, Wang Xu was led by Zhou Bo to bathe and change clothes. At this moment, Wang Xu had already changed out of his 21st-century attire and donned ancient clothing. Wang Xu was quite tall, standing at 1.80 meters, which is equivalent to eight Chinese feet. After changing into a white scholar's robe, he appeared even taller and more upright, though his figure seemed somewhat slender.

This prince left the palace and encountered difficulties; fortunately, Wang Xu provided his utmost assistance, rescuing this prince from peril. Now, he is appointed as General of Jingliao and awarded a bounty of 1,000 taels.

No

Please go ahead and speak

As the Imperial Guard cavalry left the city, the news of the prince's imminent return to the palace spread throughout the royal city. Under the leadership of Zhou Bo and the Crown Prince, all civil and military officials of Guxi County came out of the city to welcome him

Is he going to take action against us

Within the inner city lies the royal palace. Although the palace does not have walls, no one dares to intrude. The residents here are all members of the royal family, and apart from the Imperial Guards, only eunuchs are permitted to reside within.

Those who remain are all members of the Young Master faction, unjustly punished, and naturally anxious in their hearts; among these individuals, the one who feels the most unsettled is undoubtedly Aguqie; during the prince's absence from the palace, he opposed Zhou Bo at every turn, even drawing his sword against him; the dark-clad assassins who attempted to kill the prince were also sent by him, and if an investigation were to be pursued, he would be the first to be implicated

Wang Xu organized his thoughts and said: "We can mobilize the 100,000 troops back to the city while simultaneously recalling the 50,000 troops stationed at the border to the royal city, positioning them on the flank of the 100,000 troops. The heir apparent would never dare to act recklessly."

The ancient city of Guxi served as the administrative center for dozens of counties in Guxi County, featuring an outer city, an inner city, and a royal palace. The outer city is generally guarded by the county office of Guxi, with typical county towns having only 1,000 soldiers; however, Guxi County boasts 4,000 soldiers, who are stationed at the four city gates of the outer city. The outer city also serves as the residence for the common people of Guxi County, resembling an ordinary county town.

Why are you all in a panic? I am the only son of the king; he would not harm me. If this prince is killed, who will inherit his throne? You need not worry; as long as this prince is alive, you will naturally be safe.

"Your Highness, we must not allow the army outside the city to enter. The heir has long harbored ambitions of usurpation; if we permit those one hundred thousand troops to enter the city, would it not be inviting a wolf into our home"

Outside the royal city, all the officials knelt down and shouted for long life; however, when Zhou De returned to the city, he did not allow them to rise. He only instructed several old ministers, including Zhou Bo, to walk towards the city, leaving the heir and his companions kneeling in place, not daring to stand up.

Your Highness, this is not the time for rewards and recognition. A Da has risked betrayal of the heir to save Your Highness, and his current situation is extremely perilous. I wonder how Your Highness intends to arrange this matter

Do not concern yourself with the matters of the Men in Black; I shall immediately send someone to relay orders and mobilize the troops. At this moment, Zhou De looked at Wang Xu with increasing fondness, for wealth could not sway his heart, and titles and ranks could not alter his aspirations. He was steadfast in his promises, possessing both affection and loyalty.

"Child, you will live in this Chengqian Hall from now on, how does that sound?" At this moment, the prince was no longer the disheveled old man; he wore a golden crown adorned with dragon patterns and a long robe of purple and gold, exuding a unique noble aura. His face, with a half-smile, featured a pair of bright, piercing eyes that commanded respect without anger.

After Zhou Bo left, the ministers were also dismissed by Zhou De. They rose and approached Wang Xu, whispering: "As for the matter of the man in black, I leave it to you to handle. Please thank them for me. You tell them that they only have three days. The heir can be detained, but it cannot be for too long; among the one hundred thousand troops outside the city, more than half of the generals are the heir's confidants. If the heir is not released for an extended period, it is very likely to incite a rebellion."

In the grand hall, the ministers were engaged in a heated discussion, which allowed Wang Xu to gain a preliminary understanding of Guxi County and to make a clear judgment on the current situation. Ultimately, the mobilization of troops was merely to save the life of the man in black. If no one were to go to the military camp to issue orders to attack and kill the man in black, what danger would they face?

Ah

Your Highness, Wang Xu has something to say, may I ask if Your Highness is willing to listen

As the crowd entered the Chengqian Hall, the ancient King Xi sat high on the throne, looking down below. Finally, his gaze settled on Wang Xu, and he spoke warmly: "Child, during my absence from the palace, you have saved me from peril on multiple occasions. I am prepared to appoint you as a general and reward you with a thousand taels of gold. What are your thoughts on this?"

Indeed, I urge the prince to think carefully. For many years, Gu Xi County has been able to remain safe and sound, largely due to this lack of vigilance. The walls of Gu Xi Wang City are tall and thick, and the heir does not have absolute confidence in victory, especially with the fifty thousand troops at the border keeping a close watch. This is why the heir has refrained from taking action

Zhou Bode turned and left

Within the outer city lies the inner city, which is off-limits to commoners. This area serves as the residence of the civil and military officials of the ancient Xijun. It is guarded by the Imperial Guards of the four yamen, with each city gate manned by no fewer than 5,000 guards. In addition, the city walls are exceptionally sturdy, complemented by a moat that spans 30 feet in width, making it a veritable fortress.

Zhou Bo, upon receiving the order, instructed Wang Fu to immediately proceed to the military camp outside the city to convey the message that the army would be stationed within the city starting today

In fact, Wang Xu did not wish to be a general. Have you ever seen a general without soldiers? It is simply a hollow title. Have you ever seen a general who cannot fight? Going to the battlefield like that would be courting death. Only the last thousand gold pieces have some value; gold in the Hongzhou continent is quite precious. One tael of gold is equivalent to ten taels of silver, one tael of silver equals one thousand copper coins, and one copper coin is worth one thousand wen. Moreover, three wen can buy a steamed bun. By this calculation, one thousand taels of gold is indeed a significant sum.

Zhou De raised his eyebrows slightly, and after pondering for a moment, he resolutely said: "The one hundred thousand troops outside the city must be brought into the royal city. How can we prevent the heir from usurping the throne? Gentlemen, please share your thoughts."

"Two options: one can arbitrarily find any charge to imprison the heir in a dungeon or place him under house arrest, and once A Da and the others are safe, the heir can be released; what does the prince think of this?"

"Your Highness, what does this prince mean by this?"

At this moment, Wang Xu had no intention of seeking rewards, as the hundred thousand troops were still stationed outside. The situation for the black-clad individuals was extremely perilous. If the heir were to learn that it was the black-clad individuals who had betrayed him, the consequences would be unimaginable; having been entrusted with a task, one must naturally be loyal to the matter at hand.

Reflecting on the past half month spent with Wang Xu, in Zhou De's eyes, Wang Xu was merely a somewhat clever but ignorant youth; however, observing the delicate and youthful figure of the young man in the grand hall, who analyzed the situation with such clarity and spoke so eloquently, truly surprised Zhou De and led him to a new understanding of Wang Xu

"Yes, Your Highness." Wang Xu cupped his hands in salute

Thank you, Prince, for the reward

Very well, immediately imprison the Crown Prince and General Aguche on charges of treason, and hold them in custody. Zhou Bo, this matter is entrusted to you to handle

Wang Xu is appointed as a seal.

This