AWB Chapter 30 A plan within a plan
Chapter 30 A plan within a plan
"My name is Meng Jiao, and I am a subordinate of General Shu. On the night we arrived at Dingxi Prefecture, General Shu privately called us to his room and told us that the prince's life was the foundation of the country and could not be lost. There would be many dangers if we entered the territory of Qiangyi. He said that he would take the prince into the city at night and asked us to pretend to be the prince and General Shu..."
According to Meng Jiao, he and another soldier named Lin Xi were chosen by Shu Huaiyuan to be stand-ins for the Crown Prince and General Shu, and General Shu had escorted the Crown Prince out in the middle of the night and headed directly to Qiangyi.
"General Shu told me that there are many suspicious points in Dingxi Prefecture. He wants Linxi and I to delay as much as possible. The later our true identities are discovered, the safer they will be."
"But your two faces don't match those of the Crown Prince and General Shu. Why didn't Min Lirong notice it?" Sima Yao asked.
"General Shu had already made arrangements. Before he arrived at Dingxi Prefecture, he had been pretending to have a cold, coughing non-stop and speaking with a hoarse voice. On the day of departure from Dingxi Prefecture, Lin Xi wore full armor, with only his eyes exposed. His body shape was 80% to 90% similar to the general's, and he gave orders with a hoarse voice. Min Lirong was afraid of being infected, so he always kept a distance, so it was difficult for him to notice."
"What about the prince?"
"General Shu said that the environment in the Gobi Desert is harsh and asked the prince to ride in the carriage the entire journey, so Min Lirong did not notice anything unusual when he set off."
"Then why was Min Lirong able to escape unscathed after this sandstorm, but both of you were captured?"
"At breakfast that day, we lied about being unwell and didn't eat with Min Lirong. He took the opportunity to put cartilage powder in the food of the two of us and our personal guards. When we reached the Gobi Desert, Min Lirong was about to attack the two of us, but a sandstorm hit. He fled in panic, but we were unable to move due to the effect of the cartilage powder, and were eventually captured alive by a group of Qiangyi bandits... Fortunately, General Shu prepared for a rainy day and went ahead with the prince, otherwise, they would be the ones waiting to die in this dungeon right now."
"You know you might die?" Gu Nianzhi's heart tightened. Although this was just an ordinary soldier, she had never met him before, and his name had never appeared in the original book, but at this moment, Gu Nianzhi felt so uncomfortable. What kind of courage does it take to know that you will die?
"Haha..." Meng Jiao laughed, "Both of us, our parents and brothers, died in the war. We have no parents and no children, and we are all alone. Now we can die together, and we can be considered as having company on the road to the underworld. Moreover, if it is true as General Shu said, a successful marriage between the two countries can ensure decades of stability on the border, and the death of two of us little people can be considered as having the greatest value. General Shu did not force us, this is something we are willing to do."
Meng Jiao looked at Sima Yao and Gu Nianzhi. His face was calm, but tears were flashing in his eyes.
"But, when the two of us leave, no one will remember that we ever existed in this world."
Gu Nianzhi's throat was blocked and tears welled up in her eyes. After a moment, she couldn't hold back any more and tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Meng Jiao, Lin Xi, I remember your names. The Third Prince and I will always remember your names and will never forget them... I thought about rescuing you, but I was really powerless, powerless..."
"Yeah. Thank you, brother. I'm content with my worthy death." Meng Jiao smiled, but this smile made Gu Nianzhi feel even more uncomfortable.
Batu looked at everything in front of him. He seemed to be indifferent to life and death, and there was no expression on his face.
The three of them walked out of the cell, and Gu Nianzhi couldn't help but ask Batu: "General Batu, if we want to save them, is there really no way at all?"
"Bater means what he says. Even if it's really the Crown Prince and General Shu, I can't do anything about it. Besides, they are just two insignificant pawns. Why bother with that?"
"But human life is equal. No matter if they are princes or guards." Gu Nianzhi said with sobs, all she could see was Meng Jiao's expression of willingness to die.
"Equal?" Batu looked at Gu Nianzhi as if he were a monster. "How can the lives of royal nobles and common people be equal? If I didn't think that Shu Huaiyuan and the prince were inside, why would I use 200 sheep to exchange for the opportunity to meet them? You know, 200 sheep can be exchanged for 400 slaves of their quality."
"No matter what, at least the Crown Prince and General Shu are not in danger of their lives for the time being. Now, no news about them is the best news." Sima Yao hurriedly tried to smooth things over.
"The 'third prince' you just mentioned is you?" Batu turned his attention to Sima Yao, and looked him up and down with a somewhat malicious expression. "I was thinking, if we capture you, the emperor of Dasheng should be willing to pay a thousand gold coins to ransom you, right?"
Gu Nianzhi quickly stepped in front of Sima Yao, and like a hen protecting her chicks, she nervously separated him from Batu. "Batu, can't you see the current situation clearly? Don't you think about it? Bater is inferior to you in every way, but he has grown stronger in just a few years and is much stronger than you. What is the reason behind this?"
Batu's face changed when Gu Nianzhi touched on the thing that bothered him the most.
In recent years, his team has indeed been inferior to Battelle in every aspect, and he has been furious for a long time.
"Batu, you are not an ordinary bandit. You used to be a general. If you listen to me, I guarantee that you will become the king of Qiangyi in the future." Batu couldn't help but be moved by Gu Nianzhi's determined expression.
"You are so arrogant. I am not even as strong as Bater now. What can I do to become the King of Qiangyi?"
"Bater is able to have the strength he has today because the power behind him is the Second Prince. Think about it carefully. How many benefits and weapons has he received from Dingxi Prefecture over the years? Are these what you can get?"
Batu seemed to be persuaded. The weak little man in front of him knew everything about the area around Dingxi Prefecture.
Gu Nianzhi began a barrage of lobbying.
"The prince was captured, but Dingxi Prefecture neither offered money to redeem him nor sent troops to rescue him. What is the reason for this abnormality? Have you ever thought about it?"
"As long as the crown prince dies, the second prince will have a chance to become the new crown prince. He is the one who wants the crown prince to die the most in the world."
"The other princes are young, and the third prince is now the only competitor for the second prince's position as crown prince. Today, even if you use the third prince as a hostage and ask for a ransom from Dingxi Prefecture, I can guarantee that you won't get a single penny."
"Once the Second Prince becomes the Crown Prince, do you think he will choose Bater over you or you who have never cooperated with him?"
"The Third Prince has always supported the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince returns safely this time, the Third Prince will definitely speak well of you in front of the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince unfortunately passes away, as long as the Third Prince is around, it won't be that easy for the Second Prince to become the Crown Prince."
"By then, Bater will be the Second Prince's man, and you will be the Third Prince's man. You and Bater will each have your own support and restraint behind you, which is better than you being alone now."
"Instead of handing over the Third Prince for a little uncertain reward now, you should look at the long term and let us remember your timely help. We will definitely repay you a hundredfold in the future."
Batu's expression relaxed a little. He knew that what Gu Nianzhi said made sense.
Bater was already on the second prince's ship, so it was not easy for me to get on that ship.
Even if the second prince was willing, Bater would not give up. However, there was no one on the prince and the third prince's ship. If he could get on this ship, he would definitely be the helmsman.
Like a gambler placing bets, Bater had already bet on the second prince, and now he had no choice but to bet on the third prince and the crown prince.
In this deal, choosing the Crown Prince and the Third Prince might really allow him to make more money.