Two days imdiately passed. On the early morning of the third day, a huge group consisting of more or less five thousand people left the capital, marching towards the east.
Jiang Li was with this group.
Like what he wrote on the letter Mao Hong sent to the Emperor, he brought a battalion of around a thousand soldiers with him. Since there was another army coming with them, he volunteered to just take the left flank. It was coincidentally the nearest to Jiang Ying Yue's carriage.
The rest of the formation was taken up by the people of another general surnad Tao. This general was actually sobody from Rui Wang's faction, an old guy mostly stationed at the east. This guy happened to back to the capital due to a reason Jiang Li didn't know and didn't care to know. But when both Jiang Li and Jiang Ke declined the appointnt, it was he who got the opportunity due to his familiarity with the place and terrains.
Sohow, when this person greeted him, Jiang Li saw that this general seed to not hold him in high regards. He was guessing it was due to being in the sa camp as the imperial prince who had the highest chance of winning the crown.
This old man's case was like how the eunuchs of the Emperor's main palace think that they were superior to the eunuchs of the other palaces, even though at the end of the day, they were still all eunuchs.
But well, it was not like he was doing the sa to the other party, so he didn't care much about it. As long as the other person doesn't do anything to irritate him, for example, make his people do the hard labor, like the setting up of the camps or carrying sacks of stuff while those from their side slack off, Jiang Li wouldn't find trouble with him and make him the second Jiang Ke.
The day passed without a hitch. At least, there had been no conflict among the mbers of the caravan. Old Tao did not provoke him. This person was at least sensible and knew that even if he was in the sa side as Rui Wang, it didn't an a thing before sobody who was at the neutral side, not to ntion if it was in an actual battle, he would definitely lose against soone at the sa caliber as the Grand Marshal.
The unfortunate thing was when nightfall ca, they didn't reach a town, and the one nearest to their current location was still a few dozen miles away. Without a choice, they looked for a place to set up camp and then settled on a wide grassland near a narrow river.
It was not a bad location, just that the comfort it could give to the mbers of the caravan was not comparable to local inns. But well, beggars couldn't be choosy.
"Your Highness Chen Wang, His Highness Hai Wang is inviting you to dine with him in his encampnt. Would you please co with this one?"
The mont Jiang Li jumped down from his horse, a guard from Hai Wang's side saluted at him. The person was in his thirties, taller than Mao Hong, and with a few stubbles on his chin. There was no expression on his face when he extended the invitation to Jiang Li.
The general glanced at him and replied in a tone that barely hid his annoyance, "Tell His Highness, This Prince is guilty in his heart. But Lady Ping'An is waiting for and I have already committed to a eting with her. If a gentleman breaks his promise, how could he still be called a gentleman? He should be able to understand my dilemma. Please ask forgiveness to His Highness in This Prince's behalf. "
Those staying at Hai Wang's side were intelligent people. The guard was just as astute so he realized the real aning behind his refusal. Since he already received an answer, he excused himself from the young general and left to relay the ssage.
"Your Highness, he refused the invitation. He said he promised to accompany Lady Ping'An." Kneeling on one knee, the bearded guy said to Hai Wang.
"He refused to see ? So Lu Ling simply doesn't want his relationship with to be known to the public?" A hundred ters away from Jiang Li and Jiang Ying Yue's encampnt, the second prince furrowed his brow upon hearing the reply from his ssenger.
"My apologies, Your Highness, that seems to be the case, or else he wouldn't bring up committing to a promised dinner with sobody else."
While it was true the man was donning the armor and weapon of a re guard, he was actually one of Hai Wang's advisors. Hence he boldly spoke his opinion and didn't go about it like what so ministers usually do.
He didn't believe sobody who could easily triumph against enemies would have water in his brain for love. This was why he added, "My liege, if a man truly wants to do sothing or okay to do sothing, he wouldn't create any excuse to hinder from accomplishing it. It's obvious the general is playing safe and is not intending to support you publicly. All I could see is his reluctance to let go of his position as the leader of the neutral parties. It seems Chen Wang..."
"Zhong Ling."
The guard lowered his head and didn't continue speaking when Hai Wang, raised one of his hands to stop him. Inside his fancy tent, the prince remained seated in his stool, admiring the content in the small piece of paper that other man passed earlier to him through a ssenger bird.
After looking through everything written there, he handed it to the silent guard who imdiately glanced down to skim its content. A few monts later, the older man widened his eyes and stared gaping at Hai Wang.
"This..."
The second prince nodded. "It's exactly what you're thinking it is."
The man was aware of Chen Wang's secret communication thod with the person before him so he asked, "It ca from him?"
When he received a smile and a nod from Hai Wang, his eyes widened further that they seed to be popping out of their sockets any ti soon. He shouted in an agitated voice, "H-How did he know about this!!! This, this is a sacred art that could change the skies and dictate the heavens! Only great priests from ancient tis know how to do this!!! B-but those mystical people already vanished from the secular world. So how?!! "
Chen Heng shook his head at the man who was still stuttering and mumbling stuff due to shock. In a calm but serious tone, he said, "It doesn't matter how he got the thod, Zhong Ling. It's good that he is with us." A second later, he started to chuckle. "So let's just drop the issue about him rejecting my invitation and prepare to shake the whole Zhou Dynasty with this."
...
Back to Chen Wang's encampnt...
After personally laying the food on the table, Jiang Ying Yue took the seat opposite Jiang Li. She raised her chopsticks above her favorite dish, before looking at him and smilingly asking, "So Your Highness, have you given the Rain Calling thod already to Hai Wang?"
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