tallest building

Chapter 383, Chapter 382: Unauthorized Deployment of Troops

The King of Chu now deeply regretted his actions: "These were all wishful thinking on my part; who knew that the other side harbored the heart of a tiger and a wolf!"

"Father, what do you plan to do?" Ying Bai was now a completely different person from before. He had lost an eye, but his heart had become even harder.

"I...I want to lead the troops to the capital." The King of Chu gritted his teeth, forcing these words out bit by bit.

"Will this work?" Ying Bai couldn't help but worry. "Entering the capital without orders to mobilize troops... this..."

“The Prince of Changliu has also decided to go to the capital, and I will go with him.” The King of Chu looked at his son, feeling both pain and hatred in his heart. “The Prince of Zhao has already led his troops to the capital. I will settle all old scores with him.”

"Is the King of Changliu reliable?" Ying Bai asked.

"He's still more reliable than the King of Zhao." The King of Chu sneered. "For so many years, the King of Changliu has refused to submit to the Dong family, and everyone in the court knows this."

“Since Father has made up his mind, then I will not stop you.” Ying Bai knew that they could not tolerate this any longer.

Otherwise, they will only die a pathetic death, without even a chance to struggle.

"My dear child, I often feel guilty and sorry for you." The King of Chu sighed deeply, "Fortunately, you don't blame me."

"I want to go with you too. It's not your fault that I've become like this. It's all Ying Tong and the others' fault!" The hatred in Ying Bai's heart did not lessen with time; instead, it fermented and intensified over time.

Yes, all he thought about every night was revenge, to repay the pain he had suffered a thousandfold.

“You cannot come with me; you must stay and take care of your mother.” The King of Chu looked at him earnestly. “If we both leave, what will happen to her? It will cost her her life.”

Ying Bai hesitated. He wanted revenge, but he couldn't abandon his mother.

“Good boy,” the King of Chu put his hand on his shoulder, “you are all we have left.”

Ying Bai wiped away his tears and walked out of the King of Chu's tent.

"Young Master, Young Master, where have you been? The Princess Consort has been looking for you everywhere!" A maidservant from the Princess Consort's side ran over, her voice scattering in the wind. "Come with me quickly!"

Ying Bai arrived at his mother's residence. There were completed houses there, but they were far too simple compared to the mansions in the capital.

Princess Chu did not look too good; she had been having nightmares lately.

Seeing Ying Bai walk in, she couldn't help but ask, "Where have you been? They can't find you anywhere."

"I went riding a horse." Ying Bai hid his sadness and anger, and said in as light a tone as possible, "Is Mother feeling any better today?"

Princess Chu coughed twice and said, "It's just a slight cold, nothing serious. It's just that I've been having nightmares lately, dreaming that Shan'er is covered in blood, crying and looking for me..."

“Mother misses her brother too much,” Ying Bai couldn’t bear to listen any longer and interrupted the Princess of Chu. “You’re thinking about him, that’s why you’re having such nightmares.”

“I have a feeling it’s not true,” Princess Chu shook her head. “They say a mother and child are connected at heart. Could something really have happened to him?”

Her expression was one of panic, like a mother animal who had lost her cubs.

"Your Highness, the medicine is ready." The maid brought over the medicine and urged carefully, "It will get cold if you leave it any longer."

But the Queen Consort of Chu, disregarding her medicine, continued to emphasize to her eldest son, "I've been having this dream for days; it can't be a coincidence. Quickly have your father write a letter to the capital to inquire, otherwise my heart will be heavy..."

"Mother, please take your medicine first!" Ying Bai said with a smile, personally picking up the bowl of medicine. "How could a dream be so accurate? Don't worry, I'll write to him in a little while. My brother loves receiving my letters." "Alright, perhaps I'm overthinking things." Ying Bai's words made the Princess of Chu feel a little better. She took the bowl of medicine and drank it all in a few gulps.

Then he said to the maid, "Quickly bring paper and pen, let the prince write here, I want to watch too."

They brought out the pen and ink, and spread out the letter paper.

Ying Bai picked up the pen and felt as if it weighed a ton.

He had written many letters to his brother, but never before had he found it so difficult to put pen to paper.

Even writing just the first two words, "My brother," almost exhausted all his strength.

He took a deep breath and asked casually, "Should we start by asking him if he's grown taller, or if he's eaten?"

"Of course we'll ask him if he's grown taller. Who knows when this letter will reach him?" Princess Chu laughed.

Ying Bai forced himself to finish writing the letter, waited for the ink to dry, and then folded it up and put it into the envelope.

"I'll give it to the messenger in a bit," he said to the Princess of Chu. "It's snowing in Longxi now, and the roads are difficult to travel. It'll probably take about half a month for this new messenger to arrive in the capital."

"That's alright," said the Princess of Chu. "We might receive a letter from Shan'er in a couple of days. He usually sends a letter every two weeks, but this time it's been twelve days already."

The King of Chu returned very late that day; it was already very late when he came in from outside.

However, Princess Chu was still awake. She raised her head from her pillow and asked, "What is Your Highness busy with? Why are you so late?"

"Oh, I had some discussions with the King of Changliu." The King of Chu deliberately kept his tone relaxed, not wanting his wife to suspect anything. "I'm afraid we'll have to leave Longxi for a while."

Princess Chu was surprised to hear this and hurriedly asked, "Where are you going? The snow is so thick, the road is difficult to travel."

"There's nothing we can do about it. The higher-ups have ordered the troop deployment, and we can't disobey the imperial decree." The King of Chu knew that his wife wouldn't understand these matters, and she wouldn't doubt him even if he explained.

"Where are you going?" Princess Chu asked again, "in this freezing cold."

"It's only a few hundred miles to Yunyang." The King of Chu decided to go there first and kill Dong Gang, which would at least ease his hatred.

"That's not too far," the Princess of Chu murmured. "When shall we set off?"

"It should be in the next day or two," the King of Chu said, lying down. "Has your cough gotten any better these past few days?"

"I didn't really have anything on my mind, I was just thinking about Shan'er." Princess Chu choked up. "It's been almost a year since I last saw him. I wonder how he's doing now, and if he misses me?"

The King of Chu was saddened by her words. He raised his head and blew out the lamp. Tears streamed down his face in the darkness, but silently.

“I’ve been living in constant fear these past few days, and I keep dreaming about Shan’er,” Princess Chu couldn’t help but confide in her husband. “I’ve been burning incense before the Buddha every day, praying for Shan’er’s safety…”

The King of Chu remained silent until a while later, when he began to snore.

The Queen Consort of Chu thought he had fallen asleep, so she stopped talking.

Little did they know that the King of Chu was in tears, his fists clenched tightly.

The night was long, as if dawn would never break.