How can you rule the world if I'm just a substitute for you?

At this moment, Meng Yuanbao was being questioned by everyone in turn. He immediately rolled up his sleeves, straightened his neck, and said:

"I'm putting this out there today! Anyone who dares to utter another word against my brother Lin, I, Meng Yuanbao, will never forgive them!"

The two sides exchanged heated words and sharp arguments, the noise grew louder and louder, and the scene quickly spiraled out of control, threatening to break into a brawl in public.

Meng Yuanbao was all alone, facing dozens of angry civilians. If a fight broke out, he would definitely suffer a loss.

Just as chaos was about to erupt, a majestic, cold shout suddenly rang out!

"Stop it, all of you! What kind of behavior is this, causing such a disturbance!"

Then, Zhang Wu, the commander of the Imperial Guards, strode out, his armor gleaming, his face serious, his gaze sweeping over the restless crowd.

Although Emperor Qian had already returned to the capital, he specially left him here to guard the hunting grounds and maintain order.

He immediately stepped forward half a step and said in a deep voice:

"The hunt is not over, the situation is not settled, and it's normal for the rankings to remain unchanged! No one is allowed to make private discussions or cause trouble; everyone must step back and observe quietly!"

The commander of the Imperial Guards' imposing presence silenced the restless crowd, who retreated dejectedly, and the situation quickly calmed down.

The crisis has been completely resolved.

Meng Yuanbao calmed down a bit. He looked at Zhang Wu and knew that the other party had deliberately stepped in to help him out of the predicament. If Zhang Wu hadn't stopped him in time, he would definitely not have gotten the better of so many people by himself.

Meng Yuanbao suppressed his fierce aura and respectfully bowed to Zhang Wu.

"Thank you, Commander Zhang, for your help."

Zhang Wu nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

But as he turned to look at the deep and quiet entrance to the Qilian Mountains, a deep worry quietly rose between his resolute and composed brows.

Others only discussed the crown prince's wins and losses and his ranking.

But in his heart, he was thinking about his son, Zhang Shitou.

This farce was witnessed by Wei Hu and his daughter Wei Lingxi, who were watching from a distance.

Wei Hu looked at the noisy crowd, his expression indifferent and unmoved. After a moment, he turned to his daughter beside him and whispered:

"Xi'er, there's nothing to see here. Just come back to the manor with me and wait for the results."

Wei Lingxi stopped in her tracks, her delicate brows furrowed slightly. She turned to look at her father and asked softly:

"Father, do you also think that His Highness the Crown Prince is hiding in the mountains, afraid to fight the Wei army?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Hu gently shook his head, his gaze fixed on the continuous and deep Qilian Mountains, his tone calm and experienced:

"The battle situation in the mountains is unclear, and the true situation is difficult to predict. As your father, I dare not speak recklessly."

"But based on my years of experience leading troops in battle, I am almost certain that Wei will be the top contender in this six-nation hunt."

"The Crown Prince has only ninety-odd men, and the disparity in troop strength is too great. It is almost impossible for him to turn the tide and defeat the Wei army."

This is the most intuitive and reliable judgment from a veteran of the battlefield.

But Wei Lingxi gently shook her head, her eyes clear and her tone resolute:

"Father, my opinion is completely opposite to yours."

"On the contrary, I think that this time, His Highness the Crown Prince is very likely to turn the tide, defeat Wei, and take the top spot in the Six Kingdoms Hunting List."

Wei Hu's face immediately showed surprise, and he looked at his daughter with astonishment:

"Oh? Why are you so sure?"

Wei Lingxi pointed towards the entrance to the Qilian Mountains, her analysis clear and logical:

"Father, think about it carefully."

"The inner circle of this hunt is extremely small, only a few miles in radius. The Crown Prince has more than ninety men under his command. In such a small area, with so many living people, there is simply nowhere to hide."

Wei Hu was slightly taken aback, but instantly realized that this was indeed the case.

The inner circle is too limited to accommodate a hundred-man team to hide and avoid battle for an extended period.

Wei Lingxi continued:

"Since it couldn't be hidden, yet there was no movement, zero casualties, and zero eliminations for two days."

"There is only one explanation: the Wei army must have launched a strong attack in the previous two days."

"In the end, instead of defeating the prince's army, they suffered a crushing defeat and heavy losses."

"Wei Yan suffered a great loss and realized that he could not gain any advantage by launching a direct attack, so he changed his strategy and abandoned the attack."

"He's currently relying on his numerical advantage to stall for time and circumvent the rules, trying to secure the top spot in the safest way possible."

A thorough analysis, every sentence hitting the nail on the head.

Wei Hu's pupils contracted slightly upon hearing this, his face filled with disbelief.

He fought for half his life and knew the power of overwhelming force.

The Third Prince Lin Fu, with three hundred elite troops, suffered a crushing defeat. Now, the Crown Prince, with less than a hundred men, has managed to break through Wei Yan's attack head-on, forcing the Wei army to retreat and defend.

If this is true, then the crown prince's ability to govern and command troops is simply terrifying!

Wei Lingxi looked up at Wei Hu, her eyes resolute:

"Father, if you don't believe me, let's make a bet."

Wei Hu came to his senses and asked in a deep voice:

"What are we betting on?"

"It's very simple."

Wei Lingxi spoke clearly and earnestly:

"If His Highness the Crown Prince ultimately turns the tide and wins first place in the Six Kingdoms Hunt."

"Our Wei family can try to align ourselves with the Crown Prince, giving him a chance, and also giving our Wei family a chance!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Hu remained silent for a long time, his gaze fixed on the depths of the mountains and forests, weighing the pros and cons repeatedly in his mind.

If Lin Xuanzhen could crush the other five kingdoms with less than a hundred people and take the top spot on the hunting list...

This person's cunning, courage, military strategy, and strategic planning are absolutely qualities of a crown prince, making him worthy of following and relying on!

After a long while, Wei Hu raised his eyes and nodded solemnly.

"it is good."

"I'll take this bet with you as your father."

The father and daughter made the final decision.

A gamble that would determine the future and fate of the Wei family was thus waged.

Meanwhile, outside the Qilian Mountains, inside a temporary camp.

The Third Prince, Lin Fu, had already been eliminated and left the hunt in a sorry state.

He stood in the tent, his face so dark it was almost dripping with water, his heart filled with a mixture of resentment, humiliation, and bitterness.

He absolutely could not accept it.

In this six-nation hunt, the first person to be completely eliminated was actually him!

Duke Qin Lie, the Duke of Zhenguo, frowned as he looked at his nephew and spoke in a deep voice:

"What exactly happened?"

"I arranged for Batu Lie of the Southern Barbarians to secretly ambush Lin Xuan, but in the end, the Southern Barbarians failed to eliminate the Crown Prince, and you were the first to suffer a crushing defeat and be eliminated?"

Lin Fu gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with murderous intent:

"Uncle! It's all Lin Xuan's fault for being so cunning!"

"He saw through the southern barbarians' ambush early on, and countered with his own scheme, causing Batu Lie to suffer a crushing defeat and flee in disarray!"

"The fifty elite soldiers I sent, along with the soldiers disguised as southern barbarians, were all manipulated by Lin Xuan and forced into infighting!"

Speaking of his defeat and elimination, Lin Fu's face was full of grievance and resentment:

"My elimination is not my fault at all!"

"Wei and Shu colluded, attacking us from both sides! Two fists can't fight four hands; anyone in my shoes would have been utterly defeated!"

"In a one-on-one fight, Wei Yan is no match for me!"

From beginning to end, he attributed all the reasons for the failure to Lin Xuan's cunning alliance's sneak attack, claiming that he himself had no fault or mistake whatsoever.

Qin Lie looked at his nephew, who was unrepentant and only knew how to shift the blame, and sighed inwardly.

He had been plotting for a long time, intending to use the hunting expedition of the six kingdoms to completely strangle Crown Prince Lin Xuan in the Qilian Mountains.

Furthermore, this hunt should be used to enhance Lin Fu's reputation.

But in the end...

The Crown Prince was unharmed, but the Third Prince, whom he had been supporting, was the first to be defeated and eliminated in a sorry state!