Later, I became the prince of the group

To the west of Huainan, bypassing the big river, it enters the mountains.

There was an endless stream of searchers, and the horse couldn't bear such a ferocious rush. It was impossible to rush back to Jingzhou in one go, and even Huainan couldn't get out, so it could only dodge the search around the bend.

The prince of Huaibei is a burden, and Chu Yan couldn't guarantee whether he had a way to contact people or leave a mark, so he left him behind the horse not long after he escaped from Huaibei City.

On the way, they distributed food from the people who responded to them, and then fled separately, but that small amount of food was enough for everyone to eat a few meals, and [-]% of it was raw rice, which had to be cooked over a fire.

However, starting a fire means exposing the location. They entered the mountain for three days, first ate the dry food soaked in water, and then continued to eat wild fruits and vegetables, gradually losing their physical strength and spirit. Don't fall behind.

On the night of the third day in the mountains, it rained heavily and the fog was thick. Chu Yan led people to find a cave, picked up some firewood that was not completely wet, and made a fire with difficulty.

Only in this weather will the smoke not be let out.

Chu Yan had a foresight long ago. Before abandoning the horse, he brought a few light copper bowls, and now they can be used as pots.

Cooking things in such a small fire and a palm-sized bowl is really hard, so people with nothing to do look for things outside to set up traps and wake-up bells.

Before Chu Yan used several tricks to divert the tiger away from the mountain, in fact, he had already thrown the pursuers quite far away, and he did not dare to start a fire just out of caution. As long as the traces were not exposed, they might not have a problem hiding in the mountain for ten days. No matter how many Huaibei troops can search, but once they are exposed and the enemy is shown the direction, they have to continue on their way without stopping, which is simply unbearable for their current bodies.

The first batch of rice was getting cooked, everyone around stared at their mouths, Liu Qi looked around, and passed it to the injured person first.

These others had nothing to say, so they had to continue to wait for the second bowl.

After tossing around for most of the night, everyone has eaten such a bite, and there is not much firewood left, so everyone rests with the feeling of being half hungry and half full.

When Chu Yan heard someone's footsteps approaching, he subconsciously hugged Liu Qi tightly, and the person in his arms opened his eyes at the same time as him, looking at the person coming.

The three of them stalemate in the dark for a moment, and Chu Yan broke the silence: "I know what you want to say."

That person was Wu Zhuang, and the formation of the Yan family army was very simple, with 200 people in one team, and he was the leader of the team, and he was among the people who followed Chu Yan into the palace.

Wu Zhuang subconsciously tightened the hilt of the dagger in his hand: "You...are you really the Prince of Northern Qi?"

Only a few people fell asleep in the cave, and most of the rest were tense and unable to sleep peacefully.

Liu Qi could feel that after Wu Zhuang asked these words, many eyes pierced the darkness and cast them over. Someone raised half of their body from the ground rustlingly, and several people behind Wu Zhuang all looked tense. Obviously, they had discussed it just now, and then sent Wu Zhuang to ask on behalf of everyone.

Chu Yan stroked Liu Qi's head reassuringly, and calmly admitted: "Yes."

Wu Zhuang swallowed his saliva and pointed to Liu Qi: "Is he... the king, the princess?"

"Ah."

"Why are you lying to us, what are you trying to do?"

"You really colluded with the Huaibei King?"

"You said that you want to lead us to an uprising, it's all fake, and what you say about punishing rape, eradicating evil and saving the people is farting?"

Immediately, the people behind Wu Zhuang couldn't help but interrupted.

More and more people sat up, and the darkness is the easiest to convey emotions. You can feel that this crowded cave is full of surprise, scrutiny, suspicion and hostility without looking.

But Chu Yan knew that they didn't really regard themselves as enemies, they just wanted an explanation, and he really should give them an explanation.

I had been exhausted before and didn't dare to take a break, so this matter has never been spread out.

The few people who heard a few words in the palace also tacitly did not reveal the matter too widely, because they knew that no matter who Chu Yan was, he was the only one who could command the brothers to escape, and they also knew that if they were on the way, the soldiers would be killed. If they are scattered, then they will really fall into the hands of the enemy.

Tuo Er taught them the blessings of the art of war every day, so that they would not naively think that they could save their lives as long as they turned around and surrendered.

Just as Chu Yan was about to speak, Liu Qi raised his head from his chest suddenly: "No, everyone, please listen to me, when it comes to seeking the well-being of the people, my Highness will never be guilty! You just have to think about it, our In the past few months, have you treated you badly, disturbed the people, or robbed innocent people?"

There was a moment of silence around, Liu Qi seized the opportunity, and spoke quickly: "We came to the Southern Jin Dynasty, in fact, for the sake of the people of the Southern Jin Dynasty, otherwise we will directly let the Qi army suppress the border, and given the difference in material resources between the two countries, it will only be sooner or later to conquer the Southern Jin Dynasty Question, but do you think, how many families will be ruined and how many places will be devastated? King An begged His Majesty to take the risk to come to Northern Qi in person and organize people to set up troops. Although it is not for the uprising, he does hope that he will be fully prepared , when this battle is fought in the future, and the Northern Qi can go smoothly, it will not disturb the common people!"

The surrounding voices gradually rose, almost covering Liu Qi's voice, Wu Zhuang turned his head and said: "Brothers, be quiet first, let's let them speak clearly."

When the voice died down, he turned his head and looked at Liu Qi again: "Since you said that fighting will destroy people, why do you insist on fighting this war?"

Liu Qi shook his head and said: "The matter is not as simple as whether to fight or not. First, the world will be united for a long time, which is in accordance with the laws of nature. Second, the current situation of the people in the Southern Jin Dynasty can no longer be called peace. The Southern Jin court Regardless of the life and death of the people, well, let's take care, after the fall of the Southern Jin Dynasty, the Northern Qi Dynasty will naturally accept and resettle the people on the territory, and then there will be no fear of disasters, so isn't peace among the people what the people want?"

"Thirdly, you don't know that the emperor of our dynasty had no intention of attacking the Southern Jin Dynasty. However, last year, the vassal kings rebelled twice in a row, which disturbed the Northern Qi. In the end, it was discovered that the Southern Jin Dynasty was behind the scenes. The meaning of the superiors in the Southern Jin Dynasty Obviously, they wanted to take advantage of the internal turmoil in Northern Qi to attack Qi, so that this battle will have to be fought sooner or later! The sooner the battle is fought, the less the people of the Southern Jin Dynasty will have to spend one day in dire straits."

"Sounds good." I don't know who said it, "Who knows if you are bluffing us again? What if you are simply collaborating with that Huaibei King?"

Chu Yan finally spoke: "What I said that day in the Huaibei Palace was just an expedient measure. If I really colluded with the Huaibei King, I should have stayed in the Palace that day and waited for the Huaibei King to send a letter back. The son must treat me as a guest, so why have you fled so far in embarrassment?"

The man fell silent, actually it's not hard to figure it out after thinking about it, it's just that he didn't want to use his brain under the excitement and exhaustion.

"You don't need to get excited, why don't you sit down and discuss in detail, there are so many of you, you won't be afraid of what will happen to the two of us."

Wu Zhuang paused, and sat down. His sitting almost showed that he believed Liu Qi's words.

Then Chu Yan continued: "Everyone, I'm really sorry for lying to you in the past, but I have no other way. If I come up and show my identity, you are afraid that you will not even give me a chance. So without telling you, I also want you to see with your own eyes that I did not infiltrate the Southern Jin Dynasty because I wanted to harm the people of the Southern Jin Dynasty. The granary, in order to prevent hundreds of thousands of grains from being destroyed when the Southern Jin Dynasty was defeated, civil strife must be provoked, and the wicked will fight against the wicked."

"I know that your ancestors were born in the Southern Jin Dynasty for generations. Even if you have the heart of rebellion today, you still have feelings for your country and cannot tolerate others invading your country's territory. But I also know that you have a heart of benevolence and righteousness. I hope that the people will I can suffer less, on this point, I am the same as you..."

He was not as excited as Liu Qi, but his tone was calm, but with an indescribable power, he shook the defenses built in everyone's hearts.

He talked about the current situation of the people's well-being in the Northern Qi Dynasty, how the imperial court helped the refugees from the famine in the north last year, and how it helped the refugees abroad, which easily aroused everyone's yearning and envy.

He talked about his ambitions again, and shared a benevolent heart with the emperor.

He also mentioned his own childhood, and revealed many things about his past that even Liu Qi didn't know about. At the end of the mention, Liu Qi couldn't help interjecting: "You never told me about this."

There was a little sadness in his tone.

Chu Yan sighed leisurely: "How can I tell you this? I'm afraid you forgot, you are among the people who stripped off my clothes and robbed me of food, and I have to count all your wicked things one by one. No?"

As soon as the voice fell, laughter rang out in the cave.

All laughed and stagnated.

It suddenly became apparent that the atmosphere had returned to its normal state at some point, and everyone accepted the two Northern Qi people again.

Wu Zhuang had already had a bias in his heart, and wanted to take the opportunity to brighten the atmosphere, so he teased: "Don't care about the prince, the princess has promised to make up for it anyway, hasn't she?"

Liu Qi smiled awkwardly, and said along the way: "Yes, yes, don't meet me..."

There was another low laugh in the cave.

Amidst the laughter, a voice suddenly sounded: "13 years ago, my father died on the battlefield against the Northern Qi Dynasty."

All sounds stopped abruptly.

Chu Yan gathered the last bit of dry firewood and lit the fire again. The voice was not far from him, so he easily locked onto the speaker.

Seeing him approaching, the man couldn't help shrinking back, and the people around him also helped to block it.

Someone said: "Boss, what he... what he said is also true..."

But Chu Yan put his dagger into the man's hand: "My name is engraved on this knife, and I leave it for you as a token."

"Token?" The man was a little puzzled.

"Northern Qi owes something to you and to those who died on the battlefield. I claim to want to provoke Northern Qi, so I have to admit these things. I can't guarantee justice to everyone, but you joined our army, yes My brother, I should give my brother justice."

Chu Yan's tone was light and sincere, and there seemed to be light in his eyes: "But I can't die now, I still have things I want to pursue. Thousands of people died on the battlefield, not only in the Southern Jin Dynasty, but also in the Northern Qi Dynasty. I deserve it." Do your best to let their descendants live well. Only in this way can you live up to thousands of heroic souls. This dagger is in your hands, it is a promise I made to you, and it is also a mission-if I Go against the original intention, or be incompetent, you can bring it to kill me."

The surrounding people were full of shock, but the person holding the knife was already weeping uncontrollably.

Regardless of whether the knife really took Chu Yan's life, at least at this moment, the sincerity carried in the knife has far exceeded its own weight.

If the world can get a master of understanding, I am willing to be a person who knows pearls once.