Chapter 1126: The Crown Prince Arrives!

Yinshan City has always been a complex terrain, easy to defend but hard to attack.

Because there’s the old fox Captain Liu Shouwei there.

Xia Tingfeng and Zhao Qichen attacked for five days without breaking in.

Relying solely on Hai Geli, it’s impossible to defend so flawlessly, without revealing any weakness.

Xia Tingfeng almost immediately concluded.

"There’s a mole in the city, and it’s even craftier than a fox!"

Zhao Qichen also found it fishy and immediately frowned, saying.

"If that’s the case, we shouldn’t engage in warfare anymore!"

"We should cut our losses in time!"

Xia Tingfeng had no choice but to make such a decision.

That day, they ordered a withdrawal of five miles.

"Starting today, we’ll only defend and not attack. I don’t believe how much food there is in the city, or how many days he can stay cooped up without coming out!"

"Yes! The General is wise!" The soldiers breathed a sigh of relief.

The losses among the soldiers weren’t severe.

There weren’t many deaths, but quite a few injuries, just providing an opportunity to catch their breath.

And so.

One couldn’t attack, the other couldn’t come out, the two armies stalemated in and out of the city.

...

Outside Yinshan City’s Western Xia border.

Hai Xiangjin led eighty thousand elite soldiers, guarding the border tightly.

The pure brown strong warhorses, black iron hooves, and pure black armor—these cavalrymen were vigorous and strong.

They were like a pure black giant serpent spitting its tongue, slowly approaching the prey, gradually wrapping it with their bodies.

Just waiting for the right moment to strike.

In the luxurious tent of golden brocade.

Hai Xiangjin stood before several generals, full of vigor.

"We’re about to feast on this fat chunk of the Great Chu Dynasty!"

"Lots of gold and silver treasures, lots of women, vast fertile lands—all ours!"

"We won’t have to ride horses and move with the grass, endure hunger, or eat grass and chew on roots!"

"We can live in exquisite buildings, eat meat and drink wine heartily, have beauties by our sides!"

"At that time, I’ll find a hundred beauties for each of you! How about that?"

The deputy generals were captivated by their inner desires, their eyes gleaming green, their whole being boiling over.

What a divine life they hadn’t even dreamed of!

"Yes!"

"Long live the Emperor, the Emperor is wise!"

"This is the style of Western Xia men!"

"We vow to follow the Emperor to the death!"

The Prince Jin was very satisfied.

"Alright, go prepare!"

"These days, let’s observe the terrain carefully and wait for Geli’s intelligence!"

"We absolutely must take Yinshan City at once!"

"Once Yinshan City falls, the things below will be much simpler!"

"Right!"

The few took their orders and went to prepare.

Other soldiers in the tent came and went, each one extremely excited.

The Great Chu is rich with oil, will they also be dripping with oil?!

...

That night.

About a hundred meters away from the Western Xia’s tent appeared a cold and solitary figure.

That figure was like the chilling moon in the sky, like the snow atop a remote mountain, like the proud eagle in the heavens, like the lone smoke in the desert night.

Chilly, cold, stubborn, lonely.

These words combined, rendered her atmosphere exceptionally bleak.

She glanced sharply at the array of tents, watched the flames inside flickering, watched the people milling around inside.

Watched the smoke slowly rising from cooking fires and torches inside.

Her heart surged with endless desolation.

Those supposedly loyal generals once were so faithful to Father Emperor.

And now...

They’re under someone else’s tent, feigning the same loyalty, saying the same words, drinking the same hearty wine,

Huh... Does one’s life have to go through so many tribulations?

She didn’t know if others did.

But as for herself, she did!

She turned to the bright moonlight, gazing finely for a while, her heart gradually returning to peace.

The white moonlight is so beautiful, just a brief look makes my heart warm.

Used to look at the moon when missing Father.

Now... missing Father Emperor and Brother, she would also look at the moon.

She took a deep breath.

With a faint smile, she took out a small cloth bag from her bosom.

Slowly opened it, reflecting the moonlight, inside was a clear... human skin mask.

Hai Tang smiled contentedly.

"Luckily it’s not damaged!"

She had spent several days hurried to make it!

Traveled long and arduous to the border, miraculously intact, as if heaven was helping her!

She found a spring.

And with the spring water, she washed her face and then the human skin mask, thin as the wings of a cicada.

Then slowly put the mask on her face.

Carefully adjusted angles, meticulously smoothed the edges, gradually expelled the bubbles between skin and mask.

After fidgeting for half an hour, she finally wore the human skin mask on her face with the utmost delicacy.

Excellent!

She looked at her reflection in the spring, her dramatically altered face revealing no flaw, smiling contentedly.

"Glad I once had the chance to learn this from a master in Guangnan!"

"Never thought it would come in handy here!"

Though the human skin mask’s quality wasn’t as good as the master’s, neither was her wearing technique as deft.

But its crafted perfection is sufficient; those brutes definitely won’t notice.

After finishing these.

Hai Tang took out a set of clothes from her carry-on bundle.

It’s the clothing of Prince Jin’s eldest son, Hai Chi.

She stole it from Prince Jin’s Mansion after the army left the capital.

Now having Hai Chi’s face, naturally, the clothing must also change, or else the army’s hounds would instantly detect.

Wearing Hai Chi’s clothing, with its familiar scent, naturally won’t be confused as an enemy by the hounds.

This ensures foolproof success!

Changed face, dressed properly.

Hai Tang strode boldly towards the army’s camp.

In the dark night.

She moved like a slender black cobra, silently and resolutely toward her goal.

She would lurk close to the enemy, wait for the right moment, and reclaim everything that originally belonged to Father Emperor!

...

"The Crown Prince arrives!"

Prince Jin, having just fired up the deputy generals, was full of heroic spirit himself.

Just thinking of ordering some food and wine to toast and express his emotions.

Right then, the Crown Prince arrived, delighted, he waved grandly.

"Come in!"

The Crown Prince Hai Chi lifted the curtain and walked in.

"Father!" He clasped his fist in greeting.

Hai Xiangjin, in a good mood, found his idle son particularly pleasing, quickly waved off.

"No need for formalities, my son!"

"Come, come, today we’re joyous, accompany Father with a few good drinks!"

"Yes!"

Hai Chi respectfully sat at the other side of the table.

Just as the servants served wine and food, father and son, dining separately.

Western Xia had a fierce folk custom, rough rules, lacking many prescribed manners, filial piety, ritual, clan constraints.

In ordinary families, for personal gain, fathers and sons, brothers often engage in fraternal struggles, let alone the Royal Family.