Fang Jingqi looked at Xu Hu and became more cautious with his words. It wasn't that he was afraid of Xu Hu, but rather that his mind was filled with the thought that the man in front of him was his future brother-in-law. Thinking of this, he felt a lot more affectionate towards him.
Although Fang Jingqi stayed at the main camp, he was, after all, representing the Emperor on a border inspection. Xu Hu had inherited his father's personality and never engaged in flattery. However, bound by his military duties, he couldn't accompany the Crown Prince at all times. Left with no other choice, he simply dispatched his trusted aides to protect the Crown Prince during his inspection tour.
It was only the third day after leaving the main camp, but Fang Jingqi had already fallen in love with the feeling of galloping on horseback. He spurred his horse on with a few attendants, leaving Xu Hu's trusted aides to follow far behind. However, upon reaching the outskirts of the border fortress, Fang Jingqi witnessed a scene that made him frown.
A squad of border patrol soldiers was surrounding a family. From their appearance and clothing, this family looked like herdsmen from beyond the pass. A sudden shriek from a young maiden among them caught the Crown Prince's attention.
Oh, the maiden. Truth be told, she was quite beautiful, and she was looking his way!
Just as the maiden was roughly grabbed by the soldiers, Fang Jingqi rode up and shouted, "Insolence!"
The centurion leading the squad glanced at the Crown Prince. Sensing that the man before him surely had a powerful background, he didn't dare to act too arrogantly. "This is military business. Please do not interfere, Young Master. Leave at once!"
"Military business? Does the imperial court pay your wages so you can bully commoners? Let her go!"
The centurion grew somewhat annoyed. "We are executing our military duties. If you have a problem, you can take it up with the General! Move!"
"Let's see who dares!" He exchanged another glance with the girl. Her watery, aggrieved eyes completely melted Fang Jingqi's heart. He was determined to protect her today!
"How bold! Is that how you speak to the Crown... Young Master?" An attendant also hurried over.
Hearing this, the centurion laughed. "What does a pampered young master know about the affairs of rough men like us? Get lost!"
Infuriated, Fang Jingqi raised his hand and lashed out with his whip. Caught off guard, the centurion took a solid hit.
"Take them down!" a soldier shouted.
Just as the two sides were about to clash, Xu Hu's trusted aide arrived with his men. "How bold! You dare to besiege the reigning Crown Prince? Do you have a death wish?"
Hearing this, everyone froze.
The Crown Prince?
Unlike Xu Hu, the trusted aide he had specifically sent was quite smart and naturally knew how to please the Crown Prince. He immediately ordered the release of the innocent family and then commanded the squad of soldiers to return and accept their punishment.
"Your Highness, what do you think?"
Fang Jingqi snorted, his gaze unconsciously drifting back to the maiden. "Let's leave it at that. You all, come with me."
He was completely oblivious to the strange looks in the family's eyes.
Xu Hu's trusted aide also hesitated. Logically, this family was acting suspiciously, and arresting them for interrogation would be completely justified. But... after pondering it over, he kept his mouth shut. Whatever. Who else but the Emperor would dare to interfere with the Crown Prince's affairs?
Just like the original plot, this family used the Crown Prince's identity as cover, safely stole the troop deployment map, and fled under the cover of night.
When the incident came to light, the city was thrown into chaos as soldiers searched everywhere for the family.
The Crown Prince was somewhat bewildered. "Spies? How is that possible? How could Ah Zhu be a spy?" He had even been considering taking Ah Zhu as a concubine after marrying Xu Jiao, and now they were telling him they were spies?
"Your Highness, that is not the point right now. They stole our army's troop deployment map!" The trusted aide was almost crying from anxiety.
"Impossible. Ah Zhu is so understanding, and her eyes are the most beautiful I have ever seen. How could she be a spy? Absolutely impossible!"
The trusted aide stomped his foot and ran out. He had to find those spies first; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to escape the blame either!
While the Crown Prince was still internally conflicted, a lieutenant general who had previously taken sick leave returned with his men. Along with them, they brought back several bloody severed heads.
"On my way back, I saw these people acting suspiciously and in a panic. I originally just wanted to question them, but they actually drew their weapons. Hmph."
The next moment, he saw the deathly pale face of the Crown Prince. Startled, he quickly dismounted. "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
The Crown Prince stared at Ah Zhu's severed head, then at the blood-stained troop deployment map thrown on the ground. His mind was in utter chaos.
By the time he returned to Xu Hu's main camp, Xu Hu was also wearing a bitter smile.
"Your Highness, it doesn't matter if you don't understand military affairs, but why did you have to meddle?" he sighed. "If this troop deployment map had fallen into enemy hands, we would have had to fill the gap with the flesh and blood of hundreds of thousands of our soldiers..."
Fang Jingqi opened his mouth, but at this moment, he could no longer act tough.
Had he messed up again? No, as long as this matter didn't reach his royal father's ears, he would be fine.
"General Xu Hu!" Fang Jingqi stood up and bowed, startling Xu Hu. "Please do not report this matter..."
Xu Hu was taken aback and waved his hands repeatedly. "No way. How could such a major incident be concealed... Even setting the Emperor aside, if my father finds out, he'll skin me alive."
"General!"
"Has His Highness the Crown Prince been well lately?" A voice drifted closer from afar. Fang Jingqi froze. He turned his head slightly and saw a face he despised.
Guo Hongru leisurely poked his head in from outside.
"You..."
Xu Hu stepped forward. "Lord Guo."
"No need for formalities. I am here to deliver an edict on behalf of the Emperor."
"Oh?"
"Crown Prince Fang Jingqi has been incompetent in his border inspection, arbitrarily assaulted soldiers, interfered in military affairs, and nearly ruined years of hard work by the border army! He is ordered to return to the capital immediately to face His Majesty!"
Fang Jingqi's face turned completely pale. He simply couldn't figure out how his royal father had found out so quickly. Could it be? He looked at his future brother-in-law in disbelief.
Xu Hu opened his mouth, wanting to say something to help, but he couldn't find the words.
Guo Hongru also looked at Xu Hu and bowed. "Furthermore, General Xu, I also bring a message from the Old General."
Xu Hu's burly figure shuddered.
"He told you to get the hell back... well, to hurry back, along with His Highness the Crown Prince," Guo Hongru kindly reminded him. "This matter has already spread throughout the imperial court. Everyone is saying that you, General Xu Hu, indulged your subordinates and misled the Crown Prince..."
Although Xu Hu didn't participate in court struggles, he knew what this meant. If people used this to grasp a weakness against the Xu family, everything would be ruined!
He inexplicably cursed the Crown Prince a few times in his heart, calling him a useless piece of trash and the like. Fortunately, the Emperor hadn't issued an edict for him, but his father had asked Guo Hongru to bring him a message. Wasn't the meaning obvious? He had to get his ass back and confess his sins, or it would be too late!
When Fang Jingqi dejectedly mounted his horse to leave, he saw Xu Hu's trusted aides kneeling neatly outside. They were the ones who had accompanied him on his inspection tour... What was this?
Those men looked up at him with faces full of resentment. Then, following an order, over a dozen heads rolled to the ground.
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
