Emperor: When will the Seventh Prince rebel? I will open the city gates to welcome him.

"You mean, most of the 1,000 guards taken away by the King of Zhenbei were wounded?"

"The prince made the decision and sent Eunuch Li to find you?"

Hong Xiuzhi, the general of Kyoto, felt the majesty of the emperor and dared not deceive him.

"Your Majesty, I deserve to die! The King of Zhenbei and his men haven't gone far yet! I will send another 1,000 strong and young elite soldiers to chase after the King of Zhenbei and replace the old and wounded soldiers."

Kyoto General Hong Xiuzhi knew that he had done something wrong, and he prostrated himself on the ground in fear, with beads of sweat oozing from his forehead.

He wanted to make amends, and the reason he so readily agreed to the words of Eunuch Li sent by the Crown Prince was because he was originally a member of the Crown Prince's camp.

Kyoto General Hong Xiuzhi did not expect that Emperor Dingwen Hongjing would personally check it. If he had known this, he would have handled the matter impartially.

"Prepare a thousand strong guards to set off at 7:00 p.m., and you will lead the team to pursue the King of Zhenbei!"

"I obey your order!" Hong Xiuzhi responded subconsciously, but he suddenly realized: "Your Majesty! You want me to chase the King of Zhenbei? Isn't it to replace the wounded soldiers in his hands?"

What does pursuit mean?

Hong Xiuzhi was completely stunned. What did it mean for him to lead the team to chase after King Zhenbei?

"You don't need to ask any more questions, just follow my instructions."

Hong Xiuzhi raised his eyes and said, "Your Majesty! I dare to chase the King of Zhenbei. What should I do if the King of Zhenbei resists?"

"Humph! I asked you to chase after the King of Zhenbei to capture him, not to send you off in a friendly manner!"

"The King of Zhenbei boasted in the court that he could defend the northern border against 300,000 cavalrymen from the Northern Shang Kingdom. I want to see if he really has such strength. Just do as I say."

Hong Xiuzhi still did not stand up:

"Your Majesty! After all, I am a veteran who has experienced hundreds of battles. If I make a move and fail to control the situation and injure the King of Zhenbei, what should I do?"

This is what he is most worried about.

There was a hint of frost in Emperor Dingwen's majestic face, and his deep eyes were filled with coldness.

He picked up the teacup beside him and took a sip of the fragrant tea.

"The battlefield is a battlefield and there will inevitably be casualties. If the King of Zhenbei cannot withstand your pursuit, Hong Xiuzhi, then what qualifications does he have to say that he is capable of resisting the 300,000 cavalry of the Northern Merchants? No matter what happens, I will pardon you!"

Hong Xiuzhi suddenly realized and understood completely.

"Wei Chen resigns!"

Hong Xiuzhi stood up and was about to step out of the Qianqing Palace when he heard the voice of Emperor Dingwen behind him: "Don't bring the military crossbow this time."

"I understand. I will obey your order!"

The emperor's heart was as clear as the sea. He knew that this pursuit could injure Hongxuan but he must not let him die.

After Hong Xiuzhi left,

Emperor Dingwen called out softly, "Jinyi Secret Guards!"

A tall man with a sturdy and strong figure, wearing a flying fish robe, appeared in the Qianqing Palace.

"Send your secret guards to watch the battle. I want to know the details!"

"I understand the humble position!"

Wutonggang,

After the King of Zhenbei made drastic changes to the Royal Guards, the combat effectiveness of the Royal Guards was no longer the same.

Murong Yan and Murong Qin came to Hongxuan.

Murong Yan said, "Your Majesty, the two hundred warriors we brought from Murong Mansion can also be assigned to your army."

"Princess! These 200 warriors are the elite of the elite. This force cannot be used unless it is absolutely necessary. If there is any special mission, I will let them carry it out."

"Well! It's all up to the prince to decide!"

The whole place was filled with the aroma of meat.

After being assigned one hundred logistics soldiers for material support, Deng Youmen led these soldiers to boil water, cook, and stew meat.

The entire venue has a clear division of labor and is well organized.

Not like the disorder and chaos before.

Hongxuan was divided into four teams, Suzaku Team, White Tiger Team, Azure Dragon Team, and Black Tortoise Team. Each team had 200 people and were arranged in the four directions of east, west, south, and north of Wutong Port.

After finishing dinner.

Under Hongxuan's command, Deng Yongmen built a simple military tent and meeting hall in the center.

After the construction was completed, Hongxuan asked Yu Deshen to instruct the signalman and discuss matters in the military tent.

A simple table and stools had been brought into the military tent, and Hongxuan sat in the main seat.

The captains of the five teams sat around a simple round table.

Hong Xuan looked at the five people in the military tent and said seriously:

"There are some things you need to know, and I am going to tell you now!"

Zhao Bencai, Peng Fulai, Teng Wanzhi, Zhuang Wenqiang and Yu Deshen sat upright.

"Tomorrow my father will send a thousand guards to capture me and bring me back to Kyoto."

As soon as these words were spoken, the five people in the military tent suddenly felt unprecedented pressure.

Zhao Bencai said, "I would like to ask why the emperor wants to arrest the prince and bring him back to Kyoto?"

The other four people looked at Hongxuan.

"Because this is a test given to me by my father. To be honest, my father does not believe that I can guard the northern border and resist 300,000 cavalrymen."

"It turns out that this is the emperor's test of the King of Zhenbei!"

"I see!"

"I understand the humble position!"

"Your Majesty, since this is a test from the Emperor, what should we do?"

"Huh!" Hong Xuan sighed helplessly: "Kill them all! All the enemies chasing us."

As soon as this word comes out,

The five people in the simple military tent gasped.

Teng Wanzhi stood up and said in a tone of disbelief: "The emperor only sent soldiers to test the prince. Do we need to kill the soldiers who came? Isn't it inappropriate to do so?"

Everyone in the military tent felt something was wrong.

"What if this test is that the personal guards sent by father will kill all of you? Father's test is not a child's play. My fate is to be caught and imprisoned in the dungeon of the Dali Temple forever."

Hong Xuan stood up and looked at the other five people in the military tent and slowly said: "I, as a prince, have to be imprisoned, let alone you?"

As soon as Hongxuan said this, everyone in the military tent reacted.

This is a test of life and death, and for them, there are only two outcomes.

If you pass the emperor's test, you will be born.

If they fail to pass the emperor's test, they will surely die. It is impossible to keep these old and wounded soldiers who failed to protect the emperor.

What are the personal guards of Prince Zhenbei? If they can’t even protect their master, what’s the use of them?

The five men in the military tent looked at each other with hesitation, struggle, and a glimmer of hope.

Until the heart is as hard as ice and as strong as iron.

Yes, from the moment they were selected and stepped out of the palace, these one thousand guards were already deeply bound to him.

King Hongxuan of Zhenbei values ​​loyalty and righteousness and loves his soldiers like his own sons, but that doesn't mean that Emperor Dingwen is soft-hearted towards these old soldiers.

After understanding all this,

The five of them stood up at the same time, clasped their fists, knelt on one knee, and said to Hongxuan in unison:

"I am willing to die in loyalty to the King of Zhenbei!"

Zhao Bencai and the other four people only felt it now.

In this vast world, this group of people have long been abandoned. The only one they can obey is no longer the Emperor but the King of Zhenbei.

Hongxuan pressed his hand and motioned for the five of them to sit down.

"Next! I will arrange the tactics! You five people listen carefully, I have only one thing to say! That is, this battle is not to test my ability, but it is related to the life and death of everyone here."

"Yes! I understand!"

All five of them agreed.