Quick Transmigration: What to Do When the Male Supporting Character You Saved Becomes Obsessed with

Chapter 266 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (166)

He shouted again and again, his voice almost splitting in the cold wind, so that those behind him could hear it.

"what?"

"Who is speaking?"

"What! The imperial edict is real!"

"What exactly happened? Weren't we on our way to protect the Emperor?"

An uproar immediately broke out among the soldiers.

Within the military, some knew the truth, while others were completely kept in the dark…

They simply listened to the general's words, who told them: "There are wicked people plotting rebellion in the capital. We must follow the Second Prince and protect the emperor!"

They were full of fighting spirit, feeling that they finally had a chance to make a name for themselves.

Until just now, a flame burned in my heart. I was just waiting to annihilate the villains and earn merit.

Hearing that shout all of a sudden threw everything into chaos.

"Nonsense!" Commander Liu, riding his horse and holding his sword, roared.

Didn't His Highness the Second Prince say that as long as the An family is sent to the palace, they won't need to do anything; someone will naturally take care of him?

Ji Shuling was saying that Ji Shumin, a vengeful person, would absolutely not allow anyone to betray him or act arrogantly in front of him.

Especially since Anjia is his maternal family.

Ji Shumin will surely retaliate in a fit of anger!

When the time comes, he will break with his maternal family, which will also mean breaking with the Empress. They won't need to worry about anything.

So when he learned that after Lord An entered the palace, there was no further news, he was not worried at all, and even breathed a sigh of relief.

Who knew something bad would happen now...

"Don't listen to his nonsense!" Commander Liu glared angrily, drew his sword, and pointed it at Master An: "Get out of the way!"

When Master An heard Ji Shumin tell him that there must be secret collusion outside, and that he had already been excluded.

Master An still harbored some hope, but now it seems that everyone has already betrayed him and made a fool of him.

He's the one who's unlucky, he's the one who caused trouble. In the end, everyone wants to kick him to the curb, but he'll still have to take all the blame…

Even if Master An was a coward, he was burning with anger at this moment!

Just a moment ago, he was so hesitant and unwilling to step forward, afraid that the other side would harm him with their weapons.

Now he didn't care about anything else and started shouting loudly. He was so energetic that he almost jumped onto the horse's back if no one held him back.

"I was coerced! If I don't do as the Second Prince says, he will exterminate my entire family!"

"After entering the palace, the First Prince assured me that he would ensure the safety of me and my family, which is why I dared to tell the truth!" Master An had his own agenda, and his mind was working a little faster at this moment.

Shout this out loud, so everyone can hear it. Say that Ji Shuqin will protect him and his family's safety.

Actually, Ji Shumin didn't say that at all. He just let him choose for himself, without making any promises...

"Your Highness, this man is treacherous and cunning, utterly dishonest, and has deceived me, forcing me to do something against the Heavenly Order!"

Master An had long harbored resentment towards the Second Prince. He had been unwilling to do this in the first place, and now that the Second Prince had kicked him aside after using him, he had a lot to say once he started talking.

Ji Shuling was on his way to rendezvous with the army when he saw the army suddenly stop moving, and he had a bad feeling.

They spurred their horses forward and heard Master An's furious voice.

Ji Shuling glared angrily, whipped his horse forward, and noticed that many soldiers were looking at him strangely.

The army's morale was wavering, and their efforts were not being directed in the same direction. This was the worst thing that could happen. The Second Prince's heart sank, and he reined in his horse, stopping it at the very front of the column.

"And how can you prove that what you are saying now is the truth, and not that you are lying and slandering me?" the Second Prince said angrily.

"Your Highness, you sent people to search for the late emperor's seal in the palace many times. How can you still be crying 'stop thief' now? You didn't even look at the seal on that imperial edict before saying it was fake. What reason do you have to say it's fake?" Master An retorted with the same words.

"If you don't want to be labeled as traitors for no reason, you'd better stop here. His Highness the Crown Prince is a kind man. If he knows you've been misled by villains, he won't blame you too much. But if you remain obstinate and raise an army to besiege the capital and the palace, you should know the enormity of that crime!" Master An said, reciting the words Ji Shumin had just taught him.

His words might not travel very far, but they immediately caused a stir. Word spread, and soon the entire corps seemed to be in turmoil.

Even the generals couldn't suppress it.

After all, it involves one's own life and death. It's not about fighting barbarians outside, but about being in the capital. Who wouldn't think twice before acting?

"Spreading rumors and disrupting morale!" the Second Prince gritted his teeth and forced out the words.

"Get him!"

Immediately, those loyal to the Second Prince rode forward, intending to capture Master An.

But to everyone's surprise, the guards beside Grandpa An moved with lightning speed, quickly leading him away into a distant alleyway.

The capital city has a complex terrain, making it unsuitable for a large-scale military attack.

The capital city has a large population, and the army cannot allow its horses to run rampant. Otherwise, if civilians are injured or buildings destroyed, it would truly alienate the people even more…

Before ordering the army to enter the capital, the second prince repeatedly instructed them to minimize any disturbances and not to let the people regard them as a raging flood!

This gave Lord An the opportunity to escape.

He clung tightly to the saddle, not daring to lift his head even slightly, feeling as if the strong wind beside his ears was about to blow a layer of skin off his face...

He had never received any military training since childhood, and as the son of a general, he was now acting so pathetic.

His guards, instead of slowing down because of his fear, grabbed his collar and made the horse run even faster. After a few turns, they shook off their pursuers.

Some of the bolder villagers opened their windows a crack and listened intently to what was happening outside.

"Just say that His Highness the First Prince is the rightful heir! Otherwise, why is His Highness the regent?"

"That's right! His Highness the Crown Prince is extremely benevolent; he will surely be a wise ruler..."

"His Highness the First Prince truly deserves to be called the Third Prince's brother. If only the Third Prince didn't..." someone sighed.

Many people privately discussed that, in the hearts of the people, neither the former Crown Prince nor the current Regent First Prince held the same prestige as the Second Prince.

Chasing An Jia was not tonight's objective. Before long, the generals who had gone to pursue him returned. They were determined to break into the palace and stabilize the situation before dawn.

There were about two thousand soldiers in the army. Because they were around the capital, the commotion could not be too great. Besides, the Second Prince could not muster that many soldiers.

The second prince held a position in the imperial court, but he did not have any deep relationships with the military generals.

Furthermore, due to the relationship between the Zhuang family and the He family, many military officers had a good relationship with He Diaoyu.

He Diaoyu is as stubborn and inflexible as ever. The Second Prince will definitely have to carry out his rebellion behind his back.

We have already done our best to gather more than two thousand soldiers.

But the second prince wasn't too worried, since in a place like the capital, no one could hold military power.

Even if the army returned, they were not allowed to station themselves near the capital, so these two thousand soldiers were more than enough to surround the palace.

He simply couldn't believe that several thousand more people could suddenly appear in this palace and stand against his army.

If not, no matter how quick-witted or brilliant Ji Shumin's schemes are, it will be useless.

One force can overcome ten techniques; as long as he captures Ji Shumin and Ji Shuqin, there's nothing else to worry about...

But now, the army's advance has slowed down.

"Follow!"

"Stop dawdling!"

A general yelled at those who were walking slowly behind him.

"Commander... are we really going to protect the Emperor?"

"What exactly are we doing? What Master An just said is true, our current actions are a serious crime, but we don't even know what we're doing!"

Once someone starts questioning things, the atmosphere in the entire unit changes.

Some people already had doubts, while others, after hearing the previous discussion, were now feeling uneasy.

In short, they were merely following their commander's orders, but now, the thought that obeying those orders might bring them utter destruction, and even implicate their families and extended families, filled them with fear...

Many people who originally had no great ambitions are now even more inclined to give up.

Regardless of what others think, they just want to stay out of it and don't want to lose their lives or be implicated in others' affairs without even realizing it.

They're just nobodys; who would care about their lives? And nobody would listen to their explanations anyway!

Thinking of this, many people were unwilling to continue. They reined in their horses and stopped where they were, and a tense atmosphere quickly spread...

"Nonsense! Who told you to undermine morale!"

The general in front glared angrily.

He knew the truth, but now that his subordinates had suddenly exposed him, he was both flustered and angry.

Those who can collude with the Second Prince must have something in common with him.

These generals, focused solely on their own advancement, treated their soldiers not as living, breathing human beings, but rather as tools for personal gain and climbing the ranks.

Now that I'm being resisted and called out, I don't feel guilty at all; on the contrary, I feel angry!

At this point, how dare they challenge me or go against my wishes?

But his roars were useless now; he was never a commander who cared about his soldiers.

The soldiers had no respect for him, and now that their lives were at stake, who would risk their own safety for him?

As a result, more people stopped in their tracks, surrounded the general, and stared at him with questioning expressions.

"If we are unwilling to go, what can the commander do to us?"

"You deserters! Don't you know what happens to deserters on the battlefield?!" the commander roared.

“But this isn’t fighting the enemy, nor is it on the battlefield; it’s in the capital. We can’t tell who is loyal and who is treacherous, and to whom should we pledge our allegiance!” The soldiers refused to listen.

This isn't fighting barbarians, what deserters are you talking about?

Who isn't a fool!

They had all been frustrated and unsuccessful in the capital for so many years. How could they possibly let others manipulate them and cause them to lose their lives?

This upheaval caused many people to stop moving forward.

The second prince's face turned ashen; he hadn't expected that he would actually be incited by the An family!

"Fine, those who are willing to follow, continue forward. Tell the rest that after the rebellion is quelled, those who retreat today will be considered deserters! None of them will be spared!" the Second Prince said viciously.

Some troops continued forward, while many others remained where they were, watching with trepidation as the troops continued to approach the palace.

Finally, the second prince led his troops and arrived at the palace gate once again.

The palace gates remained closed.

"Ji Shuqin, you dare to plot rebellion and forge imperial edicts, so stop hiding like a coward! How long do you think you can hide?" Ji Shuling shouted.

"I'll give you the last two incense sticks' worth of time. Come out and surrender obediently. For the sake of our brotherhood, I'll spare your lives!" Ji Shuling feigned magnanimity.

The palace gates remained tightly shut.

Ji Shuling was filled with anger. He felt as if he had been looked down upon, and it was as if he was performing a one-man show.

"Ji Shuqin! Ji Shumin! You two, stop resisting!"

"you--"

Ji Shuling was speaking when suddenly, the solemn, dark red palace gates, which had been tightly closed for a long time, slowly opened to both sides.

The two people he had just been calling out to were standing in the middle of the palace gate, showing none of the panic or fear he had imagined.

"What? Have you decided to surrender?" Ji Shuling said loudly, his tone filled with barely suppressed arrogance.

He figured that the two brothers, with only a few palace guards standing there empty-handed, were surely about to surrender to him!

"Shouldn't we be the ones surrendering?"

A cool, sharp sarcasm appeared on Ji Shumin's strikingly handsome face, which was almost too beautiful to look at directly. He sat there, yet looked down at Ji Shuling and the army behind him, which now numbered only about half its original size.

"What's going on? Are they trying to raze the palace to the ground? In the middle of the night, they're really full of energy..." Ji Shumin's voice was as gentle as ever.

"Ji Shumin! Stop making trouble!"

Ji Shuling roared at Ji Shumin. For some reason, he didn't dare to look at Ji Shuqin's face. In the cold, icy night, his expression was neither joyful nor sorrowful, but his eyes seemed to carry an inviolable compassion, making him appear almost like a Buddha...

Why is he looking at me like that!

"I clearly... I clearly defeated them!" Ji Shuling gasped for breath, still wanting to utter some more arrogant words.

"It really came to this..."

Ji Shuling heard Ji Shuqin sigh and suddenly say something.

"what are you saying!"

"Your subordinates haven't even told you yet, but you're already a sitting duck?" Ji Shuqin asked calmly, looking directly into his eyes. "Second brother, you've truly gone mad."

Just as Ji Shuling was reacting, suddenly, someone rode up from behind and brought the horse to a stop.

The man shouted anxiously and fearfully, "Second Prince—Second Prince! General He has returned with his troops!"

Ji Shuling's eyes widened as if they were about to burst, and he stiffly turned his head away: "What...did you say?"