Daqi, military camp.

Su Jin was feeling restless, and went strolling with Qin Hanhan to the training ground.

The soldiers’ sweat poured down like rain as they trained.

Upon seeing Su Jin and her companion approach, the shouts grew louder.

Su Chong and the others had their backs turned to Su Jin; when the shouts intensified, they guessed Su Jin had arrived and all turned around in unison.

Su Chong disapproved of Su Jin coming to the training ground because the border was dry, and there was a lot of wind and sand.

With the dust stirred up during training, combined with soldiers sweating, Su Chong worried that the stench of sweat might offend Su Jin.

However, Su Jin was genuinely bored; the tent was small, and being cooped up inside all day was stifling.

The officers brought tables and chairs over, and Su Jin and Qin Hanhan sat at a distance.

Even though they were nearly out of sight, the soldiers trained with three times more seriousness than before.

Xie Jingchuan was practicing with a wooden man post.

After a loud shout.

He knocked off a piece of the wooden post.

Su Jin glanced at Xie Jingchuan twice more.

After Xie Jingchuan was held hostage, poisoned, and passed out last time, he stayed in the military camp.

The prince’s intention was for him to return to the Capital as soon as he recovered.

Xie Jingchuan did not want to leave, so he extended his recovery period, and on the day he "recovered," Daqi and Nanliang were at war; Xie Jingchuan went to the battlefield, fought desperately, and even saved a General from enemy arrows.

He gained military merit and insisted on staying in camp; with several Generals speaking on his behalf, the prince allowed him to remain.

Aside from the previous assassination attempt on Su Jin, as soon as Daqi and Nanliang clashed these days, he rushed to the forefront, with a fierce determination as if he placed no value on his life.

His training intensity even surpassed that of Prince NanAn’s men.

That was evident; covertly, he was also closely interacting with many Generals in the army. The prince had only two sons; Xie Jingchen had suffered a severe hemorrhage and was in critical condition. So many soldiers were killed; none believed Xie Jingchen had miraculously survived.

Though Su Jin was pregnant, no one knew whether she was carrying a boy or a girl. Even if it’s a boy, it would take at least ten years for him to grow up and lead independently.

In ten years, anything could happen. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

With the future title of Prince Zhenbei, it was extraordinarily easy for Xie Jingchuan to recruit support. However, there weren’t many openly supporting Xie Jingchuan, as they were concerned about Su Jin’s and Marquis Dongxiang’s feelings.

Prince NanAn and Chu Shun couldn’t stand Xie Jingchuan and had an urge to beat him down that was hard to suppress.

Only Xie Jingchen’s instructions were holding them back, advising them not to interfere with Xie Jingchuan’s actions, but to watch him and protect Su Jin.

Xie Jingchuan knew Prince NanAn and the others disliked him, so he hadn’t clashed with them these days.

On this day, Xie Jingchuan gained merit again.

He led his men into battle and captured a General from Nanliang, sustaining an arm injury during the fight.

While the military doctor bandaged him, the prince came to see him, disapproving of his reckless merit-gaining methods.

Xie Jingchuan looked at the prince, his eyes forlorn as he said, "Elder brother went missing, still no trace of him; afraid that sister-in-law is distressed, no one in the army dares mention it, yet they are full of hostility toward me."

"If I don’t risk my life gaining merit, you’d have sent me back to the Capital long ago."

"I know you are annoyed by the mother, but there are so many soldiers in the army who can fight in battle, yet I cannot; is that fair to me?"

"I just want to rely on my own efforts to earn titles and ranks."

The prince was rendered speechless by his words, coupled with Generals pleading for Xie Jingchuan.

The prince said, "Do not be so aggressive in the future."

With that, the prince turned and left.

Watching the prince’s departing figure, Xie Jingchuan looked at the blood soaking through the bandage on his arm, his eyes dark with unspoken emotions.

Despite the prince’s advice to Xie Jingchuan not to be so reckless in striving for quick success, Xie Jingchuan ignored the advice and listened to no one’s counsel.

Although Marquis Dongxiang disliked him, as the Great General, fairness and justice were necessary, so he appointed Xie Jingchuan as the Vanguard General.

Vanguard General leads the vanguard; once appointed Vanguard General, Xie Jingchuan led his soldiers to attack Nanliang, coincidentally encountering Dong Chenglang and Young Master Shi.

Both had helped Xie Jingchen beat Xie Jingchuan before, which Xie Jingchuan had not forgotten.

Now with two armies clashing, Xie Jingchuan wanted to duel Dong Chenglang.

Dong Chenglang naturally accepted the challenge.

But when facing him, Dong Chenglang found himself powerless.

It was not that his martial arts were inferior to Xie Jingchuan, but suddenly he was weak all over, unable to grip his spear, and was disarmed and swept off horseback by Xie Jingchuan.

Young Master Shi went to save his cousin but ended up like Dong Chenglang, captured alive by Xie Jingchuan.

Xie Jingchen had always been following Dong Chenglang, just as now.

Just as Xie Jingchuan was about to strike Young Master Shi, Xie Jingchen intervened, blocking his spear.

Xie Jingchuan was far from being a match for Xie Jingchen, yet Xie Jingchen could not save Young Master Shi and Dong Chenglang.

Daqi soldiers saw Xie Jingchuan at a disadvantage and pressed their blades against Dong Chenglang’s neck, forcing Xie Jingchen to submit.

Xie Jingchen could not disregard Dong Chenglang’s life.

He dropped the spear in his hand.

Thus, Vanguard Xie Jingchuan claimed a complete victory, capturing Nanliang’s right wing, having Young Master Shi and Dong Chenglang bound as hostages to threaten Duke Huguo.

General Shi was nursing his wounds in the camp and did not go up the wall to watch the battle.

Once the hostages were taken, Marquis Dongxiang and the prince halted the assault on the city, and Duke Huguo did not counterattack.

The two sides were at a stalemate.

Duke Huguo and General Shi did not have a good relationship; using Daqi’s hand to eliminate General Shi’s son and nephew suited Duke Huguo’s desires.

But General Shi’s aides advised Duke Huguo to rescue Young Master Shi and Dong Chenglang, pointing out that if Duke Huguo did not surrender the city, he couldn’t ensure its defense given Xie Jingchuan’s capture of Nanliang’s flank and encirclement. Thus, he might as well do General Shi this favor.

Duke Huguo raised his hand, "Withdraw!"

Daqi emerged victorious.

Marquis Dongxiang freed Dong Chenglang and Young Master Shi.

Upon returning to the camp, Dong Chenglang and Young Master Shi headed to General Shi’s tent with Xie Jingchen following behind.

General Shi already knew about their capture by Xie Jingchuan.

As they returned unharmed, the sense of trepidation in General Shi’s chest subsided.

Dong Chenglang complained to General Shi, "Uncle, someone poisoned my cousin and me!"

General Shi’s brows furrowed deeply.

He also felt it was odd that his son and nephew were captured by Xie Jingchuan so easily.

Xie Jingchuan was the son of Prince Zhenbei, but General Shi’s son was not inferior. How were they so easily captured?

General Shi looked at his son, and Young Master Shi nodded, "During the fight, my cousin and I were both weak all over."

He couldn’t think of anything but poisoning as a possibility.

While they were talking, a soldier walked in holding a water pouch, saying, "It has been checked; this water pouch contains poison."

Dong Chenglang pointed at the pouch, "Are you sure this pouch is poisoned?"

The soldier nodded.

Dong Chenglang looked at Xie Jingchen and said, "But Brother Li also drank this water, didn’t he?"

After Young Master Shi drank a few mouthfuls, he passed it to him, and he drank a few mouthfuls himself before tossing it to Xie Jingchen.

Xie Jingchen had drunk a few mouthfuls of it right in front of him.

Xie Jingchen, remarkably, hadn’t seemed poisoned during the fight with Xie Jingchuan.

Xie Jingchen truly hadn’t expected someone to poison Young Master Shi’s water pouch.

The perpetrator was obvious.

But why would Duke Huguo do such a thing?

Now wasn’t the time to think about it; not only Dong Chenglang and Young Master Shi, but General Shi too were watching him, waiting for his explanation as to why he was unaffected by the poisoned water.

Xie Jingchen said, "I was heavily poisoned before, nearly dying; after the doctor saved me, common poisons can no longer affect me."