The Thai Prince, also known as Cheng Ming, is the second son of the former emperor, and the elder brother of Cheng Zheng.
When the former emperor was still alive, Cheng Ming was just the second prince.
However, now that Cheng Zheng has ascended the throne, according to tradition, the former emperor's princes should all be ennobled and sent away from Shengjing.
In this regard, Cheng Zheng's actions seemed quite generous.
In order to show his magnanimity, he ennobled his two elder brothers as kings, with the elder brother being ennobled as the King of Liao, and the second brother Cheng Ming being ennobled as the King of Thai.
Of course, these were just empty titles.
As for the treatment that a king should receive, such as land grants, rewards, and other benefits, except for a few, they were mostly absent.
This was just for show.
From this perspective, Cheng Zheng's nature was still quite stingy.
He was generous with nominal things, but very miserly with substantial things, to the point that those around him couldn't help but mock him.
As the former rivals for the position of crown prince, even though they were ennobled as kings, they had no good future. They were usually trapped in their own mansions, guarded by a large number of people.
The guards were not friendly at all; it was stricter than the dungeons in Shengjing.
Unless a powerful expert intervened, it was impossible for ordinary people to escape from there.
For these two failed princes who had contended for the throne before, this treatment was already enough, and there shouldn't be any problems.
Unexpectedly, even with this treatment, someone managed to escape.
Cheng Zheng immediately sobered up, his mind racing with many thoughts.
He thought of many things.
Who was helping the King of Thai escape?
It was undoubtedly someone helping him, otherwise, with just a completely discredited King of Thai, how could he escape under Cheng Zheng's nose?
What was the purpose of the person helping the King of Thai escape?
The person who quietly rescued him must not be an ordinary person.
So, what was their purpose in taking the King of Thai away?
Various thoughts swirled in his mind, causing Cheng Zheng to furrow his brows involuntarily.
"Forget about Liu Guogong."
Faced with this situation, Cheng Zheng instinctively wanted to call Liu Chu to him, but stopped halfway through.
Liu Chu had already been taken away to rest, and was probably more intoxicated than him, so he couldn't do much.
"Summon Chen Guogong for me."
After a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke.
The people below nodded in agreement and quickly left.
Soon after, Chen An's figure appeared in front of Cheng Zheng.
The efficiency was quite impressive.
Seeing the figure in front of him still upright and calm, appearing unruffled, without a trace of drunkenness, Cheng Zheng felt a tinge of emotion.
Indeed, when it came to critical moments, Chen An in front of him was reliable.
Drinking truly hinders progress!
Fortunately, Chen An was unaware of this, or else he would have rolled his eyes internally.
You're the one who's drinking, and you're the one who said drinking hinders progress, when will you stop?
Of course, he certainly didn't know these thoughts, so his expression remained calm as he greeted Cheng Zheng with a slight bow, "Your Majesty, how may I assist you?"
"Chang'an, there's trouble with the King of Thai over there."
Everyone present was an insider, so Cheng Zheng didn't hesitate to give orders, "Immediately seal off the city gates and bring back the King of Thai. If anyone dares to obstruct, kill them on the spot!"
His words were filled with a hint of killing intent, showing that he was truly considering taking action.
Chen An paused for a moment, then nodded slowly, "I will follow your orders."
It was already late at night.
The city gates of Shengjing should have been closed long ago.
It was already under curfew.
Usually, Shengjing should have been very quiet at night, with few people around except for a few places.
In an era without nightlife, the city at night was usually like this.
But tonight, everything seemed unusually different.
"Fire! Fire!"
"Help!"
Several neighborhoods in Shengjing caught fire at the same time, with people in every direction calling for help.
The situation was serious.
Most of the houses in Shengjing were made of wood and were prone to catching fire, especially in areas where commoners lived in crowded conditions to save space.
Although it was fine during normal times, once a fire broke out, it became a major problem.
The guards in the city were already rushing to fight the fires.
If nothing unexpected happened, even if the fires were extinguished, there would likely be a significant loss of life.
Whoosh!
A chilly air spread in all directions, devouring everything like an invisible enraged dragon.
Water was splashed into the air everywhere, creating a frightening scene.
Chen An walked through the burning houses.
The oppressive heat was approaching from all sides, but it seemed to have no effect on Chen An as he continued forward without hindrance.
He walked along the way, and crystalline frost spread automatically along the ground, covering everything and effectively halting the spread of the fire.
The onlookers were astonished, not knowing what to say.
Some knowledgeable people looked at Chen An's figure with complex expressions.
Fires were not uncommon, they happened every few years and were quite frequent.
But a God Qi expert personally intervening, acting as a firefighter, was truly rare.
Perhaps Shengjing had never seen such a thing before.
The common people were truly fortunate.
Although there were casualties, the effect was truly remarkable.
With a God Qi expert personally intervening as a firefighter, the spreading fires were quickly contained.
Even though there were still areas that hadn't been extinguished, once the most dangerous areas were controlled, the remaining fires were no longer a threat.
As Chen An walked through the area, his gaze swept around.
Bang!
A figure suddenly appeared in front of him, but Chen An quickly knocked him down, inflicting serious injuries.
"It seems someone deliberately set the fire."
Looking at the person lying at his feet, Chen An couldn't help but frown.
The timing of the fire was too coincidental; it just happened when the King of Thai went missing. It didn't seem normal in any way.
From the current situation, it was probably someone intentionally distracting attention to mobilize the guards inside Shengjing and create an opportunity.
A fire was not a small matter; if not controlled in time, the losses would be significant.
Once a fire broke out, all the guards in Shengjing had to mobilize.
"Take this person away and interrogate him thoroughly."
After a walk around, Chen An instructed as the person was taken away.
Subsequent news from various areas began to converge.
"Sir, there are no abnormalities at the three northern city gates!"
"The two western city gates are also fine!"
"The main gate to the east is still stable!"
"What about the south gates?"
Chen An surveyed the surroundings with a stern expression, "If I recall correctly, there are also three large gates to the south."
"Well..."
The people below looked at each other, unsure of what to say. After a brief silence, a brave individual stepped forward and reluctantly spoke, "Sir, the southern gates are too far apart, and the people sent to investigate have not returned."
This was the truth.
As the capital of Dahua, Shengjing covered a vast area.
For easy access, there were many city gates set up in various places, making it difficult to quickly investigate.
It was logical for no one to return immediately.
But even though it was logical, it was also inappropriate.
After all, time was of the essence. Waiting for those investigators to return might mean that the group had already fled by then.
"Has the embassy been checked?"
Chen An continued, "Are the envoys sent by Great Song still there?"
"The embassy is lit up, and there are occasional sounds of reading coming from inside, so they should still be there."
Some replied.
"Sounds of reading?"
Chen An immediately furrowed his brows, then suddenly looked up, "Let's go, to the south gates!"
He wasted no time and led the way, leaving others looking at each other in confusion.
Of course, a few people in the crowd had their faces slightly changed, looking at the departing figure of Chen An with disbelief.
As the night descended, the moonlight shone upon the earth, enveloping it in a silver attire.
Outside on the official road, a carriage moved along, with several people inside.
Cheng Ming wore plain clothes, with a somewhat weary expression on his face. Compared to the past, he now appeared a bit thinner, showing signs of hardship he had endured in the past half a year.
It was only natural he had suffered, as he was a former political rival of Cheng Zheng and had offended the current emperor. What good fruits could he expect to enjoy?
Being able to leave Shengjing in such a state was already considered fortunate for Cheng Ming. He smiled at the old man in front of him, "I owe my ability to leave Shengjing to you, Mr. Liu."
"The Thai Prince is too kind."
The person sitting opposite Cheng Ming was none other than Liu Sheng.
Looking at Cheng Ming before him, he also had a smile on his face, "Both His Majesty and I are deeply saddened by the change in the King of Thai's fortunes. At this moment, with a weak ruler in power, causing discontent among the officials and people, it is necessary for a wise king like yourself to step forward and serve the country."
"At this critical moment, we need someone like Your Highness to stand up and help the nation."
"Well, if it weren't for you, Mr. Liu, Your Highness, I'm afraid I would have been trapped and died in Shengjing sooner or later."
"But as you said, with a weak ruler in power and the people's complaints, I can only follow the people's hearts."
He sighed, giving the impression that he truly cared about the people.
If Cheng Zheng were here, he would probably have a good lengthy chat with him.
But Liu Sheng obviously wouldn't argue with Cheng Ming.
He simply nodded in agreement.
"Yes, the world is in chaos and truly needs a wise king like Your Highness."
He bowed respectfully, "I, and even the entire Great Song, are willing to assist Your Highness."
"Rest assured, Mr. Liu."
Cheng Ming also promised with a smile, "If I can seize power and become the ruler, I will trace our origins and ascend the throne. Surely in the future, we will have a lasting friendship between our two nations."
"Haha, that would be wonderful indeed."
For a moment, the two men spoke with confidence, seeming as if they were about to become sworn brothers.
Among the two, Cheng Ming appeared to be in good spirits.
After being trapped in the mansion for so long, once he escaped, he felt like a dragon freed from its shackles. He felt exhilarated and eager to do something significant.
As for Liu Chu beside him, he wasn't as optimistic.
"The big fire earlier should have delayed us for some time, but I hope we won't encounter anyone chasing after us."
Liu Sheng looked around and urged the coachman to speed up.
"Mr. Liu, you're worrying unnecessarily."
Cheng Ming laughed, "With the people you brought, even if someone catches up, what can they do?"
"With Mr. Yang here, even if someone dares to catch up, it's just a trivial matter."
Cheng Ming said with a smile.
As a prince of Dahua and having spent so many years in the Imperial Court of Dahua, he had a good understanding of the situation of the entire country from top to bottom.
In the entire Imperial Court of Dahua, there were indeed many powerful warriors, some of whom possessed God Qi.
But the problem was that even though these people were part of the Imperial Court of Dahua, it wasn't so easy to mobilize them.
Some like the former Chen Guogong who had been ennobled had godly power but usually closed themselves off in their own mansions and wouldn't linger in Shengjing.
Md to mobilize them, the Emperor had to personally give the order and send the decree over, which couldn't be done in time.
There weren't many princes with godly power within the royal family, and even if they were around, they had their own purposes.
One was guarding the mausoleum of the Founding Emperor and couldn't be easily moved. Another was guarding the ancestral temple and also spent years in seclusion.
Then there was one in the north assisting in the defense against the Lu Kingdom.
The two members of the royal family who remained in Shengjing for worship were also willing to keep the inner court safe and wouldn't easily show themselves.
To say the least, Cheng Zheng had just ascended the throne and had so little time; who knew if he could mobilize the two royal family members, let alone the others.
After all, in this world, those with godly power were top talents and could be called national treasures; even a respectable Emperor like Cheng Zheng couldn't easily control them.
So, Cheng Zheng seemed very relaxed, thinking that no one could catch up to them.
But Liu Sheng obviously wasn't as relaxed as Cheng Ming.
"Among all the people around the Dahua Emperor, the one leading the guards stands out. This newly appointed Chen Guogong is quite remarkable, and that's troublesome."
Liu Sheng sighed and said.
"Newly appointed Chen Guogong, Chen Chang'an?"
Cheng Ming immediately furrowed his brows.
He had been sealed off in the mansion for most of the year, so he was a bit out of touch with the outside world. Although he knew that Chen An had become the new Chen Guogong, he wasn't quite clear on the details.
After all, he had been cut off from receiving news, and Chen An had kept a low profile, not revealing much about his own situation.
In disguised so well.
In this situation, how could Cheng Ming be expected to know any specific information about Chen An?
To say something unpleasant, what he knew was probably not even as much as what Liu Sheng in front of him knew.
At the very least, Liu Sheng was a legitimate high-ranking official of the Great Song, and probably had more information about Chen An than anyone else.
"Is that Chen Guogong important?"
Seeing Liu Sheng repeatedly inquire, Cheng Ming was a bit puzzled.
"Of course."
Liu Sheng nodded and was about to explain, "The
Bang!
A crisp sound came from outside, accompanied by the neighing of horses.
The carriage abruptly came to a halt.
Liu Sheng furrowed his brows, "What's going on?"
Without hesitation, he immediately stepped out of the carriage.
Afterward, he couldn't help but be taken aback.
In front of them, on the lengthy official road, there was suddenly an additional person.
What's more, this person wasn't unfamiliar to Liu Sheng; they had just been discussing him.
"Chen Guogong!"
Echoing cries of astonishment could be heard all around.
Several figures riding horses beside the carriage exclaimed in surprise.
"It looks like all the old acquaintances are here."
From the front, Chen An's voice came over, his face showing a hint of surprise at the moment.
Incredible.
In front of him, Zhao Jun, Qin Wan, and several other Song Empyreans who had sparred with him before were all present.
Taking a closer look, Liu Sheng also emerged from the carriage and stood before Chen An.
"Lord Liu, what are you trying to do?"
Looking at Liu Sheng stepping out of the carriage, Chen An spoke calmly, "Could it be that our Dahua hospitality was lacking, so you had to rush back to the Great Song overnight without even saying goodbye?"
"Our country's hospitality is certainly generous, but we have urgent matters to attend to, so we must take our leave."
Liu Sheng chuckled, "As for Chen Guogong, how did you manage to find us?"
"I consider myself quite discreet, so even if someone should try to catch up, it shouldn't happen so quickly, but Chen Guogong managed to find us nonetheless."
Indeed, he had done everything very cleanly.
In order to smoothly escort Cheng Ming out of Shengjing, he had set fires, diverted attention, and tampered with the southern city gates, detaining all the investigators to prevent them from determining which gate they had left from. Even if someone suspected them, went to their residence at the embassy, they would only find the decoys left behind.
There were several steps in between, and if there was even a slight delay, they would have no chance of catching up to them.
But even so, they were caught, which made Liu Sheng feel puzzled.
"It's actually quite simple."
Facing Liu Sheng's confusion, Chen An calmly replied, "I guessed."
The Thai Prince, also known as Cheng Ming, is the second son of the former emperor, and the elder brother of Cheng Zheng.
When the former emperor was still alive, Cheng Ming was just the second prince.
However, now that Cheng Zheng has ascended the throne, according to tradition, the former emperor's princes should all be ennobled and sent away from Shengjing.
In this regard, Cheng Zheng's actions seemed quite generous.
In order to show his magnanimity, he ennobled his two elder brothers as kings, with the elder brother being ennobled as the King of Liao, and the second brother Cheng Ming being ennobled as the King of Thai.
Of course, these were just empty titles.
As for the treatment that a king should receive, such as land grants, rewards, and other benefits, except for a few, they were mostly absent.
This was just for show.
From this perspective, Cheng Zheng's nature was still quite stingy.
He was generous with nominal things, but very miserly with substantial things, to the point that those around him couldn't help but mock him.
As the former rivals for the position of crown prince, even though they were ennobled as kings, they had no good future. They were usually trapped in their own mansions, guarded by a large number of people.
The guards were not friendly at all; it was stricter than the dungeons in Shengjing.
Unless a powerful expert intervened, it was impossible for ordinary people to escape from there.
For these two failed princes who had contended for the throne before, this treatment was already enough, and there shouldn't be any problems.
Unexpectedly, even with this treatment, someone managed to escape.
Cheng Zheng immediately sobered up, his mind racing with many thoughts.
He thought of many things.
Who was helping the King of Thai escape?
It was undoubtedly someone helping him, otherwise, with just a completely discredited King of Thai, how could he escape under Cheng Zheng's nose?
What was the purpose of the person helping the King of Thai escape?
The person who quietly rescued him must not be an ordinary person.
So, what was their purpose in taking the King of Thai away?
Various thoughts swirled in his mind, causing Cheng Zheng to furrow his brows involuntarily.
"Forget about Liu Guogong."
Faced with this situation, Cheng Zheng instinctively wanted to call Liu Chu to him, but stopped halfway through.
Liu Chu had already been taken away to rest, and was probably more intoxicated than him, so he couldn't do much.
"Summon Chen Guogong for me."
After a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke.
The people below nodded in agreement and quickly left.
Soon after, Chen An's figure appeared in front of Cheng Zheng.
The efficiency was quite impressive.
Seeing the figure in front of him still upright and calm, appearing unruffled, without a trace of drunkenness, Cheng Zheng felt a tinge of emotion.
Indeed, when it came to critical moments, Chen An in front of him was reliable.
Drinking truly hinders progress!
Fortunately, Chen An was unaware of this, or else he would have rolled his eyes internally.
You're the one who's drinking, and you're the one who said drinking hinders progress, when will you stop?
Of course, he certainly didn't know these thoughts, so his expression remained calm as he greeted Cheng Zheng with a slight bow, "Your Majesty, how may I assist you?"
"Chang'an, there's trouble with the King of Thai over there."
Everyone present was an insider, so Cheng Zheng didn't hesitate to give orders, "Immediately seal off the city gates and bring back the King of Thai. If anyone dares to obstruct, kill them on the spot!"
His words were filled with a hint of killing intent, showing that he was truly considering taking action.
Chen An paused for a moment, then nodded slowly, "I will follow your orders."
It was already late at night.
The city gates of Shengjing should have been closed long ago.
It was already under curfew.
Usually, Shengjing should have been very quiet at night, with few people around except for a few places.
In an era without nightlife, the city at night was usually like this.
But tonight, everything seemed unusually different.
"Fire! Fire!"
"Help!"
Several neighborhoods in Shengjing caught fire at the same time, with people in every direction calling for help.
The situation was serious.
Most of the houses in Shengjing were made of wood and were prone to catching fire, especially in areas where commoners lived in crowded conditions to save space.
Although it was fine during normal times, once a fire broke out, it became a major problem.
The guards in the city were already rushing to fight the fires.
If nothing unexpected happened, even if the fires were extinguished, there would likely be a significant loss of life.
Whoosh!
A chilly air spread in all directions, devouring everything like an invisible enraged dragon.
Water was splashed into the air everywhere, creating a frightening scene.
Chen An walked through the burning houses.
The oppressive heat was approaching from all sides, but it seemed to have no effect on Chen An as he continued forward without hindrance.
He walked along the way, and crystalline frost spread automatically along the ground, covering everything and effectively halting the spread of the fire.
The onlookers were astonished, not knowing what to say.
Some knowledgeable people looked at Chen An's figure with complex expressions.
Fires were not uncommon, they happened every few years and were quite frequent.
But a God Qi expert personally intervening, acting as a firefighter, was truly rare.
Perhaps Shengjing had never seen such a thing before.
The common people were truly fortunate.
Although there were casualties, the effect was truly remarkable.
With a God Qi expert personally intervening as a firefighter, the spreading fires were quickly contained.
Even though there were still areas that hadn't been extinguished, once the most dangerous areas were controlled, the remaining fires were no longer a threat.
As Chen An walked through the area, his gaze swept around.
Bang!
A figure suddenly appeared in front of him, but Chen An quickly knocked him down, inflicting serious injuries.
"It seems someone deliberately set the fire."
Looking at the person lying at his feet, Chen An couldn't help but frown.
The timing of the fire was too coincidental; it just happened when the King of Thai went missing. It didn't seem normal in any way.
From the current situation, it was probably someone intentionally distracting attention to mobilize the guards inside Shengjing and create an opportunity.
A fire was not a small matter; if not controlled in time, the losses would be significant.
Once a fire broke out, all the guards in Shengjing had to mobilize.
"Take this person away and interrogate him thoroughly."
After a walk around, Chen An instructed as the person was taken away.
Subsequent news from various areas began to converge.
"Sir, there are no abnormalities at the three northern city gates!"
"The two western city gates are also fine!"
"The main gate to the east is still stable!"
"What about the south gates?"
Chen An surveyed the surroundings with a stern expression, "If I recall correctly, there are also three large gates to the south."
"Well..."
The people below looked at each other, unsure of what to say. After a brief silence, a brave individual stepped forward and reluctantly spoke, "Sir, the southern gates are too far apart, and the people sent to investigate have not returned."
This was the truth.
As the capital of Dahua, Shengjing covered a vast area.
For easy access, there were many city gates set up in various places, making it difficult to quickly investigate.
It was logical for no one to return immediately.
But even though it was logical, it was also inappropriate.
After all, time was of the essence. Waiting for those investigators to return might mean that the group had already fled by then.
"Has the embassy been checked?"
Chen An continued, "Are the envoys sent by Great Song still there?"
"The embassy is lit up, and there are occasional sounds of reading coming from inside, so they should still be there."
Some replied.
"Sounds of reading?"
Chen An immediately furrowed his brows, then suddenly looked up, "Let's go, to the south gates!"
He wasted no time and led the way, leaving others looking at each other in confusion.
Of course, a few people in the crowd had their faces slightly changed, looking at the departing figure of Chen An with disbelief.
As the night descended, the moonlight shone upon the earth, enveloping it in a silver attire.
Outside on the official road, a carriage moved along, with several people inside.
Cheng Ming wore plain clothes, with a somewhat weary expression on his face. Compared to the past, he now appeared a bit thinner, showing signs of hardship he had endured in the past half a year.
It was only natural he had suffered, as he was a former political rival of Cheng Zheng and had offended the current emperor. What good fruits could he expect to enjoy?
Being able to leave Shengjing in such a state was already considered fortunate for Cheng Ming. He smiled at the old man in front of him, "I owe my ability to leave Shengjing to you, Mr. Liu."
"The Thai Prince is too kind."
The person sitting opposite Cheng Ming was none other than Liu Sheng.
Looking at Cheng Ming before him, he also had a smile on his face, "Both His Majesty and I are deeply saddened by the change in the King of Thai's fortunes. At this moment, with a weak ruler in power, causing discontent among the officials and people, it is necessary for a wise king like yourself to step forward and serve the country."
"At this critical moment, we need someone like Your Highness to stand up and help the nation."
"Well, if it weren't for you, Mr. Liu, Your Highness, I'm afraid I would have been trapped and died in Shengjing sooner or later."
"But as you said, with a weak ruler in power and the people's complaints, I can only follow the people's hearts."
He sighed, giving the impression that he truly cared about the people.
If Cheng Zheng were here, he would probably have a good lengthy chat with him.
But Liu Sheng obviously wouldn't argue with Cheng Ming.
He simply nodded in agreement.
"Yes, the world is in chaos and truly needs a wise king like Your Highness."
He bowed respectfully, "I, and even the entire Great Song, are willing to assist Your Highness."
"Rest assured, Mr. Liu."
Cheng Ming also promised with a smile, "If I can seize power and become the ruler, I will trace our origins and ascend the throne. Surely in the future, we will have a lasting friendship between our two nations."
"Haha, that would be wonderful indeed."
For a moment, the two men spoke with confidence, seeming as if they were about to become sworn brothers.
Among the two, Cheng Ming appeared to be in good spirits.
After being trapped in the mansion for so long, once he escaped, he felt like a dragon freed from its shackles. He felt exhilarated and eager to do something significant.
As for Liu Chu beside him, he wasn't as optimistic.
"The big fire earlier should have delayed us for some time, but I hope we won't encounter anyone chasing after us."
Liu Sheng looked around and urged the coachman to speed up.
"Mr. Liu, you're worrying unnecessarily."
Cheng Ming laughed, "With the people you brought, even if someone catches up, what can they do?"
"With Mr. Yang here, even if someone dares to catch up, it's just a trivial matter."
Cheng Ming said with a smile.
As a prince of Dahua and having spent so many years in the Imperial Court of Dahua, he had a good understanding of the situation of the entire country from top to bottom.
In the entire Imperial Court of Dahua, there were indeed many powerful warriors, some of whom possessed God Qi.
But the problem was that even though these people were part of the Imperial Court of Dahua, it wasn't so easy to mobilize them.
Some like the former Chen Guogong who had been ennobled had godly power but usually closed themselves off in their own mansions and wouldn't linger in Shengjing.
Md to mobilize them, the Emperor had to personally give the order and send the decree over, which couldn't be done in time.
There weren't many princes with godly power within the royal family, and even if they were around, they had their own purposes.
One was guarding the mausoleum of the Founding Emperor and couldn't be easily moved. Another was guarding the ancestral temple and also spent years in seclusion.
Then there was one in the north assisting in the defense against the Lu Kingdom.
The two members of the royal family who remained in Shengjing for worship were also willing to keep the inner court safe and wouldn't easily show themselves.
To say the least, Cheng Zheng had just ascended the throne and had so little time; who knew if he could mobilize the two royal family members, let alone the others.
After all, in this world, those with godly power were top talents and could be called national treasures; even a respectable Emperor like Cheng Zheng couldn't easily control them.
So, Cheng Zheng seemed very relaxed, thinking that no one could catch up to them.
But Liu Sheng obviously wasn't as relaxed as Cheng Ming.
"Among all the people around the Dahua Emperor, the one leading the guards stands out. This newly appointed Chen Guogong is quite remarkable, and that's troublesome."
Liu Sheng sighed and said.
"Newly appointed Chen Guogong, Chen Chang'an?"
Cheng Ming immediately furrowed his brows.
He had been sealed off in the mansion for most of the year, so he was a bit out of touch with the outside world. Although he knew that Chen An had become the new Chen Guogong, he wasn't quite clear on the details.
After all, he had been cut off from receiving news, and Chen An had kept a low profile, not revealing much about his own situation.
In disguised so well.
In this situation, how could Cheng Ming be expected to know any specific information about Chen An?
To say something unpleasant, what he knew was probably not even as much as what Liu Sheng in front of him knew.
At the very least, Liu Sheng was a legitimate high-ranking official of the Great Song, and probably had more information about Chen An than anyone else.
"Is that Chen Guogong important?"
Seeing Liu Sheng repeatedly inquire, Cheng Ming was a bit puzzled.
"Of course."
Liu Sheng nodded and was about to explain, "The
Bang!
A crisp sound came from outside, accompanied by the neighing of horses.
The carriage abruptly came to a halt.
Liu Sheng furrowed his brows, "What's going on?"
Without hesitation, he immediately stepped out of the carriage.
Afterward, he couldn't help but be taken aback.
In front of them, on the lengthy official road, there was suddenly an additional person.
What's more, this person wasn't unfamiliar to Liu Sheng; they had just been discussing him.
"Chen Guogong!"
Echoing cries of astonishment could be heard all around.
Several figures riding horses beside the carriage exclaimed in surprise.
"It looks like all the old acquaintances are here."
From the front, Chen An's voice came over, his face showing a hint of surprise at the moment.
Incredible.
In front of him, Zhao Jun, Qin Wan, and several other Song Empyreans who had sparred with him before were all present.
Taking a closer look, Liu Sheng also emerged from the carriage and stood before Chen An.
"Lord Liu, what are you trying to do?"
Looking at Liu Sheng stepping out of the carriage, Chen An spoke calmly, "Could it be that our Dahua hospitality was lacking, so you had to rush back to the Great Song overnight without even saying goodbye?"
"Our country's hospitality is certainly generous, but we have urgent matters to attend to, so we must take our leave."
Liu Sheng chuckled, "As for Chen Guogong, how did you manage to find us?"
"I consider myself quite discreet, so even if someone should try to catch up, it shouldn't happen so quickly, but Chen Guogong managed to find us nonetheless."
Indeed, he had done everything very cleanly.
In order to smoothly escort Cheng Ming out of Shengjing, he had set fires, diverted attention, and tampered with the southern city gates, detaining all the investigators to prevent them from determining which gate they had left from. Even if someone suspected them, went to their residence at the embassy, they would only find the decoys left behind.
There were several steps in between, and if there was even a slight delay, they would have no chance of catching up to them.
But even so, they were caught, which made Liu Sheng feel puzzled.
"It's actually quite simple."
Facing Liu Sheng's confusion, Chen An calmly replied, "I guessed."
