Frontier Army Warrior

Chapter 1301 Split Operations

The princess did not appear; the crowd stood outside the carriage through the curtain.

Miao Changfeng explained to the princess the importance of negotiating peace with the pirates for the Great Zheng Dynasty, and even produced an imperial edict to show that it was the emperor's request and not something he had fabricated.

After a long wait, a childish voice finally rang out from inside the carriage.

"I don't care about anything else, Miao Changfeng, you must safely get me to my destination."

"Your Highness, there are still 1,200 guards, so you don't need to worry about your safety."

"Miao Changfeng, don't even think about abandoning me. If it weren't for your proposal to marry into the pirates, how could I have such a miserable fate?"

Her Highness gritted her teeth.

Miao Changfeng was stunned into silence.

Damn it, that bastard Lan Yu even pinned this crime on me.

At this point, he had no way to defend himself. Could it be that the idea wasn't his?

You can only make it work if people believe you.

Lin Feng stood behind the group, struggling to hold back his emotions.

He knew the inside story; it must have been Lan Yu who had put Miao Changfeng in a very difficult position.

As a powerful figure in society, he was no match for Lan Yu, a down-on-his-luck scholar who later became a secretary for others, when it came to playing tricks in the imperial court.

Seeing that Miao Changfeng remained silent, the princess assumed that he felt guilty and dared not argue further, and she was still angry.

"Your father has raised a bunch of treacherous officials who do nothing but eat and fight. They're good at eating but not at fighting. All they do is think about crooked things. How can they still have the face to receive the court's salary?"

Lin Feng couldn't hold back any longer. This girl's words were too harsh. How could she insult a senior official like the Prime Minister of the Great Zheng Dynasty so rudely?

Perhaps it was because his teeth were so white, shimmering in the setting sun, that they aroused the princess inside the carriage.

"You, what's your name? How dare you grin and joke in front of me? Are you asking for a beating?!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Feng immediately lowered his head and bowed, hiding himself.

Hearing the princess speak like that, no one knew who was laughing, and they dared not look around. They could only bow their heads and remain silent.

The eunuchs serving the princess looked up and scanned the room, but they didn't see anyone who had been grinning and joking.

"Get away, all of you stay away from me."

The princess couldn't very well point out Lin Feng's identity, so she could only angrily rebuke him.

Upon hearing this, Miao Changfeng immediately bowed and left, as he had no face to stay any longer.

He regretted bringing Lin Feng along, as he had given an outsider something to laugh at.

The crowd silently urged their horses on, and soon they returned to the Prime Minister's carriage.

Without saying a word, Miao Changfeng dismounted and climbed into the carriage, sulking to himself.

Miao Yong and Feng Li stood obediently beside the carriage, heads bowed and silent.

Lin Feng turned his head to look at the sun as it gradually sank, still somewhat dazzling, yet its red color was breathtaking.

At dinner time, Lin Feng was summoned to the Prime Minister's carriage, where a small table had been set out with several side dishes and roasted game.

Feng Li personally heated a pot of wine, while Miao Changfeng sat at the table, staring blankly at the wine and dishes with a sullen expression.

Two lanterns hung on the large carriage, swaying in the breeze.

Seeing Lin Feng approach, he raised his chin, gesturing for him to sit down.

Miao Changfeng took the wine pot and personally poured Lin Feng a cup of wine.

"Muchuan, I know you're quick-witted and don't care much about power and wealth. You're easygoing and carefree. Today, I'd like to speak frankly with you. Since you're an outsider, could you sincerely offer some advice?"

As Miao Changfeng spoke, he raised his hand and drank a glass of wine in one gulp, then showed the glass to Lin Feng.

Lin Feng didn't stand on ceremony and drank it all in one gulp as well.

"Please speak, Your Excellency."

Miao Yong and Feng Li stood on either side, their expressions somewhat blank.

They were helpless in the face of this situation, with the emperor setting a deadline for peace talks on one side and the princess taking two steps forward and then resting on the other.

Things seem to have reached a dead end.

Miao Changfeng had only these two trusted confidants left in front of him; the others had retreated to a distance.

"Here's what happened..."

He briefly recounted how Lan Yu had proposed a peace talks with the pirates, and how he had pinned the matter on Miao Changfeng.

He then voiced his concerns.

Regardless of whether the pirates agree to peace talks, the fact that such a small force is entering Fu'an Prefecture, where the pirates are concentrated, is tantamount to handing their lives over to them.

The pirates were notoriously brutal, and Miao Changfeng was truly uneasy. Now, he had encountered an unreasonable princess, leaving him utterly exasperated.

Miao Changfeng mumbled on and on, chugging wine into his mouth. In the dim light of the lantern, he looked like a desperate old man at the end of his rope.

In the eyes of Miao Yong and Feng Li, Miao Changfeng was always a wise and confident leader.

Unexpectedly, these words caused both of them heartache, for they were in the same boat as the Prime Minister, and neither of them could escape responsibility.

After Miao Changfeng finished speaking, he had already drunk six cups of wine, and his eyes revealed longing as he stared at Lin Feng in front of him.

"Muchuan, do you think there's a solution to this situation?"

Lin Feng toyed with the wine cup in his hand, listening to the rambling of this famous high-ranking official of the Great Zheng Dynasty and a gang leader.

It must be said that in Lin Feng's mind, Miao Changfeng was not a bad person.

He simply followed the wrong master.

Based on this person's character and style, if he were to remain outside the imperial court and continue as a powerful figure in the underworld, he would naturally still be thriving.

Lin Feng casually tore off a rabbit leg, took a big bite, his mouth full of oil as he chewed it heartily.

This made the two people standing nearby swallow hard.

He really doesn't treat himself like an outsider. He's so presumptuous in front of the Prime Minister. He's clearly not cut out to be an official.

Miao Changfeng didn't take it to heart; in fact, he liked this kind of unrestrained and free-spirited江湖 (jianghu) man.

"Your Excellency, you are indeed caught up in the situation without realizing it."

Lin Feng swallowed a mouthful of rabbit meat and spoke.

"May I ask, sir, what is the purpose of His Majesty's dispatch of you to the pirate camp?"

"Naturally, we should unite with the pirate army to launch a joint attack on the Zhenxi Army."

"Then why should we waste time on the journey?"

Feng Li couldn't help but chime in: "Mu Chuan, you've seen it all. Her Highness is frail and can't endure the hardships of a long journey. If this continues, we simply won't be able to reach Fu'an Prefecture on time."

Lin Feng smiled and said, "Today we don't need to split up. As long as we arrive in Fu'an Prefecture first, the peace talks can begin."

Miao Yong frowned and shouted, "Mu Chuan, what are you saying? Her Highness the Princess has already rejected the Prime Minister's plan."

Lin Feng shrugged: "The princess's request for the prime minister to accompany her does not prevent us from splitting up."

Everyone was stunned, looking at Lin Feng with confusion.

Lin Feng then raised the empty wine cup and shook it at Feng Li, signaling him to quickly pour more wine.

Before the gifts were even offered, Miao Changfeng had already snatched the wine pot and personally filled Lin Feng's cup with wine.

"Muchuan, tell me in detail how you can travel with the princess while also splitting up?"

Lin Feng took a sip of wine and exhaled a long breath of alcohol.

"Your Excellency, you may remain seated in the carriage and accompany the princess on her journey. Our eight hundred cavalry, led by Lord Miao Yong, will proceed ahead to Fu'an Prefecture to negotiate peace with the pirates as scheduled."

Several people turned their attention to Miao Yong.

Miao Yong waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, no, I can't bear such a heavy responsibility. Besides, the leader of the pirate army is General Tokugawa Iehira. How can I, a mere captain of the Prime Minister's guard, be qualified to speak with him?"