First-rank palace maid Su Jixiang

Chapter 476 Encirclement and Counter-Encirclement

Tie Zheng's eyes flashed, and he flew up and fought with Xu Jiashan.

Xu Jiashan is usually quite popular among the guards, but that's all everyone has of him.

His martial arts skills were good, but not outstanding compared to the other carefully selected personal guards. He always smiled when he met people, and even if others took advantage of him, he would not get angry. So everyone often ordered him to do this and that, but he never complained.

Even during this tour, the hard work of watering and feeding the horses fell on him. Often, when everyone else was resting, he was still taking care of the horses.

Xu Jiashan's usually honest face suddenly showed a bit of fierceness.

"Master Tie!" He sneered as he fought with Tie Zheng, "You are now under the Emperor's watch. Why not submit to the court? As long as you can capture Prince Chenliu alive, the court will surely grant you a high position and generous salary, allowing you to achieve success and fame. Then you will have gold, beauties, anything you want. Why bother being a dog under the command of a vassal prince?"

"You traitor, how dare you say this to your grandfather?" Tie Zheng was furious.

Ever since he knew that there was a spy around Prince Chenliu, he kept a close eye on the guards. He suspected this and that, but he never suspected Xu Jiashan.

"Traitor?" Xu Jiashan said disdainfully, "A vassal king is using mercenaries to establish his own kingdom. Who is the traitor?"

He turned his gaze, glanced at the fallen guards around him, and sneered, "Your situation is over! Look at these men of yours! They've all been poisoned!" He dodged Tie Zheng's fierce attack, then laughed, "I've already released a pigeon to deliver a message. I'm sure someone will come to pick me up soon. Lord Tie, why are you fighting like a trapped beast? Not only did I poison the dinner, I also added medicine to the water for the horses! You can't escape!"

Tie Zheng felt a slight chill in his heart, and turned to look at the horses tied to the side of the road. He wondered if the medicine had not yet taken effect, but the horses looked normal and he couldn't see anything unusual for the time being.

"You can't create much trouble by yourself!" Tie Zheng shouted, "Come out!"

Suddenly, several people fell from the tree, holding crossbows in their hands. They were all dressed in black. It was already night, and these people suddenly appeared, like ghosts suddenly appearing in the dark night.

"Have you summoned all the secret guards?" Xu Jiashan was delighted when he saw this. "Is this your trump card, Tie Zheng?"

"What? Do you think you've been too reckless?" Tie Zheng saw the secret guards appear, but he wasn't in a hurry to attack Xu Jiashan. "I advise you to surrender, or you'll suffer!"

"Do you think I'm really alone?" Xu Jiashan said disdainfully, "You've revealed your trump card, do you think I have no backup plan?"

Xu Jiashan shouted, "Everyone, how long do you want to hide? As long as we can trap the Prince of Chenliu here and wait for the imperial court to arrive, we won't have to serve this useless prince like dogs anymore! We can all get high positions and generous salaries in the future, open grand ancestral halls, and bring honor to our families!"

After he finished shouting, about ten guards who had fallen on the roadside suddenly stood up again.

These ten people instead surrounded the secret guards who had jumped down from the tree earlier.

Tie Zheng's face suddenly changed when he saw his men being surrounded. He obviously didn't expect that so many of his men had been bribed!

Xu Jiashan couldn't help but burst out laughing. "You just told me to surrender? I'll return that sentence to you exactly as it was! You and your prince should immediately lay down your weapons! His Majesty is merciful and will not kill your prince! Why not just return to the capital with me and avoid fighting and damaging the peace!"

"Will your master really let me go?" As soon as Xu Jiashan finished speaking, a voice with a slight smile came over.

Everyone looked in the direction where the sound came from.

The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and a slightly fat figure appeared in everyone's sight.

He was wearing a long blue robe, a hat, and a warm smile on his face. He looked like a middle-aged wealthy businessman who was a little overweight.

"Your Highness!" Tie Zheng immediately clasped his fists, "This subordinate is incompetent!"

Prince Chenliu lifted his clothes and stepped down from the carriage, walking towards him with a leisurely square step. He said to Tie Zheng with a smile. "I don't blame you!"

Xu Jiashan saw Prince Chenliu come out and said, "You are indeed not sick! What made you change your mind and not go to Furong Town?"

Prince Chenliu did not respond to Xu Jiashan's question, but simply looked at him with a smile, "Are these all your men? That's quite a lot!"

He pointed at the guards around him who had their swords drawn against him.

"To deal with someone of your status, we naturally need more manpower!" Xu Jiashan sneered.

He had painstakingly recruited these individuals, keeping them as a backup plan. He had originally envisioned that even if he were exposed first, these individuals could still lurk and wait for an opportunity. But today, it seemed, there was no need to wait any longer. Today was the best opportunity! So he had everyone step forward.

"Very good, very good. You think highly of me!" Prince Chenliu said with a smile. He clapped his hands, "You don't really think I'm only going to take these people to that dangerous place!"

As his slap fell, more than thirty people suddenly rushed out from the surrounding woods. These people were all wearing ordinary people's clothes, but the weapons in their hands were not vague at all, reflecting the cold light of the moon in the night wind.

Seeing the situation reverse again, Xu Jiashan's face turned pale, knowing that he was doomed today.

"Haha. Very good. The prince is indeed a cunning rabbit with three burrows!" Xu Jiashan couldn't laugh anymore. He had underestimated the prince! He always thought that the prince's backup was just his secret guards, but he had no idea that the prince had actually arranged a team of disguised people to follow him all the way without telling anyone!

Prince Chenliu smiled without saying anything and just made a gesture.

The guards rushed forward.

The battle didn't last long. After all, the men chosen by the Prince of Chenliu were all highly skilled in martial arts, and those he could hide in the dark were the elite among the elite! So, in no time, Xu Jiashan and his accomplices were killed and captured!

When the surroundings returned to calm and Xu Jiashan and the few survivors were pinned to the ground, Tie Zheng knelt before the Prince of Chenliu with a look of guilt on his face, "It was my incompetence that allowed him to take advantage of the situation!"

"Yes. You are indeed responsible for negligence." Prince Chenliu said calmly, "But now is not the time to pursue responsibility. Let's keep it and discuss it later! The most urgent thing is to leave here first. I believe that the court assassins mentioned by this person should be here soon!"