"You can think of it as a kind of thirst-quenching water," Ian Song explained.
"Thank you, sir."
Princess Jade Fox took the bottle of cola, sipped it, and instantly felt bubbles explode in her mouth—a sensation so wonderful it was beyond words. Her eyes sparkled with delight.
In the end, Princess Jade Fox only ate half the bread and drank about half the bottle of cola.
Ian Song didn't call out her little scheme, just waved his hand to let her go.
The next day, the group continued on their way.
The closer they got to Edgehaven, the more barren the scenery became, with a bleak autumn chill in the air.
Riding on horseback, Ian Song yawned, feeling bored. For some reason, he always felt like he was playing a hyper-realistic game, treating the people of this world like NPCs.
Suddenly, Ian sensed a pair of timid eyes secretly watching him from inside the carriage. Even without turning around, he knew exactly who they belonged to.
Finally, at dusk, a low-walled city appeared at the edge of the land.
"Young Master Song, that's Edgehaven City up ahead," General Bruce Meng pointed to the city, his usually stern face finally showing a trace of relief.
"Mm."
Ian Song nodded, signaling that he'd seen it.
On Aqua-Blue Star, cities didn't have walls, so seeing a walled city was still a novelty for Ian Song.
"Who goes there?"
As dusk approached, the city gates were already closed, with entry and exit forbidden.
And since these were extraordinary times, Edgehaven was just a lone Qi city. So when the soldiers on the wall saw this group approaching, they tensed up and shouted loudly.
Edgehaven's walls weren't high, only about two meters. Not to mention Ian Song—even an ordinary person could easily climb over. If it weren't for its remote frontier location, this little city would've probably been conquered by the Yan-Zhao coalition long ago.
But General Bruce Meng's plan to revive the kingdom from this tiny city? Let's just say his dreams are full, but reality is pretty harsh.
General Bruce Meng pulled up his reins and called out to the soldiers on the wall, "I am General Bruce Meng, personally appointed by His Majesty the King of Qi, escorting His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Princess! I order you to report immediately and have Shen Du come out to receive us!"
The soldiers on the wall were shocked to hear that His Highness the Crown Prince had arrived. But the highest-ranking officer was only a hundred-rider captain and didn't have the authority to open the gates, so he called down to General Bruce Meng, "So it's General Meng! Please wait a moment, I'll go report to the city lord right away."
"Then hurry up! If you delay His Highness entering the city, you'll answer for it!" General Bruce Meng snapped.
The General of Martial Prowess was a fifth-rank military post, commanding up to 5,500 soldiers. Edgehaven, though, was just a county-level city, its lord only a seventh-rank official. So the hundred-rider captain dared not slack off and immediately sent someone to inform City Lord Shen Du.
City Lord's residence.
City Lord Shen Du was receiving a distinguished guest.
The guest was a middle-aged scholar in a wide brocade robe. Behind him stood two burly men carrying swords. Though not in armor, their callused hands marked them as soldiers.
"So, Brother Shen, have you made up your mind?" the middle-aged scholar asked with a smile.
"Well..." Shen Du's eyes flickered with hesitation.
The scholar's expression turned cold. "What is there to hesitate about, Brother Shen? Qi is finished, and Edgehaven is just a lone city with less than a thousand troops. If you surrender to my Zhao Kingdom now, you'll be rewarded as a meritorious official. Otherwise, when our army arrives, what will you use to resist? Those thousand men of yours? Then you'll be nothing but a prisoner!"
Faced with Tu Xiu's threats and temptations, the struggle in Shen Du's eyes grew even more intense.
Just then, a close attendant came to report: "City Lord, there's a man outside claiming to be the General of Martial Prowess, escorting His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Princess. He requests you to go out and receive them!"
Hearing the words 'Crown Prince' and 'Princess,' Tu Xiu's eyes lit up. "Brother Shen, your chance for great merit has come! If you offer up the Qi Crown Prince's head in surrender, our king will be delighted, and promotion and reward will be guaranteed!"
"Absolutely not! That would make me a traitor to Qi!" Shen Du waved his hands frantically.
"Hmph!"
Tu Xiu snorted, "Shen Du, don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! Qi is already destroyed—what Qi Kingdom? Don't be afraid to hear this: our Zhao army is less than a hundred li from here, and in at most two days will be at your gates. By then, you won't even have the chance to surrender, and as city lord, your life won't be spared. You'll be decapitated for military merit!" His tone grew harsher. "Let me ask you again: will you cooperate with me to seize the Qi Crown Prince and surrender, or will you stubbornly resist? Don't forget, your whole family is in this city. Once the army enters, your loved ones will be slaughtered, and so will the townsfolk. Can you really bear to see your family and your people die for nothing?"
Tu Xiu's words made Shen Du break out in a cold sweat, his face pale.
Images of his family and all the townspeople flashed through his mind. Finally, he nodded and bowed to Tu Xiu. "Thank you for your reminder, Brother Tu. I am willing to surrender to Zhao. But I have one request—can you spare the Crown Prince's life?"
"Fine! The Qi Crown Prince won't be killed for now—let our king decide his fate!" This time, Tu Xiu agreed readily, a trace of triumph flickering at his lips.
Outside the city.
Ian Song and his group were waiting for Shen Du to come out and receive them.
But after half a quarter-hour, Shen Du still hadn't arrived.
Suddenly, Ian Song narrowed his eyes—he sensed a large force approaching the city gates. Activating his Divine Sight, he saw that more than a thousand soldiers had gathered behind the gate.
His mind raced, and he quickly deduced that City Lord Shen Du must have switched sides, setting up an ambush behind the gates to trap them like fish in a barrel.
For a moment, Ian's heart sank, but he decided to wait and see. A thousand soldiers was a lot, but if he wanted to leave, no one could stop him.
Besides, Edgehaven was the only city left to Qi—how could he just walk away?
Creak!
The two city gates swung open, and a group quickly marched out, led by Shen Du.
"Your humble servant Shen Du apologizes for arriving late to receive Your Highness the Crown Prince and Princess!"
With a thud, Shen Du and his followers knelt before the carriage.
The carriage curtain lifted, revealing the young face of Prince Daniel Jiang. He raised his little hand in the air and said to Shen Du, "Rise."
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Shen Du took the opportunity to glance into the carriage at Prince Daniel Jiang and Jade Fox. A flash of sympathy crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by resolve.
"Your Highness, I have already arranged a residence. Please enter the city and rest."
"Thank you, Lord Shen." Prince Daniel Jiang let the curtain fall again.
"Escort the Crown Prince into the city!"
At General Bruce Meng's command, more than fifty soldiers escorted the carriage toward the city. Standing beside Shen Du, Tu Xiu's lips curled in satisfaction.