Chapter 162: The reason for the outbreak of war in 162 Chapter 162: The reason for the outbreak of war in 162 But for Ye Jiu, this errand couldn’t be better.
At least she could come out for some fresh air, which would help her understand the area and facilitate an escape, as well as gather some information.
Today, when Ye Jiu went out, she noticed many people with very happy expressions, especially the men, who walked with their heads held high, as if something had happened to make them proud.
Out of curiosity, Ye Jiu asked a woman selling goods, “Auntie, I see people on the streets are very happy today. Is there something worth celebrating?”
“Of course, our Great General has captured the commander of Dongyue, and they’re on the way to escort him back to the capital. I heard that in two days, they will pass through our Cloud City,” the woman replied with a big smile on her face.
Usually, when it came to war, everyone felt uncertain, for victory or defeat was unpredictable, and no one knew whether they would be on the winning or losing side.
But now that our side has captured the enemy’s commander, the outcome is clear. As citizens of Nanchang, naturally, we feel honored and very happy.
A sudden chill ran through Ye Jiu’s heart, and she had a bad premonition.
Although she didn’t know who the captured person was, her heart was pounding erratically, making her extremely uneasy.
“Auntie, may I ask who the captured commander is? So many people are happy, it must not be some small fry, right? Please tell me, so that I can also be enlightened,” Ye Jiu asked stiffly, forcing a smile.
“It’s the Prince of Dongyue, the Empress’s own son, and the Crown Prince’s brother. He is worth a lot. I’ve heard that Marshal Wei Hu has already put the word out, demanding Dongyue to exchange him for ten cities, or else the Prince will be killed to accompany our Princess Ronghui in burial!” The woman was very talkative; Ye Jiu had asked a single question, but she went on and on without stopping.
However… “Who is this Princess Ronghui?” Ye Jiu wondered.
“You don’t know? Princess Ronghui is the princess from Nanchang who was married off in a diplomatic union. She died in the Crown Prince Residence with a child in her belly, not even two years after the marriage. Her maid barely escaped with her life to bring the news back, claiming that Princess Ronghui was killed by the Crown Princess Consort. Naturally, Nanchang wouldn’t stand for it, so we sent General Wei Hu to war.
Dongyue is just ridiculous. Their War King, due to internal strife, was severely injured. It’s laughable that such a great country has no one else to rely on, thus having to send the pampered Prince to war, who then got captured in less than two months.” As the woman spoke, a crowd gathered around, all of them seemingly enjoying the scandal.
“You seem to know quite a lot, don’t you, Auntie?” Ye Jiu couldn’t help but be skeptical. Shouldn’t these be state secrets? How could a vegetable-selling woman know so much?
“Not really, I just heard it from the storyteller,” the auntie said cheerfully.
Walking down the street, Ye Jiu pondered whether the real cause of Princess Ronghui’s death might still be up for debate.
Otherwise, if she was really harmed by the Crown Princess Consort, could a mere maid really travel from the capital of Dongyue Country all the way back to Nanchang for help?
If that were the case, Dongyue must be incredibly weak.
It’s more likely that Nanchang wanted an excuse to start a war, and as for the real cause of Princess Ronghui’s death, it might just be something Nanchang itself concocted.
For those in power, for the sake of their goals, sacrificing their own children is just another move in their games, isn’t it?
What’s a princess worth, after all!