Having many children brings many blessings; the struggle for power begins with marriage.

Chapter 271 Lu Shuyun Wants to Escape

Daxia, Sufeng City.

Outside the city, the Great Xia Dynasty's army was assembled, with countless catapults lined up in a row and archers ready to fire.

At this time, Su Feng City was in complete chaos. No one expected that the imperial army would be able to defeat the armies of the various families in such a short time and surround Su Feng City.

Now they only have one last chance, which is to get the grandmasters of all the major families to take action at the same time to deal with the imperial army.

Of course, they also anticipated that the Grandmasters of the Imperial Court might be among the army. So what followed was a contest between the Grandmasters of the aristocratic families and the Grandmasters of the Imperial Court. If the Grandmasters of the aristocratic families could defeat the Grandmasters of the Imperial Court, perhaps the aristocratic families of Jiangnan would still have a glimmer of hope. But if the Grandmasters of the aristocratic families were to lose, the Imperial Court's army would probably be able to rush in soon.

At the forefront of the imperial army, General Zhao Quan, mounted on horseback, gazed at the city gates of Sufeng City, then shouted loudly, "Attack!!!"

The next moment, the sound of horns echoed over Sufeng City, followed by the imperial army's deployment. Countless catapults launched huge stones, which crashed into the city walls, leaving them riddled with craters.

Su Fengcheng was also using catapults, with countless boulders raining down on the imperial army.

Of course, these boulders were of little use to the imperial army's elite soldiers, who could easily dodge them and their arrows.

at the same time.

Wang family.

The heads of the Jiangnan families gathered again in the Wang family's reception room. Crown Prince Lu Shuyun sat in the position of the Wang family head, his face gloomy and unpleasant.

He could almost see his future, when he would be poisoned to death.

Upon hearing the resounding bugle calls over Sufeng City, everyone knew that the imperial army had launched its attack, and they could only place their hopes on the Grandmasters of their respective families.

If their respective family's grandmasters are defeated, then they will likely have nowhere to escape but death.

The entire reception room was very quiet, and everyone's faces were grim; no one spoke.

Just then, Chu Hongfei couldn't hold back any longer and said directly, "Your Highness, let's find a way to escape. As long as we're alive, we can always make a comeback. If we die now, we'll have nothing left."

Chu Hongfei didn't want to die here. He was still so young, and he had many ambitions and ideas that he hadn't yet realized. He was still thinking about Chu Yuqin, that stunningly beautiful woman.

Chu Hongfei thought to himself that since his father had already established himself in the North, as long as he escaped from Sufeng City and secretly slipped into the North, he would be a hero again.

Moreover, he is his father's only son. As long as he goes to the Northern Kingdom, he will still be the eldest young master of the Chu family in the Northern Kingdom.

After he passes away, he will become the head of the Chu family.

Of course, none of these are the most important things. The important thing is that once he goes to the Northern Kingdom, he will be able to pursue Chu Yuqin.

The thought of Chu Yuqin's voluptuous figure lessened Chu Hongfei's fear of death.

Upon hearing Chu Hongfei's words, Chu Liang immediately rebuked him, saying, "Hongfei, don't talk nonsense. None of our grandmasters have made a move yet. How do you know we are no match for the imperial army?"

Hearing Chu Liang's words, Chu Hongfei was somewhat unhappy. Although he had initially sided with his two uncles and betrayed his father, it was because he wanted to gain more power in the Chu family and did not want to be bound by his father's rules and regulations.

The imperial army is already at the city gates. If they were to invade, the entire Chu family would be doomed. His father had already prepared such a good escape route for him in the Northern Kingdom, and he didn't want to stay in Sufeng City with the rest of the Chu family to wait for death.

Although Chu Hongfei felt uncomfortable, he couldn't argue because Chu Liang was his uncle, and the Crown Prince and so many family heads were also there. So Chu Hongfei shut up and stopped talking, but he was already thinking about how to escape Su Feng City.

At this moment, Lu Shuyun said, "Since I have chosen this path, I will definitely walk with you all. How could I possibly run away at this time?"

Lu Shuyun also realized that what these family heads were most afraid of was his escape. The imperial army was already attacking the city, and the people inside were in a state of panic. If the Crown Prince, the pillar of the family, ran away, the morale of the entire Sufeng City would probably collapse instantly.

Moreover, Lu Shuyun was indeed the easiest to escape from here, because Lu Shuyun had no family business in Sufeng City. He came empty-handed, so he could leave empty-handed as well.

But those aristocratic families are different. Their family businesses have been in Sufeng City for generations, and they have no way out. If they run away, their family businesses of dozens of generations will be gone.

Of course, it's not just a matter of family business. Lu Shuyun is only one person, with at most a few followers, but those aristocratic families all have thousands of members. How are they going to escape with so many members?

If Lu Shuyun had taken a few followers and escaped from Sufeng City in the chaos, he might not have been discovered. But it wouldn't have been the case with the aristocratic families. There were too many people in the aristocratic families, and they were such a big target that they would definitely be discovered if they tried to escape.

Therefore, when Lu Shuyun said at this time that he would not run away, he was actually trying to reassure the heads of the major families and prevent them from overthinking.

However, Lu Shuyun clearly didn't really think that way.

He was the crown prince. Why should he die with these noble families? He already had a premonition that if he were captured, his father would not let him go because he was a prince. He would definitely give him poisoned wine or three feet of white silk.

Therefore, if he wanted to survive, he could not be captured by the imperial army outside the city; he had to find a way to leave Sufeng City.

Since Chu Hongfei is also thinking of escaping, we can make use of him.

Chu Hongfei is a member of the Chu family from Jiangnan. He grew up in Sufeng City and has lived there for many years. He should know Sufeng City quite well, and perhaps he can find a way to escape from the city.

Of course, this kind of thing can't be said out loud.

At this moment, Lu Shuyun continued, "The people in the city are in a state of panic. Even though you patriarchs are sitting here, you can't think of a good solution. Now, you should all go back to your homes and comfort your clansmen. Only when people's hearts are at peace can we hope to overcome this crisis."

Upon hearing this, the heads of the aristocratic families thought about it. Indeed, they were all sitting there staring at each other, unable to come up with a good solution. Only after the war between the Grandmasters ended would they know whether they could defeat the imperial army.

At this moment, the head of the Qin family stood up and said, "His Highness the Crown Prince is right. In this situation, even if we sit here, we can only worry helplessly. We might as well go back to our respective homes and comfort our clansmen."

Seeing that the Qin family head had said so, the Wang family head sighed and said, "Alright then, everyone, go back for now."

The patriarchs thought that if Sufeng City were to be breached by the imperial army, they would be left with no choice but to wait for death in the Wang family. They might as well lead their clansmen in a final desperate struggle.

Moreover, once the imperial army enters the city, it will definitely divide its forces. The aristocratic families are scattered in various parts of Sufeng City. As long as the imperial army divides its forces, one of their families might be able to take advantage of the chaos in Sufeng City and lead their clansmen out of Sufeng City.

Although everyone talked about unity, they had already prepared for the worst. Most of them did not believe they could win. If they really had a chance of winning, they would not have suffered defeat after defeat.

Afterwards, the heads of each family left the Wang family and returned to their respective clans.

After they all left, Lu Shuyun went to a restaurant in Sufeng City and then had someone secretly bring Chu Hongfei to him.

Upon hearing that His Highness the Crown Prince wanted to see him alone, Chu Hongfei was overjoyed. If he could meet with the Crown Prince alone, he would have a chance to persuade him to let them escape.

Chu Hongfei had considered escaping Sufeng City alone, but after thinking about it, he realized that he didn't have much strength, and he didn't have any powerful subordinates in the Chu family. If he escaped alone, and was discovered by the imperial army outside Sufeng City, he would likely be captured.

If he had skilled fighters by his side, things would be different. Those fighters could help him hold off the imperial soldiers, allowing him to shake them off.

Without a doubt, choosing to cooperate with Lu Shuyun is the most suitable option. Lu Shuyun has a master-level expert by his side. If they escape together, even if they are accidentally discovered by the imperial soldiers, they will have a strong person to cover them, which will greatly increase their chances of escaping Sufeng City.

Not long after, Chu Hongfei appeared in Lu Shuyun's room. Upon seeing Lu Shuyun, Chu Hongfei immediately bowed and said, "This humble subject greets Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

Lu Shuyun smiled and said, "Brother Chu, please get up. There's no need to be so polite."

Seeing Lu Shuyun's polite attitude, Chu Hongfei felt he had a chance. He then asked, "Your Highness, may I ask what business you have with me?"

Lu Shuyun sighed and then said, "The various powerful families each had their own ulterior motives, which ultimately led to the defeat in this war. Although the imperial army has not yet entered Sufeng City, the defeat of Sufeng City is already inevitable."

"I remember that not long ago, a noble family in Qi wrote to me, saying that as long as I go to Qi, my royal uncle will definitely find a way to protect me. When my father passes away in the future, my royal uncle will do everything he can to help me ascend the throne."

Upon hearing this, Chu Hongfei's heart instantly stirred with excitement. Judging from Lu Shuyun's words, Lu Shuyun also planned to secretly escape from Sufeng City and head north.

So, they are kindred spirits?

Chu Hongfei immediately said, "Your Highness, if you need anything, please tell me. If I can help you, I will do my utmost!"

Lu Shuyun said with a smile, "I don't need to die. I just want to know that you have lived in Su Fengcheng for so many years. You should know a lot about Su Fengcheng and know some ways to leave Su Fengcheng."

"If I successfully reach the State of Qi, you will be my greatest contributor. When I ascend to that position in the future, I will bestow upon you the title of Duke!"

Hearing Lu Shuyun's promises, Chu Hongfei's heart began to pound faster. He thought about it for a moment and felt that Lu Shuyun still had a chance to turn things around.

The Qi Kingdom is not weak. If the King of Qi supports Lu Shuyun and Lu Shuyun bides his time in the Qi Kingdom, the King of Qi might actually be able to put Lu Shuyun on the throne after the Xia Emperor passes away. At that time, I, the person who saved Lu Shuyun's life, will be a great hero, and the title of Duke will definitely be mine.

Thinking of this, Chu Hongfei immediately said, "Your Highness, rest assured, this humble subject will definitely find a way to get you out safely."

Upon hearing Chu Hongfei's answer, Lu Shuyun said with a smile, "Brother Chu, do you know of any place where we can leave Sufeng City without making a sound?"

Chu Hongfei said with a smile, "Of course. If Your Highness is already prepared, we can leave Sufeng City tonight."

Lu Shuyun said, "Alright, then we'll leave this matter to Brother Chu. We'll leave Sufeng City tonight."

At this point, Lu Shuyun suddenly remembered something and continued, "By the way, Brother Chu, I hope you won't tell the rest of the Chu family about this. If there are too many people, we'll be too conspicuous and it will be easy to expose our whereabouts. Even if we escape from Sufeng City, we might still be discovered by the imperial soldiers."

Chu Hongfei smiled and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will only bring two or three attendants, and I will absolutely not tell anyone else in the Chu family."

Lu Shuyun said, "Alright, Brother Chu, hurry up and prepare. Come to the restaurant tonight to find me."

"Yes, Your Highness."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Hongfei left the restaurant with a happy expression.

Seeing Chu Hongfei's back, a murderous intent flashed in Lu Shuyun's eyes. He planned to get rid of this idiot Chu Hongfei as soon as he escaped from Sufeng City.

When the imperial army breaks through Sufeng City, the Chu family will be wiped out, and those Chu Hongfeis will naturally be useless.

Lu Shuyun thought to himself that he hoped tonight's operation would go smoothly. If they were discovered, whether by the powerful families in the city or by the imperial soldiers outside the city, it would be very difficult for them to escape.

It's best to succeed on the first try like this.

at the same time.

Outside Sufeng City.

Just as the imperial army was about to scale the city walls, suddenly, the imperial soldiers on the walls were instantly blasted away by an invisible force, and then all the imperial siege ladders were destroyed.

The next moment, three grandmasters appeared on the city wall.

Seeing this, the morale of Su Fengcheng's rebel army soared. Their Grandmaster had finally made a move, and with the Grandmaster's help, no matter how powerful the imperial army was, they would not be able to break through.

At this moment, the soldiers were unaware that their leader, Lu Shuyun, was planning to flee.

Upon seeing the three Grandmasters on the city wall, General Zhao Quan of the imperial court immediately ordered his soldiers, "Retreat!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the bugle sounded, and the imperial army immediately retreated.

Upon seeing the imperial army retreat, the soldiers of Sufeng City immediately cheered, believing they had won and that the imperial army had been frightened away by their Grandmaster.

Little did anyone know that Zhao Quan had a smile on his face after ordering the imperial soldiers to retreat.

They didn't actually retreat; rather, the second war had begun. This wasn't a war between ordinary soldiers, but a war between Grandmasters. Wars between Grandmasters inevitably affect those around them, so he immediately ordered the imperial soldiers to withdraw.

Just as Su Fengcheng's soldiers were lost in their fantasies, three old men rode out slowly from the retreating imperial army.

Upon seeing the three old men, Su Fengcheng's soldiers immediately sensed that something was amiss.

The imperial army had clearly retreated, so why would they send out three old men at this time?

Could it be...?

Are these three old men also Grandmasters?

Before people could think much of it, the three old men rode their horses straight to the city gate.

Upon seeing this, the three grandmasters from the aristocratic families did not wait idly; they jumped down from the city wall.

Then Su Fengcheng's second war began.

The three Grandmasters of the Imperial Court were clearly stronger than the three Grandmasters of the aristocratic families. The three Grandmasters of the aristocratic families were being defeated one after another, which made them somewhat incredulous.

Where did the Xia Emperor find this grandmaster? How could he possess such formidable strength?

If they remembered correctly, when the three of them were still heads of their aristocratic families, a Grandmaster of the Great Xia royal family had been hunted down by a Celestial Realm expert. Logically speaking, the Great Xia royal family should no longer have such a powerful Grandmaster.

It was already quite remarkable that the Imperial Preceptor Situ Ce was able to break through to the Grandmaster realm, but then three more Grandmasters emerged from the royal family, and these three Grandmasters were incredibly strong.

Could it be that these three Grandmasters are Grandmasters who survived from the royal family and were lucky enough to escape the pursuit of that Celestial Realm expert?

Although they were shocked, it was no use thinking about it now. Before long, one of the grandmasters from the aristocratic families was seriously injured, and the three grandmasters had no choice but to retreat temporarily.

After the three grandmasters from the Jiangnan aristocratic families withdrew, the three grandmasters from the imperial court also left and did not continue to join the battle.

The imperial court wouldn't resort to using Grandmasters to deal with those lowly soldiers. Of course, another reason is that the three Grandmasters of the imperial court have also expended a great deal of energy. If their strength is used up on dealing with the soldiers of Su Feng City, they might not be able to defeat the three Grandmasters when they come out later.

Therefore, in general, dynastic wars are between Grandmasters and Grandmasters. Grandmasters do not participate in wars between those below the Grandmaster level, and this war is no exception.

At this moment, General Luo Zhaoquan said, "Charge again!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the bugle sounded again, and the imperial army attacked the city once more.

However, after a day, the imperial army failed to capture Sufeng City, as the rebel forces defending the city remained very strong.

After nightfall.

In the courtyard of a restaurant in Sufeng City, dozens of dark figures surrounded a well.

A man's voice rang out, "Can we leave Sufeng City by going through this well?"

Another man replied, "Yes, this well connects to the sea, and you can reach the sea directly by going through this well."

The man said, "In that case, let's not waste any more time. Brother Chu, I'll trouble you to lead the way."

Chu Hongfei said with a smile, "Alright, this humble subject will now escort His Highness the Crown Prince away from Sufeng City."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Hongfei pulled on the rope and slowly went down into the well. Then Lu Shuyun and the others also went down into the well.

(End of this chapter)