Volume 4: The Chu Army Chapter 62: Enemy or Friend?

  Chen Ping was still somewhat self-satisfied, but when he saw Yin Xu following the cow-riding youth back home, his smile became a bit awkward. After all the fuss, he still couldn't get ahead of General Ben, and while he and Qu Ming found the former imperial guard and wet nurse, Yin Xu had actually found the legitimate grandson of King Huai himself. Although it could be said that they were evenly matched, not trying to one-up each other, but if you looked closely, Chen Ping was still slightly inferior.

  At the same time, Chen Ping also verified a point, that King Huai's legitimate grandson was indeed a cowherd boy, and Yin Xu was right from the start with clear intentions. How did this guy know? He grasped it so accurately, really formidable.

  Seeing Chen Ping and Qu Ming accompanying a middle-aged couple with joyful faces, Yin Xu's heart finally put down. This time it should be right, this introverted cowherd is indeed the legitimate grandson of King Chu Huai, Xiong Xin.

  As he walked to the gate of the courtyard, Xiong Xin rode on the back of a cow, first glancing at Chen Ping and the soldiers in the courtyard, then turning his head to look at Yin Xu and the hundreds of people behind him, revealing a faint smile. On the other side, Chen Ping, Qu Ming, Jin Wei, and Ru Niang led the hundreds of people to kneel down and pay homage: "Long live the Crown Prince!"

  As soon as this was said, Xiong Xin's identity was truly confirmed.

  Donglai was originally a native of Chu State, and at this time he also claimed to be the leader of the righteous army in Chu territory. Therefore, this courtesy between monarch and subject had to be observed. He immediately turned over, dismounted his horse, led Pu Jun, Su An and others, knelt down and kowtowed: "See the Crown Prince!"

  The villagers of Xihewan were almost stunned, and it took them a long time to react. The usually taciturn Xiong Xin turned out to be the Crown Prince of Chu. They hastily pulled their wives and children to kneel down and pay homage. A group of shepherd boys were even more stunned, never having imagined that Xiong Xin, who had herded cattle with them, was actually a noble prince.

  Recalling the ridicule and bullying they had inflicted on him in the past, a few little brats were so scared that their legs trembled with fear, afraid that Xiong Xin would cause them trouble. Especially the shepherd boy who had revealed the news to Yin Xu, who was usually the one bullied by Xiong Xin the most, was now so frightened that he wet his pants, and the copper bell in his hand had already fallen to the ground. The clear and crisp sound of the bell rang out, making this matter even more unbearable to hear.

  Xiong Xin sat on the cow's back, looking particularly steady. After a moment, he said in a loud voice, "Get down!" As soon as his words fell, he jumped off the cow's back and walked into the courtyard.

  Yin Xu was somewhat surprised, it seemed that Xiong Xin knew his identity very well and was quite adapted to it, which was unexpected.

  Xiong Xin entered the house, and the wet nurse hurriedly followed him. At this time, communication was essential. The wet nurse had raised him since he was a child, and their mother-son bond was deep, making her undoubtedly the most suitable person for the task. Chen Ping and Qu Ming brought over a middle-aged man who appeared to be Xiong Xin's foster father, also a former guard of the Chu palace.

  "General Yin, come and meet! This is the Imperial Guard Xiong Kang who raised the Crown Prince!"

  The surname Xiong is the royal family name of the Chu State, so this person should be from the royal family of the Chu State. The safety and well-being of his children are so important that the King of Chu must have entrusted him with the most trusted people. Xiong Kang is steady and profound, with wind and frost on his face and deep wrinkles on his forehead, which are evident proofs of his exhaustion and worries over the years. It's also understandable that, on the one hand, he has to take good care of the legitimate grandson of the Chu State royal family, and on the other hand, he has to worry about his identity and comfort all the time, and the physical and mental pressure can be imagined.

  "Great Guardian Bear, you've worked hard!" Without another word, Yin Xue paid his respects to this great guardian from the bottom of his heart.

  Xiong Kang nodded slightly, thinking that Xiong Xin's identity would finally be revealed to the world, and he felt relieved and joyful. As long as Xiong Xin was doing well, all the hardships were worth it, poor parents of the world!

  Chen Ping laughed and said: "General Yin, we coincided without prior agreement! Haha!" Everyone looked at each other and smiled, no one had expected that acting separately would end up like this.

  "General Yin, I'm really curious, how did you know that the Crown Prince was... The Crown Prince's previous identity was a shepherd boy?"

  Although the words were somewhat offensive to Wang's legitimate grandson, who would say anything? Chen Ping had also been suspicious for a long time. When Xiong Kang heard about it, he was also very surprised. In order to conceal his identity, Wang Sun's letting go of the cow was also unavoidable. Pu Jun was fine, but Su An had already pricked up his ears, wanting to dispel the doubts in his mind. Hundreds of soldiers were also curious, and for several days, General Yin had been looking for the cowherd boy, and when he was about to give up in disappointment, suddenly, unexpectedly, he really found him, so he very much wanted to know General Yin's decisive reason.

  Yin Xu smiled awkwardly: "This matter is quite strange, you may not believe it, but I found out the identity of the crown prince with the guidance of a goddess."

  "Goddess?"

  The Chu State has a long history of witch culture. As soon as the divine girl pointed it out, everyone's eyes widened in surprise and amazement.

  "Day and night, I have been thinking of finding the prince's whereabouts. At night, I even dreamed about it. In my dream, I asked a goddess for guidance on the prince's location, and she pointed to a scene where a dignified person with golden light was riding a green cow. After waking up, I thought that the person riding the green cow might be the prince, which led me to make a bold guess about the prince's identity as a shepherd boy. I wanted to tell Mr. Chen about it and search for him together, but since dreams can't be relied upon, I had to give up... Who would have thought that I actually guessed correctly? Please let Mr. Chen lead the way."

  Chen Ping smiled and said: "No harm, it's all for the sake of finding His Highness the Crown Prince! Speaking of which, General Yin is indeed a lucky general, able to receive guidance from the heavenly maiden in his dreams. Truly fortunate."

  The soldiers believed it, but Chen Ping and Su An were clearly skeptical, looking at Yin Xu with suspicion.

  Yin Xu chuckled and said, "In the past, I was in my hometown, with no one to rely on, no home to return to. If it weren't for the Temple of the Goddess providing me with a place to take shelter from the wind and rain, how could Yin Xu have survived until today? During those days living in the Temple of the Goddess, I always sincerely worshiped and revered, and received the goddess's blessing. To be honest with everyone, this is not the first time I've received guidance from the goddess. This time finding the prince's clue was also thanks to the heavens and the goddess protecting me, Great Chu."

  Among the soldiers who happened to be present, two were from Xiangxi Town and came out to testify: "Yes, in those years, the head of the pavilion had a ghost knocking on the door at midnight, all because of General Yin's help. And when repairing the road, no one could hold on for four days in the 'earth mouse hole', General Yin stayed for five days without incident, all thanks to the blessing of the goddess."

  The facts are there, and the crowd is even more convinced. The mysterious color on Yin Xu's body has become even thicker, and the soldiers' admiration and devotion have become even stronger. Unexpectedly, many years later, this mysterious faith brought unexpected help to Yin Xu.

  Chen Ping felt that although he was not entirely new, after hearing about Yin Xu's previous experiences, he couldn't help but feel that this young general was truly extraordinary. Qu Ming and Xiong Kang were both aware of the history of "Dishu Cave", where many Chu soldiers had died in the past. Yet Yin Xu had managed to survive for five days, which was truly a feat worthy of a god-like figure. As a fellow martial artist, Chen Ping couldn't help but feel a deep respect for this strong warrior.

  This time, Yin Xu was curious: "Bear Guard, does the Crown Prince know his own identity?" At first, the Queen of Chu had instructed him to try not to reveal the prince's identity, and Kuai Ming had already said so, hence the doubt.

  Xiong Kang sighed: "Originally, we also wanted to deceive the prince, but once when discussing this matter with the wet nurse, the prince overheard it and had to tell the truth. Fortunately, the prince is reasonable and understanding, calm and steady. However, since then, he has become more and more silent, making people very worried. Last year, I heard that Chen Sheng rebelled against Qin, which gave me some hope. Today you have come, and I see a glimmer of hope for the revival of Chu!"

  Xiong Kang and Qu Ming have similar mental states, they are the most loyal remnants of Chu State. When talking about past events, everyone sighed endlessly, what will happen in the future?

  The eldest grandson of King Huai was finally found, and everyone was overjoyed. They prepared to return to Peng City the next day. That evening, they set up a banquet in Xihedu Village to celebrate. Just as they were lighting bonfires in the courtyard, the sound of heavy horseshoes echoed from afar. Yin Xu and Chen Ping were both startled, while Xiong Kang and Qu Ming immediately guarded Hu Xin's identity - the eldest grandson of King Huai, the hope for the revival of Chu, absolutely could not be lost.

  Pu Jun quickly reported that thousands of soldiers and horses had entered the village, Yin Xu and Chen Ping looked at each other in shock, and ordered the soldiers to guard Xiong Xin in the middle.

  They both broke out in a cold sweat, wondering if the newcomer was friend or foe?