"I have been unconscious for some time. Tell me, how long have we been out of the capital? Where are we now?"
The young general paused, then replied, "Your Majesty, we are near Canaan Pass, the southern border of the kingdom. Five days ago, we escorted you out of the palace."
"You were accidentally shot by an arrow on the way and have been unconscious ever since. After discussing it, we decided to escort you to the Yunqin Empire for temporary refuge, to report the Prince Cheng's rebellion to the emperor, hoping that the empire would send troops to suppress the rebels.
" After speaking, he knelt on one knee, bowing his head in shame, and said, "I failed in my duty to protect you. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
Li Mufan looked at the young general with his blood-stained battle robe and the soldiers, and said in a deep voice, "General, please rise. If it weren't for your and the soldiers' bravery, I would have already perished! What crime have you committed?"
He paused, looking at the somewhat dejected expressions on their faces, and continued, "General Liu, do you think the Yunqin Empire will help me restore my kingdom?" Liu Long was taken aback upon hearing this .
He exchanged glances with Fan Qingyue and the other captains of his personal guards, and hesitated before speaking, "Your Majesty, you are the rightful king appointed by the Yunqin Empire. If the Empire knew of the rebellion, it certainly wouldn't stand idly by!"
Li Mufan gently shook his head and said, "This palace coup, launched by Prince Cheng and others during my wedding, was clearly premeditated. I certainly don't believe it wasn't tacitly approved by the Empire; otherwise, no one could afford to suffer the consequences if the Empire were to hold them accountable."
"It must be that Prince Cheng betrayed the country by offering huge profits, which is why the Empire remained indifferent!" "
The speaker was General Fan Qingyue, her face filled with resentment. If Prince Cheng were here, he might be cleaved in two.
Looking at the general who was hugging him for warmth, he said,
"General Fan is right. The imperial high command never acts without self-interest. My journey to Yunqin is likely fraught with peril, and the rebels are surely holding the border tight, waiting for us to walk into their trap."
The guards exchanged bewildered glances. If they couldn't even go to the Yunqin Empire, did this mean they were trapped with nowhere to go?
Glancing at the crowd, he saw that although they looked anxious, they stood silently without making any moves. Li Mufan thought to himself, "What a group of heroes!"
"General Liu, how many soldiers do we have left?"
"Your Majesty, many brothers have sacrificed themselves on our escape. Now my personal guard battalion has only two hundred and fifty-five men left."
Hearing this, Li Mufan nodded silently. "
General Liu, you once served in the border army, tell me about the situation on the kingdom's various borders."
Liu Long immediately replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty, the kingdom's south and southwest border the Yunqin Empire, and have always been undefended, with only one pass, Canaan Pass, with fewer than ten thousand soldiers and only three or four generals." "
To the west is the Xihe Kingdom, also a vassal state of Yunqin, and its defenses are similarly weak. To the north of the kingdom is the territory of the Man Niu tribe. In recent years, the Man Niu tribe and other tribes on the grasslands have occasionally raided southwards, putting considerable pressure on the kingdom. Therefore, most of the kingdom's elite forces are concentrated there."
"As for the east, it has always been the territory of the Elf race. As you know, the Elf race is a Xuan-rank race, far beyond what our human race can contend with. Therefore, apart from a necessary garrison, the east is almost undefended, to avoid misunderstandings with the Elf race."
"A Xuan-rank race?"
Li Mufan was slightly taken aback, but immediately understood.