"Why?" Sheng reiterated her question. "Of course the only choices they had were surrender or die. The later is a good choice, at least you can save your dignity to be dead in the battlefield, but the former is more tempting." He sneered at the choice that Xiao Wang Wei had taken. If that was true than it was so disgraceful to surrender without fighting back, he didn't deserve the title as a Prince.

Senja felt something amiss with the whole 'surrender' thing.

"So, what else did you hear?" She furrowed her brows tightly, trying to figure out what would be their next step.

Sheng stopped walking and leaned closer to Senja, talking in secretive way. "I heard your father is dead, but I don't know the validity of this news, Uncle Su and Xun had gone to confirm it." He was half whispered, "While me, I was ordered to wait for you." Emphasizing the last sentence to let Senja knew how annoyed he was to be left behind.

However, Senja didn't heed his peevish complain as her mind was occupied with another thing.

Of course the Emperor would have known about Wang Yu by now, and this fact only strengthened her suspicion about the resignation of Xiao Wang Wei's army.

This was too suspicious to be merely a coincidence.

When Sheng saw Senja didn't give reaction, he thought he had made a mistake about the mentioning her father. "Senja… I am sorry, I didn't mean… I thought you and your father is not in good terms. How stupid I am, in the end he is still your father." The young man tried to apologize awkwardly.

"What else?"

"Hha?"

"What else did you hear?" Senja glared at him impatiently.

"Oh," Sheng took another second to register Senja's question, before he answered hurriedly. "Prince Xiao Jun brought the army to the capital city."

"Capital city!?" Senja was taken aback. "Why capital city? How about L city?" She was completely at lost.

"Didn't I tell you? After the Q city surrender, half of the army in the L city had retreated and the people who stay under Leader Mo's command had pledged their loyalty toward Prince Xiao Jun?"

"No, you didn't tell me, and, what else do you know? How about Xiao Wang Wei? Is he still in the Q city under Xiao Tianyao's arrest?"

"No, he managed to run away before the army surrender themselves," Sheng stroked his chin when he was thinking. "Maybe that was one of the reasons why they gave up easily. Their leader have already escaped, leaving them alone to feed themselves." Resentment was clear to hear from the way Sheng complain.

It was different. Totally different story from what had happened before.

"If Xiao Jun is going to the capital City, and then what about Xiao Tianyao and the elders? Where are they?" She asked hurriedly as her mind was trying to process the information.

"Xiao Tianyao will lead the army to L city and then proceed to assist Prince Xiao Jun to invade the capital City, while the elder will help to secure the Q city and L city before went to the capital city as well." Sheng's face gradually frowned when he watched Senja's unhappy face. "Well, because I am trapped here, I don't really know the update news, but that the latest news that I have got."

Wait…

Why it was so easy for Xiao Jun to approach the capital city? It almost felt like, he had been invited to come…

"Is Xiao Wang Wei in the capital city?" For some reason Senja felt uneasy about that prince.

"I don't know," Sheng shrugged his shoulder. "But, I don't think so… he flew to the north, that is the opposite direction of the capital city."

"North?"

"Yes, maybe he was too ashamed to return."

Suddenly everything clicked in her mind, she gasped in horror while clutching Sheng's sleeve.

"Senja, what happen?" Sheng tried to support her by her elbow to steady her. "What happen?"

"Sheng, it is not good." Senja shook her head, lifting her eyes to meet his, but all that Sheng could see was a panic.

"Tell me what is it?" He urged her.

Senja didn't believe Xiao Tianyao and Xiao Jun have overlooked about this matter, it was obvious enough that Xiao Zi had lured them to the capital city, but why they still come?

However, honestly she didn't know if they were aware about this and pretended to play along with Xiao Zi while setting up a counterattack, after all she had told them that Elder Zhong was a traitor, or they have really disregarded her words. She was hoping for the former.

But, there was another critical thing now…

Xiao Wang Wei didn't head to the capital city, he was running to the north. And there was only one important thing in the north that could change the outcome of this war…

Qianru…

The retreating armies from L city probably didn't return to the capital city as well, but joined Xiao Wang Wei to heading the north.

"Sheng, listen to me." Senja pulled his sleeve to get more attention from him. Her eyes, even though filled with panic, but were very clear as if she knew what she would do next. "Don't question me and do exactly what you are told!"

Sheng looked at her in a dazed, only half- understanding, nodding and listening to whatever Senja was going to say.