Mo nodded and said, "You make sense. Let's go."

Then, they suddenly disappeared into the woods.

The two walked till noon and finally saw a town.

Huo Si, who was driving the carriage, said, "Your Highness. There's a town ahead. Shall we stop to have a rest and restock some food?"

"Father, what about you..." Lan Cangmo looked at Lan Kuo and asked him.

Lan Kuo nodded, "That'll be fine to take a rest."

Hearing that, Lan Cangmo said to Huo Si, "Take a rest in this town."

Huo Si replied to him. Then, he waved his whip and drove the carriage towards the town.

In the town, there were not many pedestrians on the street. Even there were only a few inns, which did not look very good.

Seeing that some strangers came in, the pedestrians on the street started talking about it in whispers.

They all stopped to look at those people wearing armors and the carriage seeming to be expensive and guessed what these people did.

"Who are they?"

"I don't know. Maybe some passers-by."

"But they looked like soldiers."

"They seemed to be wounded."

"Could they be our Xiling's soldiers?"

"I think so!"

"Didn't they say that this time Emperor Xiling went to battle by himself? If so, does it mean that we have been defeated?"

"Very likely. Maybe it is Emperor Xiling who is sitting in the carriage."

"That's impossible. If so, Dongling will probably attack Xiling next. When the war begins, we will suffer the most."

With the carriage passing, people on the street were talking about this and then they frowned.

Someone said, "We will know if we follow them and have a look."

Several people nodded and followed up.

The carriage stopped in front of the best inn in the town.

At this time, Huo Si stopped the carriage and said, "Your Highness, this inn looks fine."

"OK. Go and make some arrangements." Lan Cangmo said with a nod.

Huo Si jumped off the carriage and said with his hands arched, "Yes, Your Highness."

Then he gave the rein to Yan Hao standing beside him.

Then, he went into the inn first.

Seeing someone coming in, the inn manager quickly came up to him and said with his face wrinkling in a smile, "Sir, would you like to stay or have meals?"

As this town was quite remote, these inns just made money from the passers-by.

"I make a block booking of all your rooms. Prepare a sumptuous lunch for us." Huo Si said.

Hearing that, the inn manager asked incredibly, "Sir, did I hear it correctly? You're going to make a block booking of all rooms?"

"That's right. Go and prepare for us quickly. Remember to prepare some hot water." Huo Si repeated his words. Then, he took out an ingot of silver and threw it to the manager.

The manager quickly reached out and caught it. Then he said to Huo Si with unceasing nods, "Sir, we'll do it right now, and your satisfaction is guaranteed."

Then, the manager called the only clerk in the inn, "Go to the kitchen and tell the chef to cook whatever is good. Cook as many as possible."

"Well, you go to prepare some hot water and take it to our best room." The manager said to that clerk.

The clerk nodded and ran to the back.

After arranging everything, Huo Si quickly got out of the inn. Then, he walked up to the carriage and whispered, "Your Majesty and Your Highness, everything is OK."

"OK, I know." Lan Cangmo replied.

Then he looked at Lan Kuo, "Father, let's get off."

Lan Kuo nodded. Lan Cangmo jumped off the carriage first and helped Lan Kuo get off.

Then, Lan Cangyue also jumped off and they two helped Lan Kuo to the inn together.

At this time, seeing that, those busybodies talked in low voices, "Isn't he Emperor Xiling?"

"I don't know. But the two people beside him look like princes. Why the person in the middle looks so dispirited?"

"Is it the truth that the army of Xiling was defeated in this battle?"

"If so, how about our future? Previously, Xiling sent troops to Dongling, and now we have been defeated. Then, Dongling must take this opportunity to attack Xiling. We are not far from the border of Xiling. I am afraid that by then..."

That person shook his head.

However, Lan Kuo heard all these words.

When they reached the gate, Lan Kuo turned to those people who were talking with a homicidal intent in his eyes.

"Father, what's wrong?" Lan Cangyue asked.

Lan Kuo shook his head and said, "Nothing. Let's get in."

However, Lan Cangmo saw the changes in Lan Kuo's eyes clearly. It seemed that the people in this town could not live long.

Seeing them coming in and looking at Lan Kuo with messy hair, the manager was surprised for a moment and said with a smile, "Sir, please go upstairs."

The manager led the way for Lan Kuo in person.

When they got upstairs, the manager led them to a room and said, "This is the best room of our inn, and we have prepared hot water for you in the room. We are always at your service."

Then, the manager opened the door of the room.

Huo Si nodded and said, "Sorry to trouble you."

The manager said with a smile, "Please have a good bath, and we'll deliver the meals for lunch soon."

Then, the manager went downstairs.

After the manager left, Lan Kuo said to Lan Cangmo and Lan Cangyue, "You all back off."

"Father, shall I go in first..." Lan Cangyue said.

Lan Kuo interrupted him, "No."

"Fifth younger brother, we back off and come back when Father finishes his bath." Lan Cangmo said to Lan Cangyue.

Lan Cangyue nodded.

Then, Lan Kuo walked into the room and closed the door.

Lan Cangmo and Lan Cangyue looked at each other and went downstairs.

Huo Si had already got all the people in place. Seeing Lan Cangmo and Lan Cangyue going downstairs, he hurriedly came up to them and said with his hands arched, "Your Highness."

"How is everything arranged?" Lan Cangmo asked.

Huo Si nodded and said, "Everything is OK. As the inn is quite small, I only let those wounded people come in, and other people are outside. I'll ask the manager to deliver the meals to the outside."

Lan Cangmo nodded and said, "OK. Go and take new clothes we have prepared on the carriage."

Huo Si said yes and walked outside.

At this time, Lan Cangmo got to the door and found that still several people kept talking while pointing at the inn. He could not help feeling sorry for them. It was true that disaster emanated from the careless talk.

Then, he turned to come in and said to Lan Cangyue, "Fifth younger brother, would you like to go upstairs and rest for a while?"

Lan Cangyue twisted his neck and stretched his arms. Then, he said, "It doesn't matter. Just talk about it later after Father finishes his bath."

Lan Cangmo gave a slight smile. Lan Cangyue would not miss this chance to make Father impressed.

Although Xiling suffered a crushing defeat this time, the Crown Prince would be elected when they came back to Xiling since there was no reason for the emperor to take back what he had promised.

At this time, Huo Si brought the clothes back from the carriage. He said, "Your Highness."

"Give them to me." Lan Cangmo then took over the clothes from Huo Si's hands.

Then, he turned to Lan Cangyue, "Fifth younger brother, let's go."

Lan Cangmo went upstairs first.

When they got to Lan Kuo's room, Lan Cangyue knocked on the door gently and whispered, "Father, could we come in?"

Hearing the voice, Lan Kuo opened his eyes suddenly and said, "Yes."

Unexpectedly, he fell asleep when he was bathing. Maybe it was because he had not taken a hot bath for a long time.

When he woke up, he realized that the water had begun to get cold, so he stood up and walked to the back of the screen.

Hearing Lan Kuo's words, Lan Cangyue opened the door gently and got into the room together with Lan Cangmo.

Lan Cangmo came up to the screen and said, "Father, these are my clothes, and you have to improvise. Wish you do not mind."

"Put them over there." Lan Kuo said.

Hearing that, Lan Cangmo nodded and put the clothes on the screen.

After dressing up, Lan Kuo walked out from behind the screen, then walked to the chair aside, and sat down.

At this time, someone knocked on the door. Then, they heard the voice of the manager, "Sir, the meals are ready. Would you like to have it now?"

"Take them in." Lan Cangmo said.

Then, the manager and the clerk came in with the meals.

They put them on the table, and the manager said with a smile, "Sir, we'll wait outside. Please don't hesitate to tell us if you do not like them or want more."

"We know. You can leave." Lan Cangmo said.

Then, the manager and the clerk went out with smiles.

After they got out of the room, the smile on the manager's face disappeared suddenly. He said to the clerk in a low voice, "Listen, be alert to everything."

"I know that, manager. You've said it so many times." The clerk said to the manager.

In the room, Lan Kuo sat beside the table and said, "You two come and sit down."

"Yes, Father." They replied. Then, they walked there and sat down on either side of Lan Kuo.

Lan Kuo picked up the chopsticks and took a bite of the dish to eat. Then, he looked at Lan Cangmo and Lan Cangyue, "What are you waiting for? Eat fast."

Lan Cangmo and Lan Cangyue then picked up the chopsticks and started eating the meals.

They remembered that they had not eaten at the same table with Lan Kuo for a long time. Although they were father and sons, they two still felt a little restrained.

Whey they were halfway through their meal, Lan Kuo asked them, "Do you two want to say anything about this war?"

Hearing that, they quickly put down their chopsticks and looked at each other.

Lan Kuo took another bite of the dish and said, "You do not need to be like this. Just ask whatever you want."