Chapter 319 Ambush
At Di Renjie's command, Zhao Ji quickly took the torch from the accompanying Qianniu Guard, drew his sword, and took the lead, stepping into the deep tunnel first.

Li Yuanfang and Kui Wenzhong followed suit, each holding weapons and torches, and followed closely behind, while Huan Bin and Di Renjie led a large group of troops to follow behind.

After passing through the narrow and cramped space at the beginning of the tunnel, the road gradually became wider and open, and everyone's pace quickened.

Di Renjie walked quickly forward, looking around and carefully examining this spacious and tall tunnel, secretly amazed in his heart.

"Good fellow, no wonder it took thousands of people several months to dig!" He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Huh, Prince Xiang..."

Huan Bin was beside Di Renjie, and when he heard Di Renjie mumbling, he asked hurriedly, "Lord, what did you say?"

Di Renjie smiled and shook his head, saying, "I think this tunnel is quite large!"

Upon hearing this, Huan Bin quickly agreed, "Yes, the rebels dug a tunnel into the palace, and they have big plans!"

Di Renjie nodded perfunctorily, but did not say anything else, just quickened his pace.

Zhao Ji and his two companions had no time to pay attention to anything else. They walked briskly and soon left the large group of people behind them behind by some distance.

Seeing this, Di Renjie, Huan Bin and others had to chase hard to keep the team together.

Inside the tunnel, the light of the torches flickered, stretching the figures of the people out, adding a bit of mystery and tension.

As they were walking, Zhao Ji suddenly stopped and raised his hand to stop Li Yuanfang and Kui Wenzhong behind him.

He walked through the tunnel and knew the location of the exit, so he whispered a reminder: "The exit is not far ahead, you have to put out the torch!"

As he spoke, he thrust the torch in his hand into the wet soil below the ground, extinguishing it.

Li Yuanfang and Kui Wenzhong looked at each other, said nothing more, and extinguished the torches as well.

Upon seeing this, Di Renjie also gave the same order to Huan Bin: "Order all the troops to extinguish the torches!"

The order was quickly passed on among the team, and soon, the lights in the tunnel went out one by one, leaving only darkness and silence.

In order to perform the whole act, Zhao Ji deliberately turned around and looked back, and then signaled everyone to continue moving forward.

As expected, not long after they started walking, they saw a faint light ahead. Zhao Ji and the other two couldn't help but slow down and lighten their pace.

Zhao Ji stopped again and looked back at Li Yuanfang and Kui Wenzhong: "We have reached the exit!"

Kui Wenzhong looked puzzled and asked, "Since we have reached the exit, why should we just go out directly? Why are we staying?"

However, Zhao Ji seemed to be stalling for time and turned to ask Li Yuanfang: "Yuanfang, have you figured out where the Crown Prince is being held?"

Li Yuanfang understood what Zhao Ji meant and said, "I have been to the East Palace many times with you, sir, so I am quite familiar with this place. I remember that the place where His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was imprisoned was not far from the newly built lotus pond!"

While they were talking, Di Renjie and Huan Bin also caught up.

Seeing this, Di Renjie couldn't help but ask, "Why did you stop?"

Zhao Ji cast a subtle look at Di Renjie, pointed at the light ahead and said, "We've reached the exit!"

Before Di Renjie could speak, Huan Bin suddenly interrupted him and said, "Lord, it's too dangerous up there. Please stay in the tunnel first. Wait until I, General Zhao and the others have cleared the area, then you can come up!"

"It's safer to stay with me and Li Yuanfang. It's dangerous to stay down there!" Zhao Ji secretly complained in his heart and shook his head slightly, indicating that Di Renjie should not agree.

Di Renjie smiled calmly and agreed without hesitation, but added: "Okay! Remember, save the prince first, then capture the rebels!"

Zhao Ji and Li Yuanfang looked at each other, both feeling helpless, but the arrow had been put on the string and had to be shot, so they had to nod in agreement.

"Brother Yuanfang, please lead the way!" Zhao Ji said listlessly.

Li Yuanfang looked energetic: "Follow me, it's not far away!"

As he spoke, Li Yuanfang, holding a sword, was the first to rush out, came to the bottom of the open-air lotus pond, then leaped up and reached the south bank in three or two steps.

Zhao Ji and Kui Wen Zhong followed closely behind. After hearing a gust of wind, the three of them hid themselves by the shore.

Kui Wenzhong couldn't wait to stick his head out, and after looking around, a look of joy appeared on his face: "It seems that no one is here!" Seeing this, Zhao Ji raised a playful smile at the corner of his mouth, deliberately lowered his voice, and said with a bit of joking: "Yuan Fang, don't you think it's a bit too quiet..."

When Kui Wenzhong heard this, his heart almost skipped a beat, his breathing stopped involuntarily, and he looked at Zhao Ji nervously.

Li Yuanfang didn't act weird like Zhao Ji, and said in a deep voice: "This is a good thing. Let's go while they are not paying attention!"

After he finished speaking, he started moving again, somersaulted onto the shore, and headed straight for the side hall not far away.

Zhao Ji's eyes flickered slightly and he shook his head gently, but he followed closely behind. Kui Wenzhong secretly breathed a sigh of relief and followed the two closely.

When they arrived at the side hall, Li Yuanfang signaled with his eyes and the prince was imprisoned there.

Zhao Ji had sharp eyes and spotted the secret sentry hidden in the trees and bushes. He quickly used gestures to stop Li Yuanfang from rushing forward.

Kui Wenzhong also noticed the secret sentries, and immediately sneered, taking out several swallow bells from his sleeves: "Look at my tricks!"

Before he finished speaking, Yan Zidang made all his moves. Several people not far away groaned and fell down. This move of concealed weapons was indeed beautiful.

Zhao Ji and Li Yuanfang's faces immediately changed and they exchanged wary glances.

This Kui Wen Zhong is indeed a snake in nature, extremely cruel and ruthless, killing his own people as if they were grass.

After exhaling a breath, Li Yuanfang and Zhao Ji looked at each other. Although they were still upset, they also understood that things had come to this point and could not be reversed.

After all, those secret sentries were not their companions, but the enemy's eyes and ears.

Then, the three of them flashed and sneaked into the side hall silently.

There was no one in the side hall, and a few long-burning lamps emitted a dim light.

The room had not been cleaned for who knows how long, and was filled with an indescribable musty smell that made people frown.

Zhao Ji waved his sleeves lightly, trying to dispel the peculiar smell in front of his nose, and at the same time followed Li Yuanfang's steps and came to a closed door.

Li Yuanfang gently pushed open the door, and an even stronger musty smell hit his nose.

The room was pitch black, with only the moonlight streaming in from the window barely illuminating a corner.

A black figure collapsed on the ground, motionless, and it was unclear whether he was dead or alive.

With the help of the moonlight, Zhao Ji carefully identified the man's clothes. It was a bright yellow robe with several gems sparkling in the moonlight. It was exactly the clothes of Crown Prince Li Xian.

Seeing this, Li Yuanfang could no longer hold back, and rushed to Crown Prince Li Xian, put down his sword, and gently shook his body, trying to wake him up.

"Your Highness, Crown Prince! Your Highness, please wake up!"

However, this "Li Xian" seemed to let Li Yuanfang shake him, but remained motionless.

When Zhao Ji saw that Li Xian's life or death was unknown, he immediately became a little panicked and could not help but move forward a few steps.

At this moment, a strange smile appeared on Kui Wenzhong's face. He quietly showed his bamboo tube knife behind Zhao Ji, looking ready to do something bad to Zhao Ji.

How could this little trick be hidden from Zhao Ji who had eyes behind him? He immediately turned around and glanced at Kui Wen Zhong.

Upon seeing this, Kui Wen Zhong immediately stopped his actions and pretended to be harmless.

Zhao Ji seemed to have suddenly thought of something. He ignored Kui Wenzhong and shouted a warning to Li Yuanfang: "Yuanfang, be careful!"

When Li Yuanfang heard this, his heart suddenly tightened. He instantly stopped calling for the prince and looked around vigilantly.

At this moment, "Li Xian", who seemed to be in a deep sleep, suddenly opened his eyes.

He didn't know when a sharp dagger appeared in his hand, pointing directly at Li Yuanfang's vital points.

(End of this chapter)