**Chapter 8: The Immortal Scholar in Enemy Camp**

"*Incompetents! Useless fools!*"

Zhu Youjian's roar shook the command tent. The Imperial Guards kneeling on the ground pressed their foreheads to the floor, not daring to look up. Xu Qing had never seen the emperor like this—his dragon robe disheveled, his crown askew, his eyes bloodshot.

"*Cilang is only fifteen! And you let him—*" Zhu Youjian's voice cracked. He snatched an inkstone from the table and smashed it to the ground, splattering ink everywhere.

Luo Yangxing tremblingly presented a note. "*Your Majesty, the Crown Prince left a letter... He said he wished to follow General Sun's example and fight on the front lines...*"

Zhu Youjian snatched the note, his hands shaking so badly he could barely hold it. Xu Qing glimpsed the childish yet determined handwriting: *"Your son wishes to share Your Majesty's burdens. I go to Ningyuan, and I will bring back Wu Sangui's head..."*

"*Ridiculous!*" Zhu Youjian crumpled the note. "*Wu Sangui is Our general in Jinzhou! The boy can't even tell friend from foe and yet—*"

Xu Qing suddenly remembered something and hurriedly checked the system inventory. "*Your Majesty, the Crown Prince took two handheld radios and two drones!*"

"*Track him immediately!*" Zhu Youjian seized the lifeline. "*Use that... that locating sorcery!*"

Xu Qing quickly pulled up the GPS interface and exhaled in relief. "*The signal is still moving, about twenty li northeast of us.*"

"*Northeast?*" Sun Chuanting paled. "*That's Qing-controlled territory!*"

Zhu Youjian swayed, steadying himself against the table. Xu Qing was stunned to see tears glistening in the eyes of this emperor, known in history for his iron will.

"*Prepare my horse,*" Zhu Youjian suddenly began removing his dragon robe. "*I will go myself—*"

"*Your Majesty, you mustn't!*" The entire tent dropped to their knees.

Xu Qing had an idea. "*Your Majesty, what if... we livestream it?*"

"*What?*" Zhu Youjian glared. "*My son is missing, and you want me to—*"

"*Use the donations to buy rescue gear!*" Xu Qing explained quickly. "*And if the Crown Prince sees the stream, he'll know we're looking for him!*"

Zhu Youjian was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. "*Approved. But We will also send elite troops.*" He turned to Sun Chuanting. "*Select three hundred light cavalry. Be ready to move.*"

---

The livestream began half an hour later. Xu Qing titled it *"EMERGENCY: Ming Crown Prince Missing – Live Search,"* instantly drawing a massive audience. On camera, Zhu Youjian looked nothing like his usual imposing self—his face was haggard, as if aged a decade overnight.

"*Fellow Daoists, Our son Zhu Cilang has left camp alone and may be in enemy hands. Whoever provides useful information shall be granted...*"

Xu Qing whispered, "*Don't say 'reward.' The platform forbids it.*"

Zhu Youjian amended, "*...shall be granted the title of 'Righteous Ming Citizen,' remembered for eternity!*"

Comments exploded:

[The plot thickens!]

[Who's the kid actor? His acting is amazing!]

[I'll gift rockets, just find him!]

The GPS signal showed the prince was still moving, but slowing down. Xu Qing discreetly dispatched a reconnaissance drone. The footage made everyone gasp—the signal was coming from *inside* a Qing army unit!

"*It's a trap,*" Sun Chuanting pointed out the concealed tripwires in the footage. "*They're slowing down to lure us into a rescue attempt.*"

Zhu Youjian stared at the screen, then suddenly jabbed at a blurry figure. "*Pause! Zoom in here!*"

The enhanced image revealed a small figure tied to a horse—wearing plain clothes, unmistakably Zhu Cilang.

"*Cilang...*" Zhu Youjian's voice was hoarse, his fingers clawing grooves into the table.

Then, a paid message flashed across the stream:

[User "HistoryResearcher": *Streamer, beware—the Qing camp may have another time traveler! Historical records say Dorgon should be in Shenyang, not at Ningyuan!*]

Xu Qing's blood ran cold. He zoomed in on the Qing command tent. A chilling detail came into focus—the guards outside were holding *improvised stun batons!*

"*Your Majesty, this is worse than we thought...*"

Before he could finish, the surveillance screen turned to static. When the image returned, it showed a face that *should not exist* in this era—a young man with stylish short hair and gold-rimmed glasses, smiling at the camera.

"*Mr. Xu, long time no see,*" the man said in flawless Mandarin. "*I'm Lin Lan, MIT Ph.D. in physics. I've been stuck in this era for three months after an accident.*"

Xu Qing felt like he'd been struck by lightning. The chat erupted:

[HOLY SHIT ANOTHER TIME TRAVELER!]

[This plot twist is insane!]

[The writers deserve a raise!]

Lin Lan adjusted his glasses. "*Pity we're on opposite sides. Prince Dorgon promised me a laboratory if I help him conquer China.*" He held up a smartphone. "*By the way, I've hacked your radio frequencies.*"

The feed cut out. The tent was dead silent. Everyone stared at Xu Qing.

"*He... he was my university classmate,*" Xu Qing croaked. "*He disappeared in a lab accident last year. I never imagined...*"

Zhu Youjian suddenly erupted, slashing the monitor with his sword. "*TRAITOR!*"

---

The stream ended abruptly. Xu Qing checked the system and found worse news—the historical variation rate had skyrocketed to *31.5%*, and the energy bar indicated a *nine-day cooldown* before another time jump. Most alarming was a new warning:

**"Hostile temporal interference detected. Parallel world convergence risk increasing."**

"*Your Majesty, rescuing the Crown Prince is our priority,*" Empress Zhou said suddenly, gripping a stun baton. "*This consort is willing to—*"

"*No.*" Zhu Youjian took a deep breath and regained his composure. "*We have a better plan.*"

He turned to Xu Qing. "*Does this Lin Lan have any weaknesses?*"

Xu Qing thought for a moment. "*He's... extremely arrogant. And he has severe pollen allergies.*"

Zhu Youjian's eyes lit up. "*Sun Chuanting, do we have datura pollen in camp?*"

---

Fifteen minutes later, a bold plan was formed. Xu Qing restarted the livestream, where Zhu Youjian announced:

"*Fellow Daoists, We offer a bounty for the traitor Lin Lan! Whoever provides information...*" He paused. "*...shall receive a treasure from the future!*"

Xu Qing produced a stainless steel thermos. "*This is ordinary in later ages, but priceless in the Great Ming!*"

The chat went wild:

[A Ming emperor giving away a THERMOS?]

[I'm dying of laughter]

[Take my rockets, just keep updating!]

While the audience was distracted, three elite teams set out. One followed the GPS signal, another carried datura pollen to create chaos, and the last—led by Xu Qing—would execute the rescue via drone.

Under cover of night, the operation began. Night-vision drones revealed the Qing camp layout—Lin Lan tinkering with equipment in the central tent, guarded by two men with stun batons, and the Crown Prince tied to a post in the corner.

"*Execute!*" Sun Chuanting ordered.

A drone loaded with datura pollen exploded above the tent. The fine powder drifted inside—and soon, Lin Lan's agonized sneezing echoed through the camp.

"*Achoo! What— Achoo!—is this?!*"

As the guards rushed in, the second team struck. Imperial Guards' crossbow bolts took them down. Xu Qing burst into the tent—only to find Lin Lan writhing on the floor... and an *empty post* where the prince should be!

"*Where is he?!*" Xu Qing hauled Lin Lan up by his collar.

"*M-moved... Achoo!... earlier...*" Lin Lan sneezed violently. "*You walked into a trap...*"

Then, the radio crackled to life: "*We found the Crown Prince! But... there's a situation!*"

The "situation" was beyond anything Xu Qing expected. When he arrived, he found Zhu Cilang standing over a group of twitching Qing soldiers, clutching a stun baton. The young prince's clothes were torn, but his face was triumphant.

"*Mr. Xu! I... I captured this!*"

He held up a *smartphone*—its screen displaying the Qing army's deployment plans!

---

On the way back, Zhu Cilang excitedly recounted his adventure: "*After I was captured, I pretended to be scared. Then I stole this immortal device when they weren't looking! Those Jiannu didn't even know how to use it!*"

Zhu Youjian listened, then suddenly pulled his son into a tight embrace. Xu Qing noticed the emperor's shoulders trembling slightly.

But the joy was short-lived. Lin Lan's interrogation revealed dire news.

"*Dorgon has built thirty gliders,*" Sun Chuanting said grimly. "*They plan to attack Shanhai Pass in three nights.*"

Worse, Lin Lan had taught the Qing to make crude gunpowder charges—nowhere near as advanced as the Ming's new cannons, but enough to threaten city walls.

"*And...*" Sun Chuanting hesitated. "*He claims there's a traitor in the capital who will open the gates when the time comes.*"

Zhu Youjian scoffed. "*That old trick. Order the city guards to—*"

"*Father!*" Zhu Cilang interrupted. "*In the enemy camp, I heard the traitor is... Eunuch Cao Huachun!*"

The tent erupted. Cao Huachun was one of the emperor's most trusted eunuchs!

Xu Qing discreetly checked the system. The historical variation rate had climbed to *33.2%*. Meanwhile, modern anomaly reports multiplied—history books about the Ming Dynasty were *changing in real time*, and a musket engraved with "*For Livestream Use*" had appeared in a national museum's exhibit.

Late that night, as Xu Qing studied Lin Lan's phone alone, a sudden WeChat notification popped up:

**[System Message: User "Temporal Administration Bureau" requests to add you as a friend.]**

The profile picture sent chills down his spine—it was a *quantum entanglement diagram*.