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Chapter 4091: Soaring Reputation

"Open the city gates! His Royal Highness Prince Chen is returning to the capital!"

"Open the city gates!"

With a flurry of excited shouts, the city guards became busy.

As the capstans turned, the heavy city gates, built of massive stones, were slowly pushed open from the inside out by two rows of soldiers working in unison.

Duan Yue was clad in dark military armor, his long hair tied into a single束 falling to his waist.

Holding a whip, he rode his horse forward.

After so many days of marching, his once porcelain-white skin now held a healthy, sun-kissed hue.

Looking at the cheering citizens lining the streets, a faint hint of surprise flickered in the man's dark eyes.

In his opinion, Mo Lian dispatching a million strong army to garrison Fengyang City was solely to aid him.

Naturally, they couldn't possibly attack.

However, the entire Cangzhou court did not know this, nor did all the Cangzhou citizens.

Therefore, in their eyes, His Royal Highness Prince Chen, who could persuade the Divine Land army to retreat to their homeland with no losses to Cangzhou, was simply a divine being.

Just then, Wu Yong led a contingent out of the city to welcome them. They met head-on, and he immediately dismounted with a joyful expression, stepping forward to greet him. "Your humble servant greets His Royal Highness Prince Chen."

"Prime Minister Wu, no need for formalities," Duan Yue nodded slightly.

Wu Yong, overcome with joy, took a step forward. A slender, tall young man beside him, his eyes rolling, also stepped forward to greet him. "Greetings, Your Royal Highness Prince Chen."

Duan Yue indifferently swept his gaze over him.

Wu Yong turned to glare at the young man, then waved his hand, signaling him to step back.

He then smiled and said to Duan Yue, "Your Highness, His Majesty sent your humble servant to receive you. Let's return to the palace now. His Majesty has been waiting for Your Highness since early this morning; he must be growing impatient by now."

Duan Yue nodded slightly. "There was a small incident on the way, which caused a slight delay."

"It's fortunate that Your Highness has returned safely; this is a blessing for all of Cangzhou," Wu Yong said with a cheerful laugh, then mounted his horse, leading his group to retreat slightly, letting Duan Yue go first.

As the cavalry advanced, the common people on both sides roared with cheers, calling out Prince Chen's name, their enthusiasm so high that Duan Yue felt a bit strange.

If only they knew the truth...

Duan Yue subtly lowered his eyebrows, remaining silent.

Behind the crowd, a soft, blue-and-white sedan chair had stopped early.

At this moment, a soft voice came from within the sedan chair.

"Xiaoju, help me out. Let's walk forward a bit."

"Miss, it's too crowded here. Be careful," the maid said disapprovingly, helping her young lady out of the sedan chair.

She reached out and held her arm. "Miss, it's so chaotic here. It's not suitable to push through."

"Then help me stand over there." The woman was around twenty years old, with a slender figure and fair skin, clearly a young lady from a prominent family.

"Miss, your injuries haven't fully healed. Please don't keep getting up and down," the maid named Xiaoju, though grumbling, moved her feet, helping her young lady walk towards the steps behind them.

Standing higher, Qi Liren finally saw the man in the middle of the crowd, slowly riding his horse down the wide street.

"It's really him, Xiaoju, it's really him."

"Yes," Xiaoju nodded. "That day, when Miss returned to the city after consulting with Physician Gao, the one you met was indeed His Royal Highness Prince Chen."

"I heard that day, His Highness hurried out of the city for his mother."