Reborn, I am doing involution on Jinshan

Inside the sedan, Dongfang Hao closed his eyes to rest, Fan Dengke was eating buns, and Pang Zhengxiang abandoned his horse and got into the sedan.

"Mr. Pang, you've arrived at the right time. Come and have some warm meat buns. They're delicious, big, and filling," Fan Dengke greeted him warmly, handing him a yellow food bag. "Are you tempted by the aroma?"

Pang Zhengxiang looked at him with pity: "You eat, I'm not hungry."

"If you don't want to eat it, forget it." Fan Dengke felt bored and retracted his hand.

"I just had lunch with the Crown Prince at Prince Gong's Mansion. I really can't eat anymore. I won't be polite to you if you're hungry." Commander Pang Zhengxiang decided to explain.

He lifted the car curtain and glanced around vigilantly. Seeing that there was nothing unusual, he retracted his head.

Dongfang Hao opened his eyes, his eyes full of inquiry: "Brother Xiang, is there anything wrong?" Privately, they were used to addressing him by age. After all, he was just a fifteen-year-old boy who still had a lot to learn.

Pang Zhengxiang gave him a look and hesitated, "Prince... There's been a rumor in the Imperial City recently that the Khitan hostages are being held for an extended period, and they need to be exchanged for the Wumeng hostages. The ten-year agreement is almost over, and the hostage exchange deadline is approaching."

Dongfang Hao frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "Is there such a thing? Then what are you suspicious of? Who else knows about this?"

Pang Zhengxiang sighed and said, "The elders of both dynasties know about this. I heard that some ministers think that the exchange should be carried out as agreed to demonstrate the sincerity of our Wumeng Kingdom. However, some ministers are worried that the Khitan Kingdom has ulterior motives and that the hostages returned may contain hidden secrets that may harm our dynasty."

Fan Dengke swallowed a mouthful of steamed bun and said vaguely, "Who cares? Our Wumeng Kingdom is strong and powerful. Why should we be afraid of them?"

Dongfang Hao shook his head and said seriously, "This matter cannot be taken lightly. The Khitan Kingdom has always been ambitious and has repeatedly wanted to send troops. If we go back on our word, they may take advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble. Our country has just suffered a flood disaster, and food is in short supply. It is not suitable to send troops for the next two years."

"Who are our hostages? Have you found out clearly?" Fan Dengke took out his portable water bottle, drank some water, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and took it seriously.

"That's why I'm worried. The hostage is Prince Gong's eldest son, Li Ge. Do you think we can not exchange him? When you had dinner today, you also saw your uncle Huang, his eyes full of anticipation for a family reunion." Pang Zhengxiang's eyes darkened slightly.

Dongfang Hao was stunned. "This... is too coincidental. I have a little indigestion. This matter needs to be considered in detail. Let's wait and see. My uncle has high expectations of me. I want to help them reunite for both official and private reasons. Don't you agree?"

The sedan suddenly overturned, and Fan Dengke shouted, "Groom, what's going on? My butt hurts."

The groom shouted back from outside: "Prince, gentlemen, there's a small pothole in the road. It's okay, the old horse can pull it out by himself."

"Next time, let's add one more horse to pull the sedan chair." Dongfang Hao gave a plan, four men on one horse, which was a bit cruel.

"Prince, I think the Prince Group does not want Master Li Ge to come back. They deliberately poisoned the group leader to disturb your uncle's mind and make him busy and unable to concentrate on exchanging hostages and rescuing his son." Pang Zhengxiang stubbornly brought the subject back.

"If you are the one who can rescue Li Ge and put an end to the rumors of a throne usurpation, then you have to be the one to handle this matter. If other princes instigate the enemy to harm Prince Li Ge, you will probably be the next one to suffer."

Dongfang Hao asked, "Who is the hostage from the Khitan Kingdom? Where is he being held now? Is he a man or a woman? Do you know?"

He immediately raised a few questions. If it was a female, or if it was solved through marriage, it would not be impossible. It would be much simpler to just send one hostage back to the country.

Pang Zhengxiang was stunned by the question and scratched his head. "This... this, I really don't know. I'm not worried about you, I'm afraid it will affect your marriage. I'm a rough guy, I say whatever comes to my mind, why would I care whether the other party's hostage is a man or a woman? Hehe."

Dongfang Hao smiled helplessly, patted Pang Zhengxiang on the shoulder and said, "Brother Xiang, I understand you're thinking about me. We're one, sharing honor and disgrace. Of course, I hope to marry into the Gong family. However, in the current situation, the Prince Group is eager for me to make a big mistake and kick me out. Let's put the marriage aside for now. Rescuing Li Ge and quelling the rumors of a throne grab are the top priorities. Since you don't know the situation of the Khitan hostages, it seems we have to find a way to investigate."

"Your uncle has no intention of fighting for the throne. What do you think?"

Dongfang Hao smiled faintly: "I can see that if we were to fight for power, history would be rewritten and there would be no you and me."

Pang Zhengxiang nodded somewhat embarrassedly. "Your Highness is right. I was not thoughtful enough. So where should we begin our investigation? The affairs of the Khitan Kingdom are a sensitive topic in our court, and we cannot inquire about them lightly."

Dongfang Hao pondered for a moment and said, "We can start with some merchants who have dealings with the Khitan Kingdom. These people have been doing business between the two countries for many years and may know some clues about the hostages. In addition, I will secretly instruct the spies in my palace to keep an eye out for any news in this regard."

Pang Zhengxiang's eyes lit up. "Prince, this is a brilliant plan. Those merchants are good at gathering information from all sides for the sake of business. Perhaps we can really gain something. However, we must be careful when interacting with them to prevent the information from leaking out and causing unnecessary trouble."

Dongfang Hao nodded slightly. "Indeed, this matter must be kept confidential. By the way, Brother Xiang, you should also pay more attention to the court and see if there are any ministers who are more familiar with the situation in the Khitan Kingdom. Perhaps you can get some useful clues from them."

Pang Zhengxiang clasped his fists and replied, "Yes, Crown Prince. I will certainly keep an eye on this matter. However, if it is really as Your Majesty wishes, to resolve the hostage issue through marriage, we must also consider the Emperor and the Queen Mother's opinions. After all, this is not a trivial matter."

Dongfang Hao looked solemn and a little embarrassed. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not arranging a marriage between me and the hostages. Aren't there so many princes and daughters of important officials? We must first find out the specific situation of the hostages and see if a marriage is really possible. If this can resolve the crisis, it is not a bad idea."

Pang Zhengxiang frowned and said, "The Crown Prince is right. We must secretly speed up our preparations and try to get things done before they react."

Fan Dengke, who had been silent for a long time, interrupted: "Prince, where are the hostages? Why don't you just ask your uncle? He should tell me because he thinks you've been so kind."

Dongfang Hao nodded: "When I have time, I'll ask Mother the same thing." Advisor Fan Dengke did not insist: "That's fine."

As the three were talking, a guard suddenly rushed in and whispered something in Dongfang Hao's ear. Dongfang Hao's face changed slightly, and he said to Pang Zhengxiang, "Regarding the matter of the Khitan hostages, we should intensify our investigation and communicate with each other as soon as we have any information. The Ministry of Justice has arrived, let's go in."

Pang Zhengxiang nodded: "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will inform you as soon as there is any progress." After that, he got off the sedan chair, took the reins from Fu Canfeng, and jumped directly onto the horse's back handsomely.

When they arrived at the Ministry of Justice, Dongfang Hao and Pang Zhengxiang went in, leaving Fan Dengke and the colorful bird in the sedan chair. However, Wu Jinyun, unwilling to be lonely, took advantage of Fan Dengke's nap and secretly flew in.