The Prince of Badong's foreboding grew worse and worse.
First Li Jingxuan had forged a royal order, stolen a command token, and fled. Then rumors had swept through the army, gathering a momentum that threatened to become unstoppable.
That dog Li Jingxuan was an ungrateful wretch, a beast wearing a human face! He had abandoned his lord and fled; even death would be too good for him! The prince had sent men far and wide to hunt him down. Once they caught him, he would teach that dog what happened to those who betrayed him.
But the rumors were harder to deal with. Ultimately, they stemmed from the loss of contact with Jingzhou. More and more people were noticing something was wrong. Following Guo Wenyuan's advice, the Prince of Badong had disguised provisions delivered by the raiding force as supplies shipped from Jingzhou, hoping to steady the army's morale.
But it had proved a rotten move.
Delighted to hear that provisions had arrived from Jingzhou, the officers and soldiers had eagerly asked for news. Those very inquiries exposed the deception, confirming the rumors that something had happened in Jingzhou!
Moreover, the Prince of Badong had already secretly dispatched men to intercept all news from Jingzhou, whether spoken messages or letters. The soldiers might have lacked definite proof, but being cut off from their families was an undeniable fact.
Li Jingxuan's flight, in particular, had unsettled everyone even further!
The Prince of Badong publicly announced that Li Jingxuan had gone to Sizhou on his orders to arrange reinforcements. He even claimed to have received a letter of submission from Cui Huijing, the Inspector of Sizhou! Once Li Jingxuan arrived and their discussions were concluded, Cui Huijing would march south to join the attack on the Central Army!
But credibility took days