"Lord Lu, your subordinate has a good idea to keep the Third Prince quiet for now."
The soldiers standing beside Lu Shi were all displeased upon hearing Chu Yanxi's insulting words towards Lu Shi, as these words were clearly directed at all of them.
If Chu Yanxi were still the high and mighty Third Prince as before, they might have endured such words and pretended not to hear them.
But now, their positions were worlds apart. Chu Yanxi was merely a prisoner, and they were the ones holding him. To swallow this insult would indeed make them seem too incompetent.
Besides, the young general was not here. They were in a desolate wilderness, so even if they did something overly excessive, no one would know.
Lu Shi turned to look at the soldier speaking behind him, guessing their intentions. He was still somewhat hesitant. Even in his current state, Chu Yanxi was still a noble prince. Moreover, if the young general found out about this and blamed them, none of them would escape consequences.
However, after seeing Chu Yanxi's arrogant and imperious expression, Lu Shi directly changed his mind.
"Tell me, what good idea do you have?"
"Lord Lu, why not just stuff something into the Third Prince's mouth? If he's still not obedient, then just sew his mouth shut with needle and thread. Your subordinates often use such methods when escorting enemy troops. The brothers' sewing skills are quite proficient, and they carry these things with them."
The soldier patted his waist pouch. In the past, when escorting captured enemies, they often encountered troublesome, non-stop talkers. Sewing their mouths shut was a common practice.
He wondered if the Third Prince's mouth would be easy to sew. Was there any difference between sewing the mouth of a royal descendant and an ordinary person? He was indeed curious to try.
Chu Yanxi suddenly felt a chill down his spine. The arrogance on his face vanished, replaced by fear in his eyes. However, he still spoke forcefully, "How dare you! I am a prince. You must not want to live if you dare to do such a thing!"
Even at this point, Chu Yanxi had not forgotten his status as a prince. He still fantasized about using his royal identity to intimidate these people, but all he received was laughter from the crowd.
"It's like this now, and he still thinks he's a prince..."
"He's just a prisoner now. If you think about it carefully, his status is even lower than ours..."
"Exactly, he still thinks he's a high and mighty prince at this point!"
"You... you... you dogs, this prince will never forgive you... never!"
Chu Yanxi's hands were bound, but his eyes blazed with fury as he glared at them. Even his lips trembled slightly as he spoke!
"Enough, you few. He is, after all, a prince, and his status is noble. How can you act so recklessly? And those methods of sewing mouths shut are simply absurd. If this gets out after we return to the capital, it will be detrimental to our young general."
Lu Shi reprimanded them, which finally made them stop their laughter. They all restrained themselves somewhat.
Chu Yanxi was suddenly very grateful for Lu Shi's intervention and felt that what he had said earlier was indeed a bit too much. However, he couldn't bring himself to apologize to Lu Shi, given his royal status.
Even though he was temporarily down on his luck, he absolutely could not lose face and condescend to apologize to a subordinate. He would never do such a thing.
However, Lu Shi's next words completely dispelled any trace of guilt Chu Yanxi felt towards him.
"Let's just stuff the Third Prince's mouth shut. This way, it won't be unfair to the Third Prince, and our brothers can have some peace."
Lu Shi's casual remark directly decided Chu Yanxi's fate. The soldiers standing by eagerly took off their socks, impatient to stuff them into Chu Yanxi's mouth, fearing they would be left behind.
"Be gentle, all of you. Don't hurt the Third Prince!"
Lu Shi stood by, speaking words of concern, but a mocking smile played on his lips. He couldn't wait to see Chu Yanxi make a fool of himself.
After all, when Chu Yanxi was in power before, he was arrogant and haughty, looking down on everyone.
Now that Chu Yanxi had fallen into disgrace, it was a perfect opportunity to teach him a lesson and vent their resentment. Failing to do so would be a waste of opportunity and a grave sin that would invite heavenly retribution.
After they had all had their fill and felt bored, they finally stopped. They had their fun, but they had to deliver Chu Yanxi to the capital within the stipulated time. If they delayed the young general's important matters, they would all suffer severely and have no good end.
At this moment, Chu Yanxi, after being brutally manhandled by the few, had lost all his spirit. His mouth was stuffed with socks, and he couldn't tell whose they were. A strong stench filled his nose and mouth.
He wanted to vomit, but his mouth was blocked, making it impossible. He could only endure it. Chu Yanxi wished he could die. This was just the beginning of the torment, and he didn't dare to imagine what terrible things awaited him later.
Lu Shi looked at Chu Yanxi's dishevelled appearance and shook his head helplessly. Was this still the high and mighty Third Prince? In this state, he was worse off than a beggar on the street. This was his own doing, and he had no one to blame for his fate.
"Hurry up and get moving. We must escort the Third Prince into the prison before dark and not delay the young general's important business!"
The young general was likely nearing the capital already, and they had already wasted considerable time. They had to hasten their journey. They must safely escort Chu Yanxi into the imperial prison before nightfall to be considered fully captured.
After this small lesson, Chu Yanxi became much more compliant. With socks stuffed in his mouth, he couldn't utter a sound, and Lu Shi's ears were finally quiet.
However, Chu Yanxi's eyes appeared vacant, and his steps were staggering. He was pulled along by a rope as he walked forward.
"Lord Lu, look. Has this Third Prince gone mad? He looks so abnormal!"
"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up with the journey!"