Chapter 262
Lin Qingyang exclaimed, “How did this happen….?”
“And who could have dared to touch the master’s palace?” Even Lu Shi was surprised.
Both of them turned to Liu Xiaowei for an explanation.
“Only in the early morning and evening will someone come to attend to the lights. Otherwise, there’s no one here, and even the guards dare not approach. You can rest assured, it’s safe,” Liu Xiaowei assured them. He didn’t feel much about it; the palace was already abandoned, and without any indication that it was the Crown Prince’s, it was just another ordinary building to him.
The two men were momentarily speechless, but they didn’t waste any time dwelling on it. Liu Xiaowei’s plan was to cross through the main hall, and they followed suit.
But the moment they stepped into the main hall, they realized something was wrong.
There were people there.
As they were about to retreat, they heard footsteps approaching from the courtyard.
Liu Xiaowei had no choice but to fly up to the rafters with Lin Qingyang, while Lu Shi quickly hid himself.
The sudden turn of events left all three of them dumbfounded. Lin Qingyang looked at Liu Xiaowei, whose mouth twitched involuntarily. He could only use his eyes to earnestly convey to Lin Qingyang that everything was an accident.
With no other choice, Lin Qingyang held his breath and waited quietly for an opportunity.
But when he glanced down, he saw that the newcomer was actually Xie Yiqing, and the person inside was…
“What are you doing here?” a voice came out, surprisingly it was Xu Lanxin.
Lin Qingyang and Lu Shi exchanged surprised glances, feeling a strange sensation welling up within them. Why was Xu Lanxin in Yuan Ran’s palace?
“So, you’re indeed here. It’s just… After all, encountering troubles tonight, once you have conflicts and hesitations, you come here to strengthen your resolve.”
“I’m asking you, what are you doing here?”
“I can’t sleep, so I came to offer incense to His Highness.”
“Heh, hypocrite, do you have the qualifications?” Xu Lanxin said coldly.
“People can repent. But you, it’s been six months, you should take care of yourself. Even if you don’t love this child, you still hope for its safe birth, don’t you?”
Xu Lanxin sneered, “Even if this one doesn’t make it, I can prepare another child.”
“You wouldn’t, you want this child. Even if he’s Prince Ning’s child, he carries the blood of the Yuan clan, similar to… his blood. Isn’t nurturing someone like him your obsession?” Xie Yiqing said bluntly.
Suddenly, a slap echoed, almost snapping Lin Qingyang’s suspended breath back to normal.
Lin Qingyang’s expression grew increasingly grim, as if he had discovered something extraordinary.
“Get out.”
“Xin’er, I know what you’re trying to do, but sometimes being too aggressive can backfire. Is what you’re doing now really the future he envisioned back then?”
“Xie Yiqing!”
“Back then… I still remember the scene where you asked me to annul our engagement.” Xie Yiqing’s voice became somewhat distant, as if immersed in a certain emotion. “At that time, you had a confident smile on your face, earnestly telling me that you wouldn’t marry me, that you wanted to marry someone else.”
“You wanted to marry… the Crown Prince.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Qingyang felt as if his soul had been sucked out of his body. Even Li Shi, who was opposite him, was dumbfounded.
Xu Lanxin… with Yuan Ran? How could it be? How is it possible!
“Shut up!”
Xie Yiqing, however, disregarded Xu Lanxin’s anger and recounted slowly: “I asked why? You said you wanted to help him build a prosperous era for the Great Zhou together. I understood that you weren’t just an ordinary girl infatuated with the Crown Prince, you had more aspirations invested in him, right? So you calmly broke off our engagement. I accepted it because at that time, I also wanted to follow the Crown Prince. Isn’t it true that you kept me captive because you were afraid I would reveal that you once wanted to marry the Crown Prince? Once people outside knew about it, Prince Ning wouldn’t trust you anymore, right?”
“Xie Yiqing, do you want to die?” Xu Lanxin’s expression turned fierce and threatening as she stared at Xie Yiqing.
Xie Yiqing chuckled bitterly. “Xin’er, ever since you were willing to enter the palace as a concubine, you’ve been obsessed. You’ve dug yourself into a hole and can’t get out. It’s already difficult to maintain the current situation. Try not to challenge the bottom line of courtiers and commoners too much, or it will backfire.”
“Xie Yiqing, although you’ve helped me, it doesn’t give you the right to lecture me. You just want to say that I don’t have enough ability to control the court, right? But now I hold the power, and I know what I’m doing.”
As Xu Lanxin’s words trailed off, they heard a voice at the door.
“Is that so? Thinking of such absurd methods like arranging a marriage between Lin Qingyang and me, do you really know what you’re doing? Aren’t you afraid of causing turmoil in the court, or is it that you already feel you can’t control the situation and are acting recklessly?” Xu Wenze stood at the door, having overheard their conversation just now.
Xu Lanxin looked at Xie Yiqing. “Was it intentional?”
“I just saw Xiao Xu arguing with Duke Wei Guo. He’s determined to know everything, and you actually don’t need to hide anything from him unless you yourselves feel your actions are wrong and don’t dare to let Xiao Xu know everything.” Xie Yiqing spoke slowly.
Xu Wenze walked in with heavy steps and saw the altar, the memorial tablet… and a portrait.
“Your Highness… the Crown Prince…” Xu Wenze looked at the image and murmured, “Sister, I didn’t even know you had feelings for His Highness the Crown Prince. So, did you do all this with the Xu family to seek revenge for His Highness?”
Xu Lanxin remained silent as Xu Wenze confronted her.
“Tell me the truth. Did you drag the entire Xu family into this mess just for your own selfish desires, your delusions, for someone who’s already passed away? Are you out of your mind?” Xu Wenze shouted loudly, his voice filled with emotion.
Xie Yiqing stepped forward to restrain the agitated Xu Wenze, then turned to the still expressionless Xu Lanxin, sighed, and said, “It’s not that simple, your sister…”
“Wenze, do you still remember when our mother passed away?” Xu Lanxin suddenly asked.
Xu Wenze was taken aback, wondering why Xu Lanxin suddenly brought this up.
He only remembered when he was young, his father took on an assignment, and the whole family temporarily moved south to accompany him. However, the area suddenly broke out with smallpox, and he unfortunately contracted it. He was unconscious for a long time, and when he woke up, they were already back in the capital. He had forgotten what had happened during that time. Then he heard that his mother had also contracted smallpox and passed away while he was unconscious. He thought he had infected his mother, so he felt extremely guilty and sorrowful. His family never mentioned this to him, fearing it would upset him.
Xu Lanxin turned to look at the painting hanging in front of her and spoke slowly, “Our Duke Wei Guo’s residence has actually been declining since our grandfather’s generation. Our father had ambitions but lacked adaptability, and he was not adept at the rules of the officialdom. After waiting for a rare opportunity to handle taxes and silver in the south, he encountered illness that hindered him. That year, I was only eleven or twelve years old, and you were even younger. You accidentally contracted smallpox, but the situation wasn’t severe, and mother found it relatively easy to take care of you. Because I was interested in politics, I pestered father to let me watch him handle the local situation and the taxes and silver. Father did a good job, and everything was proceeding steadily. But suddenly, one day, our residence was surrounded by troops.”
“What?!” Xu Wenze exclaimed, shocked. He had never heard of this incident.
“Some accused our father of embezzling taxes and mishandling protection measures, leading to the worsening of the situation, and they wanted to hold him accountable.”
“How is that possible? We are Duke Wei Guo’s residence. How could anyone dare to accuse us?”
“Naturally, there are always some who are eager to take advantage of those with titles but no real power. As long as their status is higher than ours and they have more real power, it’s easy for them to push the blame onto us. It just so happened that we were unlucky enough to be in charge of this matter at that time.”
“Who are you talking about?” Xu Wenze immediately asked.
But something seemed to dawn on Xie Yiqing. He remembered something and seemed to understand. “It was the old Prince Yongnan, the grandfather of the Crown Prince.”
“Actually, at that time, Prince Yongnan embezzled a lot of tax money from the southern region behind the court’s back, fearing scrutiny. Whenever others came to collect, they would subtly give face to Prince Yongnan. But your father was too upright; he didn’t understand Prince Yongnan’s hints and just followed the rules for collection and investigation. As a result, the smallpox outbreak in the neighboring state spread to our area, hindering your father’s investigation,” Xie Yiqing explained.
“Are you saying it was deliberate?” Xu Wenze couldn’t believe that the smallpox that had afflicted him and led to his mother’s death might have been intentionally spread….
Xu Lanxin sneered, “Back then, with the emperor far away, it was the local tyrants who called the shots. So, without warning, we were imprisoned and awaited Prince Yongnan’s report to the emperor for approval.”
“If the emperor didn’t investigate carefully and believed Prince Yongnan’s words, giving him full authority, then we…”
“The emperor did indeed grant Prince Yongnan the authority to investigate, and sent people to assist in the inquiry. So Prince Yongnan decided to silence us before the others arrived. Those days in the same cell with us were not just you; in order for all of us to naturally die from the smallpox, there were also ten other people who were close to death from illness. Mother was infected like this. At that time, you still had medicine with you, but it was only enough to sustain one person for three days without worsening. Mother gave you the opportunity.”
Xu Wenze’s eyes widened, a sense of grief and sorrow washing over him.
Xu Lanxin took a deep breath and said, “In prison, we suffered greatly. Father blamed himself endlessly. He couldn’t understand why, despite serving the country and the people, he faced such a fate. Even with power, he couldn’t contend with higher powers. Father almost committed suicide to confess and beg Prince Yongnan to spare the rest of us. But I refused to accept it. I believed there was still a chance. Because at the time, the most beloved Prince Ning was in a nearby county. So I did everything I could to escape and seek help from Prince Ning. But Prince Ning deceived me. It was Crown Prince Yuan Ran who saved our family.”
On that day, she bit down on a cloth, stifling all her sounds, enduring the pain of grinding her chest and back until they were raw, just to squeeze out of the cage.
She faced numerous hardships and dangers along the way to escape.
If within three days no one came to rescue her family, Xu Lanxin knew that her mother and brother would be in danger.
When she finally found Prince Ning and reported the situation, he told her to be patient and assured her that he would handle everything. He kindly arranged for her to receive medical treatment. After all, she had been with the smallpox patients all along, and he was concerned about whether she had been infected.
But three days passed in the blink of an eye, and she hadn’t received any news. She realized that she seemed to be imprisoned.
Xu Lanxin was not foolish; she was very intelligent. So, she sneaked out again, only to discover that Prince Yongnan was visiting Prince Ning’s residence.
Prince Yongnan said, “Wait one more day, and soon everyone will be dead.”
Prince Ning smiled and said, “Uncle, in the future, we should handle such matters more discreetly. Being too obvious is never good; our royal reputation matters. As for that little girl, I will deal with her later.”
Upon understanding, Xu Lanxin didn’t have time to gather her emotions before immediately fleeing. Running in a state of breakdown, she couldn’t believe everything she had learned. She thought there was justice in this world, believed Prince Ning was as wise as rumored, and thought… that she had truly worked hard to save her family. But in the end, none of it mattered.
For the royal family, for the prosperity of the Great Zhou, they ended up in such a plight. Xu Lanxin ran like a lost child in the rain, with no way out. Despair engulfed her completely, and she gave up. Now, she had only one thought: since her family was dead, she wanted to go back and die with them.
Suddenly, the sound of horses galloping drowned out the thunder in the sky.
A group of riders raced towards her on the road. She thought they were coming to capture her. Since she couldn’t run anymore, she collapsed on the ground, devoid of hope.
The black rainy night seemed like endless darkness until a clear voice rang out, calm amidst the frantic rain.
“Young lady, why are you alone here? Are you injured?”
The person dismounted, wearing a raincoat. Someone immediately held an umbrella for them. Their boots were clean from riding, but the few steps they took towards her were already smeared with mud. However, it wasn’t as dirty as her, who seemed to have been pulled from the mud.
Xu Lanxin’s eyes were blurred by the rain and tears, unable to see clearly, but she sensed that these people weren’t here to capture her.
Suddenly, the rain was blocked out, the person holding an umbrella over her. She looked up dazedly, unable to see clearly, but she felt it was a handsome face.
“Your Highness, I’ve seen this person before, she’s from Duke Wei Guo’s residence.”
“Qi Ci, you really have a good memory,” someone joked.
“Chief Steward Ning said he wants to know every minister and their children.”
“Isn’t that your foster father? You should call him father.”
“…”
“Duke Wei Guo’s residence…” The pleasant voice spoke again. “Young Lady Xu, don’t be afraid. Can you tell me what happened?”
“Your Highness? Yuan Ran… the Crown Prince?” Xu Lanxin recalled many rumors about the Crown Prince. He was the most powerful figure mentioned by Huo Luo and Sue Chen next door, the one Big Brother Xie wanted to assist. Would he… help? But they were also members of the royal family, wouldn’t they protect each other?
Xu Lanxin didn’t think for long before giving up. After all, things had already come to this point. Could it get any worse?
“Your Highness, Crown Prince… I beg you…” Xu Lanxin immediately knelt down in the mud and began to kowtow desperately. “Please save Duke Wei Guo’s residence, my family… They are about to be killed by Prince Yongnan in the prison. If you don’t act soon… I won’t be able to see them again. Please… help me, please go and save them.”
As Xu Lanxin finished speaking, she collapsed in the mud due to exertion, but the next moment she felt herself being lifted up.
“Your Highness…” someone called out.
“Don’t come closer, she’s infected with smallpox. I’ve had it before, so you don’t come closer if you haven’t. Get the carriage ready. Qi Ci, bring my insignia and let’s head to the Yongzhou government office immediately. The case hasn’t been judged yet, everyone must stay alive.”
“Yes!” Qi Ci acknowledged and immediately led the way, rushing off with his men.
Someone whispered, “Your Highness, she just mentioned Prince Yongnan…”
“Princes are subject to the same laws as commoners. Even if it’s Prince Yongnan, we can’t turn a blind eye. Let’s go, first to Uncle.”
Xu Lanxin listened in a daze, trembling with excitement all over, tears streaming down her face incessantly. She couldn’t believe yet hoped that everything this person said was true. When she heard “Uncle,” she knew it referred to Prince Ning, tightly clutching onto Yuan Ran’s robe, wanting to remind him. However, he mistook her for being worried and scared, comforting her gently before handing her over to the physician and onto the carriage.
When she woke up, she found herself in Prince Ning’s residence. She thought it was all a dream and tried to rush out, only to see her father.
Her father stood unharmed in the courtyard, kneeling before someone.
“No need for such formalities. It’s my fault, the royal family owes you. I will report to Emperor Father truthfully and ensure justice is served. Once you’re healed, you may return.”
Realizing it must have been the Crown Prince, Xu Lanzhen rushed forward, but by the time she arrived, Yuan Ran had already left.
“Father, is it…?”
“Xin’er, your mother… has passed away.”
It was a bolt from the blue: Lady Wei, the wife of Duke Wei Guo, ultimately did not receive rescue and perished in the filthy prison cell. Xu Lanxin and Xu Wenze both escaped this calamity.
Shortly thereafter, Prince Yongnan was executed, and Duke Wei Guo’s residence was vindicated and compensated.
Speaking of Yuan Ran’s act of sacrificing his own family for the greater good, the Xie family was not the first; one of the earliest individuals he disposed of was actually this distant relative, the prince. However, at that time, it was Prince Ning who executed the order from start to finish.
With Yuan Ran’s intervention, Prince Ning could only switch sides and deal with Prince Yongnan. As a result, Prince Ning’s reputation soared, but it was also during this time that he began to feel that Yuan Ran was becoming uncontrollable.
Watching Prince Ning’s theatrical performance, Xu Lanxin felt a chill down her spine. Prince Ning actually lied to them, claiming that he had been investigating the evidence all along, and even if Yuan Ran hadn’t shown up, he would have taken action, initially planning to persuade Prince Yongnan to confess on his own.
In front of Duke Wei Guo’s residence, Prince Ning acted like a benefactor. If Xu Lanxin hadn’t revealed the truth to Duke Wei Guo, they would have been deceived.
WhenPrince Ning asked why she had run away, Xu Lanxin felt as if she were being stared at by a venomous snake. She could only say, “I was sick, feverish, and confused. I wanted to see my father and mother.”
Prince Ning took the girl’s explanation lightly, believing it to be true, and even considered himself a benefactor. Despite bringing her into the palace, he often mentioned this incident, boasting of being a benefactor to Xu Lanxin and Duke Wei Guo’s residence.
But Xu Lanxin knew better. Far from being a benefactor, he was their enemy. If he hadn’t interfered and delayed their rescue, her mother might still be alive.
This marked the beginning of enmity betweenPrince Ning and Xu Lanzhen as well as Duke Wei Guo’s residence.
In their eyes, at that time, Yuan Ran’s behavior was what a loyal royal should exhibit.
With such thoughts in mind, Xu Lanxin secretly observed Yuan Ran. The more she looked at him, the more she couldn’t help but admire him. She increasingly saw Yuan Ran as the hope for the future of the Great Zhou, the rightful leader to follow. She believed that as long as she followed Yuan Ran, there would be no more injustices, no more power struggles, no more unfair situations leading to death.
They could work with peace of mind, dedicating themselves to the prosperity of the Great Zhou, striving tirelessly for the glory of their family.
Yuan Ran also advocated for women’s participation in politics. Consequently, Xu Lanxinand Xie Yiqing ended their engagement. She found her ultimate goal: to become Yuan Ran’s consort. She didn’t aspire to be the empress controlling the inner palace, but rather to be by Yuan Ran’s side, offering counsel and assistance in building the most beautiful world envisioned by His Highness. She wanted to leave her own significant mark on that world.
With such a dream in her heart, she admired him, revered him, looked up to him, and followed him. Yuan Ran was Xu Lann’s spiritual guide. She was more infatuated with him than Yue Chen and Huo Luo combined. However, she also knew that as a woman, she needed to be reserved and virtuous to have a chance to enter the inner palace. So she kept a low profile, endured, and quietly worked on self-improvement, avoiding contention and rivalry.
But then, one day, Yuan Ran died in battle, carrying the weight of eternal infamy, while Prince Ning ascended to the throne, bearing the hopes of the people.
Her world was turned upside down. The righteous perished without a proper burial, while the wicked enjoyed great fame. How ironic it all was.
At that time, Duke Wei Guo’s residence sensed the situation and didn’t dare to openly speak up for Yuan Ran. Xu Lanxin was a lady confined to the inner chambers, even less qualified to speak. However, she wanted to know the truth. She didn’t believe Yuan Ran would die so easily, so she secretly left the residence and went to the battlefield at Tongjia Pass, where they handled the bodies of the fallen soldiers. She searched for bodies every day, inquiring about news. The border was already unstable, and soon, Xu Lanxin encountered misfortune. She was abducted by bandits and almost lost her virtue, being taken as a slave. It was then that she encountered Yu Suoxi, who had come to find Yuan Ran.
After rescuing her, Yu Suoxi became highly interested upon hearing her story. He even offered to help her. Xu Lanxin couldn’t believe that this enemy would offer assistance. In her eyes, Yuan Ran was killed by forces led by Yu Suoxi.
However, Yu Suoxi then revealed all the truths to Xu Lanxin. She initially didn’t believe him, but Yu Suoxi bound her within the army and took her along. He wanted her to witness firsthand how people in the Great Zhou Dynasty betrayed themselves, how they sacrificed Yuan Ran for power, abandoned three cities, and the lives of millions, all for the sake of power.
During that time, everything before Xu Lanxin’s eyes drove her to madness. When she woke up again, she found herself back at Duke Wei Guo’s residence, brought back by Yu Suoxi. Duke Wei Guo was terrified and kept asking what had happened.
However, Xu Lanxin secluded herself in her room for a full six months.
When she finally emerged, she realized that everyone in the Great Zhou Dynasty harbored resentment towards Yuan Ran. Not a single person knew the truth, and no one dared to speak up for him anymore. She felt powerless as she observed everything, and the more she thought about it… the more she hated.
When Yu Suoxi came to arrange the spy work and suddenly thought of visiting her, asking what she wanted to do, she replied without hesitation, “To avenge Yuan Ran… to avenge myself.”
Yu Suoxi said he wanted to see how a young girl could change the world, so he began to help her.
And so, her path of revenge began.
……
The hall fell into a deathly silence, as if everyone inside had forgotten to breathe, until Xu Wenze gasped loudly, “Is it to avenge him, or for the ideals in your heart?”
Xu Lanxin placed her hand on her stomach. “They killed Yuan Ran for their own selfish desires. With him gone, I cannot bear to watch others ascend to the throne and control the fate of the people. So, I’ve decided to create another Yuan Ran myself.”
“Sister…” Xu Wenze wanted to say that Xu Lanxin’s obsession was too deep, but considering the feud between their family and Prince Ning, everything Xu Lanxin did seemed justified. No wonder their father didn’t stop her. Xu Wenze didn’t know what else to say.
Xie Yiqing also sighed heavily.
Just then, someone came to report that Lin Qingyang was missing.
Xu Lanxin instantly composed herself and turned to attend to the matter at hand.
Xie Yiqing stepped forward and patted the heavily affected Xu Wenze, helping him out.
Once the hall fell silent again, the three of them sank into contemplation.
Lin Qingyang and Lu Shi’s eyes fell on the portrait of Yuan Ran inside.
Lu Shi’s voice changed, “How… how could it be like this?”
Liu Xiaowei looked at Lin Qingyang’s pale face and dazed expression, quickly tapping him, “Don’t be foolish. What do we do now? They’ve already discovered us, and the defenses will tighten. We won’t be able to escape tonight.”
Lin Qingyang glanced deeply at the portrait and murmured softly, “Let’s go back.”
Until Liu Xiaowei resumed his night patrol, Lin Qingyang and Lu Shi returned to Wenbo Pavilion. After being questioned by the guards, they were released. As long as he remained there, nothing serious would happen.
They just missed the chance tonight.
Sitting face to face, neither spoke for a moment, the atmosphere heavy and oppressive.
“Should we tell Xu Lanxin the truth? Maybe…” Suddenly, Lu Shi spoke up.
Lin Qingyang actually had the urge right then and there. He wanted to jump down, grab Xu Lanxin’s shoulder, and tell her that the person she admired was Chu Lishu. Maybe then everything would be sorted out.
But he remembered what he had said to Yue Chen in their correspondence, about whether or not to tell the truth. He had mentioned Xie Yiqing’s situation and asked if they should disclose the truth to bring in new talent, especially since Xie Yiqing seemed genuinely repentant.
However, Yue Chen had denied it: “Keeping necessary suspicions is the secret to self-preservation. As long as Chu Lishu doesn’t speak up himself, no one should reveal it for him.”
Lin Qingyang let out a heavy sigh, feeling like his emotions were getting a bit out of control. “With power in hand, many people change. Perhaps that’s the root cause of it all. It’s not guaranteed that she’ll let go easily when the time comes for her to do so. We need to consult Lishu about this.” In truth, Lin Qingyang was more emotional. He believed that Xu Lanxin would let go. But at this moment, he had to analyze the situation rationally to determine which scenario would be the safest.
If one day, Yuan Ran truly returned, would Xu Lanxin let go?
Was her obsession leaning more towards Yuan Ran or towards herself?
But the next day, Lin Qingyang wasn’t feeling well at all. Due to the near-disappearance last night, Xu Lanxin tightened her surveillance of him even more, making it difficult for even Liu Xiaowei to get close.
Moreover, the so-called arranged marriage didn’t seem like a joke.
Before long, in the capital city of Tianheng Kingdom.
A young child, feigning a solemn demeanor, stealthily entered a small courtyard. Upon seeing the person inside, the child hurriedly bowed and paid respects, saying, “Master, you saved me and the Queen Mother, your martial arts prowess and strategic acumen are remarkable. I would like to invite you to be the grand master of our Tianheng Kingdom. Please consider it seriously.”
“Does the Empress Dowager and His Majesty want me to be the grand master to counter the regent?”
“The master truly is wise!”
“I agree, but I have one condition.”
“Please, master, go on.”
“I want your army to push back the Huo family’s forces until the Great Zhou Dynasty intervenes for peace talks.”
“Won’t that lead to war? We have treaties.”
“I have a plan to make them seek peace without engaging in battle.”
“Is this to…”
“Of course, it’s to help His Majesty eliminate dissent.”
“Really? Alright, I’ll discuss it with my mother. Anything else, master?”
“One more thing… I want only one person from the Great Zhou Dynasty to come for negotiations.”
“Who?”
“Lin… Qing… Yang!”
The young emperor didn’t know who Lin Qingyang was, but he felt from the master’s tone that he might be an enemy. Anyway, he noted everything down and would follow through, as he had already experienced the master’s power during this time.
As the young emperor departed, the focal point of the conversation, Yu Suoxi, walked out with a smirk, approaching the ‘Master in Red.’
“I thought your sole aim was to reclaim your own throne and perhaps seek revenge on us, the Tianheng Kingdom, which is why you chose to target the young emperor. Now, are you just after Lin Qingyang? But you’ve heard as well—Empress Dowager Xu intends to arrange a marriage between her brother and Lin Qingyang. Are you sure he’d be willing to serve as an envoy? Didn’t your spies report back to you? He’s reluctant to go.”
“It’s not that, it’s my incompetence that led to the loss of the message. There must be a reason behind Lin Qingyang’s reluctance!” Lu Yi stepped forward, supporting his injured body. “Master, you have to trust him.”
Qi Ci and Mu Huichun also rushed out to persuade, shocked by the news and unsure how things had escalated to this point. They were worried that Yuan Ran couldn’t control his emotions.
Yu Suoxi approached Yuan Ran, reaching out as if to tuck away a strand of his hair, but instead received a heavy blow from Yuan Ran. Yu Suoxi, not at his peak compared to Yuan Ran, was struck and spat out blood as he retreated. “It’s fine, I’ll just sit back and watch the show.”
After Yu Suoxi left, Lu Yi quickly stepped forward and said, “Master… It’s all my fault. Lin Qingyang won’t betray you. He said he doesn’t like men, only you.”
“I know, but it doesn’t matter… I just want him back by my side. I’ll wait for him… for his explanation.”
Yuan Ran said calmly before returning to his room. Everything seemed normal, but if it weren’t for the cracked ground where he had just stood and the chilling aura, they would have thought everything was normal.
Three days later, all the forces of Tianheng Kingdom suddenly gathered at Tongjia Pass, as if the nightmare was repeating itself, causing a stir throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Huo Luo chose not to fight, stating that they couldn’t win. He challenged others to come and fight if they dared, then led the entire city’s population in retreat.
Xu Lanxin was extremely unhappy, thinking it was Yu Suoxi’s doing. But unable to resist the pressure, she could only seek peace. When she heard that the other side insisted on Lin Qingyang being the envoy for negotiations, she wondered why Yu Suoxi wanted Lin Qingyang and what his intentions were.
Xu Lanxin resisted for a while but eventually gave in, agreeing to let Lin Qingyang serve as the envoy. At the same time, she sent people to Jiangnan. Xu Wenze informed Liu Xiaowei, who then discussed with Lin Qingyang. They hurried back to Jiangnan overnight to protect the Liu family, ensuring Lin Qingyang had no worries.
Meanwhile, Yue Chen remained in the capital, observing the people from the Huo and Yue families. Yue Chen assured Lin Qingyang to rest assured, speculating that the envoy’s plan might be related to Chu Lishu, even though no information had been relayed to him.
Lin Qingyang was initially hesitant to go, but several days ago, his system had shown signs of recovery. Perhaps Chu Lishu had indeed begun to act normally.
Finally, luck came his way. He regained his freedom and could head to Tianheng Kingdom, where he would finally be able to meet him.
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