The fool has become a spirit, and she can speak

"They didn't blame you. They just didn't want you to ruin the plan. Bajiao went to marry with a mission. The Southern Yan Kingdom invited the Tumi tribe to come out. The wolves, tigers and leopards killed countless of our beggars. It would have been fine if they died in the mouths of the wolves, tigers and leopards, but our soldiers' bodies were not taken back after they died. They were torn into the stomachs of the wolves, tigers and leopards. Your grandfather once swore in front of the soldiers of the three armies that he would definitely annihilate the Southern Yan Kingdom in his lifetime and avenge those soldiers who died in the mouths of wild beasts. Your grandfather was not greedy for the imperial power and territory. He used all means to hold on to this territory, but in fact he was guarding the people's shelter. So Bajiao married for the beggars and it was a matter of state!"

"I understand, but I still can't bear to leave Bajiao. Bajiao hugged my thighs and cried pitifully. She didn't want to marry to the southern Yan Kingdom."

"To accomplish great things, one must make sacrifices. Bajiao's marriage is similar to your entering the Prince's Mansion. Although it was not voluntary, it was all for the sake of the country. So... just listen to your grandfather's arrangements. It won't be wrong!"

Cheng Youning carefully pondered what his father said. It seemed that the country, the world, and national justice really required some people to sacrifice.

Cheng Feng didn't stay long, because there was someone waiting for him on the hospital bed, so he had to let Cheng Youning reflect on himself alone in the ancestral hall.

In the blink of an eye, it was three days later.

The three days passed quickly, but it was enough time for Cheng Youning to think through many things.

Princess Zhuoyang's marriage entourage set out again to marry into the Yan Kingdom in the south.

Upon hearing the news, Cheng Youning was so anxious that he was running around in the ancestral hall. In desperation, he sneaked away from the roof.

However, they were still a step too late, as Princess Zhuoyang's men had already set out for more than an hour.

It is a pity not to be able to meet each other. If I miss this opportunity to meet, I may never have the chance to see each other again.

Thinking of Bajiao who helped him comb his hair and change his clothes every day, Cheng Youning rode his tall horse and took Qiao Rong to chase eastward. At noon, Cheng Youning finally caught up with Princess Zhuoyang's large army.

Hearing someone shouting "Zhaoyang", the disheartened Bajiaosha reacted immediately. It was the voices of Cheng Youning and Qiao Rong. Hearing their shouts, she was excited and hurriedly opened the curtain of the sedan and stuck her head out. After discovering two people and two horses galloping towards them in the distance, she immediately asked the people accompanying her to stop.

He hurriedly got off the carriage.

It was indeed difficult to tell the real Bajiao with the veil from Princess Zhuoyang. Cheng Youning felt a little dazed when he dismounted from the horse.

"Your Highness!" Bajiao wanted to kneel down to Cheng Youning with tears in his eyes.

Cheng Youning grabbed her arm and said, "Princess Zhuoyang, this is against the rules!"

"Your Highness, I thought you weren't coming!"

"I'm sorry, Princess Zhuoyang, Youning... I broke my promise!"

Bajiao shook his head. "Your Highness, don't blame yourself. I am willing to marry to the Southern Yan Kingdom. As long as I can serve the country and relieve the worries of the emperor and the prince, it doesn't matter if I sacrifice my life. Your Highness, you should study hard, learn government affairs diligently, and be a good prince respected by all the people."

"Youning will definitely live up to the princess's expectations, work hard and study tirelessly, and become a competent prince." Cheng Youning took off the jade pendant from his waist and stuffed it into Bajiao's hand. "Marrying far away is not like being in your hometown. You must learn to protect yourself. We can only meet if we are destined to."

Bajiao held Cheng Youning's hand tightly, tears streaming down her face, "Your Highness, after this separation, we may never see each other again!"

After taking care of Bajiao for so many years, Cheng Youning seldom gave him a smile or a good word, but now that this person was leaving and would never come back, he couldn't bear to let him go.

Cheng Youning couldn't bear to see his people cry. He knew the helplessness and grievance in Bajiao's heart. Bajiao had no choice but to listen to his grandfather's arrangements. If there was any choice, who would go to a foreign country?

However, compared with the safety of the entire Fengqi tribe, sacrificing a woman is nothing.

"Expanding territory and defending a place are things that we men should do. Now I can't bear to ask a weak woman like you to suffer. You are at a young age, you should be picking mulberry leaves, brewing tea, reciting poems and planting flowers, but you have to marry far away for the royal family. In the end, the royal family is sorry for you."

Bajiao shook her head vigorously: "Your Highness, in the face of national crisis, women should not give way to men. I, Bajiao, will die a worthy death if I can do my best for the emperor!"

Such bold words could not conceal her helplessness and fear as she headed to the southern Yan Kingdom.

Thinking about Basho when they first met, that stubborn, loud-voiced and dark-skinned woman is no longer there. Now she is dressed in gorgeous clothes, jewels, noble makeup, and a veil covering her face. She looks so precious, but Cheng Youning can still see her weakness and helplessness.

She traveled thousands of miles to marry for the royal family, and her lofty words were just to comfort a nine-year-old child like him.

His grandfather is really good at training people. After just a few days of training, Bajiao has become a completely different person! His words and deeds are no longer the same as before!

For the first time, Cheng Youning experienced the pain of separation.

As a prince, he could not protect his maid, but he was no longer upset or frustrated because he cursed himself in his heart for being useless and incompetent.

He wanted to cry, but due to his status as a prince, he couldn't cry when he wanted to or laugh when he wanted to.

He held Basho's hand tightly and said, "As long as you are alive, I will find a way to bring you back. If I break my promise again, I will die a miserable death!"

"Your Highness, don't swear such a vicious oath." The oath seemed to work, and Bajiao covered Cheng Youning's mouth in fear. "I'll wait for Your Highness to send someone to pick me up!"

At this time, the accompanying pretending to be Wang Quanzhi came over and urged the princess to get on the carriage. The disdainful look and disrespectful words were exactly the same as those of Wang Quanzhi who was executed by slow slicing. Cheng Youning gritted his teeth in hatred and could only watch Bajiao get on the carriage, and then the convoy disappeared little by little before his eyes.

Qiao Rong pulled Cheng Youning's sleeve and said, "Your Highness, let's go back!"

After seeing Bajiao off, the two half-grown children were not much better than the other. They all looked downcast and didn't say a word on the way back.

When Cheng Youning and Wan Lianxing met, Cheng Youning did not mention the matter again. After this incident, he had grown up a lot. Crying and making a fuss could not solve the problem, and unreasonable means did not work with his grandfather either.

What Cheng Youning had not expected was that when Princess Zhuoyang's troops headed eastward and just entered Qunyang County, Dalang attacked them.

Dalang was fully prepared this time. They had colluded with Yatuo and had been planning for a long time. At the same time, they sent out two large armies from the south and west to attack Fengqi's northern and eastern border fortresses at the same time.