The prince loves me like his life, but I force him to rebel

After a moment, he put down the bowl and said slowly: "You are right. It is not difficult for me to seize the world, but to obtain it legitimately, I must have Sima Yao as my helper."

His voice was low and powerful, and his eyes revealed determination and confidence.

Cen Yu's gaze became profound, as if he was lost in memories of the past and thoughts about the future.

"For the throne, Sima Ye was willing to kill his own brother. His methods were cruel and resolute. It is simply a fantasy to ask him to cooperate with me and abdicate the throne to me. His heart has been blinded by power, and he will not easily give up everything he has."

There was a hint of disdain and sarcasm in Cen Yu's voice, as if Sima Ye was just an insignificant clown in his eyes.

"But Sima Yao is different." Cen Yu changed the subject, a sly look flashing in his eyes, "He has weaknesses and ties, I can easily control him."

Cen Yu's gaze fell on Gu Nianzhi, and there seemed to be a deep meaning in his eyes.

Gu Nianzhi did not reply. She held the quicksand bun tightly in her hand but was hesitant to eat it.

A complex emotion surged in her heart, including surprise, helplessness and sadness.

She never expected that one day, "having a weakness" would become an important reason for Sima Yao to survive.

"So, do you want to meet Sima Yao and tell him all this?"

Gu Nianzhi hesitated for a moment, but still asked softly.

There was a barely perceptible eagerness in her eyes, and she was thinking rapidly in her mind that if she had the chance to meet Sima Yao, she would definitely find a way to tell him privately what happened that day, lest his misunderstanding of her deepen.

After hearing what Gu Nianzhi said, Cen Yu raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a meaningful smile, and said, "Don't worry."

His tone was neither hurried nor slow, as if everything was under his control.

"Let him suffer a little setback first, then lend him a helping hand. This way, he will behave himself."

There was a glimmer of cunning in Cen Yu's eyes, as if he had seen the scene where Sima Yao had obediently submitted to his plan.

Gu Nianzhi's heart tightened, her brows slightly furrowed, and she began to wonder what Cen Yu was planning.

She stared at Cen Yu closely, trying to find some clues from his expression and words.

However, Cen Yu's mind was as deep as the sea, and she could not easily see through it.

Gu Nianzhi's lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing.

She knew very well that the more obvious her concern for Sima Yao was, the more Cen Yu would be wary of her.

In this delicate situation, she must be careful with her words and actions and not let Cen Yu detect her true thoughts.

Only by keeping silent and pretending to be indifferent to everything can you help the situation.

"Eat more, I'll take you out for a walk later."

Cen Yu suddenly changed the subject, and that gentle smile returned to his face.

"Yeah." Gu Nianzhi responded indifferently. Her mind was still immersed in the matter about Sima Yao just now, and she did not show much enthusiasm for Cen Yu's proposal.

"Although it's just a barbarian land, the scenery here is different from that in the Central Plains. I think you will like it very much."

Cen Yu talked to himself, seemingly unaware of Gu Nianzhi's absent-mindedness.

Gu Nianzhi was preoccupied with something and just said "hmm" again in response.

After the meal, the two of them rode on horses, and Cen Yu took Gu Nianzhi and headed north.

The sunlight shone on them, casting long shadows.

The rhythmic sound of horse hooves stepping on the ground broke the silence of the Gobi Desert.

After passing a large Gobi Desert, huge red rocks appeared in front of us. Those huge rocks stood tall and in various shapes, like a natural fortress, cleverly separating the Gobi Desert from the area ahead.

The red color of the boulder appears particularly bright and eye-catching in the sun, as if telling the vicissitudes and mystery of time.

The two men rode their horses slowly along the narrow path formed by the dark red boulders. The horses' hooves made crisp sounds on the gravel road.

Gu Nianzhi stopped curiously, staring at the strange red boulders in front of her, her heart filled with curiosity and amazement.

I reached out and gently touched the stone next to me. The surface of the stone was a little rough, but it had a unique texture.

"The color of this stone is quite unique, deep red, I have never seen it before."

She murmured, her voice floating softly in the silent air.

The red boulder had been constantly blown by the wind, and after a long period of erosion, a very fine powder had formed on its surface. When Gu Nianzhi withdrew her hand, she found that it was already stained with red substance, which surprised her. She frowned slightly and looked at the red powder on her hand carefully, trying to figure out what was going on.

Just as she was wondering, Cen Yu said seriously, "It is said that this stone used to be a normal color. It was only after the blood of the soldiers from Qiangyi and other small countries fought here that the stone turned into this color."

His voice was deep and magnetic, as if he was telling an ancient and mysterious legend.

After hearing this, Gu Nianzhi was horrified, his eyes widened, and his face was full of disbelief.

The tragic fighting scene on the battlefield instantly emerged in her mind. Countless soldiers fought bravely, and their blood flowed on the land, dyeing the huge rocks red.

An inexplicable sadness and fear surged in her heart, and she immediately rubbed and patted the red on her hands with her other hand, as if she wanted to wipe the horrible red off her hands as quickly as possible.

"Really?" she asked tremblingly, with a hint of fear in her voice.

He looked up in panic, only to see Cen Yu laughing so hard on his horse that he was bent over, his hearty laughter echoing among the boulders.

"You lied to me?"

Gu Nianzhi then realized that he had been fooled by Cen Yu. Anger suddenly surged in his heart. He widened his eyes and glared at Cen Yu.

Gu Nianzhi was so angry that he stretched out his hand to push Cen Yu, but Cen Yu grabbed his hand.

Cen Yu's hand tightly held Gu Nianzhi's hand, and the warm and powerful touch made Gu Nianzhi's heart tremble slightly.

"It's interesting to see you get scared."

Cen Yu still had that playful smile on his face, and there was a hint of cunning in his eyes.

He held Gu Nianzhi's hand tightly and did not let go, as if he was afraid that she would escape.

Although holding hands seemed a little difficult because both of them were on horses, Cen Yu held them very tightly, as if he had forgotten everything around him.

Gu Nianzhi tried hard to pull her hand back from Cen Yu's. A blush appeared on her face, and she didn't know whether it was because of anger or shyness.

She gritted her teeth and used all her strength to finally free her hand from Cen Yu.

"You've gone too far!"

Cen Yu looked at Gu Nianzhi's angry yet cute look and couldn't help laughing again.

"Okay, don't be angry, I'm just joking with you." He said with a smile, trying to ease the atmosphere. "Don't you think it's funny?"

"You think it's interesting, but I don't."

Gu Nianzhi frowned and looked at Cen Yu seriously, her eyes revealing obvious dissatisfaction and displeasure.

Cen Yu was a little surprised. He originally thought that Gu Nianzhi would not care so much about this little joke, so he quickly explained: "I was just making a little joke to tease you."

"joke?"

Gu Nian looked at Cen Yu angrily, her chest heaving slightly, as if she was suppressing a rage.

"I think a joke is one where the person being joked about also laughs. That's a joke. People like you..."

Gu Nianzhi paused, as if searching for more appropriate words to express his feelings in his mind.

She stared at Cen Yu closely, trying to find a trace of regret on his face.

"You are a bully. I am really upset that you enjoy bullying me."

Gu Nianzhi's voice trembled slightly. She tried hard to control her emotions, but people could still feel the turmoil in her heart.

Cen Yu saw that Gu Nianzhi's expression was not right, as if he was really angry, and his originally relaxed expression instantly became tense.

A trace of panic flashed in his eyes, and he quickly said, "I was wrong." There was a hint of urgency and sincerity in his voice, without any hesitation or excuses.

Cen Yu did not explain or quibble, but apologized so quickly, which was somewhat beyond Gu Nianzhi's expectations.

She originally thought that Cen Yu would find all kinds of reasons and excuses for his behavior, but she didn't expect that he would admit his mistake so straightforwardly.

This made her a little confused.

After a moment of silence, Gu Nianzhi slowly said, "Well, don't tease me like this next time."

There was still a hint of displeasure in her voice, but her tone had obviously softened a lot.

After saying that, Gu Nianzhi gently kicked the horse's belly, and the horse slowly moved forward.

Seeing this, Cen Yu quickly kicked his horse and followed closely. There was still a trace of guilt on his face. While driving the horse, he looked at Gu Nianzhi from time to time, as if to observe whether her emotions had calmed down.

"I understand. I will never do this again." Cen Yu said softly, his voice full of sincerity.

The two walked forward for about an incense stick of time and finally slowly walked out of the Stonehenge. At this time, an amazing and vast world suddenly appeared before them.

"Why is there a lake here?"

Gu Nianzhi looked at the scene in front of him, his heart filled with surprise and joy.

At the end of this dry and hot Gobi Desert, there is such a dreamlike lake.

The lake water is so clear that you seem to be able to see through to the bottom at a glance. The sparkling waves reflect the jewel-blue sky above. The scene is so beautiful that it takes your breath away.

The breeze gently blows across the lake, creating ripples and making the entire lake look more lively and full of vitality.

A smile of surprise appeared unconsciously on Gu Nianzhi's face, and she couldn't wait to urge her horse closer to the lake.

The closer she got, the more she felt the magic and beauty of the lake.

The lake water is crystal clear, just like a huge transparent crystal, showing everything at the bottom of the lake clearly before your eyes.

If you look closely, you can also see sand and some peculiar textures at the bottom of the lake, as if telling the story of time.

"There are several springs at the bottom of the lake, which keep spouting water all year round. However, the water in this lake is very salty, there are no fish or shrimp in the lake, and there are no aquatic plants around it."

Cen Yu said slowly from the side.

After hearing this, Gu Nianzhi observed carefully again and found that it was just as Cen Yu said.

There was not a trace of aquatic plants, and the lake water did have a faint salty taste.

"This lake is called Dead Lake." Cen Yu's voice came from afar.

"Dead Lake? That's quite appropriate."

Gu Nianzhi muttered to himself. Although the name sounded a bit sad, it also accurately summarized the characteristics of this lake.

There is no life, no energy, only endless calm and silence.

But even so, it still exudes a unique charm that makes people want to get closer and explore.

Cen Yu continued riding his horse along the lakeside.

At this time, the midday sun was hanging high in the sky, and the scorching sun mercilessly beat down on the earth, causing Gu Nianzhi's skin to become tight and even begin to ache.

She raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead and felt as if she was in a huge furnace.

"How long do we have to walk? It's too sunny. I want to go back and rest."

Gu Nianzhi shouted helplessly. She really couldn't stand the scorching weather and just wanted to find a cool place to hide.

However, Cen Yu did not turn around, but responded loudly: "Go a few hundred meters, I have somewhere to take you."

Although Gu Nianzhi was somewhat reluctant, he could only grit his teeth and continue to follow.

As they moved forward, a rocky mountain appeared in front of them.

The mountain is bare, without any plants, standing there like a lonely giant.

Cen Yu rode his horse to a seemingly inconspicuous stone slab, dismounted, walked to the side, squatted down, and began to tinker with it on the ground.

Gu Nianzhi looked at his actions curiously, not knowing what he was doing.

After a while, the stone slab in front of him moved to both sides, and a passage appeared in front of Gu Nianzhi.

A chill blew out from the dark cave, making Gu Nianzhi feel a refreshing coolness in the scorching midday heat.

She widened her eyes and looked at the suddenly appearing passage in disbelief, her heart filled with curiosity and anticipation.

Cen Yu looked back at Gu Nianzhi, a mysterious smile appeared on his face, and then he took the lead and walked into the passage.

Gu Nianzhi hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed Cen Yu in.

The passage was very dark, with only a faint light occasionally flickering on the wall, allowing people to barely see the road under their feet. But the chill became more and more obvious, making Gu Nianzhi's originally hot body gradually become comfortable.

They walked slowly along the passage, which was winding and seemed to have no end. Gu Nianzhi's heart was full of questions, not knowing where this passage would lead to, nor why Cen Yu brought her here.

But she also felt a little excited, because this kind of unknown exploration always makes people full of expectations.