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

Gradually, the temperature of the fingers and Cen Yu's chest seemed to become the same. Gu Nianzhi gently withdrew his hand and spread it out in front of him.

The small area that touched the porcelain bottle had turned white, and it seemed that it was indeed slightly frostbitten.

Gu Nianzhi looked at her fingers, feeling a little scared. If Cen Yu hadn't grabbed her hand in time and kept her warm, the consequences might have been even more serious.

Cen Yu looked at Gu Nianzhi's fingers and said distressedly, "It's all my fault... I didn't tell you in advance how powerful this thousand-year-old ice is."

His eyes were full of self-blame and guilt.

Gu Nianzhi smiled and shook his head, saying, "Don't blame you, it's just that I was too careless."

"I'll give you some Fire God Powder tonight, it shouldn't be a big deal."

Cen Yu gently held Gu Nianzhi's hand, his eyes full of tenderness. He looked at the injured finger tenderly, again and again, as if he wanted to engrave every detail of the wound in his heart.

Gu Nianzhi was originally immersed in pain, but after hearing Cen Yu's words, a warm feeling surged in her heart.

However, she soon discovered a strange phenomenon. Although Cen Yu's hand had touched the porcelain bottle, nothing happened to it. She frowned slightly and asked in confusion, "You took out the porcelain bottle with your hand and kept it on your fingertips for so long, why didn't you get hurt at all?"

When Cen Yu heard Gu Nianzhi's question, he was stunned for a moment, then a faint smile appeared on his face.

He rubbed his hands slowly, as if recalling something from the distant past.

While gently kneading the wound on Gu Nianzhi's finger, his movements were so gentle as if he was afraid of hurting her, and he replied softly: "When Master took me in, my life was in danger. It was Master who exhausted decades of cultivation and used the Intermittent Ointment to save my life. The Intermittent Ointment is inherently poisonous, and the whole person will be stripped of the original body and reborn. If you succeed, you will be immune to all poisons, and if you fail, you will die. There are only one in ten thousand people who succeed, but with the blessing of Master's cultivation, I have become that one in ten thousand."

"Immune to all poisons?" Gu Nianzhi widened his eyes and looked at Cen Yu in disbelief, his heart filled with shock and curiosity.

"Yes."

Cen Yu's eyes became firm and deep. "All poisons in the world are useless to me. The reason why this thousand-year-old ice can hurt people is not just because of the low temperature, but because it contains poison. I am immune to all poisons. This thousand-year-old ice is fatal to ordinary people, but to me, it is just like ordinary ice cubes left in the ice cellar, with no lethality."

"You just mentioned stripping off the original body..."

"Pieces of skin and flesh fell off my body, and new ones grew back."

Cen Yu spoke calmly, but Gu Nianzhi was terrified when he heard it.

It sounds easy to say that one should be reborn, but in reality it is so painful.

"Will it hurt?"

Cen Yu turned around and saw Gu Nianzhi's expression which was full of fear and heartache.

He smiled slightly and reached out to stroke Gu Nianzhi's head.

"Don't worry, those days are over."

Cen Yu did not answer, but Gu Nianzhi knew that Cen Yu must have suffered unforgettable pain during that period.

No wonder he hated his royal brother so much and hated everyone in the royal family.

If I had experienced those hardships, I would probably be more extreme and resolute than him.

Cen Yu gently pulled Gu Nianzhi to his chest, held her in his arms, and said softly: "No one has ever asked me if it hurts. There is only you in this world... Don't worry, I will definitely do what I promised you. I will let you be the only mistress in the palace. For the rest of my life, my heart belongs to you alone and we will never be apart."

Gu Nianzhi listened to Cen Yu's steady heartbeat and felt the temperature of his body without saying a word.

She had to take advantage of Cen Yu's feelings for her to buy Sima Yao a chance to survive. Although Gu Nianzhi felt a little guilty about Cen Yu's pure love for her, this was the best and only way at the moment.

"You just mentioned stripping off the original body..."

Gu Nianzhi's voice trembled slightly, and the horrible scene involuntarily emerged in her mind.

"Pieces of skin and flesh fell off my body, and new ones grew back."

Cen Yu's voice remained flat, as if he was talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

However, Gu Nianzhi was horrified when she heard it. She simply couldn't imagine what kind of tragic scene it was, what kind of painful torture it was.

It sounds easy to say that one should be reborn, but in reality it is so painful.

"Will it hurt..." Gu Nianzhi asked softly, her eyes full of fear and deep heartache.

Cen Yu turned his head and saw Gu Nianzhi's expression full of complicated emotions. He smiled slightly, with a hint of bitterness that was barely noticeable.

He reached out his hand and gently stroked Gu Nianzhi's head, as if he was comforting a frightened little animal.

"Don't worry, those days are over." Cen Yu's voice was gentle but firm.

Cen Yu did not answer Gu Nianzhi's question about whether it was painful, but Gu Nianzhi knew that Cen Yu must have suffered unforgettable pain during that period.

She could imagine how Cen Yu struggled and how he managed to survive the endless pain. No wonder he hated his brother and everyone in the royal family. If she had experienced those hardships, she would probably be more extreme and resolute than him.

Cen Yu gently held Gu Nianzhi against his chest, his movements so gentle as if he was afraid of hurting her.

He held her in his arms, letting her feel his warmth. Cen Yu's voice rang in Gu Nianzhi's ears, like a gentle breeze: "No one has ever asked me if I'm in pain. There is only you in this world... Don't worry, I will do what I promised you. I will make you the only mistress in the palace. For the rest of my life, my heart belongs only to you and we will never be apart."

Gu Nianzhi listened to Cen Yu's steady heartbeat and felt the warmth of his body, and an inexplicable feeling of emotion and guilt welled up in her heart.

At this moment, Gu Nianzhi felt conflicted.

She had to use Cen Yu's feelings for her to fight for Sima Yao's chance to live. She knew that doing so would definitely hurt Cen Yu, but she had no choice.

She couldn't just watch him fall into danger and do nothing.

Although Gu Nianzhi felt a little guilty about Cen Yu's pure love for her, this was the best and only way at the moment.

Lunan City.

The tall and thick city gate slowly opened, and Batu and several of his subordinates walked into the city.

They came here to start the negotiation that had been agreed upon long ago.

Batu was originally from Qiangyi. The palace infighting was like a turbulent undercurrent that dragged him into it, forcing him to wander outside for more than ten years.

Now that Da Sheng has joined the war, the situation has become increasingly complicated and tense.

Although Batu has his own military strength and power, he knows very well that he is not absolutely sure of victory when facing Da Sheng.

Moreover, the original Three Kingdoms Alliance had long been in name only after a series of changes. The situation he faced became increasingly difficult, and his chances of winning were further reduced.

As a mercenary, Batu knew that what he wanted most at the moment was to protect his own interests as much as possible and to secure a relatively stable future for himself and his subordinates. Therefore, he also had his own thoughts and plans for this negotiation.

Lin Heng stood aside, his eyes deep and sharp, he calmly analyzed the current situation.

According to the information he obtained through various channels, Batu was indeed sincere in seeking peace this time.

He was well aware of the cruelty and ruthlessness of war, and also understood the huge losses that might result from continuing to fight.

"Let's hear what he says then. It would be best if we can resolve the battle without bloodshed."

Lin Heng said in a low voice.

On the battlefield, the generals of both sides had a fierce confrontation, with swords and spears, and shouts of killing shaking the sky.

But now, meeting in this negotiation field, there is a different atmosphere.

Compared with the sweet-talking and hypocritical greetings between civil officials, the interactions between military generals seemed much more sincere.

Batu's tall and mighty figure appeared in front of everyone. He clasped his hands and greeted Sima Yao in a rough voice.

"Greetings, Prince Yao." His voice was like a loud bell, making the air around him tremble slightly.

"General Batu, please take a seat." Sima Yao pointed to the guest seat with a smile, his tone calm but majestic.

Batu nodded, strode over with several subordinates, and sat down steadily.

Sima Yao glanced around, then raised his hand slightly and signaled with his eyes.

Soon after, a group of people filed in, holding various cakes and side dishes in their hands, their movements were neat and orderly.

The pastries and side dishes exuded an enticing aroma that instantly filled the entire room.

"General Batu has been living away from home for more than ten years. He must have forgotten the delicacies of his hometown. Today, I specially asked the chef to prepare a few hometown pastries and side dishes. Let's eat and chat."

Sima Yao said with a smile, his eyes revealing a hint of concern and sincerity.

As he spoke, these delicacies were placed in front of everyone one by one. The exquisite presentation and tempting colors made people salivate.

Batu looked at the delicious food in front of him and felt a warm feeling in his heart.

He had been away from home for many years and indeed had not tasted the flavor of his hometown for a long time.

These familiar pastries and side dishes seemed to bring him back to the past, making him recall those distant yet precious memories.

A touch of emotion flashed in his eyes, and then he raised his head, looked at Sima Yao, and said sincerely: "Prince Yao is thoughtful."

Everyone started to eat, and for a moment, the only sounds in the room were light chewing and occasional conversation.

Sima Yao and Batu began to negotiate while enjoying the food. Sima Yao said calmly: "General Batu, I believe you are aware of the current situation. War will only bring more casualties and destruction. We don't want to see such an outcome."

Batu nodded and responded, "Prince Yao is right. I, Batu, also don't want to see people suffer, but I also have my own difficulties and considerations." The two chatted with each other, and the atmosphere gradually became harmonious.

Batu looked quietly at the pastries in front of him, his thoughts surging like the tide.

Over the years, he has been wandering as a bandit. To put it in a positive way, he has established his own mountain, but in fact, he knows in his heart that this is just a helpless escape.

Since he was dragged into the palace infighting, he began to live a life of wandering. If it weren't for the fact that Qiangyi's national strength and military power had gradually declined over the years and were no longer as strong as before, his armed forces would have been wiped out in one fell swoop.

He was a good general, once full of vigor and vigor, with great military achievements, but he ended up like this.

An indescribable pain surged in Batu's heart. He reached out his hand, gently picked up a piece of pastry from his hometown, put it in his mouth and chewed it slowly.

The familiar taste spread across his tongue, instantly evoking countless memories and emotions.

The bitterness in his heart spread out like ripples, making his eyes slightly red.

Batu's subtle change in expression did not escape Sima Yao's eyes, and he keenly captured this emotional fluctuation.

Sima Yao said at the right time: "General Batu, you and I are destined to meet. Last time, my eldest brother and I were in danger in Qiangyi. If it weren't for your help, I'm afraid I would have died a long time ago."

As he spoke, Sima Yao raised the wine glass in front of him. The glass shone under the light, as if carrying endless gratitude and respect. "This glass of wine is to thank General Batu for his help."

Batu did not refuse. He took a deep breath to calm himself down a little, then raised the glass and drank it all.

The spicy wine slid down his throat, bringing a burning sensation, as if it was also burning the entanglement and helplessness in his heart.

"You don't have to thank me. I'm just trying to build a better future for myself. What Mr. Gu said that day made a lot of sense, but times have changed. Given the current situation, you can't fulfill your past promises."

Batu's voice was low and hoarse, with a hint of barely perceptible loneliness.

At this moment, "Who said it can't be fulfilled?" A crisp voice sounded outside the door, as sweet as a silver bell.

Then, Ulan Ya and Shu Huaiyuan, both dressed in red, walked in together.

Ulanya's red dress was as dazzling as a flame, and her appearance seemed to brighten up the entire room.

"Princess Ya, you are here."

Batu always felt an indescribable guilt in front of the princess.

His eyes revealed a complex emotion of respect and self-blame.

"I heard from General Shu that we don't need to dwell on the past. This time, as long as you can restore the countries to their previous state and stop harassing each other, I will report to my father and let you return to your homeland. Although you may not be able to return to your post, at least you don't have to wander around anymore."

Ulanya's voice was firm and powerful, and her eyes were fixed on Batu, as if she wanted to see into his heart.

"Batu is guilty of leading troops to attack Qiangyi again this time. I am afraid... no one will forgive Batu."