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

Gu Nianzhi reacted and quickly explained: "This is what we say in my hometown. A wound that is too deep can easily lead to the other two diseases."

"Don't worry. Although when you first met me, you thought I was a pampered little prince, but before I met you, I was also a veteran who had fought many battles. This little injury is nothing to worry about."

The two men mounted their horses and marched across the Gobi Desert.

The horse was hungry, thirsty and exhausted today. No matter how Sima Yao kicked the horse's belly, it just trotted slowly.

The frequent sound of horse hooves came from far away.

In the flying yellow sand, a group of people on horseback rushed over and surrounded the two men.

"Who are they?" Gu Nianzhi looked at them in fear and asked softly.

"Judging from his attire, he's from Qiang." Perhaps sensing Gu Nianzhi's panic, Sima Yao comforted her, "Don't be afraid, I'm here. I'll protect you."

After saying this, Sima Yao secretly exerted force with the hand holding the spear and gripped the spear tighter.

"Brother, they are from Dasheng." Someone reported to the team leader.

"Nonsense, this delicate-skinned and tender-fleshed person is definitely not from our Qiangyi." The leader looked up and laughed contemptuously: "Is Dasheng so poor now? Two people riding one horse? Do you think this Gobi Desert is your vegetable garden?"

The people around burst into laughter.

The horse seemed even more uneasy being surrounded, pacing back and forth.

Sima Yao gently stroked the horse's forehead with the hand holding the reins, as if to calm its emotions.

"Hero, my brother and I were doing some small business around Dingxi Prefecture. Yesterday, we accidentally encountered quicksand and lost our composure and direction. We ended up here by mistake. We have no hostility. Please, hero, show us mercy and let us live."

"Doing business?" The other leader laughed. "Do you think I'm a fool? Pull them off their horses."

Sima Yao and Gu Nianzhi were tied up back to back with ropes. A group of people surrounded them, and there was a group of people on horseback circling around in the outer circle.

The leader walked up to Sima Yao, took his spear, and tapped his armor with the spear head: "A businessman would carry a spear and armor? Are you kidding me? Are you really that bold?"

Sima Yao lowered his head. He had been busy for the past two days and had slept for less than two hours last night. His brain was like a paste. He had indeed made a low-level mistake. He frowned tightly, not knowing how to smooth over his words.

"This hero has good vision!" Gu Nianzhi shouted beside him. "He can tell at a glance that we are not doing ordinary business."

"Oh, how do you say this?"

"Da Sheng, Qiang Yi and Ci Nan are at war every year, and the military needs are huge. My two brothers are peddlers selling military supplies. We have channels to get Da Sheng's official equipment from Dingxi Prefecture. If the hero needs armor, chest guard, spear, shield, you can come to us, and I will definitely give you the lowest price..."

Although the bandits and roving soldiers in Qiangyi and Cinan fought bravely, they had no experience in weapon manufacturing. According to the original book, the Queen's party controlled the area around Dingxi Prefecture and secretly sold arms to the other two countries to enrich themselves.

Many roving soldiers and bandits harassed people along the border and robbed them of their property using weapons that came from the Da Sheng Dynasty.

Gu Nianzhi knew this clearly, so he could only boldly say that he was an arms dealer, hoping to help Sima Yao cover up the lie so that the two of them could get away with it.

"Oh? An arms dealer?" The leader pointed the spear in his hand at Gu Nianzhi, as if to stab him.

“Ah, no... hero, spare me!” Gu Nianzhi screamed and closed her eyes.

However, the spear stopped abruptly in mid-air.

"They are so timid, they are just merchants." The leader threw his spear on the ground and said to his followers, "We just happen to be short of weapons, take them back."

Sima Yao and Gu Nianzhi were blindfolded, and someone rode a horse with them to take them to the bandit base camp.

"Brother, these two claim that they can get weapons from Dingxi Prefecture. I think our weapons have been severely depleted recently, why not get some from them?"

The man called Big Brother slowly walked to Sima Yao and Gu Nianzhi.

"The one who can get weapons from Dingxi Prefecture is no ordinary weapons dealer. I guess he has some connection with the Dasheng Palace, right? Keep an eye on them, these two must be worth a lot of silver."

"yes, Sir."

"Take the stuff off their eyes. I need to ask them some questions."

The black veil in front of his eyes was removed. Sima Yao narrowed his eyes, adjusted to the surrounding light, and began to look around secretly.

"No need to look around. You are in my royal tent now. The Gobi Desert is all around us, exactly the same. You can't tell the directions." The man called Big Brother should be the highest leader here. He has an inconspicuous red mole on his forehead.

"Your Majesty, we are really just ordinary businessmen. Please show some mercy." This red birthmark had appeared in the original book. While begging for mercy, Gu Nianzhi tried hard to recall the identity of this man in his mind.

"Anyone who can resell weapons in this land of the Three Realms is definitely not an ordinary person, let alone an ordinary businessman." The man looked them up and down again and said, "Just looking at the way you are dressed, you must be rich or noble."

"Your Majesty, we have indeed made a lot of money from buying and selling weapons over the years, but if you say it's expensive... we are just running errands for the princes and nobles in the palace and earning hard-earned money, how can it be said to be expensive... If you let us go, I will send all the weapons in the warehouse in Dingxi to you. I will keep my promise and never break it."

"He may not be big, but he has a big mouth." The leader's words caused everyone to laugh again. Gu Nianzhi blushed, but continued to try to persuade the other party.

"You can't judge a book by its cover. Even though I'm plain-looking, the resources I have are exactly what you need. If I'm not mistaken, you should be Batu, the warrior known as the 'Desert Wolf'?"

"Brother, you are now famous. Even the people of Dasheng have heard of your fame!" The younger brother next to him quickly flattered him.

"Not really." Gu Nianzhi denied loudly. "Although Brother Batu is brave and good at fighting, you are just scattered soldiers suppressed by the King of Qiangyi. You have no money and no power. You can only bully in this lawless area and plunder money and property from ordinary people like us who have no fighting power. It is true that Brother Batu is famous and everyone is afraid of him, but that is not a 'reputation', but..."

Gu Nianzhi deliberately kept the matter in suspense. Batu was not anxious, but his men were.

"But what?"

"I dare not say it. Unless Brother Batu promises to spare our lives."

"You are quite courageous." Batu squinted his eyes and said, "Tell me, if it's not 'reputation', then what is it?"

"It's... notorious." Gu Nianzhi spoke word by word deliberately.

Batu slammed the table, his face becoming even more ferocious with anger.

"What a courage!"

A group of men surrounded them, pointing their spears at Gu Nianzhi and Sima Yao, waiting for Batu's order to kill them.