Steal my marriage? Turn around and marry the tyrant to take the throne

Yuanbao bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this servant has obtained some information from Xiao Huizi."

"His Majesty has issued an edict to all military garrisons in the northern border and ordered all tribes on the grasslands to offer a large reward for the capture of the Jiang family and bring them back alive."

capture?

Shen Zhinian sighed softly in her heart.

Sure enough.

She could understand Nangong Xuanyu's anger and resentment.

The things in Jiang Wange's mind were treasures that the emperor was unwilling to lose.

For both public and private reasons, Nangong Xuanyu wanted to capture her and interrogate her to extract the last bit of value from her.

The idea isn't wrong, but...

Unless the Xiongnu Chanyu was stupid, he would either hide such a person in secret and protect him with great care.

Either she had already recorded and transferred what she knew as soon as possible.

No matter how large the reward offered by the Great Zhou Dynasty was, how effective would it be in the face of the complex relationships among the various tribes on the grasslands and their fear of the Xiongnu royal court?

Even if we manage to find Jiang Wange's trail and capture her deep into enemy territory, what price will we have to pay?

If the attack fails, it might alert the enemy and prompt the Xiongnu to utilize that knowledge more quickly.

In Shen Zhinian's view, the most rational, or rather the most helpless, choice at this moment is not to capture him alive, but to silence him as soon as possible.

Cut the weeds and eliminate the roots to prevent future troubles!

Since it's impossible to get her back, then we should spare no effort to make her disappear completely!

Whether it's sending out the most elite assassins to infiltrate the grasslands for a surprise attack.

They still exploited the conflicts between different tribes on the grasslands to kill someone with a borrowed knife.

Even at a great cost, it's better than leaving behind a seed of trouble that could make the Xiongnu stronger.

The lesser of two evils.

However... Shen Zhinian was merely a concubine in the imperial harem.

The Imperial Noble Consort holds a position equivalent to a secondary empress, seemingly enjoying boundless honor. However, matters involving military and national secrets, as well as negotiations with foreign enemies, are matters that even the actual empress has no right to interfere with, let alone her.

Shen Zhinian could not overstep her bounds and directly interfere in the affairs of the previous dynasty.

Regardless of whether Nangong Xuanyu would accept her suggestion, she had already committed a taboo in the first place.

What would a suspicious emperor think?

How could a woman deep within the palace have such profound insights into the balance between friend and foe?

Was it the Shen family pulling the strings behind the scenes?

Or does she have some other channel?

Once Nangong Xuanyu becomes suspicious, the trust that has been built up will be diminished.

Shen Zhinian had considered having Shen Maoxue offer advice in court.

But his father was a loyal minister and knew better how to conduct himself.

The emperor had already made up his mind on this matter, and rashly advising him to kill Jiang Wange might also anger the emperor.

The Shen family may seem powerful now, but in reality, they are walking on eggshells and must not make any mistakes.

A sudden feeling of helplessness welled up in Shen Zhinian's heart...

She knew of the potential dangers and understood the better solution. However, due to her status, she was trapped within the layers of the palace. She could only watch helplessly as things unfolded in the direction she feared…

"Miss."

Seeing that Shen Zhinian remained silent for a long time with a solemn expression, Qiu Yue couldn't help but advise, "Your Majesty is a strategist and must have made thorough considerations."

"Now that you are pregnant, you should avoid excessive worry and take good care of yourself."

Shen Zhinian snapped out of her daze, looked at Qiu Yue's concerned face, and forced a smile: "I know."

……

The edge of the grassland merges with the blue sky at the horizon.

The wind blew through the knee-high wild grass, creating layers of green waves that surged all the way to the horse's hooves.

The air was filled with the scent of fresh grass, a stark contrast to the incense and perfumes emanating from the ornate buildings of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Luan Di Yi Tu reined in the black horse beneath him, which was panting heavily.

He was followed by more than twenty riders, all of them covered in dust, their robes tattered, and their faces weary.

Most of the horses were also at their limit, and some even staggered a few times.

But at that moment, everyone breathed a sigh of relief!

They finally set foot on the land that truly belonged to the grasslands!

Behind us, the beacon towers of the Great Wall had shrunk to a few blurry black dots on the horizon.

The journey back was far more arduous than just being described with the word "difficult"...

From the moment the meticulously planned fire began in the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, they had been walking on a knife's edge.

They had to evade the Zhou dynasty's tight surveillance.

They also had to erase all traces that might reveal their identity and whereabouts.

The group dared not take the official road, so they could only hide during the day and travel through the mountains and forests at night.

They dared not stay in inns, and instead huddled in dilapidated temples in the wilderness or caves.

Their provisions ran out quickly, forcing them to risk their lives by trading for supplies in remote villages, fearing they might leave clues behind.

The Great Zhou emperor's reaction was faster than Luan Di Yi Tu had anticipated.

The arrest warrants were sent to various states and counties as quickly as possible.

The checkpoints are extremely strict!

They had to divide their forces several times, using feints to lure away the pursuers, sacrificing many soldiers to cover the rear.

Once they entered the northern border, the situation became even more perilous.

Border patrols have become significantly more frequent, and the checks on traveling merchants and travelers have become more stringent.

That last stretch of journey across the border was practically a race against death!

Several times, the arrows flew past Luan Di Yi Tu's ear.

Luan Di Yi Tu glanced back at the inconspicuous carriage in the middle of the procession.

For this woman, he lost most of his carefully trained and skilled men.

The hidden spies buried in the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty and along the route have been exposed and countless people have been sacrificed.

Such a heavy price made Luan Di Yi Tu's heart bleed!

The curtain of the carriage was lifted by a pale, thin hand.

Jiang Wange peeked out with half her face showing.

She was dressed in rough herdsman's robes, her hair was simply tied back with a strip of cloth, and her face was haggard.

Jiang Wange looked at the boundless grassland, her brows furrowing immediately. She said with disdain, "This is your Xiongnu grassland?"

"It's so desolate you can hardly find a tree, the wind and sand are so strong, and the smell is strange..."

"It's not even as good as Yawenyuan."

Beside the carriage, a Xiongnu man with a full beard twitched violently upon hearing this, and the veins on the back of his hand holding the reins bulged!

How many brothers lost their lives in the Great Zhou Dynasty in order to get this woman out?

Now that she's finally set foot on her own soil, how dare she be so picky?!

But the man suppressed his anger and didn't dare to utter a sound.

This woman was brought back by the prince after going through great hardships; she is of great use.

Luan Di Yi Tu spurred his horse closer to the carriage, looking down at Jiang Wange.

His eyes were sunken and his stubble was messy.

The days of travel had left his face looking exhausted. Yet his eyes remained as piercing as a hawk's!

"Shut up!"

Luan Di Yi Tu said coldly, "How many of my men died trying to get you out of the Great Zhou!"

"The foundation that the Xiongnu had laid for the Great Zhou for decades was thus largely destroyed!"

Jiang Wange flinched as he stared at her.

This life on the run made her realize that the Hun prince in front of her was no benevolent person.

He was ruthless and decisive, cruel to his enemies, and not exactly gentle to his own people either.

Everything is judged by its value.

She had witnessed it firsthand; he executed a subordinate who was injured and might slow down the journey, without even blinking.