It's not too much to say that a beauty is a little bit stronger

Xiao Huai lifted the gauze and slowly got out of bed. As soon as he got out of bed, he heard footsteps outside the door.

Soon after, a young attendant shouted anxiously outside the door: "My Lord, the beacon fire has been lit. The King of Zhou has issued an urgent summons! You must set out immediately!"

"When did it catch fire?" Xiao Huai asked in a low voice.

"Just an hour ago, the princes from all over the country received the news and are now gathering."

Xiao Huai nodded slightly and reached out to straighten his robe.

"lets go."

When they walked out of the room, the servants had already prepared the horses and the convoy was waiting quietly in front of the door.

The seal of Qinglan Hou was hung on the side of the carriage, symbolizing his status and power.

"My Lord, this is the uniform you will be wearing soon," the attendant said softly, respectfully presenting a set of armor, his tone a bit cautious, "It will be useful for protection in case you encounter an enemy along the way."

Xiao Huai glanced at the armor, casually unbuttoned his outer robe, and put on his military uniform.

When the cold armor plates touched his shoulders, he paused slightly, raised his hand to adjust the straps between the armor plates, his movements were neither hurried nor slow, showing his composure.

The attendant saw this and was about to tie his hair, but saw Xiao Huai sideways and said in a calm voice: "No need."

Xiao Huai didn't want anyone touching his hair.

The messy hair falling on the shoulders actually adds a touch of casual yet cool and sharp temperament.

The attendant looked a little stunned for a moment, and after a while he came to his senses and replied, "Yes."

After Xiao Huai got in the carriage, he leaned lazily in the carriage, not caring about his image at all.

Judging from the name, the story of lighting beacons to trick the princes seems to be a Chinese allusion.

But it has turned into a horror game, so what will happen here?

You can only know by seeing it yourself.

----

The convoy was traveling on the official road leading to the royal capital. Smoke was still rising from the beacon towers along the way, and the sense of oppression in the air was gradually getting stronger.

When the team was halfway through, a man suddenly came galloping on horseback from a distance. His clothes were disheveled and he shouted:

"The capital has fallen! The Quanrong invaded the city, and all the princes have become prisoners!"

This news caused the convoy to stop, and the accompanying guards all showed panic expressions and kept whispering.

Xiao Huai frowned. It was captured so quickly?

He lifted the curtain slightly and looked at the people talking outside.

The messenger's face was pale, his forehead was covered with sweat, and his clothes were covered with dirt and blood. He looked extremely miserable.

Xiao Huai did not respond immediately, but calmly looked at the messenger's expression and clothing.

After a while, he whispered, "How many Quanrong soldiers attacked the city? Why was it so easy to break through?"

The messenger was stunned by the question, as if he had not expected Xiao Huai to be concerned about the details.

He replied frantically, "Probably... probably tens of thousands. The news came so quickly that I... I don't know for sure. I only know that the Quanrong used a trick to open the city gate, and the defenders were caught off guard and killed!"

A faint smile flashed in Xiao Huai's eyes, and his gaze calmly swept across the messenger's disheveled clothes, finally stopping on an exquisite embroidered mark on the corner of his clothes.

Although the embroidery was slightly dimmed by the wind and dust, one could still see its fine craftsmanship.

The thin gold and silver threads intertwined into patterns, faintly reflecting the sunlight, which was particularly eye-catching.

Why would an ordinary messenger have such embroidery on his body?

He lowered the curtain and said calmly, "Keep going."

The messenger listened, and the anxious expression on his face seemed to freeze for a moment.

The convoy started again. The guards didn't say much on the surface, but in fact they all had complicated expressions and whispered to each other.

The leading deputy general finally couldn't help but quickly catch up with Xiao Huai's carriage and said in a low voice:

"My Lord, the capital is in chaos now. Our Heng Kingdom's military strength is already the weakest. If we go there to support them now, we would be like a sheep walking into a tiger's mouth."

Xiao Huai leaned in the car with his eyes slightly closed, as if he was resting.

He said calmly: "Such a grand scene, wouldn't it be a pity not to see it with your own eyes?"

The deputy general was stunned when he heard this. He wanted to persuade her but didn't dare to. He could only respond: "Yes, my lord."

In the distance, the beacon tower was still burning, and thick smoke rose into the sky.

Xiao Huai sat in the car, raised his eyes slightly, and glanced out the window.

really.

It's a play to mock the princes.

As the outline of the royal capital gradually became clear, the thick smoke from the beacon tower seemed out of place with the surrounding scenery.

The soldiers originally thought they would see smoke and flames of war, but the closer they got to the city gate, the stranger the noise inside the city became.

This is not the tension of wartime, but the excitement of stringed instruments and clinking glasses.

From a distance, he saw the so-called grand scene.

King Zhou sat on a high platform in the palace, with beautiful women on both sides, each of them speaking in sweet voices and pouring wine for him to drink.

And in his arms, he held a woman who was the most beautiful woman in the world. The woman was dressed in gorgeous clothes, and her eyes and eyebrows were full of elegance.

His Highness's banquet was extremely lively, with dancers dancing gracefully and singing melodiously.

It seems that this is not a battlefield with raging flames of war, but a paradise on earth.

When Xiao Huai's convoy arrived at the palace gate, the eunuch who had been waiting nearby came forward to announce it, shouting in a shrill voice, "Marquis Qinglan has arrived!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the princes who were originally talking in low voices at the banquet all turned their eyes to the palace gate.

Xiao Huai got out of the car and glanced around indifferently, but met Zhou Wang's slightly smiling gaze on the high platform.

"Please take a seat." King Zhou raised his hand. "Marquis Qinglan has come all the way. Come and drink with us."

Xiao Huai looked calm as he stepped forward and slowly took his seat under the guidance of the ceremonial officer.

He did not respond in a hurry, but just sat down obediently and looked around.

The expressions of the princes varied. Some were filled with resentment, some lowered their heads in thought, and some had their brows furrowed, as if they had not yet recovered from this absurd scene.

Like Xiao Huai, they were all wearing military uniforms. They thought that the beacon fire was a major event that would lead to the destruction of the country, so they rushed over in a hurry. However, they found that they had become tools for King Zhou's entertainment and were being teased like clowns.

King Zhou raised his glass to everyone and said with a hearty laugh, "Everyone, you have worked really hard to serve the king. Come, I offer you a toast to express my gratitude!"

After saying that, he drank it all in one gulp, while the princes below reluctantly picked up the wine glasses, but only took a sip. Some people simply put down their glasses with dissatisfied looks on their faces.

Xiao Huai glanced at the wine glass.

The wine inside is a bit abnormally red.

Just then, the system's task reminder sounded next to my ears.

[The main quest of the "Beacon Fire Tricks for the Princes" game has been launched: resolve the beacon fire crisis, save the fate of the Zhou Dynasty, and help the dynasty continue!]

The King of Zhou seemed completely oblivious to these anomalies. He simply patted the woman's shoulder and said with a smile, "Everyone, look! This is my new beauty. Tell me, is there anything in this world more worthy of fighting for than a beautiful woman?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the princes' faces became even uglier.

A burly prince couldn't help but speak up: "King Zhou, the beacon tower was originally set up in times of national crisis."

How can you win the support of the people if you tease the princes like this?