Who says the prince is weak and can't take care of himself?

The general in charge of the escort, Su Qin, stepped forward, looked Qi Xiao over, and bowed to him with what seemed like a respectful gesture. He said, "General Su Qin pays respect to His Majesty the King of Chu. This is Tang Ling, a hostage from the Zhou Dynasty. You must not let her go lightly."

"Oh? So, this is the Marquis Xun'an's son. If he's the Marquis Xun'an's son of the Zhou Kingdom, how could he be imprisoned in a carriage? And you even dared to lie to me that you were a prisoner of war? You... are too presumptuous, aren't you?" Qi Xiao sat on his horse, looking down at Su Qin coldly, and ordered, "Zongsheng, please ask the prince to step down from the carriage."

"This is a serious matter. I beg Your Highness the King of Chu to show mercy."

"Is this a serious matter? You also know that this is a serious matter? The Crown Prince of Zhou State came here for the diplomatic relations between the two countries, and you dare to deceive him with shackles and prison carts? Not only is it disrespectful to the Crown Prince, but it also damages the prestige of our Great Chen State. Who gave you the courage? Is it Lu Fangjin?" Qi Xiao had a smile on his face, and his tone was casual and frivolous, but every word he said was heart-breaking, especially the last three words, Lu Fangjin.

General Lu, who had made great military achievements in the Great Chen Kingdom, seemed like an insignificant person in Qi Xiao's mouth. The three words "Lu Fangjin" blurted out, which immediately angered Su Qin.

"I am under the order of General Lu to escort the Zhou hostage to the capital! There is no time to lose!"

Qi Xiao snorted and laughed. "The son of Marquis Xun'an was sent to Dachen on behalf of the Zhou Emperor, acting on his behalf to seek peace and prosperity for both nations. If I remember correctly, His Majesty's edict stated that the son of Marquis Xun'an was to be welcomed to Yuanjing and appointed as a guard officer, replacing the Zhou guardsmen at the imperial court. Did Lu Fangji order you to imprison the son? Are you disobeying His Majesty?"

Qi Xiao's voice wasn't loud, but the moment he uttered it, the entire street fell into a state of silence, a pin drop audible. General Lu Fangjin had just won a great victory, and before the imperial rewards had arrived, Qi Xiao had already accused him of treason. At this critical juncture, Lu Fangjin stood at a crucial juncture. The emperor was pleased with the support of others, and based on his military achievements, he could achieve immense favor, second only to the emperor. But if someone deliberately harmed him, he could become a man of such renown that he threatened the emperor with his achievements and ambitions, a mere step away from his fate.

Su Qin felt a chill down his spine and a cold sweat running down his face, and was speechless for a moment.

At that moment, Zong Sheng slashed the lock on the prisoner's cart with a sword and slid the man out. His movements were not gentle, but he seemed quite respectful. The yamen runners watched helplessly, no one dared to step forward to stop him, and they just watched the man get out of the prisoner's cart.

"The key. Unlock the shackles."

"I don't have the key."

Qi Xiao snorted. Whether Su Qin had deliberately withheld the key or truly didn't have one, he was determined to take her away. Qi Xiao extended his hand, and Zong Sheng supported and pushed Tang Ling, and Tang Ling was pulled onto his horse by Qi Xiao, sitting firmly in front of him.

Everyone then realized that when the King of Chu said he wanted it, he really meant to "steal" it, without any ambiguity.

Suddenly, a man with his hands tied rushed out from the escort team and threw himself in front of Zong Sheng's horse: "Master!"

"Is this your man?" Qi Xiao asked Tang Ling with a frown.

"Yes."

"Mong Sheng, let's go."

Qi Xiao didn't say whether he would take the attendant with him or not. Zong Sheng hesitated for a moment, left the man behind, and rode his horse to chase Qi Xiao.

"Master!!"

Who could stop Prince Qi Xiao of Chu? But even if they couldn't stop him, they couldn't just let him take the people away. Thus, a spectacle unlike anything seen in centuries past appeared on Yongcheng Street: Qi Xiao and Zong Sheng rode ahead, followed by a group of soldiers, a prison cart, and countless onlookers. They marched in a mighty procession from the main street all the way back to the Prince of Chu's mansion.

Arriving in front of the Prince of Chu's mansion, Qi Xiao glanced at the crowd of people following him and couldn't help but sneer, feeling cheerful. Qi Xiao dismounted his horse and brought Tang Ling down with him.

"The prince doesn't look well."

Tang Ling couldn't respond, only shaking her head slightly. Tang Ling hadn't had a peaceful day since entering Chen Realm, and he had been sickly since childhood. Now, he couldn't hold on any longer, his face pale and he looked like he would faint at any moment.

Qi Xiao didn't care how uncomfortable Tang Ling was. He waved his hand and asked Zong Sheng to bring people into the mansion. Zong Sheng supported Tang Ling, secretly felt Tang Ling's pulse, called the servants in the mansion, and half carried her into the mansion.

Tang Ling's hands and feet were shackled with heavy iron shackles, and she could not walk steadily and almost fell several times.

Qi Xiao had already stepped into the front yard and looked back: "Hurry up."

Tang Ling couldn't help but roll his eyes and gritted his teeth. He knew before leaving Da Zhou that this journey would be difficult and that he might never have the chance to return to his hometown. But he didn't expect to meet such an arrogant and domineering person before he even arrived in Yuanjing.

Tang Ling had read all the reports regarding the State of Chen. He racked his brains for a long time, but couldn't remember who Qi Xiao was. The Emperor of Chen had many sons: eleven princes and seventeen princesses. The eldest, fifth, and seventh princes were the most favored and remained in Yuanjing. Two years ago, the sixth prince was convicted and sent to Liaoshan Commandery for border defense. All the other princes had long since been enfeoffed and removed from Yuanjing, far removed from the political arena. They weren't even as important as the commander of the Five City Guards in Yuanjing.

This King of Chu, the Ninth Prince, I have never heard of him.

Without waiting for Tang Ling to figure out what was going on, Qi Xiao called the servants over, and they quickly lifted Tang Ling up and carried her away!

"Young Master!" The man from the escort team rushed into the palace right after him, obviously looking loyal and unyielding.

Qi Xiao tilted his head slightly without making any comment. The servants in the palace did not stop him. They closed the palace door after him and locked all the officers, soldiers and civilians outside.

"Let go of my young master!"

Before the man rushed towards Qi Xiao, Zong Sheng drew his sword and stopped him: "How dare you!"

"Let go of my young master!"

Qi Xiao turned around and asked, "What's your name?"

"Qing Lan."

"Stay and take care of your son."

Qinglan was about to be happy when Qi Xiao added, "Handcuffs are too troublesome to use. Give him a pair of shackles instead."

"Yes."