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

From the outside, Tong Guild Hall looked like an ordinary mansion with a tall gate and nothing special. But when you got inside, you found that it was very large. It took a whole stick of incense to walk from the gate to Huaxi Courtyard. Since entering the Chen Kingdom, Tang Ling had not walked so much. The pavilions, towers, corridors and curved bridges along the way were all of the standards of the imperial palace, with magnificent carved beams and painted pillars. It was simply a preservation of the extravagance of the former Liang Dynasty. It is said that the Langhuan Palace at that time was like a fairyland on earth, comparable to the Yaochi Palace in heaven. Unfortunately, it was burned down and only ruins were left. After the founding of the Chen Kingdom, it took more than ten years to repair it to have the current Tong Guild Hall. It was probably a poor imitation at best. But even so, using such a place to attract envoys was quite a show.

"Mr. Tang must be exhausted from the journey, so I will not bother you any more." Ji Mingtang sent Tang Ling to Huaxi Villa and said goodbye to them at the gate.

"Master Ji, you have worked hard, please take care."

Entering Huaxi Villa, Qinglan saw the Zhou Kingdom's envoys to Chen and breathed a sigh of relief: "Master, we are finally here."

Tang Ling was still feeling uneasy, but she put on a smile. Yu Qinglan said, "Go and clean up first. I have something to discuss with Master Huang."

The Master Huang Tang Ling was referring to was none other than Huang Zexian, the Great Zhou envoy to the State of Chen and a member of the Privy Council. Huang Zexian loved fine food and had cultivated himself to a plump and slender figure, which, combined with his short stature, only made him appear even more chubby.

Huang Zexian knew that Tang Ling was arriving today, so he went to greet her outside the guild hall early in the morning. When Ji Mingtang was there just now, he just followed her aside and didn't say anything except a few polite greetings.

Qinglan was sent away by Tang Ling. Huang Zexian led Tang Ling into his room, closed the door, turned around and bowed to Tang Ling: "Young Master."

"What is Lord Huang doing?" Tang Ling quickly reached out and helped the man up.

"It is because of our uselessness that the young master is in danger. We are sorry to the Great Zhou, to His Majesty, and to the Marquis!"

Huang Zexian had served in the Privy Council for many years and was an old acquaintance of Marquis Xun'an. To put it bluntly, he had watched Tang Ling grow up. Before coming to Chen, he knew this journey wouldn't be easy. Since Chen had triumphed at Taihua River, things wouldn't end amicably. They knew the territorial cession and indemnity payments would be a matter of course, and they'd do their best to mediate. But who could have imagined that the Emperor of Chen would actually demand a hostage from the Great Zhou! The little prince was only two years old, and His Majesty was still young. This sinister plot was clearly aimed at Marquis Xun'an.

After the defeat at Taihua River, Marquis Xun An was already destined to be cursed by the masses. If he lost the royal dignity again and sent the prince out of Chen, His Majesty would hate Marquis Xun An to death. Even if the rebellion could be quelled this time, they would not be united in the future. The internal affairs of the Great Zhou were unstable, and Chen would have an opportunity to take advantage of it. If the plan of sowing discord succeeded, Marquis Xun An might be killed by His Majesty or forced to rebel. In any case, the Great Zhou would be overthrown!

Marquis Xun An was in a dilemma and sat in his study all night. The next day, when he went to court, he asked to use his son Tang Ling as a hostage to represent the prince.

Tang Ling is the biological son of Xun Anhou. Holding Tang Ling is like holding Xun Anhou and the Zhou army stationed on the Taihua River. He is much more useful than a prince who is still in his infancy. What's more, Tang Ling is extremely talented and scheming, and is a great threat to the State of Chen. Now, being able to imprison Tang Ling in Yuanjing without spending a single soldier is simply the best.

"Master Huang, Uncle Huang, my father made this arrangement with a clear mind. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. We did not lose."

Huang Zexian understood what Tang Ling meant, but he still couldn't bear the uneasiness and guilt in his heart. He just felt that he was incompetent.

"Sir, we heard that you were in danger again and again after entering Chen. We were almost going crazy with worry. Fortunately, you are okay."

"Thanks to the help." Tang Ling smiled, thinking of Qi Xiao's sudden appearance on the long street of Yongcheng that day. It was quite like the dramatic effect of a god coming to the world in a picture book, exaggerated and deliberate to the extreme.

"So what happened to the King of Chu...? I've inquired about it. The King of Chu left the capital six years ago. His birth mother, Concubine Lin, wasn't particularly favored, and she didn't have any family background. She was an unremarkable figure among Emperor Chen's many princes..."

"Now that the King of Chu has returned, let's just wait and see." Tang Ling interrupted Huang Zexian's inquiry into Qi Xiao and turned to ask something else, "Sir Huang, what is the current situation in Yuanjing?"

"Young Master previously asked us to keep an eye on the west, but we haven't discovered any signs of Chen State moving troops westward. Lu Fangjin is still in Yuanjing, living a life of debauchery, and has no intention of returning to Linjiang Prefecture. However, upon closer inspection, we discovered that the prefect of Yuanzhou Prefecture has suddenly died. The cause of death is unknown, and the new prefect has not yet been chosen." Huang Zexian asked in return, "Why did Young Master ask about Yuanzhou Prefecture?"

Tang Ling took a sip of tea, slowly put the cup down, tapped the table with her little finger, and said, "The one who wanted to kill me in Hukou Gorge was sent by Qi. They must be assassins from the Zhanshi Office."

Huang Zexian was stunned, but not too surprised. The assassin from Qi State made sense. If he was not a killer hired by the Office of Occupation, it would be impossible for him to kill Tang Ling. He also could not have committed poisoning after failing and left no clues.

"Sir, besides the Office of Occupation, the Tiance Camp is also a suspect."

Since the Eight Kingdoms' struggle for the world a hundred years ago, it has been common for each country to plant spies and killers for each other. After more than a hundred years, Chen, Zhou, and Qi have all turned their confidential matters to secret operations. Chen has the Xuanji and Tiance camps, Qi has the Zhanshi Office, and Zhou has the Xingluo Guard and the Dushifu. Everyone knows this and is secretly competing with each other. This is another hidden battlefield between the three kingdoms.

Tang Ling nodded: "The second time was in Lanquan, I guess it was the Tiance Camp."

Huang Zexian frowned and said, "Qi State doesn't want a truce between Great Zhou and Chen. It would be best if we continue fighting, both sides suffer losses. Assassinating the prince within Chen's territory is the best way. But since the Emperor of Chen has agreed to use the prince as a hostage to threaten the Marquis, why would he kill the prince? This would anger the Marquis and Great Zhou, and what good would it do for Chen if it caused more trouble?"

"Put the blame on Qi." With these four simple words, Tang Ling pointed out the key point. If the Zhanshichu could assassinate Tang Ling once, they could do it a second time. If Tang Ling died, it would be Qi's fault and had nothing to do with Chen.

Huang Zexian's heart tightened, and sweat broke out on his forehead: "How can you tell, sir?"

Whether it is Qi or Chen, Tang Ling's judgment may lead to war again, and the blood of millions of people will flow like rivers and the bones will pile up like mountains. It is not just talk, and it is not a crime that can be made out of thin air.

"As you said, Chen had no reason to harm me in the first place. After the incident at Hukou Gorge, I inquired with the King of Chu and was able to confirm that it was Qi's doing. After arriving in Yongcheng, the King of Chu left me at the palace to recuperate. Su Qin remained on guard outside day and night, but didn't force me to travel. He must have thoroughly investigated and confirmed it." Tang Ling paused briefly, as if recalling something, and then said quietly, "The second time at the Lanquan Town Post Station, the weapons used were completely different from those used by the group at Hukou Gorge. The King of Chu severed one of the man's arms when he captured him. Qinglan later went to treat his injuries, and I had Qinglan test him. He didn't recognize the red grass and frowned at the smell. He was definitely not from Qi."

Qi State was rich in mountains and forests, and red clover was a wild grass that could be seen everywhere. It had a strong and pungent taste and a fishy smell after being boiled, but it was a good medicine for expelling poisonous insects and toxins and treating dampness, toxicity and wind. Every household in Qi State dried red clover and hung it on the beams to repel snakes and insects. Everyone knew about it.

Huang Zexian nodded. Based on what Tang Ling said, they could basically confirm the identity of the assassin in the Lanquan Town Post Station. However, they could not say anything about this matter and could only pretend not to know.