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

"What did they say?"

"Su Qin wanted to take you away, saying we couldn't delay entering Yuanjing, but you're already unconscious, and the doctor said you need to rest for ten days to half a month. You can't leave now even if you want to."

"What did the King of Chu say?"

"Nothing. Oh, by the way, he said that the dessert is called bean cake, a specialty of Chu." Qing Lan would not tell Tang Ling everything Qi Xiao said verbatim, and asked Tang Ling to thank him in person.

"Why does Qinglan hate him?"

Qing Lan was stunned, then lowered his head and said in a muffled voice, "He... I don't know why I'm a little afraid of him. He has a very evil aura, and it's obvious at first glance that he's not a good person."

Evil spirit? It seemed so. Young and scheming, Tang Ling hesitated to make any rash judgments. The King of Chu was going to such lengths to keep him, so he must have some ulterior motive. He didn't need to do anything now, just recuperate and wait and see what the King of Chu was up to.

"It's okay. We shouldn't be in any danger for the time being. Even if the King of Chu had ill intentions, he wouldn't do it in his own palace and bring trouble upon himself. Those bandits wouldn't dare to come to Yongcheng and break into the palace to cause trouble."

"But in this case, Ye Huai can't get in either. The last time we encountered bandits on the road, it was very dangerous. Fortunately, Ye Huai secretly protected the young master. We have lost contact with Ye Huai, and Qinglan is useless and doesn't know martial arts. If something goes wrong, Qinglan may not be able to protect the young master!"

Five days ago, Tang Ling encountered a robbery at the border of Linjiang Prefecture and Fuzhou Prefecture. Su Qin kept saying that they were mountain bandits, but Tang Ling didn't think so. Those people were very skilled and fast, and their actions and retreats were all methodical. The Huwei Army was a regular army, and Su Qin was also a veteran of the battlefield, but he was caught off guard by a mere twenty or thirty people, and Tang Ling was knocked unconscious and robbed.

Tang Ling disappeared for a whole night and was not found until the next day at 9:00 a.m. and was brought back to the Tiger and Power Army. During that period, Tang Ling was not conscious for much, and there were only scattered and vague fragments in her mind that were not pieced together. Ye Huai said that in addition to the Tiger and Power Army and the people who kidnapped him, there was another group of people.

Tang Ling was baffled by this matter, and the more he thought about it, the more headache he felt. Since he had just arrived in Chen State, he had already encountered many "accidents," and he feared that things would get even more difficult in the future. He could only remain unchanged in the face of change.

"Ye Huai will find a way." Tang Ling was exhausted. She closed her eyes and said to Qing Lan, "Qing Lan, go and rest. I want to sleep a little longer."

"Okay, I'll help you lie down."

***

"General Su, what happened a few days ago? Why did you lock up Tang Ling?" Yue Zhilin arranged a banquet to welcome Su Qin at night. After three rounds of wine and sending everyone away, Yue Zhilin asked the key question.

Su Qin took a sip of wine and didn't answer.

Yue Zhilin attentively poured wine for Su Qin and said, "General Su, I will submit a report tomorrow regarding Tang Ling. If you don't explain everything to me, how can I report it to His Majesty?"

"Bandit." Su Qin held the wine cup in his hand but did not drink any more. He had the responsibility to protect Tang Ling, and he could not relax even in Yongcheng. Yue Zhilin was only flattering him now because Lu Fangjin and the Huwei Army had won the battle, but as Qi Xiao said, Lu Fangjin gained power because of his great achievements, but also became dangerous because of his great achievements. Anyone could go from flattery to taking advantage of someone's misfortune.

"Bandits? No way!" Yue Zhilin seemed a little impatient. "A year ago, it was General Lu who personally led the troops to suppress the bandits in Fenglin Mountain. I even saw the corpses of the Hanchen Sect's remnants with my own eyes. No bandits have escaped in the past year. How come they suddenly appear again? And they dare to confront the Huwei Army head-on? These people are so bold!"

Yue Zhilin looked at Su Qin and knew he wasn't a bandit at all. How could bandits rob people without stealing money? And they were robbing the hostage sent by the Zhou Kingdom. This matter was of grave importance. If he followed Su Qin's advice and wrote the word "bandit" on the memorial, he would be committing deceit. Not only would his position as Fuzhou prefect be in jeopardy, but his entire family's lives would be in vain.

Yue Zhilin drank a glass of wine and sighed, "General Su, you and I both serve the court and His Majesty. If you refuse to tell me the truth, I can't help you."

Su Qin's face was not good, and his brows were gloomy. "Master Yue, it's not that I don't want to tell you, but this matter is of great importance. I can't make a rash judgment without evidence."

Yue Zhilin was stunned. From what he heard, he knew that the matter was more serious and complicated than he had expected.

Yue Zhilin didn't get anything useful out of Su Qin, and he felt depressed, but he was not stupid. Whether Su Qin said it or not was one thing, he had already sent people to investigate carefully. If Su Qin said it, Yue Zhilin could verify it. Even if Su Qin didn't say it, he wanted to know it clearly.

When Yue Zhilin returned to the government office, the people he sent out were already waiting in the study.

"What was found?"

"Five days ago, they were ambushed on the Hukou Gorge mountain road. Thirty masked men, dressed in tough clothing, were armed with swords and bows. The Hukou Gorge mountain road was narrow, and the sudden appearance of the thirty men disrupted the Tiger Power Army's formation. However, they quickly pushed Tang Ling's carriage down the hillside and immediately withdrew. When Su Qin and his men went down the hillside to look for her, they only found the wrecked carriage, but the woman was gone. Su Qin and his men searched the mountains all night before they found her."

Yue Zhilin frowned and asked, "Was the person injured when he was found?"

"When Su Qin found Tang Ling, he was unconscious. Fortunately, the servants around Tang Ling were able to revive him. However, Tang Ling had no external injuries."

"...So strange?"

"Sir, there is one more thing."

"explain."

"Su Qin encountered the King of Chu while searching the mountain. The King of Chu was hunting in Hukou Gorge that day. The Tiger Power Army almost mistook the King of Chu's men for assassins and attacked them. But fortunately, he met the King of Chu. The King of Chu brought two hunting dogs with him and lent them to Su Qin to search the mountain for the man."

"King of Chu? How could it be such a coincidence? No wonder he said he knew how Su Qin found the person." Yue Zhilin pondered for a moment and asked, "Anything else?"

"Nothing."

"She's been missing all night..." A lot can happen in one night. If they were assassins, they should have taken action the moment the carriage rolled down the hill. Even if they failed then because they were no match for the Tiger Power Army, how could thirty people not kill a powerless and unconscious Tang Ling in one night?

But if the Zhou Kingdom had sent someone to kidnap Tang Ling, how could Su Qin have found her? Something else must have happened that night.

"Where are the assassins? Are any of them still alive?"

"Your Excellency, we killed seven people during the attack and captured four alive. However, three people hid poison under their tongues and immediately committed suicide. After nightfall, the Tiger Power Army searched the mountain and engaged those people again, but we didn't leave a single one alive."

"...all dead...they're definitely not bandits." Yue Zhilin waved his hand. "Go to Hukou Gorge. I want you to personally examine the bodies. A team of thirty elite soldiers can't just disappear without a trace. Check their shoes, socks, clothing, and weapons. Don't miss a single clue. You must find out where they came from!"

"I obey my orders."

Yue Zhilin took a sip of tea and rubbed his forehead. He didn't drink much but he felt a splitting headache.