Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Xiping Lake is located in the suburbs of Yunzhou City. Although it is a small lake, it has beautiful scenery and is surrounded by woods.

At night, the small lake is like a mirror, reflecting the starry sky. Now it is summer, and the lake is covered with lotus leaves. The lotus flowers look even more beautiful under the moonlight.

A breeze blew, the lotus leaves swayed gently, and the fragrance of lotus flowers filled the air, making people intoxicated.

There is a pavilion in the center of the lake, with red lanterns hanging around it, which is particularly eye-catching in the night.

The pavilion is topped by a round dome with exquisite carvings. A couplet is inscribed on the pavilion's pillars: "The breeze and the bright moon are priceless; the nearby water and the distant mountains are all full of affection."

There is a stone table and several stone benches in the pavilion. Two young men are sitting inside and enjoying the singing and dancing on the floating platform on the lake, which is a unique water performance in Yunzhou.

The princess sighed, "Brother, this courtesan is so beautiful! If she weren't a prostitute, she would be a perfect match for you!"

The prince nodded in agreement and said, "Well, it's no wonder that Zhang Jingwei would ignore Ling'er for her!"

The princess suddenly scolded him, "Oh, brother, I know you like Ling'er, but Ling'er is already a married woman. Excessive concern for her would be unethical!"

The prince smiled and said, "I understand!"

Seeing that her brother didn't take her words seriously, the princess said coquettishly: "Besides, you should also find me a sister-in-law as soon as possible! Don't always stare at the meat in other people's bowls."

The prince responded impatiently: "I know..."

……

Not far away, Gao Fei and others were watching in the dark.

Ma Tianmao looked at a group of people slowly approaching from a distance and couldn't help but exclaimed, "Royal children are really different! Look at this scene, with so many guards accompanying them!"

At this moment, Yi Feiyu turned to look at Wang Ergou beside him and asked with a puzzled look on his face, "The princess and the prince are sitting in the pavilion. Are you really sure that Young Master Zhang will come to this pavilion in the middle of the lake?"

Wang Ergou nodded with conviction and answered confidently, "I'm sure! There's absolutely no mistake!" He was certain that ever since Zhang Jingwei jumped out the window and left, there had been "eyes" secretly watching him. Unfortunately, these "eyes" couldn't get too close.

You should know that the area around the Lakeside Pavilion is heavily guarded because the Hedong Admiral is personally on duty there. All the secret sentries previously have been ruthlessly eliminated by the Admiral.

Yi Feiyu turned his gaze to Gao Fei beside him and said softly, "Master Gao, look, even the commander-in-chief is here!" However, Gao Fei did not say a word, but stared at the admiral who was fishing leisurely beside the pavilion in the middle of the lake with an expressionless face and cold eyes.

……

The admiral was not interested in these songs and dances. He found some fishing gear and went fishing here, like a hermit who was not concerned with the mundane world.

The admiral frowned and shouted angrily: "Who is it?!"

Wang Lian came over quickly and said with a smile, "Commander-in-Chief, I wonder what's bothering you? Look, the fish are already hooked, and you haven't put in your line yet."

The admiral turned around and saw that it was Wang Lian. He sighed and said, "It turned out to be Wen Yue. Sigh, when you get old, sometimes you really feel powerless!"

Wang Lian looked at the fishing rod in the admiral's hand curiously and praised: "Commander, your fishing rod looks really exquisite."

The Admiral was slightly startled, then slowly said, "This isn't a fishing rod at all! This is the weapon the bandit leader used last night!"

Wang Lian was startled when he heard this and quickly examined it carefully. He tapped the rod gently, and heard two crisp "ding" sounds. Wang Lian couldn't help but sigh, "This texture is so light and comfortable to the touch. It doesn't look like ordinary steel." Then, he tapped it a few more times, listening to the crisp and pleasant sound. He shook his head and said, "And this sound is so crisp and loud. It doesn't sound like the common raw iron (steel made from a mixture of raw and wrought iron in ancient times, which is heavy and brittle)."

The admiral gently stroked the lance in his hand, his eyes filled with admiration. He couldn't help but sigh, "What a fine lance! Its materials are exquisite and its craftsmanship is superb. It is truly a rare treasure. I must keep it well and give it to my Yong'er someday. I'm sure he will love it!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Lian, who was standing by, hurriedly bowed and said respectfully, "The commander-in-chief's love for you is beyond words. This kind of love is a great blessing for you!"

The Admiral sighed slightly, a trace of worry on his face. He slowly said, "Alas, it's a pity that the prince's great cause is so close, but progress is repeatedly hindered. It's really worrying. Faced with so many difficulties and obstacles, sometimes I really feel that I am powerless!"

Wang Lian nodded solemnly and echoed, "What the Commander-in-Chief said is absolutely true. If Your Highness succeeds in his great cause, the Celestial Empire may never again experience the prosperity of the reigns of Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong. I hope the Commander-in-Chief will do his utmost to save the people of the world from this dire straits. His achievements will surely be remembered for generations to come, and his virtue will be passed down through the ages!"

After hearing this, the Admiral's expression became solemn, and he responded solemnly, "Yang He, I will definitely remember the Chief Secretary's heartfelt words and will not slack off in the slightest! Even if the road ahead is full of difficulties and dangers, I will bravely move forward and devote myself to the great cause of the prince until my death!"

Wang Lian was a civil official in the royal palace, holding the third rank.

The admiral was a military officer appointed by the imperial court and held the second rank.

Wang Lian is the leader of the Jin Wang Party, and Admiral Yang He is the Jin Wang's brother-in-law. If the Jin Wang becomes the emperor, he will be the emperor's uncle!

While the two were chatting, Gao Fei and his companions had already sneaked into the bushes behind them.

Although Yi Feiyu was angry, he could only curse softly: "That old man actually used Mr. Gao's heirloom as a fishing rod!"

Yang He noticed the movement behind him and shouted into the bushes, "Who is it?!"

Seeing no response, he slowly approached with a fine steel spear in his hand.

Gao Fei held his breath. He knew Yang He was a master, but Yang He was in the open, while he was in the dark. He only needed to seize the right opportunity to strike down the enemy. The music from the floating platform echoed in the air, creating the illusion of two armies facing each other.

"Ah! There's a water ghost!" The princess's cry distracted Yang He. Gao Fei wanted to take action at this time, but he seemed to see Zhang Jingwei in the pavilion in the middle of the lake, and he was also distracted.

"Protect the prince and the princess, you thief, give me your life!" Luo Hong shouted, raising his sword and killing the "water ghost".

The water ghost took a half step back slowly and used the force to push Luo Hong into the lake. Luo Hong was wearing armor and could only tread water desperately, but he was not a good swimmer and was getting farther and farther away from the pavilion.

"Zhang Jingwei?!" The princess took a closer look and found that the short-haired water ghost was actually Zhang Jingwei.

"Yes, the answer is correct!" Zhang Jingwei smiled crookedly, grabbed the prince's collar and punched him on his handsome face.

"What are you doing! Stop!" The princess stepped forward to pull him, but she didn't expect that this weak scholar could have so much strength. After all, the princess had practiced martial arts before, but she couldn't move him at all.

Wang Ergou was shocked: "No wonder we didn't find him, he was hiding in the water the whole time!"

What was even more shocking was that Zhang Jingwei only used one move to knock a lieutenant general into the water!

Gao Fei asked doubtfully, "Dream...dream...sleepwalking?"

Yi Feiyu was even more puzzled: "Can you swim while sleepwalking?"

Yang He ran quickly towards the pavilion in the middle of the lake, and Gao Fei chased after him without caring about being exposed.