He Lan Tianxia

Upon entering the palace, the Empress Dowager was already waiting there. Seeing Murong Junlan, she ignored everyone else and went straight to him, excitedly saying, "Come, come, let me see, my dear grandson has lost weight! Eunuch Li, quickly make chicken soup, make chicken soup!" Eunuch Li hurried off to prepare.

"Grandmother, Lan'er is alright. I'm sorry to have worried you. I'm sorry you were frightened while I was away. Please rest in the inner room first, Grandmother. I have important matters to discuss with Father Emperor He." After seeing off the Grandmother, Murong Junlan took his seat next to the Emperor's. The Emperor invited everyone to sit down and offered them tea.

"Father, why is there a sudden large army pressing on our border?" Murong Junlan asked with concern.

“I also find this matter strange. Not long after you fell off the cliff, the Wubei Kingdom has been challenging us outside the city gates.”

"The Wubei Kingdom? This tiny country doesn't even have a tenth of our military strength, and they dare to make trouble?"

"Yes, I also believe there must be some hidden story behind this."

"Your subject remembers now. The arrow at Broken Heart Cliff does indeed resemble that of the Wubei Kingdom. If I am not mistaken, the Wubei Kingdom has long been eyeing our country covetously. As for why the Wubei Kingdom suddenly sent so many troops, that cannot be ignored."

"Guards, thoroughly investigate the Wubei Kingdom," the Emperor commanded.

"Yes." The messenger accepted the order and left.

"My son, what happened to you after you fell off the cliff? Why have I been searching for you for a month without any news?"

"I must thank Brother Lingyi for his righteous rescue." Murong Junlan then introduced Lingyi to the Emperor and the others, and recounted the entire incident of falling off the cliff to the Emperor. He made no mention of the events involving Yan'er, as his memories of her had been erased by his previous life as Emperor. The Emperor didn't press him for details; it was better that way. Perhaps that vixen was already dead. That was fine, anyway, she was a menace.

Lingyi, concerned that the princess was still trapped in the treasure room, rose to take his leave and bid farewell to everyone. After chatting for a while, everyone returned to their respective residences to rest, as they were all exhausted from days of fighting.

As Murong Junlan passed by Yan Garden, he paused for a moment. Upon entering and seeing the ground littered with turtles, he immediately frowned and said with a dark face, "Jiang He, where did all these turtles come from?"

Jiang He quickly flicked his long sleeves and tossed the turtle into the vat with a "whoosh." He guessed that the prince had suffered another bout of intermittent amnesia. So he made up a flimsy excuse, saying, "This humble servant just thought it was funny and sent it to Your Highness."

"You'd do something as childish as 'swish a turtle,' and you even dare to enter my Yan Garden? I think you're planning to return home in glory, aren't you?"

"This humble servant wouldn't dare, this humble servant will remove the turtle immediately." Jiang He was frustrated. Even if you gave him the courage of the heavens, he wouldn't dare to do such a pointless thing as swiping turtles in Yan Garden. May the gods protect him.

Just then, Xia Muyao and Jin Chuchu happened to pass by and immediately clung to her. Jin Chuchu said coquettishly, "Your Highness, you're finally back! I've been so worried about you. I thought Your Highness... Oh, so many turtles! Chuchu likes to swat turtles too."

"Mu Yao too." Xia Mu Yao chimed in at the opportune moment.

"Then the turtle is yours. Jiang He, take the turtle to their room."

"Your Highness, this is the prince..." Jiang He was afraid that he would not be able to explain himself after the prince woke up.

"What? You haven't had enough yet? Want to keep going?" The prince looked displeased. Jiang He had no choice but to order someone to send the turtle to Jin Chuchu and Xia Muyao. Jiang He suddenly felt more pitiful than the turtle in the jar.

The turtle was delivered to Jin Chuchu and Xia Muyao, who were naturally delighted. Even more delighted was the Empress Dowager, who privately speculated that since Lan'er was willing to give away that vixen's things, the vixen probably didn't hold such a high place in Lan'er's heart. Before the Empress Dowager could even rejoice for a moment, Jiang He had already rushed into Murong Junlan's study to report.

"Reporting to Your Highness, the Wubei Kingdom is holding their princess hostage and challenging us outside."

"Your Highness?" Murong Junlan pushed aside the official documents on the table and said expressionlessly, "Let them be, we will not fight."

"Not fight? The princess is in their hands and you're still not fighting? What are we going to do? What are we going to do?" Jiang He was going crazy. So Jiang He stepped forward and added, "Your Highness, that's your princess."

"Hmph, you believe what they say? Are you even my guard? Don't you know whether I have a princess or not?" Murong Junlan moved the official documents that had been pushed aside and started reading them again. Jiang He stood there helplessly, feeling like he was standing on pins and needles, thinking: Whether Your Highness has a princess or not, this humble servant really doesn't know.

"It seems the woman being held captive by the Wubei Kingdom is not my queen, but rather the woman that Guard Jiang admires. She seems quite distracted by her presence," Murong Junlan suddenly remarked after reading Jianzhe for a while.

Jiang He was heartbroken. But as heartbroken as he was, an idea came to him. So he stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Highness is absolutely right. The woman outside is indeed the one I admire. I beg Your Highness to grant my wish."

"Considering you've followed me for so long, I'll help you this time. Go out and take a look." Murong Junlan stood up and walked out.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Jiang He was secretly delighted and immediately followed.

Colorful flags fluttered outside, indicating that the Wubei Kingdom had secretly amassed a considerable military force. Murong Junlan noticed a woman bound hand and foot on a wooden cart next to an enemy general, but due to the distance, she couldn't make out her appearance clearly.

"Your Highness, save me!" The woman seemed to have seen him clearly.

"How is it, Prince Murong? Doesn't it break your heart to see your beloved princess tied up?" the enemy general shouted.

Murong Junlan simply smiled and didn't move.

“We can discuss terms.” The other party seemed confident, believing they had found Murong Junlan’s weakness. “You can pay us tribute every year and become our subjects; otherwise, I will kill her.”

Before the other party could finish speaking, Murong Junlan reined in his horse, appearing to be preparing to return to the city.

The woman panicked upon seeing this and immediately started yelling, "Murong Junlan, you're going to stand by and watch me die! Are you going to abandon me again?"

Murong Junlan was displeased upon hearing this, and he scolded Jiang He, who was standing to the side, "How could you fall for such an ill-mannered person?"

"I know I'm guilty. Please forgive me for offending Your Highness." Jiang Hezhen was sweating for the princess.

"Since she's the one you admire, I'll leave this chance for you to be the hero and save the beauty," Murong Junlan said, then acted as if it were none of his business.

Seeing this, Jiang He was both amused and exasperated, but he had no choice but to take his weapon and step forward to fight.

Seeing that Murong Junlan hadn't personally engaged in battle, but instead sent only a guard, the enemy general began to doubt the woman's claim of being a princess. Thinking further, he reasoned that a prince like Murong Junlan could have any woman he desired; a mere princess wasn't that important. It seemed this move had been a mistake. However, since he was already there, he couldn't simply return. He wanted to at least show Murong Junlan his prowess, so he personally went into battle. Jiang He was defeated after several dozen rounds. At this moment, Murong Junlan rode forward empty-handed. The enemy general, delighted, raised his thunder hammer and swung it down. Murong Junlan's hand moved swiftly, and a thin rope flew out, striking directly at the thunder hammer. Immediately following, with a move called Silver Ring Illusion, he instantly froze both thunder hammers in place.

The enemy general stared at the two massive hammers that hung motionless in mid-air, his mouth agape in astonishment. He had long heard of Murong Junlan's signature move, the Silver Ring Illusion, but had never experienced its power before, leaving him utterly helpless.

"Save him." Murong Junlan looked at Jiang He, who was standing to the side in a daze.

"Yes." Jiang He swiftly rescued the princess, but then he was at a loss for what to do. The princess wanted to ride a horse with him; did he want to lose his head? But it seemed the prince wasn't planning on coming to fetch her. What to do? So Jiang He pretended to faint.

"Useless, 'hero saves the beauty' nonsense." Murong Junlan snapped the still-standing enemy general out of his daze with a slingshot, and in a few moves, he sent the general fleeing. He turned around, lifted Jiang He onto his horse, and then cast a net, trapping the woman inside before retreating to the city.