After her mind was read, the spoiled brat became the darling of the whole group.

Luo Hanfeng and Xie Tongchen led their team out of the city gate in a grand procession.

On the city wall, Prince Junlan Jin and others stood watching the departing army.

Besides the commander-in-chief and deputy commander-in-chief, the rest were a junior general and a team leader, leading a large force of three thousand soldiers.

Below the city walls lay refugees, some lying down, some standing, staring blankly at the soldiers marching menacingly out of the city gates, their faces devoid of any expression.

The people inside and outside the city gates were completely different.

The people inside the city gate were dressed smartly and neatly, with rosy cheeks, while the people outside the city gate had sallow complexions, dirty and disheveled clothes, and were all weak and powerless, leaning against the city wall.

Looking at the people below, Luo Huaichuan's eyes revealed sympathy: "There are more and more refugees, aren't there? If this continues, the people will inevitably rebel. Father, don't you think of a way to solve this problem?"

Jun Lanjin lowered his eyes to look at the refugees below and said, "There is a solution, but it requires His Majesty's approval."

"Moreover, with war approaching, the national treasury will need to allocate funds to soldiers and disaster relief, which will inevitably deplete the treasury and mean that the palace will need to be frugal."

"It's not something that can be resolved with just a few words from you and me."

Luo Huaichuan complained, "The efficiency is too slow. Is there no capable person in the court?"

Jun Lanjin turned around and walked into the city. "Your father is old and likes to raise useless people."

Luo Huaichuan: "..."

He shut up.

the other side.

Xie Xing and the tiger emerged from the back mountain and finally saw the official road.

She stood on the hillside, looking in the direction of the Shengjing city gate.

"I actually traveled this far?"

"They've come from inside the city to outside?"

In that case, the Xie family's secret passage is indeed a good way to escape from the city. If someone commits any crime, they can simply run out through this secret passage to escape the city's blockade and make a quick getaway.

The Xie family is really shrewd; they had already thought of a way out for themselves.

But in the story, after the Xie family's property was raided, why did no one escape through this secret passage?

System: [The Xie family is almost all dead. Xie Ansheng and Madam Xie probably don't want to live anymore. Who would want to escape?]

Some died, some were disabled.

The pampered daughter is a princess of the previous dynasty, and the biological daughter, heartbroken, returns to her foster brother's side. With nothing left, what is the point of living?

He had long been prepared to die.

Xie Xing: Okay.

As she looked around, she suddenly noticed a long procession on the official road heading in her direction.

Xie Xing was startled and looked over there with some confusion: "What's this?"

The system quickly searched for plot details and reported: "The Southern Kingdom has made its move, capturing a city of Chu. The Emperor has ordered Xie Tongchen and Luo Hanfeng to lead troops to retake the city."

Xie Xing's eyes widened.

"Has the plot changed to this extent now?"

[Wait!] The system seemed to have seen something and exclaimed in astonishment: [In today's plot, Xie Mingzhu used a hairpin to stab Xie Yuze to death with her own hands!]

I go!

Xie Xing stumbled and almost fell down the hillside.

"What did you say?" she asked, utterly bewildered.

The system was also shocked.

Xie Mingzhu stabbed Xie Yuze to death with her own hands?!

This character has completely fallen apart, hasn't it?

Is this still the pure and kind-hearted innocent girl from the story?

"You mean, Xie Yuze is dead?" Xie Xing asked in disbelief, looking somewhat dazed.

The plot describes Luo Hanfeng and Xie Mingzhu returning to check Xie Yuze's breathing, only to find he was no longer breathing.

"..."

Xie Xing remained speechless for a long time.

Regardless, Xie Yuze was a living, breathing person in front of her. Although he was wicked and annoying, he was protecting her one second and died the next. Xie Xing couldn't accept it.

She was filled with mixed feelings.

“I didn’t know Xie Yuze for very long. I felt sad when I learned of his death. In the end, he was killed by Xie Mingzhu, with whom I had lived for more than ten years.”

"This……"

Is she human?

Others may not know, but Xie Xing has personally witnessed how the Xie family doted on Xie Mingzhu.

Xie Mingzhu actually did it?!

The system paused for a moment, then said: "So, good intentions can also breed evil."

They had considered that Xie Yuze would die, but both the system and Xie Xing believed that Luo Hanfeng would be the one to kill Xie Yuze. They never expected that Xie Mingzhu would be the one to do it.

"So Xie Yuze is dead now, right?" Xie Xing's expression faltered for a moment. "If the plot has changed now, judging from the order in which the three Xie brothers died, the first one to die is Xie Yuze, who should have died last, then the second one is..."

Xie Tongchen.

The system's mechanical voice carried a complex undertone: "Initially, we had a script from God's perspective, allowing you to know the plot in advance and avoid some harm. However, the plot has changed too drastically. To reconcile these plot points, Heaven has made the process completely different, even though the outcome remains the same."

Be careful.

The system's voice sounded somewhat heavy.

As the group drew closer, Xie Xing pulled Yue Liang and ran into the jungle.

She doesn't know what to do now.

Logically speaking, she has completed one task, leaving only two remaining.

Judging from the current relationship between Luo Hanfeng and Xie Mingzhu, they don't even need her...

"No, of course I need you." The system righteously interrupted Xie Xing's thoughts: "The development of the male and female leads' relationship inevitably requires the female supporting character to interfere, otherwise it will develop to an extent you can't imagine."

[Host, don't forget. Luo Hanfeng already harbored an obsession with you, and in the early part of the story, he was merely exploiting Xie Mingzhu's mindset.]

Now that the two lack scenes of sharing life and death, Xie Mingzhu's unwavering devotion to Luo Hanfeng, and their mutual support, how can their relationship be strengthened?

Xie Xing: "..."

"so?"

The system said: "Therefore, host, you must play the villain and shatter his illusions about you."

[The reason he likes you is undoubtedly because he thinks everything you did to him before was just child's play, trivial and not involving his key interests. He's also a bit twisted and starved for love, so he's attracted to the little tricks you used on Jun Lanjin and hopes you can use the same tactics to please him.]

What you need to do is shatter his illusions.

[Men, once you harm his vital interests, see if he'll still love you, especially for such a selfish person.]

Xie Xing frowned, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Honestly, if it weren't for the mission, she really wouldn't have needed to suddenly target Luo Hanfeng like this.

The system cruelly stated: "But you have to do this to go home and complete your mission. Showing pity for him will only make you suffer. The price for failing your mission is to remain in this world forever, with no chance of resurrection."

Xie Xing thought the system made sense.

She was someone who deserved to die, but luckily she was given a second life.

She hasn't even completed her mission, so what right does she have to sympathize with others?

and so--

Xie Xing asked, "What are his core interests?"