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

"Cough cough cough."

Chao Le was lifted up by Luo Hanfeng by the collar. His face was bruised and swollen, and blood trickled from the corner of his lips. After coughing twice, he looked at Luo Hanfeng with a mocking expression.

"Hahahahaha."

He laughed.

"You? A lowly bastard, who would want to be your princess consort... Ugh!"

Before he could finish speaking, Luo Hanfeng suddenly grabbed Chao Le by the neck.

His voice was suddenly cut off, his eyes bulged, he opened his mouth, and his face turned extremely red due to difficulty breathing.

"You're courting death." Luo Hanfeng's eyes were filled with murderous intent.

"Han Feng?" Xie Mingzhu, standing not far away, stared blankly at Luo Han Feng. At this moment, Luo Han Feng was like a god of death, and just looking at him was terrifying.

What are they talking about?

Xie Mingzhu could hardly believe her ears.

How can this be?

"Hey!" Just then, the concubine pulled Xie Mingzhu close, holding a dagger to Xie Mingzhu's neck, and shouted, "Release our prince immediately, or I'll kill this woman!"

Luo Hanfeng paused, his hand, which was about to snap Chao Le's neck.

He slowly turned his head to look at Xie Mingzhu.

Xie Mingzhu was looking sadly at Luo Hanfeng with her tear-filled autumn eyes.

For a fleeting moment, Luo Hanfeng felt a surge of resentment.

Who cares whether this woman lives or dies?

Anyone who dares to mess with him will die!

However, a last shred of reason ultimately made Luo Hanfeng stop; until he ascended the throne, his life was not truly his own.

If one loses sight of the bigger picture due to momentary impulse, all previous efforts will have been in vain.

Luo Hanfeng released Chao Le's neck, straightened his body, and all the murderous aura he had exuded vanished in an instant. He tucked his hands into his sleeves, a slight smile playing on his handsome, thin lips. He kicked Chao Le, who had been beaten to death, to the ground, and looked gently at the beautiful concubine:

"Then, I'll give you a chance."

"Give me the man, and I'll spare your prince's life."

The beautiful concubine was clearly frightened by Luo Hanfeng's move just now, especially since the man's expression changed in an instant.

She gripped the dagger tightly, swallowed nervously, and said, "Let our prince come over first!"

Luo Hanfeng's smile turned cold: "You are not qualified to negotiate with me."

The concubine remained silent, but instead brought the dagger even closer to Xie Mingzhu's neck. The sharp dagger sliced ​​through Xie Mingzhu's slender neck, and blood immediately began to flow from the thin cut.

Xie Mingzhu winced in pain. She bit her thin lips, and tears streamed down her face. A tear fell onto the dagger, where it split the tear in two with a soft thud, leaving a water droplet on the ground.

Luo Hanfeng's eyes showed even more impatience.

But he compromised; he took two steps back, distancing himself from Chao Le.

Seeing that this tactic was effective, the concubine's eyes lit up. She moved the dagger away from Xie Mingzhu's neck slightly, turned to the two guards beside her, and said, "Hurry up and bring His Highness here!"

Upon seeing this, the two guards immediately jogged forward and helped the disheveled Chao Le to her feet.

“Person.” Luo Hanfeng looked coldly at the beautiful concubine.

Upon seeing this, the concubine immediately pushed Xie Mingzhu forward.

Xie Mingzhu stumbled at first, then immediately ran towards Luo Hanfeng.

Just as she was about to pass by Chao Le, Chao Le, who was being supported by guards and was half-dead, suddenly grabbed Xie Mingzhu's arm, turned around, and threw a hidden weapon from her sleeve at Luo Hanfeng.

The hidden weapon was thrown at Luo Hanfeng's forehead at extremely high speed. Just as Luo Hanfeng was about to dodge, Chao Le struck Xie Mingzhu in the back with a palm.

"what!"

Xie Mingzhu screamed, which distracted Luo Hanfeng, who was unable to dodge in time and was stabbed in the left shoulder by a hidden weapon.

Xie Mingzhu was also pushed towards Luo Hanfeng with a palm strike, and fell onto Luo Hanfeng.

Luo Hanfeng caught Xie Mingzhu first. His eyes turned cold, and just as he was about to use his internal energy to attack, he felt a sharp pain in his chest and then spat out a mouthful of black blood.

"Your Highness!"

The beautiful concubine ran towards Chao Le and shielded her behind her.

"Hmph!" Chao Le snorted coldly, straightened up, and looked at Luo Hanfeng with icy eyes: "You have been poisoned by me. As long as you circulate your internal energy, the poison will take effect."

"Isn't it because you're so skilled in martial arts that you act so arrogantly in front of me?"

"now what?"

"Let's see how arrogant you can be now?"

"Hanfeng!" Xie Mingzhu endured the sharp pain in her back and helped Luo Hanfeng up.

Luo Hanfeng's lips had begun to turn bluish-black, and the excruciating pain from the poison in his body left him slumped over Xie Mingzhu.

Xie Mingzhu was at a loss and could only use all her strength to support Luo Hanfeng.

"Take them away from me!"

Chao Le snorted coldly and gave the order.

"Yes!"

Just as the guards behind them were about to take the two away, in a moment of crisis, two arrows came out of nowhere and struck the ground in front of Xie Mingzhu and Luo Hanfeng, forcing the guards back.

"I'll see who dares!"

Xie Tongchen arrived late on his steed, still holding a bow and arrow. When he reached the two men, he jumped off his horse and stood in front of them.

"Xie Tongchen?" Chao Le's expression changed.

He thought it was the Chu army catching up, and looked behind Xie Tongchen, but he didn't see the army behind him.

Chao Le narrowed his eyes for a moment, then smiled and said, "You alone?"

Xie Tongchen noticed Xie Mingzhu first. She was in a terrible state, her eyes were swollen from crying, her hair was disheveled, and her face was pale and fragile, like a small white flower that had been ravaged.

Xie Mingzhu had never suffered like this before. Now, she had gone from being a pampered young lady who should have been loved and cherished to being like this. How could Xie Tongchen not feel sad?

How can I not feel heartbroken?

A deep pity flashed in his eyes as he turned and looked coldly at Chao Le and the others: "Even I alone can capture you!"

"Haha, what a joke!"

Chao Le chuckled coldly twice.

Although he intended to escape the city, he was followed by hundreds of elite soldiers, making him no less fearsome than Luo Hanfeng and Xie Tongchen.

If he hadn't been careless and genuinely thought Luo Hanfeng was a good-for-nothing, allowing Luo Hanfeng to succeed, then even if Luo Hanfeng were incredibly powerful, he wouldn't have been able to fight against hundreds of elite soldiers by himself.

Today, no one can take Xie Mingzhu away!

The elite soldiers behind Chao Le raised their swords and slowly surrounded her.

Countless elite soldiers were eyeing Xie Tongchen with predatory intent.

Xie Tongchen gripped his sword tightly, his eyes filled with bloodlust.

He turned around, about to tell Xie Mingzhu to go first, but saw that Xie Mingzhu didn't say a word, completely disregarding his life and death, and pulled Luo Hanfeng onto the horse he had just ridden, and galloped away.

Xie Tongchen: "..."

Xie Tongchen's expression was unusually blank.

It was a childlike, clear-headed confusion.