The carefree sixth prince, my father respectfully invites me to ascend the throne.

"Your Highness, please wait."

Yang Ling, who was about to step out the door, suddenly stopped and turned to look at the distance.

An old man stood at the door, and behind him was a boy who looked like a page.

Yang Ling looked at the old man in front of her with a hint of doubt on her face.

The old man looked very ordinary, and his clothes were tattered, but in Yang Ling's eyes, this man must be a hidden master.

But why did he call out to me?

"Is there something you need, sir?"

Yang Ling stood at the top of the stairs, looking at the old man and said calmly, "Although I don't know what the other party's purpose is, as long as he doesn't have any ill intentions towards me, everything is negotiable."

The old man smiled slightly when he heard Yang Ling's question.

"I have long admired Your Highness's name, so I brought my grandson here to seek refuge with you. I hope Your Highness will accept my grandson."

As soon as the old man spoke, Yang Ling frowned slightly. Wasn't this a bit too casual?

The old man spoke in a tone that was neither humble nor arrogant, and it was clear at a glance that he was no ordinary person, so why did he do this?

The pageboy-like figure behind him must be his grandson.

The child looked imposing and dignified; he was probably not from the countryside and must be from a wealthy and noble family.

Upon seeing this, Yang Ling became even more puzzled. What was the purpose of this person doing this?

"Sir, His Highness has no shortage of people around him. Why don't you take your grandson and find another place?"

Before Yang Ling could speak, Mingyue, who was standing to the side, had already spoken up. She really couldn't stand what these people were doing.

At this moment, the boy knelt down directly in front of Yang Ling.

"Please accept me, Your Highness. I will serve you with my life."

When Yang Ling heard that this young boy actually knew what it meant to be willing to sacrifice one's life for others, a smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Young master, please rise. My guards are all handpicked, the best of the best. Would you be willing to become my bodyguard?"

The young boy was taken aback by Yang Ling's words, then quickly stood up and nodded emphatically.

"Thank you for taking me in, Your Highness."

Yang Ling nodded, and then led the group away in a grand procession.

The old man stood at the entrance of the inn, watching Yang Ling's departing figure, and smiled calmly.

"I really didn't see the wrong person!"

The young man beside the old man remained expressionless, only revealing a slight smile as he left.

……

"Your Highness, this young man seems to be quite extraordinary."

Mingyue and Yang Ling sat in the carriage, their brows furrowing slightly, and they couldn't help but speak up.

Upon hearing this, Yang Ling smiled faintly.

"What's the big deal? He's just a kid. What kind of trouble can he cause?"

Yang Ling didn't take the matter to heart at all. The boy looked to be only a teenager. Could he possibly cause any trouble?

"Your Highness, do not underestimate the other party."

As soon as Mingyue finished speaking, Yang Ling suddenly laughed. He hadn't expected Mingyue to be so sensitive.

"Alright, I know they've come with ill intentions, but it's not a big problem. I've deliberately kept him by my side to see what they're up to."

Yang Ling said this with a smile on her lips.

Seeing his expression, Mingyue didn't say anything more. After all, between the two of them, whatever Yang Ling said was law.

……

After traveling for two days, the group finally arrived at a town on the border of Liangzhou.

Once you leave this place, you'll reach Bingzhou, and from there you can travel south to the Central Plains.

Yang Ling lifted the curtain of the carriage and glanced at the border town. She breathed a slight sigh of relief, finally able to find a place to get a good night's sleep.

"Halt! The city lord has ordered that no one is allowed to enter!"

The convoy had just arrived at the city gate when it was stopped by a guard who refused to let them pass.

Yang Ling stepped down from the carriage with a languid expression on her face.

"I wish to enter the city, but surely the city lord is unwilling?"

Upon hearing Yang Ling's words, the guard's expression immediately became extremely tense, and he looked at Yang Ling with a look of surprise.

"Your Highness..."

Before the other person could finish speaking, Yang Ling interrupted them.

"I don't want to waste words with you. Let your city lord come out and speak to me personally!"

Yang Ling was too lazy to argue with these lowly henchmen, so he simply sat back down in the carriage.

Outside the carriage, the guards stared at the crowd with blank expressions.

Yang Ling's words made the guard very uneasy, and he immediately went to find the city lord.

The guard hurried to the city lord's mansion, but when he came out, his face was rather grim.

"Your Highness, the City Lord is entertaining guests and cannot see you."

The guard approached Yang Ling with his head down, his voice trembling slightly, and Yang Ling's expression showed displeasure.

"What an arrogant attitude! I am a prince, and I have never suffered such humiliation!"

As soon as Yang Ling finished speaking, she glanced at the crowd behind her.

Those men immediately understood and hurriedly unloaded several heavy cannons from the carriage behind them.

These heavy cannons were originally presented by Yang Ling to Emperor Liang, but now it seems they will have to be put to use here.

Upon seeing this, the guard was immediately stunned, looking at Yang Ling as if he were looking at a demon.

What... what is Your Highness trying to do?

"Your Highness, please show mercy!"

Just as Yang Ling was about to use force to rush into the city, a voice suddenly came from the city gate.

Upon hearing this voice, everyone turned to look.

A middle-aged man stood at the city gate with a broad smile, looking at Yang Ling as if he were an old friend.

Yang Ling looked at the person in front of her with disdain, her lips twitching slightly.

"Your Highness, how have you been?"

The middle-aged man cupped his hands in greeting to Yang Ling, a slight smile on his face.

"who are you?"

Yang Ling frowned slightly as he looked at the man in front of him; he sensed that this man was not simple.

The man didn't seem to mind Yang Ling's cold tone, and his face still wore that faint smile.

"I am Yang Cheng, the city lord. Your Highness may never have heard of my name."

The middle-aged man smiled and said to Yang Ling. Seeing the man's calm demeanor, Yang Ling's expression softened considerably.

"So it's Lord Yang. I thought it was someone with such high and mighty attitude who dared to stop me at the city gate."

"Your Highness is too kind. I have just returned from Bingzhou, so..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yang Ling interrupted him.