Shocking! Five men are in love with the same woman!

The next morning.

Upon receiving news that Xiao Muyao had gone south to investigate a case, Chu Xiyao went to the palace to request Emperor Jingzhao that he also wanted to go with him.

Chu Xiyao earnestly said to Emperor Jingzhao, "Your Majesty, I will absolutely not cause any trouble this time. I am just bored in the capital and want to go out for a walk. Furthermore, I will not be involved in the affairs of the Great Zhao Kingdom, and I will avoid any suspicion and not participate in anything. I am just taking this opportunity to go out for a trip. Please grant my request, Your Majesty."

Emperor Jingzhao sat on the magnificent dragon throne and frowned slightly upon hearing this.

His gaze fell on Chu Xiyao, who was standing in the prince's palace, and a hint of hesitation and contemplation flashed across his majestic face.

Chu Xiyao remained in the capital as a hostage of Western Chu, and had been behaving himself during this time.

However, this trip to the south to investigate the case is no small matter. If anything goes wrong, it will inevitably cause some unnecessary trouble and diplomatic disputes.

This was no small matter, and he had to consider it carefully.

After pondering for a long time, he sighed and finally made a decision: "I grant you permission to accompany the sixth prince to the south of the Yangtze River, but you must remember your promise and not overstep your bounds in any way."

He ultimately decided to agree to it.

Firstly, the sixth prince, He Jingchuan, and Lu Yanqing are all intelligent and cautious people, and they will definitely be wary of this ninth prince of Western Chu, and will never let him come into contact with confidential matters.

Secondly, there's no need to worry about safety; with such tight security, he won't suffer any losses.

Thirdly, he couldn't refuse the sincere request from the prince of another country.

Since it wasn't a big deal, I simply did as he wished.

Upon hearing this, Chu Xiyao's eyes lit up with joy, and he quickly cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty! I will certainly obey Your Majesty's orders and will never fail Your Majesty's trust."

After leaving the palace, Chu Xiyao went straight to the Crown Prince's residence.

They were leaving tomorrow, and Chu Xiyao came over specifically to explain this to them.

The main purpose was to explain to Lingyan.

Upon arriving at the Crown Prince's residence, Yunmeng met Lingyan, who was instructing Yunmeng to pack her belongings.

That's right, Lingyan is going along too.

After hearing Emperor Jingzhao's decree, Xiao Muyao had already decided to take her there.

Lu Yanqing knew about this matter at the time, which is why he volunteered.

Chu Xiyao volunteered to go today, of course, also for Lingyan's sake.

Neither Xiao Muyao, nor Lu Yanqing, nor Chu Xiyao wanted to endure the pain of unrequited love.

Of course, the same goes for He Jingchuan.

He simply didn't need to actively request his spot; it was already his.

At this moment, Chu Xiyao looked at Ling Yan with eyes full of tenderness.

Lingyan told Yunmeng to step back and stand guard outside the door.

When only the two of them remained in the room, Chu Xiyao looked at Ling Yan with a smug expression and said, "I just went to the palace to request His Majesty to accompany you on your trip to Jiangnan, and His Majesty has agreed."

Ling Yan was somewhat surprised to hear this.

After a little thought, I understood why he did it.

So he smiled and replied, "If that's the case, why don't you go back and pack your luggage?"

Chu Xiyao stepped forward, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her into his embrace, saying affectionately, "I wanted to see you, and also to let you know in advance."

Lingyan raised her hand and gently stroked his back, replying, "You acted first and then told me. If I didn't want you to go, would you really not go?"

Chu Xiyao chuckled and said, "No, I'm definitely going to stick with you."

………………

After Chu Xiyao left the Crown Prince's residence and returned to his own home, he immediately instructed his steward to help him pack his luggage.

He Jingchuan was also preparing to muster his troops, making sure to select the most elite soldiers to accompany him, in order to ensure the safety of this trip to Jiangnan.

Lu Yanqing was also preparing for the personnel that the Shadow Division was going to take away.

Xiao Muyao was also preparing personnel arrangements for this trip south.

Lingyan, however, did nothing after packing her own luggage.

Xiao Muyao's belongings are taken care of by Zhongbo, the steward who watched him grow up.

He also took care of all the items needed for this trip.

Lingyan found peace and tranquility.

With everything prepared, the trip to Jiangnan began promptly early the next morning.

The procession was grand and imposing, with two hundred imperial guards leading the way.

They were clad in armor, wielding long spears, and marching in perfect unison.

Immediately following behind were Xiao Muyao, He Jingchuan, Lu Yan, Xi Yao, and Ling Yan riding horses.

That's right, Lingyan didn't ride in a carriage; she rode horses with them.

The main reason was that this trip was not for sightseeing and the itinerary was very tight. The carriage would have slowed things down, so she rode a horse instead.

She sat upright on horseback, walking side by side with the men around her, without the slightest timidity or coquettishness.

Aside from her and Yunmeng, the two openly acknowledged female relatives, the group also included some women from the secret guards.

In addition to Xiao Muyao's secret guards, Emperor Jingzhao also selected fifty men from his imperial guards to protect Xiao Muyao.

In addition, there are He Jingchuan's bodyguards and Chu Xiyao's bodyguards.

Following behind them were the officials who had come with them to investigate the case, as well as several members of the Crown Prince's team.

Behind them were some Shadow Envoys and their personal servants.

Further on were the horse-drawn carriages carrying everyone's luggage.

And finally, there was the army that brought up the rear.

However, they did not appear openly, but followed secretly.

After traveling for two days, the group had covered a hundred li (approximately 50 kilometers).

As night fell, the group arrived at a post station and decided to rest there for the night.

Although their group was large, they were very orderly, each performing their duties without any sign of disorder.

Those who were to have their meals fed, those who were to feed the horses fed, and those who were to arrange their lodgings arranged their lodgings.

Some are keeping watch outside, while others are resting.

After having dinner with the others, Lingyan returned to her room with Xiao Muyao to rest.

As soon as I entered, someone knocked on the door and came in.

It turned out to be Chu Xiyao.

Chu Xiyao seemed to have something to say, and he even invited He Jingchuan and Lu Yanqing to join in.

After everyone had arrived, Chu Xiyao closed the door.

Then he looked at the group with a very serious and solemn expression.

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat solemn and formal.

He then stared intently at the group and began to speak.

His voice was deep and sincere, and every word seemed to have been carefully considered: "I know I am from another country, so it is normal that you are wary and suspicious of me and do not fully trust me. I do not blame you. But I can assure you that I have no other intentions. The only reason I stayed in Da Zhao is because my beloved is here."

None of the four spoke upon hearing this.

Lingyan and the others actually wanted to trust him completely.

They certainly knew why Chu Xiyao stayed in Dazhao and why he had come with them on this trip to Jiangnan.

They had no doubt about these two points.

However, national interests come first.

Therefore, both before and after the departure, the four of them remained wary of him.

This vigilance isn't about being wary of him personally, but rather about being wary of him out of necessity.

Because it involves countries, they cannot fully trust someone from another country.

It would be even more impossible for him to participate in politics or to know anything about national affairs.

This is a very normal and basic thing.

Chu Xiyao certainly noticed it.

To be honest, he completely understands.

Because he would have done the same if he were in his shoes.

Understanding is one thing, but feeling sad is another.

He really didn't want to be isolated from them forever, as if he were far away from them, as if he were an outsider.

That's why he wanted to have an open and honest talk with them.

Seeing their silence, he solemnly and sincerely continued to assure them: "You don't need to be so wary of me. I have no interest in knowing about your Great Zhao. Moreover, I can guarantee that I will not betray Western Chu, betray my royal brother, harm the land and people of Western Chu, or tell you anything that would harm the interests of Western Chu. Otherwise, I will be completely open with you."