The eldest daughter's scheming, the crown prince's exclusive favor to the venomous concubi

Chang Le's tone carried some emotion; her body trembled, and the light in her eyes dimmed with anger, then turned into pleading and despair due to anxiety.

Bai Rufeng watched Chang Le vent her emotions quietly. When Chang Le finally had nothing more to say, he sighed, took Chang Le's hand and said, "Your goods have been safely delivered. I kept you here only because I wanted you to stay with me a little longer. Are you really that sad?"

If that's the case, I'll send you and your loved one together. However, I hope you can accept my feelings for you as soon as possible. After all, ten years of protection is not a short time for me, and I don't have the patience to continue protecting you.

So don't wait until I make the most decisive choice, Chang Le. I'm not a child. I know what I want. And you should also think about whether my shadow is more or less behind your silence on your future all these years.

If you're trying to use Lu Nianzhe to reject me, then you should also think about who you thought about most when you left. Was it Lu Nianzhe? Or me, Bai Rufeng? I'm not in a hurry for an answer, but I won't wait too long either. So, you need to think it over carefully, think it over diligently. Once this shipment reaches its destination, I will come looking for you.

As Bai Rufeng spoke, she waved her hand, and the outer door suddenly opened. The person who had brought her here came in and bowed to them. Bai Rufeng then turned and went back to the backyard. The person walked to her side and said to Chang Le, "Please, young lady, I will escort you away from the desert."

As Chang Le watched Bai Rufeng disappear, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her heart. However, the feeling came and went quickly, leaving her no time to think it over. With her heart filled with worry for the caravan, she turned and left without a trace of lingering affection.

Watching Chang Le leave, Zhou Bumu sneered, "Is this how fast you chase women? You've been here day and night for several days and still haven't managed to win her over? It seems I really overestimated you."

Bai Rufeng smiled faintly, turned around and began packing his bags, saying, "You don't need to worry about that. You just need to take care of the one in your family."

Zhou Bumu sneered: "Do you think I care about meddling? If it weren't for her wanting you to see the clouds clear soon, I wouldn't bother getting involved. Today, as we enter the desert, we'll likely encounter sandstorms. You'd better be prepared, otherwise, when the sun sets and the sandstorm descends, even a great immortal might not escape death."

Bai Rufeng nodded: "Thank you for your advice. Don't worry, I have my own plans."

Zhou Bumu said, "That would be best, so I wouldn't have to burn paper money for you at your funeral and watch someone cry. I hate seeing her tears the most."

Bai Rufeng Xiaodao: "You have things you hate now, but are you still the same cold-blooded and ruthless General Zhou who only knew how to kill?"

Zhou Bumu said, "I dare not accept the title of general. When we were defeated in the Battle of Mobei, my father had already retired from the army and returned to his hometown. When the Qilin Pavilion occupied Mobei, I was merely fulfilling my father's last wish. Although Mobei is not now returned to its rightful owner, it is still under the control of the Qilin Pavilion, and the people are living in peace and prosperity. My father's last wish can also be fulfilled. Why would I still want to kill people and seize lost territory?"

Bai Rufeng nodded, slung his bag over his shoulder, and said, “This is also why I don’t like being the emperor. This position not only binds your mind, but also your soul, crushing you step by step. Therefore, I hope that Lord Zhou will carefully assist the current young emperor and not let him lose this position. You should know that it takes a lot of capital for the Qilin Pavilion to support an emperor.”

As he spoke, he nodded to Zhou Bumu, turned and left. Zhou Bumu spat and said, "Go on, and don't come back, lest I, as your brother-in-law, have to worry about you again."

Bai Rufeng said, "Of course I'll come back. This is such a good place to retire. I'll stay here for at least ten or twenty years. Tell Ruyu that my house is all cleaned up. I'll be back to get married in less than six months."

Chang Le was escorted into the desert, and the guide told everyone about the weather conditions. Chang Le gritted his teeth and said angrily, "It's all his fault. Otherwise, how could we have encountered such weather?"

The man escorting Chang Le was named Wu Zheng. He said, "That day, the young lady wanted to leave with the goods, but she did not expect the sandstorm. That's why you stopped her at that time. Please don't wrong the young lady."

Chang Le raised an eyebrow: "I wronged him? Then why did my men leave but not me? Now that I'm being sent away, and we're caught in this sandstorm, isn't that his fault?"

Wu Zheng smiled and said, "The caravan was actually supposed to leave today, but you were reluctant to let the young lady go, so you made her miss the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Now the caravan is ahead, and as long as we speed up our journey, we will be able to reach our destination before nightfall."

Chang Le was taken aback: "You mean the caravan only left today? How can that be? My goods are due within half a month, and they've only left now, causing a delay of four days. How can I deliver on time? Wouldn't that damage the reputation of my Liusha Pavilion? How can this be allowed?"

She suddenly stood up, mounted the camel, and said, "Move faster. I need to meet up with the caravan within an hour and then find a way to deal with this."

Wu Zheng then stood up and said, "Don't worry, young lady, there's still time."

"In time? How could you possibly make it? Do you really have any control over how long it takes to travel through the desert?"

Wu Zheng said, "Miss, the sandstorms have a time limit. As long as we know its trajectory, we can enter and exit the desert as quickly as possible. This way, we can save more than just a day or two. Our guide is the most famous guide in our Qilin Pavilion. As long as he takes us, he will definitely get us out of the desert within seven days. At that time, we only need to send a fast horse. Why worry about the goods arriving late, Miss?"

As he spoke, he boarded a camel, and the caravan quickly set off. However, the guide was not in a hurry to continue as Chang Le had expected. In the end, they met up with the caravan before sunset, leaving Chang Le feeling very frustrated.

Seeing that Chang Le was unhappy, Caiyun stepped forward and asked, "Why are you unhappy, Pavilion Master?"

Chang Le suddenly looked up at her indifferently and said, "How can I be happy? Am I happy that you sold me to that scoundrel? Caiyun, tell me, whose person are you really? Were you also placed by his side?"

Caiyun was startled and quickly shook her head, saying, "What are you saying, Pavilion Master? How could I be his person? When you first came to Liusha, I was serving the original Pavilion Master. But in all these years, Pavilion Master has been working hard to develop Liusha Pavilion. Have you forgotten the great benefactor who helped us behind the scenes?"

Chang Le frowned, and after a moment said, "You mean the person who has been helping us all along is him?"

It was obvious who "he" was referring to. Caiyun nodded and whispered, "Back when I found out that someone was secretly helping our Quicksand, didn't the Pavilion Master ask me to investigate? But no matter how much we investigated, we couldn't find out who this person was."

Chang Le nodded: "Indeed, it's not just your side, but also the hiring of others is a mystery. At first, we thought someone was trying to confuse us and prevent us from finding out. Now that we think about it, it was all Qilin Pavilion's doing. After all, only Qilin Pavilion can use so many connections to hide their identities."

Caiyun said, "So, I was so frustrated because I couldn't find out anything after searching so many times. So I didn't tell you, Pavilion Master. After I found out where they were staying, I went there by myself."

Upon hearing this, Chang Le immediately slapped her and said, "You're too bold. You dare to do this without knowing whether they're good or bad people? Do you really have a death wish?"

Caiyun rubbed her aching head and pouted, "I know I was wrong. I had someone hold me down right then and there. That brat! He grabbed me and took me to his master."

Caiyun pointed at Wu Zheng, who was discussing the route with the guide, and then gritted her teeth and said, "Don't let his upright appearance fool you, he's actually quite cunning. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have become that person's spy, specifically to deliver your messages to the Pavilion Master."

Chang Le raised an eyebrow, her eyes gleaming with malice: "So you betrayed your beloved master and sided with someone else? Caiyun, your loyalty makes me question it. I think I need to replace you with a different maid."

Caiyun quickly grabbed Chang Le's arm and said coquettishly, "Sect Master, please don't! I had no choice!"

You have no idea what that person and I talked about, so much so that I was completely confused. In the end, I was brainwashed. I really didn't mean to betray you, Master, really, but that person seems to genuinely like you.

When I agreed to his request, I wasn't serious. I just wanted to escape. But little by little, I realized that he really didn't intend to kill me. He just wanted me to keep sending him messages.

For example, what time you eat, what time you sleep, what time you check the accounts, what time you go to the shops to investigate, what time you go to the toilet... Oh dear, Master, why did you hit me?

Caiyun felt extremely wronged after being beaten. She knew that it wasn't good to betray the sect leader and tip others off, but what could she do? She was completely controlled by others, and there was nothing she could do!

Chang Le was being meticulously counted by Cai Yun on her fingers, detailing exactly what messages she had passed to Bai Rufeng. Enraged, Chang Le slapped Cai Yun again. But as soon as the slap landed, Cai Yun gasped in surprise, only to see Wu Zheng standing beside her, looking at her with anxious eyes: "What's wrong? Sect Leader, why did you hit her?"

Chang Le was taken aback. She glanced at Cai Yun, whose face had suddenly flushed red, and the result was obvious. Chang Le sighed and said, "A daughter is like a tree that cannot be kept at home. If you keep her, she will end up in someone else's house. She has a heart that is not with her master. It really breaks my heart."

As she spoke, Chang Le looked melancholy and sad, which made Cai Yun almost cry.