The Princess Cannot Escape: The Cunning Prince Is Not to Be Messed With

Chapter 44 Chat Partner

Xiahou Ying's face remained expressionless throughout, as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary.

She suddenly began to wonder if he had experienced this before.

What has he been through?

Is this what it means to be in a position of power...?

Can one treat human lives as worthless and continue fighting bloody battles without batting an eye in pursuit of a grand ambition?

Even if it means losing the hearts of the people, will you still strive to gain control of this land?

What use is such a country?

Yin Quan did not continue thinking about it.

When she was with Xiahou Ying, she always tried her best to avoid thinking about these issues. But some things are simply unavoidable.

He is at the center of a power storm, destined to one day wield immense power and wield absolute authority. If he does not fight for it, he may one day be trampled into the mud by the iron heel of regime change, never to recover.

This is the instinct of those in power, and also their helplessness.

"Wei Jun, give her the antidote." With that, Xiahou Ying turned around with his hands behind his back.

Having received the order, Wei Jun tossed a brown porcelain bottle to Lian Hongling, who caught it but remained standing in the same spot.

“If you are going to the Mongol tribe, I can be your guide.”

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Ying remained silent.

Seeing that he remained silent, Lian Hongling said again, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness!" Then she disappeared from everyone's sight like a blazing flame.

"Master, do you really intend to let Lian Hongling go with us?" Wei Jun frowned as he looked at Xiahou Ying, a hint of displeasure on his face.

"The journey to the Mongol tribe is fraught with peril, so having several people familiar with the route wouldn't be a bad idea," Xiahou Ying said expressionlessly, seemingly deep in thought.

“Yes, yes, I think it’s good too. And that girl not only has a good figure and a pretty face, but she can also control poisonous bees. In the end, it’s like having an extra helper, right, Pang Ban?” Yin Quan nodded and rubbed his hands together, his interest high.

When she called on him, Pang Ban was taken aback at first, then pursed his lips and was about to nod in agreement, but was unexpectedly glared at by Wei Jun's sharp gaze.

Uh……

The dark-faced guard, Pang Ban, was suddenly faced with a difficult choice.

Lian Hongling met up with the group in Tangshan Town three days later. With an extra woman in the group, the group was noticeably more lively than usual. At least, Yin Quan had someone else to gossip about. Compared to Xiahou Ying's perpetually expressionless face, she preferred Lian Hongling's face, which always responded enthusiastically to whatever she said.

"I feel like Wei Jun really dislikes me. What do you think?" That day, when the group was resting by the roadside, Lian Hongling frowned and looked at Yin Quan.

"Actually, I think he likes you a little." Taking a bite of her steamed bun, Yin Quan tilted her head and glanced at Wei Jun.

"Wh-what? Don't make fun of me!" Startled, Lian Hongling slapped Yin Quan on the back, almost making her vomit the steamed bun she had just swallowed.

After patting her chest to catch her breath for a while, Yin Quan was on the verge of tears.

This girl is truly a martial arts practitioner... her grip is incredibly strong...

"What's with the teasing? Men are actually more hypocritical than women. The more dishonest they are with their mouths, the more honest their actions are." Yin Quan said, shaking the half-eaten steamed bun in her hand. Her serious expression left Lian Hongling stunned.

She clearly hadn't imagined that such a theory actually existed in the world.

This was so different from the education she had received within her tribe, so new! So daring!

"Don't be fooled by his bad first impression of you and his apparent dislike for you. He's just shy!" As she spoke, Yin Quan reached out her left hand and pinched Lian Hongling's chin, looking her up and down. She continued, "An oval face, a high nose, and fiery red lips—such a classic mature woman's face. Apart from a cold and aloof man like Xiahou Ying, and a blind man, what man wouldn't be attracted to you? Most of them would just have the desire but not the courage. After all, your martial arts skills are quite good. Just based on that alone, many men can only look on with envy."

Feeling her opinion, Lian Hongling blushed and gently brushed away Yin Quan's hand.

In the past eighteen years, she had never been praised like this. She had no parents and did not know who her biological parents were. From the time she could remember, she had been brought out of the slums by the clan elders and trained to be a warrior of the clan.

Twelve years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Twelve years later, a coup d'état occurred in the Meng tribe, and the Dongling clan chief was killed. She and other warriors led their people south in escape. Along the way, many clansmen succumbed to their injuries or contracted plague. They finally reached the heart of the Central Plains, but of the original nearly a thousand clansmen, only about six hundred remained. Of those, only about one hundred were capable of fighting.

Only as a last resort did she think of Prince Duan, Xiahou Ying.

Little did she expect that her impulsiveness would nearly ruin the future of her people. Fortunately, she met Yin Quan.

Hearing his name from afar, Wei Jun, who was inspecting the carriage with Pang Ban, frowned but did not look in the direction of the two women.

Xiahou Ying, however, subtly raised his gaze and glanced at him before lowering his eyes again.

Gu Lounan had been silent for some time, which made him somewhat concerned.

It's so quiet... unusually quiet...

Thinking of this, Xiahou Ying turned his gaze to look at Yin Quan.

On the one hand, he hoped that Gu Lounan would take some action, but on the other hand, he didn't want him to cause any trouble at this time.

He didn't want to see her get hurt.

I never want that...

In a villa garden ten miles outside Danqu County, Gu Lounan, dressed in a purple and gold brocade robe, was leisurely sliding the lid of a blue and white porcelain cup in his hand.

"Fang Qinshi, it's been ten days. Have you made up your mind? Although I have plenty of patience, I can't waste this time on something that won't lead anywhere..." As he spoke, his wrist suddenly stopped. At the same time, two shirtless, burly men each led five vicious dogs into the courtyard. Instantly, the barking of the dogs filled the air, making people's scalps tingle and their limbs go numb.

"Besides, they've been hungry for ten days..." Gu Lounan smiled, speaking slowly as if he were talking about something trivial.

Qin Chang'an stood motionless at the other end of the garden, his fair face expressionless.

Her calm gaze swept over the drooling, foul-smelling hunting dogs, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on her lips.

“I hate being threatened the most…” Raising her eyebrows, she looked at Gu Lounan, speaking each word clearly and forcefully.

Upon hearing this, Gu Lounan met her gaze, his expression unchanged, but suddenly raised his arm.

Seeing this, the two burly men leading the vicious dog obeyed the order and retreated. The garden remained quiet as usual, as if nothing had happened.

“Now that it’s just the two of us here, you can name your terms.” Looking directly into Qin Chang’an’s dark, cold eyes, as black as the night sky, Gu Lou’nan said, placing his teacup on the low pear wood table beside him, and standing up with his arms outstretched.

"I only need one person." Meeting his gaze, Qin Chang'an spoke without hesitation.

After a full month, Xiahou Ying and his party finally arrived at Santong County, the closest county to Luming Mountain.

Shen Xin's troops, the northern border guards, were stationed at the foot of Santong Mountain, 600 li north of Santong County.

Leaving Yin Quan, Pang Ban, and Lian Hongling in Santong County, Xiahou Ying took only Wei Jun and rode off to the garrison of the Northern Army that same day.

Gazing at the figure in white robes, as if bathed in the moonlight, Yin Quan pursed her lips and looked at Pang Ban, saying, "He only brought Wei Jun with him, is that alright?"

"Please rest assured, Miss Yin, my master can protect himself." Pang Ban replied in a deep voice, his lips barely moving.

Although they spent a lot of time together along the way, he still couldn't understand this master's thought process.

The person who needs the most protection here is clearly herself... yet she still has the mind to worry about others.

Can't understand...

Her master intentionally kept him here to protect her; how could she not understand her master's good intentions...?

Thinking this, Pang Ban felt a suffocating tightness in his chest, as if a boulder were being crushed, and he had no way to relieve it for a while.

Noticing the subtle frustration in Pang Ban's eyes, Yin Quan pursed her lips, her fingers tightening around the hem of her clothes.

She knew perfectly well what the dark-faced guard was thinking, but she simply couldn't control her emotions. She understood Xiahou Ying's immense power and unshakeable strength, but the more so, the more uneasy she felt. It was like looking up at a high mountain but not being able to see its peak, with only heavy clouds and mist swirling around her, creating a confusing and unpredictable scene.

Yin Quan only slowly withdrew her gaze after that snow-white garment had completely disappeared from sight.

After a day of galloping, Xiahou Ying and Wei Jun finally arrived at the Northern Garrison Camp as the sun began to set. After showing their tokens to the guards, they dismounted and entered. Along the way, they saw countless wounded soldiers; most would not be able to return to the battlefield anytime soon. With his thin lips pressed together, just as Xiahou Ying and Wei Jun reached the commander's camp, Shen Xin, with his full beard, strode out to greet them.

His gaze swept over the dark cloak, its surface bloodshot and a corner of it flared by fire. Xiahou Ying nodded slightly and followed him into the tent.

"This humble general has failed in his duty to defend the border, and it is a great disgrace that Your Highness has personally gone to the northern border!" As soon as he entered the tent, Shen Xin was about to kneel down to beg for forgiveness, but Xiahou Ying stopped him.

“The map being stolen is not General Shen’s fault. The most urgent task is to defend Luming Mountain and ensure that Luming Pass is not lost again.” Xiahou Ying said in a deep voice, holding Shen Xin’s arms.

"Your Highness is absolutely right. I was out of line." After a brief pause, Shen Xin stood up.

Two men stood on either side of him. The two men on the left were the general and deputy general guarding Luming Pass, while the two men on the right were the deputy general guarding the north and the former general in charge of Tiantong Pass.

The four men bowed to Xiahou Ying in unison. The atmosphere in the tent was somber, and the soldiers looked ashen-faced, clearly finding it hard to accept the reality of their crushing defeat.

"If it weren't for the traitors on our three border passes, our three armies would not have suffered repeated defeats! My two brothers would not have..." Before he could finish speaking, General Dong Kui, the commander of Tiantong Pass, roared and slammed his hand on the low table, breaking the dark chestnut wood table in two with a "crack".

"I've heard that the Mongol army of Charhan entered the pass directly through a secret passage?" Ignoring Dong Kui's slightly indignant emotions, Xiahou Ying raised his chin and looked around at everyone present.

"That's right. The Mongolian grasslands are separated from our three border passes by a Gobi Desert. The Gobi is prone to storms and tornadoes, and the climate is extremely unpredictable. There is only one relatively stable road. When Charkhan was alive, the Mongolian tribe and our tribe were on good terms, so we traded with each other. After the coup in the Mongolian tribe, that secret passage was blocked by people and animals. But in fact, there is another secret passage through the Gobi to enter our three passes in the Central Plains. That secret passage has never appeared on widely used maps, but is tattooed on the bodies of several of our border garrison commanders."

As Shen Xin spoke, his gaze gradually dimmed.

Noticing the glint in his eyes, Xiahou Ying raised an eyebrow and slowly asked, "Is one of them Lu Xun, the King of the North?"

Upon hearing this, the previously excited soldiers suddenly fell silent, their expressions varying.