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

Chapter 87 seems to be at odds

Frowning, Yin Quan took quite a while to adjust to the environment in the cave.

Although this place can be called a cave, it is actually the very bottom of a sinkhole.

Looking up, one sees countless gnarled roots climbing up the rocks, winding like snakes, layer upon layer, covered with undulating vines and leaves. The color gradually lightens from bottom to top, making one feel as if they are inside the lungs of some kind of giant beast, which makes one's scalp tingle.

Narrowing her eyes, Jiang Huan pursed her lips and let out a cold snort.

"I don't see anything special about it. Are you old folks getting blind and confused?" she said, her words dripping with sarcasm, as if she didn't take the white-haired old men beside her seriously at all.

"Master Jiang, today is a joint meeting of the three manors. It's best not to speak too definitively, lest it cause embarrassment later." The old man in the iron-blue robe flicked his wide sleeves and coldly replied, his old face revealing undisguised anger.

"Gentlemen, whether this person is special or not, we'll only know after trying. The three of us shouldn't fight amongst ourselves here. If the Gu family hears this, we'll inevitably become a laughingstock." The gray-robed old man spoke slowly, his tone calm, his wrinkled eyelids drooping slightly, revealing no emotion.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan and Tie Wantong both fell silent, their faces darkening as they remained silent.

Hearing the three arguing, Yin Quan was puzzled.

I can't see anything special about it...

Could that person who "doesn't seem special" be referring to her?

Why did she want these people to feel "special"...?

The more she thought about it, the more clueless she became, which only made her more confused. After much thought, only one thought remained in her mind: she hoped that Xiahou Ying would find this place soon and wipe out all these self-righteous martial arts masters.

Seeing that both of them had cold faces, Ba Shanyu smiled and walked over to Yin Quan.

"I am Ba Shanyu, the master of Fengyun Manor. Young lady, you have been frightened."

"Never heard of it." Yin Quan replied after frowning and thinking for a while.

As if she hadn't expected this reaction, Ba Shanyu's slightly narrowed eyelids lifted a little, and then she quickly burst into laughter.

"Miss Yin is quite witty."

"Uh... I'm not funny, I really haven't heard of it." Yin Quan blinked, a little confused.

Seeing that she had no intention of deceiving him, Ba Shanyu was genuinely surprised this time.

The woman Gu Lounan had taken a liking to was someone even the four great martial arts sects in the Jianghu had never heard of...

That's quite interesting.

"Heh, never heard of it..." Jiang Huan snorted dismissively, pacing back and forth in front of Yin Quan, clearly not believing her.

"Whether you believe it or not, it's the truth, and I have no reason to lie to you." Staring at her face, which already showed some signs of aging, Yin Quan spoke dryly.

Older women are not annoying; it's the self-righteous older women who are annoying!

"The truth? Ha! Our four great manors are renowned throughout the martial world! Don't blame me for not warning you..."

Hahaha, hahaha my ass! You must have sinusitis acting up again!

With a cold squint, Yin Quan pouted and said, "Oh ho, quite the reputation. I'm sorry, I'm so ignorant."

"You!" Jiang Huanqing shouted angrily, raising her hand, but was stopped by Ba Shanyu.

"In my opinion, she really doesn't know."

"Bashan Yu, I've always been puzzled. You used to have close ties with the Gu family, so why are you suddenly cooperating with us this time?" Jiang sneered and turned to the gray-robed old man, arms crossed, a cold and aggressive look in his eyes.

"Master Gu has a wife but no children, and his only daughter died young. In the past, when Brother Gu was young, he was able to manage the important affairs of the manor. Now he is suffering from a serious illness, and his condition is critical. I'm afraid he won't survive this month. The demise of the Gu family is the will of Heaven, and I am merely following the will of Heaven." Speaking calmly and unhurriedly, Ba Shanyu seemed completely ignoring Jiang Huan's aggressive and hostile attitude.

"That's nice to say!"

Listening to this latest round of arguments, Yin Quan rolled her eyes, feeling utterly speechless.

Inside the Prince Duan's residence, Xiahou Ying, who was in the study with Song Chen and Gu Lounan, felt an itch on his nose.

"Lord Song, this matter has nothing to do with you, you don't need to blame yourself." Xiahou Ying turned around with his hands behind his back and spoke in a deep voice, then quickly turned his gaze to Gu Lounan and continued, "Does the Imperial Advisor have any clues about this?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Lounan raised his thick, dark eyebrows that slanted upwards towards his temples, shrugged, and replied, "Yes, there is, but please forgive me for not telling you for now."

Xiahou Ying narrowed his dark eyes, pursed his lips, and his expression suddenly turned cold, startling Song Chen who was standing beside him. The person dressed in a crimson robe, however, remained unusually calm, seemingly completely unaware of the sudden, chilling atmosphere.

"It is now past the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), and the edict to depose the Crown Prince and establish a new heir will be issued at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM) today. Your Highness, as a prince, should prioritize the affairs of the state."

Gu Lounan's voice was flat and steady, and his attitude was respectful, a stark contrast to his usual playful and cynical demeanor.

The gaze settled on him, Xiahou Ying's eyes were clear and intimidating. Although he did not utter a word at this moment, he had an unstoppable sharp aura.

"How can the mere position of Crown Prince compare to her?"

After a brief silence, Xiahou Ying moved his lips and walked towards Gu Lounan, stopping only when he was right in front of him. He continued, "Are they the Four Great Manors?"

Unaffected by the overwhelming and swift aura emanating from the person before him, Gu Lounan, with his hands in his sleeves, suddenly curled his lips after a long while: "To abandon the country for a woman, this is not the behavior of a prince..." He spoke slowly and deliberately, then paused and nodded: "That's right, it's them."

Hearing Gu Lounan's affirmative answer, Xiahou Ying pursed his lips, glanced at the old minister Song Chen who had remained silent since the beginning, and said in a deep voice, "Lord Song, there is something I must convey to you..."

Upon hearing this, Song Chen twitched the lip line behind his gray beard. Although he hesitated, he ultimately failed to speak.

The Prince Duan's attitude was already clear, and anything he said at this point would be a waste of breath, so he could only respond respectfully.

At the bottom of the sinkhole, the argument between the three owners continued.

Despite the fierce argument among the three, Yin Quan still managed to glean a general idea: the head of Chonglou Manor, the most prominent of the four major manors, was nearing the end of his life, and the coveted title of manor lord was uncertain. To prevent Gu Lounan, the illegitimate son of the Gu family, from making any moves, the three manor lords had deliberately kidnapped her as a hostage.

Damn...

A thousand mythical beasts roared through Yin Quan's mind, leaving him feeling very depressed.

These people are really good at making wild guesses... Didn't they check the accuracy of the information before kidnapping her?

Trying to use her to threaten Gu Lounan? You must be joking… she'd be more suitable for threatening Xiahou Ying…

Thinking this, she suddenly felt even more depressed.

Why does she have to be the one who deserved to be kidnapped...?

Overwhelmed with sorrow, she felt a surge of emotion, even contemplating shedding tears in the wind.

Gu Lounan did not leave the Prince Duan's residence all night.

The next morning, a dark figure clad in a black outfit delivered a jet-black envelope sealed with wax and bearing three seals.

Gu Lounan glanced at the invitation jointly sent by the three manor lords, his dark eyes tinged with a hint of emerald green, and then turned to Xiahou Ying, who had also been up all night, waving the envelope in his hand and chuckling, "Your Highness, are you interested in making a big splash?"

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Ying pursed her lips, her cold, moonlit eyes sweeping over the envelope held between Gu Lounan's pale fingers, but she remained silent, staring at it as if harboring a hint of doubt.

After a brief silence, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Sent by the four great manors?"

"Your Highness will know at a glance." As he spoke, he handed over the envelope. Gu Lounan smiled, but the deep black eyes, tinged with a shimmering emerald green, remained indifferent.

The black envelope contained an invitation. The contents of the invitation were nothing special, and it was indeed stamped with the ring mark of the manor lord. The only difference was the item that was sent along with the invitation.

Xiahou Ying frowned slightly upon seeing the object, but quickly smoothed it out.

His pale, almost transparent fingers idly caressed the gold-lacquered seam of the invitation. After a while, a barely visible narrow crack appeared at the corner of his rose-colored lips.

A meeting of estate owners...

It seems that the three major manors indeed intend to take this opportunity to eliminate Gu Lounan, this thorn in their side...

Seeing Xiahou Ying's ambiguous smile and unchanging expression, Gu Lounan stood silently, his hands tucked into his sleeves. Only after a long while did a clear, melodious voice drift down: "Grand Preceptor, what is the punishment for trespassing into the forbidden area of ​​the palace and abducting members of the royal family?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Lounan was slightly taken aback, but then quickly regained his composure and respectfully replied, "Your Highness, according to the law, he should be executed."

"The Princess Consort of Duan has been kidnapped by treacherous people. This matter will be handed over to the Imperial Preceptor for supervision. He shall give me a result within three days."

After speaking, Xiahou Ying withdrew his gaze from Gu Lounan and walked behind the long table with his hands behind his back.

Seeing this, Gu Lounan raised an eyebrow, then stepped out of the study. After leaving the Prince Duan's residence, he casually waved his hand, summoning a tall figure wrapped in dark blue clothing.

"Tell them that I will definitely attend the meeting on time."

Upon receiving the message, the man gave a slight bow and then quickly departed, as swiftly as a gust of wind, too fast for the naked eye to catch.

At the same time that Gu Lounan left, Pang Ban walked in from outside.

“Ba Shanyu and Gu Liancheng have always been on good terms, so why are they joining forces with the other two manor lords this time?” Xiahou Ying raised his gaze to look at the black-faced guard, his eyes gleaming, but seemingly unfocused.

"Reporting to Master, Gu Liancheng, who holds the Manor Lord's Token, is suffering from a serious illness and will not live past this month. Once he dies, the ownership of the Manor Lord's Token will become a major issue. In my humble opinion, these three Manor Lords have probably reached some other agreement."

After listening, he stroked his angular jawline and frowned.

Pang Ban's words made sense. If the three manor lords wanted to use Yin Quan to restrain Gu Lounan, their goal was probably not only to issue the manor lord's order, but also to make him give up the Gu family's status in the martial arts world.

Although Gu Lounan's background in the martial arts world was always a thorn in his side, he could only remove it if it posed no threat to Yin Quan's life.

Thinking of this, his lips, which had been pressed into a straight line, twitched slightly, and his originally clear and cold expression softened, becoming tinged with helplessness and sorrow.

Since ancient times, martial arts practitioners and the imperial court have maintained a peaceful coexistence. If he were to forcibly seize someone now, it would likely disrupt this balance and bring many unnecessary troubles in the future. However, if he remained inactive, Yin Quan's safety would be a huge weight on his mind. If he did not resolve this matter as soon as possible, complications would inevitably arise later.

Whether we advance or retreat, neither outcome seems entirely satisfactory.

As Xiahou Ying pondered this, he pinched his brow bone, feeling a lump in his throat. Suddenly, at that moment, a familiar voice came from outside the door.