He was hacked to death! Reborn and married to the Grand Secretary, his family wept with regret.

The candlelight flickered, casting shadows on Luo Qingfan's face.

A cold glint flashed in Luo Xiang's eyes.

"How dare you attempt to harm ***!"

Luo Xiang spoke sternly, his eyes cold, seemingly not regarding Luo Qingfan as his daughter!

"Father! Everything your daughter has done is for you!"

Luo Qingfan looked up, her eyes still filled with affection for her son.

"Qingfan has no relatives since childhood. Since learning that you are my father, Qingfan is overjoyed!"

"Even if it is utterly rebellious, there are some things I, your daughter, must say!"

After Luo Qingfan finished speaking, she adopted a posture that was neither humble nor arrogant, trying her best to suppress her grievances, yet she had no choice but to speak.

"I've heard that the Empress Dowager is my own aunt, but the Emperor is not her biological son! That woman is the Emperor's half-sister, and now she's establishing her influence in Ning County, which shows she has quite the ambition!"

"I'm afraid that ***'s return to the capital will be detrimental to your aunt!"

"My daughter has finally found family. Even if it costs her life, she will plan for her father and the future of the Luo family!"

After Luo Qingfan finished speaking, she covered her face and wept without raising her head.

Upon seeing this, Luo Xiang's expression softened slightly. He slowly approached Luo Qingfan and gently patted Luo Qingfan's back twice with one hand.

"I know you have a pure and innocent heart, please don't cry anymore!"

Luo Qingfan gently stopped crying. Seeing that Luo Xiang was not annoyed by her crying, she mustered her courage and threw herself into Luo Xiang's arms.

“Father! Since I was a child, I have longed to have a father like you who can protect me. Now my wish has finally come true. It must be because God has taken pity on me!”

Luo Xiang was initially stiff, but when Luo Qingfan threw himself into his arms, his face twitched slightly, and he became somewhat distant.

But after hearing Luo Qingfan's words, he seemed to be touched and let out a soft sigh of relief.

"Get up. There's no need for you to be so reserved with your father. Just say what you mean!"

Luo Qingfan pursed her lips, revealing a triumphant smile from an angle where Luo Xiang couldn't see her.

Just as she expected, Prime Minister Luo was a cold-hearted person who would stop at nothing to gain benefits.

But the more someone is like this, the more they crave genuine affection. Luo Qingfan first acted as if she was always considering his feelings, and then expressed her true feelings, which successfully won over Luo Xiang.

Next, Luo Qingfan, based on what he had learned from "The Art of War," devised strategies for Luo Xiang.

"Father can concentrate all the main force under the city, and plant torches along a ten-mile stretch outside the city walls to create the illusion that Ning County is surrounded by the army."

"Then we'll send someone to knock on the door and make them hand over the ***!"

"Oh, right, there's also a woman named An Wuyang!"

A hint of hatred flashed in Luo Qingfan's eyes!

She couldn't accept that she had been defeated by a mere peasant woman time and time again.

This time, she was determined to make An Wuyang suffer and show her what she was capable of!

A faint smile appeared on Prime Minister Luo's sharp and dignified face: "As expected of my daughter, you are indeed exceptionally intelligent! Very well, I will make the arrangements immediately!"

Suddenly, the calls of cuckoos came from outside, and Luo Xiang glanced warily out the window.

"It's not safe here. You must retreat with me!"

……

Half an hour later, Yan Juzhi's face turned ashen inside the city lord's mansion.

Two men in black were kneeling on the ground, giving a report.

"Sir, when we arrived at the farmer's house, it was already empty. We only found this inside!"

The man in black presented a charred piece of paper, on which the character "fire" could still be vaguely discerned.

Yan Juzhi remained expressionless, but his face was extremely somber.

The man in black immediately trembled.

"My lord, I have failed in my duties. Please punish me!"

They had originally followed Luo Qingfan's trail to Luo Xiang's lair, so they sent someone back to report, leaving two brothers there to keep watch.

But who knew that when they led a team over, the brother who was supposed to be keeping watch was killed.

The people from Luoxiang have also disappeared without a trace.

What went wrong?

"That's it!"

Yan Juzhi waved his hand: "It would be abnormal if you could easily capture that old fox, Prime Minister Luo!"

"You've all failed in your duties. You may be spared the death penalty, but you won't escape punishment. I'll punish you by making sure you protect Madam An well. If anything happens to Madam An, all the old and new scores will be settled!"

The two guards trembled, and their gazes toward An Wuyang held a newfound resignation to their fate and an ambiguous meaning.

An Wuyang's attention was focused on the words on the note.

fire?

What does it mean? Suddenly, a clue flashed through her mind.

"I see!"

An Wuyang suddenly exclaimed in surprise and grabbed Yan Juzhi's arm.

"I know what's going on!"

Yan Juzhi's lips curled up slightly.

An Wuyang then realized that his behavior was inappropriate and withdrew his hand.

Just as she was about to speak, someone came to report from outside.

"Lord Yan, the remnants of the Python King's army have assembled outside the city gates; they are about to attack the city!"