Spring arrives and the land smiles

The group had been traveling all day with very little rest, so by evening they were less than fifty li from Yushan. Because they hadn't stopped in town while rushing, they were destined to spend the night outdoors.

Inside Qingyan's tent, Luo Qing came to take her pulse as usual. After the diagnosis, she frowned slightly and led Zhui'er to get the medicine without saying a word.

"Young Master Luo," Qingyan called out to him.

Luo Qing pretended not to hear.

What's going on? Qingyan was completely confused.

Just as I was wondering, I heard the sounds of fighting outside the tent.

"Get out of the way!" It was Lan Zhen's voice.

The other party did not answer, but responded directly with his sword.

"I told you to get out of the way." Lan Zhen drew her soft sword.

The opponent's offensive intensified.

Qingyan had a headache. How did these two end up fighting?

"Sicheng, let him in."

Upon hearing your command, the fighting immediately ceased.

Lan Zhen lifted the curtain and entered, sheathing her soft sword at her waist.

Even the simple act of sheathing her sword is so pleasing to the eye; she's truly a fairy.

"Luo Qing came by?"

Qingyan nodded: "But he left without saying anything."

"What do you want him to say?" Lan Zhen sat down on her couch.

"My illness."

Lan Zhen rolled her eyes at her: "With all this fussing, you've become terminally ill and beyond cure. Even he, the chief disciple of the Immortal Physician, can't do anything about it."

"Nonsense, I feel fine," Qingyan retorted with a glare.

"We'll know whether it's good or not later tonight. I'll stay by your side tonight." Lan Zhen lifted his robe and climbed onto Qing Yan's couch, sitting cross-legged.

No, if the illness were so severe that Lan Zhen needed to keep watch, Luo Qing wouldn't be so silent. Something's definitely amiss. Qing Yan didn't believe Lan Zhen's words and immediately asked:

"What happened?"

"Little girl, why are you so shrewd?" Lan Zhen sighed inwardly, but still didn't tell her the truth: "It's nothing, you just need to rest."

Hmph, there's definitely something fishy going on if she's not telling the truth. Qingyan's eyes darted around:

"I won't take my medicine or sleep unless you tell me." Let's see who can outlast whom.

"You're threatening me." Lan Zhen laughed heartily. The little girl was actually acting like a rascal, but it looked more like she was being coquettish.

"I'll handle anything that comes up, just listen to me." Lan Zhen's tone unconsciously carried a hint of doting. "Take your medicine later and get some sleep. With me here, I'm sure nothing will happen to you."

Then, he naturally moved to Qingyan's side and patted her head.

Hmm, something seems off about this atmosphere?

Qingyan coughed lightly, slapped Lan Zhen's hand away, and realized that her tone when she spoke to him just now was inappropriate.

So he said seriously, "This is still within the territory of the Great Qi. Your Highness, why don't you tell me the truth? Perhaps I can help you."

He then became His Highness Prince Zhao.

Lan Zhen was helpless. The words "Brother Zhen" were still ringing in his ears when this "Your Highness Prince Zhao" struck his longing nerve hard.

then……

“If you call me Brother Zhen, I will tell you everything.”

"Why does this person always like to take advantage of others?" Qingyan thought to herself, reluctantly uttering three words:

"Brother Zhen."

Lan Zhen smiled smugly, looking at Qing Yan's resentful yet helpless expression, feeling a great sense of pleasure after teasing her.

“Alright, I’ll tell you.” Lan Zhen began slowly, “This afternoon I received a secret report that the Seven-Colored People were discovered near Yushan.”

"Seven colors?" Qingyan had never heard of it before.

"Seven Colors is a mysterious assassin organization that mainly operates in the Yushan area, which borders Nanxia, ​​Daqi, and Sichuan. This area is a lawless place, so the organization is very rampant. However, their leader is very principled." Lan Zhen smiled.

Qingyan wondered, could it be that the assassin really has some kind of three principles of not killing?

"They kill for money, without exception, whether it is royalty or commoner."

It turns out they didn't mean not to kill, but to kill them all.

"You mean someone hired someone to kill me tonight?" Qingyan finally understood, but...

"Why are you so sure that the Seven-Colored Assassin came to kill me and not you?"

“I think Hai Tu hates you more than he hates me. On his way here, Cao Da accidentally saw the Black Eagle Riders making contact with the Seven Colors people. Soon after, I received a secret report. Who do you think they want to kill?” Lan Zhen took out a folding fan from his waist and waved it leisurely, as if he had not just talked about an impending murder.

Qingyan's heart tightened.

To lighten the burden and speed up the journey, the team reduced its manpower when it set off from Yuantang. Now there are probably fewer than twenty people in the team with guard abilities. The rest are maids and servants. And according to Lan Zhen's words, this assassin organization called Seven Colors seems to be very powerful.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here, no one can hurt you." Lan Zhen seemed confident.

Alright, since Lan Zhen seemed so nonchalant, Qing Yan was no longer worried. After all, Lan Zhen knew more about that assassin organization than she did, and it was Lan Zhen who intercepted the assassination report. So she decided to trust him completely for now.

"How about we play chess?" Lan Zhen suggested, bored from sitting idly.

Why do all these ancient noblemen have the same hobby? They either play Go or compose poems and paint. Can't they do something else?

"Let's play Gomoku." Qingyan laughed and took out the Go board and pieces.

"Gomoku? Never heard of it before, how do you play it?" Lan Zhen became interested.

Qingyan explained the method to Lan Zhen in detail, but Lan Zhen looked disdainful:

"too easy!"

Hey kid, this is a top-tier event at the National Mind Sports Games. I don't believe you can beat those winning strategies online. Back in the day, I read countless guides and memorized countless moves to become invincible. I never thought they'd come in handy here.

Qingyan secretly planned to play dumb to show Lan Zhen how powerful she was.

"I just learned it too, let's give it a try."

The two set up the chessboard, one holding black and the other white pieces. Lan Zhen rested his chin on his hand, placed a piece, and casually asked:

"Xiao Yan'er, where did you learn all these novelties?"

Qingyan had already prepared a response: "Not all the professors in the Imperial Academy are pedantic. There must be a few who are unconventional and quick-witted. Isn't that what you, Nanxia, ​​are like?"

"I've never been to the Imperial Academy, so I don't know what the professors there are like," Lan Zhen said in a muffled voice.

Qingyan then remembered that her childhood days in the palace were a taboo subject for Lan Zhen. She stuck out her tongue apologetically, pouted, and continued playing chess.

The seven-step opening method and the sixteen-step quick-win method were indeed very effective, and Lan Zhen suffered a crushing defeat in four consecutive games.

"Little Yan'er, who taught you these chess moves?" Despite losing several games, Lan Zhen was not discouraged. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and scrutinized her. "Could it be one of those quick-witted professors from the Imperial Academy?"

"I came up with it myself, is that not allowed?" Qingyan smiled smugly.

Lan Zhen wasn't annoyed by this obvious lie: "Xiao Yan'er, I saw a Go endgame in your room before. You usually play black, and in that game, the black pieces were very conventional, unlike today's game which is so unconventional."

Caught off guard, Qingyan blushed: "Are you trying to subtly imply that I'm stupid?"

"No, Xiao Yan'er, I meant to say that you're quite clever." Lan Zhen opened his folding fan and covered his mouth with a laugh. Although most of his face was covered, you could tell from the way his shoulders were shaking that he was laughing in a way that was just plain annoying.

"What are you laughing at? Memorizing moves and reciting chess scores are exactly the same thing. If you're so good, let's continue playing. You can talk after you beat me." Qingyan was full of resentment.

"Okay." Lan Zhen stopped laughing and looked at the little girl opposite him with her puffed-up face, which was very cute and made her heart soften.

Four more rounds passed, and Lan Zhen still hadn't won, making Qing Yan even more smug.

"Again." This crushing and ravaging feeling gave Qingyan a surge of pleasure, making her increasingly excited.

It was still four games, but this time Qingyan lost the last game.

It seems Lan Zhen has mastered most of the fixed moves; it's time to change tactics. Qing Yan pondered silently, searching her memory, and a plan had already been devised.

Sure enough, after changing the playing style and playing four more rounds, Lan Zhen lost again.

"Little Yan'er, I just found a solution and you changed your strategy. You've got quite a few tricks up your sleeve," Lan Zhen said with a smile.

"I still have many strategies you haven't tried yet. I could let you lose a hundred or eighty games without any problem." To Lan Zhen, Qing Yan's smug expression didn't seem like boasting, but rather like coquettishness.

This atmosphere was truly irresistible. Lan Zhen's gaze softened even more.

The two played dozens of games in this way, with one constantly changing their moves and the other constantly deciphering them. Lan Zhen lost more than he won, but he enjoyed it nonetheless.

After an unknown amount of time, the delicate atmosphere was shattered by the sounds of fighting outside the tent.

A scream startled Qingyan, causing her black piece to fall from her hand onto the chessboard and roll to a place it shouldn't have been placed.

"Little Yan'er, I'm afraid your strategy is flawed." Lan Zhen chuckled softly.

"Um... the assassin is here." The sound from outside made Qingyan tremble with fear.

"Don't worry, it's only twenty people. Your bodyguard is quite skilled, and with Cao Yu, Cao Da, and Li Muqing helping you, Luo Qing is no pushover either. The other guards on the outer perimeter are all elites. Assassins shouldn't have much of a chance to break into your tent. Even if they do, it'll only be one or two who slip through the net. And don't you still have me?" Lan Zhen picked up the piece that Qing Yan had placed incorrectly on the chessboard and put it back in her hand, indicating that she should continue playing.

But how could Qingyan remain calm while playing chess in such a life-or-death situation? So, she threw down the chess piece without any courtesy and said, "No, I'm going to take a look."

"Stop!" Lan Zhen called out sharply to her. This little girl was really a handful. "You'll only cause trouble if you go out."

Indeed, with his mediocre skills, he would have trouble even protecting himself, and would become an absolute target of attack the moment he showed his face.

Qingyan sat back down at the chessboard, but her mind was elsewhere. She was unsure of the balance of power between the two sides, and Lan Zhen's confident demeanor made her feel inexplicably at ease.

Well, we can only wait and see.

Qingyan made her move, but this time Lan Zhen seized upon her weakness.

After three moves, Qingyan lost.

“I’ve broken another one of your strategies.” This time it was Lan Zhen’s turn to be smug.

No sooner had she finished speaking than a black-clad assassin, covered in blood, burst into the tent. Upon seeing Qingyan, he drew his sword and attacked without hesitation.

Qingyan was terrified.

Fortunately, Lan Zhen was quick-witted and nimble, and quickly took care of the situation without getting a drop of blood on her.

Actually, this wasn't the first time Qingyan had seen Lan Zhen kill someone, but it was the first time she had seen Lan Zhen kill someone without being injured, and with complete freedom to display his speed and skills.

Qingyan silently assessed the situation and concluded that, apart from Sicheng, perhaps Ningyuan might not be able to contend with him either.

The sight of blood and gore scattered on the ground terrified Qingyan. Although she had experienced a chase from the capital to Suizhou before, she was not immune to fear, and her face turned slightly pale.

Lan Zhen walked over, patted the still-shaken Qing Yan, and gently comforted her, "Don't be afraid, it's not like we haven't seen this before."

Yes, I have seen it, I have indeed seen it, even more tragic than this.

All along, Qiu Rong's affairs had kept Qing Yan from having any time to clear her mind. In addition, there had been no such bloodshed in the days that followed, so the scenes of being chased had been deliberately kept secret. But now, it was as if a mechanism had been triggered, and all of them came rushing to her eyes at once.

Blood, all blood—Ning Yuan's blood, Si Cheng's blood, Lan Zhen's blood, the guards' blood, the assassins' blood, the enemy's blood—blood everywhere, naked and overwhelming, rushed back into my mind.

Qingyan's vision went black, and she fainted.

This sudden turn of events startled Lan Zhen, who quickly scooped her up and gently placed her on the couch.

"Princess!" Si Cheng rushed into the tent, clutching his wound. When he saw Qing Yan lying on the couch, he glared angrily at Lan Zhen.

"Your princess is fine, she just fainted from fright." To avoid a fight, Lan Zhen explained.

Si Cheng approached to check on Qing Yan, only feeling relieved after confirming that Lan Zhen wasn't lying. He glanced again at the black-clad assassin lying on the ground, who had killed him with a single, fatal blow, then looked at the soft sword still in Lan Zhen's hand, and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"You're welcome."

The two exchanged glances, conveying unspoken messages, but their exchange was broken by Zhui'er's sharp cry.

"Princess—" Zhui'er rushed into the tent with a long, drawn-out voice. When she saw Qingyan lying on the couch, her face turned pale with fright.

"The princess is alright, she just fainted from fright," Si Cheng explained.

Zhui'er then stopped crying.

"The princess is usually quite brave, how could she have fainted from fright?" Zhuier asked, sobbing.

Lan Zhen and Si Cheng were also puzzled. Compared to the scene of being chased back then, today's situation was just child's play.

Luo Qing also came in afterward, asked a few simple questions, took Qing Yan's pulse, and only after confirming that she had fainted from fright did she administer acupuncture.

A short while later, Qingyan slowly woke up, and Sicheng and Zhuier quickly went over to her.

"What's wrong with me?" Why am I surrounded by people?

“Princess—” Zhui’er cried with joy, “It’s good that you’re awake. You were frightened unconscious by the assassin.”

Are you scared to death?

"Princess, the assassins have been wiped out, you don't need to worry anymore," Si Cheng quickly added to reassure Qing Yan.

This made Qingyan even more embarrassed.

"I understand, Zhui'er, go and bandage Si Bao's wound."

"Your Highness, please take care of yourself first. If you continue to work so hard, you'll end up with more than just fainting." Luo Qing fed her a pill, watched her swallow it, and then left with a look of disappointment on her face.

Only Qingyan and Lanzhen remained in the tent; even the corpse had been removed by Sicheng's men.

"Xiao Yan'er, what was it that made you faint when you saw this assassin?" Clearly, Lan Zhen didn't believe that such a bloody scene could frighten her.

"Do you remember how many times we were chased from the capital to Suizhou? On the boat from Shaoliang to Jiuyi, everyone except Sicheng was injured unconscious. The deck was piled with corpses. I pushed them into the river one by one, and the blood on my hands congealed several times." Qingyan excitedly grabbed Lanzhen's hand.

It turns out she was reminiscing about the past.

Lan Zhen comforted her by pulling her into his arms and patting her gently, saying, "It's all over now, don't be afraid!"

“I can’t get past this! How could I possibly get past this?! As long as I’m in this position, I can’t get past this!” Qingyan pushed him away and said each word firmly and forcefully.

"Two years ago, I was still a princess raised in seclusion, pampered by my father and mother and unaware of the taste of sorrow. At most, I would be punished by my father for nothing. When Ningyuan was by my side, even the punishments were taken by someone else. I thought that I could live such a carefree life forever. I never expected that on the day I turned fifteen, my father would say that he wanted to make me the crown prince. From then on, I was filled with fear and worry."

"I think days like today will become the norm from now on."

Qingyan calmed herself down.

"Your Highness, please forgive my rudeness. Thank you for your help today." Qingyan got off the bed, smiled, and gave Lan Zhen a slight bow, showing her sincerity.

Hearing her last sentence, describing the fierce battle with such calmness, Lan Zhen felt a pang of pain in her heart.

Perhaps it was the atmosphere created by their words, or perhaps Lan Zhen couldn't bear to see his beloved girl suffer like this, but he pulled Qingyan into his arms, his heart softening completely.

"Little Yan'er, if you ever encounter any trouble in the future, I will definitely help you with my life."

Helping each other through life and death!!

Qingyan was suddenly startled. When did she become so familiar with Lan Zhen that she could entrust her life to him?

She really wanted to pat him on the shoulder and shout, "Good brother, you're loyal!" But when she met Lan Zhen's eyes, filled with deep affection, Qingyan felt that even if she spoke, it would be useless. She could only awkwardly push him away.

"Your Highness, I am deeply grateful for your great kindness. Well, it's getting late, I... I need to rest."

"Little Yan'er, don't be so formal with His Highness Prince Zhao. Call me Brother Zhen again and let me hear it." Lan Zhen smiled as he looked at Qing Yan, who had taken a few steps back.

Teasing words came out of her mouth so easily that Qingyan felt as if all the crows in the world had flown by.

Seeing Lan Zhen frozen in place, Qingyan figured he wouldn't leave until he uttered the words "Brother Zhen," so she sighed softly, "Brother Zhen, it's getting late."

It worked very well, and Lan Zhen walked out of the tent with satisfaction.