Spring arrives and the land smiles

"Your Highness," Xu Zhao stepped forward and bowed to Lan Yu, "Chu Shen will soon find out that the Eldest Princess is missing. The entire Yushan Camp will be mobilized to search for her. I urge Your Highness to make a decision as soon as possible."

Lan Yu pondered for a moment and said, "I will take this woman with me first. You go back and try to stall for time. Once I use this woman to kill Lan Zhen, you can come back to Nanxia with me and will no longer have to submit to this place."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Xu Zhao gladly took his leave from Lan Yu and hurried to the Yushan Council Hall.

Not long after leaving the farmhouse, Xu Zhao was captured by Chu Shen, who immediately silenced him and imprisoned him in the military prison of Yushan Camp.

Chu Shen immediately surrounded the farmhouse, waiting for the princess's order to rush in and arrest the people.

Inside the farmhouse, Lan Yu played with the sachet of moonflower while carefully examining Qing Yan.

"She is indeed quite beautiful. Although she is not a beauty that could topple kingdoms, she is still worthy of the title of a national beauty. No wonder Lan Zhen is so infatuated with you. It's just a pity that you have been poisoned by the Wind-Startling Grass. Now you are just a wooden beauty who can be manipulated by others, hahahaha."

At this moment, a servant came to report from outside the door: the border passage has been arranged and the princess of Daqi can be taken to Nanxia at any time.

“Okay, let’s go!” Lan Yu stood up excitedly, grabbed Qing Yan and walked out.

Chu Shen kept a close eye on the situation inside the farmhouse. He noticed Lan Yu and her group as soon as they came out. Just as Lan Yu entered their encirclement and was about to capture them all, Chu Shen suddenly saw Qing Yan give him a gesture to stop. This gesture was pre-arranged, so Lan Yu didn't notice it and just took it as a girl's little gesture.

He had also seen Qingyan's order to suspend the operation. He looked around and, as expected, did not see Chu Shen move. However, worried about Qingyan's safety, he decided to act first. As a result, Chu Shen had no choice but to join him. He carefully observed Lan Yu's group and was about to act when Luo Qing, who had secretly sneaked in, stopped him.

Luo Qing gestured with his eyes for Si Cheng not to act rashly, because he had also seen Qing Yan's gesture to stop the operation. He knew that Si Cheng would never sit idly by and watch Qing Yan continue to take risks. He would definitely disregard orders and act on his own. No wonder Qing Yan had instructed him in advance to keep an eye on Si Cheng at critical moments.

Si Cheng had no choice but to give up. If he made a fuss now, it would only make Qing Yan's situation more dangerous. For now, he could only continue to follow Lan Yu and his group and adapt to the situation.

Qingyan was pulled into the carriage by Lan Yu and sat next to him. The carriage was bumpy as it traveled along the narrow road. Qingyan tried her best to control her body. Lan Yu seemed to notice this and glanced at Qingyan beside him.

Qingyan's heart skipped a beat as she realized that her behavior just now was inappropriate. A completely unconscious person should be very relaxed, not as stiff and controlled as him. So she quickly relaxed her posture and swayed back and forth with the bumps of the carriage, occasionally bumping into Lan Yu's arm.

The slight bump seemed to attract Lan Yu's attention even more. He smiled strangely, grabbed Qing Yan's hand and held it in his palm: "Such a beauty, yet she is going to perish because of that brat Lan Zhen. What a pity." As he spoke, he took it a step further and stroked Qing Yan's cheek with the back of his hand.

Qingyan suppressed the urge to tear Lan Yu to pieces and continued to pretend to be out of her mind, showing no emotion or reaction, but in her heart she had already cursed Lan Yu a thousand times.

"Her skin is like solidified cream, her eyebrows like distant mountains, her lips like spring blossoms, she is delicate and gentle, truly a beauty." Lan Yu lightly lifted Qing Yan's chin and gently stroked her lips with his thumb. He seemed to think that wasn't enough, and his other hand began to caress Qing Yan's waist.

Unable to bear it any longer, Qingyan couldn't help but clench her fists slightly at her sides, but then she loosened them again at the thought that it would give her away.

Since Qingyan was unable to resist, Lan Yu became even more unscrupulous. He even reached out and unbuttoned Qingyan's clothes.

Summer clothes are thin, and Qingyan's clothes were half-undone, revealing the modified bra straps, which further stimulated Lan Yu's senses. Just as he was about to tear Qingyan's clothes, the voice of the driver came from outside the carriage: "Your Highness, we have arrived."

Fortunately, Lan Yu was a man of action. He released Qingyan, tossed her the sachet of moonflower, and got off the carriage.

"Is there any unusual activity?" Lan Yu asked the attendant.

The attendant understood immediately; his master must be asking whether the Great Qi Yushan military camp had discovered the disappearance of the eldest princess and sealed off the city. He quickly replied, "Your Highness, everything is as usual. It seems that Great Qi has not yet made any major moves."

So, under the cover of night, Lan Yu and his group secretly sneaked out of the city and kidnapped Qing Yan to the territory of Nanxia.

Once outside the city, Lan Yu seemed even more cautious, riding alongside his attendants to protect Qing Yan's carriage. Around midnight, they arrived at a secluded mountain villa, where Qing Yan slept the entire way.

Just as the group entered the villa, Qingyan woke up. She clutched the sachet tightly, but only dared to slightly gather her clothes, not button them up properly. She was currently playing the role of someone who was unaware of her stupidity, so naturally she had no sense of shame. When she heard Lan Yu's footsteps getting closer and closer, Qingyan quickly pretended to be asleep.

After everyone settled into the villa, Lan Yu lifted the carriage curtain and saw Qing Yan lying asleep inside, her clothes disheveled. A wicked smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

Feeling Lan Yu staring at her for a long time without making a move, Qing Yan's heart skipped a beat. She had planned everything, and she had calculated that Lan Yu would not hurt her, but she hadn't expected that this lecherous man would be lustful. But now was not the time to expose herself. What should she do? Qing Yan couldn't think of a solution for a moment.

"Your Highness." A servant ran up to Lan Yu and respectfully handed him a message sent by carrier pigeon.

The note contained a message from Xu Zhao: Chu Shen personally led the elite troops of the Yushan Camp to search for the Princess.

"Hahaha," Lan Yu laughed, handing the note to the Sichuanese man beside him, "Now that Yushan is in chaos, it's time for you to take action. Don't disappoint me."

"Your Highness, rest assured, as long as the guards at Yushan are lax, our Sichuan craftsmen will be able to quickly open up the secret passage to the gold mine, and then the gold mine at Yushan will be ours to share." The Sichuan man was eager to get started. He quickly spread the news, then called his entourage, planning to rush back to Sichuan overnight.

The people of Sichuan were indeed after the gold mines. Earlier, they had discovered that Sichuan was reinforcing its troops on the border of Yushan, but it turned out the reinforcements were for artisans. Qingyan, listening to their conversation in the carriage, was seething with hatred.

"Then I will wait here for good news," Lan Yu said with a smile.

"Your Highness, until we meet again." The man from Sichuan bowed respectfully and immediately left the manor.

Perhaps interrupted, Lan Yu seemed to have lost interest in Qing Yan in the carriage and went straight to the main courtyard of the manor. Qing Yan was left in the carriage, guarded by several attendants.

Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief, secretly pleased that the message sent by carrier pigeon had arrived just in time. She listened intently to the sounds outside the carriage, planning her next move.

Suddenly, the noise around them increased. Qingyan listened carefully and realized that there seemed to be a fight. The fighting was not loud, as if it was being deliberately controlled. Obviously, the two sides were of vastly different strengths, and one side was quickly subdued by the other. Then, the area outside the carriage became quiet again.

Qingyan couldn't help but feel nervous. She sat up straight, staring at the carriage curtain, waiting for someone to come in.

Sure enough, the carriage curtain was pulled open, and a man in black night clothes peered in. But suddenly, the carriage started moving, and the man in black night clothes lost his balance and fell off.

Qingyan swayed back and forth in the carriage, tumbling off her seat and nearly falling out. She grabbed the armrest with all her might, and the sachet of Moon Sleep Flower in her hand flew out of the carriage window.

Qingyan had no time to care about the scene outside the carriage; all she wanted to do was keep the carriage steady and protect herself.

When Lan Yu rushed over from the main courtyard, this was the scene of a chaotic battle.

"They came so fast." Lan Yu directed his guards to fight the men in black, while the carriage holding Qing Yan went out of control and almost hit him. If his personal attendant hadn't stopped the carriage, both he and Qing Yan might have been seriously injured.

When the carriage came to a stop, Lan Yu lifted the curtain and saw Qing Yan lying in the carriage, her clothes disheveled and her hair messy, looking terrified.

Lan Yu pulled Qing Yan out of the carriage, drew a dagger, and held it to her neck.

"Stop!" Lan Yu shouted, and the fighting quickly ceased.

Qingyan was startled. Could it be that these men in black had come to rescue her? Hadn't she already told them to wait and see? She never expected that Luo Qing, the usually prudent chief disciple of the Immortal Physician, would act so impulsively.

"Release her. Our conflict shouldn't involve innocent people." The leader of the men in black pointed his sword at Lan Yu.

“Innocent?” Lan Yu laughed. “She is not innocent. She provided you with all the new weapons in your army.”

No, it's not Luo Qing. Qing Yan stared at the man in black.

The man in black pulled down his mask, and Qingyan was stunned.

Lan Zhen!!

How could it be him? What's he doing here?

Qingyan was at a loss for how to respond. At this moment, she was playing the role of a wooden beauty controlled by drugs, so she could only improvise. It's true that plans can't keep up with changes.

"What did you do to her?" Lan Zhen's eyes turned red with anger when she saw Qing Yan's disheveled hair, disheveled clothes, and even the straps of her undergarment showing.

Lan Zhen stared at Lan Yu with sharp and furious eyes. Lan Yu couldn't help but flinch for a moment. He grabbed Qing Yan's shoulders and pressed the dagger against Qing Yan's neck even deeper. Blood quickly appeared on Qing Yan's delicate skin.

"He's more trouble than he's worth. This Lan Zhen is probably going to get me killed." Qingyan thought to herself, instinctively shrinking back.

"What did I do to her?"

Lan Yu glanced at Qing Yan and quickly realized what was going on. He smiled slightly and said ambiguously, "Didn't you already see it? No wonder Fifth Brother can't forget her. She is indeed delicate and soft-bodied, with a sweet tongue, fine skin and well-proportioned figure. Fifth Brother certainly has good taste, hahaha." As he said this, Lan Yu even rubbed the back of his hand back and forth on Qing Yan's face.

"You...stop!" Lan Zhen roared in anger.

Despite Lan Yu's frivolous behavior, Qing Yan remained unmoved, standing there dumbfounded. Lan Zhen, staring at Qing Yan, also noticed the anomaly and felt even more hatred for Lan Yu, wishing he could tear him to pieces.

Lan Yu: "I'll stop if you want me to, but I want 10,000 weapons from Yushan."

“Okay, I’ll give it to you.” Lan Zhen readily agreed.

Lan Yu: "Not enough."

Lan Zhen: "What else do you want?"

Lan Yu looked at Lan Zhen, her voice slowing down as she said, word by word, "I still want your life."

Burning with rage, Lan Zhen stared at Lan Yu as if trying to bore a hole through him, but had no choice but to suppress his anger and confront him.

"So you don't care about her that much after all." Lan Yu slowly pressed the dagger deeper into Qing Yan's neck, and blood immediately appeared. Qing Yan couldn't help but gasp softly.

"Stop, I promise you." This soft call spurred Lan Zhen, and he immediately agreed.

"Hahahaha," Lan Yu laughed, "Fifth Brother really is someone who would die under a peony flower, even as a ghost he would be romantic."

Then he gave a wink to the servant beside him, who immediately took out a porcelain bottle from his pocket and threw it to Lan Zhen.

Lan Yu: "This is a false sleep. If you don't receive the antidote I give you within three months, you will surely die with blood flowing from all seven orifices."

Lan Zhen caught the porcelain bottle and poured out a pill.

“Eat it,” Lan Yu urged. “If you eat the fake sleep, I will let her go.”

Lan Zhen looked at Qing Yan, who was about to swallow the poison. Qing Yan blinked at him rapidly and waved his hand fiercely at his side, telling him not to eat it.

Perhaps there was some unspoken understanding between them, Lan Zhen immediately realized that Qing Yan's dazedness was feigned, so he held up the medicine and spoke to confuse him: "If I take this fake sleep, what will you do if you don't let her go?"

"Do you have a choice?" Lan Yu asked smugly.

"Why don't we each take a step back? You put away the dagger first," Lan Zhen said, softening her tone as if pleading.

Lan Yu was determined to get Lan Zhen to take the False Sleep drug to control him, but Qing Yan was poisoned by the Startling Wind Grass and couldn't escape without the Sleeping Moon Flower anyway, so Lan Yu complied with Lan Zhen and removed the dagger from Qing Yan's neck.

With the restraints around her neck gone, Qingyan was less at risk of escaping Lan Yu's control. She gave Lan Zhen a wink, and Lan Zhen understood immediately.

Suddenly, Lan Zhen threw the porcelain bottle in her hand at Lan Yu, the servant next to Qing Yan. At the same time, Qing Yan took the opportunity to stomp hard on Lan Yu's foot. Lan Yu was in pain and let go of her. The servant also reflexively dodged the porcelain bottle, allowing Qing Yan to escape.

Immediately, the men in black swarmed forward, surrounding Lan Zhen and Qing Yan, and fought their way out of the manor.

Lan Yu was naturally unwilling to give up. Outnumbered and powerful, he pursued the two relentlessly, even issuing an order to kill them on sight.

Lan Zhen and his group were outnumbered and suffered heavy casualties. Lan Zhen tightly gripped Qing Yan's hand, pulling her along as they fled quickly towards the border. Just as they were about to be caught, Luo Qing and Si Cheng arrived in time to provide support with a squad of elite Yushan garrison troops. Lan Yu was no match for the Yushan elite forces and hastily retreated back to Nanxia.

Qingyan saw the two people but not Chu Shen. She knew that Chu Shen must have acted according to plan and gone to capture the people from Sichuan. It seemed that her suffering was not in vain. She had killed two birds with one stone and eliminated future troubles. She had taught the people from Sichuan a lesson so that they would not dare to act rashly again, and she had also captured the spies in the Yushan garrison.

"How could you take such a risk?" Luo Qing was the first to speak. He stepped forward and grabbed Qing Yan's arm. "If you make that gesture again, I will definitely not comply."

Next was Sicheng: "Princess, I am late..."

"Alright, alright, I'm fine now, aren't I?" Qingyan interrupted him, turning to Lan Zhen, "How did you know I was captured by Lan Yu?"