Lin Chong's Women's Cuju Team

When Ning Zhanyan returned to the Flying Eagle Escort Agency, it was already dark. He saw that Chen Jinhuan had prepared a table full of his favorite dishes and was quietly waiting for his return, like a wife waiting for her late husband. Ning Zhanyan was overjoyed. He had longed to live a normal married life with Chen Jinhuan since they were in the Underworld Cave, but now, less than ten days later, they were going to risk their lives again to enter the palace and become someone else's pawns.

Chen Jinhuan saw that Ning Zhanyan's face was solemn and his brows were furrowed. She knew that he had encountered some problem or something on his mind, but since the man did not speak, she did not want to ask. She simply put her arm around Ning Zhanyan's shoulder and greeted him warmly: "Sixth Brother, come and have your meal. There is your favorite chrysanthemum fish. It will not taste good if you do not eat it now."

Ning Zhanyan quickly put aside his thoughts, put on an appreciative expression, and said to Chen Jinhuan, "Jin'er, you made so many delicious dishes today, let's eat quickly, and then we can talk."

So, Chen Jinhuan and Ning Zhanyan finished their meal in a loving manner. Chen Jinhuan asked him how his conversation with the Wolf King about rescuing Zhang Ruowen went that day. Ning Zhanyan then recounted how the Wolf King and Gao Can forced her to enter the palace, but concealed the fact that the Wolf King had used a love potion to control them.

After listening to Ning Zhanyan's words, Chen Jinhuan lowered her head and unconsciously bit the end of her chopsticks. Then she said to Ning Zhanyan, "Sixth Prince, I agree to enter the palace. After all, when I had Du Shiniang present my portrait to the dog emperor, I already had the intention of personally entering the palace to take revenge. I just wanted to keep it from you at the time. Now the situation has changed. Du Shiniang, Instructor Lin, and the sisters of Zixiang Pavilion are in trouble. If I can help them by getting involved myself, I am still willing to enter the palace."

As Chen Jinhuan finished speaking, she secretly glanced at Ning Zhanyan's expression. She saw the man's brows furrowed, his face resentful, and he tapped his fingers lightly on the table, listening intently to her words. Chen Jinhuan swallowed hard and continued, "Besides, aren't you going to accompany me to the palace? With you by my side, I'm not afraid of anything! But Gao Can and the Wolf King are not easy to deal with, and you're unwilling to be used by them. I'm afraid you'll be plotted against and face danger in the future."

"Jin'er, don't worry! I will protect you with my life! I know you've always wanted to take revenge on your sister, Consort Xian—no! Now she's Consort Xian. I will help you fulfill your wish and personally tear this despicable wretch to pieces." Ning Zhanyan took Chen Jinhuan's hand and intertwined their fingers, promising her this promise.

Upon hearing this, Chen Jinhuan's eyes welled up with a few glistening tears. She pressed her face against the back of their clasped hands. She knew that Ning Zhanyan would definitely keep his word. She firmly believed that this man loved her more than his own life, but she didn't know how to repay his deep affection.

The morning after Ning Zhanyan agreed to send Chen Jinhuan to the palace, the Wolf King instructed Gao Qiu to recognize Chen Jinhuan as his adopted daughter. Gao Qiu had the maids and servants in his household dress Chen Jinhuan up beautifully. When Chen Jinhuan, in a pink gauze and brocade dress, adorned with jeweled hairpins and embroidered shoes, stood before Gao Qiu and his son like a goddess descended from heaven, Gao Qiu was stunned. What an exquisitely beautiful woman! No wonder the Emperor was so captivated by her.

Unfortunately, Chen Jinhuan was beyond his reach. The high-ranking official sighed softly, helping Chen Jinhuan into a luxurious carriage drawn by four white horses. A large contingent of imperial guards then escorted Chen Jinhuan into the magnificent palace. No one noticed that the commander of the imperial guards, riding a tall horse and clad in imposing armor, was leading the way, his face dark with suspicion as he watched the crowds gathering in the long street.

"I heard that this is Grand Commandant Gao's newly adopted daughter, who is as beautiful as a fairy. It is said that she is going to be sent to the palace to become an empress."

"No! I heard that this beauty is a member of the Lin Chong Women's Cuju Team of Zixiang Pavilion. She was spotted by the Emperor at the Cuju match in the palace that day, but was kidnapped by assassins. Fortunately, the High Advisor sent people to rescue her, and she is now being sent to the palace to claim a reward."

"Why does that Imperial Guard commander have such a dark face? Isn't this a wedding procession? This guy is too audacious. Is there some gossip we don't know about...?"

"Stop gossiping! This is the woman the Emperor desires; who would dare covet her?"

Ning Zhanyan didn't deliberately listen to the idle chatter of the common people on the street, but quite a few rumors still reached his ears. Last night, Gao Can ordered him to kill Chen Ge, a newly appointed commander in the Imperial Guard. Chen Ge was promoted by the Left Prime Minister and had previously served in Jiangnan. Few people in the capital knew him, so Gao Can had Ning Zhanyan disguise himself as him and take his place.

Because the assassination of the Jin envoy angered Emperor Huizong of Song, he reorganized the Imperial Guards, which gave Chen Ge the opportunity to be transferred to the position of commander of the Imperial Guards. Today, Emperor Huizong specially sent him to welcome Chen Jinhuan into the palace, partly to prevent any mishaps, and partly to test Chen Ge's abilities.

Ning Zhanyan was deeply annoyed by the gossip of the people on the street. How could he not hate that his woman had been sent to the palace by that dog of an emperor? But in order to fulfill Chen Jinhuan's wish for revenge, and because he was controlled by the Wolf King, he could only swallow his anger and endure the torment.

In front of a teahouse on a long street, someone suddenly threw more than a dozen stones at Chen Jinhuan's carriage. The stones startled the four horses pulling the carriage, and the coachman quickly tightened the reins. However, the horses still ran forward like madmen, scaring the onlookers into fleeing for their lives, fearing that they would be trampled to death under the wheels of the carriage.

Ning Zhanyan immediately shouted, "All guards, listen to my command! You must protect Consort Luo!" Consort Luo was a title personally given to Chen Jinhuan by Emperor Huizong of Song. He felt that Chen Jinhuan's beauty was comparable to that of the Goddess of Wushan, and since the Goddess appeared on the banks of the Luo River, he bestowed upon Chen Jinhuan the title of Consort Luo with a stroke of his pen.

By this time, Chen Jinhuan's carriage had already moved far beyond the range of the imperial guards. Ning Zhanyan hurriedly spurred his horse to chase after the startled carriage. When Ning Zhanyan finally saw the coachman's back in the distance, he discovered that he had already been shot dead by an arrow. Who exactly wanted to stop Chen Jinhuan from entering the palace? Ning Zhanyan didn't need to guess; he knew it must be Consort Xian, who wanted to kill her own sister again.

Ning Zhanyan was anxious and quickly shouted to Chen Jinhuan inside the carriage tent, "Consort Luo, the coachman is dead. Do not leave the tent. You may be ambushed. Please stay inside and wait for me."

Hearing Ning Zhanyan's shouts, Chen Jinhuan, inside the carriage, didn't dare to breathe, because a soft sword was held to her neck, and a man in black was threatening her with it. The man in black knew someone was demanding something of Chen Jinhuan, and he gestured to her with his eyes to keep quiet.

Helpless, Chen Jinhuan had no choice but to pretend to be calm and reply, "Understood, thank you for your trouble, Commander Chen."

Ning Zhanyan sensed something was amiss when Chen Jinhuan addressed him as "Commander Chen." Normally, she would affectionately call him "Sixth Brother," or at the very least, "Lord Ning," and when angry, she would call him by his full name. Now, his horse and Chen Jinhuan's carriage were far from the bustling streets of the capital, in the woods on the outskirts of the city, and there was no one around. Why would Chen Jinhuan address him like that? Unless there was a third person present.

Thinking of this, Ning Zhanyan quickly jumped onto the coachman's seat, kicked the coachman's corpse off the carriage, tightened the reins again, and slowly regained control of the carriage. He stopped the carriage at the foot of a hill, then turned and shouted loudly into the tent, "Consort Luo, I have stopped the carriage. You must be frightened. Would you like me to help you down from the carriage to rest for a while, and then I will take you to the palace?"

"No need! I can rest in the tent. Thank you, Commander Chen. I will definitely tell His Majesty about how you saved me today after we enter the palace, and he will reward you handsomely!" Chen Jinhuan glanced at the man in black, then calmly replied to Ning Zhanyan.

"Thank you, Your Majesty! I would like to go to the nearby stream to find some water to drink. Please do not get out of the carriage. I will be right back." After saying this, Ning Zhanyan jumped off the carriage, deliberately making heavy footsteps with his boots. He also deliberately walked ten steps in front of the carriage before using his light-footed skill to jump onto a nearby locust tree with lush branches and leaves and hide there.