She's skilled in medicine, martial arts, and even understands animal language—the abandoned dau

Wang Hong, the Minister of Personnel, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said respectfully, “Prime Minister, I recommend the Marquis of Qingyang. He was once the commander-in-chief of the border garrison and knows the terrain, troop strength, and various forces in the border prefecture like the back of his hand. Sending him to persuade them to surrender will surely be twice as effective with half the effort.”

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

Xiao Kuo paced back and forth for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Very well, then appoint the Marquis of Qingyang as the imperial envoy dispatched by the court this time. He shall immediately depart for Biancheng Prefecture to investigate the matter of Fu Kai and others privately conscripting soldiers and plotting a rebellion."

After the court session, Marquis Qingyang received his appointment, and his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

His brows were furrowed, and the current situation of the border city government kept swirling in his mind.

He simply couldn't understand why Fu Kai, who had always been loyal to the court, would privately conscript soldiers and rebel. What exactly had happened in Biancheng Prefecture?

The thought of Biancheng Prefecture clenched his heart, and he couldn't help but think of his daughter, Shen Man, who had been snatched away by a large bird in the palace that day and had been missing ever since.

He had considered sending someone to the border city to gather information, but Shen Man disappeared after being imprisoned by the emperor. Now, there are still wanted posters for her in the capital.

He was filled with concerns, fearing that his actions might implicate the Qingyang Marquis's mansion. Helpless, he could only bury his worries deep in his heart.

He knew that this mission was extremely difficult, the situation in Biancheng Prefecture was complicated, and it was still unknown whether Fu Kai and others were willing to surrender. This trip would definitely be a very dangerous game.

But he could not disobey the emperor's orders, and as a subject, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and accept them.

He sighed inwardly and returned to his residence to begin arranging matters related to his departure to the border town.

A few days later, Marquis Qingyang led a large troop of men and set off towards Biancheng Prefecture.

Along the way, he was filled with many thoughts, recalling his years in the border town, and his heart was filled with emotion.

Although the border town was remote at that time, the people lived in peace and contentment. Now, however, they have been caught up in this vortex of rebellion.

On the very day that Marquis Qingyang set off, the Golden Armor Guards in the capital city had already sent this news, along with the fact that Chu Zhiyi was still alive, to Shen Man in the border city government.

When the Golden Armor Guards of the Border City Prefecture received the news and came to see Shen Man, she was standing in the courtyard of the prefectural government office, gazing at the sunset in a daze.

"Miss, after receiving the report from Liu Tong, the imperial court dispatched Marquis Shen Wangnan of Qingyang as an imperial envoy to persuade them to surrender."

Upon hearing this, Shen Man's hand, which was gently stroking the flower branch, trembled slightly. She slowly turned around, her gaze calm yet subtly turbulent, as if she had anticipated this outcome.

"Oh, is there any other news?"

The golden-armored guard hesitated slightly, then knelt on one knee and said in a deep voice, "Miss, I have brought two pieces of news with me, concerning His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the First Prince."

"Your Highness, isn't he already dead?"

When Shen Man heard the words "Your Highness the First Prince," she completely ignored the news about the Emperor.

“Miss, His Highness the First Prince is not dead; he is still alive.”

"What did you say? His Highness the Crown Prince is still alive? I clearly saw him perish in the fire that day..."

Upon hearing this, Shen Man's eyes flashed with barely suppressed surprise and excitement, and her eyes reddened slightly.

“Miss, according to my brothers in the capital, after the Crown Prince was trapped in the fire, it was his fellow disciples on Guiyun Mountain who rescued him.”

His master, the Sage Lingxiao, had foreseen this calamity and sent disciples down the mountain to rescue him long ago. It is said that after being rescued, the Crown Prince remained unconscious for several days; upon regaining consciousness, he went to Rongzhou!

"I see!" Shen Man took a deep breath to calm her excited emotions, and after a long while, she spoke again: "Do you know what he went to Rongzhou for?"

"I heard they're going to fight the Japanese pirates, but I don't know the specifics. I'll send a message to my brothers in Rongzhou to confirm after I get back, and then I'll give you a definite answer."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work, you can go now!"

After the Golden Armor Guards left, Shen Man was alone in the courtyard, feeling both happy and somewhat at a loss.

That day, she witnessed Chu Zhiyi being trapped by the fire and thought he was surely dead, but she never expected that he would still be alive!

Standing in the courtyard, Shen Man couldn't help but recall the moments she had spent with Chu Zhiyi.

She recalled the countless times they had faced danger together, the unwavering gazes they exchanged in times of hardship, supporting and encouraging each other; she remembered his meticulous care and bold confession after she was injured protecting him from a knife.

Every single detail is crystal clear at this moment.

It turns out that those past times had already left a deep imprint on her heart without her even realizing it.

She then realized with a start that her feelings for Chu Zhiyi had long since transcended the boundaries of ordinary friendship.

"He's still alive, he's really still alive..." Shen Man murmured to herself, the corners of her mouth unconsciously turning up, her eyes sparkling with a light she had never seen before.

Recalling the days when she witnessed Chu Zhiyi's "death," she felt her heart shrouded in heavy gloom, and she couldn't muster the energy to do anything.

This joy is like the warm sun breaking through the clouds, sweeping away all the gloom.

She paced back and forth in the courtyard, her steps so light they seemed to be flying.

"I must see him as soon as possible and ask him in person how he escaped danger."

Thinking of this, Shen Man's cheeks flushed slightly.

However, the thought of the upcoming imperial envoy, Marquis Qingyang, immediately dampened her joy.

Originally, she manufactured firearms and recruited soldiers to avenge Chu Zhiyi.

Now that I know he is still alive, it seems a bit unreasonable for me to rebel under the guise of avenging him.

But things have come to this point, and if she makes concessions, not only will all her previous efforts be in vain, but she will also push everyone in Biancheng Prefecture into the fire again.

Shen Man took a deep breath, trying to pull herself out of her longing and joy for Chu Zhiyi.

She understood that the border city was facing an unprecedented crisis, and the arrival of the Marquis of Qingyang was likely the prelude to a violent storm.

"General Fu!" Shen Man called out loudly, her voice carrying an undeniable decisiveness.

Soon, Fu Kai rushed over and knelt on one knee: "City Lord, did you call me?"

Shen Man said with a solemn expression and firm gaze, "General Fu, I have just received news that the imperial court has sent Marquis Qingyang to investigate the situation. He will arrive soon, and we must come up with a countermeasure before he arrives."

Fu Kai stood up, his brows furrowed: "City Lord, in my opinion, since the imperial court has sent the Marquis of Qingyang here, it must be to probe our strength first. It would be best if we could subdue the enemy without fighting. But we cannot be careless and must prepare for the worst."

Shen Man nodded slightly, and after a moment of contemplation, said, "That's right. We should treat them with courtesy first, showing that we have no intention of rebelling, but are only expanding our military to protect our territory and people. If Marquis Qingyang insists on forcing us, we will not allow ourselves to be slaughtered."