The abstinent prince, practicing Buddhism, is seduced by a voluptuous beauty into breaking his vows.

The night was as dark as ink, and the convoy of the Northern Desert delegation moved slowly along the official road.

Inside the most central, jewel-encrusted, ornate carriage, a luminous pearl emitted a soft glow.

On a soft couch covered with thick snow fox fur, lay a handsome man unconscious.

The man was pale, his body was wrapped in bandages, and bloodstains were still seeping out.

He had sharp eyebrows and thin lips, with well-defined features; even in his unconscious state, he exuded a fierce and heroic aura.

It was Su Yaoyao's elder brother, Su Qingrun.

A beautiful woman dressed in exotic attire sat beside the tatami.

With wheat-colored skin, a high nose, and deep-set eyes, she possesses a wild and alluring charm unique to the people of the grasslands.

At this moment, she was carefully wiping the sweat from Su Qingrun's forehead with a damp handkerchief.

"Tsk, why is she still running a fever..." She frowned.

An elderly envoy from the Northern Desert poked his head in. "Your Highness! This...this is not in accordance with the rules!"

The beautiful woman known as a princess—Anar, the jewel of the Northern Desert Royal Court—didn't even turn her head: "What rules?"

"He's a courtier of Yong! Lying in your carriage, what kind of decorum is this?!" The envoy stamped his feet in frustration. "If the people of Yong see this, they'll think we Northern Desert people are ignorant of etiquette..."

"Politeness?" Anar finally turned her head, her beautiful eyes wide open.

"He saved my life! If he hadn't taken that arrow for me, I'd be lying here right now! The Yong people value gratitude, but don't we Northern Desert people have that too?"

The envoy choked, "But...but you're going to Yong Kingdom for a marriage alliance! What kind of talk will it make if word gets out that the princess is riding in the same carriage as a man?"

Anar pouted and turned back to look at Su Qingrun. "What's wrong with a marriage alliance? Once my brother ascends the throne, I'll take these handsome men from Yong Kingdom back to the Northern Desert to be his male concubines! And I'll even kidnap a few more beauties for my brother."

The envoy's vision went black: "Princess!!!"

"Just kidding." Anar chuckled, but her gaze remained fixed on Su Qingrun's face. "Look at him, how handsome General Su is—those eyebrows, those nose..."

As he spoke, he touched Su Qingrun's face again.

The envoy felt a chill run down his spine and left, clutching his chest—he feared that if he stayed any longer, he would be driven to his death by this little devil.

This princess had a temper fiercer than a wild horse on the grasslands. She was absolute in her word, and even the king couldn't do anything about her.

The carriage fell silent again.

Anar rested her chin on her hand, staring at Su Qingrun for a long while, then suddenly whispered, "Hey, you'd better wake up soon. When we get to the capital of Yong, I want you to see our Northern Desert dance... it's much better than those soft, limp dances from your Yong Kingdom."

The candlelight crackled.

Suddenly, a sharp whistle rang out from outside the car!

Immediately following was the sound of weapons being drawn, and the guards' stern shouts: "Assassins! Protect the princess!"

Anar's expression changed, and she instantly drew a curved knife from her waist, guarding Su Qingrun warily.

In the darkness, dozens of dark figures darted out from the trees on both sides like ghosts, rushing straight at the convoy!

The guards hastily engaged in battle, and the clash of swords instantly shattered the tranquility of the night.

"Protect the princess!" The envoy's voice trembled with fear.

Anar narrowed her eyes, staring at the men in black—they had a clear objective; they appeared to be besieging the convoy, but in reality, they were approaching her carriage at an extremely fast speed.

No, it wasn't directed at her.

They came for the person in the car.

Sure enough, the two men in black broke through the outer guards, leaped up, and wielded their long swords with a cold glint, slashing straight at the carriage!

"Insolence!" Anar swung her knife to block, and a loud "clang" made her hands go numb.

These assassins were highly skilled and were definitely not ordinary bandits.

Another person attacked from the side, the blade pointed directly at the unconscious Su Qingrun!

Anar couldn't block in time, and in desperation, she lunged forward, using her body to shield Su Qingrun—

"clang--!"

A long sword pierced through the air, precisely deflecting the fatal blow!

A figure in white light flashed by like a startled swan!

He stood before the carriage, sword in hand, his robes fluttering in the night wind.

Even travel-worn and weary, even just seeing his back, his aloof and solitary air made him instantly recognizable.

Crown Prince, Xiao Chenyuan.

"Your Highness?!" The soldiers of Yong Kingdom were both surprised and delighted.

Xiao Chenyuan didn't turn around, but said in a deep voice, "Protect the people in the car."

The men in black exchanged a glance and pounced at the same time!

Xiao Chenyuan's swordplay was like a rainbow, and he held his own against multiple opponents. Blood splattered wherever his sword passed.

But there were just too many assassins.

Xiao Chenyuan had already exhausted himself from the long march, and now, fighting against multiple opponents, he was showing signs of fatigue. In a moment of carelessness, a deep gash appeared on his left arm, exposing the bone, and blood instantly soaked through his sleeve.

But he didn't even flinch; with a backhand stroke, he pinned the assassin to death.

"Your Highness!" Ling Feng arrived with the Eastern Palace guards, his eyes wide with fury upon seeing the scene.

Xiao Chenyuan, however, seemed to feel no pain.

He stood guard in front of the carriage, not retreating an inch—because inside the carriage behind him lay the person she cared about most.

Another blade came flying, but he dodged it to the side and stabbed his opponent in the throat with a backhand. Blood splattered on his face, making his usually cold and aloof features appear strangely ferocious.

Seeing the situation was turning against them, the man in black tried to retreat. Xiao Chenyuan, however, coldly said, "Leave them alive."

Ling Feng quickly stepped forward to support Xiao Chenyuan: "Your Highness, your injuries..."

"It's alright." Xiao Chenyuan waved his hand and turned to look at the carriage: "Are the people inside... alright?"

"His injuries are severe, but his life is not in immediate danger." Anar looked Xiao Chenyuan up and down, her eyes filled with scrutiny and a hint of curiosity.

"You are the Crown Prince of Yong?"

Xiao Chenyuan looked up at her and bowed slightly: "Princess, you have been frightened."

"I wasn't startled, but you," Anar pointed to his bleeding arm, "are badly injured. To...save him?"

As she spoke, she looked in the direction where Su Qingrun was.

Xiao Chenyuan remained silent for a moment, then said calmly, "He cannot die."

"Why?" Anar raised an eyebrow. "Because he's a general of Yong Kingdom? Or because..."

Looking at his pale face and those calm, deep eyes, I suddenly remembered the rumors about this Crown Prince of Dayong—he had practiced Buddhism for ten years, abstained from women, and was as aloof as an immortal.

But at this moment, this "immortal" traveled day and night to save a subject, personally rushing over, even though he was injured.

Is it really... just because of a subject?

She remembered that before Su Qingrun lost consciousness at the border, he had murmured a name.

"Slender and graceful..."

The princess's eyes flickered, and she made up her mind.

She leaned closer and lowered her voice: "Your Highness, you risked your life to save your brother-in-law, does your sweetheart know?"

Xiao Chenyuan did not answer, but turned to the arriving military doctor and said, "Treat the seriously injured first."

After saying that, he walked to the carriage, lifted the curtain and glanced at Su Qingrun, who was still unconscious inside. Only after confirming that she was still alive did he breathe a sigh of relief.

He closed his eyes, but what came to mind were Su Yaoyao's eyes, filled with tears, yet she was trying so hard not to cry.

"Your Highness," Ling Feng said gravely, "the assassins have all committed suicide; they were death squads."

Xiao Chenyuan opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them.

As night deepened, order was restored to the camp.

Xiao Chenyuan simply bandaged his wound, but refused to rest. Instead, he sat beside Su Qingrun's carriage, gazing absently in the direction of the capital.

Anar walked over carrying a jar of wine, sat down next to him, and handed him the jar: "Have some? To ease the pain."

Xiao Chenyuan shook his head: "No need."

"You Yong people are really boring." Anar took a swig and wiped her mouth. "But... the way you killed people just now was quite to our grassland people's liking."

She turned to look at him, the firelight reflecting in her bright eyes:

"Hey, Your Highness. When I get to your capital and meet your sweetheart... if she's not as good as I think, I can't guarantee I won't steal her from you."

Xiao Chenyuan finally glanced at her, his tone calm:

"You can't take it away."

"So confident?"

"Hmm." He gazed at the dark official road in the distance, his voice as soft as a sigh.

"The person I hold dear in my heart cannot be taken away."