?

  Zhang Qi helped him change back into his own clothes. Jing An

  Just after changing his clothes, Yang Shoucheng's voice came from outside, "Lang Jun, the governor's mansion has sent a steward."

  The King of Lanling furrowed his brow and thought for a moment before saying calmly, "Let him wait."

  At this time, Zhang Gui asked in confusion: "Why did the governor of Jingzhou want to use this method to send the righteous woman to you?" The Prince of Lanling shook his head and said: "I have already sent someone to gather information."

  In the evening, Langling Wang returned again.

  As soon as she saw him coming in from afar, Zhang Gui hastily put down her embroidery to welcome him. She looked up at him and asked with a bitten lip: "How was it? Is there any news?"

  He glanced at Zhang Qi and said, "There's some news." After a pause, he continued, "Yuwen Lian, the governor of Jingzhou, also arrived in Jingzhou shortly after I left. He went to the governor's mansion. I just went to take a look, and that Yuwen Lian is someone we've met before - it was when we first arrived in Jingzhou and met him on the snowy road. At the time, he even lifted the curtain of his horse carriage to take a look at our faces. Our identities must have been leaked from Yuwen Lian's mouth."

  He handed the fur coat to Zhang Qi, and Lang Ling Wang walked into the room and sat down. As he sipped his fine wine, he watched Zhang Qi busily burning incense and warming clothes. After a moment's thought, he continued, "Then Yuwen Lian recognized our identities and informed the Governor of Jingzhou. The Governor invited me over, intending to give his adopted daughter to me." Although the Governor's actions were not pleasant to behold, they were indeed an offer, and he had made up his mind to give her away, refusing to take no for an answer.

  The King of Lanling furrowed his brow, tapping "tap tap tap" with his middle finger.

  He suddenly stood up after who knows how long.

  Seeing him stand up, Zhang Qi also quickly raised his head and asked: "Chang Gong, have you thought of something?"

  Her voice was as it always had been, soft and gentle, with a long tail of Wu dialect that made people feel drunk when they heard it... She was also a stubborn one, having left Chen Guo for so many years. Although she had long learned the official language of Zhou Guo and Qi Guo, whenever she spoke any language, she would add her hometown accent to it, making it sound soft and gentle no matter how you listened.

  When he heard her speak, Lang Ling Wang raised his head. He liked listening to her talk. Through life and death, even if it was just hearing her voice, he would feel a sense of satisfaction from the bottom of his heart.

  Zhang Qi looked at him with her big, bright eyes, and the King of Lanling smiled and said: "Yes, I've thought of it." His long fingers stroked the map on the table. He said lightly: "Think about it, Yuwen Lian has already recognized my identity. With his status and position, he also knows the inside story of the battle between the people of Wuwei City and the Turks." When Zhang Qi heard this, she suddenly understood and exclaimed: "Ah!" The King of Lanling continued: "As an official, guessing the superior's intention is the most important thing. It seems that now, whether it's Yuwen Hu or Yuwen Yan, they only have two options for me, a general of an enemy country - either capture or kill!"

  He slowly drew his sword, and in the cold light flashing around him, he said solemnly: "For more than two years, I have refused Yuwen Hu's temptation, and at Wuwei, I also rejected Yuwen Yang's kindness. It seems that they already understand that this path is not feasible. Since conquest is not possible, there is only one other road left!"

  He hummed lightly and swiftly drew his sword, saying coldly: "That's it, kill me."

  He looked at Zhang Gui, killing him not only to please the superior but also to get Zhang Gui, this absolute beauty... With Yuwen Lian's status and power, after getting Zhang Gui from his own hands, he didn't need to present her to Yuwen Yong, this puppet emperor. He could enjoy it himself. And if this matter were to reach the ears of Da Zongzai Yuwen Hu, Yuwen Hu would only laugh at it!

  However, killing him is not easy, because he has 500 elite soldiers by his side, and also because the state of Jing is close to the Qi state. If they make a move and slightly leak the news, it will trigger a war between the two countries. It's worth noting that at present, Zhou Guo is rapidly declining in strength due to its intense battle with Tujue. The Qi state and Chen Guo should be eager to find an excuse to take advantage of the situation. Even if we ignore this, Langling Wang is after all a prince of the Qi state, a general of the Qi state. If he is assassinated by Zhou officials in secret, it will be a big deal that can trigger controversy.

  The best way is to first soften him, and then use a secret method that others cannot detect to assassinate him. Sending a beauty to him can be said to be the most effective strategy for softening him up. Also, because Langling Wang's infatuation with Zhang Gui is well-known throughout the world, if you present a beauty to him in person, he will certainly not accept it. The best way is to force him to accept this beauty. As long as he accepts, whether it's assassinating him at the wedding banquet or taking his life through the beauty's hands, or killing him during social interactions, it will all be done without anyone noticing, easily and effortlessly.

  The King of Lanling said up to here, turned his head and took a look, but saw Zhang Yi staring blankly at himself.

  His eyebrows slightly furrowed, he asked: "What are you thinking about?"

  "You're really clever!" Zhang Qi said in a low voice, she didn't expect that with just this little bit of information he collected, he could infer so many things!

  Biting her lip and looking at him, Zhang Qi asked softly: "Then what should we do?" After thinking for a moment, she said: "Or, once the road is open, we can leave Jingzhou City."

  In her gaze, Langling Wang shook his head. He sheathed his sword and said calmly, "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything." With that, he turned around and walked out.

  Divider line

  After the heavy snow, Jingzhou City cleared up for several days. Since the steward of the governor's mansion came to apologize, the governor of Jingzhou also made an appointment with Prince Lanling to apologize and the matter was dropped.

  To tell the truth, which man in this world doesn't like a beauty? If it weren't for Langling Wang's infatuation being renowned throughout the land, he wouldn't have had to resort to such tactics just to give him a righteous daughter. From an emotional and rational standpoint, Langling Wang shouldn't bear a grudge against him over something so trivial.

  After dispelling previous doubts, Lanling King's interactions with Governor Liang Xian and Yuwen Lian also became more frequent.

  Apart from interacting with these two people, Zhang Gui also heard the name of a Chen national, Jing'an Marquis Chen Lie. That Jing'an Marquis had somehow met Langya Wang before, and in recent days, he frequently came to visit, even though he was repeatedly rejected, he didn't show any discouragement.

  Another scorching sunny day, looking at the snow that has almost melted on the mountain in front. Yuwen Lian, the King of Lanling, who had only brought four guards with him, glanced over and pointed his horse whip forward, laughing: "These days have been boring too, look at the snow on the mountain that has almost melted, why don't we go hunting in the mountains?"

  Winter hunting. It is indeed a hobby of the nobles of both Qi and Zhou, so Yuwen Lian's voice fell. Liang Xian stroked his long beard and said: "This is actually a good idea, this winter day is dull, it really makes me feel bored to death."

  He turned his head towards Prince Langling and smiled: "How is your Highness's mood?"

  As a military general, Lanling King would naturally not decline such matters. He smiled slightly and replied casually, "Alright."

  As soon as these words came out, Yuwen Lian's lips slowly curled up into a whirlpool.

  All three were high-ranking officials with great power. With countless attendants, this was settled at once. They immediately set to work. Before long, a dozen or so hunting dogs and over a hundred guards armed with bows and arrows stood behind the three men.

  "Let's go!" With a loud cry from the host Liang Xian, everyone rushed into the mountain forest with their hunting dogs.

  Branches were everywhere in the forest, and snow was piled up all over the place, making it unsuitable for horseback riding. When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, King Langling jumped off his horse's back and ordered two guards to stay behind and watch the horses. He then brought the other two guards with him, following Liang Xian and Yuwen Lian who had also dismounted their horses, as they walked up the mountain.

  The mountain in front of us looks not big, but once we really enter it, it is deep and dense. In the rustling footsteps, those guards who are driving away the hunting dogs are getting faster and faster, and in a flash, their figures disappear into the thicket.

  Before long, the sound of a pack of hunting dogs barking wildly came from the woods. Upon hearing the barks, Yuwen Lian shouted: "Great! Prey has appeared!" After saying that, he hastily rushed into the forest. Liang Xian saw this and laughed, also chasing after him.

  Unlike them, Langling Wang, this martial general, has always been nonchalant. Seeing the prey, he still walks slowly behind.

  After chasing for several hundred steps, Liang Xian turned his head and glanced at Langling Wang who was walking behind him with a calm pace, and sneered coldly.

  At this moment, two high-ranking officials of the Zhou Dynasty, who had been enjoying wealth and power for many years, began to retreat to another corner. As they retreated, Liang Xian whispered: "The person has already been lured here, let's take action when the time is right."

  Yuwen Lian lowered his voice and chuckled, saying with a sly smile: "Brother Liang, go ahead. Although it's freezing cold, but when I think of that seductive Zhang Shi, my heart is itching."

  Liáng Xiǎn chuckled and said: "Alright, alright."

  At the time of their laughter, the figure of Prince Langling had already disappeared from view, and these two people retreated in big strides to a sheltered valley where horses were already prepared.

  Just then, a guard rushed over and bowed to the two of them, saying loudly: "Report to the Duke, there is a group of six people ahead." As soon as he finished speaking, a loud shout with a Qi State accent came from not far away, seemingly someone shouting: "You're going in the wrong direction, the Prince is here!"

  The two of them, Liang and Xian, both understood the dialect. Upon hearing this, their faces fell, and Yuwen let out a hum and asked, "Are you here to find the Prince of Lanling?" His eyes turned gloomy as he ordered, "Kill them all!" He turned to Yuwen and chopped his right hand downwards, saying in a low voice, "Brother Liang, getting promoted and wealthy requires taking risks. Such an opportunity is unlikely to come again in the future!"

  As soon as this was said, Liang Xian no longer hesitated. He nodded his head and ordered: "Order the guards to take action and kill those few people!"

  "Yes."

  The guard led the way, hastily entering the dense forest. Shortly after he went in, a burst of bowstring sounds pierced through the dense woods, swooshing and coming continuously. Accompanied by the bowstring sounds were cries of agony!

  Liáng Xiǎn's men were indeed efficient. Yǔ Wén Lian gave a word of praise and charged into the forest with Liáng Xiǎn.

  On the slope in front of them, several blood-soaked corpses stained the snowy ground red. As they approached, more than a dozen guards rushed up to surround them.

  Liang Xian was cautious by nature; he strode towards the hillside with large steps.

  As soon as he walked up the mountain slope, his eyes were fixed on a spot about one mile away on the winding mountain road ahead, where more than ten black figures were fleeing in all directions.

  Not good, isn't this stirring up trouble?

  Liang Xian was startled, and just then, one of the corpses under his feet stirred slightly and let out a low moan.

  Liáng Xiǎn hastily lowered his head.

  At this, he looked down at the previous Han man who had been shot by a crossbow arrow and hadn't thoroughly died yet. The man obviously recognized him, spat out a mouthful of blood, and said with hatred: "Governor Liang! What fault did my lord commit against you? You killed him, aren't you afraid of triggering war between Chen and Zhou?"

  Liáng Xiǎn's face turned pale, he hastily asked: "Hóu yé? What Hóu yé? Are you people from Chén Guó?"

  That man spat out blood foam, and laughed: "Not bad, we are indeed people of Chen State. My master is the Marquis of Jing'an of Chen State! He was sent to Zhou by Your Majesty's order, but was blocked by wind and snow in Jingzhou. Originally today was just going to come and hunt for fun, but was ruthlessly shot by you! Wait, our people have escaped, they will tell the Emperor about this matter."