Wan Xiao asked, “These two people have shown His Highness kindness?”

Shen Qianyu nodded.

When he left Dongning he was still young. Without the eunuchs and palace maids who had served him since childhood by his side, his heart was filled with fear and unease, and he cried incessantly day after day.

By the time he reached Nanqing, he had already fallen gravely ill and barely clung to life.

Though he was a hostage, he couldn’t be allowed to die in Nanqing. So upon arriving at the Nanqing palace, he was sent to the Imperial Medical Bureau to be cared for by Uncle Yan.

“All these years, this prince didn’t die at the hands of the Nanqing royal family, thanks largely to Uncle Yan.”

Thinking of his twelve years as a hostage, Shen Qianyu smiled faintly.

Uncle Yan had truly saved him many times. Without him, there would be no Dongning Crown Prince today.

Speaking of it, his successful departure from Nanqing and return to Dongning was also Uncle Yan’s kindness. However, aside from him and Uncle Yan, no second person in the world knew this.

Hearing this, Wan Xiao frowned slightly. “If that’s the case, then the Nanqing princess probably won’t let them go easily.”

“Even if she’s unwilling to let go easily, she’ll still have to eventually. It just depends on what conditions she proposes.”

Knowing his master’s free-spirited temperament, Wan Xiao thought this reasoning made sense. The two set the matter aside and quietly waited for Qin Rao to speak.

Whether Qin Rao sensed that Shen Qianyu was eager to return to the capital and deliberately opposed him was unclear, but the next day she insisted on holding some sort of welcome banquet at the postal station. Zuo Zhengyan had no choice but to seek out the Crown Prince and ask him to help come up with a solution.

“You need to come ask this prince about such a trivial matter? The Empress has died—don’t you know that music and entertainment, sacrifices and weddings are forbidden for a hundred days?”

Shen Qianyu’s brows and eyes turned cold. “Zuo Zhengyan, as Junior Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, do you know what your duties are?”

“Next time, before you open your mouth, use that useless brain of yours.”

If he allowed Qin Rao to drink wine, play music, and seek pleasure within Dongning territory under his watch during the Empress’s mourning period, he’d probably have his spine broken by the common people tomorrow.

This Zuo Zhengyan didn’t dare offend Nanqing but didn’t want to bear the infamy either, so he actually brought this scheme to him.

Shen Qianyu pinched his fingertips, thinking that the courteous and respectful demeanor he’d shown in the past must have taken too deep root. It made these spineless wretches in court think of him as someone they could manipulate at will.

“Don’t make this prince think that head on your shoulders is just there for decoration. If it’s truly useless, then lose it.”

Striding out of Wan Xiao’s tent, Shen Qianyu said to the accompanying Nanqing officials outside, “We break camp and depart today. If anyone has objections, have them come find this prince.”

“The Crown Prince is so imposing.”

Qin Rao walked out from Shen Qianyu’s tent. She was still barefoot. Seeing this, some Dongning officers and soldiers hastily and confusedly found a carpet to place beneath Qin Rao’s feet.

“You Dongning people still cherish me. Those useless things in Nanqing only know how to cause me pain.”

“Hmph.”

Shen Qianyu laughed coldly. Qin Rao’s expression froze as she released her hold on that officer’s hand.

“The Crown Prince is so imposing. Little Rao’er likes it.”

Walking before Shen Qianyu, Qin Rao pursed her bright red lips slightly. “This princess is tired. I don’t want to travel today, unless the barbarian slave can coax this princess into a good mood.”

“You’re unwilling to travel?”

Qin Rao lifted her long black hair, her eyes revealing three parts languidness. “No wonder you still don’t have a Crown Princess—you don’t understand romance.”

She looked at Shen Qianyu, her eyes flowing with rippling light. “Why don’t little Rao’er become your Crown Princess? You and I can be considered childhood companions. You’re Dongning’s Crown Prince, I’m Nanqing’s princess. Whether publicly or privately, you and I are a match made in heaven…”

“Won’t you consider it?”

“Heh.”

Hearing this, Shen Qianyu suddenly smiled.

He crossed his arms and looked Qin Rao up and down. After a long while, he raised his brows and said, “Is Nanqing about to collapse? Oh, this prince guessed wrong. It should be that Qin Zhan is about to fall.”

Though Qin Zhan was Nanqing’s ruler, internal strife in Nanqing had always been fierce. Moreover, Lady Eman and Prince Ning were not peaceful types either. Without the old ruler’s support, and with Qin Rao as a sister who had offended officials throughout Nanqing…

With wolves before and tigers behind, circling around, he probably had no way out and that’s why he sent Qin Rao to Dongning.

No wonder Liu Changque said the Nanqing delegation that should have arrived in winter had come so much earlier.

The situation on Qin Zhan’s side was probably not optimistic.

If not for this, Qin Rao wouldn’t have spoken of marrying into Dongning.

She had always prized her Nanqing royal bloodline, and for this had even dominated Qin Zhan for many years. For her to speak thus today, Qin Zhan was probably in grave danger.

Indeed, upon hearing these words, Qin Rao’s expression changed dramatically in an instant. She looked at Shen Qianyu with a deep expression, not expecting him to be so perceptive.

A moment later, Qin Rao said with a coquettish laugh, “The barbarian slave truly has little Rao’er in his heart. After so many years, you still have this princess… completely figured out.”

She bit out the last few words with ambiguous meaning, full of seductive charm.

Shen Qianyu looked at her with a cold laugh. After a moment, he called out to break camp and turned to leave.

“This princess doesn’t want to depart today.”

“If you don’t want to, then roll back to Nanqing.”

Without even turning his head back, Shen Qianyu strode back to Wan Xiao’s tent to pack his things.

Before departing, Wan’er had sent him several sets of clothing. Though he knew they weren’t made by Wan’er’s own hands, he still didn’t want them carelessly packed away to who knows where.

Zuo Zhengyan heard their conversation from the side and thought to himself that Nanqing had come this time with the intention of seeking help from the Crown Prince. He immediately felt emboldened, his backbone straightening considerably when facing Qin Rao.

“Please also notify the Nanqing delegation, Princess. If they’re too slow and can’t find a suitable place to camp, we’ll have to travel through the night.”

“This lord…”

Qin Rao tilted her head slightly to look at Zuo Zhengyan. “What is your honored surname?”

Zuo Zhengyan was stunned by her question. After hesitating a moment, he said, “This official’s surname is Zuo. I am Dongning’s Junior Minister of the Court of State Ceremo—”

Before the word ‘nial’ could leave his mouth, he felt intense pain across his face.

Qin Rao had somehow produced a soft whip and lashed it out. The whip’s tail was studded with a dense row of sharp metal hooks. If Wan Xiao hadn’t pulled him back from behind, this whip strike would have taken half his life.

Even so, the soft whip still swept across his face.

Zuo Zhengyan was struck until he saw stars, unable to react in time.

Wan Xiao said, “This is Dongning, not Nanqing. The princess’s actions are somewhat unhinged.”

Having said this, he signaled for two people behind him to escort Qin Rao out of the Dongning camp. Qin Rao wanted to strike again but was restrained by Dong Chang’s men and sent back to the postal station.

“Princess.”

The man in black armor with silver trim who had accompanied Qin Rao earlier rushed forward angrily upon seeing this. Just as he was about to act, he was stopped by Qin Rao.

“Huai Jun, come back.”

Qin Rao watched with poisonous eyes as the Dong Chang men left, but didn’t have anyone pursue them.

“These lowly Dongning thieves dare to disrespect the princess. Let this general…”

“Forget it.”

Since Shen Qianyu had seen through her, she’d lost the initiative before him. Further entanglement would only bring humiliation upon herself.

Thinking of how Shen Qianyu had just raised his brows with a faint smile, his bearing outstanding, she suddenly smiled charmingly.

She had liked the barbarian slave’s face before. Now after so many years, not only had she not grown tired of it, she was even more attracted to him.

Qin Rao extended her foot toward Huai Jun’s waist, her breath like orchids. “This princess is in a bad mood. I’m granting you the opportunity to serve me well.”

Her fingertip hooked the man’s collar as she continued, “In a moment, bring Yan Qing here. If he doesn’t care about this princess, he should at least care about Yan Qing. I remember in the palace in the past, those two were always together. It truly displeased this princess.”