The news of the murder of Xunyang prefect and the tragic extermination of the Wang family spread more and more in Xunyang city. All major family forces took action, and the entire Xunyang city became a mess.
At this time, Lin Jiangnian, the instigator, quietly left Xunyang City and headed north to Beijing.
As we head further north, the weather gets colder.
After being delayed in Xunyang City for a while, it is now almost late autumn and the chill in the air is getting stronger.
After leaving Xunyang City, the road northward returned to desolation. The official road stretched as far as the eye could see. Withered and yellow trees lined the road, their fallen leaves making a crisp sound when stepped on.
The area around is desolate and few people are seen.
Although the Daning Dynasty enjoyed a stable and prosperous economy, its territory was vast. Apart from the major cities, most of the land remained desolate. This provided the perfect conditions for bandits to establish themselves as kings of the mountains.
This time when he set out again, unlike his previous high-profile actions, Lin Jiangnian was much more low-key.
The news of his murder in Xunyang City had already spread, though it could not be concealed from those with ulterior motives. After all, Prince Lin's son had been murdered, yet Prince Lin's personal army continued to march north. This was unacceptable.
If you look closely, you will find something unusual.
However, before being discovered, Lin Jiangnian could use this opportunity to hide his whereabouts and catch those people off guard.
"This prince is almost halfway through his journey to the capital, and they still haven't shown up. How can they hold back!"
In the carriage heading north, Lin Jiangnian was half lying on a comfortable and soft mink blanket, squinting his eyes and muttering to himself.
Inside the carriage, Xiao Zhu sat upright, his body straight and neat, as well-behaved as an obedient child.
According to past experience, Xiao Zhu should be in Lin Jiangnian's arms at this time, or be held on Lin Jiangnian's lap for a physical examination.
But now...
Xiaozhu sat well and obediently, and occasionally stole a glance at the opposite side with his little eyes.
Just opposite her, Zhiyuan, wearing a plain white long dress and a fluffy coat, with a delicate and pretty face, was looking at the desolate scenery outside the car window.
The weather was getting a little colder, and her clothes were getting thicker. Even though they were wrapped around her, they still couldn't hide her graceful and pretty figure. She sat there with an extraordinary temperament.
Even though she said nothing, there was still an invisible pressure, oppressing Xiao Zhu's pitiful heart. She dared not breathe, and could only cautiously look at Sister Zhiyuan from the corner of her eye.
Becoming more obedient!
Zhiyuan withdrew her gaze, glanced at him, and then shifted her eyes back to outside the car.
After a moment, she whispered, "It will come."
"If they don't come, I'll feel a little regretful..."
Lin Jiangnian sighed, but his tone was relaxed: "I hope they won't disappoint me too much!"
Zhiyuan paused and asked, "Do you really want them to come?"
"Of course!"
Lin Jiangnian changed his posture and lay lazily on the carpet: "If they don't come, won't this prince have waited in vain?"
"They will definitely come..."
For some reason, a hint of worry appeared on Zhiyuan's cold face.
Lin Jiangnian saw this and said with a half-smile: "Are you worried about me?"
Zhiyuan said nothing, his face expressionless.
Lin Jiangnian said lazily, "No matter if it's sooner or later, they will come... This is the best opportunity for them to assassinate this prince."
"If they miss this opportunity, they won't have it again when I arrive in the capital!"
From Linjiang City to Xunyang City, Lin Jiangnian had a smooth journey and encountered almost no danger.
The only blind man he encountered was Li Qianlin when he first arrived in Xunyang City. But before Li Qianlin could assassinate him, Lin Jiangnian took the initiative and ransacked his house.
The group of chivalrous men organized by Li Qianlin suffered heavy losses and were almost wiped out. However, Li Qianlin escaped and his whereabouts are unknown.
After being delayed in Xunyang City for such a long time, we are now continuing to head north, but we are still safe and sound along the way without encountering any problems.
The more so, the more unusual it is.
Something is wrong!
If it were someone else, they would naturally hope to arrive in the capital safely.
But Lin Jiangnian is different!
He knew better than anyone that some people didn't want him to reach the capital alive.
His arrival in Beijing as the son of a foreign prince was bound to attract considerable attention, and his identity and stance were bound to spark controversy.
Lin Jiangnian represents not only himself, but also Lin Hengzhong and the Lin Wang Mansion behind him.
Lin Hengzhong held a high position of power and influence, and he had offended countless forces in the capital. Now that Lin Jiangnian had arrived in the capital, it was inevitable that they would secretly have other ideas.
On the other hand, everyone knew that Lin Jiangnian had come to the capital to marry the eldest princess. Naturally, many people would not agree to the son of a foreign prince from a barbaric land, with a very bad reputation, wanting to marry the eldest princess, a naturally beautiful and proud daughter of the capital.
More importantly, while the Lin Palace was now powerful, the situation in the capital was becoming increasingly complicated. The emperor was in seclusion, ignoring state affairs, while various factions within the court were engaged in intrigue and mutual suspicion. Under such circumstances, not only could the reduction of power be achieved, but even the stability of the court was a problem.
If the Prince Lin had any second thoughts, it would be a devastating blow to the dynasty.
Lin Hengzhong is a martial arts master and is in his prime, so it is almost impossible to deal with him.
Naturally, they could only set their sights on Lin Jiangnian.
The only son of Prince Lin, and the only heir to the future Prince Lin's Palace. As long as he died, Prince Lin would have no successor, and naturally there would be no more trouble.
Therefore, the Prince of Linwang has encountered countless assassinations in the past few years. Even though he is in Linjiang City, it is still difficult to avoid the pervasive assassinations.
Lin Jiangnian's entry into Beijing and departure from Linjiang City is undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for those behind him.
How could they let go of this opportunity?
Zhiyuan remained silent, his gaze still fixed on the car window. The journey north was destined to be boring. With Lin Qingqing's arrangements and the secret escort of the prince's personal troops, they didn't encounter even a single bandit within a ten-mile radius.
No matter how powerful the bandits were, when they encountered the well-trained personal army of the prince, they would be scared out of their wits by the sight of the pitch-black armor and would run away.
Zhiyuan withdrew his gaze from the window, as if remembering something. He turned back to look at Lin Jiangnian and suddenly asked, "Where's Wang Changjin?"
Lin Jiangnian spread his hands: "I don't know!"
Zhiyuan frowned slightly and wanted to say something, but when she saw a hint of smile flash across Lin Jiangnian's eyes, she fell silent again.
He didn't say anything else, but there seemed to be a hint of displeasure in the corners of his cold brows.
Seeing this, Lin Jiangnian sat up and sighed: "I'm not lying to you, I really don't know, but..."
"He can't run away!"
That night, the Wang family was captured by Yuan Zhongnan in one fell swoop, but Wang Changjin's whereabouts were unknown and there has been no news of him to this day.
Did he sense the danger in advance and escape, or did he survive by luck?
unknown.
Seeing that Zhiyuan still didn't speak, Lin Jiangnian moved closer to her, but Zhiyuan noticed it vigilantly and looked up at him.
Lin Jiangnian ignored him and continued, "If nothing unexpected happens, Yuan Zhongnan will do everything in his power to find him and kill him... Now that the Wang family has fallen, Wang Changjin has nowhere to go and nowhere to hide. He won't be able to hide for long!"
"In this case, he has only one way to go..."
"Just wait a little longer, he'll show up soon!"
As Lin Jiangnian spoke, he habitually reached out to grab Zhiyuan's hand. Just as he had skillfully held the hand that was as soft as jade and had a slightly cool feel, he felt a conspicuous gaze.
Looking up, Xiao Zhu was staring at the two of them with wide eyes, a look of shock on his face. His gaze fell on the hand that His Highness was holding Sister Zhiyuan's.
His expression was dull, as if he had seen something unbelievable.
Being stared at by Xiao Zhu's clear and innocent gaze, Lin Jiangnian actually felt a little... embarrassed!
At the same time, Zhiyuan, who was standing beside him, seemed to realize something and quickly withdrew his hand. He subconsciously moved to the side, further away from Lin Jiangnian.
As the face turned away, a hint of blush and panic appeared on the fair profile.
It looks really nice.
“Ahem…”
Lin Jiangnian coughed and said, "Xiao Zhu!"
"Your Highness?"
Xiao Zhu was still a little shocked at this time. When she heard His Highness calling her, she quickly responded.
"Qingqing wants to talk to you about something, please come over."
"Sister Qingqing is looking for me?"
Xiao Zhu was a little confused. What did Sister Qingqing want her to do?
Also, how did Your Highness know that Sister Qingqing was looking for her?
Xiao Zhu was confused, but he subconsciously stood up and prepared to leave.
However, just as she stood up, she heard Zhiyuan's cold voice from the side: "Don't go."
Xiao Zhu stopped where he was, looking confused... Should he go or not?
She looked at Lin Jiangnian for help, but saw Lin Jiangnian waving his hand: "Go quickly, don't let Qingqing wait anxiously!"
Xiao Zhu woke up as if from a dream, glanced at Sister Zhiyuan, and when she saw that Sister Zhiyuan didn't say anything, she left the carriage.
After Xiaozhu left, only Lin Jianghe and Zhiyuan were left in the carriage.
Without Xiaozhu, the little obstacle, Lin Jiangnian moved towards Zhiyuan unscrupulously, and Zhiyuan immediately became alert.
"What are you doing?"
"Just chatting with you!"
"No."
Zhiyuan knew very well what Lin Jiangnian was thinking and didn't give him this opportunity.
However, Lin Jiangnian did not give up and kept getting closer. Finally, after a lot of pulling and struggling, Lin Jiangnian succeeded in holding Zhiyuan Subai's little hand again.
It's cool and soft, and feels great to hold.
Zhiyuan didn't move, her eyes lowered to the tightly clasped hands, wondering what she was thinking.
"Actually, it would look better if you smiled a little!"
Lin Jiangnian looked at Zhiyuan's expressionless face. It was pretty, but too cold.
There is no change in emotion, which makes it seem a bit boring.
Lin Jiangnian wanted to try to make her change.
But Zhiyuan remained expressionless: "No."
"Won't?"
Lin Jiangnian naturally didn't believe it: "How could someone not laugh?"
Zhiyuan turned his eyes away and said nothing.
Seeing this, Lin Jiangnian sighed secretly and did not force it anymore.
It's a little cold, but at least I won't resist.
Thinking of this, Lin Jiangnian looked at the girl beside him who let him hold her hand, and his mind became active again.
As if sensing the burning gaze beside him, Zhiyuan glanced back at him warily, her voice cold and warning: "Don't mess around."
"Don't worry, this prince never does anything reckless."
Lin Jiangnian made a solemn promise.
The girl had a blank expression on her face, but the corners of her mouth moved slightly.
Glancing at my hands from the corner of my eye, I saw someone restlessly holding them tightly and stroking them gently, with movements becoming more and more bold.
Feeling the strange sensation on her palm, she bit her lips lightly without leaving any trace, her fair face turned slightly red, and she turned her head away in shame and anger.
Full of nonsense!
…
Outside the carriage, Xiaozhu came to the front of the carriage.
"Sister Qingqing, are you looking for me?"
Lin Qingqing looked at Xiao Zhu who suddenly appeared in front of her and was stunned: "What's wrong?"
"Your Highness said you had something urgent to talk to me about. Is there anything I can tell you?" Xiao Zhu said.
"without……"
Lin Qingqing looked puzzled. She didn’t look for Xiaozhu?
Just as he was about to speak, he seemed to realize something, glanced behind the carriage, and remained silent for a moment.
"Xiaozhu?"
"Sister Qingqing, what's wrong?"
"Where's Sister Zhiyuan?"
"In the carriage with His Highness!" Xiao Zhu answered innocently.
Lin Qingqing was silent for a long time.
"I suddenly remembered that I do have something to ask you..."
“…”
On the deserted and overgrown path, several figures were walking back and forth, letting the thorns on both sides cut their clothes. They looked tired and panting.
After crossing the small path, the group finally got rid of the pursuers and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Great Elder, the officers and soldiers from Xunyang County have been chasing us closely all the way. Have they discovered anything?"
A voice from a believer came from the side.
In the crowd, a middle-aged man looked embarrassed and gloomy.
As the Grand Elder of the Celestial God Sect, when had he ever suffered such a miserable state?
After learning that Liu Su had stubbornly taken action against the Wang family, the Great Elder, realizing that they were in big trouble, immediately arranged for everyone to evacuate Xunyang City. However, they still didn't expect that they underestimated the speed of Xunyang City's reaction.
Along the way, they encountered countless officers and soldiers who checked and tracked them. After being exposed, they fled all the way, but the officers and soldiers behind them were chasing them relentlessly.
The Great Elder naturally did not take these officers and soldiers seriously, but if they were delayed and the enemy reinforcements arrived, the consequences would be disastrous.
Therefore, they had no choice but to flee.
Fortunately, I finally managed to temporarily get rid of the pursuers behind me.
"Great Elder, what should we do now?"
The elder's face was gloomy, and he took a deep breath: "Let's go to the capital!"
"No matter what, the Wang family has been wiped out, and the leader's orders have been fulfilled. As for the trouble Liu Su caused, this time I will definitely file a complaint against her in front of the leader!"
Having made up his mind, the Great Elder spoke fiercely, took a deep breath, and looked forward.
"There's a small town ahead. Let's find an inn to eat something, rest for a night, and then continue on our journey!"
"yes!"
The small town located on the official road is quite lively on weekdays, with merchants and people from all over the country coming and going.
The appearance of the Great Elder and his entourage in the small town did not seem out of place.
A few of them found an inn, asked the waiter for a few rooms, ordered a table full of delicious dishes, and had a hot meal.
"Grand Elder..."
Just as the Great Elder was eating, a figure walked up to him and said something in his ear.
After hearing the whole story, the Great Elder frowned and asked, "Are you telling the truth?"
"Absolutely true!"
This person said in a deep voice: "Someone has spotted the traces of the personal soldiers of Prince Lin on the official road heading north. There must be something fishy going on. Prince Lin may not be that simple..."
Hearing this, the Great Elder's face darkened slightly: "He's really lucky. He's not dead yet?!"
But then, the Great Elder narrowed his eyes again: "Go north..."
"In this case, this is a good opportunity..."
"If he hadn't died..."
Just as the Great Elder was thinking about something, on the official road not far outside the town.
Several carriages slowly approached.
Lin Qingqing came to one of the carriages and said, "Your Highness, there is a small town ahead. Why don't we rest here for a while?"
“…”