“Hurry up, something has happened to the Princess, and when the Prince returns, all of us will lose our heads!”
In the southwest of Great Shang, a team of iron riders galloped through, with the leading general looking solemn as they hurried towards the border.
Princess Qing Qing has gone missing, and the entire southwestern royal mansion is in chaos.
To make matters worse, the southwestern king was recently summoned back to the capital city by the court, and the crown prince went with him. Now, the entire southwestern royal mansion is leaderless, with only the queen mother holding down the fort. Faced with this sudden situation, even she has lost her usual composure.
It was rumored among many in the southwestern royal mansion that the reason the southwestern king was summoned to the capital was because the royal family intended to form a marriage alliance with the royal mansion, to solidify the relationship between the royal family and the southwestern royal mansion.
Outside the southwestern border of Great Shang, there is a Buddhist temple, almost equivalent to a small country.
Just like the Tianyu Hall in the Western Regions, the Buddhist Sect has gathered too many believers through faith. The statue of the Buddha inside the temple is one of the most powerful people in the world, regarded as a living Buddha by the believers.
Under the influence of the Buddha, countless temples have sprung up outside the Buddhist temple, with millions of Buddhist followers, forming their own Buddhist kingdom.
This poses a great threat to Great Shang.
The existence of the southwestern royal mansion is what keeps this Buddhist kingdom in check.
This is precisely why the court attaches such importance to the southwestern royal mansion.
It is said that the prince who is to form a marriage alliance with the southwestern royal mansion is highly likely to be crowned as the crown prince.
On the southwestern border, the Iron Cavalry of the Martial King raced past, kicking up dust, indicating that the disappearance of Princess Qing Qing has made these battle-hardened soldiers somewhat panicked.
After all, the safety of Princess Qing Qing is no longer just a matter for the southwestern royal mansion.
In the capital city of Great Shang, in the western wing of Li Garden, Li Ziye was practicing swordsmanship. Before long, a servant boy hurried over and respectfully said, “Young Master, it has been investigated.”
Within the Red Line Formation, Li Ziye stepped out and asked, “What is his identity?”
That day, when he rushed back from the birthday banquet of the Yin family’s old lady, he was startled by a team of iron riders. There are not many people in the capital city of Great Shang who can mobilize cavalry, so he was very curious to know who the young general in charge was.
“The Crown Prince of the southwestern kingdom, Zhu Qingge!” the servant boy replied.
“The Crown Prince of the southwestern kingdom?”
Li Ziye’s expression changed when he heard this, and he asked, “Wasn’t he stationed at the southwestern border with the southwestern king? How did he return to the capital?”
Like the Martial King and the Rakshasa woman, the southwestern king is one of the ten Martial Kings. However, the southwestern king is usually not in the capital city, but stationed at the border to deter the expanding Buddhist kingdom.
“Reporting to Young Master, the southwestern king has also returned to the capital,” the servant boy respectfully replied. “According to the scouts, the reason for the southwestern king’s return to the capital this time is to discuss the marriage alliance between Princess Qing Qing and the royal family.”
“The marriage alliance between the royal family and the southwestern royal mansion?”
Li Ziye was surprised and continued to ask, “Which prince has been inquired about?”
The influence of the southwestern royal mansion is not something that an ordinary Martial King can compare to. If any prince can form a marriage alliance with the southwestern royal mansion, he may be directly crowned as the crown prince.
“Not yet,” the servant boy shook his head. “It is said that there are supporters for each of the princes in the court, and for a while, the Emperor is having a hard time making a decision.”
“Understood, you may go now. Report any news immediately!” Li Ziye suppressed the waves in his heart, waved his hand, and said.
“Yes!” The servant boy took his leave and quickly departed.
“Brother Li is very concerned about this matter?” Bai Wangyu asked curiously from the side.
“Of course,” Li Ziye grinned foolishly and said, “I want to find out the news early, so I can go and curry favor with the prince.”
“…”
Bai Wangyu wanted to give himself a slap. Why did he have to engage in conversation with this fool?
“To be honest, Lao Bai, which of the four princes do you think is most likely to marry Princess Qing Qing?” Li Ziye took out a hundred-year-old “radish” from his pocket and nibbled on it, looking very gossipy.
“I’m not sure,” Bai Wangyu shook his head. “The Confucian School rarely concerns itself with court affairs. As for which prince will eventually form a marriage alliance with the southwestern royal mansion, that can only be decided by the Emperor.”
“Boring,” Li Ziye took a bite of the radish in his hand and said, “I naturally know that the Emperor will decide on this matter. I’m just curious and want to make a random guess.”
“Don’t criticize court affairs,” Bai Wangyu said.
“I bet a hundred doses of potent medicine on the Third Prince!” Li Ziye gestured with the half “radish” in his hand and urged, “Hurry up, just make a random guess.”
Bai Wangyu hesitated for a moment, but still said, “I think it’s the Crown Prince.”
“The Crown Prince?”
Li Ziye was surprised when he heard this, looked around, and said in a low voice, “It’s not that I disrespect the disabled, but the Crown Prince’s legs are somewhat inconvenient. How could the southwestern king agree to this marriage? Lao Bai, are you deliberately trying to lose to me!”
“It’s just a hunch,” Bai Wangyu said with a faint smile. “Brother Li also said it was just a random guess.”
“No, I want to raise the stakes.”Li Ziye immediately changed his tune and said, “Two hundred, two hundred big medicine plants.”
This is like picking up money!
“Okay.”
Bai Wangyu nodded indifferently and responded.
“Young Master, Miss Zhangsun is here.”
At this moment, another servant boy hurried over and reported.
“Zhangsun Nanqiao?”
Li Ziye immediately perked up and said, “My Medicine King has arrived!”
After speaking, Li Ziye didn’t even care about the gambling game with Little Red Riding Hood and quickly walked towards the west wing.
In the main hall, Zhangsun Nanqiao was sitting and drinking tea. On the table, there was a wooden box emitting a faint medicinal fragrance.
As soon as Li Ziye entered the hall, his gaze couldn’t move away, showing more excitement than when he saw a beautiful girl.
Finally, it’s finally in my hands!
Tears welled up in Li Ziye’s eyes, it was not easy at all.
“Young Master Li, is it because you missed me so much after just a few days of not seeing me?” Zhangsun Nanqiao looked at the young man in the hall with intense eyes, smiling ambiguously.
Li Ziye came to his senses and looked at the woman in front of him, grinning, “Not seeing you for a day is like three autumns, and when I heard that Nanqiao sister was coming, I was indeed a bit excited.”
“I think it’s not me you want to see, but this, right?” Zhangsun Nanqiao picked up the wooden box on the table and shook it, smiling slyly, “Young Master Li, I’ve run my legs off just to get this Medicine King. I’ve made countless trips to the Queen Mother just to get this. How could I not?”
“How could it be!” Li Ziye laughed, “Nanqiao sister and the Queen Mother are sisters, and whatever Nanqiao sister wants, the Queen Mother will not refuse.”
“Hmm.” Zhangsun Nanqiao smiled lightly and said, “You really calculated my sister into it. Li Ziye, you are really bold, daring to calculate even the current Queen Mother.”
“Nanqiao sister, please don’t talk nonsense.” Li Ziye said firmly, “From start to finish, I have only been doing business with Nanqiao sister, and there is no need to involve the Queen Mother.”
“Alright, I can’t argue with you.” Zhangsun Nanqiao gave Li Ziye a blank look, then threw the wooden box in her hand over and said, “The goods have been delivered to you. When will our cooperation begin?”
“Hasn’t it already begun?” Li Ziye took the wooden box and casually placed it on the table, smiling, “I trust my sister completely. I have long been preparing to cooperate with the Zhangsun Family.”
“Young man, why not just hand over the other businesses of the Li Family to my Zhangsun Family as well?” Zhangsun Nanqiao took the opportunity to say, “The current Merchant Alliance has just suffered a loss of goods, and the Yins have caused trouble. It’s a mess right now, and there is constant friction between the two families. If the Li Family hands over the business to them, it will inevitably cause a lot of trouble.”
“What Nanqiao sister said makes sense, but…” Li Ziye said, then changed the subject and grinned, “After all, I have some friendship with the Third Royal Highness. The Third Royal Highness has repeatedly recommended these two families to me, and I can’t really reject the face of the Third Royal Highness.”
“The Third Royal Highness? Huh.” Zhangsun Nanqiao smiled faintly at the mention and picked up the tea on the table, took a sip, and said, “Doesn’t Young Master Li know that the Southwest King’s visit to the capital to discuss a marriage alliance with the royal family has already been decided?”
“I just heard about it. Has the result been announced?” Li Ziye asked.
“The result has not been announced yet, but it’s almost certain.” Zhangsun Nanqiao put down the teacup and said, “The Queen Mother intends for my nephew Mu Bai to marry the Southwest King’s daughter, Princess Qingqing, and the Emperor has not refused.”
“The Fourth Prince?” Li Ziye was almost choked by the tea he was about to drink. How could it be the Fourth Prince?
He didn’t even have a bet with the Fourth Prince.
How would that be counted, as a draw?
The main thing is that this Fourth Prince is just a martial fanatic. It is said that the Merchant Emperor and the Queen have wanted to arrange a marriage for him more than once, but they have been refused.
So, he just ignored this Fourth Prince.
“Young Master Li, you are a smart person. You should understand what it means if my nephew Mu Bai marries into the Southwest King’s family.” Zhangsun Nanqiao smiled and said, “If the Li Family wants to further expand its business, it must have the support of the court. Young Master Li should know the difference between giving timely help and adding to the beauty. “
Li Ziye listened to the woman’s words and showed a pensive look in his eyes.
It’s really a difficult decision!
Right now, he still finds it difficult to judge whether Zhangsun Nanqiao’s words are true or false. Could it be true that the person who is going to marry the Princess Qingqing is really the Fourth Prince?
Just as Li Ziye was undecided about the future of the Li Family, the Southwest King’s elite iron cavalry rushed out of the border, frantically searching for the whereabouts of Princess Qingqing.
And in a small mountain village far from the border, under the green lamp of the Baoshan Temple, the Buddhist disciple San Zang descended the mountain to subdue demons and saved a girl in green clothes, entering the village to beg for alms.
In a broken house, San Zang held a purple-golden alms bowl, and in the bowl, there was vegetarian food.
The girl woke up, her beautiful big eyes filled with nervousness.
“Don’t be afraid, Miss.”San Zang’s fair face revealed a gentle smile as he said, “You’ve been unconscious for quite some time; you must be hungry. I’ve gathered some vegetarian meals for you. Please eat something first.”
Upon hearing this, the girl looked at the purple-gold bowl in the hands of the young monk before her and instinctively stepped back, panic flashing in her eyes.
“Over there, that demoness is in that dilapidated house, I saw with my own eyes a monk carrying her inside!”
Just then, a noisy commotion arose from outside. The next moment, a man, followed by a group of villagers, kicked open the door of the wooden hut, pointed at the girl inside, and angrily exclaimed, “Look everyone, the demoness is right here!”