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I was genuinely taken aback for a moment, but only for a fleeting instant, before a deep, enigmatic smile appeared on my face: "Does Xiu Ru think it matters whether one is male or female?"

Han Ning was taken aback, his eyes filled with shock and admiration. He swallowed the pill, got off the bed, knelt down, and said loudly, "From now on, Han Ning will obey your orders, young master."

I let out a sigh of relief and stretched: "In that case, come out with me. You've been locked up long enough. I'll have Uncle Li give you a crash course on the situation over the past six months."

Han Ning did not get up, but raised his head and said solemnly, "Before we go out, there is something I must tell you, young master."

I frowned slightly as I looked at him, feeling a vague unease in my heart for some reason.

Han Ning lowered his eyelids slightly, his voice somewhat deep: "If I may be so bold as to ask, has Madam arrived in Fangling?"

I was startled, my expression shifting between light and shadow, but ultimately I didn't try to fob him off with something like, "Everyone knows my wife has been murdered by Yang Yi." Since I had decided to recruit him, I should adhere to the principle of "if you doubt someone, don't use them; if you use someone, don't doubt them." So I shook my head and said, "Yun Yan is still on her way to Feng Yin."

Han Ning seemed to be taken aback for a moment, probably not expecting me to admit it so readily, but he was only slightly taken aback before regaining his composure, though his expression became even more respectful: "Young Master, there is something I wish to tell you now, as it is still not too late."

He paused, and seeing that my expression remained unchanged, he continued, "The matter of besieging Lady Chu was handled entirely by me. There were two main forces involved in the siege: one was the Imperial Guard led by Eunuch Gui, and the other was a group of top-notch experts that the Emperor had recruited from who-knows-where..."

"Wind, snow, thunder, lightning... the four great assassins." I uttered these eight words slowly and deliberately, a chilling killing intent rising within me. Linglong's life would very well end at the hands of these four.

Han Ning nodded and sighed, "There is indeed nothing in this world that the Prime Minister does not know. I only learned later that those people were actually the four most famous assassins in the Yixiu Continent. They seemed to harbor a deep hatred for you, young master. My original order was to capture the lady alive, but they showed no mercy and slaughtered them all. However, after I investigated the tunnel, I found that the lady had already escaped and disappeared. The person who died tragically in the moat was just a maid."

"Just a maid..." These words sent a sharp, dull pain through my chest, like being struck by a blunt object, and a chilling murderous intent, fueled by anger, surged within me like a flame. Linglong, it really was Linglong who died.

"Young Master?" Han Ning called out.

I took a slow, deep breath, suppressing my anger: "Go on."

Han Ning let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief before saying, "At the time, I was going to send more men to pursue and kill him. However, Yang Yi told me to remain calm. He said that since you are in Fengyin, your wife, who fled towards Shuiwu, will surely come to meet you. Maocheng on the border of Jinyao is a necessary stop. They only need to ambush you there..."

My eyes widened suddenly: "Yang Yi knew that Yun Yan had escaped to Shuiwu?"

"Yes." Han Ning lowered his head and said, "I don't know how Yang Yi found out, but I am certain that tens of thousands of assassins are lying in ambush in various parts of Maocheng, waiting to take the lady's life."

The color drained from my face, and I asked with difficulty, each word distinct: "Yang Yi... doesn't want to capture Yun Yan alive anymore?"

Han Ning nodded and said, "Yes. Yang Yi once asked the physician Lu Yao. Lu Yao said that, based on the description, it is clear that the young master's body was originally weak, and over the years his seven emotions and six meridians had been damaged, especially his heart meridian, which was covered in wounds. If he did not have a highly skilled physician by his side to take care of him every day, he would very likely die of depression if he were to suffer a major shock..."

Next update: April 22

I've been lazy lately, extremely lazy... Too lazy to write, too lazy to update "Travels Around the World," what should I do?...

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Chapter 24 A Thousand-Mile Rescue (Part 2)

Chapter 24 A Thousand-Mile Rescue (Part 2)

I swayed, and a pair of hands immediately caught me, pulling me into a broad, warm embrace to calm my trembling. I steadied my panicked mind and leaned against Yi Han, saying, "Yun Yan's poison skills are unparalleled; she can turn the air into a deadly poison. Bu Ying's martial arts are also exceptional, unmatched by others. Add to that the members of their secret camp. Even tens of thousands of soldiers might not be able to contain them..."

“Young Master,” Han Ning interrupted me, a hint of emotionless pity in his eyes, “the Four Great Assassins, they never give up until they achieve their goal.”

I shuddered, my face turning deathly pale. My hand, gripping Yi Han's collar so tightly, revealed the bluish veins beneath his fair skin. My entire body felt as if it were immersed in icy, bone-chilling blood—cold and repulsive. Yes! Others might be powerless against them, but what about the four cunning and highly skilled assassins? Could Yun Yan and Buying still escape?

Yunyan! Yunyan! How can I bear to see you leave me again? How can I endure hearing the news of your death again? No! Absolutely not!

I took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Xiu Ru, are you familiar with the terrain of Maocheng?"

Han Ning was startled by my cold and calm voice. After a long while, she lowered her eyes and answered under my sharp gaze, "Yes."

"Come with me." With Yi Han's help, I turned and left without lingering, the hem of my light blue robe fluttering in the wind. "From now on, we must race against time."

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glint of light in Han Ning's eyes: "Yes, young master." It was a sharp eye filled with confidence and desire, an excited and rampant look of finally seeing the path to realizing his ambitions.

"But young master, what do you mean by seconds?"

"Qiluo, lead five hundred Liluo soldiers to Ziyun Mountain north of Maocheng. If Yunyan and her party have not yet arrived, do not act rashly. Send me a signal immediately. If Yunyan and her party have been captured, help them break through."

"Yes, young master!"

"Qin Wu, lead five hundred Li Luo soldiers, pass through Woyang, cross the Yaojiang River by boat, and go directly to Jiufu City, southwest of Maocheng. If Yunyan and the others are forced to retreat, they will definitely pass through there to meet them."

Qin Wu obeys!

"Ruoshui, take this jade pendant and lead three thousand Chiyu soldiers around Yunshan to the Izumo Island Kingdom to meet the chieftain's son, Soku. He will definitely help you once he sees this jade pendant. Then you can ask him for a hundred ships and a hundred sailors to cross the North Sea to the west to provide support. Prepare for the worst possible situation."

"Ruoshui obeys!"

I took a deep breath, my gaze slowly sweeping over the three men who had received the order, finally settling on Qin Li, who was standing to the side: "After I leave, you will be in charge of training and commanding the 100,000-strong army. Do not act rashly, understand?"

"Yes, young master..." Qin Li reflexively blurted out, but suddenly stopped. "Young master, you said you're going too?"

I nodded: "The four assassins' martial arts are unfathomable. Apart from Yi Han, no one can deal with them. However, he will not leave my side. Besides, I am also worried that something unexpected might happen. I can only feel at ease if I go in person."

"Lin Yu!" Han Jue looked at me with a worried expression. "Not only is the situation unpredictable on this journey, but it's also in the Jin Yao territory, which you can't control. The dangers are unimaginable. Moreover, although Zi Du has stabilized, the situation is still far from optimistic..."

“So it’s up to you.” I interrupted him, smiling reassuringly. “I can’t completely trust Han Ning. I’m leaving you and Qin Li here in case it’s a trap, so you can rescue him in time. Besides, although Qin Gui is experienced, he’s still a child, and his identity is so special. What if… Anyway, when I’m not around, you must help him as much as possible. You absolutely cannot let him be harmed.”

“Jingyuan,” I smiled, “you should know my personality; once I’ve made a decision, I won’t change it.”

Han Jue frowned and looked at me for a long time, finally able to only sigh helplessly: "Then how do you plan to go? Which route will you take?"

I flicked my sleeves, put my hands behind my back, and said with a faint smile, "Me? Of course, I will present the official letter and depart on the national road in a dignified manner." I turned to look at Shen Hong, who had been bowing and standing beside me, "Uncle Yi, please write a letter for me, asking Empress Dowager Shengjin to grant me permission to be Fengyin's envoy to escort the Second Prince to Jinyao as a hostage. Uncle Yi, you may also request to be the deputy envoy."

Shen Hong shuddered at my enigmatic smile, looking utterly bewildered, but still bowed and said, "Yes, young master!"

Seven days later, in December of the Wanli era (768 AD).

On the official road from Yangping City on the border of Fengyin Kingdom to Jinyao, carriages and horses lined up like dragons, forming a grand procession. A carriage, covered tightly with a brocade canopy woven with golden roc birds, was traveling westward.