Whoever has the ability, the beautiful woman belongs to him.

However, Qiu Yan completely ignored him, which annoyed Hu Yanxun.

He Lin clenched his fists, his gaze suddenly falling on Qiu Yan: "What arrogance! Huyan Xun, I advise you not to be too happy. Your Northern Desert is doomed to lose! You won't leave here alive today!"

What did Huyan Xun mean by what he just said?

Several years ago, He Lin had already heard Ma Yi tell him about Qiu Yan's trip to the Western Regions and her crossing of the Northern Desert.

But only now do we realize how much effort Qiu Yan saved for Dongjin back then.

He didn't care whether Qiu Yan was doing it for Gu Qian or for the people of Dongjin.

At this moment, his admiration for Qiu Yan has turned into respect.

He inexplicably felt that if this woman were a man, she would surely make a name for herself.

No, she's a woman, which is already amazing.

Qiu Xu, He Jinran, and the others were shocked and unable to express their feelings in words.

Zhou Zifang, standing in the crowd, broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this.

At this moment, he had lost all his previous composure.

He realized that Huyan Xun was too violent, so he pulled his mother along and secretly shrank into the crowd.

They had been hiding and dodging, but thankfully, thanks to Lin Shu and Qin Wu's mutual assistance, they were not injured.

For now, they should try their best to remain invisible and not cause trouble for Qiu Yan and the others.

Qiu Yan noticed the way He Lin was looking at her and guessed what he was thinking.

Upon hearing what Huyan Xun said, she felt very...

This person remained as arrogant as ever.

Did Huyan Xun have that kind of strength?

After thinking it over, Qiu Yan nodded secretly.

He did back then!

However, so much time has passed, and he has now missed the best opportunity.

Qiu Xu and Qiu Ling'er noticed that their sister's expression kept changing, and they both, without prior arrangement, kept a close watch on her, along with their aunt, second aunt, and other anxious family members.

He Lin didn't have time to think much.

But then Huyan Xun rushed in, raising his long sword and slashing straight at his face.

Huyan Xun said viciously:

"I'm here today with an unwavering determination to win. Dongjin brat, what else can you do besides spout nonsense? Don't come begging later!"

What do you mean, he's destined to lose?

The word he hates most is the word "lose".

Because of his movement, there was a loud clang.

He Jinran's slingshot missed Hu Yanxun's scimitar.

"You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth! You brat, take this!"

What he can't stand the most is others insulting his family.

As he spoke, his entire body was already close enough to deliver a side kick, aiming for Huyan Xun's chest.

"Jin'er, be careful!" He Lin's heart pounded with anxiety.

Qiu Yan's gaze remained fixed on Xiao Ran's steps.

Fortunately, Gu Qian has been teaching him martial arts diligently all these years.

Huyan Xun stepped back to avoid it, and upon hearing this, his face turned green with anger. This brat's words were truly awful.

"You naughty brat! I was being lenient with you because of your youth, but you've brought this upon yourself! Take this!"

As he spoke, the entire curved blade was already aimed at He Jinran's vitals.

As for He Lin, whom Hu Yanxun considered a good-for-nothing...

His entire body lunged forward, his fists meeting the attack.

He Lin had no other choice; he knew that this battle was inevitable.

Without changing his expression, he had already drawn his sword.

But at the same moment, clanging and clattering,

Zhan Yue and her close guards, along with Qiu Xu, He Jinran and the four Xuan Ming who followed closely behind, plus Nineteen, all joined the fierce battle.

One-to-many

No, Huyan Xun only fought for a moment before his confidants rushed in.

Then, he bent his whole body backward and leaped onto the horse's back.

Then, he let out a wild laugh, his voice still that hellish, vicious tone.

"kill!"

Because of his order, the people suffered.

Qiu Yan simply retreated silently.

It wasn't that she was timid or afraid of trouble, but she was just worried that something might happen to the baby in her womb.

Throughout the entire process, she stayed with her aunts, cousins, and other family members who were trembling with fear, constantly trying to calm their tense emotions.

Of course, Qiu Ling'er, Qiu Xu, and Ling Qi and Ling Ba have also been protecting their family.

He Jinran was the first to be targeted, and he wanted to kill Huyan Xun, the leader.

But He Lin grabbed her arm.

"Step back!"

"Father, let me kill him!" He Jinran slowly withdrew his hand and took out a bullet hidden in his sleeve.

"No!" He Lin shook his head. "Jin'er, we mustn't gamble with the lives of ordinary people!"

This place is full of ordinary people, not a battlefield. We must not detonate it until the very last moment.

Moreover, once detonated, it would provoke even more intense retaliation from the enemy against the civilians.

He Lin was only thinking about minimizing casualties.

"What, scared?" Huyan Xun knew, of course, that Dongjin had gunpowder.

Otherwise, he would have come to fight long ago.

According to his investigation, much of the gunpowder in Dongjin had been taken to the border by Gu Qian.

He also carried plenty of fireworks and firecrackers.

That's right. Because of Dongjin's deterrent power, he has been devoting himself to developing gunpowder all these years.

However, it never had any remarkable effect.

However, although its deterrent effect is insufficient, its quantity is large.

This is also a major reason why he hasn't attacked Dongjin all these years.

Unexpectedly, just as they were preparing to launch the attack, they received news that Gu Qian, the commander of Dongjin, had been reinstated.

Therefore, he had no choice but to devise a plan to send Gu Qian away.

He made a bold move, striking first to gain the upper hand.

"attack!"

At a command,

Where the dragon boats were located, the booming sound of firecrackers rose and fell.

Qiu Yan... Should gunpowder have been introduced into the world? Was she wrong?

The people turned pale with fright and began to flee, crying and screaming.

Actually, they had been running away the whole time.

However, the outer perimeter had already been completely surrounded by barbarians, leaving no way to escape.

The people were filled with regret; if they had known, they wouldn't have participated in this so-called dragon boat race.

I didn't get to see the excitement, and now my life is in danger.

Fortunately, Huyan Xun's gunpowder was not enough to kill them.

However, many people were injured in the explosion.

Today marks the first large-scale battle between the Northern Desert and the Eastern Capital, and perhaps also the last confrontation between He Lin and Hu Yanxun...

Firecrackers went off, and killings broke out.

He Jinran took the lead without hesitation, while Zhan Yue and other royal guards stayed by He Lin and Consort Li's side.

He Lin felt a chill in his heart.

Mayi was in a terrible mood.

She knew a little about Huyan Xun's character, and therefore, she was terrified of him.

At this moment, she nestled in He Lin's arms, her eyes filled with icy coldness.

Thank goodness she didn't marry a man like that, otherwise the grass on her grave would be three feet tall by now.

The scene was unexpectedly intense.

While protecting his sister and other family members, Qiu Xu was also secretly observing the Emperor's movements.

Qiu Ling'er has always been by her sister's side.

Qiu Yan was not idle, because the chaotic and panicked crowd made it impossible for her to stand still.

She moved swiftly, constantly dodging the attacks from the shadows, always thinking about how to escape.

Huyan Xun's entire gaze remained fixed on Qiu Yan's swaying body.

Especially when he saw her pregnant belly, a complex light, reflecting an unreadable emotion, flickered in his eyes.

In the midst of his fierce battle,

His entire body was already rushing towards Qiu Yan's location.