Chapter 70 Medicine isn't exactly a good thing.

Seventeen was pinned down by him, with a hard table behind her and a warm, fleshy body in front of her, which was really hard to resist.

He swallowed hard, his lips pursed, his eyes darting around, and he asked in a soft, questioning voice, "Then, in what capacity is Your Majesty making these demands of me?"

Long Langyue was taken aback, and loosened his grip, allowing Seventeen to slip away. Before leaving, he smiled and greeted Long Langyue, "If Your Majesty has made up your mind, then you should tell Vice General Wu and Doctor Shen as soon as possible, lest you delay important matters."

After everyone left, Long Langyue smiled helplessly, took a deep breath, and began to think about how to confess later.

Because this operation involved infiltration, it wouldn't be good if too many people knew about it, so only Doctor Shen and Deputy General Wu were aware of it.

Deputy General Wu told Seventeen in detail about the information they had gathered over the years, including the locations of the Northern Rong army.

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The jingling of camel bells echoed across the desert. This land covered by yellow sand was not suitable for survival, and even the plants were struggling to stay afloat.

However, the leader of the Northern Rong, proud and arrogant, led a group of people to find a place to settle in this yellow sand, unwilling to rely on the Great Jing any longer.

The Northern Rong people were constantly covered by sandstorms, so their buildings were made of yellow mud and were very rough. After all, no matter how exquisite they were, they could not withstand the endless yellow sand and fierce whirlwinds.

However, there are also incredibly beautiful places, such as the Northern Rong Royal Palace.

Seventeen wrapped the veil over her face several times to cover her mouth and nose to prevent sand from getting in.

He became a merchant selling goods, leading several camels across the vast sandy land.

Apart from Seventeen, the accompanying personnel selected this time all have typical Northern Rong appearances. Most of them are children born from intermarriages and now serve the Great Jing.

Sugan cleared her throat and asked, "We're almost there. How are you?"

Seventeen nodded, saying the distance was nothing: "It's alright, let's keep going."

Although the Northern Rong and the Great Jing were at odds, it did not stop some people from taking the risk to do business there. The Great Jing's products were exquisite, and many Northern Rong people liked them. The Northern Rong king turned a blind eye to this.

However, it would be absolutely unacceptable to let him continue to depend on Da Jing as he had in the past.

The King of Beirong had a grand ambition, so grand that he wanted to annex Dajing.

Seventeen took a deep breath and looked up to memorize the scene before her.

The blazing sun almost blended into the yellow sand, and a city wall standing amidst the sand appeared before them.

A soldier slightly in front of Suga said in a low voice, "We've arrived."

This is the Northern Rong.

They walked for three days and two nights and finally arrived at this place.

Because Seventeen's identity was rather special, he could only hide in the goods they were carrying for the time being. With a forced smile, Guan Gan stuffed a few pieces of Northern Rong silver into the hands of the guards and pleaded in a low voice, "Sir, this is our first time, please make an exception."

The soldiers guarding the city looked fat and big-eared, clearly used to such benefits. They were used to people like Sugano buying goods from Okage and bringing them back to sell. They weighed the amount in their hands and let the group in.

After successfully entering the city, Sugan found an inn with few customers, released Seventeen, and whispered, "Be careful in the city."

They've done their job; now it's up to Seventeen to do it all.

Seventeen nodded and said with a smile, "You guys had a close call. Be careful. I'm leaving now."

After saying that, he used his light-footed skill to disappear along the eaves.

Sugan clicked her tongue; that ghostly figure was truly frightening.

The Northern Rong Army's garrison was more strictly guarded, and Seventeen definitely couldn't sneak in. So she followed the trail to check out the other defense points on the map, and they were generally as Shen Weige had described.

Late at night, Seventeen quietly crouched in a secluded corner. He didn't understand the Northern Rong language very well, but he knew that this was a small border town similar to Shiqi Town.

He thought that if Long Xiaoyun was really dead, his body would either be hidden in the vast yellow sand or taken away and trampled by the Northern Rong, otherwise they would not have been unable to find it anywhere.

If the other party is not dead but has still disappeared without a trace, then they have most likely come to the Northern Rong.

The Northern Rong people were extremely hostile to the Da Jing people, except in one place.

Seventeen crouched on the rooftop, looking at the quiet street. As a bodyguard, his specialty was waiting.

As dawn broke, many families in the town got up to work, watering flowers and planting vegetables, living a peaceful life.

After a quick scan, I realized that none of the people here knew martial arts, so I shouldn't be discovered.

Fortunately, the town wasn't very big, and some areas were clearly uninhabited for a long time. Seventeen quickly identified them all.

Surprisingly, they didn't find Long Xiaoyun.

Seventeen was somewhat disappointed. Where could Long Xiaoyun be? Had he really been lost in the yellow sands?

In fact, Long Langyue did not ask him to come and find Long Xiaoyun this time. After all, the people of Dajing were in increasing danger every day in Beirong. As long as the map was confirmed to be correct, that was enough.

But Seventeen saw that since Long Xiaoyun disappeared, Long Langyue's complexion had been very poor, and he had difficulty getting a full night's sleep. Every day, as soon as he opened his eyes, he would summon people to discuss and make decisions, waiting for the right time to launch a direct attack on the Northern Rong.

He didn't want Long Langyue to worry like that, and since he was already here, he might as well go and look for her.

However, we gained nothing today.

Seventeen was about to leave when her stomach growled; she was so hungry.

He planned to ask Sugan to bring him some food after returning to the inn, as his face wasn't suitable for being shown in public.

Just as he got up to leave along the eaves, he suddenly saw two people returning from outside.

Seventeen paused and hid to the side.

There were indeed a few places that were empty just now. I was planning to come back and check them out in the afternoon or evening.

When the two people approached, they were a man and a woman.

Both of them were dressed in very bright Northern Rong clothing. The woman's red hair was particularly dazzling, and the man beside her was tall and strong. Seventeen recognized his face; it was Long Xiaoyun.

As the two walked over, chatting and laughing, Seventeen inexplicably recalled a storybook that Long Zhaoming had read before.

The Amnesiac Prince Falls in Love with Me

I picked up an amnesiac emperor

My husband with amnesia is actually my white moonlight.

......

Seventeen closed her eyes to stop her chaotic thoughts, squatted on the roof to observe the two people, and did not forget to show a corner of her clothes to ensure that Long Xiaoyun could find her.

Long Xiaoyun had just put down what he was holding when he suddenly noticed something and looked towards the roof.

Meng Qiuna, who was standing next to him, followed his gaze and looked there, but there was nothing there: "What's wrong?"

Long Xiaoyun shook his head: "Nothing, have you thought about what I said?"

Meng Qiuna looked troubled: "Your plan is certainly good, but he... he still wants to kill me. How can I gain his trust?"

Long Xiaoyun smiled slightly: "We'll have a solution soon."

Seventeen listened to them talking; they were still speaking the local dialect, but it sounded very mysterious, and he had no idea what it meant.

After Meng Qiuna was sent away by Long Xiaoyun, he looked up and asked, "Who?"

Seventeen jumped down from the roof, and Long Xiaoyun stared at him with wide eyes, asking, "Are you the guard by the Emperor's side?"

"Yes, His Majesty sent me... to find you."

He felt a little guilty after saying that, because His Majesty hadn't actually sent him to find someone.

Long Xiaoyun blinked blankly: "Ah, aren't you the guard by the Third Prince's side?"

"Oh no, I am His Majesty's secret guard."

Long Xiaoyun then remembered that there had been such an occasion when his second brother had bestowed two guards upon his third brother.

“I can’t leave now. I’ll write you a note so you can take it back to your brother, the Emperor.”

Long Xiaoyun looked back; Meng Qiuna hadn't returned yet.

"The opportunity to penetrate deep into the Northern Rong territory is rare, and we must seize it in one fell swoop."

His eyes were bright and sparkling. Although he was only eighteen or nineteen years old, he had already experienced a lot. What had never changed was his heart that was willing to sacrifice his life for the greater good.

He nodded at 5 p.m., waited for the other party to finish writing the letter, then put it away and left.

Sugan and the others pretended to sell some things, and only set off on their return journey three days later.

They weren't checked when they came in, and naturally they weren't checked when they went back either. Seventeen slipped out after leaving the city.

"call."

He put the veil back on, revealing only a pair of dark, grape-like eyes.

Sugan glanced at it a couple more times and asked, "Have you found out everything?"

"That's about it. There are a few minor discrepancies, but they won't have a big impact. I've noted them all down."

The group chatted and laughed, and soon it was late at night.

The night in the desert is very dark, and the stars in the sky are like jewels scattered on the pitch-black surface.

They found a place near a water source to rest temporarily. There were not many people in the group; besides Sugan and Shichi, there were only three soldiers with them.

These three soldiers were all of mixed Northern Rong and Da Jing descent, tall and strong, and all of them could be trusted.

Five people sat in a circle, and one of the soldiers chuckled as he pulled out half a sheep from their cargo, leaving Seventeen speechless.

Then he quickly built a human fire with branches, cut up the sheep, and leaned against it leisurely.

Smoke drifted upwards, and the others swallowed hard, their stomachs rumbling loudly.

"Hey, this lamb is really good when roasted in the desert."

The soldiers laughed heartily as they grilled the mutton, and once it was sizzling and cooked, they each took a large piece.

Seventeen thanked him after receiving the food and immediately buried himself in it, praising it as he ate.

After they finished eating, drowsiness gradually crept in.

Seventeen leaned against the goods and dozed off, while the others were already asleep, snoring loudly.

While sleeping, Seventeen seemed to hear a sound, like a wolf howling or a lion roaring.

He was startled and immediately opened his eyes, looking around warily. He also woke up the other four people.

There's some noise.

Sugan sprang to her feet with a quick movement, and the more experienced soldiers' expressions changed: "Sandstorm."

The remaining people were all startled and immediately packed their things, tying the camel's rope around each of their waists to prevent them from being swept away.

Seventeen was sandwiched in the middle because he was the smallest and could easily be blown away if the wind blew.

The light in front of her grew dimmer and dimmer. Seventeen felt that the veil on her face was no longer able to keep out the wind and sand, but she didn't have time to worry about that now.

Survival is the most important thing.

Guided by a more experienced soldier, the group bent over and walked slowly against the wind, making sure they wouldn't be blown away.

The originally clear and melodious sound of the camel bells had become eerie, like the laughter of a demon in the sand, waiting to devour people.

＊

"The sandstorm is too strong, Your Majesty, please go back first."

Yuanfu tried to persuade him earnestly, but Long Langyue's face darkened. He exhaled, turned around, and went into his tent.

They only had a little sandstorm here, nothing serious. The experienced soldiers judged that the epicenter of the sandstorm was in the desert.

Long Langyue couldn't put her mind at ease for a long time, thinking of the group that hadn't returned yet.

Hopefully they haven't returned yet, and it's safer for them to be in Beirong City than in the desert.

But all he could do was pray.

Faced with such madness from the heavens, even someone as powerful as him would be powerless.

For the first time, Long Langyue felt worried and powerless. He sat quietly, rubbing his temples.

Yuanfu saw this and kept it in mind, so he went to see Doctor Shen again to ask for another dose of calming medicine.

Shen Weige refused, saying, "Your Majesty is not ill, but all medicines have some toxicity, and drinking more will not do you any good."

Yuanfu was so anxious that he developed blisters on his lips. Shen Weige felt helpless seeing him like this, but he really couldn't drink any more medicine, since it wasn't a good thing.

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Author's Note: Here's a note: The extreme cold and heat of the North are fictional. There's no place in reality that can accommodate both extreme climates (I couldn't find any; if there is, feel free to comment [panda head emoji]). Also, sandstorms are generally more frequent in spring and winter, and less common in summer; those are also fictional, just for dramatic effect, don't take them seriously [rose emoji].