When Linghu Ning opened her eyes and saw the unfamiliar surroundings, she clutched her chest, looking wary. A palace maid, seeing that she had woken up, stepped forward to help her sit up: "Princess, you're finally awake."
Where is this?
"This is the Imperial Palace of Japan."
Linghu Ning rubbed her head: "How did I suddenly end up in the palace?"
"Does the princess remember nothing at all?" the palace maid asked tentatively.
Linghu Ning clutched her head in anguish, remaining silent until the Fourth Prince entered, his face gentle: "Princess, you're awake. I am the Fourth Prince, Xuanyuan Chen."
Xuanyuan Chen frowned: "May I ask if the princess knows what happened that day?"
"I...I don't remember anything." Linghu Ning looked blankly at him. As soon as she spoke, she noticed the pain in her neck, and subconsciously raised her hand to touch her neck, where a bandage was wrapped around it. "What happened to me?"
"You're injured."
Linghu Ning pursed her lips.
Do you remember your name?
She shook her head.
"Your name is Linghu Ning, and you are a princess from Northern Chu who was sent to marry a foreign ruler."
Xuan Yuan Chen's voice was gentle, just like a friendly older brother next door, and his face was kind: "Your family has been generals for generations, protecting the country. This time you are here on orders to marry into the country."
Linghu Ning nodded and repeated, "My name is Linghu Ning, and I'm here for a marriage alliance."
"right."
After chatting for a while, Xuanyuan Chen asked with a smile, "Did the Crown Princess promise you anything?"
"The Crown Princess?" Linghu Ning frowned, looking puzzled. She tilted her head and thought for a while, then suddenly realized and said, "The Crown Princess told me to behave myself."
Xuanyuan Chen frowned and asked again, "Does the princess not hate Dongying?"
"On the battlefield, swords have no eyes. My father and brothers died on the battlefield to protect our country. They are heroes. I also protected our country by marrying into Japan for the sake of Northern Chu. Why should I hate them?" Linghu Ning's deep voice was calm and composed.
This answer surprised Xuan Yuan Chen somewhat.
Half an hour later
He left the house dejectedly.
Xuan Yuanming was already waiting outside the door: "Fourth brother, how did it go?"
“The assassination attempt is probably unrelated to Northern Chu,” Xuan Yuan Chen said.
He was apprenticed to a sorcerer, and anyone who fell under his spell would never lie and would answer any question without question. This has been true for many years without exception.
Therefore, he believed that Linghu Ning was telling the truth.
“I knew it! If Northern Chu had the guts, they would have acted during the plague. Why wait until today? It must be Southern Xinjiang deliberately leading us to attack Northern Chu and ambushing us at the border.” Xuan Yuanming insisted firmly, “Southern Xinjiang, I will never forgive them!”
At that moment, news came from outside.
"After learning of the death of his wife, the Eighth Prince of Northern Chu entered the palace and kidnapped the Crown Princess. He was killed on the spot by the Crown Prince, and his body was hung on the city gate for public display."
Xuanyuan Ming clicked his tongue: "To risk one's life for a woman, how utterly foolish!"
Xuanyuan Chen raised an eyebrow.
Immediately afterwards, Xuan Yuanming took out the storybook and handed it to Xuan Yuanchen to read: "Bei Chu Mingniang is a poor girl who fell on hard times. When she had nowhere else to go, she became a madam and specially trained a group of people. They were all young and just to cause trouble in Bei Chu. Xu Lingqing was one of them. That fool, the Eighth Prince, was bewitched by her and even gave up the throne. He must have been living a very miserable life."
At this point, Xuan Yuanming gritted his teeth and said, "Weren't we also fooled? The five of us were grateful to her and treated her like a precious treasure, but in the end, she was just using us."
If it weren't for Xuan Yuanche and Xuan Yuanye stopping him, he would have already attacked Xu Lingqing.
"That idiot Zhao Zhiyan not only wrote a divorce agreement to get Xu Lingqing to leave, but also held himself hostage in the capital."
"Xu Lingqing took the opportunity to leave Northern Chu and come to Japan. It's a pity that she died young. She was just one step away from death at the border."
Xuan Yuanming curled his lip, thinking that he shouldn't have brought Xu Lingqing along at all.
He's a menace.
After finishing the storybook, Xuanyuan Chen's expression turned somewhat grim: "Does Your Majesty know about this?"
"I just found out."
Xuanyuan Ming shuddered. The Japanese emperor's anger after learning about the storybook was almost uncontrollable. He smashed a lot of things, and Xuanyuan Ming was so frightened that he quickly came to Xuanyuan Chen for help.
...
Northern Chu lost one Eighth Prince but gained one General Shen.
Brave and skilled in battle.
He wore a Rakshasa mask and exuded a murderous aura that made people afraid to approach him easily.
"General Shen."
Song Yue's voice came softly from behind.
General Shen turned around and cupped his hands to Song Yue: "Your Highness, we have already found the whereabouts of the Prince Consort. Please wait a couple of days, Your Highness, and I will bring him back."
"Hard."
She came to the border for two reasons: first, to capture the prince consort and bring him back to be punished; and second, to send the rice and grain to Japan, so that the Japanese would suffer the consequences of their actions.
A month ago, Princess Jia Hua sent someone to deliver a message.
While the southern border is in turmoil, many small countries are also stirring up trouble.
Japan must not get involved.
Her biggest task now is to hold off Japan.
If Northern Chu wins this battle, it will surely enjoy peace for the next few decades.
General Shen's icy eyes remained completely still, and even his voice was hoarse and devoid of emotion: "Your Highness is too kind. It is all what I should do."
Song Yue sighed softly and turned to leave.
April
Japan began to amass troops and supplies, and conscript soldiers on a large scale, declaring to the outside world that it was going to attack the southern border.
Song Yue, however, felt that things were going too smoothly and might not be that simple.
Sure enough, a few days later, the Eastern Ying sent people to request passage from the Northern Chu, intending to advance as quickly as possible and attack the southwestern part of the Southern Frontier.
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