The man in black kicked the door open, only to find the room empty, with no sign of the princess.
"Chase!" A man in black waved his hand, and everyone chased out of the inn.
Princess Yanran quietly slid out along the wooden railing outside the window. She saw that the men in black had entered her room, and she panicked and went to the stable to lead her white horse across the bridge.
"There! Chase her!" A man in black discovered Yanran's whereabouts.
Princess Yanran was startled and jumped on her horse and fled. The men in black were well-trained and jumped off the inn, jumped on their horses and gave chase.
For foreigners, you'd never know how many streets there were in a Song town; they all looked the same. It was easy to get lost if you weren't familiar with the streets, and Princess Yanran did get lost.
She rode her horse through several alleys, and the men in black divided into several teams to surround her. After a few turns, she arrived at a large square. Then she was surrounded by the men in black from front and back.
"Princess! Please come back with us." A man in black said with a fist.
Yanran drew the sword from her waist and pointed it at him: "Father treats you well, yet you are plotting rebellion! Get out of the way, get out of the way!"
The men in black glanced at each other. The princess refused to leave. This was a Song Dynasty town, with troops stationed nearby. Forcibly dragging the princess away would be impossible. Staying here for long was unsuitable. Several men in black drew their swords and said, "Princess, I apologize!"
Yanran didn't expect these people to dare to kill her, and her heart was chilled. Her great-grandfather had such a cruel heart. She raised her long sword and went to meet them.
How could she be a match for these men in black? After only two rounds, she was knocked off her horse. The men in black dismounted and surrounded Yanran.
The strange thing was that none of these people took action, but just stared at each other. This was not because they had a change of heart, but because they knew that the princess was Li Ziqian's great-grandson.
If you kill her now, you might not be punished and might even be rewarded. But who knows when Li Ziqian might think of his beloved great-grandson and decide how to kill you.
So, none of these people dared to make the first move. A noise seemed to be heard in the distance. The men in black were very anxious. One of them said, "We can't stay here for long. Let's all work together and bear it together!"
This is a good idea. If we all work together, we can avoid having one person get punished later.
"I'll say one, two, three!" the man in black said, "One, two, three!"
As soon as the voice fell, everyone drew their swords together, and Princess Yanran closed her eyes and waited for death.
Suddenly, rows of gleaming swords came slashing towards her, and everyone stopped. They all had the same thought: they all hoped the other side would strike, but they all had the same idea. One of them was slow to react and slashed at Yanran's lower abdomen. Seeing that everyone stopped mid-swing, he was caught off guard and had to change his strategy, bringing the sword down heavily on the ground.
The man was furious: "Why don't you take action! This time, everyone will attack together. Anyone who dares not take action will be pierced by thousands of arrows!"
This curse was extremely vicious. Those who had blood on their swords feared curses like being pierced by thousands of arrows and dying without a burial place. This time, everyone did not hesitate and raised their swords.
“One, two…”
"Swish, swish, swish!..." Before he finished speaking, these men in black were hit by arrows one after another. It was really like thousands of arrows piercing their hearts.
The remaining men in black were shocked. They heard the sound of horse hooves and saw a team of Song soldiers rushing towards them with crossbows.
"Put down your weapons, or you will be killed without mercy!" a Song army officer shouted immediately.
The men in black nodded to each other, terrified. They grabbed the horses beside them, galloped away, and disappeared into the night in the blink of an eye.
Several cavalrymen from the Song army tried to pursue, but were stopped by the officer. He looked at Princess Yanran, who was sitting on the ground, and asked, "Are you Princess Yanran of Goryeo?"
Princess Yanran, who had just returned from the brink of death, nodded. The soldier waved his hand and said, "Take her to the barracks!"
When Liang Zifan saw Princess Yanran, he felt relieved: "Princess, what brings you to my military camp?"
Princess Yanran bowed gracefully. "Li Ziqian is plotting a rebellion, and my father's life or death is unknown. He has ordered me to come to the Song Dynasty to meet with the current emperor and ask for a Song army to rescue Goryeo."
Liang Zifan hurriedly helped her up. A mere lieutenant general like him couldn't bear the princess's kneeling respect. "This matter is of great importance. I have already sent someone to inform Marshal Yue. If the princess wishes to go to Bianjing, please wait in my camp and await news from Marshal Yue."
Princess Yanran nodded and settled down in the camp. This was the Song army camp, and she was safe here. No matter how powerful the Korean assassins were, they couldn't enter this camp.
Four days later, Yue Fei sent a letter instructing Liang Zifan to personally escort the princess to Beijing. He also warned Liang Zifan to be on high alert for Korean assassins along the way, demonstrating Yue Fei's concern for the matter.
Liang Zifan personally escorted her, making it impossible for the Korean assassins to attack her. They arrived safely in Bianjing. It was customary to arrange for the princess to stay at a post station in the capital that specifically received foreign envoys, and then have officials report to her.
But Zhao Huan was not in the palace. He was enjoying himself at Laifu Inn. Meng Gu Rao immediately sent Linghu Yunlong to discuss the matter with Zhao Huan.
Zhao Huan was also surprised when he heard about the Korean coup. Linghu Yunlong said anxiously, "Your Majesty must return to the palace as soon as possible to discuss this with the ministers."
"Hmm," Zhao Huan pondered for a moment, "I'll think about it again."
Zhao Huan was unsure whether he should send troops or not. If he sent troops to Korea at this time, the rebellion would surely be quelled. This would deter the Mongols, making them afraid to act rashly.
What will be the consequences of not sending troops?
Suddenly, Zhao Huan's eyes lit up and he decided not to send troops for the time being.
Zhao Huan had always wanted to go to war with Mongolia, and since Hebula suffered a loss at the hands of the Red Cannon, he never came to the border to harass the Song Dynasty again.
If Zhao Huan sent troops to attack Mongolia, it would be a blatant invasion, with no justification. If he won, it would be fine. If he lost the first battle, the government and the people would definitely not agree to send troops again.
Furthermore, if I send troops to fight against Mongolia, I am afraid I will be known as a tyrant. Although I don't care about my reputation, the Mongols have no intention of being my enemy. If I attack them, the morale of the army will not be united.
This is also why Chen Guoting opposed the war against Mongolia. Once the war started, the Song Dynasty would become the invader.
If the Mongols had provoked the Song Dynasty first, the situation would have been different. I could have mobilized the court officials. The Song Dynasty's prestige has been challenged, and I will send troops to defend my country.
After thinking about it, Zhao Huan understood Hebula's move. He wanted to use Goryeo to test the Song Dynasty.
I'm not going to send troops yet, just to see what Mongolian move will be next. For now, I'll go back to the palace and tell Li Gang and the others what I'm thinking, and see what they think.
"Yunlong, there's no rush to return to the palace." Zhao Huan pointed at the Laifu Inn and said, "I still have some things to do. Tomorrow morning I will return to the palace to summon Li Gang and the others. You should go back first."
"Your Majesty, I am here to protect you." Linghu Yunlong bowed.
It's better to be safe than sorry. Zhao Huan nodded and said, "Okay then. Come back to the inn with me. Don't reveal your identity."
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