Xiao Chen and his group made no attempt to conceal their whereabouts, and the very next day they made a grand entrance in the capital, active in various places, even setting up a fighting arena on the bustling Vermilion Bird Street to challenge the warriors of Great Xia, with a Seven-Star Treasure Sword as the prize, said to be one of the Ten Famous Swords of Northern Yan.
At the Tianxiang Pavilion next to the arena, the Prince of Xiang also set up a prize: anyone who challenged him, regardless of success or failure, would receive a gift. The capital was bustling with activity. However, without exception, everyone who went up lost. For three consecutive days, the same middle-aged man remained guarding the arena.
Sitting face-to-face with Chu Tianze in Qingyi Pavilion, they gazed at Tianxiang Tower, which used to be deserted but is now bustling with customers.
Bai Chuxiao chuckled, "Prince Xiang has certainly gone all out this time."
"With such a good opportunity right in front of him, how could he possibly give it up?" Chu Tianze said calmly.
But will Chu Tianling be furious? His golden opportunity to win people's hearts has been snatched away by the Prince of Xiang.
"The person guarding the arena is no ordinary individual," Bai Chuxiao's eyes brightened slightly.
General Meng He, a cavalry general under the command of the Pillar General of the State
"Isn't his son on Xiao Hong's side? How come the general is following the First Prince?" Bai Chuxiao asked with some confusion.
"Xiaoxiao, you must understand that all military power in Beiyan is in the hands of General Yuwen alone," Chu Tianze said firmly.
Bai Chuxiao nodded. No matter who rises to power in Beiyan, the Pillar General will never change. As for who his subordinates associate with, that's not so important. After all, everything is for Beiyan.
"Your Highness Prince Yan and Princess Changning are here too, what a coincidence," Xiao Chen said with a smile as he stepped forward, followed by Yuwen Minke.
Bai Chuxiao raised an eyebrow, "How has the Crown Prince been?"
"You two don't mind if Minke and I sit here, do you?"
Chu Tianze said calmly, "Whatever."
Yuwen Minke gazed at Chu Tianze with admiration. "The Prince of Yan's charisma is captivating. I have long admired him, and today I finally meet him in person."
Bai Chuxiao watched this scene quietly with a smile on her lips.
Chu Tianze glanced at her coldly, said nothing, and gave her an expression that said, "Who do you think you are?"
Xiao Chen smiled and explained, "This is General Yuwen's beloved daughter, Yuwen Minke. My father specially bestowed upon her the title of Princess."
"So you're the Princess, it's an honor to meet you," Bai Chuxiao greeted her with great courtesy.
A commotion arose not far away. On the arena, Meng He kicked another person away, shouting, "I've long heard of the Great Xia's strength, but now it seems they're nothing special."
Then he called out to the second floor of the nearby Tianxiang Pavilion, "I've heard that the King of Xiang of the Great Xia Dynasty is here. I'd like to ask him a few questions; is that alright?"
The Prince of Xiang upstairs stiffened. What kind of image would it be for a prince to go down and fight? Besides, he couldn't possibly win.
Sitting opposite him, Chu Tianling looked on with amusement, "This is a great opportunity to make a name for yourself, Fifth Brother, you won't refuse, will you?"
The Prince of Xiang's eyes darkened slightly. Ever since the assassination attempt, the relationship between him and his sixth brother had become irreparable.
Ling Xiang laughed, "Sixth Brother, you're mistaken. Meng He is just a general; why would the Prince need to take action personally?"
It wasn't just Chu Tianze who knew Meng He's background; they had also figured it out over the past few days. They hadn't exposed him simply to use this opportunity to recruit more people.
"The Princess understands me very well," the Prince of Xiang said with a slight smile. He had to admit that Ling Xiang was a clever woman, and after all, she was a princess of a small country. She would definitely be useful in the future...
Chu Tianling's face darkened. He had met Princess Lingxiang before, and the wives of his brothers were all intelligent. It was just that he had married a fool who would only cause him trouble...
Through the window, the Prince of Xiang said in a deep voice, "You've chosen the wrong opponent. If you want to challenge me, call your eldest prince over. A dignified General of the Northern Flame Cavalry coming to fight against some ordinary people of my Great Xia? Even if you win, there's no need for such smugness."
The surrounding people suddenly realized what was going on after hearing this. So the person guarding the arena was actually a great general. No wonder! Wasn't this bullying?
Bai Chuxiao watched this scene with great interest. Meng He, despite his identity being exposed, remained standing on the arena, showing no intention of leaving. However, for a moment, no one from the Great Xia side went up to challenge him.
Xiao Chen remained expressionless and slowly said, "Generals of Great Xia are also welcome to try their luck."
Chu Tianze held his teacup, his expression calm. "The First Prince truly has a clever plan."
Yuwen Minke smiled and suddenly said, "I've heard that Princess Changning is extremely skilled in martial arts. Would you be interested in going down and having some fun?"
Having waited here for so long, Bai Chuxiao raised an eyebrow and slowly said, "No."
Yuwen Minke wasn't angry. She smiled and said, "In Beiyan, both men and women are brave and resourceful. I imagine Daxia is the same. This princess would like to experience it for myself today."
Having said that, he leaped down from the window and landed steadily on the arena in a matter of moments.
Seeing this, Meng He gave her his seat, and Yuwen Minke immediately announced her identity loudly, then declared that she would challenge all the princesses, noble ladies, and other high-ranking women of the Great Xia Dynasty.
She was alright compared to the others, but naturally no one would answer her in a martial arts contest; very few noble ladies of the Great Xia Dynasty practiced martial arts.
With no response, Yuwen Minke called out loudly towards the nearby Tianxiang Pavilion, "I've heard that the Princess Consort of Xiang is of princess birth, and Minke is also a county princess. Challenging you wouldn't lower your status, would it? I wonder if the Princess Consort of Xiang dares to come down and give it a try?"
Ling Xiang's eyes darkened slightly. First, Meng He provoked the Prince of Xiang, and now Yuwen Minke was challenging her. Was this never going to end? Was she really going to keep going against them like this? But if she didn't respond, it wouldn't be right...
Since the Prince of Xiang set up the challenge, he's been so high-profile. The other princes haven't really shown their faces yet. They can't very well go and attack him, can they? The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. If the Northern Yan wants to establish its authority, they can only challenge the Prince of Xiang.
"Your Highness, please go down. Women of the Great Xia Dynasty are not skilled in martial arts, so it doesn't matter if you lose," the Prince of Xiang instructed. He added that Yuwen Minke had never fought before and didn't know her skill level, but Ling Xiang was also skilled in martial arts. The final outcome was still uncertain, and winning would be a great opportunity to win people's hearts.
Ling Xiang nodded slightly, then leaped onto the arena, smiling as she said, "Princess Min Ke, the Great Xia is hospitable; we'll stop here."
Yuwen Minke smiled slightly, "What the Princess Consort of Xiang says is true."
Seeing Xiao Chen's calm and composed demeanor, Bai Chuxiao knew that Yuwen Minke must be very strong, at least Ling Xiang was no match for her. She had never seen Ling Xiang fight, but they had competed in archery, and judging from her courage, Ling Xiang still had a lot to learn...
Two beautiful women on the arena had already begun their fight. Yuwen Minke's weapon was a rather small curved sword, clearly custom-made, while Ling Xiang used a long ribbon, which had a unique beauty when swung...
Watching this scene, Bai Chuxiao couldn't help but shake her head and sigh. A true expert's skill is immediately apparent. Ling Xiang's move was only slightly better than fancy footwork; in her opinion, the way she used the long ribbon was so soft and weak, it looked more like dancing...
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