Among the thousand men led by the man in black robes, there were a few experts. With only about a hundred of them, continuing the fight wouldn't be good. Bai Chuxiao's eyes grew increasingly calm. After severing the necks of a few more men, she retreated with Xia Fan and the others.
Everyone already had numerous wounds. Xia Fan frowned, "Your Highness, you go first; I'll cover the rear."
The man in black robes sneered, "No one is leaving tonight."
However, these people's combat strength far exceeded his expectations. They outnumbered the enemy several times over, yet he still couldn't defeat them. He had originally thought that only Bai Chuxiao was difficult to deal with, but now it seemed that the Prince of Yan's mansion was truly full of hidden talents...
Bai Chuxiao's eyes flickered slightly, and she said in a deep voice, "Decapitation tactics."
Xia Fan and the others immediately rushed towards the man in black robes. The man in black robes quickly took a step back. If these people went berserk and only killed him, he would be badly injured, if not killed. He hadn't even had a chance to enjoy his wealth and glory yet; he couldn't die here.
Bai Chuxiao smiled, and just as the man in black robes retreated, she said in a deep voice, "Retreat."
They immediately turned and retreated into the forest. Xia Fan and the others also turned and retreated without stopping. In the instant the black-robed man and the others were stunned, they had already swiftly disappeared into the forest.
The man in black robes snapped out of his daze and cursed, "Damn it! They tricked me! Why aren't you chasing them!"
In the darkness of the night, deep in the mountains and forests, Bai Chuxiao and her companions were specially trained in concealment, making it difficult for the black-robed man to track them down. Before long, Bai Chuxiao and her group had left them some distance behind.
Beside a small cave on Mingyue Mountain, Bai Chuxiao, Xia Fan, and the others sat on the ground, tending to their wounds by the moonlight.
Xia Fan felt somewhat guilty, "Your Highness, it's all our fault for being useless."
The other young soldiers also lowered their heads. They were trained by the princess herself, and whenever there was danger, it was always the princess who rushed to the front. It was because they were not strong enough that the princess was injured.
Bai Chuxiao glanced at everyone, smiled, and shook her head. "Alright, this has nothing to do with you. It was my mistake this time. I should have immediately tried to leave Yunzhou after discovering Chu Wenzheng's plot, instead of getting bogged down in this."
Xia Fan said in a deep voice, "The Princess Consort did nothing wrong. If we hadn't handled the matters between the rebel army and the Yunzhou Guard properly, we really wouldn't have been able to leave Yunzhou. At least Commander Wei can hold things up for now, but I don't know how things are with the Crown Prince."
As soon as she finished speaking, a commotion arose around them. Bai Chuxiao, Xia Fan, and the others stood up, moved to the side, and their eyes flashed with vigilance.
Soon, dozens of figures appeared in the cave. Seeing the newcomers, Bai Chuxiao breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out, saying in a deep voice, "Zhan Chi."
Zhan Chi and the others immediately bowed and said, "Your Highness," as they had hurried over following the marks left by Bai Chuxiao and the others, thankfully not too late.
Bai Chuxiao's eyes darkened slightly. "Where is the Crown Prince?"
Zhan Chi was somewhat annoyed. "I was captured by Chu Wenzheng, who said he wanted the Crown Prince to go somewhere." If it weren't for the betrayal of the Crown Prince's confidant, he should have had no problem escaping with the Crown Prince and reuniting with the Princess.
Bai Chuxiao pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "We must return to the capital as soon as possible." A vassal king cannot enter the capital without a summons. If Chu Wenzheng were to mobilize troops, it would inevitably arouse suspicion from other states. Now that we have the Crown Prince in our hands, things are naturally different.
With Zhan Chi present, the princess's safety was further guaranteed, and Xia Fan and the others felt slightly relieved.
After resting for a short while, the group continued towards the dark path in the mountains, but the large flames were getting closer and closer.
Zhan Chi said in a deep voice, "I'll go and distract them," and without waiting for Bai Chuxiao to speak, he vanished.
Bai Chuxiao sighed helplessly, "Let's go first."
The group quickly headed towards the exit, but still encountered a group of people. The leader immediately sent out a signal.
Bai Chuxiao's eyes turned slightly cold as Zhaoying swiftly stabbed forward. This group of people clearly lacked any experts and were dealt with by the group in a short time. However, remembering the signal that had already been sent out, Bai Chuxiao and the others quickened their pace...
At the exit of the hidden passage in Mingyue Mountain, the man in black robes sneered at Bai Chuxiao and the others. "It's quite unexpected that the princess has managed to escape for so long." Thinking of the man who had caused trouble earlier, he realized that the Prince of Yan's mansion had quite a few capable experts.
Bai Chuxiao said calmly, "I am quite surprised that you were able to catch up with me this far. May I ask your esteemed name?"
The man in black robes sneered, "If the princess obediently follows me, she will naturally find out."
Bai Chuxiao raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "Mu Linfeng, instead of hiding behind Chu Tianling and not daring to even reveal your name, why not switch allegiance to my Yan Prince's Mansion? I guarantee you'll get far more benefits than Chu Tianling."
They had already sent people to investigate the expert beside Chu Tianling. This man in black robes had been deliberately mysterious, and she felt exhausted just looking at him.
Mu Linfeng's expression froze for a moment before returning to normal, and he said coldly, "Is it useful for the Princess to stall for time here?"
Bai Chuxiao smiled slightly, "I am sincerely trying to recruit you. You should think it over carefully. Putting everything else aside, Chu Tianze's character is far superior to Chu Tianling's. The Yan Prince's Mansion would never do something like discarding someone after they've served their purpose."
Mu Linfeng's eyes flickered slightly. Although she didn't know what the point of all her nonsense was, she couldn't help but compare the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Qi. She had to admit that the Prince of Yan seemed to have a better character... But considering Chu Tianling's schemes, what was the Prince of Yan, a mere prince, anyway?
Seeing his thoughtful expression, Bai Chuxiao smiled and said, "Mu Linfeng, although I don't know your plans, even if Chu Tianling becomes emperor, given his personality, do you think you can still be ennobled or appointed prime minister? However, if you join the Yan Prince's household, it will be a different story..."
Mu Linfeng's expression shifted, then he sneered, "The Princess Consort is truly a silver-tongued woman."
He was a mere江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of the martial arts world) who was recruited by Chu Tianling, all for the sake of gaining power. Chu Tianling had indeed promised him that. At present, it seems that the probability of Prince Qi becoming emperor is much higher than that of Prince Yan. Why would he betray his master and choose a prince with little chance of winning? Besides, if Prince Qi can't give him what he wants, can Prince Yan? ... It's not even certain that he can save his life by joining Prince Yan's side...
Bai Chuxiao sighed softly, "This concubine is truly sincere."
Chu Tianling's subordinates are actually a bit more loyal than the Crown Prince's; Chu Tianyou has really been useless all these years...
Mu Linfeng said coldly, "Has Your Highness said enough? If you've finished, then obediently come with me. Do you expect to wait for reinforcements?"
Bai Chuxiao raised an eyebrow, "Your Excellency is indeed intelligent."
A hint of wariness flashed in Mu Linfeng's eyes. "The princess won't shed tears until she sees the coffin," he said, then stopped talking and waved his hand.
Just then, the sound of galloping hooves approached. Bai Chuxiao smiled slightly and led Xia Fan and the others to retreat quickly.
Mu Linfeng stared at the thousands of black-armored soldiers before him, his face ashen. "How could this be?"
"Greetings, Your Highness," the Flying Cloud Riders said in unison.
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