In the western suburbs of the city, the entire family of Left Chancellor Chen Shu, escorted by soldiers, was about to set off.
Emperor Chen only ordered the exile of the direct descendants, and it was hard to say whether it was good or bad; next to him was Right Chancellor Li Xuan, and there were more than thirty people from both families, all of whom looked ashen-faced in the cold wind.
Li Xuan and Chen Shu stood side by side at the front, with the former tentatively saying, "Lord Chen, I heard that His Majesty intends to send us to find the Iron-Eating Beast again..."
Chen Shu and Li Xuan had completely different personalities. Li Xuan was tactful and cautious, while Chen Shu was straightforward and impulsive, but both were extremely capable officials.
Upon hearing this, Chen Shu was so angry he almost fell over: "Eating...eating iron beasts? His Majesty wants us to go find iron beasts?"
When Li Xuan heard Chen Shu raise his voice, which had already attracted the attention of several soldiers, he quickly tugged at Chen Shu's sleeve, signaling him to lower his voice.
At this moment, a soldier ran to the officer in charge of escorting them and whispered something in his ear. The officer in charge nodded and walked towards the two prime ministers. Li Xuan and Chen Shu looked at each other, both puzzled.
"My lords, Princess Heyang has been ordered by His Majesty to go to Shu Prefecture to find the Iron-Eating Beast. His Majesty took pity on the princess being alone and specially ordered her to accompany us."
After saying that, the soldier lowered his voice and added, "Don't worry, you two. Princess Heyang said that she would repay even the smallest kindness with the greatest gratitude. She asked us to take care of you along the way."
Chen Shu and Li Xuan were somewhat surprised, but more puzzled—why would His Majesty send a woman to Shu Prefecture to find the Iron-Eating Beast? Why did Princess Heyang say, "A drop of kindness deserves a spring of gratitude"?
Wait a minute, isn't Princess Heyang the sister of the Duke of Zhenguo? Could it be that this move was at the Duke of Zhenguo's behest?
Regardless of the conspiracy theories these two shrewd individuals harbored in their minds, Shang Shaoyan soon arrived at the location where the two families were stationed.
Chen Shu and Li Xuan both watched the understated yet luxurious carriage warily. A maid in green stepped down first, followed by a stunningly beautiful young woman. The woman had her hair styled in double buns, adorned with a few pearls. She wore a plum-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), a white half-sleeved top, and a lotus-root-colored shawl. She had a slender figure, and her sharp phoenix eyes glanced over casually, yet the imposing aura emanating from them made the two men dare not look at her for long.
The young woman was Shang Shaoyan. She stepped forward and bowed to Chen Shu and Li Xuan: "My lords, the journey to Shu Prefecture is long and arduous. If you lack anything or need anything, just tell Heyang, and Heyang will make the necessary preparations."
The two men looked at each other, and to be honest, even if they suspected something was amiss, they couldn't bring themselves to be angry at such a humble, polite, and poised young woman who looked about the same age as their granddaughter.
Li Xuan reacted the fastest, and hurriedly thanked Shang Shaoyan: "Thank you for the care of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion."
Shang Shaoyan scoffed inwardly, "Old fox, do you think I'm stupid?" But on the surface, she smiled gently, "Lord Li, you jest. He Yang's actions were for personal reasons... You two may not know, but when He Yang was rejected by the Duke of Cheng'en's family, the younger members of both your families helped my brother and me, preventing us from being bullied. My trip to Shuzhou was not only to find the Iron-Eating Beast, but also to seek medical treatment for my brother. It is only right that I take care of him along the way."
Chen Shu was always straightforward, but he wasn't reckless. Hearing this, he barely suppressed his urge to ask, and tentatively inquired, "May I ask which junior member of my family you are?"
Shang Shaoyan readily agreed: "They are indeed your grandson Chen Wulang and Li Liulang from Lord Li's family."
Chen Shu and Li Xuan suddenly realized—these two people loved to hang around Shang Yunlan. They had even warned them that the Prince of Nan'an was probably going to make a move against the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, and told them not to get involved... Who could have imagined things would turn out this way back then?
Thinking of this, the two men couldn't help but blush. They had only been concerned with protecting themselves, but they hadn't expected that the other person was so generous and grateful. This made them feel extremely ashamed.
Upon seeing this, Shang Shaoyan immediately understood what they were thinking and found it somewhat amusing, but he didn't point it out. He simply nodded slightly and said, "It's getting late. If we don't set off soon, we might not reach the post station before dark. Let's set off after you two have rested."
...
Meanwhile, at the Prince of Nan'an's residence.
Prince Zhao Ming of Nan'an looked at the servant kneeling before him with a gloomy face. His voice was cold, like a venomous snake: "Say what you just said again."
The man kowtowed, somewhat trembling, and said, "Your Highness, Princess Heyang has already left Shengjing. The Duke of Zhenguo just entered the palace and said something, and His Majesty has assigned five hundred elite soldiers to escort Princess Heyang."
Zhao Ming was furious, and laughed in anger: "Well, well, well, what a duke's mansion! What a duke!"
His face was contorted, his sinister gaze fixed on the servant. After a long while, he narrowed his eyes and asked, "What else did you hear?"
The servant kowtowed again, nearly fainting from fear: "This servant...this servant didn't hear anything else."
Enraged, Zhao Ming immediately kicked the man far away, yelling, "Useless trash!"
After the others dragged the half-dead servant away, Zhao Ming sat back in his recliner, a hint of ruthlessness appearing on his otherwise effeminate and cold face.
He thought for a moment, then returned to his study. There was already someone waiting for him there—an elderly man who looked like a wise and venerable elder, leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, deep in thought.
A hint of mockery flashed in Zhao Ming's eyes, but he quickly lowered his head and asked respectfully, "Mr. Ye, His Majesty just dispatched five hundred elite soldiers to escort Princess Heyang. Is there any serious problem?"
Mr. Ye opened his eyes, glanced at Zhao Ming, and said, "Your Highness, there is no need to worry. That Princess Heyang is just a woman. Let alone five hundred elite soldiers, she can't even manage fifty. The situation will only become more chaotic. You can rest assured to take action and eliminate the threat at its root."
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