Chapter 322: Chapter 320 Brother Lu Ying, You’ve Finally Come to Rescue Me
The efficiency of the Eastern Palace Guards was remarkably high.
Lu Ying quickly received intelligence that Shen Yinning had been abducted to the outskirts of the city in a horse-drawn carriage.
Xue Ling rode with him out of the city, reminding, "Your Highness, do you still remember what day it is today?"
Lu Ying’s expression was blank.
Of course he remembered—it was the day the formal alliance treaty with Yan Country was to be signed.
Facing the howling wind, Xue Ling said, "If Your Highness is absent, Lu Zhengliu will most certainly agree to cede land and pay tribute to the Yan scoundrels. If the Yan push further, Lu Zhengliu might even bow down and swear fealty! This day is so critical, and yet Shen Yinning has vanished—no matter how you look at it, it reeks of a trap!"
The Zhaoye Jade Lion galloped along the official road.
Lu Ying clutched the reins tightly, his jawline taut.
He fully understood Xue Ling’s concerns.
Yet even so, he had to find Shen Zhaozhao immediately.
He had promised to take responsibility for her. She had already been harmed under his very nose by Yan Zheming—that was his failure. If anything further were to happen to her, he could never forgive himself for the rest of his life.
He could not afford to gamble.
Even if Yan Zheming had laid a mountain of blades and a sea of flames, he would tread upon them all.
At the same time as Lu Ying was leaving the city, Yan Zheming swaggered into the Imperial Palace.
His trusted aide whispered softly in his ear, "Lu Ying left the city with Xue Ling. The trap meticulously arranged by Princess Zhaoning will likely keep him occupied for four to five hours. Today’s negotiations are bound to proceed smoothly."
Yan Zheming laughed heartily. When he looked at the solemn palace before him, his deep eyes brimmed with ambition.
The Shen Family—father and son—were the greatest enemies feared by Yan Country.
As long as they held the border, Yan Country could only cower in the north.
But the officials of Great Zhou had foolishly chosen to sever their own arm, granting Yan Country this opportunity to march southward.
He stroked the golden snake head pendant on his chest and sneered, "The people of the Central Plains have an old saying: ’The ruler is the guide of his ministers; if the ruler is unjust, the ministers will defect to another state.’ The Emperor of Great Zhou has behaved dishonorably, exterminating an entire family of his minister. Shen Yinning defecting to another country is entirely reasonable. May the world have more fools like the Emperor of Great Zhou, so Yan Country can easily expand its territories."
The trusted aide remarked, "Your Highness is absolutely right. However, I’ve heard that the Crown Prince of Great Zhou is quite a formidable figure. Should he inherit the throne, he may one day become a threat to our Yan Country."
"Lu Ying..." A cruel glint flashed across Yan Zheming’s face. "This trip to Great Zhou is half for the alliance and half for him. As long as he lives, Yan Country will never have the chance to march south."
As the master and servant conversed, they arrived at Chao Feng Hall.
Lu Zhengliu stood at the doors of the grand hall, raised a hand with a smile, and said, "Your Highness, please."
The Yan delegation took their seats one by one, while Lu Zhengliu and several Great Zhou officials sat across from them.
Due to Lu Ying’s absence, the negotiations proceeded exceptionally smoothly.
As the moment to sign the treaty approached, Yan Zheming suddenly said, "There is one more matter, which I hope Prince Duan will agree to."
"Your Highness may speak freely."
"In the past, Shen Xinglei guarded the border and was accused of wantonly massacring civilians. Does His Highness Prince Duan know of this?"
Lu Zhengliu’s pupils shifted slightly, but his expression did not change: "Of course, I am aware."
"Not only did Shen Xinglei slaughter Great Zhou’s herders without cause, but he also captured dozens of Yan’s herders and burned them alive in a cruel inferno. I understand that in war, casualties on both sides are inevitable, but ordinary civilians, especially the elderly, women, and children, should not have been involved. It is said that the Central Plains Dynasty values righteousness above all else. Considering Shen Xinglei’s heinous actions, shouldn’t your esteemed nation give us an explanation?"
Lu Zhengliu placed a hand on the official document.
Though a smile lingered on his lips, his eyes were filled with contemplation.
He stared at Yan Zheming. "In this alliance, Great Zhou has already demonstrated the sincerity it ought to. As for Shen Xinglei, he committed great crimes and has long been executed. For the Yan Crown Prince to bring this up again, could it be that you are looking to demand something else from the Central Plains?"
"Hahaha, Prince Duan overthinks. I only intend to remind His Highness that Shen Xinglei’s lack of humanity and righteousness means he was unworthy of being a general. The Duke of Shen, having failed to discipline his son, is unworthy of holding the Commander’s Seal. I merely request that your nation strip the Duke of Shen of his military authority to prevent further atrocities against civilians from occurring."
Lu Zhengliu raised an eyebrow.
On the outskirts of the city.
Following the clues, Lu Ying urged his Zhaoye Jade Lion into the mountain forest.
The rugged mountain paths slowed their pace bit by bit. After crossing two peaks, they had yet to catch sight of Shen Yinning.
"Your Highness."
Bai Ling came forward holding a handkerchief. "This subordinate found it in the bamboo forest nearby."
Lu Ying took the handkerchief. It was silken, with the name "Zhaozhao" embroidered in the corner.
It belonged to Shen Zhaozhao.
Was this a marker she had secretly dropped after being captured?
He clutched the handkerchief tightly. "Keep searching."
Xue Ling rode up beside him and couldn’t help but say, "At this hour, Yan Zheming has probably already entered the palace, and the treaty has likely been signed. Your Highness, are you really not worried? That’s a vast piece of territory."
Everyone present was one of his trusted confidants.
Lu Ying replied calmly, "Even if the treaty is signed, so what? Do you think Yan Zheming will make it back to Yan Country alive?"
From the very beginning, he had never intended for Yan Zheming to return alive.
Now, with Shen Zhaozhao involved, there was no chance he would leave Yan Zheming alive.
Xue Ling was momentarily stunned, then burst out laughing. "I knew it."
In Yan Zheming and Lu Zhengliu’s minds, today’s treaty was a chess game.
They had deliberately lured Lu Ying away, believing they held the advantage.
Little did they know, Lu Ying was never part of the chessboard.
He was the one who intended to overturn the entire board.
While Lu Ying and his team searched for Shen Yinning, twenty li north of the city—
A carriage had stopped at an abandoned estate. Wen Liluo directed her maid to help Shen Yinning into the house.
The house had already been cleaned. Though the bedding on the bed was old, it was spotless.
Wen Liluo wore a cold expression as she surveyed the surroundings. "I must be incredibly unlucky to have boarded your damned ship. If the Crown Prince finds out you’ve colluded with the Yan, my head—and then some—will roll. If I had nine clans, they’d be implicated too. What rotten luck."
Shen Yinning sat on the couch, resting her cheek on her hand. "If I maintain good relations with Yan Zheming, wouldn’t that make it easier for you to conduct business with the Yan? Not only would you save two-tenths on tariffs, but they might also entrust you with rare deals."
Wen Liluo considered this and felt much less irritated.
She glanced at Shen Yinning and asked, "The Crown Prince will inevitably find this place. How will you explain it when that happens?"
"We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. What’s the rush?"
"Fair enough." Wen Liluo brushed the dust off her clothes with her horsetail whisk. "You wait here for him. I need to take my people and leave. The last thing I need is to be seen by him and dragged into unnecessary explanations."
Less than two hours after Wen Liluo left, Lu Ying found the place.
Shen Yinning had already heard the sound of hooves approaching.
When they came searching, she weakly collapsed against the door frame, with a length of frayed rope nearby, as though she had just broken free of her bindings.
A guard exclaimed excitedly, "Your Highness, Princess Zhaoning is over there!"
Lu Ying looked over.
The girl appeared frail, her long black hair scattered on the ground, her pale, delicate face tinged with an unhealthy flush of red. Her Dan Feng eyes were brimming with tears, giving her an air of pitiful fragility.
As their gazes met, her voice trembled with grievance, and she choked back tears. "Brother Lu Ying, you’ve finally come to save me..."