111: Chapter 0111 Misty Rain Pavilion

Qi Wenjun's heart trembled. He mustered his courage, kowtowed, and said,

"Prince Bai! I am being wronged!! I am truly not a traitor!!"

Prince Bai took a sip of tea and said leisurely, "Your reason?"

Qi Wenjun glanced at the people nearby and frowned. "Your Highness, there are some things... this lowly one must speak with you alone."

Prince Bai knit his brows and gave a slight signal with his eyes.

The personal guards on both sides quickly withdrew.

"Speak."

Qi Wenjun then lowered his voice, his face solemn, and spoke one word at a time: "Snowy mountains, eternally cold..."

"..."

The room fell silent for a full ten seconds.

Prince Bai pondered for a long while before asking a soul-searching question—

"And then?"

Qi Wenjun's face flushed with anxiety as he said urgently, "Your Highness, it's your turn to continue!!"

"Continue what?"

Prince Bai was bewildered. What did he mean? Did he want to trade verses?

Didn't he know that among all the vassal kings, he, Prince Bai, had hated poetry and literature the most since childhood?

Was this guy about to die, so he came to provoke him!?

"You... you forgot?!"

Qi Wenjun didn't care anymore and had to say the second half himself:

"Independently shining upon Emei Peak! Do you remember now?"

Prince Bai took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"Emei Peak! The spy you planted by Lin Xiao's side!"

Qi Wenjun said, "I was able to return alive from the Zhenbei Army thanks to the help of the Generals Mansion's steward. He is your man!"

"Lin Xiao's steward? My man?"

Prince Bai was so angry he laughed. "If he were my man, would I still need you to steal the defense maps!?"

"If he were my man, wouldn't it be enough to just poison Lin Xiao to death!?"

Qi Wenjun blinked. "Poison? Your Highness, Emei Peak said that Lin Xiao is cunning and suspicious, so poisoning him is not reliable."

"For a spy planted with such difficulty, he must surely deliver a killing blow at the critical moment!"

Prince Bai slammed the table. "I said he isn't!! I don't know any Emei Peak either!!"

"You fool! You were played by someone, and you're still speaking for him!?"

Qi Wenjun shook his head frantically. "Impossible! Your Highness, the moment we met, he recognized my identity as the Deputy Commander of the Secret Guards!"

"Furthermore, to protect me, he personally killed someone by Lin Xiao's side!"

"Crucially... I also verified the defense maps; they couldn't be fake!"

Qi Wenjun argued, "Your Highness, the Western Qiang iron ore deal failed because that group must have pocketed the money and fled!"

"Shut up!!"

Prince Bai was furious, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. "The Great King of Western Qiang sent a letter saying the people he sent for the deal were all killed! The iron ore was all seized!"

"Tell me, who else besides the Zhenbei Army could digest over a dozen carts of iron ore?!"

Qi Wenjun slumped to the ground, feeling as if the sky had collapsed!

"How could this be... but... but I shouldn't have been exposed..."

He couldn't figure out at which step he had shown his tail.

"I wanted to give you a quick end, but you insisted on coming here to enrage me!"

Prince Bai waved his hand. "Men! Drag him away and execute him by a thousand cuts!!"

Soon, Qi Wenjun was dragged out of the hall.

In the cold darkness, Qi Wenjun's hysterical screams rang out...

"Emei Peak? And what the hell, independently shining?"

Prince Bai was so angry he propped his forehead with one hand, his mind in a mess.

At that moment, a faint fragrance drifted in.

A beautiful woman dressed in white fur walked out from the back hall, looking sexy and charming.

"Your Highness, why trouble your spirit over such a fool?"

The beauty brewed tea for Prince Bai and sat on his lap, her body seemingly boneless.

Seeing his beloved concubine, Prince Bai finally showed a trace of a smile.

"I am not troubled over that Qi Wenjun, but that man named Lin has opposed me time and again, which truly irritates me."

"The Zhenbei Army only has thirty thousand men. Even if they are good at fighting, if Your Highness sends sixty thousand troops, can you still not take them down?"

"Of course I can, but my Imperial Brother, as well as Prince Qing and the Prince of Yan, are all wishing for me to go and fight a bloody battle against the Zhenbei Army."

Prince Bai shook his head. "I cannot fall into their trap. Before the Emperor abdicates, I must preserve my strength!"

"But... if the Zhenbei Army truly took the Western Qiang iron ore and continues to grow stronger, it will sooner or later become a disaster," the woman said worriedly.

Prince Bai's brow was tightly furrowed. "How could I not know that... but the Northern Barbarians have already been beaten into submission by Lin Xiao."

"If I mobilize troops from the other five northern provinces, it will be a waste of manpower and resources, which is disadvantageous to me. Moreover, they are likely no match for the Zhenbei Army..."

The woman's beautiful eyes flickered. "Since the Zhenbei Army is all because of Lin Xiao... as long as Lin Xiao is killed, won't the threat be gone?"

Prince Bai's eyes lit up. "You mean... using the power of the martial world?"

"The assassins in the martial world dare not touch imperial relatives because the court and the martial world have always stayed out of each other's way."

"But Lin Xiao has a shallow background and no family prestige. Although he is betrothed to Princess Ningxiang, they aren't married yet after all, and the Xie Family won't care too much."

"I think... as long as the price is high enough, there will still be assassins willing to take the contract."

Prince Bai nodded. "True, you have reminded me. It's just that Lin Xiao's martial arts are high. To kill him... I'm afraid it won't be easy."

"The Faceless Boy of Yanyu Pavilion has been a friend of mine for many years. Perhaps we can give it a try!" the woman said with a smile.

"The number one assassin organization in the martial world, Yanyu Pavilion!?"

Prince Bai's spirits rose. "I heard that this organization seems to have multiple Martial Arts Grandmasters. Is that true?"

"It is indeed true. That Faceless Boy is a Martial Arts Grandmaster level expert. Moreover, he is skilled in disguise; no one knows his true face."

The woman said proudly, "Back when I was in the Ten Thousand Poison Cave, the Faceless Boy came to my master to seek a cure for a rare poison. I was responsible for looking after him for a few days, so I had the honor of befriending him."

"Good! I'll leave this matter for you to handle! If you can kill Lin Xiao, I will make you my Princess Consort!!"

The woman's eyes shone with a strange light. She stood up excitedly and performed a graceful bow.

"I will certainly do my best to share Your Highness's burdens!!"

The next day.

Baiyu Pavilion, third-floor private room.

Xie Juner, who had changed back into her own clothes, looked at a poem on the wall, unable to look away for a long time.

"Drunkenly lying on the battlefield, do not laugh; since ancient times, how many have returned from war..."

"How does Miss Ning feel about it?"

Xie Juner turned her head and realized that Su Wansha had already arrived and was looking at her with a smile.

Su Wansha had also changed into women's clothing, looking as beautiful as a lotus emerging from the water.

"Sister Su, you are truly pure and elegant in women's clothing."

Xie Juner praised her, secretly comparing them in her heart and feeling that they were equally matched.

"Miss Ning is the one; you look good in anything."

The two women complimented each other for a while before sitting down, as several delicate small dishes were served one after another.

"Has Sister Su gone back to ask the General? What did the General say?"

Xie Juner was still worried that Lin Xiao would come, but then she thought that even if they met, they wouldn't recognize each other, so she was no longer panicked.

"The General also hopes to find a partner and has let me take full responsibility for this matter."

Su Wansha handed over a list of terms. "Miss Ning might as well take a look and see if you can satisfy these requirements of the General."

Xie Juner immediately took it with both hands and began to read it carefully...

After a while, her delicate brows knit together; she was sometimes confused, sometimes pensive, and sometimes her eyes sparkled...