Probing

The grand palace complex, with its solemn and dignified architectural style, was serenely beautiful amidst the falling snow.

Xu Yuan gazed at the vast white sky, walking forward alongside the woman in red beside him.

She seems to really like bright red.

She wasn't wearing her usual loose red robe dress, but rather a rather tight-fitting fiery red outfit.

Xu Yuan glanced at the other person casually.

Having lost its flowing red robe, it finally showed some slight undulations.

Acting requires investing genuine emotion, then ruthlessly pulling it out, then going back in, then coming out again, going back in, coming out again, and so on.

Therefore,

When Li Qingyan noticed his gaze and gave him a cold look, Xu Yuan simply chuckled and asked:

"We've come this far, can I finally ask you what you want to know?"

Li Qingyan stopped in her tracks, staring at Xu Yuan whose lips were slightly parted:

"Chief Lou... has she already left the city?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan immediately began to feign ignorance:

"Huh? Didn't you already seal off the entire city with an array? How did she get out?"

Li Qingyan at Xu Yuan with indifferent eyes as if he were looking at a fool:

"Xu Changtian, do you think I'm brainless?"

"No."

Xu Yuan's expression was serious. "Don't talk nonsense."

Big breasts mean no brains? Of course you have brains.

Li Qingyan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said directly:

"Personally, I'm more inclined to believe she hasn't left the city, since you haven't left either. So if Lou Ji hasn't left the city yet, I hope you can contact her and leave two of the Cloud Qi Bomb that were sent to Zong Qingsheng and Uncle Mu in Beifeng City."

Xu Yuan listened thoughtfully and asked:

"What if she's already gone?"

Upon hearing this question,

Li Qingyan's lips curled slightly, her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and she stared directly at Xu Yuan:

"If she were to leave, she would surely offer to take you with her, but you are still here. So, you can start thinking about how to explain to me why you are staying in Beifeng City."

Xu Yuan's expression was slightly strange.

He discovered that these members of the royal family were all incredibly difficult to fool.

It was you Wu Yuan, who made Xu Yuan stay in Beifeng City as a hostage, and now it is you Wu Yuan, who are left to explain.

After a while,

Xu Yuan suddenly chuckled and asked, "What are you suspecting?"

Li Qingyan smiled slightly, her gaze unchanged. "What do you think I suspect?"

How am I supposed to know what you're suspecting if you don't tell me?

"What I'm doubting is in your own heart."

"Alright, alright."

Xu Yuan raised his hand to interrupt the spellcasting, "You simply suspect that I, Xu Changtian, stayed behind to prepare for trouble in Beifeng City."

As he spoke, Xu Yuan paused, then pointed to himself:

"Your Highness, do you think a playboy like me is capable of causing trouble under these circumstances?"

"A spoiled brat?"

Li Qingyan Xu Yuan from head to toe, a hint of amusement appearing on her exquisite face:

"I have never believed in so-called reputation; I only believe in what I see with my own eyes."

"So what did you see?"

"Xu Changtian, after spending this past month together, I see you as nothing like a spoiled brat."

"Do you think I can beat you?"

"." Li Qingyan.

A moment of silence,

The woman in red brushed the snowflakes off her shoulders.

"It seems that Lou Ji has indeed left."

Xu Yuan no longer concealed this matter:

"She did leave, and she did say she would take me with her."

"Oh?"

Li Qingyan's beautiful eyes showed some confusion. "Why are you suddenly willing to tell me this? Have you thought about how to explain it to me?"

Xu Yuan shook his head and said seriously:

"This is my father's wish."

"."

Li Qingyan looked slightly helpless, as if she had already expected Xu Yuan to give such an explanation.

Xu Yinhe.

She had heard this name from Uncle Mu countless times since she was a child.

When I was a child,

Uncle Mu's evaluation of Xu Lord Xu was generally full of praise and admiration, such as "a prime minister for all ages" and "his strategies were amazing".

But as she grew up, the way Lord Xu Mu spoke of Xu Gong gradually changed from praise to angry curses like "thief who stole the country," "old geezer," and "trash who doesn't follow the way of a subject."

Such a person is indeed quite suitable to be used as a scapegoat.

Upon seeing Li Qingyan's expression, Xu Yuan knew the other party didn't believe him. He sighed and the lie came out without hesitation:

"No, my princess, do you think I, Xu Changtian, want to stay in this dilapidated city?"

As he spoke, Xu Yuan pointed to the south of the city:

"The city gate over there has been blown up. We all know how many days we can hold out if the Barbarian Tribe attack."

"But my father said that he needs me, his son, to stay in Beifeng City as a hostage to reassure you that our actions Prime Minister's Estate will not jeopardize the interests of the court."

Upon hearing these moving words, a thoughtful look appeared in Li Qingyan's eyes:

"Didn't you say you were a playboy? Would a playboy care about these things?"

Xu Yuan frowned, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes:

"Li Qingyan, I, Xu Changtian, may not have been a good person in the past, but I've been influenced by what I've seen and heard since I was a child, and I can still grasp the important things when it comes to the big picture."

Li Qingyan looked at Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan stared at her, his eyes sincere and earnest.

After a while,

Li Qingyan suddenly smiled, her eyes crinkling.

"It seems Lou Ji has already prepared an escape route for you."

Xu Yuan's expression froze.

Damn it, these women are so ruthless when they try to show off.

In a daze,

Li Qingyan slowly raised a jade-like hand and gently stroked Xu Yuan's face, chuckling softly at close range, her crimson eyes burning like fire.

"Regardless of whether there's a way out, you dare to stay in Beifeng City under these circumstances; you are worthy of being my man."

Having said that,

She patted Xu Yuan on the shoulder:

"I am very satisfied with you in this matter."

"." Xu Yuan.

Withdrawing his hand, Li Qingyan continued to step forward and said:

"The Barbarian Tribe will probably start their attack in about two hours. I'll head to the city gate tower to oversee things immediately."

Two hours

Xu Yuan paused for a moment, then quickly caught up, frowning as he asked:

"Lou Ji told me that the Barbarian Tribe are adjusting their plans and preparing for the siege; the attack will have to wait until at least tomorrow, or even the day after."

The valiant woman in red raised her crimson eyes and glanced at the vast white sky:

"Completely surrounding Beifeng City will indeed have to wait until tomorrow, but that Barbarian Tribe Alien King would never do something so foolish. At most, he will deploy his army to the East String Gate and then not go any further north."

Xu Yuan immediately realized:

"When besieging an enemy, must there be an opening?"

"A siege requires leaving an opening? A good phrase."

Li Qingyan narrowed his phoenix eyes. "However, it's more because that Alien King is too aware of the internal conflicts within our Northern Border army. As long as he keeps his troops in the south, the sects in the city will inevitably have other ideas."

Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly:

"You mean the sect is thinking of fleeing?"

As he spoke, Xu Yuan glanced strangely at the heavy snowfall.

"Leading the army to flee in this weather is tantamount to suicide! And if Beifeng City falls, then those 700,000 troops will truly be isolated."

Li Qingyan's voice was slightly cold:

"The army itself won't desert, but the high-ranking Barbarian Tribe will definitely try to escape with supplies. Some of the Barbarian Tribe understand the language of our Great Yan, and they will use that to disrupt the morale of the troops in the city. Moreover, without these people in command, the time for the lower-level troops to reorganize will become a gap."

The higher one's position and the greater one's power, the more one cherishes their life.

For high-level cultivators, crossing the Northern Border Mountains is not difficult. As long as they are not too unlucky and are not blocked by the Barbarian Tribe powerhouses, they can usually escape directly back to the Great Yan territory.

Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked:

"But didn't you already start the battle?"

Li Qingyan shook his head:

"Maintaining the operation of the Beifeng City is a huge expense every day. If it is subjected to siege equipment, this expense will be even greater. Once a battle breaks out, most of the Source Crystal will be allocated to the formation in the south of the city. At that time, the formation in the north will naturally be unable to maintain such strength."

After saying that, Li Qingyan gave Xu Yuan a comforting smile:

"Don't worry, even if the city falls, you will never die before me."

Hearing this, Xu Yuan's heart sank, and he suddenly had a bad feeling:

"Princess, do you mean..."

Li Qingyan remained silent and retrieved a suit of armor from his Sumeru Ring.

"Try it on and see if it fits."

"."

Xu Yuan glanced at the armor of the Yulin Army Guard's commander.

While the technique of engraving defensive array patterns on cloth clothing is still rare in the Great Yan, the engraving technique on armor, though expensive, is already quite sophisticated.

Human life is worthless in this extraordinary feudal dynasty, but martial arts practitioners are valuable. The training period for a combat-ready soldier is at least five years, and for elites, it takes at least ten years.

Therefore, most forces do not skimp on life-saving items like armor, and regular armies generally have standard-issue armor.

From rank-and-file soldiers to mid-level captains and high-ranking commanders, all wore standard-issue armor.

However, the armor that Li Qingyan gave him should be specially made, as his Will Soul could detect some complex and profound array patterns on it.

After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan reached out and took it, asking softly:

"I wonder what Your Highness means?"

Li Qingyan smiled, pursing her lips:

"From this moment forward, you are my sole personal guard."

Xu Yuan's lips twitched:

"Only?"

As they spoke, the two had already arrived at the front of a courtyard.

As Li Qingyan pushed open the courtyard gate, he casually remarked:

"When my cultivation was low, I followed Uncle Mu. Now that my cultivation has increased, I naturally no longer need personal guards, so you are the first one."

The small pond in the courtyard was frozen over, and the pavilions and towers were covered with a thick layer of snow. However, the stone path seemed to be made of a special material, as the snow disappeared as soon as it hit the ground.

Walking together on the stone path, Xu Yuan smacked his lips:

"Is it really necessary to do this? Given the current situation, I have no need to hide my identity."

Being a personal guard is roughly equivalent to having a 24-hour bodyguard; it's roughly equivalent to not being able to attend the Third Prince's invitation tonight; it's roughly equivalent to making it almost impossible for him to do anything afterward.

Li Qingyan seemed to have guessed Xu Yuan's thoughts, and his gaze swept over coldly:

"Once the war begins, there will be both City Protection Array and military formations. The safest place will be right next to me."

Xu Yuan did not agree, saying:

"There's no need to rush things now that war hasn't started."

Li Qingyan frowned slightly, but then seemed to understand something, turning her gaze to him:

"Did you and Li Yunqing have something you didn't finish talking about in that pavilion earlier?"

"." Xu Yuan.

This "washboard princess" seems a bit too perceptive. If this engagement really goes through, she might not be so easy to fool when they go out together after the wedding.

Yeah, the Big Ice Block are still the cutest.

She believed everything he said.

First day missing the Big Ice Block.

Xu Yuan was lost in these random thoughts, Li Qingyan suddenly said unexpectedly:

"In that case, you will return to my side as a personal guard starting tomorrow."

Xu Yuan's eyes showed some surprise.

This woman actually let him go?

Li Qingyan's exquisite face appeared slightly softened by the wind and snow. Her phoenix eyes met his gaze as she spoke softly:

"If you wish to go to a place like a brothel, I will not stop you before the wedding."

Xu Yuan subconsciously stopped in his tracks, staring in astonishment at Li Qingyan's tall figure.

But immediately,

Then he heard Li Qingyan's remaining words drift back faintly:

"Although I don't know what you want to talk to Li Yunqing about, if it involves the struggle for the throne, I suggest you don't get involved. I won't be like Li Yunqing."

Having said that,

She pushed open the door to her room and walked straight in.

Xu Yuan stood there, somewhat dazed.

hiss.

What did this woman mean by her last words?

Then we entered the room.

Xu Yuan looked around the room and spotted the woman in red tying her hair up in the room, which was simply furnished. He asked directly:

"Hey, what did you mean by that last thing?"

Li Qingyan took out a hairpin from her Sumeru Ring, gathered her long, straight black hair that was draped behind her, and neatly tied it into a bun. She replied softly:

"Literal meaning."

Xu Yuan sat down opposite Li Qingyan and asked:

"You're not supporting the Crown Prince, so you're planning to support the Second Emperor?"

Li Qingyan stared at Xu Yuan with a helpless look in her eyes:

"Changtian, in your opinion, the struggle for the throne in the royal family must involve a prince?"

Xu Yuan gasped, then continued acting to test the waters:

"You want me to become a prince."

"Madness."

Li Qingyan stood up after tying her hair up. Her tall figure and simple bun made her look even more heroic. Her eyes turned slightly cold for a moment.

"The Great Yan is beset by external troubles and internal strife, and the common people are suffering. Whoever is willing to solve these problems, and whoever is capable of solving them, I will support."

"."

Xu Yuan placed the armor on the table in front of him and exhaled.

have to,

He thought this "washboard princess" was going to become an empress.

No wonder he was raised by Marquis of Martial Achievement; he only protects the emperor, not the right people.

Just as I was thinking,

Xu Yuan's gaze suddenly sharpened as he stared at the woman in red opposite him:

"What you do?"

Li Qingyan loosened his belt, his voice as calm as still water:

"Change clothes, put on armor."

Xu Yuan stared intently, his expression serious.

"Do you need help?"

Li Qingyan met the gaze without the slightest hint of shyness:

"You seem quite eager to help me put on my armor?"

He paused for a moment,

A mocking amusement flickered in her crimson eyes:

"Oh no, you seem more interested in helping me undress."

In the midst of the conversation,

The red dress fell to the ground, and the room fell silent.

Xu Yuan's eyes widened at first, then widened in disappointment, and then in surprise.

The stunning woman's fair, flat abdomen was outlined with beautifully defined abs, but the lines disappeared above that point.

A special strip of cloth was wrapped tightly around her chest, making it completely invisible.