The delegation reaches the Northern Territory

The bracelet slipped off her snow-white wrist. In Xu Qi'an's eyes, the older woman, whose appearance was ordinary, had a face that resembled a reflection in water. After a moment of change, her true appearance was revealed.

Her eyes were round and alluring, reflecting the firelight like sparkling gems in a shallow lake, crystal clear and captivating.

She raised her head shyly, her eyelashes fluttering gently, exuding a mysterious and alluring beauty.

Her lips were full and red, with delicately sculpted corners, like the most tempting cherries, enticing men to kiss them.

She is beautiful, but her temperament and demeanor are even more outstanding, like a celestial maiden in a painting.

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Xu Qi'an had seen stunning beauties before and knew that the Princess of Zhenbei was hailed as the most beautiful woman in the Great Feng, so she must have something extraordinary about her.

However, upon actually seeing the legendary most beautiful woman in the Great Feng Dynasty, Xu Qi'an was still overwhelmed with a strong sense of amazement. A poem naturally came to mind:

The clouds resemble her garments, the flowers her face; the spring breeze caresses the balustrade, the dew is heavy.

If not seen atop Mount Qunyu, then met beneath the moon on the Jade Terrace.

"Give it back to me," she pleaded, her voice trembling with tears.

Xu Qi'an looked at her silently, without continuing to tease her, and handed over the bracelet.

The princess snatched it away, put it back on, and with another ripple of light and shadow, she once again transformed into an ordinary old aunt.

He was in his early thirties, with ordinary features and a plain demeanor.

The princess touched her face, letting out a sigh of relief. Then she hid her right hand, adorned with a bracelet, behind her back, retreating step by step while watching Xu Qi'an warily.

She knew that her beauty was an irresistible temptation for men.

In this world, she has only met two men who could resist temptation and ignore her. One was Emperor Yuanjing, who was obsessed with cultivating Daoism and considered immortality above all else.

One is the Prince of Huai, who is obsessed with Martial Dao and has ulterior motives towards her.

As for Xu Qi'an, in the princess's preconceived notions of him, he was labeled as: a young hero; a lecher.

Rumor has it that this man frequented Imperial Academy of Music and had deep entanglements with many courtesans. His youthful heroism and unrestrained romanticism were intertwined, making him a frequent topic of conversation.

But what the princess feared most was a lecherous man.

She's so beautiful! No, it's not a matter of whether she's pretty or not. She's truly the kind of woman who's so rare, reminding me of my first love. This thought from my past life popped into Xu Qi'an's mind.

He thought it was very apt. The princess was beautiful, but what truly struck Xu Qi'an like a thunderbolt was her unique charm, which could touch the softest part of a man's heart.

Is this the most beautiful woman in the Great Feng Dynasty? Ha, what an interesting woman.

Xu Qi'an, holding a branch, poked at the campfire, no longer glancing at the wary and vigilant princess. His gaze remained fixed on the fire as he said:

"This bracelet is the one I won for you when you played pitch-pot, right? It has the effect of shielding your aura and changing your appearance."

The princess was slightly taken aback, but thinking about the changes in her appearance before and after taking off the bracelet, she assumed that he had deduced it from that, and nodded.

Xu Qi'an continued, "I had long heard that the Princess Consort of Zhenbei was the most beautiful woman in Great Feng, and I was initially Qi Ingestion. But now that I have seen your true face, I can only sigh: you truly deserve it."

The princess frowned slightly. "You're not Qi Ingestion?"

If any other woman had said this, the princess might have thought she was jealous, which would have been reasonable. But for the words to come from a man, it seemed very strange.

Xu Qi'an nodded. "Because I feel that all the women I know in my pond are outstanding beauties, each with their own unique charm, like a hundred flowers blooming in competition. The so-called princess is nothing more than one of those equally beautiful flowers."

But he had to admit that in that fleeting moment of breathtaking beauty, the princess had displayed an extremely powerful feminine charm.

Even though he was a veteran of many battles, he wasn't completely infatuated, but he did have a momentary impulse, a primal urge.

Upon hearing this, the princess gave a cold laugh.

How could the woman this lecherous man seduced compare to her? The courtesan in the Imperial Academy of Music was indeed beautiful, but to compare her to those women of the night would be an insult.

In the capital, the princess felt that Emperor Yuanjing's eldest and second daughters were barely enough to be her counterparts. The Imperial Preceptor Luo Yuheng could rival her in beauty at her most charming moments, but most of the time she was inferior.

As for the other women, she either had never seen them before, or they were beautiful but of low status.

The capital city is a mountain, and the princess is the undefeated master at the summit. With a mere glance, she can only see the heads of Huaiqing and Lin'an at most, and occasionally glimpse half of Luo Yuheng's face.

Of course, there is another person, if he were in his prime, whom the princess felt might be able to rival her.

She was the Empress of the Great Feng.

The women Xu Qi'an had been involved with naturally didn't include Huaiqing Lin'an or the Imperial Advisor. Therefore, the Princess scoffed at his statement and arrogantly raised her chin.

"It's been almost ten days since we left the capital. Pretending to be a maid must have been tough. I've been putting up with you, and it's been tough for me too," Xu Qi'an said with a smile.

"What do you mean?" The princess was taken aback.

"That night on the deck, I wanted to take off your bracelet, but I didn't want to cause any trouble, since I was the organizer and had to consider the bigger picture."

The princess stared blankly at him, astonished, and said, "You... you guessed I was the princess back then?"

That's a lie. She was so good at pretending. She often cheered for her acting skills at night, thinking that she played the role of a maid so perfectly that no one recognized her.

"To be precise, I started to have doubts when you threw gold at me at the Prince's mansion. I truly confirmed your identity when we met on the official ship. That's when I realized that you were the Princess Consort. The one on the ship was just a puppet," Xu Qi'an said with a smile.

After abandoning ship and traveling by land, Xu Qi'an saw the fake princess but felt no emotion; in fact, he became even more certain that she was an imposter.

The reason is simple: he used to keep a diary, in which he recorded a characteristic of the princess.

"I... I exposed myself so early." The princess opened her mouth but couldn't speak. Thinking about her behavior these past few days, a wave of shame washed over her, making her want to dig herself up and bury herself in the ground.

"I'm telling you all this to let you know that although I am lustful—and what man isn't?—I would never force a woman. We still have a long way to go north, and we'll need your cooperation," Xu Qi'an reassured her.

Great Feng Xu Yinluo never forces women unless they change their minds.

They still couldn't escape their fate of heading north. The princess pursed her lips, slightly disappointed, and remained silent for a long while before asking, "When will we meet up with the delegation?"

The young man, Yinluo, looked up, the firelight illuminating his face. A cryptic smile played on his lips, "Who said we were going to meet up with the delegation?"

That night, the banyan tree rustled, but nothing happened.

At dawn, the first rays of sunlight shone on her face, and the clear, melodious chirping of birds filled her ears. She awoke from a light sleep and saw that the campfire had gone out, with a large iron pot sitting on it, the aroma of porridge filling the air.

The princess's stomach rumbled twice, and she couldn't hide her surprise as she went to the campfire, lifted the lid of the iron pot, and found a thick porridge enough for three to five people.

In addition, there were clean bowls and chopsticks on the side.

Where did he get the pot to cook porridge? No, where did he get the rice? Where did he get the clean bowls and chopsticks? The princess served herself a bowl of porridge and happily drank it.

The thick, sweet porridge, cooked to the perfect temperature, slid into her stomach. The princess savored it for a moment, then her eyebrows curved into a smile.

I ate two rabbit legs yesterday, and my stomach started to feel a bit upset. I got up in the middle of the night to drink some water, only to find that the guy had drunk it all. Now I'm thirsty and have an empty stomach.

This bowl of sweet porridge is better than any delicacy.

Just then, footsteps came from afar. Xu Qi'an returned, stepping across the meadow. He had changed into casual clothes and was wearing a mink hat, as if he had just taken a bath.

"There's a small river over there, and it's deserted, perfect for a bath." Xu Qi'an sat down beside her, tossing her a soapberry and a boar bristle toothbrush, and said:

Do you want to take a shower?

The princess held the bowl in her two small hands, scrutinized Xu Qi'an for a moment, and then shook her head slightly.

"Isn't it dirty?" Xu Qi'an frowned. She was supposed to be a princess, a woman of noble birth, yet she was so unhygienic.

"You're the dirty one," the princess retorted, oblivious to the good intentions behind her words.

She wouldn't take a bath; wouldn't that give that lecherous man an opportunity? What if he were spying on her, or taking the chance to ask to bathe together?

Yes, goddesses don't go to the toilet; it's my lack of awareness. Xu Qi'an then took back the boar bristle toothbrush and soapberry.

The princess quickly replied, "Rinsing your mouth is necessary."

She had a small appetite, and after eating a bowl of thick porridge, she felt a little full. She looked at the pig bristle toothbrush as she walked towards the river.

The main suspicion was that the toothbrush had been used by Xu Qi'an, but she had no proof.

When she returned after brushing her teeth, the pots and pans were gone. Xu Qi'an sat cross-legged by the ashes, staring intently at the map.

"Where do we go next?" she asked.

Sanhuang County.

Xu Qi'an didn't deliberately keep them in suspense, explaining, "This is a county bordering Chuzhou and Jiangzhou. There are spies trained by the Nightwatchers. I want to go find them first to gather intelligence, and then gradually infiltrate Chuzhou."

The case of the massacre that ravaged three thousand miles is shrouded in mystery and seems to have hidden secrets. Against this backdrop, Xu Qi'an believes that investigating the case in secret is the right choice.

Being too high-profile can put yourself and your companions in danger.

The delegation led by Yang Yan was merely a front in public.

A well-thought-out plan. The princess nodded slightly and then asked, "Where did those things go?"

"None of your business," Xu Qi'an retorted without holding back.

The two continued on their journey, avoiding the official road and taking mountain paths, field ridges, or even crossing mountains and valleys directly.

For an entire day, the stingy woman didn't say a single word to him.

Hiking along mountain trails has its advantages; the scenery along the way is quite beautiful, with green mountains, clear waters, and leisurely white clouds.

Occasionally, you can see pine trees standing proudly on the cliff, their branches spreading wide like canopies. You can also see wildflowers blooming by the roadside, simple yet resilient.

Xu Qi'an was a man who cherished women, so he didn't walk fast. Occasionally, he would stop and choose a scenic spot to rest leisurely for half an hour.

When he shared his fish-keeping experience with her, he was often met with a disdainful sneer from the princess.

Half a month later, the mission entered the northern border and arrived at a city called Wanzhou.

Wanzhou was a small prefecture, larger than a county but smaller than a prefecture. Its land was fertile and suitable for cultivation, making it one of the granaries of Chuzhou.

The architectural style here is not much different from that of the capital city in the Central Plains, but the scale is incomparable, and because there is no dock nearby, its prosperity is limited.

After Yang Yan presented the official document from the imperial court, the highest-ranking officer on the city gate, a centurion, personally led them to the post station.

The delegation had just finished resting at the post station, and Yang Yan had taken a hot bath and was about to sit down for tea when the Prefect of Wanzhou arrived.

The prefect's surname was Niu, but his physique was nothing like that of a "cow." He was tall and thin, with a goatee, and wore a blue robe embroidered with egrets. He was accompanied by two yamen officials.

"This humble official was unaware of your esteemed presence and has failed to greet you properly."

Prefect Niu was extremely humble. After exchanging greetings with the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, the two censors, and Yang Yan, he asked, "May I ask, gentlemen, what brings you here?"

Yang Yan was not good at officialdom and did not answer.

The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review took out the documents he had prepared beforehand, handed them over with a smile, and began to address the Prefect as a brother in a few words.

After exchanging pleasantries with the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Prefect Niu unfolded the document in his hand and began to read it carefully.

After reading the document, Prefect Niu's expression was extremely strange, even absurd. He glanced at everyone and tentatively asked, "May I ask, which one of you is Xu Yinluo?"

The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review sighed and said sadly, "The delegation was ambushed by the enemy on the way. Xu Yinluo was seriously injured while protecting everyone. We have already sent someone to escort him back to the capital."

Prefect Niu was shocked. "How could this happen? What kind of bandits dare to ambush a court delegation? This is utterly lawless!"

The censor surnamed Liu waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore, Lord Niu. We came here to investigate a case and have something to ask you."

Prefect Niu quickly bowed and said, "Your Excellency, may I ask?"

Imperial Censor Liu asked in a deep voice, "What is the situation in Chuzhou?"

Upon hearing this, Prefect Niu sighed and said, "Last year, the north was covered in heavy snow, and countless livestock froze to death. This spring, they have frequently invaded the border, burning, killing, and looting along the way."

Fortunately, the Prince of Zhenbei had a large army and many generals under his command, and not a single city was lost. The barbarians also dared not venture deep into Chuzhou, but the people near the border suffered greatly.

Not all people lived in the city; those who were plundered by the barbarians were people from villages and towns.

The members of the delegation exchanged glances. Chen, the head constable from the Ministry of Justice, frowned and asked, "Where did the massacre of three thousand miles take place?"

Prefect Niu chuckled bitterly and spread his hands, saying, "This is simply a fantasy. As you gentlemen should know, the entire Chu Prefecture, spanning three thousand li, is only about eight thousand li in length. If there were a massacre that would cover three thousand li, would I still be standing here speaking to you gentlemen?"

Imperial Censor Liu scoffed, "We're all scholars here; Prefect Niu, don't try to be clever."

"Slaughtering three thousand miles" is an allusion from the Warring States period in ancient times. There was a general who was bloodthirsty and led his army to slaughter three thousand miles when he destroyed an enemy country.

Later generations used this as an allusion to describe large-scale killings and brutal cruelty.

Although the barbarians harassed the border people by burning, killing, and looting, the reports sent back to the north by the Prince of Zhenbei only stated that the barbarians were disturbing the border, but that he had led his troops to repel them all, and that there were constant reports of victories.

If the barbarians really committed the atrocity of "massacring three thousand miles," then the Prince of Zhenbei was lying about military intelligence and seriously derelict in his duty.

P. S.: This chapter was written rather slowly, but thankfully it was updated on time. Please remember to correct any typos.