On the seventh day of October, the large group of troops finally left the territory actually controlled by the Southern Zhou Dynasty, less than forty miles away from Jiangling City.

As the sun set, Pei Yue ordered the team to stop and camp for a rest. At the same time, he took out more than ten people from the Beiwei camp and headed to Jiangling City with the signatures stamped with the seal of the Marquis of Zhongshan, agreeing to enter the city tomorrow afternoon.

Both Beiweiying and Jinwuwei have the ability to handle their own meals. Princess Qinghe has internal eunuchs who are good at cooking. They can prepare delicious food even in outdoor camps. Her Royal Highness will not be left alone.

Eat dry food with clear water.

After Pei Yue and Sheng Duanming had dinner together, they came alone to the camp where Princess Qinghe was resting.

Xu Churong was currently in Princess Qinghe's tent, and was stunned for a moment after hearing the palace maid's report.

Before arriving at Shimen Pass, she would look for Pei Yue in the name of Princess Qinghe almost every day. Although she could only chat briefly for a while, and then Pei Yue would find an excuse to leave, this was already the result of mustering up courage for Xu Churong.

, it was impossible for her to make any further attempts. After passing the Shimen Pass, the two of them almost didn't speak again.

Xu Churong didn't know why she was so entangled. She just vaguely sensed a strange atmosphere, as if something bad was about to happen.

Looking at the candles that had been lit in the tent, she asked with complicated eyes: "Why does he want to see me?"

The palace maid lowered her head and replied: "The Marquis of Zhongshan did not say anything directly. He only said that he would like to ask the girl to come out of the tent to speak."

Xu Churong wrinkled the tip of his nose and was about to say no when he heard Princess Qinghe say softly: "Churong, the Marquis of Zhongshan is not someone who makes trouble out of nothing. He must have something to discuss with you. You'd better go and see him."

Xu Churong snorted softly and said, "I really don't like hearing his verbosity, but my sister said so, so I'll go and come back."

Princess Qinghe smiled and said, "Go quickly."

Xu Churong stood up and walked outside the tent. He saw the familiar figure standing a few feet away. He came to him and said angrily: "Oh, isn't this Lord Pei? Why are you free to come to my place today?"

Night has enveloped the wilderness, and a bright moon hangs above the sky. The bright and soft moonlight pours on the earth, like a trickling mountain stream. The bright moonlight complements the bonfire in the camp, highlighting Xu Churong's beautiful figure and

Her beautiful face, especially when she realized something was wrong after saying these words, the shame and annoyance on her face became more lively and innocent.

Pei Yue did not expect that this little girl would suddenly say something full of jealousy, just like Lin Shuyue's occasional joke between the sheets.

However, Xu Churong is always full of bitterness and hatred. Although she is only sixteen years old, she always likes to imitate those old scholars and have a common mind. If her appearance was not really outstanding, I am afraid that most people would stay away from her. Although her words just now are a bit ominous.

It seems abrupt, but unexpectedly gives Xu Churong a bit of the cute temperament that a girl should have.

Pei Yue did not take this opportunity to talk nonsense. He turned his head and said calmly: "Let's take a walk?"

"Yeah." Xu Churong responded softly.

The two were wandering aimlessly in the camp. From the looks of things, they seemed to be a perfect match, because Xu Churong was slender and tall, very different from Ye Qi, and was taller than the other girls around Pei Yue. Although she was still young,

She is young, but she was born in the Xu family of Qinghe, and her temperament is completely different from that of ordinary women. She is soaked in music and chess, and the charm of poetry and books complements the decisive killing of Pei Yue.

However, both of them knew in their hearts that there was an invisible but real gap between them.

The October night was already a bit chilly. Xu Churong tightened her long sleeves and whispered, "What do you want from me?"

Pei Yue cleared his throat and said, "We will arrive at Jiangling City tomorrow."

Xu Churong said "Oh" and then fell silent.

Pei Yue seemed to say calmly: "Tomorrow morning, I will ask General Xia to dispatch five hundred cavalry to send you back."

Xu Churong shook his head without thinking, "I said I would send the princess sister across the river."

Pei Yue asked: "Are you sure?"

Xu Churong said firmly: "Yes."

Pei Yue turned to look at her, with pity gradually appearing in his eyes.

Xu Churong raised her eyes to meet his gaze and asked in confusion: "Why are you looking at me like this?"

Pei Yue said in a complicated tone: "Miss Xu, I said as early as when we were building An City that the most suitable life for you is to recite poems and compose poems, rather than to be involved in these bloody things. You have not been involved in these bloody things these days.

You came to me again, probably because you saw the weirdness of the Shimenguan incident, and you didn’t know how to respond to my inquiry, and you felt a little flustered at the same time, right?"

Xu Churong was startled, then smiled in disbelief and said: "Pei Yue, are you drunk? I have reminded you long ago that Na Lu Gong is Fang Yunhu's master. They are like father and son, and he will definitely cause trouble for you. I

I don’t think there’s anything weird about this, nor will I be panicked by it. What you said is puzzling.”

Pei Yue twitched his lips and sighed softly: "You are talented and are used to the intrigues of powerful people. Of course you understand that Lu Gong is just digging a hole for me by doing this, making me believe that the Southern Dynasty military will not take action against me because of the overall situation.

"

Xu Churong tilted his head in surprise and asked, "Are you praising me for being smart?"

Pei Yue frowned and said, "Miss Xu, can you pay attention to the important points?"

Xu Churong pouted and said: "Okay, but you will enter Jiangling City tomorrow, and there is no way to ambush in this vast plain. Who can stop a thousand cavalry under your command? If you want to deal with you, even Shimen Pass is too important

We can’t tamper with it, and we can’t drag it to where it is now.”

Pei Yue sneered: "What's the point of just killing me? For Duke Zhen Guo, the three cities of Jiangling are his cherished goals."

Xu Churong's heart tightened and he said without confidence: "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Really?" Pei Yue suddenly stopped, turned to face Xu Churong, and said unhurriedly: "Is that so? Then why did you fall into such long-term worry and panic? Because you suddenly discovered a terrifying fact. Some people

In order to achieve his goal, he even abandoned his own daughter."

Xu Churong's hands hidden in his sleeves were trembling slightly, but his face was still stubborn and he said: "Don't talk nonsense."

Pei Yue looked up at the bright moon in the sky and sneered: "Actually, there is something I can't figure out along the way. Why does Fang Xiexiao think that I won't be suspicious? Just because of Lu Gong's clumsy scene in front of Shimen Pass.

?He thought that this incident would dispel my doubts and allow me to go to Jiangling City without any precautions? It wasn't until this evening when I was setting up camp that I saw the eunuchs preparing dinner for you and Princess Qinghe. That's when I was suddenly shocked.

I feel like it turns out that this was a plan that started half a year ago."

Xu Churong looked at him blankly and asked in a difficult tone: "What game?"

Pei Yue said word by word: "A pair of monarchs and ministers, a marriage, and a journey."

These few words were like thunder in Xu Churong's ears.

"You...I don't believe it...I don't believe it..."

Xu Churong murmured to himself.

Pei Yue looked at her gradually turning pale and said almost indifferently: "Why did Emperor Qingyuan propose a marriage request? Because as long as the marriage is reached, Daliang will definitely send a mission south, and the return trip will have to pass through Jiangling City. Whether you believe it or not,

I am sure that the elites under Fang Xie Xiao’s command have been hidden within a hundred miles. When the gates of Jiangling City are opened and the princess’s huge and complicated motorcade enters the city, the Southern Dynasty’s army will launch a death charge on Jiangling City.”

He breathed out softly, a look of exhaustion appeared on his face, and his tone became bleak: "As for you, when your father-in-law asked you to follow Xu Ziping northward, and then asked the guards to take you to Qinyuan, it must have been to get along with you.

I have a connection. Of course, if the emissary I choose to welcome your majesty is not me, those guards will definitely take you to other places. After I arrived in Southern Zhou Dynasty, my father-in-law didn’t care at all that you kept approaching me. At first

I thought he was hedging his bets, and even thought he was trying to match you and me. Now I realize that all he wants is for us to be familiar enough, nothing more."

Xu Churong shook his head vigorously and said: "This is just your conjecture! This is definitely not the case!"

"Yes or no, we will know tomorrow." Pei Yue said softly, then exhaled a breath of turbidity in his chest and said with deep eyes: "The reason why they did this is to dispel my wariness towards the envoy. You two,

One is a noble princess, and the other is the apple of Xu Shoufu's eye, and is also my friend. Who would have thought that they would not care about your life or death and only want to use this opportunity to take back Jiangling City?"

Tears welled up in Xu Churong's eyes. She obviously couldn't believe this cruel answer.

Pei Yue said solemnly: "Go back. After all, we have just met, and I don't want you to die in vain. As for Her Royal Highness, she is now the princess of our eldest prince. I forgive you for not letting you take her away."

"I won't leave." Xu Churong said with a sad but determined expression.

Pei Yue turned around and wanted to leave.

"I like you!" Xu Churong suddenly said these four words, and tears kept falling from his eyes.

Pei Yue stopped and turned his back to her, and after a long time he said, "I'm sorry."

Xu Churong stared at his back blankly.

Pei Yue sighed secretly in his heart and said slowly: "If you want to die, then I can't force you to live. But don't walk around in the camp, let alone try to contact Xia Fei. To tell you the truth, I have already done it

All the arrangements are done well, and I am a master of arrangements everywhere.”

He turned around and looked at Xu Churong, with a flawless expression on his face and said, "Let's go, I'll take you back."

The journey was actually not long, but it seemed like they had walked for a long time, and not a word of conversation was exchanged from beginning to end.

When they parted, Xu Churong had already wiped away the tears on her face. She stood outside Princess Qinghe's tent, looked at Pei Yue and said solemnly: "I don't believe that your majesty and father will be like that, so I must stay and see for myself."

Look, if the truth is what you said, I will never pester you in the future."

Pei Yue was silent for a moment, nodded slightly and said, "Okay."
Chapter completed!