Chapter 227 Breaking the situation

Chapter 227 Breaking the situation

Yiyi County was originally a city of Yunhan, but it has now been occupied by the Cangjue army, which is stationed there and confronts the Yunhan army.

In Zhao Zhendong's words, both sides are waiting for an opportunity to defeat each other.

Shen Nanzi first sent out a secret letter in the name of "Madam Rou".

Then, taking Qinghe with her, they entered the city under the name of Lady Rou.

She had a very specific purpose in mind: she wanted to see King Ying Qi of Cangjue.

Once they see Ying Qi, if Cang Jue can retreat two cities, they can cross another river and search for Xie Yan.

If we follow the river, we won't lose our way and we can lead them out.

Time was of the essence, and war could not be won overnight. Shen Nanzi had no choice but to take a risk and use her own methods.

The commander's residence, whether borrowed or seized from someone, was clearly a temporary dwelling.

Qinghe led the horse, and she sat on its back. Qinghe took out the visiting card and handed it to the Cangjue soldier in front of the gate.

The Cangjue soldiers stared intently at the woman on horseback, who was elegant, beautiful and beyond compare.

Knowing that this was someone who could not be neglected, he immediately went to the mansion to deliver the message.

A short while later, the soldiers came out and led them inside.

The mansion was not large. After passing through the screen wall, a standard square courtyard came into view. In the central courtyard, there were some potted plants, and the other sides were all side rooms.

Directly opposite is the main hall, which has entrances and exits.

Shen Nanzi followed the soldiers into the main hall.

A person stood inside, wearing a blue robe embroidered with white cranes, with his back to her.

Shen Nanzi thought of a description of a person: a tall and imposing man, seven feet eight inches tall.

His hair was slightly curved, and his face was imposing.

However, this person's physique was clearly not the right one; the person in front of him was slender and tall, with his black hair tied up on top of his head and secured with a black jade hairpin.

Shen Nanzi seemed to recognize the man's back view, which suggested that her guess was the same as General Zhao's.

To be familiar with their fighting style, one must have fought against them.

"Lady Rou has arrived," the soldier reported.

The man turned around, revealing his true identity.

Shen Nanzi's eyes flickered slightly. It really was him!

"Madam Rou?"

The King of Liang, with a face that bore a striking resemblance to the King of Ding, looked at her with a forced smile.

"Or should I call you Empress Dowager?"

Shen Nanzi: "King Liang, I have been searching for you but could not find you. It turns out you have become a guest of honor in Cangjue."

"If others find out that you betrayed Yunhan and cooperated with the enemy country, your dead ancestors will probably come out of the imperial tomb and curse you as an unfilial descendant."

King Liang Xie Yun sneered, "The victor is king, the loser is villain. Now that Yunhan is in your son's hands, of course you are afraid that Yunhan will fall apart."

"But why did Yunhan fall into your hands? In what way am I inferior to you?"

Shen Nanzi couldn't help but smile and asked in return, "Since you know that it's all about the winner and the loser, why are you asking such foolish questions?"

Xie Yun sneered: "You're just lucky. You don't deserve that position!"

He paused for a moment, then said, "And there's Prince Ding, who was killed by Xie Yan. If I don't avenge this, I'll be unworthy to be his brother."

Shen Nanzi said calmly, "Killing Prince Ding was an order from the Xue family. Instead of going to the Xue family, you took advantage of their misdeeds to divide Yunhan and plunge the people into war. What face do you have to criticize others here?"

“The power held by the Xue family is all thanks to Prince Jing. They are not separate families. Now you want to separate them,” Prince Liang sneered, “and pin the blame on the Xue family.”

"You know perfectly well who killed Prince Ding," Shen Nanzi said. "Your current sophistry is just a way to justify your actions!"

Shen Nanzi's words seemed to have struck a nerve with him, and Xie Yun stepped forward to grab Shen Nanzi.

Qinghe drew the soft knife from her waist and held it horizontally in front of her.

Xie Yun sneered, "Once you're inside, how dare you act so presumptuously!"

"Guards! Seize those two men for me!"

Dozens of soldiers immediately entered, their spears pointing at them.

Prince Xie Yun of Liang stared at Qinghe's soft sword and warned, "If you don't want to die a horrible death, get out of here!"

Shen Nanzi looked at him calmly and said to Qinghe, "You may leave now."

Qinghe looked at Shen Nanzi with concern, then put away her soft sword and left the center.

Immediately, a group of soldiers surrounded her and forced her into the courtyard outside.

King Liang sneered, "I never expected you to walk right into my trap. You're truly devoted to Prince Jing."

He reached out to touch her cheek, but Shen Nanzi tilted her head, her eyes filled with disgust.

Xie Yun held his hand in mid-air, not annoyed, a smile still playing on his lips, "Did you think I liked you?"

Shen Nanzi looked up at her without saying a word.

Xie Yun said with disdain, "What a captivating face! No wonder so many people are willing to risk their lives for you, and even Prince Jing gave up the throne."

"She's a vixen who brings disaster to the country and its people."

"It's a pity about Prince Ding. He originally thought highly of you."

"But you are too proud and aloof, viewing him as a monstrous flood that you avoid at all costs."

"A piece of trash like you doesn't deserve his special regard."

"It was merely that I sent him to get close to you in order to win over Shen Minghan."

Xie Yun laughed wildly, "Today, you actually dared to fall into my hands, unaware of your own mortality."

"Heaven has eyes! This will both comfort the Prince of Ding and let you taste the bitterness of suffering."

"Don't you like men chasing after you? From today onwards, you'll truly be nothing but trash."

"My army has been destroyed by you and Prince Jing. I will show you the pleasure of being attacked by thousands or tens of thousands of people..."

Xie Yun hated her intensely and wanted to humiliate her in the most degrading way possible. Even if she survived, she would have no face left.

"Your appearance and figure must be extremely alluring."

His eyes held the fury of an enemy meeting with intense hatred, and raw resentment.

He, the dignified Prince of Liang, the late emperor's most beloved son, has now fallen into a state of exile.

The army of the Prince of Liang, which he had personally trained, was defeated by the Prince of Jing and his wife. How could he accept this?

Shen Nanzi said calmly, "Prince Liang, I am now the Empress Dowager. If you dare to lay a finger on me, your fate will be to be reduced to ashes."

"Crush to ashes?" He scoffed, his chest vibrating. "You? And that useless Prince Qi?"

Shen Nanzi remained calm. "Prince Liang, do you think that I came here alone to be humiliated at your whim?"

Xie Yun stared at her, "Even if you bring a thousand troops, I will destroy you today to vent my hatred."

As he spoke, he raised his arm, his eyes filled with anger, and said to the soldiers around him, "Take him away and give him to you as a reward."

Upon hearing King Liang's words and gazing upon such a stunning beauty, the soldiers instantly became like wolves and tigers.

"Remember to keep your life!"

As he spoke, the soldiers gathered around.

Shen Nanzi stared intently at Xie Yun, "Xie Yun, if you don't want to kill them, you'd better stop!"

Xie Yun sneered and said to the soldiers, "Now that you've had your fun, remember to throw this in front of the soldiers of Yunhan and let them all see what kind of woman their noble Empress Dowager is!"

"Prince Liang?" A deep voice came from outside. "What has happened?"

Shen Nanzi's lips curled slightly as she touched the antique silver bracelet on her wrist. The person she was really meant to see had arrived, but later than she had expected.

Xie Yun's fiery eyes instantly calmed down. "Brother Ying, she's just a woman. Give her to the brothers as a reward."

Shen Nanzi looked at the newcomer, a tall and imposing man, seven feet eight inches tall. His hair was slightly wavy, and his face was dignified.

The Cangjue King is undoubtedly the king.

She raised her bright, clear eyes and understood why Xie Yun dared not reveal her true identity.

This is the Cangjue army, with some remnants of the Liang King's troops added to it.

However, the small number of his men was due to his royal status and military talent, which made Ying Qi think highly of him.

The true master was still Ying Qi; Xie Yun didn't actually dare to kill her.

This is equivalent to bypassing Ying Qi and killing the Empress Dowager of Yun Han.

"Hurry up and take them away!" Xie Yun urged the soldiers, shouting.

"Wait a minute." Ying Qi looked at Shen Nanzi, sized her up, and then said, "Are you Lady Rou?"

Shen Nanzi remained calm and composed, saying, "Your Majesty, it is indeed I."

Cangjue Jun, with his sharp tiger-like eyes, turned to Xie Yun and asked, "What misunderstanding do you have?"

Xie Yun stared intently at Shen Nanzi, then looked away, saying, "She has offended me."

Ying Qi nodded and raised his thick eyebrows. "She has come to see me, Your Majesty. Please calm down."

As he spoke, he gestured for the soldiers to put down their weapons and leave.

Soon, the soldiers retreated like a tide, leaving the room empty.

"Thank you for your help, Your Majesty." Shen Nanzi said, "The matter is urgent. Please ask Your Majesty to dismiss all irrelevant personnel."

Prince Liang Xie Yun's eyelids twitched. He glared fiercely at Shen Nanzi, then angrily flung his sleeves and turned to leave.

The main hall doors were wide open, and the slightly harsh sunlight shone in from outside, with dust motes dancing in the light and shadow.

In the courtyard, Qinghe stood alone with her arms crossed, surrounded by soldiers on guard, leaning on their spears and basking in the scorching sun.

"Madam Rou, please sit down." Ying Qi's voice was rough, and he himself was also rough-looking. He lifted his robe and sat down in the head seat.

Shen Nanzi nodded slightly and sat down on a chair. "The letter I sent this time already indicated that..."

Ying Qi met her gaze with his tiger-like eyes. "Lady Rou, why do you think I would agree to a merchant's request?"

Shen Nanzi smiled slightly: "This is only the minimum condition. If Your Majesty does not agree, I can cut off Fang Jue's trade with Cang Jue."

The Cangjue king's eyes instantly turned cold, filled with naked killing intent. After a moment, he realized what was happening, and his eyes were filled with doubt.

What did you refer to yourself just now?

Shen Nanzi touched the jade bracelet on her wrist. With the King of Liang here and two cities, she felt it wasn't enough. She thought it better to go back to the beginning.

Let King Liang truly become a king without roots, to avenge the insult he suffered earlier.

"My condition is that the Cangjue army retreats to Panlong Ridge."

The Cangjue king's eyes were deep and unfathomable. "Who are you?"

"I am the Empress Dowager of the Yunhan Emperor," Shen Nanzi softly revealed her identity.

Ying Qi's pupils dilated in shock. This woman was incredibly bold, venturing into the enemy camp with only one guard.

After a moment, he finally spoke: "You've come to rescue the trapped Prince Jing?"

"Aren't you afraid that I will take you hostage and use you to coerce Yunhan?"

“Of course I have the ability to escape unscathed, that’s why I dare to stand here and talk to you.” Shen Nanzi didn’t want to waste any time and directly revealed her hand.

"Lady Rou was just a means for me to make a profit when I was the Princess Consort of Jing. I never thought she would come in handy now."

“I have trade relations with Fangshuo, including with the countries you all know. And I happen to know the lifeline of your Cangjue.”

The King of Cangjue's eyes flashed, and his knuckles cracked.

"Your Cangjue have severed trade ties with Yunhan and dared to fight Yunhan to the death because you can obtain necessary supplies from other countries."

"Unfortunately, what you don't know is that the supplies you need are precisely in my hands."

"For example, the fabric for keeping warm used to be purchased directly from Yunhan, but now it's being obtained from Ningxi,"

"And salt, which you used to buy from Yunhan. You were worried that the war would cut off the salt supply, but now you have a substitute, which you thought was from Sangyu Kingdom,"

"Unfortunately, what you don't know is that Sangyu's salt also comes from Yunhan, doesn't it?"

“Sangyu is so cunning. Firstly, he wants to sell you salt and make a profit, and secondly, he wants to get you into the war sooner. They are close to you so they can take the opportunity to attack you.”

The Cangjue King's face darkened, and he said with a forced smile, "As expected, the Empress Dowager came prepared."

Shen Nanzi stood up with a smile. The sunlight shone directly on her embroidered shoes, making the white pearls look lustrous and beautiful.

"Alright then, since you're still quite polite, I won't force you to retreat today; you can retreat tomorrow!"

Ying Qi's tiger eyes widened, wishing he could tear the woman in front of him to pieces.

She actually used her identity as a merchant to deceive others.

Shen Nanzi turned around and said, "By the way, the Prince of Liang is now just a useless pawn. Just now he tried to bypass the King and kill me."

"If he had been content to be a lord of a fief, he wouldn't have ended up in this predicament."

"Your Majesty must be wary of this man."

Shen Nanzi thought to herself: Even if I can't kill him now, his future days will probably not be easy.

They were all using him, but unfortunately, his ambition was too great.

Shen Nanzi walked out of the main hall and made a safe retreat with Qinghe.

＊

The following day, the Cangjue army indeed withdrew.

As soon as they left, General Zhao led his troops into the mountains through another entrance.

Shen Nanzi waited for Xie Yan's news in the city outside.

On the third day, King Qi received a message delivered by carrier pigeon, containing only a few words.

"With the capital of Cangjue captured and Qi's wife and daughters in our hands, we must quickly force Qi to surrender."

Prince Qi's eyes widened in surprise and delight. "Quickly, go and summon General Zhao. There is news of Prince Jing."

King Qi handed the letter to Shen Nanzi, but Shen Nanzi frowned, "He only has 20,000 troops, how did he manage to reach the capital of Cangjue?"

King Qi was also unaware. He returned to the sand table, pointed to the terrain, and said that a natural barrier stretched between the two countries.

"The only way to reach this place is by traversing the treacherous deep mountains, where the mountain range breaks apart."

"With cliffs on both sides, and a deep and narrow passage, how did he get across?"

Shen Nanzi remained silent.

Upon receiving the news, General Zhao immediately turned back.

The Yunhan army immediately pursued the retreating Cangjue army, watching them withdraw from Yunhan step by step.

At the same time, the message was delivered to Ying Qi to disrupt his mindset.

Shen Nanzi also secretly added a note and sent it directly to the Prince of Liang, with only two words written on it.

"Assassination operation initiated!"