Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 206 The Son of Destiny!

Zhao Wumian's worries were not without reason. As the art of war says, if you attack, the enemy must be rescued. As far as he knew, the Prince of Yan seemed to have only one daughter, Luo Xiangzhu, and not even a prince. With only this one child, she was naturally the Prince of Yan's weak spot.

Since King Yan was willing to plead for Song Yun because Jiu'er had saved his wife, he was obviously a man who valued friendship and loyalty. It was impossible for him to casually reveal clues about Jiu'er to Huanzhen Pavilion... Then holding Luo Xiangzhu hostage was obviously a good idea.

I just don't know whether Wudamu told Huanzhen Pavilion that Luo Xiangzhu can comprehend the Nine Bells... If even this news is leaked out, then the forces that covet Luo Xiangzhu will not only be Huanzhen Pavilion.

Zhao Wumian couldn't say for sure, all this was just speculation, but it would be better to go out of Beijing to provide support just in case.

After he handed Song Yun over to the Detective Department, he rode the Jade Lion of Zhaoye all the way to the Imperial City. However, in front of the Taiji Palace, he ran into Prime Minister Shen Yiwen.

"Marquis Weiming." Shen Yiwen nodded slightly at him, then asked, "But are you looking for His Majesty?"

Zhao Wumian nodded, "I am going to leave the capital and come to tell His Majesty."

"Haha, for such a small matter, just let the servants report it. The emperor won't say much, so why bother coming here in person..." Shen Yiwen smiled slightly, and then remembered that Zhao Wumian didn't seem to have any maids or servants, and suddenly felt that what he said was inappropriate, so he said:
"The emperor is bathing in Qingze Palace now, so Marquis Weiming must wait for a while. It is better to buy some servants and maids as soon as possible. They usually do this kind of work."

A palace maid saw Zhao Wumian and hurried to Qingze Palace to report.

Zhao Wumian glanced at the palace maid, and then asked, "Does the Prime Minister have anything important to report?"

"The New Year has just passed, and it is the time for foreign countries to come to pay tribute. According to the customs of previous years, a formal banquet should be held for them after the New Year. However, the throne has just been established recently, and there are many things to be done. I really have no time, so it has been postponed. But we can't leave their envoys in the capital forever, can we?" Shen Yiwen walked towards the side hall with his hands behind his back, obviously wanting to talk more with Zhao Wumian.

Seeing that the palace maid had not returned yet, Zhao Wumian followed her and asked, "When are you going to hold the banquet?"

"It's not confirmed yet. I came here to discuss it with His Majesty, but His Majesty is still bathing, so I will wait a little longer. Since Marquis Weiming also has something to ask His Majesty, we can talk to His Majesty together later. It just so happens that I also have something to discuss with Marquis Weiming."

Shen Yiwen smiled slightly, came to the side hall, made a 'please' gesture to Zhao Wumian, then lifted the hem of his robe and sat down on the armchair.

"What's the matter?" Zhao Wumian sat down aside and listened attentively.

Shen Yiwen is the Empress Dowager's brother and Shen Xiangge's biological father, so Zhao Wumian and he are of the same faction and naturally would not give him any patience... Zhao Wumian even felt a little guilty about having taken his daughter away.

Although he and Shen Xiangge have not yet started dating.

"It's about the country's foundation... that is, the marriage of His Majesty." Shen Yiwen hesitated for a moment. He knew the relationship between Zhao Wumian and Luo Chaoyan, so he thought about his words before continuing:

"Your Majesty saved our Shen family from danger years ago, and you saved Cekai, that unfilial son, years later. I will always remember these two favors. Although Your Majesty is unpopular because of your assassination of the king, I have always believed that if His Majesty really wants to get married, Your Majesty is the best choice."

Although it seemed like flattery, Zhao Wumian felt comfortable in his heart. However, Shen Yiwen definitely did not come here just to express his attitude.

As expected, Shen Yiwen changed the subject after he finished speaking, "But according to my information, the prince of Goguryeo seems to be interested in marrying into the family."

"The prince of Goguryeo? A Korean? Has he seen Chao Yan?" Zhao Wumian frowned.

Chaoyan...you don't even call me Your Majesty?

Shen Yiwen didn't know what Bangzi meant, but knowing this news, it was impossible for Zhao Wumian not to be angry, so he said:
"How could he possibly meet the emperor? But Goguryeo is a vassal state of Dali, adjacent to Yanyun, and its national strength...is not bad. Under normal circumstances, the King of Yan can control it with one hand. But now Jin is at war, and Yanyun has also sent some troops to support Jin. If Goguryeo wants to rebel at this juncture, it will be a problem."

Zhao Wumian had a blank expression on his face. "If they have the guts, the heads of the Goguryeo royal family will be hung in front of the city wall next month."

Shen Yiwen paused slightly. He didn't know much about the martial arts world, nor did he know how strong the masters from Goguryeo were. But the man in front of him dared to kill the crown prince at the coronation ceremony. When he said this, Shen Yiwen didn't think he was bragging at all, so he nodded slightly to show his understanding:
"I think so too, so I have sent the Goguryeo prince away. But Marquis Weiming also knows that since Your Majesty is a woman and has become the emperor, there will be countless people who will use the name of 'marrying into your family' to try to gain power in a roundabout way... I hope Marquis Weiming will put more thought into this matter."

What's the point? Shen Yiwen's intention was obviously to let Zhao Wumian get on Luo Chaoyan's dragon bed in the morning and stay overnight in the imperial city, so as to avoid the Goguryeo prince's toad making trouble again.

Zhao Wumian nodded slightly, "Thank you Prime Minister for reminding me of this."

Shen Yiwen smiled slightly, and just as he was about to speak, a palace maid came from the side hall and said crisply, "My Lord, the emperor wants you to go to Qingze Palace for a chat."

Shen Yiwen's smile froze, and he looked at the palace maid, "What about your true identity?"

The maid bowed and saluted, "Prime Minister... um... His Majesty didn't say anything, how about I go and ask for instructions again?"

"Forget it." Shen Yiwen rubbed his brows with a complicated expression, "My Lord, go ahead. I...I will continue to wait."

He had asked someone to inform him long ago, but Luo Chaoyan just asked him to wait.

Now that Zhao Wumian has arrived, Luo Chaoyan actually asked him to go directly to Qingze Palace?
In the emperor's heart, the difference between closeness and distance is really clear at a glance.

However, the emperor's mentality is a little lacking. As the Son of Heaven, how can he let people know his preferences at a glance?

But Shen Yiwen also understood. After all, Luo Chaoyan was still young and had never received any education from the emperor. She was also a woman. When facing the man she loved...

Alas, it seems that I should spend more time with Zhao Wumian and build a good relationship with him.

Zhao Wumian bowed, stood up and left.

Inside the Qingze Palace, mist was rising, and four charming bodies as white as mutton-fat jade were looming in the mist. They were Luo Chaoyan, Su Qingqi, the Empress Dowager and the four daughters of Shen Xiangge.

Last night was the Lantern Festival, and I slept soundly until noon... Luo Chaoyan took a bath to relieve his fatigue after the morning court, and then called the three girls to chat and relieve his boredom.

The Empress Dowager and Su Qingqi had just woken up. Shen Xiangge woke up earlier, but did not leave the palace. He stayed in Kunning Palace to accompany the Empress Dowager.

Shen Xiangge leaned against the jade tiles of the bathing pool, her charming body buried in the pool, she pinched a peeled grape in her hand and stuffed it between her lips, her eyes still somewhat puzzled.

Thanks to my aunt's relationship, I can take a bath with Luo Chaoyan. In the long run, my relationship with her will become closer, right?

But she was unhappy in her heart. She always felt that the Empress Dowager had wasted her best years when she entered the palace as Queen, half of which was due to Emperor Jingzheng and half to her. Now she wanted to take advantage of her aunt's status as Empress Dowager... Wasn't that like having to be both the queen and the emperor at the same time?

However, Shen Xiangge was a demon girl from the Demon Sect. No matter how unhappy she was, she had to take advantage of others when necessary. She always put the bigger picture first. But deep in her heart, she still believed that it was best to rely on herself rather than on the Queen Mother.

How to rely on yourself? Naturally, it is the arrangement for Zhao Wumian.

In this way, at least the Empress Dowager will not be involved.

This is also the reason why she is obsessed with Zhao Wumian... However, Luo Chaoyan is much easier to talk to and approachable than she expected. Does that mean Zhao Wumian is no longer needed?

While Shen Xiangge was pondering, a palace maid came to report that Prime Minister Shen Yiwen wanted to see him.

Luo Chaoyan waved her hand and said, "I am taking a bath. Please wait for a moment, Prime Minister."

Not long after, another palace maid came asking for a meeting, saying that it was Marquis Weiming who wanted to see her.

Luo Chaoyan was eating an orange in the bathtub. Upon hearing this, she just stuffed a piece of the fruit into her lips and said casually, "Let him come over."

Shen Xiangge tilted his head and looked at Luo Chaoyan, then glanced towards the palace door, it seemed that Zhao Wumian had already arrived.

The Queen Mother was stunned for a moment, then shrank back into the bathtub, waves of excitement, "Your Majesty, you, you called Wei Minghou here, isn't that inappropriate?"

Although Su Qingqi and Zhao Wumian did everything, they straightened up and huddled together subconsciously after hearing what was said.

"If there is anything, just report it outside. Don't let him in." Having said that, Luo Chaoyan swam to a corner of the bathtub with the orange in his hand, amid the puzzled looks of the three women.

Not long after, Zhao Wumian's voice rang out from the window in the corner, "Your Majesty, I've gotten some clues recently. Huanzhen Pavilion might have some ideas about Princess Xiangzhu. I'm afraid of losing out, so I plan to go to the Central Plains to get in touch."

"A clue?" Luo Chaoyan broke off another orange slice and put it between her lips, leaning her forearm on the bathtub table, her every move leisurely and natural.

Shen Xiangge ate the orange silently, thinking in his heart.

Just take a shower, let Zhao Wumian wait a little longer, why bother lying there and talking to the window? And Zhao Wumian, why did you go to the window as soon as you came... Practice makes perfect, is that the place where you and the emperor whispered?

No matter what Shen Xiangge thought, Zhao Wumian and Luo Chaoyan continued chatting as usual.

"The Prince of Yan may know clues about the Crimson Jade. The Huanzhen Pavilion came to the capital for this purpose. Now that Song Yun has not been rescued, we should naturally focus on the Prince of Yan."

Luo Chaoyan swallowed the fruit in her mouth with a serious expression, "Then I need to write a letter to remind King Yan as soon as possible... You can go to meet him, but you must not let my cousin get hurt."

As she spoke, Luo Chaoyan remembered something and gently raised her hand towards the female official Zhongli.

Female official Zhongli immediately understood what he meant, and hurried over, taking out a brocade box from her bosom, inside of which was a dark purple handkerchief.

Luo Chaoyan picked up the handkerchief, then thought for a while, and wrapped the half-eaten orange in her hand with the handkerchief, but opened the window a crack.

Water mist and hot air poured out through the gaps, bringing with it a slight chill in early spring.

Zhao Wumian only saw the white jade-like forearm sticking out of the window, handing him a handkerchief and an orange, and then he heard Luo Chaoyan say: "Take the Naraku Red Silk with you. When Master left, I left it with you to prevent it from getting lost. I was planning to give it to you in Taiji Hall before... I'll give you this orange as well. It's a little sour and not tasty."

Shen Xiangge raised his eyebrows slightly, and then silently withdrew his gaze. It seemed that he still couldn't give up on Zhao Wumian...

Zhao Wumian took the handkerchief and the orange, and the window closed with a snap, leaving Zhao Wumian with no sight.

He stuffed half of the orange into his mouth...it was sweet. He said, "I heard from the Prime Minister that the prince of Goguryeo seems to be interested in marrying into the family?"

"The prince of Goguryeo?" Luo Chaoyan was slightly stunned, then her eyebrows were tightly knitted, and she subconsciously explained to Zhao Wumian:
"I have never seen the so-called Goguryeo prince, and he has been a prince for more than 20 years. He is already in his 40s. I have heard my father mention it before. He is infertile. How could he want to marry into the family? He is just a eunuch."

She first scolded the Goguryeo prince, and then said, "Besides, he is not in the capital. Goguryeo had a civil strife a few years ago, and he is busy. He is still rushing to the capital, and it is estimated that he has just arrived in Yanyun... Who did you hear this from?"

At the end of the conversation, Luo Chaoyan's voice was filled with anger... Who was spreading these rumors? Wasn't this just to make her and Zhao Wumian upset?
Luo Chaoyan had always wanted to be a benevolent monarch like Emperor Jingzheng, and had never lost her temper since ascending the throne, but at this moment she felt the anger in her heart rising.

Shen Yiwen would definitely not spread rumors to disgust Zhao Wumian. He could say this, so it was obvious that he had real news. He then said, "What the Prime Minister said was definitely not a joke..."

The Queen Mother and Shen Xiangge both tilted their heads to look. Is it related to her Shen family?

Before Zhao Wumian finished speaking, Luo Chaoyan interrupted him and said, "Don't worry about this matter. I will handle it. Let me find out who spread this rumor and I will cut off his tongue."

"What if it's true?"

"Is he a good match for Goguryeo? If we really have to choose..." Luo Chaoyan was clearly furious, but she was able to calm down at this time. She paused and said, "Only I can make the decision on marriage. If I don't allow it, no one can interfere."

"He's becoming more and more like an emperor." Zhao Wumian smiled outside the window.

Luo Chaoyan glanced at the window, then buried her pink lips in the bathtub, blew bubbles for a few seconds, and thought to herself, "Do you want to hear you praise me?"

Seeing that Luo Chaoyan and Zhao Wumian should have finished their business, Su Qingqi stood up from the bathtub, water drops splashing down. She stepped on the floor tiles naked and came to the window, "Sir, wait a moment, I will accompany you to Zhongyuan."

With Zhao Wumian's perception, he naturally knew that there was more than one person in the bathtub... In fact, it was because Su Qingqi was here that he didn't want to say any sweet words to Luo Chaoyan.

"Well, I'll wait for you."

Shen Xiangge finished eating the orange in his hand, but was wondering whether he should go with them.

At present, the leader of Huanzhen Pavilion has not given her any orders, so she is actually quite free. However, she is also not very familiar with Huanzhen Pavilion's current course of action, and does not know whether Huanzhen Pavilion will really hold Luo Xiangzhu hostage.

If I go with her, Lady Canghua's disguise won't be very useful, and there's also the risk of exposing my identity... But acting together is also a good opportunity to enhance our relationship.

But it doesn't necessarily have to be herself. Shen Xiangge doesn't want to commit herself to a man for the sake of the sect. Even if it's Zhao Wumian, Shen Xiangge's feelings for him haven't reached that point yet. But he can send a female disciple... Who should he send?

While Shen Xiangge was thinking about it, he heard the Queen Mother say to Shen Xiangge: "You should go with them. It's a good opportunity to go to Changshan and visit the Yang family. How long has it been since you last met your aunt?"

Shen Xiangge's aunt married the head of the Changshan Yang family... The Changshan Yang family is the most aristocratic family in Handan. According to etiquette, they should pay a visit after the Lantern Festival, but in previous years Shen Yiwen always sent people to visit.

The Queen Mother obviously wanted Shen Xiangge and Zhao Wumian to have more interaction with each other.

As she spoke, the Queen Mother did not give Shen Xiangge any room to refuse. She also stood up and walked barefoot to the window, "Could you trouble Marquis Weiming to take Xiangge to Changshan?"

Zhao Wumian pondered for a while. He actually didn't know where Mu Li'er and Luo Xiangzhu were at the moment. If he went to Central Plains, he would have to ask the Sword Sect branch. So going to Changshan wouldn't be a waste of time. He nodded slightly and said, "The Queen Mother has spoken, so I will obey."

The Queen Mother smiled and said, "It would be nice if Marquis Weiming would always obey me like this."

"As a subject, I will only obey the orders of the current emperor."

"I am the Queen Mother of the Emperor...so is this a euphemism for the Marquis to say that he will listen to me?"

Zhao Wumian: “…”

He really couldn't handle the Queen Mother.

But since the deal has already been made, there is no need to stay any longer.

Zhao Wumian packed his bag and led the Zhaoye Jade Lion. The long spear wrapped in black cloth was hung on the side of the horse's belly... He hadn't used a spear for a long time, but it was inconvenient to carry a big spear around in the capital. But in the martial arts world, there are naturally no such taboos.

Su Qingqi wore a white frost sword on her waist and a green dress. Her long hair hung down behind her waist and was tied up with a ribbon at the end. Her bangs spread out to both sides, revealing her smooth and white forehead. She transformed from a noble and graceful young lady from aristocratic family into a capable and skillful female knight in the martial arts world.

Seeing this, Zhao Wumian's heart was beating fast and he wanted to hug her and kiss her... On the contrary, Shen Xiangge seemed to have lost all hope in life.

She also changed into a red dress that did not affect her movements. She hung a soft sword around her waist, tied her hair into a cute little bun, revealing her graceful neck. She was leading a horse with a pair of dead fish eyes.

There were less than twenty thousand-mile horses in Dali, but the imperial court must have some, and Zhao Wumian also robbed one for Luo Chaoyan in Taiyuan.

Luo Chaoyan thought that the horses Zhao Wumian and Su Qingqi rode were both good horses, and Shen Xiangge couldn't keep up with them with other horses, so she lent her own horse to her... In fact, Luo Chaoyan didn't want Shen Xiangge to take this opportunity to ride on the same horse with Zhao Wumian.

"With the speed of a thousand-mile horse, how long will it take to reach Changshan?" Zhao Wumian looked at Shen Xiangge.

Shen Xiangge sighed inwardly and decided to just take things as they come. It was just a trip to the Central Plains with Zhao Wumian, not something he had taken aphrodisiacs to climb into his bed in the middle of the night.

She pondered for a moment and said, "Changshan is 600 miles away from the capital, but the road is mostly flat and unobstructed. If we hurry, we can arrive before noon tomorrow."

Zhao Wumian nodded slightly. This speed was already very good. The only one who could travel faster than them was Wu Kui who used Qinggong to travel day and night.

Inside the embroidery building, Chen Shuhan sat on the armchair, holding a teacup.

Opposite Chen Shuhan, there was a man in a black robe sitting.

The white-robed scholar walked in, his tone very happy, "Hey, this Zhao Wumian is really a brainless lover. He ran out of the city immediately after hearing that the Goguryeo prince had some feelings for Luo Chaoyan!"

Chen Shuhan was slightly stunned, and then he was overjoyed, "Is it really like that?"

"He didn't hide anything and left Beijing with two women."

"Two women?" Chen Shuhan was slightly stunned.

"Miss Su and Miss Shen." The white-robed scholar waved his hand lightly and said disdainfully:
"Su Qingqi's strength is not as good as Zhao Wumian's, and Miss Shen is a homebody with nothing to offer except her looks. It must be because Zhao Wumian saved Shen Cekai that the two of them got in touch... He brought these two girls with him, probably because he wanted to have some fun at night?"

Shen Xiangge lives a secluded life and Dong Yan doesn't know her well, but why else could a young lady from an aristocratic family follow a man out on the world?
Chen Shuhan shook his head and laughed, "It seems that Zhao Wumian is quite lustful, which is a weakness."

The white-robed scholar looked at the black-robed man who had been drinking tea silently, and asked in a low voice: "It seems that Zhao Wumian is going to Yanyun to find trouble with the Goguryeo prince... He has already left the capital, are you sure you can kill him?"

The black-robed man who was called "Sir" by the white-robed scholar, no one knew his name. All they knew was that he was a member of the Jianghu assassin organization, the number one assassin of Wuchang City, and his code name was "Sir".

There is no shortage of intelligence organizations in the martial arts world, and of course there is no shortage of assassin organizations. Back then, Song Yun was the number one assassin in Wuchang City, which shows the size of this force.

The Wuchang City is an organization that does things solely for money, they kill good people and bad people alike, but their actions are not as arbitrary as the Huanzhen Pavilion, nor are they like the Western Region Holy Religion that declared itself a king, nor are they like the Taixuan Palace that uses the banner of rebellion, so the Wuchang City has not been labeled as one of the 'three major evil sects'.

They just do the job for money, it certainly has nothing to do with good or evil.

Of course, it also has something to do with strength. The Lord of Wuchang City is just a person who has achieved the unity of man and nature like Zhao Wumian, but not a bridge between heaven and earth... So he is not qualified to be known as one of the 'three major evil sects'.

However, after Song Yun disappeared, the title of the No. 1 assassin in the martial arts world has been passed down many times, but there has still not been a No. 1 assassin that the martial arts world can accept.

And this 'Mr.' was one of the contestants. His best record was in the tenth year of Jingzheng, when he tried to assassinate the leader of the Sword Sect. Although he failed, he escaped unscathed and even slightly injured the leader of the Sword Sect.

This record is already very impressive.

Sir, if you can't kill Wu Kui, can you assassinate Zhao Wumian?
This is an assassination, not a one-on-one duel. There is always a chance if you plan it intentionally or not.

Chen Shuhan and the white-robed scholar were very confident in the gentleman.

The gentleman pondered for a while, then nodded slightly and said calmly: "Don't forget your promise, if it weren't for Naraku Hongsi, we in Wuchang City wouldn't want to provoke Zhao Wumian."

Chen Shuhan smiled slightly, "As far as we know, Zhao Wumian not only has the Naraku Red Silk, but also the Green Jade Pendant, one of the Four Glazed Jades... As long as we can kill him, all of these will belong to Wuchang City. Not only that, we will also give Dongyan all of her assets north of the Yangtze River."

Dongyan was not poor, on the contrary, they were extremely wealthy. Luo Shuzhi did not allow them to do such huge profit businesses as salt and iron, but as the crown prince, it was not difficult for him to develop a town or a street and let his own people run the business.

All sects need to make a living. Even Master Dongxuan often thinks about whether he can get more money for Xiaoxitian... Wuchang City is no exception.

The white-robed scholar said, "Zhao Wumian's reputation is too great. His true strength is definitely not as good as that of the Sword Sect's leader, but his luck is such that he can be called a 'chosen one'. It is better to be careful. Sir, you'd better let the cannon fodder go first to create opportunities for you."

The gentleman raised his hand calmly, "I am more familiar with assassination than you."

As soon as he finished speaking, the gentleman disappeared into the room, but Chen Shuhan and the white-robed scholar didn't even see his movements clearly.

……

Chen Shuhan was indeed right. Zhao Wumian could be called the 'Son of Luck' because...

He was heading for the Central Plains, but the teacher thought he was going to Yanyun. One is west, the other is north...

Where is he going to assassinate Zhao Wumian?
(End of this chapter)