So what if she's my sister-in-law? You seduced me first.

Fuzhou.

Qinghe was waiting for Ningyu at an inn outside Fuzhou City. The two met at night.

At that time, Ning Yu had just arrived from Jingzhou, having traveled a whole day and was covered in dust.

The world was in turmoil, and there was chaos and strife. Along the way, Ningyu saw many refugee uprisings, but Fuzhou was not ravaged by war. It was bustling with activity, and even the small inns were full of people.

"Miss, you've finally arrived."

Ning Yu chuckled and patted her head, then glanced at A-Zhou who had returned from feeding the horses, and said, "The room is ready. Rest for the night and head back tomorrow."

A-Zhou frowned. "But the young master ordered his subordinates to escort you to Lotus Town."

"Fuzhou is quite a distance from Liangzhou. I don't want to travel all day and prefer to take my time. So don't waste your time here with me. I will send a reply to the young master when we reach Lianhua Town."

"this---"

Ning Yu didn't give him a chance to refute, told him to go eat first, and then took Qinghe into the house.

As soon as the door closed, Qinghe hurriedly asked, "Miss, where are we going?"

"Just follow me." Ning Yu glanced at the figure lingering at the door, gave a vague reply, and then inquired about her family.

The two chatted and ate, and after washing up, Ning Yu, exhausted from traveling all day, fell asleep immediately.

Qinghe quickly covered her with a blanket and went to her own room to sleep and rest.

After resting at the inn for a night, Ning Yu didn't get up until almost noon the next day. Having slept well, she was full of energy.

After she finished washing up and went downstairs, she found that the two of them were already waiting downstairs, and had ordered a table full of breakfast.

Ning Yu smiled and walked over to sit down.

"Young master, I have prepared the carriage and all the necessary equipment for you. After you have eaten, we will go our separate ways."

"Okay, be careful on the road."

The Great Xia Dynasty is currently in a turbulent period. It was already at war with Shangliang, and now a civil war has broken out due to the sudden death of the Xia Emperor. Such a vast territory and the various feudal forces from all directions are restless and eager to rebel and have the desire to become emperor.

However, the elders suppressed the heroes, and the Xie family's large army almost firmly controlled the imperial city. The princes who survived the struggle for the throne in the palace were all detained in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The Prince of Dongchang and his soldiers were beheaded outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony on charges of treason, their bloodied heads staring intently at the gleaming golden throne inside the hall.

Amidst this chaotic struggle, news of battle arrived once again from the border.

The Northwest Army crossed the Hongchuan Plateau and reached Shangliang Yanzhou, where they blocked the Yanzhou army's silent attack on the Great Xia Moon Pass, leading to a fierce war.

The elders were utterly shocked. They knew that when the Great Xia Dynasty was embroiled in internal strife, neither the Crown Prince nor the Seventh Prince had mobilized a single soldier from Moon Pass.

Because it was a flat area for fighting, Moon Pass was guarded by Shangliang and was heavily fortified, but it was attacked and Shangliang troops were even infiltrated. Everyone was shocked by this news.

The Great Xia Dynasty is now leaderless, its borders are in turmoil, and the nation is in grave danger.

A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. The seventh prince rebelled and was killed by the feudal lords. The princes rose up in rebellion, and the fighting caused chaos in the Central Plains. The Great Xia Dynasty fell apart, and the Shangliang Dynasty was on the verge of collapse on the border. The Central Plains needed an emperor who could quell the chaos in the Great Xia Dynasty.

The elders, led by the Xie family, selected Xie Xun, a member of the imperial clan, to ascend the throne as emperor, citing the Crown Prince's dying wish to pass the throne to him. They believed that Xie Xun was acting in accordance with the Mandate of Heaven to stabilize the situation and suppress the rebellion. All members of the Xie family responded to this.

The situation was settled, and everyone in the court had chosen sides. However, the historian still recorded this: "In the eleventh month of the first year of the Lijing era of the Empire, the princes rebelled, forcing Crown Prince Xie Jingchen to his death. Xie Xun, the twenty-fourth generation descendant of Prince Rong, used the banner of legitimizing the emperor to force the emperor to abdicate and then marched north to slaughter the clans of the northeast."

Inside the Imperial Study.

Xiao Zhiliu looked at the man in mourning clothes sitting on the dragon throne and said nothing. It had been several days, and he always had a tense face, which was frighteningly gloomy.

He clicked his tongue. "I've already sent troops to search for them. Once they're found, we'll eliminate them completely."

Xie Xun knew he was referring to Xie Jingchen, but he was thinking about Ning Yu, that damned woman. At this critical moment, all he could think about was that woman.

He suppressed the irritation and murderous intent in his heart and said coldly, "Inform King Huaiyou that the time has come."

The internal strife in the Great Xia has lasted so long; it's about time that the Upper Liang is also in chaos.

"I'll take care of it."

After Xiao Zhiliu left, Wei Rongxuan brought up the proposal made at the elders' meeting today, "Xiao Rong is an upright and incorruptible man. If he were to serve as the commander-in-chief of this expeditionary force, he would probably notice something after so much infighting in the Great Xia Dynasty."

"That Liang, the governor of Liangzhou, was once a brilliant top scholar, but in the end, he became a tool of the Xie family, very obedient. How interesting."

The sarcastic laughter startled Wei Rongxuan. He was right; who would dare to risk their life in the face of power?

"Come in."

Qingfeng, who was hesitant to go in, heard the voice calling him and immediately bowed and walked in.

The hall was filled with Xie Xun's men. He didn't dismiss anyone and asked in a cold voice, "Any news?"

Qingfeng felt a chill run down his spine and whispered, "There's still no news, and the Crown Prince hasn't made a move either."

They have checked all the newly registered residents in Liangzhou, Yanzhou, Huaiyuan and other places, but have not found any trace of the lady.

Even the prefectural government of Fuzhou sent a message saying that the person they were looking for was not listed in the recent registration of new entrants to the city, making the search as difficult as looking for a needle in a haystack.

The oppressive feeling that enveloped him made the atmosphere in the hall even more eerie. He quickly added, "The prefect of Liangzhou is already on his way to the capital. I am also searching for people in the black market of the martial arts world."

Xie Xun didn't want to listen to this nonsense; he just wanted to find that woman as soon as possible and bring her back.

"Summon Ningyuan City and have him bring his wife to the palace."

Qingfeng was taken aback. "Yes."

Wei Rongxuan didn't know what they were talking about at first, but when he heard the name Ning Yuancheng, he suddenly realized who they were asking about. It must be Ning Yu, the daughter of the Ning family.

No wonder. He said Xie Xun's temper had been so strange these past few days. He thought it was because he was too busy with too many things, but he didn't expect it was because of that woman.

He laughed and said, "What's wrong? Did she run away?"

Xie Xun, perhaps provoked by his words, looked over with unfriendly eyes.

"I'm advising you, the Great Xia is currently falling apart, and you're swamped with many matters. Don't let a woman ruin your grand plan. The upcoming southern expedition is of utmost importance."

As Wei Rongxuan spoke, he thought of Ning Yu, whom he had only met a few times, and said kindly, "He has followed you for so long, there must be some affection between us, right? Lord Ning is a pillar of the state, and he is getting old, so he cannot be tortured."

"Didn't she think of her parents in Beijing when she ran away? What kind of sentiment is she talking to me about now?"

You probably didn't expect that you would threaten their parents, or that even if you did threaten their parents, they would still want to escape from you.

Wei Rongxuan thought this to himself, but looking at the man's sinister eyes, he didn't say it aloud. Instead, he advised, "You can find any woman you want. Since she doesn't want to be with you, then let it go. It's better to part amicably."

He left so decisively, without a shred of affection. Why should he have parted ways with her amicably? She should have been locked up and tortured to death by him.

Xie Xun felt a burning hatred when he thought about the gentle demeanor she had put on to deceive him before she left, and how she had run off with Xie Yan after he left. He couldn't even sleep until he brought her back.

Thinking about it, it seems he's been so busy lately that he hasn't slept for more than a few hours. It's okay when he's busy during the day, but when he tries to sleep at night, that damned woman just pops into his head.

He leaned back wearily in his chair, tilted his head back, and rubbed his temples.

Ningyu!