Princess, something terrible has happened! The prince consort has attempted suicide again!

Zhao Changning was taken aback.

A slender figure stood in front of her, seemingly ordinary in stature, yet appearing as imposing as a mountain.

Zhang Xiaomeng turned around and smiled faintly, "This is all I can do to help."

As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped forward without hesitation, heading straight to meet Zhou Qian'er's murderous aura.

"don't want!"

Zhao Changning's expression changed drastically. He reached out to pull her back, but it was too late.

"Witch, come and kill me!"

Zhang Xiaomeng let out a low shout and actually charged towards Zhou Qian'er's soft sword.

Zhou Qian'er frowned suddenly, feeling that something was very strange.

Something's not right!

The little girl nearby instantly became alert and shouted sharply, "Sister Qian'er, back off quickly!"

Although the little girl was young, she was meticulous and her calculations were always accurate, which Zhou Qian'er always trusted without a doubt.

In addition, Zhang Xiaomeng's actions were strange in every way, so she dared not gamble. She quickly pulled back her wrist, the sword stopped abruptly, and with a tap of her toes, she retreated several feet at lightning speed.

The scene froze instantly.

Zhang Xiaomeng stood there, his face full of black lines, his mentality completely collapsed.

I had all prepared myself emotionally, and I even gave my last words, and this woman just ran away?!

What a fuss!

"Little brat!"

He turned and glared at the little girl, furious. "Believe it or not, I'll spank you until your bottom is raw!"

He was completely overwhelmed.

However, this appearance made everyone think that his trick had been exposed, and he was furious and embarrassed.

This made the little girl even more certain that her judgment was correct.

Just then, the burly man clutched his right arm and groaned in pain, his clothes soaked with cold sweat.

The little girl exclaimed, "Sister Qian'er! That big oaf is badly injured! He needs immediate treatment, or he'll be crippled!"

Zhou Qian'er's eyes were filled with resentment, but she was also worried about the safety of her subordinates, so she made a decision without hesitation.

"withdraw!"

But as soon as he finished speaking, the burly man shoved the little girl away, endured the excruciating pain, staggered to his feet, and looked on with a resolute, bloodshot expression.

He was foolish but loyal, and knew that this was the perfect opportunity to kill the Dongling Princess.

The saintess had been planning for a long time and was about to succeed; she absolutely could not let it be ruined by her own hands!

Even if I die, I'll drag Zhao Changning down with me!

"I'll fight you to the death!"

The burly man roared, his left hand veins bulging, and with all his remaining strength, he unleashed a furious punch!

Zhang Xiaomeng was delighted to see this; this big, clumsy guy was definitely reliable.

But just as the powerful punch was about to land, a thunderous roar suddenly erupted from afar:

"How dare you, you traitor!"

The powerful fist strike was almost tangible, carrying the force of a thousand thunderbolts, and it broke through the air.

boom!

The deafening roar echoed across the surrounding area.

Before the burly man could even react, he coughed up blood, flew backward, landed heavily, and instantly lost consciousness.

"You big oaf!"

The little girl cried out in anguish.

Zhou Qian'er suddenly turned around.

At the horizon, dust billowed up, and the earth-shaking sound of horses' hooves rolled in like thunderclaps!

The dark, imposing cavalry charged forward in formation, like an unstoppable torrent of steel.

On the lead warhorse, the Prince of Zhenbei was clad in heavy armor, with a long sword at his waist, exuding a murderous aura!

Zhao Changning's dim eyes suddenly lit up.

The reinforcements have finally arrived!

Zhou Qian'er felt a chill run down her spine and was filled with fear.

No matter how many tricks she had or how powerful her poison skills were, she would never dare to face the elite iron cavalry army head-on.

Moreover, the person in charge is none other than the King of Zhenbei, the number one expert in Dongling!

If we don't leave now, we're doomed!

Zhou Qian'er had no desire to fight any longer. She held the little girl tightly in one arm and picked up the unconscious strong man with the other. She leaped up and disappeared into the dense forest in an instant.

However, before leaving, she turned back and glared at Zhang Xiaomeng.

His cold eyes were filled with resentment and malice.

"stop!"

The Prince of Zhenbei gave the order in a deep voice.

The iron-clad cavalrymen reined in their horses in unison, their formation instantly frozen in place, solemn and orderly, displaying impeccable military discipline.

The Prince of Zhenbei dismounted and strode forward. Seeing Zhao Changning's weak appearance, he asked with concern, "Changning, are you injured?"

With the crisis averted, Zhao Changning's long-tense mind suddenly relaxed, and he felt completely drained, his body went limp, and he almost collapsed.

The Prince of Zhenbei caught her in time and took out a specially made antidote pill, which he then put into her mouth.

The pill entered my throat, and a warm current quickly traveled through my limbs and bones.

In a short while, the effects of the Soft Bone Powder slowly dissipated, and Zhao Changning's pale complexion finally warmed up slightly.

She steadied herself, cupped her hands in thanks, and said, "Thank you for your timely assistance, Imperial Uncle."

The Prince of Zhenbei looked ashamed: "Upon receiving your secret letter, I immediately mustered troops and rushed here overnight. However, the journey was still long, and I was ultimately a step too late, allowing the demoness to escape."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone suddenly understood.

It turns out that Zhao Changning had a backup plan all along. He never took Chen Jingrong seriously and had always been targeting the cunning and unpredictable Zhou Qian'er.

However, Zhou Qian'er's attack was too swift, and her poisoning methods were difficult to defend against, which disrupted the plan.

"Zhou Qian'er".

Zhao Changning gripped the silver spear tightly, its blade gleaming coldly, and a murderous intent surged in her eyes. "This grudge, I will avenge."

This was the most frustrating and dangerous battle of her life. If it weren't for Zhang Xiaomeng, not only would she have died, but she would have also implicated a group of Imperial Guards.

Zhao Changning turned to look at Zhang Xiaomeng, his heart filled with a myriad of emotions.

She is known to the world as the invincible female war goddess of Dongling, unparalleled in killing and with an unyielding spirit.

But just now, when she was on the verge of death, it was this young man, who was often criticized by the common people as a good-for-nothing playboy, who stepped forward to protect her.

Zhao Changning felt a self-deprecating smile, followed by heartfelt gratitude.

"It is thanks to your understanding of my hints and your efforts to negotiate and delay that we were able to hold out until reinforcements arrived."

After speaking, she bowed slightly and gave a solemn salute.

"I will remember this kindness."

A princess, a war goddess on the battlefield, bowed and thanked a mere playboy in front of everyone.

This is an unparalleled glory that others can only dream of.

But Zhang Xiaomeng's lips twitched uncontrollably, and he wished he could slap himself.

After all that—

She kept blinking; she wasn't trying to make me run away!

孽 孽!

Just then, Feng Yi and the group of Imperial Guards took the antidote and fully recovered their strength.

The crowd exchanged glances, then simultaneously knelt down, their voices ringing out in a solemn and orderly fashion.

"We are deeply grateful to Prince Zhang for saving our lives!"

The group of elite soldiers no longer held any contempt in their eyes, only admiration and gratitude.

In the past, people gossiped about him, laughing at his lack of learning and his dissolute lifestyle.

Today's battle has changed everyone's perspective.

From now on, if anyone dares to say that Prince Zhang is not good, they will be the first to object.

Seeing everyone's gratitude towards him, Zhang Xiaomeng felt a little comforted by the bittersweet feeling he had been experiencing.

Subsequently, the group quickly cleared the battlefield, imprisoned the remaining members of the Black Lotus Cult, and returned to the capital in triumph.

Upon arriving in the capital, after a short rest, he was summoned to the palace.

Inside the Imperial Study.

Zhao Qiandong sat on the dragon throne, while several senior officials stood respectfully with their heads bowed.

"Although we failed to destroy the Black Lotus Cult this time, we have dealt them a heavy blow, and it is estimated that they will not dare to cause trouble again in the short term."

Zhao Qiandong was overjoyed and looked down at Zhang Xiaomeng. His previous disdain had completely vanished. "Young Master Zhang, you have made great contributions in this campaign to suppress the bandits. I will certainly reward you handsomely."

But Zhang Xiaomeng refused, saying, "Your Majesty, I do not want any reward, I only ask for justice."

Upon hearing this, Marquis Yongwu felt a chill run down his spine.