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

Zhang Xiaomeng carried Tang Wan without stopping.

The timeless poem that had just amazed the audience seemed to have no effect on his state of mind whatsoever.

A clear and urgent female voice suddenly came from behind: "Wait!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaomeng not only did not stop, but quickened his pace and calmly instructed Yue'er beside him, "Stop her."

Yue'er immediately stepped forward, her slender body blocking the way. With her arms outstretched, she firmly stopped Liu Qingrou who was chasing after her, her eyes filled with anger and vigilance.

"Haven't you harmed my young lady enough? Why are you chasing after me?"

Liu Qingrou chased after them at breakneck speed, her breath coming in short gasps, a hint of seriousness and doubt etched on her delicate brows.

She gazed at the retreating figure, her expression complex: "I truly knew nothing of today's scheme. I just want to know, who was that person just now?"

Yue'er raised her chin slightly and said proudly, "He is my son-in-law, and his literary talent is far beyond what you can compare to."

Liu Qingrou's heart skipped a beat.

Such extraordinary literary talent remained hidden and anonymous, willingly becoming the son-in-law of the Tang family.

Nanzhao had always plotted to crush Dongling in terms of literature and art, and this mysterious man who suddenly appeared would definitely be their biggest stumbling block in the future.

As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will be able to plan carefully before you act."

Liu Qingrou asked again in a deep voice, "What is his name? What is his hometown?"

"No comment!"

Yue'er was too lazy to say anything more to her, and turned to follow Zhang Xiaomeng.

In a short while, several Nanzhao disciples who were accompanying her quickly caught up and surrounded Liu Qingrou.

The leading prince in brocade robes had an extremely gloomy expression, suppressing his anger as he asked, "Just who is this person?"

Liu Qingrou slowly shook her head, her gaze fixed on the direction where Zhang Xiaomeng had disappeared, and said softly, "All I know is that he is the son-in-law of the Tang family."

"What a fine son-in-law of the Tang family!"

The prince in brocade robes was none other than Huang Cheng, the second prince of Nanzhao. He clenched his teeth, his eyes surging with intense resentment and unwillingness.

He had been planning this trip to Dongling for a long time. He secretly joined forces with Chen Wenxuan to destroy Tang Wan. His original intention was to use this incident to severely damage Tang Wenyuan's reputation, suppress the arrogance of Dongling's literary circles, enhance the prestige of Nanzhao, and accumulate merits for his own path to seizing the throne.

Just when everything seemed to be going well, it was shattered by an unknown nobody!

Not only did their plans fall through, but they were also overwhelmed by the other party's timeless poem, losing all face.

Huang Cheng clenched his fists and growled, "Investigate! Find out everything about his background, at all costs!"

Liu Qingrou turned her head to look at him, who was furious. A hint of disappointment and displeasure flashed in her eyes, and her tone was cold.

"Your Highness desires to compete in the literary world and achieve great things, and I have never hindered you; in fact, I have always offered my full support. However, such unscrupulous means are by no means the right path."

Upon hearing this, Huang Cheng instantly concealed the sinister look in his eyes and immediately put on a guilty and helpless expression.

"Rou'er, how could I not know that my methods are despicable? But I truly have no choice. My father is old, and the princes in court are each building their own factions and pressing me step by step. If I cannot establish unparalleled achievements and gain a firm foothold, I will have absolutely no chance of winning the struggle for the throne in the future!"

Liu Qingrou's eyes flickered slightly, and she softly asked, "Is that supreme imperial throne truly worth abandoning your principles and doing anything for?"

"Born into an imperial family, one is never truly free to choose one's own destiny." Huang Cheng stepped forward, his gaze burning with obsession, locking onto Liu Qingrou. "When I ascend the throne, you will be the most honored empress of Nanzhao, enjoying a lifetime of peace and endless glory. Rou'er, now only you can help me achieve my goal."

Liu Qingrou was silent for a moment, then spoke calmly, "How do you want me to help you?"

"That man from earlier is the biggest obstacle on our trip," Huang Cheng said in a deep voice. "I want you to find out his background and, if there's an opportunity, recruit him to our side."

Liu Qingrou immediately frowned and shook her head. "He's the Tang family's son-in-law, how can we win him over?"

Huang Cheng narrowed his eyes slightly, a deep calculation flashing in his eyes, his usual gentle and refined demeanor gone.

"Everyone has a weakness. This man is exceptionally talented, yet he is willing to hide in the Tang family and be an unknown son-in-law. The only explanation must be because of Tang Wan."

He looked at Liu Qingrou beside him, his tone slightly seductive.

"Your looks, talent, and demeanor are in no way inferior to Tang Wan's. With a little maneuvering and a few tricks, you can sow discord between him and Tang Wan and bring this literary prodigy to the service of Nanzhao."

Upon hearing this, Liu Qingrou flew into a rage and shouted angrily, "Huang Cheng! Do you know what nonsense you're spouting? I'm your fiancée! You actually want me to seduce someone else?!"

"Rou'er, you've misunderstood me!"

Huang Cheng gently grasped her small hand, his tone urgent and humble, completely devoid of the arrogance of a prince.

"I'm not asking you to ruin your reputation. Just pretend to engage with him, distract him, and drive a wedge between him and the Tang family!"

His eyes were filled with anxiety, and his voice was weak and pleading: "I have no other way out. I'm begging you, just this once, help me take this person down, okay?"

Liu Qingrou forcefully pulled her hand back, her fingertips slightly cool. She looked quietly at the man in front of her, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

The once dashing, spirited, and open-minded young prince has long been consumed by his lust for imperial power; his original aspirations are gone, and he is no longer the same person he once was.

a long time.

She looked up at the clear sky in the distance and sighed sadly.

All pride and discontent ultimately turn into a powerless compromise.

"I... did my best."

After saying that, he walked away and disappeared into the distance.

at the same time.

Zhang Xiaomeng carried Tang Wan back to the Tang residence, where Tang Wenyuan had already prepared a physician.

After examination, it was found that Tang Wan had only been drugged and was otherwise fine; all that was needed was for her to wake up.

Tang Wenyuan finally breathed a sigh of relief, but his face immediately darkened, and he glared and roared, "So this is Nanzhao! So this is Chen Wenxuan! I'm not finished with them!"

A fierce look also appeared on Zhang Xiaomeng's face. "Chen Wenxuan has already made his way to death. I'm going to settle accounts with him!"

He originally intended to hide in the Tang residence and leave after Princess Changning's wedding.

However, in order to save Tang Wan and defeat Nanzhao, he appeared as Tang's son-in-law and even wrote a famous poem that has been passed down through the ages.

Although her face was covered the whole time, the news would spread very quickly.

Once the investigation is launched, he won't be able to hide it at all.

So Zhang Xiaomeng had already made up his mind on the way back.

Using the excuse of settling scores with Chen Wenxuan, they made a hasty escape.

"Don't be impulsive!"

Tang Wenyuan hurriedly stopped Zhang Xiaomeng.

"Leave this matter to me. I will report to the Emperor and make the Chen family pay the price."

Zhang Xiaomeng said indignantly, "The emperor is busy with his daughter's wedding right now, how could he have time to care? By the time he issues the decree, the Chen family will already be on guard. Moreover, this matter involves diplomatic relations between two countries, do you think the emperor will severely punish them?"

Tang Wenyuan fell silent upon hearing this.

As Zhang Xiaomeng said, this matter is indeed unlikely to be severely punished; in fact, it will probably be dropped and the matter will be dropped to avoid further trouble.

Even if Tang Wenyuan exerts pressure in the name of the Imperial Tutor, he will not achieve the desired effect in the end.

The emperor always prioritized the overall situation in his actions.

"What do you intend to do?" he asked.

"I have my own way. Wait for my good news."

Despite Tang Wenyuan's repeated dissuasion, Zhang Xiaomeng insisted on leaving the Tang residence.