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

Wang Dongjian immediately ordered his men to examine the corpse. After searching for a long time, they found no clues whatsoever.

Such well-trained assassins were far beyond what Chen Jinlin could possibly manage.

There must be someone else behind this.

"Thank you, Lord Wang, for leading your troops to our aid and saving my entire Tang family." Tang Wenyuan stepped forward and bowed deeply, filled with gratitude.

"Your Excellency, there's no need for such formalities. We were able to arrive in time entirely thanks to Prince Zhang," Wang Dongjian said, bowing in return.

Zhang Xiaomeng had already removed his veil. When Tang Wenyuan saw the face clearly, he was stunned, his eyes filled with astonishment: "You...you are actually the heir of the Marquis of Yongwu's mansion?"

Zhang Xiaomeng waved his hand dismissively, "What prince? I have no connection with the Marquis of Yongwu's mansion anymore."

Tang Wenyuan sighed inwardly. It turned out that Lü Xiaobu, who had saved his daughter, was none other than the vanished imperial son-in-law Zhang Xiaomeng.

If this were to reach Tang Wan's ears, she would surely be heartbroken.

"Young Master Zhang, do you know who sent these assassins?" Wang Dongjian asked seriously.

"Huang Cheng, the second prince of Nanzhao."

Upon hearing this, both Wang Dongjian and Tang Wenyuan's expressions changed.

Tang Wenyuan already knew that Huang Cheng was colluding with the Third Prince Zhao Jinrui to secretly plot against Princess Changning.

Today, they even see themselves as a thorn in their side; their wolfish ambitions are blatantly obvious.

Wang Dongjian's expression was solemn as he gripped the long sword at his waist: "This matter involves the diplomatic relations between our two countries and is of great importance. I will immediately go to the palace to report to the Emperor!"

"Brother Wang, you absolutely mustn't!" Zhang Xiaomeng quickly stepped forward and stopped him.

"What do you mean?" Wang Dongjian asked, completely puzzled.

Zhang Xiaomeng recounted the treasonous conspiracy secretly conspired between Huang Cheng and Zhao Jinrui, which enraged Wang Dongjian more and more as he listened.

It was completely unexpected that the third prince of the current dynasty would collude with an enemy country to wreak havoc on the Eastern Mausoleum for his own power.

"Right now, there's no way to prove anything. To stabilize the border between the two countries, even if His Majesty knows Huang Cheng is highly suspicious, he will only deal with him leniently," Zhang Xiaomeng calmly analyzed the pros and cons.

Wang Dongjian frowned: "In Young Master Zhang's opinion, what should we do?"

Zhang Xiaomeng turned to Tang Wenyuan beside him: "If we want to lure the snake out of its hole, we need to trouble the Tang family to cooperate with me in staging a massacre."

"You're planning to turn the tables on me?" Tang Wenyuan instantly understood his entire scheme.

"Exactly. Only when Huang Cheng believes that the plan has succeeded will he completely lower his guard and reveal his weaknesses." Zhang Xiaomeng nodded slightly.

Without hesitation, Tang Wenyuan readily agreed: "As long as we can bring these traitors to justice, a little grievance is nothing to worry about. We will proceed according to your plan, young friend Zhang."

"There is no time to lose. I would like to trouble you all to set up the scene immediately and not delay the opportunity."

Under Zhang Xiaomeng's direction, the Tang family servants cooperated with the Imperial Guards to quickly fabricate evidence of the massacre.

Meanwhile, inside the secret room.

The women of the Tang family had been trapped for a long time, and a huge weight was hanging over their hearts. The surroundings were deathly silent, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

After a long and agonizing wait, no sign of safety came from the front hall. Panic gradually spread, and some timid servants couldn't help but sob quietly.

Tang Wan suppressed her fear and reassured everyone, "Cheer up, everyone. Father is wise and resourceful; he will be safe and sound."

An elderly nanny wiped away her tears and sighed, "Young Miss, so much time has passed, and there's still no sign of the Master. I'm afraid he's already..."

When her worst fears were exposed, Tang Wan's face turned deathly pale. She stumbled backward, shaking her head and muttering to herself, "No, Father won't be in trouble."

She could no longer hold back and turned to rush out to find her father.

"Don't act impulsively!"

Liu Qingrou quickly stepped forward and reached out to grab her.

"Let me go!" Tang Wan roared angrily, her eyes red.

"The villains outside might still be there. If you rush out now, you'll only be throwing your life away. If something happens to you, wouldn't all the sacrifices you made to protect our guards and your father be in vain?" Liu Qingrou was also convinced that Tang Wenyuan was in grave danger, so she could only try her best to calm the collapsing Tang Wan.

Tang Wan's tense defenses shattered completely, and she could no longer hold back, bursting into tears: "Father..."

The sound of crying filled the room, which was filled with helplessness and despair.

Just as everyone was immersed in grief, a regular knocking sound came from outside the door.

All the crying stopped abruptly. Everyone held their breath, and several guards gripped their weapons tightly, their bodies tense and on high alert.

After listening to the rhythm of the knocking a few times, they recognized it as a secret code exclusive to the Tang family.

"The master is back! Open the door quickly!"

The two guards pushed open the heavy stone door together and saw Tang Wenyuan safe and sound. Everyone's hearts finally settled down, and their eyes were filled with the joy of surviving a disaster.

"father!"

Tang Wan rushed forward and threw herself into Tang Wenyuan's arms, bursting into tears of joy.

"It's alright, your father is safe and sound," Tang Wenyuan said softly, patting his daughter's back to comfort her.

After calming down a bit, Tang Wan asked, her voice choked with sobs, "Father, what exactly happened?"

"This is a long story. If it weren't for Young Master Zhang arriving with the Imperial Guards in time, my daughter and I would have been separated forever."

Tang Wan then turned her gaze to Zhang Xiaomeng, who was standing to the side.

She had been saved by this man twice when her family faced calamities; she could never repay such a great debt of gratitude in her lifetime.

Having seen Liu Qingrou dare to disregard everything and pursue her heart's desire, Tang Wan no longer had any concerns.

She quietly clenched her fists, making a silent decision in her heart.

Zhang Xiaomeng, unaware of the girl's emotional turmoil, whispered a reminder: "This place is not safe to stay any longer, let's leave first."

The group secretly left through the back door of the Tang family's house.

In a dark corner, Huang Cheng quietly lay in wait, observing. Despite his meticulous planning, a trace of unease still lingered in his heart.

Suddenly, the attendant beside him pointed ahead: "Master, look!"

Flames shot into the sky above the Tang residence, and thick smoke obscured half of the night sky.

Seeing this scene, Huang Cheng felt greatly relieved and laughed loudly, "With the Tang family destroyed, no one in the literary world of Dongling can rival our Nanzhao. Our great cause is accomplished!"

Before long, news of the massacre of the entire Tang family spread throughout the capital, rumors spread, and the people were filled with fear.

The Emperor of Dongling was furious and ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to conduct a thorough investigation.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and Princess Changning's wedding day arrived as scheduled.

Even though there has been no progress in the case of the Tang family's massacre, the royal wedding process cannot be easily postponed.

The most pleased family at this time was the Marquis of Yongwu's mansion.

The matriarch, Madam Zheng, expelled Zhang Xiaomeng from the Marquis's residence and supported Zhang Ling to take over the position of heir apparent. Now, Zhang Ling intends to replace him and marry Princess Changning.

If this wedding goes through, the Marquis of Yongwu's mansion can become associated with the royal family, and its status will rise accordingly.

Therefore, the entire Marquis's mansion was busy for days, decorating everywhere with red silk and festive ornaments, and not allowing the slightest mistake to occur.

"Mother, the auspicious time is approaching, we should set off to fetch the bride." Marquis Yongwu, dressed in a bright red wedding robe, walked into the courtyard with a radiant expression.

Madam Zheng, having carefully dressed and made herself up, looked radiant and several years younger. She quickly asked, "Is Ling'er all ready?"

"I have already sent someone to urge them," Marquis Yongwu replied.

Inside the inner courtyard bedroom, several maids surrounded and served Zhang Ling, who was dressed in a magnificent wedding robe. He was handsome and his face was full of smug satisfaction.

He waved his hand to dismiss all the servants, leaving only himself in the room.

A dark figure slowly emerged from the shadows of the beams and pillars; it was Zen Master Duming.

"Your son greets Father." Zhang Ling bowed respectfully.

Du Ming nodded slightly, a hint of triumphant coldness hidden in his eyes: "As expected of my child, you have quite the demeanor of your father in his youth. Marquis Yongwu spent his whole life scheming and ruthlessly driving away his own flesh and blood, but in the end, he brought about the happiness of you and me, father and son."

"Father, is there any news about Zhang Xiaomeng?" Zhang Ling asked in a low voice.

"You can rest assured, Zhao Changning searched the entire capital but couldn't find any trace of him. He must have died in the wilderness long ago."

Du Ming raised his hand and gently patted his shoulder, his tone subtly admonishing, "After you become the prince consort, try your best to gain Zhao Changning's trust, and don't let down Consort Wu's cultivation."

"I know what I'm doing. She's just a woman; I have my own ways of making her obedient," Zhang Ling promised confidently.

Just then, a servant's voice came from outside the door: "Young master, the auspicious time has arrived. Please depart immediately."

Du Ming's figure flickered, transforming into a phantom image, and he vanished silently from the room.

Zhang Ling's previous docile and respectful demeanor vanished completely, replaced by a sinister smirk.

"Consort Wu has a clever plan."

"Unfortunately, after today, Zhao Changning will never return to Dongling!"