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

The next morning.

As dawn broke, the thin mist in the mountains lingered, and the morning dew was slightly cool.

Huang Yumo got up early, dressed in a spotless blue robe, and slowly walked to the main tent with a folding fan in his hand.

He still wore a gentle and modest smile, his eyebrows and eyes were refined and his demeanor was elegant, but in the depths of his eyes, there was an undisguised coldness and smugness.

It is said that Zhang Xiaomeng, the son-in-law of the Eastern Mausoleum, is unparalleled in wisdom and extremely difficult to deal with.

In retrospect, it's nothing special.

Last night, a few lighthearted words were enough to easily deceive the other party.

This desolate and dead-end road is now the final resting place for the entire Eastern Mausoleum delegation.

Huang Yumo concealed the murderous intent in his eyes, stepped forward, but frowned slightly.

"Strange, where are the guards on duty at the camp gate?"

The once imposing camp was now deserted and eerily quiet.

Suspicious, he lifted the curtain and went straight into the main tent.

The tent was empty, the bedding was neatly arranged, the charcoal fire had been extinguished, and there was no sign of Zhang Xiaomeng.

Huang Yumo's heart sank. Without delay, he immediately turned around and rushed towards the civil officials' camp.

It was just dawn, and the civil officials who had been resting all night were still fast asleep, their snores rising and falling in the tent.

Liu Baichuan was fast asleep when he was awakened by the sound of hurried footsteps and the sound of the curtains being lifted. His eyes were still sleepy, and his face showed displeasure at being disturbed.

He rubbed his temples, his tone impatient: "Why doesn't Your Highness go find Consort Zhang, but instead comes here to make a scene?"

Huang Yumo stated bluntly, "Prince Zhang has disappeared."

"Um?"

Liu Baichuan was instantly wide awake and sat up abruptly.

He scoffed inwardly.

As expected, they are cowards who fear death!

Last night I pretended to be profound, but in the end I was the one who ran away first, which was extremely embarrassing.

However, upon further reflection, a hint of joy flashed in Liu Baichuan's eyes.

It's good that Zhang Xiaomeng is gone.

Among the delegation, he holds the highest official position and has the most seniority, making him the perfect person to handle all negotiations with Nanzhao.

If this deal goes through, all the credit will go to him, and he will definitely be promoted to another rank after returning to the capital!

Thinking of this, his contempt vanished, and he calmly straightened his robes before speaking softly.

"Your Highness, do not panic. It seems that Consort Zhang was being overly cautious and went ahead to scout ahead. It's alright, we will reorganize our troops and catch up immediately."

Huang Yumo watched him quietly as he looked on with self-satisfaction, a cold glint flashing in his eyes as his thoughts raced.

Discovered?

impossible.

If Zhang Xiaomeng had truly seen through his ambush plot, he would never have left most of the civil officials and countless supplies in a dangerous place while fleeing alone.

It seems this person is simply naturally suspicious and was scouting ahead.

Yeah.

He'll only die faster if he leaves the main force.

Huang Yumo suppressed his distracting thoughts, resumed his gentle smile, and quietly waited for the other party to reorganize the team.

After a while.

The delegation members followed Huang Yumo on their way.

He deliberately chose a secluded and rugged mountain path.

This place is desolate, with narrow and cramped roads, ancient trees reaching for the sky on both sides, and overgrown with weeds, making it the perfect place to ambush and strangle someone.

The team had been trekking for most of the day, and with the sun high in the sky, everyone was exhausted.

Huang Yumo glanced around at the dense forest, his eyes filled with murderous intent. He turned to Liu and said, "Lord Liu, we are tired from our journey. Let's rest here for a while before continuing our journey."

Liu Baichuan's legs were already sore and he was exhausted, so he immediately nodded in agreement without the slightest suspicion.

But just as everyone relaxed and prepared to sit down and rest—

call out!call out!call out!

A piercing sound suddenly tore through the silence of the mountain forest!

A dense barrage of arrows, carried by a strong wind, poured out from the dense forest on both sides like a torrential rain, covering the sky and blocking all escape routes!

Caught off guard, the members of the delegation collapsed to the ground in an instant.

Blood splattered on the grass and fallen leaves, and piercing screams and desperate wails echoed through the valley. The once orderly ranks were thrown into chaos and routed in an instant.

"There's an ambush!"

The sudden threat shattered everyone's hopes.

The pampered civil officials, led by Liu Baichuan, had never witnessed such a bloody battle before. They were instantly terrified, their faces turning pale and their bodies trembling.

Only then did Liu Baichuan awaken from his daze, a chill running through his body.

Nanzhao really dared to ruthlessly kill the Dongling delegation!

In his panic, he suddenly remembered Zhang Xiaomeng's arrangements from the previous night and roared sharply, "Quickly! Capture Huang Yumo immediately! Take the prince hostage!"

But no sooner had he finished speaking than a wounded soldier came running in, his voice trembling with tears, reporting the news in despair.

"My lord! They've disappeared..."

"What did you say?!"

Liu Baichuan was struck dumb, his body stiffened on the spot, and his hands and feet turned ice cold.

It’s over.

It's all over.

Are you looking for me?

A soft, teasing voice drifted from the woods ahead.

Huang Yumo, holding a folding fan and with a faint smile on his lips, slowly walked out of the dense forest, surrounded by dozens of armored, sword-wielding, and murderous elites.

Liu Baichuan stared intently at him, his eyes bloodshot, his finger trembling as he pointed at the other man, and roared angrily, "Huang Yumo! How dare you! You actually dared to ambush the Celestial Dynasty's delegation! Aren't you afraid that this act will completely ignite a war between the two countries, plunging Nanzhao into utter ruin?!"

Faced with the overwhelming questions, Huang Yumo remained calm, gently waving his fan, his tone utterly contemptuous: "What is there for Nanzhao to fear from the mere Eastern Mausoleum?"

"How dare you!"

Liu Baichuan, outwardly fierce but inwardly weak, resorted to his last trump card in a desperate threat.

"Don't forget! The Second Prince Huang Cheng is still a hostage in our Eastern Mausoleum! If we all perish, he will surely die too!"

He was certain that this was the other party's biggest weakness.

Upon hearing this, Huang Yumo was not afraid at all. Instead, his smile deepened, and his eyes were filled with a cold, smug satisfaction: "Then this prince should thank you properly for helping me eliminate my biggest contender for the throne."

Upon hearing those words, Liu Baichuan was completely devastated.

regret!

Sorry for the first time!

Last night, the prince consort repeatedly warned of the danger, but he was stubborn, arrogant, and underestimated the enemy.

It was his arrogance and ignorance that killed everyone!

Fear and despair gripped his entire body. Liu Baichuan completely lost all his pride as a civil official. His voice trembled as he pleaded desperately, "Your Highness! Let's talk this out! We are the Dongling delegation. Saving our lives would be entirely beneficial to Nanzhao."

Huang Yumo slowly closed the folding fan, his fingertips lightly tapping the fan ribs, as if pondering, and nodded slightly: "That makes sense."

Seeing this, a glimmer of light instantly appeared in the eyes of the group of civil officials who were on the verge of despair, and they secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as they survive, the imperial court will spare no expense to ransom them!

But the next second, a cruel and cold smile suddenly appeared on Huang Yumo's lips, and his tone abruptly changed, shattering everyone's hopes:

"But if you don't die, how can you ignite war between the two nations and plunge the world into chaos?"

"You're insane!" Liu Baichuan's pupils constricted, and he roared in a hoarse voice, "The strength of Nanzhao is far inferior to that of Dongling. A war with them would be a certain defeat! You're courting death!"

Just as he was desperately trying to dissuade her, a graceful figure slowly walked out from the crowd behind Huang Yumo.

The woman wore a pure black silk dress, her figure was slender and beautiful, and her face was stunningly beautiful. However, there was no human warmth in her beautiful eyes, only indifference and madness.

"What does it matter if Nanzhao is destroyed? As long as we can severely damage the foundation of Dongling and stir up chaos in the world, any sacrifice is worthwhile."

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell into a deathly silence.

Huang Yumo, the usually arrogant and self-possessed third prince of Nanzhao, immediately bowed and paid his respects with utmost deference, showing no trace of princely dignity: "Your subordinate Huang Yumo greets the Holy Maiden."

Liu Baichuan trembled violently, his face drained of color, and he stared incredulously at the woman in black, his voice hoarse and trembling: "You...you are the Black Lotus Cult's demoness!"

Behind the woman, a little girl, her face still showing signs of immaturity, stepped forward with her hands on her hips and angrily shouted, "Sister Qian'er is a saint, not a demoness!"

Liu Baichuan finally understood.

All of this was orchestrated by the Black Lotus Cult in secret.

They wanted to provoke a war between Dongling and Nanzhao so they could reap the benefits.

To everyone's surprise, the prince of Nanzhao also sided with the Black Lotus Sect and followed this demoness's lead.

Overwhelming regret completely consumed Liu Baichuan's mind. He looked at the corpses scattered on the ground, at the approaching killing intent, at the predicament he had created with his own hands, and gave a bitter laugh.

"I am a sinner... I am the eternal sinner of Dongling..."

It was his arrogance, ignorance, and stubbornness that destroyed the entire mission and is about to ignite war between the two countries, bringing suffering to countless people!

Zhou Qian'er's eyes were as cold as frost. Without the slightest hesitation, she coldly ordered, "Quickly finish this!"

As the military order was given, countless armored soldiers with swords waded through the blood and charged fiercely towards the trembling civil officials!