Empress, please lay down your armor, for I will save the world with a single sword!

Jiang Qingluan sat there, motionless.

But Wu Liang could clearly hear that her breathing suddenly stopped for a moment, and then became extremely heavy and disordered.

Although he couldn't see clearly, he knew that Jiang Qingluan's face must be ashen at this moment.

However, Wu Liang continued, "This is still the ideal situation, with the Northern Yong army moving unimpeded and no one stopping them."

"In reality, is that even possible? If the Northern Yong army moves, will Prince Qing in the capital just stand by and watch? Is he stupid?"

"He holds your father in his hands. He could easily use your father's decree to issue an imperial edict and directly label Pei Xiao a traitor and rebel! The moral order would be completely reversed in an instant. Then, he could legitimately mobilize troops from all over the country to ambush, blockade, and delay along the way... or even unite with other forces that have designs on Bei Yong to encircle and annihilate them."

He watched Jiang Qingluan's increasingly stiff silhouette in the darkness, his voice growing colder: "In that case, who knows how long your Jingnan army will fight from Beiyong to Luo'an? Half a year? A year? Or even longer? How many people will die along the way? How much money and food will be wasted? By the time you actually reach the gates of Luo'an..."

Wu Liang paused for a moment, then slowly said, "Whether you can... see your father's grave with your own eyes is probably another matter entirely."

Jiang Qingluan's face was indescribably ugly.

She gritted her teeth, forcing out the words with a stubborn refusal to admit defeat: "With the fighting strength of the Northern Yong Xuanjia Iron Cavalry... even with obstacles, they can definitely reach Luo'an! Pei Xiao... he has the ability!"

Yes, that's right.

Wu Liang nodded, "I believe that the Northern Yong army is powerful and Pei Xiao is a capable fighter. Even if they fight their way through, they will eventually stand at the foot of Luo'an's city walls."

"But so what?"

"By then, your father was long dead. Completely dead. Jiang Yuan's murder of his brother and usurpation of the throne was an outrage against Heaven and Earth, losing the hearts of the people and ruining his reputation. Along with him, the prestige of your Great Zhou royal family, the Jiang family, also plummeted into the mud, hitting rock bottom, never to rise again."

"After Pei Xiao went through countless hardships and finally quelled the rebellion, eliminating Jiang Yuan..."

"Hey, back then, the people of the world had suffered terribly from war and were utterly disillusioned with your Jiang family. Pei Xiao just concocted some auspicious omens, some divine will, and some other tricks to stir up public opinion... He followed the will of the people, and had no choice but to don the yellow robe and change the dynasty..."

"Doesn't that just naturally lead to everything?"

Wu Liang clicked his tongue and concluded, "You see, from beginning to end, what Pei Xiao wanted to exploit was this time difference; he was playing this open and aboveboard trick."

"He doesn't care whether your father lives or dies. In fact... the sooner your father dies, the more justifiable his death, the better for him. All he wants is you and the princess title you brought with you. Once the title is used up, you'll be... useless."

"That old scoundrel... he's so despicable!!!"

Jiang Qingluan could no longer hold back. She clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles cracking, and her whole body was filled with murderous intent. She wished she could rush out right now and tear Pei Xiao to pieces.

In the darkness, her eyes shone with a frightening light, burning with fury.

Looking at her like this, Wu Liang laughed instead. "That's called being cunning, it's also an open scheme. It's a calculation that's out in the open, let's see if you can handle it."

Jiang Qingluan abruptly turned her head and glared at him, angrily shouting, "Wu Liang! Who are you on board with?!"

The question was asked with a sense of grievance, anger, and a hint of sadness at being betrayed.

She thought that Wu Liang would at least... at least stand on her side and share her hatred of the enemy.

Before Wu Liang could speak, he saw Jiang Qingluan's straight back suddenly bend down as if all her strength had been drained away.

That carefully maintained killing intent, anger, and stubbornness collapsed instantly.

She lowered her head, and her shoulders began to tremble slightly.

Immediately afterwards, suppressed sobs began to rise slightly.

At first she could hold back, but later she lay face down on the table, buried her face in her arms, her thin shoulders heaving as she cried silently, her cries filled with despair and helplessness.

Just a moment ago she was full of murderous intent and ready to fight, but in the blink of an eye she broke down into tears.

Wu Liang stood to the side, feeling somewhat at a loss.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but felt that anything he said would be inadequate.

He's not good at comforting people, especially women who are crying so hard.

He hesitated for a moment, then reached out and gently patted her trembling shoulder twice.

Jiang Qingluan slowly raised her head, wiping her face haphazardly with the back of her hand in the darkness. "After I marry Pei Chang'an, the Bei Yong Prince's Mansion will naturally provide me with the expenses I deserve. The 21,000 taels of gold I owe you... I'll give it to you then."

"Wait a few more days. I, Jiang Qingluan... will not break my promise."

Wu Liang was somewhat surprised to hear this.

He raised an eyebrow and asked, "You...you've still decided to marry Pei Chang'an?"

Jiang Qingluan turned her head, looking at him in the darkness, and asked softly, "Do I... have any other choice?"

Wu Liang was taken aback by her question, but after thinking about it, he realized it made sense.

At this moment, Jiang Qingluan was all alone, trapped in the heavily guarded Qiyun Courtyard, without even a trustworthy maidservant by her side, and completely at the mercy of others.

Her father was far away in the capital, his life hanging by a thread, his fate in the hands of Prince Qing.

Looking across the world, the only force she could rely on and borrow was Pei Xiao, the Prince of Beiyong.

She couldn't even get past this immediate crisis, let alone save her father or fight for the throne.

This is a complete dead end!

Trying means there's always a glimmer of hope; not trying means there's no hope at all!

Seeing his silence, Jiang Qingluan continued speaking to herself, her voice soft but carrying a desperate resolve: "Even if... there's only a one in ten thousand chance, even if it's a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire ahead... I will try. My father has been incredibly kind to me. I can't... I can't just stand by and watch him be murdered while I do nothing."

"Ugh!"

Wu Liang suddenly sighed.

Then, he chuckled softly, nodded, and then shook his head.

"I definitely want the gold. But... you can't marry Pei Chang'an!"

Jiang Qingluan was stunned for a moment, then forced a bitter smile that was more painful than crying: "I don't want to marry him either... but what can I do now? Whether it's for my father or for... the fate of the Great Zhou, I have no choice but to marry him. This is the only... bargaining chip I can offer."

"That's not necessarily true," Wu Liang said calmly.

Jiang Qingluan turned her head sharply, her gaze filled with confusion as she looked at him, trying to make out his expression in the darkness: "What do you mean?"

Wu Liang did not answer directly.

Instead, she leaned forward, lowering her voice even further, "What if... I said I could get Pei Xiao to change his mind?"

……