After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

The third possibility is that the Northern Dynasties bribed some Rakshasa people to kill him.

This would kill two birds with one stone: if he died at the hands of the Rakshasa, the Southern Dynasty would have no choice but to blame the Rakshasa.

Despite the secret testimony from the Third Prince to his brother-in-law that if he were to go on a diplomatic mission to the Northern Dynasty and help them appease their officials, the Third Prince promised to guarantee his safety.

But Ning Nan and his brother-in-law certainly wouldn't take what the other party said to heart.

These are some of the possible actions the other party might take, which he and his brother-in-law came up with.

Of course, there were also other practices, such as arranging for someone to kill him, then commit suicide, and then the Northern Dynasty would hand over the scapegoat's head to the Southern Dynasty.

However, such a move makes him easy to guard against if he has enough guards around him.

The first few types are a bit harder to defend against.

"What if the emperor of the Northern Dynasty completely turns against you and kills you directly?!" Cui Cui's wife once asked him this question with a furrowed brow.

"Hoo..." Master Ning inhaled and slowly exhaled... In his observation, the Yongzheng Emperor in this world seemed to be similar to the one he came from.

The same iron-fisted approach, the same brilliant strategy.

Given his status and the Emperor Yongzheng's character and temperament, it was possible for him to be imprisoned, but the chances of him being killed directly were slim.

However, this has been addressed.

People have already been arranged to go north and pave the way.

We'll see how things go and proceed step by step. If things don't look right, we'll immediately head south.

Taking risks is not always a good thing. But after careful consideration, he realized that sending an envoy to the Northern Dynasty was a brilliant move.

I remember hearing a very simple sentence in the previous dimension:

"...Prestige isn't something built in a day. You have to fight three battles, win two of them, before you can have any prestige...Prestige is earned through winning battles..."

If he wanted to launch a northern expedition, reclaim the Huai River, reclaim the Central Plains, and expel the Tartars.

The prestige of Cui Cui's wife is very important, and so is one's own prestige...

prestige.

The key is not "prestige," but "credibility."

Emperor Mingkai of the Former Liang Dynasty reigned for seventeen years and had eighteen different chief ministers.

He made all the decisions on important matters of the court with a single word.

He could kill whomever he wanted, and the number of civil and military officials who died at his hands was countless.

If we're talking about power, Emperor Kai of Ming was undoubtedly the most powerful... but in the end, he still became the ruler who brought about the downfall of his country.

It's simply because power is easy to attain.

"Faith" is difficult.

Relying solely on authority yields half the results with twice the effort, and countless individuals outwardly comply while inwardly defying it.

Only by relying on trust can we achieve twice the result with half the effort and thoroughly improve the development efficiency of Daliang.

He didn't want his wife, Cui Cui, to argue with the court officials in the Golden Hall every day for his sake, causing the Great Liang to fall into endless internal strife. At that time, not to mention the Northern Expedition, the internal affairs would probably be largely neglected... After weighing the options, he had no choice but to go on the mission.

He accompanied the mission to the Northern Dynasty.

A North-South alliance was reached.

They successfully escorted the mission back to the south.

After doing these things, the wife can wash away the stigma of "sacrificing public duty for the sake of her husband".

It can also help him shed the labels attached to himself that include "disregarding the big picture, being impulsive and easily angered, and only daring to act recklessly under the wing of the Southern Dynasty".

Upon returning from his mission,

Among the civil and military officials of the Southern Dynasty,

That way, you can gain a little bit of prestige.

At this time.

"Waaaaah—"

"Buzzing—"

A long horn sounded suddenly in the silent night!

Ning Nan's pupils contracted, and he abruptly turned his head!

"Enemy attack!!!!"

The loud-voiced messenger, veins bulging, roared as he charged at the horse!

……

Whoosh!

Arrows came flying in one after another.

The firelight outside the barracks flickered.

"Rocket?"

Ning Nan narrowed his eyes.

"Fire!!"

"Use water!"

"Use sand! Quickly, quickly!"

"Don't panic! Nobody is allowed to panic!"

"Hold the line!"

"Cut the mules' ropes! Push the burning cart away! Don't let the mules run!"

Shouts came from outside from laborers and officials maintaining order.

Bang bang bang bang bang, the footsteps sounded like war drums.

"Big brother!"

"Big brother..."

"Young Master..."

"Young master..."

Various titles and appellations were getting closer and closer to him.

Ning Nan tucked the dozen or so pieces of paper from the box into his pocket.

He carried an oil lamp, lifted the tent flap, and came out.

A large crowd was moving outside.

Erlaizi and Sanzhuang led their servants, each carrying a shield.

They surrounded his tent.

Erlaizi, whose face was still pockmarked but whose demeanor was completely different from when he was in Lijia Village, looked at him with excitement.

"Brother, it should be them..." Er Laizi said in a low voice, carrying a shield in his hand and a long cowhide bag tied to his waist.

The voice was very low.

But Ning Nan could hear the neurotic excitement in Er Laizi's voice.

This was within their contingency plan.

Ning Nan nodded:

"One person, two horses, don't be impatient, keep your distance, go on."

"yes!"

Erlai nodded, a grin spreading across his thin face, and chuckled twice, saying:

"Wang Xiao, Du Gui, Xie Chang, Jiang Kui, Zhang Shuijing," Er Laizi called out, "the five of you come with me!"

The first three were veteran servants, while the last two were newcomers.

Ning Nan said, "San Zhuang should go too."

The round face on the three burly necks immediately lit up with joy, one hand holding a shield and the other gripping a golden mace at his waist.

Erlai frowned and said, "Third brother, you should stay here and protect eldest brother."

Upon hearing that he was to protect his elder brother, Sanzhuang's slightly honest, round face hardened again.

Ning Nan scoffed, "What do I need to protect? Go away."

"Yes!" Erlaizi and Sanzhuang were overjoyed and led five servants, shields in hand, towards the horses.

Arrows danced in the sky.

Erlaizi threw down his shield, and Du Gui and Wang Xiao stood in front of him to protect him.

Erlai didn't even raise his head. He took out a sachet from his bosom, then used the needle attached to it to prick the sachet, and hung the slightly torn sachet around his waist.

Ning Nan withdrew his gaze from Er Laizi and the others.

Outside the shield formation formed by the servants, twenty Imperial Guards had also raised their shields, forming a circular formation to protect the camp.

Qian Sijin, holding his long spear, stood beside Ning Nan and whispered, "Young Master."

Ning Nan said, "Just leave it to Er Laizi."

Qian Sijin nodded and said, "Yes."

Ning Nan narrowed his eyes again and said:

"If this battle goes well, assign ten Imperial Guards to Er Laizi's command. Promote that kid too. Hmm... Qian Xiaoqi, don't feel resentful. My wife gave me a few blank imperial edicts, I'll promote you to centurion directly."

Qian Sijin was grateful and simply nodded, saying, "Yes, son-in-law."

In the pitch-black night, a troop of cavalry patrolled around the mission's camp, continuously firing rockets coated with pine resin at the mission.

The fire raged, and the laborers, under the command of several minor officials in green robes, formed firefighting teams.

Footsteps, curses, and screams of fear mingled together.

As the long horn sounded.

The escorting cavalrymen had already raised their torches and rushed towards the night raiding cavalry, firing arrows in all directions.

Fifty soldiers donned their armor and formed a battle array with their spears raised.

The mule wagons were used as a "wall," making it difficult for the cavalry to break into the camp.

At this time.

Master Ning narrowed his eyes slightly.

In the distance, Xu Xiyin, holding a whisk, and a young man dressed as a laborer walked toward his tent.

"Young Master..." Chen San, disguised as a laborer, chuckled and wiped his face before bowing to him.

Ning Nan smiled and said, "It's been a long time, Master Chen."

Chen San nodded, his smile fading as he became more serious and solemn, and got down to business:

"Hmm... Young Master. This cavalry unit consists of thirty elite cavalrymen handpicked from the Bordered White Banner, personally led by Amurtu, the Deputy Commander of the Plain White Banner. They are all equipped with the latest flintlock muskets developed by the Northern Dynasty, whose power is extremely terrifying..."

"They wore blue robes over their armor, disguising themselves as bandits. Tonight they were just greeting the young master; their real intentions towards him will come later."

Bordered White Banner? Plain White Banner? Soldiers of the Bordered White Banner? Deputy Commander of the Plain White Banner?

So detailed… Master Ning raised an eyebrow.

This was somewhat unexpected for him; the Imperial Guards were not as well-informed as the Heavenly Principles Sect... Hmm... The Imperial Guards also need to be reorganized.

"Oh?" Ning Nan asked in confusion.

Chen San continued, "However, young master, you can rest assured. I have already gathered a hundred skilled fighters from within the sect, all fully armed and ready to fight. As long as you are willing to grant them an identity, they are welcome to join the delegation and protect you."

After a moment of hesitation, Chen San's expression hardened, and he continued:

"In addition, the Third Prince of the Northern Dynasty has dispatched one hundred elite troops from the Plain Yellow Banner, led by Han Chinese commanders from the Plain Yellow Banner. They are on their way and will be fully responsible for protecting the young master on his journey north."

Master Ning chuckled, "How much longer until they arrive?"

Chen San paused for a moment, then said, "They are traveling from Huai'an to Chuzhou at full speed, so it should take them another two or three days."

There were cavalry from the mission, plus a hundred skilled fighters from our own sect.

Even if the enemy was equipped with the terrifying flintlock muskets of the Northern Dynasty, Chen San was confident that he could protect the young master for three days before the Third Prince's reinforcements arrived.

After all, the flintlock musket was extremely sophisticated, and the number of finished products was low. Even in the Northern Dynasty, the adoption rate was less than 10%.

Under the cover of night, the cavalrymen who had raided the camp charged westward with thunderous cries.

The cavalry that raided the mission at night have been driven away by the mission's cavalry.

However, no gunshots were heard. Presumably, as Chen San said, this cavalry was just here tonight to make a brief appearance and did not go all out... They may have thought that the Northern Dynasty princess was still here and dared not attack with all their might, only wanting to scare the princess away first.

Ning Nan remained noncommittal in response to Chen San's question: "Whose men are these cavalry?"

Chen San was stunned for a moment, then remained silent.

Ning Nan turned her head and focused her gaze on him.

Chen San met the other person's gaze and his heart skipped a beat.

Even though the other party didn't seem to want to be the leader, at this moment, Chen San felt that the pressure from the other party's gaze was no less than that of the Left Protector.

Chen San swallowed hard, his throat bobbing, and said, "Young Master, according to our information, the fourth young master of Prince Yi's mansion, Hong Jiao... is their master."

Hong Jiao?

"This is an old friend..." Ning Nan raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Are your men far away?" He lifted his robe, revealing a leather pouch at his waist.

Chen San nodded and said, "It's not far, just ten miles away. Every mile, I've arranged for men to lie in ambush. With just a whistle, they'll arrive on horseback in no time."

Inside the mission's camp, officials of all ranks, dressed in red, green, or blue robes, walked around cursing as they directed laborers to extinguish fires, carry corpses, and rebuild tents.

Don't pursue a cornered enemy. The cavalry of the delegation that had driven away the Northern Dynasty cavalry were also returning, their hoofbeats growing ever closer.

Ning Nan placed the oil lamp he was carrying on the grass, straightened up, rubbed his slightly sore neck, and slowly walked towards the horses, which were about ten paces away. Five servants, their eyes alert, raised their shields to protect against hidden arrows.

Qian Sijin picked up his spear, his face grave, and led twenty Imperial Guards in close pursuit. With a flick of his finger, he ordered one of the Imperial Guards to a donkey cart covered with a black cloth.

A sharp barking sound came from inside.

Chen San and Xu Xiyin exchanged a glance, somewhat confused. They had just thought their young master wanted him to summon his brothers.

After a moment of confusion, seeing the young master walking into the distance, they had no choice but to follow him.

Ning Nan walked to the horse, stopped, and said to Chen San:

"Brother Chen, call them over." He exhaled, looked at Chen San, and smiled, "Let me see what you're made of."

Chen San's eyes widened, and he nodded, saying:

"Don't worry, young master! With your subordinates and brothers here, we will risk our lives to protect you for the next three days until the Third Prince's hundred elite cavalry arrive."

Ning Nan shook his head:

"I'm not waiting for three days anymore..."

Chen San was taken aback.

The young man, whom he respectfully addressed as "Young Master," mounted his magnificent white horse and glanced at Chen San standing on the withered grass, then smiled and said:

"Let's go, Brother Chen."

He said,

"We'll kill them tonight."