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

At this point, he could only swallow his anger and force a smile, saying, "Lord Cai, this humble general has already dispatched five riders to search..."

"Five riders aren't enough?"

Censor Cai Tong raised his eyebrows and angrily said,

"Do you know how much responsibility we would bear if that Vice Envoy Ning fell into the hands of that cavalry, was captured alive by the Tartars, or if something unspeakable happened to him? How could we possibly continue our mission?"

"How the hell didn't I know?" the highest-ranking military officer in the delegation muttered to himself, head bowed.

He was actually furious and resentful inside.

Sixty riders...

The prince consort actually mobilized a full sixty riders to vent his anger for him.

Zhang Yaojie was extremely anxious all night.

It was almost dawn.

The prince consort has yet to return.

While others were only in dire straits, he was in a truly dire situation!

Another official in crimson robes stroked his beard, his tone turning serious as he looked at Jia Shi'an, who remained silent at the head of the table, and said:

"Vice Envoy Jia, could you please tell us why you allowed Vice Envoy Ning to go and find that cavalry?"

"The Eight Banners soldiers are like wolves and tigers, clearly heading straight for Vice Envoy Ning. Even though we are under the protection of the delegation, it is still difficult for us to protect him completely."

"Vice Envoy Ning led his men out in the dead of night to engage in mounted combat with the Eight Banners troops. May I ask, Vice Envoy Jia, how is this any different from lambs being led into the jaws of wolves?!"

Towards the end, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate's tone turned stern.

The other seven or eight civil officials also looked up at Jia Shi'an.

Jia Shi'an served as the deputy envoy of the mission and was also the Vice Minister of War, a third-rank official.

Although Wu Yuanlei, who was also wearing a scarlet robe, was only a fourth-rank official, his position was Right Vice Censor-in-Chief.

If this Vice Minister of War cannot provide an explanation today, I will immediately submit a memorial impeaching him!

Ning Baixuan was already a headache for both the civil and military officials of the delegation.

He committed murder in the Golden Palace.

If they didn't take him north, the Northern Dynasty would keep nagging about it.

If Ning Baixuan is not handed over, the hard-won opportunity for an alliance between the North and South over the past sixty years will be lost.

Taking him north, and with the other party being the Empress's betrothed prince consort, the delegation also had to protect him.

How to protect a sheep in the Northern Dynasty, surrounded by wolves?

These past few days, their faces have been clouded with worry.

Before today, they were actually quite pleased to see that the prince consort did not sit at the same table with them, nor did he discuss matters with them, but simply stayed obediently at the end of the delegation.

It seemed that this top scholar, who had no regard for the overall situation, had finally toned down his temper a bit.

Unexpectedly...

The civil and military officials in the camp all sighed and worried that night.

If they stay in the mission, as long as the Northern Dynasty still has the will to form an alliance, do those people disguised as bandits really dare to break into the mission?

If the delegation can tolerate their provocation for a while, they will be able to reach Chuzhou safely soon.

This man, however, was so impatient that he risked going out and stepped right into the thieves' trap.

How could someone so unambitious possibly have studied the great principles of sages? How did he become the top scholar in the Liang Dynasty?

Not only that, this man also caused the loss of sixty elite cavalrymen in the mission. How could they not be furious and angry? He's truly a worthless fellow!

The tents were brightly lit.

Jia Shi'an remained silent for a long time before finally saying:

"Vice Envoy Ning's nighttime search for that band of bandits was precisely for the sake of the mission. Vice Envoy Ning wanted to make it clear to the Northern Dynasty that, whether they are real bandits or fake bandits, anyone who dares to offend the might of our Great Liang mission will face the thunderous blow of our Great Liang Dynasty!"

"Hmph!" Cai Tong, the official in the green robe, stroked his beard and said disdainfully, "What can a brute like me do?! May I ask, Vice Envoy Jia, if this Vice Envoy Ning were to disappear like this, or..."

Cai Tong gritted his teeth and went all out, saying:

"Having been captured by those bandits and forced to commit acts that dishonor the dignity of our Great Liang, what will Vice Envoy Jia do then?!"

Cai Tong's words were intense and resolute.

Jia Shi'an raised his eyebrows: "It should be Jia Shi'an who has come..."

Before he could finish saying, "It is Jia Shi'an's responsibility to take full responsibility," a report came from outside:

"Reporting to Lord Jia! Reporting to Commander Zhang! Commander Zheng of Jiangpu Army and Battalion Commander Tong of Yongwei Battalion have returned with their cavalry!"

There was silence in the camp.

An uproar erupted immediately!

"Let's go! We need to go out and take a look!" an official shouted.

When Jia Shi'an heard that the Prince Consort Ning had returned, he felt relieved.

Zhang Yaojie took the lead, lifted the tent flap, and rushed out.

The officials all lifted their official robes and followed behind.

The first rays of dawn were breaking on the horizon.

Fog floats in the wilderness.

About one or two hundred feet away.

A large cavalry force returned.

Upon seeing this cavalry, the hearts of the people who had just relaxed suddenly tightened again.

Jiangpu Army.

Brave Guard Battalion.

But there were no Imperial Guards, nor the group of servants around the Grand Prince Consort.

"Where is the Grand Prince Consort?"

These dozens of riders and horses were covered in blood, exhausted, and many of the horses had long, cloth-wrapped objects lying across their backs, clearly corpses.

Everyone who saw this returning procession felt a chill run down their spines.

When Jia Shi'an glanced over and saw that the Grand Prince Consort's phoenix-winged helmet was not among them, his heart sank and his vision went black...

……

……

The morning sun shone on the entrance to the cave at the foot of Tiger Crouching Mountain.

Ning Nan smiled as she looked at the three people opposite her.

The servant in blue standing next to Hongfeng stepped forward and said:

"Ning, Ning, Ning Baixuan!" His legs were trembling, but he still mustered his courage to call out.

"My stewards, the officials of the delegation, and the commander of the Pingnan Camp all know where my master is!"

"If you dare to lay a finger on my master today, everyone in the delegation will know it was you!"

"At that time, you will not be allowed to leave our court! You will be chopped into eighteen pieces by the Pingnan Camp! The Emperor will also march south in an instant! You, you, you..."

The young eunuch named Gui Cai's jaw trembled as he pointed a trembling finger at Ning Nan and threatened:

"You will be the sinner who instigates bloodshed and suffering in both the North and South! A great sinner!"

Upon hearing Gui Cai's words, Hong Feng and Hong Jiao, though extremely uneasy and filled with despair, also felt a surge of courage from their bodies, typical of the Eight Banners' descendants.

Stand up straight.

After Gui Cai finished speaking, the cave fell silent for a moment.

Ning Nan didn't speak, she just looked at them.

After a while.

Clang! Er Laizi drew his knife, threw the scabbard on the ground, and chuckled.

He walked straight toward Hongfeng and the other two.

San Zhuang also took off the golden gourd from his waist, chuckled, and walked beside Er Lai Zi.

Hongfeng and the other two immediately changed their expressions!

They all took a step back.

"etc."

At this moment, Ning Nan smiled and raised his hand. The two men, Er Lai and his companion, stopped in their tracks.

"Fourth Young Master, Seventh Young Master,"

Master Ning smiled and clasped his hands in a fist salute,

"It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding..."

"Although the Seventh Young Master sent people to kill me, it was only right and proper, since I was in the wrong first and offended the Seventh Young Master in the Golden Hall."

Hongfeng's eyes sharpened, his face twitched slightly, and the top of his head, which was wrapped in cloth, started to hurt again.

Ning Nan gave a bitter smile:

"I, Ning, have only myself to blame and am reaping the bitter fruit of my actions. I have no choice but to travel north to your esteemed court to apologize to the Seventh Prince and Prince Yi of your court."

"Apologize?" Hong Feng asked coldly in a hoarse voice.

Ning Nan nodded calmly:

"I apologize. Otherwise, how could I have dared to serve as an envoy to your court?"

"The war between the Northern and Southern Dynasties has been going on for a long time, with bones exposed in the wilderness and no roosters crowing for miles. What have they done to the common people? Now that there is finally an opportunity to stop the fighting and make peace, how could I, Ning, dare to defy the world and push the situation between the two dynasties into an unmanageable state?"

"I, Ning, have come with many gifts to apologize to the Seventh Young Master. I humbly request that the Seventh Young Master and your father forgive my rudeness to the Seventh Young Master in the Golden Hall."

He bowed slightly and said.

The dim yellow lights flickered inside the cave.

The white dawn light gradually seeped into the cave entrance.

A cold wind blew into the cave, accompanied by the howling of wolves.

The three of them, Hongjiao, and others, felt their hearts, which had been pounding wildly, calm down a little.

"Ning Baixuan,"

Hong Jiao steeled her heart, took half a step forward, gritted her teeth, and said:

Is what you say true?

These are my heartfelt words.

Wearing a phoenix-winged helmet, Master Ning said sincerely:

"If you don't believe me, I can let Seventh Young Master return to Beijing first. After we meet again in Beijing, I would like to trouble Seventh Young Master to accept my courtesy once more. Let the North and South reconcile."

That's all.

Ning Nan turned around and gave an order to someone outside, who then led over a large black horse.

As dawn broke, the fur of the large black horse outside the cave gleamed.

Hongfeng glanced at it, and the big black horse pawed at the ground a few times. He raised an eyebrow slightly and said in a hoarse voice:

"You're really letting us go?"

"Of course," Ning Nan said.

Hongfeng was taken aback, but Hongjiao and Guicai finally relaxed and became smug.

Gui Cai snorted and said, "You're smart to know what's good for you!"

He originally wanted to say, "You're a smart dog, but now that he's at the mercy of others, he's worried that this person might suddenly lose his mind again, so he softened his words a bit.

After saying that, he helped Hongfeng up and said, "Master, let's go."

Hong Feng narrowed his eyes and saw that Ning Baixuan opposite him was smiling and did not intend to stop him. He was slightly relieved.

Gui Cai and his fourth brother each took one side of him, and after a few steps, they were about to walk around the person opposite them and leave the cave.

"Wait a minute."

The other party called them back.

The three men's expressions changed, and they turned their gazes toward the man, their hearts leaping into their throats.

Ning Nan plowed the ground a few times with his feet, then slightly separated them.

"Everyone,"

He pointed to his crotch, his voice gentle.

"Please, gentlemen, go this way."