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

Chapter 545 Escape

"But I will kill you. Only you."

No matter what the consequences of killing you are, I will kill you. I can kill you, and I dare to kill you.

So... please don't threaten me.

When the deputy envoy from the South, on horseback, expressed this sentiment, the situation froze.

A long wind howled through Dongjiang Rice Lane.

The infantrymen holding spears and powerful bows all swallowed hard, wondering whether they should launch a charge next.

Tianye's face was gloomy, his chest heaved, and his heart was beating very fast.

He never imagined that this person, who should have held a high position of power, would actually dare to fight him to the death! Shouldn't he have obediently returned to the mission and complained to his superiors tomorrow, or submitted a memorial to the Emperor impeaching him? How could he risk his life like this?!

After a while.

The military commander of the Imperial Guard, a third-rank official, narrowed his eyes. His orders were to keep an eye on the Southern Kingdom delegation and not allow them to enter or leave after curfew.

As long as this group doesn't leave Dongjiang Rice Lane, everything will be fine.

A pair of fierce, wolf-like eyes stared intently at the young man on horseback. Tianye gritted his teeth and said:

"I advise you to..."

"Call me Lord Ning," Ning Nan said calmly, his musket remaining perfectly still.

Khotan Ye was stagnant.

But seeing that the dark cave entrance still locked onto him, Tianye's chest heaved continuously for a while.

He gritted his teeth, deciding not to argue with this man, and said, "Lord Ning... I advise Lord Ning..."

He intended to say something like "Be smart" or "Go back to the embassy."

But this person is a madman and cannot be judged by common sense.

So he swallowed his anger and said:

"Return to the embassy. If there is anything important, you can do it tomorrow."

"Heh," Ning Nan smirked, "Thank you for telling me, General."

After saying that, he raised the muzzle of his gun and put it away.

The soldiers visibly relaxed their shoulders, and a collective sigh of relief filled the air.

Ning Nan did not return to the embassy, but continued speaking from horseback:

"I trouble you, General, to inform your superior that I, Ning, have important business to attend to and need to go to Chaoyangmen Inner Street."

"Please trouble him to give Ning a plaque exempting him from the curfew, so as not to damage the friendship between the two countries."

Tianye's brow twitched slightly. Staring at the young man's pale, gaunt face in the moonlight, he suppressed his anger and said:

"Lord Ning, I have already made myself very clear. After the curfew at the embassy, no one is allowed to enter or leave. It's no use asking anyone. If you wish to stay here, I am happy to stay here with you until dawn."

Ning Nan held the gun in his right hand, and with his left index and middle fingers tucked into his right sleeve, he pulled out a piece of paper, and calmly glanced at him:

"General, forgive my bluntness, but you should go find your superior immediately. This matter is far too serious for you to handle."

Tianye sneered, "I wonder what I, this general, cannot bear?!"

"The North-South alliance is destroyed tonight. Can you really bear the consequences?!" Ning Nan's voice turned slightly stern.

Tianye's smile froze.

Ning Nan coldly shouted, "I have received news that tonight, thieves will conspire with Rakshasa demons to launch a sneak attack on my Southern Kingdom's embassy and slaughter all our envoys in order to undermine the North-South alliance!"

"I am here now to investigate this matter and restore the alliance between our two nations. Your obstruction, preventing our envoy from entering or leaving the embassy, suggests you are a spy for the Rakshasa, intending to aid them!

"I, Ning, have just reconciled with your prince today, submitted a memorial to your emperor, and sent a visiting card to your commander of the Nine Gates. I have received this secret order today, and I did not intend to make it public. I only plan to eliminate the disaster invisibly by myself."

"If you, a mere junior officer, act in such a manner, and if any of our envoys suffer even the slightest injury tonight, I, Ning, will spare no expense to ensure that Prince Hongfeng and your Ninth Gate Commander deliver a severe report against you!"

After being bombarded with these harsh words, Tianye was taken aback: "Would thieves attack the Southern Kingdom's embassy?"

"Exactly!" Ning Nan said sternly.

He pointed around in exasperation and said:

"Your Emperor dispatched you to protect my Southern Embassy, yet you have now arbitrarily mobilized men to block the north gate. If thieves were to attack my embassy from the back or south gate, what punishment would you receive?"

Tianye narrowed his eyes slightly, his face remaining expressionless, but his heart was suddenly startled. The Rakshasa attacked the Southern Kingdom's embassy? This was not entirely impossible.

Tianye thought for a moment, then waved his hand, ordering the seventy or eighty infantrymen blocking Ning Nan and the others to retreat three steps. He looked up at Ning Nan and frowned, saying:

"Lord Ning, you can rest assured. With me here, your delegation will be completely safe. This so-called secret letter..."

He pointed to the paper in Ning Nan's left hand.

"Please entrust this to me, sir, so that I may pass it on to my superior for a decision. As for Lord Ning..."

He firmly refused to budge, saying, "As you have said, I should not have gathered my men at the north gate, lest the thieves have an opportunity to take advantage of me. Therefore, I ask for your understanding and request that you return to the embassy immediately to wait."

Ning Nan snorted and said, "If you were a spy for the Rakshasa Demon, wouldn't this secret letter of mine have vanished without a trace?"

Tianye's eyes darkened, and he began to feel impatient.

At first glance, I felt this person was being unreasonable and trying to get me to let him pass. At the same time, I had a nagging feeling that if what this person said was true, I might be in trouble.

It was inevitable that the Rakshasa people did not want the North and South to form an alliance. They also had an embassy in Dongjiangmi Lane, but there were not many people there. However, there were quite a few Rakshasa people in the capital.

If they really do something big tonight, and he causes trouble at the embassy, then he will truly be to blame.

After a moment's thought, Khotan decided to force the man back to the mission while simultaneously reporting the matter to higher authorities, just in case.

But the other side has a musket and is a madman, making things extremely difficult.

Just as the military commander was pondering these matters, a voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Rest assured, Lord Ning. Yue Le guarantees that no one will dare to attack you tonight and disturb your peaceful sleep."

The voice was clear and resonant.

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Tianye immediately felt relieved.

Turning my head, I saw a figure wearing a black mandarin jacket and a thick, fur-trimmed melon-shaped hat slowly walking out of the alley.

The other person had a handsome appearance, but his eyes held a murderous intent. He was holding a waist knife in his arms. He was Yue Le, a second-class guard from the Sticky Pole Bureau.

He was a third-rank military officer, while the other party was only a fourth-rank official. However, in terms of status, Lord Yue Le, who was in the Sticky Rod Office, was naturally a bit higher than him.

In fact, this time he was ordered by the Commander of the Imperial Guard and dispatched by the Sticky Rod Office.

Kenny nodded slightly to the other party.

Yue Le responded with a smile.

Turning his head to look at the deputy envoy of the delegation on horseback, he bowed and said:

"My name is Yue Le, a second-class guard from the Imperial Guard. I greet Vice Envoy Ning and wish you good health, Lord Ning."

Ning Nan said, "My lord, perhaps I am just overly concerned, but this matter is of great importance. As the deputy envoy of the mission, I am in a foreign land and bear a heavy responsibility. I cannot rest easy without seeing it for myself. I would be grateful if you could grant me a token so that I may meet with the person who delivered the secret letter."

Yue Le smiled and said, "Lord Ning, please rest assured. The capital is the most important place and is heavily guarded. We will not allow any villains to take advantage of the situation and ruin our great alliance between the North and the South."

Ning Nan retorted sarcastically, "Heavily guarded? Then may I ask, Lord Yue Le, how did the Heavenly Principle Sect manage to infiltrate the Forbidden City back then?"

Yue Le's narrow eyes narrowed instantly.

More than 20 years ago, the invasion of the Forbidden City by the White Lotus Religion was the most humiliating event for the Sticky Rod Office, the Nine Gates Admiral's Office, and even the entire Eight Banners troops stationed in Beijing.

He exchanged a few glances with the mocking young man on horseback, and said gently:

"Please rest assured, that was in the past..."

Just then...

The moonlight in the sky was as clear as if it had been washed.

Thunder on the ground.

"Bang!"

A deafening explosion suddenly rang out inside the embassy in the South!

The smells of burning, dust, and smoke hit you instantly!

"gunpowder?!"

Everyone was startled! They instinctively ducked down.

The horses were also quite frightened, stamping their feet and neighing. When they looked back, they saw flames raging inside the embassy!

"Aaaaaaah! Kill! Kill! Kill!"