I only wished to take up my fiefdom, but my elder brother forced me to rebel.

Lu Cangqiong glanced at Liang Sanniang, then looked at Lu Yuan.

Finally, he wisely sat down on the dragon throne.

"Announce."

Zhou Fu's lips twitched.

He had served the emperor for decades and could tell at a glance.

His Majesty is preparing to watch the show.

Not long after, a young man walked in from outside the hall.

He was around twenty years old, tall, and dressed in the everyday clothes of a Northern Liang military officer. He had a short, old scar on his left eyebrow.

After entering the hall, the man did not look around but first performed the Northern Liang state salute to Lu Cangqiong.

"He Zhanghuai of the Northern Liang Dynasty pays respects to His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty."

They were very courteous.

At least they're much more pleasing to the eye than those arrogant guys from Ningguo.

Lu Cangqiong raised his hand to let him stand up.

He Zhanghuai then turned his head.

The moment his gaze fell on Liang San Niang's face, he visibly relaxed.

"Third Sister".

Those two words sounded so natural.

Lu Yuan's eyebrows immediately rose.

Good guy.

How could you call me that so intimately in front of me?

He Zhanghuai seemed not to have seen Lu Yuan at all, and quickly took two steps forward.

"I'm glad you're alright."

"After receiving the news, my uncle immediately mobilized troops to march south. His Majesty was also worried that you would be humiliated in Dayong, so he ordered me to go to the capital to see you first."

"Have you packed everything?"

"I will take you away today."

Liang San Niang did not move.

He Zhanghuai's expression gradually calmed down.

"Third Sister?"

"Who told you I was leaving?"

He Zhanghuai was stunned for a moment.

"You are the Third Princess of Northern Liang."

"I know."

"You were sent to Dayong for a marriage alliance, and now that the Northern Liang army has reached the border, you must return with me."

The hint of complexity in Liang San Niang's eyes completely faded.

It seems like everyone is like this from childhood to adulthood.

Her father told her that he was coming to Dayong for the sake of Beiliang.

The minister told her that the princess was born to be married off to a foreign ruler.

Now He Zhanghuai is telling her that the army has arrived, so she should go back.

Everyone thought they were doing it for her own good.

But nobody asked her what she wanted.

"He Zhanghuai".

Liang San Niang looked at him, "You traveled all the way from Bei Liang to here just to tell me how I should live?"

He Zhanghuai's expression changed.

That's not what I meant.

"So what do you mean?"

"I'm here to save you!"

He Zhanghuai finally panicked, "Third Sister, do you know how Liangdu is spreading rumors about this?"

"Some say that the Great Yong forced you to marry the Crown Prince, some say that you were detained here, and some say that you can't even make decisions for your own people in the Eastern Palace."

"What am I supposed to think?"

As he finished speaking, his gaze fell on Lu Yuan for the first time.

There was no disdain in his eyes.

On the contrary, they are very wary.

Lu Yuan today is no longer the Ninth Prince who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun.

The Crown Prince of Ningguo personally went to the capital to apologize, and the Western Qiang and Nanzhao were vying to do business with Dayong. News of the firearms had already reached Northern Liang.

The more He Zhanghuai knew about these things, the less he believed that Liang Sanniang would easily fall in love with such a dangerous person.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince."

He Zhanghuai bowed to Lu Yuan.

"I only have one question."

"Is it that Third Sister is staying here of her own free will, or is it that the Great Yong Dynasty refuses to let her go?"

Lu Yuan was amused.

"Why do you ask me what I want?"

He pointed towards Liang San Niang.

"She's grown a mouth."

Ask yourself.

He Zhanghuai did not expect to receive this answer.

He looked at Liang San Niang again and asked emotionally, "San Niang, tell me the truth."

"If you want to leave, your great-uncle's 100,000 iron cavalry are right at the border. No one can stop you from going home."

When Liang San Niang heard the words "go home," her eyes flickered.

Then, she reached into her sleeve and took out a piece of paper that was already a little wrinkled.

"Do you recognize this?"

He Zhanghuai took the paper, glanced at the Northern Liang emperor's private seal, and his expression became serious.

Look down again.

His face turned red one moment and white the next.

"After the marriage alliance, she killed her husband in the bridal chamber."

"If the Crown Prince dies, you don't need to go back."

He Zhanghuai immediately raised his head.

"No, that's impossible!"

"This is a secret order written by Father Emperor himself."

Liang San Niang interrupted him.

"I came to Dayong not to get married."

"They're here to die."

He Zhanghuai held the secret order in his hand, his chest heaving violently.

His father, He Cang, commanded a large army in the Northern Liang Dynasty.

Therefore, he was taught from a young age to be loyal to the emperor and love his country.

However, he could not possibly associate the words "protecting the country" with sending his own daughter to kill her husband and be buried with him.

"His Majesty probably has his own unavoidable difficulties."

He felt guilty when he said those words.

After joining the army, He Zhanghuai saw many dead people.

If his comrades died in battle, he would collect their bodies; if the enemy charged into battle, he would raise his sword to meet them.

But this piece of paper is different.

Liang San Niang was not a soldier who was killed on the battlefield.

She was just a pawn placed on the table by her own father.

If he still uses "for the sake of the Great Liang" to exonerate the emperor, then wouldn't all his claims of saving people become a laughing stock?

Liang San Niang smiled.

"So I deserve to die?"

He Zhanghuai fell silent, feeling a tightness in his chest.

Lu Yuan originally wanted to mock him a couple more times, but seeing his current state, he didn't say anything more.

This kid is at least not like Han Gou.

He admired Liang San Niang.

But he liked it too much and became too self-important.

After some time, He Zhanghuai raised his head again.

Even so, you don't need to stay in Dayong.

"Third Sister, come back with me."

"If His Majesty does not accept you, the He family will protect you."

"My father has 200,000 soldiers, and my great-uncle dotes on you. The Great Liang is so vast, there will surely be a place for you to stay."

This time, Liang San Niang was not angry.

She knew that He Zhanghuai had already given her the greatest promise he could.

But she still shook her head.

"I won't leave."

Why?

He Zhanghuai's eyes immediately turned red.

Liang San Niang turned around and glanced at Lu Yuan.

"Because he never told me what I was supposed to do."

"I wanted to train soldiers, so he let me."

"I wanted to protect the people of Daliang, and he agreed."

"I didn't want to kill him, but he didn't force me to fight against Liang for Da Yong."

"He Zhanghuai, you've come to pick up the Third Princess you love."

"But I am no longer her."

Lu Yuan felt incredibly relieved upon hearing this.

They wished Zhou Fu would quickly grab some paper and write it down.

He Zhanghuai felt as if he had been punched in the face.

He looked at Liang Sanniang, then at Lu Yuan.

"You've already decided it's him?"

"right."

Liang San Niang answered without the slightest hesitation.

He Zhanghuai gritted his teeth.

"it is good."

"We, the warriors of Liang, do not fight with words."

He raised his hand and unfastened the sword from his waist, holding it horizontally in front of him, scabbard and all.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince."

"I want to learn from you."

Lu Cangqiong had been looking at this young man from Beiliang for a long time and initially thought he was quite good.

Upon hearing this, his face immediately fell.

They ran into my palace, tried to steal my son's wife, and even threatened to use a knife?

If Liang Sanniang hadn't been there, he would have ordered the Imperial Guards to forcibly remove the person.

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"What does your winning or losing have to do with Third Sister?"

"She's not a horse; whoever wins gets to keep her."

He Zhanghuai choked.

Before he could speak, a sound of a sword being drawn came from the side.

Liang San Niang had already drawn her curved sword.

She looked at He Zhanghuai.

"Didn't you want to know why I stayed?"

"I'll play with you."

"After you're done fighting, take your thoughts back to Northern Liang with you."