He remarried after his mother's death, seized power over the world, and slept on the emperor�

Dust billowed along the official road.

A group of more than ten riders were galloping towards the northern border.

Jiang Bingning is now called Jiang Bing.

She changed into a black outfit, tied her long hair high with a simple cloth ribbon, and applied some herbal juice to her face to change her skin tone. Her eyes and brows had gained a youthful spirit, and she no longer had any of the delicate demeanor of a noble lady.

The horse she was riding was chosen for her by Ji Ling himself; it was spirited and fast.

But she maintained perfect control.

Ji Ling rode alongside her, glancing at her several times out of the corner of his eye.

This woman always manages to bring him surprises.

From the "Wolf Sacrifice Dance" to his current skillful horsemanship, none of these are abilities that a young lady from a wealthy family should possess.

The group remained silent the entire way, the atmosphere heavy with tension.

They were all Ji Ling's personal guards, each one as silent as iron, their eyes filled with vigilance.

As the sun gradually set in the west, the woods on both sides of the official road became increasingly secluded.

Just then, a bird sang from the forest.

Ji Ling's eyes suddenly sharpened.

"alert!"

Before he finished speaking, dozens of arrows rained down from the sky!

"There's an ambush!"

The guards instantly drew their swords and formed a circular formation, protecting Ji Ling and Jiang Bingning in the center.

The clash of swords and the clang of metal were incessant.

A group of masked men emerged from the forest, each one agile and ruthless, unlike ordinary bandits.

More like... assassins.

Jiang Bingning's heart sank.

Who are these people here for?

Ji Ling? Or her?

She had no time to think, as the soft sword at her waist was already drawn.

A masked man broke through the defenses and slashed straight at her with a long sword.

Instead of retreating, Jiang Bingning advanced, lowering her body. In recent days, she had not stopped practicing her kung fu for a single day. Even her internal strength had made great progress since her rebirth.

The sword's edge seemed to pierce from an uncanny angle, striking the opponent squarely in the heart.

The man groaned and collapsed in disbelief.

A hint of surprise flashed in Ji Ling's eyes.

He knew she knew some martial arts, but he didn't expect her to be so ruthless.

In the instant he was distracted, an arrow flew straight toward Jiang Bingning's face!

Jiang Bingning had barely parried a long sword when it was too late to block!

In a flash, an arm appeared in front of her.

"puff-"

It was the sound of an arrow piercing flesh.

Jiang Bingning watched helplessly as the arrow pierced deeply into Ji Ling's left arm.

"Your Highness!"

The guards were terrified and their attack became even more ferocious.

Ji Ling, however, seemed to feel no pain. With a backhand slash, he beheaded the attacker.

His brows were furrowed.

"Quickly finish this! Retreat!"

-----------------

night.

A dilapidated temple in the mountains.

The campfire crackled and popped.

Ji Ling's face was pale, and the sleeve of his left arm had been cut open, with the skin around the wound already turning black.

That arrow was poisoned.

Ji Ling traveled light and without a military doctor accompanying him. Several wolf guards hurriedly helped Ji Ling bandage his wounds, but were chased away by Jiang Bingning.

She knelt before him, holding a dagger that was glowing red from the fire.

"Bear with it."

She uttered only those three words before raising her knife and bringing it down.

The dagger precisely sliced ​​open the flesh around his wound.

Ji Ling grunted, but he gritted his teeth.

Jiang Bingning ignored his reaction, rinsed the dagger with strong liquor, and then approached the wound to carefully remove the arrowhead.

Ji Ling's breathing became heavy, and the veins on the back of his clenched right hand bulged.

Finally, with a soft click, the arrow was completely removed and fell to the ground.

Jiang Bingling then used strong liquor to clean his wounds, and then took out a small porcelain bottle from her bag, poured out some medicinal powder, and sprinkled it evenly on the wounds.

Only after she had done all that did she begin to bandage Ji Ling.

The whole process was smooth and seamless.

The temple's guards were already dumbfounded.

Ji Ling looked at her lowered eyelashes and managed a weak smile.

"How could a young lady from a sheltered family like you know these things?"

His voice was slightly hoarse and teasing.

Jiang Bingning paused for a moment while bandaging.

"I learned it in the Great Zhou Secret Intelligence Bureau."

Ji Ling was taken aback, then chuckled softly.

"What a secret service..."

He knew Jiang Bingning was joking.

Jiang Bingning didn't say anything more and tied the end of the bandage into a neat knot.

"alright."

She stood up, packed her things, and silently walked to a corner to sit down, as if the calm doctor from just moments ago was merely a figment of everyone's imagination.

-----------------

Late at night.

The guards took turns keeping watch at night, and Jiang Bingning leaned against the cold wall, but she couldn't fall asleep at all.

If you close your eyes, you can see the scene of Ji Ling shielding her from an arrow.

She owed Ji Ling a life, a debt she didn't like.

She opened her eyes and looked in Ji Ling's direction.

He leaned there, his eyes closed, but his breathing was abnormally rapid.

Jiang Bingning's heart stirred, and she reached out to touch his forehead.

Scalding hot!

She was startled.

The high fever was caused by toxicity.

The army carried only wound medicines; they had no antipyretic decoctions at all.

If the burning continues like this, even if the poison is neutralized, the person will still become mentally impaired.

Jiang Bingning looked around and her gaze fell on a small jar of strong liquor next to the water pouches of the guards.

She picked up the wine jar and tore a piece of fabric from her clean inner garment.

I poured the strong liquor onto a cloth and used it to wipe his forehead, neck, and palms.

The cold liquor touched his burning skin, and Ji Ling let out a groan of unbearable discomfort in his drowsy state.

The flickering firelight illuminated her profile.

Just as she was about to wipe his palms again, his large, burning hot hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.

The force was astonishing.

Jiang Bingning tried to pull her hand away, but he gripped it even tighter.

Ji Ling's eyes remained closed, but her lips moved slightly.

"Don't go..."

The voice was not as domineering and cold as usual; instead, it carried a hint of childlike vulnerability and pleading.

Jiang Bingning looked at his furrowed brows and finally stopped struggling, letting him hold her like that.

The next day.

Ji Ling slowly opened his eyes.

My head was throbbing, and the wound on my arm was also throbbing with a dull pain, but the heat had subsided.

He shifted his body and felt something nearby.

He turned his head away.

Jiang Bingning was fast asleep, her head resting on her arm.

She seemed to be extremely tired, and didn't even notice him waking up.

Without the wariness and aloofness of the daytime, she looked rather gentle in her sleep.

Ji Ling just watched her quietly.

He remembered the hands that had treated his wounds the night before, hands that were so calm they were almost cold.

He also recalled the cool sensation that kept brushing against his burning skin during his drowsy state.

Ji Ling's heart stirred slightly.

-----------------

The team set off again.

The guards noticed that the prince seemed to speak less today than usual.

His complexion remained poor, but his gaze kept drifting unconsciously toward the personal guard named "Jiang Bing".

Ji Ling deliberately slowed down his horse to ride alongside Jiang Bingning's horse.

He was silent for a moment.

"Thank you for last night."

Jiang Bingning stared straight ahead, her voice calm.

"Your Highness was injured because of me, so it is only right that I take care of you."

In a single sentence, his rare tenderness was categorized as a matter of "transaction" and "repayment".

Ji Ling's Adam's apple bobbed, but he ultimately said nothing more.

He simply turned his head and looked at the vast, distant mountains ahead.

Jiang Bingning, however, never glanced at him.

She naturally didn't notice the fleeting tenderness in Ji Ling's eyes.