Prince Bei Jing of the Red Chamber, starting from saving Qin Keqing

Although he was filled with thoughts of revenge, he was ultimately young and impetuous.

Having spent years mingling in the wilderness, he was naturally rough and lecherous, so it was no wonder he was tempted by such a stunning beauty.

Seeing that he was interested, Zhou Kui was secretly pleased and quickly said:

"Chief Xiao, how could I dare lie to you? If you don't believe me, just take a look for yourself when you explore the inn tonight! That little girl will definitely satisfy you!"

He deliberately uttered these words to tempt Xiao Lie. If Xiao Lie also had his eye on Daiyu, his actions tonight would certainly be even more proactive.

He could also take advantage of the chaos; if he could snatch Daiyu, he would still make a profit even if he didn't get the reward!

Xiao Lie's curiosity intensified, a greedy smile curling at the corner of his lips, and he said in a deep voice:

"Alright! I'll go see for myself tonight! If it's really as you say, then this little brat is mine!"

Zhou Kui was secretly delighted and quickly said, "Of course, of course! Chief Xiao, please take a look first, and I'll save the rest for you!"

Having said that, he said no more, turned around and strode out of the dilapidated temple. He led ten elite soldiers, disguised as merchants, and headed towards the Xiangyun Inn in the city. His steps were hurried, and his eyes were full of greed and calculation.

Xiao Lie stood at the entrance of the dilapidated temple, gazing in the direction Zhou Kui had left, a glint of lewdness and ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.

He could not only avenge himself by killing Shui Rong, but also get such a beautiful woman and the bounty. This was such a wonderful thing, it was like a pie falling from the sky!

Wu Qi and Zheng San exchanged a glance, a hint of disdain flashing in their eyes, but neither said anything.

They were already used to Zhou Kui's lechery and Xiao Lie's recklessness; as long as they could get the bounty, nothing else mattered to them.

The night grew darker, and the cold wind howled through the dilapidated temple. The campfire gradually dimmed, illuminating Xiao Lie's ferocious face.

An investigation into Shui Rong has quietly begun. Inside the Xiangyun Inn, Shui Rong extinguished the candles and sat quietly in the darkness, a faint smile on his lips, awaiting the start of this deadly night.

Outside the city, the camp was sparsely lit. The tents of the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard were arranged on both sides. Although they were both under the protection of the emperor, they were clearly separated and distant from each other.

Jiang happy leaned back in the armchair inside the tent, her fingertips holding a plain brocade handkerchief.

She slowly wiped her fingers, her movements gentle, yet her tone carried a hint of probing sharpness:

"Oh? I've heard that there's a gang of thieves hiding in Baoding Prefecture, causing quite a ruckus. Could it be that Commander Lu is unaware of this?"

Lu Bingming, dressed in a scarlet flying fish robe and with an embroidered spring knife at his waist, stood in the center of the camp, exuding a cold and hard aura.

Upon hearing Jiang happy's words, he frowned slightly and said in a deep voice:

"Of course I know. Just now, my Imperial Guards captured one of them, a bandit from Zhou Family Village (Black Wind Village), who came specifically for Your Highness."

Jiang happy stopped wiping her hands, looked up at him, a half-smile playing on her lips. She raised her pinky finger, her tone carrying an unmistakable hint:

"So, Commander Lu, what do you plan to do? Let's not beat around the bush."

"Your Majesty the Empress seems quite dissatisfied with this young Prince Bei Jing. Commander Lu, what do you suggest we do about this?"

These words were like daggers to the heart. On the surface, they were a question, but in reality, they were forcing Lu Bingming to take a stand, forcing him to stand on the Empress's side and tacitly allow the Green Forest Gang to take action against Shui Rong.

Lu Bingming remained silent, his hands hanging at his sides tightening slightly.

To be honest, he was indeed somewhat dissatisfied with water-soluble solutions.

As a prince of the imperial family, he indulged women in everything he did while on official business in the south, showing too much affection for his children and losing his dignity as a prince.

However, he had to admit that Shui Rong was intelligent, resourceful, and composed, and was not the incompetent and foolish person he was.

Moreover, His Highness the King of Chu had never given him any orders to deal with Shui Rong.

As the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he only knew how to protect the emperor by imperial decree and was unwilling to easily get involved in the disputes between the harem and the imperial family.

After a moment of silence, Lu Bingming completely ignored Jiang happy's hints.

He raised his hand to grasp the hilt of the Embroidered Spring Blade, turned around and walked out of the tent. His footsteps were heavy, and he did not respond at all, making it clear that he was unwilling to associate with Jiang happy.

Seeing that she was being ignored like this, a cold glint flashed in Jiang Xi's eyes, but she wasn't angry. Instead, she chuckled softly.

His fingertips lightly tapped the armrest of the grand chair, and he called out towards the outside of the tent:

"Well, did you all hear that? Old Ghost Sun, come in."

The tent flap was gently lifted, and Old Man Sun, hunched over, walked in with a fawning expression.

As soon as he entered the door, he knelt down at Jiang happy's feet with a thud.

He quickly took out a clean piece of brocade cloth from his pocket and carefully wiped Jiang Xi's boots, his tone respectful to the point of humility:

"Godfather, your son is here. I heard what you and Commander Lu were saying just now."

"Did you hear that?"

Jiang happy extended her slender finger and gently tapped the top of Old Ghost Sun's head, her tone soft yet carrying a commanding tone.

"Then tell me, what have you understood?"

Old Sun immediately stopped shining his shoes, looked up at Jiang happy, and plastered a fawning smile on his face:

"Godfather, I understand!"

"You mean that within Baoding Prefecture, the Eastern Depot will not protect the Prince of Beijing, and will let us take action at will;"

"But once we leave Baoding Prefecture and split into two groups, we'll never have another chance. We can't even dream of touching him again, right?"

"At least you have some brains."

Jiang happy nodded in satisfaction, her tone softening slightly.

"You understand Her Majesty's meaning; it would be best to get rid of him within Baoding Prefecture."

"The Eastern Depot will not stop you; they can even help you restrain the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"But remember, if you do a good job, Her Majesty the Empress will reward you handsomely."

"But if you're a useless piece of trash, and get killed by that young prince, or ruin the Empress's plans, then don't blame your godfather for being ruthless and taking your head!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Son remembers!"

Old Man Sun hurriedly kowtowed, his forehead turning red from the effort. "Your son will do everything in his power to live up to your expectations, Godfather, and will definitely take that Prince Bei Jing's dog life!"

He secretly rejoiced.

With the support of the Eastern Depot and the ability to keep the Embroidered Uniform Guard in check, the chances of killing Shui Rong have increased significantly, and the double bounty is within easy reach.

But he also knew that Jiang happy was always ruthless, and if he failed, he would certainly not have a good ending.

"Okay, go down." Jiang happy waved her hand, her tone becoming impatient. "Hurry up and make arrangements, don't delay important matters."

"Yes, yes, son will go down now!"

Old Ghost Sun quickly got up, bowed, and carefully withdrew from the tent, not daring to even breathe loudly.

As soon as I stepped out of the Eastern Depot's tent, a night wind blew in, carrying a biting chill.

Just as Sun Laogui was about to hurry into the city, he suddenly caught sight of a scarlet figure standing in the moonlight on an open space not far away, holding a brocade spring knife that gleamed coldly. It was Lu Bingming.

At this moment, Lu Bingming was practicing his swordsmanship under the bright moonlight, the Embroidered Spring Blade dancing in his hands.

The blade's sharp wind sliced ​​through the night sky with a whooshing sound. Its aura was cold and powerful, even the moonlight seemed to be intimidated by the blade's energy, appearing even colder.

Old Man Sun froze in fright, immediately holding his breath and shrinking his neck, intending to take advantage of Lu Bingming's distraction while practicing his swordsmanship to carefully flank him from the side.

Not daring to cause the slightest disturbance

He knew very well that Lu Bingming was extremely skilled in martial arts and had a cold and hard personality, so he was bound to suffer a bad end.

But he had only taken two steps when a sharp gust of wind suddenly swept in, and the Embroidered Spring Blade was precisely positioned across his neck.

The blade was icy cold, pressed against the skin; a slight misstep could slit the throat, causing blood to gush out.

"M-Sir! Spare me!"

Old Man Sun was terrified and quickly extended his finger, carefully tilting the blade to the side.

His legs buckled, and he knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly, his voice trembling.

"My lord, I am but Sun Cang, a mere common scoundrel. I dare not offend you, please spare my life!"

He deliberately gave his real name, trying to pretend he didn't know Lu Bingming and attempting to deceive her.

"Raise your head."

Lu Bingming withdrew his sword, his tone icy and devoid of any emotion.

The moonlight shone on his face, his expression was cold and stern, his eyes sharp as knives, staring straight at Old Ghost Sun, as if he could see through all his pretenses.

Old Gui Sun trembled all over, not daring to disobey. He slowly raised his head, his face filled with fear and flattery, and dared not meet Lu Bingming's gaze.

"You are Old Ghost Sun."