I became a prince in a martial arts world.

The Loulan treasure was originally a closely guarded secret.

Regardless of when Song Jingzhou obtained the treasure map, there had never been any prior information about it.

Now that he is dead, his two children have left with the treasure map. Logically, only the Shuntian Army was notified to meet in the Western Regions, and then the emperor learned of this and told Wang Yu and Li Yunxiu.

Theoretically, only the imperial court, the Prince of Zhenxi's mansion, the Shuntian Army, and Song Chengyue and his sister should know this news.

But now even the bandits of the Western Regions know about this news?

Li Yunxiu said fiercely, "A bunch of rabble, they've all been infiltrated like sieves."

It's unclear whether she was referring to the Shuntian Army or the imperial court.

Ma Bojun continued, "Money can move people's hearts. After I learned of this news, I sent someone to investigate and found out that the four bandits of Qishan had already left the pass with their elite troops."

The four bandits have left the mountains and the pass; this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I was just preparing to go out and seek revenge on them, to see if I could kill a few, when you arrived.

At this point, Ma Bojun's eyes lit up. "Yulang, you still have three hundred Iron Eagle Cavalry. Should we find an opportunity to leave the remaining four bandit groups of Qishan in the desert?"

The Ma family has lived in Gansu and Liangzhou for generations, and their Fubo Spear Technique has been passed down for hundreds of years. Ma Bojun has long been a master of the Innate Realm and is a top expert of his time.

However, the Qishan bandits were hidden deep in the mountains, and the martial arts of the bandits were extraordinary. Although they had not reached the Innate Realm, they were not far off, and each of them had a unique skill. In a real fight, they might not be inferior. Even if they encountered an Innate Realm master, they would not be defeated quickly. On the contrary, apart from Ma Bojun, the Ma family had no other top-notch experts.

Although the old master of the Ma family is still alive, his health is declining. He can stay at the Ma family home, but it is inconvenient for him to travel far away to defend against enemies.

So Ma Bojun's initial idea was to chase after them and kill as many as he could. He never thought he could wipe out all the major bandits of Qishan, since they were all experts who had been famous for twenty years and were not so easy to kill.

But Wang Yu's appearance caught his eye. The three hundred Iron Eagle Cavalry were all elites, fully armored, and they were not easy to stop, whether they charged in as a group or fired a volley of arrows.

With him keeping them in check, it's not impossible to keep the other party here.

After Ma Bojun said that, Wang Yu was also tempted.

Having served as the Prince of Zhenxi for more than half a year, he had learned a great deal about the Qishan bandits and had even faced the ruthless Wei Tuo directly.

These Qishan bandits were nothing like the ancient bandits who only collected tolls and had connections with escort agencies. They were truly unscrupulous and even dared to target the merchant caravans of the Prince of Zhenxi's mansion.

For bandits who threaten the trade routes in the northwest and hinder the royal family from making money, of course, we should take every opportunity to kill them.

Thus, the team gained another master of innate talent.

……

Leaving the Ma family and continuing westward, you will reach the border with Ding'an Prefecture and Yumen Prefecture.

The further west they went, the sparser the trees became, and the more desert and wilderness they encountered. Just as they stepped into the territory of Yumen Prefecture, a cloud of dust rose from the north, and the sound of hooves echoed as a cavalry caravan galloped towards them.

Amidst the rolling yellow sands, banners fluttered in the wind, revealing an army to be the approaching force!

"Form ranks!"

"Raise the bow!"

Although the armies that can operate in the heart of the Central Plains are all the army of the imperial court, the relationship between the Prince of Zhenxi's Mansion and the imperial court is still different, so the Iron Eagle Cavalry cannot afford not to take precautions.

"But could it be the Prince of Zhenxi in person?"

Perhaps sensing the Iron Eagle Cavalry's movements, or perhaps they had no hostility to begin with, the cavalry stopped a short distance away, and then three riders galloped over.

"Who goes there?"

"Wang Bin, the garrison commander of Ding'an Prefecture!"

Wang Yu pulled back the carriage curtain and asked curiously, "You've come to stand up for your nephew and niece?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the three riders arrived at the front of the group. The leader was wearing light armor and his face was weathered, but his sword-like eyebrows slanted upwards into his temples and his eyes were bright and piercing, exuding a heroic air.

Wang Yu asked, "General Wang, what brings you here?"

Wang Bin dismounted, cupped his hands, and said, "Greetings, Prince of Zhenxi. Please allow me a moment to speak!"

Wang Bin couldn't possibly be unaware that the entire family of Song Jingzhou, the Minister of Rites, was killed, with only Song Chengyue and Song Qingchuan escaping. However, it's unclear whether he was aware that they fled to the Western Regions to preserve the Loulan treasure map and to contact the Shuntian Army.

Wang Yu also wanted to talk to him to see his reaction and attitude.

Then Wang Bin saw two guards from the Prince's Palace carry a low table and several stools out of a carriage and place them under a tree by the roadside. They then brewed a pot of tea and set out four plates of snacks.

After everything was ready, he saw Wang Yu sitting leisurely at a square table with two women, with two elderly men in their fifties or sixties standing on either side of him.

"General Wang, please!" Wang Yu gestured, and Qianqian brewed tea for everyone.

Wang Bin was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Wang Yu to have such a grand entrance and such a formal conversation. But he quickly recovered, lifted his skirt armor, sat opposite Wang Yu, and picked up his teacup to drink.

"Your Majesty, have you come here for the Loulan treasure, or for my two nephews and nieces?" Wang Bin asked bluntly.

Li Yunxiu reached up to rub her forehead, while Qianqian giggled.

"Indeed." Wang Yu nodded. "General, are you also interested in the Loulan treasure?"

Wang Bin shook his head. "Your Highness need not test me. There are countless eyes eyeing the treasure. I do not have the ability to do so, and even if I obtain the treasure, I cannot protect it."

Wang Yu understood. "So that's Song Chengyue and Song Qingchuan, brother and sister?"

"Indeed." Wang Bin sighed. "My younger sister married far away in the capital. I haven't seen her for ten years. I never expected that the next news I received would be of her passing."

Wang Bin looked up and asked, "May I ask Your Highness, what is His Majesty's decree for you: to execute the brother and sister on the spot, or to send them to the capital?"

Wang Yu smiled, "His Majesty does not wish to see them again."

"As expected!" Wang Bin's eyes flashed, and he looked intently at Wang Yu. "Your Highness, I have a request. I beg Your Highness to show mercy and spare the lives of these brother and sister."

Wang Yu chuckled, "Since the general knows about the Loulan treasure, he must know that the brother and sister have contacted the Shuntian Army. I might not even be able to find them, let alone kill them."

Wang Bin shook his head. "Whether the Shuntian Army can succeed is still uncertain. Moreover, their main force is far away in Henan Province. How can they compete with the Zhenxi Prince's Mansion in the Northwest?"

"General, you think highly of me." Wang Yu raised an eyebrow. "But if you're so concerned about them, why don't you worry about yourself?"

Wang Bin smiled upon hearing this, "The generals of the various armies in Anxi Road are all from the Northwest, and the soldiers are also from the local area. In addition to their salaries, even their provisions are requisitioned locally."

Wang Bin did not continue speaking, because the imperial court dared not withhold his salary.

In comparison, the Northwest Army received even better treatment than the Prince of Zhenxi's Mansion, because they didn't have to worry about making money.

Moreover, Wang Bin's words were very clear: the emperor could not touch him.

To be honest, if the world were at peace and the court was powerful, Wang Bin, with only a few thousand soldiers under his command, would certainly not dare to rebel. With just one decree from the emperor, his life or death would be out of his control.

However, the Xianbei in the northeast frequently invaded the border, the various ethnic groups in the southwest were unstable, and fires broke out in various parts of the Central Plains. Even if the emperor was very bold, he would not dare to set fire to the northwest.

Li Yunxiu remained silent, secretly grumbling to herself.

In fact, the imperial court and the Prince of Zhenxi's Mansion had a tacit understanding before, and were not afraid of the Prince of Zhenxi's Mansion rebelling, because to the west of the Prince of Zhenxi's Mansion, there were border troops of the imperial court stationed in the western border, which could threaten the Prince of Zhenxi's Mansion's flank and rear at any time.

The current discord between the imperial court and the Northwest Army is practically facilitating cooperation between the Northwest Army and the Prince of Zhenxi's Mansion!

Wang Bin paused for a moment, then continued, "If possible, Your Highness, when you encounter them, please advise them not to get too close to the Shuntian Army, and tell them to come to the Ding'an General's Mansion to find me."

Wang Yu raised an eyebrow. "Didn't they come looking for you before?"

Wang Bin shook his head with a wry smile. "These brother and sister are quite stubborn. I sent someone to look for them, but they were worried that I would be punished by His Majesty, so they left a letter and ran away. The garrison commander of Yumen Pass told me that they had already left the pass for the Western Regions."

I had intended to pursue them, but the Black Qiang had recently made some unusual moves, and I have a duty to defend this territory, so I cannot act rashly. Therefore, after learning that the King of Zhenxi had come from the west, I waited here for him.

Although Wang Bin also had disagreements with the court at this time, there was a distinction between the Han and the barbarians, and he could not allow the Black Qiang to enter the pass, as they were plundering his brothers and sisters.

Wang Yu nodded. "General, is your only request simply that I show mercy?"

"Indeed!" Wang Bin nodded. "This matter is, after all, against His Majesty's will. Whatever Your Highness commands, I will grant it."

Wang Yu laughed heartily, "General, don't you know how I got back to Longshan Prefecture?"

Wang Bin couldn't help but smile, "This is also why I dared to come and see Your Highness."

Wang Yu reached out and tapped the table. "I heard that Song Chengyue is a disciple of the Great Vajra Temple."

"A lay disciple," Wang Bin emphasized, knowing that the Zhenxi Prince's Mansion and the Great Vajra Temple were not on good terms.

Wang Yu nodded. "I heard that the Great Vajra Temple has a branch called Baolun Temple, which is located in Yumen Prefecture?"

Wang Bin's eyes flashed. "Please speak plainly, Your Highness."

Wang Yu smiled slightly, "I heard that the monks of Baolun Temple found a Tianshan Snow Lotus in the Tianshan Mountains of the Western Regions and refined two Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pills. One of them was sent to Dajingang Temple, and the other was kept by themselves."

Wang Bin understood. "Your Highness, please stay at Yumen Pass for a while. Three days later, I will personally go to Yumen Pass to present this elixir."

Wang Bin thought Wang Yu wanted him to wipe out Baolun Temple, but he didn't have the ability. Firstly, Baolun Temple had no evil deeds in Yumen Pass, but instead treated the sick and saved people, and did a lot of good deeds in the local area. Secondly, there were also experts in Baolun Temple. Even if he could wipe out the temple, he couldn't prevent the other party's retaliation.

But it was just a single pill, and Wang Bin was confident he could obtain it.

Wang Bin knew that Wang Yu's actions were intended to prove that he and the Great Vajra Temple were not on the same side, but Wang Bin had a clear conscience. He had no connection with the Great Vajra Temple, and it was just a pill, so it was not enough to cause enmity between the two.

Wang Bin also felt that Wang Yu acted with good judgment.

Then he saw Wang Yu nod, a strange smile appearing on his face, "Okay!"