Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

The bonfire burned freely, occasionally crackling.

The atmosphere around them, however, was tense and fraught with danger.

Princess Zhaoyang stared at the third prince of the Oirat Mongols with a grim face. "So, it seems that all of this was indeed orchestrated by you in secret?"

"A covert plot? You could say that..."

However, I never expected things to turn out so perfectly.

This is also my fault for my incompetent father, who was willing to always rely on the whims of you Wei people. As his son, how could I let him go further and further down the path of folly?

Therefore, I secured this mission to your Wei capital, with the sole purpose of secretly sabotaging this alliance.

Unexpectedly, you Wei people are also afraid of the Tatars and are eager to form an alliance with us. For this reason, you are even willing to send your most esteemed princess to me.

To be honest, after spending so much time together, I've suddenly become a little reluctant to hurt my beautiful princess...

The half-day's journey seemed to have little effect on the Oirat prince, who wore a contented smile.

When he got to the point of being proud, he even wanted to go up and touch Princess Zhaoyang's beautiful face.

Upon seeing this, the Imperial Guards immediately drew their swords to protect them, but soon more Oirat guards wielding steel knives with ill intentions approached, making them hesitant to make any rash moves.

Princess Zhaoyang remained remarkably calm. Standing there, she frowned and asked, "Aren't you afraid of being punished by the King of Oirat for doing this?"

"Punishment? All of this was done by the Tatars, and I only escaped with my life by luck, under the protection of my guards."

Even if my father Khan wanted to punish someone, he would only punish my foolish second brother.

"Who told him to neglect his duty and allow so many Tatar troops to enter our territory?"

At this point, the Oirat prince looked at Princess Zhaoyang with a mocking expression and laughed, "Your Highness, do you really think you still have a chance to complain to my father, Khan?"

"So, those Tatar troops were all your subordinates in disguise?" Princess Zhaoyang smiled knowingly, then suddenly flicked a strand of hair behind her ear and asked suspiciously, "Judging from what the prince said, you don't intend to let me live."

But didn't you just say you couldn't bear to hurt me?

"Of course I'm reluctant, but those barbarians of Yachaha might not feel the same way."

From what I know of them, they are very keen on abducting women from your Wei Kingdom, especially those with fair skin and high social status.

For example, Your Highness, the noble princess.

Princess Zhaoyang paused for a moment, then said calmly, "I understand. It seems the prince intends to capture me and hand me over to the Tatars."

"But I'm curious, aren't you and the Tatars always at odds? Aren't you worried that those Tatars might betray you later?"

"Your Highness need not trouble yourself with that."

The third prince of the Oirat Mongols didn't take Princess Zhaoyang's words to heart at all. When he saw that Princess Zhaoyang was looking at the dark night sky in the distance while speaking, he couldn't help but laugh and say, "Your Highness, there's no need to waste your time trying to delay us."

Let me tell you, at this very moment, my men have already surrounded this place.

As for your subordinates and subjects...

I had thought Jia Lian was someone important, and I was on guard against him the whole way.

Who knew he was nothing more than a show-off?

I merely used a little trick to lure that fool surnamed Zhu into the Yinmu Forest, with the aim of making you divide your forces to rescue him.

Otherwise, with such a large number of cavalry in your camp, if you were to abandon those burdens and escort the princess away, we really can't guarantee that we could stop you.

In your Wei language, this is called "luring the tiger away from the mountain." But who knew that Jia Lian not only failed to see through my plan, but also took almost all the cavalry from your camp.

Haha, such a stupid and incompetent person can be so highly valued by you, which shows that your Wei Kingdom has no one else to rely on.

Even if he manages to escape from Yachaha's clutches, what will he think when he returns to the Zhanghe River beach and sees the Wei people who have turned into nutrients to nourish my Oirat land, as well as the princess who has become a prisoner?

I'm really curious whether he'll have the courage to return to your Wei capital and report back to your emperor.

Hehehe, considering we were once comrades, I've come up with a good plan for him. Why not stay on our grasslands, lead his men, and become a formidable bandit? Perhaps that's a good choice… Hahaha…”

The third prince appeared to see through all of Princess Zhaoyang's thoughts, yet he didn't care at all, only concerned with releasing the smugness he had been suppressing for months.

The imperial guards protecting Princess Zhaoyang looked on with despair upon hearing the words of the third prince of the Oirat Mongols.

But then, most of them glared at the barbarians before them with unwavering determination and a death-defying spirit.

The captain and deputy captain flanked Princess Zhaoyang, shouting, "Your Highness, please go first! We will cover your retreat!"

As the princess's bodyguard, he would protect her even at the cost of his life.

Princess Zhaoyang finally showed a hint of panic. Seeing this, the third prince of the Oirat became even more smug. "I advise the princess to obediently surrender and not make a futile struggle."

"Considering that you, Princess, almost became my noble Ordo, if you submit to me now, perhaps I can change my mind and keep you by my side."

The third prince of the Oirat suddenly revealed a predatory look that all men possess, and said seductively, "I suppose the princess also knows that Mongke and I are merely using each other."

When the time comes, I can just hand over any Han Chinese woman to her, and I doubt she'll be able to tell the difference.

In this way, my plans will not be affected, and the princess will not fall into the hands of villains...

Your Highness need not laugh. At least I am a man of taste, and having me serve you is far better than falling into the hands of that savage Monger.

Moreover, in this way, none of your brave soldiers will have to die in vain.

What does the princess think?

Princess Zhaoyang raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

In the glow of the campfire, you could clearly see a bright smile on her face.

"Oh, really? Well then, thank you for your kindness, Your Highness."

However, I am a stubborn person.

Until the very last moment, I still want to try... just in case someone comes to my rescue.

As she spoke, Princess Zhaoyang calmly took out a piece of something from her sleeve, held it in her hand, and used her other hand to open the cap on one end.

A loud, piercing sound rang out, and a spark streaked across the night sky, soaring high into the heavens. With a deafening bang, the night sky burst into its most beautiful colors, captivating everyone's attention.

The third prince of the Oirat Mongols was familiar with Han culture and had personally visited Han territories many times, so he naturally knew about the fireworks made by the Han people.

Princess Zhaoyang's sudden action at this moment could not possibly be for amusement before her death; it must be to send a signal.

His face darkened.

However, after a moment, seeing that everything was still quiet, the third prince of the Oirat shook his head and laughed, "It seems that the princess won't shed tears until she sees the coffin."

As he spoke, his expression turned cold, and with a wave of his hand, he ordered his men in his native language, "Kill everyone except the Wei princess."

"yes!"

Upon hearing this, the Oirat guards all revealed cruel expressions and were about to surround and kill him.

"Kill! Kill them all!"

Suddenly, the sounds of fighting, growing louder as they approached, swept through the darkness, jolting everyone awake.

The third prince of the Oirat Mongols turned around abruptly, looking into the distance in shock.

He was such a cautious man that he mobilized almost all of his trusted troops in southern Oirat in order to capture one woman.

At this very moment, at least several thousand troops have gathered in the surrounding area!

The reason they weren't allowed to approach immediately was simply to take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the Wei princess first.

Otherwise, he would feel somewhat unwilling to give such a beautiful and noble woman to the Tatars for nothing.

Could it be that those Tatars betrayed him and turned against him...?

The third prince of the Oirat thought to himself.

But he didn't have time to think much, because he suddenly heard a series of loud hoofbeats rushing toward him.

"Quick, grab her!!"

The third prince of the Oirat shouted.

……