Wuxia: Ning Zhongze, who became a disciple of Mount Hua, is shrouded in blue silver.

……

In the dimly lit bedroom.

Zhao Min was already asleep.

She was a woman, and a princess, but she was never idle.

When there's official business, I handle it; when there's no official business, I practice my skills.

So every day when she returned to her room, she was so tired that she would fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

In her sleep, Zhao Min had a passionate dream, a dream that stirred her heart.

My body became excited, and I felt incredibly comfortable.

But gradually, I felt something was wrong; some parts were dried out.

Is this...bedwetting?

She is a princess, eighteen years old. It would be too embarrassing for her to wet the bed.

Zhao Min immediately woke up and found a man beside her...

"Who are you?"

"How dare you...!"

"Waaaaah... Waaaaah!"

Zhao Qing covered Zhao Min's mouth and said to her with a fascinated smile.

"Princess, don't be afraid. The prince has already married you to me. Tonight you will be my bride."

Zhao Min struggled desperately and shouted loudly, but her voice became hoarse, and still no one came to save her.

[Ding! Forced sex triggered the system. Congratulations, host, you have received the reward: Crimson Fire Divine Skill, sixth step, mastered.]

The reward was less than Zhao Qing had expected.

It's not bad, though, because the Crimson Fire Divine Skill is very difficult to cultivate. With Zhao Qing's aptitude, it would take him about seventeen or eighteen years to cultivate to the sixth step on his own.

"No, I handed over the blueprints for the Hongyi cannons. That's tantamount to surrendering to the Prince of Ruyang's forces. Isn't that treason?"

Treason is a serious crime, and Zhao Qing couldn't understand how he could have made such a mistake.

Zhao Qing believed that his actions should trigger the system.

It might not have been triggered because only half of the information was handed over.

It's also possible that because he had a prior collaboration with Zhu Houzhao, the system believed that his infiltration of the Prince's residence did not constitute treason, but rather that there were other reasons.

If it's the former, there's still a chance to make amends; if it's the latter, he's at a loss.

Thinking about these things is useless. Anyway, we got Zhao Min, so this trip wasn't a loss.

……

Noon the next day.

Someone knocked on the door.

Zhao Qing woke up with a start.

A maidservant outside the door called out, "Princess, Prince Consort, the Prince wants you to have dinner."

"understood."

Zhao Qing answered.

He got dressed, got out of bed, and untied Zhao Min's ropes.

Zhao Min's eyes were bloodshot as she glared angrily.

Zhao Qing smiled and said, "Princess, now you believe me, right?"

"You shameless scoundrel..."

Zhao Min cursed through gritted teeth.

She already knew the truth in her heart, but she couldn't accept that her innocence had been tainted by the person in front of her.

Zhao Qing said that the Prince of Ruyang had already betrothed, and Zhao Min believed him because this was the Prince of Ruyang's residence.

Aside from the palace, this is the most heavily guarded place.

Ordinary flower thieves wouldn't dare to do this kind of thing here.

Moreover, she desperately cried for help last night but no one came to her aid. She knew that her father had abandoned her and given her to this man.

"Princess, you're mistaken. We're already married. How could I be that kind of person?"

"Whether you like it or not, things can't be changed. You'd better behave yourself and treat me well."

After saying that, Zhao Qing left Zhao Min's room.

Zhao Qing didn't care whether Zhao Min would commit suicide.

Even if he were to commit suicide, Zhao Qing wouldn't care, because he had already gotten everything he wanted, and that was enough.

Led by a servant of the Prince's mansion, Zhao Qing entered the reception room.

The Prince of Ruyang had already prepared a meal to entertain Zhao Qing.

On the way, Zhao Qing sensed obvious hostility from the servants of the Prince's mansion.

These people disliked Zhao Qing, the son-in-law of the emperor.

"Why did the Prince Consort come alone?" asked the Prince of Ruyang.

Zhao Qing replied, "Princess Minmin will be here shortly."

The Prince of Ruyang stopped asking questions and asked Zhao Qing to sit down.

Soon after, Zhao Min entered the banquet hall wearing a pink dress.

Her face was pale, and her eyes were full of hatred as she stared at her father, Prince Ruyang.

She valued her chastity very much.

"Minmin, come and eat."

Prince Ruyang immediately stood up and helped his daughter sit down next to Zhao Qing.

Prince Ruyang laughed and said, "Young Master Zhao and my daughter are truly a match made in heaven!"

Before Zhao Qing could speak, Zhao Min immediately stood up and pointed at him, questioning him.

"Father, what did this lecherous scoundrel offer you that you sold me to him?"

Prince Ruyang immediately retorted, "Minmin, this is not selling."

"Young Master Zhao is a man of imposing stature, with outstanding martial arts skills and character. It's your good fortune to have been chosen by him!"

Zhao Min sneered, "Deceiving your master, murdering your teacher, harming your fellow disciples, colluding with the enemy..."

"Young Master Zhao's good character truly lives up to his reputation!"

Zhao Qing is now famous, and Zhao Min recognized him at a glance.

At first, he had some doubts, but when he heard the Prince of Ruyang repeatedly address Zhao as Young Hero, he confirmed that this person was indeed Zhao Qing.

Zhao Qing's infamy was well-known, and Zhao Min, as a Mongol princess, had naturally heard of it.

There are many people paying attention to Zhao Qing now.

People in the martial arts world and various imperial courts are all paying attention to Zhao Qing, for a simple reason: Zhao Qing has the design blueprints for the Hongyi cannon.

Zhao Min believed that Zhao Qing used the design blueprints for the Hongyi Cannon to defect to the Prince of Ruyang's mansion in exchange for safety.

Upon hearing Zhao Min's words, the Prince of Ruyang's expression immediately changed, and he prepared to reprimand her.

He was worried that Zhao Min might say something wrong and anger Zhao Qing, who would then storm out of the Ruyang Prince's Mansion.

Zhao Qing's martial arts skills are unfathomable; no one knows his true level.

Although he lost to Cheng Shifei at Mount Song, it doesn't mean Zhao Qing was weak.

Even with so many experts in the Ruyang Prince's Mansion, no one could stop Zhao Qing.

If Zhao Qing is unhappy and storms out of the palace, that would be a huge loss.

But before the Prince of Ruyang could react, Zhao Qing smiled and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Princess."

Only then did the Prince of Ruyang realize that Zhao Qing truly did not care about Zhao Min's opinion.

He immediately pulled Zhao Min aside and pleaded, "Minmin, I know you hate me, but I have no other choice!"

"Yesterday, Zhao Qing barged into my room. The Xuanming Elders couldn't defeat him, but he wanted to seek refuge with our Ruyang Prince's Mansion."

"Do you think I dare to refuse him? If I do, he can kill me right now and leave."

"If we, the Mongol Yuan, don't take him in, other dynasties will definitely vie for him with his possessions and martial skills, and might even worship him like a god."

"Please forgive me, I really couldn't!"

Zhao Min thought about it carefully.

What the Prince of Ruyang said was true.

Yesterday's situation was indeed a dilemma.

Fighting Zhao Qing head-on would definitely have dire consequences.

Zhao Qing possesses the design blueprints for the Hongyi cannons, and the Mongol Yuan dynasty must accept him; otherwise, Zhao Qing will defect to the Song dynasty, and the Song dynasty will certainly give him an important position.

Even if the Song Dynasty doesn't accept him, Zhao Qing has other options.

This world is not only home to the Ming Dynasty, the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, and the Song Dynasty, but also to the Qin Dynasty, the Han Dynasty, the Sui Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty, and many foreign countries and small states.

The Ming Dynasty had the strongest military because only the Ming Dynasty possessed the Hongyi cannons.

Zhao Min must make the same choice.

Prince Ruyang persuaded Zhao Min, and she accepted reality.

……

In the days that followed, Zhao Qing lived comfortably in the Ruyang Prince's Mansion.

Although Zhao Min is young, she is very thoughtful.

At least on the surface, they seem to have a good relationship, like a loving couple.