I, the villainous eldest prince, will suppress everything!

Holding onto Qin Li's foot that was pressing down on his chest, Qin Feng realized that Qin Li's strength was far more terrifying than he had imagined!

Although they didn't gain much benefit from this trip to the border, they had to hand it all over to Qin Li.

However, during the battle with the Northern Barbarians, his cultivation level increased by leaps and bounds.

Before leaving the capital, his cultivation level was only at the early stage of the fifth rank.

But now, he is already a peak fifth-rank expert.

One foot has already stepped into the sixth rank.

Although he doesn't have the monstrous cultivation talent of Su Chen, who has already reached the mid-stage of the sixth rank.

But such a speed of cultivation is the envy of many martial artists.

But Qin Li, with just one foot, rendered him, a mid-stage sixth-rank cultivator, unable to move.

This means that Qin Li is at least one major realm higher than him, at least at the mid-stage of the seventh rank.

He estimated that Qin Li's true strength was probably at the peak of the seventh rank, even if the mid-stage of the seventh rank was considered low.

The peak of the seventh rank is not scary. There are countless peak seventh rank people in the world, if not as numerous as hairs on a cow.

But you should know that when he first heard about Qin Li's cultivation level, Qin Li was just a fourth-grade early stage cultivator who neglected cultivation and only knew how to indulge in pleasure.

In less than half a year, he went from the early stage of the fourth rank to the peak of the seventh rank. If word got out, it would leave no way for the world's geniuses to survive.

How did Qin Li manage to leapfrog through three major realms?

Although the First Prince's residence has a profound foundation and countless cultivation resources.

The mansion also boasts a library that all martial artists in the world aspire to visit.

However, it is absolutely impossible to advance three major realms in just six months.

Qin Li must have used extreme measures.

They say he's on drugs, but he doesn't look like it.

I can't figure it out, I really can't figure it out.

But now, there's no time for him to figure it out.

The most urgent task is to clear one's name.

"I'm innocent, brother! I'm truly innocent!"

"Although I am on good terms with Su Chen, our relationship is definitely not as close as that between me and my elder brother."

"You are my own brother, we are blood relatives."

Qin Feng cried out that he was innocent, almost bursting into tears, "Besides, Wei Hongying is my fiancée. I would never kill her, no matter who I kill. What good would it do me to kill her?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Li pressed even harder with his feet.

The trampling caused Qin Feng's face to turn red and he to gasp for breath.

His eyes were incredibly fierce, and he had murderous intent!

He couldn't believe that Qin Feng was unaware that Wei Hongying and he had already had physical intimacy.

Knowing that, how dare you mention the words "fiancée"? You're just deliberately trying to disgust him.

However, Qin Li believed the second half of Qin Feng's statement.

Killing Wei Hongying would indeed bring Qin Feng no benefit.

Qin Feng is not the kind of person who hesitates and suffers the consequences.

Now that he had made up his mind to sever ties with Wei Hongying, he would no longer get entangled with her.

Needless to say, even if Wei Hongying doesn't go to the palace to ask Emperor Xuan to dissolve their engagement after returning to the capital, Qin Feng will take the initiative to go to the palace.

Therefore, Qin Feng would not intentionally harm Wei Hongying.

"It really wasn't a plan between you and Su Chen?"

Qin Li's tone became more forceful.

"No, it's not!"

Qin Feng's words were written in tears.

Qin Li then lifted his foot and released Qin Feng.

Qin Feng was able to gasp for breath as he slowly got up from the ground, rubbing his aching chest.

After this is over, the military doctor should give it a thorough check-up; even if the ribs aren't broken, there will still be cracks.

"Your Highness, an envoy from Northern Mang requests an audience!"

Someone rushed in on horseback to report.

Qin Li waved his hand, signaling someone to bring the envoy over.

Just when I was worried about how to communicate with the Northern Barbarians inside Xuanque Pass, the Northern Barbarian envoys arrived first. I might as well see them.

At the very least, they need to know whether Wei Hongying is dead or alive, and whether the vanguard battalion is dead or alive.

Soon, the envoy from Northern Mang passed through the layers of Zhou army and arrived before Qin Li.

It was none other than an acquaintance.

Jin Ge, the beloved general of the Northern Barbarian Empress and the number one warrior of the grasslands!

"It's been a long time, Your Highness! How have you been?"

Jin Ge came alone, showing no fear on his face.

He even smiled and performed a greeting from the Northern Barbarians towards Qin Li.

Qin Li understood. It was all the Empress's doing. Only the Empress had the power to do this!

Looking at Jin Ge, Qin Li cut to the chase, "Enough with the nonsense. What, is your Emperor going back on his word?"

"You promised to withdraw from our territory, but now you're occupying Xuanque Pass and refusing to give it up, and even luring a battalion of our troops into the city. What is your purpose?"

"If word gets out, wouldn't we become a laughingstock to the world!"

Jin Ge remained expressionless and said, "Before I came here, His Majesty told me that you, the First Prince, love to bite back. I didn't believe it at the time, but now it seems that His Majesty was right."

"Our army hadn't even had time to withdraw from Xuanque Pass, yet your army was eager to gain merit and rushed into the city. How come now you're blaming us?"

Whoops!

Qin Li suddenly flicked his sleeve.

If we're talking about who understands him best, aside from the Empress, there's no one else.

"Speak, what brings the Empress here?"

Jin Ge turned sideways and extended an arm, "His Majesty invites His Highness the Crown Prince to enter the city for a discussion."

"After today's parting, I don't know when we will meet again."

"You lured my vanguard battalion into the city, and now you want to lure our eldest prince into the city? Don't even think about it!!!" Zhou Biao was the first to stand up and object.

To everyone's surprise, Qin Li ordered, "Go, prepare to enter the city!"

"Your Highness, danger!" Zhou Biao kindly warned.

"Nonsense, I know that!"

To be honest, Qin Li didn't want to go either.

With the triumphant return to the capital imminent, only a fool would be willing to enter the city to see the Empress.

That woman is no good. She managed to drug him and sleep with him. What kind of good person could she be?

But Qin Li had no choice but to enter the city. He had to make sure whether Wei Hongying and the vanguard battalion were alive or dead, and he also had to find out what the Empress's intentions were.

Is he trying to back out, or does he have some other purpose?

Riding on Wangcai and following behind Jin Ge, Qin Li, with only a few people, arrived at the foot of Xuanque Pass.

Xuanque Pass is the most formidable pass in the northern border of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and its walls are thicker and higher than any other city walls along the way.

Standing at the foot of the city wall and looking up, the wall soars into the clouds, impossible to climb!

Currently, the city gate is not open; instead, a simple, giant gondola has been lowered from under the city wall, capable of holding four or five people at a time. Just now, Jin Ge descended in the gondola.

"Your Highness, please!"

Jin Ge extended another arm, inviting Qin Li to climb into the hanging basket.

"Why don't you open the city gates? Is this how you treat your guests?"

Zhou Biao's renewed attack was also for Qin Li's safety.

This type of suspended platform is very simple and has an extremely low safety factor!

Once you're halfway up in the air, your life is entirely in someone else's hands.

Qin Li disagreed again, raising his hand and saying, "Shut up, just follow the master's arrangements."

After speaking, Qin Li took the lead and stepped onto the giant hanging basket.

Jin Ge clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, admiring Qin Li's courage, and then climbed onto the gondola. Zhou Biao brought a few people and also climbed onto the gondola to protect Qin Li's safety.

Before long, the giant basket slowly rose, and everyone's view gradually opened up.

As they ascended, Jin Ge couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, aren't you afraid this is truly His Majesty's scheme to lure the enemy deep into our territory?"

"Right now, Your Highness has no hostages!"

In other words, Qin Li has entrusted his life to the Empress this time.

If it were him, he definitely wouldn't come.

Qin Li stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the Zhou army formation gradually coming into full view outside the city.

"What's the use of being afraid? Your Majesty has a woman, yet she's bold enough to become emperor. What do I, a grown man, have to be afraid of?"

"Exactly!"

Zhou Biao and the others echoed his sentiments, emboldened by their words.

Upon hearing this, Jin Ge smiled but said nothing more.

They took it as Qin Li's way of comforting himself to bolster his courage.

After a while, Qin Li spoke up, asking, "Are our vanguard battalion alright?"

Jin Ge said, "What joke is Your Highness telling? It was just a mere 5,000 men. It sounds like a lot, but in front of my hundreds of thousands of troops, and after being lured into the city and surrounded by enemies on all sides, they were all annihilated long ago. They only lasted for less than half an hour."

"Your Highness, the Imperial Guard Commandant... "

Zhou Biao and the others immediately had tears in their eyes.

To be honest, Wei Hongying treated them really well, and they had long regarded her as family.

Now that they've heard with their own ears that their family members have died in battle, how could they possibly...?

Qin Li raised his hand to stop them from speaking, and looked at Jin Ge, "General Jin, there's no need for you to lie to me, the prince."

"If they were truly wiped out, why would we enter the city this way?"

"General Jin, what do you say?"

After saying that, Qin Li laughed, making Jin Ge feel uneasy...