I, the villainous eldest prince, will suppress everything!

"Cen Feng, you've finally arrived!"

When the first snow fell in the capital.

On an open-air sedan chair carried by eight men, Wang Long personally came out of the palace to greet someone.

The man was covered in black armor from head to toe, and even his face was covered with a black mask, revealing only his eyes and nostrils.

The warhorse beneath him, though not as heavily armored and impenetrable as the Ironclad Cavalry of the Northern Barbarians, was not as heavily armored.

However, it should not be underestimated, possessing both impact and speed.

This man was named Cen Feng, and he was the leader of 200,000 Liangzhou cavalry.

Two hundred thousand Liangzhou cavalry obeyed his orders without question; even Wang Long could not compare to him.

Upon seeing Wang Long, Cen Feng quickly dismounted, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "This humble general greets Your Highness!"

"What merit or ability do I possess to deserve Your Highness's personal journey out of the palace to greet me, despite the wind and snow?"

Wang Long waved his hand lightly, "You're too kind, you're too kind, cough cough..."

Unable to suppress a cough, Wang Long lifted the blanket covering his legs and struggled to get down from the sedan chair.

But despite all the effort, it was all in vain.

Cen Feng saw it and was shocked. "Your Highness, your leg?"

Wang Long did not answer, but Judge Wu, who had accompanied him out of the palace to greet him, spoke up. He said, "General Cen, you may not know, but the prince's legs were broken by the bandits."

Upon hearing this, Cen Feng's eyes widened in shock.

The dignified King of Liangzhou had both legs broken by a thief. What kind of thief was he?

"Who are you thieves? Speak up!"

Cen Feng urged Judge Wu to hurry up and say that he wanted to bring people to avenge Wang Long.

Wang Long was the King of Liangzhou, and they were his master.

Our master had his legs broken by a shockwave. If we can't avenge him, we don't know where the face of the 200,000 Liangzhou cavalry will be.

Just as Judge Wu was about to name the thief, Wang Long turned his head and shouted sharply, "Shut up! You're so talkative, get out of here!"

Judge Wu glanced at Wang Long fearfully, bowed, and slowly backed away.

Cen Feng looked at Wang Long and said, quite puzzled:

"Your Highness, why such a fuss? Who were these thieves who shattered your legs? We swear we will not rest until we avenge this!"

Wang Long waved his hand gently, sighed, and said:

"This matter is in the past, let's not talk about it anymore."

"How could we not mention it!"

Cen Feng knelt down with a thud, clasped his hands and said, "If Your Highness insists on not speaking, then this humble general will remain kneeling."

Wang Long sighed again: "Why did you do this?"

Cen Feng replied firmly, "I swear I will not be a man if I do not avenge this."

Having no other option, Wang Long said:

"It wasn't some bandit, but the Seventh Prince."

"The Seventh Prince? Qin..."

Cen Feng frowned, unable to recall the Seventh Prince's name for a moment.

He had heard of the Seventh Prince's name before, but he hadn't paid much attention to it.

After all, the capital is far from Liangzhou, and there are countless things happening in Liangzhou that he is too busy to know about the people and events in the capital.

"It's Qin Feng!"

Judge Wu, who hadn't retreated far, spoke up.

"Yes, let's call him Qin Feng."

Cen Feng finally remembered.

No wonder the name sounded familiar.

Like his name, it also contains the character "风" (feng), only the surname is different.

"Still talking nonsense?!"

Wang Long couldn't help but shout again in a low voice.

Judge Wu quickly retreated to a distance.

Having retreated far enough, Judge Wu couldn't help but mutter to himself:

You're such a good actor. How come I never realized you were such a good actor before?

It's no wonder he spoke ill of Wang Long behind his back. Before leaving the palace to greet him today, Wang Long specifically asked him to accompany him and gave him a task: to perform a play with him in front of Cen Feng.

The goal was to make Cen Feng resent the Seventh Prince, Qin Feng.

Over here, Judge Wu is talking badly about Wang Long behind his back, while over there, Wang Long is still trying to win Cen Feng's heart.

Logically speaking, Wang Long didn't need to do this; he could have simply given the order to Cen Feng to carry it out.

However, Liangzhou was a special case, with its 200,000 iron cavalrymen being renowned throughout the land.

However, these 200,000 iron cavalry did not directly obey Wang Long; their leader was Cen Feng.

Cen Feng was under the command of Marquis Wang Bao from beyond the pass, while Wang Long was merely Cen Feng's nominal master.

Sometimes, Wang Long simply couldn't command Cen Feng.

This time, Wang Long went to great lengths to get Cen Feng to lead 200,000 Liangzhou cavalry to abandon Liangzhou and come to the capital.

"Your Highness, how could the mere Seventh Prince possibly break your legs?"

Cen Feng asked, quite puzzled.

Although he didn't know much about the people and things in the capital, he was aware of the reputation of the useless seventh prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Although the Seventh Prince's reputation has improved somewhat in recent years, he is definitely no match for Wang Long. There must be something he doesn't know about this.

Wang Long covered his legs with the blanket again before saying:

"On that day, the rebel army besieged the capital, and the capital was in imminent danger. I went out of the city to fight the enemy generals. Who knew that Qin Feng would send out his sworn brother Su Chen. That boy was young, but his cultivation was not weak. I fought with him for hundreds of rounds, and neither of us could win. In the end, we were both exhausted."

"Upon returning, I discovered that my legs were crippled."

"So, it was actually this thief named Su Chen who broke your legs, Your Highness?" Cen Feng asked.

Wang Long replied, "Su Chen and Qin Feng are sworn brothers."

Therefore, no matter who broke his legs, Wang Long would hold the Seventh Prince Qin Feng responsible.

"Who is this Su Chen, that he could become sworn brothers with the Seventh Prince?"

Cen Fengdao.

It's important to understand that not just anyone can become sworn brothers with a prince.

Cen Feng didn't believe that this person had always been unassuming and unremarkable.

Wang Long said, "It has been investigated. Su Chen was originally the heir of the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion. He was uneducated and incompetent in his early years, but after traveling around, he is now a member of the army."

"So that's how it is. He's the heir of the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion. No wonder he has such martial prowess."

Cen Feng had never heard of Su Chen, but he had heard of Su Chen's grandfather.

Those were heroes of the Great Zhou, who died heroically in the national war against the Northern Barbarians.

"Ahem!"

Wang Long couldn't help but cough twice and wrapped his clothes tighter around himself.

Since his legs were broken, his health has been deteriorating.

A little wind and rain will cause me to catch a cold, and I will never again have the body that was once unafraid of the cold.

The battle with Su Chen not only destroyed his body, but his lifespan is also estimated to be short. It can be said that he lost both his wife and his army.

"Cen Feng, the snow is getting heavy. Let's go back to the palace and talk about it," Wang Long said.

If it weren't for Cen Feng, he wouldn't have left the palace at all today.

The weather was so cold that he couldn't stand it.

Cen Feng did not move immediately, but looked around and asked with his hands clasped, "Your Highness, why is the Marquis not here?"

His relationship with Wang Long was merely that of ruler and subject on the surface.

They are always very polite and courteous when they meet.

His true master was actually Marquis Wang Bao from beyond the Great Wall.

He always obeyed Wang Bao's orders without question.

Even if Wang Bao ordered him to kill his parents, he wouldn't even blink.

For several years, Wang Bao remained in the capital and did not return to Liangzhou.

But Cen Feng's loyalty to Wang Bao did not diminish in the slightest.

The reason Cen Feng was able to make up his mind to come to the capital was to see Wang Bao.

Wang Long was spotted, but Wang Bao was nowhere to be seen.

Could it be that Wang Bao didn't receive news of his arrival?

But that's impossible. The letter clearly states that Wang Bao ordered him to lead 200,000 cavalry to the capital.

"You mean my third brother? He's in the palace!"

"You've come at the right time! Help me persuade him!"

Wang Long said.

"Advice? What's wrong, Lord Marquis?"

Cen Feng was puzzled.

"You'll find out when you come to the palace with me."

Wang Long didn't explain much and had him carried into the palace.

Cen Feng thought for a moment, then followed closely behind.

……

"My lord, please slow down, don't fall!"

"My lord, my goodness, please slow down!"

"My lord, the snow is getting heavier and heavier. Please come down! I beg you."

"What are you all standing there for? Get the ladder now!"

The Imperial Palace, a certain main hall.

An old eunuch led a dozen or so young eunuchs, looking up at the middle-aged man on the roof.

The man was dressed very thinly, wearing only a single layer of clothing. He was barefoot, carrying a jar of wine, and swayed as he walked on the rooftop, as if a gust of wind would send him tumbling down.

This person was none other than Marquis Wang Bao from beyond the pass.

After not seeing him for many days, Wang Bao had long lost the imposing presence of a Marquis of Guanwai. His hair was disheveled, and his beard was unkempt, as if he had suffered some kind of blow.

The old eunuch below looked anxious, fearing that Wang Bao might accidentally fall off the roof. If anything happened to Wang Bao, Wang Long would not forgive him.

Several eunuchs hurriedly brought a long ladder from a distance.

"Go on, you lot, get up there!"

The old eunuch urged the young eunuchs to hurry up and take Wang Bao down. Should they let this old man go up there?

The eunuchs pushed and shoved each other, none of them daring to go forward.

After all, Wang Bao's temper has been quite unstable lately.

Anyone who dares to go up there will definitely be scolded by Wang Bao and then kicked down.

The one who went up last time is still lying in bed, crying out in pain.

Seeing that no young eunuch dared to step forward, the old eunuch was extremely anxious and even felt like crying.

boom!

The wine jar shattered at the old eunuch's feet, startling him so much that he almost jumped up.

The old eunuch looked up and saw that it was Wang Bao who had thrown it from the roof.

Seeing his frightened expression, Wang Bao laughed nonstop.

"Old Liu, you should go back now and leave me alone."

"With such heavy snow today, don't let your old bones get too cold."

"I came from a pile of dead bodies, so I'm not afraid. I just wanted to come up and see the snow and wind today, and I'll go back in a little while."

Despite saying that, the old eunuch dared not leave.

He raised his head and earnestly advised:

"My lord, please come down! I beg you, I'll kneel before you, won't that be enough?"

After saying this, the old eunuch knelt on the ground and told more than a dozen young eunuchs to kneel down as well.

Seeing them all kneel down, Wang Bao frowned: "Why are you kneeling? Get up!"

"My lord, I beg you, please come down."

Wang Bao not only didn't come down, but also stood on the rooftop in a one-legged stance, saying:

"Really, you all go first. I'll stay here for a while and then go down."

The old eunuch refused to leave until Wang Bao came down.

The old eunuch refused to leave, and Wang Bao also refused to get down.

The two sides remained deadlocked, and as time went on, the wind and snow intensified.

On the rooftop, Wang Bao's hair and shoulders were covered in snow.

"Third brother, what are you doing on the roof again? Get down here right now!"

Before long, Wang Long arrived with his men and couldn't help but look up and scold them.

He couldn't even remember how many times Wang Bao had climbed onto the roof.

Upon hearing the sound, Wang Bao didn't even bother to look at Wang Long, and simply waved his hand behind him, saying:

"Brother, you can go back now. I'll be downstairs by myself in a little while."

Wang Long said, "Come down quickly, look who's here."

Cen Feng looked at Wang Bao on the roof and excitedly clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "This humble general greets Your Excellency."

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Wang Bao slowly turned his head.

Only when he saw Cen Feng did Wang Bao's pupils slowly regain their color.

"Why are you here?"

Wang Bao asked.

Cen Feng frowned and replied, "Didn't the Marquis write a letter instructing me to come to the capital?"

Just as Wang Bao was about to say where he had written the letter, Wang Long interrupted him, saying, "Third brother, come down quickly."

……

not far away,

Several people stood under the eaves of a palace.

Unlike Wang Bao, who was dressed very lightly, the others were all bundled up in thick layers, after all, it was their own bodies that mattered.

"Who is that?"

Pei Qingluan, with a thick fox fur cloak draped over her shoulders and a hand warmer in her arms, asked.

Upon entering the palace, Xiao Yuanlu simply wrapped himself up like a ball.

He looked over and replied, "Your Majesty, that is Cen Feng, the leader of 200,000 Liangzhou cavalry."

Pei Qingluan narrowed her beautiful eyes and asked again, "Two hundred thousand Liangzhou cavalry, have they really come to the capital?"

Xiao Yuanlu nodded and said, "For now, we'll set up camp outside the city."

What do they eat and drink?

Two hundred thousand Liangzhou cavalrymen are no small number.

The rations brought with the army won't last long.

Xiao Yuanlu replied, "Ten granaries in the capital have been opened to transport grain to the military camps outside the city."

"That won't last long."

Pei Qingluan commented, then asked, "Where are the Empress and the Seventh Prince now?"

"We set up camp twenty miles north of the city."

Pei Qingluan nodded. Fortunately, they didn't clash head-on with the 200,000 Liangzhou cavalry; otherwise, they would have been doomed to defeat.

Back on Longhu Mountain, Pei Qingluan had personally witnessed the power of the Liangzhou Iron Cavalry. Those martial arts masters were utterly helpless against the Liangzhou Iron Cavalry's charge, as easy as slaughtering chickens and sheep.

"Sister Pei, Father, where do you think His Majesty is now?"

Under the eaves, besides the two of them, there was also Xiao Xue'er.

She didn't care about any of that; all she cared about was where Qin Li was.

A few days ago, she heard that Qin Li had left Xuanque Pass and no one knew where he had gone.

"The allied forces of the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions are approaching the capital. Where is His Majesty?"

Xiao Xue'er didn't understand Pei Qingluan's implied meaning, but simply said happily:

"If that's the case, then we'll be able to see His Majesty very soon?"

Xiao Yuanlu couldn't help himself and splashed a bucket of cold water on his daughter's head. He said:

"If you want to see His Majesty, you'll have to wait until you've dealt with the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions and the two hundred thousand Liangzhou cavalry before you can see him."

"It's alright."

Xiao Xue'er said happily, "Your Majesty is so powerful, dealing with them is a piece of cake."

Upon hearing this, both Xiao Yuanlu and Pei Qingluan couldn't help but shake their heads slightly.

Xiao Xue'er oversimplified things. If it were that easy to solve, they'd be laughing all the way to the bank.

However, Xiao Xue'er's mindset is something they should learn from.

"Your Majesty, what should we do now?" Xiao Yuanlu asked.

Two hundred thousand Liangzhou cavalry have arrived in the capital; they cannot sit idly by and wait for their doom.

They had to help Qin Li resolve some matters in the capital.

Pei Qingluan said:

"The 200,000 Liangzhou cavalry only obey Wang Bao. What's the situation with His Highness the Prince of Jiang?"

After Wang Long took control of the capital, Pei Qingluan took some action, namely, she sent Qin Han to secretly contact Wang Bao.

But no news came, and Qin Han disappeared without a trace.

Xiao Yuanlu replied:

"His Highness the King of Jiang has been imprisoned."

Pei Qingluan turned her head sharply, looking at Xiao Yuanlu in disbelief: "Jailed? Who did it? Wang Long?"

Xiao Yuanlu didn't speak, but nodded, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Now, Marquis Wang Bao of Guanwai seems to be free, able to go wherever he wants.

But the people he could come into contact with were all carefully selected by Wang Long.

Their people had no way of getting in touch with Wang Bao.

"It seems I must do this myself," Pei Qingluan said with a determined look in her eyes.

Since their people couldn't reach Wang Bao, she would go and make contact herself.

"Your Majesty, you mustn't! Although you are the Empress, Wang Long doesn't care about these things right now," Xiao Yuanlu advised.

Even Prince Wang Long dared to imprison him; if Pei Qingluan dared to contact Wang Bao without authorization, she would surely incur Wang Long's revenge.

"It's alright, I have a plan."

After saying that, Pei Qingluan said to Xiao Xue'er, "Sister Xue'er, come with me to meet the guests who have come from afar."

Xiao Xue'er happily lifted her skirt and said, "Okay, let's go see them."

After saying that, the two women approached Wang Long and Wang Bao not far away, under Xiao Yuanlu's watchful gaze.

Before the two could get close enough, they were stopped by a group of soldiers.

The people who stopped them were none other than Night Owl leading the group.

Upon seeing the night owl, Xiao Xue'er couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile. "I wondered who it was, but it's General Ye! General Ye, how have you been these days?"

Upon seeing Xiao Xue'er, Night Owl gritted his teeth, his hatred simmering.

If it weren't for Xiao Xue'er last time, he wouldn't have been beaten thirty times for nothing.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am doing well."

"Martial law is in effect ahead. Your Highness the Imperial Concubine and Your Majesty the Empress are requested to take a detour."

Snapped!

who knows.

Xiao Xue'er doesn't play by the rules at all.

He stepped forward and slapped the night owl across the face.

The night owl was completely stunned by the blow, its face still contorted in shock.

Realizing what was happening, the night owl raised its arm, ready to strike back.

"How dare you, you brat!"

Pei Qingluan glared and shouted angrily.

This angry shout startled Wang Long, who led his men over.

Xiao Xue'er immediately burst into tears and complained to Wang Long, "Your Highness, you need to discipline your people properly."

Wang Long immediately glared at Night Owl. "A leopard can't change its spots, can it? Still can't forget Xiao Xue'er?"

Is Xiao Xue'er a good girl? Everyone was fooled by her harmless appearance.

Even he might not be able to win over Xiao Xue'er.

How could the daughter of a prime minister be so simple?

Unable to defend himself, the night owl hastily clasped his hands and said, "Your Highness, this humble general did nothing."

"But it was Consort Xiao who, without saying a word, slapped this humble general across the face!"

"Your Highness, please do me justice!"