On the mountain path outside Baidadan City.

Chen Ji was carrying the unconscious Jiang Xiansheng, while Hong Zuer was dragging the limping Princess Liyang.

They heard a strange noise behind them, someone had stepped on a branch in the distance.

Chen Ji turned to look back, under the bright moonlight in the birch forest, the shadows of those coming to rescue Princess Liyang were always trailing at fifty steps away, not daring to approach rashly, but also never straying far.

Princess Liyang, pale-faced, shouted to Chen Ji: "Boy, my people must have brought medicine. Stop and take a break, I'll have them bring the medicine here, otherwise, Jiang Xiansheng in your hands will die."

Chen Ji looked down at his hands.

The arrow from the morning was still lodged in Jiang Xiansheng's leg and hadn't been removed by nightfall. Jiang Xiansheng had been unconscious for four hours, starting to mutter incoherently.

But Chen Ji ignored it and continued on his way.

Princess Liyang weakly said, "I have a wound on my leg too, if I don't treat it soon, I might die."

At this moment, Princess Liyang's face was pale, her skirt stained with blood, and her embroidered shoes were worn out.

Chen Ji still did not respond.

Princess Liyang started cursing: "How can you have such a heart of stone? Aren't you afraid Jiang Xiansheng will really die? If he dies, all your efforts will be for nothing. I'm kindly having someone bring medicine, and you don't even appreciate it."

Chen Ji replied expressionlessly: "You're just trying to use this as a chance for the Executive Officer to approach and see if there's an opportunity to rescue you. Don't worry, he won't die, and neither will you."

Stumbling, being dragged along by Hong Zuer, Princess Liyang saw that she couldn't persuade Chen Ji and immediately started trying to coerce Hong Zuer: "Brave man, he doesn't want gold, but do you?"

Hong Zuer replied solemnly: "No."

Princess Liyang asked again, "I see you also have a military background. Don't you want to gain glory as a Governor of a Province?"

Hong Zuer sneered: "Is the next thing you're going to offer is your body?"

Princess Liyang looked at Hong Zuer, hesitated, and said, "Let's not go that far."

Hong Zuer laughed angrily: "You don't fancy me, but I have no interest in you either."

Princess Liyang looked back towards the birch forest behind them, knowing that her people were not far, knowing she had plenty of gold and power, yet she encountered two impervious people.

She turned her head again, and the black outline of Baidadan City appeared on the horizon.

Princess Liyang became anxious; if they walked for another hour, they would reach Baidadan City.

Once they really entered Baidadan City, there would be no chance to escape.

At this moment, Hong Zuer also saw Baidadan City and knew that if he didn't act now, there would be no chance to kill Jiang Xiansheng.

Hong Zuer pulled Princess Liyang, silently inching closer to Chen Ji.

Chen Ji, alert, immediately moved a bit further, carrying Jiang Xiansheng.

Hong Zuer spoke gravely: "How long do you plan to protect him? We came here to kill him. The opportunity is fleeting, what are you waiting for!"

Chen Ji said nothing.

...

...

Princess Liyang's eyes darted between the two, finally seeing some clues amidst the chaos.

The two men before her, one wanted to kill Jiang Xiansheng, the other wanted to protect him.

This was an opportunity!

She whispered to Hong Zuer: "Brave man, do you want to kill Jiang Xiansheng?"

Hong Zuer glanced at her: "It's none of your business."

Princess Liyang persisted: "You want Jiang Xiansheng dead, so do I. Just release me, and I will order my skilled men in the woods to kill Jiang Xiansheng with a barrage of arrows!"

Hong Zuer's grip on Princess Liyang's hand suddenly tightened, his interest piqued.

Despite the pain, Princess Liyang continued: "You think you're no match for him, right? It doesn't matter; you can't kill Jiang Xiansheng, but my crossbowmen in the woods can!"

Facing Hong Zuer, Chen Ji retreated with Jiang Xiansheng: "Think carefully, our people are still in Jiang Que's hands. If you kill Jiang Xiansheng, you'll never see them again."

Hong Zuer gravely replied: "As a Night Patrol, the first thing to learn is to put life and death aside. Anyone can cherish their life, but a Night Patrol cannot. That's how my master taught me, and that's how I taught Ah Sheng."

Chen Ji felt a heaviness in his heart.

Hong Zuer, having revealed his identity as a Night Patrol in front of Princess Liyang, severed all escape routes, intending to fight to the end.

At this moment, Princess Liyang suddenly realized, exclaiming in shock: "You are people of the Southern Dynasty!"

Chen Ji glanced at her, taking a deep breath, "Mr. Hong, Ah Sheng has always regarded you as a father, you..."

Hong Zuer interrupted, "I have a heart as hard as iron, don't use Ah Sheng to persuade me! I said, if he wants to be a Night Patrol, that's his fate!"

Seeing that sentiment couldn't sway Hong Zuer, Chen Ji could only take a deep breath, "Yuan Cheng returning to Jing Dynasty to balance Yuan Xiang and Lu Jin is the only way to stop the war!"

"That's just your wishful thinking, yet you want to gamble with the deep-seated hatred of tens of thousands at Chongli Pass?" Hong Zuer sneered, "I understand now, you came to Chongli Pass to welcome the Jing Dynasty Envoy!"

With that, Hong Zuer looked at Princess Liyang, "Order the shooting of these two now, and I will release you."

"Wait!" Chen Ji looked at Princess Liyang, "This person is Hong Zuer of Chongli Pass's Night Patrol, he despises Jingren to the core. After I die, your turn is next; he won't keep his promise!"

Princess Liyang looked at Hong Zuer, "Release me first, and I will immediately order them all killed!"

Hong Zuer looked at Chen Ji, "You kill Jiang Xiansheng, and I'll hold Princess Liyang here to buy you time to escape!"

It was at a stalemate.

The three of them seemed caught in a vicious cycle, unable to break free, none of them daring to be the first to let go.

In the dead silence, Chen Ji disregarded Princess Liyang's presence and slowly said, "Mr. Hong, I promise you, I won't let Jiang Xiansheng reach Ning Dynasty alive. But now, I must take him away; if Jiang Que and Jiang Guo don't see Jiang Xiansheng alive, they'll unleash slaughter... Think about Ah Sheng, think about Zhang Baishi. I know you're not afraid to die, but they could survive! Let's save the people first and then plan for the long term!"

Hong Zuer considered this, but after a moment, his voice turned cold again, "So many lies, how can I trust you?"

Chen Ji was just about to speak.

Princess Liyang saw the two seeming to reconcile and angrily said, "My younger brother is still unprotected amidst wolves and tigers in Shangjing, I can't be married off. If I'm sent to marry that dog Emperor of the Southern Dynasty, we might as well all perish here! Guards, don't bother with me, kill them all!"

As she finished speaking, elite troops hiding in the forest emerged from behind the trees, bows drawn, advancing step by step.

Chen Ji turned, backing away from the crossbowmen.

Hong Zuer pressed a hairpin against Princess Liyang's neck, but this time she no longer feared, gritting her teeth, "Go ahead and kill me, we'll walk the road to the afterlife together!"

Yet at this moment, faint hoofbeats echoed from the end of the mountain path.

It was the cavalry from Baidadan City.

Princess Liyang's heart sank, time was running out; even if Chen Ji and Hong Zuer let her go now, she couldn't escape.

The hoofbeats grew closer, Princess Liyang's expression gradually settled into tranquility, she said to Chen Ji, "Boy, you won. It seems the people who went to Baidadan City convinced Jiang Xianzong, or he wouldn't so openly come to meet the envoys."

She looked toward the direction of the hoofbeats, speaking in a trance, "I am to be wed to Ning Dynasty, to be a toy of the Southern Dynasty in their deep palace. When the two dynasties disagree, the Southern Emperor will vent his anger on me and parade me as a trophy at various ceremonies... There is no more precious toy than I. And my younger brother will bear this stigma, with no chance to become the Crown Prince."

The fire of survival faded from Princess Liyang's eyes, "Let's all perish together, release the arrows!"

"Wait!" Chen Ji looked back down the mountain path, already hearing the grating sound of armor plates clashing.

He turned to Princess Liyang, "You and I might as well make a deal."

Princess Liyang asked in confusion, "What deal?"

Chen Ji calmly replied, "You won't stir any more trouble, and once I ensure my wife and maid are safe, I promise you can return to the Jing Dynasty afterward."

Princess Liyang was even more puzzled, "How can you make it possible for me to return to the Jing Dynasty?"

"In due time you will know," Chen Ji said solemnly, "I know you are someone who won't give up as long as there is a glimmer of hope; better to trust me this once than die here, make your decision quickly."

Princess Liyang listened to the approaching hoofbeats, pondered for a long while, then smiled brightly at Chen Ji, "Deal."

With that, she gestured in the distance, and the crossbowmen retreated into the forest.

Chen Ji looked again at Hong Zuer, "I guarantee Jiang Xiansheng won't make it to the Imperial Capital."

Hong Zuer pondered for a moment, "Deal."

Chen Ji finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The next moment, a cavalry charged up the mountain path, surrounding the group.

Chen Ji announced loudly, "The envoy Jiang Xiansheng from Shangjing and Her Highness Princess Liyang are here!"

He didn't let go, ready to use Jiang Xiansheng as a hostage at any moment.

The cavalry formation slowly parted, revealing Jiang Xianzong in full armor, riding over to look down at Chen Ji, smiling, "Who are you?"

Chen Ji replied steadily, "A man from Liaoyang Prefecture in Shangjing, Zhou Sheng."

Jiang Xianzong sized up Chen Ji for a moment, "The Southern Dynasty folks are quite bold."

Chen Ji's face changed at his words; had Zhang Xia's identity been exposed?

He immediately tightened his grip on Jiang Xiansheng's neck, said coldly, "Where is my wife? Release her, or Jiang Xiansheng's life is at risk."

Jiang Xianzong glanced at Jiang Xiansheng, turned his horse and left, leaving Chen Ji only with his back, "I have a rough idea why that girl dared to storm the White Tiger Festival Hall; rest assured, she's fine. If you don't believe me, you can follow me to Baidadan City and see for yourself."