Chapter 40: Northern Qi sends Haitang Duoduo, Si Lili returns to her roots
Dark as ink.

Li Chengqian walked out of the restaurant with a stern face, like ice that had not melted for a thousand years.

He returned to the palace with light steps and as silent as a ghost.

As he walked away, the man in black quietly appeared.

He gently wiped the back of his hand that had just been hit by Li Chengqian with a silk cloth, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"No connection anymore? Ha, do you really think you have a choice?" The man whispered to himself, his voice full of sarcasm and disdain.

……

Northern Qi Imperial Palace.

In the magnificent hall, Zhan Doudou and the Queen Mother sat in it, looking very majestic.

A knight in black armor knelt before His Highness and respectfully reported the information from Nan Qing:
"Queen Dowager, Your Majesty, there is news from the Kingdom of Qing, requesting that our dynasty dispatch experts to provide support. What do the Queen Dowager and Your Majesty think?"

Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother frowned and looked solemn:

"I heard that the third Grandmaster appeared in Qing Kingdom. Pass the order down. I will immediately mobilize a group of experts to go there and kill the Sixth Prince of Qing Kingdom to prevent future troubles!"

Zhan Doudou heard this, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly said:

"Mother, I feel that it is difficult to ensure that everything will go well with just these forces."

"I remember that my junior sister-in-law is traveling near Qing State. Why not ask her to help? It will definitely be more effective."

The Queen Mother thought for a moment, then nodded and said:

"That's right. Your little sister-in-law is a ninth-rank master. With the help of those seventh- and eighth-rank masters, it would be easy for her to kill anyone unless she faces a grandmaster directly."

"This arrangement is indeed more secure."

She paused and added:
"And the Crown Prince of Nanqing can be used by our dynasty. Send the order and tell them to make good use of this chess piece and not waste it."

The black-armored knight bowed his head and saluted, and replied respectfully: "Yes! I obey your command!"

……

On the border of Nanqing.

Deep in the bamboo forest where green bamboos sway.

Haitang Duoduo, wearing a simple long dress, sat cross-legged on a tall bamboo branch like a fairy, practicing with her eyes closed.

Suddenly.

She felt a subtle fluctuation of breath, her mind moved, and her eyes as clear as autumn water opened instantly.

She frowned slightly, as if she noticed someone approaching her quickly.

The crabapple blossoms are light and graceful, floating down from the bamboo shoots like fallen leaves.

Only after she saw clearly what the man was wearing did her tense nerves relax a little.

In a moment, the man came in front of her and bowed respectfully:
"Saint Lady, the Queen Mother and His Majesty have a message to convey."

After that, he presented the envelope in his hands with both hands.

Haitang Duoduo took the envelope, opened it gently, and glanced at the contents of the letter.

There was a flash of surprise in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

"A ninth-rank prince who is only twenty years old, and he has a great master to help him."

She murmured to herself, but her tone did not reveal much emotion.

For her, such a task is a bit tricky, but not impossible.

After all, she is the saint of Northern Qi, and her strength is rarely matched.

"Since the Queen Mother and Your Majesty have given orders, I shall obey them."

Haitang Duoduo said lightly, she put the envelope in her arms and straightened her dress.

Then, she moved and flew towards Kyoto like a light swallow.

……

Kyoto.

In Zuixianju.

The man in black and Si Lili sat opposite each other, their eyes intertwined in the lingering aroma of tea.

The man in black spoke in a deep voice, his tone revealing an unquestionable firmness:
"You already know what's going on. Your mission is to carefully collect intelligence from all sides while keeping Li Chengyun stable and making sure he doesn't notice anything. Do you understand?"

Si Lili nodded slightly. Although her face was expressionless, her heart was full of ups and downs.

She nodded woodenly, her voice calm as usual: "I understand."

When she walked out of the room, a look of worry and hesitation gradually appeared on her face.

The news that the Northern Qi court and the former crown prince of Southern Qing had joined forces to assassinate Li Chengyun exploded in her heart like a thunderclap.

She was conflicted about whether she should tell Li Chengyun about this.

She had long discovered her feelings for Li Chengyun, but as an intelligence officer of Northern Qi, she was well aware of her identity and mission and could not reveal it easily.

However, she didn't want to see Li Chengyun fall into danger.

She walked up to the third floor with heavy steps, struggling with this.

Suddenly, she looked up and saw Li Chengyun smiling at her not far away. That smile was warm and bright. At this moment, Si Lili finally made up her mind.

Walk to Li Chengyun's side.

Si Lili's heart was beating like a deer. Without waiting for Li Chengyun to ask, she told him what had just happened with a hint of trepidation, even revealing her true identity.

"Your Highness, you won't dislike me for this, right?"

Si Lili's eyes were filled with tears as she looked at Li Chengyun pitifully.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengyun burst into laughter, then gently embraced her in his arms and comforted her softly:
"Li Li, you finally told me the truth. I already knew your identity and have been waiting for you to tell me."

"Now that you are willing to tell me, how can I despise you?"

When Si Lili heard this, she was both surprised and happy.

What surprised her was that Li Chengyun already knew her identity, but what made her happy was that from now on she would no longer have to worry or face Li Chengyun with guilt.

"Great! From now on, I will truly belong to His Highness!"

Si Lili snuggled tightly in Li Chengyun's arms, her heart filled with sweetness.

Li Chengyun hugged Si Lili, but he thought of the information she had just mentioned and couldn't help but sneer.

He had no intention of provoking a dispute, but Li Chengqian kept provoking him. Since that was the case, he wanted to see who would die first.

He already had a plan in mind and decided to take this opportunity to eliminate Li Chengqian in one fell swoop.

Five days passed by quickly like flowing water.

The eldest princess's residence.

Li Yunrui moved out lightly, ready to leave quietly.

Not long ago, Li Chengqian had privately revealed to her that Northern Qi intended to join forces with him to harm Li Chengyun.

The eldest princess could naturally feel the prince's deep affection for her.

However, she had already formed an alliance with Li Chengyun and could no longer be used by the prince.

At this moment, an idea came to her mind. She wanted to tell Li Chengyun about this matter secretly so that he would be on guard and not be deceived by the prince.

So she hurried to Zuixianju, but learned shocking news.

Li Chengyun had already left, and together with the second prince Li Chengze, he was outside the city gate seeing off the deposed crown prince Li Chengqian.

"It seems like time is running out!"

A trace of anxiety flashed through the eldest princess' heart, but she did not give up.

In her opinion, as long as the result has not been settled, there is still a glimmer of hope.

She quickly boarded the carriage and urged the coachman to head to the city gate as quickly as possible.

The carriage sped along, raising a cloud of dust.

……

Outside the city gate, the sun sets on the ancient road.

Li Chengyun and the second prince Li Chengze saw Li Chengqian off gradually.

Out of Kyoto.

Li Chengqian's face was tinged with sadness.

He looked at Li Chengyun and Li Chengze, his eyes full of regret, as if he wanted to pour out all his guilt:

"Second brother, sixth brother, I have let you down."

"Especially my sixth brother. I have committed such beastly acts. Now that I think about it, it is all my own fault."

"We were originally brothers, but ended up killing each other. This is really painful for our relatives and joy for our enemies."

After saying this, Li Chengqian burst into tears, his regret evident in his words.

He held Li Chengyun and Li Chengze's hands tightly, his voice choked with sobs:
"I tossed and turned last night, recalling the past, when the three of us brothers were so close."

"At this time of parting, I want to reminisce about the good old days with my two brothers."

"How about the pavilion ahead? Why don't we find a secluded place and have a good chat. It will also make up for my lifelong regret."

"After all, we may never meet again after this separation!"

Seeing Li Chengqian's repentant look, the second prince Li Chengze felt alarmed.

Sensing something fishy, ​​he hesitated and wanted to refuse.

However, Li Chengyun seemed quite emotional: "Yes, we really haven't had a heart-to-heart talk for a long time."

Jian Jiuhuang wanted to follow, but Li Chengyun raised his hand to stop him. He whispered:
"Please stay. It's a rare opportunity for the three of us brothers to reminisce about our old friendship. Please don't let outsiders disturb this rare warmth."

Upon hearing this, tears welled up in Crown Prince Li Chengqian's eyes. He nodded heavily, his voice choked with sobs:
"Sixth brother, I am really sorry for you!"

However, beneath this sadness, his heart was filled with indescribable joy.

He secretly rejoiced that Li Chengyun had taken the initiative to fall into the trap, and today would be the day of his death.

Li Chengze looked puzzled when he saw this. How could Li Chengyun not know about this obvious abnormality?

However, after a brief hesitation, he chose to trust Li Chengyun and went with him to the pavilion ahead.

(End of this chapter)