“Princess?!” Everyone’s expressions changed drastically, and they hurried after her.

But when they entered, they saw Wen Yuesheng already pouring the antidote from the porcelain bottle into Lu Qinghuai’s mouth.

Gao Quan was so scared that his legs almost gave way, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

The room was deathly silent.

Wen Yuesheng stood up and went to the copper basin to wash her hands.

Meanwhile, Lu Qinghuai’s body began to convulse, but she said coldly, “I’ve smelled the same scent on the envoy from Haozhou.”

Everyone looked at her.

Lu Hongying’s face was filled with panic, her complexion nearly white as paper.

She suddenly realized that Wen Yuesheng had said she had encountered the same deadly poison before.

Lu Hongying froze in shock, but when she looked into Wen Yuesheng’s cold eyes, there was no emotion in them.

Wen Yuesheng continued, “It was from one of the Four Generals, Tai Lan.”

In fact, the scent was faint, so subtle that an ordinary person wouldn’t notice it.

But Wen Yuesheng had killed so many that she was extremely sensitive to the smell of blood.

Before the martial contest, Tai Lan had not been injured, but he always carried a faint scent of blood with him.

On the bed, Lu Qinghuai vomited black blood and fell unconscious again.

The night was still long.

By September, the intense sun still shone brightly.

With the envoy from Haozhou in the capital, this year’s autumn hunting season had been advanced by quite a bit.

The maple leaves in the royal hunting grounds had not yet turned red, and the hunting had already begun.

“…Can Lu Qinghuai really make it today?” Before the hunt began, Prince Heng Guang frowned and asked this question.

Prince Wei Yangwang replied, “Even if he doesn’t come today, he’ll have to show up at the wedding at the end of the month.”

The reason was simple.

Although the candidate for the marriage alliance with Hao Zhou had not yet been settled, most other matters were almost finalized, including the soldiers escorting the princess to the frontier.

This candidate had to be someone familiar with the frontier and highly valued by Da Hui.

After discussions with the envoys from Hao Zhou, the Lu brothers were decided upon.

But…

Lu Tingyu was acceptable, but Lu Qinghuai, who had not yet recovered from serious injuries and had not participated in the previous martial arts competition, how could he attend the wedding?

Yesterday at the banquet, the crown prince of Hao Zhou, Yu Shun, upon hearing that Lu Qinghuai had entered the capital with Lu Tingyu, suggested that he wanted to see Lu Qinghuai’s prowess at the hunting grounds today.

Lu Qinghuai had become famous at a young age.

At sixteen, he could shoot a bow and arrow, killing enemy commanders with a single shot on the chaotic battlefield.

It wasn’t surprising that Yu Shun made such a request.

But knowing Lu Qinghuai’s injuries, Hao Zhou’s move was clearly a test.

Both sides knew the stakes.

Since the marriage alliance was still being negotiated, if Lu Qinghuai didn’t show up fully in the royal hunting grounds today, Da Hui would lose face.

And then, Hao Zhou would naturally raise more demands for the marriage.

Prince Wei Yangwang’s observations, those demands would likely be aimed at Princess Sinning.

“How should we handle this? If Lu Qinghuai can’t make it today, Fourth Brother, why don’t you go speak with the crown prince of Hao Zhou and tell him that Sinning has deep feelings for you and would never marry him!” Wei Yangwang looked at Xiao Jin.

Upon hearing this, Liang Wenhao, who was standing beside Princr Jingkang, remarked, “Hasn’t Princess Sinning always been like this with Prince Yong’an(Xiao Jin)?”

Wei Yangwang laughed, “Is that so? Yes, I suppose so.”

“Everyone in the capital knows that Princess Sinning has always been loyal to our Fourth Brother, doesn’t she?” he clapped and laughed, while Xiao Jin’s expression grew darker.

Xiao Jin remained silent, his face clouded with anger, but before he could speak, the envoys from Hao Zhou arrived.

Yu Shun, dressed in a white robe, his face as handsome as jade and his posture dignified, arrived with Hao Zhou’s military officials, drawing the gaze of many.

Xiao Jin’s expression darkened further.

The reason was simple: whether intentional or not, the crown prince of Hao Zhou was wearing a string of prayer beads around his wrist today.

He noticed, and so did others.

Several of his brothers and half-brothers looked at him repeatedly, their glances not going unnoticed.

Xiao Jin’s gaze grew colder.

The envoys from Hao Zhou had arrived, but Lu Qinghuai still had not shown up.

Prince Heng Guang looked around and asked, “Lu Qinghuai isn’t here, what about the newly appointed General Dingyuan?”

Wei Yangwang replied, “You’ve stumped us there. General Dingyuan is Sinning’s bodyguard. If Sinning isn’t here, it’s only normal for him not to be either.”

Even so, the situation was not looking good.

Hao Zhou had come specifically for Lu Qinghuai.

His prolonged absence inevitably led to some bad speculation.

The ministers around the emperor all knew about Lu Qinghuai’s situation, but the common officials did not.

For years, the Lu family’s three generals had supported the frontier, with Lu Qinghuai being the most powerful. If news of his injury spread, it would shake the capital.

But still, someone couldn’t help but ask, “When did General Lu return to the capital?”

“Apparently, he came along with General Lu.”

“Then why didn’t he participate in the martial competition?”

“We don’t know.”

The martial arts competition had been important, and Lu Qinghuai’s absence raised suspicions.

The envoys from Hao Zhou were present, so they dared not voice their concerns aloud.

As the emperor’s entourage arrived at the hunting grounds, some people were starting to get anxious.

“Why hasn’t General Lu arrived yet? Did something delay him on the road?”

On Hao Zhou’s side, Yu Shun had also received some news.

He knew that on the day of the military exercises, many had gone to the Grand General’s residence, but Lu Qinghuai’s real condition remained unclear.

Yu Shun calculated the time, and today was the last day Lu Qinghuai could survive without the antidote.

If the antidote wasn’t obtained today, Lu Qinghuai would almost certainly die.

Just then, the emperor’s imperial carriage arrived at the hunting grounds.

Lu Qinghuai still hadn’t appeared, and some people were starting to get anxious.

“The General hasn’t come yet? Could there have been an accident?”

Yu Shun also received some news.

He only knew that many people had gone to the Grand General’s house when the troops were assembled, but Lu Qinghuai’s true condition remained a mystery.

The hunting ground fell into silence when suddenly the sound of hooves could be heard.

The horse’s hooves struck in perfect unison, their rhythm resounding in everyone’s hearts.

When they looked up, amidst the dust, they saw someone riding towards them at full speed.

Though far away, the person was imposing.

The leader wore golden armor, shining brilliantly in the sunlight.

Raising his head, he revealed a young, handsome face.

The young man, riding fiercely, was none other than Lu Qinghuai, whose name had been frequently mentioned.

At first, there was a moment of silence, then someone exclaimed, “General Lu has arrived.”

The crowd immediately became lively.

Lu Qinghuai was not only alive but also had the strength to ride at full speed, despite his previous injuries and the poison threatening to kill him.

Yu Shun’s military officials had darkened expressions.

This meant that in the negotiations between Hao Zhou and Da Hui, one less bargaining chip had been lost.

Yu Shun hesitated for a moment before his gaze fell on Lu Qinghuai as he dismounted.

A carriage was parked nearby, and standing next to it was the towering figure of Zhang Yulin.

Wen Yuesheng stepped out of the carriage.

She led the way, with Zhang Yulin on her left and Lu Qinghuai on her right.

“Why is Lu Qinghuai with Sining?” Wei Yangwang squinted, asking.

Prince Heng Guang said in a low voice, “Perhaps they just happened to meet on the road. Don’t tell me you think Lu Qinghuai is Sinning’s bodyguard?”

However, many who were in the know shared similar thoughts, especially those who were aware of the situation.

Lu Qinghuai, known for his unruly nature, now seemed to be walking obediently behind Wen Yuesheng…

Xiao Jin’s eyes darkened, and his gaze fixed on the one leading them.

Today, for the hunt, Wen Yuesheng had not dressed in riding attire.

As she approached, he heard King Weiyang ask her, “Sining, where is your riding outfit?”

Wen Yuesheng replied, “I don’t kill.”

Prince Wei Yangwang: …

So, she came to the hunting grounds to pray.

Beside her, Lu Qinghuai walked briskly, his handsome appearance and youthful vigor evident, yet after two steps, Wen Yueheng emotionlessly asked, “Does it hurt?”

Lu Qinghuai stiffened.

It hurt. He was on the verge of dying from the pain.

Just before reaching the royal hunting grounds, he had been lying in Wen Yuesheng’s carriage, nearly incapacitated.

He was in agony, and her maid had told him, “General Lu, stay away. Our princess doesn’t like being touched by others.”

How kind of her.

When he had been tortured by poison to the brink of death, wasn’t it Wen Yuesheng who held his chin and forced him to take medicine?

Wen Yuesheng was utterly heartless.

But Lu Qinghuai was no ordinary man.

He was the war god of the frontier.

Could this pain defeat him?

Even if it killed him, he would crawl out of the carriage and ride into the hunting grounds.

He wanted Yu Shun to see that he lived longer than Yu Shun.

How would the crown prince of Hao Zhou feel knowing that Lu Qinghuai secretly called him an old dog?

Wen Yuesheng stepped forward, but then she noticed that Lu Qinghuai had stopped.

She glanced at him, and Lu Qinghuai whispered to Zhang Yulin, “Brother Zhang, support me, I feel unsteady.”

Gu Yu: …

“General Lu, if you go back like this, your wounds might reopen, and Man Niang will be angry,” Zhang Yulin scratched his head.

Lu Qinghuai: ?

Wen Yuesheng’s people were as heartless as she was.

The day before, when he had been vomiting and wanted to die, she had him drink bitter medicine.

He vomited it and had to drink more.

After this, he never wanted to see medicine again in his life.

Groaning in pain, he pretended nothing was wrong, relying on Zhang Yulin to walk into the royal hunting grounds.

Lu Qinghuai’s injuries had happened before the envoys from Hao Zhou entered the capital.

Now, as a bargaining chip in the negotiations between the two countries, his appearance unscathed relieved many people secretly.

The emperor said, “I heard you were injured a while ago. Are you fully recovered now?”

“Your Majesty, I am fine,” Lu Qinghuai replied calmly.

“Since you were injured, you need not participate in today’s hunt.”

The objective was achieved, and Lu Qinghuai’s physical condition could not withstand the entire hunt.

He agreed and turned to leave.

Zhang Yulin was about to support him when Lu Qinghuai straightened up, his face calm as he walked gracefully, as though he were his older brother.

As he looked up, he saw the crown prince of Hao Zhou standing before him.

Lu Qinghuai greeted Yu Shun, “Your Highness, I trust all is well.”

Yu Shun looked at him, his gaze then falling on Wen Yuesheng. “I thought I might exchange the antidote with the princess.”

Lu Qinghuai: …

So they wanted to exchange his life for the antidote?

Old dog, you’ll get what’s coming to you!