Chapter 161: Halfway Through

eters long, its blade gleaming coldly. A purple crystal was inlaid at the hilt, dazzlingly bright. Holding it felt incredibly weighty. If he hadn't practiced the techniques passed down by his mother b...100,000 jin of grain is no small amount. Just the supply convoy alone stretches as far as the eye can see. General Feng Ming stood on the city wall, looking down at the convoy below, his eyes flickering before he asked his deputy:

What do you see

"The Panlong Kingdom certainly didn't have any good intentions this time. The convoy transporting grain had way too many people."

The deputy general wasn't blind; seeing the long line of soldiers, he already had a guess.

"General, look at the tracks left by their supply wagons. Some are light, some heavy, but I see that the number of food bags on each wagon is the same."

"Spread the word, be thorough during the city inspections. Try to keep their people together in one place as much as possible. That'll make it easier for you to watch them. If even a single male mosquito flies out from their camp, I'll hold you accountable."

"Understood, sir!"

The deputy general clasped his fists, then immediately turned and descended the city wall to arrange matters for later.

Even the Panlong Nation emissaries, who had come to trade, did not expect to be greeted by General Fengming, a young man with a bright smile. They had been expecting General Zhao, whom Second Princess had arranged for them beforehand.

"Everyone, thanks for traveling so far! This time you have truly helped the Phoenix Nest Country immensely. The Empress herself has ordered that I personally host you all. Your accommodations are ready, please follow me!"

Feng Ming went to meet the leader of Panlong Country in person. Both of them were smiling on their faces, but they were both thinking MMP in their hearts.

Everyone knows exactly how Longling City was lost. The culprit right in front of us, the one with that fake smile, is Feng Ming himself.

Feng Ming saw at once that the other person was a wolf in sheep's clothing. Don't be fooled by their current friendliness and polite speech, behind their back they wouldn't hesitate to stab you. Last time, this person led troops to support them, but arrived too late, watching helplessly as she captured Longling City.

On the surface, both parties were putting on a show of civility, exchanging polite greetings, but Phoenix immediately moved on to the next stage:

"General Han, you have arrived just in time. I won't waste too many words on pleasantries. I will send people to inspect the grain with your subordinates. If there are no issues, we will pay you as agreed. I hope you can understand, after all, the people of the disaster-stricken cities are still waiting for the grain!"

"General Fengming was getting a little impatient."

Han Lu lowered her eyes and said.

Time waits for no man, I hope General Han will understand. Each bag of grain must be inspected, and this is a huge undertaking that will certainly take a long time.

"If General Feng Ming is in a hurry, he can also conduct random checks. There's no need to inspect every bag of grain. This would be more efficient."

"Tsk, I thought so too. Unfortunately, there are some old grievances between our two countries. Although the Dragon Kingdom has a new emperor, some people might be malicious and bring up past events. So, for the sake of future trade, it's better to be cautious now for everyone's benefit."

The way Phoenix spoke was incredibly blunt. It was almost like saying: We don't trust your country, Panlong. We fear you might tamper with our food supply.

Han Lu's nostrils flared, but for the sake of his future plans, he could only bear it. He took a deep breath and finally spoke:

My deputy is in charge of the subsequent weighing and inspection, and I also hope that Fengming Country settles accounts with silver.

"Of course! That's all we agreed on before."

Feng Ming smiled and readily agreed. With a wave of his hand, the two lieutenants behind him stepped forward, taking the people from Panlong Kingdom to the storage area for grain carts. They then began weighing and inspecting them.

"General Han, this way please. Phoenix has prepared some humble wine to welcome you."

The phoenix, with its polite and courteous manners, invited Han Lu to the central tent for a visit. He generously allowed the other party to view the encampment.

Han and Feng were strolling along the road, chatting idly. Han's mouth never stopped moving, and his eyes darted about, carefully scanning their surroundings. He noticed that there was a guard post every three steps and a sentry every five, with at least ten mobile patrol teams patrolling within the camp. Moreover, the look in their eyes seemed hostile.

This time, the supply convoy sent by Panlong Kingdom was composed of soldiers drawn from the army. Besides transporting supplies, they were also tasked with gathering intelligence on the situation in Fengqi Kingdom and even preparing for infiltration.

Another group of nine people sneaked into the city hidden inside a grain truck. Their objective was clear: to assassinate the Third Princess. These individuals were naturally operating in secret, so Han Lu wanted to buy them some time to escape. However, Feng Ming was paying too much attention and had spoken too directly.

Han Lu and his group arrived at Longling City before sunset, having calculated the time carefully. Even if they worked through the night, it would take at least two days to weigh and examine everything thoroughly. Therefore, it was only natural for Han Lu and his party to stay temporarily in Longling City.

After nightfall, the supply wagons intentionally placed at the very end began to stir slightly. Several Dragon Nation soldiers responsible for transporting supplies received a signal and immediately surrounded the wagons, providing cover for those hidden inside. They successfully escaped from the supply wagon and blended in with the Dragon Nation soldiers carrying supplies.

After the nine people escaped safely, they immediately changed direction and rushed towards Phoenix City under the cover of darkness.

After nine people left, Feng Ming received a report from his deputy. By then, Feng Ming had arranged for someone to send the drunken Han Lu back to his tent to rest.

"General, shall we pursue"

"Chase, chase them down and kill them without mercy! Since these people didn't enter the city through the main gates openly, they can be considered bandits. If we don't kill them, will we keep them around for the New Year"

The phoenix screeched and glared at his deputy, saying,

"Understood, sir. I've already sent someone to tail them. We wouldn't dare act without your orders. What if we disrupt the general's plans"

The deputy commander explained appropriately.

"Looking at them, they wouldn't be doing anything good either, otherwise there would be no need to be so secretive."

"Yes, I will do it right away."

The deputy general turned and left the main tent.

The assassins sent by the Panlong Kingdom to kill the Third Princess were chased and killed before they reached Phoenix City. Only two survived to reach Phoenix City.

At that time, the Third Emperor's daughter had fully recovered under the careful care of the wise attendant. The wise attendant had also received the Empress's order and met the people who came to take the Third Emperor's daughter away.

The wise attendant told the companions about how they had almost been tricked into being infected with the plague, and said that it was not suitable for them to leave now. They knew that the Third Princess had already recovered, but others did not. If someone were to exploit this, they did not want to help them.

The Third Princess, after some thought, sought out the wise chamberlain in private and shared her plans:

"Father, I'm already cured now. The imperial physician said I won't be infected by the plague again. It's you who is most dangerous now. Although I don't know why the Empress brought me back to the capital, it seems to me that the most dangerous place is also the safest. The plague is a natural protection for me."

"So you want to stay."

"Yes, it is still some time before the year decreed by Mother Empress. My daughter wishes to persevere until the end. Please, Father, return first and explain the situation here to Mother Empress."

The Third Princess stated firmly.

"You've grown up, so I won't stop you. As you said, the most dangerous place is also the safest. However, you need to change your face. I'm leaving my guards with you. I've taken everyone else who was around you before. Even if they make a move, I can help share the burden for you."marry Xu Fengze too, it was a decision made after weighing the pros and cons. Unfortunately, she couldn't bear to let go.In the end, the Wu family still agreed to their youngest daughter's choice. Whe...