This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 233 The Fall of Nanling

"Yan Yi, it's as if your Great Yan is no match for him. Aren't you standing in the wrong place?" Wu Xie said coldly.

"You don't even understand that you can't hit someone who's smiling at you? You should just go back to your wilderness," Yan Yi retorted.

“That damned woman is unreliable, Brother Chen. It seems we’re all in cahoots, here to cause trouble for this guy.”

"Who said I'm here to cause trouble? Maybe I'm here to form an alliance with the Prince of Kao Shan?"

Chen's single sentence immediately extinguished the argument among them, and even Xiao Xingchen looked at him incredulously again.

Alliance? What a joke! Xiao Jianren clearly remembers from his past life that after he was crowned king, he encountered several former kings who tried their best to stop him, and even wished to kill him. How could they possibly come to form an alliance with him?

"What do you mean?" Wu Xie was taken aback. Weren't they just toasting each other a moment ago? How did the situation suddenly change?

"It's nothing. I stayed behind to discuss important matters with the Prince of Kao Shan. I just don't know what business you, as the Commander of the Wilderness, have stayed behind for?"

Wu Xie sneered. It turned out he had been deluding himself. But this only strengthened his resolve not to leave. He really wanted to see what these people were up to.

As for Xizhu, his gaze swept over her as if he didn't care at all, but how could such a move escape Xizhu's notice?

"Shan Liang, this Young Master Wu Xie seems quite interested in you. Why don't you go out and talk to him alone?"

Xi Zhu spoke, which made Shan Liang snort coldly, his eyes turning cold as he looked at Wu Xie.

He had noticed it long ago; Wu Xie's gaze was like that of a hungry wolf, always staring intently at him, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

After receiving Xizhu's permission, Shan Liang brought his fingers together and slashed at Wu Xie like a sharp sword. With just this one finger, Wu Xie's face turned ashen, and his body retreated rapidly like a gust of wind.

The instant he retreated, the table beside him was sliced ​​in two as if made of paper. Seeing this, Shan Liang put his hands behind his back, pushed off lightly with his feet, and shot forward like an arrow.

"Amazing!" Yan Yi's exclamation rang out like a nightingale's song.

"A master!" the Princess exclaimed solemnly. Xiao Xingchen stared at Xizhu, pondering to himself, clearly not expecting a mere guard to possess such extraordinary strength.

He found it increasingly difficult to understand this woman. With such a mysterious and unpredictable person appearing in his life, it was impossible for him not to have some thoughts.

However, the current issue is still Chen Buxu's problem.

"Now that Wu Xie has been driven out, you can say what you have to say." Chen Buxu looked at Yan Yi and Xi Zhu, the meaning in his eyes was self-evident.

"Don't worry, this woman from Da Yan seems to be keeping her mouth shut. As for the other one, we can't beat her, so let's just leave her alone."

Xiao Xingchen understood immediately. He didn't give Chen the chance to speak privately, as he wasn't familiar with the Prince of Nanling. With so many people around, they could help him discern the truth.

"You're wrong. I don't care if Great Yan and this young lady know. What I fear is that the Eldest Princess is here."

"Uh?"

Chen's words left Xiao Xingchen speechless for a moment, then she laughed.

"So it turns out I was just trying to guard against you. That was my oversight. Do you want to say something?"

"Shut up, say what you have to say, or get lost."

Huangfu Lingxue was taken aback. She wasn't interested in what was happening, but Chen Buxu's words seemed to be a defense mechanism against her, which made her snort coldly, almost as if she was about to punch him at the slightest provocation.

"This..." Chen Buxu scratched his head, completely confused about the relationship between the Eldest Princess and Xiao Xingchen. He could only look to the others for help.

"Hey, where did this idiot come from? Since the princess is sitting here, it proves that she is one of us. How stupid."

Yan Yi urged him on, her eyes gleaming with a playful, gossipy glint.

"I see. But this matter is of great importance, and I must be cautious."

Chen Buxu offered an explanation, then stood up, stepped forward, straightened his clothes, and bowed to Xiao Xingchen.

“Chen Buxu, the Prince of Nanling, is not allowed to pay respects to the Prince of Kaoshan on behalf of my king. Due to the urgency of the matter, he dares not come directly to the mansion and can only wait outside the mansion for an opportunity. Please forgive him, Prince of Kaoshan.”

Chen Buxu's formal bow made Xiao Xingchen's expression turn serious. He immediately stood up and hurriedly asked,

"What exactly happened? Has something happened in Nanling?"

"Yes, something has happened in Nanling. Only the Prince of Kaoshan can solve this problem. Therefore, my king requests the Prince of Kaoshan to save the people of Nanling from their suffering. Chen Buxu thanks the Prince of Kaoshan on their behalf."

"Get up and explain in detail."

Xiao Xingchen helped him up. A person who could represent a king was an absolute confidant, and such a confidant would be respected wherever he went, naturally possessing a strong sense of pride. Yet Chen Buxu actually wanted to kneel before him. This made Xiao Xingchen wonder what kind of change might be happening in Nanling at this time.

He dared not accept this bow, for Chen's refusal represented a greater cause, and he feared it would shorten his lifespan.

The eldest princess also cast an inquiring glance; she had never heard of anything happening in Nanling.

"Nanling has changed hands."

Unexpectedly, Chen Buxu's first words stunned everyone present; they even doubted whether they had misheard.

"What did you say?"

Xiao Xingchen asked again,

"I said, Nanling has changed hands,"

"What do you mean?" Huangfu Lingxue suddenly stood up.

"The Xiao family of Nanling has plotted a rebellion and has taken control of the entire Nanling."

Chen Buxu sighed, responding with a hint of helplessness.

"what?"

Even Xiao Xingchen couldn't remain calm this time; he was completely stunned. In his previous life, the Xiao family had never experienced anything like this until they were wiped out by the Martial Emperor.

"Tell me what happened slowly."

Upon hearing this, Ruoxue realized the situation was quite serious and quickly stepped forward to signal the three to speak calmly. As for Xizhu, she sat there seemingly unconcerned, as if watching a spectacle.

"Twenty days ago, the Xiao family of Nanling suddenly hosted a banquet for many officials, including my king. We suspected nothing, but they caught us like fish in a jar, directly taking control of everyone who attended the banquet, resulting in the complete annihilation of the Nanling law enforcement agencies."

"Afterwards, the Xiao family immediately sent people to replace all the government offices in Nanling, occupying the entire territory of Nanling without losing a single soldier,"

"You mean Nanling has now declared itself an independent kingdom?"

"Yes, Nanling may seem to still be part of the Great Qian Dynasty, but in reality it has become independent and is heavily guarded on the border, allowing entry but not exit."

Chen Buxu's words calmed Xiao Xingchen down. He looked at the others.

"What do you think?"

Huangfu Lingxue was the most qualified to speak on this matter, after all, the Great Qian Dynasty was surnamed Huangfu. She asked,

"Such an earth-shattering event has occurred in Nanling, why don't you go and report it to His Majesty, instead of coming to the Prince Kao Shan's residence?"

"I was like a headless fly, bumping into walls everywhere, with no way to report to anyone! The left and right prime ministers were dismissed from their posts, and no one knew about the new prime minister. The imperial palace was heavily guarded. When others heard my words, they just thought I was a madman talking nonsense."

Chen Buxu shook his head helplessly, then said,

"At this opportune moment, the Prince of Kao Shan is at the height of his power, and from what I have seen of your past deeds, you are a person who hates evil as if it were your enemy. Even though you have no interest in officialdom, you have a compassionate heart. Therefore, I have come here today hoping that Your Highness can stand up for the people of Nanling and save Nanling from its dire straits."

"Do you know that he is the eldest son of the Xiao family? Perhaps you have walked into a trap and entered a wolf's den today?"

“Princess, please don’t joke. Everyone in Nanling knows that if there is one person in the world who most wants to get rid of the Xiao family, it must be the eldest son of the Xiao family. I actually hope that Your Highness is that eldest son. In that case, Nanling will be saved.”

"Such a thing is true?" Huangfu Lingxue frowned, her gaze turning to Xiao Xingchen as if seeking confirmation.

"What he said is true. If anyone in the world wants to destroy the Xiao family, the eldest son of the Xiao family will definitely be the first to be targeted."

After speaking, Xiao Xingchen fell silent. He was very confused. The Northern Region had fallen, the Eastern Region's vast sea had been lost, and now the Southern Mausoleum had also been occupied by others. What exactly did this Martial Emperor intend to do?

Watching the Great Qian Dynasty being gradually divided up while he remained as steady as Mount Tai was truly beyond his imagination.

They had no information from the Western Regions, but the situation there was probably not optimistic either.

If he were a normal emperor, facing a life-or-death crisis for the Great Qian Dynasty, he would certainly take action.

Must Emperor Wu wait until the Great Qian Dynasty is divided up and only Yong'an remains before he takes any action? He couldn't quite figure these things out for the time being, but one thing he was certain of was that Emperor Wu could not possibly be unaware of these events happening in the North, South, and East regions, and that knowingly turning a blind eye was the crux of the matter.

“Alright, I will go and inform my father immediately to send troops to suppress the rebellion.”

Huangfu Lingxue walked straight outside, but then heard Xiao Xingchen say,

"I suggest you calm down; this matter isn't that simple."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't quite explain it, but I'm certain that with Emperor Wu's power, he couldn't possibly be unaware of the situation in Nanling,"

These words greatly alarmed Chen Buxu.

"Does Your Highness mean that His Majesty knows that Nanling has fallen?"

"Of course, nothing in the Great Qian territory can be hidden from Emperor Wu. Don't worry, Nanling will be fine. Those short-sighted fellows from the Xiao family can't defeat Emperor Wu."

He's the most qualified to speak on this issue. The Xiao family is a bunch of idiots; compared to Emperor Wu, they wouldn't even amount to one.

"Now..."

"Let's wait and see. Oh, by the way, Chen Buxu, right? You can stay here for now. Anyway, you have no relatives or friends in Yong'an. Just stay in the mansion and treat it as your own home. Don't worry about Nanling. I'll take care of that."

"Thank you, Your Highness. I do this on behalf of the people of Nanling."

"Stop, stop, halt! Someone, go arrange accommodation for this person!"

Xiao Xingchen impatiently sent Chen Buxu away, then sat back down with a headache. He was really annoyed. He had clearly gone against Emperor Wu today, but Emperor Wu was being as lenient with him as if he were his own son. What was going on?