Chapter 293: The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind

Whether to speak or not, having said those words, Liu Ji felt a bit regretful.

But who is he?

Fortunately, having mingled in the streets for years, he had early on developed a face as thick as copper walls and iron.

Seeing everyone's strange expressions, Liu Ji lightly coughed and rose to his feet, saying:

"...... It's nothing; I mean, going to the prefecture to pay a visit is no problem, just to leave a thin favor for the future."

"Anyway, I'm now considered successful, and I no longer harbor thoughts of climbing high branches; whether the Princess is married or not has little to do with me."

The messenger fell silent again——

All said, he is not worthy of our Princess.

What, he's already given up the notion of climbing high branches???

In short, after all his talk, Liu Ji simply didn't take any of it in, did he?

However......

However, upon hearing that the Princess is a woman, this person does seem to have relaxed a bit?

If the Princess were an ordinary man, he would likely suspect some motive and hesitate a little, wouldn't he?

After all, the principle of capturing the king first when catching bandits has been said for not a thousand, but eight hundred years......

Recalling his own arrangements upon arrival, the lead messenger's heart stirred, but he quickly lowered his eyelids, concealing his thoughts:

Then, please, Lord Liu, make the trip.

This time, Liu Ji had no hesitation and readily agreed to the request to enter the city and report for duty.

He selected a few trusted, capable brothers to accompany him, and together with three prefecture messengers, they left the city, riding their horses toward the prefectural seat.

The party galloped swiftly; on the empty mountain wilderness ancient road, only the uniform, rhythmic sound of horse hooves—'pitter-patter'—echoed back and forth, monotonous yet urgent.

Along the road, the woods were deep and secluded, weeds spread widely, and continuous mountains rose and fell on both sides, flanking the official road; the terrain was remote, tranquil, and deep, with few inhabitants.

Liu Ji rode his horse in the middle of the column, his mind wholly absent from the road.

He repeatedly turned over in his mind the news about that mysterious Princess——

The orphan of the deposed crown prince, the newly appointed Lord of Yongzhou Food Fief, in a single night purged all the old officials of the prefecture, his methods ruthless......

That is quite a formidable feat.

Only someone who truly plants his feet on the ground and truly fights his way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, step by step, can know how difficult these words really are.

He seized two cities, already expending the strength of nine oxen and two tigers; let alone unifying Yongzhou with thunderous force......

If it were a man instead, he would surely need the ability to contend for the world in the days to come, wouldn't he?

Liu Ji pondered the pros and cons, his mind tense, unable to relax for a long time, casting aside the surrounding sounds and movements.

After riding an unknown distance, the continual wind and leaf rustle faded away, and even the last trace of insect chirps and bird calls vanished completely.

Heaven and earth were still; all things lay in deep stillness.

Liu Ji casually glanced around, and that keen sense of danger honed from years of wandering the wilds and licking blood on blades suddenly seized his mind.

He snapped back to awareness, not realizing when he had followed the messenger into a deserted ancient path.

On both sides of the ancient road, dense woods blocked out the sky and sun, the shade thick; the forest gloom was deep and dim, sight blocked by layers of leaves, making it impossible to see anything inside.

This is an ideal spot for an ambush!

Danger!

Liu Ji's face instantly changed, the contemplation and calm in his eyes completely fading.

He hesitated not at all, fiercely gripping the reins and shouting loudly:

"Not good! An ambush! Everyone, turn back and return to the city at once!"

As his shout rang out, he jerked the reins hard; the steed beneath him neighed in pain, its forelegs lifting high, forcibly checking its forward momentum.

The few brothers riding beside him, all battle-hardened elites, reacted instantly; hearing the cry, they tensed, simultaneously reined their horses about, intending to turn and gallop away.

But it was ultimately too late.

But it was, after all, too late!

Just as everyone turned their horses' heads, a sudden, dense, muffled sound of machinery turning came from the deep woods on both sides.

The next instant, a sky‑filled crackling of tearing air exploded, and a hail of short bolts poured from the forest like locusts, precisely blanketing the entire party.

The ambushers measured their aim with extreme precision; the bolts avoided vital spots like the heart and throat, striking instead the shoulders and thighs—non‑lethal targets—intending not to kill but to capture.

Each bolt tip was soaked in a colorless, odorless, potent drug; as the volley tore through the air, a faint strange scent spread silently.

The accompanying brothers had no time to block or dodge; in an instant several were struck.

The drug's potency was extreme; upon entering the body it took effect instantly, leaving everyone feeling their limbs go limp, strength draining rapidly, heads spinning, vision darkening, unable to muster any strength to struggle, and they fell one after another heavily from their horses.

Liu Ji, whose skill far surpassed ordinary men, forcibly sidestepped in the crisis, dodging most of the bolt rain, yet a single short bolt still found his shoulder.

The slight sting faded instantly, replaced by a warm, numbing dizziness that raced along his bloodstream, instantly engulfing his whole body.

He gritted his teeth, focused, and forced his qi to rise, urging his horse to break through, but not knowing the origin of the drug, its effect spread rapidly; his whole body grew sore and weak, even staying seated in the saddle became a luxury.

At that moment, dozens of black‑clad ambushers burst from the woods, their movements swift and orderly, clearly seasoned elites.

The crowd quickly closed in, layer by layer blocking escape routes, tightly trapping Liu Ji in the center and cutting off every chance of flight.

The tide had turned; there was no power to reverse it.

Liu Ji's vision grew blurred, his consciousness sank layer by layer, and his strength utterly dissipated.

In his hazy daze, he saw the earlier lead messenger—who had been courteous and respectful—slowly rein his horse and draw up before him.

On that young face, which had always been gentle and proper, the pretense had already fallen away, leaving only cold indifference, his eyes full of contempt:

"Lord Liu, I said before—you simply are not worthy of the Princess."

Who doesn't know the Princess is good?

Everyone knows.

Earlier, when the rivers flooded and the elders and villagers could only struggle to survive in the murky water, if it weren't for her leading the troops to forcefully break open the gate of Dun Cheng and secure a slim chance of survival for the people, he and many others would likely have perished in the raging flood......

Moreover, let alone settling down, now he even seeks a 'runner' position, which not only provides a salary but also allows him to learn riding and archery?

The Princess is good, everyone knows that.

It's a pity, the Princess also has a flaw: she was already engaged early on, and there are far too many people who admire her.

This leads even stray cats and dogs to dare to covet her.

But how could they possibly be qualified?

Besides, he had previously gone with the Princess to meet the Deposed Crown Prince, and this time he was again dispatched to find Liu Ji......

The Princess keeps dispatching him so often, yet she still hasn't remembered his name.

What makes outsiders think they could be the exception?

A young man with an indifferent expression sat on his horse, his posture straight, his gaze as cold as a cold spring.

Liu Ji cursed under his breath, about to speak, but his eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, his body went limp, and he toppled straight off his horse.

As he plunged completely into darkness, the only thought in his mind was——

Damn it, I miscalculated.

"What?"

"What do you mean, just grabbing people right outside the city?"

Yongzhou, Zhoufu, the study.

Du Shanü listened to the subordinate's report, for a moment unable to believe what she had actually heard:

"Well, what was that county magistrate's name again...... oh, Liu Ji, shouldn't Liu Ji be quite capable?"

"If he lacked ability, how could he have obtained two cities?"

"How was he captured all of a sudden?"

Du Shanü had originally thought she would first feign cooperation with the opponent, then entertain him with a banquet, and seize him when he let his guard down......

"He hadn't even entered the door, and yet he was captured?"

"Then Liu Ji isn't all that great after all!"

Du Shanü lightly scratched her forehead, then looked up and asked her Afang:

"... Who captured Liu Ji?"

Chen Weifang hesitated slightly, then spoke:

"A lowly county office clerk who usually shows no particular talent, often waiting in the prefectural hall to be summoned......"

"The Wise Lord should have seen him, but just didn't note his name; this person is called Xuan Feixing."

Xuan: first tone, a rare surname from Lingnan, derived from the Ji surname.

Come on, come on! I love you all today too!

But today I have to say something: the author is in Zhejiangnan and is about to face a level-seventeen super typhoon...... I don't know if there will be internet, power, or water outages, so updates over the next few days may be unstable; if there are any issues, I hope everyone will forgive me (＞人＜；) I'm really sorry~