My father, Li Shimin, requests Your Majesty to become the Retired Emperor.

Chapter 52 An Unexpected Romantic Encounter, the Sacred Flame Token of the Western Regions

Han Fei was a prince of the state of Han.

In his early years, he and Li Si both studied under Xunzi.

Han Fei had a stutter; although he couldn't speak well, he was very good at writing.

Li Si knew that his talents were inferior to Han Fei's.

Later, Li Si went to the Qin state and gradually gained the Qin king's favor.

[On one occasion, Ying Zheng read Han Fei's work, greatly admired it, and exclaimed, "To meet this man and associate with him, I would die without regret!"]

"It seems that Qin Shi Huang worshipped Han Fei to the point of worship," Li Chengqian said.

Han Fei was not valued by the King of Han and remained frustrated and unfulfilled.

Ying Zheng wanted to acquire Han Fei and planned to send troops to attack the state of Han.

Upon learning this news, the King of Han was greatly alarmed, and thus appointed Han Fei as an envoy to the State of Qin.

"Han Fei was so talented, why didn't the King of Han give him a more important position?"

The King of Han was well aware of Han Fei's exceptional talent, but he worried that Han Fei might pose a threat to his royal power.

"Isn't he judging others by his own petty standards?"

How many rulers can be truly free from suspicion? They want to employ others, yet they also fear that those others will surpass them;

When Han Fei arrived in Qin, after a conversation with Ying Zheng, Ying Zheng greatly appreciated him; however, during their conversation, Han Fei expressed that he would only ever be loyal to his country.

"So, did Ying Zheng give him an important position?"

【No.】

Why?

Because Han Fei was a prince of the state of Han, even though he was in the state of Qin, his heart was with the state of Han.

Ying Zheng feared that if he were to give him an important position, it would be detrimental to the Qin state.

"He and Li Si were classmates, didn't Li Si speak well of him?"

On the contrary, after learning that Ying Zheng greatly appreciated Han Fei, Li Si became jealous and worried that Han Fei would steal his limelight and eventually surpass him in rank.

Although they were both students of Xunzi, there were still significant differences between them:

Li Si studied the "art of rulership" and was a pragmatist;

Han Fei did not study Xunzi's Confucianism, but instead carried forward his Legalist thought, making him a theorist.

Of course, Han Fei was truly talented and learned;

Li Si, based on practical considerations, said to the King of Qin,

Han Fei only has the state of Han in his heart; he would never serve Qin. If Han Fei were to return to Han one day, he would become a formidable enemy of Qin. It would be better to eliminate him as soon as possible.

"What? Could Li Si really say something like that? They were classmates!"

Aren't there plenty of instances of classmates sabotaging each other?

Although Ying Zheng admired Han Fei's talent, he agreed to Li Si's proposal for the sake of the overall situation.

Therefore, Ying Zheng imprisoned Han Fei;

Li Si was determined to eliminate him, so he poisoned Han Fei in prison.

"Huh? Han Fei died just like that?"

Yes, although he died, his work "Han Feizi" has been passed down through generations and has become a classic work of Legalist thought.

"Han Fei abandoned wealth and honor, choosing instead to die for his country. He was truly an admirable man," Li Chengqian said with deep emotion.

At this moment, another message popped up on the simulator screen. Before Li Chengqian could even open it, the message had already opened: [Host, a beautiful woman has arrived outside. Should you see her or not?]

Ok?

Where did this beautiful woman come from?

While Li Chengqian was wondering what was going on, he noticed a woman in green walking in from outside the door.

Li Chengqian looked up and saw that the woman was tall and slender with a curvaceous figure and large, bright eyes. However, her appearance was different from that of women from the Central Plains; she had deep-set eyes and a high nose.

In the original owner's memory, this woman seemed to be from Xinjiang. However, it is undeniable that the woman was not only young and beautiful, but also had a charming and graceful demeanor when she walked.

As the woman drew closer, Li Chengqian couldn't help but ask, "Who are you? Who are you looking for?"

"Young master, who I am is not important. What's important is that I'm looking for you." The woman in green smiled brightly and spoke softly, making one's bones melt.

"I—," Li Chengqian, who was used to referring to himself as "I," quickly corrected himself when he heard the other person address him as "Young Master," "I don't know you. What do you want with me?"

"Look at the bright moonlight outside the window. How can we waste such a beautiful moment?" the woman in green said, her eyes alluring and her gaze captivating.

"Young lady, we are complete strangers, please leave now."

"I didn't expect you to be so clueless. Now that I'm here, how can you bear to send me away?" The woman in green said, taking off her outer robe to reveal a red bodice on her upper body and a pair of baggy green trousers on her lower body.

The woman had skin as white as snow, a slender neck, and arms as delicate as tender shoots. Her full, snow-white breasts looked as if they were about to burst out of her bodice, and her entire back was bare, smooth as satin.

The woman approached Li Chengqian, took a deep breath, and confidently pulled out her breasts, asking, "Do you think my figure is alright?"

"Young lady, please leave immediately, or I'll have to call for help."

"Oh, you're such a blockhead! What cat doesn't steal fish? Are you afraid that Miss Su Wan will be jealous?"

As the woman finished speaking, she reached out and wrapped her arms around Li Chengqian's neck: "Young master, what are you waiting for? Come with me to the bed."

Since his transmigration, Li Chengqian had never encountered anything so strange. Where would he find such a wonderful thing as a beautiful woman offering herself up?

Li Chengqian suddenly stood up, shoved her away, and asked sternly, "Who exactly are you?"

At this moment, seeing that Li Chengqian had no interest in her, the woman's smile vanished, replaced by an icy coldness.

She turned around and quickly pulled something out of her trouser pocket. It was about a foot long, looked like jade, and was hard. One end was round, like a heart, and the other end was pointed, like a dagger. It faintly emitted a green light, and the light seemed to be moving around like a silver snake.

Li Chengqian had never seen what that thing was before, and he was momentarily stunned.

Unexpectedly, the woman, holding the object, thrust the sharp end fiercely into Li Chengqian's chest.

"what!"

Li Chengqian was greatly surprised and shouted.

Because the two were so close and it happened so suddenly, it wasn't easy for Li Chengqian to dodge.

He quickly had a flash of inspiration and did two somersaults backward, managing to dodge her attack.

The two then began to fight in the room.

The woman seemed like a completely different person; her previous gentleness had vanished, replaced by a storm of attacks, like a tigress descending from the mountain.

Li Chengqian faced numerous dangers and was forced to retreat repeatedly.

Just then, a voice shouted, "Your Highness, do not be afraid! Your humble servant has arrived."

The person who arrived was none other than Su Gui.

Su Gui had been waiting outside because he had gone to the outhouse because of a stomachache. Unexpectedly, the woman took the opportunity to sneak in.

Su Gui's head was buzzing with fright. She thought to herself, "What if something goes wrong?"

The woman had already put on her green dress. Seeing that Li Chengqian had come to help, she darted out of the courtyard.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" Su Gui asked.

"I'm fine." Li Chengqian breathed a sigh of relief and calmed himself down.

"It's good that you're alright, watch me catch her!"

Li Chengqian and Su Gui both came to the courtyard.

The courtyard is very spacious.

"What kind of vixen is this? How dare she attempt to assassinate His Highness!"

Su Gui brandished her pear blossom spear and charged at the woman in green.

"You're the demon!" The woman brandished a weapon and began fighting with Su Gui.

The two fought for more than ten rounds without a clear winner.

Li Chengqian watched from the side and gradually realized that the weapon the woman was using might be the legendary Sacred Fire Token of the Western Regions.

The saying goes, "An inch longer, an inch stronger."

Su Gui's pear blossom spear was indeed extraordinary, flying up and down, appearing and disappearing unpredictably;

Of course, since Li Chengqian was watching from the side, Su Gui also wanted to make a good impression on the Crown Prince.

Su Gui launched a series of fierce attacks.

The woman gradually found herself only able to defend herself, unable to retaliate.

At that moment, two more women's voices rang out in the air: "Shameless! A man hitting a woman!"

"Yes, she's quite good-looking!"

As soon as he finished speaking, two women appeared in the courtyard, one in white and one in green.

The woman in white said to the woman in green, "Princess Guanghua, this brat with the big spear dares to bully you! Let's three of us take him on and see just how powerful he really is!"

"Little Bai, you've come at the perfect time! That boy is handsome and sleek. Catch him and he'll be yours to keep as your man!" Princess Guanghua said.

"I think it's a good idea!" Xiaoqing said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Su Gui was furious. She thought to herself, "No wonder people say women are unreasonable. Oh, if men hitting women is shameless, then what about you ganging up on the few of us?"

But it doesn't matter, even if three more of you come, I'm not afraid!

She wants me to be her man? She's dreaming!

Li Chengqian, who was listening nearby, thought to himself, "So she is Princess Guanghua. Isn't that Tuoba Chici's woman? Does that mean they already know where we are?"

However, it's understandable, since Li Tai had been here before, so they were prepared in advance, and their scouts must have already found out.

Princess Guanghua is truly ruthless; she actually poisoned herself.

The two women also drew their weapons, which were exactly the same as those in Princess Guanghua's hands.

Three women trapped Su Gui in the center from three directions.

Su Gui faced three opponents alone without showing any fear.

The four fought for more than ten rounds, but still no one could gain the upper hand.

Princess Guanghua, seeing that Su Gui was too powerful and that it would be difficult to defeat him if the fight continued like this, shouted loudly, "Form the battle formation!"

Deploy troops?

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian wondered if the three of them could form a defensive formation.

The three women suddenly rose to their feet, their legs intertwined on the same plane, their heads facing outwards, their arms outstretched, forming a "ring".

"rise!"

At Princess Guanghua's command, the "ring" slowly rolled on the ground, and the weapons in their hands emitted a green light.

Su Gui had never seen anything like this before, and at first, he thought it was quite fun.

However, the "ring" gradually accelerated its rotation speed, and in the blink of an eye, it was in front of Su Gui. The three women simultaneously swung their weapons at Su Gui.

"Su Gui, be careful!" Li Chengqian saw this and was worried for Su Gui.

Su Gui was startled to see the three weapons striking him simultaneously. He quickly dodged backward, retreating more than ten feet away, thus avoiding the attack.

Then look at the "ring" rolling back and forth in the courtyard, rolling faster and faster, gradually turning into a colorful "ball" that was shining.

In the courtyard, wherever the "ball" went, gusts of wind immediately arose.

The "ball" darted south and north, east and west, rolling at an extremely fast speed, eventually resembling a "fog shadow".

However, to Su Gui's surprise, the Sacred Flame Token kept flying out from the "Mist Shadow" and heading straight for his vital points. Su Gui tried his best to dodge, but the Sacred Flame Token flew back and waited for another opportunity to be released.

"It's dangerous here, Your Highness, please come inside!" Su Gui shouted.

"Here's a shield, take it!"

At some point, Li Chengqian produced two shields, keeping one for himself and throwing the other to Su Gui.

With a shield in hand, Su Gui became much bolder.

As the "misty shadow" rolled toward him again, about two zhang away, a Sacred Flame Token flew out from it, heading straight for his face. He quickly used his shield to block it.

In his ears, he heard a loud "clang" as the sacred fire token struck the shield, sending sparks flying.

Just like that, Su Gui was shaken back more than ten feet.

The Sacred Flame Token missed its target and flew back, but a second Sacred Flame Token flew out, keeping Su Gui extremely busy.

Li Chengqian saw this and realized that things were not good. If the fighting continued like this, Su Gui would not be able to hold out for long.

Li Chengqian brought out a "new weapon"—a crossbow designed by himself.

He himself did not know how powerful the crossbow bolt was.

He nocked three arrows at once, aiming at the center of the "mist".

This crossbow can fire in rapid succession.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

With three sounds, the "misty shadow" immediately disappeared.

The three arrows were deflected by the Sacred Flame Token and struck the wall. The arrowheads were embedded in the wall, while the fletchings were sticking out and still trembling.

The three women separated again and stood in the courtyard.

Princess Guanghua looked at Li Chengqian: "Crown Prince of Tang, what weapon are you using? I've never seen it before."

"These are my latest crossbow and arrow designs."

"They're really good. Let's retreat!"

At Princess Guanghua's command, the three women leaped onto the roof and fled.

Su Gui was so exhausted that she was covered in sweat and collapsed on the ground.

Li Chengqian helped him up.

At this moment, Su Wan and the others heard the commotion and rushed over.

Everyone started asking questions, one after another.

Li Chengqian then recounted the entire incident.

Of course, he didn't mention that Princess Gwanghwa had taken off her clothes in front of him.

Everyone was shocked when they heard this.

Seeing that Li Chengqian and Su Gui were both alright, Su Wan felt relieved.

Among these people, Princess Hengyang was Li Chengqian's aunt and the eldest in seniority, so everyone respected her greatly.

Princess Hengyang came with Li Chengqian because she wanted to take the opportunity to visit Ashina She'er.

Everyone knew the truth, but no one said it aloud.

She sat in the middle chair and looked at everyone: "We've only just left Chang'an and arrived at Yangguan when this happened. We're still far from the Dangxiang people. What do you all think we should do?"

Su Wan crossed her arms and paced back and forth in the room: "Princess Guanghua is the daughter of Khan Fuyun. She has already married Tuoba Chici. Her attack on the Crown Prince this time shows that they know our whereabouts very well. It is too conspicuous for so many of us to gather together. Therefore, I suggest that we break up into smaller groups and disperse."

We must send out scouts to investigate the situation within a 200-mile radius. If we discover any spies from the Dangxiang and Tuyuhun, we must capture them!

In addition, we must strengthen our defenses to prevent any further attacks.

The crowd immediately started discussing it, with some thinking it was better to spread out and others thinking it was better to stay together.

Li Chengqian pondered for a moment and said, "If we all crowd together, we'll be too conspicuous and easily spotted. Therefore, I agree with Su Wan's suggestion to split into two groups:

The first group consists of Su Wan, Su Gui, Xue Er, Fa Tong, and Gu.

Group 2: Princess Hengyang, Princess Chengyang, Du He, Du Zhenglun, Mujishe;

The supply wagons and entourage were also split in two;

The first group, led by Su Gui, is responsible for security; the second group, led by Mu Jishe, is responsible for everyone's safety; Shui Jishe and Feng Jishe are responsible for scouting the surrounding area.

"Yes!" Everyone nodded in agreement when the Crown Prince spoke.

Du Zhenglun volunteered: "Your Highness, our two groups must maintain contact. We need a liaison officer, so I will be the liaison officer in the middle."

Li Chengqian couldn't help but laugh when he saw his expression: "Alright, then thank you for your trouble."

Su Wan reminded everyone again: "The opponent is very cunning, and his martial arts skills are superb. His moves are unpredictable. You all need to be careful and not fall into their trap."

So the group split into two groups and set off separately.

To ensure everyone's safety, at the crack of dawn the next day, Mizuki and Kazeki rode out on horseback to scout.

Shuiji said, "Tell me, how wonderful it would be if we stayed in Zhongnan Mountain! When we have free time, we could hunt, drink, and chat. How carefree and happy that would be!"

Feng Jishe said, "You can't say that. You should think of it this way: it's our honor that His Highness has taken us under his wing."

Shuiji thought for a moment and said, "That makes sense."

"We must capture all the spies within a two-hundred-mile radius. If anything happens to His Highness and the Princess, neither of us will survive."

"Alright, let's do it your way."

That evening, they indeed captured a spy and brought him back.

Li Chengqian and his group found another inn to stay at.

Shuiji tied the spy up tightly.

When the spy saw Li Chengqian, he was extremely arrogant, as if to say, "Kill me if you want, torture me if you want, and don't even flinch."

"You dare not kneel before His Highness!" Mizuki said, kicking the spy in the calf, and the man knelt down with a thud.

The man was somewhat surprised to see Fatong standing behind Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian looked down at him: "What's your name? Where are you from? Why are you trying to find out our whereabouts?"

However, no matter how Li Chengqian asked him, the man didn't say a word.

Mizuki was so angry he wanted to slap him.

Li Chengqian waved his hand: "Don't hit him, take him to the stable."

"Hey! You got lucky, kid!"