Chapter 235: Have You Ever Heard of Swear Not to Return?
After getting off the boat, Shen Yulou was planning to find a place to stay first and settle this cart of "Amway" first-aid kits.
A maidservant wearing a pale green silk dress and looking slightly anxious suddenly emerged from the crowd.
She quickly walked up to the two people and bowed.
The maidservant's eyes swept over Shen Yulou.
Their attire was noticeably different from that of the people of Yan State, making them easy to recognize.
"May I ask, are you Lord Shen Yulou from Great Hun? My Princess has been waiting for a long time."
Shen Yulou was stunned for a moment. It seemed Princess Na Xing had already received word of his arrival?
He nodded and followed the maidservant.
He had her arrange another spacious carriage, loaded the cart of local products onto it, and slowly drove toward the palace.
The carriage was slightly bumpy, making one more prone to motion sickness than a modern ride-hailing vehicle.
Suddenly, Madam Li, sitting beside him, frowned and leaned close to his ear.
"Something's wrong. The carriage turned. This is not the way to the palace."
Shen Yulou frowned slightly, lifted the curtain, and glanced outside.
Damn, it really wasn't.
Ahead were not the high walls of the palace, but an area of wealthy residences, ornately decorated, surrounded by many patrolling soldiers.
He lowered the curtain, looked at the maidservant, and said coldly.
"Miss, where are we going? This isn't the way to see Princess Na Xing, is it?"
The maidservant maintained a standardized professional smile and replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.
"Lord Shen, please don't worry. Her Royal Highness the Princess is not in the palace today. You will see her shortly."
Shen Yulou's heart sank.
An extremely ominous premonition instantly enveloped him.
Damn it, why is this script so familiar?
It felt like he was dreaming of when he first transmigrated.
The carriage stopped in front of a magnificent mansion. Two stone lions at the entrance looked mighty and imposing, and two large, gilded characters were written vigorously on the vermilion gate.
Military Marquis Residence.
The maidservant led the two people out of the carriage and walked inside.
Shen Yulou looked at the plaque, his mouth twitching uncontrollably, while ten thousand grass mud horses galloped through his mind.
Good heavens!
I knew it!
It's this routine again.
Back when I first entered the palace in the Hun Kingdom, trying to see the Imperial Consort was incredibly difficult.
If I wasn't intercepted by the Empress, I was being framed by the chief eunuch—it was traps everywhere, a perilous journey at every step.
Why is it the same routine now that I'm in Yan State?
Fortunately, Shen Yulou was already used to this kind of scheming and his mind raced quickly.
Otherwise, with this kind of opening, it would be hard to survive three episodes.
The moment they stepped into the main hall, Madam Li sensed that something was wrong.
She subtly moved closer to Shen Yulou, lowered her voice, and quickly spoke.
"On the beams, behind the screens, there are at least twenty archers lying in ambush.
They all have powerful bows. If a fight breaks out, I can barely protect myself, but I won't be able to protect you."
Madam Li was concise.
For an expert of her caliber, her assessment of strength was highly reliable.
She had a clear understanding of both herself and others and was not reckless.
Since she said this, if a fight truly erupted, she genuinely would not be able to protect him.
Madam Li's voice carried a hint of solemnity. She continued.
"Should we... capture the leader first?"
This was the best method Madam Li could think of.
Capturing this Military Marquis still offered a glimmer of hope.
"No need."
Shen Yulou shook his head, his eyes showing no panic whatsoever.
"Sister-in-law, relax. Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? Fighting these bastards is beneath us.
Besides, if we start fighting, we'll just become targets.
The risk is too great."
Madam Li felt a surge of doubt.
Aren't we targets right now?
However, looking at Shen Yulou's arrogant, fearless demeanor, her anxious heart inexplicably settled down significantly.
Shen Yulou, meanwhile, felt no fear at all.
Why panic?
Back then, I was empty-handed and had no status, yet I managed to manipulate those women in the Hun Kingdom's Imperial Harem.
The Empress? The Imperial Consort?
Aren't they all crying and begging me to love them now?
What's happening now is just a small scene.
Sitting in the main seat of the hall was a burly middle-aged man.
The man was about fifty years old, with a square face, sharp eyebrows that slanted toward his temples, and eyes as keen as a hawk's.
A saber scar ran across his face from the corner of his eye to the corner of his mouth, adding to his fierce aura.
He sat there casually, yet naturally exuded a commanding, murderous presence.
This was none other than Sima Changfeng, the First Rank Military Marquis of Yan State who held military power.
Sima Changfeng raised his eyes, scanned Shen Yulou, and gave a sarcastic sneer.
"Haha, you are Shen Yulou, the one who performed the cesarean section on the Princess?
Remarkable, truly remarkable!
You are a great benefactor of our Yan State!"
The moment his voice fell, Madam Li's fingers, hidden in her sleeve, instantly gripped several Date Pit Darts.
Around them, the subtle sound of bowstrings being drawn taut could be heard.
The air instantly solidified.
Sima Changfeng clearly harbored killing intent.
Sima Changfeng didn't know what Shen Yulou was here for, but it was highly likely he intended to help Princess Na Xing.
Naturally, Sima Changfeng could not let him succeed.
The Princess was currently under his control and couldn't even leave the palace.
Since Shen Yulou had arrived at this time, Sima Changfeng had no intention of letting him go.
However, Shen Yulou acted as if he hadn't sensed the deadly killing intent. He stepped forward, a warm smile on his face.
"Military Marquis, you flatter me. I wouldn't call myself a benefactor."
"After all, that was my own son. Isn't it only right that I personally delivered him?"
Boom!
The smile on Sima Changfeng's face instantly froze.
His eyes widened, and he shot up from his chair as if struck by lightning!
He pointed at Shen Yulou, his voice changing pitch.
"You... say that again?!"
"I said,"
The smile on Shen Yulou's face deepened, every word landing clearly in Sima Changfeng's ears.
"The child in Princess Na Xing's belly is mine, her biological father."
Sima Changfeng's pupils severely contracted as he stared fixedly at Shen Yulou.
"Impossible! The child in Her Royal Highness's womb is the posthumous son of the former Imperial Son-in-Law!
The Imperial Son-in-Law went on an expedition with the former Emperor, and both died in battle!
Furthermore, Her Royal Highness the Princess has never stepped half a pace outside Yan State. How could the child be yours?!"
"Military Marquis, you are unaware,"
Shen Yulou said slowly.
"This Official came to Yan State once two years ago under an alias, it's just... my movements were quite secretive."
"Hmph, secretive?"
Sima Changfeng sneered, "Throughout all of Yan State, there is nothing that I, Sima Changfeng, do not know!"
"Our dynasty's defenses are tight. Could you really sneak in without anyone noticing?"
"Is that so?"
Shen Yulou raised an eyebrow and countered.
"Then, Military Marquis, have you ever heard the name 'Swear Not to Return'?'"
"Swear Not to Return is precisely the alias This Official used when traveling the Jianghu back then."
Sima Changfeng was momentarily stunned. Of course, he had heard of Swear Not to Return.
But the Shen Yulou standing before him clearly didn't fit the description.
"You? Swear Not to Return?
Legend says Swear Not to Return's Lightness Skill is unmatched and he possesses the ability of Treading Snow Without Trace. You, a mere civilian official who can't even truss a chicken, are you worthy of that name