Forced to be a third person: I turned around and left the palace to marry a villain

She wrapped her arms around him tightly, letting him bring her warmth.

As night falls and the sky is full of stars, she is surrounded by his strong embrace. She will always remember the beauty of this moment.

When everything calmed down, Xiao Zhan helped Jiang Xue put away her clothes and gently pinched her nose: "I have never seen you so gentle."

She had always been competitive, even in intimate moments, but today she was unusually submissive.

Jiang Xue smiled and responded: "I never thought you would be like this, Xiao Zhan. I thought only someone as unrestrained as me would enjoy such intimacy in the wild."

He smiled and continued: "I will give you more surprises."

"Like?" she asked curiously.

He kissed her cheek: "I'll tell you when we get back to the capital."

The two of them put on their clothes and walked out of the secret place hand in hand.

Fudong and Qingfeng had already arranged a bonfire, and everyone sat around it to rest and share food.

Seeing them appear, Fu Dong immediately handed a pot of warm fruit wine to Jiang Xue: "Princess, it's cold here at night, drink some wine to warm yourself up."

But Jiang Xue stuffed the wine into Xiao Zhan's hand and said, "You drink first, Yun Che."

Fu Dong felt a little emotional when he saw this. Whenever it came to Xiao Zhan, the princess always put him first.

However, when she thought about the fact that Xiao Zhan was willing to take risks for the princess, her dissatisfaction disappeared.

After all, he is the man in the princess' heart, so let him drink first.

Xiao Zhan took a sip of the wine, then handed it to Jiang Xue: "It's still a few hours' journey to the Xixia border. The city gates are closed at night. Why don't we stay here for the night and set off again tomorrow morning."

Jiang Xue understood that if there was an emergency, the border would open its doors to people of Xiao Zhan's status.

But he suggested staying because he wanted to spend more time with her. She didn't point out his thoughts, but nodded silently.

That same night, Lan Feng returned home looking very worried. Jiang Xiaowei asked with concern, "Husband, you seem to be troubled?"

"Indeed."

Lan Feng pondered for a moment: "Xiao Wei, some things are too serious for me to elaborate. I made a decision today, but I don't know whether it is right or wrong, and I feel very uneasy."

Jiang Heng is currently bedridden. If he unfortunately passes away, Jiang Xue will become the last bloodline of the royal family.

Lan Feng realized that he should have stopped her from going into danger today.

Jiang Xiaowei comforted him: "Since you made that choice, it must be out of your heart. Don't worry too much."

Lan Feng suddenly realized that since the choice had been made, no amount of hesitation would help.

The next morning, Xiao Zhan set out early.

Jiang Xue looked at his receding figure, her heart filled with worry and anxiety...

The third prince, Yelu Cheng, was guarding the Western Xia border.

When he learned the news that Xiao Zhan was coming as an envoy, his surprise was beyond words.

After all, the hostile relationship between Xixia and Qian Kingdom for many years had not really changed because of the brief attempt at reconciliation four years ago. Therefore, the purpose of Xiao Zhan's trip puzzled him.

"Xiao Zhan has arrived at the city gate?"

The soldier nodded in confirmation: "Indeed, Third Prince, do you think you can allow them to enter the city?"

"Of course we should let him go."

Yelu Cheng responded: "Since he has the courage to visit us, why should we turn him away? I want to see what the Qian Kingdom is up to."

After a short pause, he gave another order: "However, immediately strengthen the city defenses, and at the same time send someone to rush back to Qian State to find out if there have been any major incidents recently."

Xiao Zhan was soon brought before Yelu Cheng and said respectfully, "I am here on the orders of the Regent Princess. Thank you, His Royal Highness the Third Prince, for your leniency."

"By whose order?"

Yelu Cheng's smile was somewhat tentative: "Is it the Queen Mother or the Crown Prince? But if you think about it, you will know that the power of the Qian Kingdom is now in the hands of a woman - Princess Jiang Xue."

Xiao Zhan's expression was calm: "Although Her Royal Highness is a woman, the wisdom and ability she has demonstrated far surpass everyone else. As the Prime Minister of Qian State, I will naturally follow her instructions."

Yelu Cheng originally intended to give the other party a warning, but he found that Xiao Zhan's attitude was unusually calm, which made him feel frustrated.

"It seems that you don't mind working for a woman. Then, the men of Qian Country are probably used to obeying orders... waste!"

However, Xiao Zhan was not angry: "The Third Prince looks down on women so much, but I remember that the Third Prince was also defeated by the princess, wasn't he?"

Yelu Cheng's face instantly turned livid. Mentioning the shame brought to him by past failures made him furious.

But what annoyed him even more was that when the matter of killing Xiao Zhan's brother was mentioned, Xiao Zhan's expression was as calm as the surface of a lake, without a trace of fluctuation or pain.

It was as if those deceased people had nothing to do with him, which made Yelu Cheng feel inexplicably frustrated.

Xiao Zhan said calmly: "Although my two cousins ​​died in the battle of Yangshan, our Qian country won the battle in the end. Although there were losses, we also won glory.

But you, the Third Prince, have truly lost to Lady Changle."

Yelu Cheng realized that as a military general he should prove himself through actions rather than words, and he felt humiliated.

In anger, he drew his sword and pressed it against Xiao Zhan's throat: "How dare you provoke me? Aren't you afraid of dying here?"

Xiao Zhan remained calm: "If Your Highness takes my life today, the Qian Kingdom army will be at the gates of the city tomorrow. You won't take this risk."

"The two countries are already hostile to each other, so why shouldn't I dare to kill one of your ministers?" Yelu Cheng responded with a sneer.

"There are four princes in Xixia, and the emperor favors the crown prince and you the most. Although the two countries have been in opposition for a long time, they are now recovering from a truce.

If my death triggers a war, the prince will definitely take this opportunity to suppress you." Xiao Zhan analyzed.

Yelu Cheng understood that this made sense. He and the prince had been fighting openly and secretly, and he really didn't want to make an enemy at this moment.

"Your courage and talent are indeed well-deserved. I will not pursue this matter today. Tell me, what is the purpose of your visit?"

"I am here on the orders of Lady Changle to discuss a deal with the Emperor of Western Xia."

"What deal?"

"This is a serious matter. I cannot disclose it now. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

"If you don't explain clearly, do you think you can go to the capital smoothly?"

Xiao Zhan replied calmly, "It is common knowledge that I was introduced to you. Any abnormality will make people suspect that we are plotting. If you detain or expel me, it will only arouse more suspicion."

Yelu Cheng suddenly realized that Xiao Zhan had already set up a trap, forcing him to let him go.

Soon after, Jiang Xue decided to withdraw to the border: "After Yun Che enters the city, Xixia will definitely strengthen its vigilance, and we will not be able to sneak in for the time being. Let's go back to Qian Country to reorganize first, and then come up with a good strategy."

She explained to the surprised Fu Dong that she expected Yelu Cheng might make things difficult for Xiao Zhan, but would not stop him.

Yelu Cheng stared at Xiao Zhan, his eyes so sharp that they seemed to be able to penetrate people's hearts.

Although he knew that every word Xiao Zhan said was true, he felt really bad that he let people go to the capital of Western Xia so easily.