Chapter 589 - 592: Lending You a Helping Hand

Chapter 589: Chapter 592: Lending You a Helping Hand

Hua Manman’s heart skipped a beat.

"Are you saying, General, that you want me to impersonate the Heir of Prince Yu and go back to inherit the title?"

After receiving an affirmative answer, Hua Manman’s first instinct was to refuse.

’I just barely managed to escape Longdong County. There’s no way I’m going back to that godforsaken place!’

But the general before her seemed very domineering, not like someone who would easily change his mind.

Hua Manman mentally organized her words.

"You know as well as I do that Prince Yu is on his deathbed. The Yu Royal Mansion must be in chaos right now.

Even if I go back, there’s no guarantee I’ll be able to inherit the title as planned.

After all, I have the title of Princely Heir in name only. All the power in the mansion is in Lu Kai’s hands.

"I’m no match for him."

Li Liao had evidently already considered this. He replied unhurriedly.

"If you’re no match for him, then kill him."

Hua Manman was startled.

She feigned fear and stammered.

"I... I don’t know how to kill anyone."

Li Liao stared at her, his gaze deep and profound. "We can lend you a hand."

Hua Manman asked, "If you’re so capable, why don’t you deal with Lu Kai yourselves?"

"We need to use your identity as the Princely Heir to infiltrate the Yu Royal Mansion."

At this point, the group’s true intentions were finally revealed.

’They really are after the Yu Royal Mansion.’

Li Liao continued.

"You just said the Regent King helped you. You owe him a favor. Don’t you want to repay his kindness?

Once you kill Lu Kai and successfully inherit everything in the Yu Royal Mansion...

...you can give Prince Yu’s title and fiefdom entirely to the Regent King.

That way, the Regent King can take care of the Yu Royal Mansion without deploying a single soldier."

She had to admit, the man’s powers of persuasion were quite impressive.

The future he painted was somewhat tempting to Hua Manman.

’If she were alone right now, she might have actually been persuaded,’

’But she was still holding a child in her arms.’

’She had to get the child back to the Regent King’s side as soon as possible.’

’She couldn’t let the child remain in danger.’

Hua Manman avoided his gaze and said in a low voice.

"I need to think about it."

Li Liao could see she was trying to stall for time. "I know you’re worried about Gou Dan’s safety," he said directly. "As long as you agree to cooperate with me, I’ll have someone send him back to the Regent King’s side, safe and sound."

Hua Manman looked at him skeptically, clearly doubting the truth of his words.

Li Liao smiled.

He had a pair of dark, deep eyes that were exceptionally sharp when he was expressionless, but whenever he smiled, faint fine lines would appear at the corners, giving him a strange sense of affability.

"No matter what I say, you probably won’t believe me. So how about this? I’ll just show you."

...

Li Ji and his three thousand troops galloped at full speed and finally caught up with the procession from the Yu Royal Mansion.

However, when he threw open the carriage door, he found it completely empty.

There was no sign of Hua Manman or Li Xun.

Li Ji realized he had been tricked!

He seized the driver and interrogated him fiercely.

"Where are they?"

The driver, pale and trembling like a leaf, remained stubborn. "I... I don’t know."

Li Ji stared into his eyes and clearly heard his thoughts—

’Mr. Du and Bian Guard took the Young Master into the forest last night. By now, they should have escaped danger, right? As long as they can return to the Yu Royal Mansion safely, our sacrifice won’t have been in vain.’

Li Ji threw the driver aside and vaulted onto his horse.

He left two thousand men to guard the people from the Yu Royal Mansion and led the remaining one thousand back the way they had come.

By now, it was broad daylight. The sun was high in the sky, and visibility was clear.

Li Ji returned to the area they had passed through the previous night. After a quick inspection, he soon found tracks in the bushes where someone had passed.

They followed the tracks into the forest.

Along the way, they found a torn piece of fabric.

Li Ji picked up the fabric and recognized it at a glance as being from Manman’s clothes.

’She really was here last night!’

’I hope they haven’t gotten far.’

Li Ji ordered his men to quicken the search.

...

「In the ruined temple.」

Hua Manman was still pondering the meaning of Li Liao’s words when she suddenly heard someone shout from outside.

"The Regent King’s men are here!"

Hearing this, Hua Manman’s spirits lifted.

She immediately stood up, holding Li Xun.

But just then, Li Liao reached out a hand to her. "Give me the child."

Hua Manman grew wary and backed away, clutching the child.

"What are you doing?"

Li Liao replied succinctly, "Sending the child back to his father."

With that, he struck out with the speed of lightning, snatching the child from Hua Manman’s arms.

Hua Manman was aghast and reached out to grab the child back.

But Ai Yi acted first, grabbing her arm and twisting it forcefully behind her back, immobilizing her.

Hua Manman struggled and shouted.

"Give me back the child!"

Li Liao lowered his gaze to the child in his arms, and his expression involuntarily softened.

"This child looks exactly like his father did when he was little."

Hua Manman froze.

’How does this man know what Li Ji looked like as a child?’

’Did they know each other in the past?’

Li Liao strode out of the ruined temple, holding the child.

Outside the temple, everyone was already packed and ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

Holding the child in one arm, Li Liao grabbed the reins with the other. He swung a long leg over and mounted his horse in a single, fluid motion.

Hua Manman’s hands were tied again.

She was thrown into a carriage.

Ai Yi sat in the driver’s seat, preparing to drive the carriage himself.

As for Mr. Du and Ban Ren, they didn’t receive such good treatment as Hua Manman.

The two were thrown directly onto horseback, facedown with their stomachs pressed against the hard saddles.

It was an obviously uncomfortable position.

Li Liao pulled a pitch-black mask from his robes with one hand, fastened it to his face, and said in a deep voice.

"Move out!"

The long procession immediately started moving.

The carriage window was open, so Hua Manman could clearly see the scene outside.

When she had first been brought here this morning, she had only seen a few dozen people near the temple. But looking closely now, she saw that the group had at least five hundred men.

Moreover, they were all equipped with horses.

’Horses were a scarce resource these days; even with money, one couldn’t necessarily buy so many.’

’For that general to acquire so many horses without alerting the court was a testament to his formidable abilities.’

’Hua Manman couldn’t help but worry. Would the Regent King be a match for this general?’

Their group arrived at a hillside.

Looking down from the hill, they could clearly see a thousand troops emerging from the forest and heading in their direction.

Hua Manman’s eyes widened as she stared at the men.

’Is the Regent King here?’

As the distance between them shortened, she finally got a clear look at the man in the lead.

It was the Regent King!