As expected, before Qin Jiujiu could make a move, Yue Nansang had already received news that an outsider had broken into Anzhou and was slaughtering indiscriminately.
"Ah..."
Shouts soon echoed from outside the hall, mingled with the sounds of swords piercing flesh.
Yue Nansang was about to step out to investigate, but Qin Jiujiu grabbed her hand. Yue Nansang looked back at her, confused.
"Sang Sang, it's dangerous to open the door now. Let's wait a moment..."
Yue Nansang thought about it and stopped. After a while, the screams outside not only didn't cease but became even more tragic. Those waiting in the hall were naturally extremely anxious.
At this moment, there was an urgent knocking at the door.
"Princess!"
It was A'Tang's voice. Yue Nansang instinctively reached for the door, but at that moment, a scream rang out from A'Tang, suggesting she had fallen victim to foul play.
Qin Jiujiu knew well that A'Tang was to Yue Nansang what Adai was to Xingru. She subconsciously looked at Yue Nansang's face and saw a flicker of shock, her eyes instantly reddening.
Both of them naturally thought of the same thing – A'Tang must have met a terrible end!
Yue Nansang seemed to snap back to reality, her previously sluggish feet moved out again, and with great speed. Qin Jiujiu watched helplessly as Yue Nansang opened the door.
A flash of light from a blade swept past, momentarily blinding Qin Jiujiu. When she looked towards the doorway again, she saw a knife held against Yue Nansang's throat.
A man with a ghastly scar across his face stood at the entrance, holding the blade in his hand, pressed against Yue Nansang's neck.
Qin Jiujiu tried her best to remain calm and silent. Her palms were slick with sweat. The man's gaze had already fallen upon her.
"Get inside!"
The clamor outside continued. The person at the door remained relatively calm, not immediately slitting Yue Nansang's throat, but threatening her, "Get inside!"
Yue Nansang had no choice but to comply. She slowly retreated into the room, her entire person exposed to the man's eyes. His gaze flickered between the two of them, finally asking, "Which one of you is the princess?"
He had heard the maid who knocked on the door shout "Princess!" towards the room, so the princess must be here!
Both women were dressed in attire befitting royalty, making it difficult to distinguish who the princess was.
Upon hearing the man's question, Yue Nansang was about to speak, but Qin Jiujiu quickly interjected, "I am!"
The man then dragged Yue Nansang closer to Qin Jiujiu. Upon reaching her, he stared intently at Qin Jiujiu's face for a long time. Both of them were beautiful and appeared to be of royal blood, making it indeed difficult to differentiate.
Seeing Qin Jiujiu speak, Yue Nansang looked at her with confusion. She asked the man, "Why are you looking for the princess? Who are you people?"
The clothing and appearance of these individuals suggested they were not from Anzhou. It was strange that they could enter Anzhou through the barrier.
Yue Nansang had accompanied Su Mu to Shengqi Kingdom before and naturally knew that such attire belonged to Shengqi Kingdom's soldiers. Therefore, these people were likely from Shengqi Kingdom.
However, the scenario she had envisioned, of Su Mu arriving in a red robe to marry her, had not materialized. Instead, these people were here, slaughtering indiscriminately.
And the barrier must have been broken by these people.
Yue Nansang's words successfully diverted the man's attention to herself. Qin Jiujiu panicked and quickly said, "She is this princess's sister-in-law! Who exactly are you?"
A'Tang's corpse still lay at the doorstep. These people were committing atrocities in Anzhou, and there should be a reason for it.
Qin Jiujiu's words successfully drew the man's gaze back. He sneered, "Does the princess remember Su Mu? After General Su returned to the capital, he reported to the court that his disappearance was to search for this place, Anzhou. Unexpectedly, he stumbled upon it..."
Qin Jiujiu subconsciously looked at Yue Nansang, who appeared agitated, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something.
The man continued, "The princess should remember the previous war between Shengqi Kingdom and Manluo Kingdom..." He looked at Qin Jiujiu with an exploratory gaze. The scar looked exceptionally terrifying at this moment, and Qin Jiujiu instinctively nodded.
"That was when the princess helped Shengqi Kingdom break Manluo Kingdom's sorcery, which is why Shengqi Kingdom achieved great victory. Therefore, our Emperor is very interested in Anzhou, and even more interested in you, the little princess..."
As he said this, his eyes gleamed as he looked at Qin Jiujiu's face.
Yue Nansang heard that Su Mu had betrayed her for his future. At first, she couldn't believe it. But as the man meticulously recounted their entire experience, she had no choice but to believe him.
Qin Jiujiu felt the man's gaze was chilling. She feigned disbelief and said, "Impossible, Su Mu wouldn't lie to me. He promised he would come to marry me!"
This was a promise Su Mu had made to Yue Nansang.
Qin Jiujiu had seen it in the plot transmitted by the system and naturally knew the entire story. She even knew more comprehensive details, such as how Su Mu, instead of being promoted and wealthy as this man claimed, had actually been imprisoned and executed.
Therefore, what this man was saying must be false.
"Hahahaha..."
Upon hearing Qin Jiujiu's words, the man seemed to have heard something amusing. The scar folded together as he laughed. Qin Jiujiu averted her gaze from his face but pretended to be heartbroken.
"Then why are you killing people here?"
The man seemed to find something funny. He had always led his troops in this manner; as long as the higher-ups didn't order no killing, they would deal with things this way.
Now, being questioned by the woman before him, he paused before speaking again, and his words shocked both Qin Jiujiu and Yue Nansang.
"Naturally, we kill because we want to..."
Qin Jiujiu's face changed drastically. At this moment, someone suddenly appeared outside the door, "General, the people outside have been dealt with..."
The man addressed as General waved his hand, indicating he had acknowledged this.
"Princess, come with me!"
Qin Jiujiu didn't know what this man intended. Although he spoke like this, she had no choice but to obey. Yue Nansang heard this and was about to state her identity.
Qin Jiujiu subtly winked at Yue Nansang where the man couldn't see, signaling her not to act rashly. The man's gaze then fell on Yue Nansang again. As if an idea struck him, he commanded, "Take both of them!"
Clearly, the man still harbored doubts. Although he didn't know what the little princess of Anzhou looked like, according to rumors, she should be an extremely beautiful woman. Both women before him were exceptionally beautiful, and he couldn't distinguish them for the moment, so he decided to take them both away.