"Thank you, General Wen, for your intervention. When I return, I will surely bring many treasures to express my gratitude!"
Steward Zhao bowed his fist, a smile on his face, showing great deference to General Wen.
"There's no need for that. I am an old acquaintance of the Northwest Princess. Her affairs are my affairs. Rest assured, as long as I am here, they will not be able to see the Prince!" General Wen waved his hand. "However, such troubles are best eradicated early to avoid future threats!"
"You speak wisely!" Steward Zhao nodded fervently, his expression becoming more serious. If they hadn't been clever enough to follow Lu Fan and the others' aura to this Nine Prince City, the Northwest Princess would have been in danger. After all, the consequences would have been unimaginable if the Northwest Princess's actions were exposed.
"By the way, convey my regards to the Northwest Princess when you return!" General Wen said slowly after taking a drink.
"Certainly, certainly!" Steward Zhao quickly bowed and, after leaving the Prince's mansion, finally revealed a smile.
"How did it go?" asked the Situ family head. "It seems things have been settled!"
"With my involvement, has anything ever failed?" Steward Zhao smiled. "For them to see the Nine Prince, it's harder than reaching the heavens. They still want to file a complaint; they'll soon learn the consequences!"
"Since that's the case, shall we make our move now?" the Situ family head inquired. "Let's not have any more delays. These few individuals are not easy to deal with, and they are quite cunning!"
"This is the Royal City. If you make a move within the Royal City, you must be tired of living, right?" Steward Zhao rolled his eyes. "I won't accompany you in actions that would lead to the extermination of nine generations of your clan. If you want to act, do it yourself!"
The Situ family head was stunned, his face instantly turning embarrassed. After being told this, he immediately realized that this was indeed the case. This was the Royal City; daring to act here would be courting death.
At the same time, in an inn within the Nine Prince City, Liu Ruyan appeared, looking listless and lost in thought.
"What's wrong? Did it not succeed?" Lu Fan asked.
"I don't know what happened. I wanted to find General Wen, but someone pushed me out!" Liu Ruyan shook her head. "I feel there's something strange going on!"
"I just sensed the Situ family head!" Lu Fan stated directly. "That means they have already entered the Royal City!"
"How can this be!" Ling'er exclaimed in alarm. "If they discover us, won't our existence be in danger again!"
"This is the Royal City; they wouldn't dare to act rashly!" Liu Ruyan shook her head. "However, if we can't see the Nine Prince, it will be troublesome!"
"That General Wen clearly doesn't want to see you!" Lu Fan stated directly. "Now, we can only find another way."
"If this method doesn't work, let's try another. When the Nine Prince leaves the mansion, we'll all rush forward. This way, we can attract the Prince's attention, and then we can naturally appeal to the throne." Liu Ruyan's expression was serious. She understood this point very well, and only then could they truly succeed.
"Then, as you say!" Lu Fan nodded, his expression somewhat solemn, unsure if it would work.
"Father, it's my father!"
Just then, Ling'er's voice rang out. She hurried forward, her movements appearing urgent. She hadn't expected to see her father again after their parting in Xuan Di City. They had all thought Xuan Di was long dead.
The figure in black moved with extreme speed, disappearing in an instant. Ling'er used all her might to chase, but she couldn't catch up.
"Are you sure that was your father?" Lu Fan ran over and asked Ling'er, his heart filled with doubt.
"I'm sure, he is my father; there's no mistake!" Ling'er's eyes were serious. "I just don't know why he's hiding from me. Could it be that he has some unspeakable difficulty?"
"You don't need to think too much about it for now. Since he is within the Royal City, we will find a way to locate him!" Lu Fan said. "Moreover, he might be being pursued, which is why he dares not acknowledge you!"
Ling'er nodded quickly, feeling helpless. Even a brief reunion with her father would have satisfied her, but alas, now it could only be like this.
"No matter how clever you are, you cannot escape our pursuit!"
At that very moment, the Situ family head's voice rang out. He walked towards them slowly, his demeanor extremely calm, as if everything was within his control.
"You indeed came to the Royal City!" Lu Fan narrowed his eyes. "If I'm not mistaken, you've already greased the wheels, so we can't even enter the Prince's mansion!"
"You still have some intelligence, kid!" the Situ family head sneered. "Accept your fate! The entire Heavenly Court Dynasty is filled with people we know. You can't outplay us!"
"Justice will prevail in the world!" Lu Fan said coldly. "Therefore, I believe that in ancient times, evil has never triumphed over good."
"Young people are indeed young!" Steward Zhao shook his head. "You ultimately cannot defeat us. I want to see how long you can stay in the Royal City!"
After speaking, Steward Zhao and the Situ family head left, their expressions calm, as if everything was as they had predicted.
Watching their retreating backs, Zhao Xue and Ling'er frowned, unsure of what to do.
"They've indeed been bought off. I didn't expect General Wen to be so lacking in integrity!" Liu Ruyan frowned. "Besides General Wen, the only way to see the Prince is likely through the Princess!"
"The Princess?" Lu Fan was perplexed, his heart filled with surprise. Even he didn't know how to see the Prince. The Nine Prince was elusive; without someone to deliver a message, it was impossible to see him at any time.
"That's right, the Northern Princess is the Nine Prince's only daughter. If we can establish a connection with her and have her introduce us, it will be a natural progression," Liu Ruyan stated directly.
Everyone present exchanged glances, feeling a sense of bewilderment. The Prince's daughter was not easily swayed, let alone getting her to make an introduction, which was incredibly difficult.
"I've already made inquiries. The Northern Princess will be playing a polo match in the west of the city tomorrow. Are you interested in participating?" Liu Ruyan said directly. "If we can successfully infiltrate, we might be able to approach the Northern Princess. At that time, we can tell her the truth."
"I think this method is feasible!" Lu Fan nodded. "After all, it's the most reliable method."
"Then let's sign up now for tomorrow's polo match in the west of the city!" Zhao Xue said directly. "I haven't played basketball in a long time; it's a good warm-up!"