In that instant, Li Qingyan’s eyes flickered with many things, but in the next moment, they all vanished like smoke and clouds.
Amidst a brief silence, Li Qingyan turned and sat back on the same giant stone that had cracked earlier, her red lips parted slightly, yet without words, she exhaled a puff of white breath.
The collapsed majestic hall lay like a dead beast on the ground, while the snow falling from the sky buried all traces of it.
Li Qingyan’s scarlet pupils stared tightly at the black-armored general standing in the snow for a long while:
"You say... he’s dead?"
Yuan Hao didn’t immediately answer, instead, he pondered over his words internally, and after he spoke, he observed the other’s expression.
Although he was a madman, it didn’t mean he didn’t understand how to observe others’ expressions and words.
It seemed that Prince Wu Yuan was somewhat unsettled by the Third Young Master’s death.
As he thought, on the snow-covered mountain peak, a sound of metal-on-metal friction from armor echoed, and Yuan Hao slowly bowed his head, saying softly:
"According to the information from Di’an City, the Third Young Master has indeed been assassinated and is dead."
Having once again received a definitive answer, a slight hook formed on the corners of Li Qingyan’s rosy lips.
She felt like laughing, so absurd that she wanted to laugh.
Although that guy’s martial prowess was weak, his entire person seemed shrouded in a layer of mysterious veil.
With every excavation, with every contact, she could see something different in him.
When Li Zhaoyuan had launched an assassination attack on the two of them, it was the information he provided that allowed them to escape from the encirclement of the Barbarian Tribes’ army.
In that vast Underground Palace filled with strange ghosts, under the chase of a saintly Barbarian King, it was he who saved them both.
Now, to suddenly tell her he’s dead?
How could that guy possibly die?
Li Qingyan slowly raised her eyes to the sky.
The former prosperity of the Ice Spirit Palace and the noise of its destruction had all turned desolate amidst the flying snow.
In the silence, Yuan Hao retracted his gaze, preparing to leave temporarily.
The current Prince Wu Yuan clearly needed some time to be alone and quiet. As for the rest of the unresolved matters, he would wait for her at the military camp at the foot of the mountain and then report them when she came down.
Iron boots tread silently on snow, Yuan Hao prepared to turn around and leave, but after taking just one step, he heard a low female voice from behind:
"You came all the way here, certainly not just to inform this palace of this matter."
A trace of surprise flashed through Yuan Hao’s eyes, then he came to understand.
In recent days, the battles on the Northern Frontier had dragged on. Since he was part of the Dayan Dynasty’s forces, the Blackscale Army had cooperated with the Imperial Family’s army more than once, and through this, he knew that the iron-faced, blood-hearted Prince Wu Yuan was not a woman who would be swayed by emotions.
Turning slowly around, Yuan Hao looked at the stunningly beautiful woman sitting on the giant stone and, after a moment’s consideration, said softly:
"Yes, but Your Highness....."
"I do not believe it."
Li Qingyan interrupted Yuan Hao’s words, sitting on the giant stone, her legs crossed, one hand supporting her cheek, her index finger lightly tapping:
"Unless I see Xu Yuan’s body with my own eyes, this palace will not believe he is dead.
"Faking one’s own death to escape seems like a pretty good choice for that guy, don’t you think?"
At her words, a hint of a different expression briefly flickered in Yuan Hao’s eyes.
In fact, he also had such doubts, but these matters were not his to question. As a blade, he only needed to follow orders.
"This subordinate dares not speculate rashly. In addition to delivering the news of the Third Young Master’s death, the Prime Minister also instructed this subordinate to hand this item personally to Your Highness."
Yuan Hao reached into his bosom and took out a three-inch-large black box from the lining of his black armor.
Seeing this object, Li Qingyan’s brows slightly lifted, her fingertips gently raising, and the black box was drawn to her through the air.
Her slender fingertips pressed the latches on both sides of the little black box, and with a "click,"
The little black box opened, revealing a neatly folded official document inside.
As she looked at the document, Li Qingyan’s beautiful eyes unconsciously narrowed.
This was the marriage contract document imprinted with her and that guy’s handprints, witnessed by her father the Emperor and the Prime Minister before she had left the capital.
Yuan Hao’s voice came softly, saying lowly:
"The Prime Minister has instructed me to convey that with the Third Young Master’s assassination and death, this marriage contract will be dealt with according to Your Highness’s wishes."
Li Qingyan stared at the marriage contract’s signatures and handprints for several breaths, repacked it, and then tossed it back to Yuan Hao:
"This palace does not need this item, you better take it back to the Prime Minister himself."
Yuan Hao caught it smoothly, but his brow involuntarily furrowed.
He did not understand the meaning behind the Princess’s actions.
The Prime Minister handing back this marriage contract to Prince Wu Yuan was essentially setting her free; otherwise, even if the Third Young Master was dead, with this contract in hand, the Prime Minister’s Mansion could have required her to remain a widow for life.
By returning this marriage contract, the Imperial Family could directly nullify it, which amounted to giving her a chance for a clean break.
Meeting Yuan Hao’s puzzled gaze, Li Qingyan slowly stood up from the giant stone and walked down the mountain:
"As already stated, unless I personally see your Third Young Master’s corpse, I will not believe this matter."
As she passed the black-armored general standing motionless, Li Qingyan’s soft gentle voice came through softly:
"This palace will order the camp to be moved south tonight. If you have no other business, then I will not keep you. With the current tensions in the war and the movements from Li Zhaoyuan, it would not be good for you as the Commander to be away from the army for too long, lest unnecessary chaos arises."