The Overbearing Prince's Delicate Wife

A shrill cry pierced the clouds.

It jolted Zhang Shi, who was in close pursuit.

"Sounds like Xu Shang. Damn, that son of a bitch runs really fast."

"Brothers, speed up! We must capture Xu Shang today. Especially that horse, we must get it! I am going to present it to the Duke."

Zhang Shi shouted with surging passion.

In his heart, however, he thought that as long as he captured that horse and presented it to the Duke, the Duke, being magnanimous, would surely bestow it upon him.

That way, he would rightfully own a peerless steed.

To a military general, a peerless steed was even more precious than armor and weapons. Besides, such a magnificent horse was incredibly valuable to anyone.

He, Zhang Shi, had to get that fine horse today.

Then, he saw Xu Shang kneeling on the ground in the distance, overcome with grief, crying like a fool.

This made Zhang Shi as dumbfounded as a fool himself.

"Wait, why did he stop running?"

"Isn't he just handing me an opportunity on a silver platter?"

"Could it be..."

Zhang Shi's expression changed. "Could it be that the opponents Wang Ming encountered before were all like this?"

"Damn it, I think I am starting to understand Wang Ming more and more!"

Thinking this, Zhang Shi did not stop his movements.

He whipped his horse's flank. The steed neighed in pain, stretched its four legs, and sprinted forward. In the blink of an eye, he arrived in front of Xu Shang.

Only then did Xu Shang seem to react.

He reluctantly laid down Ah Yao's corpse, mounted his horse, and suppressed the grief in his heart—or rather, transformed that grief into monstrous hatred.

"Ah Yao, your vengeance, my vengeance, I will definitely exact it!"

"I, Xu Shang, will return!"

He slapped the flank of the Snow Qilin hard, and in an instant, the Snow Qilin shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring.

In a flash, it pulled away from Zhang Shi, who had just closed the distance.

This showed that the Snow Qilin was truly a divine creature. Whether in explosive power or endurance, it was absolutely superior to ordinary warhorses.

However, Xu Shang did not have good luck this time. He found that his steed's footsteps were unsteady and its stamina was far worse than before.

He knew how extraordinary the Snow Qilin was.

But for this situation to occur now, Xu Shang hardly needed to think to know where the problem lay.

The direct cause was that he had used the Snow Qilin to carry both him and Ah Yao, charging out from the chaos of battle. The Snow Qilin was bearing too much weight.

But the most fundamental reason was that while Ah Yao loved the Snow Qilin's color and admired its majesty, she did not actually know how to properly care for it, often forgetting to feed it forage.

No matter how strong the Snow Qilin was, how could it endure without proper food?

Xu Shang did not know whether to feel sorrow or despair at this moment. He could only struggle to flee as he watched Zhang Shi closing in step by step.

What was even more devastating was that, in his panic, he was forced onto a dead end. A cliff lay ahead, and pursuers were behind him. He had nowhere to run.

"Damn it, even if I die, I won't fall into their hands!"

Xu Shang was also a ruthless man.

He knew that falling into Ren Tianye's hands would definitely not end well, but if he climbed down the cliff, there might still be a chance of survival.

He immediately abandoned his horse, turned around, and began climbing down the cliff.

All he left for Zhang Shi was a resolute back and the Snow Qilin he had left behind.

"Damn it, even if I have to search the entire mountain, I will find you!"

Zhang Shi cursed in anger, but he remained relentless.

On the grasslands, he had encountered situations many times more critical than this, yet he had never given up and always pursued his targets relentlessly. Did Xu Shang think he could escape just by climbing down a cliff?

Dream on!

"Brothers, search the mountains and plains!"

"Follow me down the mountain trail and wait for this Xu Shang. In a word, I want to see him alive, or see his corpse if he's dead!"

After giving the orders, he called over a personal guard.

"Bangchui, take this Snow Qilin back to the military camp."

"Yes, General."

"This Snow Qilin's steps are unsteady; it is obviously overly fatigued. When you return to the city, find some forage for it first and feed it well."

Zhang Shi instructed with considerable heartache.

"Yes, General!"

Bangchui was a veteran who had followed Zhang Shi for many years. He knew how much Zhang Shi cherished good horses, and even he himself felt deeply sympathetic toward such a fine steed.

Now, looking at the Snow Qilin in this state, he could not help but feel a little sad.

"Then go."

After finishing his instructions, Zhang Shi turned to look for Xu Shang. Bangchui led the Snow Qilin, reluctant to even ride it, and walked back step by step along the way they came.

As a result, Bangchui's pace was not fast. By the time he returned to Huai'an City, the sky was just getting light. After a night of bloody storms, Huai'an City had quickly restored its tranquility.

This was thanks to the fact that some people surrendered and others maintained order. Otherwise, for an important city like Huai'an, it was common for the lives of the people to be devastated after a war, taking years to recover its vitality.

Bangchui was also in a good mood.

He leisurely entered the city. Although most of the shops in the city were still closed, a few had already opened their doors.

There happened to be a horse rest stop that Bangchui needed.

The storefront was quite large and well-kept, looking rather decent. Anxious to let the Snow Qilin rest, Bangchui strode in.

Hearing the noise, the owner hurried out.

"Guest, please have a seat inside, leave the horse to me... Oh my, this is a fine horse! Truly excellent! This coat, these hooves, this posture..."

The boss dealt with horses year-round and naturally knew his stuff. At a glance, he could see the extraordinary nature of the Snow Qilin and was quite astonished.

Bangchui said proudly, "This is the Duke's horse, how could it be anything but the best? Take good care of it for me. Use the highest quality forage, and you won't be short on silver."

"You got it, guest. Just leave it to me."

The boss agreed and nimbly led the Snow Qilin aside to drink water. After adding fine grass and bean feed to the trough, he did not stay idle; he combed the sweat-soaked mane on the Snow Qilin's back and loosened the tight saddle.

This series of actions left the boss sweating all over.

Because there were other things to do in the shop, he temporarily soothed the Snow Qilin for a moment and then returned inside, instantly wearing a helpless and bitter expression.

"We have a customer in the shop, why are you still just standing there? Get to work! I am begging you, if you don't want to do this job, could you please just find another one?"

"Our little shop really can't accommodate a giant Buddha like you!"

From behind the counter, a rather attractive woman stood up, a look of displeasure on her face. "I am a member of the Tongxin Alliance. I entered the Tongxin Alliance based on my loyalty to it. I came to your shop to keep the books for you, and you dare to be unhappy about it?"

"What, do you dare disrespect my Tongxin Alliance?"

The woman's words silenced the shop owner, leaving him afraid to utter another sound. She snorted coldly, turned around, and went straight back to the guest room to rest. After all, she had stayed up all night reading books and was now sleepy.

And as she left, the place where she had just been sitting revealed several printed books, their covers fully exposed to the air.

The Domineering Prince's Little Pampered Wife

His Highness the Heir, If You Must Love, Please Love Deeply

Sorry, I Am the General's Woman

The Marquis Surnamed Tang, So Sweet It Hurts

...