Dynasty Secrets - 2

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

Everyone should report to him tomorrow morning, and a copy of the personnel list should also be sent to the head of the household to see if he has any objections.

When Jiang Hanqing left the headman's office, he found it was almost dark. Just as he was about to return to his room, a thought suddenly struck him: "We're setting off the day after tomorrow, and I don't know how long it will be before I see Fifth Sister again. Sigh! I should go see her!"

Having made up his mind, he headed towards the courtyard where Li Huaxin lived.

The Jiang family compound, located in the southeast corner of the capital, housed the main members of the Jiang family. The compound was a complex of buildings, spanning nearly three li in circumference. A wall eight meters high surrounded the entire compound, densely covered with watchtowers and sentry posts. A three-zhang-wide artificial moat separated it from the ordinary residential area. From the outside, the entire compound appeared heavily fortified, with high walls and deep moats, resembling a city within a city. Within the compound, numerous small courtyards were divided for the use of various families. Seven years ago, Li Huaxin was moved to a dilapidated little courtyard at the northernmost part of the compound, near the city wall. However, since she was still nominally the fifth wife of the Jiang family, two maids were assigned to attend to her daily needs. For several years, no one from the Jiang family, including her nominal husband, had ever entered her little courtyard except for Jiang Hanqing.

When Jiang Hanqing entered the courtyard, it was already dark. Li Huaxin was sitting by her bedroom window, gazing blankly at the courtyard.

Seeing him enter the courtyard, she stood up with a look of surprise and exclaimed, "Qing'er! You...how...came? I...have you...eaten?"

Hearing Jiang Hanqing's reply that he hadn't eaten, Li Huaxin hurriedly told her maid, "Xi'er! Go to the kitchen in the main courtyard and see if there's any food left. Tell them to send over a table." Jiang Hanqing quickly replied, "Fifth Sister, no need. Xi'er, see if there's any leftover rice in your own kitchen. I'll make do with this."

"Reporting to Young Master, our kitchen has no food today. I'll go to the kitchen in the main courtyard to order some wine and dishes for you. Please wait a moment." Xi'er said and hurriedly went out.

Jiang Hanqing sat there looking around for a while and then asked Li Huaxin, "Fifth Sister, where's your other maid?"

"Oh! You mean Cui'er? Her mother passed away a couple of days ago, so I sent her home for the funeral."

"Oh! Is that so?" Jiang Hanqing casually agreed and then stared straight at Li Huaxin without saying anything more.

Li Huaxin blushed under his gaze, lowering her head shyly like a little girl, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her dress. Her heart pounded wildly, thinking, "What is Qing'er doing here so late? Could it be that he wants to...?" The thought startled her, her palms sweating, her heart leaping into her throat. She secretly glanced at her nephew, only to see that although he was watching her, his expression was calm and he made no move. She breathed a sigh of relief, but a feeling of disappointment welled up within her.

"Does he...do he even have feelings for me?...For the past few months...he's just been teasing me like that!...But he's always...sigh!...After all, I'm his aunt...he's just thinking about...taking advantage of me a little...how could he possibly...sigh!...If I take the initiative...but will he look down on me...think I'm some kind of lowly woman?...Sigh! Li Huaxin, didn't you swear...that you'd do anything for him if he wanted to be happy?...But what if I misunderstood..."

Just as she was lost in thought, Jiang Hanqing suddenly spoke up: "Fifth Sister, what are you thinking about?"

"Ah! I...I was thinking...oh...no...I wasn't thinking about anything!" Li Huaxin, feeling guilty, was startled, lowered her head even further, and stammered her answer. In her heart, a voice kept calling out: "Say it! Tell him you like him! Tell him you're willing to do anything for him!"

Suddenly, Li Huaxin made up her mind. Her face flushed crimson, her chest heaving, and she gasped for breath. She abruptly raised her head, her lips trembling, about to utter the secret she'd kept hidden for months.

With a soft "yikes," the door opened.

"Young Master, the food and wine have been brought," Xi'er said, entering the room.

Utter despair filled Li Huaxin's heart; her once rosy cheeks instantly turned deathly pale. She stared blankly at the man she loved so close to her, knowing she had lost her best, perhaps her last, chance. A heart-wrenching pain surged through her chest, a sharp, agonizing pain shooting through her heart. In that instant, she seemed to see a flicker of disappointment on her nephew's face as well. Before she could think further, the overwhelming pain caused her to suddenly slump onto the table, groaning in agony. She desperately tried to hold back her tears.

Seeing her mistress in such pain, Xi'er, who had just entered, was startled. She rushed over to support her, crying out in alarm, "Madam, what's wrong? Where do you feel unwell? Should I go call a doctor?" Seeing her mistress still groaning and panting at the table, Xi'er was momentarily at a loss, unsure what to do. She looked up at Jiang Hanqing, wanting to ask what to do. But seeing the young master's eyes glaring at her with murderous intent, she swallowed the words that were already on the tip of her tongue, wondering what she had done wrong. Her face flushed red, and tears of grievance welled up in her eyes.

Fortunately, Li Huaxin quickly composed herself, sat up straight, and patted Xi'er's hand to reassure her, saying, "Xi'er, I'm fine, I'm just feeling a little unwell. Quickly tell them to bring in the young master's food and wine."

Xi'er was both surprised and delighted to see her mistress was alright. She glanced at the young master and, seeing that his expression had returned to its usual calm, she felt relieved. She went to the door and instructed the servants who had brought the food from the kitchen to bring in the young master's food and wine.

When Jiang Hanqing began to eat, Li Huaxin sat beside him, occasionally placing a few bites of food on his plate. Since his mother's passing, Jiang Hanqing had almost always eaten hastily. Now, with someone as gentle as a mother serving him food, Jiang Hanqing felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He felt this was the most delicious meal he had eaten in nearly four years, and he began to eat heartily.

Seeing her nephew eating with such satisfaction, Li Huaxin's sorrow gradually lessened. She thought to herself, "Alas! It's all fate! I'm Qing'er's aunt, how could I possibly be his woman! It's just wishful thinking. What just happened was a revelation from heaven. I can't keep fantasizing. Sigh! Forget it! In the days to come, I should be content as long as I can see him every day as his aunt, occasionally have meals with him, and listen to him talk."

After Jiang Hanqing finished eating, Li Huaxin had Xi'er clear the dishes and then told her to go back to her room to rest.

She and Jiang Hanqing sat there chatting. This time, Jiang Hanqing didn't tease her anymore, so Li Huaxin, who had already decided to give up her unrealistic fantasies, behaved quite normally.

After chatting for a while, Jiang Hanqing suddenly said, "Fifth Aunt, I'm going to Qiu Te Kingdom tomorrow. I don't know when I'll be able to see you again."

Li Huaxin's face turned pale instantly. She grabbed Jiang Hanqing's hand and asked anxiously, "What? What did you say? You're going to Qiu Te Kingdom? Is it to fight? Didn't the army already leave? Why do you have to go?"

"No. I'm going for a family mission. Don't ask what it is! I'm leaving the day after tomorrow. I don't know if I'll come back alive, and even if I do, I don't know when! That's why I couldn't help but come to see you today."

"What? Will you be in danger? No! You can't go! Why do you have to go? What did your father say?

Did he let you go too?" Li Huaxin's expression was panicked, and her voice trembled, revealing her deep concern for Jiang Hanqing's fate. Seeing his aunt's genuine emotions, Jiang Hanqing was deeply moved. Apart from his mother, no one else had ever cared for him like this. At that moment, he made up his mind to stop teasing her.

"Fifth Aunt, don't worry. I'll be fine. I'll tell you..."

"No, you can't go. War is dangerous, and no one can guarantee anything will happen!" Before Jiang Hanqing could finish speaking, Li Huaxin hurriedly interrupted him. She gripped Jiang Hanqing's hand tightly, completely unaware that her nails had dug deep into his flesh, blood flowing from the wounds.

Jiang Hanqing frowned, looking bitterly at his pitiful, bleeding hand, and said, "Fifth Sister, I came today..."

"Promise me you won't go! Promise me..." Li Huaxin didn't care what he was saying; she only knew she couldn't let him go to the battlefield. She interrupted him again urgently.

"Fifth Sister, I came today to tell you I love you! I want you to be my woman!" Jiang Hanqing couldn't hold back any longer, almost shouting it out.

"I don't care! You have to promise me you won't go!... Wait... what... what did you just say? You said...?"

Filled with worry for her nephew's future, Li Huaxin still wanted to persuade him until she suddenly realized the true meaning of his words. She could hardly believe her ears. "Qing'er just said he…

" "…He loves me…he wants me to be his woman?…Is this true?" She suddenly released her nephew's hands, stumbled back two steps, staring wide-eyed at him, muttering, "What did you say? What did you just say? Did I hear wrong?"

"Fifth Sister, you didn't hear wrong! I want you to be my woman!" This time, Jiang Hanqing's voice reached her ears clearly.

"No! I must be dreaming! Qing'er, tell me, am I dreaming?" "I can't believe my long-cherished dream, the one I thought was impossible, has actually become a reality," Li Huaxin stammered, sounding somewhat delirious.

Jiang Hanqing, too lazy to say anything more, walked over and hugged Li Huaxin tightly, pulling her into his arms.

Li Huaxin leaned against Jiang Hanqing's chest, inhaling the scent of her nephew's young man, finally realizing she wasn't dreaming; it was all so real.

"Qing'er, I'm really not dreaming? You're not lying to me, are you?"

"Fifth Sister, I love you. Really, I swear to God!" Jiang Hanqing said, his hand already caressing Li Huaxin's full breasts.

"Ah...Qing'er...can't you not go to Qiu Te?" Li Huaxin desperately tried to persuade her nephew to give up the trip to Qiu Te, enduring the itching sensation from his caresses.

"Silly Fifth Sister, who would want to go if they could avoid it? I really have very urgent business in Qiu Te, I have no choice but to go. Don't try to persuade me about this." “

Qing’er, go to bed! Fifth Sister, I’ll make sure you’re satisfied tonight. You can do whatever you want with me.” Li Huaxin said, her voice trembling.

Jiang Hanqing suddenly grabbed Li Huaxin’s shoulders, straightening her up from her embrace, his eyes shining as he asked, “Fifth Sister, really, I can do whatever I want with you?”

Li Huaxin, caught up in the passion, though finding her nephew’s actions abrupt, still casually replied, “Yes!”

Jiang Hanqing’s gaze turned sinister, and he said in a slightly strange tone, “Fifth Sister, you said it yourself! Don’t regret it later!”

Li Huaxin already sensed something was off about her nephew’s demeanor, but couldn’t figure out what he was up to, so she forced herself to answer, “I’ve decided to be your woman for life, and I won’t regret it.”

To her surprise, Jiang Hanqing chuckled and pulled her outside.

“Qing’er, what are you doing? It’s so late, where are you taking me?” "Li Huaxin felt like she'd been tricked, and asked nervously.

"It's nothing! I'll take you to my courtyard. No one dares to enter without my permission, so we won't be disturbed." Jiang Hanqing's answer immediately put Li Huaxin at ease, and she didn't say anything more, letting Jiang Hanqing lead

her to his courtyard. When Jiang Hanqing led Li Huaxin into his secret room, a room specifically for sadomasochistic purposes, Li Huaxin was stunned by the sight of all the sadomasochistic toys in the room. Perhaps for a lady from a respectable family like her, she had never dreamed that such a room existed in the world.

"Qing'er, what... what are these things for?" When Li Huaxin realized that her nephew had already closed the door to the secret room, she sensed something was wrong and asked in a panic.

"Hehe. These things will be used on Fifth Sister later!" Jiang Hanqing smugly enjoyed his aunt's terrified expression, and his words almost drove Li Huaxin to despair.

"What?" "These...these things are going to be used on me? ...Qing'er...I..."

"Fifth Sister, you said I could do whatever I wanted with them, right?" Jiang Hanqing replied, feigning anger.

"But...these...these things aren't for playing with!..."

"Fifth Sister, you come from a prestigious family, and your upbringing has always been very strict. You rarely even know anything about matters between men and women, let alone such obscene things. Let me tell you, many women like these things! Really, I'm not lying to you! You women are born with a masochistic tendency. It hurts a little at first, but you get used to it. I believe that after Fifth Sister tries it, she will definitely love this feeling."

"No...I...I don't believe it...!" Looking at her nephew's gleaming eyes, Li Huaxin almost screamed hysterically. Looking at those terrifying props, she couldn't even imagine how terrible the consequences would be if these things were used on her tender body.

"Fifth Sister, let me tell you! I really, really love you!" "But I'm a sadomasochist. If you want to be my woman, you have to endure this pain!"

"Qing'er... Fifth Sister is so scared... No... I can't take it!" Watching the lewdly approaching beast, she retreated in despair. No matter how much she loved the man before her, she couldn't accept this cruel method of sex. She even doubted whether she would faint on the spot when something like a whip was used on her.

At that moment, Jiang Hanqing pounced on her, grabbing her sleeve and pulling hard, trying to drag her away. In that instant, Li Huaxin's small body seemed to unleash tremendous strength from nowhere. She struggled fiercely. With a "whoosh," the sleeve Jiang Hanqing had been holding was torn off, but Li Huaxin also broke free of his grasp. She turned and rushed towards the door where she had come in, trying to force her way out. She rushed out.

But when she reached the spot where she remembered the door should be, she found no trace of it; a stone wall stood there mercilessly! She cried out in despair, pounding on the cold stone wall, hoping that heaven would suddenly open a door in it.

But she soon saw Jiang Hanqing walking towards her with a cold smile. Utterly desperate, she was filled with regret; she really shouldn't have come with Jiang Hanqing. Looking at her nephew, now a beast, she couldn't understand how the man who was usually so gentle and considerate to her could turn into such a cruel madman.

Leaning against the wall, she slowly slid down to the ground, her face filled with terror, crying out in despair, "No!... Qing'er... Waaah... Spare me... I don't want to... Waaah...!" Jiang

Hanqing, who had walked up to her, roughly tore at her clothes. Li Huaxin desperately covered her chest. But soon, except for her chest, the rest of her snow-white skin was exposed to the air.

In Li Huaxin's horrified gaze, Jiang Hanqing turned and grabbed a leather whip.

Li Huaxin lowered her head, unable to look at her cruel nephew, her body trembling as she awaited the terrifying whip.

In her extreme fear, Li Huaxin suddenly heard her nephew laugh triumphantly.

"Haha! Fifth Sister, you really are a slut with excellent masochistic qualities! In such an environment, you can actually produce vaginal fluid. Haha! Haha!"

Only then did Li Huaxin realize that her lower body was indeed soaked. When she looked down at her exposed genitals, she clearly saw a drop of vaginal fluid dripping from her vulva to the ground.

"How could this be? In such a terrifying situation, how could I still produce fluid...! Impossible!...Could it be...could it be that I am really the kind of slut Qing'er said would like this kind of cruel sex?...No way!"

She felt a wave of dizziness, and finally moved her hands away from her chest to hug her head, crying and screaming at the same time: "No! You're lying! You're insulting me! I'm not a slut! I'm the dignified young lady of the Li family of the Duke of Anguo, I'm not...I'm really not a slut! I...ah..."

Her crying suddenly stopped, followed by a heart-wrenching scream. Jiang Hanqing's whip finally lashed down diagonally across the upper part of her buttocks.

A clear red welt from the whip appeared on Li Huaxin's buttocks. But the instant after the whip struck, along with the excruciating pain, she felt an unusual pleasure coursing through her body.

"Get up! Let me see your lewd cunt!" Jiang Hanqing cursed, bending down to rip away the last piece of cloth covering her breasts.

Seeing Li Huaxin still squatting in pain, refusing to obey his command, Jiang Hanqing lashed her firm breasts with the whip.

This time, Li Huaxin felt it even more clearly; her uterus contracted violently as the whip struck her, and a large amount of vaginal fluid flowed out.

"God... Am I really such a lowly woman... My nephew is playing with me so cruelly... and I can get excited... Am I really as lowly as those prostitutes?" Shocked by the unusual pleasure within her, Li Huaxin began to doubt whether she was truly a lowly slut.

Her breasts were hard and swollen, her sensitive nipples standing proudly atop her snow-white breasts, and her clitoris was engorged and erect.

Watching her nephew raise the whip high, about to deliver the third lash, her pupils contracted in fear, yet the flow of vaginal fluid showed no sign of stopping.

"Crack!" When the whip struck her full breasts again, Li Huaxin completely broke down.

"Ah! Stop! Qing'er! I'm willing to accept your toying!" she screamed, trembling as she stood up.

But before she could even straighten up, another brutal lash struck her snow-white thigh.

"You slut! At a time like this, you're not allowed to call me Qing'er! You must call me Master! You're nothing but a lowly sex slave!" With Jiang Hanqing's roar, the fierce whip lashed again and again, not stopping even as she clutched her head and squatted to the ground.

"Heavens! Qing'er actually wants me to be his sex slave! No... even if I were an ordinary woman, I wouldn't do this... let alone... let alone, I'm his aunt!... No..." Ignoring the waves of pain from the whip lashing her body, she roared, "No! I can't! I'm your aunt! I'm not a lowly woman! You can play with me however you want, but I will never be your sex slave!"

"Is that so!" Jiang Hanqing walked over and kicked her to the ground, then forcibly spread her thighs with his foot and lashed her wet vulva with the whip.

"Ah!" The sensitive vulva was hit, and Li Huaxin's eyes rolled back in pain. But at the same time, her body tensed up due to the pleasure generated by the intense pain. She cried as she saw that her vulva, which had been subjected to violence, was slightly open, and a large amount of honey-like fluid flowing out accumulated into a small puddle on the ground, as if mocking her for having fallen but still trying to maintain her last shred of dignity.

“Li Huaxin! You are truly a slut!... So painful... yet you can still have an orgasm!... What dignity do you have... Even a prostitute would resist when insulted by a client... You are humiliated like this by your own nephew... yet you can still produce vaginal fluid... You are worse than a prostitute... What else can a slut like you do but become a sex slave!…” Realizing she truly possessed a sadistic streak, Li Huaxin cursed herself inwardly. The pleasure derived from being abused by her nephew fueled her excitement, and her body, already numb from the painful carnal stimulation, seemed to feel less pain when the whip struck.

Watching his aunt, of noble birth, writhe on the ground, crying and wailing, her naked, beautiful body still producing copious amounts of vaginal fluid under the whip's blows, Jiang Hanqing knew the scales of victory had tipped in his favor.

“Fine! You ugly woman, you don't want to be a sex slave. Fine! I'll let you have your fill today!”

As Jiang Hanqing cursed and lashed the whip down on her pitiful vulva once more, Li Huaxin, whose psychological defenses had completely collapsed, finally decided to give up her futile resistance.

"Master! Please spare this poor woman... I swear to be your sex slave... No matter how cruelly you toy with me... I'm willing to endure it..." After uttering these words, seemingly bleeding with grief, completely abandoning her own dignity, Li Huaxin's heart utterly surrendered.

"Fine! You wretched Qing'er, I've already decided to be your woman! Even if I don't admit it, in other people's eyes I'm still a lowly, lewd woman. Besides, you've cruelly toyed with me, and you've seen the most shameful and ugly aspects of a woman. What right do I have to pretend to be innocent in front of you anymore! Come on, you devil! Let this lewd woman go to the hell of the lewd! From now on, I will only be your sex slave forever! Please punish this lowly woman, Master!" Having made up her mind to be her cruel nephew's sex slave, Li Huaxin seemed like a different person. She stood up resolutely, walked to her nephew, knelt down, and uttered her final declaration of self-degradation.

"Haha! This is the good boy I like! Come on, lick my penis! If you lick it well, I'll reward you. Otherwise, I'll whip your cunt raw!" Jiang Hanqing laughed as he took off his clothes, revealing his enormous, erect penis to Li Huaxin.

Kneeling on the ground, Li Huaxin saw through her blurry tears a huge, proudly erect penis.

The massive penis was covered in blood vessels, trembling, even larger than her husband's penis in her memory.

"My God! This is Qing'er's penis! ...So big...I'm going to use it to penetrate this slutty woman's vagina later!" Thinking of being raped by her nephew, Li Huaxin was filled with a complex mix of shame and anticipation.

She reached out and grasped her nephew's hot penis, taking it into her mouth and gently licking the glans with her tongue, seemingly enjoying it immensely.

A strong, fishy stench emanated from her nephew's glans, but to the humiliated mature woman, it acted like an aphrodisiac. Having never performed oral sex before, Li Huaxin had no idea what to do, but an instinctive drive made her lick Jiang Hanqing's penis, even lifting it up and sucking on her nipples. At first, her teeth would occasionally scrape against Jiang Hanqing's penis, hurting him. Then he would mercilessly lash her buttocks with his whip, or pinch her nipples hard with his fingers, cursing her viciously: "You slut, look how stupid you are! You can't even do something as simple as licking your master's penis! You lowly sex slave should be properly disciplined..." At this moment, the physical pain and the humiliation inflicted on her nephew made the abused Li Huaxin even more intoxicated by the pleasure of sadomasochism. She, who had willingly fallen into depravity, began to feel true pleasure from these humiliations. Her buttocks began to writhe lasciviously, and when the whip lashed against them, excited moans of "Ugh... Ugh..." came from her nostrils.

Gradually, her oral sex became more skillful, and the frequency of her mouth stroking the penis increased. The violent shaking of her body caused her pair of full breasts to sway and rub against Jiang Hanqing's legs.

Watching his beautiful aunt kneel before him, her hair disheveled, licking his penis, Jiang Hanqing felt a surge of conquering pleasure. He reached out and fondled her breasts. Li Huaxin, her breasts being fondled by her nephew, looked up excitedly at the cruel man, her eyes gleaming with fanaticism, yet her mouth remained still. She had truly immersed herself in the role.

As the dazzling pleasure of ejaculation reached her, Jiang Hanqing grabbed his aunt's hair, pulling her head towards him, and thrust his penis forward forcefully, plunging it deep into Li Huaxin's mouth, ejaculating hot semen.

"Slut, don't spit it out, swallow it!" Seeing the look of disgust on his aunt's face as she struggled to pull her head back, Jiang Hanqing forcefully held her hair down, preventing her from retreating, and harshly ordered her to swallow his semen.

Seeing her nephew's cold and cruel expression, Li Huaxin quickly submitted. Swallowing her nephew's pungent semen, the humiliation brought tears to her eyes, yet the muffled sounds emanating from her mouth suddenly intensified, her plump buttocks writhed more violently, and copious amounts of vaginal fluid gushed from her vulva. In the chaotic pleasure of being humiliated by her nephew, she actually reached orgasm.

Jiang Hanqing, pulling her penis from her aunt's mouth, looked at her aunt still squatting on the ground. She once again began to weep for her lewd behavior; her nephew's white semen still clung to the corners of her lips, and puddles of her vaginal fluid covered the ground.

"Alright, you lewd woman. Now get down on your knees and raise your lewd ass, I'm going to fuck you good!"

Li Huaxin, who had been longing for this moment for months, didn't know whether to feel sorrow or joy upon hearing these words! She had endured so many days and nights for this moment, and today she had suffered even more humiliation at the hands of her nephew. Now, this moment had finally arrived. Was it all worth it? She didn't know, and she didn't want to think about it now. At this moment, all she wanted was for her nephew to deeply insert his enormous penis into her vagina, which hadn't received a man's penis in fifteen years, so she could have a good time.

She obediently complied with her nephew's orders, rolling over and lying face down on the ground, her still-dripping buttocks raised high towards him. This dog-like position intensified her humiliation, and the sight of her nephew's burning gaze on her vulva and anus gave her a lewd pleasure of being watched, causing her buttocks to sway slightly.

Looking at his aunt's wet, thick labia and the dark brown anus peeking out from her cleft—an area likely untouched—his young penis, which had just ejaculated, became erect again.

Jiang Hanqing walked over, guiding his penis against his aunt's labia, using her vaginal fluid to moisten his glans for easier insertion later.

When Li Huaxin couldn't bear the itching sensation caused by her nephew rubbing his labia and moaned, pushing her vulva towards Jiang Hanqing's penis, Jiang Hanqing held his aunt's buttocks and thrust his penis forcefully into her slightly open vaginal opening. With a "plop!", the first half of his penis entered Li Huaxin's vagina.

Having not been penetrated by a man's penis for fifteen years, Li Huaxin's vagina had become very tight, comparable to that of a virgin. Jiang Hanqing's forceful thrust made it difficult for him to proceed even halfway in. Li Huaxin cried out in pain, "No! It hurts! Slower!... Ah... I can't take it!" Tears streamed down her face, and she was covered in cold sweat.

Seeing his aunt's pain, Jiang Hanqing had no choice but to stop temporarily, only tentatively moving back and forth at the point he had reached. After a while, Jiang Hanqing saw that she seemed to be getting used to it, and her vagina, which had been contracted due to tension

, had relaxed slightly. He then suddenly thrust in hard. His enormous penis disappeared completely into Li Huaxin's vagina. "Ah!" Although the action was very rough this time, Li Huaxin, who had gradually adapted, only cried out in pain and trembled slightly, without any other adverse reactions.

Seeing that his aunt seemed to have basically adapted, Jiang Hanqing began to thrust, while one hand reached under his aunt's body to squeeze and play with her full breasts swaying in the air, and the other hand slapped her high buttocks. Soon, Li Huaxin's buttocks were covered with red marks. However, the woman who had just been whipped and made a sex slave was already enjoying this perverse pleasure. Every time his palm slapped her buttocks hard, her full hips would twist violently, and her red lips, which had been moaning with pleasure at the satisfaction of her long-starved vagina, now emitted screams of pure joy.

“Fifth Sister, you slut! Do you admit you’re a slut now? Ah! You pretended to be innocent and wouldn’t do sadomasochism! Are you enjoying it now? Ah!” Jiang Hanqing thrust his penis into his aunt’s tight vagina while cursing and slapping her plump buttocks repeatedly!

“Yes! Ah… I’m a slut… Ah… I like sadomasochism… Ah… So good… Oh… Qing’er… Harder… Thrust… Thrust this whore, Fifth Sister, to death… Mmm… I love you… Hit me… Hit me hard… Smash this filthy ass… Qing’er… Do you like Fifth Sister?” Li Huaxin, shaking her head and twisting her sweaty body wildly, responded to her nephew’s insults and slaps.

“Fifth Sister, I love you! I love you so much I want to fuck you to death right here!” Jiang Hanqing said, bending down to kiss Li Huaxin’s beautiful cheeks, his lower body thrusting even more rapidly, hitting Li Huaxin’s buttocks with a “slap slap” sound.

"Ugh... Qing'er... I've come... Ah... You... Aren't you going to cum?... Fifth Aunt can't take it anymore." Under the vigorous thrusting of her strong nephew, Li Huaxin quickly surrendered, lying on the ground unable to move. At this moment, Jiang Hanqing was still full of energy, holding her buttocks and thrusting hard.

Looking at his aunt's immobile state, Jiang Hanqing chuckled and said, "Is that so? Fifth Aunt, you can't take it anymore. Then I'll give you some motivation!" Before Li Huaxin could react, he pulled his penis out of his aunt's vagina, spread her bloodied and swollen buttocks, and pressed his penis against her anus, forcefully thrusting into her anus that had never been played with by a man before.

"Ah! God! It hurts so much! Qing'er, spare your aunt!" Li Huaxin, whose virginity had been violated by her cruel nephew, felt an unprecedented pain and humiliation, crying out in agony, but her seemingly tireless vulva began to flow with thick lustful fluid again.

"If you want to be my woman, Fifth Sister, you must get used to anal play!" Jiang Hanqing said coldly, thrusting his penis in and out.

"Yes! I understand... Ah... Qing'er... Play with me hard... Tear Fifth Sister's asshole apart... Fifth Sister will be your obedient woman... Always listen to you! Ah... It hurts so much!... But don't be afraid... I can take it... For you... I can endure any pain!"

"Ah!... Fifth Sister... I'm coming... Ah...!"

Hearing his aunt's sweet cries of pleasure from being abused, Jiang Hanqing, in a state of ecstasy, ejaculated his long-suppressed white semen deep into his aunt's anus.

The two lay on the ground in this position for a long time, unable to move.

Much later, Jiang Hanqing, having recovered from the pleasure of sex, carried Li Huaxin, who was in so much pain she couldn't get up, to the bed. He lovingly embraced her warm body as they lay on the bed, gently stroking the whip marks on his aunt's body, and asked, "Fifth Sister, does it still hurt? I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright! Fifth Sister is your woman from now on. No matter how cruelly you play with me, I can endure it! Alas! Fifth Sister only realized today that women can actually experience pleasure like this!" Looking at her beloved man, who had become gentle and considerate again after their intercourse, Li Huaxin finally understood that this man truly loved her; it was just that his method of intercourse was different from others. After her nephew's "training" tonight, she had already tasted the initial pleasure of sadomasochism and had consciously or unconsciously accepted her nephew's cruel way of making love.

"Qing'er, you're leaving the day after tomorrow! Let Fifth Sister come and keep you company again tomorrow night! Fifth Sister is willing to do anything for you!"

"Hmm...okay! But Fifth Aunt, let me tell you first, everything tonight is just an introductory lesson! Hmm...there will be even more brutal things tomorrow night! Can you handle it?" Jiang Hanqing was deeply moved by his beloved aunt's words, burying his head in her cleavage and kissing her as he spoke these words.

"Don't worry! For you, I'll endure even the cruelest torment! Really, believe me!" Hearing that there would be even crueler torment tomorrow, Li Huaxin felt a little scared, but her infatuation with her nephew and the masochistic pleasure that had been unearthed within her made her firmly agree. Imagining the even crueler torment she would suffer tomorrow, her vagina, which had just been thoroughly enjoyed by her nephew, began to flow with hot, lustful fluid again.

She rolled over and straddled her nephew, biting his shoulder as she cried, "Qing'er!...I...I want more!"

"Haha! You old slut, still not satisfied? Fuck! I'll fuck you to death!" Jiang Hanqing said, flipping Li Huaxin over and pinning her beneath him. His penis, with practiced ease, thrust into her still-open vagina, which hadn't yet closed after their previous play.

"Tonight, I'm going to fuck you all night, you old slut!"

With Jiang Hanqing's words, the room was immediately filled with the sounds of flesh colliding, groans, and heavy breathing...

It was still early, the night was still long, and there was still much to do...

Chapter Four: The Bloodbath of Taishun

Chapter Four: The Bloodbath of Taishun

The next morning, when Li Huaxin woke up, she found herself still entwined with her nephew. His shrunken penis was still inside her vagina. She felt incredibly shy and moved slightly, trying to break free from Hanqing's embrace. However, due to their close contact, this movement immediately woke Jiang Hanqing.

Opening his eyes to see Li Huaxin, now his woman, Jiang Hanqing smiled slightly and began to stroke her sore bottom from the previous night.

"Ouch... Qing'er, be gentle! It still hurts! You hit me too hard last night!" Li Huaxin, acting like a little girl in heat, rested her head on Jiang Hanqing's chest and said in a coquettish voice, seemingly forgetting that she was old enough to be the man's mother.

"Hehe... just a few hits last night, and you couldn't take it? Then you dare to do the main event tonight?"

"I can't bear to part with you, what can I do? The thought of you leaving right after I became your woman makes me sad! And you're still here laughing at me." Li Huaxin pouted and lightly punched Jiang Hanqing's chest.

"Alright! I know it's for me. I love you to death too!"

"Oh! By the way, this room is so well-equipped, have you brought many women here to play?" Suddenly remembering this, Li Huaxin asked jealously.

"It's certain that a woman has come in, otherwise do you think all these things are just for show? But not many, just one!" Jiang Hanqing said smugly.

"What? What kind of woman?" Li Huaxin's eyes clearly showed jealousy towards the woman who had come here before her and been played with by Hanqing.

"Hehe! Is Fifth Sister jealous?"

"Hmph!...I am jealous, so what?" Li Huaxin said, forcing a smile.

"Haha! Not much. But, Fifth Sister, do you really want to know what kind of woman I used to bring here to play with?"

"Yes! What, you don't want to tell me?"

"No! I'm afraid that if I tell you, Fifth Sister, it will scare you!" Jiang Hanqing was very excited, thinking about the terrified reaction Li Huaxin would have if he told her that he had brought his mother to this room to humiliate her. His penis, still inserted in Li Huaxin's vagina, immediately became erect.

"You...what kind of woman? That you can make you feel this way just thinking about her..." Feeling the penis in her vagina rapidly swell and harden, Li Huaxin was filled with even more jealousy towards that woman.

"Let me tell you! It's my mother! Haha!" Jiang Hanqing brought his mouth close to Li Huaxin's ear, deliberately lowering his voice.

"You... what did you say...?" Upon hearing this, Li Huaxin immediately sat up in fright, tilting her head to assess his expression and credibility.

"Hehe... I said I brought my mother here to play with her just like I played with you yesterday!" Jiang Hanqing grinned at his aunt's violent reaction.

"You... are you crazy... how can you joke about your own mother!" Li Huaxin's face was filled with shock and disbelief.

"Haha! You think I'm talking nonsense! Let me tell you! I'm telling you the truth! Haha! You see your mother looking so righteous, right? Let me tell you, she's even more slutty and shameless here than you. The way I'm going to play with you tonight, I've already exhausted all my tricks on my mother. Otherwise, how do you think I practiced all those methods last night? Let me tell you, I practiced them on my mother every day!"

"Impossible, how could Sister Feng... with... with you...!" Li Huaxin murmured.

"Hmph! Let me tell you, the person I love most in this world is my mother, and the second is you! Fifth Sister, think about it, since you can sleep with me, why can't my mother?"

"That's different! We're not related by blood! But it's your mother and you!"

"So what if she's my mother! I slept with her, and I still slept with her! Not a single hair was lost! Not only will I sleep with my mother, but one day I'll marry her." Jiang Hanqing said very seriously.

"My God! Qing'er, you'll be condemned by millions for doing this!" Li Huaxin looked at the serious-faced Jiang Hanqing in astonishment, finding it unbelievable that he would have such thoughts.

"Hmph! One day I will do it!" Jiang Hanqing's eyes shone with longing, as if he could already see that scene becoming a reality.

Seeing his expression, Li Huaxin knew that he had already made up his mind, and there was no point in saying anything more, so she stopped talking and changed the subject to chatting with him about other things in bed.

After a long while, Jiang Hanqing said to her, "Alright, Fifth Sister. It's already dawn, you should go back. If the rest of the family finds out you've spent the night here, we'll be in trouble. Go back and rest for a bit, then come back to keep me company tonight. I also have to meet with the men who accompanied Jiang Hanqing to Qiu Te later."

Although she was reluctant to leave Jiang Hanqing, she knew he was right; their illicit affair absolutely could not be known to anyone in the Jiang family. With no other choice, Li Huaxin got up, dressed, helped Jiang Hanqing get up, and then, led by him, left the secret room. Reluctantly promising to see him again that night, Li Huaxin returned to her own courtyard.

Shortly after Li Huaxin left, the men who had accompanied Jiang Hanqing to Qiu Te gradually arrived at the courtyard, gathering together to await his instructions.

After a while, Lin Fengxian came in and reported, "Brother Qing, all eighteen brothers have arrived! What do you think..."

"Alright, let's go out!" He got up and walked out, Lin Fengxian quickly following behind.

A group of young people who had been talking quietly in the courtyard immediately stopped talking and stood ramrod straight when they saw him come out.

Looking at this group of elite young people he had carefully selected from the family, Jiang Hanqing was filled with emotion. In the coming months, he would lead these young people, roughly his age, through thick and thin, fighting for the future of the family. He didn't know how many of them would never see the sun rise over the capital again after leaving here. But he was certain that those who returned alive would become capable individuals, and he was confident that this journey would win them over and make them his strong support in his future endeavors.

He cleared his throat and walked to the steps in the courtyard. The eighteen men below looked at this future head of the family, who was their age but had already demonstrated extraordinary abilities, with reverence. Last night, they received a notification from the head of the household that the young master had chosen them to go to Qiu Te to carry out a crucial mission concerning the survival of the family. Almost all of these young men were so excited they hadn't slept, because they knew that the young master's selection of them meant that the highest leadership of the family acknowledged their loyalty and abilities; and after completing this supposedly incredibly dangerous mission with the young master, they would surely be regarded as trusted confidants and promoted, and their dream of rising to a high position in the family could become a reality.

Jiang Hanqing slowly surveyed the eighteen men, sensing their reverence, and nodded with satisfaction. Amidst their anticipation, he began his address: "Brothers! The place we are going to this time is the land of barbarians—Qu Te. I think the head of the household has already told you this, right?"

"Yes! Young Master!" the eighteen men answered in unison.

"Did the supervisor tell you the actual purpose of this trip?"

"No!" The answer was still crisp and clear.

"Then I'll tell you, our purpose is to help the Kingdom of Qiut defeat the Imperial army!" Jiang Hanqing finished speaking and carefully observed everyone's reaction.

Almost everyone trembled slightly, but then they all immediately shouted, "Understood!"

"Our mission is to teach the soldiers of the Kingdom of Qiut how to deal with the Imperial army, and if necessary, even to personally participate in the war against the Empire. Are you confident in completing the mission?"

This time, everyone answered without hesitation, "Yes!"

"Very good! Do you understand? If any one of you had asked why we should help the Kingdom of Qiu defeat the Empire, I would have immediately expelled him from the group. What I need is an obedient warrior who will resolutely and without hesitation carry out my orders, not someone who asks 'why' about everything! Such a person is useless to me, and in fact, to all leaders, such a person is useless, even deserving of firm rejection. Can a lord trust a warrior who doesn't immediately obey his orders but instead hesitates and questions them? Furthermore, such a person might know too much he shouldn't, and in dangerous situations, he might unintentionally betray his lord's secrets." Jiang Hanqing paused, then added, "Furthermore, remember this: if I want you to know something, I will naturally tell you; if I don't tell you, it means I don't want to, and in that case, don't ask anything! Do you understand?"

"Understood!"

"Very well, finally I must tell you that this journey is extremely dangerous, and I cannot guarantee that I can bring every one of you home. If anyone is unwilling to go, step forward now, and I will not blame them!" "

We are willing to follow our young master, even if it means going through fire and water!"

"Very good! Everyone, go and prepare! We will depart tomorrow morning!"

After finishing his instructions to his entourage, Jiang Hanqing went to his father's place. The father and son discussed how to ask the imperial censor for leave after Jiang Hanqing's departure, and what to say if the emperor asked where he had gone.

Jiang Haoyu gave him a long lecture on what to be careful about on the road, and finally told him, "Your mission is very secretive and cannot be made public, so I will not see you off tomorrow. When the time comes, you can set off on your own!" After

saying a solemn goodbye to his father, Jiang Hanqing returned to his room.

Nothing happened that day. In the evening, after dinner, Li Huaxin came to his room.

Without any pleasantries, Jiang Hanqing immediately led her into a secret room and began his final farewell.

Two naked people embraced and kissed face to face.

"Qing'er! Come, punish this wanton woman!" Li Huaxin spoke these words with a fiery tone, truly entering a masochistic state.

Since her aunt had made such a request, Jiang Hanqing naturally wouldn't be polite. With a rough shove, Li Huaxin fell to the ground.

A black leather collar was thrown on the ground in front of her.

"You filthy bitch, put this on yourself!" Her nephew's cold voice was devoid of any emotion.

"No! I can't!" Although she had fallen to this level, she was still a woman of noble birth. When her nephew wanted her to wear the dog collar, Li Huaxin's remaining sense of shame immediately made her refuse his request.

With a "crack," the leather whip in Jiang Hanqing's hand lashed her buttocks.

“You slut, didn’t you promise me you’d let me do whatever I wanted with you? Why are you going back on your word now! Fuck!”

“Ah!…It hurts…please have mercy…this is a dog collar…how could I…ah!…”

Li Huaxin’s words were immediately swallowed back down as Jiang Hanqing lashed her vulva with his whip.

“You bitch! Isn’t this dog collar perfect for your sex slave status? Put it on right now!” As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Hanqing kicked her so she was lying on her back on the ground, then spread her thighs apart and whipped her tender vulva.

“Ah!” The pain of the whipping made Li Huaxin’s eyes roll back, but her violently separated vulva once again flowed with lustful fluid.

Under her nephew’s violence, Li Huaxin had no choice but to submit in a lowly manner. Amid her nephew’s laughter, she put the dog collar, a symbol of her lowly status, around her neck.

At this moment, Jiang Hanqing walked over and tied a rope to the eye of the dog collar around his aunt’s neck, then led his aunt around the room. Li Huaxin was thus humiliated, crawling on the ground like a dog, led by her nephew. If she paused even slightly, Jiang Hanqing's leather whip would lash her back and buttocks.

Crawling was incredibly strenuous, and the humiliation inflicted on her dignity by her nephew caused her to be drenched in sweat after circling the room twice. Sweat streamed down her hands and feet, leaving wet trails wherever she crawled.

"Hehe... Fifth Sister, you're such a slutty bitch!"

"Yes! I'm Qing'er's bitch!" Driven by perverse lust, Li Huaxin uttered these words without hesitation.

"Alright, now stand up!" Jiang Hanqing forcefully pulled the rope upwards, and Li Huaxin, in pain, had no choice but to stand.

"Come on! Enjoy this." Jiang Hanqing held a short iron chain with small clips at both ends.

"What is this?" Although she didn't know what it was for, Li Huaxin knew it couldn't be anything good. Sure enough, her nephew's answer made her gasp.

"Well... hehe... it's used to clip onto your nipples, Fifth Aunt."

"No! How can that be? It'll hurt like hell!"

The cruel nephew didn't care about his poor aunt's reaction. He grabbed the rope of the dog collar around her neck and pulled her into his arms. Then, ignoring her protests, he clipped the clip onto her erect nipples.

"Ah!" Li Huaxin trembled and let out a groan. When the clip was on her nipples, they hurt, but there was also a strange pleasure.

Jiang Hanqing walked around the room pulling the chain. Li Huaxin's nipples were pulled forward, so she had to stick her chest out and limp along with her nephew. Her vaginal fluids flowed down her thighs.

"Haha, this feels good, doesn't it! Isn't this what you sluts like to be done to?" Jiang Hanqing asked, finally stopping.

"Yes... I like it... Please forgive my lewdness, Master!"

"Alright! That's enough for today! I'll train you properly next time I come back! Now it's your main meal! Do you want it?"

"Yes... I want Master's big cock!" Hearing that they could finally have sex, Li Huaxin, smiling seductively, seemed to be drooling.

Laughing loudly, Jiang Hanqing walked triumphantly towards his obedient sex slave. He wanted to properly reward his little brother before leaving the capital. This night was truly a very happy night for him.

The next morning, Jiang Hanqing saw off Li Huaxin, who was reluctant to part with him, and immediately set off with Lin Fengxian and eighteen attendants. The warhorse galloped out of the city gate of the Jiang family compound. He knew that from now on, he would firmly follow the path of conquering the world, even if this path was full of dangers, failures, and even death, he would not and could not retreat. The victor is king, the loser is villain, history will ultimately judge his gains and losses, and history was waiting for him to write it.

As their mounts galloped out of Chengtian Gate, the east gate of Yong'an Prefecture in the capital, Jiang Hanqing couldn't help but rein in his horse and turn back to look at the magnificent gate tower.

At this moment, Chengtian Gate was bathed in golden sunlight, the glazed tiles on the tower's roof gleaming brilliantly, boasting of the empire's current strength. Banners fluttered on the city walls, and spears and halberds stood in rows, giving all those arriving in the imperial capital for the first time a powerful sense of the empire's dominance over all surrounding regions. Above the gate, a large plaque bore three gleaming golden characters—"Chengtian Gate." For hundreds of years, it had silently watched over the imperial subjects hurrying past, witnessing the rise and fall of the empire.

Looking at this city that had dominated the world for millennia, and recalling the heroic tales that had unfolded within its walls over the centuries, Jiang Hanqing felt a surge of boundless pride. He secretly vowed, "Yong'an Prefecture! Yong'an Prefecture! Just you wait, I will personally write a new history for you! One day, I will become your master!" He spurred his horse, shouted "Giddy up!" and his warhorse galloped off along the official road like an arrow. Lin Fengxian and the eighteen riders hurriedly urged their mounts on, following closely behind. The group kicked up clouds of dust, and for a moment even Chengtian Gate seemed to be enveloped in billowing smoke.

At this moment, a thousand miles away, the Qiu Te people were besieging a small county town that was desperately resisting their attack.

This county town was called Taishun City. The town was not large, with a circumference of three miles. Before the outbreak of the war, it had three thousand households and a total of more than eight thousand residents. Although the town was named Taishun, it was actually far from peaceful and tranquil.

Taishun City was located on a slightly elevated hillside where the plain met the mountains. Its east, north, and west sides faced high and desolate mountains, and its south gate faced a large slope extending into the plain. A hundred li south of here lies the official road leading from Yong'an Prefecture to the vast eastern lands of the empire. Normally, this hundred-li distance is an extremely long journey for ordinary people. Coupled with its proximity to barren mountains and the surrounding infertile land, almost no one is willing to migrate here during this peaceful era; on the contrary, more and more people are leaving. Thirty years ago, the city had over five thousand households; now, only half that remains. Because of the poor living conditions and fierce competition, the local people have always been known for their fierce nature, with fights and even deaths occurring frequently.

When the Qiu Te cavalry advanced westward along the official road, they didn't pay much attention to this small town, seemingly far from the main road. The army continued westward, only sending a small detachment of two thousand men to attack the town because five hundred imperial soldiers had fled there after their defeat.

Who would have thought that in this time of national crisis, the fiercely independent people of this region would spontaneously gather to fight for their country, their fearless courage leaving the scholars who usually looked down on them speechless. Who could have imagined that the unruly and uncivilized people, usually seen as arrogant and unruly by the officials, would now transform into passionate patriots?

While local officials fled, over two thousand able-bodied men from Taishun City spontaneously organized into a volunteer army, determined to unite and fight the invading Qiu Te people. The city's survival was paramount; the people would perish. When this decision was made, not a single woman, young or old, in the city objected. Everyone was determined to fight the barbarians to the death, even if it meant certain death. Together with the five hundred soldiers who had fled there, they elected the only officer among the soldiers, a battalion commander named Fan Hu, as their leader. When the Qut people, arrogant and overconfident from their victories, swaggered in to attack, this volunteer army launched a surprise attack, routing the enemy and even killing their deputy commander.

Before the enemy could react to their defeat, the volunteer army, with few horses, marched over a hundred li (approximately 50 kilometers) and raided an enemy supply convoy on the main road in the dead of night, burning a large quantity of provisions. This enraged the Qut people, who finally began to take this seemingly insignificant town seriously. They understood that while a hundred li (approximately 50 kilometers) from the main road might seem far to ordinary people in peacetime, it was far too close in war.

Three days later, 20,000 Qut warriors surrounded the town, beginning a relentless siege. Although the town's inhabitants had recently inflicted minor losses on them, the sheer disparity in troop numbers still led the general to believe he could easily capture this tiny town. So, without even making siege equipment, the Qut people began their attack.

Two days later, more than 1,500 corpses were thrown from the city walls. The Qut people realized that this small city was different from any they had encountered before; they would not admit defeat until the last soldier was killed. When the general leading the army—the famous Qut general Hua Tianwei—saw that among the defenders on the city walls were the elderly, women, and even children, a hint of surprise and admiration finally appeared on his usually indifferent face.

That night, in an urgent military intelligence report to the Qut vanguard commander—the royal uncle Han Xionglie—he described the enemy's resistance as follows: "All those who can walk are fighting desperately, even women and children are no exception. Their ferocity is truly unprecedented since the start of the campaign!" He made this request to the royal uncle: "Our army, with 20,000 men, has fought with all their might, attacking by day and raiding by night, but without siege equipment, the results have been minimal, and many have been killed or wounded. I humbly beg the royal uncle to quickly provide some siege equipment, then the fall of this city will be within reach!

" When Xiong Lie saw this military intelligence report, he was furious. He said to his men, "These scoundrels attacked a tiny city with 20,000 troops and failed! This is a disgrace to the nation! How dare we ask for more?! If the Holy Emperor finds out and punishes us, how can we escape blame?" Although he was angry, he knew the situation was urgent and had no choice but to immediately send 10,000 reinforcements with battering rams, catapults, ladders, and other siege equipment. He thought that with this, the city would be captured soon.

However, three days passed, and the small city remained unyielding despite being besieged by 30,000 enemy troops. The people inside were exhausted but still fought to the death.

This time, even the Queen of Qiu Te knew of the city's existence.

Autumn, September 30th, fifth year of Taiping Zhenzhi, afternoon, Taishun City.

Fan Hu, his eyes bloodshot, stood on the city wall, observing the enemy camp and their movements.

The enemy launched their offensive this morning, with over five thousand troops simultaneously attacking the city from the east and south. Stones and arrows rained down from both the city walls and the ground. The morning's attack lasted a full two hours, and as usual, the enemy retreated again half an hour ago after leaving behind hundreds of corpses. The city's defenders used this time to fill their stomachs, awaiting the next enemy attack.

At this moment, Fan Hu felt no joy at repelling the enemy's attack. Looking at his comrades, exhausted and sprawled on the ground, at the women and children who, like the men, hadn't slept a wink for five days and five nights while assisting in the defense, and at the corpses of fallen soldiers burning at the foot of the city walls, he knew clearly that the city was about to fall.

Seeing no major activity within the enemy camp, he figured they wouldn't launch a new attack anytime soon. He breathed a sigh of relief, sat down on the ground, leaned against the city wall, and closed his eyes to rest. For the past ten days or so, he hadn't slept more than two hours a day.

The cold city wall behind him felt comforting after a fierce battle, his body drenched in sweat, and his weary mind cleared considerably. This temporary respite allowed him time to recall the events of the past ten days.

Ten days earlier, he and his unit, part of a city's garrison, had faced the Qiut army. Faced with the fierce Qiut cavalry, the pampered imperial garrison quickly crumbled. Helpless, he fled west with the others, only to become separated from the main force. Following several hundred brothers in a daze, he inexplicably arrived at Taishun City, over a hundred li away from the main road. Here, as the city's only officer, he was elected leader by the determined populace, who were determined to fight to the death against the enemy. He finally had the opportunity to showcase his military talents, buried by incompetent superiors in the imperial army. In eight days, this ragtag force had killed nearly eight thousand Qiut soldiers—a feat he could be very proud of. But now, this volunteer army was finally exhausted and on the verge of annihilation.

Opening his eyes and looking at the soldiers and civilians around him, he couldn't help but sigh. So many days of life-and-death struggles had forged a deep bond between him and these people he had never met before. He didn't know when this isolated city would fall; perhaps it could hold out for a few more days, perhaps even today. Then, these brave citizens of the empire… His vision blurred, and something seemed to choke him. Looking at the teenager sleeping beside him, mumbling in his sleep, he seemed to see the tragic scene of the child being cleaved in two by enemy soldiers after the city fell. His chest heaved rapidly; he quickly took a deep breath to calm himself, then shook his head vigorously, trying to banish these terrifying thoughts from his mind. He was now the commander of this city; he couldn't show any sign of weakness. He couldn't let everyone lose their courage to resist, even though they were already in despair.

As he was lost in thought, he heard a sudden commotion in the enemy camp outside the city. He quickly stood up and looked towards the enemy camp.

The enemy seemed to be preparing for another attack; large numbers of soldiers were assembling and forming ranks in the open space within the camp. He didn't rush to wake the sleeping soldiers and civilians. The enemy hadn't truly attacked yet; waking them would be useless. It was better to let them sleep a little longer.

After a while, he realized something was wrong. Generally, siege forces should take turns attacking, with one group attacking the city while the other rested in the camp. The enemy had done this for the past few days. But now, the entire enemy force was assembled and forming ranks.

"Could it be that the enemy is getting impatient and preparing for a full-scale attack?" he wondered.

However, the enemy's actions quickly revealed the correct answer. After forming ranks, the enemy troops, except for a small number who remained in the camp to guard against a counterattack from the city, lined up on both sides of the road, seemingly preparing to welcome some important figure. Although the identity of the arriving person was unknown, judging from the scale of the welcome, Fan Hu estimated it to be a high-ranking military commander or a member of the royal family.

Half an hour later, bugles suddenly sounded throughout the enemy camp. The defending soldiers and civilians awoke with a start, thinking the enemy was about to launch a new fierce attack, and rushed to their battle posts. When they realized that the enemy was actually welcoming someone, they couldn't help but discuss and speculate about who was coming. However, one thing they all understood was that this person's arrival would definitely bring a storm of attacks to Taishun City.

Dust billowed in the distance, and although no one could be seen yet, the ground had already begun to tremble slightly. The soldiers and civilians in the city looked at each other in horror. The strength of an army capable of generating such power was unimaginable, and Fan Hu, with his rich military experience, estimated that the enemy's numbers would not be less than 50,000 cavalry. His heart sank, knowing that Taishun City was doomed.

The earth trembled more and more violently, and the sound of hooves gradually became deafening.

Finally, a cavalryman emerged from the dust and came into view, followed by more and more Qiut cavalrymen. They charged towards Taishun City in four neat columns, a vast and seemingly endless force.

In the despairing eyes of the defenders of Taishun City, the vanguard cavalry was almost at the Qiut camp below the city walls, while seemingly endless cavalry columns continued to appear and rush in this direction.

When the leading Qiut cavalrymen entered the camp, they didn't stop there, but instead charged straight through the camp to the open ground below the city walls and formed ranks.

"Brother Tiger, aren't they going to rest for a bit? Are they going to attack the city with such a tired army?" asked an Imperial soldier standing beside him.

Fan Hu shook his head heavily, and after a long while said, "No. They're arrayed to prevent us from launching a surprise attack when their commander enters the camp, not to attack us immediately! With their strength, they shouldn't be worried about us at all, yet they're doing this... This can only mean that the person coming has an extremely high status in the Qiu Te Kingdom. The Qiu Te people won't allow any accidents to happen to this person, so everything must be done in the safest way."

"Who could this person be? Brother Hu, can you guess?" the soldier asked curiously.

Fan Hu, who was observing the Qiu Te cavalry's attire, suddenly turned pale, his expression becoming very gloomy and serious, as if he had thought of something important. He shook his head and didn't answer the soldier's question. Seeing his expression, the soldier didn't dare to ask any more questions.

By this time, the people on the city wall had already noticed that the attire of the newly arrived Qiu Te cavalry was very different from what they had seen before.

Typically, Qut cavalrymen wore light silver or black armor with minimal ornamentation, topped with iron helmets that draped over their heads for dust protection, and primarily used scimitars as weapons. Their horses were unarmored, and their banners usually bore only the commander's surname. However, the Qut cavalrymen charging towards them wore armor that gleamed gold, appeared extremely heavy, and was engraved with numerous ferocious beast patterns. Besides their helmets, they also wore brass masks, leaving only their eyes exposed. Each of the four ranks of cavalry carried a different weapon: a lance, a broadsword, a scimitar, and a halberd. Their mounts were fully armored at vital points, their heads and necks encased in iron armor, leaving only their eyes visible, just like humans. Their banners did not bear the commander's surname, only an embroidered image of a tiger poised to pounce.

"Could it be…could it be…they are…" Fan Hu thought of the legendary Qut army, and a wave of despair washed over him.

"The Tiger Legion!" A nearby Imperial soldier cried out in terror, uttering the name Fan Hu had been muttering to himself.

"What?! This is the Tiger Legion!" Imperial soldiers who had heard of this army exclaimed in surprise.

The people of Taishun City, though unfamiliar with the name, immediately understood that this army must be of great importance when they saw the undisguised despair and terror on the faces of their brave soldiers who had fought valiantly for days without flinching. They eagerly questioned the soldiers around them.

"The Tiger Legion is...the most elite force of the Qiu Te Kingdom, the army of the army composed of their finest warriors...and also their emperor's guard!" An Imperial soldier collapsed to the ground, leaning against the city wall, throwing his weapon aside, and dejectedly uttered words that left all the surrounding people speechless.

As if to prove his point, the Qiu Te army suddenly cheered. Those on the city walls looked up into the distance, and a huge white flag appeared in their sight, embroidered with a golden eagle spreading its wings as if about to take flight.

Although none of the imperial citizens present had ever seen this banner before, almost everyone was chanting in their hearts, "The Banner of Qiut!"

Empress Han Yuexue of Qiut sat high on her warhorse, escorted by her personal guards, galloping towards the military camp in Taishun City. She wore a black-trimmed yellow cloak, dragon-embroidered boots, and a dazzling set of women's golden armor. She wore leopard-skin gloves and an eye-mask. Judging from the lower half of her face not covered by the mask, her features were quite refined. She had fair skin, an oval face, and cherry-red lips, making one want to remove the mask to see her full face.

As Taishun City drew ever closer, Han Yuexue slowed her horse and nodded to her uncle, Han Xionglie, who was following behind. Han Xionglie quickly stepped forward.

"Uncle, is this Taishun City?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Hmph! Such a small city, yet we have besieged it for five days with 30,000 iron cavalry, suffering nearly 10,000 casualties, and still haven't taken it. If every Xia Kingdom city is attacked this way, even ten times the number of our troops wouldn't make a difference! Is the enemy truly powerful? Or has Hua Tianwei become an idiot? I have come here personally to see if the enemy is as invincible as you all claim!" Her voice was filled with dissatisfaction at the incompetence of her generals.

"Your Majesty's divine might, with your personal command, will surely swiftly annihilate the stubborn enemy of Taishun!" The uncle, his forehead beaded with cold sweat, said fearfully.

"Hmph! You're quite the talker! If I have to personally lead the army to every small town, I think we shouldn't fight anymore; everyone should just go home!" With that, Han Yuexue ignored Han Xionglie, lashed her horse's belly with her whip, and the warhorse neighed and galloped forward. Han Xionglie hurriedly called for his attendants to follow closely.

As they entered the camp gate and prepared to dismount, Hua Tianwei had already rushed forward, trembling as he knelt before Han Yuexue's horse.

Han Yuexue stepped onto his back, jumped off, and without giving him a second glance, went straight into the main tent.

Hua Tianwei dared not delay and quickly got up and followed the others inside.

Han Yuexue sat in the center of the tent, accepted the greetings of the generals, slightly parted her lips, sipped the fragrant tea served by a maid, moistened her throat, and then turned her gaze to the trembling Hua Tianwei standing to the side.

Hua Tianwei stole a glance and saw Han Yuexue glaring at him. Terrified, he knelt on the ground with a thud, crying out, "This humble subject deserves to die! This humble subject is incompetent, failing to breach the enemy city and causing Your Majesty's alarm. I deserve to die a thousand deaths! Please, Your Majesty, punish me!"

Standing to the side, Han Xionglie worried that she might actually order Hua Tianwei's execution in her rage and was about to plead for him when Han Yuexue spoke up: "Hua Tianwei, the failure of this battle cannot be entirely blamed on you. Those who are determined to die should not be underestimated! With the Xia Kingdom being so large, I had long expected such people to fight to the death, but I did not expect them to appear until today." "Haha! Otherwise, our previous operations probably wouldn't have gone so smoothly!"

Seeing that everyone seemed relieved, thinking she wasn't blaming Hua Tianwei, Han Yuexue suddenly raised her voice, "Even so, your command was flawed. With 30,000 troops attacking a small city, you failed for five days, suffering heavy casualties. You cannot escape blame! You may be spared death, but you will not escape punishment! A year's salary will be deducted, and you will be demoted three ranks but allowed to remain in your post to atone for your crimes! Do you accept this?"

Hearing the Empress suddenly blame him, Hua Tianwei, who had already broken out in a cold sweat and thought his chances of survival were slim, breathed a sigh of relief, relieved that his life was spared. He dared not say anything more and quickly kowtowed in gratitude.

After dealing with Hua Tianwei's matter, Han Yuexue announced that

the entire army should rest immediately, preparing to attack Taishun City that night. Meanwhile, on the walls of Taishun City, watching the enemy troops below enter their tents to rest, Fan Hu knew that another night battle was coming. He ordered everyone except those on duty to rest immediately. Although Queen Qut's arrival instilled great fear in the people, exhaustion was an insurmountable obstacle. Those granted rest almost immediately fell asleep, temporarily forgetting the deadly threat posed by Queen Qut's powerful army.

As night fell, torches illuminated the city walls, and everyone nervously watched the Qut's camp, awaiting their attack. The Qut had begun assembling; it seemed their elite Tiger Army wouldn't participate in the siege, as the soldiers in formation were ordinary troops who had previously participated in sieges. This offered a slight reassurance to those on the walls, though they knew the outcome would ultimately be the same.

It was a bright, moonlit night, the moonlight pouring down like water, and the thousands of torches on both sides illuminated the earth as if it were daytime.

Fan Hu looked up at the bright moon. The cold moonlight made him feel exceptionally lonely. How many years had he been away from home? Fifteen years, perhaps? He wondered if his parents were doing well. He seemed to see the tears on the faces of his elderly parents a thousand miles away. Were they also gazing at the bright moon, hoping their unfilial son would return to see them? A tear slid down his cheek. "If I survive, I will go back to see my mother immediately!" But could he survive in this situation? He didn't know, he really didn't know.

He remembered the carefree days of catching shrimp and crabs with his friends in the streams of his hometown; he remembered the hopeful looks in his parents' eyes on the morning they sent him to the private school after scrimping and saving; he remembered the disappointment his parents felt when they learned he had joined the army after arguing with them; he remembered the days of high spirits and arrogance when he first joined the army; he remembered the resentment and indignation when he was suppressed; he remembered his childhood dream of becoming a hero…

"Hero… hero… sigh!" he murmured with a sigh. He now understood how heavy the hope, disappointment, and pain the word "hero" carried!

With a wry smile, he consoled himself, "If people knew the truth about this battle, perhaps I would be fortunate enough to become their so-called hero."

"Boom... boom... boom boom... boom boom boom boom...!" The war drums of the Qiu Te army finally sounded, jolting Fan Hu, who was lost in memories, awakening him to realize he was still commanding the battle on the battlefield.

Looking up at the Qiu Te camp, he saw the Qiu Te imperial flag raised, hanging high on the main flagpole, fluttering fiercely in the night wind, exuding power. It seemed the Qiu Te queen would personally oversee the battle tonight.

He smiled, thinking he truly wouldn't see the sun rise tomorrow, and turned to order, "Prepare rolling logs and stones! Heat the oil! Archers, take your positions!"

The Qiu Te soldiers, now in formation, suddenly looked at the banner symbolizing the honor of the Qiu Te emperor and roared three times in unison. Then, Hua Tianwei, the general in charge of the siege, drew his gleaming sword with a whoosh, swung it forcefully, and pointed the blade diagonally at Taishun City. The enemy finally began their formal operation.

The Qut army's siege force marched out of their camp in square formations, the main force arrayed five hundred paces from the city. The troops responsible for scaling the walls continued forward, led by battering rams, followed by siege ladders, ballistae, and more. The rhythmic footsteps echoed clearly in the ears of the Imperial civilians waiting on the walls, a terrifying reminder of their impending doom. The air was thick with the scent of death, pressing down on everyone. Everyone felt an atmosphere completely different from the enemy's previous sieges.

Looking at the fear, despair, and even numbness on the faces of those around him, Fan Hu knew that the morale of the enemy, ignited by Queen Qut's presence, had completely crushed their own fighting spirit. His soldiers had given up their last hope. Now, he had to step forward and ignite their fighting spirit, to fight the enemy to the death, to die with their dignity intact!

He suddenly shouted: "Brothers, folks! We have been trapped here for eight days. In these eight days, we have inflicted heavy casualties on the arrogant Qiut cavalry. In these eight days, we have earned the enemy's respect. Now, the Queen of Qiut has personally come to preside over this battle. This shows how much the enemy values us. This is the glory of our Taishun City!"

His voice echoed through the night, drawing everyone's attention. Looking at the trusting gazes fixed upon him, he suddenly felt his voice choke, but he persisted: "Brothers… tonight may be the last… moment we spend together!… But… I believe… our spirit will be forever recorded in the glorious annals of the Great Xia Kingdom, our name will resound in every corner inhabited by the Yanhuang people! Future generations will revere us as heroes! Brothers, give it your all, let the Queen of the Qiut barbarians see what true descendants of Yanhuang are! Tell them we will never surrender! Let these barbarians know that the descendants of Yanhuang are the greatest race, invincible! The city stands, we stand; the city stands, we perish!" His voice trembled with emotion; under normal circumstances, it might have sounded laughable, but at this moment, everyone was moved to tears, their blood boiling. Yes, how could the descendants of Yanhuang be intimidated by barbarian tribes? Better to die than surrender!

"The city stands, we stand; the city falls, we fall!" The unified shouts, the solemn tones, and the tears streaming down their faces expressed the heartfelt sentiments of the people of Taishun.

"With my burning blood, I pledge my loyalty to our ancestral Yanhuang! Kill... Ah!... Ya!" Fan Hu roared hoarsely and hoarsely.

"Kill... Ah... Ya...!" Young warriors, the elderly, women, and children all screamed with all their might, roaring out the indomitable spirit of the people of Taishun. Swords and blades were raised high in the air, waving at the slowly approaching enemy. Tears streamed down everyone's face, but no one wiped them away. These were the tears of heroes, tears that would forever be etched in the annals of the empire and remembered by future generations!

Watching the enemy shouting and screaming on the walls of Taishun, Han Yuexue's face, hidden behind a mask, remained expressionless. However, the skin tone of her chin appeared strangely pale in the moonlight; perhaps she was already turning ashen with rage.

She turned to Han Xionglie and said, "It seems our army's morale has been suppressed by the enemy. Beat the siege drums and suppress their arrogance! You go to the front to supervise the troops; anyone who retreats even a step will be executed!"

Han Xionglie hurriedly bowed and obeyed, then spurred his horse forward.

A short while later, the Qiu Te army's war drums sounded.

Hearing the order to attack, Hua Tianwei forcefully swung his longsword twice in the air and ordered, "Archers, step forward! Prepare the giant crossbows!"

The Qiu Te army archers, longbows in hand, ran out from the ranks, forming two lines at the front. They drew a long arrow from their quivers and planted it in front of them, then hung an arrow on the bowstring, raising it diagonally upwards towards the sky above the Taishun city walls, awaiting their commander's command to fire at the enemy city.

The giant crossbows on the carts were cranked up, their angle adjusted, and ten bolts were loaded into their quivers for a volley.

Seeing his men ready, Hua Tianwei raised his longsword high and brought it down heavily. "Release the arrows!"

Instantly, a rain of arrows fell upon the small city walls of Taishun.

"Assault team, attack!" At the command, the already prepared assault troops roared, pushing their siege carts and ladders, carrying makeshift ladders as they charged towards the city walls. The drums in the main camp also quickened their pace accordingly.

The small moat beneath Taishun had long been filled in by the Qiu Te army, and the assault troops quickly reached the walls, propping their ladders against the walls and beginning their ascent. The defenders of Taishun desperately fired arrows and threw stones down to prevent the enemy from approaching the walls; if a ladder came close, they rushed over and forcefully pushed it down, while some even poured boiling oil on the Qiu Te soldiers climbing the walls. For

a moment, the sounds of battle cries from both the city walls and the ground below were deafening, the sounds of clashing swords and spears, screams, and the shouts of officers mingling together. Under the beautiful moonlight, a bloody battle raged between the two sides.

With the Empress's presence tonight, the Qiu Te army knew their only option was to fight to the death, charging forward with unwavering resolve. Hua Tianwei, recently punished, dared not slacken, personally directing the attack from below the city walls. The Qiu Te army surged towards Taishun City like a relentless tide; as one fell, another stepped over the corpses of their fallen comrades. Wave after wave, without end.

Fan Hu patrolled the city walls, directing the desperate defense. Everyone knew their fate after the city fell, yet no one dared to flinch. Everyone fought desperately, including women and children. Some helped throw stones and pour oil down the walls, others busied themselves carrying new arrow and stone materials up the ramparts, and still others tended to the wounded and dragged away the dead. Facing the overwhelming onslaught of a superior enemy, there was no respite; no matter how bitter or exhausting, they could only endure. People were constantly falling in battle, their bodies immediately dragged away, and another person would take their place to continue the defense.

The battle raged all night, the Qut people's offensive never ceasing.

By dawn, both sides were exhausted. However, the Qut people were numerous and powerful, constantly sending new recruits into the fight, while the soldiers and civilians of Taishun City were practically at their last gasp. Their casualties were mounting, and almost no one on the city walls escaped injury; even women and children were not spared.

Fan Hu was still running around on the city walls, directing the defense, occasionally joining the fray in the most critical areas. He was nearly collapsing; a night of fierce fighting, shouting, and no water had left his lips cracked. Seeing the enemy still charging with undiminished vigor, he knew that Taishun City was truly finished today, with no hope left.

The Qut battering rams came up again, and Fan Hu quickly ordered everyone to lower their arrows and pour oil on the men pushing the rams, but due to the heavy losses, the defensive strength was now far weaker than at the beginning of the battle. The Qut remained relentlessly aggressive; as one Qut soldier fell, another rushed forward to hold him off. The battering ram finally crashed into the city gate with a deafening roar, but it didn't breach it! The Qut soldiers pushed back, then, after a certain distance, turned and charged towards the gate again.

Elsewhere on the city wall, the Qut soldiers launched a fierce attack. They knew the enemy wouldn't hold out much longer, and everyone wanted to be the first warrior to break into the city—the hero this time would surely be personally rewarded by the Queen, what an honor that would be!

Fan Hu and the surrounding soldiers desperately fired arrows and stones from the gate tower, pouring pots of boiling oil down. If the Qut soldiers managed to break through the gate again, their fate would be sealed. Bloodshed was raging everywhere; no one could spare manpower to reinforce this area. They had to rely on themselves.

Over forty Qut soldiers had already fallen before the gate, and the battering ram had been set ablaze, but they still didn't give up. New men arrived, and the battering ram charged towards the gate once more. Several more Qut soldiers fell, struck by arrows. The battering ram continued its advance. More oil was poured on, and another group of Qute soldiers writhed on the ground, screaming in agony from the scalding heat. But the remaining Qute soldiers finally pushed the battering ram to the gate and smashed it against it.

"Bang...creak..." With a deafening crash, the gate broke! The burning battering ram also ignited the city gate, and cheers erupted from the Qute camp. Han

Yuexue, who had been watching the battle all night, finally breathed a sigh of relief. She truly hadn't expected that such a small city, relying on a group of ordinary people, could hold out for so long. It seemed she needed to reconsider the fervor of the imperial people in resisting the enemy. A thought arose in her mind: perhaps the war against the empire had only just begun.

"Clang...bang..." The charred and shattered city gate collapsed to the ground.

Nearly ten thousand wildly howling Qute cavalrymen charged through the breached gate. In the blink of an eye, the city was ablaze. The sounds of clashing weapons and the screams of dying men echoed through the small city.

Fan Hu charged down from the city wall, hacking down two approaching Qiut cavalrymen with his sword. He saw a Qiut cavalryman a short distance ahead catch up with a woman fleeing with a child, spurring his horse to trample her to the ground, then letting his mount relentlessly trample her until the woman and child were about to die. Fan Hu's eyes widened in fury as he charged towards the Qiut cavalryman. Suddenly, he sensed the approaching hoofbeats behind him, and a gust of wind blew past. Knowing something was wrong, he leaped to the side.

"Clang!" The catching Qiut cavalryman struck him in the back as he leaped into the air, judging him dead, and continued galloping down the long street, searching for his next target.

Fan Hu collapsed to the ground, a sharp pain shooting through his back. He struggled to look up at the sky; it was already bright, the blinding sunlight piercing his eyes. He chuckled, thinking, "Who said I couldn't see the sun today? I finally saw it..." Suddenly, everything went black, and he collapsed to the ground, a smile still on his face.

When Han Yuexue entered Taishun City, all the imperial people in the city had already been wiped out; not a single one remained alive, not even the children.

Looking at the corpses of the imperial people filling the streets, her heart was still filled with rage. How could she not hate such a bunch of bumpkins who had caused her fierce cavalry to pay such a heavy price!

"Cut off their heads!" The cold voice seemed to come from hell.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Qiu Tebing responded with a roar and immediately began to act.

Just then, a cavalryman rushed up to her, dismounted, and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, Marshal Li Jixing of the Xia Empire has led an army of 400,000 to meet our army. They have reached a point 500 li from here!"

"Oh! Order the entire army to immediately withdraw. Return to the imperial camp!" Upon hearing this news, Han Yuexue dared not be careless. She no longer ordered her men to cut off the heads of the corpses and led her army away from Taishun City, returning to the imperial camp set up on the official road. Behind Qiu Te's army was a dead city littered with corpses.

In the autumn of the fifth year of Taiping Zhenzhi, on the first day of the tenth month, at dawn, Qiu Te's army broke through Taishun City. The entire city's soldiers and civilians fought to the death, and not a single person surrendered! Qiu Te's army returned after massacring the city! Taishun City was ruined!

Chapter Five: The Dream of Pingyang

Chapter Five: The Dream of Pingyang

The official road 100 li from Taishun City, once bustling with traffic, was now blocked by the army, as Qiu Te's imperial camp was set up in this flat area where it was easy to deploy their formations. The vast military camp stretched east and west along the official road, extending north and south. The camp was bustling with activity: rumbling carts, neighing horses, a forest of swords, halberds, and spears, and large groups of cavalry patrolling back and forth. It was a lively scene.

Back in camp, Han Yuexue, still wearing her mask, sat high in the center of the commander's tent. Below her sat the main generals of the Qiu Te army on either side.

Having listened to the intelligence reports from the scouts, the Qiu Te generals were filled with excitement; finally, they could engage in a large-scale decisive battle with the Empire's main force. This filled the Qiu Te generals, who had been holding back for so long, with anticipation for the upcoming battle.

Since their campaign, the Qiu Te army had been unstoppable, advancing rapidly. The Imperial army had no way to offer effective resistance, crumbling at the first contact. Most of the time, the Qiu Te army was engaged in siege warfare. For the Qiu Te cavalry, accustomed to open field battles, sieges had always been their weakest link, but this time, they had surprisingly been successful, with few cities able to withstand two days of Qiu Te attacks. The generals of the Qiu Te army were all pleased with this unexpected victory, attributing it to a significant improvement in their siege capabilities.

However, despite the fruitful results, the Qiu Te cavalry, known for their fierce and aggressive nature, felt a sense of dissatisfaction at not being able to engage the enemy's main force in a decisive battle. It was as if they had just warmed up, ready to unleash their full power, only to have their seemingly formidable enemy crumble before they could unleash their pent-up energy, leaving them feeling utterly frustrated.

Now, finally able to clash with the main force of the imperial army, which had been invincible for decades, how could these brave and warlike barbarian generals not be excited? They clamored excitedly for a decisive battle with that old codger Li Jixing, determined to utterly crush the imperial army east of Yong'an Prefecture.

Unlike her generals, who were laughing and joking, Han Yuexue was filled with worry.

The continuous victories of the previous month, while not as blindly optimistic as her generals, did give her the feeling that the once-powerful empire was not all that impressive after all. The repeated siege victories, like her generals, led her to an unrealistic estimate of the extent of her army's improved siege capabilities.

Now, the bloody battle beneath Taishun City has brought her back to her usual composure. She finally clearly realized that her army still lacked siege capabilities, just as it had before. The past few days of siege warfare had clearly demonstrated that against cities truly determined to hold out to the death, her army had few effective methods to break through the enemy's tenacious defenses. And this was only against a small city like Taishun City, yet it had already come to this. If the target were Yong'an Prefecture, judging from the current situation, Qiu Te's army would have absolutely no chance of success. His initial decision to advance here was based on the assumption that his army's siege capabilities had greatly improved. The plan was to start from here, approach the imperial capital, decisively defeat the imperial army sent to meet them, capture Yong'an Prefecture, and then, leveraging his overwhelming advantage, decide whether to fight or make peace with the empire, striving to gain as much benefit as possible.

However, in the current situation, if he proceeded according to the original plan, even if he defeated Li Jixing's army, he wouldn't be able to capture Yong'an Prefecture. He would only waste time outside the city, and once the imperial reinforcements from other parts of the country arrived, he would be attacked from both sides, and the tragedy of total annihilation would be highly likely.

When Han Yuexue voiced her concerns, the Qiu Te generals' initial excitement vanished, and they all lowered their heads, racking their brains for a solution.

Seeing her once-mighty generals now scratching their heads in frustration, Han Yuexue could only sigh inwardly and voice her new thoughts: "It seems our army lacks the capability to attack Yong'an Prefecture, so the original plan has to be cancelled. In that case, staying here is meaningless, even extremely foolish. First, we are not as familiar with the terrain as the Xia people, and a real battle would certainly be disadvantageous for us. Second, although our army has penetrated nearly three thousand li into Xia territory, our offensive has mainly followed the east-west official road. We haven't controlled the area two hundred li to the north and south of this road. In fact, even the land we've captured is rarely truly under our control. The reason we haven't encountered much resistance recently is mainly because the Xia barbarians haven't reacted yet; things will likely change soon. Cases like Taishun City will likely become more frequent." "The problems are endless! Our army's rear is truly worrying! And this raises a new issue: this place is nearly three thousand miles from our homeland. Facing the ignorant people of Xia Kingdom who could cause trouble at any time from behind, our army's supply lines are too long and too fragile. If something unexpected happens, our army will be isolated in enemy territory, and the consequences will be unimaginable!" Looking at the generals who were looking at her with admiration, Han Yuexue continued, "Moreover, will those two bastards, Donglu and Nanyue, stay at home and watch the show in this situation? I think it's hard to say! Therefore, after comprehensive consideration, I have decided to retreat eastward, trying to get as close to our homeland as possible to fight Li Jixing's army. In this way, even if something unfavorable happens to our army, we can return home and make further plans. Do you, my esteemed ministers, have any objections to what I have said?"

Amidst the ministers' praises of their ruler's wisdom, foresight, strategic planning, and decisive victory from afar, the plan for Qiu Te's army to retreat eastward was thus decided. The generals immediately went their separate ways to handle related matters.

Han Xionglie, back in his tent, was greeted by a fragrant breeze as soon as he opened the tent flap.

"You're back. What did that little fool say? Is she planning a decisive battle with Li Jixing?"

The speaker was a woman, dressed in a light green blouse with a white pearl-embroidered jacket, her hair styled in a low bun, with phoenix eyes, willow-leaf eyebrows, a full and tall figure, and strikingly beautiful. However, her heavy makeup and seductive gaze suggested she was no good person.

"Shh! My dear lady. Please keep your voice down! The military camp is not like home; there are too many idle people, you can't just say whatever you want!" Han Xionglie was startled by her insolence, hurriedly pulling her into his arms, covering her mouth with his hand, and whispering in her ear.

"Hehe! Oh! Your Highness, didn't you say you weren't afraid of that little vixen? How come you're not afraid today..." The woman wasn't afraid at all, and pushed away his hand covering his mouth as she continued.

"Who said I'm afraid of her? I'm just afraid that a small act of impatience will ruin the bigger picture! Hehe..." Han Xionglie said, while reaching his left hand inside the woman's clothes to caress her breasts.

"Go away! Let's talk about the important matter first!" The woman immediately pushed his hand away.

"Okay, okay! I'll tell you!" Having no other choice, Han Xionglie recounted the details of today's meeting to the woman, then impatiently grabbed her and began groping her body.

This time, the woman didn't push him away, letting him touch her.

Han Xionglie's hands rubbed against the woman's breasts and genitals through her clothes, while his large mouth roughly kissed her cheek. His beard clearly stung the woman; she turned her head away, avoiding Han Xionglie's kisses, and gave a disdainful smirk. But she quickly turned around with a smile, hugged Han Xiong Lie, and said, "Your Highness! Let's go to bed, let me treat you well." "Okay...oh...okay...to bed...okay...we'll go!" Han Xiong Lie, who was practically drooling, quickly agreed and carried her to the bed.

"Your Highness, let Wan Niang help you undress." Before Han Xiong Lie could answer, the woman who called herself Wan Niang began to undress him. Her hand even went inside Han Xiong Lie's pants, moving to his crotch, and gently rubbing his penis.

"Your Highness, is Wan Niang serving you well?" Looking at Han Xiong Lie, who was closing his eyes and breathing slightly in pleasure, the woman had a disdainful smile on her face, but her tone was still coquettish as if she were pleading.

"Oh...ah...what...oh...good...you're very good!" Han Xiong Lie, whose penis was getting harder and harder in Wan Niang's hand, was almost out of control.

Seeing his dazed state, Wan Niang chuckled softly and gently pushed him on the chest.

"Thump!" Han Xiong Lie immediately collapsed onto the bed.

"Come on! My darling!" Impatient, Han Xiong Lie quickly stripped off his clothes, revealing his erect penis, and grabbed Wan Niang's hand, dragging her onto the bed. His large hand groped her large breasts.

"Haha! Your Highness, don't be in such a hurry, let me take my clothes off first." Wan Niang, leering, looked exceptionally seductive.

Unable to restrain himself any longer, Han Xiong Lie quickly stripped Wan Niang naked, touching her wet vulva and laughing, "Hehe... little lamb, I thought you weren't in a hurry! Who knew you'd still be this wet!"

Before Wan Niang could reply, he pounced on her, sealing her lips with a kiss.

Their tongues intertwined, swallowing each other's saliva. You touch my breasts, I squeeze your penis.

With heavy breathing, Wan Niang lay down on the bed, giving Han Xiong Lie a flirtatious wink: "Your Highness, come in quickly!" She parted her labia with her right index and middle fingers, and grasped Han Xiong Lie's seven-inch spear with her left hand, intending to guide it into her vagina. But Han Xiong Lie

, who had been so eager just moments before, was now in no hurry. Ignoring Wan Niang's attempts to penetrate him, he simply rubbed the head of his penis against her labia.

"Ah!...Your Highness...please put it in...I can't take it anymore!" The itching on her labia and the emptiness in her vagina caused Wan Niang to writhe and sway her hips on the bed, moaning incessantly. Vaginal secretions slowly flowed down her buttocks, past her anus, and onto the bed. "

Hehe...you slut...let's see how long you can be so wanton!" Han Xiong Lie moved the head of his penis to Wan Niang's engorged clitoris, rubbing it, and gently pinched and played with her breasts with one hand. Watching her moan and beg beneath him, her face contorted in frustration at his unfulfilled desires, Han Xiong Lie felt a surge of triumphant pleasure at conquering a woman.

Laughing loudly, he pressed the head of his penis against Wan Niang's vulva, thrusting his hips forward until he finally inserted his penis.

"Ugh!" The overwhelming pleasure of her empty vagina being filled caused Wan Niang's eyes to roll back. Her mouth gaped open, uttering moans that were difficult to decipher.

Han Xiong Lie braced himself on the bed, thrusting his penis forcefully, the friction against Wan Niang's constantly flowing vaginal fluid creating a "plop...plop..." sound. Under Han Xiong Lie's vigorous thrusting, Wan Niang seemed to tremble all over, her large breasts swaying incessantly.

Looking at the two proudly erect nipples on Wan Niang's violently shaking breasts, Han Xiong Lie couldn't resist pinching and playing with them with his fingers. This only intensified Wan Niang's arousal. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Han Xiong Lie's waist, her lower body actively welcoming his thrusts. She opened her mouth and bit Han Xiong Lie's shoulder, letting out a low, beast-like growl.

The room was filled with the "slap slap" sounds of their bodies colliding. After

thrusting violently for a while, Han Xiong Lie quickly couldn't hold back any longer. Panting and trembling, he forcefully thrust his penis in, reaching Wan Niang's cervix and then stopping. Then a tingling sensation shot through his spine, and his penis throbbed uncontrollably, ejaculating wildly into Wan Niang's cervix.

"Ah...ah...Wan Niang...I love you so much, you vixen!" His chest heaving, Han Xiong Lie, suddenly exhausted, rolled over from Wan Niang's belly and lay beside her, still moaning.

"Pah! You think that's enough? I haven't had enough yet!" Wan Niang, who had been powerless to retaliate before, could finally be assertive. She squatted between Han Xiong Lie's legs, grabbed his penis, and began to masturbate it. Her tongue occasionally licked and scraped the urethral opening of the glans.

"Ah! I'm dying!" A wave of bone-chilling numbness spread throughout Han Xiong Lie's body as the urethral opening was licked, and his penis, which had just gone limp, immediately became full of life again.

"Haha! That's more like it!" Wan Niang, who had carefully licked Han Xiong Lie's penis and scrotum, watched the penis rise again and felt a surge of excitement.

Ascending Han Xiong Lie, she parted her petals with her hands, aligned her opening with Han Xiong Lie's penis, and slightly lowered her buttocks.

"Oh!" With a groan, her petals immediately seemed to have a suction force, tightly wrapping around Han Xiong Lie's glans.

She twisted her buttocks, letting her vagina rotate around Han Xiong Lie's penis, and then sat down suddenly.

"Plop... slap... ah! So good...!" Han Xiong Lie's penis was swallowed whole, the glans repeatedly hitting Wan Niang's cervix. With a moan, Wan Niang immediately began to move up and down.

Her head swayed violently in the air, her hair long since disheveled, her body drenched in sweat, and she moaned incessantly. She braced herself on the bed with one hand, while the other kneaded her breasts. Her vaginal fluids flowed continuously, wetting their genitals and giving them a lascivious sheen.

Watching the wild horse riding him, Han Xiong Lie, enjoying her ministrations, couldn't help but groan. He reached out and grasped Wan Niang's hand, which was playing with her breasts, pressing and kneading them forcefully.

As her strength waned, Wan Niang's initially rough movements slowed, her buttocks barely leaving Han Xiong Lie's lower abdomen. She gasped for breath, moaning.

Seeing that Wan Niang was almost at her limit, Han Xiong Lie, having rested enough, once again mounted her, thrusting his spear into her, pinning her beneath him, and began to pound and thrust.

Soon, amidst moans and cries, Han Xiong Lie once again ejaculated his hot semen into Wan Niang's body.

Exhausted, he collapsed onto the bed, reached out and embraced Wan Niang, pulling her into his arms. He stroked her face with his mustache, murmuring softly as he drifted off to sleep.

Wan Niang, who had just moments before appeared lovesick and ecstatic, now stared intently at the sleeping Han Xiong Lie, her eyes gleaming with a sharp light, lost in thought. In

the autumn of the fifth year of the Taiping Zhenzhi reign, on the second day of the tenth month, the Qiu Te army retreated eastward to avoid a decisive battle with the imperial army under unfavorable conditions.

"Young Master, Pingyang City is just ahead! This is already the territory of the Duke of Jingguo, Zou family, and Pingyang City is the capital of their territory!" A subordinate named Jiang Heng reported to Jiang Hanqing.

Looking up at the majestic city bathed in the setting sun, Jiang Hanqing nodded and said in a deep voice, "What a Pingyang City! It's no less impressive than our Anshun City! Alas! The four great ducal families are indeed all powerful; none of them should be underestimated! When we were in the capital, we always thought the Zou family was the weakest. But looking at Pingyang City, who can say they can be sure of victory in future struggles?"

"The Zou family's foundation is indeed very strong! The key is that their current leader is too incompetent and cannot unleash the family's full potential." The speaker was Chen Bin, whom Jiang Hanqing had discovered in the past two days to be the most intelligent and insightful among them. Hearing him say this, Jiang Hanqing nodded repeatedly and sighed, "Yes! If we don't seize this opportunity to completely crush them, they might be the ones in control again. Alas! For the past six hundred years, the four great ducal families have always been like this, one rising and another falling. Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river!" "However, we are currently at the peak of our strength, coupled with the emperor's incompetence, and with a capable matriarch like Commander Feng in charge, we command a million soldiers and even firmly control Sunset City. If we cannot succeed now, we may truly have no chance in the future!" Lin Fengxian said with emotion.

"Yes! Therefore, our mission this time must not fail! If we want to become the rulers of the empire, we must succeed this time, otherwise everything is just empty talk, and we may even face the danger of extermination! In the days to come, everyone must work together for the family and for the happiness of your loved ones!" Jiang Hanqing encouraged everyone once again.

"Young Master, rest assured, we will definitely assist you in completing your mission!"

Hearing the crowd's reply, Jiang Hanqing nodded in satisfaction and continued, "We've entered the Zou family's territory. Everyone, be careful. Don't let their spies discover us. We've been away from the capital for three days. At our current pace, we should be catching up with the main army soon! From tomorrow, when we leave Pingyang City, we can no longer take the official roads; we'll take a longer route through the desolate mountains and wilderness! Now, let's go and admire the Zou family's lair!" With a spur, Jiang Hanqing charged forward. The crowd followed him with boundless enthusiasm, their horses clattering as they headed straight for Pingyang.

Pingyang City was the first major city east of Yong'an Prefecture, the capital of the empire. Located at the crossroads of east, west, north, and south, it boasted convenient transportation, attracting merchants from all directions. The city was lined with shops, its roads were wide and interconnected, and its large population made it a bustling metropolis.

When the Jiang family entered the city, it was already dusk. Yet, many people were still coming and going on the streets, and the shops remained open. The Jiang family, a group of twenty strong and well-equipped, carrying weapons, immediately attracted the attention of many passersby. Two of them even followed them closely. Jiang Hanqing glanced at the two men, smiled slightly, knowing they were spies from the Zou family, and said nothing, continuing on his way.

After circling the city, they found an inn to settle down. Having traveled all day, they were starving and immediately ordered wine and food to fill their stomachs before worrying about anything else.

Just as they finished their dinner, the innkeeper approached with a distressed expression.

"Gentlemen, this…sigh…"

"Innkeeper, what's wrong?" Seeing the innkeeper's expression, Jiang Hanqing already guessed what was going on and said with a smile.

"Hehe! It's like this... um... you gentlemen are from out of town, so you probably don't know our customs here, right? Well... Pingyang City is the capital of Duke Zou's fiefdom, as you all know, right? Therefore, the men of the Zou family are quite concerned about those entering the city. Just now, one of the gentlemen from the Zou family came to me and said that seeing you gentlemen carrying weapons into the city, he wanted to ask what brings you here. He specifically asked me to inform you!" "Oh! Is that so? Well then, please invite that gentleman over, shopkeeper!" Jiang Hanqing said calmly.

"Okay! Okay! I'll go inform him right away!" The shopkeeper was overjoyed that these people were so easy to talk to and ran out.

A little while later, the shopkeeper returned with a man.

The man was about forty years old, not very tall, with a light step, and an ordinary appearance but gave off a shrewd and capable feeling. He was wearing a black silk robe and was not carrying any long weapons.

He walked over and first made a square bow. Then, after sizing up everyone, he walked straight up to Jiang Hanqing, cupped his hands in greeting, and asked, "Is this brother the leader among us?"

Jiang Hanqing smiled and returned the greeting, saying, "Brother, you have sharp eyes! Although I dare not claim to be the leader, I do have the honor of hearing your words. May I ask your esteemed name?"

"Haha. You are too modest, brother. Haha! My surname is Liu, and my given name is Rui. I am an official in the household of the Duke of Jingguo, Zou, stationed in Pingyang City. Just now, a subordinate reported that he saw you and your companions carrying weapons entering the city at dusk. You looked travel-worn, clearly having come from a long journey. According to the rules of the Duke of Jingguo's household, anyone entering Pingyang City in groups of ten or more carrying weapons must be questioned about their purpose. Although I know you have traveled a long way and are in dire need of rest, this is the rule, and I have no choice but to bite the bullet and disturb you. I am truly humbled! Please forgive me!" After saying this, the man bowed repeatedly, observing everyone's expressions.

"Haha, I see! Brother Liu, you're too kind! We brothers are really nothing special. We were originally members of a martial arts school in Linping City. We heard about the invasion of the Qiu Te barbarians and were filled with righteous indignation. We wanted to join the army and contribute our meager strength to the country and the people," Jiang Hanqing replied with a smile.

"Oh! Linping City? Isn't that a small city in the northwest of the capital? How did you end up here?"

"Yes! Brother, you are truly knowledgeable. Linping is more than 500 li northwest of the capital. My brothers and I came here for two reasons: first, to serve the court; second, to escape that small, poor place and see the world. When we first heard that the loyalist troops had gathered in the capital, we rushed there to join the fun. But when we arrived in the capital three days ago, we learned that the army had already set off two days prior. We had no choice but to rush here, hoping to catch up with the army as soon as possible. By the way, brother, could you tell us where the army is?"

"Oh! Is that so! Marshal Li Jixing's central army passed outside the city yesterday and headed east. The rearguard also passed ten miles south of the city this afternoon. If you ride fast tomorrow, you might be able to catch up with the rearguard before sunset. However! I'm not trying to discourage you, but if you rashly catch up with the main army now, whether you'll be accepted is really unknown! I see you have a dignified appearance, and being from a martial arts school, you've volunteered for the army; you must be a highly skilled person! Perhaps I should recommend you to the city magistrate tomorrow and have you stay here as a..." "Let the Duke of Jingguo handle things! That would be much better than going on a military expedition!" "I'm ashamed! I'm ashamed! Brother Liu, asking me to stay here and serve the Duke of Jingguo is really too much of a favor. I should be grateful and accept! However, I've been a free spirit since childhood, used to wandering, and I'm afraid I'm not used to the many rules of the Duke of Jingguo's mansion. It's much freer and more spontaneous to fight in the army! I hope you can forgive me!" "Alas! Everyone has their own ambitions! In that case, take care of yourself, brother!" Liu Rui didn't say much more, asked when they planned to leave the next day, and then took his leave.

Watching Liu Rui's departing figure, Jiang Hanqing smiled slightly and said, "It seems the Zou family has become suspicious of us. They sent this old fox to test us! Hmph! Never mind them, we're leaving here tomorrow morning anyway!" Jiang Hanqing returned to his room and sat down, sipping the tea brought by the waiter. After a long day of work, he finally calmed down and couldn't help but let out a long sigh, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes to rest.

He faintly heard singing coming from nearby, and his spirits lifted. He sat up and called Lin Fengxian, asking him to go out and find out who was singing.

After a while, Lin Fengxian returned and reported, "Brother Qing, there's a brothel called Qiuxiang Courtyard near this inn! The singing is coming from there." He paused, glanced at Jiang Hanqing's expression, and leaned closer to whisper, "Brother Qing, are you thinking...? Hehe!"

"Go away! You little brat, you're so young, don't be thinking such nonsense." Jiang Hanqing scolded, but he was secretly tempted. Back in the capital, he had plenty of beautiful maids and servants to serve him, and when he was in a good mood, he could take them to bed. Now, three days had passed since he left the capital, and the journey had been arduous; he really missed the feeling of holding a woman.

Lin Fengxian observed his expression and tentatively asked, "Brother Qing, should I go and call one for you?"

Jiang Hanqing thought for a moment and said, "No need. I'll just call two brothers with me, and I'll go and take a look myself." "Alright! I'll go call right now!" The young and playful Lin Fengxian became excited at the thought of visiting a brothel and skipped out of the room.

Accompanied by Lin Fengxian and two attendants, Jiang Hanqing, dressed in scholar's robes, arrived at Qiuxiang Courtyard.

"Oh my! Young master, please come upstairs!" Seeing Jiang Hanqing, dressed smartly and accompanied by three attendants, the pimp standing at the gate immediately brightened his eyes, knowing a good customer had arrived. He hurriedly ushered him upstairs.

Lin Fengxian, visiting a brothel for the first time, was overjoyed and casually tipped him five taels of silver. Ordinary customers here would tip the pimp one or two taels at most, but now, holding five taels of gleaming silver, the pimp's face was practically beaming. The madam, who happened to be coming downstairs at that moment, saw everything clearly and was secretly delighted: "Wow! A big sale!" She exclaimed, "Oh! Young master, you've arrived?! Quick! Upstairs, please! Upstairs, please!" She eagerly led the way, taking Jiang Hanqing to a refined room upstairs.

"Young master, what kind of girl do you prefer?" After ordering the teapot to be served, the madam asked Jiang Hanqing with a fawning smile.

"Nonsense! Of course, the most beautiful girl here!" Lin Fengxian, who knew nothing, blurted out loudly.

The madam hurriedly laughed and said, "Good! Good! The most beautiful! I guarantee she's the most beautiful!" Turning to Jiang Hanqing, she said, "Young master! We just had a virgin here who's about to start serving customers today. She's very pretty. Why don't you take her?" Jiang Hanqing smiled and said, "Oh! What a coincidence, I just happened to see a virgin about to be deflowered? Very well, go and call her over so I can take a look!" The madam agreed with a beaming smile and went to fetch her.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, she returned with a girl. This girl had an oval face and was very pretty and charming. Her hair was styled in a bun, and she wore a sky-blue silk dress that accentuated her slender waist. She was graceful and charming. Entering at that moment, her face flushed with embarrassment, she curtsied to Jiang Hanqing and then lowered her head without speaking.

"Hey! Young master, look at this girl, she's so clueless, she doesn't even know how to greet a guest! Please don't blame her!" The madam chuckled and chattered incessantly.

Lin Fengxian glanced at his cousin, who was smiling and sizing up the girl, and knew he was interested in her. He then pulled out a thousand-tael silver note and handed it to the madam.

"Take it! Hurry up and leave, don't linger here and delay my young master's good time! Alright, let's go! Let's go!" he said repeatedly, shooing the madam, who was grinning foolishly at the silver note, out of the room. Then he turned to Jiang Hanqing and said, "Brother Qing, we'll wait for you outside! Just call us if you need anything!" With that, he led two of his men out as well.

When they were alone in the room, Jiang Hanqing asked, "What's your name?"

The girl seemed startled by his sudden question, trembling slightly before replying, "I... my name is Xiao Cui!" "Oh! Xiao Cui, what a lovely name! Come here! Don't be afraid!"

Xiao Cui secretly glanced at Jiang Hanqing, noticing his glare. She seemed surprised, letting out a soft "Ah," her face flushed. Nevertheless, she obediently walked slowly to Jiang Hanqing.

"How old are you? What does your family do?"

"I... I'm... eighteen years old (by Chinese reckoning). My parents... are farmers... I have five brothers, and we're almost starving. My father couldn't support me, so he sold me to my mother. I sang songs for two years, but never entertained customers. My mother just told me to come out and serve you, saying you're a very important person and that I must serve you well. Even... that... would be alright?" Xiao Cui was very shy at first, her voice soft. After a few sentences, she gradually opened up. However, when she finally mentioned that kind of thing, the girl's voice became even softer, almost inaudible, due to her natural shyness about such matters.

Looking at this delicate girl, Jiang Hanqing, accustomed to mature women and seductive ladies, couldn't help but find it rather charming. It was like someone who had eaten too much rich food occasionally enjoying some simple vegetables and tofu for a change. He, who usually felt a desire to torment women when expressing affection at home, now felt a pang of tenderness for this young girl before him. "Eighteen years old (by Chinese reckoning), that's sixteen. You mean coming out today wasn't your own choice, but the madam's idea?"

"No! My mother bought me, and she's always been very good to me. I'm happy to be able to do something for her!" Seeing that the customer seemed to be looking to settle scores with the madam, Xiao Cui was startled, her flushed face turning pale as she quickly explained.

"Oh! Is that so? Will you regret it later?"

"No! I won't regret it!" Xiao Cui said softly but firmly, her head bowed.

Jiang Hanqing sat down on the edge of the bed, patted the seat next to him, and said, "Xiao Cui! Come here, sit here!"

Xiao Cui slowly walked to the bedside and sat down next to him, leaning against him. It was more of a sitting position; her buttocks barely touched the edge of the bed. Any less contact and she might not be able to sit still.

Jiang Hanqing placed his hand on her shoulder. Xiao Cui glanced at his hand on her shoulder, didn't speak, but lowered her head, her face, which had just returned to its normal color, turning as red as a ripe apple.

Looking at her petite and pitiful appearance, Jiang Hanqing felt a surge of tenderness and gently tightened his grip on her hand.

Xiao Cui obediently moved closer to him, and their skin finally touched.

Seeing that she seemed mentally prepared, Jiang Hanqing pulled her into his arms. Xiao Cui's head rested on his broad chest, her small mouth exhaling a soft, fragrant breath. One hand seemed unsure where to go, sometimes cupped to her chest, sometimes placed on her lap.

"Hold me!" Jiang Hanqing whispered in her ear.

Xiao Cui, still blushing and with her head down, immediately obeyed his command. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.

Inhaling the faint fragrance of Xiao Cui's hair, Jiang Hanqing felt a surge of intoxication. He buried his head in her neck, deeply inhaling the scent of a virgin.

After a long while, Jiang Hanqing stood up and began to undress. Xiao Cui stared at his body, speechless.

When Jiang Hanqing removed his own clothes and stood naked before Xiao Cui, she blushed and closed one eye, unable to look any longer.

Jiang Hanqing laughed heartily, walked over, picked up her soft, boneless body, and laid her down on the bed. He reached out and unfastened her outer garment, revealing a green bodice embroidered with lotus flowers underneath.

Gazing at Xiao Cui's beautiful face, Jiang Hanqing lovingly stroked her smooth shoulders and neck.

Perhaps due to the extreme shyness and excitement of being touched by a man for the first time in her life, Xiao Cui's skin was flushed and felt burning hot to the touch.

When Jiang Hanqing finally removed the last piece of clothing covering her upper body—the lovely green lotus-patterned bodice

—Xiao Cui hurriedly covered her breasts with her hands, rolled over inwards, and curled her legs up to her chest and abdomen.

Jiang Hanqing forcibly turned Xiao Cui over and pried open her hands covering her breasts. He couldn't help but marvel at this gift of nature. Her breasts weren't very large due to her age, but their shape was quite full.

Her areolas were faint and almost invisible, unlike the very prominent ones Jiang Hanqing had seen in mature women like his mother, Yin Yufeng, and his fifth aunt, Li Huaxin. In the center of the areola was a pink, newly peeled glans, now engorged and hard with excitement.

When Jiang Hanqing's hand gently touched her nipple, Xiao Cui's body began to tremble slightly, and she let out a soft cry.

Seeing the virgin's intense reaction, Jiang Hanqing also became excited. Although he had been with many women before, they were mostly mature women like his mother. Occasionally, he had encountered one or two virgins, but he was already familiar with such matters. A girl like this, living in a brothel yet as pure as a blank sheet of paper, was truly a first for him.

Stroking Xiao Cui's taut breasts, seeing her almost stop breathing, Jiang Hanqing chuckled inwardly and said softly, "Xiao Cui, don't be afraid! Relax, take a deep breath!"

Xiao Cui obediently took a deep breath, and watching her breasts rise and fall with her breath, Jiang Hanqing almost wanted to slap her hard. However, after thinking about it, he realized that such a cute girl who was easily embarrassed would probably be terrified if he did that to her, so he had to forcefully restrain his sadistic impulses.

Even so, when the thought crossed his mind, the hand that was caressing Xiao Cui's breasts couldn't control its strength. The sudden increase in force made Xiao Cui's breasts hurt, startling the inexperienced girl. Her tightly closed eyes opened in terror as she looked at Jiang Hanqing, looking pitiful and helpless.

Jiang Hanqing cursed himself inwardly: "You big idiot. How could such a delicate girl like Xiao Cui withstand such torment? Do you think she's like my mother, an old prostitute who can be tortured however you want without any problem?"

Seeing Jiang Hanqing's reassuring smile, Xiao Cui finally relaxed and continued to enjoy the pleasure of her breasts being played with by a man for the first time.

When she felt Jiang Hanqing's hand trying to pull down her panties, Xiao Cui quickly squeezed one leg together.

"Xiao Cui! Let go of my legs, be good!" Jiang Hanqing coaxed Xiao Cui like a child.

Xiao Cui shook her head, her pleading eyes fixed on Jiang Hanqing, her voice hoarse with desire: "Young Master... I'm scared!... So scared!" Jiang Hanqing patiently comforted her: "Good Xiao Cui! Don't be afraid, come on! Young Master will make you feel very comfortable."

Under his sweet words, Xiao Cui finally let go of one leg, allowing him to remove the last of her clothes.

Spreading Xiao Cui's legs apart, looking at the beautiful vulva before him, Jiang Hanqing couldn't help but compare it to the vulva of his most beloved woman—his mother.

Xiao Cui's vulva was pink, probably because of her young age, while her mother's was dark brown due to her age and the countless times she and her father had played with it. Each had its own unique charm. Xiao Cui's labia were tightly closed, while her mother's were slightly looser; in this respect, Xiao Cui undoubtedly had the upper hand. Xiao Cui's clitoris was small, and although it was engorged with blood, it wasn't very noticeable, while her mother's was quite prominent, making her more alluring.

Overall, looking at this fresh, untouched vulva, Jiang Hanqing, who was used to seeing cunts like his mother's, found it very attractive. It could be said that it was a perfect match for his mother's.

After Jiang Hanqing pulled down her pants, Xiao Cui, who had kept her eyes closed and motionless, waited for a long time without his next move. Curious, she opened her eyes, only to find Jiang Hanqing's piercing gaze fixed on her vulva. Overwhelmed with shame, Xiao Cui hurriedly tried to close her legs tightly. But as soon as he sensed her leg begin to exert force, Jiang Hanqing tightly grasped one of her lotus-like legs.

Xiao Cui felt a surge of excitement, and drops of nectar flowed from her secret place. Seeing this beautiful scene of dew-kissed flowers, even Jiang Hanqing, a seasoned expert

in the ways of love, felt a surge of excitement. He extended a finger and began to explore Xiao Cui's vagina. Xiao Cui's vagina was very narrow and tight, the unexplored path muddy and slippery. Jiang Hanqing's finger dug inside, making the final preparations for the later insertion.

Xiao Cui, who had never experienced anything like this before, began to moan, her petite body writhing, sweating profusely, and her vaginal fluids gradually increasing. Her buttocks began to wiggle, welcoming the play of Jiang Hanqing's fingers.

As time passed, her shame gradually faded. Slowly, she opened her eyes a crack, secretly glancing at Jiang Hanqing's proudly erect penis. When she finally saw the man's genitals, she was startled. Her eyes, which had been squinting as she peeked, widened instantly, staring at the enormous penis. Her face paled, and a surge of tension filled her heart. Although she had fantasized about men's genitals before, she hadn't imagined they would look like this, much less be so large. Thinking this, she glanced at Jiang Hanqing's erect penis, secretly worrying whether her vagina could accommodate such a large organ. She realized Jiang Hanqing had noticed her staring at his penis and felt extremely shy, wanting to close her eyes. However, the stimulation of seeing male genitalia for the first time made her unable to resist continuing to observe.

Seeing her shame gradually lessen, Jiang Hanqing decided to take action.

He withdrew his finger from Xiao Cui's vagina. As his finger was pulled out, a strand of vaginal fluid was drawn from Xiao Cui's vulva, stretching down his finger in a thin thread, then breaking and dripping onto the bed.

Seeing this lewd scene, Xiao Cui groaned and closed one eye again.

Jiang Hanqing parted her legs, knelt between them, and used his hands to separate her labia. He aimed his glans at the entrance and gently pushed it in. Due to the lubrication of her vaginal fluid, although Xiao Cui's vaginal opening was still very narrow, the glans entered smoothly. Xiao Cui let out a soft moan and reached out to hug Jiang Hanqing's back.

After the glans was inside, Jiang Hanqing felt her vagina contract very tightly, a completely different feeling compared to the loose vaginas of mature women like his mother, Yin Yufeng. However, this feeling was more pleasurable.

He leaned down and whispered in Xiao Cui's ear, "Xiao Cui, it might hurt at first, you have to bear with it!" Xiao Cui gently hummed in agreement, "For Young Master, Xiao Cui can endure any pain!"

Jiang Hanqing kissed her lips and said, "Don't worry, it won't hurt much. Just bear with it."

Seeing Xiao Cui nod, guessing she was ready, Jiang Hanqing tried to push it in a little further. Xiao Cui's vagina was so tight that his penis couldn't move forward even half an inch. He tried a few tentative movements, but to little avail. Xiao Cui, on the other hand, seemed to be feeling some pain; tears welled in her eyes as she looked at him pleadingly.

Gritting his teeth, Jiang Hanqing thrust in with all his might. This time, his penis forcefully carved a bloody path through the muddy flower path with destructive power, slamming heavily into the depths of her flower core.

"Ah!" Xiao Cui screamed in agony as her hymen was finally broken. Her hands suddenly gripped Jiang Hanqing's back tightly, tears streaming down her face. Having endured the pain of losing her virginity, she desperately hoped that this gentle young master would comfort her tenderly as before.

Jiang Hanqing, who had been suppressing his sadistic desires and trying to play the gentle role, now found himself conjuring up images of the woman's suffering before his eyes alongside the image of his own mother being abused by him in bed. Seeing Xiao Cui's tears, he seemed to see his mother weeping and pleading with her cruel son beneath him, and his deeply ingrained sadistic urges erupted once more. Forgetting that Xiao Cui was a vulnerable girl who had just lost her virginity, Jiang Hanqing thrust his penis forcefully, treating her as his wanton mother writhing beneath him, brutally penetrating her. At this moment, he cared nothing for the pain and fear Xiao Cui was experiencing; he seemed oblivious to her cries and pleas for mercy, acting like a lewd beast, only knowing how to brutally manipulate the woman beneath him. He kept muttering, "Bitch! Is it good?! It's been four years since I've fucked your cunt, ah! Do you masturbate often? Hmm... Tell me!... Is it good to fuck you!?... Hmm!... You slutty woman, the slutty mother who seduced her own son, accept your punishment!... You called... I'm going to fuck you to death today! I'll fuck your cunt raw!" Xiao Cui was stunned for a moment by his frenzied appearance, unable to believe that the gentle and considerate young master had turned like this. For a brief moment, she seemed to forget the intense pain in her vagina. However, she quickly regained her senses and could no longer endure the excruciating pain in her lower body. She desperately pounded on Jiang Hanqing's chest and back with her palms, trying to bring him back to his senses. Seeing that he still didn't react, she tried in terror to push away the beast on top of her, but how could she, small and weak, possibly move the strong man on her?

When the intense physical pain and the despair and fear in her heart were about to exceed her endurance and she was on the verge of fainting, a miracle suddenly occurred: Jiang Hanqing finally awoke from her sexual fantasy of humiliating her mother.

Looking at the pitiful woman beneath him, tears streaming down her face, groaning and crying, and seeing the blood flowing from her genitals, Jiang Hanqing was stunned.

"How could this be? How could I do such a cruel thing to such a weak woman? What was wrong with me? How could I have treated her like my own mother and humiliated her? Damn it! It's all that old bitch Mom's fault. Next time I see her, I'll fuck her to death!" Cursing himself and his lewd mother in his heart, Jiang Hanqing hurriedly withdrew his penis from Xiao Cui's bleeding vagina.

As his penis was withdrawn, a large amount of blood flowed from Xiao Cui's vagina. Seeing Xiao Cui lying motionless on the bed, pale-faced, with blood flowing from her genitals, Jiang Hanqing was startled. He quickly tore the bed sheet and stuffed it into Xiao Cui's vagina to try to stop the bleeding. Before he could do anything, he was pleasantly surprised to find that Xiao Cui's bleeding had stopped.

He breathed a sigh of relief, thankful he had woken up early; if he had been any later, the wound in Xiao Cui's vagina might have widened, and the consequences would have been unimaginable—Xiao Cui might have died that night. But now it seemed the problem was minor; it was probably just blood from the breaking of her hymen, combined with his rough handling causing a slight rupture.

Xiao Cui, finally regaining some life, looked at him warily, her eyes filled with innocence and sorrow. Jiang Hanqing, feeling guilty, felt even more heartache. He quickly embraced Xiao Cui, softly apologizing and constantly comforting her. With his eloquence, the young master of the Jiang family, who could speak fluently even under the watchful eyes of officials in the court, dealing with a naive young girl was naturally a breeze. Soon, Xiao Cui forgot her terrifying experience and ignored the lingering pain in her lower body, becoming happily content with his coaxing.

After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Cui said her pain had subsided and even asked Jiang Hanqing, who still hadn't resolved the issue, to try again.

Jiang Hanqing, still annoyed by the earlier interruption, readily agreed and immediately pressed himself against Xiao Cui. This time, however, he dared not be rough. He gently guided his penis into Xiao Cui's vagina, and seeing that she seemed unaffected, he began to slowly thrust in and out.

In the tender caresses, Xiao Cui gradually felt pleasure, beginning to twist her waist and sway her hips, responding to Jiang Hanqing's movements. Completely relaxed, Jiang Hanqing used his hands to lift Xiao Cui's buttocks off the bed, his penis slamming heavily against her cervix again and again.

Having paid a heavy price to finally experience the pleasure of intercourse, Xiao Cui opened her heart and cried out wildly. Her vaginal fluids flowed continuously with each thrust of Jiang Hanqing's penis.

"Young Master, harder... ah... you're thrusting... I feel so good... ah!" Hearing Xiao Cui's wanton cries and feeling the tightness of her hot vagina, Jiang Hanqing finally couldn't hold back after trying and trying to control himself, and ejaculated his hot semen into the center of Xiao Cui's flower.

Stimulated by the hot semen on her cervix, Xiao Cui also trembled at almost the same time and ejaculated her own vaginal fluid.

After the passion, Xiao Cui leaned against Jiang Hanqing's chest, and the two chatted idly. Before long, Xiao Cui, exhausted from her first sexual experience, spoke softer and softer, and after a while, she finally fell silent.

Looking at the pitiful little beauty sleeping in his arms, Jiang Hanqing felt a pang of pity, and in his drowsy state, he gently held her and slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, when Xiao Cui heard that Jiang Hanqing was leaving Pingyang that day, she looked reluctant to part with him. She asked, "Young Master, from today onwards you are Xiao Cui's patron. Although I shared a bed with you last night, I don't even know your surname! May I ask who you are...?"

Looking at her gentle and submissive demeanor, Jiang Hanqing, who had resolved never to reveal his name on the road, felt a pang of conscience. After much deliberation, he finally said, "My surname is Jiang. As for my given name, that's not important."

For a fleeting moment, he seemed to see a genuine joy on Xiao Cui's face, but it vanished in an instant, making him think it was just his imagination. He continued, "Since I've enjoyed your first night, I will never forget you. I will definitely come back to see you when I have the chance." Upon parting, Jiang Hanqing instructed Lin Fengxian to give Xiao Cui ten thousand taels of silver and the madam two thousand taels. The overjoyed madam thanked them profusely as she saw them off at the courtyard gate before returning home.

Upon entering the courtyard, the madam saw Xiao Cui nod to her with a beaming smile. Overjoyed, she immediately gave Xiao Cui a wink and hurried towards the backyard. Xiao Cui glanced around, and seeing that no one was paying attention, followed the route the madam had taken.

Back at the inn where their men were staying, the remaining sixteen brothers were already sitting in their rooms waiting for them.

As soon as he entered, Chen Bin reported, "Young Master! A night thief came to visit last night, but Jiang Gaoyan discovered him and gave chase, though he managed to escape. Please have Brother Gaoyan report the details to you!" Seeing Jiang Hanqing nod, Jiang Gaoyan quickly recounted the situation in detail.

“Last night, after you, Young Master, Fengxian, Jiang Longxiang, and Li Kebiao left, as arranged by Brother Chen, Jiang Linfeng was on duty the night before, and I was on duty the night after. Nothing happened when Brother Linfeng was on duty the night before. When it was my turn to be on duty the night after, I hid in the tallest tree in the courtyard to observe the situation in the entire courtyard.” “Around four o’clock, before five o’clock, a night traveler suddenly came to the courtyard. I didn’t make a sound and wanted to see what he wanted to do. He first hid outside the brothers’ rooms and listened to the noise. After confirming that the brothers were all asleep, he came to the door of your room, Young Master, peeked for a while, then threw something in and flew away.” " Go!" I hurriedly jumped down from the tree, wanting to catch up with him and capture him to find out what was going on.

But this man's lightness skill was unfathomable; even with all my strength, I couldn't catch him and had to return empty-handed! After Jiang Gaoyan finished speaking, Chen Bin handed a slip of paper to Jiang Hanqing, saying, "Young Master, the night traveler threw an ordinary bamboo tube into your room, and this slip of paper was inside." Jiang Hanqing unfolded the slip of paper and read clearly: "The absurd affairs of Linping, the shrewd people of Pingyang. Gentlemen, do not inquire; petty men, be wary!"

Chapter Six: The Long

Road Ahead.

Looking at this slip of paper, a shrewd and capable image immediately appeared in Jiang Hanqing's mind: "Liu Rui! Could it be him?"

Jiang Hanqing, his face tense, pondered for a long while before turning to Chen Bin and asking, "Chen Bin, do you think it could be Liu Rui?"

Seeing his young master's puzzled expression, Chen Bin thought for a moment and slowly replied, "Young Master, I also think it's very likely him, because you only mentioned to him last night that we came from Linping. However, I just don't understand how much information he has. Did he only discover that what we said about Linping was false, or has he completely figured out our true identities? If he has figured out our true identities, why would he do this?"

Lin Fengxian interjected, "Brother Qing, in my opinion, this Liu Rui has probably discovered our true identities through some method. But why did he warn us to be wary of some 'villain'? What does 'villain' refer to?"

Jiang Hanqing paused for a moment, then said, "It seems Liu Rui knows our true identities. Otherwise, even if he knew that what we told him about Linping was false, why would he..." "He came so mysteriously, without even warning us to be careful. But why would someone from the Zou family help us like this? That's highly suspicious! Regardless of his intentions, we must not let our guard down! Alas! But who is this scoundrel he told us to be wary of? Since he brought it up, why didn't he explain clearly? We can't figure these things out right now, so we can only take it one step at a time, be careful, and adapt to the situation!"

After he finished speaking, he stood there thinking for a long time, then sighed and said, "Alas! I consider myself a man of intelligence, but today I realize that I still lack experience in many things! Jiang Hanqing! Jiang Hanqing, you're still very green! Alas! I thought this trip would be done without anyone noticing, but now it seems that quite a few demons and monsters are already watching us. How ridiculous, how ridiculous! Last night I even dared to go to a prostitute, and I spent lavishly, completely forgetting to conceal my identity! Alas..."

Seeing his preoccupied appearance, everyone fell silent, not daring to make a sound.

After a period of self-pity, Jiang Hanqing addressed the group, saying, "Our current situation is extremely dangerous! We don't know how many enemies have discovered our identities, but we are certain that we will soon be met with their enthusiastic welcome! From this moment on, everyone must be extremely careful! We must work together to overcome this difficulty!"

Looking at his subordinates who responded with a resounding roar, Jiang Hanqing said in a deep voice, "Now let's go visit the old friend who kindly reminded us!"

The Zou Mansion was located in the very center of Pingyang City, much like the imperial palace in the capital. It was the heart of the city.

Because it was the capital of the Zou family's territory and not directly under the emperor's control, the Zou Mansion here was magnificent, far surpassing the scale of the Zou Mansion in the capital, which was under the heavy pressure of the imperial family. This mansion, nominally a mansion, was actually a city within a city, as large as the imperial city in the capital. The surrounding walls were ten meters high and four li in circumference.

Leading Lin Fengxian and Chen Bin, Jiang Hanqing arrived at the main gate of this city within a city. Looking at the plaque reading "Duke of Jingguo's Mansion" hanging high on the main gate wall, Lin Fengxian cursed under his breath, "You bastard, let's see how long you can hold out!"

Jiang Hanqing glared at him and said, "Stop talking! We're almost at the gate!"

Just then, one of the gate guards, who had noticed their movements long ago, walked towards them, gesturing for them to stay put.

Jiang Hanqing and the other two immediately obeyed and stopped, waiting for the guard to approach.

The guard who approached the three men gripped his sword hilt and cautiously sized them up before asking, "What are you three doing here?"

Jiang Hanqing clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "I am Wang Jian, from Linping City. Yesterday, a gentleman from your esteemed residence, who called himself Liu Rui, came to my inn and, following your residence's custom, questioned me about my origins and intentions in coming to Pingyang.

I arranged to discuss this further with him today. Could you please convey my message?"

The guard paused, looked him up and down again, and said, "We have no one named Liu Rui! Are you mistaken?"

This time, it was Jiang Hanqing's turn to be stunned. Seeing the guard's suspicious gaze, he quickly said, "Then perhaps I'm mistaken. May I ask the name of the official in charge of investigating merchants' whereabouts at inns?"

The guard said impatiently, "Boy, are you crazy? Our residence has never had the custom of questioning traveling merchants!"

"But the innkeeper said that your Zou residence always..." Lin Fengxian couldn't help but interject.

However, seeing the guard's expression turn unfriendly, Jiang Hanqing quickly pulled Lin Fengxian away, stopping him from continuing.

"Perhaps I made a mistake, sorry for the disturbance!" Jiang Hanqing apologized and hurriedly pulled Lin Fengxian away, with Chen Bin following closely behind.

"Brother Qing, what's going on?" Lin Fengxian was confused by what had just happened and couldn't help but ask on the way back to the inn.

Jiang Hanqing said with a grim face, "We'll find out when we get back to the innkeeper!"

The three of them hurried back to the inn and directly summoned the innkeeper to Jiang Hanqing's room.

As soon as the innkeeper entered the room, he heard a "smack" as the door slammed shut. He looked up and saw several gleaming swords pointed at him, and was stunned with fear.

Jiang Hanqing took a sip of tea and slowly said, "Boss, I don't want to hurt you today! Just tell me honestly who that person you brought last night who claimed to be from the Zou family was."

The boss trembled slightly, glanced at Jiang Hanqing who continued drinking his tea, and said in a slightly shaking voice, "Young Master Wang, that person last night did indeed claim to be from the Zou family! How could I dare to deceive you!"

Jiang Hanqing gave Chen Bin a wink. Chen Bin nodded and kicked the boss in the back of the knee with a "smack." The boss fell to the floor, and before he could get up, two steel knives were pressed against his neck.

Chen Bin said grimly, "Boss! You're not being honest! We've already questioned the Zou family, and there's no one named Liu Rui there. Besides, the Zou family doesn't have the kind of rule you mentioned last night about interrogating passing merchants! Why are you helping that person deceive us?! Just confess! What exactly does this Liu Rui do? Speak!"

The poor boss, with a steel knife to his neck, dared not struggle anymore, trembling with fear, repeatedly begging Jiang Hanqing to spare his life.

"Boss, I guarantee that as long as you tell the truth, nothing will happen! We won't harm someone who can't resist!" Jiang Hanqing gestured for his men to remove the knife from the boss's neck.

Hearing this and seeing the knife removed from his neck, the boss seemed slightly relieved, wiping his sweat and quickly saying, "Young Master Wang, don't worry! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"

Jiang Hanqing nodded, signaling the boss to continue. Only then did the boss recount the whole story.

It turned out that yesterday, just as Jiang Hanqing entered the inn, the fellow named Liu Rui followed him in. He found the innkeeper, slammed his palm on a table in front of him, and a hand-shaped hole immediately appeared in the surface.

Under the innkeeper's terrified gaze, he demanded that the innkeeper do as he was told, or face the consequences. If the innkeeper complied, he would give him one hundred taels of silver as a reward.

So, under his coercion and enticement, the innkeeper ran inside to find Jiang Hanqing and recounted what he had said the previous night, convincing Jiang Hanqing and his companions that the Zou family had a rule of questioning passersby.

Finally, the innkeeper said, "Young Master Wang! Last night I was blinded by greed. Seeing that man's martial arts were so formidable, I dared not disobey! Furthermore, I was blinded by his one hundred taels of silver, so I deceived you! I truly had no ulterior motives!"

Jiang Hanqing questioned him repeatedly for a long time, confirming that he was no longer hiding anything, before letting him go.

As soon as the boss left, Chen Bin said, "Young Master, in my opinion, the situation is very bad! This Liu Rui has clearly been watching us since we entered the city. But I just don't understand why he pretended to be from the Zou family to meet us, and then came to warn us at night?"

Jiang Hanqing shook his head in confusion, saying, "I don't understand either, why did he do this! What is this person's background?..."

Seeing Jiang Hanqing deep in thought, Lin Fengxian couldn't help but say, "Brother Qing, should we continue? I think there's clearly a trap waiting for us ahead!"

Jiang Hanqing nodded and looked around. Jiang Hanqing, watching his subordinates anxiously awaiting his decision, said, "We have no other way! For the sake of our family, no matter what lies ahead, we must persevere! We can't waste any more time in this city; staying here won't help. Let's set off immediately! Let's meet our friends waiting for us on the road! I believe that as long as everyone is careful, we can overcome this difficulty!"

Thinking of the high expectations their families had for them, and knowing the roads outside the city would be fraught with danger, everyone was filled with fighting spirit. They believed they could destroy any obstacle in their path. At Jiang Hanqing's command, everyone quickly packed their belongings, checked out of the hotel, mounted their horses, and left Pingyang City.

After galloping out of the city gates, they no longer followed the main road as they had the previous two days. Running that way would quickly lead them to the rearguard of the imperial army, making it impossible to pass through the main force without being hindered.

Following the map, they took a small mountain path north of the main road. This narrow path was much narrower than the official road, barely wide enough for one person on horseback; two riding side-by-side was impossible. The route was rugged and uneven, climbing hills and ridges, making the journey extremely arduous. Even worse, in many places, the path was densely forested with crisscrossing streams, offering no sense of a road at all, forcing riders to dismount and proceed on foot.

Although this route was difficult and time-consuming, if everyone moved quickly, rested little, and traveled as much as possible, they could bypass the imperial army and reach the Qiu Te camp ahead of them.

At the beginning of their ascent, the path was still wide enough for two riders to ride side-by-side, with occasional undulations, but generally smooth.

Jiang Hanqing and his group of twenty riders could still gallop at full speed. The sparse trees on both sides of the road provided a wide view, and everyone was quite relaxed, unaware of any enemy ambush. Therefore, they chatted and laughed along the way, enjoying a very pleasant journey.

However, after an hour or two, their good mood vanished. The path became increasingly narrow, until even a single rider dared not gallop at full speed. The road became increasingly rugged, exacerbating the group's arduous journey. The trees on both sides grew denser, gradually obscuring their view of their surroundings.

Jiang Hanqing, observing the increasingly harsh environment, felt a growing sense of unease. If the enemy were lying in ambush in this place, their situation would be dire. He shouted, "Brothers, be careful! Pay attention to your surroundings, and alert us immediately if anything unusual happens!"

His men, already as worried as he was, readily agreed. The group proceeded cautiously through the desolate mountains, hoping not to encounter any ambushes.

As the sun neared its zenith, they arrived at an open area in a ravine nestled among the mountains. After assessing the situation, Jiang Hanqing ordered them to stop for a while and rest for lunch.

The men dismounted and tethered their horses together. Several men then laid out blankets and food on the ground, preparing for their meal.

Lin Fengxian asked, "Brother Qing, should we send two brothers to keep watch?"

Jiang Hanqing surveyed the surroundings, shook his head, and said, "Forget it, no need. The surrounding area is mountainous and densely wooded, and we're located in a ravine with a concave terrain. Even if we send people to keep watch, they won't be able to spot any approaching enemies. It's better for everyone to sit down and

have a peaceful meal." Everyone thought this made sense, so they sat down in a circle and began to eat.

Even while eating, they cautiously kept an eye on their surroundings. Two particularly cautious individuals stopped eating at the slightest sound, listening intently, their bodies tense, ready to leap up and intercept any sudden attack.

However, after everyone finished eating, nothing unusual happened.

Chen Bin sighed and said, "Sigh! Knowing there's a conspiracy, but not encountering it yet! It's fucking frustrating! I'd rather fight the enemy openly right now!" With that, he pretended to be exhausted and lay down on the ground.

Several people nodded in agreement, discussing the possibility of the enemy's appearance.

Amidst the commotion, Chen Bin, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly sat up in alarm, gesturing for silence. He then rolled over and pressed his ear to the ground, listening intently.

Seeing his actions, everyone tensed. Jiang Hanqing gestured, and the group immediately untied their horses, led them to their sides, drew their weapons, and prepared for battle. After

listening for a while, Chen Bin jumped up and whispered to Jiang Hanqing, "Young Master, a troop of horses was just moving not far from us. Judging from the sound, their numbers shouldn't be less than ours. However, they seem to have stopped now, probably preparing to rest and eat."

Jiang Hanqing calmly nodded and asked, "Can you pinpoint their approximate location?"

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