Imperial Secrets - 12

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

Chapter Thirty-Five: Twin Blossoms

Standing behind his father, Jiang Hanqing coldly stole glances at the emperor, who sat high on the throne, roaring incessantly.

This was Jiang Hanqing's second day back in the capital, his first appearance at court in over two months.

Although Jiang Hanqing had been absent from court for nearly three months under the pretext of leave, no one in the court raised any objections. Everyone was already accustomed to the long absences of members of the four great families from court.

For hundreds of years, although the members of the four great families had all lived in the capital, their fiefdoms were all located in other regions. In their fiefdoms, many important matters inevitably arose that required the presence of a key member of the family to resolve. In such cases , a key member of the family would naturally find an excuse to leave the capital and go to their fiefdom to handle the situation.

This was especially true when a family was engaged in major conspiracies; such prolonged absences from court were even more frequent. In the six-hundred-year history of the Great Xia Empire, this had happened countless times. Everyone, including the current emperor, was tacitly aware of this.

It was for this reason that on the first day Jiang Hanqing was absent from court, the other three families immediately realized, "It seems the Jiang family has some new trick up their sleeve!" Although

everyone knew Jiang Hanqing was definitely up to some conspiracy and became extra cautious about the Jiang family's movements, no one suspected he was going to help the Qiu Te people against the Imperial army.

Meanwhile, the muddle-headed old emperor was going mad over Fei Qingsi's situation. During the morning court session, news reached the palace that Fei Qingsi's army had left Annam City and retreated south.

The courtiers initially thought that in such a difficult situation, such a piece of news, which could barely be considered good, would please the emperor. However, to everyone's surprise, the emperor's first reaction upon hearing the news was one of furious rage.

"That vile woman Fei Qingsi, does she think I'll let her off this time? No! Absolutely not! I will wipe out all the traitors who intend to rebel! Wipe them out completely!" The once wise emperor had been worn down by years of wine and women, becoming irritable and foolish. Upon hearing the news of Fei Qingsi's withdrawal, he immediately felt a sense of humiliation at being tricked by this little girl.

He yearned to avenge this damned "traitor," a desire as strong as his determination to teach that corrupt Qiu Te barbarian a lesson.

While the emperor hysterically vented his anger, the ministers in the hall were completely silent. Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to look the emperor in the eye.

Although the four ducal families usually schemed against each other, seeing their common enemy harmed filled them with a sense of schadenfreude.

Even Wang Mingde, who had always been the fiercest opponent of the Yinjiang family, surprisingly gave Jiang Haoyu a sly smile, and Jiang Haoyu, equally in a good mood, returned the smile—a rare occurrence.

The emperor, sitting on the high platform, naturally couldn't see the expressions on everyone's faces. He raged for a long time, then suddenly became happy, triumphantly declaring that Fei Qingsi had withdrawn her troops out of fear of his divine intervention. After that, he sat alone on the throne, spouting his grand plan to first annihilate the Qiu Te barbarians, and then return to wipe out Fei Qingsi's rebel army.

Looking at the emperor, who seemed like a madman, Jiang Hanqing curled her lip in disdain, feeling utterly contemptuous of his ugly behavior, even finding it somewhat amusing. Fei Qingsi's retreat south had been a perfect opportunity for the emperor to win her back, but this muddle-headed old man had let it slip by so easily, and was now gloating over his actions.

"Have Yin Yufeng and Shi Yanying set off for the capital?" the emperor suddenly asked, remembering his two invincible female generals. Crown

Prince Yisheng, standing at the head of the assembled officials, hurriedly and respectfully replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the imperial edict informing Commanders Yin and Shi to return to the capital was only sent out less than half a month ago, this… I'm afraid…"

"Oh? Only half a month? Then give them some more time!" The emperor's words made the officials below realize even more how astonishingly incompetent he had become. Before carrying Han Qing away from the capital, the emperor, though incompetent, hadn't reached such a state of utter depravity. However

, in the past month, first the vanguard of the imperial expeditionary force was annihilated, then rumors of Consort Qing's betrayal circulated, and finally the news of the complete annihilation of the imperial expeditionary force and Li Jixing's death. These successive heavy blows far exceeded the old man's mental limits, causing him to rapidly transform from stubborn and foolish to senile in a very short time.

"What do you all think?" The emperor, who had been shouting on the platform for half a day, finally remembered the large group of ministers standing below and wanted to gain some moral support from them.

But to his great disappointment, the response from the audience was complete silence.

The members of the four great families stood there, looking at each other, none of them willing to speak. And the other ministers, seeing their silence, naturally dared not speak either.

Everyone knew the emperor was now a mad dog, and might bite the first person to speak up.

Seeing the emperor's embarrassed and angry expression, Crown Prince Yisheng couldn't help but turn around and glare fiercely at the four dukes standing behind him. His expression seemed to say, "You four, don't try anything funny! I know exactly what you're thinking!" The four dukes, noticing the crown prince's gaze, quickly feigned fear, lowering their heads and avoiding his gaze.

"Father, you are a man of extraordinary talent; how could you be defeated by such minor difficulties! Father, I believe the most important thing to do now is to gather all the troops in the land in the capital, first eliminate Qiu Te, then annihilate the rebels. Then, taking advantage of our army's great victory, we should wipe out the surrounding barbarians in one fell swoop."

Everyone was startled to hear these arrogant words, so similar to the emperor's, and looked towards the source of the voice. It was the Second Prince, Yiyu. The court officials had always known that Yiyu was an incompetent prince. Although this man was of average intelligence, he was also quite well-behaved. Knowing he lacked ability, he never spoke recklessly and always treated the court officials, especially the four dukes, with great respect. Therefore, he was still respected in court. However, today, this prince, who was usually unassuming, actually followed the emperor's lead and uttered such arrogant words, clearly adding fuel to the fire.

This unusual behavior of Yi Yu surprised not only the ordinary officials but even his elder brother, the Crown Prince Yi Sheng. At this moment, Yi Sheng could only stand there, dumbfounded, looking at his usually extremely honest second brother, unsure of what to say.

Sensing the surprised gazes of the crowd, the second prince looked extremely smug, puffing out his chest and looking up at his father.

Looking at the smug second prince standing there, Jiang Hanqing felt a vague unease, but couldn't pinpoint the reason. A man had been making a ruckus on the stage for a long time without receiving a response. Just as the emperor was starting to feel bored, his son suddenly jumped out and echoed his words, instantly filling him with elation.

He leaped up from his throne with a "whoosh," exclaiming with delight, "Excellent! As expected of my son! Well said!"

Receiving his father's praise, Yiyu became even more excited, saying, "In my opinion, the Qiu Te people's strength is actually nothing special! The Qiu Te barbarians only gained the upper hand by launching a surprise attack when our empire was unprepared. Li Jixing, greedy for merit and reckless, ended up defeated and killed! I believe that after reorganizing our Heavenly Dynasty's army, as long as we advance steadily and surely, we will definitely achieve a complete victory."

Watching the eloquent Second Prince, Jiang Hanqing suddenly realized why he had felt something was amiss. How could the usually cautious Second Prince be acting like a completely different person now? There must be some unknown reason behind this. Could it be that someone from one of the other three families is backing him up?

While Jiang Hanqing was deep in thought, the emperor became even more elated. Hearing Yiyu's words, a sudden pang of shame arose in his aged heart, for he felt he had always looked down on his son. He secretly resolved to give this son more opportunities to prove himself in the future.

"Yiyu, I never imagined you had such insight! Haha! Much better than all these officials. Your words are exactly what I wanted. I refuse to believe that my 600-year-old, mighty Celestial Empire cannot deal with these despicable, barbaric savages! Once I reorganize a large army and appoint a capable general to lead the expedition… humph… I will surely wipe out these clowns who dare to oppose me!"

With others echoing his sentiments, the emperor began to eloquently recount his grand plans.

Looking at the emperor's energetic demeanor, Jiang Hanqing couldn't understand why such an increasingly senile old man still possessed such boundless energy. The morning court session quickly passed in the emperor's daydreams. As the court session was about to end, the emperor remembered to inquire about the preparations of the relevant departments, especially the practical issues of troop recruitment and food reserves. He hoped that the answers from his ministers would allow him to immediately assemble a large army to realize his plans, but the prime minister's reply greatly disappointed him. "

Your Majesty," the prime minister said, "although we can nominally muster 400,000 troops, the majority of them are elderly and weak soldiers with little fighting ability. Furthermore, the capital region cannot possibly procure enough food to support such a large army within two months. As for weapons, armor, and other military supplies, there are not many reserves left in the capital. If we want to build a large army, we may need to draw troops from the warehouses of the Western Regions and the Northern Frontier. Therefore, I believe it is absolutely impossible for us to build a strong army to launch an expedition against Qiu Te within two months! Moreover, to send troops out in the dead of winter... well... in my opinion, it would be better to wait until next spring when the flowers bloom, to gather enough elite troops from various places, provide them with sufficient food and armor, and then select one of the two Wu commanders, Yin and Shi, to lead the army. This way, we can surely ensure a complete victory."

Upon hearing the prime minister's answer, which went against his wishes, Emperor Wu Ming was almost driven mad with anger. Although his mind was becoming increasingly muddled, he still knew the prime minister was speaking the truth, so he couldn't afford to get angry any further and could only sit there silently, his face ashen. After a long silence, the emperor seemed to suddenly resign himself to his fate and helplessly announced that the matter was over for today and would be discussed another day.

When Jiang Hanqing left the palace, he deliberately observed the Second Prince, Yiyu, trying to discern whether he had any unusual relationship with the other three major families. However, he quickly had to give up this hope.

After court, Yiyu didn't greet anyone and hurriedly left alone. None of the other three major families showed him any particular expression.

Jiang Hanqing couldn't help but feel very puzzled: "Could I have guessed wrong? But without the support of the four major families, why would he suddenly act so strangely? Could it be related to the power in the court? But it seems that no one in the court can provide him with any favorable support!"

On his way home, while Jiang Hanqing was deep in thought, Jiang Haoyu noticed his unusual expression and asked him what was on his mind. Jiang Hanqing then told his father about his doubts.

After listening to his son's words, Jiang Haoyu thought for a while and then said to Jiang Hanqing, "Your thinking makes a lot of sense! There must be someone instigating him to do this, otherwise, how could Yiyu, with his consistently mediocre talent, suddenly show such ambition! As for what force is behind him, we can only observe slowly! In my opinion, his purpose in doing this is clearly to take advantage of the current opportunity to expand his own power... for example... military power!"

Jiang Hanqing shook his head and said, "Military power! Military power! Who doesn't want that now! Alas, the empire is currently in turmoil, and the situation is becoming increasingly complex. In my opinion, the time to reveal our true colors is probably coming soon."

Jiang Haoyu looked up at the sky and sighed, "Yes! I think so too! Who will Heaven choose as the final victor? Soon..." "I'll find out! I hope it's our family! I'll send someone to investigate Yi Yu's information later, and also to find out if the Wang family is preparing for a rebellion!" Jiang Hanqing nodded, looked around, and seeing that the other family members were far away, lowered his voice and said to his father, "Father, has Second Uncle done anything unusual while I was away from the capital?"

Jiang Haoyu stared blankly ahead and said, "Nothing particularly unusual! But this guy has been going to brothels a lot lately! I think there might be something fishy going on, and I'm planning to find a way to investigate him."

Jiang Hanqing was about to say something more when he saw his third uncle, Jiang Haoming, approaching him and his father, so he had to take back what he was about to say and started talking to his father about his experiences on the trip to Qiu Te. After

chatting with his father for a while, Jiang Hanqing fell silent, only imagining the lewd scene he would have when he got home and called Bai Yingjue and Li Huaxin together to play with them. The thought of two mature beauties simultaneously displaying their nakedness before him, a breathtaking sight like twin blossoms in bloom, caused his penis to harden even while he was on horseback.

Back home, Jiang Hanqing bid farewell to his father and eagerly went to the inn to find Bai Yingjue.

As soon as he entered Bai Yingjue's courtyard, he saw her.

Today, Bai Yingjue was wearing a white, open-fronted, embroidered long dress, with a diamond-encrusted jade belt around her waist. She was sitting with her back to the courtyard gate, leaning against the railing, gazing blankly at the sky, completely unaware of Jiang Hanqing's arrival.

Jiang Hanqing knew her absent-mindedness was mostly due to worrying that he hadn't visited her yet, so he shook his head, smiled, and walked towards her.

Normally, Bai Yingjue would immediately sense anyone approaching within ten feet. But now, she was clearly lost in thought, completely oblivious to Jiang Hanqing's approach.

Bai Yingjue was startled by the footsteps when Jiang Hanqing was almost behind her, and she came back to her senses. Turning around, she saw her beloved, whom she had been dreaming of. Overjoyed, she stood up and a radiant smile immediately appeared on her face. Jiang Hanqing gently walked to her side, put his arm around her slender waist, kissed her cheek, and asked softly, "What are you thinking about? You look so dazed!"

Bai Yingjue leaned against him, gently twisting her waist, and protested, "I was thinking about you! You heartless man, it's been so long since you came to see me! I was so worried, I thought you'd ignored me after you came back. And you have the nerve to call me dazed!"

Jiang Hanqing buried his head in her ear, smelling the fragrance of her hair, and said gently, "I had to go to the morning assembly! Of course I couldn't come to see you so early! I can't believe you, you silly girl, were thinking such nonsense!"

As he said this, he moved his hand to Bai Yingjue's buttocks and gave it a heavy pat.

Bai Yingjue trembled, letting out a soft "Ah," but a seductive smile appeared on her face. She opened her mouth and gently nibbled on Jiang Hanqing's earlobe, saying in a sweet voice, "Did you miss me last night?"

Jiang Hanqing's lower body immediately hardened at her touch. He rubbed his hard penis against Bai Yingjue's soft, elastic abdomen, saying fiercely, "Yes! I want to spank your little ass until it's raw!"

He then pinched and squeezed Bai Yingjue's buttocks through her long skirt, stimulating her to gasp repeatedly.

Bai Yingjue said with seductive eyes, "You miss me so much, why aren't you doing anything now?" Jiang Hanqing laughed loudly

, "You slut! So eager to receive your master's 'favor'? Hehe! Let me take you to a fun place!" Bai Yingjue vaguely guessed that Jiang Hanqing wanted to take her to a place where she could easily be abused and disciplined, and her heart fluttered with desire, her lower body becoming wet. As

Jiang Hanqing led Bai Yingjue out of the guesthouse, he didn't forget to instruct his servant, "Go and inform the Fifth Madam to come to my place. Tell her I have something to discuss with her!"

After watching the servant leave to carry out his orders, Jiang Hanqing led Bai Yingjue towards his own courtyard.

On the way, Bai Yingjue asked jealously, "What Fifth Madam? Is she another one of your lovers?"

Jiang Hanqing gave her a light slap on the bottom and scolded, "Why ask so many questions? You'll find out soon enough!"

Hearing this, Bai Yingjue realized her suspicions were true and couldn't help but pout, feeling jealous.

Not long after Jiang Hanqing led Bai Yingjue to his courtyard, Li Huaxin arrived excitedly.

Upon entering, she saw Bai Yingjue sitting there. Li Huaxin was stunned; she never expected that her nephew would invite her over, only to find another beautiful woman of similar age present.

"Could she also be Qing'er's woman? No way, Qing'er is mine! I won't let her have her!" Thinking this, a wave of jealousy immediately washed over Li Huaxin.

Meanwhile, Bai Yingjue was also sizing up the woman who was clearly Jiang Hanqing's elder, muttering to herself, "This girl is also Qing'er's woman? I heard Qing'er send someone to find the Fifth Madam earlier, could she be Qing'er's Fifth Uncle's woman? Then she's his aunt! Sigh! It's no wonder, Qing'er even plays with his own mother, why would he care about having another aunt!"

While the two women were lost in their own thoughts, Jiang Hanqing had already opened the mechanism leading to the training room.

"What are you two standing there for! Get in!"

Li Huaxin knew what awaited her in the secret room, and the anticipation of the impending torture made her vagina itch instantly. Although Bai Yingjue had never been to this secret room before and didn't know what was inside, she roughly understood what it was all about, and her desire to be tortured immediately surged.

Without any hesitation, the two women almost simultaneously stepped into the secret door leading to the secret room.

After the door closed again, Jiang Hanqing lit a warm fire and quickly took off all his clothes. He stood there, coldly scrutinizing the two women before him.

In the flickering firelight, the two beautiful women possessed a mysterious allure. Their faces were filled with a yearning for passion, yet tinged with a slight shyness and nervousness. This complex expression, amplified by the shifting light, made them seem even more unpredictable, leaving one to ponder their true thoughts.

After a cold laugh, Jiang Hanqing's ruthless voice immediately reached the two women's ears.

"Take off all your clothes!"

Accustomed to obeying Jiang Hanqing's commands, the two women, without a trace of shame, immediately stripped off their clothes. Two beautiful bodies, blessed by heaven, were quickly revealed before Jiang Hanqing.

In this dark room filled with ugly props, the stark contrast between ugliness and beauty, evil and purity, left all three within feeling lost and disoriented.

A surge of heat rushed to Jiang Hanqing's head. In a deep, hoarse voice, choked with excitement, he commanded, "You two sluts, turn around and stick your asses up!"

Stimulated by the lewd atmosphere, the two women completely abandoned all self-respect. They turned around, bending over and raising their buttocks high towards Jiang Hanqing.

He could clearly see the dark red vulvas of the two mature women, and Jiang Hanqing's penis immediately hardened.

He walked behind Li Huaxin, spread her plump buttocks, revealing her brown anus hidden in the cleft, and then gently pressed around it, taking no further action.

Unable to see her nephew's expression, but imagining him standing behind her, coldly scrutinizing her vulva and playing with her anus, Li Huaxin's entire body flushed crimson with shame. Her vulva was already wet. Her breathing became slightly rapid, and she braced herself on her knees to steady her increasingly heavy body. She squeezed her thighs together desperately, trying to hide her private parts. But her posture rendered her efforts futile. No matter how tightly she tightened her legs, Jiang Hanqing could clearly see her vulva and anus from his angle, and her tightened legs only increased the pressure on her labia.

Jiang Hanqing smiled slightly; he was well aware of how his actions were affecting Li Huaxin. He patiently massaged around her anus, occasionally pressing a finger against her anal clitoris and gently pushing it inward.

But just as his fingertip broke through the resistance and slightly entered her anus, he mischievously withdrew it.

Every time his fingertip slightly entered her anus and then immediately withdrew, a soft whimper would escape Li Huaxin's lips, like a puppy yearning for its owner's caress.

Meanwhile, Bai Yingjue, unable to receive the caress of her beloved, was filled with jealousy towards Li Huaxin. Hearing Li Huaxin's moans and whimpers, Bai Yingjue felt so uncomfortable she wanted to cry out. She desperately wanted Jiang Hanqing to immediately insert his enormous penis into her burning vagina; only then could she soothe the emptiness and pain within her. Her buttocks swayed gently in the air, partly to release some of her pent-up frustration, and partly to try and attract Jiang Hanqing's attention.

Jiang Hanqing's attention was indeed drawn to her. Looking at Bai Yingjue's constantly writhing buttocks, Jiang Hanqing sneered and scolded, "Slut, is your ass itchy? Why are you writhing so much! Hmph… You look like a complete bitch!" The stimulation from Jiang Hanqing's insults made Bai Yingjue writhe her buttocks even more violently. Unable to contain her burning desire any longer, she cried out, "Yes! Master! I'm a bitch! Please give me pleasure, Master!"

Jiang Hanqing slapped Li Huaxin's buttocks twice triumphantly, as if telling her, "Look how obedient that woman over there is! You should learn to be like that too!" As Li Huaxin groaned in pain from the slaps, Jiang Hanqing, while admiring Bai Yingjue's lewd writhing posture, continued to humiliate her, saying, "Alright! You're a bitch! Your current posture is like a bitch wagging its tail. But it seems like something's missing... That's right! No tail! Haha! I'll find you a tail!"

With that, he abandoned Li Huaxin and ran to find a prop. After Jiang Hanqing had played with her anus for a while, Li Huaxin, who had become extremely excited, suddenly realized that the man's fingers had left her body. She couldn't help but groan in pain, expressing her disappointment.

Jiang Hanqing circled around and quickly found what he needed, returning behind the two of them. This time, however, he didn't stand behind Li Huaxin, but chose Bai Yingjue.

"You slut, look, I've found you a tail! I'll put it on you now!"

Jiang Hanqing held a leather whip with a tail divided into countless fine threads, and gently lashed it across Bai Yingjue's buttocks.

With a "crack," the whip struck her buttocks, and Bai Yingjue's body trembled slightly, letting out a pleasurable moan.

Jiang Hanqing spread Bai Yingjue's buttocks apart, and forcefully thrust the whip's handle into her anus.

The slight pain from the rough whip handle rubbing against her anus caused Bai Yingjue to frown and groan twice. However, the subsequent feeling of fullness as the whip's handle entered her body made her sigh with pleasure.

Jiang Hanqing smugly admired his masterpiece: with most of the whip handle inserted into Bai Yingjue's anus, the forked end of the whip dangled behind her buttocks, actually resembling an animal's tail.

"That's it! This makes her look more like a female dog! Haha!" Laughing triumphantly, Jiang Hanqing reached out and gripped the exposed whip handle, twisting it forcefully. The whip handle rubbed and rotated inside Bai Yingjue's anus, causing her body to tremble, and she gasped for breath, moaning softly.

Hearing the sounds from the woman beside her, it was Li Huaxin's turn to feel dissatisfied. To attract her nephew's attention, she also began to moan softly.

Jiang Hanqing glanced at Li Huaxin's buttocks and laughed, "Fifth Sister, are you also itching for a dog's tail?"

Li Huaxin ignored her nephew's insulting question, only gently twisting her plump buttocks a few times, as if in answering him.

Suddenly, Jiang Hanqing reached out and pinched her labia, pulling hard, and shouted angrily, "You slut! You want it? I won't give it to you!"

Li Huaxin was startled by this sudden attack. With a cry of surprise, her hands, which were supporting her on her knees, slipped, and she almost fell to the ground.

Jiang Hanqing walked to Li Huaxin's side and tossed something in front of her. Li Huaxin looked closely and saw that it was a metal dog collar.

"You slut, I won't give you a tail today, but I'll give you this! Wear it, and I'll make you feel good all day!"

Li Huaxin hesitated, staring at the collar on the ground, unsure if she should wear this degrading collar.

Normally, she wouldn't hesitate at all, but with another woman beside her, her innate feminine modesty made her hesitate. She didn't want to wear this humiliating collar in front of another woman.

Jiang Hanqing knew what she was hesitating about, and with a cold smile, he grabbed Li Huaxin's hair and pulled her forward forcefully. With this sudden pull, Li Huaxin's body lurched forward.

She hurriedly braced herself on the ground, barely managing to avoid falling completely, but her face was already pressed against Jiang Hanqing's genitals, his penis proudly erect before her.

The pungent, erotic scent of a man's penis filled Li Huaxin's nostrils, causing her to completely forget the lingering pain on her scalp from the earlier rough handling, and the woman peeking beside her. She was utterly lost in the intoxicating masculine aroma.

Staring blankly at the masculine symbol swaying before her, her nose filled with the strong, erotic stench of a young man's genitals, Li Huaxin couldn't help but lick Jiang Hanqing's penis.

"You slut! Let me tell you, if you don't wear this collar, you won't get anything today!" Jiang Hanqing cursed, grabbing her hair and roughly pulling her away from his genitals.

The pain of wanting something so close yet being unable to have it drove Li Huaxin to the brink of madness. The shameful pleasure of being a sex slave completely overwhelmed her conscience. Without further hesitation, she sobbed as she picked up the collar from the ground and resignedly put it around her neck.

Jiang Hanqing looked smugly at his aunt, who was kneeling before him with the collar on, her face trembling with tears. He praised, "That's right! You look much more beautiful like this than before."

Turning around, he found a rope, threaded it onto the collar, and pulled hard, causing Li Huaxin to fall to the ground.

"Alright, bitch! Let your master take you for a walk."

With that, Jiang Hanqing pulled on the rope and walked forward. The force of the rope left Li Huaxin helpless, crawling behind Jiang Hanqing. She truly looked like a bitch following her master.

Bai Yingjue remained bent over, not daring to move without Jiang Hanqing's command, knowing that disobeying would inflict a torrent of pain.

Unable to move, she could only watch with jealous eyes as Li Huaxin crawled behind Jiang Hanqing. Bai Yingjue stared intently at Li Huaxin's plump buttocks, which swayed lasciviously with her crawling movements, and thought fiercely, "You slut, how dare you steal my man! Just you wait, I'll make you regret it!"

Bai Yingjue, whose temperament was inherently proud and somewhat eccentric, had been thoroughly subdued by Jiang Hanqing recently, but that didn't mean she felt the same way about others! Moreover, during her time with Jiang Hanqing, she had come to accept all sorts of sadistic acts. Now, watching her rival enjoying Jiang Hanqing's training with jealousy, she unconsciously began to fantasize about humiliating that woman.

Li Huaxin, of course, was unaware of Bai Yingjue's malicious thoughts. She was struggling to crawl behind Jiang Hanqing. Having grown up in a noble family, Li Huaxin had never experienced such hardship. Soon, her hair was disheveled, she was panting heavily, and her delicate body was covered in beads of sweat. A stain was left behind her as she crawled.

The intense humiliation didn't cause the noble-born Li Huaxin to resist; instead, it excited her even more. If Jiang Hanqing had reached out and touched her vulva at that moment, he would have found it was already soaking wet.

After leading Li Huaxin around the room, Jiang Hanqing suddenly noticed Bai Yingjue still bent over, her buttocks sticking out. An idea immediately struck him: "Why not let these two bitches crawl on the ground together?"

Thinking this, he quickly found a collar, tied a rope to it, threw it in front of Bai Yingjue, and then kicked her in the buttocks.

"Slut, put on this collar and crawl on the ground, you'll crawl with me!" Bai Yingjue, who had been watching with envious eyes, didn't hesitate any longer. Although her buttocks were kicked, she only let out a soft groan and almost impatiently picked up the collar Jiang Hanqing had thrown in front of her and put it around her neck. Jiang Hanqing made the two women lie face down side by side, then held the ropes from their collars in his left hand, while taking a leather whip in his right.

"Alright! You two bitches, I'll count to three and you crawl together!" he said, lashing the whip a few times across their two beautiful, upturned buttocks.

The sound of the whip striking flesh rang out as the two mature women, old enough to be Jiang Hanqing's mothers, excitedly began their humiliating naked crawling. Jiang Hanqing walked behind the two women, watching with excitement as the two bitches' buttocks writhed. From his position behind, he could clearly see their alluring genitals as they crawled, but what particularly attracted his attention was the tail inserted into Bai

Yingjue's anus. With each crawl, the forked end of the whip dangling behind her swayed constantly. The handle of the whip, inserted into her anus, rubbed against her body, causing her to tremble with stimulation.

As the two women crawled lewdly on the ground, Jiang Hanqing continuously lashed their backs and buttocks with a leather whip, hurling the most vile insults at them.

After only two rotations, both women were drenched in sweat and their bodies were overflowing with vaginal fluid. Bai Yingjue, stimulated by the whip handle inside her anus, trembled violently, her arms weak, seemingly about to collapse at any moment.

Having had his fill of the doggy-style crawling game, Jiang Hanqing quickly devised a new trick. He took out a set of restraints and, with Bai Yingjue's assistance, bound Li Huaxin's hands and feet behind her back, then tied her limbs together like livestock.

Looking at Li Huaxin with her limbs bound behind her back, Bai Yingjue felt a cruel pleasure, a cruel, lewd smile creeping onto her lips. She took the whip from Jiang Hanqing and lashed it mercilessly across Li Huaxin's body. When Jiang Hanqing whipped the women, he still showed a sliver of tenderness, stopping only when they felt a slight pain. Bai Yingjue's actions, however, were entirely different. Although far from using her full strength, the power of a martial artist was enough to make the pampered Li Huaxin unbearable. Bound, Li Huaxin couldn't dodge, only struggling desperately on the bed, screaming, crying, and begging for mercy.

Jiang Hanqing stood behind Bai Yingjue, pressing his penis against her buttocks and playing with her breasts. He had already intended to cultivate Bai Yingjue into his capable assistant, and seeing her so excited and engrossed naturally pleased him even more.

Jiang Hanqing's penis, hardened to its limit by her teasing, roared and shoved Bai Yingjue onto the bed. He then dragged Li Huaxin, whose limbs were bound and who was lying face down on the bed, to the edge, positioning her vulva against his, and thrust into her forcefully.

Bai Yingjue never imagined that after successfully arousing Jiang Hanqing's ultimate desire, she would end up penetrating another woman. In utter disappointment, she groaned.

To vent her frustration and satisfy the itch in her vagina, Bai Yingjue devised a plan. She crawled in front of Li Huaxin, positioned her vulva against Li Huaxin's head, grabbed Li Huaxin's hair, and forcefully pulled her face against her vulva. Then, Bai Yingjue began to vigorously twist her hips, rubbing her wet vulva against Li Huaxin's nose, mouth, and cheeks.

The vaginal fluid flowing from Bai Yingjue's vagina quickly made Li Huaxin's face wet. At first, the pungent smell of her vaginal fluid disgusted Li Huaxin, but after getting used to it, she began to feel a stimulation within her body. Being humiliated by another woman for the first time in her life filled her with a sense of guilt and shame, yet this only intensified her perverse masochistic desires. Sobbing, Li Huaxin began to actively lick Bai Yingjue's labia with her tongue.

When Li Huaxin's warm, soft tongue touched Bai Yingjue's clitoris, the intense pleasure caused Bai Yingjue to scream. She forcefully pressed Li Huaxin's face against her vulva, as if she wanted to bury Li Huaxin's head inside her vagina.

Watching Bai Yingjue's energetic performance, Jiang Hanqing was very pleased. He hummed a little tune, thrusting his huge penis in and out, enjoying Li Huaxin's warm, tight vagina. His fingers, meanwhile, were constantly probing her equally hot anus. Occasionally, a heavy slap landed on Li Huaxin's vulva, causing her to scream. Li Huaxin had long forgotten her former aristocratic upbringing; her heart was filled with self-destructive thoughts.

"I am Qing'er's slave! I am a woman worse than a prostitute! To be played with like this by Qing'er, and I actually feel pleasure! I am a woman who deserves to go to hell! If it were only Qing'er who played with me, it would be one thing, but I am also played with by another beast who is also a woman! Waaah… I am truly despicable! Li Huaxin, give up! You have fallen! You are no longer the noble Miss Li. You are no longer the fifth wife of the Jiang family, who, though not valued by her husband, was still able to maintain her dignity and self-discipline! You are nothing but a sex toy for my nephew! You are a bitch who deserves to go to hell!"

Cursing herself incessantly, her limbs were bound together behind her back, her nephew stood behind her, thrusting into her vagina, while another woman rubbed her vulva against her face. This ugly posture, however, gave her a pleasure she had never felt before. The pungent, sour smell of Bai Yingjue's vaginal fluids clinging to her nose and face acted like an aphrodisiac, making her body burn even hotter, anticipating more cruel manipulation.

While Li Huaxin struggled in agony, Bai Yingjue experienced for the first time the immense pleasure of humiliating a woman. Watching Li Huaxin sob and obediently lick her genitals in her anguish, Bai Yingjue's eyes gleamed with cruelty. This woman, who had appeared so noble just moments before, was now accepting her and Jiang Hanqing's manipulation in such a lewd manner. The stark contrast brought about by this change in status was undoubtedly the best aphrodisiac for both the sadist and the masochist.

At the peak of excitement, Bai Yingjue could no longer endure the frenzied pleasure; copious amounts of vaginal fluids flowed from her vagina, trickling into Li Huaxin's mouth along her tongue.

Li Huaxin tried to turn her head away, but Bai Yingjue's hand held her head firmly, preventing her mouth from leaving her vulva. Li Huaxin had no choice but to swallow the continuously flowing vaginal fluid.

Jiang Hanqing, now thrusting into Li Huaxin's anus, leered at the scene before him. Suddenly, he reached out and pinched Bai Yingjue's nipple, twisting it hard.

Bai Yingjue, enjoying the intoxicating pleasure of climax, was completely unprepared. The sudden sharp pain in her nipple startled her, causing her to scream. Her lower body trembled, and golden urine flowed out. The foul-smelling urine sprayed onto Li Huaxin's face, some even entering her mouth.

Never having imagined such humiliation, Li Huaxin could no longer bear the intense shame and burst into tears. But Bai Yingjue hadn't finished urinating when the urine continuously pouring into Li Huaxin's mouth choked her, causing her to cough violently.

Bai Yingjue had felt a little embarrassed at first from her incontinence, but seeing Li Huaxin's miserable state and hearing Jiang Hanqing's triumphant laughter, she instantly forgot her shame. Instead, she felt that spraying her urine on another woman's face and mouth was the best way to humiliate her.

After finishing, driven by wicked passion, Bai Yingjue roughly grabbed Li Huaxin's hair, pulling her beautiful face away from her vulva. Looking at her, she burst into laughter. Li Huaxin's delicate face was covered in urine and vaginal fluid, emitting a foul stench.

Slapping Li Huaxin hard across the face, Bai Yingjue yelled, "You slut! Does this feel good? Does my urine taste good?"

As she cursed, Bai Yingjue's face became contorted with wicked passion. The gentle and submissive expression that usually graced Jiang Hanqing's face was now completely gone.

Jiang Hanqing was quite pleased with the woman who had become so ferocious when abusing another woman; this was exactly the kind of assistant he needed. When he saw his mother again one day, he would make her suffer even greater humiliation than Li Huaxin had endured today, because only in this way could he express his love for her. At that time, Bai Yingjue would undoubtedly be an extremely capable helper.

When Jiang Hanqing untied Gui Yu's bindings on Li Huaxin's hands, her tender limbs had become numb due to prolonged lack of blood circulation, and she lay there unable to move.

Jiang Hanqing found a pair of black leather pants and made Bai Yingjue put them on. A wooden rod shaped like a man's penis was attached to the crotch of the pants. Bai Yingjue put on the leather pants with a smug look, while lewdly watching Li Huaxin lying there crying.

Roughly rolling Li Huaxin onto her stomach on the bed, Bai Yingjue slapped her plump buttocks, covered in whip marks, twice. Then, holding the dildo in his pants, he aimed it at Li Huaxin's wet vulva and thrust his lower body forward, brutally penetrating her vagina without any hesitation.

Although Li Huaxin's vagina was fully lubricated by Jiang Hanqing's previous penetration, the brutal insertion of a dry wooden stick still caused her intense pain. As she winced and cried out in pain, Bai Yingjue's hands reached to her breasts, squeezing and kneading them.

"You slut, does it feel good to be penetrated like this? Let me tell you, Qing'er is my man! You're not allowed to take him from me!"

He whispered these words in Li Huaxin's ear and began to thrust his lower body vigorously, penetrating the woman's vagina.

Jiang Hanqing, standing behind Bai Yingjue, spread her plump buttocks, revealing the alluring anus in her buttocks cleft, and mercilessly thrust into it. For

a moment, the entire room was filled with the cries and moans of the two women…

Chapter 36 The Crown Prince's Banquet

Chapter 36 The Crown Prince's Banquet

When Li Huaxin woke up, she found that Bai Yingjue's dildo was still inserted inside her body, and she blushed deeply. She struggled slightly, trying to get rid of Bai Yingjue's entanglement. But this movement immediately sobered up Jiang Hanqing and Bai Yingjue.

Bai Yingjue, seeing that Li Huaxin wanted to get rid of him, of course wouldn't let her have her way so easily. He immediately hugged her tightly and even moved his lower body demonstratively, scaring Li Huaxin into not daring to move anymore. Seeing Li Huaxin and Bai Yingjue entangled in their relationship, Jiang Hanqing laughed heartily and pounced on the two women, which naturally led to another frenzied lewdness.

In the following days, whenever Jiang Hanqing had free time, he would pull Bai Yingjue and Li Huaxin together for a frenzied sexual game. In such a wonderful atmosphere, time always flies by. Seven or eight days passed in the blink of an eye, and the New Year was fast approaching. During these few days, the Jiang family was exceptionally busy. To prevent a rebellion by the Wang family, all preparations were proceeding smoothly.

According to the plan, family members who were to leave the capital to reside in their fiefdoms had begun to leave the capital one after another, heading west. Every day, messengers rushed out of the Jiang family compound, delivering the latest instructions to the Jiang family's branches of influence throughout the country. The first batch of reinforcements also traveled day and night, arriving at the Jiang family compound in the capital before the New Year, and more would be sent to reinforce them later. A large number of spies were dispatched to monitor the Wang family's movements or to gather information in teahouses and restaurants. The situation of the Second Prince, Xu Yu, was naturally one of the key areas of investigation.

However, intelligence gathered over the past few days indicated that the Wang family's actions were as usual, without any unusual activity. Furthermore, there were still no clues about the forces behind the Second Prince. Although there was no direct evidence that the Wang family would rebel in the near future, Jiang Haoyu dared not lower his guard.

Many events that had occurred in the empire over the past year had undoubtedly greatly affected the emperor's power, and everything was developing in a direction favorable to the four major families. The members of the four families all knew that the current situation was the most conducive to uprising in six hundred years; a rebellion was inevitable, the key was which family would initiate it first and how! Six hundred years of experience had made the members of the four families extremely vigilant against any disturbance; they would rather be overly cautious than risk their lives due to momentary negligence.

Jiang Haoyu was naturally no exception. Under these circumstances, Jiang Haolin knew that no matter what, he absolutely could not let his guard down, especially with the New Year approaching, when his family's vigilance might inevitably be relaxed, requiring even greater vigilance. It's always better to be safe

than sorry! Hao Yu had also discussed the matter privately with his son. He felt that the excessive methods used by the Wang family in vying for Consort Qing Si's army might simply be due to Wang Siting's impulsive actions, and not necessarily a sign that the Wang family was eager to rebel. However, Jiang Hanqing clearly disagreed with his father's view, insisting that there was something fishy about the matter and that the Wang family's plan to rebel was indeed true. The father and son disagreed on this matter, but they shared the same opinion on one point: necessary precautions were still necessary, just not too ostentatiously, to avoid arousing suspicion.

In the past few days, perhaps influenced by the peaceful and happy atmosphere of the approaching Spring Festival, the emperor's mood gradually calmed down, and his mind seemed to have regained some clarity. However, the new plan to march on Qiu Te was finalized at his insistence. The court ultimately decided to wait until the spring of the following year to reorganize a large army and launch another expedition against the Qiu Te people. The commander-in-chief was to be chosen from Yin Yufeng and Shi Yanying. As for the task of assembling the army, the emperor this time entrusted the entire power to the second prince, Xuyu. He now greatly admired his son, who seemed to have completely changed.

He felt that Xuyu's ambition was the true character his son should possess. He was deeply dissatisfied with the peaceful and modest Crown Prince, Xusheng, and even considered changing the crown prince to Xuyu, but he suppressed the thought due to the many factors involved. However, he was determined that as long as Xuyu handled the matter well this time, he would give him more opportunities to demonstrate his abilities in the future, even if it meant changing the crown prince! On

December 29th, the streets of Yong'an Prefecture were already decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, creating a festive atmosphere. Although the empire had just suffered a devastating blow, the New Year still had to be celebrated. And precisely because of the immense damage suffered, almost everyone was determined to have a good Spring Festival! Everyone hoped to have a happy New Year to wash away the painful memories of the past year.

Therefore, the preparations for the Spring Festival this year were the most elaborate in many years. Smiles slowly began to appear on the faces of pedestrians on the street. The pain of the imperial army's crushing defeat gradually healed with the passage of time. It was after lunch that day that Jiang Hanqing received a letter from his mother in the Western Regions. The gist of it was that she knew the situation in the capital was complex this year, so she had decided not to return to the capital for the New Year, but to remain in the Western Regions to control the army as a precaution. She hoped her son would take good care of himself. Her words revealed a deep longing for her son, and were filled with a sense of the vicissitudes of life.

Jiang Hanqing didn't say much after reading his mother's letter, only sighed heavily, and walked out of the courtyard alone to clear his mind. Wandering aimlessly through the streets, Jiang Hanqing's mind was filled with countless thoughts: another year was about to pass, and the coming year seemed destined to be a year of great upheaval; perhaps the history of the Great Xia Empire would end next year! Jiang Hanqing always had a bad feeling about the Wang family's actions towards Fei Qingsi. He simply couldn't believe that this was a foolish act made by Wang Siting in a moment of impulsiveness.

He knew Wang Siting well; although he wasn't particularly capable, he wasn't foolish enough to do something so reckless. Jiang Hanqing was convinced the Wang family was plotting something. He could tell his father was somewhat dismissive of his tense reaction, thinking it was just a child's inexperience and overreaction. He also knew his father had gradually lowered his guard against the Wang family in recent days. Although he felt uneasy, he couldn't convince his father of his judgment. After all, he hadn't found any concrete evidence; it was all just his imagination. He also felt something was amiss with the sudden appearance of the Second Prince, Xu Yu.

Especially now that the Emperor had entrusted Xu Yu with the power to build a large army! Although it seemed he wouldn't be commanding this army in the future, the Emperor's action still granted Xu Yu, to some extent, the military power everyone craved!

He desperately wanted to find out what forces were supporting Xu Yu behind the scenes. If he didn't figure it out, he might one day die without even knowing why. Furthermore, judging from the current situation, the Emperor doesn't seem entirely satisfied with the steady and reliable Crown Prince. Perhaps he's already considering replacing the Crown Prince with Xu Yu!

And the whereabouts of Emperor Xianzong and the Holy Maidens in the capital are still completely unknown—they are deadly hunters lurking in the shadows! Everything is so vexing; a moment's carelessness could lead to utter defeat by these hidden enemies. Chen Bin and his two companions, who went to find Fan Hu and Sun Xianghe, haven't returned yet. The journey shouldn't be too long; I'll wait and see. Jiang Hanqing grew increasingly agitated. Looking up at the sky, intending to exhale and vent her frustration, she saw the dark, overcast sky above, which only deepened her depression. Shaking her head and sighing, Jiang Hanqing aimlessly walked down the street. With the New Year approaching, many strangers staying in the capital had returned home. The

usually bustling Yong'an Prefecture was suddenly much quieter. Standing on the street, looking around, Jiang Hanqing suddenly spotted a familiar figure not far ahead. Looking closer, he recognized his second uncle, Jiang Haoyao.

Jiang Hanqing suddenly remembered what his father had told him a few days ago: his uncle had been frequently visiting brothels lately. Seeing him wandering the streets alone, just like himself, he secretly followed him to see where he was going. Jiang Haoyao was very cautious, constantly looking back, clearly afraid of being followed. Fortunately, Jiang Hanqing was prepared and kept hidden, thus avoiding being discovered.

After winding through the streets for several turns, Jiang Haoyao indeed entered the brothels of Yong'an Prefecture. Jiang Hanqing followed closely behind. After circling around a few more corners, Jiang Haoyao suddenly turned into a narrow alley. Because these alleys were narrow and long, and sparsely populated, Jiang Hanqing hesitated to follow.

Standing at the alley entrance for a while, assuming Jiang Haoyao was far enough away, Jiang Hanqing finally slipped inside. However, once inside, Jiang Hanqing immediately realized something was wrong. This alley was full of countless doors and openings. In the short time Jiang Hanqing had been waiting outside, Jiang Haoyao had already disappeared into some house. Jiang Hanqing couldn't help but curse his own carelessness. Having no other choice, he chose a doorway in the alley to hide in, hoping to be discovered when Jiang Haoyao came out. But two hours passed, and it was almost dark, yet Jiang Haoyao still hadn't reappeared. Jiang Hanqing knew he wouldn't be able to find out where his second uncle had gone or what he was doing today; he would have to find another opportunity to follow him another day. Having wasted half a day without any results, and seeing that it was getting late, Jiang Hanqing had no choice but to return home.

As soon as he returned to his courtyard, a servant rushed up to report, "Young Master, a servant from the Crown Prince's residence came looking for you this afternoon! They said Her Highness the Crown Princess hasn't seen you in a long time and misses you dearly! They'd like to invite you to dinner!" Jiang Hanqing nodded to acknowledge this, and the image of his aunt, Yin Yuji, the Crown Princess, immediately flashed into his mind. Yin Yuji was the younger sister of Jiang Hanqing's mother, Yin Yufeng, three years younger than her, and the principal wife of the current Crown Prince, Xusheng. She and the Crown Prince had a daughter, seventeen years old this year, and a son who had recently turned twelve. Because her elder sister was stationed in the Western Regions for many years, Jiang Hanqing was Yin Yuji's only close relative in the capital, and therefore she doted on him immensely, always treating him like her own son.

Jiang Hanqing harbored different thoughts about his aunt, who bore a striking resemblance to his mother. Every time he saw her, the first image that flashed through his mind was his mother, naked and writhing beneath him in wanton pleasure. In Jiang Hanqing's eyes, this aunt was simply a substitute for his mother; he constantly longed to subdue Yin Yuji.

Hearing the servant's report, Jiang Hanqing realized he hadn't seen his aunt for three months. Although he had sent someone to inquire after her since returning to the capital, he had been too busy indulging in pleasure to visit her personally. Now that his aunt had come to him, what could he refuse? He had no choice but to go. Thinking this, Jiang Hanqing looked up at the palace and, seeing it was getting late, mounted his horse and set off for the Crown Prince's residence.

When Jiang Hanqing arrived at the Crown Prince's residence, it was already dusk. Just as he reached the gate, he encountered two servants riding out on horseback. Seeing Jiang Hanqing standing there on horseback, the two servants were overjoyed and quickly dismounted to pay their respects. "Young Master Jiang, you've arrived! Her Highness the Crown Princess has been waiting for you for ages! She thought you weren't coming."

"Yes, Young Master Jiang! You don't know! The Crown Princess just scolded the messenger who delivered your message this afternoon for his incompetence. Now she's ordered us to go to your residence immediately, insisting that you come for dinner tonight no matter what." "Luckily we ran into you just as we came out. Otherwise, if we couldn't find you at your residence later, we really wouldn't know what to do!" Listening to the two men's constant bickering, Jiang Hanqing smiled slightly and asked, "Who else has my aunt invited today?" The two servants hurriedly replied respectfully, "Besides the Second Prince and his wife, only the Crown Prince's family is here!" Jiang Hanqing paused for a moment and said

, "The Second Prince and his wife are also here." Yes! His Highness the Crown Prince said tonight is a private family banquet before the New Year, so he invited you, Young Master, and the Second Prince and his wife. Jiang Hanqing thought for a moment, then thought, "That's perfect! Since Xu Yu is here, I can try to get some information from him, and maybe even get some unexpected gains!"

With that thought, Jiang Hanqing dismounted and followed two family members into the Crown Prince's residence. It was clear that the residence was well-prepared for the upcoming New Year. All the trees Jiang Hanqing saw along the way were wrapped in festive red silk, and large red lanterns hung high on the porches. Each courtyard gate was adorned with a large "福" (Fu, meaning good fortune) character, and Spring Festival couplets were all in place. The vast mansion was filled with a joyous and festive atmosphere.

The dining area wasn't in the main hall as usual, but in a side hall where the Crown Prince and his wife usually ate, probably because there were few guests today and they were close relatives, so there was no need for elaborate arrangements. Jiang Hanqing entered the hall and saw... Aunt Li sat anxiously in the main seat, constantly looking towards the hall entrance. Her two children sat beside her, chatting intimately, but Crown Prince Xu Sheng was not present.

There were two tables set up for guests in the hall, clearly intended for herself and the Second Prince and his wife. Both tables were empty, indicating that Xu Yu and his wife had not yet arrived. Yin Yu Ji, dressed in a pale yellow phoenix robe, with light makeup and a diamond-encrusted jade phoenix hairpin tucked into her hair, possessed a refined and ethereal beauty that gave her an air of unapproachability. Just as

she was worrying whether her nephew Jin Yao would not come, she suddenly saw him enter the hall. Overjoyed, Yin Yu Ji quickly stood up and called out repeatedly, "Qing'er, you've finally arrived! Auntie thought you weren't coming! Come quickly! Wen'er, Jun'er, come and greet your cousin!" Her two children, seventeen-year-old daughter Jingwen and twelve-year-old son Zhaojun, upon hearing their mother's call, immediately came forward to greet Jiang Hanqing with dignified and polite movements, fully demonstrating the achievements of royal education. Especially the elder sister, Jingwen, whose bowing to Jiang Hanqing was completely like that of an adult, giving a very composed impression.

Jiang Hanqing returned the bow to them before turning to his aunt and respectfully saying, "I went for a stroll in the streets this afternoon and only returned to the courtyard near dusk. As soon as I heard that my aunt was looking for me, I rushed over. I didn't expect to keep you waiting! Please forgive me!" Yin Yuji happily replied, "Not at all! Not at all! I'm overjoyed to see you! There's no need for forgiveness. Come here, let me take a good look at you!"

Jiang Hanqing quickly walked to his aunt's side with a grin, kneeling before her so she could examine his face. Yin Yuji reached out and touched his cheek, saying with heartache, "Oh dear!" "Look, you've lost so much weight in just over two months away from Beijing! Sigh! Qing'er, don't run around outside unless it's absolutely necessary! What if you ruin your health?" The fragrance of orchids emanating from his aunt's body filled his nostrils, and his eyes, though level with hers, caught sight of her full breasts rising and falling slightly as she spoke. A strange emotion surged within Jiang Hanqing, and a barely suppressed urge rose within him. Forcibly suppressing the wicked thoughts in his heart, Jiang Hanqing said earnestly, "Thank you for your concern, Aunt! Qing'er is no longer a child; I know how to protect myself!"

Yin Yuji feigned slight anger and lightly patted his cheek, saying sweetly, "Yes! Our young master Jiang has grown up; he's an adult now, no longer a child! His aunt can't scold him anymore!" When her soft little hand touched Jiang Hanqing's cheek, a delicate fragrance wafted from her sleeve, filling him with a sense of intoxication.

The beautiful, delicate face before him reminded him of his mother's adorable way of teasing him. Jiang Hanqing barely managed to suppress the urge to rush forward and kiss his aunt. Reaching out to grasp his aunt's soft hand, Jiang Hanqing said excitedly, "How could I dare disobey my aunt's teachings? I know you only said that because you care about me. I am so grateful for your care and love!"

Looking at her beloved nephew's handsome face, Yin Yuji sighed inwardly, "Ah! Qing'er has really grown up! He's become a young man! So handsome, and the young master of the Jiang family, he must be captivating countless young girls!" Thinking of this, Yin Yuji suddenly froze, realizing that her delicate hand was in Jiang Hanqing's grasp. Normally, such a gesture would be completely insignificant to her, but now she inexplicably felt a sense of tension. And with this feeling, she began to feel a burning heat emanating from Jiang Hanqing's hand. A tremor ran through her heart, and Yin Yuji quickly and gently pulled her arm away from Jiang Hanqing's hot palm.

Realizing that the little guy she had watched grow up was now an adult, Yin Yuji felt a strange mix of emotions. Blushing, she looked at her nephew, who was staring at her in a daze. For a moment, Yin Yuji didn't know what to say, and could only inwardly scold herself, "Yin Yuji, what's wrong with you? Qing'er, let me hold your hand. Why are you so nervous?" To cover her embarrassment, Yin Yuji hurriedly turned her head and looked around, saying, "Your uncle has disappeared somewhere, and hasn't shown up yet! Xu Yu and his wife too. Sigh! They've been waiting

for ages!" Jiang Hanqing, seeing his aunt's flushed face, secretly swallowed. Hearing her evasive words, he could only manage a forced smile, saying, "Well… maybe… something came up!" The aunt and nephew were both lost in their own thoughts, unsure what to say.

At this moment, Jingwen suddenly spoke up, breaking the awkward silence: "Cousin, I heard you left the capital two months ago on business. Where did you go?" Jiang Hanqing, snapping out of his reverie at his cousin's voice, hurriedly replied, "Oh... well... I got bored in the capital, so I decided to go to my fiefdom to clear my head!"

Although Yin Yuji and Yin Yufeng were close sisters, unfortunately, their husbands belonged to different factions. The two sisters, like chickens following their husbands, quickly integrated into their respective husbands' families, dedicating themselves to the cause of their new families. When the two sisters were together, they could talk about anything, but they always pretended not to know anything about their husbands, because everyone knew that bringing up such matters would only hurt their feelings. Under these circumstances, the relationship between Jiang Hanqing and his aunt, Yin Yuji, was extremely delicate. Yin Yuji's love for her nephew was genuine, but she never interfered in his affairs, just as her sister and nephew never interfered in hers. In truth, countless cases like the Yin sisters' exist within the empire. This is merely a microcosm of the prevalent political marriages within the empire. It was precisely for this reason that Jiang Hanqing's answer to his cousin Jingwen's question about his whereabouts after leaving the capital was so deceptive.

Both Jiang Hanqing and Yin Yuji knew that none of the answers were true, but even knowing it was all a lie, no one would press the matter further, because this veil of secrecy could never be pierced. When the final deception was exposed, it would signify the final rupture. Whenever Yin Yuji saw Jiang Hanqing, she simply regarded him as her closest family member, never considering anything else, even though she knew he had long since grown into a true political shrewdness! Perhaps this was the only effective way for her to cope with the ruthless reality. Her seventeen-

year-old daughter, Jingwen, as a young girl who had grown up in a happy life, had never known the treacherous nature of political struggles, which is why she asked such a question. Hearing Jiang Hanqing's insincere answer, the innocent Jingwen couldn't help but want to press further, but how could her mother give her the chance to continue doing something foolish! "Wen'er, don't ask too many questions about adult matters!"

Seeing her mother's expression suddenly turn serious, Jingwen stuck out her tongue and dared not say anything more, but her expression clearly showed her inner resentment. Her pouty appearance was quite cute. Jiang Hanqing smiled as he looked at the girl in front of him, thinking, "Girls change a lot as they grow up, this saying is indeed true! In just three months, Wenmei looks much more mature and beautiful!"

"Wenmei, I haven't seen you for three months, and you've become even more beautiful! I wonder how many noble sons in the capital are vying to be your horse trainer!" To ease the atmosphere, Jiang Hanqing tried to joke with his cousin. "Cousin, you're just talking nonsense... I'm not pretty at all!!!" Jingwen blushed suddenly upon hearing her cousin's praise, her face turning bright red. Yin Yuji smiled with maternal love as she looked at her youngest daughter's shy expression. As a mother, she naturally understood what her youngest daughter was thinking. For the past six months, whenever her cousin Jiang Hanqing was mentioned, the little girl's eyes would light up, and she would become much more talkative. When she was alone, she would often giggle foolishly in her phone. When Jiang Hanqing came to visit them, Jingwen would constantly try to find topics to talk about with him, and she would try her best to imitate adults' behavior and act mature.

Jiang Hanqing didn't notice his cousin's unusual behavior, but Yin Yuji... She saw it all. She knew her daughter was at the age where she could fall in love, and her handsome and talented cousin Jiang Hanqing was undoubtedly the most ideal choice in the little girl's heart. Yin Yuji actually agreed with her daughter's idea. First, in her eyes, her nephew was undoubtedly the most ideal husband in the world. Another, and perhaps more important, reason was undoubtedly based on political considerations.

Like her sister Yin Yufeng, Yin Yuji possessed extraordinary political and military talent. The difference was that her sister had the opportunity to display her talent much earlier, while she unfortunately became the noble Crown Princess, forced to live in seclusion in the palace, thus losing the opportunity to showcase her wisdom.

Although she rarely showed herself while hiding in the Crown Prince's residence, Yin Yuji, however, was acutely aware of the political situation at court. She astutely sensed that the empire was facing an unprecedented crisis. Although her husband was the crown prince, his actual power was quite limited because the emperor refused to relinquish control, putting him at a disadvantage in future competition. She had a premonition that her father-in-law would be overthrown, and one of the four great ducal families would rise to become the new imperial family. Like most wise people, she favored the Jiang family most, not for any other reason than the backing of her invincible elder sister.

Under these circumstances, she began, consciously or unconsciously, to prepare a path for her husband, or rather, for her children. This path would undoubtedly rely on the relationship between her sister and nephew. Yin Yuji was undoubtedly overjoyed that her daughter had developed feelings for Jiang Hanqing. Marrying her daughter to Jiang Hanqing would strengthen family ties. In the future, should the empire undergo a major upheaval, they might be able to rely on the Jiang family's power. However, Yin Yuji also knew that Jiang Hanqing currently treated her precious daughter completely as a little girl, without any other intentions. How to make her nephew interested in her daughter became Yin Yuji's biggest headache. Just as Yin Yuji was pondering how to facilitate her daughter and Jiang Hanqing's union, voices suddenly came from the hall entrance. Looking up, she saw her husband, Xu Sheng, entering, followed by Xu Yu and his wife. Upon seeing Xu Sheng, Jiang Hanqing quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Uncle, Qing'er greets you!"

Xu Sheng, seeing Jiang Hanqing, immediately beamed, "Qing'er, so you've already arrived! I thought you hadn't come and was just about to send someone to look for you again!" Jiang Hanqing quickly exchanged a few polite words, then turned to greet Xu Yu and his wife. After Jingwen and Zhaojun also came over to greet their uncle and aunt, everyone took their seats.

Once everyone was present, the food and wine were quickly served. "Second brother, Qing'er! The main reason we invited you two here today is to have a meal together, a way to celebrate the New Year in advance. There's nothing else to it! Come! Let's have a toast first!"

With that, Xu Sheng raised his wine cup and toasted himself first. Seeing that Jiang Hanqing and Xu Yu had both drunk their cups, Xu Sheng then urged everyone to eat, not mentioning anything else.

For a time, the house was filled with the clinking of cups and the lively atmosphere! After several rounds of drinks and dishes, when everyone was a little tipsy, Xu Sheng sighed and said, "The past year has truly been a turbulent one for the empire! Especially the Qiu Te rebellion... alas... it has given all the court officials a real headache!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Hanqing sneered inwardly, "Heh heh! Now we're getting to the point!" Xu Yu chuckled twice and said, "Your Highness is overthinking things! The little Qiu Te barbarians are nothing to worry about! "

Xu Sheng smiled and said, "Second brother, don't underestimate these barbarians. Those who can wipe out Marshal Li Jixing's entire army aren't easy to find! As the elder brother, I've been feeling a bit strange lately. You always seem so confident about dealing with the Qiu Te people. Do you have any good strategies?" Xu Yu chuckled twice and said, "Your Highness is too kind to me! What am I? Your elder brother knows perfectly well that I know nothing about such important court matters. However, I do understand one thing: Father is incredibly wise, and he is absolutely right! That day I saw Father confidently stating in court that he could..." "That's enough to wipe out the Qiu Te barbarians! I thought Father Emperor said so, so it must be true! That's why this useless son just followed Father Emperor's lead! I never thought that you, brother, and all those ministers would think I had some brilliant plan in mind! Hehe, actually, there's nothing like that! Shame on me! Shame on me!"

Xu Sheng and Jiang Hanqing both cursed inwardly, "Pah! Still playing dumb! I would have believed you if you said that before! Now you still say it, nobody would believe you!"

Xu Yu saw that his brother didn't say anything and knew that he didn't believe him, so he continued, "Big brother, do you doubt your own brother?" Xu Sheng shook his head and smiled, "Second brother, what are you saying! What would your brother doubt you about?"

"Father Emperor put me in charge of organizing the new army, are you very unhappy, big brother?" Hearing his brother's blatant words, Xu Sheng didn't know what to say for a moment, so he just laughed twice and continued to urge him to drink.

The three drank for another half a day. Xu Yu, whose alcohol tolerance was relatively low, was already swaying unsteadily, and his queen had to reach out to support him from time to time to prevent him from falling. Seeing that Xu Yu seemed to have drunk enough, Xu Sheng smiled and suddenly turned to Jiang Hanqing, asking, "Qing'er, what do you think about attacking the Qiu Te barbarians again?" Jiang Hanqing feigned surprise at Xu Sheng's question and hurriedly replied, "This... Uncle asked me this... This... I really have never considered this question before!"

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Hanqing saw his aunt covering her mouth and chuckling beside him. Xu Sheng couldn't help but chuckle twice, then adopted the indulgent attitude of an adult when seeing a naughty child, pointing at Jiang Hanqing and laughing, "You brat... haha!" Xu Yu, standing beside him, also sneered twice, then suddenly interjected with a thick tongue, "Hanqing... you... missed the court meetings for the past two months, I wonder where you went... to have some fun?"

Jiang Hanqing feigned confusion and said, "Fun? Who told Second Uncle that I went to have some fun? Does Second Uncle really not believe in his nephew's character?" Xu Yu laughed loudly, "Good heavens... I, as your elder, have wronged you! Hehe... you didn't go to have some fun, then tell me, you... what did you go to do?" Xu Sheng frowned at his younger brother, who was pretending to be drunk, and said, "Second brother, you've had too much to drink! Qing'er asked for leave because of the heavy court affairs, and wanted to go out of the capital to relax! Don't make wild guesses!"

At this moment, Jingwen and Zhaojun, who were standing nearby, also noticed that something was wrong, but they didn't know what to do, so they just glanced at their mother. When their mother shook her head to reassure them, the two children finally relaxed and obediently sat down to watch the "performance." Xu Yu chuckled coldly twice, then swayed as he stood up, glaring at Jiang Hanqing with a vicious look. "Oh, so that's how it is! Then I really wronged Hanqing, haha, then I'll apologize! I'll drink this cup... Actually, your Jiang family has always looked down on... me, this useless piece of trash... isn't that right?" Jiang Hanqing inwardly scoffed at Xu Yu's behavior: "A little alcohol and he's like this! Looks like I overestimated him! I thought he'd been hiding his true abilities for so many years, he must have some amazing skills! But seeing how arrogant he is after just getting a little military power, he might actually be..." "He's a complete fool. It seems the key is the person supporting him behind the scenes. Otherwise, given his disgraceful behavior a few years ago, he wouldn't have dared to stand up in court! Someone must be instigating him to do this," Xu Yu suddenly cursed when he saw that Jiang Hanqing didn't respond to his provocation. "Jiang boy, did you hear me? Hmm... your Jiang family wants to rebel, right? Let me tell you..." Yin Yuji saw that he was acting strangely and quickly stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Xu Yu, you've had too much to drink! Go back and rest early!" Xu

Yu's concubine also stood up at this time to help him, but he rudely pushed her away. With unsteady steps, Jia Yu staggered up to Jiang Hanqing, pointed his finger at his nose, and said, "Boy, let me tell you! Don't think your Jiang family can fly to the heavens! This world still belongs to our family... Hehe! Big brother, I know you've always... looked down on your useless younger brother! You can be smug for now! Hehe! I'm telling you, in a few months..." Hearing the sudden threat in Jia Yu's drunken words, Jiang Hanqing, Yin Yuji, and Jia Yusheng all immediately showed wary expressions. Just as Jia Yu was about to continue, his concubine stepped forward to stop his rambling. She forcefully pulled him away from Jiang Hanqing's table, saying repeatedly, "You've had too much to drink! What nonsense are you talking about! Don't talk nonsense and make the Crown Prince laugh at you!" Hearing his wife's words, Jia Yu sobered up a little, shook his head vigorously, and realized he had almost said something wrong. After chuckling twice to cover his embarrassment, Qian turned to Xu Sheng and said, "Brother, I drank too much today! I misspoke, please don't blame me!" Xu Sheng smiled and said, "Don't worry! We're brothers, how could I blame you! Go back and get some rest!

" Yin Yuji, standing beside him, also chimed in, "Yes! Second brother, you should go back and rest! It's all your fault today, I didn't consider your drinking capacity and kept making you drink!" Xu Yu hiccuped twice, still arguing, "Sister-in-law, don't worry! I can still... drink! It's alright! I just don't like those... people with guilty consciences... hehe!" "Just you wait and see..."

Xu Yu stopped talking after his wife tugged at his sleeve twice. He turned back to Jingwen and Zhaojun, grinning foolishly, "My dear niece! My dear nephew! Wait... until after the New Year, come to your uncle's house, and your uncle will give you... good stuff!" He stood there nagging for a few more minutes before finally giving in and being pulled away by his wife, leaving Xu Sheng's family and Jiang Hanqing behind. Jiang Hanqing watched Xu Yu's figure gradually disappear into the night, then smiled nonchalantly at Xu Sheng and said, "I never had the chance to drink with my second uncle before, I didn't expect him to be such a poor drinker!"

Xu Sheng sighed and shook his head, "My second brother, he just never grows up! Sigh! He talks nonsense when he's drunk!" The two were about to continue their pointless, fake conversation when Yin Yuji suddenly interrupted them.

"You two, that's enough! Judging from Xu Yu's tone just now, some things are probably not that simple! He said in a few months, what will he do in a few months? And now, Father Emperor is also...sigh!" Jiang Hanqing and Xu Sheng were stunned when they heard her say this. Yin Yuji had never mentioned anything about politics in front of the Jiang family, but now she was proactively expressing her views in front of Jiang Hanqing. Clearly, such a simple sentence contained a lot of meaning! This was undoubtedly her way of expressing her hope that her husband and the Jiang family could cooperate to some extent. From her words, Jiang Hanqing also sensed that she wasn't very optimistic about her husband's current situation.

Jiang Hanqing couldn't help but wonder. Although the Emperor seemed somewhat dissatisfied with Xu Sheng, it shouldn't make her aunt so nervous. Could there be another hidden story? Could it be some kind of scheme devised by the Emperor and the Crown Prince? But she knew her aunt well; surely she wouldn't frame her? Was it really true that things were unpredictable and human relationships fickle? Thinking this, Jiang Hanqing decided to remain silent for now and see how things developed.

Seeing Jiang Hanqing remain silent, Yin Yuji knew he had concerns. She stood up, walked to Xu Sheng, sighed, and said, "Your Highness, I know you and your sister's family have always been estranged, and I don't want to say anything more about this! But... can't we make an exception this time? It would be better for everyone!"

Xu Sheng stared at his wife for a long while, then suddenly turned around and solemnly instructed his children, "Wen'er! Jun'er! You two go back to your rooms and rest! The master has important matters to discuss!" Jingwen and Zhaojun didn't dare say anything more and quickly agreed before retreating. Seeing the couple's serious expressions, Jiang Hanqing realized that something significant must have happened in the palace, putting unprecedented pressure on Xu Sheng and his wife, which was why they reacted this way.

After the two children left, Xu Sheng stood in the room, staring blankly at his wife, his expression shifting between light and shadow. Clearly, he was struggling internally, unsure whether he should heed his wife's advice and cooperate with the Jiang family. As Xu Sheng hesitated, a soft cough came from the hall doorway, and a beautiful figure appeared.

It was a beautiful woman of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with bright eyes and white teeth. Her long, black hair was unkempt, cascading naturally over her shoulders. Her slender figure, paired with a long black mink dress, gave her an ethereal appearance, creating an unreal beauty in everyone present. She leaned lightly against the doorway, her hand on a pillar, as if she were recovering from a serious illness and feeling weak all over. Seeing everyone's attention turn to her, she frowned slightly and coughed twice.

Jiang Hanqing had never seen this woman before, but he noticed that the moment she appeared, Yin Yuji's face turned extremely ugly, and she plopped down in a chair as if very angry. Seeing her aunt's appearance, Jiang Hanqing immediately understood what was going on. It seemed that this woman who had just appeared was most likely her uncle's new favorite, and her aunt was clearly very dissatisfied with her. Sure enough, after this woman appeared, Xu Sheng immediately shifted all his attention to her. Seeing her weak appearance, leaning against the doorpost and coughing softly, Xu Sheng immediately became anxious and rushed to the woman's side, worriedly supporting her and saying, "Ru Feng, are you feeling any better? Are you still not feeling well?"

The woman named Ru Feng forced a smile, looked into the hall, and seemed to only then notice Yin Yuji and Jiang Hanqing, exclaiming in surprise, "So the Princess is here too! Oh dear! There are guests here, and I look like this... Oh dear! How rude of me!" As she spoke, she tried to straighten herself by holding onto the door frame, but she swayed and almost fell on the spot. Xu Sheng quickly helped her up, complaining, "You're not fully recovered yet, why are you worrying about so many formalities!"

Ru Feng smiled palely and said gently, "How could I be impolite in front of the Princess and displease her!" Xu Sheng said anxiously, "Oh dear! Why are you worrying about all this now? Go back and rest! Come! Let me help you back!"

Saying this, he didn't care that Yin Yu Ji and Jiang Han Qing were still there, and hurriedly helped the woman named Ru Feng away. Yin Yu Ji sat there with a livid face for a long time without saying a word.

Jiang Han Qing coughed lightly and asked Yin Yu Ji, "Auntie, what's that woman's background?" Yin Yu Ji slammed her hand heavily on the armrest of the chair and said angrily, "What background? She's just a vixen! Two months ago, he somehow got this woman back and has been spoiling her like a treasure ever since! When asked where he found this vixen, he always stammers and refuses to say!" "Look, we were talking about something so important, but as soon as he saw this vixen feigning illness, he forgot everything else! Sigh!"

She then sat down and sighed deeply, looking extremely distressed. Jiang Hanqing, eager to know the secrets on Xu Sheng's side, quickly followed up by asking, "Auntie, what exactly happened on Uncle's side that made you so anxious?" Yin Yuji sighed, waving her hand sadly, "Forget it! Forget it! With me like this today, how can I possibly be in the mood to talk about these things! Forget it! He's not in a hurry, why should I be? Let's talk about it another day! It's getting late, you should go back and rest!" Seeing that his aunt had given him the order to leave, Jiang Hanqing had no choice but to

obey. Though unwilling, he had no choice but to take his leave. Before leaving, he comforted Yin Yuji, telling her not to be too saddened by such matters, to take care of herself, and so on. He also told her, "Aunt, if there's anything I can help with, please send someone over. Qing'er will do her best to handle it. Take care, Qing'er takes her leave!" On the way home, Jiang Hanqing kept pondering the events of the banquet.

Judging from the few words Xu Yu uttered after drinking, it was clear that a powerful force was hiding behind him, and that some huge conspiracy was underway, which explained his arrogance. Perhaps they were planning to seize the throne, Jiang Hanqing concluded. From the conversation between his aunt Yin Yuji and uncle Xu Sheng, Jiang Hanqing was convinced that Crown Prince Xu Sheng was facing a very serious difficulty, a difficulty that left him feeling powerless and desperately needing external support.

However, Jiang Hanqing also knew that Xu Sheng was quite wary of any forces seeking help from the Jiang family; otherwise, Yin Yuji's words at the banquet... When pushing the relationship between the two sides, he showed absolutely no hesitation. Jiang Hanqing also had a feeling that a certain rift had appeared between Xu Sheng and Yin Yuji, and their relationship wasn't as perfect as outsiders imagined. Otherwise, Xu Sheng wouldn't have shown such deep affection and attention to that woman named Ru Feng in front of Jiang Hanqing and Yin Yuji; nor would he have hesitated so much about his wife's proposal to cooperate with the Jiang family.

Jiang Hanqing thought, "If my aunt really has a problem with Xu Sheng, why is that? Wasn't their relationship always very good before? Could it be because of my aunt's special relationship with our Jiang family that Xu Sheng has unconsciously developed concerns? Yes! Very likely! Seeing how enthusiastically my aunt is trying to facilitate Xu Sheng's cooperation with our Jiang family today, Xu Sheng is probably very worried. He's afraid that his husband will side with his sister. But that's a good thing, let the two of them fight amongst themselves first, maybe I can even profit from it! Hehe!" "I'll get some information from my aunt, and then... hehe!"

Jiang Hanqing's smile was so cunning that if Yin Yuji saw it, she would never believe that her beloved nephew could have such an expression. Although many things were still unclear after tonight's trip, Jiang Hanqing still felt that he had obtained a lot of useful information from the banquet at the Crown Prince's residence, so it could be considered a worthwhile trip! Therefore, when the walls of the Jiang family compound appeared in front of him, Jiang Hanqing was in a relatively good mood!

However, he was so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he did not notice what was behind him. When he left the Crown Prince's residence... Soon, several furtive figures on horseback slowly followed behind him…

Chapter

37 Ambush Encounters Midway

In the deep of night, the dark figures on the city wall of the Jiang family compound appeared not far from the end of the street, a dense, imposing mass. In the chilly winter wind, seeing his own compound and thinking of soon returning home to lie in a warm bed with beautiful women, Jiang Hanqing felt a surge of ease and happiness.

He exhaled heavily, lightly spurred his horse, and the mount immediately trotted towards the compound. A wide moat runs atop the city wall of the Jiang Family Compound. When the compound was initially built, to clear obstructions from view, the Jiang family ancestors occupied all the land within a forty-zhang (approximately 33 meters) radius on the opposite bank of the moat, strictly forbidding anyone from building houses on that land. This created a wide buffer zone along the riverbank. Anything appearing in this narrow, open area would immediately be spotted by the guards on the Jiang Family Compound's city wall. This was a crucial measure for the Jiang family's self-protection. Beyond this wide buffer zone, surrounding the Jiang Family Compound, were ordinary houses and streets of the capital city. To facilitate the family's movement and free them from the constraints of narrow neighborhood streets, the main compound was built with wide avenues leading to the four main thoroughfares that crisscross the city of Yong'an.

However, Jiang Hanqing didn't take these main thoroughfares at this moment, as he felt they were too circuitous. To minimize his travel, he chose to walk through the narrow alleyways of the neighborhood, intending to navigate the bustling streets before heading towards the compound gates along the wide riverbank. For many years, he had taken this route every time he returned to the Jiang family compound from the Crown Prince's residence after visiting his aunt, Yin Yuji.

Although he could already see the city walls of the compound, he still needed to cross several streets before reaching the wide area along the moat. Just then, the knights following Jiang Hanqing suddenly quickened their pace, rapidly closing in on him. The clatter of hooves finally drew Jiang Hanqing's attention. When he turned around, the knights behind him knew he had noticed, and without further hesitation, they kicked their horses in the flanks, drew their weapons, and charged at him. Jiang Hanqing was startled, realizing he had been careless and fallen into a trap. Seeing that his pursuers were only a few feet away, Jiang Hanqing had no time to hesitate. He desperately kicked his horse in the flanks, and his mount immediately neighed and charged forward like an arrow. The knights following behind, seeing Jiang Hanqing flee, remained completely calm. One of them immediately pulled a whistle from his pocket, put it to his lips, and blew it, the sharp sound instantly shattering the silence of the night. Jiang Hanqing, hearing the whistle behind him, felt a chill run down his spine, immediately realizing that there were definitely other ambushes besides these few. He cursed loudly, quickly drew his longsword, and frantically looked around. But in the pitch-black night, and while fleeing for his life in a narrow street, how could Jiang Hanqing possibly see where the enemy's ambush was hiding? Just then, in his confusion, he suddenly heard the sound of several tightly closed windows shattering. Jiang Hanqing cried out, "Not good!" and quickly leaped from his horse to the ground beside him.

Even as he was still in mid-air, he heard the sound of an arrow piercing the air, followed by the mournful cry of his horse, struck by an arrow, as it leaped from its galloping back. Despite Jiang Hanqing's superior martial arts skills and his preparation for landing, the force of the impact still sent him staggering. He rolled twice on the ground, barely managing to stand. His entire body was wracked with pain, and he had no idea where his longsword had gone.

Without a second thought, he instinctively slammed into the door of a nearby house. The door shattered, and Jiang Hanqing burst into the room. With a cry of alarm, a gust of wind rushed towards him, accompanied by the sound of a blade slicing through the air.

In a panic, Jiang Hanqing sidestepped, feeling the chilling blade glide past him in the darkness. Without hesitation, he kicked forward with all his might. A scream rang out as a figure was kicked and sent flying, crashing into a table in the corner of the room and smashing it to pieces. Jiang Hanqing, unsure if there were any other ambushers in the room, dared not be careless. He lunged forward, rolling twice to reach the man he had kicked, and snatched the sword from his still-grip hand.

With the weapon in hand, Jiang Hanqing felt a little more at ease. He then surveyed the room's layout. Thankfully, besides the man he had knocked unconscious, there was no one else in the room. Jiang Hanqing inwardly breathed a sigh of relief; if there had been another person, he might have been killed instantly. But before he could catch his breath, the shouts of enemies came from outside, and countless people were rushing towards the room. ...In a panic, Jiang Hanqing didn't think twice and turned to run towards the back of the house. Just as he rushed out of the main hall and into the courtyard, he heard the "thud" of arrows piercing the window and striking the wall behind him. Then came a clear voice: "That kid must have run in through the back! Brothers, charge! Kill him! There'll be a hefty reward!" At the same time, a sharp whistle came from the roof, indicating that the enemy was also lying in ambush there.

Jiang Hanqing inwardly cursed his fate. He had no other choice but to grit his teeth and rush towards the back door. But just a few steps from the back door, he saw it being kicked down. A group of people, wielding weapons, rushed in through the back door. With nowhere to

retreat, Jiang Hanqing took a deep breath, steadied himself, and charged forward. Amidst the clanging of weapons, Jiang Hanqing plunged into the enemy ranks. In this life-or-death situation, Jiang Hanqing no longer dared to conceal his true martial arts skills, unleashing his full power from the Holy Gate martial arts.

A series of "Splashing Wind Blade Techniques" were executed swiftly and ruthlessly, sending the enemies blocking his path staggering. Just as he was about to break through the back door, he heard a whooshing sound behind him—an enemy had caught up and was launching another sneak attack with arrows.

Jiang Hanqing sighed inwardly, "I'm doomed!" He had no other choice but to close his eyes and await death. In that instant of facing death, Jiang Hanqing suddenly thought of his beloved woman, his mother, Bai Yingjue, Li Huaxin, and Xisili, whom he hadn't seen for many years; he thought of the joy he had shared with them, and the utterly sorrowful expression on his mother's face when she heard the news of his impending death. A strong sorrow welled up in Jiang Hanqing's heart, a profound sadness born of helplessness yet a lingering attachment to life. His thoughts… in his mind's eye, the instinct for survival made him instinctively swing his blade behind him.

After a crisp sound, the whooshing sound behind him vanished, and Jiang Hanqing shuddered, jolting awake. He had just realized… that the single slash he had used to deflect all the enemy arrows coming from behind. "How is this possible? Could it be…" A flash of inspiration struck him, and he suddenly understood.

The move he had just used was called "Dream Return in the Fine Rain," a move from the "Vast Sorrow" sword technique, the most formidable set of sword techniques from the Thousand Saints Sect. It was specifically designed to counter attacks from behind, creating an impenetrable screen of blades behind the user. However, he had never truly mastered the "Vast Sorrow" sword technique. Whenever he practiced it, his master always said his movements were slow and drawn-out, lacking any sense of emotional intensity or invincibility, making it less powerful than ordinary martial arts.

Because this sword technique was the essence of the Thousand Saints Sect's martial arts, his master always forced him to practice it tirelessly. But for some reason, no matter how hard he practiced, he always felt an inexplicable awkwardness when using this sword technique; he just couldn't master it. Finally, his master had no choice but to accept his fate, only saying to him, "Alas! You come from a noble family, and you're too young to know sorrow... what is peace? No wonder! No wonder!"

But just now, when he truly faced a life-or-death moment, he suddenly thought of his beloved woman, and a strong sense of sorrow filled his heart. In that instant, he realized the essence of "vast sorrow." His master was right; that endless sorrow of parting was the true driving force of this skill. For the first time in his life, Jiang Hanqing successfully used the "vast sorrow" technique, and the feeling was incredibly exhilarating. Jiang Hanqing believed that even if his master, the sect leader of the Hidden Sect, used it himself, the effect would be no better. In that moment of distraction, the enemies surged forward like a tide. Jiang Hanqing had

just experienced the power of this exquisite swordsmanship, and his heart was filled with joy; there was no fear whatsoever. "So close to romance," came another move, "Vast Sorrow," a sword technique. The blade was incredibly sharp, possessing a destructive force, and none of the enemies in front of him could withstand it.

Taking advantage of the enemy's growing disarray, Jiang Hanqing leaped into the crowd, using a close-quarters combat technique, "Breaking the Warm Breeze." The sword's movements shifted from swift and fierce to delicate and agile, a series of slashes and thrusts instantly felling many enemies. Just as Jiang Hanqing was about to burst through the crowd and escape into the alley, a piercingly cold wind suddenly attacked from the side. Someone was lurking nearby, launching a sneak attack. Jiang Hanqing had just slashed the throat of someone in front of him with his blade when he suddenly felt the gust of wind from the side, a chill running through him. He was about to leap back when he suddenly felt a chill on his back.

In a moment of extreme danger, the instinct for survival made Jiang Hanqing suddenly throw himself to the ground. A cool breeze brushed past his back, followed by a sharp pain. Jiang Hanqing's heart skipped a beat; he knew that although he had escaped the fate of being pierced through the heart by a sword, he had still suffered a minor injury to his back. In that instant, Jiang Hanqing had already judged that the martial arts of the person attacking him from behind were the strongest among all the enemies he had encountered that night. The attack had come without warning, and Jiang Hanqing only felt it when the sword was about to strike.

Lying on the ground, Jiang Hanqing was worried that the person who had attacked him earlier would follow up with another attack. He endured the pain and rolled forward, rushing into the enemy ranks. Seeing him roll in front of him, the enemies immediately surrounded him from all sides without thinking.

The expert who had ambushed Jiang Hanqing was now blocked by his accomplices who rushed to kill him. Jiang Hanqing only heard a furious shout coming from the direction the man had attacked: "Idiots, get out of my way! Get out!" But in the chaos, who could give him a way out? Thus, Jiang Hanqing luckily escaped the man's relentless attacks. Although he had temporarily escaped the threat of a powerful enemy, he was still surrounded by many others. Jiang Hanqing didn't have time to even see what the man who had ambushed him looked like. After a roll, he immediately sprang to his feet, took a deep breath, and brandished his precious sword, forcefully cutting through the crowd in front of him. Survival was paramount; all techniques and movements were forgotten. He only knew to slash at anyone he saw and squeeze through

any gaps. Taking advantage of the chaos before the enemy could completely encircle him, Jiang Hanqing actually managed to fight his way through the crowd and reach the street outside the back door. There were still some enemies on the street, but not many. Most of them had rushed into the courtyard to intercept Jiang Hanqing, but after he escaped, the two large groups blocked his way at the gate, preventing him from quickly getting out. Relieved of the pressure, Jiang Hanqing breathed a sigh of relief. Seizing the opportunity, he cut down two enemies who tried to intercept him and ran towards the palace. He knew the enemy would set up more ambushes along the route from where he was attacked to the Jiang family compound to prevent him from escaping after the ambush. If he ran towards the compound now, he would likely be killed within a hundred paces.

By doing the opposite, he might survive. Sure enough, along his route towards the palace, very few enemies came to intercept him, and those who did were rather sloppy, almost all being taken down by Jiang Hanqing in a single exchange. Behind him, a large group of people, estimated to be over a hundred, pursued him. Several of them quickly broke through the crowd, closing the distance between themselves and Jiang Hanqing. Their swift movements revealed them to be experts. In his haste to look back, Jiang Hanqing noticed that these individuals were all masked, while none of the other members of the Xiaoloulu were masked, as if they feared Jiang Hanqing would recognize them. The figure of the person in the lead seemed vaguely familiar to Jiang Hanqing, as if he had seen him somewhere before. After running for about thirty paces, no more enemies appeared in the path ahead, but the wound on Jiang Hanqing's back was throbbing with increasing pain. He gritted his teeth and endured the pain, desperately running while shouting, "Catch the assassin! There's an assassin!" The imperial capital was heavily guarded, with soldiers constantly patrolling the streets and alleys. The sounds of fighting earlier hadn't been particularly loud, so they hadn't alerted the patrolling soldiers. But Jiang Hanqing's shrill screams were so piercing in the night that no nearby soldier could possibly miss them. As soon as Jiang Hanqing cried out, he heard the enemy behind him frantically calling out to each other, "Damn it! That kid's really cunning! Brothers, let's go! The night patrol is coming! Retreat!" Hearing the enemy's shouts, Jiang Hanqing glanced back and saw that the enemy behind him had indeed turned and fled; no one was chasing after him anymore. He felt a little relieved, but he still dared not be careless and continued to stagger towards the end of the street. He hadn't run another twenty paces when he heard the clanging of armored infantrymen's helmets as they ran. Turning the corner, a troop of several hundred infantrymen appeared before Jiang Hanqing.

Seeing a blood-soaked man running towards them, the leading infantry officer shouted, "Drop your weapons immediately, or be killed on sight!" He then waved his right hand, and his men immediately lowered their spears, the tips pointing in the direction Jiang Hanqing was running. Jiang Hanqing glanced back, confirming that no one was chasing him, before stopping. He threw the knife he had seized from the enemy to the ground, catching his breath, and said, "I am the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo, not a thief. I was attacked by bandits and injured."

The officer, seeing him drop his weapon, was relieved. Hearing him claim to be the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo, he hesitated slightly, scrutinizing Jiang Hanqing carefully, but couldn't be sure if his words were true. The officer ordered his men, "A few men, keep him under guard. Don't mistreat him. The rest of you, continue searching!" Four soldiers cautiously approached and grasped Jiang Hanqing's hands. Without any resistance, Jiang Hanqing simply stood there quietly to avoid a misunderstanding.

Actually, seeing these soldiers appear had already brought him a huge sense of relief: "Alright! Finally, I'm safe!" As Jiang Hanqing relaxed, the pain in his back intensified, and large beads of sweat dripped from his forehead.

Reinforcements continued to arrive, even cavalry was deployed. After all, a violent clash in the capital before the New Year was no small matter. The nearby streets were brightly lit by the torches carried by the soldiers, and large groups of soldiers rushed about. Jiang Hanqing was led to a street corner by several soldiers to sit down and wait for the situation to stabilize before taking further action. The soldiers had heard him introduce himself as the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo; although they couldn't confirm his true identity, they preferred to err on the side of caution and dared not offend him. The sword wound on Jiang Hanqing's back remained untreated, and blood was still flowing

. He wanted to bandage himself, but the moment he made a move, the surrounding soldiers stopped him, and he could only stand there, enduring the pain. About half an hour later, a group of cavalry galloped down the street. A man who appeared to be an officer, dressed in red armor, stood out conspicuously in the lamplight. The group paid little attention to the few ordinary infantrymen and a prisoner standing on the street, and rushed past them. At this moment, Jiang Hanqing, whose head was already spinning from blood loss, heard the sound of hooves beside him and suddenly awoke. Looking up, he saw the general in red armor passing by. Startled, Jiang Hanqing suddenly recognized him as Zhang Sihai, whom he had met in Qiu Te Kingdom. Overjoyed, he quickly shouted, "General Zhang!" Zhang

Sihai had just rushed past him when he suddenly heard someone shouting from the roadside. He quickly reined in his horse and looked back towards the source of the sound, only to see a man covered in blood sitting on the side of the road, being watched by four soldiers. Because Jiang Hanqing's face was covered in blood splattered from the enemy during their fight, Zhang Sihai didn't recognize him at first and was taken aback. Zhang Sihai turned his horse around and rode up to Jiang Hanqing, asking, "Who are you? How do you recognize me?" A soldier guarding Jiang Hanqing bowed and answered on his behalf, "General Zhang, this man claims to be the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo. Because we cannot confirm his identity for the time being, the captain ordered us to keep him under guard for now." Upon hearing that the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo was present, Zhang Sihai was greatly surprised. He hurriedly dismounted and approached Jiang Hanqing's face for a closer look. Recognizing that it was indeed Jiang Hanqing, he quickly apologized, "Sihai did not know that Young Master Jiang was here

. I have been very rude! Please forgive me, Young Master Jiang!" Jiang Hanqing waved his hand and said, "General Zhang, there is no need for such formalities. If you hadn't passed by here and I hadn't happened to know you, I don't know how long I would have been detained here! Hehe... Ouch!" Jiang Hanqing laughed at the end and tried to stand up from the ground, but this movement aggravated the wound on his back, causing the blood to flow out even faster. He couldn't help but cry out in pain.

Upon seeing Jiang Hanqing's condition, Zhang Sihai exclaimed in alarm, "Young Master Jiang is injured! Quickly sit down and rest!" Turning to his men who were standing around dumbfounded, he snapped, "You bunch of useless fools! What are you standing there for? Go and fetch a doctor for Young Master Jiang! You're all good-for-nothings!"

At the general's command, his men immediately scrambled to their feet. A doctor was brought over in no time. After examining Jiang Hanqing's injuries, the doctor said, "You're very lucky. If that sword had gone any deeper, it would have pierced your chest. Now, there's nothing too serious, but you've lost a lot of blood. You'll need to rest well for the next few days and avoid any unnecessary movement!"

After the doctor applied the medicine, Zhang Sihai had already sent for a stretcher. Several soldiers hurriedly lifted Jiang Hanqing onto the stretcher and laid him down before escorting him to the Jiang family compound. On the way, Jiang Hanqing wanted to ask Zhang Sihai about their situation after returning to the capital. However, Ku Qian was surrounded by soldiers and had no way to speak, so he had to give up!

Jiang Hanqing, already exhausted from blood loss, found the swaying on the stretcher surprisingly comfortable. Relaxed, he soon drifted off to sleep. In his half-asleep state, he vaguely heard Zhang Sihai's voice: "Gatekeeper, lower the drawbridge! Young Master Jiang is injured! We've brought him back!" A thought flickered in his mind: "Alright, home." He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt incredibly heavy. He struggled a couple of times but couldn't open them, so he fell asleep again.

When he regained consciousness, he was back in the courtyard. The surrounding crowd was filled with gasps and angry shouts about the assassins, making his head spin. Then someone yelled, "You bunch of idiots! The young master needs quiet after his injury! What are you all yelling about?! Shut up!" At this shout, the surroundings immediately fell silent. Jiang Hanqing felt a sense of relief, a wave of dizziness washing over him before he lost consciousness again. He didn't know how much time had passed when he suddenly felt burning hot all over, extremely uncomfortable. In his dazed state, he seemed to hear his mother crying. He reached out to hug her and comfort her, but his embrace was empty. Jiang Hanqing panicked and cried out, "Mother, don't leave me! Don't leave me!"

In his distress, he felt a warm hand stroking his head, and a gentle voice beside him said, "Qing'er... Qing'er... Qing'er! Don't be afraid! I'm here!" The voice was very familiar, but he knew it was definitely not the voice of his mother, whom he missed day and night. He tried desperately to remember whose voice it was, but he couldn't recall.

He tried to open his eyes to see, but as soon as his eyelids opened, a ray of candlelight shone into his eyes, making him dizzy and causing him to faint again. When Jiang Hanqing woke up again, he was finally able to open his eyes. Looking at the familiar dragon and phoenix pattern on the bed curtains, Jiang Hanqing immediately realized that he was lying in his own bed. Turning his head to look beside him, he saw a woman sleeping on the edge of the bed, probably exhausted from taking care of him. Unable to see her face, Jiang Hanqing assumed it was Bai Yingjue! But he quickly realized he was wrong, for he saw Bai Yingjue dozing off in another chair in the corner of the room. He gently moved, trying to sit up, but the wound on his back still throbbed, forcing him to abandon the painful attempt. Just as he moved slightly, the woman sleeping there was startled awake.

When she raised her head, Jiang Hanqing was stunned; it was his aunt, Jiang Fengqin. "Aunt, what are you doing here?"

Seeing her nephew awake, Jiang Fengqin didn't answer his question, but instead exclaimed joyfully, "Qing'er, you're awake! That's wonderful!" Jiang Hanqing then realized that the voice he had heard in his daze was his aunt's; no wonder it felt so familiar. "How long have I been unconscious? Did I celebrate the New Year?"

"You've been unconscious for four days! It's already the third day of the Lunar New Year!" Awakened by Jiang Fengqin's voice, Bai Yingjue, still half-asleep, didn't realize what Jiang Fengqin was talking to. Rubbing her eyes, she dragged herself over and asked, "Sister Qin, what are you saying?" Suddenly seeing Jiang Hanqing lying there smiling at her, Bai Yingjue was so surprised she froze, her mouth agape but unable to utter a sound. Jiang Hanqing laughed, "What, silly girl, don't you recognize me?" Bai Yingjue finally snapped out of her surprise and rushed to the bedside, but then suddenly didn't know what to say. A surge of emotion choked her throat, and after a long pause, she finally managed to stammer, her voice slightly choked with tears, "You...you...you're finally awake!" Seeing the genuine joy on Bai Yingjue's face and feeling her concern, Jiang Hanqing felt a surge of warmth in her heart and choked back a sob, saying, "I'm awake!"

Seeing the two of them looking so dazed, Jiang Fengqin chuckled softly, "What are you two doing? Really! You're all better now, why are you still crying like that?" Hearing her words, Bai Yingjue finally smiled, and tears of joy streamed down her cheeks. Jiang Fengqin

smiled and shook her head, saying to Jiang Hanqing, "Qing'er, it's good that you're awake! I'll go out for a bit, you two can chat slowly..." Seeing her about to leave, Jiang Hanqing understood that she was giving him and Bai Yingjue some space, and smiled gratefully at her. Bai Yingjue, however, blushed deeply, lowering her head and remaining silent. After Jiang Fengqin left the room and closed the door, Bai Yingjue playfully tapped Jiang Hanqing's forehead, saying, "You've really gotten me into trouble!"

She then feigned shyness and nestled against Jiang Hanqing's chest like a gentle, affectionate kitten. Jiang Hanqing gently stroked her hair and asked, "How did I get you into trouble? Don't accuse me!"

"How could I not? My daughter Yaoyao has been staying with you these past few days, and now everyone in the family knows about our relationship! Everyone's giving me strange looks. What am I going to do now?" She pouted and gently punched Jiang Hanqing's chest, looking incredibly cute. Actually, from Jiang Fengqin's attitude towards Bai Yingjue earlier, Jiang Hanqing had already guessed that his family knew about their relationship; now it was just Bai Yingjue's confirmation. With a slight smile, Jiang Hanqing said nonchalantly, "So what if they know? What's the big deal? Do they think they can eat you?"

Bai Yingjue raised her head, rolled her eyes at Jiang Hanqing, and said indignantly, "You're so annoying! You clearly know what they mean, yet you pretend to be clueless! Of course, it's not scary if they know, but my age... sigh! Oh well! Anyway, you're my destined nemesis, meeting you is my bad luck!" Jiang Hanqing glared at her, pretending to be very angry, and said, "What? You're bad luck, daring to speak to your master like that! Wait till I recover, I'll deal with you!" Bai Yingjue felt a tickle in her heart as she looked at Jiang Hanqing's words, and her face immediately flushed. She said in a sweet voice, "Then how are you going to deal with me? Tell me first!" Jiang Hanqing saw that she was very satisfied with her wanton look and her training results, and laughed and said, "Telling you now is no fun! You just wait and see, you'll find out then!" Bai

Yingjue seemed to imagine that joyful scene, a happy and blissful smile spreading across her face. She was about to say something more when Jiang Hanqing stopped her, saying, "We'll talk about these things later! I only remember Zhang Sihai sending people to carry me back to the compound; I can't remember anything after that. Tell me what happened after that!" Bai Yingjue then composed herself and sat upright by the bedside, recounting the events that had transpired after Jiang Hanqing fell unconscious. After Jiang Hanqing was attacked and screamed, the capital's army immediately mobilized to search for the criminals. The Jiang family compound was also in turmoil due to the unexpected events in the capital; countless warriors immediately scaled the city walls, and enemies launched a nighttime attack. Jiang Haoyu also personally went up to the city wall to check the situation outside.

Zhang Sihai and the others brought the unconscious Jiang Hanqing to the city gate of the Jiang family compound, telling the guards on the city wall that their young master was injured and demanding that the city gate be opened immediately. Jiang Haoyu, deeply aware that this was a conspiracy by opposing factions, resolutely refused to open the city gate immediately. He only sent a warrior down from the city wall to check the situation below, confirming that Jiang Hanqing was indeed injured and unconscious and had been carried back. Once the injured man's identity was confirmed, the Jiang family members on the city wall immediately erupted in an uproar. Jiang Haoyu was also greatly alarmed.

However, Rao... Even so, the Jiang family remained extremely cautious, instructing Zhang Sihai's men to leave the stretcher outside the city gates and retreat far away, promising to send someone to carry it into the city themselves. Zhang Sihai knew that on nights like this, when things could change suddenly, the Jiang family would be extremely careful with everything, so he didn't hesitate and immediately followed their instructions.

He ordered his men to leave Jiang Hanqing's stretcher outside the city gates, and a group of men retreated far enough to avoid threatening the Jiang family compound's gates. Only then did the Jiang family open the city gates a crack and send out several warriors to quickly carry Jiang Hanqing's stretcher back.

Jiang Haoyu, on the city wall, expressed his gratitude to Zhang Sihai from afar, saying that the situation was exceptional and they had to be very careful, and begged Zhang Sihai's understanding, promising to visit and thank him in person another day. As soon as Jiang Hanqing was carried in, chaos erupted within the Jiang family compound. Everyone anxiously tried to squeeze in to see how badly their young master was injured.

Almost everyone was speculating about which enemy had launched the attack, creating a chaotic and noisy atmosphere until an old steward of the family shouted an order, temporarily silencing the murmurs. Bai Yingjue, who rushed over upon hearing the news, disregarded the astonished looks of the crowd and threw herself onto Jiang Hanqing. This left several important members of the Jiang family dumbfounded; they hadn't expected this woman to care so much about Jiang Hanqing, and their relationship seemed far from ordinary.

After examining Jiang Hanqing's injuries, the Jiang family doctor announced that he had only lost too much blood, his wounds were slightly inflamed, causing a fever, but overall the problem shouldn't be too serious. This news brought a sigh of relief to the Jiang family members who had been on tenterhooks for so long.

For the next four days, Jiang Hanqing's high fever, caused by the wound infection, persisted, and he remained in a semi-conscious state, even needing to be force-fed. Faced with this situation, everyone couldn't help but worry, fearing something unexpected might happen to his health. To take good care of Jiang Hanqing, Bai Yingjue stayed in the room without changing her clothes for four days. Jiang Fengqin, partly willingly and partly forced by her elder brother Jiang Haoyu, also came to help Bai Yingjue serve Jiang Hanqing. Even Li Huaxin risked being suspected by others by frequently checking on Jiang Hanqing's condition. Fortunately, everyone knew that Jiang Hanqing had always been kind to this fifth aunt who was ostracized by her family, and assumed that she was simply returning the favor by showing concern for her nephew's injuries as an elder. Therefore, no one questioned her actions. In this way, Li Huaxin luckily avoided the embarrassing situation of being seen through like Bai Yingjue.

As Bai Yingjue finished speaking, she suddenly reached out and lightly pinched Jiang Hanqing's chest, saying fiercely, "You heartless wretch! Do you know that when you were unconscious a few days ago, you kept calling for your mother? How I wished you would call me that! But I waited day and night, and you never called me. Do I have so little importance in your heart? Even poor Li Huaxin was the same; you didn't call her that either! What are we to you anyway?" Hearing her words, Jiang Hanqing could only smile bitterly and say, "This...this...oh dear, you can't be sure what happened when I was unconscious. Besides, I was only calling for my mother...I wasn't calling for any other woman." "Why are you in such a hurry!"

Bai Yingjue was even more displeased by his words, and punched Jiang Hanqing hard in the chest, saying, "You...you still say that...you and your mother...humph...you can't remember her, fine! I don't care!" She glared angrily at Jiang Hanqing, as if she was determined to fight him to the death. Seeing that the situation was not good, Jiang Hanqing had a sudden idea and came up with a plan. He took a deep breath and suddenly cried out in pain, as if his wound had been aggravated by Bai Yingjue's punch.

Bai Yingjue was quite frightened and immediately changed her face, anxiously saying, "What's wrong? Does your wound hurt again?...Does it...hurt a lot? I...I...I didn't mean to! Are you alright?" Seeing her frightened and concerned expression, Jiang Hanqing was deeply moved. However, he dared not appear unharmed, partly because he feared she would bring up the earlier incident, and partly because he worried that if she discovered his current pain was feigned, she would become even more relentless.

He continued to groan a few more times, causing Bai Yingjue to tear up and feel as if her heart was breaking. Seeing her pitiful state, Jiang Hanqing decided to stop, gently silencing her painful groans. Meanwhile, a mischievous hand slowly moved towards Bai Yingjue's slender waist. Bai Yingjue slapped Jiang Hanqing's hand away, giggling, "You little pervert, you're already trying to do something naughty before your injury is even fully healed!"

Jiang Hanqing was unfazed, saying, "What's wrong? Doesn't this old slut like it? Is your lower body wet again?" "As he spoke, he made a gesture to reach out and touch Bai Yingjue's genitals. Bai Yingjue quickly sat up straight, avoiding his lewd hand, and said seriously, "Your injury hasn't fully healed yet! Don't move!

Sleep well! I haven't finished telling you what happened these past few days! I didn't witness any of the later events myself; they were all told to me by your aunt named Jiang Fengqin." Jiang Hanqing also pretended to be serious and replied, "Yes, my wife! Please continue the story, my wife!" His feigned seriousness made Bai Yingjue chuckle, and she shook her head helplessly before continuing to recount what had happened after Jiang Hanqing's injury. That night, the army quickly arrived at the scene and immediately sealed off the area, preparing to arrest and search for the suspects. However, the perpetrators were even faster; by the time the army arrived, they had all vanished without a trace. Under the officers' command, the soldiers then launched a large-scale search of the scene, trying to find some clues to confirm the thieves' identities.

But after working all night, the soldiers were disappointed to find that they couldn't find anything useful. There wasn't even a corpse or a discarded weapon; only pools of blood, arrows scattered everywhere, and fragments of doors and windows damaged in the fight. The army commanders initially tried to find some clues on the arrows left behind, but they quickly gave up on this hope. Because that was something that any army would find in a similar situation. The arrows they found were the most ordinary, bearing no special markings or useful clues, leaving no way to guess the bandits' origins. This only fueled the fear and suspicion surrounding the attack. Lately, anyone even slightly concerned with current events had felt a sense of impending doom, and Jiang Hanqing's sudden attack before the New Year only confirmed their fears.

Those paying attention kept repeating in their minds: the young masters of the four great ducal families being ambushed by a large group of bandits in the capital was unprecedented in the empire's history. The empire was clearly in chaos; widespread turmoil seemed imminent! Rumors spread throughout the city, the events of the previous night becoming increasingly fantastical. Some even claimed that thousands of warriors had attempted a siege of the Jiang family compound, only to vanish like phantoms after their failed attack. Everyone was speculating about the forces behind this attack. An attack that drew everyone's attention. The streets were nearly deserted; the festive atmosphere that had finally arrived for the New Year vanished overnight.

The attack on Jiang Hanqing, who was injured, caused an unprecedented uproar among the scheming political factions in the capital. Although the New Year was approaching and the morning court session had ended, the palace reacted swiftly. Large numbers of troops stationed outside the capital were ordered to enter the city early in the morning, setting up tight defenses at key intersections and checking pedestrians. To appease the Jiang family, the emperor, though increasingly incompetent, still sent an envoy to comfort them, declaring the Jiang family a distinguished family, favored by the court and considered pillars of the state. He assured them that the court would thoroughly investigate the matter and give the Jiang family an explanation.

The other three ducal families, to prove their innocence, also quickly sent representatives to the Jiang family to express their condolences, implying they had no involvement and angrily condemning the attack occurring before the New Year. This despicable incident occurred. Fearing an attack during a time of great uncertainty, the four major ducal families unanimously strengthened the defenses of their mansions. Each family's compound was already heavily fortified, but after this incident, they were on high alert. The walls of each mansion were heavily guarded, with sentries every three steps and patrols every five. No unauthorized personnel were allowed to approach within ten zhang of the moat, under penalty of death.

The heads of each family issued orders forbidding family members from leaving

the premises without reason and convened meetings day and night to discuss the impact of the incident and their corresponding countermeasures. The Jiang family, directly affected by this incident, was no exception. That very night, a large group of people held a meeting in a secret room. Everyone believed that this incident was undoubtedly a signal of an enemy attack. However, no one could say for sure who was behind it. Amidst the various speculations, most suspected that the Emperor and Duke Wang Mingde were behind it.

Subsequently, a small group of hardliners, represented by the fifth brother Jiang Haoran, began clamoring for a counterattack, claiming they could not sit idly by and should act immediately, striking first to gain the upper hand. At their most impassioned moments, several slammed their fists on the table and smashed chairs, seemingly eager to draw their swords and storm the palace to depose the emperor. The rational members of the family, of course, resolutely opposed Qian's impulsive proposal for an immediate, open rebellion. The majority believed that the current situation was unclear and that rash action was unacceptable. All factions were on high alert, fearing a dramatic shift; any sudden action by either side would undoubtedly become the target of public criticism, inevitably ending in a crushing defeat.

Those on opposing sides, each with completely different stances, tried to persuade the other, leading to a heated argument. Initially, the debate was relatively calm, but as it intensified, everyone became increasingly agitated, their voices rising higher and higher. Eventually, Qian even started shouting and yelling.

While everyone was arguing, Jiang Haoyu, as the head of the family, remained deep in thought, ignoring the frenzied behavior of the crowd. It wasn't until Jiang Haoyao, the second son, saw the situation was spiraling out of control and his eldest brother seemed to be in a daze, that he finally spoke up to stop the argument. "Stop arguing, everyone! What kind of nonsense is this?! Before you fight those bastards, do you want a few of your own family members to fall down first? That way you'll be happy! Shut up! No one is allowed to make a sound!" Turning to look at his still-absent-minded brother, a glint of cunning flashed in Jiang Haoyao's eyes.

"Brother, what do you think we should do now?" Jiang Haoyu finally came to his senses, glanced at the expressions of the people around him, and slowly hummed twice before speaking, "If it was the Emperor or Wang Mingde who orchestrated this, why would they only target Qing'er? Even if it succeeds, what significant impact would it have on the Jiang family's power? What's the point of doing this? Aren't they afraid of alerting the enemy? I think there must be something else going on!" Jiang Haotian's expression hardened, "Brother, what do you mean? Do you think someone else was behind the ambush on Qing'er?"

Jiang Haoyu glanced at his second brother and shook his head, "That's hard to say. I just feel that neither the Emperor nor Wang Mingde should have done this..." "A foolish thing that won't do much good." Jiang Haotian coughed twice and said, "This... um... eldest brother's idea is indeed very reasonable."

The third brother, Jiang Haoming, hesitated and said, "If it's really what eldest brother said, and it wasn't the emperor or Wang Mingde who did it, then what force would target our people? It can't just be a group of ordinary petty thieves, right?" Jiang Haoyu didn't comment on this, but simply tapped the table lightly with his index finger, falling into deep thought again. In this way, the topic of the meeting suddenly returned to its original point, and everyone began to argue again about what force had orchestrated this operation. Everyone racked their brains and listed all the names they could think of for everyone to debate.

For a time, the meeting room was in an uproar again, but Without any clues or evidence, how could they possibly reach a correct conclusion that would convince everyone? The first day's meeting began in a state of confusion and ended in chaotic clamor. The Jiang family still hadn't reached a unified conclusion. Only at the end of the meeting, after snapping out of his daydream, did Jiang Haoyu issue a few very simple orders for his subordinates to carry out:

First, all holidays during the New Year period are canceled.

Second, the compound and its surroundings are on full alert, ready to repel any enemy attacks. Third, all troops under the family's control are to be prepared for an uprising. Fourth, spies are to be secretly monitoring the palace and the other three major families' movements, and to report back immediately if anything happens

.

The Jiang family members, bewildered by Qian's current situation, couldn't think of any better solutions. They could only nod in agreement and carry out the general orders from the family head.

Over the next three days, the Jiang family officials held two more meetings, hoping to reach a conclusion. However, due to the limited information available to Qian, they ultimately reached no agreement. By the time Bai Yingjue finished her narration, Jiang Hanqing had a general understanding of what had happened in the past four days. Weak from his injuries, Jiang Hanqing was already quite tired after speaking for a while. After a few more casual words with Bai Yingjue, his mind began to drift, and he mumbled incoherently, "It's New Year! The New Year is here! This year will..." His voice trailed off, fading into silence. Before he could finish speaking, he fell asleep.

Bai Yingjue looked at his still slightly worried face in his sleep with pity, sighed softly, and said, "Ah! It's New Year's! Hopefully, this year will be better!" Yes, it was New Year's! In a tense atmosphere, the people of Yong'an Prefecture finally and victoriously celebrated the New Year. Although the unexpected events before the festival had dampened the festive atmosphere considerably, many years later, when people looked back, no one could deny that this New Year was actually a very happy day, especially compared to the New Years of the following years! It's just that people didn't know it at the time!

For the Qian Empire, the very unfortunate fifth year of the Taiping Zhenzhi era had unknowingly become history, and time entered the sixth year of the Taiping Zhenzhi era. Although the chaos in the empire was becoming increasingly apparent, at this time, no one could predict how things would unfold in the coming year. How would the 600-year-long power struggle between the four major families and the royal family develop in this year? Would this long struggle finally come to a conclusion in the new year? Could a weakened and incompetent emperor thwart the ambitious aspirations of the four dukes? Could the four ducal families overthrow the emperor? If so, which family would ultimately prevail? Countless similar questions lingered in people's minds as the sixth year of the Taiping Zhenzhi reign began. At that time, no one needed to know the answers, nor could they possibly know them. A

new year arrived, and history turned a new page!

Chapter 38:

Initial Recovery from Injuries

When Jiang Hanqing awoke again, it was already the morning of the next day. Bai Yingjue was still by his side, while Jiang Fengqin had returned to her own courtyard to rest. This time, Jiang Hanqing's condition had improved considerably; with Bai Yingjue's support, he was even able to get out of bed and walk.

Just then, his father, Jiang Haoyu, came to see him and was overjoyed to see him.

"Youth is wonderful! You lost so much blood, and your wound was even a little infected, yet you're completely healed after just two days! If it were an old man like me, I'd be lucky to survive! How could I recover as quickly as you? Sigh! Getting old!" Looking at his son, who was being helped to walk slowly in the courtyard, Jiang Haoyu's words were filled with the feeling that time waits for no one.

Jiang Hanqing chuckled, "Father, you're teasing me! Father is in his prime, how could I be old?"

Jiang Haoyu sighed with a wry smile and turned to walk into the house. Seeing his father's demeanor, Jiang Hanqing quickly gestured for Bai Yingjue to help him inside.

As soon as the father and son settled down, Jiang Haoyu spoke: "Tell me in detail about your attack!"

Jiang Hanqing didn't dare to delay and hurriedly recounted the events of the night he was attacked to his father.

After listening, Jiang Haoyu's face darkened, and he remained silent for a long time. Seeing that his father didn't say anything, Jiang Hanqing took the initiative to speak, "Regarding what happened that night, I've quickly organized my thoughts and have some ideas of my own."

Jiang Haoyu glanced at his son and nodded, "Alright! Tell me your thoughts first!"

Jiang Hanqing said, "The person who orchestrated the conspiracy must be very familiar with my situation and has been planning for a long time. They have observed my usual routes very carefully and have long since figured out my patterns of action. They know that after I leave the Crown Prince's residence, I usually take the same route back to the main compound where I was attacked that night. If that weren't the case, ordinary people would set up an ambush on the main road, not in that bustling city center."

Jiang Haoyu nodded solemnly in affirmation, "That's right! I think so too! This guy has been paying attention to your actions for a long time! He might even be someone you know very well." Jiang Haoyu's face was extremely sinister when he said this.

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