[Wuxia] The Duan Family Women Generals (Complete) - 4

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

Chapter Six – Zhao Jian and his daughter plot poison, a loyal servant sacrifices

himself The document states that Hu Sheng obtained boy's urine. The old imperial physician ordered a large white porcelain bowl to be brought, poured half a bowl of urine into it, and then poured in the leftover tea. The tea's color was diluted by the urine, turning a pale brownish-red.
"Your Majesty, there is no poison in this tea."
"Test it again." "
Yes."
The urine was changed again, and a small piece from each of the five pastries was broken off and added, along with the crumbs from the pastry Zhao Fei had eaten. The urine only became cloudy, but did not change color.
"Your Majesty, this pastry is also free of poison."
"Your Majesty, perhaps these eunuchs and maids poisoned the items and then washed them clean. In my humble opinion, they couldn't change their clothes in their haste, so why not strip them naked and check their clothes for the poison?" Zhao Jian suggested.
"Indeed, I will examine them first." Hu Sheng said, and began to undress.
Upon hearing that they had to undress, the palace maids cried out in unison, "Your Majesty, please have some decency! We still need to serve the Imperial Concubine!"
"Midwife, take them one by one to that room to change, then bring the clothes for testing."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The maids, starting with Cuiyun, lined up to change in the adjacent suite.
Hu Sheng, having undressed and tested negative, went to another eunuch to fetch a garment and then went to test the other eunuchs.
The eunuchs and palace maids who had direct contact with Consort Zhao had all examined the palace and found no poison. Duan Qi became anxious and jumped up, about to lash out, but Zhao Jian quickly stopped him: "Your Majesty, don't be anxious. The other palaces haven't been examined yet."
"Hmm." Duan Qi plopped back down: "There are over nine hundred rooms in this palace, three thousand concubines and palace maids, and countless eunuchs. How long will it take to examine them all?"
"Your Majesty, if Your Majesty were to personally examine them, I'm afraid it might take three days to finish. In my opinion, it would be better to summon Prime Minister Wang to the palace, along with Chief Eunuch Hu and Chief Guard Wang Jin, plus this old minister, making four people in total. Each of them should bring ten guards. We should also borrow forty experienced palace maids from Prince De's palace, with each of them bringing ten. Including Your Majesty himself, there would be five groups, each going to examine the palaces separately. This would be much faster."
"Very well, as you wish, my dear minister. Hu Sheng, quickly send someone to Prime Minister Wang's residence to summon him to the palace. You personally go to Prince De's residence to borrow people."
"Yes."
Before long, Wang Feilian and Hu Sheng arrived, and all the people had been borrowed. The palace maids and eunuchs of Jingxin Palace had also finished their examinations, and no one was found to be poisoned. Duan Qi was not giving up. He sent out four groups of people and ordered that every suspicious corner of the palace be sprinkled with children's urine, but nothing was found.
Seeing that their suspicions had been cleared, the eunuchs and palace maids in Jingxin Palace finally relaxed. Cuiyun ran into the room to watch over Consort Zhao and dared not come out again.
Duan Qi was also exhausted from all the trouble and sat in Jingxin Palace, sulking.
As dawn broke, news came from the other three groups of people that they had not found anything. Only the group led by Hu Sheng had not yet replied. This group was from the inner palace and was the most suspicious place besides Jingxin Palace itself. Duan Qi became impatient and stood up to go and see for himself.
Upon arriving at the palace gates, Duan Qi saw Hu Sheng come out to greet him.
"Hu Sheng, you brought the most people, why are you so slow?" Duan Qi asked, displeased.
"Your Majesty, this servant has almost finished the inspection, but..." Hu Sheng looked troubled.
"But what?"
"But, the Empress and the two Imperial Concubines' maids are protected by three ladies-in-waiting, this servant dares not..."
"Hmm, you can't be blamed for that. Come with me."
Duan Qi entered the palace and saw eunuchs and maids kneeling in the courtyard, watched by guards. Inside a room, a woman was weeping. He went in and saw Empress Xu and the two Imperial Concubines sitting there, with a dozen maids standing to the side, weeping. Upon seeing him, they hurriedly knelt down to pay their respects.
"Your Majesty, these servants are shouting and yelling in my palace, and they even stripped the maids naked and searched them. I don't know what I have done wrong to humiliate us like this. If I am guilty, Your Majesty, just say it openly, and you can imprison or kill me as you please. Why humiliate us like this? How can I face people in the future?" She cried as she spoke.
"Oh, my dear wife, why be so insistent? This matter is of utmost importance. If the truth isn't uncovered, no one will escape responsibility. Now, even the concubines in each palace are to be examined. If only the palace maids in your palace aren't examined, won't people say I can't treat everyone fairly? It's just checking clothes, and it's women being examined anyway, what's there to be afraid of?"
Empress Xu wasn't afraid of Hu Sheng, but since Duan Qi had come in person, she dared not disobey. She could only say to the dozen or so palace maids beside her, "Since His Majesty has spoken, if we don't let them examine us, it will seem as if we have something to hide. You may go."
Seeing that they couldn't avoid it, the palace maids had no choice but to agree, their eyes blurred with tears as they followed Hu Sheng out. A circle was drawn in the courtyard with a blue cloth. The dozen or so palace maids went in, and soon the clothes were brought out. Hu Sheng filled a white porcelain basin with urine, handed out a piece of clothing from it, and shook it a few times in the urine. Strangely enough, when he shook the third piece of clothing, the urine in the basin suddenly turned green.
"Whose is this?" Hu Sheng shouted, and the three empresses were shocked.
"It's this one." A palace maid called out from inside the circle, and immediately a young palace maid was dragged naked out of the circle and forced to kneel on the ground.
"Xiao Taohong, how is it you?" Empress Xu fainted immediately upon seeing her personal maid.
"Examine again!" Duan Qi, on the contrary, was calm now, as if what he wanted to verify had already been verified, and he was not in a hurry to take action against Xiao Taohong.
Hu Sheng then finished examining the remaining clothes and found no new poison.
"Your Majesty, I poisoned you, kill me." Xiao Taohong suddenly raised her head, stopped crying, stopped protesting her innocence, and confessed everything.
"Xiao Taohong, you?" Empress Xu woke up, her teeth chattering with anger. She knew that murdering a royal concubine was a capital offense, and murdering a royal heir was a crime punishable by the extermination of the entire family.
“Empress, no need to say more. That Consort Zhao disrespects you, committing adultery in the palace. Xiao Taohong couldn't stand it and wanted to vent her anger. Today she's been exposed, and she's only fit to die. Whether you kill her or torture her, I'll take the blame alone. It's none of anyone else's business.”
“Rebellion! Rebellion! Guards, drag this little slut out…”
“Wait.” Hu Sheng interrupted Duan Qi: “Your Majesty, Xiao Taohong mustn't be killed. This poison is rare in the world. Where did a mere palace maid get it? We must find out from her.”
“No need to ask. The poison is in my room. Let me get it for you to see,” Xiao Taohong said.
“Take her.”
Two palace maids escorted Xiao Taohong towards her bedroom. Just as they reached the door, Xiao Taohong suddenly slammed her head against the doorframe and died instantly.
Actually, Xiao Taohong knew she had been framed, but why didn't she cry out for justice?
It turned out that Xiao Taohong was utterly loyal to Empress Xu. Upon discovering the poison on her clothes, she immediately guessed that Empress Xu was using her to frame the Empress. Therefore, to protect her mistress, she was willing to take the full blame.
When the Emperor, enraged, threatened to kill her, she thought she could end the matter with her death. However, later, Hu Sheng interrogated her about the whereabouts of the poison, realizing that she hadn't been subjected to the tortures. She decided to end her own life
. Two palace maids twisted her from both sides; she couldn't die anywhere else, only in the narrow doorway of her room. If she moved suddenly, the two maids couldn't defend themselves, and she successfully committed suicide. Little did Xiao Taohong know that her death solidified Empress Xu's suspicion, making it impossible for Empress Xu to clear her name.
"Isn't this it?" Just as everyone was stunned and at a loss after Xiao Taohong's death, Zhao Jian stumbled in, crying, "Your Majesty, this old minister has heard that the poisoner has been found!"
Duan Qi looked and saw that not only Zhao Jian, but also Wang Feilian, who was in charge of the other investigations, and the chief guard Wang Jin had followed him in.
"My dear minister, do not grieve. I will take care of things for you. However... the person who poisoned you has already committed suicide."
"Ah? Your Majesty, who poisoned you?" "
It was a palace maid named Xiao Taohong. She said she was avenging the Empress and had nothing to do with anyone else." "
Your Majesty, don't be fooled by her. How could a mere palace maid know of such a rare medicine? And even if she did, where would she have gotten it? Clearly, someone secretly instructed her. Your Majesty, you must do justice for this old minister!" Everyone could tell who he was referring to as the person who secretly instructed her.
"Rest assured, my dear minister, I will never let the mastermind go unpunished." In truth, Duan Qi already had a suspect in mind. Xiao Taohong's death seemed like a cover-up. He turned to Empress Xu: "You wretched woman, what do you have to say?"
"Your Majesty, I am innocent!" Empress Xu was terrified, her face paling. She knelt on the ground with a thud and fainted again.
"Your Majesty, the Empress is virtuous and would never commit such a heinous act." The Consorts Huang and Jiang of the East and West Palaces knelt together.
"Your Majesty, the East and West Palaces have always been at odds with my Consort Zhao. It is possible that the three of them, jealous of my pregnancy with the Emperor's child, conspired to poison me. Please investigate thoroughly, Your Majesty."
"You old scoundrel, how dare you frame me! Your Majesty, how can you tolerate such insubordination?" Consort Huang, seeing that the blame had fallen on her, was furious, her eyebrows furrowing as she began to curse.
“Your Majesty, if we want to prove our innocence, could we also conduct a physical examination?”
“How dare you! Nonsense! Do you want the three of us to strip naked for a poison test?” Consort Huang trembled with rage.
“There are palace maids from Prince De’s residence here; we can ask them to assist with the examination.”
“Nonsense! We are the wives of the Emperor; how can we allow our subjects to search us? You have no respect for your elders and should be beheaded.”
“Shut up, you wretch! Who gave you the right to speak here?” Duan Qi was now completely enraged.
“Your Majesty—” Consort Huang saw Duan Qi’s expression and swallowed the rest of her words, tears streaming down her face.
“Your Majesty, Consort Zhao is wronged! Your Majesty’s son died unjustly! If we don’t get to the bottom of this, what’s the point of this old minister’s life? I might as well die.” Zhao Jian added fuel to the fire with his sobs.
“Your Majesty, this old minister has something to report.” Wang Feilian stepped forward and knelt down.
"What does my esteemed minister have to report?"
"In my opinion, it is inappropriate for the late Prime Minister Zhao to have a subject accuse the Emperor, but he is the Emperor's father-in-law. Since Consort Zhao is too ill to accuse herself, it is reasonable and legal for the Emperor's father-in-law to do so. The Empress and the two Consorts are gentle and have no history of wrongdoing; I believe in their innocence and am willing to risk my life to vouch for their innocence. However, the three consorts have a history of conflict with Consort Zhao, and now that someone has accused them, how can they escape responsibility without investigation? But in my opinion, the Empress's health should not be examined by the palace servants. Your Majesty should personally supervise the three consorts changing clothes to silence any gossip."
How this matter will be resolved remains to be seen; stay tuned for the next installment.

Chapter Seven – The Joint Trial of Empress Xu, the Innocent Young Woman Suffers Torture

“What you say is absolutely right, my lord. You three wretches, can’t I even investigate you?”
“We wouldn’t dare.” The two imperial concubines dared not speak further. The Empress had fainted several times already, and was currently unconscious. Duan Qi ordered the two concubines to lift Empress Xu up and place her on the bed in the palace, and instructed the maids to lower the curtains outside.
“You two, undress her.” Duan Qi stood by the bed, watching, and ordered the two imperial concubines to undress Empress Xu.
At this moment, Empress Xu also woke up, immediately sat up, gritted her teeth, and said hatefully, “If Your Majesty suspects me, why go through all this? Take it away!” Saying this, she stripped off all her palace robes, inside and out, and threw them on the table. She returned to the bed, pulled her legs up, sat on the inner corner of the bed, her eyes blurred with tears, and remained silent.
Seeing the Empress like this, the two imperial concubines dared not say anything more, obediently undressed, and sat down with Empress Xu.
In truth, Duan Qi was quite young, only in his early twenties, and the three concubines in the harem were also around twenty, in the prime of their beauty. Once their clothes were removed, their three bodies were naked, fair and tender, a truly beautiful sight.
Normally, seeing such a sight would have ignited Duan Qi's lust, but at this moment, his heart was filled only with rage.
Duan Qi waited for the three women to cover themselves with a quilt, then personally lowered the bed curtains. Only then did he summon Hu Sheng with a porcelain basin, on which he shook the two sets of palace robes. This time, even Duan Qi could hardly believe it—all three sets of robes had turned green with the boy's urine!
"You audacious sluts! What do you have to say for yourselves?!" Duan Qi ripped open the bed curtains and roared at the three trembling women.
"We're innocent!" Of the three, only Consort Huang had the courage to cry out her innocence; the other two had long since died of fright.
Before long, the three women were dragged out of the palace by the maids, dressed in coarse cloth, and bound with ropes and taken to the Cold Palace. The three women could only cry out their innocence; they said nothing more.
"This old minister deserves to die!" Wang Feilian immediately knelt down upon seeing Duan Qi emerge.
"Rise, my dear minister. What does this matter have to do with you?" Duan Qi asked curiously.
"Just now, this old minister vouched for the three empresses with his life. Now the evidence is conclusive, and I must speak as I said. This is all due to my oversight!"
"My dear minister, there's no need for this. The crime was committed by these three vile women. You meant well; how could I not distinguish right from wrong? Rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." "Empress
Xu and Consorts Huang and Jiang plotted to harm the imperial heir; their crimes are unforgivable. I wonder which minister can help me get a clear account?"
"Your Majesty, this old minister is willing to request an imperial decree," Zhao Jian hurriedly said.
"Your Majesty, no!" Wang Feilian stepped forward and knelt again. "Prime Minister Zhao and Consort Zhao are father and daughter; they should avoid suspicion."
"Then, how about you accept the decree, my dear minister?"
"This is His Majesty's family matter; outsiders should not interfere."
"Alas—, my dear minister, you are my mentor, so you are not an outsider."
"If Your Majesty trusts this old minister, I am willing to accept the decree. However, they are, after all, of different status as ruler and subject. It is best if a highly respected prince presides over the case."
"Who is capable of this task?"
"Your Majesty, Prince De is the Emperor's uncle, highly respected. I recommend him to preside over the case. Also, Chief Eunuch Hu by His Majesty's side can supervise the trial to prevent anyone from abusing the law for personal gain."
"As you wish."
"Furthermore, the eunuchs and maids of the three palaces are all implicated. Please decide their fate."
"What do you think, my dear minister?"
"I believe they should be sent to Prince De's residence along with the three consorts, placed under his care, and dealt with after the case is concluded."
"In that case, Your Excellency, you shall draft an edict ordering Prince De to preside over the trial, and grant him a Shangfang sword. Anyone who dares to disrupt the court will be executed without mercy."
"Your Majesty, I obey."
"Your Excellency, are you satisfied now?" Duan Qi asked Zhao Jian.
"As long as this case is solved and my daughter and grandson are avenged, Your Majesty will decide everything."
"Very well. Consort Zhao has just suffered a miscarriage and is weak. Your Excellency, please accompany me to the Jingxin Palace and help me persuade her, lest she weep and harm her health."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Duan Qi was unaware that this was all a farce orchestrated by Zhao Jian and Zhao Chan.
Zhao Chan wasn't actually pregnant, but to force Duan Qi to formally acknowledge her, she claimed to be six months along. Every time Duan Qi visited the Jingxin Palace, he would strip Zhao Chan naked and torment her for half a day. While her martial arts skills weren't top-tier, they were still quite good, and manipulating her belly to the size of a basketball wasn't difficult for her, so Duan Qi couldn't detect any flaws. However, if her belly could be so inflated, how could she present a child to Duan Qi when she actually gave birth? If the deception was exposed, the crime of deceiving the emperor was one no one could bear!
Zhao Chan originally planned to have Zhao Jian bring a child from outside the palace, but the uproar caused by Empress Xu and the two imperial concubines changed her mind.
Therefore, Zhao Chan devised this scheme: first, she bribed various connections inside and outside the palace, and then she kidnapped a pregnant prostitute. On Empress Xu's birthday, no sooner had Zhao Chan left than Zhao Jian sent men to kill the prostitute and have the dead child brought into the palace in a small basket by a midwife.
Zhao Jian and Consort Zhao were the masterminds, with Wang Feilian, Hu Sheng, the imperial physician, the midwife, and even Prince De all involved. How could Empress Xu and her two companions possibly stand a chance against them?
In this way, they eliminated a major obstacle on Zhao Chan's path to becoming empress and concealed her false pregnancy—truly killing two birds with one stone.
In reality, the abortifacient didn't exist; they used a rare dye. This substance is colorless when dissolved in ordinary water, but turns green when it comes into contact with urine, its only function being bleaching. Those in the palace rarely leave their quarters and don't even know what the common people eat, so how would they know about such a thing?
So, how did they harm her? That all lies with Hu Sheng.
When Hu Sheng was in the Jingxin Hall, he volunteered to be examined first. At that time, he truly had nothing on him, so Duan Qi no longer suspected him. When Hu Sheng changed into a eunuch's uniform, he secretly hid the dye from the eunuch's trunk in his sleeve. Now, he could frame whomever he wanted, since he had already cleared himself of suspicion.
In the inner palace, Hu Sheng naturally kept a close eye on Xiao Taohong, as she was the one who served tea to Consort Zhao. He carefully observed what clothes Xiao Taohong wore, and when he got hold of her clothes, he secretly sprinkled some dye into her urine. He used the same method to frame Empress Xu and the two imperial concubines.
He kept all this a secret from Duan Qi.
Meanwhile, Duan Qi, having entrusted the important case to Wang Feilian, rushed to the Jingxin Hall, his mind still preoccupied with Consort Zhao.
Leaving aside Duan Qi, let's focus on Wang Feilian and Hu Sheng. Leading the Imperial Guards, they transported the three empresses in carriages, along with over thirty eunuchs and more than a hundred palace maids, bound and gagged, to Prince De's residence to issue an imperial edict.
Who was this Prince De? Prince De's name was Duan Jue, the third in line of the imperial family, making him Duan Qi's third uncle. Of Duan Qiao's seven brothers, only this one was born to the Empress Dowager. Therefore, when Duan Qiao ascended the throne, he only bestowed upon him the title of Prince; the others, though also granted titles, were all sent to distant regions.
Duan Jue was extremely greedy. Even during Duan Qiao's reign, he had become very close to Zhao Jian, who frequently gifted him rare treasures and beautiful women, making him Zhao Jian's spy for Duan Qiao.
Duan Jue was not only greedy but also stingy.
On one occasion, Duan Jue saw an antique incense burner on the street and liked it very much, but he couldn't bear to spend his own money to buy it. So he went back to Zhao Jian, but by the time Zhao Jian sent someone to buy it, the item had already been seen and bought by Xu Chengzhu, the father of the current Empress Xu. Xu Chengzhu was on his way to the capital to meet the emperor and happened to see the incense burner. He was also an antique enthusiast, so he bought it. Duan Jue then went to Xu Chengzhu's house, wanting him to give it to him, but Xu Chengzhu refused to part with it no matter what, and the two argued about it.
In anyone else's case, they wouldn't dare to do such a thing. Xu Chengzhu was a military governor, guarding an important border town, and the court couldn't do without him, so he didn't take Duan Jue seriously. But Duan Jue was a scoundrel, and he kept this in mind, secretly vowing to make Xu Chengzhu obediently hand over the item to him sooner or later. This time, Zhao Jian's plan to harm Empress Xu was exactly what Duan Jue wanted.
Now, Duan Jue received the imperial decree and discussed with Zhao Jian and Hu Sheng how to solidify Empress Xu's guilt.
Duan Jue said, "Xu Hou's three daughters are women who cannot withstand torture. It's not difficult to prove their crimes. The only problem is that her father, Xu Chengzhu, will not let it go. He holds military power. If he finds out that we harmed his daughters, I'm afraid..."
"That's alright. Let's go to the palace together to see the Emperor and explain the situation. The Emperor is more afraid of his rebellion than we are. In my opinion, let the Emperor issue two imperial edicts. One edict should appoint Xu Chengzhu as Duke of Zhenguo, Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, and Commander of the Five Cities Garrison and Commander of the Nine Gates. His eldest son, Xu Youde, and second son, Xu Youliang, should be appointed as Vice Ministers of War. Let his whole family come to the capital. At the same time, issue another secret edict, saying that Xu Chengzhu and his sons colluded with Xu Hou to harm the imperial heirs and plotted a rebellion. They should be arrested on the spot and brought to the capital for trial. Also, send a capable person with the two edicts to the Nanling military town. First, use the official edict to lure them out of the military town. Once they enter the three passes, arrest them on the way."
"This plan is brilliant; let's follow Prime Minister Wang's advice."
With the plan finalized, the three rose to enter the palace, unaware that they were being overheard.
It turned out that a guard named Qiu Jiulong, residing in Duan Jue's household, had previously served as a palace guard. He had been nearly executed for drinking and missing his shift, but Duan Jue, passing by the execution ground, intervened and saved his life, reassigning him to Prince De's residence as a guard.
Qiu Jiulong overheard their plan and was shocked. After they entered the palace, Qiu Jiulong dared not delay, rushing home to send his wife and children back to their hometown. He then rode swiftly to the military town to deliver a message to Xu Chengzhu.
The three traitors entered the palace and first went to the Jingxin Hall to see the Emperor. Duan Qi, as expected, granted their request and dispatched Wang Feilian's confidant, the current Nine Gates Commander Pang Qi, with a thousand men to the military town to lure and capture Xu Chengzhu. Then, the three returned to Prince De's residence to interrogate the three empresses. The three empresses had by then been stripped of their titles and were now criminals, their former glory gone.
Duan Jue, around fifty years old, placed the Shangfang sword in the center of the hall, then sat down, with Wang Feilian on his left and Hu Sheng on his right, announcing the start of the proceedings. Because this was the Emperor's family matter, family law was used instead of national law, and the eunuchs standing on either side were from the Prince's residence.
"Bring Xu here!"
Empress Xu cried as she entered, "Your Majesty, Uncle, I, Xu, greet Your Majesty."
"How dare you! You've already been stripped of your title, how dare you refer to yourself as 'I, Xu' before me! Slap her!" The three traitors had intended to solidify their crimes, so they started by beating her to instill fear in her.
"Uncle, I deserve to die, please spare me! I'll never do it again!" Empress Xu knelt on the ground with a thud. She was used to referring to herself as "I, Xu," and couldn't change it immediately. Only now did she understand her predicament, and she begged for mercy repeatedly.
Duan Jue wouldn't listen, throwing down the flaming stick: "Drag her away! Beat this disrespectful thing!"
The eunuchs didn't care about her status; it was the prince who ordered it. Four eunuchs came forward. Two grabbed her arms, holding her down, one grabbed her hair from behind to prevent her from moving, and the fourth held a small bamboo clapper, striking Xu's beautiful face twice on each side. Her face immediately swelled up, and she screamed in pain.
"That's enough," Duan Jue shouted. The eunuchs released Xu, who slumped to the ground, her empress's dignity completely gone.
"Xu, do you know your crime?" Duan Jue asked.
"Uncle, this concubine knows not what crime I have committed."
"You were jealous that Consort Zhao was pregnant with the Emperor's child, fearing she would usurp your position as Empress, so you conspired with Consorts Huang and Jiang to have the palace maid Xiao Taohong poison Consort Zhao's tea, causing her to miscarry. Do you agree?"
"Uncle, this concubine has never done such a thing! I am innocent!"
"Bold Xu, you say you are innocent? There are more than three thousand concubines and palace maids in the palace. Why was poison found only on the four of you? Speak!"
"Uncle, I am but a woman. Since the Emperor ascended the throne, this concubine has never left the palace. Where would I get poison? Someone deliberately framed me!"
“Xu, you say the poison was a deliberate setup, but besides His Majesty, only I touched your clothes. I've already examined you in front of the Emperor, and there's no poison on you. So who framed you?” Hu Sheng interjected.
“This…” Hearing this, Xu suddenly understood. It turned out that the one who wanted to harm her was the Emperor himself, but she dared not say it aloud.
“Bold Xu, His Majesty personally examined you, the evidence is irrefutable, yet you still dare to deny it! You're truly a shrew! It seems you won't confess without severe torture. Come, drag her down from the courtroom, and give her forty strokes of the cane! Chief Eunuch Hu, please supervise the execution.” Duan Jue shouted.
Why drag her down from the courtroom for torture? For ordinary commoners, such executions are carried out in the courtroom, supervised by the presiding judge. The beating was on the buttocks, and both men and women had to be physically punished. Although Xu was a prisoner, she had received the emperor's favor, so Duan Jue could not see her buttocks. Wang Feilian, being an outsider, was even less allowed to see them. Only the castrated eunuchs were permitted to watch.
Therefore, Xu was dragged down from the platform and punished under Hu Sheng's supervision. The eunuchs came over, hoisted Xu's arms, dragged her to the courtyard with her feet barely touching the ground, and pressed her face down to the ground. Immediately, several eunuchs with fire-and-water sticks came over and used them to pin her neck and waist down, preventing her from moving. They then used a white cloth strip to strangle her forehead, fearing she would die from hitting her head on the ground. Then, one eunuch went over and pulled Xu's trousers down to her calves, revealing her large, snow-white buttocks. Two junior eunuchs stood on either side, each holding a bamboo board six feet long and two inches wide, waiting to administer the punishment.
This caning was a very common form of punishment, and because it required removing one's trousers, it was generally not used on women. The instruments used for caning also varied; the heavier ones used hard wooden boards that could break bones, while the lighter bamboo boards were used on female prisoners, causing pain but not serious injury.
"Have you confessed?" Hu Sheng shouted. He watched from the side, his heart pounding. Although he was a eunuch and incapable of performing male acts, he still possessed a man's desires. This Empress Xu was, after all, the Emperor's woman, a woman of unparalleled beauty. If she hadn't committed such a heinous crime, he wouldn't have had the chance to see her white buttocks.
"Innocent!"
"Execute!" At Hu Sheng's command, the young eunuch swung the bamboo board in a wide arc, aiming it at Empress Xu's snow-white buttocks.
A loud "smack" rang out, and Empress Xu screamed "Oh my god!" as a wide welt of blood immediately appeared on her buttocks.
The punishment was supposed to be ten strokes, but the forty strokes in the traditional sense were actually only four. The count was announced as, "Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, that's it!"
After the four strokes, Xu Hou's buttocks were a mess, covered in blood. Xu Hou, pampered since childhood, had never suffered such torment and cried out in pain.
"Do you confess?" Hu Sheng ordered her to put her pants back on and be taken to the court. Duan Jue continued to press her.
"Innocent!" Xu Hou feared the pain, but even more so, she feared death. Confessing meant certain death, and she hoped that by enduring the punishment, she could find a way to get her father to save her.
"Finger crushing!"
Don't underestimate this small instrument; it was extremely cruel. The ten fingers are connected to the heart, and Xu Hou, a delicate woman, had never experienced such pain. She fainted after only two squeezes.
"Do you confess?" Hu Sheng asked, waking her with cold water.
"I have no confession, even if you beat me to death, I still have no confession!"
"Take it again!" Empress Xu,
after all, had her father and brothers as her backing, so her will to survive was extremely strong. Although she was tortured with finger-crushing and then subjected to a cangue, and fainted several times from the pain, she gritted her teeth and refused to confess. "Drag her away and administer the tortures for women!" Duan Jue shouted. Empress Xu was dragged off the platform again, and all the instruments of torture were thrown in front of her, scaring her so much that she collapsed to the ground. Among them were nipple clamps and wooden mallets, some with horizontal and vertical stripes carved on them, and some with small iron spikes. Empress Xu had been married to Duan Qi for many years, so she naturally knew what those mallets were for. With these instruments of torture, she would be crippled whether she confessed or not. Empress Xu cried out, "Imperial Uncle, I have served the Emperor loyally and without any disloyalty. Why do you have to harm me like this? If my father and brothers find out, they will not let you off the hook!" "How dare you! Don't try to intimidate me with Xu Chengzu. Do you think I'm afraid of him? Come on, use the torture!" "Wait!" Wang Feilian hurriedly stopped her. "What does Prime Minister Wang have to say?" "Your Majesty, according to the law, a single trial should not exceed three times. Now that three times has been done, take her back and let her rest for a few days before interrogating her again." As he spoke, Wang Feilian gave Duan Jue a wink. "Very well, detain Xu for now and interrogate her another day." After all, whether Empress Xu has a trick up her sleeve or not remains to be seen. Let's find out in the next chapter. Chapter Eight – Chengzu's Foolish Loyalty Leads to Capture; Zhang Gui Devises a Plan to Preserve a Root . Meanwhile, Empress Xu is taken back to Prince De's private prison to meet the two Imperial Concubines. The horrific state of Empress Xu after her torture terrifies the two concubines, who wonder how they could possibly endure such suffering. Especially after hearing Empress Xu mention that the Emperor might be the one who harmed them, their hearts sink. Empress Xu has her father, Xu Chengzu, to protect her; the two concubines have no such backing. In the end, the Emperor might spare Empress Xu out of respect for Xu Chengzu, but ultimately place the blame on the two concubines. Thinking this way, the two concubines each harbor their own sinister intentions. After Duan Jue adjourned the court, he hurriedly asked Wang Feilian why the trial had stopped. Wang Feilian replied, "Your Highness, there's no rush to torture Empress Xu. Once Xu Chengzu is dead, she'll give up and confess on her own. Besides, there are still two imperial concubines. These two have no powerful backers; it'll be much easier to get through them." "I'll listen to you. Let's deal with Xu Chengzu first. It's getting late; we'll interrogate Consorts Huang and Jiang tomorrow." The next morning, Wang Feilian rode in a sedan chair to the Prince of De's residence. He had only gone halfway when a young eunuch from the Prince's residence came to greet him, saying that the Prince had urgent business and requested that Prime Minister Wang come quickly. When Wang Feilian arrived, he saw that Hu Sheng and Zhao Jian were already there, all with serious expressions. He wondered what had happened. "Greetings, Your Highness Wang." Wang Feilian hurriedly bowed to Duan Jue, who said, "My dear minister, please excuse the formalities and sit down." Wang Feilian didn't sit down, but asked anxiously, "Your Highness Wang, what has happened?" "My dear minister, something terrible has happened. There's a guard in my palace named Qiu Jiulong. He was supposed to be on duty last night, but he didn't come. The head guard of the palace sent people to look for him at home, but his house was empty. He clearly ran away ." "A guard, so what if he ran away?" "Alas, my dear minister, it's not like that. This guard used to work in the palace. He almost got executed for missing his shift, but that old scoundrel Xu Chengzhu pleaded for him and saved his life. Yesterday morning, when we were discussing important matters, he was on duty in the courtyard. Could it be that he overheard something and went to inform Xu Chengzhu? If Xu Chengzhu finds out, he will definitely expose this matter. If the Emperor finds out, I'm afraid the four of us will lose our heads." "This matter cannot be delayed. In my opinion, we should send an express messenger on an 800-li journey to pursue him." "It has already been sent, but whether it can catch up is hard to say. Qiu Jiulong escaped yesterday. If he is smart, he may already have a plan!" "Has Pang Qi left yet?" " He received the imperial decree yesterday, and I'm afraid he hasn't left the capital yet." "In that case, we should send someone to inform Pang Qi to stay temporarily. The prince and I will go to the palace immediately to see His Majesty. We will only say that the news of capturing Xu Chengzhu has been leaked, and we can only change from a covert arrest to an open capture. We will ask him to issue another imperial decree to Pang Qi, instructing him to mobilize troops from the three passes to go to the border town. Whether we deceive or capture him, we must not let Xu Chengzhu escape."

Tell Pang Qi that if he could capture Xu Chengzhu, that would be best; kill him on the way and bring his head back to the capital. Otherwise, if he is forced into rebellion, he can be eliminated on the spot. Also, send out notices throughout the prefectures and counties, drawing his likeness and portrait to capture Qiu Jiulong—dead, not alive. "What Prime Minister Wang says is absolutely right; that's the same idea we have. In that case, let's go to the palace immediately." "The tyrannical Emperor Duan Qi had no interest in state affairs, and at this moment, his heart was only with Zhao Chan. He was also completely obedient to Wang Feilian. He ordered Wang Feilian to immediately draft an edict to arrest Xu Chengzhu.
The next day, the midwife said that Lady Zhao's bleeding had stopped and she could see the emperor. Duan Qi, who had been waiting in another room for two days, rushed into Zhao Chan's room. Seeing Zhao Chan lying on the bed, pale and haggard, he couldn't help but feel pity for her. He sat by the bed and personally fed her ginseng medicine, which truly moved Zhao Chan to tears.
Zhao Chan acted weak and delicate, holding Duan Qi tightly in her palace, not letting him go out, so that Zhao Jian and others could harm people at will outside.
Let's talk about Qiu Jiulong." He fled the capital, rushing towards the border town to see Xu Chengzhu. Knowing that Duan Jue would send men to capture him upon discovering his escape, he had devised a plan beforehand. Using his agility, he first stole a document bag from the Ministry of War, then disguised himself as a messenger horseman. This way, he could change horses at the post stations, maintaining the same speed as the messengers sent by Duan Jue, making it impossible for him to catch up. He
arrived at the Nanling military town in no time and went straight to Xu Chengzhu's military governor's office.
Upon hearing Qiu Jiulong's words, Xu Chengzhu was greatly alarmed. His second son, Xu Youliang, immediately became anxious and shouted, "Father, we father and son are risking our lives for the Great Zhen Dynasty, yet the court treats us like this! Why not rebel!" "You
audacious rebellious son! How dare you speak such nonsense! This matter is entirely the work of the treacherous Zhao Jian and Wang Feilian's gang. What does it have to do with the Emperor? My family has received imperial favor for generations; how could I commit such a treasonous act?" "Besides, your sister is currently imprisoned, and every day must be unbearable. If I go to the capital, I can still plead for her. If I rebel, wouldn't that confirm her guilt? At that time, even if she were to be executed by slow slicing outside the Meridian Gate, it wouldn't disgrace our ancestors. I will go to the capital myself to meet the Emperor and expose the lies of the four traitors."
"Father, I've heard that the current Emperor is incompetent and tyrannical, and the four traitors control the court. How can such things be clearly explained? I'm afraid I might not return!"
"There's a saying: 'If the emperor commands the subject to die, the subject must die; if the father commands the son to die, the son must die.' I am a subject of the Great Zhen Dynasty, and I can only be loyal to the court. If the Emperor truly wants to kill me, what harm is there in giving him my life? If you two are descendants of the Xu family, then come with me to the capital to rescue your sister. Otherwise, I will go myself." "
Xu Youde and his brother tried to dissuade him to no avail, so Xu Youliang hurriedly sent someone to invite the strategist Zhang Gui.
Zhang Gui, courtesy name Ziya, was the elder brother of Xu Chengzhu's wife, Zhang Shi. He was known for his strategic acumen and was Xu Chengzhu's right-hand man. Upon hearing of this, he rushed over and repeatedly tried to persuade him, but Xu Chengzhu was blindly loyal and refused to listen to any advice, insisting on going.
The persuasion lasted until evening, and seeing the urgency of the matter, Zhang Gui said, "If you insist on this, I have nothing more to say. But if you go this time and truly clear the Empress's name, that would be good. Otherwise, I fear the Xu family will forever bear the name of traitors and rebels, never to rise again. This would bring shame upon our ancestors, and it would be your fault, brother."
"Ziya, I have also considered this, but if we do not go to the capital with the imperial decree, we will only bear the name of disloyalty. What should we do?"
"In my opinion, it would be better for you to go alone, leaving the two young masters here. With the two of them guarding the military town, perhaps the four old traitors will not dare to act rashly." “
That would be feasible.”
“Uncle, you are mistaken. This trip to the capital is like entering a tiger’s den or a wolf’s lair. As the saying goes, when the father is in trouble, the son should bear the burden. How can a son send his father through fire and water while he is still alive? If Father is going to the capital, I, Youde, will naturally accompany him.” Xu Youde said.
“Brother is right. With my brothers protecting him, no one will harm Father.” Youliang said.
“Neither of you can go. As the saying goes, of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no descendants. We must leave a descendant for the Xu family. Besides, if those old villains want to harm people, they must eliminate them completely. We also need someone to protect the family.” Xu Chengzhu said.
“In that case, brother, stay, and I will go to the capital with Father.”
“No, brother, you are the eldest son, and sister-in-law is pregnant. You should stay.”
The two brothers argued and insisted on going with Xu Chengzhu. Xu Chengzhu was unable to make a decision and asked Zhang Gui, “What does Ziya think?” "
As a son, one should fulfill filial piety, which I admire. In my opinion, the eldest son is humble, eloquent, and exceptionally skilled in martial arts. He is also a disciple of Grand Tutor Hu in the court. If we ask Grand Tutor Hu to mediate, we can be more confident. The second son is upright and straightforward. If we send him along, it might cause trouble. Besides, the second son is the son-in-law of the Southern Barbarian King. If we leave him here, we can ask the barbarian king for assistance in case of unforeseen circumstances."
"Ziya is quite right. In that case, Youde, come with me to the capital. Youliang, you protect the whole family and set off tonight. Ask your father-in-law to take you in."
"Father." Youliang wanted to say more, but Chengzu said, "No need to say more. This matter is more difficult to live than to die. You have a heavy responsibility to bear if you stay. If your brother and I are in danger, you can find a way to save us. If we die, the responsibility of seeking justice and clearing our name will fall on your shoulders."
"Yes." “
Ziya, Youliang is young and impetuous; you must discipline him for me.”
“Don’t worry, brother; Ziya will handle it.”
“Youliang, you must heed your uncle’s words and not act rashly.”
“I will obey your father’s orders.”
“In that case, you should leave quickly. ” "
Upon hearing this, the whole family came to bid farewell to Chengzu, weeping incessantly. It was only after Zhang Gui persuaded them one by one that the women were allowed to board the carriage. More than two hundred loyal retainers and servants followed. Fengyi, the wife of Xu Youliang, rode a dwarf hunting horse, carrying a single-dragon shovel, leading the way. Xu Youliang rode a white dragon steed, carrying a bright silver spear, bringing up the rear.
They headed straight for the southern barbarian cave. The women drove the carriage for a day and a night, crossing the plains and reaching the foot of the Nanling Mountains. Once they entered the mountain pass, it would be another two or three days' journey to the barbarian cave.
Suddenly, a cloud of dust rose behind them, and shouts of men and neighing of horses filled the air. Xu Youliang knew that pursuers were coming. He hurriedly ordered the carriage to speed up, stopped his horse, and turned around to wait in the middle of the road.
Before long, a troop of cavalry came rushing towards them, shouting, 'Don't let the rebel's family escape! Don't let the rebel Xu Youliang escape!'" "
Approaching, he halted his horse.
Xu Youliang looked and saw a thousand government troops, arrayed in formation, carrying the banners of Zhennanguan. Two officers were at the forefront, mounted on horseback. The one in front was seven feet tall, clad in bronze helmet and armor, with a pale face and long beard. He rode a chestnut horse and carried a large sword. The other, nine feet tall, had a face as dark as the bottom of a pot, wore black helmet and armor, and carried a large axe.
Seeing someone blocking their path, the pale-faced officer shouted, 'Hey, who dares block my way?'
'Your young master is Xu Youliang. Who are you?'
'You are Xu Youliang? It's like finding a needle in a haystack! Xu Youliang, I've come to arrest you! Dismount and surrender!'" " Otherwise, my steel blade is merciless!"
How Xu Youliang escaped remains to be seen; we'll find out in the next chapter.

Chapter Nine—The old thief Pang Qi pursues Youliang at the border town, while the Feng family's female general displays her heroism before the mountain .

Upon hearing this, Xu Youliang shouted, "Who goes there, daring to speak such arrogant words?"
The pale-faced man replied, "I am Ma Long, the deputy general before the imperial envoy Pang Qi. I have been ordered by the imperial envoy to arrest the entire family of the traitor Xu Chengzhu. If you know what's good for you, quickly dismount and surrender, otherwise, my steel blade is not to be trifled with."
Xu Youliang knew things were going badly; his father and brother were likely also in the tiger's den. "What have you done to my father and brother?"
"Your father, Xu Chengzhu, and your brother, Xu Youde, have already surrendered. Why don't you dismount and bind them?"
“General Ma, my Xu family is not rebelling. We were framed by those two old traitors, Zhao Jian and Wang Feilian. My father and brothers have already voluntarily gone to the capital with Pang Qi. My family consists of women. Why are you pushing us so hard?”
“Hmph, Xu Youliang, you traitorous minister, your entire family should be executed. I advise you to dismount and surrender now. Commander Pang, seeing that you have voluntarily surrendered, may grant you a clean break. Otherwise, you will be torn to pieces.”
“Hmph! General Ma, don’t push us too far. My Xu family has been stationed in Nanling for three generations on behalf of the court. My gun is not to be underestimated. If you want to capture my family, you’ll have to get past my gun.”
“What, you dare to resist the heavenly army?”
“If you want to capture me, you’d better show me your skills.”
"Alright, if I don't teach you a lesson, you won't know that Lord Ma has three eyes. Boy, take this!" Ma Long was about to spur his horse forward when the dark-faced general behind him shouted, "General Ma, why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? Let me handle him." With that, he spurred his horse forward and charged at Xu Youliang.
"Hey, state your name, general! Xu Youliang's spear never kills a nameless ghost."
"I am Wang Zhao, the deputy general under the commander of Zhennan Pass. I've heard that the Xu brothers are highly skilled in martial arts, so I've come to meet you."
"Since that's the case, bring your horse forward."
Wang Zhao didn't reply, spurred his horse forward, raised his great axe, and swung it down at Xu Youliang's head.
Xu Youliang remained calm, pulled his horse aside, deflected the axe with his spear, and then thrust forward with his own.
The two fought for three to five rounds on the battlefield. Xu Youliang used his spear to hook Wang Zhao's axe, then swung the spear shaft from behind at Wang Zhao's breastplate. With a single blow, Wang Zhao coughed up blood and retreated to his own lines.
Xu Youliang did not pursue, but shouted, "Soldiers on the other side, my Xu family has been framed by treacherous villains, but the truth will eventually come to light. I know you have been deceived, therefore I do not wish to kill. If you are sensible, please go back and tell Pang Qi to take good care of my father and brothers. We can still be good friends when we meet again. If you insist on forcing me, I'm afraid we will have to fight to the death, which will not look good for anyone."
Upon hearing this, Ma Long was furious. "You audacious traitor! You dare to incite me with your clever words! Watch me capture you!" he said, brandishing his broadsword and charging forward.
Xu Youliang knew he was Pang Qi's subordinate and that further words were useless, so he parried with his spear. Fearing retribution from his father and brothers, Xu Youliang dared not fight a full-scale battle, holding back in every move, hoping his opponent would give up. Thus, the two fought for over forty rounds without a clear victor.
Suddenly, shouts and neighing horses were heard, and another army was approaching. Xu Youliang grew anxious and intensified his spear techniques. Ma Long, realizing the danger, was struck in the thigh by a spear, the pain excruciating. He cried out and turned his horse away.
Xu Youliang immediately looked and saw that the approaching army numbered at least five thousand, carrying banners bearing the names Zhennanguan, Pingnanguan, and Dingnanguan, indicating that the three passes had received imperial orders to arrest someone.
The army formed ranks, and from the opening of the banners emerged a dozen or so generals, each wielding a weapon.
In the center was a yellow horse, its rider in golden armor, over forty years old, with a yellow face and black beard, wielding a phoenix-eyed dagger. One look at the banner revealed him to be the old villain Pang Qi. Xu Youliang
recognized the other three. The man on the left, also around forty years old, rode a black horse, wore black armor, and had a dark complexion. A pair of iron hammers hung from his saddle. This was Hu Qihai, the general of Zhennan Pass. The second man from the left, around fifty years old, rode a red horse, wore silver qilin armor, and wielded a halberd. This was Zhao Pizhi, the general of Pingnan Pass. The man on the right, around thirty-five or thirty-six years old, wore an iron helmet and armor, rode a black cloud-treading snow horse, and wielded a large spear. This was He Yaowu, the general of Dingnan Pass. The remaining generals were all deputy generals of Pang Qi and the three passes.
Youliang rode forward, cupped his hands, and said, "This is Imperial Envoy Pang. Youliang greets you."
"Indeed, it is I, Xu Youliang. I won't say much more. You and your son colluded with Empress Xu to poison the imperial heir, plotting treason. Today, I, Pang, am here on the Emperor's decree to arrest your entire family. If you know what's good for you, dismount and surrender immediately, and the matter of resisting the imperial troops and injuring a court official will be forgiven. Otherwise, I fear there will be bloodshed on the spot."
How did this old scoundrel Pang manage to catch up? It turned out that Duan Jue and Wang Feilian, after discovering that Qiu Jiulong had escaped, hurriedly obtained another imperial decree for Pang Qi, ordering him to dispatch troops to Nanling to forcibly capture the Xu family. Pang Qi, being a military commander, knew the importance of speed in warfare. He rushed to Nanling himself while sending messengers to the generals of the three passes, requesting their assistance. By the time they arrived at Zhennan Pass, the generals of the three passes had all arrived, totaling over 30,000 men, and were all heading to Nanling.
Xu Chengzhu and Xu Youde, having anticipated this, did not resist and allowed themselves to be captured, put into a prison cart, and taken to the capital.
Pang Qi then sent men to search Xu Youliang and his family, only to find them deserted. He inquired among the surrounding people and learned that they had fled south overnight.
Pang Qi knew that if they were not eliminated completely, they would become a major threat in the future. Therefore, he first sent Ma Long and another man as vanguards to pursue the Xu family, while he himself would lead the main army later, hoping to catch up with the Xu family before entering the Nanling Mountains and capture them in one fell swoop.
He finally caught up, but the two vanguards had already been wounded by Xu Youliang's spear, much to Pang Qi's surprise.
Upon hearing Pang Qi's words, Xu Youliang sneered, "Lord Pang, don't think your actions are undetected. You conspired to frame the Xu family, and now the guard Qiu Jiulong has sneaked out of the capital and revealed everything. You plotted to harm my sister, and now you want to eliminate the root of the problem? You've miscalculated."
Pang Qi knew about the framing of the Xu family and felt guilty; his face flushed red and then turned pale. "Xu Youliang, whether your family is wronged or not, the Emperor will decide. As the saying goes, 'When the emperor commands a subject to die, the subject must die.' Now that the Emperor has ordered me to arrest your entire family, you should surrender and be judged before the Emperor. If you dare to resist arrest again, you will surely die without a burial place."
"Enough nonsense. I didn't intend to kill anyone, but you have all seen my martial arts skills. Anyone who disagrees can come and challenge me."
"Which general is willing to capture the rebel for this imperial envoy?" Pang Qi turned to look at his men, and saw a general gallop out on horseback. He was about thirty years old, dressed in white armor and riding a white horse, wielding a five-pronged fork.
"Xu Youliang, I am Zhao Xun, here to meet you." He raised his fork to smash.
Xu Youliang saw that there were many people coming from the opposite side, and fearing that a long delay would be disadvantageous to him, he also wanted to teach them a lesson so that they would back down. So he did not dodge or evade, but used a move called "Horizontal Iron Gate Bolt", sweeping it from below and shouting "Open!", knocking the large iron fork away. Zhao Xun saw that things were not going well and turned his horse to flee. Xu
Youliang did not chase after him, but sneered and said, "Who else wants to come?"
Pang Qi was terrified at this time and hurriedly shouted, "Who will capture the rebel?"
Another general flew out from the ranks, it was General Ma Debiao, who held the rank of Deputy Commander of the Nine Gates. This Ma Debiao rode a yellow horse and wielded a pair of phoenix-winged gilded halberds, with immense strength. After exchanging names with Xu Youliang, they engaged in battle.
Ma Debiao, originally a General Who Pacifies the West and Commander-in-Chief of Donghe Pass, possessed exceptional martial arts skills. Although slightly inferior to Xu Youliang, Youliang had already fought several rounds and was losing strength, making him a formidable opponent.
The two fought for over thirty rounds without a clear victor. Pang Qi, seeing Xu Youliang's superior martial arts and fearing Ma Debiao's inability to win, worried that if Xu's family retreated into the Southern Ridge and entered the Barbarian King's territory, they would be difficult to capture. He hastily ordered the three generals who had accompanied him from the capital to assist, while he led the troops from the three passes to bypass Youliang and pursue him relentlessly.
Xu Youliang was also fighting desperately, his spear flashing up and down, showing no fear. However, being outnumbered and outmatched, and fearing for his family, he could only fight and retreat, his heart filled with anxiety.
Just as he was at a loss, he suddenly heard someone shout, "Don't be afraid, Prince Consort! We've arrived!"
Xu Youliang was overjoyed and hurriedly shouted, "Princess, you've come at the perfect time! Quickly stop Pang Qi and protect your mother-in-law as we enter the mountains!"
Hearing the shouts, Pang Qi looked up and saw a troop of about two hundred approaching. They were unarmored, clad in animal skins, bare-backed and barefoot, carrying a rattan shield in their left hand, a curved sword in their right, crossbows on their backs, and bamboo arrows at their waists. Leading them were four barbarian women, the oldest only twenty-two or twenty-three, the youngest no more than sixteen or seventeen, all strikingly beautiful, rivaling even Xi Shi and Diao Chan. Each wore a silver crown, gold earrings, and short black blouses embroidered with gold flowers, revealing their jade-like arms. They wore knee-length colorful embroidered skirts, their snow-white legs bare, adorned only with soft-soled leather boots. Their bodies were covered in silver ornaments, making them exceptionally beautiful. Even more striking was that all four rode short-studded horses, carrying crossbows and weapons.
Who were they? They were the four daughters of the Southern Ridge Barbarian King: Feng Yi, Feng Le, Feng Yun, and Feng Ling.
The Xu family guarded the Nanling Mountains not only through force but also by employing policies to pacify the people and maintain good relations with the local barbarian king, ensuring peaceful coexistence. One day, the barbarian king's four daughters were hunting in the mountains when they encountered Xu Youliang, who was passing by. They were captivated by his handsome appearance and decided to propose marriage, challenging
him to a duel. However, the four princesses were highly skilled in martial arts, and Xu Youliang was no match for them. He was captured and taken to the barbarian cave, where the barbarian king personally proposed marriage.
King Feng Tong, who also admired Youliang, acted as matchmaker. Although Youliang was attracted to the four princesses' beauty, he refused because they were barbarian women without parental consent. The barbarian king then personally left the cave to meet Xu Chengzu at the military town. Xu Chengzu was overjoyed and immediately agreed to the marriage. Thus, Youliang was chosen as a prince consort in the barbarian cave.
The four princesses were young, exceptionally beautiful, and passionate, unlike the coy women of the Central Plains. In bed, they drove Youliang wild with desire, bringing him unparalleled pleasure.
King Feng Tong of the Barbarian Kingdom only had these four daughters, so You Liang lived in the Barbarian Cave year-round. Every season, he would bring the four princesses back to the military town for a month to visit his parents. This time, he brought the four princesses to the military town. Feng Le, Feng Yun, and Feng Ling wanted to bring some delicacies for their parents-in-law, so they only let Feng Yi and her husband go first. Just then, Pang Qi came to capture the entire Xu family. If it weren't for You Liang and his wife, the Xu family, including Zhang Gui
, would probably have been captured as well. The three women hunted tigers, leopards, and bears in the mountains, taking tiger bones, leopard tendons, bear gallbladders, etc. They skinned the animals and had the barbarian soldiers take them down the mountain. They hadn't gone far when they met Feng Yi with her family. After learning what had happened, the four sisters quickly sent two barbarian soldiers back to the mountain to report the news. The rest of the barbarian soldiers and generals took their families and went first, while the four of them led two hundred barbarian soldiers to help You Liang.
Upon seeing his four wives arrive, Youliang was overjoyed and immediately ordered them to join the battle. The four of them wielded their weapons, routing the government troops and forcing them to retreat.
Pang Qi, seeing this, quickly ordered his troops to halt and form ranks. Youliang also rode back to his own side to meet his four wives and recount everything.
The youngest of the four, Princess Fengling, was the most hot-tempered. Upon hearing that the enemy was the treacherous Pang Qi, she didn't wait for her husband's permission and charged out of her own ranks, shouting, "Which one of you is Pang Qi? How dare you harm my husband's family! Come out and face your death!"
Pang Qi rode forward and asked, "Who are you
, lady?" "I am Princess Fengling, the fourth princess of the Southern Ridge King. Who are you?"
"I am Pang Qi, the Imperial Envoy. I have never met you before. Why are you blocking my path?" In truth, he had already guessed the man's identity, but he was extremely arrogant and didn't take the barbarian king seriously.
"So that you may know, my husband is the young general of this military town, and Xu Chengzhu is my father-in-law. You dog thief, how dare you harm my in-laws' family! You're tired of living! Come and face your death!"
"So it's Your Highness, Princess. Pang Qi has been rude. However, this imperial envoy is here on orders to arrest the traitor Xu Chengzhu and his family. Although you are related to the Xu family, considering you are Princess of Nanling, this imperial envoy will not make things difficult for you. As long as you hand over the Xu family members and Xu Youliang, you will not be among the Xu family's accomplices. I can also spare your husband Xu Youliang's life. What do you say?"
"Nonsense! You audacious Pang Qi, how dare you be so disrespectful to this princess! I'll show you my precious treasures! Take this!"
Feng Ling brandished a pair of curved swords and charged forward. Pang Qi, taking advantage of her being a woman, was about to fight back when a warhorse flew out from behind. On horseback rode a sallow-faced man in his forties, wielding a pair of iron maces. He shouted, "Your Excellency, there's no need for you to fight personally. Hand this little wench over to me!"
Pang Qi turned his horse and rode away, saying, "General Huang, be careful."
"Understood."
The man was nine feet tall, large and powerful, easily able to carry Feng Ling. He didn't take her seriously at all. He shouted, "Barbarian, don't run! I'll capture you and enjoy you!" He thrust his maces at Feng Ling's chest, clearly intending to taunt her. Feng Ling was enraged and said, "You audacious madman, how dare you take advantage of your princess! Take this!" She parried the attack.
This man surnamed Huang, named Huang Keyi, was originally a garrison commander. His martial arts skills were decent, and he was naturally strong. Feng Ling, being a woman, was at a disadvantage in terms of physical strength, but her moves were ingenious, and she fought Huang Keyi to a draw. After
the two exchanged more than ten blows, Feng Ling thought, "Why should I get entangled with this scoundrel? I'll just send him away." With that thought, she feigned an attack and turned her horse to leave.
Huang Keyi, blinded by lust, wanted to capture Feng Ling alive and take advantage of her. He spurred his horse and gave chase, but after chasing her for less than half a mile, Feng Ling's horse, being small, caught up. Suddenly, Feng Ling turned around, and with a "whoosh," a crossbow bolt shot out.
"Princess, you mustn't kill him!" You Liang and the person behind her shouted sharply, but it was too late. Once the arrow was released, it was like water spilled out; there was no stopping it.
Hearing the crossbow bolt, Huang Keyi saw the arrow heading straight for his face. He tried to dodge, but it was too late. The arrow grazed his face and pierced his ear.
Huang Keyi cried out, fell from his horse, rolled twice, and died.
It turned out that although the arrow was just a bamboo arrow, it had been treated with a poison, making it fatal upon contact with blood. It was his fate to be killed by Feng Ling.
When Feng Ling returned to the formation, she saw Zhang Gui and You Liang. She hurriedly asked, "Uncle, why are you here? Why are you and the Prince Consort pleading for that madman?"
"Ah, I knew you four sisters came with anger. I was afraid you wouldn't know your own strength and might injure the general, so I came later. I was a step too late." "
In battle, death and injury are inconsequential. What's there to be afraid of?"
"But your father-in-law and brother are now in the hands of the court. If you kill a court official, won't you bring them death upon yourselves?"
"Oh dear! What should we do?" Feng Ling realized the trouble she had caused and was filled with regret.
"Now that things have come to this, there's no other way but to repel the pursuers first and then figure things out. But we must not lose any more lives."
Pang Qi was surprised that this young woman was so skilled in martial arts. Seeing that his general
had been killed, he roared, "You audacious barbarian woman! How dare you kill an official of the court! Seize her at once!" Zhang Gui rode up to the front of the group and shouted, "Lord Pang, please don't be angry. Huang Keyi's death was his own fault. My young mistress is a princess. Huang Keyi spoke inappropriately, acting like a subject disrespecting the emperor. He deserved to die. My princess was merely acting on behalf of Heaven to punish him. It has nothing to do with today's events. Lord Pang, listen to Zhang Gui's kind advice. Go back to the capital and report to the Emperor that Zhao Jian, Wang Feilian, and Consort Zhao colluded to frame Empress Xu and her entire family with dye. Please, Your Majesty, investigate thoroughly."
"You audacious traitors! Stop your sweet talk! If I don't capture you today, I swear I'm not human! Generals, charge forward with me! Kill or be killed, don't let a single one escape!"
What happens next? Stay tuned for the next chapter.

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