Imperial Secrets - Episode 23

He replied, "Alright! Alright! Madam Wang and Miss, please go home early too! I imagine the Duchess of Dingguo is still waiting for you to return!" But
who exactly is the woman in the white palace dress?

He couldn't possibly understand all these things at once, and a feeling of helpless confusion washed over him. Jiang Hanqing subconsciously looked at Shi Yanying, hoping to get some help from her.

This was the first time Jiang Hanqing had looked at Shi Yanying properly since she walked in.

But it would have been better if he hadn't looked; once he did, Jiang Hanqing's eyes were glued to Shi Yanying!

Shi Yanying was still wearing the silver mask that covered the upper half of her face, but this time she wore a light armor made of thin black leather, and white leather riding breeches, also made of thin leather, with black leather riding boots that reached her knees.

This outfit was completely different from the heroic military uniform she wore when she first met Jiang Hanqing after returning to the capital, yet it had a unique charm.

From top to bottom, black and white—this simple and clean color scheme only accentuated the naturally emanating aloof, dignified, and noble aura of Shi Yanying. Of course, in Jiang Hanqing's eyes, who habitually looked at women with lewd eyes, this noble air only further aroused his lust, igniting the dark fire within him.

And the material of the clothes Shi Yanying wore at this moment only added fuel to Jiang Hanqing's tyrannical desires.

Shi Yanying chose this thin leather outfit simply because it was lightweight and durable, perfect for everyday horseback riding. Little did she know that this kind of leather clothing was exactly what sadists loved! Countless times, in his leisure time, Jiang Hanqing had fantasized about Shi Yanying kneeling before him, begging to be played with, dressed in leather. Now, Shi Yanying stood before him, truly dressed in leather. Although it was merely a standard knight's leather outfit, vastly different from the filthy, sadistic leather suits he fantasized about, it was enough to captivate and intoxicate him, filling him with even more lewd fantasies about the future.

This thin leather knight's outfit was clearly custom-made by a tailor, which explained its perfect fit: the leather clung tightly to her beautiful body, revealing her long, voluptuous curves. Where there was a curve, there was no flatness; where there was flatness, there was no curve. Full breasts, a flat stomach, high hips, long legs—everything was so perfect. Jiang Hanqing no longer doubted that the woman's body before him was the most beautiful thing the Creator could create, beyond description, even by using every beautiful word in the world!

But in front of such a noble and beautiful woman, Jiang Hanqing's thoughts were incredibly lewd: "You slut, one day you'll be kneeling before me, begging for a whip, wearing that slutty, open-crotch leather jacket!"

When Jiang Hanqing first heard he was in Shi Yanying's residence, he felt boundless fear. But from the moment he saw Shi Yanying's attire, all his fear vanished. Now, his only focus was on the beautiful flesh beneath Shi Yanying's knight's leather jacket.

His gaze began to move brazenly downwards from Shi Yanying's high breasts, past her taut abdomen, to her mysterious, Y-shaped lower body, and then to her long, slender thighs. When his eyes landed on Shi Yanying's full, long thighs, Jiang Hanqing's throat went dry, and he almost groaned.

When Shi Yanying returned to the capital, she was wearing armor, and it was their first meeting, so Jiang Hanqing's attention was mainly focused on her head and chest, at most glancing at her buttocks, and he didn't pay much attention to her thighs. But today was different. There was no longer any obstruction between Shi Yanying's long legs clad in white leather riding breeches and Jiang Hanqing's wicked gaze. Jiang Hanqing could fully admire the beautiful curves of Shi Yanying's legs.

Just as Jiang Hanqing was so obsessed with Shi Yanying's body, the object of his voyeurism also began to carefully examine Jiang Hanqing.

Staring at the man who could barely sit on the bed with the support of a maid, Shi Yanying couldn't help but feel greatly surprised. In fact, this peerless general had already sensed the wicked aura in Jiang Hanqing's gaze the moment he looked at her, but she didn't think of getting angry at all; at this moment, only surprise and curiosity filled her heart.

"This brat still dares to leer at me like that at a time like this! He's got some nerve! Isn't he afraid I'll kill him?"

Shi Yanying couldn't help but recall what happened on her first day back in the capital.

That day, officials of all ranks lined up outside the city to welcome her back, and this lecherous young man was standing in the procession. And that day, he too had been eyeing her body with such obscene looks.

Shi Yanying also remembered the resolve she had made when she mounted her horse to officially enter the capital: "Although this brat isn't too bad-looking, if he dares to look at me like that again, I'll gouge his eyes out!"

Thinking of this, a surge of anger finally rose within Shi Yanying, or rather, she felt the need to unleash some fury.

"You brat, how dare you humiliate me again and again! You're asking for trouble."

But Shi Yanying hesitated. She felt she should gouge out Jiang Hanqing's eyes as she had resolved, but a voice deep inside her seemed to tell her, "This isn't right!" It was as if she didn't truly want to kill the young man before her.

Why she felt this way, what the specific reason was, Shi Yanying herself didn't know. At this moment, she just felt very strange. Normally, if it were any other man, let alone staring at her so rudely, even a fleeting glance would fill her with disgust, making her want to kill him. But facing this young man, the only son of her old nemesis Yin Yufeng, even though he looked at her so brazenly, she found it difficult to feel any hatred towards him.

Shi Yanying struggled internally, trying to convince herself with reason. She needed to find an excuse, otherwise she couldn't accept the fact that she couldn't feel even the slightest disgust for Jiang Hanqing's lewd gaze.

"Why? How could this be? Shi Yanying, this brat is looking at you like that! You should tear him to pieces immediately! What are you hesitating for?... No! I can't kill him! This brat is still useful! I can't kill him! That's it! I know what's going on! The reason I don't hate him is because I know he's still useful, so I don't want to bother with him over such a trivial matter. It must be! Only by using him and the Jiang family can I possibly deal with the beasts of the Wang family! Only then can I possibly ascend to the throne of the Empress!"

Just as Shi Yanying was lost in her foolish thoughts, Jiang Hanqing was happy to continue to lewdly and thoroughly ogle Shi Yanying. Meanwhile, Shi Yanying's maid kept looking back and forth between Jiang Hanqing and Shi Yanying. The innocent girl found the reactions of the two people in front of her very strange. The two of them just stared at each other stupidly, but neither of them spoke for a long time. The girl wanted to speak up and remind the two, but the words caught in her throat. She knew that a young girl like herself shouldn't speak carelessly.

If the girl found the situation a little strange at this moment, what happened next was something she, and even Shi Yanying, could never have imagined.

Just as Shi Yanying was struggling with her conflicting feelings, Jiang Hanqing suddenly made a move. In an instant, the strange silence in the room was broken by him.

At this moment, as if suddenly struck by something, Jiang Hanqing abruptly jumped out of bed and forcefully pushed away the young girl beside her who was trying to help her up. Once she was no longer supported, her legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground. Then, to the astonishment of the two women, Jiang Hanqing actually scrambled to Shi Yanying's feet, kowtowing twice and crying out, "Mother! Mother!"

Shi Yanying was completely bewildered by Jiang Hanqing's unexpected actions. Although her face was obscured by her mask, her noticeably slow movements clearly showed that she was utterly confused by Jiang Hanqing's strange behavior. After

looking at Jiang Hanqing suspiciously for a while, Shi Yanying turned to her maid with a questioning gaze.

But the young girl was even more confused about what was happening. She stared wide-eyed at Jiang Hanqing, who was prostrate on the ground, utterly bewildered. A pair of small, cherry-red lips parted wide in surprise, wide enough to fit a large egg. Clearly, Shi Yanying couldn't rely on this maid to help her out of her predicament!

Before Shi Yanying and her maid could react, Jiang Hanqing made an even more astonishing move. He actually grabbed Shi Yanying's calves tightly with both hands, gently rubbing his face against her legs through her black leather boots, like a puppy begging for its owner's affection.

Shi Yanying was startled by Jiang Hanqing's sudden strange action. In a panic, she hurriedly pulled her legs back and up, exclaiming, "You brat, what are you trying to do?"

Although the expression on her face hidden behind the mask couldn't be seen, her urgent voice clearly revealed her inner panic.

But Jiang Hanqing held her legs tightly, immediately pulling them back to the ground. And then, Jiang Hanqing actually began to lightly lick the outside of her leather boots with his tongue.

"What's wrong with this kid?...Is he crazy?...What does he want? Does he want to be disrespectful to me?...I'll kill him!...Isn't he ashamed?...Is he surrendering to me?...Why does he call me mother?...What does this have to do with that vile wench Yin Yufeng?... "

In an instant, countless chaotic thoughts surged into Shi Yanying's mind, only to vanish like shooting stars. Her mind was a complete blank, and she slumped in her chair, utterly at a loss for what to do. She felt as if she had no strength left in her body, unable even to move a finger.

For this invincible eagle of the empire, perhaps she had never felt so panicked in her entire life.

Even in the unfavorable situation of being surrounded by powerful enemies on the battlefield, Shi Yanying could still remain calm and composed, devising a foolproof solution to the passive situation she faced. Back in the capital, she only had two close encounters with Jiang Hanqing. Facing a young man old enough to be her son, whom she usually saw as nothing more than a spoiled brat, she felt repeatedly bewildered and confused, her heart churning with turmoil.

"What's going on? What's wrong with me? Why am I thinking such wild thoughts? Why can't I find a way to deal with this strange situation? Is this fate? Is this boy sent by heaven to torment me, just like his despicable mother? It really is fate! Fate! What terrible things did I do in my past life that Heaven has to send these two to torment me?"

A feeling of helplessness washed over her, as if this young man was some kind of karmic entanglement with her from birth. Was this boy yet another nemesis sent by heaven to punish her, Shi Yanying? Otherwise, how could he stir up such turmoil in her usually calm and collected heart, hardened by the treacherous political and military struggles?

In truth, Shi Yanying had simply forgotten a simple truth, or rather, a fact: she was an unparalleled general of the empire, an invincible war goddess, but she had forgotten that she was also a woman, and first and foremost, a woman living in this world! Every woman needs a man's love and support, needs a man to soothe her empty heart and body.

Since the year 609 of the Imperial Calendar, when Shi Yanying, at the age of eighteen, led a small force of five thousand cavalry to defeat the fierce Wolf Fang Iron Cavalry of the Special Forces, numbering thirty thousand, she had gradually ascended to the empire's altar. She and Yin Yufeng became war goddesses worshipped throughout the empire; all men knelt at their feet, not a single man dared to look them directly in the eye, let alone appreciate them with the eyes of someone admiring a woman.

For years, because of the constant praise and flattery, Shi Yanying had regarded all men as dirt, riding on their heads with smug pride, believing herself to be the most noble among all people. But everything in this world, extremes beget their opposites. Her extreme contempt for men and her arrogance that infinitely elevated herself grew with the passing years, reaching its limit; she had become almost perversely haughty. If it weren't for the emperor's intervention in arranging her marriage to Duke Anguo, Li Zhiqiang, she might never have married. Even after marriage, Li Zhiqiang never dared to act like a husband towards her, bowing and scraping before her like a servant. This only fueled Shi Yanying's arrogance, making her see all men as worthless. In her eyes, her husband, Li Zhiqiang, was nothing more than a subservient puppet, summoned and dismissed at will. She felt gratitude, closeness, and trust towards him, but absolutely no love.

Eight years ago, Shi Yanying left the capital for a long-term frontier post in the north, but two years prior, she had already been living separately from her husband. In total, she hadn't experienced sexual intimacy for ten years.

As the saying goes, "Thirty is like a wolf, forty is like a tiger." Despite being in her prime, Shi Yanying had never experienced the pleasures of sex. A strong woman like her, in fact, needed a man's comfort and the nourishment of sex even more than ordinary women, possessing a more intense desire. For years, Shi Yanying had relied on immense willpower to forcibly suppress her libido. She constantly exhausted herself with endless battlefield battles and scheming political struggles, attempting to eliminate the emptiness caused by the absence of a man. But how could she defy the natural order and the principles of marital ethics? How could her ignorant methods extinguish the mysteries of male-female union and the harmony of yin and yang? Going against nature ultimately proved futile.

The lingering resentment towards the Yin family passed down from the older generation, the jealousy stemming from feeling that Yin Yufeng had surpassed her since joining the army, coupled with the forceful suppression of her sexual desires against the natural order, the complete lack of masculine yang energy, and her almost perverse arrogance—all these factors combined to cause the yin energy within Shi Yanying to increase rapidly year by year, finally reaching an unstoppable point, about to erupt. Her body was about to be consumed by lust, and her spirit was about to be destroyed by the yin energy. She was about to be devoured by the demon of lust, yet this proud female eagle, invincible in the world and completely disregarding all men, was still completely unaware!

Jiang Hanqing was the first man in Shi Yanying's life to dare to look her in the eye, the first man to dare to look at her from a man's perspective of appreciating a woman, and the first man to dare to defile her body with such blatantly obscene eyes. This alone was enough to leave Shi Yanying, who had never experienced anything like this, feeling utterly helpless.

Furthermore, Jiang Hanqing was a lustful demon with a voracious libido, and in the prime of his youth, the intense, malevolent fire emanating from him was fatally alluring to Shi Yanying, a woman shrouded in yin energy, craving a man's penis yet unaware of it.

Under the influence of these internal and external factors, the psychological defenses Shi Yanying had painstakingly built against men over the years rapidly began to crack. With the dam already breached, its complete collapse was imminent.

At this moment, Jiang Hanqing, lying prone before Shi Yanying, took advantage of her momentary distraction and secretly moved his body upwards. Finally able to be so close to the invincible Flying Eagle, who was on par with his mother Yin Yufeng, Jiang Hanqing felt a surge of long-dormant excitement. That kind of emotion had only appeared ten years ago when he first raped his mother.

Although Jiang Hanqing was young, he had been with countless women. From the moment he began spying on Shi Yanying, he constantly observed her reactions. When he noticed Shi Yanying's mind beginning to wander, he immediately decided to take this seemingly unexpected action.

He knew that only by taking advantage of Shi Yanying's temporary confusion could he further expand his gains. A woman with such a strong will like Shi Yanying could not be conquered in one go; only through this gradual, nibbling away could victory be achieved. He

was filled with trepidation yet also anticipation, fear yet excitement. At this moment, Jiang Hanqing had completely forgotten his physical weakness and the arrow wound on his leg, not even noticing the wound had reopened and was bleeding. Only one thought occupied his mind: "Seize this opportunity to sow the seeds of lust deep within Shi Yanying's heart." He didn't know that the seeds of lust in Shi Yanying's heart had already taken root and sprouted; with a little more water, they would gradually grow into towering trees. And now, he was pouring the first bucket of water!

Shi Yanying stared in a panic at Jiang Hanqing, who was kneeling before her. This man, old enough to be her son, was kissing her leather boots repeatedly, his kisses slowly moving upwards, past her knees, and onto her thighs. Even through the leather pants, Shi Yanying's nerves were heightened. She could almost feel Jiang Hanqing's tongue. That damned tongue was licking the area of her thigh covered by her leather pants.

Jiang Hanqing slowly licked the leather of Shi Yanying's thighs. The rough leather scraped against his tongue, and the smell of sweaty leather filled his nostrils, a sensation that excited him even more. His tongue seemed to taste the salty, sour flavor of the sweat on Shi Yanying's pants, filling him with intense excitement.

"You slut! Once you're in my hands, see how I play with you!"

He released Shi Yanying's legs, instead grasping the lower part of her full thighs and gently kneading them. Enjoying the fleshy feel of those full, mature thighs, he fantasized that he was playing with his mother Yin Yufeng's thighs. This thought made him even more excited and absorbed. At this moment, Jiang Hanqing had completely regarded Shi Yanying as a substitute for his mother, indulging in his longing for her. While playing, he kept murmuring, "Mommy!...Mommy!"

Unexpectedly, under Jiang Hanqing's actions, Shi Yanying felt her face flush, her mouth dry, her breasts swell, and her private parts began to itch. She had often felt itchy there recently, but this time it was much stronger. She even had a strong urge to reach down and touch her genitals with one hand while squeezing and kneading her breasts with

the other. Her cherry-like mouth was slightly open, she breathed heavily, her chest heaving, her neck and upper body flushed red. Her mind was blank; she didn't know what to do. She wanted to push Jiang Hanqing away, but she was also reluctant: not pushing him away was even worse!

Just as she was lost in her reverie, Jiang Hanqing suddenly cried out, "Mom! I've missed you so much!" He then abruptly parted her legs, burying his head between them and rubbing his nose and mouth against her vulva through her leather pants!

Jiang Hanqing's actions were half-serious, half-faithful. Half of it was a deliberate attempt to tease Shi Yanying and test her reaction. The other half was using Shi Yanying, whose age, status, and beauty were similar to Yin Yufeng's, as a substitute for his mother, to truly vent his wicked desires.

When his nose touched Shi Yanying's crotch, Jiang Hanqing immediately smelled a strange odor from her vulva—a mixture of sweat, urine, and perhaps vaginal fluid—a foul smell of various bodily fluids mixed together. But for a pervert like Jiang Hanqing, it was the perfect aphrodisiac.

He immediately seized the opportunity and licked the center of Shi Yanying's crotch with his tongue. The feeling of excitement was just as if he were playing with his mother, Yin Yufeng. However, this action completely exceeded what Shi Yanying could accept at this stage.

If Jiang Hanqing's previous actions had given the somewhat confused Shi Yanying a little enjoyment amidst her panic, this blatant move only filled her with fear, anger, and disgust.

The sudden stimulation jolted her awake from her daze and fantasies.

"Ouch! It hurts!... Slap!... Thud!... Ouch... Ouch..."

Shi Yanying grabbed Jiang Hanqing's hair, leaped off the chair, and pulled half of his body into the air. Jiang Hanqing only had time to cry out in pain before a heavy slap landed on his face. Immediately afterward, Shi Yanying kicked Jiang Hanqing in the stomach, sending him flying far away.

The kick was incredibly powerful; Jiang Hanqing cried out in pain, clutching his stomach and rolling around on the ground.

"Mom! Mom! Why are you hitting your son! What did I do wrong?"

Despite the excruciating pain, Jiang Hanqing didn't forget to put on a convincing act, otherwise he would have been dead today!

Shi Yanying had never had a man press his face against her vulva and fondle her in her forty-plus years. Even her husband, Li Zhiqiang, only performed the basic acts according to her commands when she needed them. Today, in her dazed state, she had been taken advantage of by this bastard, who was the size of her son. How could she not be furious?

Shame and anger flared Shi Yanying, who was about to call for someone to drag Jiang Hanqing out and hack him to death, heard him shout "Mom!" and was instantly stunned.

This delay allowed her burning anger to slowly subside.

"He called me 'Mom'? Could it be that he's a bit delirious after his serious injuries and mistook me for his mother, Yin Yufeng? Were his actions just now merely a son's affectionate gestures towards his mother?"

Shi Yanying, who had never been a mother before, couldn't believe that a son in his twenties would act like that towards his mother.

Looking at Jiang Hanqing rolling on the ground in pain, Shi Yanying coldly said, "Who is your mother? Open your dog eyes and see clearly!"

Hearing this, Jiang Hanqing slowly stopped rolling, still clutching his stomach and lying on the ground. Like a child who had done something wrong, he glanced at Shi Yanying, then suddenly opened his mouth wide in astonishment and shouted, "You...you are not my mother! You are Grand Marshal Shi Yanying!"

Under normal circumstances, Jiang Hanqing's little tricks would never have fooled a shrewd commander like Shi Yanying.

But after being teased and played with so relentlessly for so long, the blush on Shi Yanying's face hadn't even faded, and her head was still a little swollen, making it difficult for her to react.

"Nonsense! If it wasn't me, would it really be your mother! You can't even see clearly, yet you're just yelling and shouting!"

Feeling that Jiang Hanqing's actions were unintentional, Shi Yanying's anger finally subsided. But deep down, she seemed to feel a faint regret, feeling that Jiang Hanqing's actions just now weren't really for her, and she felt a little empty inside.

"If he really liked me just now, he would have pounced on me and hugged me..."

But this strange thought, like the countless other thoughts that had surged into her mind before, vanished without a trace as soon as it appeared. Actually, it didn't disappear, but retreated into the depths of her memory, waiting for a chance to pounce on her soul again in the future.

At this moment, however, another thing came to Shi Yanying's mind.

"He just mistook me for his mother? Doesn't that mean that in his mind, I'm the same as Yin Yufeng? Haha! Yin Yufeng, it seems your son also thinks I'm no worse than you. I wonder what you'll think when you find out, you wretched woman?"

Thinking that in her old rival's son's eyes, she and Yin Yufeng held similar positions, Shi Yanying felt a surge of satisfaction. She turned to look at her maid, Lan'er, who was cowering to the side, intending to have her help Jiang Hanqing up. But a thought flashed through her mind, and Shi Yanying realized something was amiss.

"Something's not right! In his eyes, am I just a substitute for his mother, a stand-in for Yin Yufeng? Is a stand-in the same as the real thing? No! It's like comparing a fake to the real thing! Does he think I'm still inferior to that bitch Yin Yufeng?" At this thought, a nameless fire ignited within Shi Yanying.

During this short time, Jiang Hanqing had been secretly observing Shi Yanying's expression. Although the upper half of her face was covered by a mask, obscuring her expression, some clues could still be gleaned from her lips.

As Shi Yanying's mood gradually calmed, the curve of her lips also softened. Upon seeing this, Jiang Hanqing felt a weight lifted from her heart. But in the blink of an eye, Jiang Hanqing saw the corners of the lips peeking out from under the mask begin to twitch.

"Damn it! What's that slut thinking now? Looks like she's about to explode again!"

Jiang Hanqing braced himself for another kick, regretting his earlier recklessness.

"Oops! I was too hasty! How could I act so rashly against such a ruthless character? Now look what's happened, I might lose ninety percent of my life!"

Jiang Hanqing was secretly worried when Shi Yanying indeed slowly walked up to him.

Her long, slender legs in leather pants were quite alluring as she walked, but Jiang Hanqing had no interest in admiring them at this moment.

"You brat, why did you mistake me for your mother just now? Hmm!" Shi Yanying's tone was full of sinister energy.

Jiang Hanqing stammered, "N-nothing! I just mistook you for my mother, Commander Ying."

Shi Yanying sneered twice, raised her right leg, and stomped on Jiang Hanqing's chest.

"Ouch!" The feeling of being trampled under Shi Yanying's long legs was truly unpleasant.

The beautiful legs that Jiang Hanqing had previously admired now looked nothing like beautiful to him. He futilely grasped Shi Yanying's calf with his hands, struggling to move the jade-like leg that was trampling on his chest, but he was no match for Shi Yanying's strength. He could only pant and beg for mercy, "Commander Ying, Commander Ying! This junior was wrong! This junior was dizzy just now, and for some reason, I felt that you, Commander Ying, looked exactly like my mother, so... please forgive this junior this time!"

While begging for mercy with bared teeth, Jiang Hanqing cursed Shi Yanying's ancestors for eighteen generations in his mind.

Lan'er, clutching her chest, saw Jiang Hanqing's face turning pale and couldn't help but exclaim, "Commander Ying, he... this young master is about to be trampled to death!"

"He won't die so easily! Lan'er, stand aside and keep quiet!"

Shi Yanying showed no intention of pulling back her leg, coldly snorting as she continued to ask Jiang Hanqing, "Explain yourself clearly, how come I look exactly like your mother?"

Jiang Hanqing's face was ashen with pain as he groaned, "Commander Ying's noble appearance is exactly like my mother's! Oh! No!... I should say it's even more noble than my mother! My mother used to praise Commander Ying whenever she mentioned him. Today, I don't know why, but just now when I saw Commander Ying's incomparably noble demeanor, I remembered what my mother used to say, and for some reason, my head spun and I mistook Commander Ying for my mother."

Hearing this, Shi Yanying felt much happier, and the force she exerted on Jiang Hanqing's chest lessened considerably.

Jiang Hanqing, whose foot was under hers, immediately noticed the change in the pressure on her leg. Knowing that his words had hit the mark with Shi Yanying, he quickly continued, "Just now, when I knelt before Commander Ying, it was like kneeling before my mother, filled with affection and love. So I couldn't help but make the gesture of acting like a mother, and I didn't expect to offend you, Commander Ying! I have the utmost respect for you, Commander Ying!"

Shi Yanying remained noncommittal, but finally moved her foot away from Jiang Hanqing's chest.

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Everything I've said is true! Heaven and earth can bear witness!"

Everyone loves to hear nice words, and Shi Yanying was no exception. Although she knew that Jiang Hanqing's words were definitely exaggerated, she still accepted his explanation.

Besides, after the initial excitement, she hadn't forgotten that this brat in front of her was very useful. That was the most important thing; everything else was secondary.

Turning back to her chair, Shi Yanying noticed blood seeping from Jiang Hanqing's leg and said to Lan'er, "Help him to sit on the bed and change his dressing again!"

Lan'er readily agreed and quickly helped Jiang Hanqing up, laboriously moving him back to the bed. She then fetched hot water and some wound medicine, her face flushed with embarrassment as she pulled Jiang Hanqing's outer trousers down to his knees to clean and change his dressing.

Now out of danger, Jiang Hanqing felt a surge of smug satisfaction.

"You filthy bitch, I knew you'd be itching for a fight after all these years without a man. Just a little test today and you're already getting all worked up! Hmph! You're just like your mother back in the Western Regions—a goddess on the surface, but a harlot at heart. You're still wearing a mask now, but when I peel it off, let's see what you have to be proud of. Then you'll be my lowly sex slaves, just like your mother. I'll make you two 'Imperial Twins' crawl on the ground like horses pulling my cart! Hmph!" Her plump, upturned buttocks were perfect for a whip. "You two sows will be so happy you'll be dripping wet with your juices."

While changing his dressing, Jiang Hanqing was only wearing underwear. His filthy sexual fantasies caused his penis to quickly become erect. Lan'er, who was changing his dressing, was seeing the change in a man's genitals for the first time, and her hands trembled with nervousness. Her eyes were fixed on the wound on Jiang Hanqing's thigh, not daring to look away even a fraction. Her fair face was now flushed red, like a ripe apple, making her look incredibly cute.

Jiang Hanqing looked at the little girl in front of him and felt a great fondness for her. He thought she was gentle, considerate, and attentive, far better than the lazy, scheming maids in his household.

"I need to think of a way to get this girl away from Shi Yanying!"

Meanwhile, Shi Yanying was alone, reflecting on what had just happened. The more she calmed down, the more uneasy she felt.

"That brat Jiang Hanqing clearly treated me like a woman just now! What kind of son would lick his mother's boots and thighs, and even... and press his mouth and nose to... to his mother's genitals? This brat is clearly lying to me!"

She was unaware of the lewd relationship between Jiang Hanqing and Yin Yufeng, only thinking that Jiang Hanqing was simply making an excuse.

A surge of anger welled up inside her, but Shi Yanying, having calmed down, tried to control her emotions, thinking, "This brat is still quite useful. I'll let today's matter slide for now! Later, when the world is more stable, I'll slowly torture you two!"

Thinking this, Shi Yanying glanced at Jiang Hanqing, seeing him lying quietly while Lan'er changed his dressing, looking quite comfortable. She continued, "But... his actions felt quite good! This spoiled brat seems quite adept at playing with women." "He's got a trick up his sleeve. He actually used it on me today. Humph! Lan'er seems to have already fallen for this kid! She even pleaded for him just now. Sigh! A daughter is like a tree that grows up and leaves home! I raised her for fourteen years, and she's not even worth half a day with this brat I've known for so long. Fine, I'll just do him a favor and give this girl to him, so he'll remember my kindness."

Shi Yanying suddenly remembered Jiang Hanqing repeatedly calling "Mommy" and licking and rubbing her calves, boots, thighs, and genitals, and her mind started wandering to inappropriate thoughts.

"Did this kid really do something shameful to his mother before? Or did he often fantasize about doing that with his mother? Is he using me as his mother to vent his frustrations today?"

Thinking about this incestuous relationship between mother and son, Shi Yanying found it unbelievable, yet her increasingly dark and perverse mind found it incredibly exciting.

"I'll make them perform that kind of thing in public. Hehe! Let's see how that bitch Yin Yufeng will behave after this!"

Imagining the incestuous scene between the Jiang family mother and son, she gradually became excited. Her recently relaxed genitals felt slightly itchy again, and her breasts swelled and became engorged with blood, large blushes appearing on her cheeks without her realizing it.

However, Shi Yanying paid no attention to her excitement. She was becoming increasingly smug: "Yin Yufeng! Your son just knelt before me and even licked my boots! You've really embarrassed yourself! It's a pity no one else saw it except Lan'er, otherwise… hehe! The ridicule from the idle people would be enough to make you suffer!" Thinking of her triumph, she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Lan'er, who was giving Jiang Hanqing's wounds the final bandage, turned around in surprise to look at her mistress, seeing her sitting in the chair with a flushed face, grinning foolishly. Having served Shi Yanying for fourteen years, she had never witnessed such a strange occurrence, and was quite astonished: "What's wrong with Commander Ying today? She's not usually like this! Sigh! But Commander Ying's eccentric behavior isn't something that happened overnight. It started two or three years ago.

I always felt she was becoming increasingly sinister, like she was possessed by some monster. Compared to before, she's really changed a lot! Oh dear! I'm so stupid! Why am I thinking such nonsense!" She

secretly glanced at Jiang Hanqing, only to see him giving Shi Yanying a forced smile. Lan'er thought to herself, "Just now, I heard Commander Ying call this young master 'Young Master Jiang.' Is his surname Jiang? What kind of young master is he? Since he came here today, Commander Ying seems to have become even stranger! But he's also quite eccentric... and he's quite bold, daring to treat Commander Ying like that just now! Those actions were really... disgusting, no wonder Commander Ying was so angry!"

Thinking about the actions Jiang Hanqing had just taken towards Shi Yanying, Lan'er's face flushed red. She stole another glance at Jiang Hanqing, only to find that he had turned to look at her with a half-smile.

Lan'er thought, "Oh no! He must have figured out what I'm thinking!"

Looking at the adorable little girl's face, red from her neck to her forehead, Jiang Hanqing thought, "Good Lan'er, just you wait! I'll definitely get you!"

Chapter 73 The Beginning of Purgatory

After Lan'er finally finished bandaging Jiang Hanqing's wounds, Shi Yanying said, "You may leave! This general and Young Master Jiang have important matters to discuss!"

Lan'er obediently agreed, glanced hastily at Jiang Hanqing, and then lowered her head and retreated.

Shi Yanying asked Jiang Hanqing, "Young Master Jiang, let's get back to the point! Do you know why I saved your life today?"

Jiang Hanqing cursed inwardly, "You wretched woman! When she's happy, she calls me Young Master Jiang, but when she's unhappy, she's a brat, beating and scolding me! When you fall into my hands, I'll torture you to the point of near death!"

But outwardly, he respectfully replied, "Commander Ying is the foremost commander of our dynasty, always acting with integrity and uprightness. I imagine she disdains the schemes of treacherous villains and thus came to my aid."

Shi Yanying sneered, "The foremost commander of our dynasty? What about your mother then?"

Jiang Hanqing said, "My mother has always held Commander Ying in high esteem. " "I am truly humbled before Commander Ying. If Commander Ying is not the best in the court, who dares to claim the title?"

Shi Yanying, however, was not going to believe Jiang Hanqing's sweet talk. She smiled and said, "That's your mother's flattery! Commander Feng is the undisputed best general in the court. Just look at that great victory in the Western Regions. Who else but Commander Feng could have accomplished that? Please convey my respect for Commander Feng to Young Master Jiang!"

Jiang Hanqing repeatedly said, "I dare not! I dare not! I will certainly convey it to my mother. Please rest assured, Commander Ying!"

Both of them were old foxes. In the blink of an eye, they seemed to have completely forgotten the unpleasant things that had just happened, and they actually started to exchange polite words with each other in a pretentious manner.

After pausing for a moment, Shi Yanying continued, "My purpose in saving you is actually very simple! It's to form an alliance with your Jiang family to jointly deal with that old fox, Wang Mingsi!"

Jiang Hanqing feigned ignorance, asking, "An alliance? To deal with Wang Mingsi? Commander Ying, what do you mean?"

Shi Yanying knew this kid was pretending to be confused, so she ignored his trick and continued, "The Wang family's intention to rebel is now very clear. Today, they actually took the initiative to attack you, Young Master. I think your Jiang family certainly won't be foolish enough to sit idly by and wait for their doom, will they?"

Jiang Hanqing noticed that Shi Yanying had changed her self-reference from "this commander" to "I," realizing she was deliberately trying to build rapport, but he remained silent, wanting to see what tricks she was up to.

Seeing Jiang Hanqing's silence, Shi Yanying thought, "You brat, you dare to play dumb in front of me. Fine! I'll show you my hand first and see how you can avoid this topic!"

"Young Master Jiang, let's not beat around the bush. I think you understand the current situation of the court better than I do. Your Jiang family is powerful, and with Commander Feng backing you in the Western Regions, you've always looked down on other families, acting as if the country belongs to no one but you. You've always been the most eager to bring down the emperor. Unfortunately! Precisely because your foundation was so strong, you rarely take the initiative to deal with others. The Wang family, on the other hand, is different. They've been scheming and plotting against your Jiang family at every turn. Moreover, as far as I know, the Wang family's preparations seem to be much better than your Jiang family's! If we turn against each other now, I think it's unlikely that the Wang family will be the one to die, right?"

Her directness was truly unexpected for Jiang Hanqing, and what she said was indeed the most troublesome problem facing the Jiang family right now, causing Jiang Hanqing's expression to change instantly.

"This... is true! Commander Ying is right!"

Now that Shi Yanying had made her point clear, Jiang Hanqing didn't lie anymore and said, "My family did indeed make the grave mistake of underestimating our enemy, which is why we've ended up in such an unfavorable situation. To be honest, even two months ago, my family thought we had victory in the bag, only to find that the situation was far different from what we had estimated. In addition, once Commander Ying arrived in the capital..." Jiang Hanqing couldn't help but smile bitterly as she said this.

Shi Yanying continued, "Besides, since I, Shi Yanying, entered the capital, I've killed quite a few of your Jiang family members who were transferred from other places, haven't I? But I've also killed quite a few members of the Wang family for you!"

Jiang Hanqing had never encountered a woman as direct and incisive as Shi Yanying. He said shyly, "We're not blaming Commander Ying! We're all serving our own masters!"

In his heart, he exclaimed, "Impressive! This woman is indeed impressive! No wonder she can become a peerless general on par with my mother."

Shi Yanying said, "Do you know that the Emperor has ordered me to immediately prepare to lead the army to attack Fei Qingsi?" Jiang

Hanqing was shocked and said, "The Emperor wants you... wants Commander Ying to lead the army to attack Fei Qingsi?"

Shi Yanying nodded heavily, "That's right! These past few days..." "I've argued with Wang Mingsi several times in front of the Emperor, but he has a perfectly valid reason. Yesterday, the Emperor decided that I must leave the city within three days to assemble the army and depart within fifteen days. Weapons and provisions will initially be distributed from the capital's treasury, with subsequent provisions to be collected from various regions and delivered gradually."

Jiang Hanqing's heart sank when he heard that Shi Yanying was leaving the capital for the southern expedition: "Oh no! If Shi Yanying leaves, won't the Wang family seize the opportunity to make their move? Our preparations are a mess, what should we do?"

Shi Yanying continued, "The Wang family forced me to leave the capital yesterday, and today they mobilized a large force to attack you and the martial arts masters you hired. Their intentions are crystal clear! I'm afraid the Wang family will make their move after I leave the capital!"

Jiang Hanqing's heart pounded like a drum, her face pale. She said, "When Commander Ying first left the capital, the Wang family certainly wouldn't immediately rebel; they would only use the opportunity to continue eliminating dissidents. The day Commander Ying's forces confront Consort Qingsi will likely be the day the Wang family rebels."

Suddenly remembering something, Jiang Hanqing couldn't help but jump up and shout, "Oh no!"

Shi Yanying immediately guessed Jiang Hanqing's thoughts and sneered, "The problem is that the Emperor summoned your mother to the capital on the third day of the fifth month! Your mother, anxious to return home to see you and your father, will most likely travel light, rushing back day and night, only to encounter the Wang family's rebellion. Heh heh! The whole family will lose their lives! And your mother's elite personal guard, the 'Phoenix Army,' will probably still be on its way to the capital at that time. In that case, you won't even have a straw to grasp."

Jiang Hanqing smiled bitterly, "General Ying truly lives up to his reputation as a renowned general. Before I could even speak, General Ying had already guessed what I was thinking." Shi

Yanying said, "Actually, my situation isn't much better than yours. When my army marches south to fight Fei Qingsi, the Wang family will make their move in the capital, and my husband, Li Zhiqiang, will also face certain death. At that time, I will be fighting Fei Qingsi in the front and bearing the pressure from the Wang family behind me, while my directly subordinate 'Flying Eagle Legion' will be far away in the northern frontier. I will be in a very difficult situation, unable to advance or retreat."

Having spoken so frankly, Jiang Hanqing stopped pretending and asked directly, "Since Commander Ying saved me today and explicitly stated his desire to form an alliance with my Jiang family, you must have a plan in mind. I would like to hear the details!" Shi

Yanying replied, "Actually, my plan is quite simple. My departure from the capital has already been decided before the Emperor, and there's no way I can refuse anymore. Therefore, the only way to defend the capital is for the Jiang and Li families to join forces and work together to overcome this crisis. In addition, you should find a way to inform your mother and tell her not to make any excuses to come to the capital. With her 'Jade Phoenix Legion' restraining us in the Western Regions and my 'Flying Eagle Legion' stationed in the Northern Frontier, it won't be so easy for the Wang family to rebel." "

Jiang Hanqing sighed, "For now, this is the only option! However... in my opinion, the Wang family is already on the verge of disaster and cannot afford to hold back!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Yanying stood up and paced back and forth in the room, her head bowed in deep thought, remaining silent for a long time.

Jiang Hanqing, his lecherous nature unchanged, seized the opportunity to steal glances at Shi Yanying's full breasts and high buttocks. Watching the alluring way Shi Yanying's buttocks sway with her steps, Jiang Hanqing's cloak immediately billowed up again.

"The Crown Princess is your aunt. Does your Jiang family also have connections with the Crown Prince?"

Shi Yanying suddenly stopped pacing and asked Jiang Hanqing.

Jiang Hanqing, who was secretly peeping at Shi Yanying's buttocks, was startled by her sudden voice and stammered, "What?... Oh... uh... no! No!"

Shi Yanying hadn't expected Jiang Hanqing's panic to be due to peeping at her buttocks again. She thought he didn't want to admit his connection with the Crown Prince, and was furious: "At a time like this, this brat is still playing games with me, he deserves to die!"

Without asking any further questions, Shi Yanying said calmly, "If you can control a large number of Imperial Guards, even if the Wang family rebels, it won't be a problem."

She was essentially telling Jiang Hanqing that if he had connections with the Crown Prince, he should try to get him to control more Imperial Guards.

Jiang Hanqing remained silent, thinking to herself, "That fool Yisheng thinks he's so powerful just because he controls 50,000 Imperial Guards. I don't think that's reliable. Yiyu dared to mobilize the Imperial Guards to assist the Wang family in besieging me today, so he's obviously not afraid of leaks. It seems his control over the Imperial Guards is beyond our imagination! I must discuss countermeasures with my aunt later!"

Seeing that Jiang Hanqing ignored her, Shi Yanying didn't dwell on the matter and continued, "If the Jiang and Li families can work together, their power will naturally far exceed that of the Wang family. As for the Zou family, we don't need to pay them any attention. Yu Bingxin's little bit of external support is nothing!"

Hearing her mention "external support," Jiang Hanqing suddenly remembered the Special Agents and the Berliners' border incursions. The Berliners were completely eliminated by her mother, Yin Yufeng, but the Special Agents unexpectedly signed a peace treaty with Shi Yanying, retreating to their territory peacefully in an extremely rare manner. Was there something wrong with this?

Thinking of this, Jiang Hanqing's eyes lit up and he asked, "Commander Eagle, in your opinion,

the fact that the Special Agents and the Berliners invaded the border almost simultaneously recently, is it not also related to the Wang family?" Shi Yanying, hearing Jiang Hanqing suddenly bring this up, was visibly taken aback and said, "According to the intelligence I've obtained, the Wang family is definitely involved."

After this brief statement, Shi Yanying immediately changed the subject, saying, "If Yu Bingxin wants to rescue Zou…"

Before she could finish, Jiang Hanqing interrupted her, saying, "Commander Eagle, since you know the Wang family is about to stage a rebellion, what preparations has your 'Flying Eagle Legion' made?"

Shi Yanying, who had been facing away from Jiang Hanqing, immediately turned to look at him, only to find him staring intently at her.

The two stared at each other for a long while, neither retreating for a moment, as if they were fighting with their gazes as weapons.

Seeing Jiang Hanqing's unwavering stance, Shi Yanying knew this was a question she couldn't avoid and had to answer face-to-face.

"I didn't realize this kid was so shrewd; he's not entirely the good-for-nothing I imagined."

Shi Yanying had always considered Jiang Hanqing a spoiled brat and looked down on him. But seeing Jiang Hanqing ask such an important question, her opinion of him began to change.

With a deliberately relaxed smile, Shi Yanying said, "Hehe! To be honest, I've been worrying about this too. I was originally planning to move the main force of the army south if there was trouble in the court, but then I thought better of it. Although the special forces have signed an agreement with me to retreat 400 li and station themselves there, those barbarians are cunning and dangerous. If they know about the internal strife in the court, they will definitely take advantage of the situation to move south and invade our territory, and there's even a possibility that their forces will directly threaten Yong'an. Because of this, I'm still hesitant and dare not move them." The main force of the legion marched south.

Jiang Hanqing listened to Shi Yanying's insincere words, but his mind was racing: "The Special Operations Forces signed an agreement with Shi Yanying whereby the Empire would compensate them with 10,000 taels of silver, and they would voluntarily withdraw 400 li to disengage from the Imperial army. I've heard that the Special Operations Forces' Empress, Helis, is a woman of great talent and ambition, and has long coveted our dynasty's wealth and power. How could she possibly withdraw so easily for a mere 10,000 taels of silver? With Shi Yanying's intelligence and resourcefulness, after hastily signing such an agreement..." He actually dared to leave the army in the northern frontier and return to the capital alone with 30,000 personal guards. Wasn't that too hasty? No! There must be a conspiracy! A huge conspiracy!"

After Shi Yanying finished speaking, seeing that Jiang Hanqing remained noncommittal, she feigned anger and questioned Jiang Hanqing, "Do you not believe what I said? Do you suspect that I am colluding with the barbarians? Hmph! As the general guarding the northern frontier of the Great Xia Kingdom, would I, Shi Yanying, betray the country's territory? Do you suspect that I would personally kill the countless martyrs of the Yanhuang race?" "Give up the vast lands carved out with blood to the special agents? Do you think I, Shi Yanying, would dare bear the eternal infamy of being a national traitor?"

Jiang Hanqing thought to himself, "Hmph! You've already admitted it yourself, you clearly have a guilty conscience! I'm willing to do anything for the throne, so why wouldn't you, Shi Yanying, do the same?"

But he replied evasively, "Commander Ying, you're overthinking it! I don't doubt you. I just think if you could deploy your elite troops to a location not far from the capital, the Wang family would surely not dare to act rashly!"

Shi Yanying sighed and said, "How could I not want to move the main force of the legion south! But... the special agents are guarding there, I dare not! That barbarian woman Helis is extremely cunning. This time she actually agreed to withdraw the troops with such simple conditions. I think there is a high chance that it is a trap. We must be on guard!"

Jiang Hanqing was convinced that Shi Yanying was lying and completely ignored what she said, only thinking about his own wishful thinking.

"How could I be so stupid! I could have found outside help myself! Couldn't we have used the army of Queen Han Yuexue of Qiu Te? As long as we could get her to help, things would be much easier. As a condition, we could promise the Qiu Te people that after the matter was settled, we would give them a piece of land in the east of the empire. This would keep them on their toes and make them wholeheartedly help us. After the world is settled, Mother can lead the army to take it all back."

Jiang Hanqing had already conceived the subsequent strategic plan in his mind: "Let Mother's troops stationed in the Western Regions, while firmly holding their base in the Western Regions, gradually move their main force to the east." The deployment would directly threaten the capital, while simultaneously monitoring Shi Yanying's army in the northern frontier to prevent her from causing trouble. Shi Yanying herself would be held back by Fei Qingsi's southern army. Then, Empress Han Yuexue of Qiu Te would be invited to send troops westward, heading straight for Yong'an Prefecture. While the Wang family's current power in the capital is formidable, they are nothing but swine in the face of a true army! Once the capital is captured, Mother's army can confidently advance eastward to Yong'an Prefecture. Then, together with Fei Qingsi, they can attack Shi Yanying from the north and south, defeating her personally led army, before marching north to defeat the "Flying Eagle Legion," and the world will be theirs! "

In the midst of his smugness, Jiang Hanqing suddenly heard Shi Yanying say, "Young Master Jiang, were you even listening to what I said?"

Jiang Hanqing was taken aback and replied apologetically, "I'm sorry! I was just calculating when the Wang family might make their move, and I didn't quite catch what Commander Ying said."

Shi Yanying gave Jiang Hanqing a meaningful look and said, "I just said that we must find a way to make sure the Wang family knows clearly about our alliance. Only then can we intimidate our enemies. This matter needs to be carefully planned."

Jiang Hanqing nodded repeatedly, "Yes! Yes! That's how it should be. If the two families form an alliance in secret, and the Wang family doesn't know, and they still rebel, then even if we manage to defeat them, both of our families will suffer heavy losses."

In her heart, she thought, "You bastard, it seems you think the same way I do. You're both using the alliance to intimidate the Wang family, making them afraid to act. Then, once you're ready, you'll devour the other three families. Do you think I'm cunning? Bah!"

Shi Yanying suddenly chuckled, "Oh dear! We were both confused."

Seeing Jiang Hanqing looking at her suspiciously, Shi Yanying said, "My people rescued you. With the Wang family's capabilities, they naturally know everything. They're probably still wondering why I saved you, but as long as they see you walk out of here safely, how could the Wang family not know what happened in between? Why should we both waste our time pondering this matter like a difficult problem!"

The two looked at each other and burst into laughter at the same time. To an uninformed person, seeing the two laughing so happily, they would definitely think the two were good friends, but little did they know that the two were each harboring their own ulterior motives and secretly plotting against each other.

After gradually suppressing her laughter, Shi Yanying said, "Young Master Jiang, is the alliance between our two families now finalized? After I lead my troops south, we'll need everyone's cooperation to deal with the treacherous Wang family in the capital."

Jiang Hanqing nodded and said, "I can assure you right now that there's no problem with the general principle of an alliance. However, the specifics of how it will be implemented will need to be discussed with my father. I must make this clear to you, Commander Ying."

Shi Yanying said, "That's no problem. My situation is actually the same as yours. After we agree, the specifics will be decided by my husband's Li family. However, I believe the alliance will benefit both families, and the Li family will certainly be happy to see it happen."

Seeing that the two had almost finished their discussion, Jiang Hanqing suddenly remembered Lan'er's matter, hesitated for a long time, but was still too embarrassed to speak.

Observing Jiang Hanqing's expression, Shi Yanying noticed that Jiang Hanqing seemed hesitant to speak, so she said, "Hanqing, we're practically in the same boat now. If there's anything you need my help with, just say it."

She changed her address from "Young Master Jiang" to "Hanqing," indicating that their relationship had deepened due to today's alliance.

Jiang Hanqing thought, "If not now, when?"

and shamelessly blurted out, "Commander Ying, to be honest, just now your little girl Lan'er..."

Shi Yanying laughed and waved her hands repeatedly.

Jiang Hanqing's heart felt as if it had fallen into an ice cellar. He thought bitterly, "That damned woman, she won't even take a little maid from you. Humph! Fine, but she even dares to use this to mock me!"

Shi Yanying laughed for a while and said, "So Hanqing wants this little maid. Sigh! This girl was bought into my household fourteen years ago. She's been by my side for fourteen years, very obedient, diligent, and meticulous. To be honest, I really can't bear to part with her."

Jiang Hanqing said awkwardly, "I was just saying. Since Commander Ying is unwilling, then..." "Alright!"

Shi Yanying laughed, "Don't be in such a hurry, let me finish. I really like this girl. It's truly hard for me to part with her since you asked me for her. But, you know, girls grow up and leave home! I think she seemed quite interested in you earlier too. This little girl is always by my side, she hasn't seen much of the world, she's prone to getting stuck on things.

If she works for me in the future, she might think of you all the time, and if she gets sick, it would break my heart. So… Hanqing, since you like her, this girl is yours from now on!"

As she spoke, Jiang Hanqing listened, but in his heart… Li said, "I'm quite interested in you too... You'd better think of me often in the future. I won't feel sorry for you if you get sick... You'd better give yourself to me as well. Hehe!"

After Shi Yanying finished speaking, Jiang Hanqing said to her with a grateful expression, "Commander Ying! This... this is really too much! I really didn't expect this!"

Just as Jiang Hanqing was pretending to stammer out his thanks, Lan'er's voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Commander Ying, a lady has come to visit you. She claims to be the sister of the Duke of Anguo, saying that you sent someone to inform her that Young Master Jiang was here, so she came immediately." "She's waiting outside the mansion now."

Jiang Hanqing stared at Shi Yanying in astonishment and asked, "Fifth Sister?"

Shi Yanying nodded and shouted loudly outside, "Lan'er, let her in immediately!"

She said to Jiang Hanqing, "After rescuing you, I sent someone to inform Sister Huaxin to come and pick you up. When I was in the Northern Frontier, she wrote to me saying that you treated her well. I think you would also like her to come and take you back, right?"

Hearing that the person coming to pick him up was Fifth Sister Li Huaxin, Jiang Hanqing's dark heart immediately gave rise to evil thoughts. He wanted to take this opportunity to provoke Shi Yanying even more intensely. He wanted to open the eyes of this goddess who looked down on all men, to let her see with her own eyes how astonishingly lewd a lowly sex slave could be, and to let her witness firsthand the extreme humiliation and degrading perverse pleasure that sadomasochistic behavior could bring to a woman. Jiang Hanqing believed that tonight's performance would definitely open up a space deep in Shi Yanying's heart, sowing the dark seeds of sadomasochism there, which would slowly take root and sprout.

During his earlier probing of Shi Yanying, Jiang Hanqing had already discovered the empire's top female commander harboring a raging lust within her. He recalled his mother, Yin Yufeng, when she first received his training; her situation was remarkably similar to Shi Yanying's now. Back then, Yin Yufeng appeared outwardly as noble and dignified as a goddess, inspiring awe and reverence, but within her lay a wicked lust unknown even to herself.

When this wicked lust was ignited by her own son, the intensely burning desire consumed her, plunging her into a hell of sin, destroying her maternal dignity and self-respect, ultimately leading her to rapidly degenerate into her son's sex slave, bowing and submitting beneath him. Jiang Hanqing had a strong feeling, a superhuman sense honed by his innate sixth sense and the secret techniques of the erotic sect. He felt that Shi Yanying was just like his mother back then. As long as he could uncover the darkest desires hidden deep within her heart, she would obediently submit and become another lowly sex slave raised by him, Young Master Jiang.

Deep in his heart, he cursed Shi Yanying viciously: "You bitch, you really know how to arrange things, choosing Fifth Sister here. That's perfect! Once Fifth Sister arrives, I can finally give you a real eye-opener. Hehe! Tonight's treat will be unforgettable. Judging from the probing earlier, you're quite the repressed pervert. Later, I'll let you enjoy a free feast of sadomasochistic acts, so you'll have something to fantasize about when you're playing with your cunt alone tonight."

But even now, Jiang Hanqing maintained the dignified demeanor of a noble scion. He smiled and said to Shi Yanying, "Yes! Fifth Sister and I have a very good relationship. I'm glad she came to pick me up today."

After a pause, Jiang Hanqing continued, "Fifth Sister often mentions Commander Ying to the younger generation, saying that Commander Ying cares a lot about his sister-in-law..." Just as he finished speaking, Li Huaxin rushed in, panting.

Entering the room, Li Huaxin's eyes swept across and she saw Jiang Hanqing still reclining on the bed. Ignoring Shi Yanying, who was greeting her, she rushed to Jiang Hanqing's bedside, exclaiming, "Qing'er, are you alright? What kind of bastard dared to lay a hand on you?"

She shouted as she frantically searched Jiang Hanqing's body, checking for wounds. First his face, then his chest, then his abdomen, all the way down to his thighs, her eyes following her movements. Her genuine concern touched even the usually ruthless Jiang Hanqing.

"Fifth Sister is still devoted to me. I'll have someone send her to Mother's army in the Western Regions first, so she won't be implicated if anything happens in the capital."

When Li Huaxin saw the bandage on Jiang Hanqing's thigh, she cried out in a trembling voice, "This… those beasts hurt you? How badly? Does the wound hurt?" Her voice trembled with tears as she spoke, her eyes glistening with emotion.

Jiang Hanqing chuckled, "It's nothing. I was just accidentally hit by an arrow, nothing serious. I'll be fine after a while. Look! Commander Ying has already arranged for someone to bandage my wound. It's alright! Don't worry!"

Li Huaxin then remembered that her sister-in-law, Shi Yanying, was still beside her, and quickly turned around, saying, "Sister Ying, thank you so much! Thank you!"

Shi Yanying didn't say anything, just smiled at Li Huaxin and nodded.

Shi Yanying had always liked her sister-in-law, Li Huaxin. She was gentle, humble, and sincere and warm-hearted to everyone; she was truly a rare good person. But fate seemed to favor good people, marrying Li Huaxin off to Jiang Haoran, the fifth son of the Jiang family, that vulgar scoundrel.

Therefore, Shi Yanying felt an added layer of sympathy for Li Huaxin in addition to her affection, and cared for her in every way.

Shi Yanying didn't inform the rest of the Jiang family today, but instead chose Li Huaxin to pick up Jiang Hanqing. Her main purpose was to help Li Huaxin.

Because Shi Yanying learned from Li Huaxin's letter that Jiang Hanqing was the only member of the Jiang family who cared about Li Huaxin, she wanted Jiang Hanqing to owe Li Huaxin another favor, so that he would naturally care more about this aunt in the future. However, Shi Yanying never expected that Li Huaxin would

be so excited after seeing Jiang Hanqing. "What's wrong with Huaxin? I heard that Jiang Hanqing is in some danger and she gets so excited. Seeing how concerned she is, she might not even be this anxious if her own son is injured. How did their relationship become so good? That brat Jiang Hanqing doesn't seem like a good person. How can he make Huaxin care about him so much? Could he have used some tricks to deceive my honest sister?"

Just as Shi Yanying was feeling puzzled, Jiang Hanqing did something that left her speechless.

In front of Shi Yanying, Jiang Hanqing actually reached out and wrapped his arms around Li Huaxin's waist, pulling her down onto his chest, her beautiful face resting on his shoulder.

Ignoring Shi Yanying, who had taken a step back in fright, Jiang Hanqing whispered in Li Huaxin's ear, "Fifth Sister, were you worried I'd really die on the way here? I was thinking of you the whole time I was lying here! Now that you're here, it's wonderful!"

Seeing her beloved unharmed and hearing his sweet words, Li Huaxin was so happy she forgot all about herself, completely oblivious to the sister-in-law standing beside her.

Leaning against Jiang Hanqing's chest, Li Huaxin blushed and said, "I was so worried! My heart was completely out of my mind!"

Shi Yanying, witnessing this scene, knew perfectly well the relationship between Jiang Hanqing and Li Huaxin. The illicit affair she had witnessed left her completely bewildered. She was shocked, never expecting that the kind-hearted Hua Xin would have an affair with her nephew; she was also disgusted, unable to believe that such a morally reprehensible thing could happen to someone so close to her; yet, she also felt a strange thrill.

But what happened next shocked her even more. Jiang Hanqing actually lifted Li Hua Xin's skirt in front of her, revealing that Li Hua Xin was completely naked underneath.

Jiang Hanqing's fingers groped for Li Hua Xin's buttocks, roughly inserting his index finger into her anus and rotating it, saying, "You slut, you came here without even wearing underwear! Did you come here expecting your master's pleasure?"

Li Hua Xin chuckled, pressing her face against Jiang Hanqing's chin and gently rubbing it, murmuring, "A little harder. Dig deeper into my place!"

Jiang Hanqing stole a glance at Shi Yanying; the half of her face exposed beneath her mask was deathly pale, her rosy lips slightly parted, her eyes wide open as if bulging out, her hands clasped together in front of her, twisting them incessantly.

Jiang Hanqing chuckled and said, "You slut, where do you want your master to dig?"

Li Huaxin's eyes were slightly closed, and she said in a slutty voice, "I want...I want my master to dig...dig my ass...my asshole!"

Jiang Hanqing laughed loudly and forcefully thrust his finger, which was inserted into her anus, in and out, saying viciously, "Slut! I'll fuck you to death! I'll fuck you to death!"

Li Huaxin spread her legs wide, exposing her genitals, and her body trembled violently with the movement of Jiang Hanqing's finger, emitting continuous, indistinct moans.

Shi Yanying looked at the lewd scene before her, and her lungs were about to explode with anger.

"These...these two sluts...how dare...do this...in front of me! Li Huaxin, I've thought of you as a good person for so many years, but it turns out...it turns out you're a woman who's even more lewd than...even a prostitute!"

Her ten fingers were intertwined and twisting incessantly, her legs trembled slightly with excitement, her chest heaved violently, and her breathing quickened.

Never having seen such a disgusting scene before, Shi Yanying had no idea what she could do.

She wanted to yell at the shameless couple in front of her, but then forcibly held back. She thought, "These two bastards seem to have forgotten I'm there, so they're just putting on a show. If I yell at them, they'll look at me when they come to their senses, and I'll be the one who'll feel embarrassed. Fine! I can't afford to mess with them, I'll just stay away! Let you two shameless bastards mess around here!"

She pushed off the ground, turned to walk towards the door, but stopped abruptly after taking a step.

Jiang Hanqing, who had been secretly observing Shi Yanying's expression, changed his actions at the opportune moment, suddenly slapping Li Huaxin's buttocks hard.

"Smack!" The crisp sound of the slap immediately attracted Shi Yanying's attention.

The fleshy buttocks of Li Huaxin trembled slightly with Jiang Hanqing's heavy slap, and after an initial scream, she let out a pleasurable moan.

The unprecedentedly lewd scene made Shi Yanying inadvertently abandon her intention to leave; her curiosity made her want to take one more look before leaving.

If this had happened before, Shi Yanying might have already walked away, or perhaps, in a bad mood, she might have drawn her sword and hacked the two adulterers to pieces. However, less than an hour earlier, she had been experimentally aroused by Jiang Hanqing, and the sexual desire that had been suppressed for ten years was beginning to resurface. Therefore, when she saw this lewd scene, she subconsciously felt a similar desire, but her years of self-cultivation and long-cultivated noble pride suppressed that evil thought, preventing her from realizing it.

Seeing Shi Yanying stop in her tracks, Jiang Hanqing became even more excited, continuing to insert his index finger into Li Huaxin's anus while repeatedly and forcefully slapping Li Huaxin's buttocks with his other hand.

When his palm struck Li Huaxin's buttocks, Li Huaxin would scream "Ah!" but when his palm moved away, her scream would turn into a pleasurable moan, "Uh." Due to Jiang Hanqing's continuous slapping,

Li Huaxin's moans would stop and become "Ah...uh...ah...uh...", interspersed with the slapping sounds and Li Huaxin's occasional shouts of "Harder!"

Seeing Li Huaxin's buttocks turn a bright red, like a monkey's bottom, under Jiang Hanqing's slaps, and yet she seemed even more excited, Shi Yanying felt even more contempt for Li Huaxin. She thought, "My God! Being spanked by a man and still getting excited? What a despicable woman!"

But strangely enough, looking at Li Huaxin's red, trembling buttocks, Shi Yanying felt a surge of curiosity. She wondered, "How can a woman feel pleasure from being slapped on the buttocks by a man? How can she be so excited? What's going on?"

A wicked thought suddenly welled up in her mind, and Shi Yanying pondered, "If... if I could make Yin Yufeng lie in front of me, letting me play with and slap her buttocks at will? What would her reaction be? Would she react like this slut in front of me?"

The scene of Yin Yufeng being humiliated flashed through her mind. The invincible phoenix of the empire knelt before Shi Yanying, her sexy buttocks raised high, allowing her old rival to cruelly play with and humiliate her.

"If only I could do that! Yin Yufeng would be in so much pain she'd want to commit suicide! But I won't let her die… I'll make her suffer the most painful humiliation in the world!"

As Shi Yanying fantasized, the scene of Jiang Hanqing playing with Li Huaxin unconsciously replaced her own fantasy of humiliating Yin Yufeng. Seeing Li Huaxin's trembling red buttocks and hearing her excited moans, Shi Yanying suddenly felt as if it wasn't Jiang Hanqing slapping Li Huaxin's buttocks, but rather herself, Shi Yanying, striking Yin Yufeng's buttocks. This sudden feeling excited Shi Yanying's entire body. Her buttocks, her breasts, her vulva all seemed to heat up and itch.

"Heavens! What's wrong with me! How could I think like this? I want to defeat Yin Yufeng fair and square on the battlefield. Although she's hateful, she's still a respectable opponent. I want to be remembered in history, how could I do such a despicable thing?"

Although years of jealousy and hatred towards Yin Yufeng had tormented Shi Yanying's mind, gradually leading her soul into evil, her pride and self-discipline as a renowned general of the empire had never given up the fight. Justice can sometimes prevail over evil, reclaiming a little lost ground. That was the case at this moment; Shi Yanying's conscience overwhelmed evil. Her body trembled violently twice, waking up from the illusion.

"No! I absolutely cannot do such evil things! How could I think such filthy things?"

However, compared to a righteous conscience, the desire for evil always attracts those with wavering hearts more strongly, and Shi Yanying was no exception. The situation where conscience prevailed only lasted for a moment before her mind was taken over by evil again. Having banished justice and self-respect, Shi Yanying's body immediately betrayed her soul.

The mere fantasy of deriving pleasure from humiliating her enemies filled her with unparalleled excitement. A sudden surge of fluid from her lower body soaked her panties, and the quickly cooling, sticky liquid clinging to her inner thighs only intensified the itching in her vulva. She had never imagined she possessed such a desire to abuse others, yet it had truly arisen, bringing her an unusual excitement.

Although no one would know, Shi Yanying blushed with shame, desperately clenching her legs to suppress the itching. However, instead of calming down, the force of clenching only intensified the itching in her already engorged and sensitive labia. Her

private parts, untouched by a man's touch for ten years, were unbearably itchy from the fantasy of abusing others, and Shi Yanying almost cried out.

Biting her lip tightly, Shi Yanying struggled to suppress a moan. Her breathing became rapid; if it weren't for the two men and women beside her making love so passionately, her breathing would have been clearly audible.

Jiang Hanqing had already noticed Shi Yanying's unease. Seeing her flushed face, legs tightly pressed together, and body trembling slightly, Jiang Hanqing was even more certain that his judgment was correct.

"Shi Yanying, you proud woman are indeed a slut! Humph! What woman in the world doesn't talk about sex? There wasn't one in the past, there isn't one now, and there never will be! You seemingly high and mighty women are all utterly lewd. The higher a woman climbs, the more she suppresses her sexual desires; the more capable a woman is, the more she needs the nourishment of yin and yang harmony. You women who appear unapproachable on the surface are all masochistic sluts at heart. My mother was like that, and so are you, Shi Yanying. All the noblewomen in the world are like that! You all act so arrogant and conceited all the time..." "Deep down, you're more despicable than a prostitute... Just watching me humiliate other women excites you this much. When it's your turn, who knows how depraved you'll become? Just you wait. Today is just the beginning. I'll slowly lure you into revealing your lewd nature, making you love the taste of masochism. Then you'll have no choice but to obediently become my despicable woman!"

Seeing the arousal in Shi Yanying's body, Jiang Hanqing naturally assumed she possessed a natural masochistic potential. However, he didn't know that Shi Yanying wasn't excited by imagining masochism; instead, she was mentally picturing herself abusing others. Sadism and masochism are worlds apart. If Jiang Hanqing's attempt to conquer Shi Yanying's body and soul was considered a war, then Shi Yanying was undoubtedly his only enemy. But Jiang Hanqing's assessment of the enemy was severely flawed from the very beginning. Could his "war" to conquer Shi Yanying really proceed as smoothly as he imagined? Perhaps only heaven knew! The smug Jiang Hanqing was oblivious to the grave mistake he had made, instead believing he had seen through Shi Yanying's true nature. Boosted by the thrill of his initial victory, he excitedly whispered in Li Huaxin's ear, "Fifth Sister, are you wearing the nipple chain I gave you?"

Li Huaxin slightly opened her eyes and glanced at him. Seeing his eyes shining as he stared at her, she quickly closed her eyelids tightly and nodded almost imperceptibly.

Jiang Hanqing's lips curled into a smug grin; this was exactly what he had prepared for Shi Yanying to see.

Without a moment's hesitation, he immediately began to remove Li Huaxin's clothes. As a seasoned veteran of the sex scene, he was quick to undress a woman. In no time, he had stripped Li Huaxin completely naked.

"You slut, stand down there and let your master have a good look at you."

With her nephew's cold words, Li Huaxin immediately stood up obediently, stretching out her alluring body towards Jiang Hanqing, looking like a soldier being inspected by an officer.

At this moment, Li Huaxin, now completely naked, had something else that ordinary people didn't have.

Two golden clips were clamped between her nipples, and a crystal chain connected the ends of the clips. The chain was clearly not light, as Li Huaxin's nipples were visibly drooping.

Jiang Hanqing glanced at Shi Yanying and noticed that she was angled towards the headboard, unable to see the chain around Li Huaxin's nipples. So he reached out and grabbed Li Huaxin's arm, pulling it forcefully to the side. Li Huaxin's body shifted slightly with his movement. This allowed Shi Yanying a clear view of the gleaming chain around Li Huaxin's nipples, and the drooping nipples.

Never having imagined such a thing existed, Shi Yanying's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

She swallowed hard, her mouth dry, and her lower body unbearably itchy. She felt her breasts were painfully swollen and wanted to rub them. But reason forced her not to.

Looking at the swaying chain around Li Huaxin's chest and the nipples, distorted by the clamps, Shi Yanying felt goosebumps all over her body.

"This...it can actually be like this! Yin Yufeng...you wait...you...I want you to taste this too!"

Jiang Hanqing's fingers hooked onto the nipple chains hanging in front of Li Huaxin's chest and gently tugged at them. With each tug, Li Huaxin's nipples were stretched and protruded. Her face was contorted in pain, her mouth wide open, occasionally letting out a soft groan, while liquid was clearly visible flowing from between her legs, slowly trickling down her thighs.

Jiang Hanqing played with Li Huaxin while watching Shi Yanying's movements.

At this moment, Shi Yanying was completely immersed in the lewd and sadistic scene she had never imagined before, her eyes blankly staring at Li Huaxin's pitiful nipples, deformed by the nipple chains, completely unaware that Jiang Hanqing was watching her smugly with a lewd grin beside her. Shi Yanying exclaimed inwardly, "My God! How can that slut be excited by something so disgusting? How despicable! How would Yin Yufeng react if she were tortured like this?"

She couldn't believe her eyes. Shi Yanying was overwhelmed with mixed feelings, unable to tell if it was disgust, curiosity, or even a tiny bit of anticipation—a desire to personally use this method against Yin Yufeng one day.

Jiang Hanqing's hand slowly reached towards Li Huaxin's vulva. As Shi Yanying's gaze followed, he suddenly pinched Li Huaxin's labia with two fingers and pulled hard.

"Ah!" Li Huaxin screamed, her whole body trembling violently. A large amount of fluid gushed from her vulva, splashing onto Jiang Hanqing's hand.

Shi Yanying watched this scene, her body trembling slightly. This lewd scene, which she had never even imagined, completely aroused her from the inside out.

"Yin Yufeng, you should thank your son! He came up with such a great idea! Just you wait... one day, you'll enjoy it to the fullest!"

The mental excitement had exceeded her physical limits, and Shi Yanying's body began to weaken. She staggered back two steps and collapsed heavily into the chair behind her.

Glancing at Shi Yanying's disheveled state, Jiang Hanqing could no longer contain his smugness and let out a wild laugh. As he laughed, he thought to himself, "Shi Yanying, you slut, you'll never forget this lesson. Just wait for the real training later. I'm afraid you'll be going crazy with excitement then!"

If Jiang Hanqing knew Shi Yanying's true thoughts, he might have been furious. But at this moment, he believed his strategy had worked well and had begun to arouse Shi Yanying's masochistic desires.

Jiang Hanqing's laughter struck Shi Yanying's heart like a resounding bell, awakening her pride and jolting her from her reverie. A fierce fire of humiliation and anger burned within her.

"How could I have been so engrossed in watching this shameless performance by this adulterous couple! And even had such wild thoughts! What's wrong with me today? Am I possessed?"

Looking at the maniacally laughing Jiang Hanqing, Shi Yanying felt utterly ashamed. She knew that Jiang Hanqing had witnessed her disoriented and pathetic state, and his laughter was undoubtedly the ultimate mockery of her. At this moment,

Shi Yanying had no doubt that the young man before her was filled with wicked fantasies about her.

"That bastard must think I'd give in to him! Bah! You're dreaming! You and that bitch Yin Yufeng are truly mother and son, you two just wait! One day you'll regret this!"

Meeting Jiang Hanqing's wicked gaze, the pride and conscience unique to noblewomen finally overwhelmed the evil, and Shi Yanying, regaining her senses, felt immense pain. The thought of this adulterous couple seduce each other right in front of her, while she, the revered war goddess of the empire, watched in a daze, cursed herself inwardly: "Shi Yanying! How could you have the audacity to watch like this! Where is your dignity as a noblewoman of the empire? Have you forgotten that you are the most powerful commander in the empire?"

Li Huaxin, who had been lost in her own world with her beloved, only then remembered that her sister-in-law, Shi Yanying, had been watching all along. Feeling deeply embarrassed, she called out "Sister Ying" to Shi Yanying, but then fell silent, unsure of what to say next.

Hearing Li Huaxin's call, Shi Yanying felt even more ashamed. All the wicked thoughts she had harbored earlier vanished; now she only felt humiliation and pain. She never imagined Li Huaxin could be such a lewd woman, and she was furious at having been deceived by Li Huaxin all this time.

"Shi Yanying, how could you be so stupid! How could you not see Li Huaxin's despicable nature! And watching her lewd behavior, you actually got excited too?"

Unable to bear the intense self-reproach any longer, Shi Yanying abruptly jumped up from her chair, shouting hoarsely at Jiang Hanqing and Li Huaxin, "You two beasts! Get out of here right now! Go back to your Jiang family's pigsty!"

Her emotions were completely out of control, because this pair of scoundrels dared to put on such a lewd show in front of her, and she could even feel curiosity and excitement on the sidelines. How could Shi Yanying, with her strong sense of self-respect, tolerate this?

After berating the two of them, the humiliation and hatred in Shi Yanying's heart only intensified. Tears welled up in her eyes, a feeling she hadn't experienced in countless years. Unable to control her erratic emotions, Shi Yanying, her face flushed, stormed out of the door, and at that moment, the tears finally streamed down her face.

As Shi Yanying rushed out the door, she bumped into the innocent and adorable girl Lan'er, who was about to enter. The two collided heavily and fell to the ground.

Before Lan'er could react, Shi Yanying had already jumped up and continued running outside.

Poor Lan'er had no idea what was happening. Afraid something had happened to her master, she struggled to her feet and limped after Shi Yanying, completely unaware that Li Huaxin was standing naked in front of Jiang Hanqing's bed.

Glaring at Jiang Hanqing, Li Huaxin scolded, "You big bad guy! When I came over, I was only thinking about you, but after you did that, I forgot Sister Ying was still there. And... tell me, weren't you deliberately trying to seduce my Sister Ying?"

Jiang Hanqing admitted without hesitation, "That's right! The moment I saw your sister-in-law, I knew she was outwardly unapproachable, but deep down she was a slut. Today it seems she really has a great masochistic streak! Haha!"

Shi Yanying didn't hear Jiang Hanqing's maniacal laughter, but it seemed to have already sealed her fate. Of course, the road ahead was still long, after all, reality was quite different from Jiang Hanqing's imagination...

Chapter Seventy-Four: Emergency Deployment

When Lan'er returned to the room, two incense sticks had burned out. Li Huaxin was already dressed neatly and sitting in the room, as if nothing had happened.

"Young Master Jiang, what happened to Commander Ying? I chased her to her bedroom, but she locked the door and was crying alone inside. When I asked her what happened, Commander Ying said she didn't want me anymore and wanted me to go with you. What... what happened?" The little girl, her face still wet with tears, began to sob again as she spoke. Jiang

Hanqing was worried that after losing so much face, Shi Yanying would regret giving the little girl to him. Hearing Lan'er's words, he was overjoyed and laughed heartily, "Actually, it's nothing! I asked Commander Ying if you could come and serve me. Although Commander Ying agreed, she still couldn't bear to part with you. She said that you've been by her side for fourteen years, and she really wouldn't be used to not having you, so she cried."

Lan'er cried even harder upon hearing this. "This servant can't bear to part with Commander Ying either! This servant will go find Commander Ying right now!" With that, she turned and ran out of the house.

Li Huaxin watched from the side and muttered, "Another little girl has become a victim. Sigh!"

Jiang Hanqing slapped her plump bottom hard and laughed, "Don't be jealous! This little girl is just here to be a maid. I can't bear to torment such a cute girl! She's not like you sluts, each one more wanton than the last."

Li Huaxin retorted, "Who's wanton? Who's wanton? It's all your fault, you little rascal, that you ruined her and are blaming others!"

Jiang Hanqing pulled her into his lap and said, "Alright! I'm the wanton one! I'm wanton! Okay?"

Before Li Huaxin could say anything more, Jiang Hanqing kissed her, silencing her nagging lips.

...

Almost an hour passed before Lan'er returned carrying a small package. There were no traces of tears on her face, but her eyes were still red and swollen. She looked even more pitiful.

"Young Master, I just said goodbye to Commander Ying. Commander Ying said that from now on I am yours!"

Jiang Hanqing nodded and said, "Good! Lan'er, don't worry. Following me, I will definitely not mistreat you."

Lan'er then said, "Young Master, it's almost dawn. Should we set off immediately, or wait until daybreak?"

Li Huaxin said to Jiang Hanqing, "I haven't said goodbye to my sister-in-law yet!"

Lan'er said, "Commander Ying said she's not in the mood to see anyone right now. She asked me to tell you two that if you want to leave, you don't need to see her again, you can just set off directly."

Li Huaxin knew that after Jiang Hanqing's actions today, she would never be accepted by this sister-in-law again. Thinking of her past kindness to her, she couldn't help but feel sad.

Seeing her suddenly lower her head and remain silent, Jiang Hanqing knew what she was thinking, so he took her hand and said, "Don't be sad! Maybe you'll be good sisters in the future. Then she won't blame you for what happened today!"

Hearing him say this, Li Huaxin felt a little better, but she turned her head and spat at him, saying, "You greedy devil, you fall in love with every girl you see! I really don't want Sister Ying to fall into your clutches. That would be a complete waste!"

Jiang Hanqing suddenly said seriously, "Do you think it's good for her to suppress her true nature now? She clearly has desires, but she forcibly suppresses them. Is she happy living like that? I think it would be better to let her release her true nature and do whatever she wants. That's true happiness!"

Li Huaxin knew that Jiang Hanqing's words were definitely wrong, but she didn't know how to refute them for a moment, so she could only say helplessly, "Anyway, you're right! I won't argue with you!"

Lan'er, who was standing to the side, didn't understand what they were talking about at all. She stood there confused, looking at this one and then at that one, looking very innocent and cute.

Supported by Lan'er and Li Huaxin, Jiang Hanqing and his companion slowly walked out of the Jiang family mansion.

Lan'er suddenly stopped, turning back to gaze longingly into the dark gate, but seeing no movement inside, she straightened up and bowed three times, murmuring, "Commander Ying, this servant is leaving! Without me by your side, please take good care of yourself!" After bowing three times, glistening tears welled up in her eyes again.

Li Huaxin, who also adored this lovely girl, reached out and embraced her, gently wiping away her tears with her sleeve, saying tenderly, "Good Lan'er, don't cry! Sister Ying will take good care of herself, don't worry! When you go to the Jiang family mansion, many people will keep you company, you'll definitely have a happy life." Nodding vigorously

, Lan'er finally smiled through her tears. The still-dampened tears clung to her cheeks, shimmering like pearls in the lantern light above the gate, captivating Jiang Hanqing.

Sitting in the carriage, Jiang Hanqing glanced back at the large characters "Shi Mansion" on the gate plaque, thinking, "This trip to the Jiang Mansion has been quite fruitful! It wasn't in vain that I took that arrow to the leg. However… it's a pity I still didn't see Shi Yanying's true face. Ah well! Let's just leave something to look forward to next time we meet."

That afternoon, sitting in the council hall, the core members of the Jiang family were all ashen-faced.

The family's young master had been attacked by the enemy and nearly lost his life. This was no small matter. Moreover, the Wang family's rebellion was becoming increasingly apparent; the only question was when they would launch their uprising.

The third brother, Jiang Haoming, first introduced the current military distribution of the Xia Kingdom: "This morning at court, Shi Yanying claimed to be ill and did not attend. However, the Emperor still issued an imperial edict, appointing Shi Yanying as the 'Grand Marshal of the Southern Expedition to Protect the Nation and Punish the Rebels,' ordering him to set up an army camp in the capital within three days and complete all preparations within fifteen days before leading the army on the southern expedition." "

Currently, there are nearly 800,000 troops in and around the capital. Among them, the more elite are the Imperial Guards of 120,000, the Imperial Guards of 200,000, and the original garrison troops of the capital region of about 80,000. The rest are miscellaneous soldiers pieced together from various places. In this operation, Shi Yanying will be given 200,000 troops, including 50,000 Imperial Guards. Adding the 200,000 Imperial Guards sent to the south at the beginning of Fei Qingsi's rebellion, Fei Qingsi will have 400,000 troops, of which the elite troops of the Imperial Guard system will reach as many as 250,000. In addition, 20,000 Imperial Guards, 100,000 Imperial Guards, and other troops of 200,000 will be drawn from the capital to form a legion to advance to the east of the empire. They are to be stationed in the Qinyang area. After Shi Yanying's southern expedition is victorious, this legion will be used to attack the Qiu Te people in the east. In this way, there will actually only be 50,000 Imperial Guards, 100,000 Imperial Guards, and the original garrison troops of the capital region of 80,000 left in and around the capital, totaling 230,000." Yu Feng's legion is still stationed in the Western Regions, and currently has less than 120,000 people, of which the "Fengxiang Army" has about 30,000. Shi Yanying's Flying Eagle Legion, having not engaged in major battles recently, currently maintains a strength of approximately 300,000 men. Apart from the 30,000 "Eagle Wing Iron Guards," all of these troops remain in the Northern Frontier.

"In addition, there are a million 'local garrison troops,' but these are a rabble, scattered among various factions, with the largest controlling less than 100,000 men. This force is insufficient to accomplish anything."

The fourth brother, Jiang Haoting, calculated and said, "Doesn't that mean Shi Yanying controls about 700,000 troops?"

Jiang Haoran interjected, "She can currently command 700,000. But the 250,000 Imperial Guards and Imperial Guards probably won't let her run rampant."

Jiang Haoming said, "Even so, her power is terrifying!"

Lin Hongbin said, "Her army is indeed large, but they are located in the south and north, both far from the capital, so they are not that scary. The most dangerous thing right now is the alliance between the Wang family and Yiyu. Due to our negligence, the Wang family's power in the capital has long surpassed ours. And how many troops in the Imperial Guard system does Yiyu control is also unknown."

Jiang Haoran said, "The Imperial Guard system currently only has 230,000 in the capital. That guy Yisheng also controls 150,000, leaving only 80,000. We are afraid..."

Suddenly realizing that his calculation method was wrong, Jiang Haoran immediately shut up.

Jiang Hanqing sneered, "Yisheng used to claim to control 150,000 troops, but it's hard to say how many of those 150,000 are still in the capital!"

He sighed and continued, "Perhaps all 150,000 have been transferred out of the capital! Don't forget that it was that bastard Yiyu who authorized the organization of the army by the Emperor."

Jiang Haoting said in a deep voice, "If Qing'er's concerns are true, it means that most of the Imperial Guards remaining in the capital are likely under Yiyu's control."

Jiang Haoming said, "Whether it's Shi Yanying and the Li family, or Yiyu and the Wang family, their current power surpasses ours." "We've lost too many opportunities these past few months due to misjudging the enemy's situation. The current situation is extremely unfavorable to us!"

The family head, Jiang Haoyu, who had been silent until now, spoke up: "It's too late to say all this now! The key now is to devise a plan to salvage the situation as much as possible. Qing'er, do you have any specific ideas?"

Jiang Hanqing said: "Father, elders, in my opinion, the first priority now is to disrupt the enemy's plan. If everything proceeds according to the enemy's plan, we will only face certain death."

Everyone agreed with Jiang Hanqing's words and nodded in agreement.

Jiang Haoyu nodded to his son and said: "That's right. To reverse the defeat, we must find a way to disrupt the enemy's plan. Do you have any good ideas?"

Jiang Hanqing said: "I've thought about it, and the only method we can use now is to find external assistance."

Jiang Haoyu hummed in agreement, signaling him to continue.

Jiang Hanqing said: "I can think of two strong allies right now."

Upon hearing this, the eyes of everyone in the Jiang family lit up.

Jiang Haoyu exclaimed in surprise, "Two powerful allies? Tell me about them!"

Jiang Hanqing replied, "The first powerful ally is Empress Han Yuexue of Qiu Te. She can now repay the favor she owed us. Moreover, with the court in turmoil, I think she'll definitely be interested in the proposal for another westward invasion once she hears this news. As long as her army marches westward into our territory, directly threatening Yong'an, it will be entirely beneficial to us. The Wang family's traditional power lies in the eastern part of the empire; with their base threatened, I don't believe the Wang family would dare to act rashly. This will naturally break the Wang family's..." The current arrangement increases our chances of victory. To solidify the Qiu Te people's resolve to invade, we can promise them six hundred li of land in the eastern part of the empire if their rebellion succeeds. After we defeat other forces and conquer the land, Mother can lead the army to reclaim it.”

Jiang Haoran exclaimed, “Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! I think Qing'er's plan is feasible! It's just six hundred li of land; we can give it to them verbally first. Who it belongs to later will be decided by force! I say this method is feasible.”

The others also agreed with this point and nodded in agreement.

Seeing that everyone nodded in agreement, Jiang Haoyu said to Jiang Haoming, “It's decided to ask the Qiu Te people for help. Qing'er is injured and needs rest. You, Third Brother, will handle the specific matters.”

Jiang Haoming quickly bowed and agreed.

Jiang Haoyu turned to Jiang Hanqing and said, "Go on, who is the second strong ally?"

Jiang Hanqing replied, "The second strong ally is Fei Qingsi. She's not meant to deal with the Wang family, but rather to restrain Shi Yanying."

Jiang Haoran exclaimed in surprise, "Deal with Shi Yanying? What about the Wang family?"

Jiang Hanqing said, "In the current situation, the Wang family is indeed our biggest enemy, but in Qing'er's opinion, Shi Yanying and the Li family should not be underestimated either."

Lin Hongbin had just said that Shi Yanying wasn't that scary in the current situation, but now he heard Jiang Hanqing mention... Jiang Hanqing was particularly concerned about Shi Yanying's question and hurriedly asked, "What do you mean by that, Hanqing?"

Jiang Haoran also asked, "Didn't Shi Yanying just reach an alliance agreement with you last night?"

Jiang Hanqing explained, "Although Shi Yanying reached a gentleman's agreement with me last night to form an alliance between our two families, this woman is cunning and should not be trusted. Moreover, the Emperor has given her more than 400,000 troops for her southern expedition against Consort Qingsi. In addition, with her own 'Flying Eagle Legion' in the northern frontier, she has a total of 700,000 troops, more than half of whom are elite soldiers. In terms of sheer numbers, she is unparalleled in the world." Lin Hongbin said unhappily, "

Didn't we just discuss this issue? She has 250,000 Imperial Guards in her 700,000-li region. If they were to rebel, would they easily obey her? Besides, although her army is large, it is located in the south and north, both far from the capital. What major events could they possibly cause?"

Jiang Hanqing smiled and said, "Uncle, please don't be impatient. Let me explain slowly."

At this moment, the others present also began to discuss the issue, and for a moment, Jiang Hanqing was unable to continue.

Seeing that the scene was getting a bit chaotic, Jiang Haoyu quickly said, "Everyone, please don't argue. Let Qing'er explain slowly!"

As soon as the head of the family spoke, the people around immediately quieted down.

Jiang Hanqing continued, "Given this woman's intelligence, I don't think she'd be foolish enough to disregard the situation in the capital and engage in a fierce battle with Fei Qingsi in the south. She's very likely to secretly reach an agreement with Fei Qingsi and then return north. And in the northern frontier, she recently signed a peace treaty with the Special Operations Forces. The terms of that treaty were so simple; how could the greedy Special Operations Forces so easily withdraw their troops? I think there must be a huge conspiracy behind it. Perhaps Shi Yanying's Flying Eagle Legion has already joined forces with the Special Operations Forces' cavalry and marched south, we just don't know it!"

Upon hearing this, the meeting room erupted in chatter, everyone whispering and discussing amongst themselves.

Jiang Hanqing's question was truly a fatal one.

Although the Wang family posed a serious threat, the Jiang family wasn't particularly afraid because the Wang family didn't have much power within the national army. Even in a disadvantageous situation, the Jiang family could still put up a fight against the Wang family. At worst, a large number of them would die in the capital, but as long as the survivors escaped to the Western Regions, they could rely on Yin Yufeng's army to turn the tide. A complete defeat was impossible

. However, Shi Yanying's hundreds of thousands of troops would be a different story. Their power far surpassed the small number of warriors the Wang family held in the capital. If Shi Yanying succeeded, it would be a total defeat! A complete loss! If Shi Yanying controlled the capital and eliminated the Jiang family's forces there, then the eastern, northern, and central parts of the empire would fall under her control. Even if Yin Yufeng's army intervened, it would be futile. Moreover, even the Jiang family's ultimate weapon, the "Jade Phoenix Legion," had suffered considerable losses in the recent war with the barbarians, and its strength was now significantly weaker than the intact "Flying Eagle Legion." The Jiang family simply could not withstand the pressure of fighting Shi Yanying.

Seeing the complete chaos and disorder among the crowd, Jiang Haoyu slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "Shut up! What's all this noise about? Do you think shouting like this will solve anything?"

Jiang Hanqing sighed as he looked at the disarray, thinking, "The morale is low! Father's prestige in the family is declining. I've never seen anything like this before! It seems the safest thing to do is to sneak into Mother's army in the Western Regions. That way, we can attack or defend as needed. If we can't win the war, we can negotiate peace; if we can't reach an agreement, we can establish our own country in the Western Regions."

Just as he was lost in thought, he heard his father, Jiang Haoyu, say to him, "Qing'er, they've all quieted down. You can continue!"

Jiang Hanqing said, "For Shi Yanying, the most crucial thing now is whether she can reach a peace agreement with Fei Qingsi. If she succeeds in negotiating with Fei Qingsi, then she can sweep across the land with her powerful military force." The other three major ducal families propelled the Li family to the throne of victory. Conversely, if Fei Qingsi refuses to reconcile with her and continues to harass her southern expeditionary army, then she will be unable to participate in the struggle for the capital. She will only be able to fulfill her alliance agreement with us and rely on our alliance with the Jiang family to preserve the Li family's power in the capital.”

Jiang Haoran suddenly realized, “So, the gentleman's agreement she reached with you last night was just a precautionary measure. If she fails to reach an agreement with Fei Qingsi, she will rely on this agreement to preserve the Li family's power. If they reach an agreement, she will completely disregard the agreement and directly lead her army back to the capital to wipe out our Jiang family and the other families.”

Jiang Hanqing nodded, “That's right! That's exactly what Fifth Uncle is saying!”

The Jiang family members were immediately filled with indignation, all angrily denouncing Shi Yanying's fraudulent behavior, and the meeting place immediately lost order again.

Some people shouted, "Why should we care about the Li family's life or death? Let's ignore them and wait for the Wang family to wipe them out!"

This immediately drew more criticism: "Fools! If we ignore the Li family now, the Wang family can easily defeat us one by one!"

Jiang Hanqing raised his voice and shouted, "Listen to me, everyone, don't argue!"

After everyone quieted down, Jiang Hanqing said, "Therefore, we must send someone to contact Fei Qingsi and get her to join our side. Regardless of Shi Yan..." "Whatever conditions Ying proposes, as long as Fei Qingsi firmly refuses, Shi Yanying won't have any effective tactics. We'll have Fei Qingsi engage in guerrilla warfare; when Shi Yanying attacks, Fei Qingsi retreats; when Shi Yanying prepares to retreat back to the capital, Fei Qingsi attacks her. This way, Shi Yanying naturally won't be able to attack us. Then, we'll regroup our forces, first unite with the Li family's power in the capital to eliminate the Wang family, then turn around and wipe out the Li family. Then, Mother will lead troops back from the Western Regions, first using the capital as a base to crush the 'Flying Eagle Legion' in the Northern Frontier. Then we'll turn south and, together with Fei Qingsi, launch a pincer attack, encircling and annihilating Shi Yanying's southern expeditionary force. At that time, the world will naturally fall into the hands of the Jiang family!"

Hearing Jiang Hanqing say this, everyone's morale was immediately boosted, and they were all eager to fight, as if an agreement with Fei Qingsi had already been reached and the Jiang family's world was about to be theirs.

Jiang Haoyu thought for a moment and asked Jiang Hanqing, "Qing'er, how can we get Fei Qingsi to form an alliance with us?"

Jiang Hanqing replied, "I already considered this question before the meeting! Fei Qingsi is very clear-headed, and I'm certain she doesn't harbor any illusions about becoming empress. What she's concerned with is simply how to place her bets; that is, she'll choose one of the various forces to bet on, and that force will definitely be the one she believes is most likely to win. If we can give her that confidence, making her believe that we will definitely achieve final victory, she will place her bets on us!" Jiang Haoyu frowned and said, "

Then how can we convince her that we can ultimately win?"

Jiang Hanqing unexpectedly replied, "There's no way!"

Jiang Haoyu never dreamed his son would give him such an answer, and he was immediately speechless with anger. He said irritably, "Then what you just said was all nonsense! What's the point of talking? Let's pretend Fei Qingsi's matter doesn't exist. Everyone just needs to wait to welcome Shi Yanying's army back to the capital! At most, a few of us will escape to your mother's Western Region army, stalling for time. If your mother defeats Shi Yanying, we'll completely turn the tables and achieve a great victory; if your mother loses, we'll all..." "One sword, and he'll end his own life!"

Jiang Hanqing waited for his father to finish his angry words before slowly saying, "Father, you've had many dealings with Fei Qingsi, so you must know how shrewd she is. Think about it, if we send someone to tell Fei Qingsi that our Jiang family will definitely achieve final victory, would someone as clever as Fei Qingsi believe it?"

Jiang Haoyu answered without hesitation, "Of course not!"

Jiang Hanqing continued, "That's it. So there's no way we can gain her help by boasting. The only thing we can do is tell her our analysis and promise her that if she..." "What benefits will we offer her in return for helping us achieve final victory? The rest is up to her to decide! However, we have another trump card: Fei Qingsi seems closer to my mother, but doesn't seem to have much affection for Shi Yanying. We can only hope that this will play a role in Fei Qingsi's decision!"

Jiang Haoyu hesitated, "But will this really work?"

Jiang Hanqing shook his head, "Father, to be honest, I don't know! Perhaps only Heaven knows."

At this moment, everyone else in the hall stopped their chaotic discussions and listened attentively to the conversation between the father and son.

Jiang Haoyu remained silent for a long time before saying, "This matter was proposed by you. You also dealt with Fei Qingsi on your way back from Qiu Te not long ago. Logically speaking, you should personally go to negotiate with Fei Qingsi this time. However, the arrow in your leg is so heavy that it's obviously impossible for you to go. Look at the other members of the family, who would be more suitable to go?"

Jiang Hanqing thought for a while and asked Jiang Haotian, "Fourth Uncle, it seems you served in the military with Fei Qingsi for a period of time in the past, right?"

Jiang Haotian nodded in agreement and said, "Fei Qingsi and I met under various circumstances..." Having dealt with each other for three or four years, we should be quite familiar with each other.

Jiang Hanqing said to Jiang Haoyu, "Father, I think it's best if Fourth Uncle goes to discuss this with Fei Qingsi!"

Jiang Haoyu nodded and said, "Alright! Let Fourth Brother go. I'll feel more at ease if you go. The matter is urgent, so don't delay any longer. After the meeting, we'll discuss the details further, and then you can set off. Be extra careful on your journey. If you delay the family's important affairs, even if you are my own brother, I will never forgive you!"

Jiang Haoting dared not delay and quickly bowed in agreement.

The remaining time was spent discussing how to organize manpower, how to arrange for family members to leave the capital, how to monitor the movements of the Wang, Li, and Zou families, and so on.

After the meeting, Jiang Hanqing was carried out of the meeting hall by servants, while his father, Jiang Haoyu, walked beside him.

Jiang Hanqing said to his father, "We should immediately send someone to inform Mother to find an excuse not to go to the capital and instead stay in the Western Regions to reorganize the army and prepare for war. If conditions permit, we should advance eastward from Sunset City; ideally, we should cross the Sunset Mountains."

Jiang Haoyu agreed, saying, "What you say makes a lot of sense. We absolutely cannot let her come to the capital, otherwise the enemy will have no scruples and can wipe us out in one fell swoop, and then it will be too late to regret it. We should also inform her that in the worst-case scenario, we should prepare a cavalry unit to be deployed on the road from the capital to the Western Regions. If something happens to the capital, we will have someone to rely on when we retreat to the Western Regions."

Jiang Hanqing said, "Then shall I write a letter to Mother and send it to her?"

Jiang Haoyu nodded twice to indicate his agreement, but after taking only a few steps, he suddenly changed his mind and said to Jiang Hanqing, "You were just wounded by an arrow, and your inner strength has inexplicably disappeared. You need to rest now. Don't worry about anything. This matter isn't troublesome anyway, so I'll do it myself." Jiang Hanqing had originally hoped that he would write the letter, so he could tease his mother with his words and also slip in some "goodies"

for her. But now that his father wanted him to write the letter, how could he dare to do anything improper? This immediately disappointed him, but he dared not show it and could only harbor resentment in his heart.

Coughing twice, Jiang Hanqing remembered something else and said to his father, "What should we do about the matter of my aunt that I mentioned to you before?"

Jiang Haoyu stopped, turned back to look at his son, a sharp glint in his eyes, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Someone came to report that you were attacked, but she drove them away. Afterwards, she didn't send anyone to verify it, nor did she report to me. I think there must be something fishy going on! That bitch might be doing the same thing as your second uncle, betraying her own side! You will personally investigate this matter. If she really has any disloyal intentions, you will handle it yourself."

Jiang Hanqing, having received his father's authorization, quickly cupped his hands and said, "Your son will obey your orders!"

Jiang Haoyu waved his hand and said, "You were just wounded by an arrow, and you haven't rested since last night. Now that you're alright, go back and get some sleep. You can't afford to break down at this crucial moment!"

Seeing that Jiang Hanqing agreed, he didn't say anything more and strode away.

Jiang Hanqing's thoughts, however, had already shifted to how to deal with his aunt, Jiang Fengqin. Chapter 75

True or False? "Sigh!" With a sigh from Bai Yingjue, Jiang Hanqing collapsed weakly onto the bed, shaking his head in despair, "Forget it! It's useless! It seems I'm truly crippled!" It turned out that Bai Yingjue had discovered Jiang Hanqing's complete loss of internal energy and his chaotic meridians, so she tried to use her own true energy to unblock his meridians and restore his internal strength. However, after countless attempts, both of them failed. Bai Yingjue's true energy, once it entered Jiang Hanqing's body, vanished without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea. After struggling desperately for so long, besides exhausting herself, she had achieved nothing. Thinking that her beloved might become a useless cripple, Bai Yingjue's eyes welled up with tears, and she sobbed, "Qing... what... what should we do?" The new maidservant, Lan'er, standing beside her, also couldn't help but cry. Jiang Hanqing replied irritably, "What are you crying about? What's there to cry about? It's just that I can't use martial arts anymore! What's the big deal? I'm still alive and well. Aren't you two annoying?" But his words only made Bai Yingjue and Lan'er cry even harder. Frustrated, Jiang Hanqing was about to yell at Bai Yingjue and Lan'er. But then he remembered that their grief stemmed from genuine concern for him, so how could he take his anger out on them? "Sigh!" With a heavy sigh, Jiang Hanqing struggled to get out of bed, leaning on his crutch and dragging his injured leg, staggering towards the door. Lan'er cried and tried to help him up, but he shoved her away roughly. Seeing his anger, Lan'er didn't dare follow and could only let him limp away. The weather was bad that day; it was gloomy outside, with no sunshine or wind. The damp air made one feel oppressed. Jiang Hanqing, whose mood was already terrible, felt even more frustrated. A throbbing pain shot through his head, and Jiang Hanqing pounded the side of his skull several times with his palm, then let out a long breath, as if this could help him vent some of his frustration. Four days had passed since the attack, and Jiang Hanqing had sent Bai Yingjue out every day to investigate the two palaces, but it seemed that their forces had completely disappeared from the capital, leaving no trace. Jiang Hanqing wanted to go out himself to find out the truth, but his father, Jiang Haoyu, was worried about his arrow wound and refused to let him go out. This left Jiang Hanqing frantic, like an ant on a hot pan. "Why haven't we heard a single word from the two palaces? It's driving me crazy! There were three people from each palace present when we were attacked. Have they all withdrawn from the capital? And who are those women among those who attacked me, whose martial arts were comparable to the masters of the Goddess Palace?" Besides these questions, Jiang Hanqing had many other important matters on his mind. According to the family meeting three days prior, Jiang Haoming was responsible for seeking Empress Qiu Te's support, while Jiang Haoting was responsible for negotiating with Consort Qing Si. To gain the trust of these two powerful allies, both direct leaders of the Jiang family ultimately decided to personally go to ensure everything went smoothly. The day after the family meeting, the two brothers left the capital; Jiang Haoming went east, and Jiang Haoting went south, each embarking on their respective missions. On the same day, Jiang Haoyu also sent an envoy to the Western Regions to deliver the latest intelligence from the capital to his wife, Yin Yufeng. The day after that, just two days prior, the Li family, as promised by Shi Yanying, sent an envoy to discuss with the Jiang family the specifics of their joint effort against the Wang family. Both sides agreed to set aside their differences and join forces during this critical period. Communication channels would remain open at all times, intelligence would be shared, actions would be reported to each other, and mutual support would be provided in case of unforeseen events. Although these actions had been taken, Jiang Hanqing felt no sense of unease. The Wang family's rebellion was imminent; what more ruthless methods would they employ? Shi Yanying's army was about to set out; the personnel to be drawn from the Imperial Guard should have been determined. Would He Bingzhang, Zhang Sihai, and others accompany the army? How many troops under Yisheng's command could remain in the capital? Did Shi Yanying and the Li family have any further conspiracies? Could they truly keep their promise and sincerely join forces with the Jiang family? What would Wang Mingsi and his hidden sect's forces do? The two palace masters had clearly escaped the attack that day, so why was there still no news of them? All these problems could have an immeasurable impact on the development of the situation, but Jiang Hanqing knew nothing about them and could do nothing about them. Unable to shake off these questions that haunted his mind day and night, Jiang Hanqing felt a little suffocated. "Father is really senile. At this critical moment, he makes me rest all day because of this little arrow wound in my leg, and won't let me do anything! If this continues, I might even lose my life in the future, so why will I care about this rotten leg!" Thinking about this, Jiang Hanqing resolutely said to himself, "No! I must go out and do something today, at least to find out the situation on the Crown Prince Yisheng's side. If this drags on in vain, sooner or later there will be big trouble. As long as Father doesn't know, no one will stop me." Just then, Jiang Hanqing heard footsteps coming from afar. Looking up, he saw his cousin Lin Fengxian, whom he hadn't seen for many days, running towards him. Seeing his cousin standing at the door, Lin Fengxian called out from afar, "Brother Qing, are you alright? I've been saying I'd come see you for days, but Mother kept sending me off on errands. I only had a little free time today, so I rushed over to see you." Seeing his cousin Lin Fengxian, Jiang Hanqing immediately thought of his aunt Jiang Fengqin's refusal to help him in his time of need, muttering to himself, "That damned woman! Hearing about my attack, she dared to do nothing, trying to cover it up with a false rumor. If it weren't for my good fortune and luck, wouldn't I have been killed by that viperous woman?" Lin Fengxian rushed to Jiang Hanqing's side, but seeing his cousin standing there coldly without any reaction, he hesitated, then asked, "Brother Qing, are you alright?"

Jiang Hanqing glanced at her cousin with a blank expression and said indifferently, "Arrow wounds are not so easy to heal, but it's nothing serious."

Lin Fengxian also sensed something was wrong from Jiang Hanqing's indifferent attitude. He laughed awkwardly twice and replied with "Yes, yes" twice, not knowing what to say for a moment.

The two stood there dumbfounded for a long time until Jiang Hanqing felt she had neglected her cousin too much and finally spoke up, "What have you been busy with lately?"

Lin Fengxian hurriedly replied, "Mother asked me to prepare some things in case of emergency."

Hearing this, Jiang Hanqing immediately became interested and asked, "What have you prepared?"

Lin Fengxian said, "Nothing much, just some commoners' clothes, loose silver, and a lot of copper coins, all that kind of stuff. I hope it will come in handy if we have to evacuate the capital. You know, these little things don't seem like much normally, but when you have to prepare a lot, it's really troublesome."

Jiang Hanqing was taken aback and asked, "Did you tell the head of the family about preparing these things?"

Lin Fengxian exclaimed in surprise, "What? Doesn't the head of the family know about this? I thought Mother was conveying the head of the family's orders!

" Jiang Hanqing chuckled twice, replying perfunctorily, "Of course, it was the head of the family who ordered this, but he doesn't know who Aunt has assigned to do it yet. Alright! Now that I know you're handling this, I'll naturally report back to the head of the family, so you don't need to worry about it."

Without giving Lin Fengxian a chance to speak, Jiang Hanqing continued, "How many people have you prepared enough supplies for?"

Lin Fengxian silently calculated for a moment before replying, "If each person has two sets of clothes, fifty taels of loose silver, and three strings of cash, I estimate it should be enough for five or six hundred people without much problem."

Jiang Hanqing muttered to herself, "Five or six hundred people? That's not even enough for a tenth of the family's manpower. What is this woman's intention?"

Lin Fengxian seemed to sense Jiang Hanqing's doubts and said, "In the current situation, preparing these things without attracting the attention of other families is really not easy. Collecting these..." "The supplies for five or six hundred people have taken a lot of effort. Besides..."

Seeing Lin Fengxian hesitate, Jiang Hanqing pressed, "Besides what? Just tell me!"

Lin Fengxian said, "My mother said that if something really happens and the entire family is forced to evacuate, most people will definitely be sacrificed. It would be good if we could save the core two or three hundred people. So I think five or six hundred sets should be enough." Jiang Hanqing nodded and said

, "Hmm! What you said makes sense."

But he was still very worried: "This woman asked her son to prepare things, as if she was thinking of the family, but why didn't she tell my father and me? She didn't care when she heard about my attack a few days ago. Something's not right! This woman must be up to something!" Without

showing any emotion, Jiang Hanqing casually asked Lin Fengxian, "I haven't seen my aunt for a few days. She didn't attend the family meeting the other day." "This is quite a strange thing! I wonder what she's been busy with lately?"

Lin Fengxian, unsuspecting, replied, "Mother hasn't been feeling well these past few days and is resting quietly in her courtyard! That's why she sent my younger brother to prepare those things."

Jiang Hanqing became even more suspicious at this point and hurriedly said, "Oh dear! Is Aunt sick? No wonder I haven't seen her for days! No! I have to go see her!"

Lin Fengxian was taken aback and said, "How can you do that? Brother Qing, your leg injury is so bad, how can you go out? No! This won't do!"

Jiang Hanqing feigned anger and said, "Aunt is my elder. How can I not visit her when she's unwell? You don't need to say anything more! I must visit Aunt today!"

Before Lin Fengxian could object again, Jiang Hanqing shouted, "Someone! Prepare the palanquin!"

At the young master's command, a group of servants soon came running over carrying the palanquin.

Seeing that his cousin was determined, Lin Fengxian dared not say anything more and carefully helped Jiang Hanqing onto the palanquin with his servants. The group then headed towards Jiang Fengqin's residence.

When Jiang Hanqing's palanquin was almost outside Jiang Fengqin's courtyard, Lin Fengxian said, "Brother Qing, why don't I go and inform Mother first?"

Jiang Hanqing shook his head and said, "We're almost there. Aunt is also a close relative and elder. Why make things so complicated? You can come with me!"

Lin Fengxian agreed and had no choice but to follow beside Jiang Hanqing's palanquin.

As they approached Jiang Fengqin's courtyard gate, Jiang Hanqing saw two guards standing upright at the entrance, which made him feel even more uneasy.

"In the family compound, apart from my father's gate being guarded, no one else ever has guards assigned to stand guard, and Jiang Fengqin is no exception! Why are there two guards here today? Could this woman really have some shady plot?"

Jiang Hanqing thought to himself, and hurriedly ordered his servants, "Quick! We're here! Enter the courtyard!" As soon as the two guards at the gate saw Jiang Hanqing, they shouted loudly, "Young Master has arrived!"

Jiang Hanqing knew that the two guards were announcing this to the people inside, and he was furious. He ordered his servants, "Stop! Help me down from the carriage!"

Helped down from the carriage by the servants, Jiang Hanqing glared at them... The two guards asked, "Who are you two under? How come I've never seen you before?"

Their faces showed fear, and they answered in trembling voices, "Reporting...reporting to Young Master, we are guards under Lord Lin Hongbin...because he is a relative of the imperial family...we have never had the opportunity to meet you..."

Jiang Hanqing impatiently interrupted them, sternly demanding, "What are you two doing standing here? Is there anyone in the family compound who could threaten Aunt's safety?"

Hearing the accusatory tone in his young master's words, the two poor guards trembled, fell to their knees with a thud, their jaws chattering, wanting to say something but unable to utter a single word.

Lin Fengxian wanted to speak up for the two guards, but seeing Jiang Hanqing's livid face, he quickly swallowed back the words he was about to utter. He had recently grown increasingly in awe of his cousin, and seeing him angry now, he too was too frightened to utter a sound.

Just as the atmosphere was tense, a woman's voice was heard from the courtyard: "Oh dear, Qing'er, why are you so angry with two servants?"

As the voice spoke, a woman in a palace dress with a voluptuous figure slowly walked out of the courtyard. The woman was Jiang Hanqing's aunt, Jiang Fengqin.

Despite his leg injury, Jiang Hanqing, supported by servants, bowed respectfully to Jiang Fengqin, saying, "Nephew greets Aunt!"

Jiang Fengqin waved her hand gently, exclaiming, "Qing'er, your injury hasn't healed yet, why be so polite! Never mind!"

Glancing at the two guards still kneeling on the ground, Jiang Fengqin frowned, "You two, get up! You're so excited to see the young master that you can't say anything! Really!"

Turning to Jiang Hanqing, Jiang Fengqin smiled slightly and explained, "I haven't been feeling well these past few days and wanted to rest, so I had these two servants guard this place. I turned away any ordinary people who came by. I never expected that your family's young master would grace us with his presence today, and these two little fellows, who have never seen such a grand occasion, can't even utter a word."

Jiang Hanqing had no time to pursue the matter further, so he could only say, "It was my fault, Aunt. I heard from my cousin Fengxian that you were unwell, so I rushed over to visit you. But there were two unfamiliar guards at your gate, and I didn't know who they were, so I questioned them. I didn't expect to disturb your rest. I deserve to die! Please forgive me, Aunt!"

Jiang Fengqin said, "What are you saying! You're injured, and I, your aunt, haven't even had a chance to visit you because I'm not feeling well. Instead, you've dragged your injured leg to visit me. What crime have you committed?" After saying that, she turned to her son Lin Fengxian and said, "Come! Fengxian. Quickly help your cousin inside. He's injured and should rest more! What are we all doing standing here at the gate? Hurry!"

The group quickly helped Jiang Hanqing into the house. After Jiang Hanqing entered the courtyard, Jiang Fengqin, who was following behind, turned around and gave a wink to the two guards at the gate.

These two guards, who had just shown expressions of fear before Jiang Hanqing, their bodies trembling as they knelt on the ground, instantly regained their composure as soon as he turned and entered the courtyard. Their trembling stopped, and they straightened their backs, staring intently at the backs of the group entering the courtyard. Seeing Jiang Fengqin's wink, they nodded knowingly a few times.

After Jiang Fengqin and the others had all entered the courtyard, the two guards cautiously followed. Seeing that Jiang Fengqin and Jiang Hanqing were heading towards the main hall, the two guards instead circled around behind the east wing to the back of the courtyard. Their furtive behavior clearly indicated that they were up to no good.

Meanwhile, Lin Fengxian, accompanied by several servants, helped Jiang Hanqing into the main hall. After settling him in the guest seat, Jiang Fengqin instructed the servants, "You servants, all of you, go back to your own courtyards! The young master will be staying a little longer to discuss some matters with me. Afterwards, I will send someone from this courtyard to escort him back!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Hanqing thought to himself, "Good! Knowing that I, the young master, don't wait for Sanbao Hall unless there's something important, this old fox is going to play tricks! Let's see how she tries to fool me!"

Seeing that the servants didn't turn away but instead stood to the side, secretly watching him, clearly waiting for his instructions, Jiang Hanqing smiled and waved to the servants, saying, "You can all go back! I'll sit here with my aunt for a while; do you think I'll be worried about no one escorting me later? Go back!"

Seeing that their young master had spoken, the servants bowed and acknowledged, then backed out of the main hall.

After Jiang Fengqin sat down in the host's seat, Lin Fengxian obediently took the last seat.

Although they were close relatives, the aunt and nephew each harbored their own ulterior motives, and they still had to engage in some polite small talk.

"Is Qing'er's leg injury alright?"

Hearing Jiang Fengqin's feigned concern, Jiang Hanqing inwardly cursed, "You wretched woman, isn't this leg injury all thanks to your inaction!"

Aloud, however, he feigned gratitude, replying, "Thank you for your concern, Aunt! The injury isn't too serious; it didn't hit any vital organs. Plus, the arrowhead wasn't poisoned, so it's healing quite well, and the wound has already begun to heal. It's just still quite painful!"

Jiang Fengqin said with a face full of relief, "That's good! I'm relieved! If it were because of this arrow wound, I would regret it for the rest of my life!"

Jiang Hanqing secretly sneered, "Goodness! Getting straight to the point! Alright! As your nephew, I'll play along with your aunt for a bit!"

"What do you mean by that, Aunt? This arrow wound is my fate, how could I let you regret it for the rest of your life!"

Hearing her nephew's words, Jiang Fengqin's face showed deep shame, and she waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "Qing'er, listen to your aunt! You don't know this, and to be honest, it's truly my fault!"

Jiang Hanqing feigned surprise and asked in astonishment, "Why do you say this, Aunt? I'd like to hear the details!"

Jiang Fengqin said shyly, "The day you were attacked, a stranger came to the gate of the family compound and made a scene, saying that the Wang family was about to attack you! I was on duty as the head of the family that day, and the gate guards argued with him for a long time before..." A messenger came and told me that the person who came was crazy. Hearing this, I assumed he was just causing trouble. So I had him chased away! Who would have thought that I would actually hear the news of your attack that very night? It was like a bolt from the blue, shocking me to my core! Fortunately, you are incredibly lucky; you were rescued by that she-devil Shi Yanying! It's a stroke of good fortune for the Jiang family amidst misfortune! Otherwise, even if I, as your aunt, were to die a thousand deaths, I would still be guilty!"

Jiang Hanqing had expected Jiang Fengqin to deny everything about that day, or make excuses, but to her surprise, she confessed. Her expression was sincere, which made Jiang Hanqing uneasy.

"Hey! Judging from Aunt's expression, she really doesn't seem to be lying! Could it be that I've misunderstood Aunt? Is she not like Second Uncle, the kind of person with a rebellious nature?"

At this moment, cousin Lin Fengxian suddenly chimed in, "Mom! Really! Someone came to report that the young master was attacked! Even if you didn't believe it a thousand times, you should have sent someone to verify and find out! Alas! If it weren't for Qing-ge's good fortune and luck, I wonder how you would explain this to the head of the family!"

Jiang Fengqin seemed truly immersed in regret, not caring whether a son should complain about his mother, and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Seeing Lin Fengxian scolding his mother so much, and Jiang Fengqin not taking offense at all, Jiang Hanqing believed her even more.

Then Jiang Fengqin said, "When I heard the news of your attack that night, I was so shocked I almost fainted on the spot. I haven't been feeling well these past few days, so I asked your cousin Fengxian to do some things I was planning to do myself!"

She then seemed to remember something and raised her voice, "Oh, right! There's something I almost forgot! I think the situation is getting increasingly unfavorable for our Jiang family! I don't think the chances of the third and fourth sons going to Qiu Te and Fei Qingsi for help are very high, so I'm planning to make more preparations for our evacuation. Therefore, I asked Fengxian to prepare some civilian clothing, loose silver, and coins that might be needed on the way to the Western Regions." "This matter should have been reported to my elder brother first, but I haven't had a chance to see him because I haven't been feeling well these past few days! It's good that you're here today, please tell my elder brother for me!"

Hearing his aunt bring up the matter again, Jiang Hanqing's doubts vanished instantly, and he chuckled to himself, "Looks like I've been too suspicious lately! When my cousin Fengxian mentioned this matter earlier, I kept thinking there was something wrong with it, and now my aunt has told me too, hasn't she? Sigh! How can someone who's going to do great things be so suspicious? Even his own aunt who's cared for him since childhood isn't trusting him! Jiang Hanqing, you'd better learn from this!"

He then remembered that he hadn't asked his aunt what was wrong with her. He had initially thought it was just an excuse, but now he realized she might genuinely be ill. He quickly asked, "Aunt, what's wrong?"

Jiang Fengqin sighed, "It's the lingering pain from that day! Qing'er, as your aunt, I feel so sorry for you. These past few days, I've felt so heavy-hearted, it's been so uncomfortable! Plus… uh… but seeing you today makes me feel so much better!"

Hearing her mention "plus," and then suddenly stop talking, Jiang Hanqing naturally pressed, "Aunt, what exactly did you mean by 'plus'?"

Jiang Fengqin suddenly stared at Jiang Hanqing with a strange look, completely unresponsive to his question. Her expression was so odd that Jiang Hanqing wondered if something was wrong with him. He touched his face, finding nothing amiss; then he looked down at himself for a while, still seemingly unaffected. He looked up again, his face full of suspicion at his aunt Jiang Fengqin, completely bewildered by her actions.

Jiang Fengqin stared at Jiang Hanqing for a long while without saying a word. Jiang Hanqing turned to look at his cousin Lin Fengxian, who also looked surprised and confused, clearly unaware of what was wrong with his mother. Jiang Hanqing finally couldn't help but ask, "Aunt, what's wrong? What did you mean by 'plus' earlier?"

Jiang Fengqin's body trembled slightly upon hearing Jiang Hanqing's words, as if she had just come to her senses. She looked down at the ground for a moment, then turned back to look at Lin Fengxian before shaking her head and sighing, "Nothing! Nothing! I just remembered some unpleasant old stories, and I'm feeling even more upset! Sigh!"

Her hesitation clearly indicated that she was unwilling to tell the truth, which only fueled Jiang Hanqing's curiosity.

"Aunt, what old story is it? Could you tell me about it? I remember how much I loved listening to your stories when I was little!"

Jiang Fengqin sighed and said, "You shouldn't listen to these stories! They won't do you any good!"

She seemed to be deliberately trying to lure Jiang Hanqing into a trap. The more she said she didn't want to tell him, the more she said it wouldn't benefit him, the more Jiang Hanqing wanted to hear it, the more he wanted to understand what it had to do with him. This was actually quite natural.

Jiang Hanqing then pressed on, "Aunt, what is it? Why won't it benefit me? You..."

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