Imperial Secrets - 4

This brought him a political turnaround.

However, the impetuous young Sun Xianghe, in a fit of jealousy over a courtesan, offended a distant relative of the Wang family. He was severely beaten by the Wang family's warriors, nearly killed, and his newly acquired official position was immediately stripped away because of this. His grandfather, enraged, fell ill and died two months after returning home, filled with resentment.

Heartbroken, Sun Xianghe knew he had offended the Wang family and could never hope for advancement in officialdom. Therefore, he abandoned any ambition for officialdom and focused on managing his family business. With his intelligence and talent, the family business flourished even more. By acquiring adjacent properties, he more than doubled the size of the ancestral inn. The original two buildings had expanded into a large courtyard, capable of accommodating nearly a thousand guests. The staff had also grown from thirty or forty when he took over to over a hundred.

Despite this, Sun Xianghe couldn't let go of his ambitions, burying himself in his studies whenever he had free time. This time, he wasn't reading rote memorization for exams, but rather practical books on worldly affairs.

Gradually, his vision broadened, and his judgment of people and things became more accurate; he gained a thorough understanding of the world situation, the merits and demerits of current affairs, and the border and Tibetan situations; he also devoted himself to military strategy, gaining considerable insight. He then applied this military knowledge to training the inn's staff, and within three to five years, almost everyone in the inn was a soldier, making them a force to be reckoned with.

Five years ago, a man named Jin Nan suddenly arrived in the city, bringing a large group of people to fight and establish their own territories. Eventually, even the local official dared not offend him. Although Sun Xianghe's inn had a certain level of armed force, it dared not confront such a large group of desperados, always seeking only self-preservation.

Later, after Sun Xianghe accidentally learned that the other party was from the Wang family of the Duke of Dingguo, he dared not provoke them even more, as long as they didn't bully him. As for Jin Nan's side, although they were eliminating dissidents everywhere, killing and burning, they had tested Sun Xianghe's strength a few times and realized that he was not easy to deal with. They thought that killing ten thousand enemies would result in eight thousand casualties on their own, and seeing that the Sun family had not made any outrageous moves

, they stopped provoking him. But two years ago, when that mixed-race woman came here, everything changed. She saw Sun Xianghe as a thorn in her side, and wished she could remove him immediately. She came to the Sun family inn several times to provoke him, but Sun Xianghe used both soft and hard tactics to repel her. The two sides have been at a stalemate until now, fortunately without any major conflict.

During this period, the Qiu Te barbarians invaded the Great Xia Kingdom and marched straight in. The people in the city fled in panic when they heard the news, but Sun Xianghe judged that the enemy was isolated and could not last long. Even if they could reach this place, they would be exhausted. What was there to fear? Therefore, he decided to stay in the city. Meanwhile, the Wang family's forces, such as Jin Nan, had fled west long ago.

It wasn't until yesterday morning that Jin Nan, perhaps having heard that the Qiu Te people seemed to have retreated, returned. This time, they claimed that although their escape hadn't been long, their house was covered in dust and uninhabitable, so they wanted to stay at the Sun family's inn. Although Sun Xianghe knew they were likely up to no good, he couldn't openly refuse, so he agreed to let them stay until their original house was cleaned. However, once the two of them moved in, they started making a scene in the room. Sun Xianghe immediately realized they were causing trouble and was extremely annoyed, but there was nothing he could do.

After all, they were doing it in his room; what right did outsiders have to interfere? While Jiang Hanqing and the others were spying outside Jin Nan's window, Sun Xianghe was going upstairs to check on the couple. He happened to see Jiang Hanqing and the others finishing their spying and preparing to return to their room. Sun Xianghe found this person utterly despicable and, in a moment of impulsiveness, rebuked him. Seeing that Jiang Hanqing was still polite enough to bow and apologize even after being rebuked, he didn't say anything more and prepared to leave.

However, he immediately saw Bai Yingjue launch a sneak attack on Jiang Hanqing and begin fighting with the Jiang family warriors.

Fearing that someone might die, Sun Xianghe quickly turned and went downstairs to summon a group of his men to intervene.

But upon returning upstairs, Sun Xianghe immediately observed that Bai Yingjue didn't seem intent on causing trouble; rather, she appeared to be playing around. Therefore, he not only didn't intervene but also stopped his men from rushing forward. He himself mingled in the crowd and observed. After

watching for a while, Sun Xianghe realized that while the woman's martial arts were unfathomably profound, the warriors fighting her were all top-notch fighters, agile and skilled in martial arts. Both sides possessed power unimaginable to ordinary people, and were certainly beyond the reach of someone like him, residing in a remote small town. He watched with a mixture of amusement and relief, secretly glad he hadn't rashly ordered his men to attack; otherwise, he would have been in deep trouble.

When the situation suddenly changed, and Bai Yingjue displayed her extraordinary skills, preparing to deal with Jin Nan, Sun Xianghe was both astonished and delighted. He was astonished that such a highly skilled martial artist existed in the world, and delighted that Jin Nan and his companion were now doomed, his greatest threat finally eliminated, and his days of fear would be over.

After Bai Yingjue released Jin Nan and returned to her room with Jiang Hanqing, Sun Xianghe was deeply disappointed but had no choice but to rest. However, after witnessing such astonishing martial arts, how could Sun Xianghe possibly sleep peacefully?

While tossing and turning in bed, Sun Xianghe suddenly remembered that he seemed to have heard the young man tell the skilled woman not to let Jin Nan and his companion go. He seemed to hear the man say, "These two are no good! Eliminate them immediately!"

This young man probably didn't initially intend to kill them; otherwise, he could have done so while spying on Jin Nan and his companion making love. And before he asked the woman to eliminate Jin Nan and his companion, someone had mentioned that Jin Nan was from the Duke of Dingguo's family. Did he only decide to kill them after knowing they were from the Duke of Dingguo's family?

Sun Xianghe also recalled that before Jiang Hanqing said those words, he had asked the mixed-race woman if her name was Wang Meiyun. Could this mixed-race woman, whose background he couldn't uncover, also be from the Duke of Dingguo's family, and even a direct descendant of the Wang family? And now, recalling how the woman had shown absolute panic when asked that question... It seemed the man had only probed her reaction after confirming her true identity as someone from the Wang family; and the result of that probe clearly confirmed the mixed-race woman's identity, thus triggering his murderous intent.

Sun Xianghe understood that, in this case, the mixed-race woman was most likely a direct descendant of the Wang family.

Thinking this, he broke out in a cold sweat. It was a miracle he hadn't been killed after dealing with a direct descendant of the Duke of Dingguo's family for so long! However, the deep-seated hatred he harbored for the Wang family surged up again. He would never forget that if he hadn't offended the Wang family, his father wouldn't have died of anger.

Calming his agitated emotions, Sun Xianghe thought: After learning about her background, the young master showed a strong desire to eliminate her. Did he have some kind of grudge against the Duke of Dingguo's family?

And what kind of background did he have to dare oppose the Duke of Dingguo's family? What was his true identity? The masked woman's martial arts skills were so high, and she seemed to have a deep connection with him. What kind of power was backing him?

A series of questions arose, making him realize that Jiang Hanqing's background was anything but simple. After much thought, he felt that this person was very likely to have some kind of grudge against the Duke of Dingguo's family, and the power hidden behind him was probably not much less powerful than the Duke of Dingguo's family.

Although he felt that Jiang Hanqing's act of peeping at others' intimate moments was hardly honorable, what did those slightly immoral acts matter if the other party could help him deal with the enemy who could be said to have killed his father?

After careful consideration, he made up his mind to have a good talk with Jiang Hanqing the next day, hoping to find out what the other party was up to. So that morning, after waking up, Sun Xianghe estimated that Jiang Hanqing was about to get up, and sent someone to invite Jiang Hanqing.

As Jiang Hanqing listened to Sun Xianghe recount his life story, she secretly admired Sun Xianghe's abilities. After Sun Xianghe finished speaking, Jiang Hanqing smiled slightly and said, "Sir, you overestimate me! What background do I really have? These brothers under my command were all left by my father, and their martial arts skills are only so-so. To say they are strong is not my opinion. Sir, you flatter them too much. This lady is a good friend of my mother, a senior who watched me grow up. She has no subordinate relationship with me. Hehe!"

With a smile, Jiang Hanqing continued, "As for your earlier thought that the reason I was tempted to kill last night was because I knew the other party was from the Duke of Dingguo's family, that is a misunderstanding! Think about it, the Duke of Dingguo wields immense power. Who would dare to touch his tiger's whiskers? Although my family is considered a prominent family in this area, compared to the Wang family, one of the four great families of the empire, we are nothing, let alone offending the Wang family.

"The mixed-race woman you mentioned, although named Wang Meiyun, sharing the same surname as the Wang family, is actually unrelated to the Duke of Dingguo's Wang family. This woman was originally a courtesan in my hometown." A few years ago, when I was studying at home, I had a close friend who was infatuated with a maid. He granted her every wish and kept her in his home. However, this wretched woman surnamed Wang was eventually bribed and conspired with my friend's enemy to falsely accuse him of murder, causing his family's ruin. Knowing that we, his friends, were going to seek revenge, she took the dirty money given to her that very night and fled her hometown. I hadn't heard from her for many years and had gradually forgotten about the incident, so I hadn't paid her any attention at first. Later, I suddenly remembered this event from many years ago and realized her background, but I wasn't entirely sure, so I spoke up to test her. Seeing her terrified expression, I was certain it was that wretched maid! Remembering how badly my friend had been framed, I was filled with righteous indignation and wanted to kill her and that adulterous man named Jin Nan to avenge my friend, forgetting that Jin Nan had the backing of the Duke of Dingguo's Wang family! Later, I was worried... Alas! I never expected Mr. Sun to misunderstand! I am truly terrified! "I'm terrified!"

Sun Xianghe had remained silent throughout Jiang Hanqing's words, simply listening with a smile.

Only at the end did he say, "Since you say it's not true, then it's not! Hehe, I was just overthinking it! My apologies!"

Jiang Hanqing chatted with him for a few more moments, then tentatively asked, "Mr. Sun, I have a question

, but I'm not sure if I should ask it?" Sun Xianghe smiled and said, "Please speak freely, sir!"

Jiang Hanqing said, "I originally thought that Jin Nan, having suffered such a great humiliation, and with the Wang family backing him, would definitely come for revenge last night. But after worrying all night, there was no movement. Just now, after hearing what you said, sir, I wondered if it was because of your usually formidable reputation that the other party dared not challenge your authority?"

Sun Xianghe shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Intimidation? Hehe, I'm struggling to keep a small shop afloat; what authority do I have to speak of?" Although my brothers usually employ military tactics to command their troops and possess a certain level of self-defense, which is why the Wang family is reluctant to provoke me easily, it's not because they fear me! Actually, I was worried about trouble last night and specifically strengthened the shop's defenses, thankfully nothing happened. As far as I know, the Wang family didn't take action last night mainly because of their insufficient strength. Their main forces were all withdrawn some time ago due to the invasion of the Qiu people. Yesterday, only seventeen or eighteen people returned to the city with Jin and Nan; how could they be a match for your forces, young master? I estimate that the reason they didn't act last night was simple: they underestimated their strength. Once they've gathered enough men in the next couple of days, it'll be hard to say! This time is manageable; the Imperial Eastern Expeditionary Army will soon arrive at Sanchakou, at which point the entire city will be under martial law, making it difficult for the Wang family to act. But what will happen after the army leaves is uncertain! "

After Sun Xianghe finished speaking, he shook his head and sighed deeply, his face full of worry.

Jiang Hanqing naturally knew that Sun Xianghe was worried that if the Wang family gathered enough power this time, they might spare no effort to wipe out the inn he had painstakingly built.

Jiang Hanqing smiled slightly, pretended to comfort him with a few words, and said a lot of empty words about how the other party would not dare to make a comeback after such a heavy blow.

Seeing Jiang Hanqing's appearance, Sun Xianghe knew that the other party was unwilling to help him deal with the Wang family's power in the Three Crossroads, so he had no choice but to give up.

Jiang Hanqing pretended not to know anything and went on to talk to Sun Xianghe." They chatted idly about everything under the sun. He wanted to see if this man was as capable as he claimed. This, however, suited Sun Xianghe perfectly, causing him to immediately forget his earlier troubles and chat enthusiastically with Jiang Hanqing.

During the conversation, Jiang Hanqing gradually realized that what this unknown, reclusive innkeeper had said was indeed not self-praise. The so-called talent for governing the country and managing the world truly described this man. His mind was incredibly broad, encompassing astronomy, geography, military strategy, and statecraft—he was practically omniscient. Even with Jiang Hanqing's abilities, he felt a sense of inadequacy at this moment. Later that evening, listening intently, Bai Yingjue nodded frequently, especially at the most insightful points, adopting a humble and receptive posture. Bai Yingjue, though focused on martial arts and uninterested in military and national affairs, couldn't help but nod repeatedly as she listened to Sun Xianghe's eloquent and clear discourse on world affairs, secretly admiring his erudition.

Sun Xianghe, though possessing vast knowledge, lived in seclusion in a small town, surrounded by mediocre people, and had always been able to only admire his own talents. Now, finally finding a kindred spirit with whom he could engage in profound discussions, without fear of being at a loss for words, he was overjoyed. Jiang Hanqing, listening to his insightful analysis, continuously... Sun Xianghe was even more excited by the applause from the sidelines.

Jiang Hanqing was now completely convinced of Sun Xianghe's talent. He was determined to recruit this talented but unappreciated innkeeper; it would be a pity to waste such talent, and he would regret it even more if he fell into the hands of other forces.

After thinking for a while, Jiang Hanqing decided that he should start by gaining the other party's complete trust. To gain the other party's trust, the most important thing was to make the other party feel that he had nothing to hide from him, including his true identity.

Having made up his mind, Jiang Hanqing said, "Mr. Sun, we've been talking for so long. I still haven't told you my name, have I?"

Sun Xianghe was surprised that he would suddenly bring this up. He paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Hehe! Young master, you have your reasons for not revealing your identity. Although I'd like to know, I won't ask too much."

Jiang Hanqing chuckled a few times and said embarrassedly, "Sir, you're overthinking it! Actually, I don't have any other reasons. It's just that I'm far from home and in a dangerous place, so I naturally have to be cautious." "But if I don't tell you the truth now, sir, that would be too disrespectful!"

Sun Xianghe chuckled, "Why must you be like this, young master? A gentleman's friendship is as pure as water! My humble name is truly insignificant!"

Jiang Hanqing shook his head, "If it were anyone else, I might never have revealed it. But facing a wise man like you, sir, if I didn't tell you, I would be presumptuous. Hehe!"

Sun Xianghe smiled but remained silent.

Jiang Hanqing continued, "Mr. Sun, to be honest, my name is Jiang Hanqing, the young master of the Zhenguo Duke's family!"

Sun Xianghe was greatly surprised and quickly stood up, bowing, "So it's Young Master Jiang! I was rude! My apologies!"

Jiang Hanqing hurriedly helped him up, saying, "Mr. Sun, there's no need for such formality! Please rise!"

Sun Xianghe slowly stood up, saying, "I previously guessed that you were from a prominent family, and I felt that your reluctance to reveal your identity to me was somewhat dishonest. Alas!" Now that I think about it, it's truly...! Alas! I never imagined that you, young master, are actually the young master of the Zhenguo Duke's family! The young master is far from the capital, in such a dangerous place; naturally, he should be extremely cautious and absolutely must not reveal his identity to me! Why now? Alas! I am truly ashamed! Alas!"

Jiang Hanqing said, "Why do you say that, sir? You are a man of exceptional talent; I haven't even had the chance to get to know you. Why would you conceal your identity and try to hide it?"

Sun Xianghe then understood, nodded, and sighed, "I never expected the young master to think so highly of me! Alas! How could I possibly accept such praise!"

After a pause, Sun Xianghe suddenly said, "Young Master, in this chaotic time of war, you personally risked your life to travel east. Could it be that you are going to Qiu Te?"

Jiang Hanqing stared at him in disbelief, as if seeing a celestial being. After a long while, he finally said, "Sir, you are truly a divine being!"

Bai Yingjue, standing beside him, also asked in surprise, "Sir, how did you guess?"

Sun Xianghe smiled slightly and slowly said, "Although I am just an ordinary commoner, I have dared to often concern myself with the affairs of the world. For hundreds of years, the four great ducal families have been striving to find opportunities for advancement! Countless efforts have been made, but they remain unknown to outsiders. However, because the empire's power has always been at its zenith, and although there have been occasional mediocre emperors, none have been considered incompetent rulers, the four great families have never been able to achieve anything significant. Now, times have changed, and the empire is already riddled with internal conflicts." The four great families are poised to strike, the situation in the world is chaotic and unclear, and wise men are aware that a great change is imminent, so they all stay away from the world and observe quietly. At this moment, the Qiu Te barbarians have invaded our Great Xia Empire, and they have actually managed to break through thousands of miles of territory as if it were empty land. The signs of the empire's defeat are now evident. But even a centipede with a hundred legs will not die easily. How can the small barbarian kingdom of Qiu Te possibly destroy our Great Xia Empire? Although their momentum is fierce, it will eventually be hindered and they will be unable to continue until they are exhausted! If they understand the situation and withdraw their troops early, they may still have a chance to save their lives; otherwise, the danger of total annihilation is imminent.

It is because of this thinking that I have the confidence to stay in this city for the time being and observe the situation. Now, seeing this, the Queen of Qiu Te is indeed worthy of her reputation! Even in the midst of such a great victory, she can still maintain a clear mind, see the shortcomings of her own side, and take the initiative to retreat. This is something that ordinary people cannot do!

Jiang Hanqing nodded repeatedly when he heard this.

Sun Xianghe continued, "I've heard that the Imperial Expeditionary Army will soon arrive at Sanchakou, and will then march eastward, recovering lost territory and striking directly at enemy lines. Currently, given the Imperial Army's immense strength and traditional fighting prowess, the Qiu Te barbarian army has virtually no hope of defeating the Imperial Army. If the Imperial Army wins this battle, the Emperor's prestige will reach its zenith, and the power of the royal family will undoubtedly rise to new heights. Under such circumstances, the Emperor will certainly attempt to eliminate the four great ducal families that have caused centuries of unease for successive emperors, and eradicate feudal separatism." "A hidden danger.

If this were to actually happen, the four great families would be in grave danger! Even someone as foolish as myself can see this situation. The four great ducal families are full of capable ministers and strategists; how could they not see this? Now, the young master is leading a large number of warriors, risking his life to travel east before the imperial army. In my humble opinion, the young master is going to assist the Qiu Te people in defeating the imperial expeditionary force, undermining the emperor's prestige, and ensuring the family's safety. There is nothing else worth the young master taking such a risk for!"

After hearing his words, Jiang Hanqing was even more convinced that he had not misjudged the man. Someone who could see the situation of the world so clearly without knowing the inner workings of the higher-ups was truly a genius!

Now that things had come to this, Jiang Hanqing no longer concealed anything and told Sun Xianghe all about his plans for this trip, while also expressing his intention to recruit him.

After listening, Sun Xianghe hesitated and said, "Young Master, you've been so open and honest with me, I'm truly grateful! However..."

Jiang Hanqing, seeing his expression, understood that he was worried about being forced to join his group. Jiang Hanqing knew that such a resourceful person would always consider all aspects carefully before acting to ensure his own safety. Getting someone to work for you wasn't something that could be achieved with empty words or a few sentences; the key was to demonstrate your abilities and make them feel that following you would lead to success before they would pledge their allegiance.

Jiang Hanqing wasn't surprised and smiled, "Sir, there's no need to worry! My journey to Qiute is fraught with peril, so I naturally won't make any demands on you. If I'm lucky enough to return alive from Qiute, then we can have a long talk!"

Sun Xianghe looked ashamed and was about to say something when Jiang Hanqing said, "I was planning to stroll around the city with Aunt Ying this morning to check out the situation. Now it seems unnecessary! Hehe! Once we're back alive, we can just ask a native like you, and you'll know everything, right? Hehe! After lunch, we'll head east. Otherwise, the Imperial army will catch up. Hehe!"

Sun Xianghe quickly said, "Young master, you're blessed with good fortune; you'll surely return safely and victorious!" Jiang Hanqing

thanked him and, after thinking for a moment, decided to use Sun Xianghe to deal with the Wang family's influence here. He then told Sun Xianghe about Wang Meiyun's true identity, warning him to be careful of this woman in the future.

Sun Xianghe was secretly surprised to hear that Wang Meiyun held such an important position in the Wang family, and immediately understood what Jiang Hanqing meant by wanting to assess the situation in the city. Having just revealed so many secrets, he felt he should at least offer some response! He hurriedly said, "Young Master Jiang, rest assured! I will handle that wretched woman Wang Meiyun carefully! As for the situation in the city, I will tell you everything when you return. My men will naturally be at your service, and will definitely make sure you gain a foothold at the crossroads."

Faced with such a clever and quick-witted fellow, Jiang Hanqing couldn't help but feel lucky. If other families had found such a person, his side would have suffered a great loss.

Jiang Hanqing then asked how to deal with the inn if the Wang family launched a large-scale attack after he left.

Sun Xianghe pondered for a moment and said, "Young Master, there's no need to worry. I estimate the main army will arrive shortly after you leave. To ensure the safety of supplies along the route, the Imperial army will definitely have troops stationed at such a crucial location as Sanchakou.

I think no matter how arrogant the Wang family is, they wouldn't dare to openly wage war under the army's nose. As for sneaky, petty skirmishes, I'm not afraid of them! Once Young Master Jiang returns successfully, we can naturally gather our strength and eliminate all of the Wang family's influence at Sanchakou in one fell swoop!"

Jiang Hanqing agreed wholeheartedly and didn't ask any more questions, instead chatting with Sun Xianghe about family matters. This was a way to further strengthen their relationship.

Before long, it was noon, and Sun Xianghe hurriedly invited Jiang Hanqing and Bai Yingjue to have lunch together.

At the table, Sun Xianghe hesitantly mentioned that through their conversation, he had gained some understanding of Jiang Hanqing and greatly admired his abilities. However, he was currently burdened by his family and unable to leave.

If Jiang Hanqing could help the Qiu Te people defeat the Imperial army and create some chaos, and if he had settled his family, he would definitely follow Jiang Hanqing wholeheartedly and contribute his meager strength.

Jiang Hanqing was naturally very pleased to hear this. Jiang Hanqing knew that Sun Xianghe had actually taken a liking to him and wanted to join him, but being cautious, he still needed to prove his abilities. This trip to Qiu Te became an opportunity for Sun Xianghe to test him. If he succeeded, Sun Xianghe would be able to conclude that his abilities were enough to contend for the world, and then he would join his camp without hesitation. Otherwise, it would be out of the question, and Sun would continue to hide here as a local tyrant, waiting for the next opportunity to develop. In any case, he had the intention to join him; the rest depended on his own efforts. Jiang Hanqing, who was always full of confidence in himself, seemed to already see Sun Xianghe becoming one of his trusted advisors.

In this atmosphere where everyone was full of anticipation for the future, lunch quickly and pleasantly ended.

After lunch and a short rest, Jiang Hanqing led his men, along with Bai Yingjue, and bid farewell to Sun Xianghe, the unexpected beneficiary of their eastward journey, heading east. Behind them, Sun Xianghe's hopeful gaze lingered.

He sincerely hoped that Jiang Hanqing, the future wise leader he had just found, would reappear before him, at which point he could truly unleash his talents, buried for so many years.

Stepping out of the low city gate at the crossroads, a straight official road stretched before them, leading eastward to the horizon.

On either side of the road rose and fell rolling hills, high and low, silently witnessing the vicissitudes of humankind for millennia.

This official road stretched out, traversing the vast eastern territory of the Empire and leading directly to the wild and untamed Kingdom of Qiut. A month ago, the Qiut cavalry had marched along this very road, penetrating deep into the Empire's borders. Now, the Qiut army was slowly retreating eastward along the same route. Naturally, the Imperial expeditionary force, soon to reach the fork in the road, would also pursue them along this path.

In the days to come, the war between the Empire and the Kingdom of Qiut would inevitably take place primarily along this official road. This road, once a bustling thoroughfare for east-west exchange, had now become a dead end, a road steeped in blood and fire.

What fate awaited them ahead? Jiang Hanqing spurred his horse at the head of the column, gazing at the long road ahead, his mind filled with countless thoughts.

Beside him was Bai Yingjue, who had just joined the ranks—the very person he would strive to conquer in the near future. At this moment, the poor woman was excitedly riding her horse. It was her first time traveling with such a large group, and the mission was so dangerous. How could this woman, who had lived alone in the deep mountains for so long, not be excited?

Jiang Hanqing glanced at Bai Yingjue's excited expression and understood that if he really wanted to subdue this eccentric and proud woman, he would have to put in a lot of effort! With such a goal, the journey ahead shouldn't be too boring.

Suddenly, he thought of the Queen of the Qiu Te barbarians, Han Yuexue, whom he had heard so much about. What was she doing now? What did she look like? Was she as ugly and filthy as all the Qiu Te barbarians?

A gust of wind blew by, stirring up a cloud of dust that obscured the figures of the people riding horses. Everything became as uncertain as the future...

Chapter Ten: Ambush and Escape

Chapter Ten: Ambush and Escape

October 6th, cloudy, evening.

At the eastern end of the Great Plains in the eastern part of the Empire, the Qiu Te Kingdom's royal camp was stationed. Banners fluttered in the camp, and voices rang out.

This place was about 600 li away from where the retreat began four days ago. The Qiut people's retreat, while not incredibly fast, was certainly not slow either.

Han Yuexue, still wearing her usual mask, sat alone in her tent, reviewing urgent military reports from various locations. To the east of the army's route, local militias had begun attacking the Qiut army's supply lines. Although the Qiut army still held firm control of this vital artery, Han Yuexue knew that if further delays occurred, and the Xia people and soldiers across the land mobilized and launched a coordinated attack, the Qiut expeditionary force would be in danger.

She slammed the memorial she held onto the table, stretched her stiff neck, and sighed softly. The Xia

Empire was truly vast! Before its invasion, she hadn't realized its significance, always dreaming of becoming the first barbarian emperor to conquer the imperial capital—Yong'an Prefecture—and leave her mark on history. Now, she truly understood the immense threat that such a vast territory posed to invaders. To defeat this vast empire, you would need to conquer thousands of miles of territory; otherwise, you would at most inflict a wound, not a fatal one. When barbarian cavalry sweep in, they leave behind millions of self-organized militia, ready to pounce on your rear lifeline. The empire's vast territory also ensures that it can amass a massive army before the enemy reaches its capital, ready to meet the attack. The sheer number and fighting power of these troops often instill despair in invaders, weary from their long marches, even before the final battle.

If the invaders only intend to plunder, harass the borders, and quickly retreat, the large but inefficient imperial army will indeed be helpless against them. However, if you intend to fight the empire to the death, or even dream of destroying it and launching a full-scale invasion, you will embark on a path of despair, inevitably facing defeat. No matter how excellent your command, you cannot reverse this fate; it is absolutely impossible. A highly civilized nation, yet possessing an innate martial spirit and a reverence for heroism, cannot be defeated by barbarians.

She finally understood why, for centuries, countless barbarian heroes and emperors had relentlessly attacked the Xia Kingdom, yet always failed to achieve victory.

These barbarian heroes, deep within the empire's heartland, no matter how glorious their beginnings, always ended in defeat. Some managed to return home alive, while others perished in battle in a foreign land, their bodies never to be found. She had initially thought it was due to their simple minds, limited abilities, and poor command. Now she knew that many of them were indeed as great as their reputations suggested; many would have been unparalleled warriors in any era!

She could now imagine how formidable those who managed to return alive were! Pursued by hundreds of thousands of imperial troops, and attacked by millions of civilians along the way, they managed to retreat to their homeland with only a small force, following a well-known escape route—the unchanging official road of a thousand years. Their command and judgment were exceptional, their will incredibly strong!

Han Yuexue was deeply grateful that she had made the decision to retreat at such an opportune moment. She now understood what her fate would have been had she and her army been if her retreat order had been delayed by even a few days until they made contact with the Imperial army.

Now, however, she no longer feared annihilation within Imperial territory. The majority of the Imperial populace along the eastern border had not yet organized themselves, and the Imperial army was merely swaying and staggering in pursuit, shouting from afar. Her cavalry could easily retreat home unhurriedly. But the real test would come then; the Imperial army's actions this time were not a simple act of sending guests home, but a clear indication that they intended to storm the enemy's lair. A decisive battle between the two armies was ultimately inevitable. Fortunately, her proactive retreat gave her the upper hand; she could choose the location of the decisive battle herself, without worrying about the enemy forcing her into battle at some point.

Standing up, Han Yuexue entered the bedroom partitioned off behind the tent.

Any man who saw this bedroom would be astonished, for it did not resemble a Qiu Te person's bedroom at all, but rather the bedroom of a typical noblewoman from the Great Xia Kingdom. Who could have guessed that the Queen of the Qiute barbarians would set up her bedroom like this?

Sitting before the dressing table, Han Yuexue removed her heavy mask and let out a comfortable sigh. Reflected in the mirror was a spirited and beautiful woman, a woman with the distinct features of the Yanhuang people.

Han Yuexue stared blankly at her beautiful face in the mirror, recalling the past.

Han Yuexue was the beloved daughter of the previous emperor of the Qiute Kingdom. Her birth mother was named Liu Fangyun. Liu Fangyun was originally the daughter of a local official of the Xia Kingdom. When the Qiute cavalry raided the border, they breached the city under her father's jurisdiction and captured her. The Qiute general originally intended to take her that very night, but upon seeing her stunning beauty, he changed his mind and presented her as tribute to the young Qiute emperor.

The Qiute emperor, upon seeing this Yanhuang beauty, was greatly enamored and, disregarding the objections of his ministers, made her his principal wife. To satisfy her longing for her homeland, the emperor even granted permission for her palace to be decorated like a palace of the Xia Dynasty. This was considered extremely unacceptable in Qiu's customs. However, Liu Fangyun, who always missed her hometown and family, fell ill and died shortly after giving birth to her daughter, Han Yuexue, due to years of melancholy.

Han Yuexue looked remarkably like her deceased mother, and the emperor, grieving for his late wife, doted on this precious daughter.

Although her siblings disliked this so-called monstrous offspring of the Yan and Huang tribes, they dared not provoke her because of the emperor's favor.

Han Yuexue grew up in her mother's former palace, cared for by one of her mother's maids, a woman of the Yanhuang ethnicity. Under these circumstances, she was raised entirely under the influence of Yanhuang culture. Deep down, she considered herself more of a Yanhuang than a Qiute person. At least in terms of cultural identity, she truly loved the advanced and complex culture of the Xia Empire, rather than the simple and crude culture of the Qiute. Of course, this only applied to her daily life. When it came to politics, military affairs, and her rule over the Qiute Empire, her methods became entirely Qiute: cold-blooded, barbaric, and pragmatic!

Although Han Yuexue was as beautiful as her mother, she inherited her Qiute father's strength and ruthlessness, along with his political wisdom and even superior military talent.

When Han Yuexue was ten years old, she unexpectedly provided the correct response to a memorial submitted to her father by her subjects. Although it involved a very simple matter, it was nothing short of a miracle for a ten-year-old girl. Her father, who already doted on her, was overjoyed and conceived the idea of her inheriting the throne, from which point on, he meticulously cultivated her leadership skills.

At the age of fourteen, Han Yuexue accompanied her father to the battlefield. Her military acumen as a young girl astonished many veteran generals. Although her experience was still limited, almost everyone believed that given time, she would become a great commander. Her exceptional military talent convinced the emperor, as her father, to finally decide to pass the throne to his beloved daughter.

When Han Yuexue was sixteen, the forty-seven-year-old Emperor Qiu Te fell from his horse while hunting. Knowing his injuries were fatal, the emperor, before his death, handed the Heavenly Eagle Sword, a symbol of Qiu Te's imperial power, to Han Yuexue in front of all his ministers.

The first female emperor in Qiu Te's history was born!

When Han Yuexue first ascended the throne, she faced numerous opponents, especially her brothers who were deeply dissatisfied with their sister's ascension. They relentlessly plotted to overthrow her.

Despite these turbulent circumstances, the strong-willed Han Yuexue refused to yield to any hardship.

She relied heavily on the support of her loyal generals who faithfully followed the late emperor's will, and brutally suppressed the opposition. Two of these generals were her half-brothers!

While consolidating her power by suppressing domestic opposition, Han Yuexue focused on economic reforms and developing trade with neighboring countries. The strength of the Qiu Te Kingdom grew steadily. However, in the past four years, due to population growth, existing resources could no longer meet the needs of the people. To expand the nation's living space, Han Yuexue began leading the Qiu Te army on a path of external expansion. For four consecutive years, she personally led her army to invade several neighboring countries, including the Empire, acquiring vast amounts of land and wealth. And this time, she chose the most powerful empire in the world!

Although Han Yuexue possessed superhuman abilities, her striking resemblance to a woman of the Yanhuang tribe, coupled with her beautiful appearance, prevented her from inspiring respect in the barbaric soldiers. To establish her authority within the army, she was forced to wear a specially made mask from the very first day she joined the army with her father.

Aside from her key ministers, the ordinary Qiut people had no idea what their empress looked like—whether she was beautiful or ugly. However, they didn't care, for in their hearts, this seemingly omnipotent empress was their goddess, and everything about a god was beautiful, something they couldn't casually contemplate.

Suddenly, the red candle beside the mirror crackled, startling Han Yuexue from her reverie.

She smiled bitterly, recalling how her uncle, Han Xionglie, had subtly suggested a few days prior that she consider marriage.

Yes, she was no longer young for a woman, and it was time to think about it.

But with her noble status and unparalleled talent, what man could possibly catch her eye? Her ministers often deliberately arranged for her to meet with so-called promising young unmarried men, but every time she saw these so-called noble sons of the Qiut tribe, she felt a surge of nausea. Although she was the Queen of Qiut, she had always considered herself a woman of the Yanhuang tribe. She didn't find anything wrong with Qiut men serving as her subordinates, but the idea of these uncouth men becoming her husbands was absolutely unacceptable. Her future husband should be a refined and learned man of the Yanhuang tribe, not a vulgar and ugly Qiut man. These barbarians were so vulgar and disgusting, yet they dared to dream of marrying a swan—how could she not feel nauseous at the sight of them! Suddenly

, the curtain in front of the bedroom door was lifted. Han Yuexue didn't need to turn around to know that it was her mother, who had raised her, who could enter her bedroom without announcing herself.

Mother walked up behind Han Yuexue and hugged her, saying, "My dear daughter, what are you thinking about?"

Han Yuexue, with a fragility she had never shown before, leaned into her mother's arms and whispered, "Mother, I'm wondering what my future husband will be like?"

Mother smiled and said, "Silly child, your husband will be the best man in the world! He should be both scholarly and martial, considerate, caring, and loving, and will accompany you through your life!"

Han Yuexue looked up at her kind mother and said, "Mother, but there won't be such a person among the Qiu Te people..." "Only the Yanhuang people could have such people! The Qiute people are all barbaric and uncouth!"

Mother nodded and said, "Yes! Child, you must remember! Although you are the Queen of the Qiute Kingdom, the blood of the Yanhuang people flows in your veins. Your mother is a Yanhuang person! I am also a descendant of the Yanhuang!"

Han Yuexue smiled and said coquettishly, "Mother, don't worry! I know! I've already been assimilated by you, and you still don't trust me!" After saying that, she made a face. Only in front of her mother would she show her little woman's side.

After thinking for a moment, Han Yuexue said, "If I don't find a Qiute person to marry, will those guys be content? I'm afraid that the country will be in chaos!"

Mother sighed, unable to think of anything to comfort her, and could only gently pat her back.

Han Yuexue nestled her face against her mother's chest, remaining silent for a long time before finally saying, "I've made up my mind! If I can't find a suitable person, I will never marry! After I die, let them choose someone to be emperor!"

Her mother exclaimed in surprise, "Silly girl! How could you have such thoughts? Don't worry, you will find your Mr. Right!"

Han Yuexue sat up straight, looking at her mother, and said, "Mother, we will have to retreat back to our country in a while, and then... we might have to fight a decisive battle with the Xia Kingdom's army!"

Her mother trembled, looking at Han Yuexue with pleading eyes, "Is a decisive battle really inevitable? Can't you end this war? Your mother...

" Yuexue shook her head firmly at her mother, who knew nothing about politics, interrupting her before she could finish speaking: "Mother! This isn't a matter of personal feelings; it's a struggle for survival, a life-or-death battle. Although I have half-Yanhuang blood flowing through my veins, I am also the emperor of the Qiu Te people! I cannot betray the interests of all the Qiu Te people for a little personal like or dislike! Besides, the Xia people don't consider me one of their own. Heh, I'm not their empress either!"

Her mother sighed disappointedly, "National affairs are beyond my control. Sigh!... I'm tired! I'm going to rest!"

Watching her mother turn and leave, Han Yuexue felt a surge of loneliness and emptiness. Her mother had always been the only one who truly cared for her, but now her mother didn't understand her actions. She felt she was truly becoming a lonely figure.

"Where is the one who can move my heart? Will he love me as sincerely as my mother did? Will he..." Han Yuexue sat blankly in front of the dressing table, constantly asking herself these questions.

Tonight would be another sleepless night for her.

Outside the tent, the Qiu Te military camp had quieted down, and most of the soldiers, exhausted from a day's work, were sound asleep.

How could they imagine, in their dreams, that the seemingly cold and ruthless Empress was so lonely inside!

October 7th, heavy rain, afternoon.

Two days had passed since they left Sanchakou, and the Jiang family continued their journey in the pouring rain.

They hadn't encountered any Qiu Te soldiers along the way, leading Jiang Hanqing to believe that the Qiu Te had retreated far away, a view shared by Chen Bin. So the group decided to advance at full speed to catch up with the departing Qiu Te.

Jiang Hanqing and Chen Bin had agreed that once they saw the Qiu Te's rearguard, their side would raise a white flag to indicate that they were not hostile, and then show the Qiu Te that they had come to help them. They believed that although the Qiu Te were barbaric, they wouldn't attack rashly. As for everything else, it's impossible to predict now; we can only adapt to the situation.

Although they rested for a while during lunch, the exhaustion from traveling in the rain left everyone feeling very tired. Fortunately, Jiang Hanqing and his group believed the Qiu Te people were still four or five hundred miles ahead of them. Traveling on this now-deserted official road, there was nothing to worry about, so the weary Jiang family warriors slumped their heads listlessly, completely oblivious to their surroundings. All they wanted now was to find a dry place to lie down and get a good night's sleep.

The heavy rain had been falling since morning and showed no signs of stopping.

Bai Yingjue looked up into the distance; everything was shrouded in mist by the torrential rain. She cursed the damned heavens inwardly.

Although she was wearing a raincoat, how could it protect her from such heavy rain? The clothes underneath were already soaked. A woman's preference for dry clothes naturally made her feel extremely uncomfortable at this moment.

The warhorse beneath her was struggling in the heavy rain, snorting incessantly.

Bai Yingjue looked around; the troop was marching in two rows. She and Jiang Hanqing were walking side by side, right in the middle of the column. Low, barren hills lined both sides of the official road, sparsely covered with bushes. Looking ahead, a small hill appeared not far from the bend in the road, with a grove of trees on it.

Bai Yingjue was delighted and wanted to tell Jiang Hanqing to stop there and take shelter from the rain. She called out to him, but he didn't hear her amidst the wind and rain. She called out again with all her might, and this time Jiang Hanqing heard her. He turned to look at her, trying to understand what she was saying. Bai Yingjue pointed to the grove of trees on the hill ahead. Jiang Hanqing looked, nodded, and immediately shouted that everyone should take shelter in the grove.

Everyone readily agreed. The group immediately turned away from the main road and headed towards the foot of the small hill, intending to rush up and into the woods to escape the ravages of the storm.

Just as they reached the foot of the hill, Jiang Hanqing suddenly heard a scream ahead. Looking up, he saw the warrior at the front of the group, who had already reached the top of the hill and was about to enter the woods, fall from his horse.

Jiang Hanqing cried out, "Not good!"

With a "whoosh," he drew his longsword, just enough to deflect a whistling arrow flying towards him.

The ground trembled, and hundreds of Qiu Te cavalrymen charged out of the woods, appearing before him and galloping down the hillside. Arrows continued to be fired from the woods.

Several more screams echoed around him; in the heavy rain, they didn't notice until the arrows were upon them, but by then it was too late.

Giving a shout to the others to flee, Jiang Hanqing quickly turned his horse around and galloped back towards the main road, the others turning back to follow closely behind.

Just then, a small squad of Qiut cavalry appeared on the opposite mountain. They were few in number, probably only twenty or thirty, and had already charged down the mountain, almost reaching the main road.

Jiang Hanqing glanced back; only about ten of his men followed him, including Bai Yingjue, Lin Fengxian, and Chen Bin. Nearly half of them had been killed by Qiut arrows from the woods during the earlier ambush.

The Qiut cavalry were closing in about five or six hundred paces behind.

Jiang Hanqing knew that if he couldn't eliminate the Qiut cavalry in front of him, his entire group would be wiped out.

Waving his longsword, Jiang Hanqing shouted, "Kill those barbarians! Kill!" He spurred his horse forward to meet the small squad of Qiut cavalry.

Bai Yingjue also drew her sword, her face ashen, following behind him; the Qiut ambush had enraged her.

The two groups quickly clashed, meeting right near the main road.

A Qut cavalryman charged towards Jiang Hanqing with a scimitar. Just as he was about to reach him, the Qut swung his sword, taking advantage of Jiang Hanqing's shorter weapon, intending to cut him in half at the waist.

Jiang Hanqing sidestepped and kicked, the scimitar slicing past the rider's head. The enemy rider quickly reached him, and he swiftly sat up, his longsword flashing.

"Ah!" The Qut cavalryman, unable to retract his sword in time, was pierced through the abdomen by the sword, screaming as he fell heavily from his horse.

Another Qut cavalryman charged, this time wielding a spear, aiming straight for Jiang Hanqing's horse. Jiang Hanqing ducked and swung his sword, the sharp blade severing the spearhead at the last second. As the two riders passed each other, Jiang Hanqing kicked the rider off his horse.

Looking up, Jiang Hanqing saw that he had already passed the sparse enemy ranks, and ahead lay the wide official road, free of enemies. He secretly rejoiced.

Several screams came from behind him. Jiang Hanqing quickly turned around and saw that several unfortunate Qiu Te cavalrymen had been caught by Bai Yingjue and were being cut down from their horses like vegetables, uttering dying cries.

Behind Bai Yingjue were four or five Jiang family warriors, but Jiang Hanqing didn't have time to see who they were. He hurriedly spurred his horse down the official road.

Hundreds of Qiu Te cavalrymen shouted and chased after him for six or seven hundred paces.

After passing the foot of the mountain ahead, a flat plain appeared before him. This was where the Qiu Te imperial camp had been stationed a few days ago, but Jiang Hanqing was completely unaware of this at the moment.

After riding for a while, the official road split into two on the plain: a small path leading north, and a main road leading east.

Jiang Hanqing immediately took the small path leading north. Even if he had the guts, he wouldn't dare try the main road heading east now. Who knew how many Qiut cavalrymen were waiting for him ahead!

After riding for a while, the sound of hooves behind him thinned out. He looked back and saw that only Bai Yingjue was still following him. The number of Qiut pursuers had dwindled to only a few dozen.

He immediately realized that at the fork in the road, his few remaining warriors must have run onto the main road heading east, causing most of the Qiut cavalry to follow.

He slightly reined in his horse, letting Bai Yingjue catch up, and the two rode side by side.

Bai Yingjue glared at him angrily, her voice sharp and fierce: "Is this how you help the Qiut people? Hmm!...Is this how you throw your life away to help them?"

Jiang Hanqing knew that because he hadn't seen any trace of the Qiut people along the way, he assumed they had retreated far away, so he had indeed been a little careless and hadn't considered what to do if he suddenly encountered them!

What surprised him even more was that, judging from what he had just seen, this unit, which should have been the Qut people's rearguard, was also taking shelter from the rain in that grove. He and his group were like reckless rabbits, walking right into the jaws of a hunting dog.

Faced with such an opportunity, the Qiu Te people wouldn't bother asking about your origins; they'd assume you were from the Xia Empire and kill you first.

Now, facing Bai Yingjue's questioning, he knew he had no way to defend himself and could only pretend not to hear.

His heart was burning with rage: "You motherfucker! You bitch, you're arguing with me now that we're running for our lives! Damn it! I'll deal with you slowly when I get the chance!"

Seeing his silence, Bai Yingjue assumed he felt remorse and calmed down, saying nothing more.

After galloping for an hour, their warhorses, having run for most of the day and only rested briefly at lunchtime, were exhausted and slowing down.

The pursuers had closed the distance to about six hundred paces, and some impatient Qiu Te soldiers had already drawn their powerful bows and begun firing arrows at the two. However, the distance was still too great, and the arrows fell to the ground far past them.

Bai Yingjue, estimating the number of the Qiu Te cavalry relentlessly pursuing them, called out to Jiang Hanqing, "There are about thirty of these guys behind us. What should we do? Are we just going to let them keep chasing us like this? Our horses can't keep up!"

Jiang Hanqing shook his head, remaining silent, clearly unable to come up with a good solution either.

The two had no choice but to press on, neither knowing when their mounts would collapse.

After galloping for another ten miles or so, a large grove of trees suddenly appeared beside the road in the distance.

Jiang Hanqing looked ahead and exclaimed with delight, "Excellent! There's a grove ahead! If we keep running, we'll be caught by the enemy sooner or later! Why don't we hide in that grove, and then, with our combined martial arts skills, wipe out all these Qiu Te people! What do you think?"

Bai Yingjue glanced at the grove about five miles away and nodded, "Okay! As long as we're not surrounded by the enemy on horseback, we can handle them no matter what! Let's go! To that grove!"

The five miles were covered in no time.

They spurred their horses off the road and into the woods, but after only a dozen meters, they found the trees too dense to ride. Jiang Hanqing, seeing the enemy closing in outside, said to Bai Yingjue, "Leave the horses here and hide inside!"

Bai Yingjue nodded, and the two dismounted, abandoning their horses, and fled deeper into the woods.

The forest was full of large, leafy trees. Jiang Hanqing surveyed the situation and said, "Aunt Ying, let's hide in a tree. We can catch the enemy off guard when they search us!"

Bai Yingjue agreed wholeheartedly.

So Jiang Hanqing chose a large, leafy tree, and the two climbed up to hide.

The space in the tree was cramped, and Bai Yingjue clung tightly to Jiang Hanqing, feeling the elasticity of his youthful, powerful muscles, and smelling the faint scent of sweat emanating from him. She hadn't been this close to a young man in years, and her heart fluttered, her face burning. She felt as if her whole body had become weak, wanting only to lean on this man, letting his young and strong body support her weight.

Just as she was lost in her reverie, Jiang Hanqing suddenly whispered, "Aunt Ying, they're here! Get ready!"

Bai Yingjue immediately snapped out of her reverie, inwardly scolding herself for letting her mind wander at such a crucial moment.

Bai Yingjue quickly regained her composure and looked closely; sure enough, the Qiu Te people had already formed a single line and entered the forest to search. As they moved, they used their broadswords and spears to hack and slash through the leaves and grass, probing for anyone hiding inside.

Because their meticulous search was extremely time-consuming, the Qiu Te people moved very slowly; it took them the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn from when they came into the two women's sight to when they reached the foot of the tree where the two women were hiding.

Jiang Hanqing gently pinched Bai Yingjue's waist, then leaped down, his longsword thrusting out. Immediately, one of the Qiu soldiers fell.

Bai Yingjue, her body tingling from the pinch, didn't have time to ponder the hidden meaning behind the action. Seeing Jiang Hanqing already jumping down and attacking, fearing he would be injured, she quickly followed.

Before Bai Yingjue even landed, her longsword was already in hand, the blade flashing in the air, creating a flurry of sword flowers as it swept towards the Qiu soldiers struggling to emerge from the bushes towards them.

The leading Qiu soldiers hadn't even seen her face clearly; they only felt a flash of golden light before their eyes, a chill on their throats, and a thought just crossed their minds: "Have I been struck by a sword?" Then everything went black, and they collapsed to the ground.

At this moment, Jiang Hanqing and Bai Yingjue had already unleashed their skills, using the trees for cover, weaving left and right through the forest. Appearing and disappearing like ghosts, they prevented the Qiu soldiers from forming an encirclement. With each strike of their swords, a Qut man fell to the ground.

The Qut men finally realized they had been tricked into entering a forest where their numerical advantage was practically nonexistent. A man with a colorful feather on his helmet, seemingly an officer, immediately shouted orders. The remaining Qut soldiers hastily brandished their weapons and moved towards the officer, preparing to form a united front against Jiang and Bai's attack.

Seeing this, Bai Yingjue laughed loudly, "Good! So you're the leader. Then you'll die first!"

With that, she leaped forward, charging at the officer. Two Qut soldiers rushed forward to block Bai Yingjue's fierce attack. However, the moment they got close, Bai Yingjue slashed them across the shoulder with her sword, blood gushing out as they cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground.

Seeing the situation was dire, the officer immediately turned and ran towards the edge of the forest, shouting for the surrounding soldiers to come and protect him. Bai Yingjue followed closely behind him, relentlessly pursuing him. Along the way, Qiu special soldiers constantly appeared before her, but for her, each was merely a matter of expending a single sword strike, leaving behind only a corpse, while her advance hardly faltered for a moment. The remaining Qiu special soldiers shouted and yelled, chasing after the two, but these poor wretches, single-mindedly focused on saving their leader's life, completely forgot about the relentless pursuer behind them.

Jiang Hanqing was astonished to find that the Qiu special soldiers, in their frantic pursuit, seemed to have forgotten his existence, only knowing to run towards the direction Bai Yingjue was chasing the officer. He then smugly followed behind the Qiu special soldiers, killing them one by one with ease and success, while the Qiu special soldiers still running ahead didn't even notice that the number of people behind them was dwindling.

When the officer reached the edge of the woods, Bai Yingjue finally caught up with him, leaping forward to stand in front of him, pointing her sword at his chest. The officer, who was sprinting at full speed, was startled and desperately stopped, barely managing to halt just as the longsword was about to pierce his chest.

At this moment, only five Qiut soldiers remained to stand with him. The rest had already fallen in the woods.

The Qiut soldiers then realized that their group of thirty-odd men had been almost completely wiped out by these two Xia soldiers.

Although there were six of them and only two of their opponents, the Qiut soldiers felt like lambs to the slaughter in front of two men.

Bai Yingjue smiled coldly, her longsword lightly touching the officer's chest. The officer, terrified, turned pale and immediately threw his thick-backed broadsword to the ground, surrendering.

At this moment, Jiang Hanqing slowly walked over, drops of enemy blood dripping from the blade of his longsword onto the ground.

The two Qiut soldiers exchanged a glance, then suddenly roared, ignoring the trembling officer's life under Bai Yingjue's sword, and lunged at Jiang Hanqing. One of them swung a broadsword at Jiang Hanqing's head, while the other thrust a long spear straight at his chest.

Jiang Hanqing chuckled, instead of retreating, he unexpectedly lunged at the man wielding the knife, causing another man's thrust to miss its mark. His longsword then arced through the air, its tip precisely striking the side of the blade aimed at his head. The knife-wielding Qiu Te soldier felt a sudden jolt in his hand, his broadsword veering to the side. Just as he cursed inwardly, Jiang Hanqing's longsword was already back in motion, gently slicing across his throat. A sliver of blood flew, and the knife-wielding Qiu Te soldier fell to the ground, his eyes wide open. Turning around, the gun-wielding Qiu Te soldier had just stopped, desperately trying to retract his already weakened spear, but he only had time to let out a desperate cry the instant the sword pierced his chest.

Bai Yingjue softly praised, "Xiao Qing, what superb skills!" Then she turned to the officer and questioned, "Do you understand Yanhuang language? Your men don't seem to care much about your life! Tell the remaining three to put down their weapons!"

The officer clearly understood her words, because he immediately said a few words to the remaining three soldiers, and the three soldiers immediately dropped their weapons.

Bai Yingjue nodded in satisfaction and said, "Very good! So you can understand and speak Yanhuang language?" Sure

enough, the officer said in a trembling voice, "Yes! Yes! Don't kill me! My sister is a Qiu Te woman... uh!... a noblewoman in our Qiu Te Kingdom. If you let me go, she can give you a lot of money!"

Jiang Hanqing laughed, "Hehe! Your sister is a noblewoman? Then aren't you a noblewoman too? Why do you have to bring her up?"

The officer's face turned pale and he answered in a trembling voice, "Yes! Me too! Uh... I brought her up because..." "...I've scared you all senseless. Heh heh!"

Hearing the officer's forced, dry laugh, Jiang Hanqing chuckled as well, then stepped forward and pointed her sword at the officer's throat, demanding fiercely, "I suppose this wasn't what you originally wanted to say? Tell me, who exactly is your sister?!"

The three soldiers beside the officer suddenly roared in unison. Bai Yingjue, seeing their expressions as if they were begging the officer not to tell the truth, felt a surge of anger. Her longsword swiftly slashed towards the three men's throats, the sharp sword energy emanating from the blade killing them instantly before they could dodge.

Seeing Bai Yingjue, such a beautiful woman, yet so ruthless in her attack, the officer was so frightened that he knelt on the ground.

Jiang Hanqing seemed oblivious to Bai Yingjue's murderous act, leisurely saying, "Qiutuo has always been a nation founded on powerful clans. No noble son can become an officer without ability. You, such a coward, are able to become a high-ranking officer in the Emperor's personal guard. Heh heh, who exactly is your sister?"

The officer looked up at Jiang Hanqing in shock, saying, "You!...How do you know about the high-ranking officers?"

Jiang Hanqing laughed, "Are you interrogating me, or am I interrogating you? Haha!" After laughing, he glared at the officer with a fierce look in his eyes.

Seeing the officer lower his head in fear, Jiang Hanqing said, "The Cailing officer is a high-ranking officer in the Tiger Legion, Emperor Qiu Te's personal guard. Only members of the royal family can hold this position. You're not telling me you have no connection to the royal family, are you?"

Seeing the man remain silent, Jiang Hanqing, remembering that most of his men had died at the hands of this man's army, felt a surge of anger and said fiercely, "Fine! You won't talk! I'll kill you to avenge my fallen brothers!" He then slightly raised his sword, about to thrust it at the officer's chest. The officer collapsed to the ground in terror.

Bai Yingjue hurriedly said, "Xiaoqing! The dead cannot be brought back to life! The important matter is at hand!" Seeing Jiang Hanqing's expression shift, she slowly lowered her sword. Bai Yingjue then urged the officer, "Tell the truth! We won't kill you! I can also tell you that we're going to join Queen Qiu Te. We have important intelligence about the Xia Kingdom's army to report to her!"

The officer, who had been slumped on the ground, immediately sat up straight upon hearing this, his face showing a mixture of surprise and joy. "Really! You really want to join us?"

Bai Yingjue gestured for Jiang Hanqing to put away his weapon, then went over and helped the officer up, saying, "I could have killed you. Why lie to you? Tell me, who is your sister?"

"Could it be Queen Qiu Te?" Jiang Hanqing suddenly chimed in from the side.

The officer glanced at Jiang Hanqing with fear, but seeing the disdain on his face as he spoke, clearly not believing his status was high enough, he felt slighted and angrily declared, "I am none other than Her Majesty Queen Qiu Te's own brother—Han Feilong!" He finished with an arrogant expression.

Jiang Hanqing was secretly pleased, knowing he had finally forced the other party to tell the truth. He winked at Bai Yingjue, walked up, patted Han Feilong on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Hehe! My apologies! My apologies! So it really is Prince Qiu Te! Hehe!"

Han Feilong was initially pleased with himself for revealing his identity, thinking the other party would be respectful, but seeing Jiang Hanqing's completely mocking expression, he couldn't help but worry again, wondering what the other party's true intentions were.

At this moment, the rain had completely stopped. Jiang Hanqing looked at the other party's tense appearance and sighed, "You did a good job this time! I brought my men to join you, but you killed all of my men. They were all my carefully selected, loyal subordinates!"

Although Jiang Hanqing had been hardened by the history books he had read, he still couldn't help but shed a few tears when he thought of those rare and good subordinates.

Han Feilong was terrified and at a loss for words, only able to mutter, "It's a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!"

Jiang Hanqing, suppressing his grief over the loss of his subordinate, didn't want to frighten him further, but simply demanded that he explain how he ended up in the forest where the attack had taken place.

Han Feilong then recounted the whole story.

It turned out that Han Feilong was the half-brother of Queen Han Yuexue of Qiu Te, but unlike his sister who became queen, he was weak-willed and incompetent from a young age, perhaps because his intelligence was largely inherited from his mother, who was known for her large breasts but lacked common sense. However, he had one redeeming quality: he was honest and kind. When Han Yuexue was young, he didn't look down on her like his other brothers did because of her Yanhuang blood; instead, he always took good care of her. After Han Yuexue became queen, remembering his past kindness, she made an exception and appointed the slow-witted Han Feilong as the Commander of the Tiger Legion.

A few days ago, before the withdrawal, his uncle Han Xiong Lie had mocked his incompetence. In a fit of anger, he refused to stay with Han Xiong Lie and made an excuse to remain with the rearguard.

According to the Qiu Te people's withdrawal plan, the rearguard should have slowly marched eastward 600 li behind the imperial camp to ensure the camp wouldn't be attacked by enemy cavalry.

This morning, when they retreated according to plan, they were suddenly caught in a downpour. Reaching the grove, Han Feilong, soaked and disoriented, asked his entourage to take shelter in the woods. His companions, also suffering from the rain, readily agreed. While

they were sheltering, a soldier on guard at the edge of the grove reported a cavalry charge approaching. Han Feilong immediately ordered everyone to mount their horses and prepare for battle. Upon closer inspection, they found it was a group of Xia people, heading straight for the grove where they were hiding. Overjoyed, Han Feilong immediately ordered the entire enemy force to be annihilated. This was the Jiang family's group.

Later, when the chase reached the fork in the road, the remaining four or five warriors of the Jiang family all ran eastward along the main road. He saw a man and a woman fleeing and thought it would be a piece of cake, so he only took about thirty men and gave chase, thinking all the while that he had accomplished a great feat and would go back to ask his sister for credit. Who knew that things would turn out so differently, and the outcome was completely unexpected; instead, he himself was captured by Jiang Hanqing.

This Han Feilong was quite honest; he even admitted that others called him an idiot. Upon hearing this, Jiang Hanqing knew he truly was a fool.

Thinking of his elite troops being wiped out by this coward, Jiang Hanqing grew increasingly angry, almost drawing his sword to finish the man off. However, he quickly reconsidered. Today's events were entirely his fault; he had assumed they would quickly retreat to their stronghold, never expecting the Qiute cavalry to linger, resulting in a surprise attack. Killing this guy now was pointless; it would be better to let him lead the way to Han Yuexue, thus avoiding further trouble. Considering the countless Qiute soldiers they would encounter on the road ahead, and the possibility of another accident like today, Jiang Hanqing suddenly realized that the fool Han Feilong had great value. The hatred he felt for this Qiute man from the loss of his men vanished instantly. He knew that the dead were dead, while Han Feilong, alive, was now incredibly useful, far more so than his fallen men, and more likely to help him reach Han Yuexue.

Without hesitation, Jiang Hanqing greeted Han Feilong with a smile, even casually praising him for his competence, saying he had managed to defeat his handpicked subordinates. What was meant as mockery, inexplicably pleased Han Feilong, oblivious to the fact that the other man was toying with him, completely forgetting the fact that his men had just died at the hands of this man.

Jiang Hanqing told Han Feilong that he was the last surviving descendant of a powerful family in the Xia Kingdom, whose entire family had been executed by the emperor for their dissatisfaction with the imperial family. He had narrowly escaped execution and had been searching for revenge ever since. He had come to help the Qiu Te Kingdom defeat the imperial army and avenge his family.

Fearing that the idiot Han Feilong might inadvertently reveal his true identity, Jiang Hanqing fabricated a story so convincing that even he himself couldn't believe it.

But Han Feilong, upon hearing this, showed no doubt whatsoever. He immediately became excited, insisting on taking him to see the supreme Queen Qiu Te, saying she would surely reward him handsomely.

Jiang Hanqing was speechless at this idiot, laughing heartily, "Hehe! Brother Feilong has performed such a great feat, Her Majesty the Queen will surely praise you! Then, please lead the way, Brother Feilong!"

Seemingly anticipating his sister's praise, Han Feilong's mouth was practically splitting with a grin. He immediately walked alongside Jiang Hanqing towards the edge of the forest. Bai Yingjue followed behind, a sly smile playing on her lips.

Upon exiting the forest, they saw over thirty warhorses left behind by the Qiu Te cavalry, resting in a clearing outside the woods. Jiang and Bai's mounts had somehow wandered over from the edge of the forest and mingled with them.

Seeing these warhorses, Han Feilong remembered that his men had all been killed by Jiang and Bai. Thinking of how they had been laughing and talking with him not long ago, a wave of grief washed over him. He stood there, tears welling in his eyes, unwilling to leave.

Jiang Hanqing urged him to hurry. Han Feilong suddenly remembered that the Qiu soldiers killed by Jiang and Bai earlier hadn't been buried yet, and hurriedly said to Jiang Hanqing, "Uh...this...this hero, could you help me bury the bodies of my men?"

Jiang Hanqing was both amused and exasperated by this request, and sneered, "Brother Feilong, you Qiu people have never buried the people you kill!"

Upon hearing this, Han Feilong was filled with righteous indignation, forgetting the danger of being killed. He raised his head, ready to argue with Jiang Hanqing, but then seemed to suddenly remember something, lowered his head, and sighed, "Alas! You're right! Not long ago, the Empress personally led her army to conquer Taishun City, not far from here, and slaughtered everyone in the city..." Not a single corpse was buried.

Bai Yingjue, who had never imagined such a tragedy could occur, gasped in shock. "What did you say? The whole city? Everyone in the city was killed?"

Before Han Feilong could answer, Jiang Hanqing spoke first: "It's nothing special! Barbarian tribes always punish cities that resist to the end with a massacre after the city falls! Aunt Ying, having lived in the Western Regions for so long, haven't you heard of such massacres? Moreover, in my opinion, the massacre of Taishun City proves that they are the descendants of Yan and Huang who bravely resisted to the end, and will surely be admired by future generations!" His tone remained calm, as if he were stating an ordinary matter, rather than discussing the tragedy of the entire city being slaughtered.

Bai Yingjue glared at Jiang Hanqing with displeasure and said, "Xiao Qing! How can you say that? Don't you think this is a terrible thing? Innocent people have all been killed, and you're just so indifferent!"

Jiang Hanqing smiled and ignored her, turning to Han Feilong and saying, "Brother Feilong, let's go! Otherwise, we won't be able to catch up with your people before dark!"

Unexpectedly, Bai Yingjue's temper flared up again. She walked up to Jiang Hanqing and angrily said, "Xiao Qing, how have you become so cold-blooded?"

Before Jiang Hanqing could react, she muttered to herself, "Heavens! Everyone in the city is dead? No! There must be survivors! No! I have to go to Taishun City to see! You have to go too!" She turned to look at Jiang Hanqing, her eyes revealing a determined look.

Jiang Hanqing stared at Bai Yingjue, speechless with astonishment, as if meeting her for the first time. After a long silence, he finally managed to say, "Aunt Ying, you're not joking, are you? We have such important business to attend to!"

Bai Yingjue said seriously, "Do I look like I'm joking? I'm telling you solemnly, I'm going to Taishun City! No matter what your trivial business is, I'm going!"

"But it's a dead city!" Jiang Hanqing thought this woman was utterly unreasonable.

Bai Yingjue said, "I refuse to believe that the people in that city were really all killed by the Qiu Te people! I must go and see; maybe there are still survivors waiting for rescue?"

Jiang Hanqing once again resolved to subdue this spoiled woman as soon as possible, otherwise, who knew how many more things like this, going against his will, would happen in the future.

The oblivious Han Feilong suddenly spoke up, "Heavens! You're going to that dead city? I'm not going there with you! Weren't you going to see Her Majesty the Empress? Why did you change your mind?"

Bai Yingjue sneered, "Who wants you to go? If you come with me, be careful I don't kill you with my sword if I don't like you!" Jiang Hanqing panicked upon

hearing this and hurriedly said, "Aunt Ying, if you don't want him to go, where do you want him to go?"

"Where to? Isn't he a member of the Qiu Te royal family? Just tell him to go back to his Empress sister!"

"No! But he's supposed to take us there! Otherwise, we don't know how many more dangers like today we'll encounter along the way!" Jiang Hanqing rolled her eyes, feeling a wave of despair.

Bai Yingjue pouted and said, "No matter what! I said you'd come to Taishun City with me. As for this Qiu Te barbarian, tell him to go back by himself! I don't want to see him. Otherwise, when we get to Taishun City, I might kill him in a fit of anger."

Jiang Hanqing knew she was telling the truth. Seeing the city full of dead compatriots in Taishun City, and remembering the tragic death of his companion, Bai Yingjue, this madwoman, would most likely take her anger out on this poor Qiu Te fool. Knowing Bai Yingjue's temper, Jiang Hanqing knew he couldn't argue with her, and felt indignant about his own misfortune.

But despite his anger, he didn't dare offend Bai Yingjue. After thinking it over, he had no choice but to appease her for now. Anyway, having Han Feilong go back and report was better than the Qiu Te people knowing nothing! He could then figure out how to contact the Qiu Te army, sneak in, find him, and have him introduce him to the Qiu Te Queen.

Looking at Han Feilong, who was staring at him blankly, Jiang Hanqing said with a wry smile, "Brother Feilong, my Aunt Ying is going to check if anyone is still alive in Taishun City. She doesn't like you, so you can go ahead and do as you please! When you get back and see your empress sister, remember to mention that the two of us are going to seek refuge with her, and ask her to give her army a heads-up that they'll show mercy to two people who look like us in the future, understand?"

Seeing Han Feilong's half-understanding look, Jiang Hanqing shook his head and said to Bai Yingjue, who was already showing signs of impatience, "Aunt Ying, that's enough! I've finished explaining! Let's go, let's go check out that Taishun City!"

Seeing that Jiang Hanqing had truly given up her plan to travel with Han Feilong to fulfill her wish, Bai Yingjue felt a pang of guilt. She lowered her head and said softly, "Xiaoqing, Aunt Ying just feels there must still be people alive there! I feel uneasy if I don't go and see for myself. Please, just this once, okay? No matter what difficulties we face in the future, Aunt Ying will be with you and will never leave you!"

Jiang Hanqing secretly chuckled, thinking, "You shameless woman! You said it yourself, hehe, when I train you in the future..." "Don't complain when you're in trouble!" she thought to herself, but said aloud, "Aunt Ying, what you said makes a lot of sense! I also think we should do something, maybe there are really many people hiding who haven't died. If we find someone seriously injured but still breathing, we can save their lives!"

Bai Yingjue said happily, "Xiao Qing! Aunt Ying misunderstood you just now! Alright, let's set off immediately! To Taishun City!"

Without waiting for Jiang Hanqing's reply, she immediately jumped onto her mount, anxiously looking at Jiang Hanqing with one eye, eager to head north.

Jiang Hanqing cursed the domineering woman inwardly a couple more times, then hurriedly said, "Aunt Ying, wait for me! Let's take a few more horses so we can switch them along the way, which will greatly increase our speed!"

Seeing Bai Yingjue nod in agreement, he selected four particularly good horses from among the Qiu Te people's warhorses, tied the reins together, mounted his horse, waved helplessly to Han Feilong, and followed Bai Yingjue northward.

After riding for a while, Jiang Hanqing didn't forget to turn back and shout to remind Han Feilong, "Brother Feilong! Don't forget to mention us to your sister, the Empress!"

Chapter Eleven: Aunt

Ying Takes

the Bait As dusk fell, Jiang Hanqing and Bai Yingjue finally arrived at the foot of Taishun City.

From afar, they could feel the aura of death emanating from the city. There was no sign of human habitation, no sound, and no living creature in sight; how eerie this city looked! Bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, the lifeless city of Taishun appeared even more desolate.

Standing beneath the city walls, Jiang and Bai could clearly see the numerous scratches left by the swords and spears wielded by the soldiers of the previous days during the fierce battle. The marks of smoke and fire were also ubiquitous, stretching endlessly across the walls. The walls and surrounding areas were littered with the corpses of Xia soldiers and civilians, their bodies beginning to rot after days of sun and rain, emitting a foul stench.

The city gate, destroyed in the battle, was reduced to a pile of charred remains in its archway. Looking through the blackened archway, one could see discarded weapons and corpses strewn everywhere.

Bai Yingjue stared dumbfounded at this hell on earth, unable to describe her feelings. Since practicing martial arts, she had long been accustomed to killing, but such an organized massacre was something she had never even imagined.

Jiang Hanqing, however, felt a different emotion. Although he had never truly cared about the lives of ordinary people, the current tragic scene was enough to move even the most cold-blooded schemer. The thought of how many more imperial citizens would suffer the same fate if he had actually helped the Qiut people defeat the Imperial Expeditionary Force filled Jiang Hanqing with a rare sense of unease and guilt. However, this kind of conscience, useless to politicians, was merely a fleeting emotional impulse for Jiang Hanqing, who was single-mindedly focused on achieving unparalleled hegemony. In the blink of an eye, Jiang Hanqing had devised the best justification for his unjust actions: "My help to the Qiu Te people today in defeating the Great Xia army is merely to overthrow the rule of that incompetent old emperor. The common people will indeed pay a price and suffer great losses, but only in this way can I unleash my power to establish a truly powerful dynasty and achieve unparalleled hegemony! Ensuring the absolute strength of my Yanhuang Holy Clan! Only then can the common people live a truly happy life."

While Jiang Hanqing was lost in thought, Bai Yingjue had already recovered from her shock and walked into the city, ignoring the stench emanating from it.

Jiang Hanqing frowned at the corpses scattered all over the city, shook his head, and followed behind her.

As they passed through the city gate, the sound of their leather boots crunching on the bricks echoed through the gate and carried far down the empty streets.

Only upon entering the city could one see the horrific scene: corpses littered the ground, more than half of whom were elderly people, women, and children.

Bai Yingjue cleared her dry throat and turned to look at Jiang Hanqing, saying, "Xiaoqing!...Are we still going to help the Qiu Te people?" As she spoke, tears welled in her eyes.

To her surprise, Jiang Hanqing nodded without hesitation, "Of course we should help! Why not? If we don't help the Qiu Te people, the tyrannical rule will continue, and such tragedies could happen at any time! Then it won't just be the eastern part of the empire; the north, south, and west might all experience the same thing! Perhaps even the great Yanhuang race will be destroyed by him! To completely eradicate the root of the problem, we must be willing to endure hardship and pay the price!"

Looking at Jiang Hanqing, who was still going to speak eloquently, Bai Yingjue suddenly felt extremely tired. She couldn't believe that the once cute and obedient Xiaoqing would say such cold words. For the first time, she felt so strongly that Jiang Hanqing had truly grown up and was no longer the Xiaoqing she remembered!

Without saying anything more to Jiang Hanqing, Bai Yingjue continued walking down the street. Jiang Hanqing sensed her dissatisfaction and remained silent, following quietly behind her.

The only sound in the deserted street was the jarring echo of their footsteps.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out: "Ah! Finally, someone's here!"

Although Bai Yingjue was highly skilled in martial arts, she was still a woman and easily frightened. Hearing someone speak in this place littered with corpses terrified her. She dared not look around, screaming "Ghost!" and turning to throw herself into Jiang Hanqing's arms with her eyes closed.

Jiang Hanqing was also startled when he first heard the voice, but he quickly recognized its source. Under the eaves of a building by the street, a ragged man sat against the wall. It was this man who had spoken.

Dried bloodstains were visible on his tattered clothes, and the style of the garments vaguely suggested they had once been a magnificent military uniform. The man's face was covered in grime, but a look of satisfaction was still visible. Beside him lay some leftover food and a few pieces of tile soaked with rainwater.

Jiang Hanqing immediately realized this man was a lucky survivor. He appeared injured and unable to move, clinging to life by gathering food and rainwater from the surrounding corpses, yet he had been fortunate enough to witness their arrival.

Just as he was about to greet him, Jiang Hanqing suddenly remembered Bai Yingjue leaning against him. Overjoyed, he reached out and embraced her slender waist. The feeling of holding her soft body in his arms was exhilarating. The woman he had dreamed of for days was now leaning pitifully against him; he certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to immediately greet the other man and startle the beauty who had so easily thrown herself into his arms away.

Feeling the intoxicating sensation of the woman's warm, full body pressed against his, and inhaling her delicate fragrance, Jiang Hanqing felt an urge to immediately pin her to the ground, strip her clothes off, and whip her mercilessly. However, while he thought about it, he absolutely dared not actually do it. He didn't even dare to move the hand that was around Bai Yingjue's slender waist, for fear of startling her. After all, given Bai Yingjue's martial arts skills, if she became enraged, he would only be able to save his own life.

The man leaning against the wall clearly understood the situation and even winked at Jiang Hanqing twice. Looking at his grimaces, Jiang Hanqing smiled wryly and gestured towards Bai Yingjue with his lips, signaling her to be quiet. The man immediately nodded and made a shushing gesture with his finger to his lips, indicating that he understood.

Jiang Hanqing had just smiled and nodded to him in gratitude when the man suddenly burst into laughter.

The woman in his arms immediately moved, breaking free from his embrace. Jiang Hanqing glared at the man angrily, almost cursing.

It turned out that when Bai Yingjue buried her head in Jiang Hanqing's chest, she could clearly feel his heartbeat. The man's scent made her dizzy, almost losing herself. Lost in the young man's strong embrace, Bai Yingjue suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of happiness, as if nothing else in the world mattered; she only wanted to stay with him forever. In this feeling of time standing still, she suddenly heard laughter. Although she couldn't see the person, she guessed it must be a survivor—the one who had frightened her earlier. At that moment, she suddenly realized she was still leaning against Jiang Hanqing, his arm wrapped around her waist, the two in an intimate position. Bai Yingjue was startled and quickly pushed Jiang Hanqing away, straightening up. She looked up and met his gaze. Seeing the ambiguous smile on Jiang Hanqing's face as they met, a blush quickly spread across her cheeks. But having broken free of his embrace, she felt a void, as if she had lost something.

Not daring to look at Jiang Hanqing any longer, Bai Yingjue turned to look at the direction from which the sound had come. The lucky man was watching them, laughing heartily.

Bai Yingjue, annoyed and embarrassed, demanded, "What are you laughing at?"

The man immediately stopped laughing, sighing and muttering to himself, "Ah! Yes! What right does a dead man like me have to laugh at others? How can someone who has returned from the brink of death still laugh?"

Only then did Bai Yingjue realize what had happened and quickly asked him what had transpired in this small town.

The man looked up, gazing intently at the sky half-reddened by the setting sun, his eyes filled with profound sorrow. He murmured, "How beautiful! It's a pity they can't see it anymore…!"

This scene moved Jiang and Bai to tears, leaving them speechless.

After a long while, the man finally came to his senses, looked at Bai Yingjue, and said in a deep voice, "My name is Fan Hu. A few days ago…"

It turned out he was the Fan Hu who led the soldiers and civilians of Taishun City in resisting the Qiu Te army! On the day the city fell, the Qiu Te cavalryman charged from behind and struck Fan Hu with his sword, believing he had killed him.

In truth, although his strike was powerful, it only struck the deerskin scabbard on Fan Hu's back. The tough deerskin prevented the blade from penetrating, but the force of the cavalryman's swing, propelled by the momentum of his horse, was immense. Even with the deerskin scabbard as a barrier, the force still sent Fan Hu reeling and knocking him unconscious.

In his haste, the Qiu Te cavalryman didn't realize he hadn't actually hit his opponent and rode away.

By the time Fan Hu regained his senses, the Qiu Te army had already massacred all the city's inhabitants and retreated. Looking at the corpses of soldiers and civilians scattered throughout the city, Fan Hu was utterly devastated.

His wish was to immediately leave this dead city and head west to find the Imperial army and rejoin the battle to avenge the fallen citizens of Taishun. However, the blow to his back, though not a direct hit to the flesh, had sent him flying and left him with multiple fractures.

His injuries made even moving extremely difficult, let alone a long journey.

With no other option, he had to stay in the city, enduring the stench of the rotting corpses. He scavenged food and medicine from the surrounding bodies to sustain himself, and drank rainwater collected on roof tiles when thirsty.

Several days dragged on, and just as he was about to be driven mad by this inhuman suffering, he unexpectedly heard the heavenly sound of horses' hooves coming from outside the city, filling him with overwhelming joy. However, this joy was quickly followed by deep worry—he feared that the Qiu Te people had returned. Only

when he saw that Jiang and Bai, who appeared to be of the Yanhuang ethnicity, did he finally relax and speak.

Lost in painful memories, Fan Hu, tears streaming down his face, choked back sobs as he recounted the tragic story of that day to Jiang and Bai, finally letting them understand the true circumstances of the bloody battle and why the Qiu Te people had carried out such a brutal massacre in this small town.

After Fan Hu briefly recounted the events, Bai Yingjue was already in tears, repeatedly cursing the Qiu Te barbarians.

Jiang Hanqing, however, was different. On the surface, he also sighed repeatedly, but inwardly he secretly doubted the veracity of Fan Hu's story.

It turned out that Fan Hu was always honest and hardworking, only knowing how to bury himself in his work and not good at flattery. In the army, because he didn't know how to boast, despite his genuine talent, no one knew about him, and he remained stuck in a low-ranking position.

When recounting the events, he only briefly described the situation that day, without deliberately emphasizing his own merits.

However, since his actions that day were indeed so brave and admirable, he couldn't help but mention his deeds a couple of times. After all, how many people would only feel proud in their hearts and not tell anyone about such a great achievement? He had been lying there idly for the past few days, thinking that if this story got out, he would likely be remembered in history, and even if he died, it would be enough!

However, Jiang Hanqing, who always believed in seeing is believing and hearing is deceiving, naturally thought that he was just making things up and was trying to glorify himself. Jiang Hanqing thought to himself, "Anyway, you're the only one alive now, so of course you can say whatever you want! I could also say I single-handedly fought against ten thousand enemy soldiers and refused to surrender! Don't you even consider that, even if you are as fearless as you boast, do you really have the ability to achieve such a glorious victory with just a few scattered soldiers?"

Thinking this, Jiang Hanqing naturally found Fan Hu's words highly unbelievable.

When Fan Hu asked Jiang Hanqing about his background, he simply said that he was from a noble family and had wanted to abandon his studies to join the army after hearing about the Qiu Te invasion. He had heard a few days ago that the imperial army had set off for the eastern expedition, so he came specifically to join the army, and happened to pass through this place, unexpectedly encountering Fan Hu.

Fan Hu, unaware of his secret, naturally believed him without question and didn't delve further, turning back to talk to the two about the bloody battle of that day.

Jiang Hanqing was annoyed, and seeing Bai Yingjue so moved by the other person, he felt a pang of jealousy. He quickly reminded Bai Yingjue that they should leave soon, otherwise staying in this dead city after dark wouldn't be pleasant.

Bai Yingjue, upon hearing this, was startled, realizing that any further delay would mean spending the night in this place littered with corpses. She hurriedly asked Jiang Hanqing to prepare a stretcher while she checked Fan Hu's injuries. She found that Fan Hu had bandaged several fractures himself and applied the medicine he had found. Although he hadn't fully recovered, he should be fine in a month or two.

After she finished checking Fan Hu's injuries, Jiang Hanqing found a bed board in a nearby house, tied a sheet to it, and made a makeshift stretcher, lifting Fan Hu onto it.

Fan Hu thanked them profusely and asked Jiang and Bai to walk around the city again, hoping there might be others like him who were injured but hadn't died and could be helped. Bai Yingjue naturally agreed and pulled Jiang Hanqing to check other areas.

After wandering around the city, Bai Yingjue actually found two more living soldiers. Like Fan Hu, they were also injured and unable to move, surviving by scavenging food from the surrounding corpses. Seeing that she had two more burdens, Jiang Hanqing couldn't help but secretly curse her bad luck.

However, when they returned to Fan Hu with the two rescued soldiers, something unexpected happened to Jiang Hanqing. The two soldiers, upon seeing Fan Hu, immediately shouted with excitement, almost bursting into tears at the thought of him still alive. Once they calmed down, they eagerly expressed their admiration for Fan Hu, while simultaneously recounting details that Fan Hu hadn't mentioned before to the curious Bai Yingjue. Listening to the two soldiers excitedly recount Fan Hu's deeds, Jiang Hanqing realized that the guy named Fan Hu hadn't been exaggerating. Although Jiang Hanqing was usually arrogant, he couldn't help but feel respect for this tough man before him. His initial annoyance at rescuing three burdens began to resurface, and he started to think that these guys should have been saved.

Jiang Hanqing thought to himself, "So this guy named Fan Hu is really something! Brave and fearless, always leading from the front, and also has the ability to lead an army! He's a true military talent, amazing! A rare find!" In a flash, he decided to recruit this valiant general under his command.

By the time the two soldiers finished telling their story, it was already dark. Bai Yingjue, being a woman, was beginning to show her fear of the lifeless city of Taishun, urging Jiang Hanqing to pack up quickly and leave the city immediately. By this time, Jiang Hanqing had already prepared stretchers for the two wounded soldiers. He placed them both on the same stretcher.

The four warhorses he had brought, originally intended for his own use, were now used to hold the two stretchers. Jiang Hanqing placed each stretcher across the backs of two horses, securing them tightly, thus creating a simple bed. The wounded lying on them were relatively comfortable, as long as the horses didn't gallop too fast, and they wouldn't feel any pain.

Regarding the route, Fan Hu suggested heading south and making further plans once they reached the main road, perhaps even encountering Imperial soldiers.

Jiang Hanqing had originally planned to head east as soon as possible, so hearing Fan Hu's suggestion naturally displeased him. While he didn't want his journey delayed by the three wounded, and even less did he want to encounter the Imperial army, he also felt that someone as talented as Fan Hu was rare, and abandoning him would be a great pity. Torn between these conflicting thoughts, Jiang Hanqing pondered: he had no excuse to reject Fan Hu's suggestion. Unless he immediately turned against him, heading east to catch up with Qiu Tebing was simply unacceptable. Having made his decision, he could only suppress his displeasure and agree to Fan Hu's suggestion; the others naturally echoed their agreement without question.

After packing up, the impatient Bai Yingjue urged everyone to leave the city.

As the horses slowly emerged from the city gates of Taishun, Fan Hu struggled to sit up from his stretcher, gazing tearfully at the small town he would never forget for a long, long time. After an hour's journey, the group arrived at the foot of a sheltered hillside. Exhausted and hungry, they decided to dismount and spend the night there.

After eating their dry rations with cold water from their canteens, Jiang Hanqing checked the equipment carried on the horses.

The horses he and Bai Yingjue had initially ridden didn't have any provisions for the night, as their men had prepared them. Fortunately, the four horses they had later seized from the Qiu Te people contained two tents for the night.

Looking at the two tents, Bai Yingjue was dumbfounded. How should they divide the five people—four men and one woman? She couldn't possibly sleep alone in one tent while the other four squeezed into another. She turned to Jiang Hanqing, wanting to ask for his opinion, but saw him gazing at the sky, lost in thought.

Just as she was feeling conflicted, Fan Hu said, "Hehe! Perfect! Mr. Jiang and your wife can share one, and the three of us losers can squeeze into one, just right!"

Hearing that he mistook her for Jiang Hanqing's woman, Bai Yingjue was furious. Her almond-shaped eyes widened, and she was about to berate Fan Hu for being blind and unable to see things clearly. However, she immediately remembered her first meeting with Fan Hu. She had been startled by his sudden outburst and had run into Jiang Hanqing's arms to hide. Seeing her actions, he naturally assumed she was Jiang Hanqing's woman. And since then, Jiang Hanqing, perhaps to conceal their true identities, had never called her "Aunt Ying" in front of others, so it was no wonder they didn't know their relationship. Thinking about it, she realized she was in the wrong and felt too embarrassed to yell at him.

The thought of running into Jiang Hanqing's arms brought back the touching feeling of that moment. Feeling a tingling sensation run through her body, Bai Yingjue's face flushed red. She glanced at Jiang Hanqing, only to find that he had turned his gaze to her. A wave of shame washed over her, and she quickly lowered her head, not daring to look at Jiang Hanqing. The thought of refuting Fan Hu's claim that she was Jiang Hanqing's woman was long forgotten.

In her hazy state, she seemed to hear Jiang Hanqing say to Fan Hu, "Then let's do it this way! The three of you, Brother Fan, can sleep in one of the tents, and my wife and I will sleep in the other..."

"Good heavens! What is Xiaoqing saying... He doesn't deny that guy's nonsense! He even said I was his wife in front of him?... Was he just saying that to Fan Hu?... Or...!" Bai Yingjue's mind was in chaos; she didn't hear a word of what the two said afterward.

When she came to her senses, Jiang Hanqing had already helped Fan Hu and the other two into one of the tents to sleep. Perhaps due to their injuries, they were easily fatigued. Soon after the three entered, snoring could be heard from their tent. Jiang Hanqing carefully observed her expression, and seeing her indifferently glancing at him, he felt uneasy, fearing she might explode on the spot. He gently explained to Bai Yingjue, "Aunt Ying! I was afraid they would suspect something, so… uh… don't misunderstand!"

Hearing his explanation, Bai Yingjue felt a sudden pang of sadness and blurted out, "What does it matter to me what you say to others! You never take me seriously anyway! You could never like me!" Her tone was filled with strong resentment, like the angry words spoken by lovers after a quarrel.

Bai Yingjue immediately regretted her words!

"How could I say that? Xiaoqing did it because he was afraid they would suspect something, didn't he already explain? Why am I still sad and angry? Why?" she wondered, but she didn't want to know the answer to her own questions, because she knew the answer would be shocking.

"Never mind! It's nothing! I'm going to sleep!" Forcing herself to stop overthinking, Bai Yingjue said calmly to Jiang Hanqing.

Seeing Jiang Hanqing looking at her suspiciously, she felt flustered and didn't know what to say. She quickly turned around, crawled into the tent, and lay down on her side, but her ears were still strained to hear any sounds outside.

"Will he come in? If he comes in, what should I do? Kick him out? Where will he sleep?" she thought anxiously.

But there was no sound outside, and Jiang Hanqing didn't come in.

"He didn't come in, why? Was he just trying to appease Fan Hu? He never liked me at all, I was just being nervous for no reason! Bah! How could he possibly be interested in an old woman like you? He's the young master of the Jiang family, surrounded by young girls! Bai Yingjue! You really think too highly of yourself!" Jiang Hanqing didn't come in, but instead of the relief she expected, she felt only disappointment.

"Bai Yingjue, what's wrong with you today! This child has no evil intentions, you should be happy! Why do I feel disappointed, even... a little sad? Could it be...!" A thought welled up in Bai Yingjue's mind—an answer she didn't want to admit, yet knew was already a fact.

"I've really fallen in love with this child? Impossible! How could this be? He's twenty years younger than you!"

Her heart refused to acknowledge this frightening thought. But the more she refused to admit it, the more painful it became! Bai Yingjue was so distressed she almost groaned.

Finally, she clearly realized that she could no longer avoid this reality: she had unknowingly fallen in love with this man!

"How could this be? How could this happen? How could I fall in love with him? No way! I must be too tired, that's why I'm thinking like this! Sleep it off, I'll be fine tomorrow!" Bai Yingjue struggled desperately, trying to break free from the shackles that were about to imprison her.

She thought again, "Why do I always think of him when I'm living in seclusion in the mountains? Why? Could it be that I fell in love with him when he was just a child? No way! He was only a teenager back then! How could I possibly fall in love with someone who was still a child!"

Lost in thought for a long time, Bai Yingjue's disappointment grew stronger as Jiang Hanqing didn't come in. Finally, she couldn't bear it any longer and got up to leave the tent.

Jiang Hanqing was sitting on a small mound of earth not far away, staring blankly at the sky.

Bai Yingjue walked over and sat down beside him, coughing lightly.

Jiang Hanqing snapped out of his reverie at the sound, turned to look at Bai Yingjue, said nothing, and continued staring blankly at the night sky for a long time before finally saying, "Aunt Ying, what do you think my mother is doing right now?"

Bai Yingjue hesitated for a moment, then said, "She...she should be getting ready to rest, right?"

Jiang Hanqing said softly, "After this is over, I must go to the Western Regions to visit my mother! Alas! Four years...four years!..." His words were filled with sorrow.

Listening to his words, Bai Yingjue thought, "If I don't see him for four years, will he miss me like this? Maybe... he won't even remember me!..."

The two were silent for a moment. Bai Yingjue looked up at the sky; a half-moon hung in the sky, and the twinkling stars were like countless eyes longing for loved ones. A thousand thoughts flooded her mind, and she became lost in thought...

When Jiang Hanqing snapped out of his reverie about his mother, he turned and saw Bai Yingjue beside him, gazing blankly at the sky. The autumn night breeze gently blew, carrying a faint fragrance of her body. Her cloud-like hair swayed in the wind, and the pure moonlight shone on Bai Yingjue's beautiful face, making her appear ethereal and refined. Jiang Hanqing felt a surge of emotion and finally couldn't resist gently stroking Bai Yingjue's hair.

Bai Yingjue's body trembled slightly, snapping her out of her reverie. She turned to look at Jiang Hanqing, her emotions complex and difficult to discern—whether it was joy or anger, she couldn't even say for sure.

Seeing her bewildered gaze, Jiang Hanqing knew her inner struggle. Without saying anything, he pulled her into his arms, his arm around her shoulder.

Bai Yingjue was filled with shame and anger, reaching out to push Jiang Hanqing away. However, despite her usual high martial arts skills, she felt weak and powerless in this situation, just like any ordinary woman. Her feeble attempt to push Jiang Hanqing away was, to a virile young man, an irresistible temptation.

Although Jiang Hanqing was nearly twenty years younger than Bai Yingjue, his experience in matters of love was more than enough to make him her teacher. Without hesitation, he pulled her even tighter.

Bai Yingjue struggled a few times, then completely gave up, surrendering to the young man's embrace.

Blushing shyly, she buried her head in Jiang Hanqing's chest, mumbling, "Xiaoqing, don't... don't do this... you... I'm your... elder!"

Jiang Hanqing, with a beauty in his arms, inhaled the delicate fragrance emanating from the woman's hair, heard the usually haughty woman's soft plea, and clearly felt Bai Yingjue's body tremble slightly. He felt an overwhelming surge of pleasure, looking up at the sky as a gust of wind blew by, making him feel as if he could ride the wind away.

One hand naturally encircled Bai Yingjue's slender waist, its delicate curves surprisingly supple. Jiang Hanqing immediately imagined stripping Bai Yingjue naked and ravaging her. Unable to control his body's reaction, his manhood instantly swelled, creating a small tent in his pants.

He tentatively moved his hand lightly over Bai Yingjue's waist, causing a tremor to run through her body. Just as Bai Yingjue was basking in her blissful state, this sudden shock jolted her back to reality. She forcefully shoved Jiang Hanqing away, stood up, and ran to the side, glaring at him with a conflicted expression. She was torn between joy and shame, hesitating whether she should teach Jiang Hanqing a lesson so he wouldn't dare treat her so lightly again.

Jiang Hanqing, seeing this, immediately understood that Bai Yingjue was struggling internally. She harbored strong feelings for him but was reluctant to truly turn against him. If he didn't seize this opportunity, she would weigh the pros and cons and come to her senses, and he would likely be in deep trouble.

Without thinking, driven by a wild instinct, Jiang Hanqing lunged at Bai Yingjue. Bai Yingjue, caught off guard and seeing Jiang Hanqing charging at her like a tiger, completely forgot her unparalleled martial arts skills and stumbled backward, helpless. In a few steps, Jiang Hanqing pulled her into his arms.

Jiang Hanqing looked sternly at the woman in his arms, who was panicking and weakly pounding his chest, and said solemnly, "Aunt Ying! I'm so sorry! I've loved you since I was very young!...Aunt Ying, I'm willing to do anything for you!...Be my woman!"

Bai Yingjue could hardly believe the crazy words she was hearing, and desperately shook her head, shouting, "No!...You're lying to me!...Xiaoqing, calm down!...Don't go crazy!"

Jiang Hanqing shook the frantically struggling woman violently and said in a deep voice, "I'm telling the truth! There's no lie! Stop shouting! Fan Hu and the others will be woken up!"

Only then did she remember that there were three people lying in the tent not far away. Bai Yingjue was afraid they would wake up and see her embarrassing state, so she immediately stopped shouting, but her body was still twisting.

Jiang Hanqing suddenly grabbed her full breasts and squeezed them hard, his erect penis rubbing against Bai Yingjue's genitals. Although Bai Yingjue had enjoyed sex with several men in the past when the mood struck, she was still quite inexperienced, and having been without intimacy with a man for so many years, she was completely unfamiliar with the feeling of having her body played with by a man. This was the first time in her life that someone had so roughly handled her breasts, and the shame and indignation almost made her cry. Yet, her genitals, against her will, gradually became wet.

Gradually, Bai Yingjue felt a slight pang of regret. She hadn't expected the person she liked to be so lustful; had she misjudged him? However, this thought was fleeting. Jiang Hanqing's caresses quickly made her feel hot and weak all over, her mind a complete blank, unable to think straight.

Before losing her senses, she gasped for breath, looked up at the villain she now both loved and hated, trying to find a reason to fight back, only to meet Jiang Hanqing's fiery gaze fixed on her. His gaze revealed a very clear meaning: a naked, possessive desire in a man. But Bai Yingjue felt a surge of excitement: "Xiaoqing, he really wants me! He actually cares about me so much!" Not long ago, she thought Jiang Hanqing wouldn't be interested in her, but now she realized how much he wanted to possess her. She inexplicably felt a sense of vanity being satisfied. With this thought, she immediately made up her mind: she would dedicate everything to this man. She felt she could do anything for Jiang Hanqing. In an instant, Bai Yingjue, who had been struggling just a moment ago, seemed to deflate completely, ceasing her struggle.

Jiang Hanqing kneaded Bai Yingjue's breasts with one hand, enjoying the pleasure her full breasts brought him. His joy was indescribable. He truly never dreamed that such a proud woman would be so easy to obtain.

However, for Jiang Hanqing, what he truly wanted was far more than simply sleeping with this woman. He wanted to conquer this outwardly proud woman completely, both physically and mentally.

Seeing Bai Yingjue's expression of ecstasy, Jiang Hanqing's lips curled into a cold smile, which quickly turned into an expression of pity, like a lion watching a deer about to be captured and destroyed. From today onward, he would slowly train this woman into an obedient sex slave! Wasn't she his mother's good friend? Later, when he and his mother made love, he would have her serve him, making her lick his mother's breasts and vulva.

"But now... hehe! You slut! I'll whet your appetite first!" Jiang Hanqing thought to himself with a cold laugh.

Seeing Bai Yingjue with one eye closed, clearly enjoying herself, Jiang Hanqing suddenly pushed her away from his embrace.

In the heat of passion, being suddenly pushed away by the man startled Bai Yingjue, but also left her feeling empty. The cold night wind blew against her burning face, gradually bringing her back to her senses. She felt ashamed and angry, feeling slighted by this man, as if he was merely toying with her.

At this moment, Jiang Hanqing feigned the pain of suppressing his physical desires and gasped for breath, saying to Bai Yingjue, "Aunt Ying! I...I really like you...but...I can't...I'm sorry...I...!"

Bai Yingjue, who had been wallowing in self-pity, felt a pang of regret at his sudden change of heart upon seeing him like this, but ultimately felt relieved, thinking that she hadn't misjudged him after all: "Xiaoqing is truly a good child! I'm sorry to him! Sigh!"

Jiang Hanqing, feigning deep remorse, turned his back to Bai Yingjue and said, "Aunt Ying, you should rest early! We have to travel tomorrow! I'll rest outside, it'll be alright!"

Bai Yingjue didn't know what to say, so she lowered her head, turned, went into the tent, and handed Jiang Hanqing a blanket from behind. Jiang Hanqing glanced at the blanket offered to him, took it, and remained silent without turning around. Seeing that he wouldn't turn to look at her, Bai Yingjue felt too embarrassed to greet him and returned to her tent, collapsing into bed.

Tossing and turning in bed, Bai Yingjue kept thinking about Jiang Hanqing, his kindness, his thoughtfulness, and the pleasure his lewd actions had given her.

Finally, the exhaustion from the day's journey and the tension of the previous night lulled her to sleep.

The next day, when Bai Yingjue awoke and stepped out of her tent, the sun was just rising. After yesterday's heavy rain, the weather had suddenly turned much colder, and the sun's rays no longer had the unbearable scorching heat of the previous two days; it felt like autumn for the first time this year.

Fan Hu and the other two were already awake and chatting.

Jiang Hanqing sat on the mound of earth where the two had sat side-by-side the night before, his eyes blankly fixed on Bai Yingjue as she emerged from the tent. He was still draped in the blanket Bai Yingjue had given him the night before. His eyes were sunken, and his beard was unkempt; it seemed he had spent the entire night sitting there.

Bai Yingjue, already feeling guilty, felt even more distressed seeing him like this. A pang of sadness shot through her, and she went over, her voice trembling, and asked, "Xiao Qing! You didn't sleep last night? It's not good for your health!" Jiang Hanqing

shook his head, remaining silent, his expression indifferent, as if he didn't care.

Bai Yingjue was secretly anxious, thinking that Jiang Hanqing harbored negative feelings towards her because of what had happened the night before. Just

as she was about to say something, Jiang Hanqing stood up and said calmly, "We should set off now, otherwise the army will come along the main road."

Without waiting for Bai Yingjue's reply, he went to help Fan Hu and the other two onto the stretchers on their horses. Then, he packed up the tents and other belongings by himself, called to Bai Yingjue, and set off.

Along the way, Jiang Hanqing didn't say a word to Bai Yingjue, but instead chatted happily with Fan Hu and the others.

Fan Hu gradually discovered that the young master before him was truly learned and talented, and the more he talked with Jiang Hanqing, the more he admired him.

As for Bai Yingjue, she was left out by Jiang Hanqing, feeling resentful and heartbroken, and could only lag behind, grieving alone.

On the way, Bai Yingjue pondered deeply.

"Why did Xiaoqing suddenly not want me last night at that moment?"

"Is it because I'm older than him? Is my charm not enough?"

"What should I do? Give up? No, I, Bai Yingjue, never give up! I will fight for it! Yes! I will fight for my own destiny! I will be Xiaoqing's woman! No matter how he sees me, I will make him love me! At all costs! For him, I am willing to do anything!"

Unconsciously, the competitive Bai Yingjue placed her heart entirely on Jiang Hanqing, secretly vowing to become his woman.

Because Fan Hu and the others were injured, their progress was very slow. By sunset, the five of them had not yet reached the main road. Left with no other choice, Jiang Hanqing chose a place to camp, secretly worried that when they reached the main road the next day, the imperial cavalry's outposts would catch up. After dinner, they would, like yesterday, immediately go to rest, just as Fan Hu and the others had done. Jiang Hanqing sat alone on the grass, lost in thought. Last night, he had deliberately used that self-inflicted injury ruse, and today he had pretended to ignore Bai Yingjue. Now it seemed the effect was exactly as he had guessed, very ideal. Throughout the day, Bai Yingjue had tried to talk to him several times, but he had avoided her in various ways. Bai Yingjue seemed to be going crazy.

Jiang Hanqing knew that everyone would develop a certain interest, even a desire, for what they couldn't have, and Bai Yingjue was no exception this time. If the two of them had consummated their relationship last night, perhaps after some time, when she calmed down, she might think that her actions were too impulsive and foolish. Based on her proud nature, she certainly wouldn't give him a good look. But now, Bai Yingjue was extremely anxious and distressed because she couldn't get what she wanted. For her, the frantic moment last night, only to be tricked by herself, left her with an unprecedented sense of humiliation, making her yearn even more for what she hadn't obtained. She would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. Only by pushing her to the brink of desperation could she be tamed and made to submit.

Thinking this, Jiang Hanqing couldn't help but smile.

He had already caught sight of Bai Yingjue slowly approaching from the side, secretly gloating, "Hehe! The old slut can't hold back anymore!"

Bai Yingjue sat down next to Jiang Hanqing, her expression serious, her face pale, her lips trembling, but she didn't utter a word.

Jiang Hanqing glanced at her indifferently and said coldly, "Go to sleep! Don't worry about me!"

Hearing his icy words, Bai Yingjue's delicate body trembled slightly. She tried her best to answer in a calm tone, "Xiaoqing, are you angry with Aunt Ying?"

Jiang Hanqing looked at her, his face contorted with pain as he shook his head. "How could I be angry? How could I be angry with Aunt Ying? I will never be angry with you in my life! I hate myself!"

Hearing his words, Bai Yingjue felt a huge weight lifted from her heart, knowing that he was not angry with her. Not hating herself, Bai Yingjue, who had just felt listless, suddenly felt full of energy and immediately said excitedly, "Xiaoqing! I...you can't do this!...I...it's all my fault!"

Jiang Hanqing turned his head and glared at her, pretending to be very surprised, "Aunt Ying! What do you mean by that? You...how could you be wrong?"

In that instant, Bai Yingjue suddenly had an impulse, feeling that as long as she could make things clear and let Jiang Hanqing understand that she liked him, she would be willing to die immediately.

Gathering her courage, Bai Yingjue raised her head and looked at Jiang Hanqing, saying in a clear voice, "Xiaoqing! Let me tell you! I love you!...I don't know when it started! I only know that last night I suddenly realized that I have always loved you! Love you!"

Jiang Hanqing looked at her, his face full of surprise.

Bai Yingjue continued, "I never knew before, but last night I realized that I actually longed to be your woman! The feeling of leaning in your arms is so comfortable! I don't want to be your elder, I want to be your woman! Hold me, Xiaoqing!"

Bai Yingjue's voice grew increasingly impassioned, while Jiang Hanqing stared at her blankly, feigning bewilderment. Having finally uttered the words she'd been holding back, Bai Yingjue felt an immense sense of relief.

After speaking, she suddenly felt a rush of heat to her head, reached out and grasped Jiang Hanqing's right hand, slowly pulling it to cover her breast. Jiang Hanqing was

overjoyed; he hadn't expected Bai Yingjue to surrender so quickly. It seemed this Aunt Ying really was a slut, which explained how he'd managed to subdue this outwardly proud woman so easily. Jiang Hanqing

's eyes burned as he stared at Bai Yingjue's beautiful face, his left hand gripping her arm while his right hand vigorously kneaded her full, high breasts.

Bai Yingjue's eyes were slightly closed, her upper body arched back, making her breasts even more prominent. Her lips parted slightly, emitting rapid breaths.

A lewd smile crept across Jiang Hanqing's lips as he tightened his grip. Bai Yingjue's breasts contorted into bizarre shapes under his cruel touch. The throbbing pain in her breasts was a pleasure she had never imagined. The thought of being played with by a man twenty years her junior made her lower body wet. Bai Yingjue thought to herself

, "Bai Yingjue! Bai Yingjue! You're so shameless! Even being played with like this by Xiaoqing, you still manage to produce such lustful fluids! You slut deserve to be played with!" The self-deprecating insults only fueled her arousal.

Bai Yingjue slightly opened one eye and saw Jiang Hanqing's drooling expression. A wave of shame washed over her, and she quickly closed her eyes again.

When Jiang Hanqing reached inside Bai Yingjue's clothes, she went limp and leaned against him, letting his hands caress and fondle her.

Seeing Bai Yingjue's eyes tightly closed and her face flushed, Jiang Hanqing could no longer suppress the rising flames of desire within him. He bent down, reached out, and carried Bai Yingjue towards the tent.

By the time Bai Yingjue regained her senses, Jiang Hanqing had already slipped her into the small tent and begun to undress her. A woman's innate shyness immediately surfaced, and Bai Yingjue futilely tried to resist Jiang Hanqing's actions. But when the experienced Jiang Hanqing pressed his hot lips to hers, Bai Yingjue felt dizzy, her movements immediately slowed, and she quickly stopped resisting.

Jiang Hanqing effortlessly stripped Bai Yingjue of all her clothes. The alluring, snow-white body before him was the object of Jiang Hanqing's longing for days, but he never expected to enjoy this beauty, a embodiment of heaven and earth's finest qualities, so soon.

A thin liquid oozed from Bai Yingjue's lower body, wetting her thick labia. The wet patch, contrasting with her dark pubic hair, made Jiang Hanqing swallow hard. He ran two fingers lightly across the flesh of Bai Yingjue's lower body, causing her body to tremble and emit soft moans.

Jiang Hanqing chuckled coldly, using his fingertips, moistened by the vaginal fluid, to trace circles on the tips of Bai Yingjue's nipples and pink areolas. This stimulation caused Bai Yingjue to writhe uncontrollably, gripping the blanket on the floor and twisting it violently.

She sucked on her engorged nipples, her nimble tongue gently licking them. Bai Yingjue reached out and pulled Jiang Hanqing's head, pressing it firmly against her breasts. Jiang Hanqing's head was almost entirely buried in her breasts.

Beads of sweat glistened on her delicate skin. Jiang Hanqing licked them lightly with his tongue, the salty taste stimulating his taste buds and seemingly amplifying his arousal.

Burying his face in her firm breasts, Jiang Hanqing, exhausted from days of toil, felt a complete sense of relaxation. At this moment, he felt that what he wanted most wasn't to enter the woman's body, but to use those breasts as a pillow and take a good nap. However, with such beauty before him, it was practically impossible to pull back from the brink.

Bai Yingjue hadn't been with a man in a long time, and now she was extremely nervous in front of Jiang Hanqing. One eye was tightly closed, her cheeks flushed and glistening with desire, one hand tightly holding Jiang Hanqing's head, panting and occasionally letting out a moan.

Jiang Hanqing looked up at Bai Yingjue, amused by her nervous expression, and teased, "Aunt Ying, are you asleep? Haha!"

Bai Yingjue glanced at him through a slit, then, seeing his intense gaze, she quickly closed her eyes tightly, letting out a soft hum to indicate she was awake.

One hand caressed Bai Yingjue's breast, the other probed her wet vulva, Jiang Hanqing smugly enjoying his spoils. As he played with her, Bai Yingjue's body began to writhe, the movements becoming more frequent and her moans louder, eventually turning into lewd cries. Her lower body continuously released lewd fluids.

Jiang Hanqing grabbed one of Bai Yingjue's hands, pulled it to her breast, and pressed it down, forcing her to rub her own breast. At first, Bai Yingjue passively allowed Jiang Hanqing to hold and rub her breast, but eventually, unable to withstand the stimulation, she began to actively cup and rub her own breast with one hand.

Jiang Hanqing laughed and said, "Excellent! Aunt Ying, you are truly a natural beauty! I really didn't misjudge you! You're really great! Tonight I'm going to reward you properly!"

Completely blinded by lust, Bai Yingjue couldn't hear anything he was saying, only uttering lewd cries, her words becoming increasingly obscene.

"Ah!... Xiaoqing!... You... rub harder... It feels so good! I feel so good! Ooh... Xiaoqing! I love you to death! My breasts are about to be ruined by you! Be gentle, okay? Ah!... So good! Harder!"

Seeing Bai Yingjue's lewd appearance, Jiang Hanqing's mind was entirely focused on how to uncover the wanton nature of this woman with her deeply hidden lust.

He inserted two fingers into Bai Yingjue's lower body, her narrow vagina tightly wrapping around his fingers. He moved his fingers back and forth forcefully, the flesh of her vulva tightly gripping his fingers as he moved. Stimulated by this, Bai Yingjue's lower body immediately arched forward, and a large amount of vaginal fluid gushed out.

Jiang Hanqing's finger movements gradually quickened, and Bai Yingjue began to feel a slight pain in her lower body, occasionally letting out a soft groan. She would open one of her tightly closed eyes and glare at Jiang Hanqing, seemingly begging him to be gentler.

But the lamb was already in the tiger's den; how could a hungry tiger spit out its prey? Jiang Hanqing not only didn't lessen his force, but became even more brutal, his finger movements seeming as if he wanted to tear Bai Yingjue's vagina apart.

Bai Yingjue was frightened. She grabbed Jiang Hanqing's arm, the one with which his fingers were inserted into her vagina, and pleaded with open eyes, "Xiaoqing! Be gentle! Aunt Ying, it's been so long!... Be gentle! I can't take it anymore! Please!"

Jiang Hanqing ignored her, instead using his other hand to slap her lower abdomen and breasts. Bai Yingjue stared in terror at Jiang Hanqing's crazed expression, not knowing what to do.

A burning pain shot through her breasts and lower abdomen. The feeling of being violated by a young man surged through her. Unexpectedly, besides the pain, she clearly felt an unprecedented stimulation, and her vaginal secretions increased.

Jiang Hanqing sneered, "Aunt Ying! Is it good? Ah!" He spoke through gritted teeth, his appearance terrifying.

Seeing Jiang Hanqing's cold expression, and feeling the intense pain in her lower body from his rough actions, along with the burning pain in her lower abdomen and breasts, Bai Yingjue gradually felt a pang of regret. She grabbed Jiang Hanqing's hand, which was ravaging her lower body, and said angrily, "Xiaoqing! What are you doing!"

Jiang Hanqing knew that a woman like Bai Yingjue, who hadn't been with a man in a long time, would find such rough treatment unbearable. He had already achieved quite a bit today; if he continued, Bai Yingjue would likely find it unbearable and react strongly. He should know when to stop and not be impatient. There will be plenty of opportunities to slowly train this woman later.

With a smile, Jiang Hanqing gave Bai Yingjue no further chance to think. He pounced on her, embracing her and showering her with passionate kisses, while his other hand gently caressed her breasts and vulva.

Under Jiang Hanqing's teasing, Bai Yingjue quickly forgot her earlier unpleasant feelings. Her tongue reacted intensely, entwining with Jiang Hanqing's tongue as it entered her mouth. Her sweat-drenched, naked body writhed desperately under Jiang Hanqing's weight.

Sensing Bai Yingjue's intense reaction, Jiang Hanqing's desire reached its peak, and he could no longer delay.

Gently lifting Bai Yingjue's large buttocks, he rubbed his erect penis against her labia a couple of times before thrusting forward with force. His massive penis immediately plunged into Bai Yingjue's vagina to the hilt.

The sensation of her narrow vagina being pierced by the enormous penis was like that of a virgin being defiled. Bai Yingjue broke out in a cold sweat, grabbing Jiang Hanqing's back and squeezing hard, letting out muffled groans.

Jiang Hanqing didn't hesitate, immediately beginning his vigorous thrusting. Each powerful thrust pounded deep into her flower, slowly leading Bai Yingjue from the initial pain into a state of ecstatic pleasure.

He reached out and squeezed Bai Yingjue's breasts, and seeing no strong reaction from her, Jiang Hanqing gradually increased the pressure. Clear red finger marks were left on her fair skin.

Deeply immersed in the pleasure brought by Jiang Hanqing's thrusting, Bai Yingjue couldn't care less about anything else. Although she felt a slight pain in her breasts, she felt the most pleasure in her lower body.

With Jiang Hanqing's intense thrusting, Bai Yingjue was drenched in sweat, her moans never ceasing.

Jiang Hanqing flipped Bai Yingjue's body over, and from behind, his labia, slightly parted from the intense thrusting, were clearly visible. The vaginal fluid flowing from her vulva moistened her entire genitals, making them appear shimmering and exceptionally erotic.

Deeply penetrating Bai Yingjue from behind, his hand immediately caused her buttocks to sway in the air, tracing arcs. Seeing that she was completely in a state of wantonness, Jiang Hanqing's hand slapped Bai Yingjue's high, swaying buttocks with each thrust. At first, the movements were gentle, merely testing her reaction. Seeing that Bai Yingjue seemed to be able to withstand this slight force, Jiang Hanqing gradually increased the pressure.

"Slap!...Slap!...Ah!...Slap!...Ugh!" The slaps made crisp sounds, interspersed with occasional groans of pain from Bai Yingjue.

With each slap, a red patch appeared on her buttocks, eventually covering her entire buttocks in a red hue.

Simultaneously, the thrusting of his penis gradually quickened, drawing Bai Yingjue's attention largely to the pleasure in her genitals. The pain in her buttocks became an even more exciting stimulation compared to the intense pleasure in her vagina.

When Jiang Hanqing's fingers touched Bai Yingjue's anus, her body trembled violently. A noticeable contraction was visible at her anus, and even her vagina seemed to contract sharply, clearly indicating that the anal area was a sensitive spot for her.

Jiang Hanqing pressed his right middle finger against her anus and pushed it forcefully inward, his fingertip immediately entering Bai Yingjue's virgin anus. Her anus contracted tightly, gripping Jiang Hanqing's finger, unable to move it in or out. The stimulation of a foreign object entering her sensitive anus caused Bai Yingjue to immediately collapse onto the bed.

Jiang Hanqing tentatively tried to move his finger, but it was too difficult to move it within Bai Yingjue's tightly contracted anus. Instead, it caused her intense pain, almost making her cry out. She could clearly feel the violent contractions of her large intestine and anus. Each time Jiang Hanqing moved his finger, it caused her anus to roll back and forth. Although painful, a stimulating sensation deep within her intestines gave her a strange, indescribable pleasure.

Jiang Hanqing withdrew his finger and looked inside. Bai Yingjue's anus, manipulated by his touch, had created a small opening, seemingly beckoning for his penis to enter. Stimulated by this, Jiang Hanqing thrust even harder, almost reaching the very bottom with each stroke.

Having not been with a man for many years, Bai Yingjue quickly felt herself reaching her limit under such vigorous thrusting. Her arms seemed too weak to support her body, and her upper body gradually slumped onto the blanket beneath her, only her buttocks still swaying in the air.

When Jiang Hanqing forcefully inserted his fingers deep into her anus again, Bai Yingjue was stimulated by that strange pleasure. Uncontrollable waves of pleasure emanating from deep within her uterus gushed out with the released fluid, and a tingling sensation spread from her spine, making her dizzy.

A surge of heat sprayed onto the head of Jiang Hanqing's still-thrusting penis, almost causing him to ejaculate uncontrollably. He quickly composed himself, desperately tightening his abdominal muscles to forcefully suppress the urge to ejaculate.

Seeing Bai Yingjue lying on the bed, her buttocks raised high, exposing her anus in a lewd manner, Jiang Hanqing resolved to deliver all his essence tonight into Bai Yingjue's anus.

He dabbed some of her vaginal fluid on Bai Yingjue's labia with his fingers, rubbed it around her anus twice, then forcefully spread her buttocks apart, withdrew his penis from her vagina, and thrust it forcefully into her slightly open anus.

Bai Yingjue felt a tearing pain from her anus. Her head tilted back slightly, her eyes widened, and her mouth opened to let out a painful groan due to the intense stimulation.

The immense pain and humiliation brought by the huge penis entering her virgin anus was almost unbearable for Bai Yingjue, but the humiliation of having her anus violated to satisfy the lust of her beloved man made her vaginal fluids flow even more. At this moment, her heart was filled with panic, fear, and a feeling of sacrificing herself for her beloved man.

When Jiang Hanqing's penis was fully inserted into Bai Yingjue's vagina, Bai Yingjue's eyes rolled back in pain, and her body went completely limp on the bed, almost unable to move. Jiang Hanqing

showed no mercy and immediately began to thrust his penis in and out. The intense stimulation brought Bai Yingjue to the brink of fainting, and she was too weak to do anything except for moaning and groaning in pain.

The tight anus brought Jiang Hanqing immense pleasure; the intestinal walls, tightly gripping his penis, made each thrust feel so pleasurable he almost ejaculated, sustained only by sheer willpower.

However, human strength has its limits. After enduring for a long time, Jiang Hanqing finally couldn't resist and ejaculated his hot semen deep inside Bai Yingjue's anus. His bodily fluids remained in Bai Yingjue's body for the first time.

A feeling of utter exhaustion washed over both of them, and the fatigue and pleasure following the intense activity quickly lulled them into a deep sleep.

Chapter

Twelve: First Night of Training

The next morning, when Bai Yingjue woke up, she found herself still sleeping in Jiang Hanqing's arms. Jiang Hanqing had clearly been awake for a while, his eyes wide open, staring intently at her face. Seeing her awake, he immediately grinned.

Looking at his mischievous smile, Bai Yingjue blushed, wanting to scold him to cover her shame. But seeing herself naked and sleeping next to this man, she simply didn't have the ability to say anything fierce under such intimate circumstances.

Before she could speak, Jiang Hanqing chuckled and asked, "Aunt Ying, how was last night?"

Bai Yingjue rolled her eyes, pinched him, and scolded, "You little rascal, how dare you ask?!"

Jiang Hanqing chuckled, remaining silent, but instead scrutinizing her naked body from head to toe.

Bai Yingjue felt even more ashamed, her face flushed as she pushed Jiang Hanqing's face away, saying, "Don't look! You little pervert!"

Jiang Hanqing's response was a series of caresses on her body, a gesture that naturally provoked a strong reaction from Bai Yingjue.

Only after they had finished their playful antics and started getting dressed did Bai Yingjue begin to feel pain. The frenzy of the previous night left her body aching all over, and the areas on her buttocks and lower abdomen where Jiang Hanqing had slapped her were slightly red and swollen. But the most unbearable pain was in her anus, causing her great discomfort.

Seeing her furrowed brow, Jiang Hanqing knew exactly what was wrong. He reached down to her lower body, where she wasn't wearing underwear, and touched her anus, exclaiming, "Aunt Ying! Your anus is swollen!"

Bai Yingjue blushed, glared at him, and said, "It's all your fault, you little brat! How dare you laugh at me!" As she spoke, she punched him hard in the stomach, and with a "bang," Jiang Hanqing immediately winced in pain.

Seeing his pained expression, Bai Yingjue seemed to feel a little better, laughing, "See? Hehe! Now you know what pain is!" She then giggled.

Jiang Hanqing, watching her happy face, cursed inwardly, "Damn it! You bitch, you dare laugh! Wait a while, let's see if you can still laugh then! Bah! When I make you cry, you'll have to cry! Fuck!" Thinking this, he outwardly feigned pain to gain Bai Yingjue's sympathy.

Bai Yingjue, unaware of his sinister thoughts, fell for his act and quickly came to comfort him. Standing naked before him, her breasts swaying in front of Jiang Hanqing, she naturally attracted his hands and feet, creating a scene of eroticism in the tent.

When the two finally managed to get ready and leave the tent, they found Fan Hu and the other two already up. Although still struggling to move, they had crawled out of the tent and were lying outside admiring the surrounding scenery. Seeing Jiang and Bai emerge, the three of them nodded with smiles.

Seeing their expressions, Bai Yingjue knew that even if they hadn't heard the sounds she and Jiang Hanqing made while they were making love last night, they must have heard their lewd noises just now.

Slightly embarrassed, the passion from earlier hadn't completely faded from her face, and now it flushed again. She lowered her head, pretending not to see anything, and ignored the three men.

Jiang Hanqing, of course, didn't care about these things and went over to chat happily with the three.

After breakfast, the five of them began another day's journey.

Along the way, Jiang Hanqing estimated the distance; they should reach the official road before sunset. However, the imperial army would be arriving soon. What should they do if they unfortunately encountered them? Thinking of this, Jiang Hanqing frowned, and the pleasure he felt from conquering Bai Yingjue last night vanished without a trace.

Sensing the situation was not optimistic, Jiang Hanqing began to consider the possibility of abandoning Fan Hu and the other two and heading east alone.

Through his casual conversations with Fan Hu over the past two days, he had discovered that this guy was indeed not boasting; he truly possessed amazing skills and was a rare talent! This is why Jiang Hanqing took such good care of Fan Hu along the way, showing no sign of disdain for his severe injuries and inability to care for him. In fact, if it weren't for his desire to recruit Fan Hu, Jiang Hanqing would have already persuaded Bai Yingjue to abandon the three and travel east on his own. Perhaps, if Bai Yingjue hadn't objected, he would have personally eliminated these three burdens.

Now, carrying these three wounded men, his progress was far too slow; he might encounter the imperial army by the time he reached the main road, which would be troublesome. Jiang Hanqing felt he should weigh the pros and cons: was Fan Hu worth such a great risk?

After much deliberation, Jiang Hanqing finally decided to sacrifice Fan Hu and the others to quickly travel east and escape the danger of encountering the imperial army at any moment. Just as he was considering how to explain this to Bai Yingjue, two riders suddenly appeared slowly on a distant hillside. Jiang Hanqing was slightly taken aback, not expecting to encounter people here. Anyone who dared to ride through such a war-torn area during wartime was no ordinary civilian; they were most likely some ruthless character. Although he didn't know the other party's background, he wasn't worried. With his and Bai Yingjue's skills, there was no need to worry about them.

The two knights in the distance had obviously also noticed Jiang Hanqing and his companion, reining in their horses and looking in their direction.

Jiang Hanqing glanced at Bai Yingjue, seeing that she didn't react, it seemed she, like him, wasn't worried about the other party's background. Neither of them said anything, and they continued riding forward.

After traveling a while, Jiang Hanqing suddenly realized that the figures of the two people opposite him were very familiar. He was startled, and upon closer inspection, he exclaimed with joy, "Fengxian! Is that you?"

His excited voice echoed through the open mountains and carried far.

Upon hearing this, the two riders immediately spurred their horses and galloped over. One of them waved and shouted repeatedly from the galloping horse, "Brother Qing! It's me! It's me!" Jiang Hanqing immediately recognized that it was indeed Lin Fengxian's voice.

After his men were scattered by the Qiu Te cavalry, Jiang Hanqing, though he didn't mention it to Bai Yingjue, was actually worried about their fate. He assumed they were mostly wiped out in the pursuit. Even someone as hard-hearted as him, who usually didn't care about the dead, had these men carefully selected and groomed for his training; losing them so soon after setting out was heartbreaking.

Seeing Lin Fengxian alive proved that at least some of his men were still alive, and it felt like a dream.

Even with his usual composure, he was overjoyed. Hearing Lin Fengxian's voice, he immediately spurred his horse and galloped off, leaving Bai Yingjue and the three wounded men to follow slowly behind.

As they drew closer, Jiang Hanqing recognized the other man as Chen Bin, and secretly thanked heaven for leaving him with such a good subordinate.

Upon arriving, Jiang Hanqing saw Lin Fengxian and Chen Bin covered in dust and filthy clothes, clearly having endured considerable hardship while evading the pursuit of the Qiu Te cavalry. There was no time to question how they had ended up on this path; the three of them first embraced each other in joy for a long time. After the initial elation of their reunion subsided, Jiang Hanqing suddenly remembered that Fan Hu and the others were still behind. Turning around, he saw Bai Yingjue leading Fan Hu and his men approaching. He quickly told Lin and Chen about their encounter with Fan Hu, reminding them not to reveal their true identities.

When Fan Hu and the others arrived, Jiang Hanqing simply introduced them as his men who had narrowly escaped an attack by the Qiu Te cavalry.

Fan Hu had spoken with Jiang Hanqing several times over the past two days and greatly admired his talent. From Jiang Hanqing's speech and demeanor, the wisdom, insight, and spirit displayed in their conversation, Fan Hu understood that this man was no ordinary young master. Although he knew the other party was holding back and hadn't revealed their true identities, he didn't press them for details and remained cautious.

When Fan Hu heard that these two had miraculously escaped the pursuit of the Qiu Te cavalry, he was astonished. Knowing the Qiu Te cavalry's prowess, Fan Hu understood the implications! How formidable their martial arts and intelligence must they possess to have escaped their clutches? How could such people be members of ordinary noble families? He was now even more certain that the true identities of these men were far more complex than the young master Jiang had described. With this conviction, he no longer believed Jiang Hanqing's words.

After listening to Jiang Hanqing's introduction, Fan Hu merely smiled faintly, exchanged a few perfunctory words with Lin Fengxian and the other man, and pondered how to uncover their true identities. Lost in thought, a sudden inspiration struck him: if this young master Jiang truly was surnamed Jiang, given the current situation, could any other Jiang family in the world, besides the Zhenguo Duke's family, possess such talented individuals?

"Is Young Master Jiang from the Zhenguo Duke's family?" After blurting out this question, Fan Hu immediately noticed that the expressions of the people around him froze. He secretly thought to himself, "Oh no!" But he couldn't take back what he had said, so he could only grit his teeth and wait for the other party's reaction.

Almost simultaneously with his realization of the impending doom, he clearly saw Lin Fengxian and Chen Bin's hands move to the hilts of their swords at their waists. Bai Yingjue, who had been smiling earlier, now had a grim expression, her eyes flashing with murderous intent as she glared at him. Fan Hu's heart leaped into his throat, his gaze fixed on Jiang Hanqing's face, awaiting his response.

To everyone's surprise, Jiang Hanqing said nothing, only smiling as he stared at him.

In truth, if Fan Hu had voiced this question before Jiang Hanqing encountered Lin Fengxian, it would have undoubtedly provoked Jiang Hanqing to kill them on the spot, resulting in a gruesome death. At that time, Jiang Hanqing's only thought was how to rid himself of these three burdens to avoid the government troops. But now, thanks to his subordinates' unexpected survival, Jiang Hanqing was in high spirits, and his recent plan to eliminate Fan Hu and the others had vanished. He felt that Chen Bin and Lin Fengxian's escape from the Qiu Te people's pursuit was a miracle, a stroke of luck.

Thinking back to his encounter with Fan Hu a few days ago, which was merely a result of Bai Yingjue's impulsive actions, he now thought it might also be a gift from heaven, and he couldn't squander it.

With this thought in mind, the murderous intent in Jiang Hanqing's heart vanished in an instant. He then considered that since the other party had guessed him, why not confront him directly? If the other party behaved badly, he would make him lie there forever.

"That's right! I am indeed a member of the Zhenguo Duke's family! Hehe, I really didn't expect that. I accidentally revealed my real name, and you guessed it so quickly, sir! Hehe!" Having made up his mind, Jiang Hanqing readily admitted to being a member of the Zhenguo Duke's family. However, he still held back, not revealing that he was the young master of the Zhenguo Duke's family. He firmly believed that the saying "better safe than sorry" was a universal truth. He worried that revealing his true identity would bring him endless trouble.

Unexpectedly, the other party so readily admitted his suspicions. Fan Hu was stunned for a moment before reacting, then asked, "There's a question I've always wanted to ask, but I know such questions shouldn't be asked lightly, so I've never dared to. Now that you're so forthright, I'll risk my life to ask! What is your true purpose in coming here? In my opinion, it's probably not as simple as you say, just to join the Imperial Army to fight against the Qiut people, is it?"

"For the benefit of the nation, for the Empire to escape the rule of a tyrannical emperor, I'm going to help the Qiut people defeat the corrupt emperor's army!" Jiang Hanqing bluntly stated his true purpose. Not only Fan Hu and his companions, but even Bai Yingjue and Lin Fengxian were surprised by his honesty.

Fan Hu couldn't believe his ears upon hearing the answer! Before this, he had imagined countless reasons for the other party's arrival, but he never expected such a shameful statement! For a moment, he felt a surge of heat rush to his head, his mind went blank, and all he could think of was the man before him who was about to surrender to the hateful Qiu Te people—how shameful!

The bloody battle with the Qiu Te people at the gates of Taishun City, the brutality of the Qiu Te people after they breached the city—scenes flashed vividly before Fan Hu's eyes. A deep hatred for the Qiu Te people surged forth, and he glared fiercely at Jiang Hanqing's still-smiling face, finding Jiang Hanqing's smile so ugly and disgusting, wishing he could punch that face to pieces!

Fan Hu angrily cursed, "You're going to help the enemy defeat your own army? Unbelievable!... Unbelievable... that someone from the dignified Zhenguo Duke's family could do such a shameful thing!"

Jiang Hanqing looked at the other's gritted teeth, not tense at all, still smiling to himself.

He naturally knew how much hatred a survivor of the battle against the Qiu Te people could have for them. His decision to speak out now wasn't a spur-of-the-moment impulse, but rather the result of careful consideration.

Jiang Hanqing was so frank because he believed it was in his best interest. If he concealed the truth now, even if he later won the other party over to work for him, the other party would likely harbor resentment once they understood the situation. By revealing everything now, if the other party couldn't grasp the situation and refused to cooperate, he could immediately take action, eliminating them once and for all. And if the other party could understand him and not mind his plan to collude with the Qiu Te people, that would be exactly what he wanted.

It was under these considerations that Jiang Hanqing so frankly revealed his true intentions for this trip.

Seeing that Fan Hu, though furious, hadn't immediately turned hostile, Jiang Hanqing felt there was a chance to win him over and tried to persuade him, "Brother Fan, I know you hate the Qiu Te people to the core! And I feel the same way! I have my own compelling reasons for doing this!"

"You hate the Qiu Te people, yet you help them fight against your own people? What are your reasons?! Tell me! Even if you do have your reasons, is this how you should act?" Fan Hu scoffed at Jiang Hanqing's words.

"Brother Fan, think about what that old bastard Emperor Wu Ming has done these past few years! If he hadn't become so senile and incompetent in recent years, would the Qiu Te people have attacked our Great Xia Kingdom? If we hadn't overthrown his corrupt imperial power, I think things would have escalated beyond what we've seen this time."

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