Imperial Secrets - 16

Chapter Three or Five: Flowers Bloom in Pairs.

Jiang Haotian laughed heartily a few times, patted Jiang Hanqing's shoulder forcefully, and said with great satisfaction, "Now it's all good! You young people have grown up. Haha! We useless old men can retire with peace of mind!"

Jiang Hanqing feigned embarrassment and said shyly, "This... Second Uncle, what are you saying! You are so knowledgeable and experienced, I need your guidance in everything! Moreover, many things in the family rely on elders like you for support, and I, a mere child, am just enjoying the shade under your big tree!"

Jiang Haotian laughed a few more times, stood up, and pointed to the pile of documents, saying, "These things! They've all accumulated over the years, and most of the content, like the one you just looked at, is completely useless! But I haven't had time to clean them up. This is a good opportunity; you can take advantage of the fact that you've just taken over the job to organize them properly."

Jiang Hanqing agreed and walked over, casually picking up some files and looking at them. He found that they were all materials from many years ago, and now they were meaningless. He frowned, quickly flipping through the piles of documents. He found that most were indeed useless old materials, while files from the last two years were remarkably scarce.

Turning to Jiang Haotian, Jiang Hanqing asked, puzzled, "Second Uncle! I've noticed there are so many documents from earlier years, why are there so few from the last two?"

Jiang Haotian chuckled, "Oh dear! That's what I was saying, the intelligence work is too chaotic! Alas! It's all my fault! These past two years, I've been busy with other matters and haven't handled this intelligence work properly! Many old relationships have been severed. Without these relationships and contacts, the corresponding records naturally disappear. That's why you see so few documents from the last two years. To be honest, our family is practically blind in many areas of the empire now, completely lacking our own intelligence system. Alas! To rebuild these relationships, I think it will take at least ten or eight years!"

Hearing this, Jiang Hanqing felt a surge of anger.

"Damn you, you old scoundrel! You're the one who's causing all this trouble! And you still have the nerve to play innocent!"

He couldn't hold back any longer and snapped at Jiang Haotian, "Since the situation is so bad! Why didn't you ever mention this issue at previous family meetings? If you had paid attention to it earlier, none of this would have happened! We wouldn't be in this mess today!"

Seeing his furious expression, Jiang Haotian wasn't bothered at all and patiently explained, "Qing'er, this is indeed my fault! Sigh! There are too many things going on! I... I didn't pay much attention to these things at the time... My subordinates didn't report to me, and I didn't have the energy to manage so many things, so I didn't even know what happened!"

Jiang Hanqing sneered, "So, I've wronged you, Uncle?"

Jiang Haotian was truly enraged by his increasingly aggressive approach. Although he was an elder, Jiang Hanqing was the young master of the family, the future head of the family. Now that he was taking such a confrontational stance and pressing him for answers, he had no choice but to respond!

Wiping the cold sweat from his brow, Jiang Haotian said with a face full of shame, "Yes! This... Uncle Yu is truly to blame for this matter! To have ruined the family's intelligence work to this state, I... alas! I am a sinner of the family! I will go to my elder brother to beg for forgiveness later! Alas! Young Master, I kneel before you! I am guilty!"

Jiang Hanqing had originally intended to use this opportunity to deflate his arrogance, but unexpectedly, he acted like a street ruffian, seizing the opportunity and immediately putting on a show of deep remorse and regret, even shamelessly insisting on kneeling down.

Jiang Hanqing cursed inwardly, "You old scoundrel, you're quite the actor!"

But since he couldn't immediately tear off the mask, Jiang Hanqing had no choice but to continue playing along. Seeing Jiang Haotian kneel on the ground with tears in his eyes, he could only pretend to be very anxious and hurriedly reached out to help him up, saying, "Second Uncle, what are you doing! I was just asking about the situation! Why are you doing this? Besides, everyone knows how hard you've worked for the family. Even if you didn't do this job well, no one would blame you! You saw that Father didn't say anything bad about you at yesterday's meeting!"

Jiang Haotian was moved and got up from the ground, saying, "Alas! Qing'er, Second Uncle knows he was wrong! But it's too late for regrets now! I can only hope that you can rebuild the family in the future." "We've established a good intelligence system."

Jiang Hanqing nodded. "Second Uncle, don't worry! I'll do my best to do this job well! Now, could you please explain to your nephew how the family's intelligence system works?"

Jiang Haotian wiped away his tears and nodded repeatedly. "Okay! Okay! Second Uncle will tell you right away!"

Jiang Hanqing couldn't help but curse inwardly, "You scoundrel! With your acting skills, you should go and mourn at funerals! If someone dies, go and mourn for them, and they'll give you some money. You'll never starve!"

Jiang Haotian had already started explaining, and Jiang Hanqing didn't dare to think about anything else, so he listened attentively.

Jiang Haotian said, "Our Jiang family's intelligence system has been established by our ancestor over six hundred years. Countless talented individuals have devoted countless hours to refining it, resulting in its current form."

He glanced at Jiang Hanqing, noticing his apparent impatience with his rambling, and coughed twice before continuing, "In short, our family's intelligence system is now divided into two parts. One is responsible for investigating the other three ducal families and the royal family, called the 'General Affairs Department'; the other is responsible for investigating ordinary forces within the empire, called the 'Power Management Department'. Each department has its own dedicated leader, network of connections, and its own group of men."

Jiang Hanqing asked, "What is the communication between them?"

Jiang Haotian explained, "There is no direct communication between these two groups. They are all directly responsible to the family leader—that is, in the past they were responsible to me, and in the future they will be responsible to you!"

Jiang Hanqing frowned and said, "Does that mean that when one group is short-handed, it must report to the family leader first ?" Only then can we draw strength from the other group to supplement our forces! And the exchange of intelligence between the two sides must also go through the family leaders. "

Jiang Haotian nodded and said, "You're right! This is to avoid them losing some important intelligence when they communicate privately. It also prevents them from colluding with each other and causing damage to the family interests."

Jiang Hanqing nodded and said, "I understand! But I don't think this approach is very good. Well, these are all things for the future. Second Uncle, please continue!"

Jiang Haotian continued, "The Grand Strategy Department has set up independent groups for the three major ducal families and the royal family, and each group is responsible for gathering intelligence on one family. The Pingli Department is also divided into the 'Capital Region Group' and the 'Regional Group' for different targets. One is responsible for reconnaissance in the capital region, and the other is responsible for reconnaissance in other parts of the empire."

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Haotian smiled bitterly and said, "Now, the 'Regional Group' set up under the Pingli Department is practically useless due to various reasons!" Jiang Hanqing's face was expressionless, and he said indifferently, "I think it's not just this group!" "The other groups are probably not doing much better!"

Jiang Haotian didn't know what to say at this point, and could only smile wryly.

Fortunately, Jiang Hanqing didn't press Jiang Haotian on this issue any further, and instead asked him some other questions, which made Jiang Haotian breathe a sigh of relief.

The two talked for about an hour and a half. After Jiang Hanqing had completely understood the operation of the entire Jiang family's intelligence system, he got up to take his leave, and even asked a few family members to carry the huge pile of documents to his courtyard.

Just as Jiang Hanqing was about to leave, Jiang Haotian suddenly stopped him and handed him a slip of paper with names and similar information written on it.

Before Jiang Hanqing could even look at it carefully, Jiang Haotian said, "Take this back and study it slowly! These guys on the list are all suspicious individuals that our spies have uncovered over the past few months. The intelligence they've gathered indicates they have close ties with the Wang family! I only received this list yesterday. Now that you're in charge of this matter, I'll give it to you! Try to have someone investigate whether these guys are indeed colluding with the Wang family. If it's true, I think we should find an opportunity to eliminate them one by one."

Jiang Hanqing agreed, and without further ado, slipped the list into his sleeve, turned, and left Jiang Haotian's courtyard with the family members carrying the documents.

As soon as Jiang Hanqing returned to his own courtyard and entered, Bai Yingjue, wearing a dog collar around her neck, rushed into his arms.

"Why didn't you come back last night? You kept me up all night!"

Jiang Hanqing gently patted her bottom and sighed, "There's more and more to do! There's nothing I can do!"

He put his arm around Bai Yingjue's slender waist and walked into the room. Jiang Hanqing instructed the servants who were carrying the documents to put the things into his study and then they could leave.

Bai Yingjue turned around and saw her family carrying in so many documents and files. Curious, she asked Jiang Hanqing, "What are all those things?"

Jiang Hanqing slapped her hard on the waist, displeased, "Why are you meddling so much? It's a man's business, you should mind your own business!"

Bai Yingjue gasped softly in pain, but her eyes were full of joy. She said in a sweet voice, "Did you miss me last night?"

Jiang Hanqing gave her a cold look and said, "Of course I did! I was just thinking about spanking your ass!"

Bai Yingjue beamed, "Hehe! That's great! I thought you'd forgotten me! Oh, right! I forgot to tell you, your mother sent someone to deliver a letter to you."

Jiang Hanqing asked casually, "Where is that letter?"

Bai Yingjue looked to a nearby... The woman in the room pouted and said angrily, "The messenger was two soldiers. They arrived early this morning. One of them was carrying a small iron box, saying it was for you by your mother, and the letter for you was inside. I asked him to give me the box, but he refused! He said your mother instructed that the letter must be in your hands, and no one else can touch it, not even the head of the family! By the way! Those two guys are so arrogant! Judging from their tone, they don't even respect your father!" Upon hearing

Bai Yingjue's words, Jiang Hanqing immediately understood that the small iron box his mother sent must contain something related to their illicit affair, so it had to be handed to him personally, and no one else was allowed to do it.

Reaching out, Jiang Hanqing gently touched Bai Yingjue's slightly pouting lips, and chuckled, "Hehe! You rascal, trying to talk bad about them? It's nothing! They're from the Mother's Legion, not family members of the Jiang family, so naturally they won't care about any family head! Let me tell you, the soldiers in my Mother's Legion only obey two orders in this world: my mother and me. Everyone else is meaningless to them. Even the emperor's decree wouldn't matter to them! Come on! Let's go see him!"

He led Bai Yingjue into the room, where he saw two soldiers sitting upright. Judging from their armor, they were soldiers of the "Jade Phoenix Legion." Their faces and armor were covered in dust, a testament to the hardships of their journey. One of them clutched a square iron box, secured with a padlock.

Hearing footsteps, both turned their heads towards the door. Upon seeing that it was Jiang Hanqing who had entered, the two men reacted almost simultaneously, both leaping to their feet with a "whoosh."

The soldier who wasn't carrying the iron box hurried two steps towards Jiang Hanqing, knelt down, and said, "Young Master, you're back! Commander Feng sent us two to deliver a message to you."

Jiang Hanqing recognized the voice, but the thick layer of dust on his face made it impossible to identify him. He asked in confusion, "Who are you? Haven't I seen you at Commander Madam's place? Why does your voice sound so familiar? There's so much dust on your face, I can't even make out your features!"

Hearing this, the man was clearly overjoyed and quickly kowtowed, saying, "Young Master, of course you've seen me before!"

He hurriedly reached out and rubbed his face haphazardly, trying to wipe away the dust, but the more he rubbed, the more obscured his features became, making it even harder to discern his true appearance.

Seeing the soldier's silly expression, Bai Yingjue immediately burst into laughter. Jiang Hanqing couldn't help but smile and said, "Alright! Stop wiping! Go wash up properly later! Tell me your name first."

The soldier hurriedly replied, "Reporting to Young Master! My name is Chen Zhongguo, and I am the captain of the Fengxiang Army's personal guard! I served under you for a while back then!"

He turned and pointed to the man behind him carrying the iron box, saying, "His name is Li Jinghua, and he was a squad leader in Fengxiang."

Jiang Hanqing was slightly taken aback, then overjoyed, "Ah! So you're Chen Zhongguo! No wonder your voice sounded so familiar! You said you became a captain?"

Chen Zhongguo exclaimed in surprise, "Young Master, you really remember me? Yes! It was the Feng Commander's grace that made me a captain!"

Jiang Hanqing kicked him and said, "Get up! You little rascal! You've risen quite fast. Back when you were with me, you were just a squad leader, and in just a few years you've become a captain!"

Chen Zhongguo chuckled foolishly and hurriedly got up from the ground.

Bai Yingjue interjected, "Squad leader? Battalion commander? What are these ranks? I've never heard of them in the Imperial Army." Jiang

Hanqing said, "These aren't Imperial Army ranks. They're a hierarchy my mother implemented in her personal guard. Come! Sit down! Let me explain."

He helped Bai Yingjue sit down and explained, "To the average Imperial citizen, my mother's Jade Phoenix Legion appears to have a massive force of six or seven hundred thousand men. That's a misconception! A large portion of this army consists of local troops from the Western Regions. Because of frequent warfare in the Western Regions, these troops have been under my mother's command for many years, leading those unaware of the true situation to mistakenly believe they all belong to the Jade Phoenix Legion. Strictly speaking, the true direct combat force of my mother's invincible Jade Phoenix Legion numbers only about two hundred and seventy thousand. These are the Imperial elite who truly serve my mother to the death." To strengthen the legion, Mother selected 50,000 of the most elite cavalry from the legion, subjected them to rigorous special training, and formed them into her personal guard, named the 'Phoenix Soaring Army.'

Bai Yingjue exclaimed in surprise, '50,000 men selected from the Jade Phoenix Legion? And they received special training? Their combat power must be astonishing!'

Hearing this, Chen Zhongguo couldn't help but say proudly, 'Of course! Every member of our Phoenix Commander's personal guard is a hero capable of taking on a hundred men! Hmph! As long as our Phoenix Commander's personal guard, the 'Phoenix Soaring' cavalry, is deployed, I don't think any army in the world can withstand us! Back then, our 50,000 Phoenix Soaring Army faced the 300,000-strong army of the Tu La people, holding out for five days and nights, leaving the enemy with hundreds of thousands of corpses before retreating without achieving anything. Hehe! Even Shi Yanran's Flying Eagle Legion wouldn't be a threat to us!'

These boastful words made Bai Yingjue's eyes widen in admiration, 'Even the Flying Eagle Legion wouldn't be a threat? Impressive! Impressive!' Jiang Hanqing smiled and said, "

Chen Zhongguo, don't underestimate Shi Yanying's army! I heard that their 'Eagle Wing Iron Guard' doesn't take our legion seriously either! They even boasted that their 30,000 men could easily defeat our 50,000 'Wind Soaring Army'!"

Chen Zhongguo scoffed, shouting, "Them? Nonsense! Let's see what they're made of! Anyone can talk big from behind! Humph! One day, our Fengxiang Army will make those cowardly Eagle Wings cry for their mothers!"

Jiang Hanqing simply smiled and ignored him, but Bai Yingjue couldn't help but ask again, "Qing, what's this 'Eagle Wing Iron Guard' all about?"

Jiang Hanqing replied, "That's Shi Yanying's personal guard. Within Shi Yanying's 'Flying Eagle Legion,' their status is similar to my mother's 'Flying Xiang Army.' Shi Yanying's Flying Eagle Legion is slightly smaller than my mother's 'Jade Phoenix Legion,' with approximately 200,000 directly subordinate combat troops. Shi Yanying selected 30,000 iron cavalry from her 'Flying Eagle Legion.'" They became what she called the 'Eagle Wing Iron Guards.' These guys had achieved astonishing military exploits; it was said that even the fiercest special forces would often flee without a fight upon hearing of the 'Eagle Wing Iron Guards' being deployed. So it's no wonder those guys were so arrogant, boasting that their 30,000 'Eagle Wing Iron Guards' could wipe out our 50,000-strong 'Wind Soaring Army.'

Bai Yingjue said angrily, 'They're too arrogant! They completely disregard our army! One day we'll crush them!'

In Bai Yingjue's heart, she had already completely considered herself Jiang Hanqing's person, so when she heard Shi Yanying's army claiming to be stronger than Yin Yufeng's army, she couldn't help but feel the same anger as the members of the Yufeng Legion.

Chen Zhongguo had already discerned the intimacy between Jiang Hanqing and Bai Yingjue from the way they entered, and hearing her speaking from his perspective, he presumptuously assumed she was Jiang Hanqing's wife. He hastily flattered her, saying, "Young Madam is right!"

Bai Yingjue blushed deeply upon hearing him address her as "Young Madam," unsure what to say.

But then Jiang Hanqing spoke up, saying something that surprised all three present.

"Chen Zhongguo, you're mistaken! She's not a Young Madam! She's just a dog I keep!"

Seeing the stunned expressions on Chen Zhongguo and Bai Yingjue's faces, Jiang Hanqing pointed to the dog collar around Bai Yingjue's neck and laughed smugly, "See that? That's the dog collar I use to leash her!"

Looking at the ashamed Bai Yingjue, Jiang Hanqing scolded, "You slut! Tell them, aren't you a bitch?"

Bai Yingjue lowered her head in embarrassment, wishing the ground would immediately disappear into her grave. But she dared not disobey Jiang Hanqing's orders, so she could only say in a low, almost inaudible voice, "Yes! I am the young master's pet dog!"

As she uttered these words, Bai Yingjue immediately felt a lustful fluid flowing from her genitals.

While Chen Zhongguo and the other man stared dumbfounded at Bai Yingjue, Jiang Hanqing felt extremely smug.

"Haha! I wonder what your reaction will be when you see with your own eyes how I humiliate that old bitch, Mother? Anyway, that old bitch will definitely be so happy she'll ejaculate in public!"

Imagining the merciless humiliation of his mother in front of everyone, Jiang Hanqing's penis quickly hardened.

Bai Yingjue couldn't bear the surprised gazes and intense humiliation directed at her by Chen Zhongguo and his companion. To divert everyone's attention, she hurriedly turned to Jiang Hanqing and said, "Qing, you...you still haven't explained what a battalion commander is!"

Jiang Hanqing, seeing this, didn't mind. Since he had the upper hand, he decided to give Bai Yingjue some face and answered, "My mother established a unique hierarchical system for the Fengxiang Army. From lowest to highest, the sergeant commands five soldiers, the squad leader commands ten, the platoon leader commands fifty, the squad captain commands one hundred, the company commander commands one thousand, and the battalion commander commands as many as ten thousand. The highest rank among all officers is the general manager. The general manager doesn't usually command troops; only during wartime, my mother temporarily assigns him a specific number of troops to lead, ranging from ten thousand to the entire fifty thousand of the Fengxiang Army. Currently, there are only two general managers and five battalion commanders in the Fengxiang Army. I didn't expect Chen Zhongguo to already be a battalion commander; it's a rare promotion!"

Bai Yingjue glanced at Chen Zhongguo and the other man standing beside her, and seeing that they were no longer paying attention to her, she breathed a sigh of relief and continued to ask Jiang Hanqing, "You knew Chen Zhongguo before?" Before

Jiang Hanqing could answer, Chen Zhongguo smiled and preemptively replied, "When you were in the Western Regions, young master, I was just a squad leader, in charge of a mere hundred men. I was responsible for your personal protection for about four months! I didn't expect you to remember me!"

Jiang Hanqing laughed, "Of course I remember! Once when we went hunting, the Bian tribe attacked us! You saved my life! You're my savior!"

Chen Zhongguo said embarrassedly, "That's nothing! It's all thanks to your great fortune, young master!"

Jiang Hanqing patted Chen Zhongguo on the shoulder and smiled, "You've learned to speak in official jargon, haven't you? Alright! Tell me, how is my mother's health? And what about Marshal Xisili?" "Were you tired from your journey?"

Chen Zhongguo replied, "Commander Feng is in excellent health! He just sometimes sits there lost in thought, probably missing the young master too much! Commander Xisili is also doing well, and often misses the young master as well. We two set off from Sunset City, traveling day and night, eating and sleeping on horseback, and it took us a full month to reach the capital."

Turning to the iron box held by the squad leader named Li Jinghua, Chen Zhongguo said, "This is the iron box that Commander Feng asked us to give to the young master. We two were extremely careful on the road, not daring to make the slightest mistake, and now we can finally give it to the young master in person, which can be considered as not having failed Commander Feng's trust."

As Chen Zhongguo said this, he suddenly reached out and unfastened his breastplate, took out a key from the pocket of his inner robe, and handed it to Jiang Hanqing.

"Young master, this is the key to open that iron box!" Jiang

Hanqing took the key and gestured for Li Jinghua to place the iron box on the coffee table. She didn't rush to open it, but continued to ask Chen Zhongguo, "In one of Mother's previous letters, she mentioned that the Bolin people were gathering on the western border. What was the situation there before you left?"

Chen Zhongguo replied, "The situation is like this: the Bolin people started going out to the border about half a year ago, and later other Western City tribes began to join them. By the time we left, they had gathered a barbarian army of about 600,000. Currently, the two sides have officially gone to war!"

Jiang Hanqing exclaimed in surprise, "What? They've officially gone to war?"

Chen Zhongguo said, "That's right! General Feng sent us back to the capital this time, not only to deliver this box to the young master, but also, most importantly, to report the news of the war with the Western City tribes to the court!"

Hearing that her mother had already gone to war with the Western City tribes, Jiang Hanqing inwardly cried out in alarm.

"Now Mother's army is stuck in the Western Regions. What will happen if something happens in court!" After calming himself down, Jiang Hanqing asked Chen Zhongguo, "

Tell me the specific details of what happened!"

Chen Zhongguo said, "As early as four months ago, the Berliners and their allies began to continuously invade the Empire's territory. Local forces in the Western Regions clashed with the Berliners several times, resulting in casualties on both sides. However, it wasn't until a month before our departure that our legion's patrol cavalry encountered the Berlin cavalry for the first time. We had approximately 20,000 men engaged in the battle, while the Berliners numbered over 40,000. The fierce battle lasted all day, until our reinforcements arrived that evening, at which point the Berliners were forced to retreat. We suffered approximately 12,000 casualties, while the Berliners left behind over 20,000 corpses. After that, small-scale battles continued between the two sides, with victories and defeats on both sides. Before we left..." More than ten days later, the Berlin army officially launched a full-scale invasion of the Empire. The two armies clashed in a major battle in the Tut Valley, a hundred miles west of Sunset City. Our side was led by Marshal Hisili with 100,000 legionary soldiers, plus over 100,000 local troops. The enemy reportedly deployed over 300,000 troops. The battle lasted three days; our army suffered over 60,000 casualties, while annihilating 150,000 enemy soldiers. However, Commander Feng was furious and severely reprimanded Marshal Hisili! Because nearly 40,000 of our casualties were legionary soldiers.”

Jiang Hanqing frowned and said, “What? Nearly 40,000 legionary soldiers were killed or wounded? This hasn’t happened in many years! No wonder Mother is angry!”

Chen Zhongguo sighed, “Yes! This time…” The losses were indeed quite significant. Our Fengxiang Army didn't participate in that battle, but according to the brothers who did, it was incredibly brutal. The 300,000-strong Berlin army, divided into three columns and three rows—nine squads in total—charged on our main force in waves. Those behind were practically stepping over the corpses of those in front. And what's strangest is that while the barbarian cavalry's charges were usually powerful, they generally lacked any formation; they just swarmed in and hacked and slashed indiscriminately. This time, however, they actually formed formations, and apparently, they looked quite impressive. It was precisely because of this that we lost so many brothers.”

Jiang Hanqing exclaimed in surprise, “The barbarians actually know formations? Someone must have…” "Training them behind the scenes!"

Chen Zhongguo said, "Yes! Commander Feng was also surprised by this. She also believes that someone is training the barbarians behind the scenes, and it should be someone who has received formal military training from the Empire!"

Bai Yingjue asked in confusion, "Who could it be?" Jiang

Hanqing sneered, "Anyway, it's just those few families! For example... the Wang family and the like! Have you forgotten what we did a few months ago? It's just that they may have put in more effort and spent more time training the barbarian army directly!"

When Bai Yingjue heard him say this, she remembered that her group had helped the Qiu Te army fight a few months ago, and she suddenly realized that this involved the power struggle between the major powerful families within the Empire.

Jiang Hanqing frowned and thought for a moment before asking, "Before you left, did Commander-in-Chief mention when the war in the Western Regions would end?"

Chen Zhongguo replied, "Commander Feng estimates that this war will last at least half a year!"

Upon hearing that Commander-in-Chief estimated the war would last half a year, Jiang Hanqing muttered to himself, "Half a year? The Wang family has probably already launched an attack! Damn it! Those damned barbarians, I wonder how many benefits they received from the Wang family, that they would risk being completely annihilated by Mother's Jade Phoenix Legion to invade! Sigh! That's a really ruthless move! Now, Mother's legion is tied up, what should we do?"

Seeing Jiang Hanqing lower his head and remain silent, Chen Zhongguo understood and said, "Young Master, don't worry! More than half of our legion's main force has not yet been deployed to the war. Currently, the only thing we rely on to fight the Berliners is Xi..." Apart from the troops under Marshal Sili's command, the majority of the legion consists of local garrison forces. As for the elite Fengxiang Army, they are all stationed in Sunset City. I think Marshal Feng's arrangement is probably to accommodate the situation in the court!

Hearing Chen Zhongguo's words, Jiang Hanqing breathed a slight sigh of relief, thinking, "How foolish of me! If I could think of this, wouldn't Mother have thought of it too? If possible, she would naturally reserve sufficient strength for the upheaval in the capital. Alas! I fear that the barbarian forces will gather more and more, and then Mother will have no choice but to commit the entire legion to battle!"

Looking up at Chen Zhongguo, who was standing obediently after speaking, Jiang Hanqing suddenly paused, a flash of insight striking her mind, and she suddenly realized something unusual.

"This Chen Zhongguo seems foolish on the surface, always grinning like an idiot, but he's actually a rare talent! He could guess my thoughts just by looking at my expression. And that's not all; even more remarkable is that he could discern my mother's intentions from her troop deployment and connect it to the political situation in the court! Good heavens! You really can't judge a book by its cover! Such a person is good—intelligent and reliable! A truly remarkable talent!"

Pointing to Chen Zhongguo, Jiang Hanqing asked, "Zhongguo, how old are you this year?"

Chen Zhongguo respectfully replied, "Young Master, I am twenty-eight years old this year (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning)."

Jiang Hanqing nodded . Nodding, Jiang Hanqing said, "Twenty-eight years old (by Chinese reckoning)? You're so young to have become the captain of the Fengxiang Army, you're truly remarkable!"

Chen Zhongguo looked at Jiang Hanqing's expression, unsure whether he was pleased or angry, and stammered in surprise, "This...no...it's...it's Commander Feng's grace!"

Jiang Hanqing smiled and said, "You don't need to be so nervous! I was just praising you, I didn't mean anything else! By the way! Before you came to the capital, did Mother say when you were supposed to return?"

Chen Zhongguo replied, "Commander Feng didn't say a specific time, he just told us to follow your arrangements, young master."

Hearing this, Jiang Hanqing understood that his mother had sent this talented man to the capital to serve him.

Jiang Hanqing nodded and said, "Alright! I understand. I'll consider it for you. Now, let me arrange your food and lodging."

He called in two servants from outside, whispered a few instructions to them, and then turned to Chen Zhongguo, saying, "These two will arrange your food and lodging. Go wash up, eat, and rest. Go to the palace to report to the Emperor tomorrow. Today is a day of mourning, so even if you wanted to see him, you couldn't! As long as he doesn't attend court, no one can see him!"

Chen Zhongguo and Li Jinghua were also feeling hungry and tired, so they quickly knelt down to thank Jiang Hanqing and then followed the two servants away.

Chapter Fifty

: The Lewd Letter from the Vile Mother Chapter Fifty: The Lewd Letter from the Vile Mother

Watching the figure disappear at the gate of the courtyard, Jiang Hanqing sighed and said to Bai Yingjue, "Sigh. Seeing this boy, I realize how fast time flies! Four years have passed in the blink of an eye! Mother...sigh...I wonder when I'll be able to see her again?"

Bai Yingjue saw his depressed look and quickly comforted him, "Qing, as long as you defeat the Wang family, you'll be able to see your mother soon! Come! Let's see what your mother sent two of her men to bring."

Hearing this, Jiang Hanqing immediately perked up, taking three steps at a time to the side of the tea table, holding the iron box his mother had sent from a thousand miles away to his chest, and walked straight towards the secret door of the secret chamber.

Bai Yingjue followed behind him, muttering, "Why not open it from the outside? Why go into the secret chamber?"

As she said this, Jiang Hanqing had already opened the secret door of the secret chamber and was about to go inside. Hearing her grumbling, Jiang Hanqing smiled and explained, "Since Mother values the gifts so much, we should be cautious! If we open it from the outside and someone happens to see what's inside, that would be troublesome!"

Suddenly realizing that Yin Yufeng might have locked away some unspeakable things in the small iron box, Bai Yingjue stopped talking and followed Jiang Hanqing into the secret room.

Placing the small iron box on the table, Jiang Hanqing immediately and impatiently used the key Chen Zhongguo had given her to unlock the iron lock. As soon as the box opened, a foul stench immediately wafted out. Looking at the contents of the box, Jiang Hanqing's eyes lit up, while Bai Yingjue's face was filled with surprise and disgust.

Inside the small iron box, which had traveled thousands of miles to the capital, lay the most obscene and filthy things in the world: a woman's used leather undergarment stained with semen, a sweaty bodice, and even a menstrual belt stained with dark red blood and emitting a strong, foul odor.

Bai Yingjue stared dumbfounded at the pile of filthy, obscene items before her. No matter how much she imagined what the box might contain, she never imagined it would be such a disgusting mess. Although extremely surprised, she knew in her heart that these things were undoubtedly used by Yin Yufeng herself, and now being offered to her son as tools to vent her perverse lust.

Before Bai Yingjue could fully recover from her shock, Jiang Hanqing abruptly lifted the box into the air and turned it upside down, causing the contents to fall onto the table.

As the filth scattered across the table, the nauseating stench in the air intensified, quickly filling the entire secret room. The strong stench assaulted Bai Yingjue's nostrils, making it difficult for her to breathe. A strong churning sensation rose in her stomach, almost causing her to vomit on the spot. She hurriedly took a few steps back.

Bai Yingjue pressed herself against the door of the secret room, sticking her head out and taking several deep breaths of fresh air to barely suppress her nausea. However, in stark contrast to Bai Yingjue's reaction, Jiang Hanqing showed no discomfort whatsoever. Instead, he slammed his face onto the table, burying it deep in the filthy items his mother had used, breathing heavily, as if the stench emanating from them wasn't the nauseating, pungent stench, but the most fragrant floral scent in the world.

Jiang Hanqing frantically brought the filth to his nose, intoxicated by the strong stench left by his mother. At the same time, he incessantly chewed on the leather underpants that had once covered his mother's genitals, licking the menstrual belt still stained with her dirty menstrual blood. Looking at his frenzied and intoxicated appearance, it seemed as if he were truly playing with his beloved mother's voluptuous body.

Seeing Jiang Hanqing's frenzied state, Bai Yingjue felt a surge of worry, fearing that Jiang Hanqing would be driven insane by the obscene items her mother had used. Although extremely anxious, she had no idea what to do to pull Jiang Hanqing back to reality from his lewd frenzy.

Just as Bai Yingjue was frantic, the iron box that Jiang Hanqing had emptied and carelessly discarded on the ground suddenly caught her eye. Only then did she notice with surprise that a small package was stuck to the inside of the open lid. It turned out that both she and Jiang Hanqing had been so engrossed in the obscene items inside the box that they hadn't noticed the package attached to the inside of the lid.

Without time to ponder what might be inside, Bai Yingjue pinched her nose, hurriedly went to Jiang Hanqing's side, patted his shoulder, and said softly, "Qing, look! There's something stuck to the lid of that box!"

Jiang Hanqing seemed not to hear her at all, continuing to tear at and play with the pile of things, muttering, "Mommy... Mommy..."

Bai Yingjue frowned, patted Jiang Hanqing's back forcefully again, and shouted, "Jiang Hanqing, look! Your mother has attached a small package to the inside of the box!"

Only then did Jiang Hanqing understand what Bai Yingjue was saying, snapping out of his previous frenzy. He abruptly lifted himself from the table, quickly picked up the iron box from the ground, and removed the small package stuck to it.

Opening the small package wrapped in cotton cloth, inside was a neatly folded piece of white silk. Jiang Hanqing and Bai Yingjue exchanged a glance, wondering what the silk was. However, when Jiang Hanqing unfolded the mysterious silk scroll, the answer was immediately revealed.

The three-foot square scroll was covered with many words written in red ink; it was a letter from Yin Yufeng to her son. But when Jiang Hanqing picked up the scroll to examine it closely, he discovered something strange.

The white silk scroll emitted a faint smell of blood and a foul odor, and was covered with yellow water stains.

Furthermore, although the letter's salutation was the usual "My dearest son Hanqing," as Yin Yufeng always did in her letters to her son, the handwriting was crooked and terribly illegible. It was nothing like Yin Yufeng's usual elegant and beautiful handwriting, and it wouldn't even be considered better than that of a child just learning to read.

Jiang Hanqing frowned slightly, hesitatingly asking Bai Yingjue, "This... how could this be Mother's handwriting? Could someone be impersonating Mother... but that's impossible... those things just now clearly smelled like Mother..."

Hearing Jiang Hanqing's words, Bai Yingjue rolled her eyes, inwardly marveling, "Good heavens! I smelled a foul stench. He actually managed to recognize it as his mother's scent; that's quite impressive!"

While Bai Yingjue was thinking this, Jiang Hanqing suppressed his suspicions and carefully read the unusual silk scroll.

After reading less than two paragraphs, Jiang Hanqing understood the letter's origin. It was indeed a letter written by Yin Yufeng herself to her son, a letter she had painstakingly crafted. At the beginning of the letter, Yin Yufeng told her beloved son how she had written it.

To write this letter to her son Jiang Hanqing, Yin Yufeng first collected her menstrual blood in a porcelain bowl. Then she inserted the end of a calligraphy brush into her vagina, leaving the bristles protruding. She dipped this half of the brush, still inserted in her vagina, into her menstrual blood, spread her legs, and squatted on a piece of silk, letting the tip of the brush touch the silk. She then swayed her ample hips in the air, causing the brush tip to move across the silk, thus writing characters.

Because this unconventional method of writing was extremely physically demanding, sweat dripped continuously from Yin Yufeng's body down her buttocks and thighs onto the silk as she wrote. The resistance created by the brush moving across the silk, through the half of the brush inserted into her vagina, acted on her sensitive vulva, further stimulating her to produce a constant flow of vaginal fluid, either flowing down the brush handle onto the silk or dripping directly onto it from the air.

It was precisely because Yin Yufeng used such a bizarre and lewd method of writing letters that Jiang Hanqing could smell a faint stench of blood and lewdness when he unfolded the silk. And because she wrote with a brush inserted into her vagina by shaking her hips, the handwriting on the letter appeared exceptionally ugly; after all, a brush inserted into a vagina could never achieve the same effect as a brush held in hand.

Looking at the lewd love letter his mother had written for him with her menstrual blood, Jiang Hanqing felt a surge of excitement. His mother's lewd figure as she wrote the letter appeared clearly before his eyes: his lustful mother, naked, parting her fair thighs, revealing her genitals with a half-inserted brush already slightly oozing vaginal fluid, squatting down on the snow-white silk spread on the ground.

Although the tip of the brush had already touched the silk, because her squatting posture hadn't stopped, the cold handle of the brush penetrated even deeper into her vagina. The friction between her burning labia and the cold pen made her tremble violently, and she couldn't help but moan. But the thin pen, half-inserted into her vagina, not only failed to quell her desire but also intensified the itching in her empty, lustful orifice, until finally, her juices slid down the pen and onto the silk.

Forcibly suppressing the tingling, itchy sensation in her vagina, Yin Yufeng trembled, gritted her teeth, and began to twist her full hips. She would finish writing this love letter to her son in this way.

Each time she moved her large, white buttocks, leaving a mark on the silk with the brush, the force from the brush caused her burning uterus to contract strongly, making her gasp and groan. Yin Yufeng trembled, gritting her teeth as she continued writing. Sweat soaked her entire body, and drops of vaginal fluid clung to the white silk, yet her uterus grew even more itchy and burning. That excruciating, bone-chilling itching sensation made her desperately rub her full breasts, yearning for her son's touch, and even slap her taut lower abdomen, trying to alleviate the burning desire within her. She began to sob and wail. Her bent legs seemed unable to bear her weight, trembling slightly and incessantly, causing her large, plump buttocks to shake, making the characters written by the strangely positioned brush between her legs even more crooked and distorted.

But this mother, tormented and struggling with illicit feelings for her beloved son whom she hadn't seen for years, seemed to find complete release only through this perverse method.

Pinching and twisting the erect pink nipples of her breasts, disheveled and drenched in sweat, Yin Yufeng called out her beloved son's name repeatedly, wishing he would appear before her immediately, to fondle her wanton body, and to inflict upon her the most painful and degrading punishment a mother could ever experience…

Holding the silk letter written by his mother, Jiang Hanqing imagined her lewd and delirious state as she wrote it, a cruel and perverse smile spreading across his lips.

Seeing Jiang Hanqing's infatuated state, Bai Yingjue felt a pang of jealousy towards Yin Yufeng and couldn't help but say sourly, "It's just a letter... what's the big deal... humph! If she really misses you, why doesn't she come back to the capital to see you herself? What's the point of playing these games!"

Jiang Hanqing was snapped out of his reverie by her words.

A slight sneer appeared on his lips as he coldly sneered, "What? Are you jealous?" He finished with a soft snort, his expression strange, as if a storm was brewing.

Having been by his side for some time, Bai Yingjue had long since become intimately familiar with Jiang Hanqing's expressions and behavior.

Seeing his strange expression at this moment, how could she not understand what Jiang Hanqing was thinking!

Her heart pounded wildly, not out of fear, but quite the opposite—excitement at the happiness that was about to arrive!

She gazed at Jiang Hanqing with a silly, dreamy smile, her cheeks flushed. Her slender waist swayed gently, causing her full, high buttocks to sway slightly in the air. Her lower body, already highly sensitive from Jiang Hanqing's training, immediately felt a tingling sensation deep within her flesh. As fluid flowed from her depths, her full thighs instinctively clamped together tightly.

His fingers, smeared with fiery red nail polish, caressed her increasingly hot body, the clear light in her beautiful phoenix eyes now veiled by a mist of desire, becoming somewhat hazy, giving her a unique allure. Jiang Hanqing

held the silk book, stained with his mother's menstrual blood and emitting a foul stench, to his nose, inhaled deeply, and then exhaled a long, blissful breath, as if he had just smelled the most fragrant scent in the world.

“You slut, do you know that my mother cried as I penetrated her from behind like a bitch right here?”

Bai Yingjue didn't reply to Jiang Hanqing's shameless words, but she seemed even more excited. Her hands moved to her breasts, gently kneading her full breasts through her clothes. Her rosy lips parted slightly, emitting faint breaths. Saliva moistened her bright red lipstick-covered lips, making them appear even more alluring in the flickering oil lamplight.

Jiang Hanqing coldly walked to a corner of the room, grabbed two iron chains hanging from the eaves, and slammed them against the wall.

“Clang…clang…”

The chains struck the walls of the secret chamber with a crisp clanging sound, particularly jarring in the silent room.

"Do you know what this chain is, and what it's used for? Hehe..."

Bai Yingjue shook her head blankly at Jiang Hanqing's cold question. She genuinely didn't know the answer, but more importantly, her mind was currently clouded by burning lust, making it impossible for her to think calmly. Jiang

Hanqing laughed loudly, "You don't know? Fine! Let me tell you! Haha... Look up! Look up!"

Bai Yingjue looked up and saw that the two chains were actually wrapped around a pulley on the roof, with the other end hanging down to the ground. At the bottom of the chains hung a small, gleaming silver hook. Bai Yingjue couldn't help but find it strange that only the tail of the hook shone with a metallic sheen, while the rest was dull and lifeless. Could such a small hook be made of a mixture of different materials?

Seeing that Bai Yingjue seemed quite interested in the small iron hook, Jiang Hanqing coldly pulled on the two iron chains in his hand, lowering the hook from the roof. The hook dangled down just in front of Bai Yingjue, finally allowing her to see its details. This silver-white hook was about the size of a person's fist, the hook tip barely thicker than a normal person's finger, and the tip wasn't sharp at all, but blunt. The hook was covered with a layer of suede cowhide, the purpose of which Bai Yingjue naturally didn't know. It was precisely because of this cowhide that Bai Yingjue had only seen the silvery gleam of the hook's tail.

While Bai Yingjue curiously examined the hook, Jiang Hanqing slowly walked over.

He held the hook in his hand, brought the planed tip to his nose, and took a deep breath, just like he had when he smelled his mother's filth.

"Qing, what is this?" Bai Yingjue asked curiously.

Jiang Hanqing didn't answer her question. Instead, he held the iron hook to her nose, urging her to smell it.

The cowhide covering the hook's tip emitted a musty odor, along with a faint but unmistakable, strange smell, as if the hide had been soaked in some fishy liquid. Although the musty smell had almost masked the hook's peculiar stench due to its long period of disuse, it still lingered, stimulating the sense of smell. Bai Yingjue felt the smell was strangely familiar, but before she could fully grasp it, Jiang Hanqing spoke up.

"Four years! A full four years have passed! This iron hook hasn't been used for four years. The smell of my mother's lewd fluids from back then is almost completely masked by this damned musty stench! Sigh!"

Hearing Jiang Hanqing's words, Bai Yingjue suddenly realized that the smell she had just tasted was the lewd stench left by Jiang Hanqing's lewd mother—Yin Yufeng.

"My God! That bitch actually managed to keep the cowhide covering this iron hook still smelling of her lewdness after four years. I wonder how much lewd fluid she left on this hook back then!"

Bai Yingjue imagined Yin Yufeng's lewd appearance back then, and couldn't help but gasp inwardly.

"Wait! My God! This hook... how did she let her lewd fluids flow onto it?... Could this hook be used to..."

Suddenly realizing how Yin Yufeng could have let her lewd fluids flow onto such an iron hook, Bai Yingjue's face turned pale with fear, and cold sweat broke out on her palms.

“Qing…this…this iron hook…could it be…”

Bai Yingjue suddenly felt her throat become very dry and uncomfortable, making her voice hoarse and almost unable to speak.

Jiang Hanqing laughed smugly, "You're so clever, Auntie! No wonder you're my favorite slut after Mother! Hehe! This iron hook was used to hook up that slut's cunt back then!"

As he spoke, he passionately stroked the strange iron hook, as if he were caressing Yin Yufeng's wanton body.

"See those other iron chains above your head? Back then, I used those hooks to hook up that slut's cunt and hang her in the air, and she actually squirted out her juices in excitement! You would never have imagined that the seemingly unapproachable Commander Feng would be such a slutty woman, would you? Later… I'll see if you, you bitch, are just as wanton as her!"

As Jiang Hanqing lewdly groped and caressed Bai Yingjue's breasts and the Y-shaped area at the base of her abdomen, Bai Yingjue was stunned by his words.

She stared blankly at the small iron hook dangling in front of her, her mind filled with questions.

"This...this hook can really hook into that place! My God! To hook that thing in there and dangle it in mid-air, how terrifying would that be! Can my vagina really withstand that much force? Will I faint from the pain?"

Thinking of the horrifying scene of the iron hook hooking her vagina and dangling her in the air, Bai Yingjue's body trembled slightly. If they were standing in bright light, Jiang Hanqing would have clearly seen that her face was deathly pale with fear.

Jiang Hanqing wrapped his arms around Bai Yingjue's slender waist, squeezing it slightly until she let out a soft moan. Only then did he release the pressure, smiling, "Don't be afraid! My mother endured countless trials back then, it's nothing! You'll see in a moment, nothing will happen. At most, it'll hurt a little! But that little bit of pain is a kind of enjoyment for lowly women like you and my mother!"

Slapping Bai Yingjue's plump buttocks hard, Jiang Hanqing coldly commanded, "Now... what are you hesitating for, you lowly woman? Immediately strip naked for me! Let me properly introduce you to the tools your lewd Sister Feng used back then! I want you to know exactly how to use them! Don't be afraid! I won't let you use them all at once today! I'll take it slow, letting you enjoy them slowly every day... hahahaha!"

Amidst Jiang Hanqing's mocking voice, Bai Yingjue obediently and slowly removed her clothes.

When her body was completely naked, Jiang Hanqing had already found his precious white ecstasy ointment.

Before Jiang Hanqing could give any orders, Bai Yingjue, already used to this kind of thing, consciously spread her legs, exposing her wet vulva to Jiang Hanqing's eyes.

Using his finger to scoop out a piece of the cool ointment, Jiang Hanqing roughly inserted his finger into Bai Yingjue's anus, probing and manipulating it.

"Hehe! When that slut Mom was around, I never tried what it was like to hook her anus with this hook! Today, I'll do an experiment on you, you sow!"

The cool ointment applied to her anus, combined with Jiang Hanqing's rough yet skillful probing, was giving Bai Yingjue waves of pleasure when she suddenly heard Jiang Hanqing's words. She gasped in shock.

"Qing, what did you say? You're going to use this hook... Ah!"

Before Bai Yingjue could finish speaking, Jiang Hanqing pulled his finger out of her anus and smeared it all over her face, still reeking of feces. Unable to bear the humiliation, Bai Yingjue screamed and threw her head back. Jiang

Hanqing wouldn't let her escape so easily. He grabbed her hair and roughly pulled her in front of him, then inserted the finger that had just been probing her anus into her beautiful cherry-like mouth and began to rummage around.

"You slut, you think it stinks and is dirty? Pah! This is the smell of your own asshole! Huh! Don't you find it disgusting? What right do you, a lowly slave, have to be proud! Lick your own shit properly. Maybe later this young master will be lenient with your filthy anus!"

Humiliated tears welled up in Bai Yingjue's eyes, but the woman, already addicted to this humiliating life, immediately obeyed her male master's orders.

When Bai Yingjue had licked her fingers clean, Jiang Hanqing shoved a thin, glowing iron rod into her mouth, making her hold it gently. At the same time, he wrapped the two thin iron chains attached to the ends of the rod around the back of Bai Yingjue's head and tied them together. Unable

to speak with the cold iron rod stuffed in her mouth, Bai Yingjue kept making incoherent whimpers, trying her best to persuade Jiang Hanqing to abandon his cruel and sadistic plans.

But the cruel young man's response to the mature woman's pleas was a merciless lashing of whips across her breasts, thighs, and buttocks, accompanied by cruel mockery and insults!

"You slut, you look just like a bitch wagging its tail begging for mercy! Haha! Good! I like you like this! My mother used to act like this all the time, but a whipping made her gush with pleasure! Are you the same? Haha..."

As bright red welts appeared on Bai Yingjue's snow-white, full breasts, buttocks, and inner thighs, tears finally welled up in her eyes. But Jiang Hanqing's merciless whip didn't pause for a moment because of the woman's tears; instead, it struck even more swiftly and fiercely against the middle-aged woman's writhing, mature body.

As blood seeped from the red welts covering her body, the cruel pain finally reached its peak. Bai Yingjue could no longer endure it, her legs giving way and she collapsed to the ground like a limp rag doll. But what pleased Jiang Hanqing even more was the fluid continuously flowing from her vulva.

"Hehe! You slutty aunt, it seems your cunt is getting more and more depraved! You came so quickly! In my memory, this seems to be the fastest time! Well done! Keep it up! Later on, you'll get an immediate orgasm just from seeing a man's whip! That slutty bitch of mine is that kind of wanton woman! You'll soon become like her too!"

While cursing and humiliating the weeping woman, Jiang Hanqing groped between Bai Yingjue's legs, then smeared her breasts with her slippery fingers covered in vaginal fluid. Sticky, lustful fluids mixed with streaks of blood seeping from her delicate skin, leaving Bai Yingjue's once snow-white breasts a muddy mess. In the dim light, it looked like a bloody stain, somewhat horrifying. However, Jiang Hanqing, already accustomed to this cruel game, felt no concern whatsoever. He lewdly continued to toy with Bai Yingjue's alluring body. Although she was used to Jiang Hanqing's sadomasochistic games, this was the first time Bai Yingjue had experienced such a bloody scene. She felt covered in wounds, yet her lover remained indifferent, continuing his merciless toying. A wave of bitterness washed over her, and she could

n't help but weep. Jiang Hanqing naturally understood her feelings, but he paid no heed. His plan was to completely destroy Bai Yingjue's self-esteem, turning her into a mere walking corpse dependent on his lust. Her existence would henceforth be solely to satisfy his perverse desires; she was destined to become a tool for his sexual gratification.

Jiang Hanqing forcefully plunged the handle of the leather whip into Bai Yingjue's exposed vagina between her parted legs. He stood up cruelly, grabbed Bai Yingjue's hair, and lifted her off the ground, commanding, "You slut! Stand properly! Otherwise, you'll regret it!"

Hearing Jiang Hanqing's order, knowing he meant it, Bai Yingjue had no choice but to force herself to stand upright.

Jiang Hanqing then turned and quickly found two ropes, placing them around her breasts and binding her hands behind her back.

Seemingly worried that the rope wasn't tied tightly enough, Jiang Hanqing pulled on it a few times before finally securing it. The rough rope dug deep into Bai Yingjue's skin, almost completely hidden by her fair flesh. The pain from the rough action made Bai Yingjue groan softly, but she didn't beg aloud, knowing that any pleading in this situation would be futile.

At this moment, her full breasts were the most pitiful: their white flesh peeked out from between the tightly bound ropes, constricted like two large rice dumplings, blood trapped and unable to flow smoothly back to her heart, causing them to swell to a liver-colored hue. The nipples, standing erect at the top, became even more prominent and noticeable, and even the usually pale areolas had darkened considerably and seemed to have expanded.

After binding her upper body and hands, Jiang Hanqing found another rope and threaded it under her crotch, securing it as well. During this process, he carefully parted Bai Yingjue's labia, deeply digging the hateful rope between her plump buttocks, then wrapping it around the whip handle inserted into her vagina between her thick labia, before tying a knot at her vulva and waist.

This arrangement caused the rope to rub tightly against her sensitive vulva and anus, the resulting itching making her vagina, which had almost stopped flowing with lustful fluids, wet again. The taut rope, wrapped around the whip handle inserted into her vagina, also put even more pressure on her vagina, as if it might be stretched open at any moment.

After tying her up like this, Jiang Hanqing was clearly quite satisfied with his rope-tying skills. He hummed a soft song and circled Bai Yingjue's body, admiring his work with pride.

After swaying back and forth for two circles, Jiang Hanqing stood behind Bai Yingjue. He inserted his fingers between the rope and Bai Yingjue's buttocks, pulling the rope back forcefully, tightening it further between her labia and buttocks, constricting the mature woman's sensitive clitoris and anus.

"Alright! You slut, preparations complete. Now it's time to get serious! Go! Get to the hook!"

With Jiang Hanqing's command, a heavy slap landed on Bai Yingjue's buttocks, producing a crisp sound of skin hitting skin. Although bloodshot, her still full and high buttocks bounced powerfully with the slap, displaying good elasticity.

Amidst Jiang Hanqing's lewd praise of the woman's elasticity, Bai Yingjue, with the whip handle still inserted in her vagina and the rope tightly constricting her full breasts, labia, and buttocks, gently moved towards the nearby hook.

As she moved, the rope, deep within her buttocks and vulva, constantly rubbed against her sensitive anus and clitoris. Although the rough ropes chafed her sensitive and delicate clitoris, causing her some pain, the intense itching sensation was far more powerful. This pleasurable stimulation made her tremble and pant. The whip handle, tightly bound by the ropes, began to sway inside her vagina with each step, applying constant pressure to the vaginal walls, a strange sensation that further excited her. Water, after soaking the ropes binding her labia, flowed down her thighs, mingling with the whimpers emanating from her mouth gagged with the iron rod, further demonstrating her intense excitement.

Although they had been standing only a short distance (less than ten steps) from the iron hook, Bai Yingjue was already breathing heavily and flushed when she reached it, as if she had walked a long way. Long streams of saliva dripped from the corners of her lips onto her chest, then continued down her breasts.

Jiang Hanqing pulled Bai Yingjue into his arms, pinching her erect nipples with one hand while the other reached behind her to grope her anus.

"You slut, you'll soon experience the pleasure your mother enjoyed back then! Aren't you excited? Hmm! Tell me, you slut! Are you enjoying it? Oh!... Haha! I forgot your mouth was gagged and you can't speak!"

He gripped Bai Yingjue's plump, blood-streaked buttocks and forcefully rubbed them, mocking the pitiful beauty in his arms with smug satisfaction.

Under his cruel manipulation, Bai Yingjue's buttocks constantly changed shape, only highlighting their full, fleshy appearance. Jiang Hanqing clearly enjoyed this sticky, fleshy feeling, his hands firmly holding Bai Yingjue's buttocks and playing with them incessantly.

Because Jiang Hanqing was rubbing Bai Yingjue's plump buttocks from behind, their lower bodies were pressed tightly together. Jiang Hanqing's already erect penis pressed hard against Bai Yingjue's naked lower body. She could clearly feel the penis she craved pressed against her burning vulva, yet she couldn't swallow it into her empty vagina. The unbearable feeling of wanting but not getting made Bai Yingjue moan repeatedly, twisting her waist, trying to relieve the itching sensation by rubbing her hips against Jiang Hanqing's penis. But Jiang Hanqing, understanding her intentions, wouldn't let her enjoy himself. Pushing the violently writhing mature woman's body away from him, Jiang Hanqing ignored her pleading gaze and turned away.

When he turned back, he had already picked up a chain from the table. It was an exquisitely crafted golden chain, with two iron clamps resembling crab claws at both ends.

Jiang Hanqing walked to Bai Yingjue's side, and under her terrified gaze, forcefully pinched one of her nipples and pulled it forward. Before she could even groan in pain, Jiang Hanqing had already clamped one end of the chain firmly onto her nipple.

Bai Yingjue managed a muffled groan and tried to back away.

Jiang Hanqing, a cold smile on his face, reached out and pinched her nipple, pulling it forward forcefully. The intense pain from her severely deformed nipple made Bai Yingjue dare not escape any longer. She could only obediently lean closer to Jiang Hanqing, enduring the pain as he clamped the other end of the chain onto her delicate nipple.

After clamping the chain onto Bai Yingjue's nipple, Jiang Hanqing gently loosened his grip on the chain. The chain quickly slumped down, causing Bai Yingjue's nipples and breasts to noticeably sink.

Bai Yingjue let out a heavy snort, her body involuntarily leaning forward. Jiang Hanqing had anticipated her reaction. Almost simultaneously, he grabbed her hair and yanked her forward, the force causing Bai Yingjue to spin around, her back to him. Before

Bai Yingjue could react further, Jiang Hanqing attached a chain hanging from the air to the rope behind her, then quickly attached another chain to her waist. Under Bai Yingjue's tense

gaze, Jiang Hanqing walked to the corner of the room and began pulling the chains. With his movement, the two chains attached to Bai Yingjue's back began to pull upwards towards the roof. Her naked body was gradually lifted off the ground, still headfirst, but her feet were already nearly a foot off the ground.

At this moment, all of Bai Yingjue's weight was concentrated on the chains suspending her, and the ropes binding her felt like they were digging into her flesh due to her weight. The intense pain almost made her faint.

In no time, her breasts, chest, and lower abdomen were numb from the ropes bearing her entire weight. The iron chains clamping her nipples and dangling from her chest swayed incessantly in the air, further intensifying her physical pain.

Jiang Hanqing retreated triumphantly to the side, enjoying the sight of his plaything struggling in agony, clicking his tongue in admiration.

Saliva dripped from Bai Yingjue's mouth, running down her lips to her chest. The slippery sensation it left behind was an indescribable feeling, both unpleasant to her skin and filling her with a humiliating sense of satisfaction. Compared

to the torment of her physical pain, the mental humiliation drove her mad.

Whenever she saw the mocking and humiliating look in Jiang Hanqing's eyes, an indescribable itching sensation arose within her body. A burning sensation deep within her lower body also spread through her vagina, turning into drops of vaginal fluid that flowed to the ground.

Jiang Hanqing left Bai Yingjue hanging in the air for about half an incense stick's time before proceeding to his next move. His iron hook was finally going to come in handy.

Gripping the iron hook, Jiang Hanqing coldly walked slowly behind Bai Yingjue, his steps heavy and deliberate. In the silent room, his footsteps were exceptionally clear, exerting an invisible mental pressure on Bai Yingjue.

Her naked body, suspended in the air, began to twist desperately, trying to avoid the advance of the man standing behind her. However, the violent movements caused her suspended body to spin continuously in the air. This caused her delicate body, bound by ropes and suspended in the air, to experience intense pain, almost to the point of mental breakdown.

Bai Yingjue's body spun slowly in the air, the ropes binding her tightening with each turn. Unable to bear the pain of the ropes constricting her flesh, she desperately wanted to stop her endless spinning.

But bound tightly, she had no power to stop! The more she tried to stop, the more violently her body spun. In utter despair, she could only cast a pleading, weak gaze at Jiang Hanqing.

The tearful eyes of Bai Yingjue did not elicit any sympathy from Jiang Hanqing. For a heartless man, pleasure came from the humiliation of the women around him; the situation was already irreversible, and there was no reason to back down now. "You were going to struggle, weren't you? What? You're regretting it now? You bitch! Let's see if you dare to resist again!"

Jiang Hanqing not only didn't help Bai Yingjue stop, but instead fueled the flames, forcefully lifting her buttocks, causing her suspended body to sway wildly in the air.

The immense pulling force from the rope caused Bai Yingjue excruciating pain; copious amounts of saliva flowed from her mouth, being flung into the air and then falling to the ground due to her constant swaying, making her look extremely disheveled. Amidst Bai Yingjue's whimpers, Jiang Hanqing grabbed the rope hanging from her back, gradually bringing her swaying body to a stop. However, Jiang Hanqing didn't do this out of sudden compassion; quite the opposite, he was about to begin his main course with Bai Yingjue!

Once Bai Yingjue's body stopped swaying, Jiang Hanqing inserted his palm into her buttocks and massaged her vulva.

"My God! You slut, you're so wet! It seems like it'll never run out! Looks like when that hook catches your cunt later, you'll be having a blast like my mom!"

Jiang Hanqing mocked the pitiful woman, his hands mercilessly kneading her tender vulva, as if he wanted to ravage her private parts.

Bai Yingjue couldn't bear the pain from the rough handling of her genitals by the man. She desperately shook her head and shrugged, kicking her legs violently towards the ground, her body trembling violently as she hung in the air. Because her thighs were stretched too straight, expending a lot of energy, the intensity had exceeded what her hamstrings could withstand, and soon her legs began to twitch uncontrollably. From an outsider's perspective, her current painful struggle looked exactly like the actions of a person on the verge of death. A

cold twitch appeared at the corner of Jiang Hanqing's mouth, his eyes radiating a cruel light. Jiang Hanqing withdrew his wet, semen-covered hand from Bai Yingjue's buttocks and parted her thighs.

The whip that had been inserted earlier remained in her wanton, wet vulva.

Jiang Hanqing massaged her anus with his fingers, causing Bai Yingjue's body to spasm a few more times.

Bai Yingjue's anus had been thoroughly trained by Jiang Hanqing; when he pushed his fingers deep inside, it was almost effortless, his index and middle fingers reaching the second knuckle in one go. Jiang Hanqing

was very satisfied with his training, nodding and praising, "Good! What a good asshole! This is how you play!"

After saying this, he twisted the two fingers deeply inserted into Bai Yingjue's anus, seemingly testing its capacity. Although Bai Yingjue couldn't scream because her mouth was gagged with an iron rod, she still groaned for a long time, her eyes almost closing in pleasure.

Jiang Hanqing pulled two fingers out of Bai Yingjue's anus, bringing with them a little white liquid. He laughed loudly, "You slut, look at your asshole! It's really something! It can even produce water! Haha! But this water is probably unbearably smelly!"

Amidst the merciless laughter, Jiang Hanqing moved the iron hook between Bai Yingjue's legs, aiming the hook tip at her slightly open anus, which had just been played with.

Although Bai Yingjue couldn't see, she sensed the unusual atmosphere and knew the crucial moment was approaching. Unable to control her nervousness, she began to struggle frantically again.

But this time, Jiang Hanqing wouldn't let her off so easily. One hand firmly supported her buttocks, while the other gripped the iron hook, slowly bringing the hook tip to her anus.

Before Bai Yingjue could react, he forcefully thrust the iron hook into her anus. Bai Yingjue felt a chill run through her anus as the foreign object entered her body. She swallowed hard, her body convulsing, and she let out a long, mournful groan.

But the real show was just beginning. Seeing the hook caught in Bai Yingjue's anus, Jiang Hanqing rushed to the two chains connecting the hooks in the corner. Under Bai Yingjue's fearful and pleading gaze, Jiang Hanqing began to pull the chains forcefully.

With his movements, the chains connecting the hooks gradually rose, and the hooks at the bottom of the chains moved upwards as well. This caused Bai Yingjue's body, hooked in her anus, to naturally change position. Her buttocks, suspended by the iron hooks, were gradually lifted upwards, slowly, slowly, slowly. Although the ascent wasn't rapid, it wasn't long before her buttocks and back were on the same level, and Jiang Hanqing showed no sign of stopping pulling the chain. Only when her buttocks were significantly higher than her back and head did Jiang Hanqing stop pulling the chain.

At this point, Bai Yingjue was in a position where her head and feet were drooping towards the ground, her lower abdomen pressed against her thighs, and her buttocks were raised high into the air. Her full, alluring buttocks were the highest point of her body, and the leather whip inserted into her vagina hung down from behind, making the whole scene even more lewd.

Although the tip of the hook wasn't very sharp, even quite blunt, and was covered by leather, posing no risk of injury, the small area inside her anus that the hook was hooking bore most of Bai Yingjue's weight; the pressure was unimaginable.

Bai Yingjue felt a burning pain in her anus, as if her poor anus might be torn apart at any moment. The pain even reached deep into her intestines, making her feel a sharp pain in her stomach. She wanted to urinate, but how could she in this situation?

Jiang Hanqing then shook the iron chain hooked to her anus, the force of the shaking acting on the painful area, causing Bai Yingjue to almost faint. But what terrified her most was the feeling that her anus might tear at any moment… Yet, amidst this agony, Bai Yingjue felt extreme excitement… This form of sexual sadomasochism, which she had never experienced before, or even imagined, brought her masochistic blood to its peak… Since becoming Jiang Hanqing's woman, she clearly understood that pain and humiliation were the driving force behind her orgasms.

Standing beside her, Jiang Hanqing knew perfectly well that the masochistic woman was about to reach her peak of excitement. From his angle, he could clearly see that the same white liquid was flowing from her anus again, wetting the leather covering the iron hook, just like his mother Yin Yufeng's vaginal fluid had done in the past. Even more direct evidence was the large amount of vaginal fluid flowing from her vagina and dripping onto the ground along the whip inserted inside.

Removing the thin iron rod from Bai Yingjue's mouth, Jiang Hanqing spun Bai Yingjue's suspended body like a top.

The force on her anus increased, and Bai Yingjue was almost fainting from the pain. Her eyes rolled back repeatedly; she truly hoped she would faint on the spot. But it seemed as if fate was against her; as the pain in her anus intensified, her spirit became even more excited. The perverse pleasure of sadomasochism caused her whole body to convulse uncontrollably.

The poor sex slave, her mouth now free, howled loudly, venting the pain of her tortured body. Her mouth was wide open, emitting bizarre cries and wails that were unimaginable under normal circumstances. Whether it was from the constant screaming or from her overwhelming excitement, sticky saliva dripped down her chin.

In Jiang Hanqing's eyes, the sex toy before him, ravaged to the point of being unrecognizable, no longer seemed like Bai Yingjue, but his beloved mother, Yin Yufeng! He had forgotten the time and place; he only felt that he was playing this cruel yet stimulating sadomasochistic game with his mother.

He lunged forward, grabbing Bai Yingjue's fair buttocks, and yanked the whip out of her vagina. As the whip handle was pulled out, a torrent of vaginal fluid almost gushed out, soaking both of their genitals.

"Mom! I love you! I'm going to fuck you to death, you slut!" Jiang Hanqing roared as he thrust his rock-hard penis deep into Bai Yingjue's cunt, pumping in and out with all his might.

He was already lost in a dreamlike haze, and the one wailing, crying, and moaning before him was none other than his lustful mother, his slave! He wanted to tear her cunt apart, to ravage her vile body with the pent-up longing he had accumulated over four years!

"Mom, you damned slut! You're not allowed to leave me again! I want you to stay by my side forever! I want you to be my sex slave! You slut, do you hear me!"

Slapping Bai Yingjue's high buttocks, Jiang Hanqing hurled filthy insults at his mother, completely replacing her with his mother Yin Yufeng.

Bai Yingjue clearly heard Jiang Hanqing's cries; she understood that he was using her as a substitute for her mother. This filled her with sorrow, but it only fueled her baser nature.

"Bai Yingjue, you vile woman! You are destined to be your master's sex slave, a toy for him to vent his lust! What more can you ask for! You lewd slut, this is your birth destiny!"

She cursed herself bitterly, her lustful blood boiling to its peak. She began to treat the pain in her anus as a kind of pleasure.

Imagining Yin Yufeng being raped by her own son, Bai Yingjue felt a surge of pleasure: "Yin Yufeng, you slut! Your son has been taken by me! Haha! Although you have his love, you can only suffer alone in the Western Regions! Haha! Hanqing is my man! No, he is my son! I am his mother! Yin Yufeng, you slut, go to hell! Even if you tear your cunt apart, you will never get Qing'er's big cock! Haha!"

Laughing wildly, Bai Yingjue shouted, "Qing'er, come! Thrust hard! Thrust this slutty cunt of your mother to death! Mother loves you to death!"

Hearing Bai Yingjue's shouts, Jiang Hanqing finally couldn't hold back any longer, thrusting his penis deep into Bai Yingjue's vagina, and ejaculated his hot semen!

Chapter

51 A Stormy Night

Awakening from a deep sleep, Jiang Hanqing tried to sit up, but suddenly found himself tightly entwined by a warm body, unable to move.

Because he had just woken up, Jiang Hanqing's mind was very sluggish. It took him a while to recall that after humiliating Bai Yingjue yesterday, he had put her down and taken her to bed.

Looking around, he saw that the secret room was dark and he didn't know what time it was; only the dim light of the oil lamp flickered. Freeing himself from Bai Yingjue's tightly wrapped limbs, Jiang Hanqing sat up and quickly dressed.

The special letter written to him by his mother, Yin Yufeng, that had fallen to the ground immediately caught his eye. He hadn't finished reading the letter before, because his pent-up desires needed to be released, and had hurriedly tossed it aside to play with Bai Yingjue. Seeing the letter again, he realized he had only read the beginning of the email, not the main content, and had no idea what his mother had written later.

Sitting under the oil lamp, he picked up the letter again and read it carefully.

It turned out that apart from the opening section where Yin Yufeng described her longing for her son and the origin of the specially made obscene letter, there was no more personal sentiment; it was all serious content about the border situation and the court struggles.

In the letter, Yin Yufeng first described the situation of her army fighting the Berliners on the border. The basic content was similar to what Chen Zhongguo had told Jiang Hanqing, except that Yin Yufeng expressed very strong concern. Even in the entire history of the Great Xia Empire, the strength of the barbarian army was the strongest this time. Although the initial battle situation was favorable for Yin Yufeng, the outcome of war often hinges on a single moment, and even the Imperial Grand Marshal, renowned as the "Invincible Flying Phoenix," dared not be careless. The border war was further complicated by the internal power struggles within the court. This was precisely what Yin Yufeng was most worried about in her letter. Regarding the situation at court, Yin Yufeng simply stated her opinion: she believed that the Wang family's power was likely far greater than they had estimated, and the situation was certainly not as optimistic as the Jiang family imagined. She urged Jiang Hanqing not to underestimate their opponent and instructed her son to cultivate a good relationship with the Crown Prince, striving to work together against their common enemy.

After reading his mother's letter, Jiang Hanqing's heart immediately filled with gloom.

He had always held his mother's political and military abilities in high esteem, believing she was infallible and that there was no problem she couldn't solve. However, from the wording of Yin Yufeng's letter, Jiang Hanqing could tell that she was clearly very worried about the current situation, and even felt uncertain about defeating the Berliners, whom she was personally facing.

Although Jiang Hanqing had begun to feel that the situation wasn't entirely favorable for his side, he still harbored a degree of underestimation of the enemy and wasn't overly worried about the current situation. However, the concern expressed in Yin Yufeng's letter made him realize for the first time that things weren't as simple as they seemed.

"Sigh! Conquering the world is truly not easy! What should I do now?..."

Sitting at the table, Jiang Hanqing's mind raced. He wanted to be the victor in the court struggle; if he didn't use his brain now, he might regret it later. He didn't want to wait until his head was about to fall to regret it.

The following month was filled with an indescribable tension in the court, but everyone knew that something was about to happen; the current calm was merely a facade before the final explosion.

While deploying manpower both inside and outside the capital to ensure the timely escape of key family members should any trouble arise, the Jiang family, led by Jiang Hanqing, also vigorously reorganized their intelligence system, hoping to repair the intelligence network that had been nearly destroyed under Jiang Haotian's rule and strive to obtain more useful information for the upcoming struggle. Chen Zhongguo and Li Jinghua, following Jiang Hanqing's orders, began organizing the family guards for combat training. Their goal was to transform these guards, accustomed to fighting independently, into a small but effective fighting force.

The beautiful and mature Goddess Palace Master had not shown her face since her encounter with Jiang Hanqing, only sending people to meet with him every few days to inform him of how many Hidden Sect members she had recently contacted. Her people told Jiang Hanqing that these loyal Hidden Sect members, after learning of their sect leader's conspiracy against the sect, had sworn to assist the two Palace Masters and the Young Sect Master in fighting the traitor. Although they had no idea who their Young Sect Master was, and Jiang Hanqing had no idea who these subordinates the Goddess Palace Master was recruiting were. The Goddess Palace Master's people also told Jiang Hanqing that all the sect members they had found were absolutely reliable, and there was no need to worry about spies infiltrating to gather intelligence for the Hidden Sect Master.

Meanwhile, Crown Prince Yisheng, who was allied with the Jiang family, was busy recruiting members within the Imperial Guard system, trying to control as many troops as possible.

The Wang family, of course, wasn't idle either. Meetings were held constantly in the Wang family compound, and countless people hurried in and out of the gate.

What displeased Jiang Hanqing most was the Anguo Duke Li family. Anguo Duke Li Zhiqiang had readily agreed to an alliance with the Jiang family against the Wang family in front of his sister Li Huaxin and Jiang Fengqin, but afterwards, there had been no further news. Moreover, like the Jingguo Duke Zou family, they seemed to have made no contingency plans, appearing to be resigned to fate.

Although the Jiang family leaders were furious that Li Zhiqiang had agreed to join forces but then failed to act, they were helpless, thinking that the man was willing to wait for his doom. They could only console themselves, "This is for the best! When it comes time to divide the spoils, there will be one less person to grab them!"

Although almost all the forces were active, the capital and the court remained remarkably quiet, the tense atmosphere of the past gone. However, no one would believe this was a sign of peace; anyone with a modicum of common sense would understand that this was the deathly silence before a decisive battle.

If this situation continued, a rebellion within the empire would be imminent. Perhaps it would be the Wang family, perhaps the Jiang family; one of them would certainly strike first, igniting the greatest upheaval in the empire's six-hundred-year history.

If, at this point, one of the two major powers, the Wang or the Jiang, launched a rebellion, how would the situation unfold? No one could ever answer this question; it would only be left for future scholars to debate endlessly!

However, the rebellion ultimately did not occur, because in this tense and unsettling situation, unexpected events suddenly unfolded one after another…

On the sixth day of the fourth month of the sixth year of the Taiping Zhenzhi reign,

intelligence arrived from the south of the empire: “Consort Qingsi, disregarding imperial favor and defying the world, led her Second Southern Army Corps in a surprise attack on the dutiful First Southern Army Corps, killing and wounding tens of thousands of imperial soldiers!”

Emperor Wuming had originally decided to set aside Consort Qingsi’s matter for the time being, intending to deal with the Qiu Te people before settling accounts with her. Now, hearing that Consort Qingsi had openly attacked the imperial army led by Wang Siting, he knew that if he did not react, he would have nowhere to hide his shame.

Without the slightest hesitation, on the same day, the emperor ordered the troops inside and outside the capital to assemble and prepare to attack and suppress the rebel forces led by Consort Qingsi.

As for the news that Consort Qingsi had attacked the Wang family, the leaders of the Jiang family were naturally overjoyed. Although Jiang Hanqing had encouraged Fei Qingsi to return to the south to deal with Wang Siting, he never expected Fei Qingsi to actually take action against Wang Siting, and so swiftly at that.

However, this situation was extremely advantageous to the Jiang family! Fei Qingsi's action had undoubtedly disrupted the Wang family's plans completely. Now, even if the Wang family immediately rose up, they would have no chance of pulling their forces in the southern legions back to the capital. The Wang family's power was severely affected.

The Jiang family understood that under such circumstances, the Wang family would absolutely not dare to act rashly and could only observe the situation.

Indeed, upon hearing the news of the heavy losses suffered by Wang Siting's army at the attack by Fei Qingsi's forces, the Wang family members, who had been smug for the past two months, immediately became filled with anxiety. One of their main forces had been hampered by an unrelated person, greatly affecting their strength. Facing the equally ambitious and well-prepared Jiang family, how could they not be worried?

On the other hand, the excited Jiang family members held a meeting overnight to discuss the situation. They decided to change their previous approach, take the initiative, and seize the opportune moment to expand their strength. Once Yin Yufeng was free in the Western Regions, the Jiang family could launch their attack first!

At the end of the meeting, all the Jiang family members, including Jiang Haoyu and his son Jiang Hanqing, were overjoyed, believing it to be a sign from heaven that victory was assured for them.

However, the Jiang family's dream was shattered in just two days. Shortly after news of Fei Qingsi's attack on Wang Siting's army reached the capital, news of a change in the border war situation also reached the capital. On

the ninth day of the fourth month of the sixth year of the Taiping Zhenzhi era,

news arrived that Shi Yanying had led her personal guard—30,000 "Eagle Wing Iron Guards"—on their return to the capital half a month earlier.

It turned out that Yin Yufeng had not been able to free herself from the border war as the Jiang family had hoped. Instead, Shi Yanying had reached a peace agreement with the special agents. Both sides ceased all hostile actions. After receiving 10,000 taels of silver in compensation from the Empire, the special agents voluntarily withdrew 400 li, completely severing contact with the Imperial army. Once the peace agreement was confirmed, Shi Yanying began her return journey according to the Emperor's previous decree. According to Imperial military law, the Grand Marshal had the right to bring his personal guard at any time, so her renowned "Eagle Wing Iron Guard" embarked on the journey back to the capital.

Upon hearing the news that the black eagle flag was about to fly towards the capital, all the people of the Empire, except for the Jiang family, were overjoyed. The Anguo Duke Li family was naturally even happier! In fact, even the Wang family was more pleased than worried. Although they were somewhat concerned that the Li family's power would be strengthened through this opportunity, they didn't need to fear a rebellion. More importantly, the Jiang family's hopes for a rebellion in the near future were dashed. Ordinary people, on the other hand, eagerly awaited the return of this invincible army to quell the rebellion and then attack Qiu Te, avenging the fallen citizens.

Only then did the Jiang family leaders realize they had been tricked by the Li family. The Li family had known all along that Shi Yanying's situation was very promising, and had therefore used this delaying tactic against the Jiang family. Everyone knew that once Shi Yanying's army approached the capital, who would dare to easily attack the Li family?

Jiang Hanqing understood that his family's best opportunity to launch a rebellion had ended after just three days. Even if his family acted first, the "Eagle Wing Iron Guards," who quickly returned to the capital, could eliminate their family's influence in the capital before the Jiang family received reinforcements from outside.

Jiang Hanqing cursed the damned special agents in his heart, resenting them for not keeping Shi Yanying tied down on the border, like the Berliners were doing now.

Jiang Hanqing felt puzzled: "The Special Operations Force and the Berlin People's Border Crossing were probably orchestrated by the Wang family, right? How could the Special Operations Force suddenly reach an agreement with Shi Yanying to withdraw their troops? Even if the Wang family knew the situation would be advantageous to us and deliberately made this arrangement, it's impossible. How could they know the situation would be unfavorable to them? Unless they knew about Fei Qingsi's attack on Wang Siting's army before we did. But that only happened a little over a month ago. Even if they knew about Fei Qingsi's attack as soon as it happened in the capital and immediately sent someone to inform the Special Operations Force, their people could only..." Just arrived at the Special Operations unit! But the news that came back was that Shi Yanying's departure for the capital was almost simultaneous with Fei Qingsi's side's military action. This means that before Fei Qingsi's situation, the Special Operations unit should have already begun negotiating peace with Shi Yanying! What caused the Special Operations unit to change their minds? Where did things go wrong? Or were the actions of the Special Operations unit and the Berlin people completely unrelated to the Wang family?

Although Jiang Hanqing was filled with questions, the facts were undeniable. Besides wild speculation and venting a few curses at the Special Operations unit's ancestors, he was completely helpless.

Just as the people in the capital were excitedly discussing the two major events that had reached the capital in three days, as if fate was destined to torment these poor people, a third far-reaching event occurred.

April 15th, the sixth year of the Taiping Zhenzhi reign.

An urgent report from the northeastern part of the empire arrived in the capital.

Yu Yansong, the 58-year-old hereditary prince of the Beiyan Self-governed Region, died suddenly from an illness. Since he had no biological children, Yu Bingxin, his closest blood relative, became the new female prince of the Beiyan Self-governed Region. This was the urgent report sent to the capital after her ascension to the throne, along with a request for the court to issue an edict confirming her investiture and completing the legal procedures for her succession. In reality, the court's investiture of the Beiyan Self-governed Region was merely a formality; everything was just a formality. Therefore, upon receiving the urgent report from the Beiyan Self-governed Region, the emperor immediately issued an edict confirming Yu Bingxin's succession to the princely title without hesitation.

The news of Yu Bingxin's succession to the princely title of the Beiyan Self-governed Region once again sent a strong shockwave through the four major ducal families in the court.

The Beiyan Self-governed Region was a special region within the Great Xia Empire. It was located in the northeast of the empire, bordering the Teqin to the north, the Xiongnu to the northwest, a vast uninhabited desert to the east, and separated from the Qiut people by a deep mountain forest to the southeast. The people living here are a mixed race, descended from the intermingling of the Yanhuang people and surrounding barbarian tribes. They call themselves the Northern Goose People, because to their south lies the Yanyun Mountains, bordering the Empire and the Qiute people. For thousands of years, the Northern Goose People have lived in this harsh environment, constantly resisting the barbarian armies that frequently invade from all sides. Years of war have forged in them a robust physique, a fearless character, and superb combat abilities and military skills. It can be said that every person from the Northern Goose Self-Governed Region is a born excellent soldier.

The Northern Goose People have always maintained contact with the Empire, paying tribute and accepting the title of Prince bestowed by the Empire. However, their internal affairs are absolutely not to be interfered with by the Imperial government. For this reason, the Empire refers to them as the Northern Goose Self-Governed Region in official documents, while ordinary people simply call them the Northern Goose Kingdom.

Due to the distance, the Northern Goose People are generally not interested in the Empire's internal affairs, but historically, various political forces within the Empire have tried their best to win them over. The 300,000 elite cavalrymen that the Northern Yan people could readily mobilize were a formidable military force coveted by any power!

Prince Yu Yansong of the Northern Yan self-governed region had ruled this remote autonomous kingdom for over twenty years. He was a mild-mannered man, never interested in the empire's internal strife. Envoys from any side were warmly received, but he would unceremoniously refuse any talk of alliance. Initially, the emperor and the four great ducal families desperately tried to win him over, but once they understood his character, all gave up hope. Because of his complete detachment from the court's power struggles, everyone gradually forgot about the Northern Yan self-governed region. It became a forgotten, powerful force.

Now, Yu Yansong's death and Yu Bingxin's succession have once again drawn everyone's attention to this region, as it has subtly shifted the power balance among the four great ducal families.

The key figure in this matter lies with the newly enthroned Yu Bingxin.

Yu Yansong had four sons, but apart from one who died of smallpox, the other three perished in battles against barbarian tribes, the last of whom died two years ago in Xiongnu territory.

Besides these, Yu Yansong also had a younger brother, eight years his junior. Unfortunately, this brother, Yu Yanbing, also died ten years ago in battle against invading pirates—the Japanese from the East China Sea.

If it weren't for his brother Yu Yanbing having a daughter, Yu Yansong would have no direct descendant to inherit his throne. This daughter was, of course, Yu Bingxin!

But how did Yu Bingxin's ascension to the throne become connected to the power struggles of the four great ducal families of the empire?

It turns out that Yu Yanbing's wife, Yu Bingxin's mother, was a noblewoman of the empire named Zheng Liping, and coincidentally, she was a direct descendant of the Duke of Jingguo, Zou!

Because of Yu Bingxin's unique bloodline, when the news of her inheriting the title of Prince of Beiyan reached the capital, it immediately stunned the Jiang, Wang, and Li families. The Zou family, whose power was previously insignificant among the four families, now had such a powerful ally, further complicating the political struggles within the empire. The Zou family, which previously had no soldiers, suddenly possessed 300,000 elite cavalrymen ready to be deployed at any time. Who in the court could still treat them as a minor player to be easily dismissed?

At the end of the court session that day, the members of the Jiang, Wang, and Li families, seeing the Zou family ministers grinning from ear to ear, were all furious, their faces turning ashen, as if they might vomit blood at any moment. They never imagined that the clowns they once regarded would one day rise to power.

These three consecutive events completely disrupted the original political power structure. The Zou family, which could have been completely ignored by the Jiang and Wang families, has now received strong military support, and its power has increased rapidly. Although it is not enough to shake the dominant position of the Jiang and Wang families, it has made the members of those two families no longer able to underestimate the Zou family.

With Shi Yanying about to return to the capital, the Li family no longer needs to worry about any unusual actions from the Jiang and Wang families.

As for the Jiang and Wang families, with their strong foundations, they naturally don't need to pay too much attention to the Li and Zou families. However, due to the impact of this series of events, both families have had to temporarily abandon their plans for further action and calmly wait for the next opportunity.

The political situation in the capital, which was shrouded in gloom just ten days ago, has changed dramatically in a short period of time. Now, the court is as calm as if nothing had happened. The impact of the recent power shift is not yet fully understood by the four families, and they need time to digest and process it. Therefore, during this period, the various forces within the empire have returned to the stalemate that has lasted for hundreds of years, and no one is willing to take any major actions. Everyone ceased their efforts, reorganized their forces, adjusted their strategies and tactics against the enemy, and awaited a clearer picture before considering their next move.

During this period of consolidation and rest, everyone's attention once again turned to the emperor. Everyone wanted to see what action the aging and senile emperor would take in the current situation.

As everyone expected, without any surprises, the emperor almost impatiently issued an order in court to send troops to suppress Consort Qingsi.

The Wang family naturally gave their full support to this action, as it was exactly what they had been looking forward to. After defeating Fei Qingsi, not only would Wang Siting's current army be freed up to prepare for a major operation, but the entire Southern Army would become their private army! How could they possibly oppose something so good?

However, the Jiang family wasn't stupid; they certainly wouldn't stand idly by and watch things develop in favor of the Wang family!

"Your Majesty," Jiang Haoyu said, "I believe that it is better to appease, not suppress, the rebel army of Fei Qingsi! Suppression would not only be a waste of resources and manpower, but would also likely turn into a protracted war of attrition. The nation's strength would be depleted, and soldiers would suffer casualties, thus delaying the opportunity to avenge ourselves against the Qiu Te people! If we can successfully appease Fei Qingsi and bring her to the court, we can achieve the desired effect without firing a single shot! Military and material resources can be saved to deal with the Qiu Te people, teaching these arrogant barbarians a severe lesson and letting them know the consequences of offending the majesty of our Celestial Empire! Moreover, accepting Fei Qingsi's surrender would demonstrate His Majesty's benevolence to the people of the world!"

Jiang Haoyu's words resonated with the Emperor, who nodded repeatedly, finding them quite reasonable. To him, the trouble caused by this young girl, Fei Qingsi, was insignificant; his two marshals could easily subdue her. Only the Qiu Te people's repeated defeats of his army would be a true humiliation. He would not be able to eat or sleep without avenging this defeat!

The Wang family knew that if Jiang Haoyu's proposal were accepted by the emperor, not to mention the long wait, their hopes of controlling the entire Southern Army would be completely dashed.

Without the slightest hesitation, Wang Mingde immediately jumped out and vehemently refuted Jiang Haoyu's proposal: "Your Majesty! The Duke of Zhenguo's proposal is absolutely unacceptable! Does the Duke of Zhenguo mean that the court should bow and scrape to a rebellious young girl? No! Absolutely not! In my humble opinion, the court can only establish an indelible example by annihilating the rebels with a righteous army, thus deterring any rebellious thoughts in the world!"

And so the Jiang and Wang families argued back and forth in court, soon leaving the exhausted old emperor dizzy and unsure of what to do.

At this moment, the "considerate" Jiang Hanqing jumped out again and came up with a "good solution" for the emperor.

"Your Majesty! In my humble opinion, it would be better to do this: First, send an envoy to sound out Consort Qingsi's intentions and see if she is willing to surrender to the court. Second, urge Grand Marshal Shi Yanying to hurry to the capital, and at the same time, prepare the army for a military campaign! If Consort Qingsi accepts the offer of amnesty, that would be ideal. But if she ignores the court's extraordinary favor, the court's army, led by Grand Marshal Shi Yanying, can quickly strike and annihilate the rebels. At that time, the court's army will be well-trained, with elite troops, fierce generals, and ample supplies." "Alas, such a grand plan is doomed to fail!"

The Emperor, already weary of the quarrels between the Jiang and Wang families, found Jiang Hanqing's suggestion quite agreeable. Before the Wang family could raise any objections, he preemptively addressed Duke Anguo, Li Zhiqiang, saying, "My dear minister, I think Jiang Hanqing's suggestion is quite good. What do you think?"

Li Zhiqiang had never wanted the Wang family to swallow the prize of the Southern Army, and now, hearing Jiang Hanqing's proposal to wait for Shi Yanying's return so she could lead the army to suppress the rebels, he was even more pleased. Hearing the Emperor ask for his opinion, he replied without hesitation, "Your Majesty is wise! I also think Jiang Hanqing's suggestion is indeed good, safe and feasible!"

Thus, without allowing the Wang family any further objections, the military and political plan to deal with Fei Qingsi was finalized.

That evening, during the banquet, Jiang Hanqing arrived at the Crown Prince's residence. The Crown Prince, Yisheng, was puzzled by Jiang Hanqing's proposal in court that Shi Yanying lead the army to suppress Fei Qingsi and demanded that he explain the meaning behind it. At the banquet, apart from Crown Prince Yisheng and Yin Yuji, no one else was present.

Jiang Hanqing directly explained to Yisheng his reasons for his actions in court.

"Shi Yanying is already on her way back to the capital. Once she returns, she will undoubtedly lead the army into battle. Since we know this is the case, why don't we say it in advance? Firstly, it will make the emperor think we have no ulterior motives; secondly, it will also win over that scoundrel Li Zhiqiang! At the same time, only by saying this will the emperor think we should wait for Shi Yanying, thus suppressing the Wang family's demand for immediate military action."

Although the Jiang family and Yisheng had outwardly formed an alliance, Jiang Hanqing did not mention the previous negotiation he had with Fei Qingsi. Jiang Hanqing firmly believed that it was always better to keep something in reserve.

Yisheng and Yin Yuji both nodded in agreement with his explanation.

Without dwelling on the matter further, Yi Sheng changed the subject, saying, "Qing'er, judging from the current situation, the rumors that Shi Yanying and Li Zhiqiang had a falling out might not be true! Li Zhiqiang's demeanor in court clearly shows that he still considers Shi Yanying one of his own."

Jiang Hanqing said with distress, "I just can't understand it! Everyone in the court knows about their rift, so even if it's a lie, it shouldn't be too far-fetched! But... judging from the Li family's actions and reactions, Shi Yanying is clearly still one of their own in their eyes! Alas! It seems the saying 'a day as husband and wife is worth a hundred days of kindness' is truly true. Once it comes to this crucial moment, Shi Yanying still sees me as..." "The Li family's daughter-in-law has lent a helping hand to her husband's family!"

Yin Yuji, seeing the two looking worried, quickly comforted them, "With Shi Yanying's return, the Li family's influence has greatly increased! Originally, Fei Qingsi's actions against Wang Siting tied down a large portion of the Wang family's power, which would have been a perfect opportunity for us to launch our own uprising. Alas! Now we can only lay low and wait for the right moment! But this is fine too, since the Wang family can't make a move now. We should seize this opportunity to reorganize our forces and make sure to achieve our goal in one fell swoop when the next opportunity arrives!"

Yi Sheng laughed heartily, "That's right! This time, Wang Mingde and Yi Yu were lucky. Next time, we definitely can't let them get away! Come on! Let's have a drink together and wish our side a successful victory!" "To achieve final victory!"

After the three men cheerfully finished their drinks, Yin Yuji sighed softly, "It's alright that Shi Yanying is back! But the 30,000 'Eagle Wing Iron Guards' she brought back are truly a headache!"

The Emperor, already a little tipsy, patted his chest and exclaimed, "Bah! A woman's view! I, the Crown Prince, don't believe her mere 30,000 men can accomplish anything! Yuji, don't boost others' morale while diminishing your own! Her group is just hyped up by others; they're nothing special! Hmph! I alone control 50,000 Imperial Guards in and around the capital. Even if her 30,000 men wanted to wipe out my entire force in one fell swoop, I think it would be difficult! Haha… let alone anything else!"

Yin Yuji She rolled her eyes at him and said unhappily, "Don't underestimate them! Shi Yanying's 'Eagle Wing Iron Guard' isn't just bragging like you say. They've fought on the battlefield for nearly twenty years against special forces and Xiongnu to earn their invincible reputation, which is on par with my sister's 'Phoenix Flying Army'! You can't say that my sister's 'Phoenix Flying Army' is just bragging, can you? I heard from outsiders that the 'Eagle Wing Iron Guard' even boasted that their 30,000 men could wipe out my sister's 50,000 'Phoenix Flying Army'! It's a bit arrogant, but it shows how confident they are in their strength!"

Yi Sheng was speechless after hearing her words and didn't know what to say.

Hearing his aunt's words, Jiang Hanqing chimed in, "Auntie is absolutely right. I've also heard Mother praise Shi Yanying's strict military discipline, saying her army is one of the most elite cavalry forces in the world. It's no wonder her 'Eagle Wing Iron Guard,' composed of carefully selected warriors, is incredibly powerful!"

Yi Sheng chuckled awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood, "I...hehe...I was just trying to encourage you guys by showing off your 'Eagle Wing Iron Guard'! How could I underestimate the enemy! But as long as we're careful, even the strongest enemy will be defeated! Come on!...drink! Quick! Drink!"

Urged on repeatedly by him, Jiang Hanqing and Yin Yuji could only exchange a helpless glance, pick up their wine cups, and drink them down in one gulp. Having eaten and drunk their fill, and having discussed most of what needed to be discussed, Jiang Hanqing rose to bid farewell to the Yisheng couple. He hadn't gone far from the dining hall when a petite figure suddenly darted out from the side path. Jiang Hanqing , still

somewhat sluggish from the alcohol and in the dim light of the night, didn't immediately recognize the person. Thinking it was some thug with malicious intent, he was startled and reached for his sword. "Cousin, how much have you drunk! Really..."

Hearing the soft, coquettish voice, Jiang Hanqing finally realized that it was none other than his cousin, Jingwen.

Jingwen had already reached Jiang Hanqing. He looked closely and saw that she was wearing a light green dress with a thin white silk jacket over it. Her graceful, petite figure looked exceptionally fresh and elegant in the spring night.

Jiang Hanqing wanted to say something, but the alcohol had left his mind blank. He didn't know what to say, his tongue stammering, "Oh... this... ah... it's my cousin... I... this... were you waiting for me?"

Jingwen rolled her eyes at him, playfully scolding, "Who was waiting for you! Look at you, you don't even know how much you've drunk! Sigh! You should drink less in the future!"

Her tone was gentle and considerate, like a wife caring for her drunken husband.

Jiang Hanqing felt a surge of alcohol in his heart, finding his cousin exceptionally beautiful and lovely tonight. A sudden impulse arose, and he grabbed Jingwen's arm.

Jingwen cried out softly, her body trembling slightly. She quickly tried to pull her hand away, but how could her petite body escape Jiang Hanqing's clutches? Flustered, she hastily backed away, stammering, "Cousin, what...what are you doing! I'm...I'm calling for help! Let me go!"

Seeing Jingwen's frantic struggle, Jiang Hanqing's lust surged. Fueled by the alcohol, he felt as if his entire body was being roasted by fire, and he could no longer control himself.

Completely ignoring Jingwen's struggles, Jiang Hanqing pulled his cousin into his arms. Once

in Jiang Hanqing's embrace, Jingwen immediately struggled fiercely, but her petite body was no match for Jiang Hanqing's strength. The more she struggled, the tighter he pulled her. Under Jiang Hanqing's grip, Jingwen's resistance weakened, and she gradually became unable to move, held captive by him. A feeling of utter helplessness welled up within her; she felt her fate was to surrender to this domineering man who held her so tightly. Just as she was reeling from the shock and about to give up, she suddenly smelled a scent she had never encountered before—the unique masculine scent emanating from Jiang Hanqing.

The intense masculine aroma completely overwhelmed the young woman, causing her to lose all will to resist; she was utterly lost in a sea of desire. In a blissful, intoxicating sensation, her resistance ceased entirely. She nestled against Jiang Hanqing's warm embrace like a little bird, pressing her face tightly against his broad chest, her eyes closed, dizzily savoring the intoxicating pleasure brought by his scent and warmth.

Seemingly realizing that he was holding a naive girl, Jiang Hanqing's movements softened after Jingwen's resistance ceased. In fact, the moment he pulled Jingwen into his arms and smelled the girl's unique fragrance, his drunkenness had already subsided considerably.

Jiang Hanqing had always been captivated by the alluring charm of mature women, and had never felt any desire for innocent young women. In his eyes, no matter how beautiful a young girl was, she was nothing more than a chicken bone—tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw away! Only mature and beautiful young women were both pleasing to the eye and delicious, allowing him to play with them however he pleased, guaranteeing him a truly satisfying experience. But now, as he lowered his head to gently inhale the faint fragrance of his cousin's hair, the unique freshness and charm of a young girl ignited in him a desire to conquer her for the first time.

Unlike the voluptuous bodies of the mature women he had encountered before, Jingwen, nestled in his arms, was so delicate that it stirred a rare feeling of tenderness and affection within him. Supporting Jingwen's chin with his fingers, Jiang Hanqing gently lifted his cousin's head, which was resting against his chest. Jingwen's face looked very pale, her eyes tightly closed, but her trembling lips clearly showed her inner tension. Looking at his cousin's rosy and delicate lips, Jiang Hanqing felt a surge of excitement and slowly leaned in to kiss her.

Jiang Hanqing never expected that Jingwen would start struggling again at this moment. It turned out that the stench of alcohol in his breath had abruptly jolted her awake from her intoxicating, lustful reverie.

When she suddenly smelled the nauseating odor of alcohol, Jingwen shuddered and instantly regained her senses. She opened her eyes in terror, only to see Jiang Hanqing's lips approaching hers. Without time to react, Jingwen let out a soft cry and quickly turned her face to the side, but Jiang Hanqing's lips missed their target and landed on her cheek. Before Jiang Hanqing could react, she had already forcefully pushed against his chest with both hands, breaking free from the unsuspecting man.

Free from Jiang Hanqing's embrace, Jingwen stared at him with wide, terrified eyes, her hands instinctively protecting her chest, and quickly took a few steps back. In her panic, she retreated so fast that she almost fell to the ground.

Watching his cousin stumble back to within a foot of him, grabbing a nearby rock for support while panting and watching him warily, Jiang Hanqing sighed helplessly. He stood there, wringing his hands, wanting to say something, but couldn't think of anything to say at this moment.

After thinking for a long time, Jiang Hanqing finally managed to squeeze out, "I'm sorry!"

Jingwen seemed to have calmed down by then; her chest, which had been heaving from panting, had returned to normal. She glanced at Jiang Hanqing, gently shook her head, but said nothing. Jiang Hanqing had never dealt with such a young girl before and couldn't understand her thoughts at all. He didn't know what Jingwen's head-shaking gesture meant, and could only rack his brain trying to figure out what she was thinking: "What does my cousin mean by shaking her head? Does it mean it's okay? Or does it mean I shouldn't have done that?"

The two remained awkwardly silent for a long time.

After a while, Jingwen finally broke the silence. Her voice trembled slightly as she said to Jiang Hanqing, "Cousin...it's late! You should...hurry back to the manor!"

Jiang Hanqing glanced at her face, which was quite gloomy. He muttered to himself, "Oh no! It seems my cousin is angry this time! Sigh! I'm so stupid! How could I have acted so recklessly after drinking? Oh well! I'll just have to find another opportunity to apologize to her later."

Xiang Jingwen nodded, and Jiang Hanqing coughed dryly, saying embarrassedly, "This...cousin...then I'll go back! You should rest early too!"

He didn't want to stay any longer, so he lowered his head and hurriedly walked towards the manor gate.

Watching her cousin's figure gradually disappear into the night, Jingwen felt a pang of sorrow, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Cousin,"

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