Imperial Secrets - 17

Why did you do that? If you respected me, you shouldn't have done that… But… do I really not want him to do that? Jingwen, would you accept his hug? What would I have done if he had hugged me again just now?

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves on the treetops, and Jingwen suddenly felt a pang of sadness, tears welling up in her eyes.

She had already figured out the answer to the question she had just asked herself.

“Silly cousin, if you had just come and hugged me, how could I have refused you again!”

After leaving the Crown Prince's residence, Jiang Hanqing walked about three miles before seeing a person standing on the road in the distance. It was a strange man wearing a bamboo hat. The man stood motionless in the middle of the road, his face completely obscured by the hat, but Jiang Hanqing knew that this man was waiting for him, because he recognized him from his figure. He was someone Jiang Hanqing had once respected greatly, and now someone he hated vehemently—Wang Mingsi, the leader of the Hidden Sect.

“Damn it! This old bastard is actually following me! Oh no! What should I do?” "

Upon first seeing his master, who had manipulated him for ten years, Jiang Hanqing's immediate reaction was to flee. He was terrified that this old scoundrel was there to kill him. But in a moment of thought, he abandoned this foolish idea. He couldn't be sure his master was there to cause him trouble, and besides, that was probably not the case; even if he did run away immediately, knowing his master's martial arts skills, he knew he wouldn't be able to escape his master's pursuit." After thinking it over, Jiang Hanqing decided to bite the bullet and confront his master directly to see what the old scoundrel was up to. It's a long story, but actually, it only took Jiang Hanqing a blink of an eye to come up with this plan. While pondering his strategy, Jiang Hanqing didn't rein in his horse, but instead pretended nothing was wrong and continued riding forward. Upon arriving before Wang Mingsi, the sect leader of the Hidden Sect, Jiang Hanqing reined in his horse, jumped off, and respectfully bowed to Wang Mingsi, saying, "Master, why are you waiting for your disciple here?" Jiang

Hanqing could feel Wang Mingsi's piercing gaze scrutinizing him through his bamboo hat, seemingly trying to find a flaw in his expression. Of course, Jiang Hanqing wouldn't let Wang Mingsi discover anything so easily; he had already feigned innocence, his demeanor appearing exactly the same as when he had met Wang Mingsi before.

Finding nothing amiss in Jiang Hanqing's expression, Wang Mingsi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Instead of answering his question, he inquired, "Qing'er, I know about what's happening in the court lately! Shi Yanying is about to return to the capital. What do you plan to do?"

Jiang Hanqing cursed inwardly, "That damned old thief actually tried to extract information!"

On the surface, however, he remained respectful and replied, "Master, Shi Yanying's swift return to the capital seems to indicate that he knew we were planning something. This is truly unexpected! I really don't know what to do! Could Master offer me some guidance?"

Wang Mingsi sighed and said, "I've been racking my brains about this for the past two days! Shi Yanying was fighting the Special Operations Forces, so how could she suddenly reach an agreement and run back? And the Special Operations Forces are never the type to simply sign a peace agreement and then voluntarily withdraw their troops! Why is this happening this time? Strange! Very strange!" Hearing

Wang Mingsi's words, Jiang Hanqing became even more certain that the Special Operations Forces were indeed colluding with the Wang family, and that their agreement with Shi Yanying was truly unexpected for the Wang family. That's why Wang Mingsi had these questions.

Jiang Hanqing was genuinely perplexed this time, shaking his head and saying, "I can't figure it out either!"

Wang Mingsi pondered quietly for a while, then asked Jiang Hanqing, "So you're planning to wait until Shi Yanying returns to the capital before making any plans?"

Jiang Hanqing nodded and said, "Yes! I want to see what she does upon her return and what specific impact it has on the court situation before making any decisions!"

Wang Mingsi coldly said, "Your family isn't going to take any action during this period?" "Are we just going to sit here and wait for the enemy to make a move?"

Jiang Hanqing said helplessly. "General defensive preparations are definitely necessary. But given the current situation, a large-scale offensive is out of the question."

Wang Mingsi didn't speak, but quietly observed Jiang Hanqing's expression for a while, judging whether his words were true or not.

Jiang Hanqing then recalled that when he met his master before, his master often stared at him like this. At the time, he thought it was his master's concern and care for him, but now he realized that his master was just observing his expression. Thinking of this, Jiang Hanqing became even more annoyed with this cunning old thief, and wished he could stab him to death immediately.

After observing Jiang Hanqing's expression for a long time and confirming that he was not lying, Wang Mingsi continued, "I am currently in the city helping you contact people within the sect. When you need them, they can come out and lend you a hand!"

Jiang Hanqing said excitedly, "That's great! By the way! Master, who are the main figures in our sect in the capital? Could you tell me a few so that I can contact them in advance and get help quickly in case of a crisis?"

Wang Mingsi was clearly prepared for Jiang Hanqing's request and quickly said, "You don't need to rush! Whether these people are completely reliable or not, I'm still assessing them. So many years have passed... Hmph... Who knows if any of them have betrayed us. Anyway, the situation isn't critical yet, so there's no need to be in such a hurry! When the time is right, I will naturally let you meet them! At that time, I will send a few people to directly assist you." Jiang

Hanqing thought to herself, "Help me? Isn't it just sending your confidants to infiltrate my side and plot something? Bah! That old thief is so good at hiding. If it weren't for that old vixen Jiang Xiaoyun from the Goddess Palace telling me, how could I have seen through you?"

Just as she thought this, Jiang Hanqing heard the Hidden Sect Master ask, "Qing'er, have the old monsters from the two palaces sent anyone to look for you recently?"

Jiang Hanqing sneered inwardly, "Not only have they sent people to look for me, but I also had another affair with the Goddess Palace Master! Haha!"

Of course, she answered aloud, "No!" Aside from Zhang Sihai, whom I mentioned to you last time—the one the two palaces sent to infiltrate the Imperial Guards—I've never seen anyone else from the two palaces.”

Wang Mingsi clearly believed Jiang Hanqing's words and nodded in satisfaction, saying, “Good! You must be very careful to guard against the witches from the two palaces. I told you, they're all a bunch of lunatics. Their goals are different from yours; for them, the Holy Gate is of paramount importance. If you want to live a carefree life and be your good emperor without worry, then you must get rid of them!” Jiang

Hanqing naturally knew that what Wang Mingsi said was true, and he would definitely do as he was told if given the chance in the future. But now he also understood the real purpose behind Wang Mingsi's relentless efforts to instill this anti-two-palace ideology in him! To get rid of the two palaces and live a good life, the first one to do so was Yu Mingsi.

Jiang Hanqing suddenly realized that Wang Mingde was probably just a puppet set up by his master! How could someone as powerful as Wang Mingsi allow others to ride on his head? The real power holder in the Wang family would not be anyone else, but this shrewd sect leader. Once the Wang family seized power, Wang Mingsi would definitely use the strength of the Hidden Sect as a backing to eliminate Wang Mingde. Then, he could become emperor with peace of mind simply by eliminating the women of the two palaces!

Seeing Jiang Hanqing lower his head and remain silent, Wang Mingsi assumed that he was worried about the power of the two palaces and smiled to comfort him, saying, "You don't need to worry too much about the old witches of the two palaces. With our strength, it's not too difficult to kill them. You need to know that fighting for the world is not a martial arts contest." "As long as you achieve final victory, hmph... no matter how skilled those few dozen women are, I refuse to believe they can withstand the combined might of a massive army!"

Wang Mingsi paused here, observing Jiang Hanqing's expression. Seeing that he deeply agreed with his words, he continued, "However... it seems that the two palaces have also realized the importance of controlling military power. Those people like He Bingzhang and Zhang Sihai are clearly just shrimp soldiers they created to control the military!"

Seeing Jiang Hanqing nod repeatedly in agreement, Wang Mingsi suddenly emphasized, "Qing'er, we must not let the two palaces' wicked scheme succeed! We must find an opportunity to get rid of these guys, lest the two palaces use their troops to undermine us in the future!" Jiang Hanqing's

heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, thinking, "Damn it! That old bastard is going to target He Bingzhang and the others! I must inform them quickly!"

Just as he was thinking of sending someone to warn He Bingzhang and the others to be careful the next day, he heard Wang Mingsi continue, "Qing'er, find an opportunity to send a few assassins to take care of these brats first!"

Hearing this, Jiang Hanqing's eyes lit up, understanding Wang Mingsi's idea.

"You old scoundrel, what a clever scheme! You actually wanted to trick me into dealing with He Bingzhang and his gang, while secretly informing the two palaces so they'd think I was about to betray the sect! Hmph! What a pity! What a pity! You don't know I've already made contact with the two palaces! Haha!"

Jiang Hanqing thought to himself, but his face remained impassive as he said, "Master, I think we should handle this a little slower! Let's not alert them!"

Wang Mingsi said coldly, "Nonsense! The sooner the better! If you don't deal with them by the time you act, it'll be troublesome!"

Jiang Hanqing frowned and said, "But my family doesn't have enough manpower! This..."

Wang Mingsi thought for a moment and replied, "That's not a problem. I'll send people to assist you!"

Jiang Hanqing had no choice but to agree. Just as

Wang Mingsi was about to say something more to Jiang Hanqing, the sound of a patrol of imperial guards walking past came from around the corner of the street ahead.

Wang Mingsi listened intently for a while and realized the sound was getting closer; clearly, the imperial guards were heading in their direction.

He snorted angrily and turned to Jiang Hanqing, saying, "Someone of your high status, the Imperial Guard leader is very likely to recognize you. They'll become suspicious if they see you with an nobody like me! You go first, I'll come find you again later!"

Jiang Hanqing had been eagerly awaiting these words, and hurriedly agreed, saying "Take care, Master," before mounting his horse and urging it forward.

After traveling only five or six zhang, the Imperial Guards on patrol appeared before them. The leader, as expected, recognized Jiang Hanqing, and at a command, all the soldiers stepped aside, raising their swords in salute. Jiang Hanqing nodded, paying no further attention to the soldiers, and galloped past them, heading straight towards the Jiang family compound.

Chapter 52 Factionalism and

Suppression of Dissidents

"That brat Wang Mingsi actually wants to get things out of you? Humph! He even wants to use you to get rid of He Bingzhang and the others! This bastard is simply daydreaming! With his idiotic appearance, he thinks he can be emperor? Bah! Even if he's childless, he'll never become emperor! Does he think he can overturn the world with his meager strength? He really underestimates us two palaces! Humph! It's one thing to not take me seriously, but doesn't he even consider what he can do that can hide from the Grand Palace Master? His scheming ways have long been seen through by the Grand Palace Master!"

Jiang Xiaoyun, leaning back in her recliner, cursed the Hidden Sect Master fiercely. This was already the umpteenth time she had cursed Wang Mingsi today. As she spoke, her eyes were fixed on Jiang Hanqing.

Jiang Hanqing, sitting next to her, rolled his eyes helplessly. He knew, of course, that while Jiang Xiaoyun was ostensibly scolding Wang Mingsi, she was actually warning him against any similar rebellious intentions. If he had known that meeting Jiang Xiaoyun was for training, he would have declined the invitation.

Last night, during his conversation with his master Wang Mingsi, Jiang Hanqing learned of his intention to eliminate He Bingzhang, Zhang Sihai, and others. Not wanting to lose these capable allies who controlled a certain number of troops, he sent someone early this morning to inform He Bingzhang and the others to be extra cautious.

Unexpectedly, the subordinate he sent returned with an extra soldier.

It turned out that He Bingzhang had sent someone to invite Jiang Hanqing, saying his master urgently needed to see him.

Jiang Hanqing understood that the so-called "master" referred to Jiang Xiaoyun, assuming she had something important to discuss with him, so he hurriedly followed the soldier who was leading the way, winding his way here.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Xiaoyun had already known about Wang Mingsi's schemes. Her summons of Jiang Hanqing wasn't for any other reason than to subtly warn him.

Jiang Hanqing wanted to leave to attend to his own business, but Jiang Xiaoyun showed no intention of letting him go. Since Jiang Xiaoyun didn't bring it up, he naturally didn't dare to, lest he offend this formidable woman. He wanted to get closer to her, but the two maids beside him showed no sign of leaving; clearly, Jiang Xiaoyun didn't want to do that kind of thing with him today.

Jiang Xiaoyun clearly saw Jiang Hanqing roll his eyes, but completely ignored his impatience, continuing her tirade with great enthusiasm. She talked as if she wanted to vent years of pent-up anger all at once.

Seeing that she wouldn't finish her tirade anytime soon, Jiang Hanqing knew that rushing her was useless, so he calmed down and stopped trying to leave. However, he was quite puzzled, wondering why the usually efficient and efficient Goddess Palace Master had become so verbose today.

Fortunately, just as he was feeling utterly bored, his maidservant came to his rescue. The maidservant promptly handed him a cup of freshly brewed Tieguanyin tea, the enticing aroma instantly reviving Jiang Hanqing's drowsy mind. He slowly took the teacup, first inhaling the fragrance, then nodded in satisfaction. Only then did he bring the cup to his lips and take a small sip. This small sip filled his mouth with a rich, fragrant flavor. Jiang Hanqing licked his lips, savoring the pleasant taste. After a long while, he let out a long breath, leaned back in his chair, and actually closed his eyes to rest, seemingly quite relaxed, completely ignoring Jiang Xiaoyun's reaction to his arrogant actions, who was still chattering away.

He thought his actions would displease Jiang Xiaoyun, and might even cause her to throw a tantrum. To his surprise, Jiang Xiaoyun showed no displeasure at his dismissive gesture. Instead, she chuckled twice and stopped her long-winded speech.

Jiang Hanqing opened his eyes and looked at Jiang Xiaoyun strangely, wondering what this woman was up to today.

Seeing Jiang Hanqing looking at her with obvious surprise, Jiang Xiaoyun smiled smugly and silently picked up her teacup to drink.

Jiang Hanqing finally couldn't suppress his doubts and asked, "Palace Master, you didn't call me here today just to vent, did you?" Hearing this, Jiang Xiaoyun put down her teacup but remained silent, only smiling at Jiang Hanqing.

Seeing her like this, Jiang Hanqing became even more certain that she was deliberately playing tricks and that she had some important matter to attend to today. He wanted to ask again, but quickly dismissed the idea. Jiang Xiaoyun's actions today were clearly a game to him; the more he wanted to know, the less likely this woman would let him figure it out easily. He refused to believe Jiang Xiaoyun wouldn't tell him unless he went to investigate himself. With this thought in mind, Jiang Hanqing closed his eyes again, ignoring Jiang Xiaoyun's performance.

Sure enough, seeing that Jiang Hanqing refused to open his eyes again, Jiang Xiaoyun spoke up herself.

"Hanqing, do you want to know why I called you here today?" Jiang Hanqing ignored her provocation and continued to rest with his eyes closed.

Jiang Xiaoyun waited a while longer and, seeing that Jiang Hanqing was determined to ignore her this time, chuckled, "You little devil! You're actually putting on airs with me! Alright! Forgive me this time!" Jiang Hanqing then opened his eyes and said leisurely, "Palace Master, can you tell me now what you wanted to see me about today?" Jiang Xiaoyun blinked, gave a sly smile, and said, "I was just teasing you because the main character hadn't arrived yet, and I was bored!" Jiang Hanqing didn't... "Yes! Anyway, I've been teased by you since I was little!" Jiang Xiaoyun chuckled and was about to say something when a charming woman's laughter suddenly came from outside, followed by a clear woman's voice saying, "Oh my! Qing-ge'er has grown up so much, and his temper has gotten bigger too! Tsk tsk! Unbelievable! Let me see how handsome Qing-ge'er is now!" The woman

's voice was exceptionally clear and melodious, though not loud, but her pronunciation was perfect, as if spoken right next to someone's ear.

Upon hearing this voice, Jiang Xiaoyun's face lit up with joy, and she stood up and called out loudly, "You've finally arrived! Have our distinguished guests arrived?" Although she couldn't see the person outside, her demeanor was very respectful. Jiang Hanqing then realized

who the owner of the voice was, and hurriedly jumped up from his chair, standing beside Jiang Xiaoyun with his hands at his sides, waiting for the person to enter the room.

"Are you two getting impatient? Especially our young master, he seems quite restless! But there's nothing we can do! It's just that this old woman walks slowly, which only annoys Qing-ge'er. Sigh!" Jiang Hanqing was about to speak up to defend herself when she saw the person speaking outside slowly walk in.

It was a tall, slender woman, who looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, and was very beautiful and dignified. Her oval face had a perfectly shaped, high, delicate nose; her small, rosy lips uttered a clear, melodious sound like pearls falling on a jade plate; her hair was styled in a flying bun, adorned with an exquisitely crafted phoenix hairpin; she wore a dragon and phoenix sun and moon brocade on her upper body and a landscape skirt on her lower body; her bound feet were slightly visible beneath the skirt, and her shoes were inlaid with a pearl the size of a thumb. Her whole being was elegant and graceful, with a refined demeanor, clearly the lady of a noble family.

If anyone had seen this woman's face and heard her voice, they would never have believed that such a beautiful and elegant young woman would call herself an old woman. They might even have laughed out loud and made fun of her.

However, Jiang Hanqing and Jiang Xiaoyun didn't dare to think that way. The two of them stood in the room and bowed respectfully to the beautiful young woman. The beautiful young woman then gracefully entered the room, waved to the two of them to indicate that they didn't need to be so polite, and then found a chair and sat down.

Jiang Xiaoyun glanced outside in confusion, but seeing no one else there, she quickly turned to the beautiful young woman and asked, "Why..." Before she could finish her sentence, the beautiful woman waved her hand to interrupt her.

"No need to rush! They promised to come, so of course they will!" After saying this to Jiang Xiaoyun, the beautiful woman turned her head and carefully examined Jiang Hanqing, praising him with a tsk-tsk sound, "Oh my! Qing-ge'er is getting more and more handsome. I won't dare to face you in the future, I'll feel ashamed of myself! Tsk tsk! Truly worthy of being the heir of the Jiang family, the Duke of Zhenguo!" Jiang Hanqing laughed awkwardly, "Grand Palace Master, aren't you making fun of Hanqing? Where do you want me to put my face?" It turned out that this beautiful young woman was the highest-ranking figure in the Hidden Sect of the Holy Gate, the current Palace Master of the "Holy Mother Palace".

The Holy Mother Palace Master chuckled twice, then turned to Jiang Xiaoyun and said seriously, "Xiaoyun, have you told Qing-ge'er why you summoned him today?" Jiang Xiaoyun hurriedly replied, "Great Palace Master, I haven't told Hanqing yet! You should tell him yourself!"

The Holy Mother Palace Master nodded and said, "Hmm! Alright! Then I'll tell Qing-ge'er!" Turning to Jiang Hanqing, the Holy Mother Palace Master said, "Qing-ge'er, do you still remember the 'Holy Maiden Sect'?" Jiang Hanqing was taken aback and exclaimed, "What? The Holy Maiden Sect? Of course I remember! What? Is something related to them today?" The Holy Mother Palace Master smiled and said, "We made an appointment today..." "We're meeting with the Holy Maiden Sect Master here! To deal with the traitor Wang Mingsi and the Hidden Sect, we must join forces with the Holy Maiden Sect to fight the enemy!" Jiang Hanqing was dizzy from her words and said in a daze, "Am I dreaming? Join forces with the Holy Maiden Sect? This... what's going on!"

The Holy Mother Palace Master said, "What's wrong with that! We're all working together to defeat a common enemy!" Jiang Hanqing had never imagined that the Hidden Sect would join forces with the Holy Maiden Sect, so she couldn't accept the Holy Mother Palace Master's words for a moment. She turned to look at Jiang Xiaosha in confusion and saw her solemn expression before she began to believe that it was true.

After gathering his thoughts, Jiang Hanqing stammered, "Grand Palace Master, how...did you think of joining forces with the Holy Maiden Sect? And how did you manage to contact them?" The Holy Mother Palace Master laughed, "How I contacted the Holy Maiden Sect is none of your concern! As for how I came up with the idea of joining forces with the Holy Maiden Sect, isn't that simple? That brat Wang Mingsi is plotting something sinister, and he controls most of our sect's power. How can we fight him without finding reinforcements? Besides, besides him, there's also the covetous Xian Sect nearby! Hmph! I just happened to learn that the Holy Maiden Sect had just experienced internal strife, reducing their strength by more than half, and..." A branch they established near the capital was just raided and destroyed by the Manifest Sect. I, the Palace Master, guessed they were also considering finding allies, so I managed to make contact with them. Haha! The two sides hit it off immediately, deciding to join forces against the powerful enemies, the Manifest Sect and Wang Mingsi! Today we've invited the Holy Maiden Sect Master to formally meet you, the Hidden Sect Master!" Taken aback, Jiang Hanqing said angrily, "Grand Palace Master, wouldn't that expose my identity to the Holy Maiden Sect? You…this…sigh!" The Holy Maiden Palace Master chuckled, "Why are you in such a hurry? The Holy Maiden Sect Master promised to keep your identity secret, even her closest confidants…" "I'll tell you."

Seeing Jiang Hanqing's dismissive expression, Jiang Xiaoyun added, "Hanqing, don't worry! Although the Holy Maiden Sect has been full of conspiracies and schemes for the past three hundred years, they have never broken a promise made by their sect leader!" Seeing their reaction, Jiang Hanqing couldn't say anything more and could only say sullenly, "But... I'm not the Hidden Sect's sect leader, am I?" Hearing this, Jiang Xiaoyun's anger flared, and she said fiercely, "That brat Wang Mingsi plotted to use our sect's power to become emperor, and then turned around and destroyed our sect. Hmph! Can such a traitor continue to be the sect leader? From this moment on, you are the current sect leader!" Jiang... Han Qing laughed and cried at the same time, "I'm already the sect leader? Haha! I must be the first sect leader in the sect's history to be appointed so hastily, right? Hmm! By the way, I'm still the most powerless sect leader!" The Holy Mother Palace Master sneered, "With the full support of the two palace masters with the strongest power and highest status in the sect, how can you be powerless? And how can a sect leader confirmed by the two palace masters be considered hasty?"

Seeing that her face was ashen and her eyes were shifting unfriendly, Jiang Han Qing knew that her words had hurt her pride. Afraid that saying anything more would further provoke this old hag, she quickly agreed and dared not express any further objection.

The Holy Mother Palace Master calmed down and said, "I know you are very curious about the alliance between our sect and the Holy Maiden Sect. In fact, the reason we are allied with the Holy Maiden Sect this time is largely because of the internal strife that happened in the Holy Maiden Sect some time ago!"

Jiang Han Qing asked in surprise, "Why do you say that?" The Holy Mother Palace Master was about to answer, but suddenly stopped talking and looked towards the door with shining eyes.

Jiang Xiaoyun's figure had already floated to the front door like a ghost, and she coldly said to the outside, "Is it the Sect Master's arrival?" Jiang Hanqing had not been alarmed at all before, but now, even after listening intently, he still could not hear anything. He knew that his skills were far inferior to those of such peerless masters, and he couldn't help but feel ashamed. At this moment, a melodious and gentle female voice came from outside the room: "The two Palace Masters are indeed not people with empty reputations. There are probably only two people in the world who can hear the Sect Master's whereabouts from ten feet away! I really admire you!" Jiang Xiaoyun smiled calmly, and without any visible movement, she simply flashed back into the room from the doorway.

The Holy Mother Palace Master then used her telepathic communication skills to say to Jiang Hanqing, "The person who has come is the Holy Maiden Sect Master! Don't ask about the internal strife within her sect today! I'll tell you later!" Jiang Hanqing nodded slightly to indicate that she understood, but then heard the Holy Mother Palace Master say loudly, "Sect Master, you flatter us! It is truly impolite that we, Palace Master Jiang and I, were unable to personally greet you on your esteemed occasion!" As she spoke, a masked woman appeared at the doorway and gracefully bowed to the two Palace Masters of the Hidden Sect. "You're too kind, Grand Palace Master! Both of you hold high positions and are highly respected within the Holy Sect. Even the sect leaders of the Manifest and Hidden Sects wouldn't dare show the slightest disrespect before you. Although the Holy Maiden Sect has had enmity with the Manifest and Hidden Sects for many years, it is still a branch of the Holy Sect. Our sect leader is of the same generation as the sect leaders of the Manifest and Hidden Sects, so you two should be our elders! How could we dare trouble you two to come and greet us?" As she spoke, Jiang Hanqing stood to the side, curiously observing her.

This Holy Maiden Sect leader was completely shrouded in a very large robe, and her face was covered by a golden mask, making it impossible to see her appearance or figure. However, her voice was gentle and melodious, making one believe that the face beneath the mask must be exceptionally beautiful.

After bowing to the two Hidden Sect sect leaders, the Holy Maiden Sect leader finally turned her gaze to Jiang Hanqing. When she clearly saw Jiang Hanqing's face, all three people present noticed her body, hidden beneath her long robe, tremble slightly, clearly showing her surprise. The Holy Mother Palace Master and Jiang Xiaoyun exchanged a glance and tentatively asked, "It seems the Sect Master knows our sect's new Sect Master?" The Holy Mother Sect Master replied without hesitation, "Indeed! Countless people in the world know Young Master Jiang; there's nothing wrong with that, is there?" Jiang Xiaoyun said displeasedly, "For the Sect Master to know Hanqing, she must be from a powerful and influential family! Now that the Sect Master knows Hanqing's identity, shouldn't she also reveal her own identity to show her sincerity in cooperating?" The Holy Mother Sect Master chuckled twice and said, "As you two seniors have predicted, I am indeed from a powerful and influential family in the imperial court. However, you two Palace Masters understand that it's not that I lack sincerity in cooperating..." "It's truly due to the restrictions of our sect's rules!" The Holy Mother Palace Master said expressionlessly, "What rules does your sect have that prevent the dignified sect master from showing her true face to others?" Her words already carried a hint of dissatisfaction and sarcasm, but the Holy Maiden Sect Master seemed completely unconcerned and replied with a smile, "Great Palace Master, please calm down! You two may not believe it, but our sect has always had a rule that the sect master cannot reveal her true face to anyone outside the sect, unless..." Jiang Hanqing asked curiously, "Unless what?" The Holy Maiden Sect Master hesitated for a long time, then whispered, "Unless she becomes the legal wife of the Hidden Sect Master!" Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiaoyun chuckled coldly, "Sect Master, what explanation do you have?" "Isn't that a far-fetched explanation? Only when your sect leader and my sect leader are married can they reveal their true faces to the world? Does that mean all your sect leaders have never been able to show their faces to anyone?" The Holy Maiden Sect Leader said unhappily, "Palace Master, I only told you this out of respect for your seniority! If you don't believe me, fine, but why mock me? I swear to heaven that nothing I said tonight is false!" Seeing that the Holy Maiden Sect Leader was truly angry, the Holy Mother Palace Master quickly comforted her, "Sect Master, there's no need to be angry! It's just that your explanation was so unexpected, so it's no wonder Palace Master Jiang is a little skeptical!" The Holy Maiden Sect Leader remained silent for a while, and seeing that Jiang Xiaoyun didn't say anything more, she continued... The author continued, “This rule of our sect was established in the will of our founding ancestor, Liu Xin, before her passing. Not only do the two seniors not believe it, but even we juniors and all the past sect leaders have never been able to understand it. It's said that Ancestor Liu Xin hated your sect's people, but we never imagined she would set such a strange rule for her successor before her death!” The Holy Mother Palace Master thought for a moment and said softly, “Actually, there is a reason for it! I secretly speculate that Senior Liu Xin's intention might be this: she was once my senior, but later betrayed our sect for various reasons. Although the two sides were irreconcilable, deep down she probably still…” She considered herself a disciple of the Holy Sect, though she hadn't initially realized it. Only when she looked back on her past before her death did she suddenly understand, and regret filled her heart. However, her elder sister had always been competitive and unwilling to admit her mistakes. Therefore, she established this rule for future generations, hoping that some of them would understand her true intentions and fulfill her wish to return to the Holy Sect. The Holy Sect Master pondered for a moment, then turned to Jiang Hanqing and said, "Rest assured! Since your sect trusts me so much, even revealing the sect leader's true identity to me, I should naturally show my sincerity in cooperation." Hearing her words, Jiang Hanqing chuckled and replied with practiced ease, "Sect Leader Saintess, you are a master of the Nine Cauldrons in two days. Since our sect has decided to cooperate with your sect, we naturally have no doubts about you!" The Sect Leader Saintess chuckled lightly, "Young Master Jiang trusts our sect so much, then we must certainly show our appreciation!" After a pause, seeing that the three members of the Hidden Sect present did not say anything, the Sect Leader Saintess continued, "Young Master Jiang, doesn't your aunt Yin Yuji have a woman named Ru Feng in her household? And you should also know about the Emperor's very favored concubine, Miao Ji, right?"

Jiang Hanqing's face was full of surprise as he said, "What? These two people... could they both be...?" Although he couldn't see... Judging from the Holy Maiden Sect Master's expression, she seemed quite pleased, as a slight smile played on her lips as she spoke: "Indeed! These two are core members of our sect. Having revealed their identities to your sect, I wonder if your sect still doubts our sincerity in seeking cooperation?" The Holy Maiden Palace Master chuckled: "Our sect has never doubted the Sect Master, please don't misunderstand!" Turning to Jiang Hanqing, she said coquettishly, "Brother Qing, don't you have other matters to attend to? You've already met the Sect Master today, so let us handle the rest! You should go back and get on with your work!" Jiang

Hanqing was inwardly annoyed: "Damn it!" "You old hag! To make the Holy Maiden Sect believe you, you actually revealed my identity! Hmph! Anyway, if something happens in the future, I'll definitely die, while you can run away and get away without a care in the world. Fine! Now that we've met and are going to discuss our plans, you want to kick me out! Bah! You clearly only want to use me, but you don't want me to know about your schemes at all!" Although he thought this in his heart, on the surface he pretended to be nonchalant, quickly stood up and bowed to the two palace masters, respectfully saying, "Palace masters, then Han Qing will take his leave!" After he finished speaking, he greeted the Holy Maiden Sect leader and then left without lingering.

Jiang Xiaoyun chose this meeting place today in a district called Mingyu Fang in Yong'an Prefecture.

This is also a well-known brothel in Yong'an Prefecture. The room they had just been in was in the backyard of a brothel. Jiang Han Qing walked out of the back door of that courtyard and found himself on a bustling street. The bustling crowd, the courtesans darting around to greet customers, and the various strange and varied sounds made one dizzy.

Looking at this chaotic scene, Jiang Hanqing secretly admired the two palace masters for finding such a place in the capital as a temporary hideout.

Although Jiang Hanqing had lived in Yong'an Prefecture for many years, this was her first time in such a place, so she couldn't help but look around curiously as she walked down the street.

Suddenly, a person emerged from a brothel by the roadside, head down, hurrying down the street. The familiar figure made Jiang Hanqing freeze on the spot.

"Isn't that my second uncle? What's he doing here? Prostitution? Or…" Just as Jiang Hanqing was wondering, she saw a young girl emerge from the brothel, also hurrying past her. "This...this girl...I feel like I've seen her somewhere before?" Jiang Hanqing muttered to himself, racking his brains to remember where he had seen her before. Suddenly, a name popped into his mind: "Li Feiluan!" Yes, she was the girl who had accompanied him when they returned from Qiu Te. Before going to Anping Mountain Village, she had left under the pretext of visiting her father in Linchuan.

Jiang Hanqing felt a deep sense of doubt: "How did she end up in the capital, and coming out of a brothel? My second uncle also came out of there. Is there some secret there? Or is there some connection between them?" He wanted to go into the brothel to take a look, but thinking of the chaotic scene inside, Jiang Hanqing sighed and suppressed the urge.

"There's no rush. I'll send a few more people to investigate later!" With this plan, Jiang Hanqing set off on his way home.

For a period of time afterward, he specifically sent people to stake out and investigate, and he himself also came to keep watch for a few days, but he didn't get anything useful. Jiang Haotian never came here again, and Li Feiluan also disappeared without a trace. After several days of no movement, Jiang Hanqing lost interest.

He sent several of his men to monitor for any suspicious persons, especially to pay close attention to whether Jiang Haotian had come, and gradually put the matter out of his mind.

Chapter 53 Phoenix Soars West City

Chapter 53 Phoenix Soars West City

In early May, the temperature in Yong'an Prefecture had begun to rise, and the air felt a little hot.

The envoy who went to Fei Qingsi's army to convey the court's intention to appease them had been gone for nearly twenty days, but it would take at least another month for news to come back. During this waiting period, the generals of the court's army would naturally not have any free time. The emperor had ordered these generals to reorganize their troops, and if Fei Qingsi refused the court's offer of amnesty, they would march to attack.

The 800,000 troops stationed around Yong'an Prefecture all received orders to begin pre-battle preparations. Heavy physical combat training hadn't been conducted since these troops arrived in the capital. Their relatively leisurely lifestyle had made the soldiers feel extremely relaxed and comfortable, as if they were on a leisurely trip to the capital. However, those good days were finally over. The generals, eager to achieve military merit, were extremely restless during the waiting period, wishing the army could march to the battlefield the very next day. But such things were clearly beyond their control. Frustrated, the generals vented their frustration on their soldiers, frantically pushing them to train. Meanwhile,

news of victory arrived from the Western Regions: the Empire's "Invincible Flying Phoenix" had once again won a victory in the Empire's war against the barbarians! And this time, it was a complete victory! She had annihilated almost all the Western Regions barbarian tribes that had been fighting against the Empire for three thousand years!

Ever since Yin Yufeng sent that specially made lewd letter to her son in the first month of that year, the war in the Western Regions had gradually intensified. New battles broke out almost every two or three days. Both the barbarian armies and the imperial soldiers seemed weary of the past few years without fighting, and now, finally having the opportunity to wage war, they feared wasting a single day!

From the beginning of the new year, the barbarian army launched one desperate attack after another against the "Yufeng Legion," which had ruled the Western Regions for over twenty years, over a period of three months. In the large-scale battles of the Xian Empire's army, the Berlin people relied on their massive cavalry force, composed of barbarian allies, to launch fierce attacks, their formidable momentum even deterring the soldiers of the "Yufeng Legion." However, before the invincible "Imperial Flying Phoenix," even the strongest enemy had no choice but to submit. By the end of March, the court received news that the barbarian army had been completely defeated by Yin Yufeng's army. Currently, apart from occasional raids by scattered barbarian cavalry after being defeated, no major battles have occurred on the Western Regions border.

The main course of the Western Regions war from February of the sixth year of the Taiping Zhenzhi reign to the present is as follows: On February 6th, 30,000 cavalry under the "Yu Feng Legion" of Grand Marshal Yin Yufeng encountered the cavalry of the Berlin barbarians, numbering approximately 20,000. A fierce battle ensued for a day, resulting in 5,000 beheadings and 3,000 friendly casualties.

On February 12th, 100,000 elite cavalry from the Yu Feng Legion swept westwards to attack the enemy's forward camp. The enemy force of 120,000, though numerically superior, dared not launch a full-scale counterattack. A protracted battle ensued for a day, resulting in 15,000 beheadings and 8,000 friendly casualties.

On February 14th, the barbarian vanguard of 100,000 advanced to within 200 li of Sunset City, burning, killing, and looting. Yin Yufeng personally led the main force of the legion of 150,000 to meet them. The barbarian army, seemingly intimidated by Yin Yufeng's power, retreated before the battle even began. Yin Yufeng led his army in a rear attack, annihilating 30,000 enemy soldiers. On February 16th, Marshal Hisili led an army of 100,000 to a location 400 li from Sunset City. The 80,000 barbarian troops stationed there were caught off guard and engaged in battle. Their command was chaotic, and they were quickly driven out by the imperial army.

On February 17th, Hisili advanced 50 li and encountered barbarian cavalry, resulting in a fierce battle. As darkness fell, the barbarian army's formation became disorganized, and they retreated.

On February 18th, the barbarian army amassed 200,000 cavalry, intending to ambush Hisili's imperial army. Hisili again retreated, and the barbarian army, not daring to pursue, retreated westward.

On February 19th, 30,000 imperial local patrol cavalry advanced to a location 450 li from Sunset City, where they were ambushed by 100,000 enemy cavalry. They fought and retreated, facing a critical situation and the risk of being surrounded and annihilated.

On February 20th, Marshal Hisili led 80,000 soldiers of the Jade Phoenix Legion, along with 120,000 local garrison troops, to reinforce the attacked forces. On

February 21st, all 30,000 imperial local patrol cavalry perished.

On February 24th, Marshal Hisili's troops faced off against an enemy army of 300,000. The barbarian army failed to fully utilize its numerical advantage in mobile cavalry warfare, instead engaging the Imperial army in positional battles. After a brief but intense battle, both sides retreated fifteen li to set up camp. The Imperial army suffered 8,000 dead that day, while the enemy suffered similar losses. On

February 25th, Marshal Hisili led 100,000 troops in an attack on the barbarian main force, fully utilizing the mobility of cavalry to avoid close combat with the enemy's main force. While the battle raged, the Imperial army, with 100,000 troops remaining in their camp, launched a surprise attack on the barbarian flank. The barbarian ranks crumbled, but they continued fighting, relying on their numerical superiority. The battle continued into the night, and the barbarians, unable to withstand the onslaught, retreated in disarray, leaving 40,000 corpses. The Imperial army suffered 25,000 casualties.

On March 2nd, Grand Marshal Yin Yufeng personally led the main force of the army, 150,000 cavalry, to sweep through the barbarian main camp. Along the way, they annihilated approximately 10,000 small groups of enemy cavalry.

On the fourth day of the third month, the army arrived at the main camp of the barbarians, only to find that the enemy had already withdrawn. Commander Feng was forced to return to Sunset City. The barbarian army attempted to pursue, but were ambushed by Commander Feng, suffering losses of over 10,000 cavalry. On the sixth day of the third month, 200,000 barbarian troops launched a major offensive, advancing to within 150 li of Sunset City. Taking advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness, the Yu Feng Legion launched a counterattack, annihilating over 8,000 enemy cavalry and decisively withdrawing from the battlefield.

On the eleventh day of the third month, the barbarians returned with renewed force, launching a major invasion of imperial territory. Over 500,000 troops formed a 100-li long camp, directly threatening Sunset City. Grand Marshal Yin Yu Feng led 200,000 troops out of the city to meet them in battle. The barbarian army, unable to consolidate its forces, launched a surprise attack while Yin Yu Feng was still establishing a foothold. On the twelfth day of the third month, Yin Yu Feng led 50,000 Feng Xiang troops in a swift attack on seven barbarian camps in a single day. The barbarian army, intimidated by the prestige of the Feng Xiang army, dared not pursue, watching helplessly as their allies were annihilated. On that day, the Berlin army suffered over 30,000 casualties.

On March 13th, 100,000 elite Berlin cavalry launched a fierce attack on the Yu Feng Legion's camp. The Yu Feng Legion defended with all its might, avoiding direct confrontation. The Berlin army, lacking siege equipment, could only launch chaotic charges, achieving nothing. Both sides suffered casualties.

On the morning of March 14th, the Berlin army continued its attack on the legion's camp. The Yu Feng Legion seized the opportunity to counterattack, annihilating 20,000 of the Berlin vanguard. A cavalry battle ensued. The elite troops of the Fengxiang Army were deployed as the vanguard. The two sides fought fiercely all day, and the Berlin army was finally repelled, retreating thirty li to their camp. In this battle, 80,000 barbarian soldiers were killed, while the Yu Feng Legion suffered over 40,000 casualties.

On the night of March 14th, the barbarian army, relying on its numerical advantage, launched a night attack, with 200,000 men storming the Yu Feng Legion's camp. Grand Marshal Yin Yu Feng had anticipated this and laid an ambush. Although the barbarian army was panicked after being ambushed, their fierce nature led them to resist stubbornly, refusing to retreat easily. That night, the two armies clashed until dawn the next day, leaving 110,000 barbarian corpses. Yu Feng's army suffered 30,000 casualties.

On the morning of March 15th, Grand Marshal Yin Yu Feng personally led 120,000 elite troops to attack the barbarian army, luring them into a battle. The barbarians, hoping to turn the tide with their numerical superiority, deployed their remaining 300,000 troops to meet the attack. Yin Yu Feng led his troops in a fighting retreat, constantly avoiding being completely surrounded. After a fierce battle that lasted until noon, Yin Yu Feng suddenly abandoned his camp and retreated completely. The barbarian army, believing Yu Feng's army was no match, were overjoyed and pursued with all their might.

Yin Yufeng retreated to within thirty miles of Sunset City, then suddenly led her army in a full-scale counterattack. Caught off guard, the barbarian army's advance stalled, and their rear began to scatter. Marshal Hisili, leading the remaining 50,000 troops of the Yufeng Legion in ambush, saw her opportunity and launched a fierce attack on the enemy's rearguard. Meanwhile, the local garrison of 200,000 men, positioned twenty-five miles from Sunset City, split into two groups to encircle the enemy from the north and south. Surrounded on all sides, the barbarian army's formation crumbled, and they retreated in panic.

Yin Yufeng regrouped her forces and pursued the fleeing enemy relentlessly. Under the relentless pursuit of the imperial army, the barbarian army's several attempts to regroup failed, and they completely lost their will to fight, fleeing westward. Small groups of imperial cavalry, who had been lying in wait for days, continued to emerge along the way. Panic and disarray, the barbarian army completely collapsed, no longer capable of organizing a resistance.

On the morning of March 16th, the exhausted Jade Phoenix Legion, after pursuing the enemy for nearly two hundred li, temporarily ceased its pursuit of the remaining enemy forces and rested on the spot. The barbarian army continued its westward flight, disengaging from contact with the Imperial army. In the two-day decisive battle, the barbarian army of 300,000 was almost completely annihilated. The Jade Phoenix Legion also suffered 80,000 casualties, while the Imperial local forces suffered over 100,000 casualties.

From the barbarian army's arrival at the city walls on March 11th to the Jade Phoenix Legion's victorious withdrawal from the battle on the 16th, only five days passed. In these short five days, at the foot of Sunset City, a city that witnessed three thousand years of the Yanhuang people's westward expansion, the barbarian army of 500,000 was completely wiped out, while the Jade Phoenix Legion also paid a heavy price of nearly 150,000 casualties. This battle is henceforth known as the "Battle of Sunset." Sunset City once again left its illustrious name in the annals of history.

On March 17th, after a short day of rest, Yin Yufeng issued the most audacious order of her life—an order that would forever cement her unparalleled fame!

She decided to personally lead the "Phoenix Soaring Army" in a desperate pursuit of the Western Regions barbarians. She intended to use this great victory as an opportunity to launch a daring attack on the Western Regions barbarians, hoping to erase the Bolin tribe and other tribes that dared to provoke her from history, just as she had annihilated the Tula people.

Yin Yufeng ordered all soldiers except those of the "Phoenix Soaring Army" to remain in place for further rest and reorganization, demanding that these non-combatant troops hand over all their mounts for the "Phoenix Soaring Army's" use.

Within half a day, the "Phoenix Soaring Army," still possessing over 40,000 cavalry, had requisitioned approximately 180,000 warhorses from its brother units. Yin Yufeng equipped each of the "Phoenix Soaring Army" cavalrymen with four to five warhorses for them to rotate along the way, allowing them to travel day and night without worrying about the horses' exhaustion. After all preparations were complete, Yin Yufeng personally led her elite guard towards the stronghold of the Berlin people, more than a thousand li from Sunset City. The

"Phoenix Soaring Army" traveled non-stop, eating, drinking, and sleeping all on horseback.

They continued their relentless, thousand-mile journey, annihilating countless scattered barbarian troops and settlements along the way.

The Western Region barbarian army, defeated at Sunset City, never expected the imperial army, after a fierce battle, to pursue them, let alone dare to break with tradition and chase them so far to the west. After escaping the imperial army's pursuit on the first day, they assumed the imperial army would retreat to Sunset City as usual, so they were completely unprepared. After parting ways, they listlessly embarked on their journey back to their tribal camps. These remnants of the army had no intention of guarding against the imperial army's pursuit, and their tribal camps were equally unprepared. Therefore, when the imperial army caught up with them from behind or attacked a tribal camp, these once arrogant and powerful barbarian warriors were almost wiped out one by one by the imperial soldiers, offering almost no resistance. Without the protection of their warriors, the unsuspecting tribal camps, now only inhabited by the old, weak, and disabled, were easily swept away by the Phoenix Army.

In the thirteen days leading up to March 29th, the Jade Phoenix Legion had advanced over 1,400 li, sweeping across a vast expanse of the Western Regions, including almost all the barbarian tribal camps.

During the long pursuit, the Phoenix Army wiped out more than eighty barbarian tribal camps.

Due to insufficient manpower and the urgent need to pursue the fleeing enemy, the Fengxiang Army was unable to care for the large number of captured barbarian women, children, and elderly. To continue their advance, they would have to abandon these captured tribespeople. However, Yin Yufeng was unwilling to do so. Firstly, she was unwilling to abandon the numerous barbarian prisoners she had so painstakingly captured; secondly, she worried that if her army left these tribespeople unattended, they would continue to harm the empire in the future, causing endless trouble. Historically, barbarian tribes that had not been completely annihilated often fled as a group when weak, only to return and harass the empire when powerful.

Such examples were countless. Yin Yufeng did not want to create a new such instance. Besides this, Yin Yufeng had another major concern. She feared that these seemingly weak women, children, and elderly might obstruct her retreat, attacking and harassing her army as she pursued the remaining enemy forces. Perhaps ordinary people would think that such harassment posed no danger to the powerful Fengxiang Army. However, Yin Yufeng, as an invincible commander, had her own unique perspective on the matter. Yin Yufeng worried that the Fengxiang Army's fighting strength would drastically decline after the long march.

Normally, the harassment from the barbarian tribes would be insignificant to the Fengxiang Army, but after a thousand-mile march, the situation would be completely different! If these ordinary tribal people joined forces and launched a surprise attack when the Fengxiang Army was exhausted, it wasn't impossible to turn the tide.

Yin Yufeng clearly understood that this desperate pursuit was a risky military operation.

Victory would be a complete victory, annihilating the Berlin barbarians; defeat would be a crushing defeat, with the entire Fengxiang Army perishing in a foreign land. She hoped to use a decisive victory to eradicate the barbarians' foundation, but she also had to guard against any potential dangers.

In this gamble, in this perilous long march, in this unfamiliar foreign land, if even one risk was overlooked, her army could be wiped out. Yin Yufeng would absolutely not make any such mistake. Based on these concerns, and after much deliberation, Yin Yufeng finally decided to eradicate the barbarian tribes. Almost inhumanely, Yin Yufeng issued a rare "massacre order" in the empire's history, commanding her soldiers to slaughter every barbarian tribe they encountered along the way.

Even in the war more than twenty years earlier when the Tu La tribe was completely annihilated, Yin Yufeng had not issued such a cruel order. Although the Tu La people were completely wiped out by Yufeng's army then, the captured elderly, weak, and disabled were not all slaughtered. At that time, Yin Yufeng merely forcibly separated the captured tribesmen into family units and relocated them to different parts of the empire's interior, allowing these barbaric nomadic peoples to settle down, adopt the clothing and language of the Yanhuang people, and gradually assimilate them into the empire's citizens.

However, this time, due to the rapid pace of the advance, the vast territory occupied, and the large number of captured tribes, Yin Yufeng was forced to make this cruel decision that has caused much controversy in later history. Although she may not have been willing in her heart, her order was ultimately issued, and it was meticulously carried out by her loyal personal guards. During the execution of the order, a small incident, or rather an accident, occurred, which in retrospect seems both laughable and somewhat chilling.

The incident was as follows: Yin Yufeng's order contained these four sentences: "Be ruthless against the enemy, eradicate them completely, leave no survivors, and eliminate future troubles!" After the order was issued, it immediately sparked debate among the junior and middle-ranking officers of the Fengxiang Army. The focus of the debate was not whether such a cruel order should be carried out, but whether the phrase "leave no survivors" included cattle, sheep, pigs, and dogs! After a brief argument, the officers of the Fengxiang Army reached a consensus: anything alive, whether human or animal, should be killed without exception!

A battalion commander explained his reasoning to his soldiers: "Brothers, Commander Feng's order to us is 'leave no survivors!' But does 'leave no survivors' include cattle, sheep, pigs, and dogs? Commander Feng didn't clarify, so we naturally don't know! And such a simple matter is obviously not something we can ask Commander Feng for instructions on, so we can only decide for ourselves. Now it seems that if we don't kill all the cattle, sheep, pigs, and dogs, and Commander Feng's original intention was to kill all these animals as well, then we are disobeying orders! We will die! If we kill these animals, even if Commander Feng didn't originally intend to kill all the animals, we will only have killed a few more, and there will be no risk of disobeying orders! Therefore, the higher-ups have decided that everything, as long as it is alive, must be killed without exception!" In this way, Yin Yufeng's orders were faithfully and even exceeded by his soldiers!

When people in later generations talked about this incident, they certainly found the reaction of the Fengxiang Army officers laughable, and were also terrified by the cruelty shown by the Fengxiang Army during the massacre, but they were even more amazed by their meticulous attitude in carrying out Yin Yufeng's orders. The court scholars greatly praised the Fengxiang Army's actions, believing that their unwavering and meticulous execution of Commander Feng's orders was what made them an invincible force under his leadership. After

Yin Yufeng's orders were given, the Fengxiang Army turned every tribal camp they encountered along the way into a hellish slaughterhouse. Nothing alive could escape death; the elderly, children, women, and even pregnant women were all slaughtered on the spot by the imperial soldiers. Herds of cattle, sheep, pigs, and dogs were also slaughtered. All the tribal camps were set ablaze. The

once vibrant western grasslands were now a death-shrouded graveyard. Everywhere were the corpses of the murdered people, burning tents, and herds of slaughtered livestock. In a few days, the carcasses would rot, and even if some barbarian civilians survived the slaughter, they would face the tragic prospect of starvation.

Yin Yufeng watched the bloody scenes along the way, her face expressionless, but her heart was in turmoil. She herself didn't know what she was feeling—was it the joy of victory? The sorrow for the deaths of the people? The unbearable pain of the massacre? Or the indignation at the defeated? Perhaps it was a combination of all of these!

On the morning of March 30th, as the rising sun caught up with the exhausted Fengxiang army soldiers who had been galloping across the grasslands for fourteen days and nights, Yin Yufeng gave the order to halt.

Bathed in sunlight, the empire's elite cavalry reined in their horses and gazed westward. They were nearly two thousand miles from Sunset City, and at the edge of their sight, the empire's soldiers could clearly see the silhouettes of the mountains. Since the Yanhuang people crossed the Sunset Mountains to explore the Western Regions three thousand years ago, this was the first time they had reached such a western place, the first time they had traversed the vast Western Regions grasslands, and seen the legendary mountains of the distant west. They had heard countless tales of these vast mountains from traveling merchants, and today they finally saw them! The merchants had also told them that beyond the mountains lay an equally ancient civilization, one they had never encountered before. In the past, these soldiers had always been skeptical of the merchants' words, not believing that a civilization could exist even further west than the barbarians. But today, seeing these legendary mountains, for some reason, they suddenly began to believe that another civilization existed beyond them.

However, at this moment, the imperial soldiers had no time to ponder these questions. Exhausted, the cavalrymen, for the first time in fourteen days, dismounted and lay down on the solid ground to rest, feeling incredibly content. Before long, except for the sentries, almost all the valiant imperial soldiers drifted into a deep sleep, dreaming of returning to their homeland in the far east… Looking back

on the entire war, from the barbarian invasion at the end of October in the fifth year of the Taiping Zhenzhi reign to its end in mid-March of the sixth year of the Taiping Zhenzhi reign… The Western Regions barbarian coalition, mainly composed of the Berlin tribe, gathered forces from more than 20 races and over 70 tribes, totaling more than 800,000 men, to launch a large-scale attack on the empire that was unprecedented in a century.

From the very beginning of the war, the barbarian army had a very clear objective: to rely on their numerical superiority to annihilate Yin Yufeng's "Jade Phoenix Legion B," capture Sunset City, and advance towards the heart of the Empire. With their formidable military strength, achieving this goal was not impossible. However, they faced an enemy of unparalleled brilliance in the Empire's history—one of only five Grand Marshals in the Empire's history, renowned as the "Invincible Flying Phoenix," and her personally forged "Jade Phoenix Legion." Just like countless battles in the past twenty years, the barbarian invasion ended in utter defeat once again. This once-in-a-century large-scale invasion ultimately cemented Yin Yufeng's glorious achievements.

Moreover, this defeat was a complete and utter failure for the barbarians! Their fighting capacity was utterly destroyed in this war. From then on, the Western Region barbarians became a permanent historical figure!

The demise of the Western Region barbarians was due to their underestimation of their enemy. At the outset, they relied on their numerical advantage and underestimated Yin Yufeng. The barbarian army, charging recklessly without any tactical strategy, became complacent after their defeat, clinging to prejudice that Yin Yufeng wouldn't dare pursue them, at least not over long distances, and thus neglected their defenses.

They repeatedly underestimated Yin Yufeng's military talent, ignored her extraordinary fighting spirit, and failed to recognize her exceptional ability to seize opportunities. A series of mistakes, coupled with a series of astonishingly correct decisions made by this super military leader, Yin Yufeng, led to the seemingly impossible: the Western Region barbarians were annihilated!

The fact is, the barbarian army made the mistake of underestimating their enemy, and they did so against the enemy they least expected to be underestimated! Perhaps it was because they had limited experience fighting Yin Yufeng; after all, her long-term adversaries were the Tu La tribe.

Now completely wiped out, none of them could warn the remaining barbarians that Yin Yufeng was not to be trifled with! Moreover, even if someone from the Tu La tribe could warn the remaining barbarians, they wouldn't accept it. Because in the eyes of the other barbarians… In the story, the Tu La tribe's defeat was simply due to their own weakness, not because Yin Yufeng was particularly remarkable. Some argue that the barbarians' disdain for Yin Yufeng stemmed from their deep fear of her invincible reputation, forcing them to feign indifference to bolster their courage. The course of the war indeed proved this point.

While the barbarians outwardly looked down on Yin Yufeng, her invincible reputation had long been ingrained in their hearts. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so hesitant in the face of Yin Yufeng's army even at their peak, nor would they have so quickly lost their confidence after their defeat.

If the barbarians had launched a strategic attack on Yin Yufeng at their strongest; if they had retreated decisively at the first sign of trouble; if they had been cautious of Yin Yufeng's army's pursuit after their defeat at Sunset City; if their remaining troops had maintained high vigilance until reliable news arrived; if they had faced a sudden... The enemy wasn't so panicked; if they hadn't been so arrogant and overbearing when they were in power, and so weak and vulnerable when they were defeated; if Yin Yufeng's military talent had been slightly lacking; if she had been a little more timid, afraid to pursue the enemy with all her might, or if she had retreated after achieving a great victory after a pursuit, like the imperial armies of the past; even if Yin Yufeng had been more merciful and hadn't adopted a policy of massacre against the barbarian tribes, perhaps everything would have been different!

The entire war left posterity with a series of "what ifs." If even one of these "what ifs" had come true, the barbarian tribes wouldn't have been completely annihilated, and they might even have defeated Yin Yufeng. But all the "what ifs" remain "what ifs." The Western Region barbarians were finished, and Yin Yufeng had won! This has become history that can never be changed!

This victory was Yin Yufeng's most glorious victory since she began her military career. Its difficulty, its significance at the time, and its historical status completely surpassed the war in which she led the imperial army to completely wipe out the Tu La people who plagued the imperial borders!

The previous war only wiped out the most powerful of the Western Regions barbarian tribes. Although this tribe had instigated over 80% of the invasions of the empire's borders over the past thousand years, and even captured Sunset City eight hundred years ago, it was still just one of dozens of Western Regions barbarian tribes. While that war was significant, it didn't fundamentally eliminate the chaos in the Western Regions. This time, Yin Yufeng annihilated almost all the barbarian tribes. She fulfilled the dream that the Yanhuang people had yearned for for three thousand years—a dream that was almost impossible to achieve. This victory once again propelled her to the pinnacle of honor!

Although Yin Yufeng, riding her warhorse, felt extremely tired, she was still immersed in the excitement of victory and had no desire to sleep.

The main barbarian tribes that had plagued the Western Regions for thousands of years had been completely eradicated by her. The empire's western border would enjoy a long period of peace. New enemies would naturally appear in the future, but these enemies would be entirely new races from beyond the mountains, because most of the tribes that had previously interacted with the empire had been wiped out by her army in this frenzied pursuit! This was the inevitable result of their daring to provoke the Celestial Empire, a fate ordained from the very beginning when they faced Yin Yufeng.

Her primary concern now was naturally how to restore her legion's strength. In this glorious victory, her legion's direct forces also suffered immense losses. The entire legion lost over 200,000 men, leaving less than 80,000. The Phoenix Army, numbering 50,000, also lost nearly half, leaving only about 30,000. It was highly unlikely that the once-dominant Yufeng Legion would regain its former strength in the short term!

If Yin Yufeng's battle against the Western Region barbarians brought her unparalleled honor and paved the way for the Jiang family's future westward expansion, then the Jiang family's current enemies, while envious of her glory, were also extremely excited, because everyone knew that the Yufeng Legion's strength had been severely damaged. Every potential rival of the Jiang family was thrilled by this.

Gazing at the distant mountains to the west, Yin Yufeng began to dream of the world beyond them. She had heard from merchants who had traveled to the far west that beyond those mountains lay a civilized world as prosperous as the Empire. She couldn't wait to fly over those mountains, leading her army to plant her invincible phoenix banner on foreign soil. But that would be a long time from now, for before that, she had to help her son win the internal struggles of the Empire.

Thinking of her beloved son, Yin Yufeng felt a surge of desire; how she longed for her cruel son's humiliation! Looking eastward, Yin Yufeng thought to herself, "Qing'er, what are you doing? Do you know your mother is thinking of you!" News of Yin Yufeng's great victory reached Sunset City on the fifth day of the fourth month, and from there was relayed swiftly back to the Empire's homeland. The messenger carried a letter written by Xisili, reporting the specific battle situation to the Emperor.

The nearest post station to the capital, Yong'an Prefecture, was "West Thirty Li Post Station," thirty li west of Yong'an Prefecture. On the second day of the fifth month, when news of Yin Yufeng's victory reached this place, the head of the post station immediately dispatched the best riders on the finest horses towards the capital.

Along the way, the riders, following imperial tradition, shouted the news of victory to everyone they met. Everywhere they went, jubilation erupted. When they reached within twenty li of the capital, the road was bustling with people, and military camps were visible everywhere along the official road. At this point, the messenger no longer worried about finding anyone to hear his cries of good news, so he urged his horse forward, repeatedly shouting from horseback: "The invincible Flying Phoenix has achieved another great feat! In the Western Regions war, 800,000 barbarian troops have been annihilated! The Yufeng Legion swept across the Western Regions, wiping out eighty barbarian tribes! The western border of the empire is now at peace!" The warhorse galloped past, but the cries of joy remained behind the rider, turning the places they passed into a sea of jubilation.

When the messenger passed by, everyone on both sides of the road who heard the good news—passersby, villagers, vendors, itinerant merchants, and even soldiers frolicking in training—reacted in the same way. First, they stared at each other in disbelief, unable to believe what they were hearing, and then they erupted in wild joy! Everyone went wild, singing and dancing on the main road, hugging each other, regardless of whether they knew each other or not. This was extraordinary good news for the entire Yanhuang people!

Since the invasion of the Qiu Te people last year, one bad thing after another had happened: the annihilation of the expeditionary force in Qiu Te, the infighting within the Southern Army, and simultaneous raids on the border by the Western Barbarians and the Northern Te Te people. Each piece of news sent a wave of panic through the people of the imperial capital. And the successive bad news made the people of Yong'an Prefecture realize that the glorious Great Xia Empire was no longer viable; it was truly beset by internal and external troubles.

Finally, some good news arrived, and it was such great news, like rain after a long drought. How could people not be overjoyed?

As they drew closer to Yong'an Prefecture, the official road became increasingly crowded, and the commotion caused by the messenger's passing grew ever greater.

When they were less than ten miles from the capital, large groups of people began running and shouting behind the messenger, their jubilation even greater than during the New Year. More and more people joined in the running and shouting, and the noise grew louder and louder, reaching the sky, so much so that it could be heard in Yong'an Prefecture several miles away.

Suddenly hearing a commotion coming from outside the city in broad daylight, and the sound growing stronger and closer, Yong'an Prefecture was immediately thrown into chaos. The declining fortunes of the past year had made this once glorious metropolis, whose gates were always open day and night, extremely fragile.

Now, hearing the commotion outside the city, almost everyone's reaction was to think that a mutiny or a powerful enemy invasion had occurred!

The people were terrified, their faces ashen and their expressions filled with panic. Pedestrians on the road turned tail and fled home without a word, while shops closed their doors and windows, and people sought refuge in their homes.

The general guarding the city gates initially hesitated, unsure of what was happening, wanting to wait and see before deciding how to react. But soon he saw dust billowing from the western road, and countless troops rushing towards the capital. In his panic, he dared not hesitate for a moment, hastily ordering the city gates to be closed and simultaneously commanding his soldiers to sound the alarm for an enemy invasion.

This plunged Yong'an City into further chaos. Some ordinary citizens, who had previously strolled leisurely in the streets as if nothing was amiss, and some restaurants and inns that remained open, now, upon hearing the alarm, no one hesitated any longer, and they all fled to their homes.

Chaos erupted within the palace and imperial city. The imperial guards hastily closed the city gates and scaled the walls for defense. Simultaneously, large contingents of imperial guards rushed to the outer city walls to assist in the defense. Even

the four major families panicked, believing one had preemptively attacked. They locked their doors and windows, and their entire family's armed forces scaled the walls of their courtyards for defense. Women, children, and the elderly were all gathered together for easy handling should the situation deteriorate.

In the past, during the empire's heyday, such joyous news would occur almost monthly, and no one would be surprised. However, such good fortune had been absent for a long time, and the recent series of events had psychologically affected the people. The soldiers and civilians of Yong'an Prefecture were no longer accustomed to such a grand spectacle.

When the messenger arrived at the city walls of Yong'an Prefecture with great excitement, he was met with this scene: the city gates were tightly shut in broad daylight, and the walls were lined with swords, spears, and halberds, with countless soldiers drawing their bows and aiming arrows at the city below.

The messenger stared blankly at the scene before him, bewildered by what had transpired in the capital, why it was so tense. The jubilant civilians following him were also taken aback by the sight, falling silent as they watched the fully armed soldiers on the city walls.

By this time, the soldiers guarding the city had realized that those rushing to the city walls were merely a group of civilians, with a messenger mixed in among them, and they began to understand what was happening.

A general leaned out and shouted down, "Hey! What are you doing? How dare you storm the capital! Are you planning a rebellion?" The messenger, realizing his large entourage had already shaken the capital, hurriedly explained, "General, please don't misunderstand! I'm a messenger from the post station, delivering an urgent report from the Western Regions!" The general roared, "What urgent report? Making such a fuss! You're asking for trouble!

How many heads do you have to chop off?" The messenger's face turned deathly pale, and he stammered, "General... General, please forgive me! I'm delivering... a victory report from the Western Regions!" Hearing the messenger's words, a stir broke out on the city wall. Soldiers' faces lit up with surprise, and they began whispering amongst themselves.

The general who had asked the question paused for a moment, then turned and angrily shouted at those around him, "Shut up, all of you! We haven't even figured things out yet, what are you all arguing about! Are you trying to stop me from asking questions?!" After being reprimanded, the surrounding soldiers dared not utter a sound, but they still excitedly looked at each other, sharing their joy. Many impatient soldiers also stared anxiously at their general, hoping he would quickly find out the specific details.

The general guarding the city was also eager to know the details, but he didn't want to appear flustered in front of his subordinates. After coughing a few times slowly, he asked, "You said there was a victory in the Western Regions? What happened?" Seeing that the general was asking for confirmation, the messenger gradually relaxed and happily reported, "General, news of a great victory came from the Western Regions this morning! Commander Feng's Jade Phoenix Legion annihilated 800,000 enemy troops, pursued them for over a thousand miles, and wiped out more than eighty barbarian tribes. The Western Regions are now at peace!" Hearing the earth-shattering news, the soldiers and officers cheered, the previous tension vanishing instantly.

The general stood there, grinning foolishly, completely unsure what to do, and had forgotten that the messenger was waiting to enter the city. It was one of his lieutenants beside him who smiled and reminded him, "General, the envoy is still waiting to enter the city!" The general laughed heartily twice, slapped his head a couple of times, and then waved his hand forcefully, signaling his men to quickly open the city gates and let the messenger in.

With the booming sound of the city gates opening, the messenger swiftly rode into Yong'an Prefecture, his bright voice quickly echoing through the streets: "The invincible Flying Phoenix has once again achieved a great feat! In the Western Regions War, 800,000 barbarian troops have been annihilated! The Jade Phoenix Legion has swept across the Western Regions, wiping out 80 barbarian tribes, and the western border of the empire is now at peace!" Wherever the messenger's voice reached, it immediately elicited earth-shattering cheers. Sound always travels faster than people, and in no time, before the messenger even reached the palace, the entire city knew the news of Yin Yufeng's great victory in the Western Regions. This news, the only truly good news in this turbulent season, instantly lifted the spirits of the people of Yong'an Prefecture, sweeping away the gloom that had hung over them for months!

At the beginning of the unrest in the capital, Emperor Wuming was furious, shouting and yelling in the palace, clamoring to execute the entire family of the rebellious minister Zhan Gan. But when his anger subsided, he began to feel fear, constantly asking those around him what had happened, urging them to find out quickly. When his subordinates heard the shouts of the people in the palace and hurriedly told him that Yin Yufeng had achieved a great victory in the Western Regions, although they hadn't yet grasped the specifics, Emperor Wuming was already overjoyed, laughing and jumping around in the palace like a madman.

"I've said it before, my army will slaughter every barbarian who dares challenge me! Haha! Look, first Shi Yan's eagle-like retreat was so impressive, freeing her up to go to the capital to defend the emperor! Now my invincible Flying Phoenix is displaying its divine might once again! Haha! By the way! Tell me quickly, what's the specific situation on Yin Yufeng's side? How exactly did they win? To what extent?" His subordinates could only tell him that the messenger hadn't entered the palace yet, but the people outside were already cheering, having heard others shouting that Yin Yufeng had won a great victory in the Western Regions.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Wuming immediately flew into a rage, shouting, "What? So there's no definite news! You bunch of scoundrels dare to deceive the emperor? I will have you all executed by slow slicing!" These words terrified the messenger eunuchs, who kowtowed and begged for mercy, but they were spared. Just as the emperor was about to order the men dragged out and beheaded, the messenger finally entered the palace, delivering the definite news and a letter of victory from Xisili to the emperor.

After eagerly reading Sisley's letter, the Emperor finally believed the news of the victory in the Western Regions was true. It took him a long time to grasp the immense significance of such a glorious victory for the Empire. Excited, he paced back and forth in the palace, sometimes shouting, sometimes muttering to himself, neither of which could be understood.

After a period of ecstatic jubilation, the aged and frail Emperor collapsed weakly onto his dragon bed. Despite his exhaustion, still immersed in the joy of victory, he issued a decree praising Yin Yufeng and her army.

The Emperor announced the conferment of the title of Princess Yingwu, the first female princess in the Empire's history, a hereditary title, granting her the right to wear a sword and exempting her from bowing at court. He awarded her 20,000 taels of gold, 1 million taels of silver, 50,000 bolts of silk and satin, and 30,000 mu of land. Historian Xisili was granted the title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, and awarded 5,000 taels of gold, 500,000 taels of silver, 20,000 bolts of silk and satin, and 10,000 mu of land. The "Jade Phoenix Legion" was bestowed the name "Invincible Jade Phoenix Legion," with each soldier receiving 20 taels of silver; the "Phoenix Soaring Army" was renamed the "Heroic and Ever-Victorious Phoenix Soaring Iron Army," with each soldier receiving 1 tael of gold and 50 taels of silver. Families of fallen soldiers

received generous compensation; a list of meritorious generals was submitted for further rewards. Simultaneously, Yin Yufeng was ordered to immediately return to the capital, where he would personally preside over a grand victory celebration. Yin Yufeng's brilliant victory would have earned him extremely generous rewards in any dynasty, but for Emperor Wuming, who had recently suffered a series of setbacks, it was like a lifeline, which he clung to tightly.

His rewards to Yin Yufeng and his subordinates set a record in imperial history, pushing Yin Yufeng to the pinnacle of imperial general honor. Later historians, including scholars from the Jiang Dynasty's own court, while reveling in the glory Yin Yufeng achieved, acknowledged that these rewards were closely related to her unparalleled achievements, but also to Emperor Wu Ming's circumstances and mindset at the time.

In the Jiang family compound, news of Yin Yufeng's victory naturally sparked immediate jubilation. Everyone frantically chanted the name of their matriarch, singing and dancing, reveling in the glory and joy Yin Yufeng brought them.

Jiang Hanqing, upon hearing the news of his mother's victory, was discussing family matters with his father. The two overjoyed men jumped up and cheered almost simultaneously. Then, father and son embraced, laughing and jumping with abandon. After a

while of jubilation, Jiang Haoyu was the first to regain his composure, sitting down to drink a sip of tea. He calmly considered the matter for a moment, coughed, and said to Jiang Hanqing, who still had a happy expression on his face, "It is good that your mother won, but I think the losses of her army may also be quite staggering! Whether this victory is a good thing or a bad thing for our family is hard to say in the short term! We must not be complacent!" Hearing his father's words, the smile on Jiang Hanqing's face gradually disappeared.

"Yes! If the invasion of Berlin was a ploy by the enemy to contain Mother's army and weaken our forces, then they have achieved part of their goal! Although Mother has completely crushed the Western Region barbarians, such a brutal war must have severely weakened her army. Our strength has been greatly reduced!" Jiang Hanqing finished speaking and couldn't help but curse, "Damn it! Why are the people so easy to talk to? Shi Yanying persuaded them to retreat so easily! There's something fishy going on!" Jiang Haoyu was a little dissatisfied with his son's unrestrained speech. He frowned and looked at his son's indignant expression, then slowly said, "Logically speaking, with..." Shi Yanying's proud nature would prevent her from making peace with the barbarian army, and the same applies to Te Dongren. Yet this time, both sides actually negotiated a peace, and ultimately succeeded. I think there must be something hidden behind this! Jiang Hanqing nodded and said, "No matter what, Mother has still cleared away the powerful enemy in the Western Regions. This is not only a great honor, but frankly speaking, if we need to advance from the Western Regions to the Central Plains in the future, we will have no worries about our rear. This is ultimately a great thing, and we should be happy!" As Jiang Haoyu nodded and smiled in agreement with his son, a deafening cheer erupted again from the courtyard. It turned out that the news of the emperor's decree praising Yin Yufeng had reached the Jiang family compound, and he had even sent an envoy to the Jiang family to read the contents of the imperial edict that he would bestow upon Yin Yufeng. The cheers in the courtyard just now were caused by the arrival of the emperor's envoy.

When the imperial edict was read to the Jiang family father and son, Jiang Haoyu beamed from ear to ear, hurriedly accepting congratulations from the imperial envoy and family members. The joy of the rest of the Jiang family reached a new peak. Everyone was happy for their matriarch's immense honor and proud to be a member of the family.

As for Jiang Hanqing, after hearing the edict, he was completely stunned. He numbly and casually responded to the congratulations from family and friends, as if his soul had left his body. Everyone watched him with smiles, finding his reaction completely understandable. They believed he was overwhelmed with joy upon hearing of his mother's great victory and the emperor's high honor, thus becoming dazed. In fact, they were both right and wrong. Jiang Hanqing was indeed overwhelmed with joy, but this joy was completely different from what others imagined! His mind kept repeating the same phrase: "Mother is coming back! Mother is coming back! Mother is coming back!..."

Chapter 54 Eagle Soars Over Yong'an

Chapter 54 Eagle Soars

Over Yong'an The joyous feeling in the Jiang family was completely different. The news of Yin Yufeng's great victory in the Western Regions was hardly good news for the families of Duke Dingguo Wang Mingde and Duke Anguo Li Zhiqiang. Especially when they learned that the emperor had bestowed such high honors upon her, both of them couldn't help but curse out loud.

For Wang Mingde, he wished he could make his greatest enemy suffer a crushing defeat. Now, however, he had to face Yin Yufeng's success and fame. How could he bear it? He vented his anger at home for a whole day by smashing bottles and chairs. Only with great difficulty did Wang Mingde manage to send a family member to the Jiang family to offer his congratulations. If Wang Mingde was only a little jealous of the glory his enemy had received, Li Zhiqiang was even more upset, because he knew very well how his wife, Shi Yanying, would react to this!

Yin Yufeng and Shi Yanying had always held very high positions in the imperial army, and the two were known as the "Twin Pillars of the Empire." The two men were remarkably similar in every way—their family backgrounds, military careers, personal achievements, and even the strength of their respective legions were virtually identical. However, they couldn't stand each other. This was partly due to competition among colleagues, but also involved a grudge from the previous generation!

Yin Yufeng's father, Yin Shixiong, came from a renowned military family in the empire. He was appointed Imperial Marshal at the age of twenty-four, having fought in over thirty battles without a single defeat, earning him the reputation of "the fiercest general" within the empire. Shi Yanying's father, Shi Hengtian, also came from a prominent military family in the empire. He was born and joined the army in the same year as Yin Shixiong, but was appointed Imperial Marshal two years later, at the age of twenty-six. For this reason, although his actual achievements were comparable to Yin Shixiong's, he was always considered inferior to Yin Shixiong in the eyes of others.

Later, Emperor Wuming, preparing to expand the frontier, decided to send the empire's two most powerful generals, Yin Shixiong and Shi Hengtian, to the Western Regions and the Northern Frontier respectively to command armies in conquering foreign lands. Yin Shixiong was sent to the Western Regions, while Shi Hengtian was sent to the Northern Frontier. This incident fueled Shi Hengtian's resentment towards Yin Shixiong.

Although to the average person, the Western Regions and the Northern Frontier were both near-barbaric, desolate, and indifferent places, it seemed inconsequential for anyone to go there, since both were border defense posts. However, there was a significant difference. The Northern Frontier, with its harsh and cold climate, truly deserved to be called desolate and indifferent, lacking even a decent city. The Western Regions, on the other hand, had a warm and humid climate, fertile land and pastures, and trade routes leading to the far west, making it full of life and vitality.

Furthermore, three thousand years of development by the Yanhuang people had made Sunset City the second largest city in the empire, second only to Yong'an Prefecture. Not to mention anything else, Sunset City alone was enough to make the Northern Frontier pale in comparison, forever remaining far behind. It was precisely for these reasons that the empire consistently adopted a defensive posture in the northern frontier, while actively expanding its territory in the western regions. The focus of court policy always leaned towards the western regions, with even the promotion of generals and officials prioritized there over the northern frontier.

Thus, Yin Shixiong was sent to the western regions, while Shi Hengtian was forced to remain in the northern frontier. It was clear to everyone that this was a preferential treatment from the court, implying that the court considered Yin Shixiong more capable than Shi Hengtian, and that his future opportunities for advancement would naturally be far greater. How could this not fuel Shi Hengtian's resentment?

In the years that followed, the two were constantly at odds. One mocked the other's incompetence in command, the other criticized the other's poor decision-making. One day you impeach me, the next I'll impeach you. Their feud became so intense that everyone in and out of the court knew they were sworn enemies.

These two adversaries seemed to be constantly competing and defiant throughout their lives, even regarding the issue of having offspring. Yin Shixiong had no sons, and Shi Hengtian only had daughters. On the surface, the two seemed evenly matched, but in reality, Shi Hengtian had a new worry. Although both only had daughters, Yin Shixiong had two, Yin Yufeng and Yin Yuji, while Shi Hengtian only had Shi Yanying. No matter how hard he tried, he could not have any more children.

This made Shi Hengtian feel that it was all fate, that heaven was too unfair to him, that Yin Shixiong had always outmaneuvered him, and it also made him give up any thought of surpassing Yin Shixiong. He placed all his hopes on Shi Yanying, wanting his beloved daughter to surpass the Yin sisters.

The grudges of their ancestors thus affected the lives of their descendants, and the two girls, even more unfortunate than their father, were driven by a fierce rivalry from a young age.

First, the two rose to fame around the same time. Shi Yanying became famous at the age of eighteen, commanding a small force of 5,000 cavalry to defeat the formidable Wolf Fang Iron Cavalry of the Special Forces, numbering 30,000. From then on, she proudly entered the ranks of the empire's renowned generals. Yin Yufeng rose to fame the following year. At the age of seventeen, she followed her father, Marshal Yin Shixiong, to the western frontier to fight against the Western Barbarian coalition. After her father was ambushed and killed, she led her remaining 20,000 troops to defend Tianlang Pass, defeating a barbarian army of 150,000 and killing the barbarian's top general, Hami Chi, thus achieving instant fame.

Shi Yanying, who was two years older than Yin Yufeng, became famous a year earlier, but was still a year older than Yin Yufeng in terms of age at the time of her rise to fame. In this respect, the Yin family surpassed the Shi family. Moreover, Yin Yufeng's battle for fame seemed to be much more difficult than Shi Yanying's. If Shi Hengtian hadn't heard that his old nemesis, Yin Shixiong, had lost his life, he would have hated the Yin family's good fortune even more.

It seemed that Shi Hengtian's fate was always closely linked to Yin Shixiong; without Yin Shixiong, Shi Hengtian's life would have ended. Less than a year after Yin Shixiong's death, Shi Hengtian was ambushed and fatally wounded by barbarian hunters while hunting. The two rivals died one after the other, leaving two young girls to continue their fathers' rivalry.

Yin Yufeng was appointed Imperial Marshal at the age of nineteen, the same year as Shi Yanying. That same year, Yin Yufeng launched a devastating war against the Tu La tribe, while Shi Yanying attacked the Helie tribe, one of the three major nomadic peoples of the Northern Frontier, alongside the Teqin and Xiongnu.

At twenty, Yin Yufeng officially became the Governor of the Western Regions Protectorate, while Shi Yanying became the Governor of the Northern Frontier Protectorate in the same year.

At twenty-one, Yin Yufeng completely annihilated the Tu La tribe, and Shi Yanying almost simultaneously wiped out the Helie tribe.

At twenty-four, Shi Yanying achieved a brilliant record of nine victories in nine battles within three months, annihilating 400,000 Xiongnu cavalry, and was appointed Imperial Grand Marshal, becoming the fourth Grand Marshal in the empire's history, the youngest to become Grand Marshal, and the only Grand Marshal in the reign. However, just seven months later, at the age of twenty-three, Yin Yufeng once again defied Shi Yanying's dominance, being appointed Imperial Grand Marshal again for a major victory against the Western Regions barbarian coalition, rewriting the record for the youngest Grand Marshal.

Two young and beautiful girls, like their fathers, fiercely competed in military talent. This time, in the eyes of the court, they were evenly matched, thus earning the title of "Twin Jewels of the Empire." The names "Invincible Flying Phoenix" and "Invincible Flying Eagle" resounded throughout the land, but how could two supposedly invincible individuals coexist?

The grudges of their fathers, the girls' competitive spirit, rivalry among colleagues, and their own self-confidence in their talents led these two exceptionally talented military leaders, born in the same era, to be at odds with each other.

Now, facing barbarian invaders on the border, these two invincible commanders produced drastically different results. This was the first time such a situation had occurred. Although Shi Yanying had successfully reached an agreement with the special agents, forcing them to withdraw their troops—a victory without fighting—it paled in comparison to Yin Yufeng's unparalleled military achievements! In everyone's eyes, Yin Yufeng's brilliant victories were undoubtedly more valuable. Undoubtedly, everyone now believes that Yin Yufeng has surpassed Shi Yanying this time. While their military talents cannot be definitively judged by such a simple comparison, reality often presents such a picture.

Although Li Zhiqiang and Shi Yanying had a conflict over the issue of having children, it didn't mean their relationship was over. As the saying goes, "A night of marriage brings a hundred days of kindness," and besides, they hadn't had any major arguments over the years except for the lack of children. If the issue of succession is excluded, they are actually a loving couple. Therefore, Shi Yanying still considers herself a member of the Li family, and the Li family has never treated her as an outsider. Shi Yanying's swift return to the capital with her troops further proves that her heart still belongs to the Li family.

Now, upon hearing the news of Yin Yufeng's great victory, Li Zhiqiang naturally feels sad for Shi Yanying. He knows that Yin Yufeng's achievements and reputation far surpass Shi Yanying's this time, and perhaps in the future, the saying "Twin Pillars of the Empire" will no longer exist; only "Invincible Flying Phoenix" will remain!

Most importantly, Li Zhiqiang knew perfectly well that Shi Yanying's decision to abandon fighting the enemy and choose peace talks was entirely due to his letter to her about the critical situation in the capital, hoping she could find a way to provide support. She was forced to make this sacrifice for the sake of the Li family's interests! He knew that if he hadn't told Shi Yanying in his letter about the dire situation in the capital, she could have stayed in the northern frontier to annihilate the special agents, establishing merit comparable to Yin Yufeng, before returning to the capital in glory. She was forced to make this decision for the survival of the Li family!

Therefore, Shi Yanying's being outshone by Yin Yufeng this time wasn't because of her lack of ability, but simply because of the burden of her in-laws. Although both Shi Yanying and Yin Yufeng were matriarchs of ducal families, the situations of their respective families were completely different. The Li family's power was far inferior to the Jiang family's. The Jiang family could absorb the losses of Yufeng's army to a certain extent, without needing Yin Yufeng to lead troops back to the capital for support; but the Li family couldn't. Without Shi Yanying leading troops back to the capital, the Li family's power might soon become prey for the Jiang and Wang families.

Because of these thoughts, Li Zhiqiang felt particularly distressed. He could easily imagine his wife's angry, helpless, and resentful expression upon hearing the news of her competitor's victory.

He was even a little worried that Shi Yanying might become even more resentful of the Li family because of this incident, since the Li family had indeed dragged her down.

Pacing back and forth in the study, Li Zhiqiang sighed repeatedly, wondering how he would face his wife when she returned to the capital.

Seeing his brother pacing around like a headless fly, his younger brother, Li Zhigang, asked in bewilderment, "Brother, although Yin Yufeng was incredibly successful this time, and we're all angry, there's always a gain in loss! Her Yufeng Army was severely weakened! This means my sister-in-law's strength surpasses hers, so there's no need to be so upset!" Li Zhiqiang

waved his hand irritably, displeased, "What do you know! Huh! Do you know how your sister-in-law will react to this?"

Li Zhigang laughed, "What will she react? She'll just feel very resentful, what can she do?" "What?!"

Li Zhiqiang glared at his younger brother and angrily said, "Your sister-in-law gave up fighting the special forces this time so she could hurry back to Beijing to support us. Now they've gotten ahead of us, no wonder she's furious!"

Li Zhigang was taken aback and said, "I know that! What's wrong? Do you mean... your sister-in-law is blaming us? We didn't do anything wrong!"

Li Zhiqiang shook his head helplessly and said, "If we were stronger, like the Jiang family, and didn't hold your sister-in-law back, she could have stayed in the Northern Frontier and created her own great achievements, instead of still being here..." " What merit has Yin Yufeng made?"

Li Zhigang snorted in dissatisfaction. "So what! What do you mean by 'holding us back'? She's a member of our Li family, it's only right that she makes some sacrifices for the family's interests! Humph! You think the family is holding us back? Then I can think the family is holding us back too!"

Hearing his brother's words, Li Zhiqiang was furious. "What are you saying? Your sister-in-law has sacrificed so much for the family, can't you think more about her? I know you've always disliked your sister-in-law, saying she's arrogant and looks down on you. You also say she's just a girl but she insists on suppressing..." The Li family has lost face because of you!

Hum! Some of you are saying that she comes from a martial arts family with no status or education. She has climbed up to our family. She should have had some knowledge, but she has no sense at all! You think I don't know these things, right? Tell me, are you talking about her behind my back like this? Why are you so shallow-minded?

Li Zhigang felt a little frightened when he saw his brother getting more and more angry, but he still muttered unwillingly: "We haven't considered it for her yet?" Hum! She didn't even have a child, and we..."

"You bastards! If you hadn't been gossiping all the time, how could Yanying and I have conflicts? How come she went to Northern Xinjiang and refused to come back for so many years? Now she sacrificed her personal honor for the benefit of the family and came back to help our family! Yet you are still there gossiping! What do you want her to do so that you can be satisfied? You say it!

Seeing that his brother's eyes seemed to be bursting with fire, Li Zhigang said quickly: "Okay!" OK! Even if I didn’t say anything! "

Not daring to say anything more to his brother, Li Zhigang quickly stood up and walked out of the study.

Once outside, he muttered again, "Pah! She doesn't dare offend that tigress, yet she takes it out on me! What's so great about Shi Yanying! Humph! She can't even have a child! If she were truly more powerful than that bitch Yin Yufeng, she should have wiped out the Special Operations Barbarians before returning to the capital. Now that she's inferior, she wants to cause trouble on our heads! Damn it! My brother is really something, it's not just me who thinks this way, the whole family thinks the same! He's still protecting that tigress!"

Muttering to himself all the way, Li Zhigang decided to find a few other brothers in the family to vent his frustrations, since there were many in the family who, like him, had long been dissatisfied with Shi Yanying.

Li Zhiqiang slumped into his chair, staring blankly in the direction his younger brother had left, muttering to himself, "This won't do! This absolutely won't do! When Yan Ying comes back and finds everything is still the same, and those people in the family still don't like her, she'll definitely be angry! Besides, she made such a huge sacrifice this time! No! This won't do!

I must find a way to resolve the conflict between those brainless bastards and Yan Ying! Otherwise, our Li family is finished!"

While Li Zhiqiang was worrying about Shi Yan Ying's return to the capital, the Jiang family father and son were experiencing similar anxieties.

After calming down from the initial euphoria of learning of Yin Yufeng's great honor, the Jiang family father and son began to have doubts about the emperor's decision to summon Yin Yufeng back to the capital. In their hearts, the father and son had very conflicted views on the emperor's summons. Emotionally, they naturally wanted Yin Yufeng to return to the capital; however, from the perspective of court intrigue, they did not want Yin Yufeng to leave her army and return to the capital at this time.

Although Sisley, equally loyal to the Jiang family, would continue to command the Jade Phoenix Legion in the Western Regions, it was ultimately less secure than Yin Yufeng directly controlling it. Who knew what new tricks the enemy might pull while Yin Yufeng was away from her army? And what if, once Yin Yufeng returned, the emperor found various excuses to prevent her from returning to her own army in the Western Regions?

Despite these concerns, the Jiang father and son couldn't oppose the emperor's decision, as they couldn't find any suitable pretext in the current situation. A large-scale border war in the Western Regions was unlikely for the foreseeable future. The emperor's decision to bring the great commander, who had achieved so much, back to the capital for an audience was impeccable in both reason and emotion. After

discussing it, the father and son realized they couldn't change the emperor's decision, so they suppressed their doubts and waited optimistically for Yin Yufeng's return. In truth, both father and son, regardless of their individual motives, had long yearned for Yin Yufeng's return to the capital, as they hadn't seen her for nearly five years! This was a chance to fulfill their wish.

On the third day of the fifth month, the emperor's envoy to the Western Regions departed the capital. He was to deliver the emperor's edict to Yin Yufeng herself and also to summon her back to the capital.

Just as this envoy left, another invincible commander, Shi Yanying, arrived at the gates of the great capital of the Great Xia Empire.

On the eighth day of the fifth month, Shi Yanying's entourage reached a point less than fifty li from Yong'an Prefecture, the capital. Her envoy brought news of her arrival to Yong'an Prefecture.

Upon learning of Shi Yanying's arrival near the capital, the emperor immediately dispatched an envoy to inform her to postpone her journey that day, saying he would personally lead civil and military officials to welcome her ten li outside the city the following day.

Although Emperor Wuming was becoming increasingly incompetent, the insight of someone who had accomplished great things was still unmatched by ordinary people. He knew very well that Shi Yanying and Yin Yufeng were actually of equal caliber, and to rank them based solely on their military achievements was merely the common, shallow view of a mortal! The "Twin Pillars of the Empire"

would always be his solid arms in expanding his territory. His generous reward for Yin Yufeng's brilliant military exploits did not mean he would neglect another equally invincible general.

Emperor Wuming knew that the unparalleled honor bestowed upon Yin Yufeng in his joy would greatly hurt Shi Yanying's pride, and if he did not show Shi Yanying the same respect, he might lose this capable general's support.

Of course, all of this was merely the emperor's own thought; in reality, his "Twin Pillars of the Empire" had long harbored disloyalty towards him, but the old emperor himself was unaware of it. On

the morning of May 9th, the emperor led civil and military officials, including the main officials of the four major ducal families, to the Ten-Mile Pavilion to welcome Shi Yanying's arrival.

To demonstrate his trust in Shi Yanying, he did not allow her "Eagle Wing Iron Guards" to remain thirty miles away from the imperial carriage as was customary, but instead permitted Shi Yanying to bring her personal guard to meet the emperor. The Jiang father and son reacted very differently to the upcoming meeting with this legendary woman, Shi Yanying.

Jiang Haoyu and Shi Yanying were both officials under the same emperor and were already acquainted, so he was completely indifferent to the upcoming meeting. Since the emperor had asked him to put on a show, he had no choice but to come.

Jiang Hanqing, however, genuinely wanted to meet this female general who was on par with his mother.

Eight years ago, when Shi Yanying left the capital, Jiang Hanqing was still with his mother in the Western Regions army. After he followed his mother to the capital, Shi Yanying never returned. Therefore, Jiang Hanqing had never met this important figure of equal rank to his mother. To him, this woman was merely a figure from legend.

Jiang Hanqing had asked countless people who had dealt with Shi Yanying, "What exactly is the legendary Shi Yanying like?"

Everyone's first answer was the same: "Shi Yanying? Arrogant! Incredibly arrogant! Her posture is truly like an eagle's! It seems she never bows her head to anyone!"

"And what does she look like? I heard she's very beautiful?" Jiang Hanqing persisted.

The answer was: "Yes! Very beautiful! As noble and beautiful as your mother!"

Hearing this, Jiang Hanqing was even more eager to see this woman who was as brave and skilled in battle as his mother, and who was also said to be as noble and beautiful.

For so many years, Jiang Hanqing had hoped for the opportunity to see Shi Yanying in person, but unfortunately, he had never had the chance. Now that the opportunity had finally arrived, how could he not be filled with anticipation?

From the direction of the north of the official road, the sound of rapidly approaching hooves gradually came from afar. Jiang Hanqing rubbed his hands excitedly. Standing beside him, Jiang Haoyu sensed his son's excitement and glared at him disapprovingly. The look in his eyes was clearly a reprimand: "What's the rush! So impatient! She's just like your mother, what's the big deal?"

Jiang Hanqing smiled awkwardly at his father, realizing he had indeed been too nervous. Trying to relax his eager anticipation, Jiang Hanqing looked around at the others who were also waiting. The older generation mostly appeared calm, while the younger generation, around his age, were all excited, clearly sharing his eagerness to see Shi Yanying.

After all, Shi Yanying and Yin Yufeng were like mythical figures to these young people.

From the time they were old enough to understand, they had constantly heard about the exploits of these two invincible commanders, and it could be said that they had all grown up under the shadow of Shi Yanying and Yin Yufeng's fame. Now, to be able to see such legendary figures in person was naturally extremely exciting.

The sound of hooves grew closer, and the ground began to tremble slightly, indicating that Shi Yanying's army was approaching.

Suddenly, a rider appeared in the distance, galloping towards them. In the blink of an eye, the horse was upon them, and the rider's attire became clearly visible.

A black warhorse, black armor, a black helmet, a black mask—all black!

The cavalryman dismounted, and everyone could see that his helmet was adorned with a black eagle poised for flight, while his breastplate bore a large, snow-white eagle also poised for flight. Undoubtedly, this was a cavalryman from the Flying Eagle Legion.

The cavalryman moved swiftly, running to the emperor and kneeling to report, "Grand Marshal Shi Yanying and his 'Eagle Wing Iron Guard' are approaching the Ten-Mile Pavilion and will arrive shortly. Grand Marshal Shi Yanying has specially dispatched this humble servant to report to Your Majesty!"

The emperor nodded in acknowledgment, and the messenger cavalryman, without further ado, quickly retreated to the side.

Less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, as the thunder of hooves grew louder, a troop of cavalry appeared on the horizon. All rode black horses, wore black helmets and black armor, forming a formidable, dark mass from afar. A yellow banner fluttered high at the head of the column, embroidered with a large black eagle with outstretched wings.

A sense of awe welled up in everyone's hearts; this was the cavalry of the "Flying Eagle Legion"! This was the renowned "Eagle Wing Iron Guard"!

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the "Eagle Wing Iron Guard" continued their charge. They advanced with incredible speed, quickly closing the distance to within ten paces of the crowd.

Seeing their unbridled galloping even at such close range, the crowd began to worry that they might not be able to stop even when they reached them. Just then, the officer at the forefront suddenly raised his right hand, and with his gesture, all the cavalrymen spurred their horses sharply. Although the horses were galloping wildly, they all came to a simultaneous, perfectly synchronized halt, demonstrating exceptional skill! Those waiting to greet them, especially those with military experience, couldn't help but secretly admire, "Impressive!"

The layman sees the spectacle, the expert sees the skill.

These veterans knew that even a slow-moving cavalry unit might struggle to rein in their horses with such precision, let alone at such a rapid pace.

The Eagle Wing Iron Guard's perfect execution was a testament to their renowned, ever-victorious army.

Once the horses stopped, the Eagle Wing Iron Guard cavalry suddenly roared in unison, "Ha!" The sound was thunderous, startling even the most timid among them. The cavalry then swiftly parted to the sides of the road, forming two lines and clearing the wide thoroughfare.

At that moment, another troop of cavalry galloped in from afar, still riding black horses and wearing black armor. Leading this troop was a snow-white warhorse, upon which sat a female general in silver helmet and armor. From afar, her face was obscured, but her proud and upright posture exuded an aura of domineering arrogance. At this point, no explanation was needed; even those who had never seen Shi Yanying before knew it was her.

Jiang Hanqing, witnessing Shi Yanying's imposing entrance, admired her extraordinary presence but also felt a subtle unease. She found her behavior overly arrogant, confirming the high regard others had held for her. When Shi Yanying

's mount drew near, all those who hadn't seen her face felt a profound disappointment. Shi Yanying wore a golden eye mask, obscuring her upper face, making it impossible for anyone to see her features. This was undoubtedly a huge blow to the young people eager to see her.

Many of the young people around Jiang Hanqing sighed softly, expressing their deep disappointment.

Jiang Hanqing was naturally disappointed, but he could understand Shi Yanying's actions. His mother, Yin Yufeng, also liked to cover the upper half of her face with a mask when leading troops.

After all, an overly beautiful woman's face was unlikely to inspire awe in her subordinates.

Shi Yanying stopped her horse about ten zhang away from where the emperor stood, dismounted, and gracefully walked towards Emperor Wuming.

Since the ministers were standing on either side of the road in front of the emperor, and Jiang Hanqing was among them, Shi Yanying had to pass in front of him as she walked towards the emperor, giving him the opportunity to observe her closely.

Although Shi Yanying wore a silver armor, the perfectly tailored, form-fitting armor did not prevent her from displaying the graceful curves of her body. Clearly, it was the innate love of beauty that drove her to seek out skilled craftsmen to create this exquisite, form-fitting armor.

Through this specially made armor, Jiang Hanqing could easily imagine the exquisite beauty of the flesh beneath, sculpted from its surface. Although a forty-two-year-old woman, her figure remained remarkably perfect, perhaps thanks to the rigorous training of her long military service; the ample exercise prevented her from showing any signs of the common middle-aged woman's weight gain. "Perfectly proportioned, neither too plump nor too slender. Shoulders like those of a sculpted figure, waist as slender as a silken thread." These four phrases perfectly described Shi Yanying's figure. Her high, firm breasts, in particular, made Jiang Hanqing's mouth water.

The upper half of Shi Yanying's face was concealed by a mask, but the eyes that did appear were incredibly alluring. Large, seductive eyes, bright as crystal, clear as water—clearly a gift from heaven. However, these beautiful eyes occasionally revealed a cold, sharp gaze when looking at others, as if warning them against any disrespect. Yet, it was precisely this unapproachable demeanor that amplified men's desire to conquer her.

The lower half of her face, not covered by the mask, was a classic oval shape, with skin as white and delicate as solidified mutton fat. Small, exquisite, rosy lips were perfectly positioned on her pretty face; any higher would be too much, any lower would be insufficient.

Although Jiang Hanqing couldn't see Shi Yanying's complete face, he could already tell from what he could observe that she was an unparalleled beauty, a woman who could rival his mother in beauty. And strangely enough, while the "Twin Jewels of the Empire" had similar life experiences, at this moment, Jiang Hanqing felt that they even resembled each other remarkably in figure, temperament, and facial features.

As Shi Yanying walked past Jiang Hanqing, he even felt a momentary sense of disorientation, as if the woman before him was his beloved mother. When he regained his senses, Shi Yanying had already passed him. Shi Yanying didn't style her hair into a bun like other noblewomen of the Empire, but let it fall naturally down her back. From behind, her glossy hair flowed smoothly down her graceful, slender back, reaching the top of her full hips. Its silky smoothness made anyone who saw it, man or woman, want to gently caress it.

Jiang Hanqing's gaze followed Shi Yanying's alluring hair, slowly descending until it reached her full, high buttocks. His eyes were instantly captivated, as if drawn by a magnet, unable to look away even slightly.

Watching this beautiful woman's swaying, full buttocks, Jiang Hanqing suddenly felt a strange swelling in his groin. He thought, "What wonderful buttocks! They look no less beautiful than my mother's! If I could slap them, I wonder how pleasurable that would feel!"

A sudden surge of intense jealousy rose within Jiang Hanqing towards Duke Anguo, Li Zhiqiang. He couldn't understand what he had done to deserve such a beautiful and mature woman as his wife! Lost in thought, Jiang Hanqing gazed at Shi Yanying's slender waist and swaying, full hips as she walked, and he desperately longed to sleep with her.

Thinking those around him might share his feelings, Jiang Hanqing glanced at the crowd, only to be immediately surprised to find that everyone's gaze towards Shi Yanying was filled with adoration and respect; not a single person wore the lustful expression he had.

Jiang Hanqing couldn't help but sigh, "Alas! These fools really don't know how to appreciate women! Such a beautiful woman is no longer a woman in their eyes, but merely a great general! No one appreciates the most beautiful thing about a woman! Shi Yanying must feel sad too, right? I'll make those fools understand the correct way to appreciate a woman like Shi Yanying when I have the chance!"

While Jiang Hanqing was lost in thought, Shi Yanying had already bowed to the emperor and stood up. The perfunctory exchange of pleasantries between the two had ended.

When Jiang Hanqing came to her senses, the eunuch in charge of ceremonies beside the emperor had just begun to read out the emperor's rewards for Shi Yanying's military achievements over the years of service on the frontier. As if to slightly compensate for the possible shock that the astonishing reward given to Yin Yufeng might have caused Shi Yanying, the emperor also offered Shi Yanying a generous reward, although it was still far less than what Yin Yufeng received, it was still enough to amaze onlookers.

The Emperor bestowed upon Shi Yanying the following gifts: 5,000 taels of gold, 100,000 taels of silver, 50,000 bolts of silk and satin, and 10,000 mu of land. He also announced her investiture as the Princess Yingyi, a hereditary title.

This was the first time in the empire's history that a woman had been granted the title of Princess for military merit. Although Yin Yufeng had previously been directly granted the title of Prince for her military achievements, a rank higher than Princess, she had never been granted the title of Princess. Therefore, this somewhat humiliating record belonged to Shi Yanying.

After the Emperor finished announcing the gifts to Shi Yanying, he returned to the palace to rest due to exhaustion. Next, it was time for the ministers to take the stage. Each minister, according to their rank, would go forward to welcome and congratulate Shi Yanying. Although Jiang Hanqing was young, as the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's family and possessing considerable ability, he already held a title exceeding the highest rank and a second-rank official position, making him a rare exception among court officials. Furthermore, Yin Yufeng was his biological mother. Therefore, he was included by the emperor's eunuchs in the first batch of ministers to congratulate Shi Yanying.

This group of officials, besides the four dukes including his father, consisted of several high-ranking first-rank officials. Initially, Jiang Hanqing didn't notice this, swaggering past his father. Only when Shi Yanying's surprised gaze fell upon him did Jiang Hanqing realize that, apart from himself, none of the first batch of officials were under forty years old.

Shi Yanying looked at Jiang Hanqing, who had followed Jiang Haoyu to her side, with astonishment, then glanced around at the others, her eyes filled with questioning doubt. Clearly, she didn't know what had gone wrong. How could such a young man, whom she had never seen before, have mingled among the highest-ranking officials of the court, and yet no one had stopped him?

Jiang Hanqing noticed Shi Yanying's surprised and puzzled look, and felt a surge of anger: "Damn it! Hasn't this bitch ever seen a young and promising man like me before? Bah! Why are you making such a fuss? Are you deliberately trying to give me attitude?"

It was understandable that Shi Yanying was puzzled. After all, the first group of officials to walk up were all powerful figures in the court, and she had known them for many years. Jiang Hanqing, on the other hand, was a complete stranger, and there was no precedent for him to be among them. Naturally, Shi Yanying assumed something had gone wrong.

Jiang Haoyu knew that Shi Yanying was surprised because she didn't recognize Jiang Hanqing. He chuckled softly, turned and beckoned Jiang Hanqing to his side, then introduced him to Shi Yanying, saying, "Commander Ying, this is my son Hanqing! Hehe! You've never seen him before, so you find him unfamiliar!"

He then turned to Jiang Hanqing and said, "Qing'er, what are you standing there for? Commander Ying is an elder of the same rank as your parents, why don't you quickly pay your respects to Commander Ying?"

Although Jiang Hanqing was already a courtier of Shi Yanying, and only needed to pay respects according to his official rank, Jiang Haoyu was clearly telling him, as a junior, to pay respects to Shi Yanying as a nephew. Although Jiang Hanqing was unwilling, he dared not disobey his father's orders, so he could only bow deeply to Shi Yanying and respectfully say, "This nephew Jiang Hanqing greets Commander Ying!"

Shi Yanying then understood Jiang Hanqing's identity and did not stop him from bowing deeply, but simply chuckled lightly, "Oh! I was wondering where this young man came from, following a group of seniors to pay his respects! So you are the only son of the Duke of Zhenguo and our Commander Feng! Hehe! No wonder! Truly a rare sight in the Empire! Hehe!"

This was the first time Jiang Hanqing had clearly heard Shi Yanying's voice. Her voice was as clear and melodious as a nightingale's song; although not very loud, her enunciation was very clear. Her words naturally contained an air of nobility and authority, making one feel that they dared not disobey.

At first, Jiang Hanqing had been observing Shi Yanying's beautiful cherry-like lips with interest, finding them even more beautiful when they moved as she spoke. But he quickly realized that this arrogant "Invincible Flying Eagle" in front of him completely disregarded him, a mere youth, and his heart was immediately filled with humiliation and resentment.

What angered Jiang Hanqing first was that Shi Yanying's words clearly showed that she didn't take him, a young man, seriously. The implication was clear: "If you weren't the only son of the Duke of Zhenguo and Yin Yufeng, you wouldn't amount to anything! The fact that you're here with a group of seniors today is entirely due to your parents' influence!"

If Shi Yanying's words weren't too harsh or blatant, Jiang Hanqing could tolerate them, but her demeanor was enough to make him explode with rage!

Shi Yanying first quickly scanned him with her gaze, her eyes as cold as if she were looking at an object, then raised her head and looked away, refusing to look at him directly again. Moreover, she slightly curled her lips as she spoke, fully reflecting her disdain.

Unexpectedly, Shi Yanying showed no respect to him and his son. Jiang Haoyu's expression changed slightly, but before he could react, Jiang Hanqing retaliated.

"Hehe! Commander Ying, I wonder what you were like when you and a group of seniors went to pay your respects to them? What did they say to you?"

Shi Yanying seemed surprised that this young man dared to contradict her so openly. Startled, she straightened up and glared at Jiang Hanqing arrogantly, her eyes as cold as an ice blade capable of piercing his body.

Her skin, already very fair, became even more bloodless due to the shock. Her lips were tightly pressed together, the corners of her mouth slightly twitching, giving her an impression of resolute courage.

Before the others could recover from their shock, Jiang Hanqing uttered an even more unexpected remark.

"Speaking of which, I've always considered Commander Ying and my mother, Commander Feng, as my idols, but I wonder if Commander Ying, like my mother, can teach me many principles of life?"

As he said this, Jiang Hanqing stared intently into Shi Yanying's eyes, trying to discern any changes in her expression.

Sure enough, when Shi Yanying heard him mention Yin Yufeng, her pupils contracted sharply, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes, quickly transforming into intense hatred. Her body trembled slightly, as if stung by something. Her pale cheeks flushed crimson in an instant, her breathing became uneven, and her chest heaved noticeably.

However, Shi Yanying quickly recovered; although the blush on her face hadn't faded, her eyes had regained their previous clear, watery quality. She scrutinized Jiang Hanqing with great interest for a while, then turned to Jiang Haoyu and smiled, "Duke Zhenguo, your son is truly a remarkable person! No wonder he's your and Commander Feng's biological son!"

Although her voice was calm and composed, Jiang Hanqing could hear the emotion of admiration within it. Jiang Haoyu laughed, "This lad is young and immature! And has a bad temper! Commander Ying, you're magnanimous, don't take it to heart!"

Shi Yanying shook her head and ignored him, then turned to Jiang Hanqing and said, "What principles of conduct did your mother teach you? Tell me!"

As she spoke, her complexion had completely returned to its previous fair color, and her demeanor became aloof and unapproachable once more.

Jiang Hanqing coldly said, "This is probably not something that can be explained in a short time! There are still people waiting to see you! Commander Ying, don't take too long and make your nephew a target of public condemnation!"

While saying this, Jiang Hanqing thought to himself, "Shi Yanying, I learned from my mother just how despicable a lewd woman can be! Do you want to teach me the same thing? Haha! Just you wait! One day, I'll shove my cock into your damn ass and make this proud woman beg for mercy under my crotch! I'll make you a sex slave as despicable as my mother! Hehe! What 'Twin Pillars of the Empire'? Then I'll make you and my mother into 'Jiang Family Twin Penis'!"

If Shi Yanying had known that Jiang Hanqing was thinking such lewd things and envisioning such a tragic and depraved future for her, she would have drawn her sword and killed this cruel man without hesitation! But she couldn't possibly know the sordid thoughts in Jiang Hanqing's mind, and so their first meeting ended.

After Jiang Hanqing and the other dignitaries left, other officials came forward to greet Shi Yanying.

Faced with the endless stream of people approaching, Shi Yanying felt impatient; in her opinion, such trivial matters were unnecessary. However, even as the Grand Marshal of the Empire, she couldn't escape the bureaucratic formalities of the court.

Coldly dealing with the annoying pestering her, Shi Yanying completely ignored these sycophantic officials, not even bothering to glance at them.

But for some reason, surrounded by the crowd, Shi Yanying felt a strange unease; she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something just felt off. Her aloof gaze swept around, hoping to find the source of her unease.

It didn't take long for Shi Yanying to understand why she felt so strange. She clearly saw the Jiang family boy standing at a distance, observing her with a peculiar smile.

It turned out that after meeting Shi Yanying with his father, Jiang Hanqing had retreated to the side, secretly admiring her haughty demeanor and imagining the wonderful sensation of playing with the voluptuous, alluring body hidden beneath her silver armor.

Shi Yanying was utterly disgusted by Jiang Hanqing's staring gaze and loathed his sinister smile.

Normally, she might have arrested this rude boy and given him a good scolding, teaching him the importance of respecting his elders. But in this special situation, Shi Yanying could only suppress her anger, glare coldly at him, and turn away, ignoring the arrogant brat.

Jiang Hanqing was secretly startled by Shi Yanying's glare, thinking, "My god! This woman is really something. I just looked at her, and she reacted! Such a strong reaction! No wonder she's a peerless general on par with my mother. Looks like I'll have to be careful around her in the future!"

Although she turned away, not wanting to pay any more attention to Jiang Hanqing, Shi Yanying still felt a strange unease: "No one has ever made me feel this uneasy just by looking at me. What's wrong with me today? Is it just because this kid is Yin Yufeng's son? Or is it because he dared to talk back to me earlier?"

Thinking this, Shi Yanying couldn't help but glance at Jiang Hanqing again, only to find that he had lowered his head and wasn't looking at her anymore.

Shi Yanying immediately felt a sense of relief, but her mind was still preoccupied with the meaning of Jiang Hanqing's strange look: "Why did this kid stare at me like that? Why was his smile so eerie? Is there something wrong with me?" "

Shi Yanying asked herself this quietly, but the clever girl quickly realized what Jiang Hanqing meant by staring at her with such a strange look.

"Good heavens! Could it be... that he's looking at me with the lewd gaze a man has for a woman? But I'm two years older than his mother! How could he have such thoughts? This kid is too audacious! He looks at me so brazenly, does he really think I'm afraid of the Jiang family and won't dare to kill him? This kid is really asking for trouble!" Thinking this, Shi

Yanying felt a surge of murderous intent. She raised her head and glared fiercely at Jiang Hanqing, only to find him staring at her again. Shi Yanying hadn't expected Jiang Hanqing to be so bold. She glared at him, ready to teach him a lesson on the spot, but then suddenly realized that his gaze had completely lost its previous lewdness. Instead, it was filled with pure admiration and even adoration.

Seeing this look in Jiang Hanqing's eyes, Shi Yanying's hatred vanished instantly. Although she was still a little annoyed that Jiang Hanqing dared to look at her like that, women are always happy to be admired. Besides, since Shi Yanying became famous, no man had dared to look at her so rudely, not even her husband, Li Zhiqiang. Now, at over forty years old, a young man had appeared looking at her with the pure gaze a man would give a sense of pride in her own charm.

Shi Yanying, however, was unaware of the pure admiration and adoration that Jiang Hanqing later revealed in his eyes... God, it was all an act for her. When Jiang Hanqing realized Shi Yanying had noticed his lewd gaze, he lowered his head in fright, unable to look at her. But upon calming down, Jiang Hanqing felt that this was actually worse, giving Shi Yanying a guilty feeling. He needed to think of another way to remedy the situation.

The playboy, who had grown up playing with women, quickly came up with a solution.

Jiang Hanqing believed that a proud woman like Shi Yanying, though seemingly unapproachable, must be filled with loneliness inside. Just as he had noticed before the ceremony began, no man dared to look at this invincible commander in public with the same eyes one would use to look at a normal woman. For someone as naturally beautiful as her, this was undoubtedly a very sad thing. Now that her youth was fading, she must care even more about such things. So Jiang Hanqing decided to take another risk. He wanted Shi Yanying to feel that he genuinely appreciated her, even loved and worshipped her.

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