Imperial Secrets - 13

To the extraordinary Lingyu, Ye Xinyi genuinely loved him. He always felt that Ye Xinyi spoke to him more frankly and directly than she did to her husband, Kuang. More importantly, he felt that Ye Xinyi seemed to truly know what he needed, liked, and hated, and always provided him with ample comfort when he needed it. A thought began to stir within him: he wanted this beautiful and alluring woman to stay by his side for life. Although the last vestige of his reason constantly reminded him that this woman was definitely not a good person, and that she harbored countless sinister thoughts,

how could that stop him from giving his heart to this seductive "devil"? However, although Lingyu was already deeply infatuated with this alluring woman, he still understood that the Wang family's willingness to offer their matriarch's wife to him must be hiding some enormous conspiracy. To confirm his worries weren't unfounded, Ye Xinyi finally spoke to him, saying, "You should kill that old emperor, sit on the throne yourself, and then eliminate all those who oppose you! Only then can we achieve true victory and rid ourselves of all enemy threats!" Hearing Ye Xinyi's words, Lingyu felt an unprecedented shock, or rather, a sense of panic.

Although the thought of usurping his father's throne occasionally crossed Lingyu's mind, he always forcefully suppressed it, burying it deep within the darkness of his heart, never daring to openly consider it. Because his last shred of conscience constantly warned him: "That old man is your biological father. You cannot do such a beastly thing!" He also knew that with his current strength, even if he did kill the old man, the throne wouldn't be his. The scheming thoughts that had been hidden deep within him were now suddenly brought up directly by Ye Xinyi, naturally causing Lingyu an unprecedented shock. Staring dumbfounded at Ye Xinyi's incessant sneer, Ling Yu stammered, "You...you...you can't just say things like that!"

Ye Xinyi's lips curled into a disdainful sneer as she said fiercely, "What's wrong with saying this? Others can think like this, so why can't you think like this about Mom? Besides...I bet you're secretly thinking the same thing behind my back..."

Before she could finish, Ling Yu instinctively reached out and covered her mouth, glancing around in panic before whispering, "Grandma, please keep your voice down! This could cost you your head!" After his hand was pressed down on her mouth, Ye Xinyi didn't struggle much, only staring at him with disdain. Looking into her eyes, Lingyu suddenly felt a surge of anger. He abruptly released his hand from her mouth, pointed at her nose, and said angrily, "You think I wouldn't dare! Humph! What wouldn't I dare! I just wanted to see what would happen if the old man, no matter what, was my father...! And why doesn't your Wang family do the same? Did you think that just because you slept with me, you could use me to do things? Do you think I'm so stupid as to become your scapegoat? You want to use me as a puppet? Let me tell you, no way!"

Lingyu had always been deeply worried about the Wang family's attempts to win him over. At this moment, all the unease hidden deep in his heart surged up, making him unable to help but rebuke Ye Xinyi to her face. Seeing Lingyu's hysterical outburst, Ye Xinyi laughed instead of getting angry, "Oh dear! Look at you, so anxious! Who's playing with you like a puppet? Don't you think about it? If Wang Mingde and the others could do this, would they refuse? But if they did, wouldn't the other three families cause an uproar? Who would dare say they have a sure chance of winning? But if you were to do this, as long as it's done discreetly, with the royal blood flowing through your veins and the support of the Wang family, once it's done, who would be able to find an excuse to stop you from ascending the throne? Who would be able to stir up trouble and rebel against your rule? When you're the emperor, will you still remember this poor little wretch?" As she said this, Ye Xinyi wrapped her arms around Lingyu's neck, and her voluptuous body pressed tightly against him, rubbing against him forcefully. Lingyu, already tempted by Ye Xinyi's words, was now even more aroused by her seduction, nearly losing his mind. Barely clinging to the last shred of clarity, he struggled to ask, "Me, the emperor? What about the Wang family?"

"Oh! My silly emperor, what does the Wang family gain from all this? Isn't it just wealth and power? Once you become emperor, why would they worry about these things? If their demands are easily met, who would risk their life? Don't you think so, my emperor!" As Ye Xinyi whispered sweetly in Lingyu's ear, rubbing her thigh against his, he could no longer resist. Forgetting all his previous worries, Lingyu flipped her over and pinned her to the bed. A passionate embrace filled the room. After persuading Lingyu to eliminate the emperor, Ye Xinyi immediately began planning this grand conspiracy and actively preparing for its execution. In Ye Xinyi's plan, the first and most important step was to have Ling Yu present her to the emperor, thus gaining her access to his side. Once she was close to the emperor, she was certain she could eliminate him without anyone noticing.

Ye Xinyi was confident in her assassination skills, as her biological father, Ye Chengwan, was the empire's most renowned assassin, and as the sole heir of the Ye family, she had already mastered the family's secret techniques to perfection. While Ye Xinyi confidently prepared, Ling Yu was deeply troubled. He was racking his brains trying to figure out how to present Ye Xinyi to the emperor and whether a middle-aged woman like her could please him. While agonizing over this, he learned from his mother, Empress Yang Simin, that Emperor Wu Ming also had a penchant for sadomasochism. Knowing this about the emperor's predilection, Ling Yu gradually gained confidence in his success. He believed that a woman like Ye Xinyi could satisfy the emperor's sadistic desires. For a sadist, the pleasure of tormenting a mature woman like this is strangely appealing. The only problem now is that the Emperor has recently become infatuated with a woman who recently entered the palace, named Miao Ji, and spends almost all his time in her palace. How can he divert the Emperor's attention away from Miao Ji? Ling Yu is deeply troubled by this matter, but he can't think of a good solution. He can't very well kill Miao Ji, can he? The Emperor would probably execute him first if he did. When Ling Yu, at his wit's end, told Li Si'an about his troubles, Li Si'an laughed heartily: "Hehe! So that's what Your Highness is worried about? Haha! What's so difficult about that? Please entrust this matter to me, Your Highness! Within ten days, the Emperor will definitely force Your Highness to find a way to send Lady Wang into the palace."

Seeing Li Si'an's confident demeanor, Ling Yu, although not entirely convinced that he could succeed, had no other choice but to give it a try, even if it seemed hopeless. Li Si'an's assurance to Ling Yu was by no means empty talk.

Since middle age, Emperor Wu Ming had gradually distanced himself from his court officials. He no longer trusted them. In his eyes, they were all henchmen of the four great ducal families, constantly plotting to overthrow him; none of them were worthy of his trust. In Emperor Wu Ming's heart, only eunuchs, these half-human, half-monster beings, were trustworthy. He believed that eunuchs, living deep within the palace, had no connection to the outside world; as long as they were given enough gold, their needs would be met, and they would have no other ambitions. Furthermore, the eunuchs' survival depended entirely on him, their master, so naturally, they would never betray him. In his view, eunuchs were his most obedient dogs, a pack of dogs that would never betray their master. And among all the eunuchs, Li Si'an was the emperor's most favored. As a trusted eunuch who had long been favored by the emperor, he knew many of the emperor's secrets unknown to those outside the palace, and was intimately familiar with his interests and hobbies. This was also the fundamental condition that enabled him to establish himself in the treacherous court.

Li Si'an knew that the emperor had always enjoyed toying with mature, beautiful women, especially indulging in their humiliation and abuse. A noblewoman like Ye Xinyi was exactly the kind of woman he preferred, especially since she herself knew how to enjoy masochistic pleasure, making her even more suited to the emperor's criteria. Li Si'an clearly remembered that a few years ago, the emperor had hosted a banquet for the four dukes in the palace, and after the banquet, he had overheard the emperor remark, "Wang Mingde's wife seems quite alluring!" It seemed the emperor had harbored ambitions towards this Duchess of Dingguo back then. Now, if the emperor knew he could have this woman, he was sure he would be drooling with desire. More importantly, Li Si'an knew how much the emperor hated the four duke families! These powerful enemies who threatened the imperial rule had kept him constantly on edge, and he longed to completely eradicate them. However, while the individual power of the four families was not comparable to that of the imperial family, their combined strength was enough to make the imperial family tremble, so the emperor had never dared to act rashly. Unable to defeat the four dukes, the emperor's hatred for them grew daily. This hatred also instilled in him a deep-seated resentment towards their women.

He constantly longed to one day seize all the beauties from the four duke families and bring them to his bed, humiliating and punishing them one by one, regardless of age. For a long time, the emperor had coveted the beautiful women of the four duke families, especially Yin Yufeng and Shi Yanying. He was furious that these two beautiful and outstanding women were not his favorite concubines; although he was the ruler of the country, he was powerless to change this fait accompli, a fact he found ironic. Every time he received Yin Yufeng and Shi Yanying in the palace, the emperor's eyes would radiate a blatantly lewd and sadistic gaze. Not only Yin Yufeng and Shi Yanying, who bore the brunt of his gaze, but even the eunuchs and maids serving nearby blushed at his stare. At this moment, what he saw were Yin Yufeng and Shi Yanying dressed, but what he truly desired was to strip them naked and rape them.

If his greatest dream in life was to eradicate the four great ducal families, then making Yin Yufeng and Shi Yanying his women was another. Besides Yin Yufeng and Shi Yanying, the emperor would also be delighted to have his way with other women from the four great ducal families, for in his view, this would undoubtedly be a great humiliation to the four great ducal families, so why not! And if the emperor knew that he could have his way with the Duchess of Dingguo, Li Si'an believed he would be willing to shorten his lifespan by ten years. Ye Xinyi's status as the Duchess of Dingguo would surely excite the emperor so much that he would ravage her all night long to vent his increasingly perverse hatred. "Your Majesty, are you aware that the Second Prince seems to be having a close relationship with the Duchess of Dingguo?" When Li Si'an reported this to Emperor Wuming, the emperor immediately jumped up from his seat and screamed in a distorted voice, "What? What did you say? This scoundrel dares to have an affair with the beasts of the Wang family?"

Li Si'an smiled apologetically and quickly explained, "Your Majesty, please don't be alarmed! The Second Prince has not had an affair with the traitors of the Wang family. As for what I just said about him staying with the Duchess of Dingguo, even the Duke of Dingguo, Wang Mingde, didn't know!" The emperor's body was still trembling slightly from the excitement, but after hearing Li Si'an's words, he had a slight understanding that things were not quite what he had imagined, and he panted... "Then tell me, what exactly happened?" Li Si'an chuckled inwardly. "Good! The fish is about to take the bait!" He thought this to himself, but dared not reveal his true feelings on his face, feigning a respectful expression as he solemnly said, "It's like this! This servant heard that Lady Ye Xinyi, the wife of the Duke of Dingguo, seems to be at odds with the Duke of Dingguo, Wang Mingde. So I secretly sent someone to inquire, and it turns out the cause of the matter seems to be that the Duke of Dingguo recently took a new concubine, thus neglecting his wife!"

The Emperor, now calmer, sneered; leaving the young and beautiful Lady Ye Xinyi alone in her room must be very difficult for her, no wonder the two are at odds! But how does this have to do with Lingyu? Could it be that the two of them…? Li Si'an quickly nodded and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is wise. The Lady of Dingguo simply couldn't bear the loneliness and wanted to find a lover. But the Duke of Dingguo is powerful after all, how could ordinary people dare to offend him? This Lady of Dingguo…" Finally, she seized some opportunity and successfully seduced the Second Prince. The Emperor, hearing this, gave a soft "Oh," and slowly sat back down, his expression strange, seemingly a mixture of excitement and disappointment.

Seeing that the Emperor didn't say much, Li Si'an continued, "My people reported from the Second Prince's servants that the Duchess of Dingguo now spends every night with him. And…and…" The Emperor glared at Li Si'an, displeased, "And what? Continue!"

Li Si'an lowered her head and whispered, "My people reported that the Second Prince and the Duchess of Dingguo almost always do something different!" Stealing a glance at the Emperor, Li Si'an clearly saw a flash of excitement in his eyes. "What things? Tell me! Tell me quickly!" The Emperor's tone became noticeably urgent. "This servant wouldn't dare to speak carelessly!" Li Si'an, however, had piqued the Emperor's interest. "What do you mean, 'wouldn't dare to speak carelessly'? I'm telling you to speak, so speak!" "What are you afraid of!" The emperor was clearly getting impatient. Seeing that the emperor was getting anxious, Li Si'an dared not keep him in suspense any longer and whispered to him, "This servant has heard that the Duchess of Dingguo appears noble and beautiful on the surface, but at heart she is a lewd woman. According to the Second Prince's servants, every night the Second Prince brutally humiliates the Duchess of Dingguo, and she seems to enjoy it."

As Li Si'an spoke, the emperor's hands gripped the armrests of his chair tightly, his eyes revealed a terrifying look, and his body began to tremble slightly again. As soon as Li Si'an finished speaking, the emperor immediately asked impatiently, "You... is your information reliable?" Li Si'an smiled and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured! When have I ever made a mistake? This news is absolutely reliable, absolutely true! It was obtained from the Second Prince's personal servant by my most trusted spies!" The Emperor pounded his hand on the armrest of his chair, his eyes flashing with a fierce light as he stared at the high palace ceiling, gritting his teeth and sneering, "Good, good! I never thought that Ye Xinyi would be of such low character! Heh heh! Good!" Li Si'an leaned down slightly in front of the Emperor and whispered, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, this is a perfect opportunity to humiliate that scoundrel, the Duke of Dingguo!" The Emperor trembled slightly and turned to look at the person standing beside him. The eunuch asked in a strange tone, "You...then...what do you mean?" Li Si'an smiled slightly and whispered in the emperor's ear, "What this servant means is that Your Majesty has decreed that the Second Prince send Lady Ye Xinyi, the wife of the Duke of Dingguo, to the palace to serve you in bed. The Second Prince is always respectful and filial, and he will certainly comply quickly upon receiving the imperial decree. Then Your Majesty can naturally enjoy the Duke of Dingguo's seductive wife in the palace! Hehe! Your Majesty, just think about it, what a despicable fellow the Duke of Dingguo is! There's no need to be too polite to his wife!" The emperor turned his head slightly to look at the eunuch beside him who was constantly smiling obsequiously, his face full of a forced smile.

"Li Si'an! Li Si'an! Are you plotting to seduce your own minister's wife?" Li Si'an, unaware of the emperor's intentions, trembled slightly with fear. Having no other choice, he braced himself and said, "Your Majesty! I dare to speak frankly! While Your Majesty considers that Duke of Dingguo your minister, the Duke may not reciprocate by considering Your Majesty your master! Humiliating such a man's wife is harmless!" The emperor's gaze flickered as he stared at Li Si'an, deep in thought for a long time before his face suddenly darkened. Just as Li Si'an inwardly cursed his fate and prepared to kneel and beg for mercy, he heard the emperor's deep voice say, "Alright! What you say makes sense! But is Xu Yu willing to offer that woman to the palace?"

Li Si'an was overjoyed and quickly replied, "Your Majesty, please rest assured! There will certainly be no problem with the Second Prince! Your Majesty, please entrust this matter to me! I guarantee Your Majesty will soon see that captivating beauty." Hearing Li Si'an's words, the emperor seemed to already see himself humiliating the Duchess of Dingguo, and laughed heartily, "Good! This matter is entrusted to you! I await your good news!"

With the Emperor saying so, what difficulty was there in handling the matter? After Li Si'an excitedly told Xu Sheng and Ye Xinyi that everything was settled, everything proceeded according to Ye Xinyi's plan. So that night, Xu Sheng brought Ye Xinyi into the palace, preparing to offer her to the Emperor for his enjoyment...

Chapter 42 The Slave Empress

Chapter 42 The Slave Empress

When Xu Yu quietly entered Kunning Palace, the palace was completely silent. Following the empty corridor, Xu Yu walked towards Yang Simin's bedroom. Pushing open the tightly closed bedroom door, what he saw was a scene that made Xu Yu's blood boil. On the bed inside the palace, a woman, stripped naked, lay on her back. Her naked body was tightly bound with ropes, like a rice dumpling.

Around the bed, several eunuchs were gathered. When Xu Yu pushed the door open, the men were laughing and teasing the woman on the bed. Upon seeing Xu Yu enter, several eunuchs hurriedly retreated to the side, kneeling and kowtowing repeatedly. Xu Yu didn't even glance at them, a cruel sneer appearing on his face as he slowly walked towards the woman bound to the bed. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the woman's head was covered by a black hood. Judging from her muffled movements, her mouth was clearly gagged. Xu Yu walked to the bedside, looking down at the woman's naked body, and muttered, "Mother, for your age, your body is indeed very well-preserved. Alas! It's a pity Father no longer loves you!"

Hearing Xu Yu's words, the woman on the bed let out a few soft moans, her body twisting violently. She was none other than the current Empress, Xu Yu's mother.

"Mother, I forgot to tell you! You don't need to be jealous of those vixens in the palace tonight! Because tonight it's the Duchess of Dingguo who will be serving Father in his palace, not those sluts! Hehe! See how much your son cares for you! Are you satisfied now?"

Yang Simin struggled a few more times, sobbing repeatedly, it was unclear whether she was happy or angry at her son's words. Seeing his mother's struggling movements, Xu Yu laughed heartily. He grabbed the hood his mother was wearing and pulled it off forcefully, revealing Yang Simin's face. Yang Simin, who had been the mother of all people for nearly forty years, was already in her fifties.

However, due to her status as Empress and proper maintenance, she looked only about forty years old. The fine lines at the corners of her eyes did not detract from her overall beauty, but rather added to her mature womanly charm. And the noble temperament she had cultivated over the years as Empress always radiated naturally. Yang Simin, now showing her face, stared at her son, her eyes filled with tears of humiliation. A white handkerchief stuffed in her mouth prevented her from speaking; she could only whimper, seemingly begging for her son's forgiveness. Several eunuchs nearby looked up, envious of Xu Yu, as if jealous of him. Xu Yu sensed their gazes and glared at them fiercely, scaring the poor wretches into immediately prostrating themselves on the ground, no longer daring to look up.

"Hmph! Mother, before I came here, were you enjoying yourself at the hands of these little eunuchs?"

Yang Simin sobbed, shaking her head desperately, her body thrashing in protest. "Mother, at a time like this, what are you pretending to be so high and mighty for!"

Seemingly responding to her son's words, Yang Simin's sobs rose sharply. When the handkerchief was pulled from her mother's mouth, a considerable amount of saliva dripped down Yang Simin's chin, onto her chest and breasts. "Oh! Mother, how can you still drool at your age? It's a disgrace to our royal family!" Yang Simin cried bitterly.

A brutal slap immediately landed on her face, followed by her son's merciless roar. "You wretch! You dare to disobey? Damn it! What's wrong with me saying this! A lowly woman like you deserves all the criticism!"

Faced with her son's brutality, Yang Simin cried even harder. "Please, don't slap my face! If your father finds out, we'll all die!"

"Get lost! You think your father will come to see you again? Bah! Dream on! He's too busy loving that slut Miao Ji to come see you! Besides, I just presented that pig Ye Xinyi to him, he's even less likely to think of you! Save your breath!"

Xiangyu turned to look at the few eunuchs watching with drooling eyes, and ordered, "You lot, come here! Lift this slut to the hook!"

The eunuchs, who had been eagerly watching, dared not disobey Xiangyu's order. They immediately rushed forward, lifted the Empress, who was rolled up like a dumpling, to the hook that had been prepared, and turned to look at Xiangyu, awaiting his next instructions.

Eunuchs, these kinds of monsters, although subjected to castration, still retained a certain desire for lust; however, due to their physical torment, their behavior was extremely perverse. At the same time, because eunuchs could no longer be considered complete human beings, they always harbored a strong sense of inferiority, both in public and in private. They also harbored a deep-seated hatred for those in high positions. Given the slightest opportunity, they would inflict extreme pain on their victims. It was for this reason that when they toyed with the increasingly powerful Empress, they were exceptionally cruel and ruthless, employing methods almost unimaginable to ordinary people. They vented all the humiliation and frustration they suffered from being looked down upon onto the noble Empress's body. They gained a sense of balance by ravaging her body, which seemed unattainable to ordinary people. For the sadistic servants in aristocratic families, the eunuchs' particularly perverse psychology was a tool that could be readily exploited. For a noblewoman to endure the ravaging of these half-human, half-demon creatures, the pain of humiliation would reach its peak both mentally and physically, while the sadists watching would also reach a climax of excitement.

The reason Xiangyu allowed these lowly eunuchs to humiliate his mother was precisely for the reasons mentioned above. He hated his mother since childhood, and only by having the most despicable monsters humiliate her could he satisfy his desire to do so. Watching his mother cry, beg for mercy, plead in anguish, and even moan lewdly amidst a group of eunuchs, filled Xiangyu with a vengeful pleasure. Although Yang Simin had often sought out one or two eunuchs to play with her body in the past, these eunuchs had always been hesitant to fully unleash their power in front of the Empress, preventing her from fully enjoying herself. Now, however, the situation was completely different. In bed, she was no longer the noble Empress, but merely a sex slave.

The eunuchs were well aware of this, and to please Xiangyu, they no longer held back when tormenting Yang Simin, unleashing their cruel and perverse desires and torturing her with all sorts of cruel methods. If the pain she felt from the eunuchs' actions in the past was merely physical, then what she was experiencing now was an almost unbearable, excruciating agony. This entirely new experience initially terrified Yang Simin; she even worried that these cruel eunuchs might actually kill her. The fact that her son was watching as the eunuchs played with her body filled her with immense shame. However, as she gradually became accustomed to this extreme humiliation, her initial fear and shame transformed into longing and anticipation. She derived the greatest pleasure a masochist could derive from the physical and mental humiliation she suffered, and gradually she began to find a kind of contentment in this life. Now, as several eunuchs lifted Yang Simin to stand under the hook, she seemed perpetually unsatisfied. Even before it began, she was already excited by the impending humiliation.

Xu Yu surveyed his mother's naked body and coldly ordered, "You few, go and untie the ropes binding her!"

The young eunuchs dared not delay and immediately began to untie the ropes binding Yang Simin. Although the ropes were now untied, the previous bindings had already left red marks on Yang Simin's snow-white flesh. Surrounding Yang Simin, several young eunuchs' hands groped her body incessantly. Her face, breasts, lower abdomen, genitals, thighs—almost every private part was explored. Although it was springtime, the temperature was still somewhat chilly. However, the palace had plenty of charcoal fires, and the roaring stove in her bedchamber warmed the room, so even though Yang Simin was completely naked, she felt no cold. Instead, the tension and pressure from the immense physical and mental humiliation caused her to sweat profusely. The makeup on her face was now completely soaked with sweat and tears, leaving patches of grime and a patchy mess. The wrinkles that had been concealed by the makeup were now fully revealed. A young eunuch noticed this first, pointing at her face and laughing, "Look everyone! That old slut's face is full of wrinkles!" "Oh dear! It's all around her eyes!"

"Yeah! That's right! So old, yet still so slutty! So shameless!" "Hey! You don't understand! Let me tell you, this is called 'fifty years old like a leopard, the older you get, the more slutty you become'!"

Xiang Sheng stood coldly to the side, watching the young eunuchs humiliate his mother, without any intention of stopping them. As the young eunuchs continued to mock her, Yang Simin became increasingly excited. Although her son had plunged her into this hellish place of no return, she thoroughly enjoyed the inhuman service she received here. Meanwhile, in another palace far away in the imperial palace, her father, the emperor, was also busy with the same thing...

Chapter 43 The Enchantress Meets the Emperor

Chapter 43 The Enchantress

Meets the Emperor As Yi Yu walked towards Kun Ning Palace, Lady Ye Xinyi, the wife of the Duke of Dingguo, led by Li Si'an, headed towards the emperor's bedroom.

On the way, Li Si'an smiled at Ye Xinyi, "Madam Wang, the Emperor will definitely give you a good time tonight! You know, these past two days, the Emperor has been mentioning your name frequently, his eyes always lighting up. It's clear he really wants to see you right away!" Ye Xinyi's face, hidden behind her veil, showed no expression. She didn't say much, only snorted through her nostrils. The snort was full of disdain, and it was unclear whether it was directed at Li Si'an or the Emperor.

Normally, Li Si'an would have been too frightened to speak upon seeing such displeasure. However, in the past month, thanks to Yi Yu, he had also tasted Ye Xinyi's beautiful body and knew that this woman had a masochistic fetish. As long as he listened to her on important matters, she wouldn't get angry even if he beat or scolded her daily. Instead, she would enjoy it. Therefore, although he was still quite wary of her, he didn't take her too seriously on the surface.

Li Si'an gently slapped Ye Xinyi's shapely buttocks, leering, "Madam, what did you mean by that 'humph'? Were you targeting me?" With a soft "ah" of his hand on her bottom, Ye Xinyi let out a soft laugh, then chuckled, "Oh! Eunuch Li, how could I target you! I meant the Emperor is dying right before my eyes, and he doesn't even know what's going on!" Although her smile couldn't be seen, just hearing her clear, bell-like laughter was enough to make one's heart flutter. Li Si'an laughed heartily, rubbing Ye Xinyi's buttocks incessantly, causing her to pant softly, her body trembling slightly as she walked. "Eunuch Li, your hands… are so mean… if you keep doing this, I won't even get to the Emperor!" Ye Xinyi gasped, pressing down on Li Si'an's groping hand behind her back. Li Si'an slapped her buttocks again, then withdrew his wicked hand with satisfaction. "Madam, when are you planning to make your move on the old man?" Looking around to make sure no one else was nearby, Li Si'an lowered his voice and asked Ye Xinyi.

Ye Xinyi turned to look at him, and said coldly, "It certainly won't be today! Li Si'an, you'd better not ask too many questions about this kind of thing." Her tone became icy and harsh, completely devoid of her previous gentle and alluring charm, as if she had become a different person overnight. Li Si'an knew that Ye Xinyi would never evade him on such important matters, and seeing her change in expression, he dared not ask any more questions, meekly agreeing a few times before falling silent.

From Kunning Palace, they walked a winding path for about two or three miles before arriving at the Emperor's bedchamber.

A large group of guards stood outside the palace gates, each watching Li Si'an and Ye Xinyi approach with expressionless faces.

Standing at the forefront of everyone was a middle-aged military officer in golden armor, with a square face, a thick beard, and a dragon-patterned sword at his waist. He stood there, his hands casually behind his back, his movements relaxed and unrestrained, yet inspiring a sense of awe and respect.

Li Si'an whispered to Ye Xinyi, "That fellow is Hu Xiaotong, the commander of the Imperial Guards of the capital! Tonight, it's his turn to be on night duty as the chief inspector of the palace!" Ye Xinyi nodded and said softly, "I've heard the Duke of Dingguo mention his name before, saying he's extremely loyal to the emperor, intelligent, brave, and exceptionally resourceful! Seeing him today, he certainly has an imposing presence and is unlike anyone else!" Hearing Ye Xinyi's praise, Li Si'an was clearly a little displeased, but he only chuckled twice and said nothing more. As the two approached the palace gates, Hu Xiaotong greeted them, stopping them with a bow and saying, "Eunuch Li, is this the person His Majesty wishes to summon tonight?" Li Si'an, clearly wary of the Imperial Guard commander, dared not be impolite. Seeing him approach and question him, he quickly bowed and said, "So it's Commander Hu on night duty! Thank you for your hard work! This lady is the one His Majesty wishes to see tonight. His Majesty must have already mentioned this to Commander Hu, right?" Hu Xiaotong chuckled softly and said, "We're all serving His Majesty; what's so hard about it? Eunuch Li is quite old, yet you're still working tirelessly for His Majesty. Isn't that even harder for you?" The two exchanged a few more polite words. Hu Xiaotong said seriously, "You naturally know the rules of the palace! Tonight is no exception! Please inform this lady!" Li Si'an readily agreed and turned to Ye Xinyi, saying, "Madam! According to the rules of the palace, everyone must be stripped naked and inspected before entering the Emperor's bedchamber! This... is... unavoidable!" Ye Xinyi coldly looked at Hu Xiaotong and said, "Since it's the rule of the palace, there are naturally no exceptions! But surely you don't expect me to undress in public here?" Hu Xiaotong quickly replied, "Don't worry, Madam! Of course not here." He turned around and pointed to the place behind the large group of guards, where a solitary little house stood outside the palace gate. He continued, "That's a special room for inspection. Madam, please go there to change and be inspected. Don't worry! It's full of palace eunuchs; there won't be any other men present!" Ye Xinyi nodded and said to Hu Xiaotong, "Then I'll have to trouble Commander Hu to take me there! Otherwise, judging from the demeanor of your guards, they might chop me into mincemeat at any moment!" Hu Xiaotong smiled and said, "Madam, you're quite the joker! Alright! I'll lead the way, please!" With that, he turned and led the way towards the palace gate, with Li Si'an and Ye Xinyi following closely behind.

Passing through the guard formation at the palace gate, they arrived at the small room used for body searches. Hu Xiaotong said to Ye Xinyi, "Madam, please go in by yourself! It's inconvenient for me to accompany you! The eunuchs inside will naturally instruct you on what to do! Please!" Ye Xinyi nodded and stepped into the small room. Two eunuchs sat inside. Upon her entry, they stood up and instructed her to remove her veil and undress for inspection.

When the black veil was removed, both eunuchs were momentarily stunned.

It revealed a pretty oval face, bright red lips, and delicate, alluring eyes. Her fair skin was irresistible, tempting to touch.

When Ye Xinyi removed her outer garment, the two eunuchs were even more dumbfounded, standing there frozen in shock.

Underneath, her upper body was completely naked. Only small iron clips were fastened to her nipples, connected by a thin gold chain. What she wore on her lower body was even more alarming: a metal chastity belt. Now locked, it tightly bound her vulva and buttocks, gleaming silver in the candlelight.

Staring in disbelief at the woman's lewd attire, the two eunuchs remained speechless for a long time.

Ye Xinyi smiled gently at them and said, "Gentlemen, didn't you want to inspect her?" The two eunuchs then realized what was happening and hurriedly went over to pick up her clothes one by one, checking them for any weapons she might be carrying.

After confirming that there was nothing inside her clothes, the two eunuchs were still not entirely at ease. They approached Ye Xinyi and said, "Madam! We are truly sorry! According to palace rules, we must still examine your body! We cannot overlook any place where something might be hidden! Including those…holes…!" Ye Xinyi nodded to indicate that she understood, but then said helplessly, "Eunuchs, how am I supposed to take off these chastity belts?" The two eunuchs stared blankly at the chastity belts locked around her lower body, hesitating, "What? This…Madam…you don't have the key?" Ye Xinyi spread her hands towards the two men and smiled sweetly, "What if I don't?" The two eunuchs exchanged glances, then suddenly said seriously, "You cannot enter to see the Emperor without opening them for inspection!" Ye Xinyi smiled helplessly and pressed her hand on the vulva area of the chastity belts. With a "click," the belts automatically tore open from the center of her lower abdomen to the center of her vulva, then detached from her body and fell to the ground.

It turned out that this chastity belt wasn't like ordinary pants that were tightly locked; it had to be opened from the outside with a key. It seemed more of a decorative item than a true chastity belt.

The two eunuchs, bewildered by Ye Xinyi's series of elaborate items, exchanged a glance, sighed, and began to carefully examine her body.

They meticulously examined almost every private part of her body, especially inside her hair bun. However, what surprised Ye Xinyi most was that the two eunuchs made her stand with her legs spread apart, then knelt down in front of her, spreading her labia and anus for examination, claiming they feared she might have hidden needles or similar weapons in these openings and brought them into the palace.

Although for a lewd woman like Ye Xinyi, having others closely examine her genitals was commonplace, this was still a first. When the two eunuchs solemnly knelt between her legs to carefully examine her secret place, her face actually blushed for once, a rare occurrence.

She couldn't believe this measure. In her heart, she cursed the despicable emperor: "Damn emperor, how can he be so afraid of death! He even wants to check my honey pot and asshole! Damn it! You think you can escape death like this? Humph! I've never failed to kill anyone!" After checking her body, the two eunuchs didn't say anything more and told her she could leave. However, as she put her clothes back on, the two men kept scrutinizing her. Clearly, they already knew from her attire what a wanton woman she was. Judging from their lecherous looks, if Ye Xinyi hadn't been going to see the emperor, these two eunuchs would most likely have stopped her and taken advantage of her.

When Ye Xinyi walked out of the room, veiled, she was met with Li Si'an's ambiguous gaze. Clearly, this damned old eunuch knew what had happened to her inside and was fantasizing about it. Hu Xiaotong, however, remained expressionless and calmly said to her, "Since Madam has passed the eunuchs' inspection, there's no problem! Please enter the palace!" He turned and waved to his men, and several imperial guards rushed to the tightly closed palace gates and rhythmically knocked for a while. A moment later, everyone heard the sound of a winch turning, and then with a creaking sound, the heavy palace gates slowly opened.

Ye Xinyi watched all this, secretly astonished.

"I never imagined the palace was so heavily guarded! That damned Li Si'an never explained things clearly before! Humph! Who knows how many secrets he hasn't told me and Mingde! He must be holding back something to negotiate with us! Fine! He dares to try and pull tricks on me! I'll see how I deal with him later!" Ye Xinyi grew angrier the more she thought about it. When she turned to look at Li Si'an, she saw him smiling mysteriously and saying, "Madam, there are many rules in the palace! Once you're inside, don't wander off. You must follow this old servant! Don't think that just because you're inside the palace, you don't need this old servant to guide you!" His words were clearly implying to Ye Xinyi, "There are many secrets in the palace that you don't know! You'll still have to rely on me in the future. Don't think that I can be easily abandoned by you!" Hearing the hidden meaning in Li Si'an's words, Ye Xinyi smiled and said, "Don't worry, Father-in-law, I will definitely follow you closely and will never dare to leave your side for even a moment! I will not do anything reckless!" Hearing her say this, Li Si'an nodded smugly.

Turning around, he saw that the palace gates were fully open, so he bowed to Hu Xiaotong and said, "They're open! Very well! Commander Hu, this old servant will take this lady to meet you! You must be tired tonight!" After greeting Hu Xiaotong, Li Si'an led Ye Xinyi towards the open palace gates.

Passing through the long archway behind the palace gates, they came to a long, wide avenue. At the end of the avenue were high steps, at the center of which sat a dark, imposing hall.

At this moment, countless torches were lit on both sides of the wide stone path leading from the palace gates to the hall, illuminating the entire path like a bright white painting. A guard stood at intervals along the path.

Ye Xinyi muttered, "I thought the emperor's residence would be a beautiful, flower-filled place, but it turns out to be such a lifeless palace! That old man is really something, why are there so many lights so late? And so many people standing there!" Li Si'an laughed, "Of course the emperor's residence has to be solemn and orderly! Naturally, there wouldn't be any flowers or plants there. As for lighting so many lights and having so many people on night watch, that's only a recent thing! People get old, and they're easily scared at night!" Ye Xinyi nodded in sudden understanding, realizing that the emperor was taking these measures out of fear of assassination.

Following the brightly lit avenue, the two walked down.

It took them almost two incense sticks' worth of time to traverse the long stone path and reach

the stone steps in front of the palace. Ye Xinyi hadn't paid much attention to the steps from a distance, but now, standing before them, she realized how terrifyingly high they were, and how many steps there were.

On the steps, guards still stood at intervals, but these guards were clearly different from those encountered earlier. Although they still wore the purple robes commonly worn by imperial guards, the cuffs were embroidered with gold trim. The higher one climbed the steps, the more gold trim appeared on the guards' cuffs. By the time they reached the open platform in front of the main hall, the guards next to them had five gold trims on their cuffs. It seemed that the more gold trims on the cuffs, the higher the guard's martial arts skills and status.

Ye Xinyi counted along the way; there were only a dozen or so with five gold trims and about twenty with four. She estimated that if these people worked in three shifts each day, with roughly the same number of people per shift, then the number of people with five gold trims would be at most forty. It was conceivable that these people were carefully selected experts from the imperial guards, the emperor's last line of defense.

Without paying any attention to the guards standing beside them, the two had already reached the entrance of the main hall.

Standing at the entrance was a guard with six gold stripes embroidered on his robes. Seeing the two approach, he raised his hand to stop them from entering. Judging from their arrogant attitude, they clearly didn't take Li Si'an seriously.

As expected, Li Si'an himself was already bowing and scraping to the guard, saying, "Chief Fan, this is Lady Wang, whom His Majesty will be summoning tonight! Um... please inform her first." Hearing Li Si'an's words, Ye Xinyi thought to herself, "Oh! It seems that the one with the six gold stripes is already a high-ranking guard. But I've never heard of this guy's name outside, so he's probably not the chief guard. I wonder what his official position is. I must force Eunuch Li to explain when I get the chance. This old emperor is really hiding a lot! If I hadn't come to the palace, I wouldn't know so much! I wonder how much power he has hidden under his command?" No wonder Mingde often said that the royal family was deeply rooted and warned everyone not to act rashly! The head guard surnamed Fan glanced at the veiled Ye Xinyi for a while and said coldly, "She is Lady Wang? Has she passed the external inspection?" Li Si'an hurriedly laughed and said, "Head Fan, what are you saying! If she hadn't passed the external inspection, how could she be here!" The man surnamed Fan looked Ye Xinyi up and down a few more times before saying to Li Si'an, "You two wait here for a while! I'll go in and report to His Majesty!" After saying that, he gestured to two subordinates with gold trim embroidered with the character "Wu Dao" to come and watch over the two of them, and then he turned around, pushed open the palace door, and went inside.

Li Si'an and Ye Xinyi could only wait quietly for his report. With two menacing guards staring at her, Ye Xinyi couldn't say anything more to Li Si'an and could only stand there dumbfounded and flustered.

Fortunately, the guard surnamed Fan quickly retreated after going in for a short while.

Li Si'an hurriedly went to greet him and asked, "Fan, how is it? What about the Emperor...?" The guard surnamed Fan nodded expressionlessly, then pointed into the palace and said, "The Emperor is waiting for you! Go in quickly!" After saying that, he led his two subordinates to the side, clearing the palace door behind them.

Li Si'an and Ye Xinyi finally entered the Emperor's bedroom.

This huge palace was divided into countless small rooms. Li Si'an was indeed a frequent visitor here, and he skillfully led Ye Xinyi through the maze-like passages.

Ye Xinyi was disoriented as Li Si'an led her for quite a while, and they didn't encounter a single person along the way. Ye Xinyi understood that the palace servants must have been ordered by the Emperor to retreat. The more mysterious the Emperor was, the more she looked forward to the humiliation that was about to come.

The two of them walked until they reached a large room with a tightly closed door, and only then did Li Si'an stop.

Standing at the bright red lacquered doorway, Li Si'an turned and winked at Ye Xinyi, indicating that this was the emperor's bedroom.

Seeing Ye Xinyi nod slightly, Li Si'an knocked on the door and respectfully reported, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty... Lady Wang has arrived!" A slightly aged voice came from inside.

"Is that Li Si'an? Did you bring the Duchess of Dingguo?" Ye Xinyi had heard the emperor's voice at a palace banquet before, so she immediately recognized the speaker as Emperor Wu Ming himself. Although those inside the door couldn't see what was happening outside, Li Si'an instinctively bowed towards the direction of the voice coming from inside the room and replied, "Yes! Your Majesty! It is indeed this servant! The Duchess of Dingguo is currently by my side, waiting for Your Majesty to summon her!" Emperor Wuming chuckled coldly twice and slowly said, "Very well! I've been waiting for you for a long time! Li Si'an, why don't you bring the Duchess of Dingguo in!" Li Si'an quickly responded with "Yes," turned to Ye Xinyi with a wink, pushed open the door to the room, and bowed as she stepped inside. Ye Xinyi followed him into the emperor's bedroom.

Ye Xinyi had countless times imagined the scene inside the emperor's bedroom, assuming it would be magnificent, filled with silks, satins, and rare treasures. But now, when this room actually appeared before her eyes, she realized that her previous guesses were completely wrong. It was a very ordinary bedroom, with nothing special about it from the outside. Ye Xinyi even felt that her own meticulously decorated room was more luxurious and beautiful than this bedroom before her.

Although the furnishings were simple, the overall arrangement created a solemn and dignified effect, making it immediately clear that the room's owner admired a simple yet noble beauty. The several antique swords hanging on the wall further testified to the room's former martial spirit.

"I always heard them say that the old emperor was a wise ruler in his youth, but I didn't quite believe it before. Now, looking at the arrangement of his bedroom, I can really feel the legendary spirit of striving for good governance he once possessed!" Looking around at the room's decor, Ye Xinyi was filled with emotion.

When Ye Xinyi began to understand things, although the empire was still in its golden age, the emperor had already passed his spirited youth and entered a mature and conservative middle age. She had never personally experienced the emperor's glorious and powerful youth. The emperor's great achievements were, to her, merely a historical legend. The emperor's actions, which she had personally witnessed, were all foolish and irrational. For this reason, Ye Xinyi had always believed that the supposedly wise and powerful Emperor Wuming was nothing but a legend, and had never held him in any respect.

But now, standing in the emperor's bedroom, looking at the simple yet noble furnishings, and recalling the starkly contrasting extravagant style prevalent among the imperial nobility, Ye Xinyi suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia. She remembered the imperial prosperity she had witnessed in her childhood, the simple and honest folk customs of that era, and the glorious military achievements of the empire's territorial expansion. For the first time in her life, she felt that the heroic tales she had heard about emperors weren't entirely false; perhaps Emperor Wuming really was a good emperor! "Your Majesty, Lady Wang, the wife of the Duke of Dingguo, has been brought here! Shall you summon her now?" Li Si'an's shrill voice pulled Ye Xinyi back from her reverie. She then remembered that she was standing in the Emperor's bedchamber, awaiting his summons.

She looked in the direction Li Si'an had bowed, and saw a huge yellow curtain dividing the vast bedroom in two.

The Emperor's deep voice came from behind the curtain: "Very well! You may leave now! Summon the Duchess of Dingguo to come and see me!" Li Si'an quickly bowed and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty! Then this servant will take his leave!" He turned and winked at Ye Xinyi, who was still standing motionless, and gestured towards the curtain, indicating for her to hurry over. Then he cupped his hands towards the curtain, bowed his head, and slowly retreated out of the room.

Until he exited the room, he never looked up again in Ye Xinyi's direction. Ye Xinyi could tell that Li Si'an was genuinely afraid of the Emperor, and she was even more curious: "I've met Wu Ming a few times before! He's nothing special! Just an old geezer! Why is Li Si'an so frightened?" Before she could think further, she heard Wu Ming urging her to hurry inside.

"What? Lady Wang, wife of the Duke of Dingguo, do you need me to come out and greet you personally?" Ye Xinyi curled her lips and said loudly, "Your Majesty, how can I accept such praise! I have never come to see Your Majesty alone before, and I don't know how to be arrogant! Your Majesty, please don't take offense!" Wu Ming's aged laughter came from behind the curtain.

"Alright! Lady Wang is indeed quick-witted! I don't blame you! Come in quickly!" Hearing the Emperor's words, Ye Xinyi swayed gracefully towards the thick yellow curtain, ready to see the Emperor's true living space.

Lifting the heavy curtain, Ye Xinyi was immediately stunned; she could hardly believe her eyes.

The space behind the curtain was filled with all sorts of bizarre and wonderful treasures, presumably rare and precious items plundered from all over the country and even from distant lands. The walls were adorned with shimmering pearls and crystals.

The entire room felt like a treasure vault. If it truly were a treasure vault, that would be fine, but unfortunately, it was intended for human habitation, making it utterly vulgar.

What was even more astonishing was the abundance of strangely shaped objects in this room. Some were clearly tools for torture, while others were completely unfamiliar even to the seasoned Ye Xinyi, leaving her bewildered about their purpose. If the room in front of the curtain represented the emperor's progressive side in the past, then the arrangement behind the curtain perfectly reflected the current decadence of Emperor Wu Ming. No wonder Ye Xinyi was stunned upon seeing the room's decorations. Who could have imagined that two spaces separated by a curtain within the same room could have such a stark difference?

In the center of the room, on a bed adorned with jewels, an old man with slightly white hair sat cross-legged. Although he appeared physically strong and ruddy-faced, the prominent wrinkles on his face were unmistakable marks of time, a constant reminder that he was an old man in his twilight years. The old man wore a magnificent yellow robe symbolizing his status, and Ye Xinyi clearly recognized him as the supreme ruler of the Great Xia Empire, Emperor Wuming.

Looking at Ye Xinyi, the wife of the Duke of Dingguo, who appeared before him, Emperor Wuming smiled slightly and said, "Madam Wang, could you please remove your veil?" Recovering from the surprise of the room's arrangement, Ye Xinyi quickly removed the thin veil from her face and gracefully bowed to Emperor Wuming, saying, "Your subject, Ye Xinyi, greets Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!" The Emperor smiled at Ye Xinyi's alluring face and said in a sinister tone, "I've heard you came to serve me voluntarily. Is that true?" Ye Xinyi gracefully… She smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I have always longed to see you alone. Today, my wish has finally come true. Even if I die for it, I will be content!" The Emperor chuckled coldly, a satisfied and disdainful smile on his face. Suddenly, he raised his hand and pointed at Ye Xinyi, angrily saying, "As the wife of the Duke of Dingguo, how can you be so shameless? You even dare to come and seduce me!" Ye Xinyi was stunned for a moment, her face showing panic as she hurriedly said, "Your Majesty! How could I dare to seduce Your Majesty? I only know that if I could serve Your Majesty for one night, it would be my greatest honor... even if it were the Emperor..." "If Your Majesty were to order my execution the very next day, I would die without regret! As for other matters, I have long since put them out of my mind!" The Emperor laughed twice, his expression grim. "So, you've always been loyal to me? Then what about your husband, the Duke of Dingguo? Did you conspire with your husband to murder me?" Ye Xinyi immediately prostrated herself on the ground in fear, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm down! I am truly innocent! Even if I had the audacity of a wolf, I would never dare to harbor any disloyalty towards Your Majesty! I am but a woman..." "I've never inquired about Wang Mingde's affairs, and I have no idea how he has disobeyed Your Majesty! I married him entirely because of my parents' wishes and the matchmaker's words. After the marriage, Wang Mingde has never treated me with any respect." The Emperor listened coldly to Ye Xinyi's words, his expression seemingly calming slightly. He nodded and said, "So, you're not very clear about what the Wang family has done, and you don't have much involvement with them?" Ye Xinyi, who was lying on the ground, softened slightly upon hearing the Emperor's words, and a faint smile appeared on her lips. However, this smile was fleeting. When she raised her head and looked at the Emperor again, her face was full of feigned fear.

"Your Majesty is wise! I actually hate the Wang family from the bottom of my heart! These guys don't treat me like a human being at all! They're not human! I wish they were all dead!" At this point, Ye Xinyi told the Emperor the "facts" that she had already prepared, about the Wang family's abuse of her. When she spoke of "excitement," she was practically in tears, cursing the Wang family through gritted teeth right in front of the emperor.

Watching Ye Xinyi's emotional performance, Emperor Wuming nodded and slowly said, "Very good! So you really are different from the Wang family! Good! I hope what you said today is the truth! If I find out later that you were lying… humph!" The emperor didn't continue, only letting out a heavy snort, full of a death threat.

Ye Xinyi quickly kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, rest assured! What I said is absolutely the truth! Utterly the truth! I would rather die than deceive Your Majesty!" The emperor nodded slowly, expressionless, and said, "That's good! Rise!" Ye Xinyi quickly kowtowed again before standing up, her face filled with unease as she secretly observed the emperor's reaction. Emperor Wuming remained silent, quietly scrutinizing Ye Xinyi's figure.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, and the room fell silent.

Ye Xinyi now had time to examine the room's furnishings. Looking at the room filled with gold and jewels, Ye Xinyi suddenly thought of a question.

Since the aging and senile emperor had begun to favor this extravagant and vulgar style of decoration, why did he still retain the simpler decorations of the past in the half-room in front of the curtain? Why would he allow two completely opposite interests from different periods to coexist in the same room? An ordinary person would surely discard all those things, so why did the emperor keep them? The more Ye Xinyi thought about it, the stranger it seemed, and she couldn't understand the meaning behind the emperor's actions.

Because she couldn't figure it out, her curiosity grew, and she plotted to find a way to make the emperor reveal his purpose.

Just as she was making these plans, she heard the emperor order her, "Take off all your clothes!" Knowing that the show was about to begin, Ye Xinyi was immediately filled with anticipation for the passion. She was almost certain that tonight the emperor would use exceptionally cruel methods to torment her, venting his long-held hatred for the four great ducal families. The thought of her masochistic desires being fully satisfied sent a shiver down Ye Xinyi's spine, and her legs involuntarily clamped together tightly.

Looking at the emperor with seductive eyes, Ye Xinyi gracefully removed her clothes to her waist.

When her nipples, tightly clamped by the clips, came into the emperor's view, his body visibly trembled, and he swallowed hard.

Smiling slightly at the emperor, Ye Xinyi defiantly shook her full breasts, the gold chain connecting the clamps swaying in the air, dazzling in the candlelight.

Watching this alluring, lewd action, the emperor instinctively arched his back, letting out a heavy breath, "You shameless slut! You were prepared all along!" Ye Xinyi giggled lewdly, then abruptly pulled down the half-undone clothes hanging at her waist, revealing the alluring metallic scale chastity belt to the emperor.

Seeing the alluring beauty before him, the emperor could no longer control his passion.

With a "whoosh," he leaped from the bed, standing in the center, and hoarsely shouted, "You slut! You whore, you're truly a slut! Li Si'an wasn't wrong! You really are a vile, wanton woman!" Seeing the emperor's growing rage, Ye Xinyi gave him a lewd smile and said in a seductive voice, "Your Majesty! Don't you want this slut before you?" As she spoke, the emperor suddenly jumped off the bed and rushed to the side, grabbing a leather whip from a cabinet.

Seeing the emperor's actions, Ye Xinyi's smile immediately froze, for she realized that the whip wasn't the kind used in sadomasochistic settings, nor was it specially treated. The whip the emperor held in his hand was undoubtedly a real whip used to flog prisoners! Although she was already used to the tricks of whipping, the sudden realization that she was about to endure this punishment—a whip capable of killing—instilled immense fear in Ye Xinyi, turning her face pale and causing her body to tremble slightly.

"Your Majesty, this...this whip...ah!..." She stammered, about to beg for mercy, when the emperor's cruel whip lashed her high buttocks.

The crisp "crack" of the whip striking the metal chastity belt was accompanied by Ye Xinyi's heart-wrenching scream. "You wretch! You dare try to play tricks in front of me! Haha! Now I'll see how much you suffer!" With the emperor's curses, two more heavy lashes struck her thighs.

Where the whip struck, her delicate skin immediately tore open, and blood quickly flowed from the welts.

"Ouch!... Waaah... It hurts so much!... Your Majesty... Please... Spare me!" Realizing that tonight's humiliation would be unlike any she had ever experienced before, Ye Xinyi cried out in genuine pain.

The Emperor, looking at the mature beauty before him, whose buttocks and thighs were covered in blood from the whipping, laughed loudly, "You wretch! You think I'd play games with you? Dream on!" He brandished the whip, then triumphantly walked to Ye Xinyi, who was weeping with her face hidden, and grabbed the chain hanging from her chest, yanking it hard.

As the chain taut, Ye Xinyi's pink nipples were stretched and severely deformed. Just as she cried out in pain, the Emperor twisted her nipple and turned it around.

The continuous cruelty caused Ye Xinyi's eyes to roll back, her body swaying as if she might faint at any moment. However, the blood of a masochist began to boil at this moment, the most obvious reaction being the slow dripping of lustful fluid from the crotch of the chastity belt.

"You slut! What? Why aren't you taking off that pretentious pair of panties for me! Do you expect me to smash them open with a hammer?" The emperor threw down the whip, forcefully kneading her full breasts with both hands, while demanding that Ye Xinyi remove the seemingly tightly fastened chastity belt herself.

Realizing that the cruel emperor was unlike any man she had encountered before, Ye Xinyi didn't dare hesitate and hurriedly, trembling, opened the mechanism of the chastity belt.

Watching the chastity belt clatter to the ground, the emperor laughed triumphantly, "You slut! You dare to play this trick on me! Trying to fool me with a fake!" Reaching out and grabbing Ye Xinyi's hair, the emperor coldly and ruthlessly pulled her towards a device nearby.

The device looked like a half-slanted iron bed. Above the bed was a specially made suspended iron frame, covered with all sorts of tools. In her panic, Ye Xinyi didn't know what these things did.

Pulling Ye Xinyi to the side of the implements, the emperor coldly commanded, "You wretch! Lie down on this bed for me. Hurry up!" Urged on by the emperor's slaps to her buttocks, Ye Xinyi hurriedly jumped onto the bed.

As soon as she lay down, the emperor spread her arms and legs, making her body into a "T" shape, and then immediately used the shackles on the edge of the bed to bind her hands and feet.

Just as Ye Xinyi looked at him with a terrified yet expectant gaze, the emperor gently pulled a handle on the bed frame. After a series of creaking sounds, the entire bed frame tilted completely backwards. Originally, Ye Xinyi was lying with her head tilted at an angle, but now, with this change, she was upside down, even her parted vulva was now completely exposed! Although Ye Xinyi felt a little dizzy, she quickly realized that her vulva was about to suffer.

"Your Majesty...this...my head is so dizzy!...Could you...turn me over!" Ye Xinyi pleaded in vain. At this moment, even she herself couldn't tell whether she craved the emperor's humiliation or feared the terrifying torture. The

emperor clearly wouldn't soften in the slightest because of her pleas. He chuckled coldly twice and took two sharp iron clamps from above the iron bed frame, with long iron chains attached to the ends of the clamps.

He parted Ye Xinyi's tender labia and clamped one of the sharp iron clamps onto one side of her labia. Then he quickly tied the long iron chain attached to the end of the clamp to the frame of the iron bed frame. The length of this iron chain was obviously carefully calculated, and now it seemed just right: after pulling Ye Xinyi's labia apart, it could just be tied to the bed frame. After being chained like this, the chain was taut, and one can imagine the immense force exerted on Ye Xinyi's labia! After clamping the remaining iron clamp onto the other side of Ye Xinyi's labia in the same way, the emperor circled the iron bed twice. His expression clearly showed satisfaction with the tool's effect.

The excruciating pain of her vagina being torn apart caused Ye Xinyi to writhe in agony, sobbing uncontrollably.

But every time she moved, the iron clamp tightened around her sensitive labia, causing her to grimace in pain. After this happened several times, she dared not even move her body slightly, and could only lie there head down, weeping helplessly.

The emperor clumsily removed his dragon robe, revealing his aged body.

Standing beside Ye Xinyi, the Emperor stroked her smooth abdomen and sighed, "You slut! You slut! You're over forty, yet your skin is still so smooth and delicate! Alas! Such a fine thing, and that bastard Wang Mingde doesn't even know how to enjoy it himself, insisting on sending it to me so I can have a taste! Alas! Where can you find such a good minister! Lady Wang, don't you think so?" He slapped Ye Xinyi's abdomen hard and walked towards her head with a smile. Since Ye Xinyi was lying face down on the bed, the Emperor's penis was positioned not far above and slightly below her eyelids.

"Lady Wang, I've heard that a lowly woman like you loves to drink other people's urine! Since you're so willing to serve me, then drinking a sip of my dragon urine must be something you've always longed for!" "Please, Your Majesty!... Spare me!... Ah!... Oh!... Don't treat me like this!" Ye Xinyi's tone was less like a plea and more like a moan. Even she herself found the sound fake, let alone the emperor.

The emperor, holding his penis close to Ye Xinyi's face, took a deep breath and contracted his lower abdomen forcefully.

"Sss...sss..." A stream of yellow urine spurted from his penis, splashing onto Ye Xinyi's face and breasts.

Like a child playing a prank, the emperor deliberately shook his penis,

letting the urine also drip onto Ye Xinyi's vulva and lower abdomen.

When the emperor finished urinating, Ye Xinyi's body was covered in urine, even her face and hair were covered in droplets.

From the emperor's perspective, he couldn't clearly see the expression on Ye Xinyi's upside-down face. However, from the wetness of her labia and the constant flow of vaginal fluid, the emperor knew that the masochistic excitement was undoubtedly growing within Ye Xinyi.

"You slut, are you excited by this? Don't worry! There's something even more pleasurable coming!" After saying this, the emperor, seemingly to prove he wasn't just talking nonsense, magically produced two more silver needles. Before Ye Xinyi could react, the needles had already pierced her poor clitoris. A violent tremor ran through her body, and the veins on her body bulged high from the unbearable pain.

But amidst her piercing scream, the emperor brutally shoved a thick iron rod into her small anus, followed by a cruel thrusting that seemed to want to pound her anus apart. After a scream,

Ye Xinyi's eyes rolled back, and she fainted on the spot.

The cruel emperor sneered at the unconscious woman, spitting fiercely on her and muttering, "You slut! How dare you try to play tricks on me! Heh heh! Since you've delivered yourself to my doorstep, I'll let you have your fun!" He laughed triumphantly, then gripped the thick iron rod inserted into Ye Xinyi's anus and continued to thrust it forcefully, completely disregarding the blood already flowing from her eyes. If Empress Yang Simin's ordeal that night was cruel torture, then Ye Xinyi's experience was pure hell.

On this ordinary night, in the Great Xia Empire's palace, equally ugly scenes unfolded simultaneously in two palaces. The difference was that on one side, the emperor was torturing another man's wife; on the other, the empress was being violated. He who defiles another man's wife will be defiled in return! The karmic

retribution is indeed swift and accurate! Chapter 44:

Commander of the Imperial Guards

Sitting quietly in Zhang Sihai's living room, Jiang Hanqing awaited Zhang Sihai's arrival. When he entered, the Zhang family had already informed him, and Zhang Sihai should be out soon.

Two days ago, Jiang Hanqing considered using the power of He Bingzhang, Zhang Sihai, and others to deal with the Wang family, so he sent Jiang family spies to gather information about them.

Soon, Jiang Hanqing received reports from his subordinates that He Bingzhang and the others had been promoted upon their return.

Jiang Hanqing was well aware of the true reasons behind the emperor's actions.

During the imperial army's defeat at the Battle of Qiu Te, many of the emperor's trusted officers perished far from home. Due to the heavy losses of loyal officers, the emperor's control over the army was gradually weakening. The emperor, deeply concerned about the shortage of loyal officers, not only did not punish the few trusted generals who had managed to escape, but instead greatly promoted most of them. He hoped to maintain a firm grip on military power through his own officers, especially the Imperial Guards and the Forbidden Guards stationed in the capital.

The commanders of these two guards had to be absolutely loyal to the emperor, with no room for anyone else to interfere.

Before the campaign against Qiu Te, He Bingzhang and several others were already among the top officers in the emperor's faction, and had always impressed the emperor with their unwavering loyalty; naturally, they were highly valued this time. He Bingzhang, the highest-ranking among them, was even appointed commander of the Forbidden Guards responsible for the defense of the capital, demonstrating the emperor's high regard for him. Zhang Sihai served under He Bingzhang as the commander of the left wing of the Forbidden Guards, one of the three armies (left, center, and right). The others also received varying degrees of recognition.

Upon hearing the news of He Bingzhang and the others' high regard from the emperor, Jiang Hanqing almost jumped out of his chair with excitement. This was tantamount to the emperor handing over his controlled army to Jiang Hanqing. He almost wanted to immediately kowtow to the emperor to express his gratitude! He had initially planned to send a servant to invite He Bingzhang and Zhang Sihai over, but then Jiang Hanqing changed his mind.

In such a critical moment, countless parties were closely watching the movements of those who held military power in the capital. Openly inviting them to his home would be tantamount to inviting trouble. After much

deliberation, Jiang Hanqing decided to visit Zhang Sihai himself, ostensibly to express his gratitude for Zhang Sihai's life-saving act on the night of the attack.

That afternoon, Jiang Hanqing, alone, followed the address provided by his family's spies and found Zhang Sihai's residence.

Upon knocking on the door, the Zhang family's gatekeeper was greatly surprised to hear that it was the young master of the Jiang family visiting his master. He hurriedly invited Jiang Hanqing into the living room to serve tea while simultaneously ordering someone to report to the master.

Just as the tea was served, before Jiang Hanqing could even take a sip, Zhang Sihai's excited voice rang out from outside. "Young Master Jiang is here? Is it true? Where is he? In the living room? Quick! Make way!" Jiang Hanqing looked up at the sound and saw Zhang Sihai's hurried figure appear at the living room doorway, followed by two family members who both appeared to be honest and kind.

"Young Master Jiang, this… what wind blew you… to… to my humble abode?" Zhang Sihai couldn't hide his overwhelming joy, so excited he could barely speak.

Jiang Hanqing glanced warily at the two servants who followed Zhang Sihai in, and smiled slightly, saying, "I've come to thank General Zhang for saving my life that night!" Zhang Sihai laughed heartily, "It's nothing! It was just that you, young master, were blessed with good fortune. How could I possibly have done you any favors?" Jiang Hanqing shook his head, saying, "Not at all! Not at all! A drop of kindness deserves a spring of gratitude! Besides, if it weren't for General Zhang's timely rescue that night, I would have been dead long ago! If you say that you didn't save my life, then I wouldn't be standing here speaking to you!" Zhang Sihai shook his head helplessly and smiled bitterly, "Since you insist that I saved your life, young master, I can only accept your gratitude." Turning to look at the two servants who hadn't left behind him, Zhang Sihai frowned and said, "Why aren't you leaving? What are you doing standing here! You have no manners at all, making your guests laugh!" The two family members who had been intently listening to their conversation suddenly looked alarmed, hurriedly bowed to the two men, and quickly turned to leave.

Jiang Hanqing then whispered to Zhang Sihai, "Sihai, do you have a private place to talk? We'd like to have a serious discussion!" Zhang Sihai quickly replied, "Young Master, my study is quiet enough. Why don't we go there?" Seeing Jiang Hanqing nod and say "okay," Zhang Sihai quickly led him to his study.

Zhang Sihai's study was located in a courtyard at the back, with an open area around it, so no one would approach without noticing.

After they were seated, Zhang Sihai hurriedly asked, "Young Master, what brings you here today?" Jiang Hanqing didn't rush to answer Zhang Sihai's question, but instead asked him, "This is our third meeting, and only this one can truly be considered a real meeting between the two of us. The previous two times, we didn't have a chance to discuss your specific situations. Today, you can tell us yourself. How did you join the Holy Gate? How were you sent to the army and gained the Emperor's trust? What about He Bingzhang and the others?" Hearing Jiang Hanqing's words, Zhang Sihai nodded respectfully and said, "Yes! Yes! We haven't had a chance to explain our situation to Young Master. Today, we can tell you everything!" After thinking for a while, Zhang Sihai slowly began to recount his past to Jiang Hanqing.

"I was born into a military family. My father was a deputy general under Li Jixing! I grew up in the military camp with my father from a young age. When I was a few years old, I was chosen by someone sent by the palace to teach the martial arts and rules of the Holy Sect..." Jiang Hanqing interrupted, "Which palace chose you? The Goddess Palace? Or the Holy Mother Palace?" Zhang Sihai replied, "The Goddess Palace, but later the Holy Mother Palace also sent someone to teach martial arts!" Jiang Hanqing nodded and said, "Last time I heard He Bingzhang say from Qiu Te that the sect leader himself was completely unaware of your entry into the sect. Do you know what happened?" Zhang Sihai hesitated for a moment, mumbled something, and said something unintelligible.

Jiang Hanqing frowned and said, "What do you want to say? Speak clearly!" Zhang Sihai swallowed hard and said with difficulty, "This... Young Master... This... When you see the two Palace Masters later... they will naturally tell you... This... I really dare not speak carelessly here... I hope Young Master will forgive me!" Seeing Zhang Sihai's dilemma, Jiang Hanqing chuckled and said, "Alright! I will ask the two Palace Masters myself later. You can continue with your story!" Hearing Jiang Hanqing say this, Zhang Sihai breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "According to the rules of the Holy Sect, I finally completed the initiation ceremony at the age of fifteen and officially became a disciple of the Holy Sect!" As he said this, a proud smile appeared on his face. Jiang Hanqing naturally understood that the initiation ceremony he mentioned referred to the matter of raping his mother, and he smiled knowingly as well.

Zhang Sihai's smile faded, and he continued, "After years of fighting alongside my father in the army, my combat experience grew, and I gradually began to take on the responsibility of commanding small units. In a campaign against the Northern Barbarians, my father… unfortunately…" His voice choked slightly, and Zhang Sihai paused to take a deep breath, calming his agitated emotions a little.

"After my father's martyrdom, I took over his position. At that time, people from the palace told me that several other fellow disciples were also in the army, namely He Bingzhang and his group." Jiang Hanqing asked, "How did you contact the palace?" Zhang Sihai shook his head and said, "I had no way to proactively contact the palace."

"Every time, it's people from the palace who come to find me!" Jiang Hanqing was a little skeptical of Zhang Sihai's words and asked doubtfully, "So, if people from the palace don't come to you, you can't find them either?" Zhang Sihai nodded very firmly and said, "Yes! My communication with the palace has always been one-way. If they don't contact me, I can't find them! I heard that He Bingzhang and the others are the same!" Seeing his sincere attitude, Jiang Hanqing believed that he wasn't lying and nodded, "I see!" Zhang Sihai continued, "The palace instructed me and He Bingzhang and others to unite and work together. The goal was to rise to higher positions in the army and control more troops through mutual assistance as much as possible! So we made contact. Later, when we marched into Qiut, the palace instructed us to help destroy Li Jixing's army!" Jiang Hanqing wondered, "I still don't understand how the palace knew I went to Qiut? I didn't inform the palace about this operation!" "At this moment, a thought flashed through Jiang Hanqing's mind, and he suddenly realized: "Only a few people in my family knew about my trip this time. Where did they get the information? Could it be... that there are members of our sect in the family who I don't know about? But why didn't Master mention it to me? Why did the two palaces hide the matter of placing people in the army from Master?" Faced with this chaotic mess of thoughts, Jiang Hanqing felt that the more he thought about it, the more complicated things became, a tangled mess he couldn't unravel.

Forcibly suppressing the questions that kept arising in his mind, Jiang Hanqing composed himself and said to Zhang Sihai, "After returning this time, I heard that you guys have all been highly valued by the Emperor?" Zhang Sihai replied, "Yes. After returning from Qiu Te, because many of the Emperor's trusted generals had died in foreign lands, there were many vacancies in the Imperial Guard and the Forbidden Army. Therefore, the Emperor had no choice but to appoint us generals who returned alive to ensure his control over the army. Otherwise, I think it would be very difficult for us to enter the Forbidden Army, which the Emperor values most!" Jiang Hanqing smiled and said, "It's a great fortune for our sect that you and He Bingzhang now control the Imperial Guards." Zhang Sihai, looking ashamed, said embarrassedly, "Young Master... this... alas! Young Master, it's shameful to say! He Bingzhang and I haven't truly controlled the army yet." Jiang Hanqing nodded, "That's alright. It's probably because it hasn't been long." Zhang Sihai sighed and shook his head, "Young Master, you don't understand! This has little to do with how long we've been in office. I think even if we wait another ten years, we still won't be able to control the Imperial Guards.

" Jiang Hanqing was astonished, "How could that be?" Zhang Sihai said, "That old emperor, you say he's senile, but he's not really senile! Now, the appointment and transfer of all generals in the Imperial Guards, regardless of rank, must be approved by the emperor." He Bingzhang is nominally the commander of the Imperial Guards, but he doesn't even have the authority to appoint a deputy general. Similarly, I am currently the commander of the Left Army, but I have no way to command even a minor officer. The generals under our command are all the emperor's men, completely unrelated to us.

If this continues, we have no way to place our own people in the army. Even if we wanted to secretly mobilize the army to rebel, it would be impossible. Our generals certainly wouldn't listen to us! Alas! So…” Jiang Hanqing exclaimed in surprise, “I never expected the emperor to have such a plan! There's such a thing? How come I've never heard of it before?” Zhang Sihai sighed, “Yes! We had never heard of it before when we weren't in the Imperial Guards. Only after entering the inner circle did we learn the secret. I heard the control measures within the Imperial Guards are even more stringent.” Jiang Hanqing nodded, comforting himself, “Actually, this should be expected. The emperor can give up any power, but he would never relinquish the Imperial Guards to anyone else.” "The Great Xia Empire spans thousands of miles, boasts a population of over one hundred million, and reveres martial prowess, thus possessing a massive army of approximately three million men.

For six hundred years, the Great Xia Empire's vast military force has been divided into four main parts.

The largest in number, but also the relatively weakest in combat, is the 'Local Garrison Force.' They are stationed in various regions, tasked with ensuring the security of their respective areas. Their main role is to defend against small-scale invasions or suppress bandits and rebellions in the areas they defend. The soldiers are primarily drawn from farmers who are required to serve each year, and generally, all soldiers are replaced every three years." This type of force was commanded by local administrative officials, who were responsible to the emperor. In the current situation, since most local administrative officials within the empire remained loyal to the emperor, the vast majority of these troops were also loyal to him. The total number of these troops was estimated at around one million. However, despite their large numbers, these troops were generally only used to suppress popular uprisings, and their role in actual warfare was quite limited.

The next largest, but with significantly enhanced combat power, were the so-called "standing legion forces." These forces were drawn from the empire's "local garrison forces." The "Standing Legion" is composed of outstanding soldiers selected from among the elite, and even professional sergeants. Organized into legions, they are typically stationed in frontier regions or strategic locations, responsible for repelling large-scale enemy invasions. The "Black Eagle Legion," completely annihilated in the invasion of Qiut, and the "Southern Legion" currently commanded by Fei Qingsi, both belong to this type of force. These units are generally well-trained, well-equipped, and possess strong combat capabilities, forming the foundation of the Empire's military strength.

In the Empire's numerous battles against neighboring barbarian states, the "Standing Legion" has consistently played a leading role. Of these, nearly half were commanded by generals from the four great ducal families, with the Jiang family holding a dominant position. Of course, the remaining half was controlled by the emperor alone, which was the fundamental basis for his continued rule. The number of these troops was estimated to be around six or seven hundred thousand.

Another, even more powerful military force was the "Grand Marshal's Legion," which struck fear into the hearts of the empire's enemies. This type of force was very similar to the regular legion, also composed of elite imperial soldiers organized into legion-level combat units. The difference was that their equipment was even more sophisticated than that of the regular legion. The soldiers are of higher quality, undergo more rigorous training, and consequently possess greater combat power. The primary mission of these legions is to proactively attack and expand territory in barbarian lands. According to the imperial military system, such units can only be established by the Grand Marshal of the Empire, and the name of the legion is determined by the Grand Marshal responsible for its establishment. The Grand Marshal himself is also the commander-in-chief. Unless the Grand Marshal retires, the legion will never be disbanded. In the Empire's more than six hundred years of history, only five Grand Marshals have ever existed, therefore, there have only been five such legions in imperial history. Currently, the one belonging to Yin Yufeng is... The "Jade Phoenix Legion" and Shi Yanying's "Flying Eagle Legion" were respectively responsible for launching strategic offensives against the Western Regions and the northern barbarians. These two legions combined had nearly 500,000 combat troops, making them arguably the most powerful independent fighting forces in the entire land.

Due to the special status of their two commanders, the emperor deeply feared these legions and had in recent years tried every means to weaken their power to reduce the threat they posed to his rule.

As for the emperor himself, he also possessed a military force capable of rivaling the Grand Marshal's legions: the "Imperial Guards" stationed in the capital. The entire "Imperial Guards"... The "Army" consisted of two armies: the "Imperial Guard," responsible for guarding the palace, essentially the emperor's personal army; and the "Imperial Guard," currently commanded by He Bingzhang, responsible for defending the capital region outside the palace. The Imperial Guard numbered approximately 200,000, while the Imperial Guard numbered approximately 400,000. In addition, at least 200,000 troops were stationed year-round in the capital region.

These approximately 800,000 troops, centered on the capital, firmly controlled a radius of 100 li (approximately 50 kilometers), possessing the power to resist any foreign invasion. Their strength was comparable to that of the "Jade Phoenix Legion" and the "Flying Eagle Legion." Not to be outdone. For six hundred years, if it weren't for this powerful military force defending the capital, the four ducal families would have rebelled countless times already! Overall, although the Great Xia Empire nominally possessed an army of three million, after deducting the largely ineffective "local garrison troops," only about two million soldiers remained usable. Of these, approximately eight hundred thousand were controlled by the four ducal families, leaving only about one hundred and one-hundred thousand soldiers truly at the emperor's disposal.

This demonstrates the devastating blow the failed invasion of Qiute dealt to the emperor.

Because the more than 400,000 soldiers who died at the Battle of Qiut were all elite troops loyal to the emperor, including 80,000 Imperial Guards and 120,000 troops stationed in the capital region, such sacrifices were an irreparable loss. This forced the emperor to transfer a large number of the original Imperial Guard generals to the Imperial Guards to replenish their ranks. The resulting vacancies in the Imperial Guards could only be filled by promoting generals from other ordinary armies. This is the most important reason why generals like He Bingzhang, who were not originally from the Imperial Guards, were able to break with tradition, enter the Imperial Guards, and assume high-ranking positions.

Due to the losses at the Battle of Qiut, the only troops available near the capital were 120,000 Imperial Guards, 400,000 Imperial Guards, and the remaining 80,000 troops stationed in the capital region. When rumors of Consort Qingsi's rebellion circulated recently, approximately 200,000 troops were drawn from the Imperial Guards to reinforce and deploy at important passes along the southern border of the capital. Among them, 100,000 cavalry were sent to Nanxingkou, where Jiang Hanqing and others had previously visited. In other words, only 400,000 troops remain within a hundred li of the capital, half the normal number.

It was precisely for this reason that Jiang Hanqing was overjoyed when he heard the news of He Bingzhang's appointment as commander of the Imperial Guards, believing he could now control the 200,000 Imperial Guards remaining in the capital and further weaken the emperor's power. However, the emperor was cunning and had anticipated this, and Jiang Hanqing's hopes were dashed. Although he comforted himself that this was to be expected, he couldn't help but show extreme disappointment in front of Zhang Sihai.

Zhang Sihai naturally understood the crux of the matter, but he couldn't change the fact and could only anxiously steal glances at Jiang Hanqing's expression.

"The hope of controlling the Imperial Guards is shattered! But I suppose there's no other hope either? The situation will just remain the same, it's not a big deal," Jiang Hanqing comforted himself, finally accepting this unpleasant reality.

Turning to look at Zhang Sihai, who was fidgeting beside him, Jiang Hanqing smiled, leaned over, and patted his shoulder, comforting him, "Sihai, forget it! It's okay if you can't think of a good solution.

Anyway, we didn't lose anything; it's just a draw with the Emperor! In a way, we still have the upper hand! After all, you guys have successfully entered the Imperial Guard. There's still a long road ahead, and we'll have plenty of opportunities!" Seeing that Jiang Hanqing didn't blame him for his incompetence, Zhang Sihai's heart, which had been hanging in his throat, gradually calmed down. He nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yes! Young Master is right! As long as we're still in the Imperial Guard, we'll definitely be able to come up with a good solution in the future." Jiang Hanqing thought for a moment, then asked Zhang Sihai, "Do you know if any other forces have infiltrated the Imperial Guards during this personnel reshuffle?" Zhang Sihai pondered for a while, then shook his head, "Well... I don't think so!" Jiang Hanqing slapped his head hard, then laughed as if suddenly realizing something, "Yeah! I was so stupid! If you all knew, he probably wouldn't have been able to infiltrate!" Zhang Sihai chuckled twice, then suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said to Jiang Hanqing, "But... it seems quite a few officers in the Imperial Guards are very close to the Second Prince Yiyu! It seems this Second Prince has some plans!" For Jiang Hanqing, this news was like a ray of sunshine. "It's like a bolt from the blue!" Jiang Hanqing grabbed Zhang Sihai's shoulders and cried out, "What did you say? Yiyu? Are you sure?" Zhang Sihai nodded firmly, "Yes! It's Yiyu! I personally saw Yiyu walking and laughing with several commanders of the Imperial Guard. I heard from my subordinates that Yiyu has recently been on close terms with several high-ranking officers in the Imperial Guard, meeting them every few days! I heard that many officers in the Imperial Guard are optimistic that Yiyu can succeed Yisheng as the new Crown Prince." Jiang Hanqing's face turned ashen. Yiyu had actually colluded with the Imperial Guard. This undoubtedly further strengthened the power of this rising second prince. But Jiang Hanqing's biggest worry wasn't this. He was worried that the Wang family might infiltrate the Imperial Guard through Yiyu. If the Wang family controlled the Imperial Guard, the Jiang family would be doomed.

"Sihai, can you find out exactly who in the Imperial Guard is colluding with Yiyu?" Jiang Hanqing patted Zhang Sihai's shoulder forcefully and said seriously.

Zhang Sihai thought for a moment and hesitated, "This... Young Master, I'll try my best to investigate! But..." Jiang Hanqing held up a finger in front of Zhang Sihai's eyes and said solemnly, "Don't say 'but'! You must find out! No matter what method you use, you must find out! Especially those high-ranking officers!" Looking at Jiang Hanqing's serious expression, Zhang Sihai didn't dare to say "no" and hurriedly agreed, "Young Master, don't worry! I will do my best! I will find out everyone!" Hearing this, Jiang Hanqing's expression softened, and he said in a calm tone, "That kid Yiyu has been rising rapidly recently, his momentum is very strong, he will soon become our new..." "A formidable foe. If we don't figure out how much capital he has, it will be too late once things happen." Zhang Sihai nodded vigorously, his attitude very firm, and said, "Young Master, I understand! Don't worry! I will definitely handle this matter well, investigate Yiyu's background thoroughly, and make sure he has nowhere to hide!" Seeing that Zhang Sihai agreed to handle the matter well, Jiang Hanyu smiled and said, "Good! I'll leave this matter to you! Also, keep an eye out for any other people who have infiltrated the Imperial Guard.

Don't be the mantis stalking the cicada, only to be caught in the crossfire! If there are any unusual actions in the Imperial Guard, you must find a way to notify me as soon as possible!" Zhang Sihai naturally dared not neglect Jiang Hanqing's words in the slightest and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Jiang Hanyu saw that although he repeatedly agreed to his words, judging from his expression, he clearly did not understand the true purpose of his order. If he didn't let him understand the stakes involved, he probably wouldn't care much in the future. With this concern in mind, Jiang Hanqing decided it would be better to explain things more clearly to Zhang Sihai.

Standing up and pacing back and forth in the main room, attracting Zhang Sihai's attention, Jiang Hanqing slowly said, "Sihai, do you know why I'm doing this?" Zhang Sihai asked blankly, "Young Master, isn't it just that you want to control the Imperial Guards and are worried that someone else will take control first?" Jiang Hanqing shook his head and smiled bitterly, "That's just on the surface! Let me tell you, reliable intelligence indicates that the Wang family has colluded with Yiyu! And judging from the various signs a month ago, these guys are definitely preparing something earth-shattering!" Zhang Sihai exclaimed in horror, "The Wang family and Yiyu are colluding! This...this...earth-shattering?...You...you mean...they...not only want to control the Imperial Guards...but also...?" Jiang Hanqing sighed with worry, "Alas! That's right! I suspect they want to strike first and launch a rebellion! The most frightening thing now is that we have absolutely no idea about their plans."

We have absolutely no idea what methods they're going to use! If this continues, we won't even know what's going on until their knives are already at our heads! Zhang Sihai frowned and said, "Do they really have such audacity? Could they really be plotting a rebellion? But with their current strength, even if they start a rebellion, their chances of success aren't necessarily high! They wouldn't risk something they're not confident about so easily, would they?" Jiang Hanqing sneered, "If they succeed in their gamble, they can seize the world. Such a huge reward, anyone would be willing to take the risk. And the key thing right now is that we don't know their true strength! It's possible that they've secretly accumulated considerable strength, but we're just completely unaware!" Zhang Sihai wiped the sweat from his forehead and said repeatedly, "Yes! Yes! Young Master is right! I was indeed too careless! Alas! This Wang family... Alas! I never imagined they would be so audacious." Jiang Hanqing glanced at the nervous Zhang Sihai and smiled, "Sihai, you don't need to be so nervous. Have confidence in ourselves! Besides, this is just my own speculation! Hopefully, the Wang family isn't really planning an immediate uprising, then we'll have ample time to prepare. As long as we're prepared… Hmph! Is there any power in the world that can stop us? Just get through this difficult period, and then everything will be in our hands! Hehe! Taking over the world will be a piece of cake!" Encouraged by Jiang Hanqing's words, Zhang Sihai seemed to truly envision a glorious victory for his side. His eyes shone brightly, and he excitedly exclaimed, "Yes! Young Master, I have confidence! We will definitely achieve final victory! Then, Young Master, you will be the ruler of the world, and the grand ambition of restoring the Holy Gate will be successfully realized!" Jiang Hanqing had been smiling throughout Zhang Sihai's words, but his expression immediately froze when Zhang Sihai mentioned "the restoration of the Holy Gate."

Deep down, Jiang Hanqing had always harbored an inexplicable feeling towards the "Holy Gate." Although he had become the young master of the Holy Gate by chance, and had been taught to dedicate his life to restoring its glory, his true intention was always to use the Holy Gate as a tool he could manipulate

. He had initially harbored some reservations about his master, fearing that if his master discovered his thoughts, he would seek revenge. With his master's martial arts skills, taking his life would be incredibly easy. However, their recent encounter at the tavern completely dispelled these deep-seated concerns. Thinking of this, Jiang Hanqing recalled his master's words from that day: "You are the young master of the Jiang family, backed by the power of the Holy Gate, and possess great talent and ambition, excelling in both literature and martial arts. You will surely ascend to the supreme throne! When that time comes, you must remember: you can keep your mother locked in the palace and indulge in your desires, but you must never let anyone outside know! The people will absolutely not accept a madman who has defiled his mother as their ruler! As for the Holy Gate… you can do with it however you like! But you must be careful of the women in the two palaces! They are not as easy to deal with as your master is!" "Although Jiang Hanqing still has a long way to go before realizing his dream of conquering the world, he believes it's always good for Qi Ji to plan ahead.

"If I truly ascend the throne one day, how should I deal with the 'Holy Gate'? Should I really let it appear openly in the world? ...No! Absolutely not! If I did that, I would face opposition from the entire world! I absolutely cannot let it reappear! ...But what will happen to the monsters in the two palaces then? How will people like Zhang Sihai react? Will they oppose me? ...Hmph! If they dare to cause trouble, I will completely eradicate them! Yes! The day I become emperor, I will completely eradicate the Holy Gate! Like a rabbit killed and its hunting dog cooked, or a bow put away after the birds are all gone! There's no other way! Who told you all to be a bunch of unreasonable lunatics! ...Hmph!" "Everyone who defiles his mother is infuriating! Do you think the whole world would accept such an idea? You're insane!" Jiang Hanqing thought to himself, making a firm decision for the first time in his life: after he conquered the world, he would eradicate the Holy Gate... to prevent future troubles.

Turning to look at Zhang Sihai, who was still lost in his endless fantasies of the "Holy Gate's Restoration" and grinning foolishly, Jiang Hanqing sneered and said, "Sihai! To realize this grand ambition, we'll need your help!" Awakening from his reverie, Zhang Sihai, upon hearing Jiang Hanqing's words, was immediately flattered and knelt down, kowtowing, "Young Master, you flatter me too much! How could I possibly be qualified to help you? But for your cause, for the revival of the Holy Gate, I am willing to serve you like a dog, braving fire and water, even unto death!" Jiang Hanqing, beaming, nodded repeatedly, "Good! Sihai, good!" "..." Jiang Hanqing said, gently patting Zhang Sihai's shoulder a few times and helping him to his feet.

"That's enough for today! I can't stay here any longer, lest I arouse suspicion!" Zhang Sihai was about to ask him to stay, but Jiang Hanqing continued, "I won't go to He Bingzhang's place. Coming to you, I can use the excuse of repaying your life-saving grace, but there's no excuse for going to him. I'm afraid that if I go even once, the Emperor will immediately think that He Bingzhang is colluding with the Jiang family. Please tell him about this for me and ask him to go with you! Remember, be careful in everything! Don't overlook any clues or suspicious details!" Jiang Hanqing waved to Zhang Sihai, turned around to leave, but then suddenly remembered something and turned back to Zhang Sihai, saying, "Also, your two servants seem to be a bit unruly!" Zhang Sihai nodded knowingly and said, "Young Master is wise!" These two servants were recommended by a head eunuch in the palace, who claimed to be a distant relative. I didn't dare offend him, so I took them in! Hmph! Now it seems they were clearly sent to spy on me! Jiang Hanqing sneered, "So that's how it is! No wonder those two were so ill-mannered... Hmph! Never mind them! Just be careful yourself!" "After saying this, Jiang Hanqing didn't linger and immediately walked out.

Zhang Sihai quickly followed behind, escorting Jiang Hanqing to the door and watching him ride away before returning to the mansion.

Chapter 45 Between Brothers

Chapter 45 Between Brothers

It has been more than two months since the beginning of spring, and the weather is gradually warming up. Yong'an Prefecture, which had been quiet for a period after the New Year, is now bustling again, with more and more people on the streets. After the brief silence of winter, Yong'an Prefecture has regained its vitality. Although nearly four months have passed, the emperor's hatred for the Qiut people has not diminished at all. On the contrary, his desire to launch a crazy attack on the Qiut people has become even stronger. With the arrival of spring, the snow on the roads has melted, and the troops that the emperor has conscripted from all over the country to come to the capital have arrived one after another. The number of troops inside and outside the capital has suddenly surged to nearly 800,000, basically restoring the level of the garrison before the expedition against the Qiut. Since the preparations have not yet been completed, the emperor will not launch a war for the time being, and these troops can only stay around the capital." Awaiting further orders. With so many soldiers gathered together and doing nothing, they naturally spent their days wandering aimlessly around the capital. These soldiers, idle and mischievous, caused trouble everywhere, much to the dismay of the city's inhabitants. In truth, the emperor was fairly satisfied with the newly assembled army, but his ideal commander had not yet arrived in the capital. He would not launch a campaign as easily as before; he would choose one of Shi Yanying and Yin Yufeng to command the new expeditionary force. He understood that this expedition could not afford any more mistakes, otherwise his throne would be in grave danger.

However, Shi Yanying and Yin Yufeng seemed to be deliberately defying him. Despite the numerous messengers he sent to urge them to come to the capital for an audience, neither showed any intention of coming. What worried the emperor even more was that these two powerful marshals seemed to be secretly colluding, refusing his summons with the same reason: "The barbarians beyond the borders are frequently causing trouble; there is fear of a major upheaval in the near future!" "Your Majesty, I bear the heavy responsibility of guarding the frontier. How could I possibly act rashly in such a critical situation? I humbly beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!"

Upon seeing the memorial presented by the two women, the Emperor flew into a rage, tearing it to shreds! He simply did not believe the words of these two women whom he had always feared. "There has never been a situation in the history of the Empire where two barbarian tribes simultaneously invaded the border! These two wretched women conspired to deceive me! No way!"

Disbelieving the two women's explanations, the emperor harbored deep suspicions about their motives. Although he didn't know what these two shrewd women were really up to, he was certain they wouldn't immediately rebel, given that their husbands and families remained in the capital. Their rebellion on the frontier would inevitably result in the destruction of their families. Even so, the emperor felt this action posed a significant threat to his rule. He thought: "This must be a scheme by these two shrewish women to test my reaction! If they see I'm easy to bully, they might actually rebel!" He realized that if he didn't respond, or find a way to resolve this situation, these two "heroines" might do something even more outrageous one day. Both angry and anxious about their defiance, the emperor thought to himself, "I must teach them a lesson! Let them understand that the consequences of disobeying an imperial decree are not easily borne!"

While thinking this, the emperor couldn't find an effective way to deal with these two unusual women. If an ordinary army commander defied an imperial edict, the emperor could easily take his life with a single decree, as the army's loyalty lay with the emperor, not a particular general. However, these two formidable tigresses were not to be underestimated. Their legions were only accountable to their commanders, and forcing them to relinquish their command would require overwhelming force to defeat their armies. Defeating these two renowned "Grand Marshal Legions," renowned as "invincible," would require the sacrifice of countless soldiers.

Yet, the emperor was not inclined to feign indifference to Yin Yufeng and Shi Yanying's defiance. Moreover, the matter was already widely known among the ministers; how could it be concealed?

After much deliberation, the emperor decided to leave this problem to his ministers to worry about. He demanded a reasonable explanation from the Jiang and Li families involved, while also asking Yisheng, Yiyu, and the Wang family to devise a solution. Duke Dingguo, Wang Mingde, and the Second Prince, Yiyu, seized this opportunity to launch a fierce attack on the Jiang and Li families at the morning court, accusing them of disloyalty, treachery, and a desire for punishment. Members of the Jiang and Li families immediately retaliated, accusing the Wang family and Yiyu of fabricating charges. As for Crown Prince Yisheng, although he had fallen out of favor with the emperor and had previously agreed to cooperate with Jiang Hanqing, he still worried that if the Jiang and Li families succeeded in their rebellion, he would lose all power. Therefore, he criticized Yin Yufeng and Shi Yanying's actions in court. For a time, the court was in an uproar over this matter, and the dispute dragged on for days without a resolution. Although the court was filled with condemnation of Yin Yufeng and Shi Yanying, even the resolute Wang family and Yi Yu could only utter empty words. They were powerless to devise a way to deal with these powerful figures. The Jiang family, burdened by this affair, could only struggle to protect themselves and had no energy left to investigate the actions of the Wang family and Yi Yu.

This day was February 18th, the sixth year of the Taiping Zhenzhi reign of the Great Xia Empire. In Jiang Haoyu's study, key members of the Jiang family were holding a meeting to discuss contingency plans for the current situation. "Damn it, that old emperor is truly despicable! There's clearly enemy activity on the border, but he won't believe it! That damned old thief, I'll definitely cut him to pieces if I get the chance!" Jiang Haoting cursed angrily. Judging from his expression, if the emperor appeared before him at this moment, he might actually chop him up! Jiang Haoming pondered, "My sister-in-law said the Bolin tribe in the Western Regions is making unusual movements, which is certainly true! But Shi Yanying also reported at this time that the special agents in the Northern Frontier are also showing signs of preparing to raid the border? Isn't this too much of a coincidence? How could two barbarian tribes simultaneously gather heavy troops near the Imperial border? This situation... is as if the two sides have some secret agreement!"

Jiang Haotian sighed, "It's precisely because the simultaneous raids by two sides are unprecedented that the Emperor doesn't believe the reports from the border! However... such a thing is truly rare!" He then said, "Let's go! Go back to the room and serve the master well, let him truly enjoy himself today!" "After the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, Bai Yingjue was already naked, standing in the dark room performing masturbation for Jiang Hanqing. Like any sadist, Jiang Hanqing was already wondering if Shi Yanying's side really had special agents trespassing on the border. Sigh! Now look what's happened! We didn't do anything! The Wang family has seized this as leverage to relentlessly attack us. Sigh!"

Jiang Haoran snorted, "The Wang family is so arrogant now! Hmph! But I think the most despicable one is that Yisheng guy. He clearly promised Qing'er that he would join hands with us to fight against Yiyu, but at the crucial moment, not only did he not help us, he also kicked us when we were down and turned the tables on us! Wait until things..." "We must find a way to deal with this damned opportunist!"

Jiang Hanqing glanced at his silent father, coughed twice, and said, "The key issue now is how to dispel the Emperor's suspicions? This dragging on is extremely disadvantageous for us! The Emperor's attention is entirely focused on us; what can we do then? Our energy will be completely exhausted, leaving us no capacity to pay attention to other matters, such as the Wang family's actions! If the Wang family takes this opportunity to secretly plot, we will know nothing."

Jiang Haoyu raised his head and looked around at those present. A family member slowly said, "I don't think Shi Yanying is up to anything. There really is an enemy on her side, just like what Yu Feng encountered."

Jiang Fengqin was taken aback by his certainty and asked, "Why are you so sure that Shi Yanying's side isn't up to anything, brother?"

Jiang Haoyu smiled and said, "Think about it! If Shi Yanying is doing something underhanded, then there must be a motive behind it! But what is that motive? I can't think of one! It can't be that the Li family wants to take this opportunity to rebel, right? I think even if you gave the Li family ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare to rebel now! On the other hand, since there's no motive..." The machine allows Shi Yanying to be so arrogant, and she is well aware of the consequences of disobeying the imperial decree. Would she still dare to act recklessly? If there wasn't a real reason, would she dare to disobey the decree and falsely report enemy activity? Wouldn't she be afraid of being held accountable by the emperor after he discovers the truth? Shi Yanying has never been one to act rashly! She would never do anything that wouldn't benefit her, nor would she fight a battle she wasn't confident of winning! Therefore, I believe that what she did wasn't malicious, but rather a genuine situation!

Jiang Haoyu paused here, observing the expressions of the crowd. Seeing that they all deeply agreed with his words, he nodded repeatedly. Clearing his throat, Jiang Haoyu continued, "Since the enemy activity from both sides is real, then this unusual movement by the barbarians on the border is definitely not a simple matter! How could two enemies coincidentally launch simultaneous attacks on the imperial border? I think things are definitely not as simple as they seem on the surface; perhaps… it even has something to do with those bastards from the Wang family!"

Everyone present was shocked by Jiang Haoyu's words; no one had ever imagined that this matter could be related to the Wang family. Seeing that everyone was shaken by his words, Jiang Haoyu smiled coldly and continued, "Think about it, at such a crucial moment, for two barbarian groups to exhibit unusual activity, isn't the timing a bit too coincidental? Moreover, under normal circumstances, if Yu Feng and Shi Yanying disobeyed the imperial decree, the Wang family, fearing that my Jiang family and Li family would launch a rebellion, would definitely take action and prepare to deal with it! Past events have proven this point; as long as there is the slightest disturbance, the Wang family will cause chaos! But what is the situation now? Although the Wang family shouts in the court every day that we have ulterior motives and want to rebel, we haven't seen them…" They made no preparations and continued living their normal lives with singing and dancing every day. How can this be explained? I think it can only mean one thing! That is, the Wang family is not worried about us rebelling at all! They know that Yu Feng and Shi Yanying cannot return to the capital because of enemy activity on the border! But how can they be so sure about something that even the emperor doesn't believe?"

Jiang Haoming was immediately shocked upon hearing this and hurriedly asked, "Brother, do you mean... you think the Wang family is behind the barbarian incursions on the border?"

Jiang Haoyu nodded with a gloomy face and said, "I'm not sure... I just suspect it's possible!"

Jiang Haotian slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed, "Brother, you're brilliant! Hearing you say that, I'm suddenly enlightened! Indeed! I think the Wang family might really be plotting something behind this!"

Jiang Haoyu ignored his younger brother's flattery and turned to Jiang Hanqing, asking, "Qing'er, what do you think of this matter?"

Jiang Hanqing replied, "I've had some suspicions about this before, but I was never sure! Now that Father thinks so too, I think it's probably true!"

Jiang Haoyu nodded and said, "If the Wang family really did this, then it's not simple! What's their purpose?"

Jiang Haoting asked, "Could it be that they deliberately created this to divert everyone's attention?"

Jiang Hanqing said, "I think that's exactly it! To keep the entire court focused on us, and to keep us busy dealing with the Emperor's suspicions. With everyone distracted, they can then proceed with their conspiracy with peace of mind! Hmph!"

Lin Fengxian, who had been sitting silently to the side, couldn't help but interject, "But these are all just guesses! How can we prove it's true? And if it is true, how should we deal with it?" Jiang

Haoyu completely ignored Lin Fengxian and went straight to Jiang Hanqing, saying, "Qing'er, go to Yisheng and tell him the truth. Tell him not to be afraid, that we won't rebel! Tell him not to mess around with the Wang family and Yiyu! Also, tell him to find a way to explain things to the Emperor."

Lin Fengxian felt extremely frustrated and aggrieved seeing that the head of the family didn't take him seriously at all. He couldn't help but feel resentful towards Jiang Haoyu, but he didn't dare show it on his face. He turned to look at his mother sitting next to him and saw a hint of displeasure flash across her face, clearly also very dissatisfied with Jiang Haoyu's actions. "It seems Mother is also very dissatisfied with Uncle! Humph!" "I'll discuss it with my mother later. If I want to stand out in the family, I must find a way to attract my uncle's attention. Without the head of the family's favor, I can't rise in the family, and this humiliating scene could repeat itself at any time!"

Lin Fengxian thought to himself, forgetting the humiliation of being ignored by Jiang Haoyu earlier. When he came to his senses, he just heard Jiang Hanqing speak up, "Then I'll go see Yisheng later and ask him to dispel his concerns! However, Yisheng has recently fallen out of favor with the emperor. Even if we persuade him to explain to the emperor on our behalf, it probably won't make much of a difference!"

Jiang Haoyu said, "Regardless of whether he can make a difference or not! We must try our best to get what we can!"

Seeing Jiang Hanqing nod repeatedly in agreement, Jiang Haoyu didn't say anything more to his son. Turning to look at Jiang Haotian, Jiang Haoyu said coldly, "Haotian, you're in charge of intelligence work, which is very tiring. But there are too many things going on in the family lately, and I don't think you can handle it all." "You can take a break from this intelligence work! As for who will take over... I think Qing'er is capable of handling quite a bit already. You can hand over the intelligence gathering work to him!"

Jiang Haotian paused, his eyes widening as he stared at his elder brother, his lips moving slightly as if he wanted to say something. However, he ultimately said nothing. He nodded, sighed softly, and lowered his head to his chest, looking very sad and embarrassed. No one could see the terrifying glint in his eyes when he lowered his head. Everyone in the Jiang family present, except for Jiang Hanqing, assumed this was the head of the family punishing Jiang Haotian for his poor performance. For the past few months, the Jiang family had known that the Wang family might be secretly taking some action, but they just couldn't find the slightest clue. In this situation, the head of the family responsible for intelligence gathering... Jiang Lao Er (Second Brother Jiang) was truly to blame for this! Everyone knew that the head of the family always meant what he said, and now that Jiang Haoyu was on the side of "reason," no one dared to say a word in Jiang Lao Er's defense. Only Jiang Hanqing understood that his father was using this as an opportunity to weaken his second uncle's power and reduce the threat he posed to him and his father.

Intelligence work within the Jiang family had always been handled by Jiang Haotian, the family's second-in-command. Although Jiang Haoyu frequently inquired about intelligence, Jiang Haotian ultimately made the decisions. These details were simply impossible for the busy head of the family to handle personally. The recruitment and appointment of intelligence personnel—a trivial matter that the head of the family couldn't handle—was also taken care of by Jiang Haotian himself. As a result, almost all the subordinates in the Jiang family's intelligence system were Jiang Haotian's men. Initially, Jiang Haoyu didn't care about this situation; after all, Jiang Haotian was his own brother, so it didn't matter. However, Jiang Haoyu gradually discovered that Jiang Haotian coveted his position as head of the family. At this point, Jiang Haoyu began to feel that allowing Jiang Haotian to control this intelligence system was far too dangerous for him. In recent years, with Jiang Hanqing's rapid rise in power, Jiang Haotian's increasingly duplicity and disloyalty had made Jiang Haoyu and his father deeply wary of him.

Two months ago, Jiang Hanqing... The attack intensified the father and son's hatred for Jiang Haotian, as they were convinced he was behind it. For the past two months, they had been trying to weaken his power, but had never found a pretext. Now, with the reconnaissance of the Zheng family failing so miserably, Jiang Haotian, as the intelligence chief, naturally had to take responsibility. Therefore, Jiang Haoyu immediately seized this opportunity, wresting command of the intelligence system back from Jiang Haotian and handing it over to his son, Jiang Hanqing. Seeing Jiang Haotian bowing his head without objection, a cold smile flashed across Jiang Haoyu's lips as he turned to his son and said, "Qing'er, from now on, you will be in charge of intelligence gathering! Don't let everyone down! If you don't do a good job, you will be punished!"

Jiang Hanqing nodded hurriedly, "Please rest assured, Master, I will do my utmost to complete the task assigned to me!"

Watching their performance, Jiang Haotian was seething with hatred, yet helpless, he could only lower his head and pretend to have no reaction. Jiang Haoyu nodded in satisfaction with his son's answer, then glanced at everyone present and said solemnly, "The current situation is very unfavorable for our Jiang family. Everyone must be extremely careful in your actions recently, and don't let those with ulterior motives find any more leverage to attack us." Hearing

this, everyone dared not be careless and immediately agreed. Jiang Haoyu continued, "Everyone should use all the resources at their disposal to gather intelligence and try to figure out the Wang family's specific actions. I want to see what they're up to!"

Everyone agreed again. Turning to look at Jiang Haoran, Jiang Haoyu said seriously, "Fifth brother, go and check on Hua Xin later! Tell her to go back to her parents' home and sound out her older brother, Li Zhiqiang. Make sure the Li family and Shi Yanying are alright!"

Jiang Haoran looked around awkwardly, then stammered to Jiang Haoyu, "Brother... this... this... you know... sigh... this..." Jiang Haoyu, still harboring resentment from their previous argument, immediately darkened his expression upon seeing his brother's hesitation, saying, "What's with all this 'this' and 'that'? What's so difficult about it!" Seeing his brother's unreasonable behavior and disregard for his own dignity in front of everyone, Jiang Haoran grew annoyed. He hardened his heart and raised his voice, "You know perfectly well! That woman from the Li family and I have long since severed all ties! You

want me to go see her? How could that be possible? Humph! That's bad enough! You want me to go back and find out about her brother? Don't dream about it! Would that Li woman agree? You want Fengqin to betray us? Would Fengqin do that?" "

As he finished speaking, he waved his hand forcefully in the air, while simultaneously curling his lip in disdain, seemingly mocking his elder brother's ignorance. No one in the Jiang family had ever dared to speak to their patriarch like that, and Jiang Haoran's actions immediately enraged Jiang Haoyu, whose face turned ashen. Glaring at Jiang Haoran with murderous intent, Jiang Haoyu said viciously, "How can Li Huaxin compare to Feng Qin! Besides, we're not sending her to harm the Li family; we're just sending her to gather some information! Fifth brother, let me tell you! I don't care how things are between you and her now! Anyway, she's your wife, which means she's a member of the Jiang family. You figure out a way to persuade her yourself! If you don't handle this well, you can forget about staying in the Jiang family!"

Jiang Haoran's eyes widened as he was about to stand up, but Jiang Fengqin tugged at his sleeve. He turned to look at his sister, who was shaking her head repeatedly. Jiang Haoran understood the terrible consequences of offending the family head, and after calming down, he forced himself to speak to Jiang Haoyu, "Brother... I didn't mean that... You know about my relationship with Li Huaxin! If I could persuade her, I would naturally try! But... she doesn't say a word to me now... When I talk to her, she acts like she doesn't hear me at all... How can I persuade her! Besides, none of the Li family members are good people! You want her to investigate her brother's information? I think she'll tell her brother about our family's information first!"

Jiang Haoran was about to explode, but Jiang Fengqin stopped him in time. Jiang Haoyu, of course, saw all of this clearly, and felt even more hatred for his unruly younger brother. However, he also knew that if he really turned against his brother on the spot, the impact on the family would be too great, and it would be extremely detrimental to his rule over the family. Seeing Jiang Haoran soften his stance, Jiang Haoyu also found a way to back down. "Fifth brother, your eldest brother knows about your situation with Hua Xin! But what time is it now? You know that; no matter what means you use, you must persuade her. Let her go back and ask her eldest brother what exactly happened with Shi Yanying! ...Besides, I think the matter with Shi Yanying is probably true! Actually, the most important thing about letting Hua Xin go back this time is to convey a message to Li Zhiqiang through her: our Jiang and Li families should join hands to deal with Wang Mingde!"

Jiang Haoting asked in surprise, "We should join hands with the Li family? Is it necessary? Will the Li family be willing?"

Jiang Haoyu said solemnly, "We must join hands with the Li family now! If the invasion of the mutant race was orchestrated by the Wang family, do you know what other shocking conspiracy they might have behind it? Our situation is extremely dire! Do you know that the Wang family is now..." Our every move is crystal clear, yet we have absolutely no idea what they're up to! Recently, Yi Yu has colluded with the Wang family again, and the two sides are working together in cahoots, their strength now undeniable. The latest intelligence indicates that many powerful officers within the Imperial Guard have defected to Yi Yu's faction. If this continues, the capital will become entirely under Yi Yu and the Wang family's control. Now, they've also allied with the barbarian tribes beyond the border, making them even more formidable and unstoppable! In this situation, we are completely at a disadvantage. If we don't find a solution quickly, we'll truly face certain death!"

Most of the Jiang family members present, though already aware of their unfavorable situation, hadn't realized it had reached such a critical juncture. Hearing the family head's words, they finally grasped the perilous situation they faced, and their faces paled with shock. Jiang Haoyu continued, “Among the four great ducal families, our family was originally the strongest, followed by the Wang family, then the Li family, and the Zou family was the weakest! But now, due to the cooperation between the Wang family and Yiyu, we are no longer as powerful as the Wang family. In addition, we are still unaware of their conspiracy and are in a completely passive and critical situation. Although the Li family is slightly weaker than our family and the Wang family, it is still more powerful than the impoverished Zou family, and with Shi Yanying's ‘Flying Eagle Legion’ backing them, if we can join forces with the Li family, the outcome of the struggle against the Wang family is still uncertain! Moreover, our Jiang family and the Li family have always had a good relationship, and everyone has maintained a superficial relationship. Otherwise, our father, the former head of the family, would not have arranged for our fifth son to marry into the Li family.” "The young lady is now our wife. We can use this relationship to invite the Li family to cooperate! I believe Li Zhiqiang isn't a fool; he'll naturally understand the benefits for both sides!"

Jiang Haoran muttered from the side, "The Li family isn't stupid! They helped us defeat the Wang family, do you think we'd let them off the hook? Do you think they don't understand?"

Jiang Haoyu glared at Jiang Haoran and said coldly, "Of course the Li family isn't stupid! They'll naturally understand that without our cooperation, death is imminent! Only by cooperating with us can they hope to defeat the Wang family! As for what happens after the Wang family is destroyed, that's up to each of us to use our own abilities! No one can blame anyone! Better to live a wretched life than die a glorious death! Li Zhiqiang understands this principle far better than you do!"

Jiang Haoran looked up at the ceiling, clearly completely unconvinced by Jiang Haoyu's words. Jiang Haoyu, still angry, glared at the arrogant and rude Jiang Haoran and slowly said, "Fifth Brother, listen to me! For the sake of the family, you must persuade your wife! Do you hear me?"

Seeing that his elder brother still insisted on him persuading Li Huaxin, Jiang Haoran became anxious and started shouting again, "You want me to persuade her? That's impossible... You... You... It's better to let Qing'er persuade her!"

Neither Jiang Haoyu nor Jiang Hanqing expected him to say such a thing. The father and son were both stunned for a moment, exchanging glances. Before they could say anything, Jiang Fengqin, standing nearby, spoke up first, "That's right! Fifth Brother has a point! Qing'er has a better chance of succeeding in persuading Huaxin!"

Jiang Hanqing and Li Huaxin had a very good relationship, a well-known fact in the Jiang family compound. Everyone knew that Li Huaxin had come to visit Jiang Hanqing when he was attacked and unconscious. Therefore, when Jiang Haoran and Jiang Fengqin said this, everyone not only didn't find it strange, but also thought that what they said made a lot of sense. It would be easier for Jiang Hanqing to handle this matter!

Jiang Hanqing looked at his father awkwardly and said, "This... Fifth Aunt... it's probably not a good idea for me to persuade her."

Jiang Haoyu gave Jiang Haoran a cold look, then turned to Jiang Hanqing and said, "Alright! Everyone knows that you and your Fifth Aunt have a good relationship! You've been training her for a long time, so you should use her for this!

If she's unwilling to help at this crucial moment, then we won't consider her a member of the Jiang family anymore. Go and do it immediately! There's nothing to discuss!"

Although Jiang Hanqing appeared reluctant, he was actually very happy about this cushy job. He could see his mistress legitimately, so why wouldn't he? Besides, what difficulty was there in doing something for a woman who listened to him so readily?

Thinking this way, Jiang Hanqing outwardly feigned reluctance, saying, "Alright then! I'll try to persuade Fifth Sister later! After this matter is settled, I'll go to Yisheng's place tomorrow and have a good talk with him!"

Jiang Haoran was overjoyed that his nephew had agreed to help him out of his predicament, praising repeatedly, "Excellent! Qing'er will definitely be able to handle that bitch from the Li family! Hehe! Excellent!"

Everyone found his relieved expression amusing. Jiang Fengqin also smiled, but if someone had noticed her, they would have noticed that she wasn't looking at Jiang Haoran, but at Jiang Hanqing. Of course, no one noticed this at the moment, including Jiang Hanqing himself. After

the meeting, Jiang Hanqing immediately ran to the small courtyard where Li Huaxin lived to find her. Li Huaxin, who had nothing to do, was sitting by the window embroidering. Upon seeing her beloved come to see her, she hurriedly put down her needlework and stood up to greet him, her pretty face beaming like the rosy dawn. "Qing'er, did you come to see me?"

Completely disregarding the danger of being seen in broad daylight, Li Huaxin eagerly threw herself into Jiang Hanqing's arms as soon as he entered the room. Jiang Hanqing slapped her ample buttocks hard and scolded lightly, "You slut, can't you even be careful in broad daylight! Get up! If someone sees us, we're finished!"

Li Huaxin gave a soft "humph," swaying her hips comfortably, not only refusing to get up but also snuggling even deeper into his arms. She chuckled softly, "Hehe! With you, Young Master Jiang, here, what's there to be afraid of! Hehe! Who would dare to touch you, the future head of the family?"

Jiang Hanqing gently embraced her slender waist, leading her away from the doorway and into the inner room. The two immediately sat down on the edge of the bed, embracing each other. Jiang Hanqing's hand slowly slipped inside Li Huaxin's collar, weaving and twisting through the layers of clothing until it touched her flesh. What he touched excited Jiang Hanqing immensely: thin ropes wrapped around Li Huaxin's delicate body. "Hehe! Fifth Aunt, you're such a slut! Tsk tsk! Look at you, tied up like a dumpling! Now that you don't have these things, don't you feel uncomfortable?" He squeezed his aunt's breast tightly, then whispered in her ear. Li Huaxin glared at him, her face flushed, and said in a cloying voice, "You still dare to talk! This...this is all your fault! You seduced me, but you never let me have my fill! You taught me so many bad things! And now you're turning around and humiliating me!"

Jiang Hanqing gently licked her earlobe with his tongue, while his hands caressed and kneaded her breasts and lower abdomen. "You're a slut yourself, yet you blame me for corrupting you? You're not a child anymore, why do you do whatever I teach you? You deserve to be punished!"

As he spoke, he pinched her nipple hard with his fingertips, causing Li Huaxin to let out a soft moan and her body to tremble. At this moment, Li Huaxin's face was flushed, showing how excited she was. Her mouth was slightly open, and she kept breathing softly. Her small, usually rosy and pretty lips were now even redder and brighter, as tempting as a ripe cherry. As Jiang Hanqing played with her body, Li Huaxin pressed her face against his chest, gently rubbing it, and asked in a sweet voice, "Why did you think of coming to see me at this time?"

Jiang Hanqing stroked her full body while gently kissing her hair, saying, "I originally wanted to come to see you later. But I have something urgent that I need you to do for me! So I came at this time."

Upon hearing this, Li Huaxin immediately sat up straight excitedly, her face full of anticipation, and replied eagerly, "Okay! What is it? I've always wanted to do something for you, but I've never had the chance! Great! Now I can finally do something for the one I love! Tell me quickly! What is it? I'll definitely do it for you!"

Jiang Hanqing then told Li Huaxin what he wanted her to do. Li Huaxin hesitated at first, saying tentatively, "Can I do it? My brother hasn't believed me for a long time! He wouldn't tell me the truth! As for the issue of the Jiang and Li families joining forces against the Wang family, that's something I can't explain!"

Jiang Hanqing hugged her tenderly and said softly in her ear, "You can do it! Actually, Shi Yanying's matter isn't a big deal. I think it really is an invasion by an external enemy. Our Jiang family is facing the same thing now, so your brother won't be too worried about us playing tricks. Besides, he's probably eager to find out about our family's situation! If you go now, he'll definitely be happy to see you! Even if it's just exchanging information, no one's at a disadvantage! As for persuading him to join forces with us... well..." Understanding that Li Huaxin really couldn't persuade her brother on this point, Jiang Hanqing hesitated slightly, unsure of what to do next.

Li Huaxin looked up at Jiang Hanqing, who was lost in thought, and suddenly said, "Why don't you come with me? That way you can persuade my elder brother yourself!"

Jiang Hanqing smiled bitterly, "Can I go to the Li family? If I dare to go to the Li family at this time, I'm afraid that if I go there tonight, the Wang family will be shouting in the court tomorrow morning that the Jiang and Li families are colluding, with conclusive evidence, and their disloyal intentions are obvious!"

Li Huaxin asked in surprise, "Is it that serious? How would the Wang family know that you went to the Li family?"

Jiang Hanqing had long known that although his aunt had grown up in a ducal family, she had never cared about politics and knew very little about the various tricks of intrigue, so he didn't take her idiotic words seriously at all. He reached out and pinched Li Huaxin's breasts, kneading them roughly a couple of times, saying, "Idiot!

The Wang family has been loitering around the city every day for the past few days, looking for trouble and watching our family members, hoping to find some leverage to attack us. It's no wonder they find out I'm going to the Li family so openly!"

Li Huaxin seemed quite happy despite her nephew's fondling of her breasts . She pressed down on his thieving hands that were roaming her chest, breathing softly, her

eyes filled with seductive allure, and said, "Then what do you suggest we do?" Jiang Hanqing helped Li Huaxin sit upright on the edge of the bed, then stood up and paced around the room, pondering a solution. After circling around a few times, Jiang Hanqing suddenly had a flash of inspiration and said, "I've got it!

Let's do this! If we men go, it will certainly attract a lot of attention! I'll have my aunt disguise herself as your maid and go with you

. You'll be sitting in the carriage, and even if someone stops the carriage under some pretext to check, they won't suspect anything! Even if word gets out, the emperor won't worry that you women are plotting anything!" Li Huaxin said happily, "That's great! Sister Fengqin is coming with me, and we can leave the matter of persuading my elder brother to her! When shall we set off?"

Jiang Hanqing said, "How about this? I'll go and discuss it with my aunt first, and have her make some preparations. She can come directly to you later, and she can arrange everything! I have other things to do, so I'll come to see you again in a few days after you've accomplished your mission!"

Hearing her nephew say this, Li Huaxin knew that this rascal was going to abandon her again, so she immediately became upset, hugging Jiang Hanqing and acting coquettishly, insisting that he promise to come to see her as soon as possible.

Jiang Hanqing used every trick in the book to coax and deceive Li Huaxin, even caressing her body until she was hot and weak before he was able to leave. After leaving Li Huaxin, Jiang Hanqing went directly to his aunt, Jiang Fengqin, for help.

Jiang Fengqin was Jiang Haoyu's second sister. Jiang Haotian had always been considered the second son of the Jiang family, but he was actually only the second oldest of five brothers. If Jiang Fengqin were included, he would only be the third, with the other three brothers following in order. This was only because of the Jiang family's rule that girls were not included in the birth order. Jiang Fengqin was shrewd and capable from a young age, decisive and resourceful. Her abilities were in no way inferior to her brothers, and even comparable to her shrewd and capable eldest brother, Jiang Haoyu. For this reason, she and Yin Yufeng were the only two women in the Jiang family who could attend family meetings.

Jiang Fengqin's husband, Lin Hongbin, was a hereditary retainer of the Jiang family. The Lin family had made significant contributions to the clan for generations, and Lin Hongbin himself was skilled in both literature and martial arts, possessing considerable ability. To win over the family, Jiang Fengqin's father—the previous head of the Jiang family—made an exception and married his daughter to Lin Hongbin. After the marriage, Jiang Fengqin, relying on her status as a daughter of the Jiang family, naturally lorded it over Lin Hongbin, treating him more like a servant than her husband. Lin Hongbin remained unfazed, as if this was how things were supposed to be. This situation has remained unchanged to this day. Jiang Fengqin had always been very caring towards her nephew, Jiang Hanqing, from a young age, granting his every request. Many outsiders believed that she treated Jiang Hanqing better than her own son, Lin Fengxian. Conversely, Jiang Fengqin's attitude towards Jiang Hanqing's birth mother, Yin Yufeng, was far from kind. She frequently mocked Yin Yufeng in front of others, while Yin Yufeng always accepted Jiang Fengqin's extreme remarks with a smile.

Jiang Fengqin explained her reasoning: "These outsiders who come to our family are all untrustworthy! Only those with Jiang family blood are truly reliable!"

Although Jiang Haoyu and his son Jiang Hanqing tried to persuade Jiang Fengqin to abandon this ridiculous and narrow-minded idea, they were unsuccessful. However, Jiang Fengqin's loyalty to Jiang Haoyu and his son had always been as she claimed—truly reliable. Therefore, Jiang Haoyu and his son did not lower their trust in her because of her poor attitude towards Yin Yufeng. When Jiang Hanqing entered Jiang Fengqin's courtyard, she was casually dressed, reclining in a bamboo armchair reading a book. Hearing footsteps approaching, she looked up and saw Jiang Hanqing enter. She quickly sat up in surprise and said, "Oh! Qing'er, what brings you here? Didn't you go to your fifth aunt's? Did you persuade her?"

Jiang Hanqing nodded and then briefly recounted her conversation with Li Huaxin to Jiang Fengqin.

Hearing that her nephew wanted her to go with Li Huaxin to persuade Li Zhiqiang, Jiang Fengqin hesitated slightly, saying, "Me? This… I'm a woman… and I've never dealt with Li Zhiqiang before… Will he believe me? This might not be easy to accomplish, will it?"

Seeing her aunt's lack of confidence, Jiang Hanqing quickly encouraged her, "Don't worry, Aunt! You can do it! You definitely can! Everyone in Beijing knows you're a heroine, and highly respected in our Jiang family! Li Zhiqiang will definitely believe you if you step in. Besides, you're just building a bridge at the beginning. If Li Zhiqiang is willing to succeed, the two sides can discuss it in detail at a later time!"

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