A Romantic Detective in the Qing Dynasty [Complete] - 25

In the fifth part, "The Flames of War in the Southern Frontier," Chapter Nine, "A Clever Plan to Cure the Poison,

" Chongqi, upon receiving my order, immediately led his army to encircle the 30,000 British troops who had fled from Myitkyina into the tropical rainforest, a place rife with frequent rain, venomous snakes, and swarms of mosquitoes. He, meanwhile, led his troops in digging trenches and building fortifications around the perimeter, establishing a formidable defensive position. He then led his troops in rigorous training, cultivating the mental fortitude of himself and his soldiers. This proved extremely difficult for the British soldiers. Several attempts to break out were thwarted by the overwhelming firepower of the Chinese army. Encircled inside, they lacked food and shelter, and were subjected to mosquito bites, snake stings, and sweltering heat. Over time, more than 28,000 of the 30,000 contracted malaria, and 4,000 to 5,000 had already died. The remaining soldiers, consuming only wild vegetables, had sallow complexions, swollen faces, and had completely lost their will to fight.

On the morning of June 6th, we arrived at the Chinese headquarters in Myitkyina and listened to Chongqi's report on the situation of the besieged British troops. Shu'er smiled and said, "Good, the objective has been basically achieved! Now you need to find a way to capture a few sick British soldiers!"

Chongqi looked at Shu'er with confusion. He didn't know what he wanted sick prisoners for, but he still ordered his soldiers to carry out the order. He had long heard that the emperor's beloved concubine was incredibly clever and resourceful; now, wanting a few sick men, she must be planning some new trick for the enemy.

Chongqi's soldiers were truly formidable. Less than two hours after Shu'er finished speaking, Chongqi rushed over and said, "Your Majesty, I am utterly incompetent! The soldiers have captured eight British soldiers, all severely ill with malaria. They're constantly shivering and shaking uncontrollably. I'm afraid it will be difficult to get them to do anything!"

Shu'er smiled and said, "Don't worry, no one wants to order them around. Now, send them to our newly built special hospital in the east of the city to treat them properly. Once they're cured, release them. That's the whole mission!"

Chongqi seemed to understand and said, "Psychological warfare? That's what the drills are all about. " "The master strategist who speaks of warfare subdues the enemy without fighting, captures their cities without attacking, and destroys their kingdoms without protracted conflict. He strives to win the world with all his might, so that his army is not exhausted and his gains are complete. This is the method of strategic attack!"

Shu'er shook her head and smiled, "The general principle is correct, but the specifics are lacking. We're just laying some bait for the British devils to take the bait!"

Upon arriving in Myitkyina, Shu'er had a Red Cross hospital temporarily set up on the east side of the city by some Russians and Germans. Chongqi had his soldiers send the eight British soldiers into this hospital, and the special hospital opened immediately. Actually, the most effective medicine for malaria is quinine pills; they work quickly, but to cure it completely takes time. We didn't want to put in that effort. Shu'er instructed the hospital to release them once their fever and chills subsided. Before they left, the German doctor at the hospital said, "The mosquitoes there are too thick; they might relapse when they get back. If they do, they can come back. We are an International Red Cross hospital, specifically responsible for treating wounded soldiers from both sides; we have no connection with the Chinese army. We will provide free assistance to anyone who comes!" When

these British soldiers returned to their units, the malaria patients, seeing that those who were on the verge of death had recovered so quickly, eagerly asked how they had recovered. They recounted their experiences at the Red Cross hospital in Myitkyina and what the hospital had said. Many British soldiers, already half-dead from malaria, heard about a place that offered treatment, affiliated with the International Red Cross, where the Chinese army wouldn't mistreat them, and where they could even have a few days of good food. How could they not be tempted by such a good deal? Some soldiers boldly came.

I continued to provide free treatment, releasing them as soon as their trembling subsided. This had a significant advertising effect, attracting more and more patients each day. Because we hadn't completely cured them, some had already come for treatment three times. By the eighth day, the number of British soldiers seeking treatment was exceeding five thousand, making the hospital extremely crowded. Shu'er instructed Chongqi to acquire a large area of land nearby and dispatch a large number of soldiers, dressed in white coats, to distribute the medicine promptly and provide them with Chinese-made cornbread and millet porridge.

With both treatment and meals provided, even more British soldiers flocked to the hospital, reaching ten thousand by the ninth day.

Shu'er smiled and said to Chongqi, "Hmm, this number is enough for us! Keep them for a few more days, saying they need thorough treatment. Bring all their clothes; we'll borrow them! But don't let them know!" The clothes arrived, and Shu'er had Chongqi select ten thousand soldiers with fair skin and high noses, dressing them in the tattered clothes of British soldiers. She then selected a dozen or so officers who understood English and told them, "You will disguise yourselves as British soldiers who have broken out of the jungle and trick the British guards into opening the city gates of Mandalay!" She

then dispatched twenty thousand elite troops to follow closely behind, secretly advancing towards Mandalay.

I knew that Myitkyina was already ripe for the taking, so I also got a set of British officer's clothes and set off with the main force, along with Qing'er and Ying'er, who were also dressed in British uniforms.

Since they were soldiers who had broken through the encirclement, they naturally had to pretend to be exhausted, disorganized, and starving. I had the fake British soldiers fire their guns and cannons at every location they reached, startling the local Burmese into a frenzy of running and looting. This caused chaos along the way, and before we even reached Mandalay, the British commander there already knew: "Quickly prepare food and lodging for them. These are a bunch of lunatics ravaged by the rainforest; it's best not to mess with them, or they'll cause a ruckus!"

Throughout the journey, none of us spoke Chinese; those who knew English just babbled incoherently, and everyone was incredibly hot-tempered. They attacked and cursed British soldiers at the slightest provocation, like a pack of mad wolves just unleashed from the mountains. At night, we secretly familiarized ourselves with the terrain of Mandalay, specifically assigning attack targets to each unit, and determining that Qing'er and Ying'er's gunfire would be the attack signal.

On June 18th, after 20,000 Chinese troops secretly moved to the outskirts of Mandalay, our group of lunatics, shouting and yelling, arrived at the city gates. The local British troops hurriedly opened the gates for us, looking at us as if we were a bunch of madmen.

When I led the vanguard to the gates of the British headquarters in Mandalay, our soldiers had already feigned madness and rushed to various important military locations. Meanwhile, the lunatics, deliberately lagging behind, were still causing a ruckus at the city gate. Seeing that the time was right, I gave a signal, and Qing'er and Ying'er led their men like a whirlwind into the British headquarters building, leaving the guards at the gate stunned and unsure of what to do. Until gunfire erupted inside the headquarters, the British sentries outside hadn't even realized what had happened, but they were already our prisoners.

Hearing the gunfire, the fake British soldiers at the city gate immediately opened fire, quickly taking control of the gate area, and the 20,000 Chinese troops stormed into Mandalay.

The British commander was listening to a report from the defeated troops in Myitkyina when he heard gunfire. Before he could react, Qing'er and Ying'er had already led their men to point guns at the three people inside the house. Under Lan Wawa's gun, he had no choice but to raise his hands.

Due to the surprise attack, within two hours, the key strongholds of Mandalay were all under the control of the Chinese army.

Now that the Chinese army had closed the city gates, they began to capture prisoners in the city. By the evening of the next day, of the 20,000 British defenders in Mandalay, more than 3,000 had been killed in the conflict, and the rest had been taken prisoner!

The hospital in Myitkyina hadn't released a single soldier for four days, so things got chaotic. Over 18,000 British troops suddenly flooded in. Shu'er immediately ordered, "Send all these British soldiers to the prisoner-of-war camp. Then send a notice to the British soldiers trapped inside: the malaria prevention medical team is about to leave. Give them three more days of treatment, and then they won't come back! To completely help them eradicate malaria, our medical team has decided to treat the British soldiers for a few more days before sending them all back!"

Upon receiving this notice, over 3,000 more British soldiers rushed over for treatment.

Shu'er calculated that there were fewer than 3,000 British soldiers trapped inside and said, "General Chongqi, now it's time for your troops to tighten the encirclement!"

Shu'er deployed aircraft for aerial reconnaissance, guiding the ground troops forward. Chongqi's troops, in just three days, like pulling rats from a cage, captured the remaining 3,000-plus men from the caves.

With hardly any casualties, we occupied northern Burma and joined forces at the Arakan Mountains with a division led by Prince U Lang Nguyen, the young prince of the Burmese kingdom, who had been resisting the British.

U Lang Nguyen was only twenty-eight years old, but his hair and beard had grown so long that his face was almost completely obscured. Upon seeing me, he knelt on the ground and burst into tears. I comforted him, asking, "Is your father still alive?"

Hearing this, he cried even harder, kowtowing repeatedly and saying, "U Lang Nguyen is unfilial; I have ruined them!"

At this moment, an official beside him said, "The British occupied Rangoon, captured the king and all the princes, and then took them to the foot of the Arakan Mountains. They tied them to pillars, doused them with tea oil, and forced us to surrender. The British said they would release them if we surrendered! The young prince..." We held him back as he tried to descend the mountain and led him away. We knew that even if the little prince went down the mountain, they wouldn't let the king and his family go; they wanted to completely exterminate the royal family! With the little prince alive, we had hope for independence again; if he were gone, Myanmar would have no hope at all!

With tears in my eyes, I said, "Prince, don't be sad. You didn't harm your father and his family. Besides, you didn't let Myanmar perish; you saved Myanmar and comforted your father's soul in heaven!"

He said it was a division, but now, including those who died in battle and those who fled, only a little over a thousand men remained, mostly wounded or sick. But I could see that these men were quite loyal to him. Only the truly valuable ones remained after the dust settled.

I said to Wu Langruo, "Your current task is to immediately go to the hospital with the soldiers for treatment, and at the same time, quickly recall your old troops and immediately form a Burmese government. You also need to govern this country well! After this catastrophe, the people's lives have been miserable enough. We can allocate some food and supplies to you, but you mainly have to rely on yourselves to save yourselves!"

Wu Langruo hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Long live the Emperor! Please don't abandon us again! Let us join China and become a province. We can't deal with the ferocious British on our own!"

I sighed and said, "How could I not know all this! Alright, don't worry, I will incorporate you into the Chinese Federation, along with Korea, Ryukyu, the Grand Duchy of Moscow, Lan Xang, Cambodia, Thailand, etc." "The same applies to the country. You will govern the country yourselves, manage the people yourselves, and straighten out the policies yourselves. Diplomacy and the military will be handled by the central government. I will also send you a military governor, General Zuo Baogui, who is currently marching towards Yangon. He will carve out the area south of 35 degrees north latitude on the Malay Peninsula and establish a new Qing Dynasty Malay Province. He will command the troops there. In the future, if you have any difficulties with Lan Xang, Cambodia, or Thailand, you can go directly to him!"

Hearing this, Wu Langruo happily said, "That's great! We're not unwanted children anymore!"

After losing the two important cities of Myitkyina and Mandalay, the British troops stationed in Burma quickly retreated to Yangon and deployed their fleet to the coast, preparing for a major evacuation.

On July 2nd, Wu Langruo and I, leading our large army, met up with Zuo Baogui's troops outside Yangon. Upon hearing it was Zuo Baogui, Wu Langruo hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, saying, "General Zuo, your subordinate Wu Langruo has led the Burmese National Army to the front lines. Please assign us tasks!"

Zuo Baogui quickly replied, "Young Prince, don't say that. From now on, let's work together to defend and develop the Indochina Peninsula!"

That afternoon, the British Minister met with Zeng Jize, the Chinese Foreign Minister, hoping to negotiate a solution to the Yangon issue.

To protect local cultural relics and the safety of the people, and to minimize casualties among our soldiers, I decided to accept the British request. On July 3rd, Wu Langruo, my five young wives, and I flew directly to Beijing.

At 4 PM, the plane landed at Beijing Airport, where I was welcomed by Li Hongzhang and the Vice Premiers and State Councilors of the State Council.

Li Hongzhang said, "Your Majesty, the British have contacted us several times already. I'm currently having Zeng Jize negotiate with them. Everything is according to Your Majesty's plan: 100 million taels of silver in reparations to China and Burma, and the return of the occupied Tibetan territory. We've all agreed that after negotiations with the British government are complete and their troops withdraw, we'll hold a grand celebration in Tiananmen Square with a million people, 'The Great Qing Empire's Victory in Reclaiming All National Territory and Sovereignty,' to celebrate and boost our morale and national prestige!"

I happily replied, "Excellent! Consort Wen once criticized me for not paying enough attention to propaganda to invigorate national spirit. This time, we must focus on it. I also want to establish a medal of honor for those who participated in the War of Resistance against Japan and the fight against the Eight-Nation Alliance." "Award medals to the soldiers who fought in the wars against Russia, Britain, and France, and to those who served in the rear, so that future generations will forever remember their contributions! At the same time, a People's Heroes Memorial Hall should be built to commemorate the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the country, and to leave a lesson for future generations to inspire their fighting spirit!"

Li Hongzhang said happily, "Now that Your Majesty says so, it seems this old minister can also receive one or two medals!"

I laughed, "Not only can you receive them, but you can receive all kinds of medals, and the highest-ranking ones at that! Without your support at home, I wouldn't have been able to win these battles!"

Li Hongzhang said with tears in his eyes, "Your Majesty, please don't say that. If this old minister hadn't met a ruler like Your Majesty who could restore the nation, I might have had to sign many humiliating treaties, and future generations would surely call me a traitor!" "Although I've been tired these past few years, I'm happy and full of energy!"

I chuckled to myself, "He's quite self-aware!"

Li Hongzhang continued, "Although there's been constant warfare these past few years, these battles have been fought well! The Qing Dynasty has now established itself as a true great power in the world. Even that little Japan, which has been secretly causing trouble, has been sending invitations repeatedly these past few days, wanting His Majesty to visit!"

I said, "I won't visit Japan. I'll go there one day when our army is grazing on their Guandong Plain, and it becomes a province under my rule, Premier Li!"

Li Hongzhang laughed, "It seems I'm also waiting for that day to go to Japan!"

Looking at the rosy cheeks on his face, I smiled and said, "My dual cultivation method seems to be working quite well, Your Majesty..." "Is Mother in good health?"

Li Hongzhang said with a smile, "Of course she is. She is now the vice-chairwoman of the Women's National Salvation Association. A large part of the military shoes you are wearing this time were made by the women she organized. Xie Changda is too busy with the Ministry of Education and rarely gets involved in the affairs of the Women's National Salvation Association. Now she is in charge of the work!"

I laughed and said, "It seems that the Empress Dowager will at least receive two medals. One is for organizing women to rescue the wounded when the Russian army attacked Beijing, and the other is this one!"

Li Hongzhang said happily, "That's great. At least it will make her feel more balanced and better. She is still embarrassed about what happened in the past, saying that she almost delayed the country!"

When we returned to the palace, we were surprised to find Yan'er waiting for us in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

I excitedly pulled her into my arms, exclaiming, "My dear wife, why are you back?"

She smiled and said, "It's not just me, Wen'er is back too! She's gone to the Northeast now. We were transporting equipment there. We flew back first, and the fleet will arrive soon! We've completely occupied that area now, and we've planned several large zones: a pastoral area, an agricultural area, an industrial area, an ecological park development area, a forest reserve, and a mining area. We've already formulated our first five-year plan, and it's being implemented!"

I exclaimed happily, "Great! I must go and see how our Australian business group is doing!"

The couple reunited, and we drank and enjoyed a night of passion. When I opened my eyes, it was already broad daylight. I remembered that I had to hold a royal meeting today to hear Zeng Jize's report on the negotiations with the British minister, and to discuss the establishment of a province in Vietnam, the creation of Malay Province, and the establishment of medals of honor!

I tried to pull my arm away from under my wife's head, but when I looked closely, I was stunned and cried out in surprise!

In the fifth part, "The Flames of War in the Southern Frontier," Chapter Ten, "The Victory Celebration,"

I discovered that the woman I was holding in my arms was none other than Ye Wenying, whom I neither wanted to touch nor bring into the family.

I lifted the thin blanket covering her and saw that her exquisitely shaped body was completely naked. On the sheets beneath, clusters of dark red blood roses sent a chill down my spine—how could this be? How could she be so drunk that she couldn't even recognize a woman before falling asleep? I looked around the room; there were only four people in bed: myself, Yan'er, Fei'er, and Ying'er. Wait a minute, I vaguely remembered three rounds of "three-way lovemaking," so why were there only three? Where were my three beloved wives, Shu'er, Qing'er, and Li'er?

I pulled my arm away, waking Ying'er. Seeing me staring at her body, she said shyly, "Your Majesty, you are truly amazing! You've made love to me four times in a row, almost breaking my back! I've enjoyed the bliss of being Your Majesty's woman!" Good heavens! "

Three-way lovemaking" means two women at once, so "three rounds" should mean six women. She did it four times herself—once with Yan'er, once with Fei'er, and the rest she took care of!

I'm really at a loss for words. Yesterday on the plane, I was even thinking of giving this little one to Wu Langruo. When I saw Wu Langruo blush when he saw her, I knew he really liked her. But now I've ended up with her myself. Man proposes, God disposes; it's fate, there's no escaping it!

Seeing me get up, she hurriedly sat up to help me get dressed, but as soon as she moved, she cried out "Ouch!" and stopped moving, her hands tightly covering her private parts, her delicate brows furrowed, and tears welling up in her eyes.

I knew I must have gone too far yesterday; she must have torn herself badly. I quickly picked her up and rushed into the bathroom, filled it with warm water, and began to heal her wound.

After a while, a faint blush returned to her pale face; I knew she was probably in less pain.

I asked gently, "What's wrong? Does it still hurt?"

She buried her head in my chest, blushing, and whispered, "Ying'er is useless. I can't even enjoy the Emperor's favor. It's so shameful!"

I laughed, "Do you regret it?"

She nodded and said, "Yes, I really regret it. Why didn't I think of uniting with the Emperor that day at the beach? Now I'm only tasting this intoxicating pleasure! Actually, it wasn't that my two older sisters didn't want those four times. I argued with them. I said, 'I've just tasted the sweetness, so please let me have it first. I'll give it to you later!' Sister Yan even said, 'We're worried you won't be able to walk tomorrow!' I said, 'If I can't walk, I'll just lie in bed and savor this feeling, and properly experience the Emperor's love!' The older sisters didn't hold it against me and gave it to me!" I

asked, "How did you get through it?"

The girl said quietly, "I think you weren't willingly hugging her! You hugged Sister Yan'er first, then went to grab Sister Qing'er. Just then, the Empress Dowager came. She said, 'Crazy boy, don't you see how big her belly is? Can she withstand your torment?' So she broke through the encirclement of Sister Qing'er, Sister Shu'er, and Sister Li'er, and then shoved me into your arms. You dragged me into the inner room and started tearing off my clothes! You were so domineering that I was too scared to move. I let you undress me, let you carry me to the bed, let you do whatever you wanted with me!"

I was shocked: "The Empress Dowager came? I don't remember."

My words stunned her. After a long while, she said, "You didn't know that the Empress Dowager took the three sisters away?"

I was shocked again: "Took them away? Where did she take them?"

"He went to the hospital, didn't he? The Empress Dowager said, 'That silly boy just goes crazy. He doesn't even know his three babies are about to be born!' She said it might happen in the next half day. Sister Yan and Sister Fei wanted to go too, but the Empress Dowager said, 'You three stay and take care of him. Look how drunk he is, don't leave him alone!' So the three of us ended up being tormented by you again and again."

After washing her, looking at her devilish figure and snow-white skin, I wanted to conquer her again several times, but considering the upcoming Imperial Conference, I could only swallow my saliva and carry her back to bed.

The Imperial Conference lasted a day. The British devils had been completely defeated by us. Considering the lives of the more than 40,000 British soldiers we captured and the safety of the 40,000 British soldiers trapped in Rangoon, after only one round of negotiations, they accepted all our conditions and were preparing to sign the agreement tomorrow, withdrawing the British troops from Rangoon.

The more than twenty years of humiliation in the great nation of China had finally come to an end! Everyone attending the Imperial Conference was overjoyed, tears streaming down their faces. I slammed my hand on the dragon table and said, "Hold a large-scale celebration, I will deliver a speech, and mobilize the people of the whole country to quickly transfer their enthusiasm for liberating the motherland to building the nation. We must make our country the world's number one power, and let our 600 million people live the best life in the world!

Our 400 million people, plus the newly expanded territories and several countries within the federation, now number over 600 million, which is two-fifths of the world's total population. The pressure is not small!" From

July 21st to 31st, the Third National Assembly and Political Council of the Qing Dynasty were held simultaneously in Beijing. Li Hongzhang, on behalf of the current government, delivered the government work report to the assembly, which was warmly welcomed by the delegates. The delegates discussed that these ten years were a decade of earth-shaking changes for the Qing Dynasty, a decade in which the Chinese people could hold their heads high, and a decade in which the Chinese government had done its best!

The delegates unanimously agreed that the national system was not about whether there was an emperor, but whether the emperor had the country and the people in his heart, whether he had democratic consciousness, and whether he listened to and respected everyone's opinions! Sun Yat-sen, a representative of overseas Chinese, said, "We organized the Tongmenghui (Revolutionary Alliance), and the purpose of its first meeting was to overthrow the Manchu emperor!" We now believe it's best to avoid major changes. Our country needs development, and the people need rest and recuperation; all of this can be accomplished under the leadership of the current government!

The Congress decided to abolish the name of the Qing Dynasty and rename the country the Great Chinese Federal Empire. The federal members include: China, Korea, Ryukyu, the Grand Duchy of Moscow, Burma, Thailand, Laos (Lan Xang), and Cambodia.

The Congress adopted the military rank system, appointing Long Xiangyu (of course, it was me) as Grand Marshal, Lin Yan, Huang Fei, Zhang Zhidong, Park Chun-sook, and Li Bingheng as five-star generals, Li Bin and Zuo Baogui as four-star generals, Sheng Bao, Hai Bo, Ding Baozhen, Ding Ruchang, Liu Kunyi, Chong Qi, Liu Buchan, Jing Shou, Song Qing, and Yu Lu as three-star generals, Lin Taizeng, Li Gang, and twenty others as lieutenant generals, and Feng Xiangrong and forty others as major generals, totaling seventy-seven generals. The Congress also adopted the first national development and construction plan of the Great Chinese Federal Empire, formulated under the supervision of Vice Premiers Tan Sitong and Wang Songwei and Minister of Finance Yan Jingming. The Five-Year Plan set forth the goal of achieving a standard of living for all the people of the Great Federal Empire of China that would reach the level of the world's wealthiest nations by the end of the century.

The Congress passed resolutions to establish the Red River Province, the Mekong River Province, and the Malay Province, and approved Li Hongzhang's motion to appoint Zuo Baogui as the Military Governor of Southern Xinjiang.

The Congress also passed resolutions to award medals to soldiers who participated in the War of Resistance against Japan, the War against the Eight-Nation Alliance, the War against Russia, and the War against Britain and France, as well as to personnel serving in the rear during the war, and approved the establishment of the Memorial Hall of the People's Heroes.

On August 1, 1905, we held the "Celebration Rally for the Great Qing Empire's Victory in Reclaiming All National Territory and Sovereignty" in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, and held the first military parade of the Chinese Iron Army. When our army, navy, and air force soldiers marched past the reviewing stand, shouting in unison, "Those who offend the majesty of China, though far away, shall be punished!", the ministers, generals, and delegates to the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on the reviewing stand were moved to tears, and the millions in the square, with tears in their eyes, repeatedly shouted, "Those who offend the majesty of China, though far away, shall be punished!" "

When my armored vehicles and tanks appeared in the square, the crowd erupted in cheers of 'Long live the Emperor!' like rolling thunder in spring.

At 10:00 a.m., as forty fighter jets and twenty helicopters of my silver-white Chinese Air Force flew over the square, the celebration drew a massive turn of events, with millions of people jubilant. Li Hongzhang and Empress Dowager Cixi, standing beside him, were moved to tears. Cixi was attending today as a representative of the Women's Salvation Association, and she wore two medals on her chest."

At the celebration, amidst thunderous cheers, I delivered a speech entitled "Let the Great Chinese Federal Empire Forever Stand at the Forefront of the World." I said, "Our great Chinese nation has created a glorious past, is creating great achievements now, and will create even more remarkable accomplishments in the future! This is the mission our great nation undertakes for the world, and it is also our contribution to all mankind!" Following the celebration, Li Hongzhang officially retired, along with a

group

of veteran officials including Wang Songwei, Zhang Zhidong, Weng Tonghe, Yixuan, Ding Baozhen, Ding Ruchang, Liu Kunyi, Chongqi, Jingshou, Song Qing, Yulu, Yan Jingming, and Yikuang. I made proper arrangements for them all. They had stood with me through the most difficult times for the country, and their contributions are eternally significant!

Li Hongzhang's retirement indeed required me to exercise considerable restraint. This old fox not only handled state affairs with ease but was also meticulous in balancing personnel matters, rarely causing me any distraction! Regarding who should succeed me, Li Hongzhang and I discussed appointing Tan Sitong to form the State Council. That day, Tan Sitong, at my request, presented a list of cabinet members. I glanced at it and was horrified!

His recommended candidate for Vice Premier was Sun Yat-sen. While I respected this great man, I had little faith in entrusting him with managing my empire. I always believed that his repeated failures stemmed partly from a lack of power and opportunity, but primarily from his indecisiveness and lack of discernment in judging character. Chiang Kai-shek and Wang Jingwei, his close associates, were typical hypocrites, yet he treated them as capable assistants! I had no objection to him being appointed Vice Premier, but I was shocked that Tan Sitong had appointed Duan Qirui as Minister of National Defense, Chiang Kai-shek as Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, and Wang Jingwei as Minister of Finance.

I said nothing and immediately held a secret meeting with Yan'er and Fei'er. Unexpectedly, it was my beloved wife Fei'er who vehemently opposed me at the meeting. She said that because of our presence, history had changed, people's positions had shifted, and people themselves would change. She believed that Duan Qirui, Chiang Kai-shek, and Wang Jingwei would change for the better.

But no matter what she said, I stuck to my own opinion. Fortunately, Yan'er firmly supported me, saying, "History can change, but human nature cannot. Especially that Wang Jingwei, a man who bows and scrapes to the Japanese devils, I don't believe he can change!"

I had already decided to appoint Zuo Baogui as Premier of the State Council, let him form a cabinet, and force Tan Sitong and Li Hongzhang to retire together. I couldn't let him ruin my country.

Fei'er didn't even eat dinner, storming out and slamming the door. Ying'er, who had just returned from visiting my three newly-born wives at the hospital, stared blankly at the scene, not knowing what had happened. I said sternly, "Never mind her, let's eat!"

The meal was particularly somber, quiet, and no one uttered a sound. Ying'er ate a little rice hastily, then stood up and said, "I have to go see those three older sisters! What a coincidence, all three sisters have given birth to little girls, and they're all so beautiful. They can even smile now, it's so lovely! I have to go see them!" Without waiting for my reply, she hurried away. I knew she was afraid of getting involved in this mess.

After the meal, Yan'er took my arm and said, "Xiangyu, let's take a walk, and we can go see those three sisters too!"

I knew she had something to say to me. I didn't say anything, put on my coat, and followed her out of the palace compound.

Outside the palace, we strolled slowly along the shore of Beihai Lake, talking about Fei'er.

Yan'er said with concern, "I never thought we sisters would be splitting up! I'm so scared!"

I was startled, "What nonsense are you talking about? Fei'er loves me, she loves this family!"

Yan'er said, "But she loves her children even more. Do you know why she's so emotional today? Your precious daughter Qing'er is having an affair with Chiang Kai-shek!"

I was shocked, "Doesn't he have Soong Mei-ling?"

Yan'er chuckled, "That's outdated thinking. Mei-ling is now our son Pulin's girlfriend, and they're already talking about marriage!" Things

got chaotic... Everything was in chaos. I was stunned and speechless for a long time before I finally said, "I don't object to Meiling's matter. After all, that girl is exceptional. She is outstanding in both talent and appearance! But what about Chiang Kai-shek—"

Yan'er laughed, "What about Chiang Kai-shek? He was quite dashing and intelligent. He later became a tyrant and a traitor because he had the environment and conditions at the time. If you don't give him those conditions, I believe he wouldn't be that kind of person. If you insist on not using Chiang Kai-shek, Fei'er will have a big grudge against him!"

I nodded and didn't say anything more.

Yan'er continued, "Are you thinking of withdrawing Tan Sitong's appointment? That would be too unfair to him. Fei'er recommended those two to him, so he definitely thinks it's your idea. Besides, he has no idea how they will perform in the future. From what we can see now, they are indeed very outstanding, and he has no reason not to use them!"

I frankly said, "I did want him to retire and let Zuo Baogui become the Premier. Now it seems that I was indeed a bit too impulsive! Let's discuss the list with him again! As for Wang Jingwei, I absolutely refuse to use him, and I won't let Chiang Kai-shek handle any military matters either. That kid has a lot of tricks up his sleeve, so let him be the Vice Minister of Commerce!"

Yan'er laughed, "He's only 19 years old, and you're already giving him such a high position. Isn't that spoiling your Fei'er too much?"

I also laughed, "It's not about spoiling Fei'er, it's about seeing what Chiang Kai-shek is really like ." "What's going on!"

When I got home, Fei'er was already back. I called her into a small room and said with a smile, "Fei'er, are you thinking of breaking up with Xiangyu because of that Chiang Kai-shek?"

Hearing this, Fei'er looked up at me in surprise, then her face twitched, and she burst into tears, rushing over to hug me tightly: "Brother Yu, don't blame me, I'd rather die than leave Brother Yu!"

I said seriously, "But who were you angry with just now?"

Fei'er cried and said, "You, it really was you! What about Chiang Kai-shek? Saying he's a traitor, he did sign so many treaties with the United States later, he's guilty! But aren't there many others more guilty than him? In the 1945 treaty he signed with the Soviet Union, it was clearly stated that Outer Mongolia and Vladivostok would be taken back! He has always been very disgusted with those who advocate Taiwanese independence, and his suppression of them is very severe. If he were alive..." That Lee Teng-hui wouldn't dare spout nonsense! Yes, he is indeed very cunning, but that's a quality a capable person must possess! You wouldn't want your subordinates to be mindless followers, would you? I never wanted to break up with Brother Yu! I was just angry at his stubbornness! I was speaking up for our son-in-law! I

gently stroked her hair and said, "Chiang Kai-shek is too cunning, treacherous, and scheming. I can't entrust the army to him! The old man is right, political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. We can't let him control the guns! Even if my son had that personality, let alone my future son-in-law, I still wouldn't let him control the guns! This is a principle! We can't let China fall into chaos again!"

Fei'er wanted to argue, but I patted her little bottom and said, "It's settled then. I'll make arrangements for him. As for what he'll do, it will be based on his abilities!" "That's settled then! But let me tell you, I will not allow any of my wives to interfere in politics or personnel arrangements again! This time, you must pay the price for your foolishness. I have decided to remove you from all your positions in the country and transfer you to work at the Australian Business Group. You are never allowed to concern yourself with national affairs again! This is both a work requirement and a punishment for you!"

She trembled, but still held me tightly. I continued, "I know I was wrong now. I indulged myself too much, resulting in too many wives and too many children. They all have their own interests. If they all act recklessly for their own benefit, what will become of us? You are the Empress, but you have set a very bad precedent. If I continue to indulge you, what will become of the country? This time, I have decided to demote you to the rank of Imperial Concubine. In matters of the harem, Yan'er will be the head."

She choked back tears and cried again, but her grip on my arm never loosened! I had long ago made up my mind that once she left me, she would never come back. Not for any other reason than that I had too many wives, and I couldn't let them develop bad habits. I didn't want the tragedy of brothers fighting and family feuds that plagued imperial families throughout history to repeat itself in our family! After crying for a long time, she finally looked up at me with her tear-streaked face and said, "Fei'er was wrong. Fei'er is willing to accept His Majesty's punishment! Fei'er only hopes that His Majesty will not leave Fei'er!"

I held her and said, "You are my beloved wife, you've been through thick and thin with me. If you don't want to leave me, I will never let you leave! Now go, pack your things, and come with me in a few days. I've already explained things to Pulin and Qing'er. They will stay to handle imperial affairs. My wives will be withdrawn from state affairs from now on. This is to prevent you from continuing to fight like this..." "It was a last-minute decision! But I'm also telling you, you can say goodbye to the child, but you're not allowed to see the child privately again. If you want to go, my husband and I will go together! From now until we board the ship and leave here, you are not allowed to leave my side! This is my last piece of advice to you, and I hope you will take it seriously!"

She buried her head in my arms in shame and murmured, "I'm sorry, I probably love Qing'er too much! I'll listen to you, brother!"

I ordered the guards to protect her, which was actually house arrest. I was really worried that she would give the child some bad ideas again, which would be even more troublesome! She probably knew that I was extremely angry, so she could only obediently stay by my side like a little bird clinging to me.

I shared my thoughts with Tan Sitong, who was so shocked that he knelt on the ground, trembling all over: "Sitong would never dare to form cliques or engage in favoritism. Duan Qirui was recommended by the representatives, and I don't know him at all! Since His Majesty knows him, we will not use him! The responsibility for this matter lies with me, and I am willing to accept punishment!"

I laughed: "You're overthinking it. Just don't use him, why make such a fuss! Get up quickly, let's reconsider our choices!"

After discussing for a long time, we finally decided to appoint Sun Yat-sen, Zuo Baogui, and Cai Yuanpei as Vice Premiers, with Zuo Baogui concurrently serving as Minister of National Defense, Lin Taizeng as Commander of the Navy, Chiang Kai-shek as Vice Minister of Commerce, and Song Jiaoren as Minister of Finance. I also told Tan Sitong that I would be going to Longhua Island (Australia Island) for a period of time, and that matters concerning the royal family would be handled entirely by Pu Lin, while national affairs would be discussed and handled by him and the other ministers! At the same time, I issued a decree to the world that from now on, regardless of the reason, anyone who dares to sell even an inch of our territory is a traitor to the country, and everyone has the right to kill them.

On September 3rd, I led my wives in China onto a warship bound for Longhua Island. This time, nearly half of the fleet from the Australian business group came to pick us up. Accompanying us were over 40,000 people, including several classes of graduates from the Weihai Naval Academy and their families. Zhen'er handed over the two arsenals in Beijing and Tianjin to the state, and the technical and management personnel, after obtaining her consent, also left. With the addition of various equipment and supplies, our ten warships, eight cargo ships, and three passenger ships were completely full! It truly resembled a massive relocation. Besides Tan Sitong

and the civil and military officials, Pu Lin, accompanied by Soong Mei-ling, and Qing'er, beside Chiang Kai-shek, also came to see us off. Seeing their affectionate interactions, I felt a surge of excitement. I gave Pu Lin a few words of advice. This boy is somewhat like me—honest and straightforward, but also quite shrewd, probably because he's the eldest son. He has a strong sense of responsibility and is very loving towards his siblings, so I'm relatively at ease leaving him to guard the country! That mischievous little girl, Qing'er, was now crying her eyes out. I slapped her: "You're a grown woman now, don't be so petty! Don't let Chiang Kai-shek laugh at you!"

She glared at me: "He wouldn't dare!"

Chiang Kai-shek quickly smiled and said: "Puqing's love for her parents is a natural expression of human nature, understandable and very endearing!"

The ship was about to depart when a car pulled up. Li Hongzhang and Empress Dowager Cixi stepped out. As soon as Li Hongzhang boarded, he said: "Is His Majesty forgetful, or is he deliberately leaving us old folks behind? We were just saying..." "Alright, we're going there together!"

I immediately burst into laughter. "How could I, Zaitian, dare to disturb the Empress Dowager and Uncle after such a long journey? Besides, the distance is too far, and transportation is inconvenient. Once we go, I'm afraid we don't know when we'll be back!"

Cixi walked up and hit me with her pipe, saying, "Stop joking. We're not afraid of the journey; we just want to settle down there!" As soon as she finished speaking, two large trucks arrived. Li Hongzhang waved his hand, and people jumped off the trucks and began unloading. Wow, the whole family was being moved. It seems she really wants to stick with me.

"Arrange a place for us. This is a domineering business for us. You have to go, whether you like it or not! Once we go, we don't plan to come back. I'm counting on you to take care of me in my old age!" Cixi sat on the chair that Yan'er had brought for her, had Shu'er light her pipe, and started puffing away.

Damn it, the smell of that old-fashioned pipe almost made me vomit. How could she like this? It's so annoying! I've heard that Manchu women all smoke. Luckily, Zhen'er doesn't have that habit, or I would have been suffocated by the smoke!

Zhen'er busied herself arranging rooms and storage for the old couple and their four servants.

Ten thousand miles of wind and waves, the sea and sky stretching to the horizon! Our fleet tossed and turned at sea for half a month before finally catching sight of Longhua Island.

It was sunrise, and a red sun broke through the clouds above the horizon, scattering golden rays across Longhua, making it look like a piece of jade leaping from the sea—truly beautiful and delightful!

Li Hongzhang exclaimed excitedly, "Look, purple mist rising, clouds swirling, no wonder people say purple aura comes from the east, this is truly a land of dragon's rise!"

Empress Dowager Cixi also happily said, "Zaitian certainly knows how to choose a place, this is truly a treasure land!"

Bai Xue, along with my wife, children, and Mr. and Mrs. Li Xianglin, arrived on the Longhua No. 3 cruise ship to welcome us. Everyone sighed with joy upon seeing each other. My wife and children knelt down to greet Empress Dowager Cixi and Li Hongzhang, making the old man almost laugh his head off!

We landed at Longhua Port in the Gulf of Carpentaria, where the group's headquarters are now located. I considered its proximity to China and the presence of a natural bay suitable for building a super-large seaport, and the construction of two major military fortresses at Cape Arnhem and Cape York to directly protect Longhua's security!

Longhua City is currently undergoing a major construction boom, with activity everywhere. Li Hongzhang, seeing this, exclaimed happily, "It's just like when we visited you in the Northeast that year! A scene of great change and development! I heard you're managing everything like a company, but I hope that when things reach a certain point, you'll still establish a nation, because you'll need to connect with other countries, and you can't just rely on the company, can you?"

I nodded and said, "Everything is just beginning. Uncle, why don't you be our advisor? It might be even more tiring than being Prime Minister!"

Li Hongzhang laughed, "I'm quite good at business. Anyway, as an advisor, I'm not restricted! We came here to enjoy the scenery and the beauty of nature. Since you said so, I'll offer my advice when I have time. However, it's still mainly for us old folks to indulge in our carefree lifestyle!"

I provided them with a limousine with a large bed so they could rest when they got tired. Their own car became the personal vehicle for their family members.

I convened a meeting in Canberra for the middle and upper management of the Australian business group, with over 4,100 attendees. After listening to the senior leaders' work reports for four days, my head was spinning. Good heavens, there's so much to do in a big company! Now that some products have been launched, how to get them into the market has become a pressing issue that needs to be addressed. We must coordinate and resolve this quickly!

The old saying "A princess doesn't need to worry about marriage" and "Good wine needs no bush" are outdated ideas. Effective product promotion is crucial for running a successful company! We need to put in a lot of effort to expand our sales channels worldwide, making our products a household name! I looked at my assigned tasks; they were detailed enough, but I was conspicuously missing the crucial element of sales. This shows that my understanding of the basic principles of business operations is still superficial! I looked at Ye Wenying, who had been nestled close to me like a little bird, and smiled, saying, "Why haven't you said a word?"

Her face immediately flushed red to her neck. She lowered her head, fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, and murmured, "I don't have the skills of these older women. I don't understand anything. I can manage to sell something, but I don't understand anything they're talking about!"

I laughed, pulled her into my arms, and while kneading her ample breasts, said, "Then you'll go sell things for me, but not just one or two things, not just in one or two places, but in every corner of the world—sell everything our group produces!"

She was already whimpering from my ministrations, and when I said this, she was immediately terrified: "Hooray! Are you kidding me? Even if I had eight hundred hands, eight hundred legs, and eight hundred mouths, I couldn't do that! Don't scare me!"

"Eight hundred isn't enough. I'll give you ten thousand hands, ten thousand feet, ten thousand mouths, and eight million taels of silver. You go around the world promoting and selling it! How about it, dare you?"

She immediately understood what was going on, hugged my neck, and kissed me on the cheek. Then she stretched out her little hand and said, "Your Majesty, let's pinky swear! If I don't do a good job for you, I'm willing to be punished!"

I knew this little one wasn't one to brag, so I happily pinky swore with her, causing everyone in the room to stare at us. Yan'er looked at me coquettishly and said, "Husband, everyone's reporting here, what are you and Xiao Shiliu doing over there? Is there anything you can't keep secret? Shouldn't you tell us sisters?"

Xiao Wenying was so embarrassed that she buried her head in my arms and didn't dare to look up again!

I laughed and said, "My silly wives, I'm choosing a sales director for you! Wenying has already pledged that she'll be punished if she doesn't do a good job! Everyone, give her a round of applause!"

As soon as I said that, all my wives immediately started clapping. Little Wenying blushed like a big ostrich, burying her head in my chest, which made everyone laugh uncontrollably.

What followed, however, infuriated me. Our fishing company, operating at sea, had recently been frequently robbed by pirates, especially in the Tasman Sea! I slammed my hand on the table and shouted, "Let's go, let's go wipe out the pirates!" (

Part Six, Chapter Two: The Serpent Emerges)

Upon hearing that I was going to fight the pirates, Shu'er, whose baby was just a month old, insisted on going herself. I tried to persuade her by saying she couldn't be without the baby, but she wrapped the baby tightly in her arms and carried her on her back, saying, "Which of us Korean women doesn't work when we have children? We all carry our babies like this, unlike what you say about being so delicate! Don't try to stop me, I'm spoiled by you. I can't eat without you, so you'd better do as you say!"

I had no choice but to ... I had no choice but to give in, but unexpectedly, Lily carried her child on her back and said, "Shu-jie and I are a team, you can't separate us!" Hearing this, Shu-er also said, "My illness isn't fully cured yet, I need a doctor, you can't abandon my doctor!"

Ever since Shu-er got sick, I've spoiled her rotten. She's always clinging to me, and if I don't give in, she'll cry and refuse to eat or drink. Fortunately, she doesn't have Fei-er's unrealistic demands, and I like her and feel sorry for her, so I've indulged her little temper. Now, I have no choice but to compromise again! This time, the two little ones were so happy they jumped and bounced, even high-fiving each other! I really can't do anything with them!

I boarded the plane with Shu-er and Lily, who were carrying the child, and circled over the Tasman Sea. We didn't find any trace of pirates, only our Australian business group's fishing boats operating near Longhua Island. I knew they were afraid of pirate attacks and dared not go far, but what great catch could they possibly have?

Shu'er looked through the binoculars for a long time, and finally pointed southeast and said, "I think the problem lies between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Look, there seem to be some motorboats there. These should be the sea hare boats that the fishing team reported."

Li'er looked and said, "Our planes have been hovering around these past two days, and they haven't dared to move much. I think we should lure them out to attack. As long as we can prove it's them, we'll have a reason to raid their hideout!"

I pondered for a moment and said, "Let's get on the fishing boats and go fishing!"

As soon as I finished speaking, the two little ones were so happy that they danced with joy. I really don't know what's wrong with them. What's it like to be swimming in the sea? Can you stand the fishy smell?

Lan'er heard that we needed boats for the anti-bandit campaign, so she allocated us two fast boats, Longhua 305 and Longhua 306. These boats are mobile and have sails, which makes them easy to hide. The sailors on board were all veteran fishermen from Weihai, skilled at observing tides and chasing fish schools. They were also quite talkative. Upon learning I was Emperor Guangxu, they exclaimed with delight, "We never imagined we'd be able to go fishing with the Emperor! Our lives have truly been worthwhile!"

I laughed and said, "Emperors are human too, and you guys are better at fishing than the Emperor!"

They all replied, "The Emperor is doing great things, things that make the country rich and strong. What's fishing compared to that?"

I said, "Don't look down on fishing. This coastline is long, and the fish yield is plentiful. If we do a good job, we can sell our fish all over the world, letting people everywhere eat the fish you catch. Isn't that a small matter?"

This made them chuckle. I added, "This mission is a bit dangerous. If a fight breaks out, just hide in the cabin!"

They said, "We came knowing it was dangerous. We can't go out to sea until we wipe out these pirates." "If we don't catch enough fish, how can we have a good life? Everyone's afraid of danger, who will drive them away!"

Shu'er then mobilized another hundred soldiers from the Yellow River Goddess Gang, who were good at swimming, and hid them on Longhua 305 and Longhua 506. They all hid in the cabins. When they saw Shu'er and Li'er's children, they asked, "Is our Qing'er's child this big too?"

I laughed, "You little girls don't care about your Qing'er at all, you don't even go to see her!"

The group of girls immediately chattered, "No, it's not like that! Our training mission is tight, and we're not allowed to leave the barracks casually, so we can't get leave! Everyone is eager to see our pretty little niece! Brother-in-law said that after we complete this mission, he'll treat us to a meal and a fun time at your house, and then we can see our little niece properly!" Damn it

, this Qing'er brought me a whole bunch of sisters-in-law, each one charming and lovely, they're really not to be trifled with!

I quickly said, "Once the battle is over, I'll invite you all to come and see what a beautiful young lady your sister Qing has given birth to!"

The boatman cleared out a cabin for me, Shu'er, Li'er, and the four of us, with a large shared bed. Lan'er also brought over a few sets of new luggage, saying before leaving, "Don't be so rude, they haven't fully recovered yet!"

Damn it, what does this girl take me for!

The boats set sail, two boats following the fishing season. Before dark, the boats were already half-full of large ribbonfish and many other sea fish I couldn't identify. The captain said, "The catch is definitely bigger out to sea. This is enough for us to fish around here for half a month!"

As darkness fell, the captain whispered, "This is when the pirates love to come out. These guys kill and rob. If we fall into their hands, not a single person will be left on the boat! We're really afraid of them!"

I knew that one or two raids wouldn't be enough to wipe them out. To eliminate the pirate problem, we needed to: first, take control of the surrounding islands and turn this sea area into our inland waters; second, organize a fishing protection fleet to patrol several important fishing grounds!

The fishing boats rocked in the wind and waves, but the two children didn't seem to care. They slept soundly when they were asleep, and when they woke up, they stared wide-eyed at everything around them, waving their little hands around—it was quite adorable. I've been so busy taking care of the children that I rarely have time to look after them. Now that they're here with me, I'm suddenly filled with childlike joy, shaking a rattle-stick to amuse the two little ones. They laugh so hard their mothers are crying tears of joy.

Suddenly, I sensed a murderous intent rushing in from outside the cabin. I immediately drew my sword and whispered, "Watch your children! Something's happening!" With that

, I leaped out of the cabin. The boatmen hadn't noticed anything yet when the captain saw me and exclaimed, "Your Majesty, aren't you resting yet?" Before

he finished speaking, the murderous aura was upon me. I quickly dodged, and a dark figure wielding a curved sword slashed at me. I deflected the attack with a clang of my sword and turned to fight him. The boatmen, now aware of the situation, grabbed harpoons and other weapons, ready to join the fight. I quickly said, "Don't come any closer! This man is a warrior; you can't defeat him!"

I exchanged blows with the man for a dozen or so exchanges when suddenly, a white blur flew out of the cabin with a whoosh. Liu Li, like a mother leopard, screamed and pounced on the man with her sword. He immediately fought back against both of us.

His skills were indeed formidable; he showed no fear against the two of us, instead pressing forward relentlessly, his blade flashing towards me.

I knew it was the captain's earlier shout of "Long live the captain!" that had made me his primary target! It seemed this wasn't just a bandit robbing for money; he was a political bandit!

Thinking this, I unleashed my Xuanyuan Sword Technique, intensifying my attack. The man was immediately caught in a desperate situation, struggling to defend himself. He began searching for an escape route. Just then, Shu'er frantically leaped out of the cabin, firing a shot at the man. He instantly jumped into the sea amidst the gunfire.

I hurriedly followed, but he had vanished without a trace.

Disappointed, I climbed back onto the boat. Shu'er and Li'er burst into tears, clinging tightly to me. Shu'er said, "Why don't we let the soldiers come out and capture him? What if something happens to you? How are we supposed to live?"

I hurriedly said, "Keep it down! There might still be enemies around! We can't reveal our strength, otherwise the pirates won't come out!"

The ship was still drifting quietly. A flash of light from the ship's lights revealed a thin line of blood in the spray at the stern. I immediately whispered, "He's not gone, he's still under the ship. Watch the children, I'll go check again!" With that, I leaped into the water and quietly submerged to the stern. I saw the man with one hand on the helm and the other clutching his left chest. I quickly swam over and subdued him easily. He had no strength left to resist and I pulled him to the surface.

With the help of the sailors, we brought the man to our cabin. I said to Li'er, "Treat him. We can't let him die. We need to find out what happened behind him!

" Shu'er said resentfully, "Save her? She almost made me a widow! That vixen! Killing her wouldn't be enough!"

I stared at Shu'er in disbelief: "She's a woman? I didn't realize it!" Shu'er

pouted: "Nobody believes that! If she wasn't a woman, would you have fought her so gently? You didn't even use a fraction of your strength, it's disgusting! You can't resist a pretty girl, you forget your own life, you big pervert, you big lecher! I was so stupid, I didn't even kill her! I should have shot her, then you wouldn't have to think about her anymore!" "

Isn't this just baseless speculation? I—no, I think I smelled a woman's scent, a faint, fresh virgin fragrance! But I can't admit it now, that would be tarnishing my reputation!"

Lily ripped open the woman's clothes at the shoulder, revealing a mound of white, snow-white breasts. Right below those breasts was a bullet hole, blood still gushing out. She quickly pressed two acupoints to stop the bleeding, then looked at the man's lower body and said, "You stinky husband, get out of here. I need to strip her naked. When did you slash her genitals? You almost ruined her treasure! Don't try to take advantage of her; aren't you afraid of getting a sty? I need to treat her now. Get out of the way!" "

Really a woman? I looked in surprise at the hood that Shu'er had pulled off. My goodness, it was a stunningly beautiful Western girl with dark hair. Was she mixed race? I never imagined she could be so skilled in martial arts!

I stepped out of the cabin, and the captain said uneasily, 'It was all because of what I said. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so aggressive towards you. He's after you because you're the emperor. He must be an assassin sent by some foreign country!'

I nodded and sat on a small stool at the bow, silently watching the whitecaps being splashed by the ship, lost in thought: 'Is she connected to pirates, or is this an independent assassination attempt? The ones who were driven away here were the Japanese and Indonesians. Shouldn't they be the ones retaliating? Could she be their descendant? And what is her purpose in this revenge?'

Shu'er came over and silently leaned on my shoulder. After a long while, she said, 'Husband, I shouldn't have said that to you. You're a good person! You wanted to capture her alive, so you didn't use your killing move!'" Shu'er doesn't want anyone else to share my love. I want to lie in my husband's arms every day. I can't live without you. I know I'm pathetic, but you had to save me. I only survived because you fed me and held me every day. Now you don't feed me anymore, and I'm already suffering enough. If you don't hold me anymore, I'd rather be dead!

Look, how did an illness fill my head with so much useless thoughts? I have sixteen wives. I couldn't possibly have them all sleep in my arms!

This is the benefit of indiscriminate love—leaving affection everywhere, yet having no affection anywhere. A mountain of emotional debts, it's driving me crazy!

After a long time, Li'er also came out: "Sister's marksmanship is amazing! It was just a hair's breadth away from hitting her heart! If it had been that, Li'er wouldn't have been able to save her."

Shu'er said, "I checked her pulse. She practices Chinese Kung Fu, and her internal strength is quite high. She must be a disciple of the Emei Sect!" I was stunned. "

What grudge do I have against the Emei Sect? Why would she come to kill me? And how did she know I was on this ship?"

Shu'er chuckled and said, "You've come to Longhua Island, and although you don't always refer to yourself as 'I,' you own the Ao Shang Group, and you're its president. Anyone with a brain knows you're Emperor Guangxu! Your activities here aren't like those in the deep courtyards of the palace, where ordinary people can't see you. If she wanted to kill you, it would be easy!"

I suddenly stood up abruptly, my heart pounding with anxiety. "Quick, quick, go get my two children!"

The two of them stared at me blankly. I stamped my feet in frustration. "Go get them! Are you fucking deaf?!"

Shu'er only got up and rushed into the house to get the children when she saw me swearing. But Li'er still looked at me with a smile, motionless!

I hit her in anger, and she chuckled. "You're afraid she'll hurt our children?" "

I said, 'You're just careless, so clumsy you could lose yourself! We don't really know her, and she came to kill me. If she kills my child, you'll be crying and won't even be able to find the temple gate!'

She laughed and snuggled into my arms, hugging my waist, saying, 'Do you think I'm that stupid? I put her to sleep; she won't wake up until noon tomorrow. It's foolproof now!' Just as she finished speaking, the sound of a child crying came from inside the cabin. Li'er was about to stand up when the child stopped crying, and she snuggled back into my arms.

A moment later, Shu'er came out carrying two children, one on each side, both of them suckling at her nipples, sweetly nibbling: 'Look at these two wolf cubs, how deliciously they're eating!'" "After saying that, she let out a few soft moans, her face beaming with happiness and smugness!

I was so angry I wanted to grab her and give her a good slap . What do you mean, 'wolf cub'? Am I a wolf?

Nothing more was said that night. The captain and his crew's catch grew increasingly plentiful, the boat was overflowing, and there was no sign of pirates. I had no choice but to send the boat back.

At dawn, the boat docked at the Canberra pier. The captain, amidst the envious eyes of the fishermen, began unloading. I had the young men from the Goddess Gang carry the unconscious woman onto two large planes, which flew directly to Longhua City and then into my secluded mansion.

Perhaps the planes had fooled them, because both children were fast asleep, and Shu'er and Li'er returned..." They were putting their children to bed in their little house, so I had to lead my large group of sisters-in-law, who were curious about everything, through the corridors and across the small bridges to get them to rest.

This house was specially designed for our family by Wen'er. A winding corridor and several white marble bridges of different styles lead to my large circular courtyard. From my courtyard radiate twenty paths with small bridges, flowing water, green bamboo, and vibrant flowers, each leading to a villa-style building with a distinct architectural style. My sixteen young wives each have their own villa with their children. However, every night they still roll around in my big bed, even if nothing's happening, they all have to stay with me—this has been a rule for almost twenty years!

The design of twenty branches was Wen'er's idea. Because of this, a group of wives almost ate her alive. Finally, she said, "Don't you understand our husband? Or do you want to keep tearing things down and building things in the future? I've already set a limit for him: twenty. That's the limit for his lifetime. I'm afraid he'll exceed that number!"

Listen to that! Is this still my wife? How can she belittle her husband like that! Do you think I'm a womanizer? (If you weren't desperate!) Because there were four extra buildings, I arranged for all my sisters-in-law and that woman to live there. I told them, "Our mission isn't finished yet. You all stay here for the next couple of days and keep a close eye on this person. Don't let her run away, and don't hurt her. Consider her a special guest!"

After making the arrangements, I said, "Let's go. Didn't you all want to see your little niece? I'll take you to Qing'er's place! This person won't wake up for a while, so everyone go..." "Alright!"

Qing'er was giving the little girl a bath when she saw a large group of her friends arrive. She happily handed the child to me and led everyone to the swimming pool in her courtyard. "It's too hot, let's chat while we bathe!" Then she turned to me and said, "The child is going to sleep, you should put her to sleep! If you don't know how, call Ying'er over. She's too lonely by herself, always coming over to play with the child!"

Her trick was actually quite effective; the little darling started crying in no time. Luckily, Ye Wenying came over. She took the child into her arms, and the little... The girl stopped crying, and Ying'er laughed, "You call yourself a father? You can't even soothe a baby, how stupid!"

I pulled her into my arms and said, "Do you want a baby too?"

She said softly, "I want one, but you have to let me have one! Everyone says they get pregnant after just one time with you, and I've been with you for so long, and you still won't let me have one!"

I kissed her, "There has to be some difference, you know. Look at them all, they're all with kids, they can't even find anyone to keep me company at night. If you get pregnant too, won't you leave me stranded? Okay, let's just leave it at that." "Give it a try, wait until your older sisters are all settled, then you can have another one!" She gave me a coquettish glance and said, "Didn't you bring another one back today? She's already in Building 17, is that Old Seventeen?"

I patted her little upturned bottom and said angrily, "Don't talk nonsense, she came to assassinate me, how could she be my wife? If she wanted me as her wife, wouldn't she kill me one day?"

She giggled, "She's from the same line as me, she definitely won't escape your devilish clutches!" I was so angry that I ignored her and walked out of Qing'er's courtyard. I strolled slowly, and when I stopped, I realized I had arrived at Building 17. Damn it, am I really a lecherous man? Part Six, Australian Business Group, Chapter Three: The More You Describe

, the Worse It Gets. A few clumps of green bamboo were sparsely planted in the courtyard, and a winding path paved with white pebbles led to a white jade bridge. The water under the bridge was still clear and cold, and a few lotus flowers were just blooming by the water, their fragrance filling the air. Suddenly, I heard a burst of giggles. The girls must have finished washing. Afraid of being seen peeping, I hurried into Building 17. Each building had three floors: the first floor housed the living room, practice room, washroom, and study; the second floor was for the children; and the third floor was the bedroom. I figured the woman was on the third floor, so to avoid suspicion, I didn't go up and just wandered around the second floor. Since it was for the children, the rooms weren't very large, filled with animal paintings, full of childlike charm. Each room was decorated differently, and the animals were depicted according to the continents. I had just finished looking at the Asian tiger, wolf, leopard, and panda, and on a whim, I pushed open the door to another room. Just as I was about to look at the animals on the wall, I heard a groan. I looked in the direction of the sound and froze. A woman—a completely naked woman, no, to be precise, a woman without clothes, but with bandages wrapped around her chest and one of her fair thighs! She lay on the small bed, her snow-white, high breasts, her slender waist, her mysterious private parts, and her long, slender, and shapely legs all completely exposed to my gaze! Looking at that devilish figure, that snow-white and jade-like skin, and that fairy-like pretty face, it was truly an irresistible temptation. I hurriedly backed away, but the woman groaned, "Water, water, I want to drink water!" With no other choice, I went into the room, first covering her with a thin sheet, then pouring a cup of hot water. After blowing on the water to cool it down, I brought it to her. Seeing that she couldn't drink while lying down, I had to help her sit up and let her lean against me while I brought her the water. After taking a few sips, she gulped down the water. Once she'd finished, she opened her eyes, saw me, and yelled, "You big pervert! You big lecher! What do you want?" Then, she suddenly pushed me away, realized she was completely naked, and screamed again, grabbing the sheet to cover her chest and cursing, "You big pervert! You big lecher! You big bad guy! Did you take advantage of me?" Damn it , she's given me so many titles for no reason! But thank goodness, she can speak Chinese. She's truly unfathomable! I stood up, walked to the French windows with my hands behind my back, drew back the curtains, looked at the vibrant colors outside, and said slowly, "If you hadn't asked for water, I wouldn't have come into this room at all. What advantage do you have to offer others? Don't you know what's wrong with your body? You're seriously injured, so you should just lie there obediently. If your wound reopens, my wife will have to work for you for another half a day. You don't mind the pain, but I feel sorry for her!" Perhaps she was really in pain, because she obediently lay down, but her hands gripped the sheets tightly, her large blue eyes watching me warily, without uttering a sound. I asked calmly, "Do you know me? Why did you kill me?" She remained silent for a long time before finally saying resentfully, "Who knows you, you big bad guy, you big rogue, you big lecher!" I said angrily, "If you don't know me, why did you kill me?" She perked up, "You forced me to! My daughter and I were living a good life. You wanted concubines? The world is so big, you can find them anywhere, why did you have to target me? If they don't agree, fine, but why did you kidnap my mother? You have wives, all beautiful as flowers, aren't they enough for you? I'm just an ugly girl, can't you spare me?" I was completely confused, "What nonsense are you talking about? When did I ever ask you to be my empress? My wives are all stunningly beautiful and incredibly intelligent, would I force you?" Damn it, I realized as soon as I said it that it sounded wrong. Wasn't this obviously hurtful? How could it just come out without thinking? But it really was what I felt. I already have sixteen wives, that's enough, why would I go and steal you? I think you're either a narcissist or a delusional fantasist! Sure enough, that hurt her. The woman sat up with a scream, yanked off the sheet, and said, "You big scoundrel, you big pervert, you big bad guy! You stripped me naked, looked at me enough, and now you think I'm ugly? Are you even human? Look at me, where am I ugly? Where am I inferior to your wives?" I glanced at her, then turned my head back to the window. "You should lie down. Even the most beautiful orchid is unattractive to the eye! The young lady may be lovely, but I, Long, am not one to claim the laurel! Are you going to kill me because of this nameless rage?" "Of course! If I don't kill you, you'll force me to be your wife, you'll hold my mother captive! Too bad you dodged my sword!" the woman said bitterly, clearly regretting not killing me. I laughed. "Do you think you have the ability to kill me?" As I spoke, I released my domineering aura, instantly filling the room with a chilling atmosphere. She shifted on the bed and murmured, "But you didn't win against me back then! You only won with the help of two women!" I said, "No, that's not it. I wanted to capture you alive and find out who ordered you!" Then my tone changed and I said, "But you still haven't told me who sent you to kill me!" She sneered, "You have the nerve to ask? You did it yourself and you're asking me?"

I was absolutely furious with her. No matter how I explained, she insisted I wanted to marry her—what a self-righteous woman! I coldly said, "There are plenty of women in the world who want to be with me. I don't want you now, I don't want you in the future, and I've never even thought about you! Just tell me

who told you I wanted to marry you!" "Of course it was you! You detained my mother, and you told me to come to the Australian Business Group to find you, saying you'd release her after we got married!" She still insisted that I wanted to marry her—what a shameless woman! I was so angry that I turned and walked away, not wanting to talk to her anymore!

But she wouldn't have it. She jumped down and grabbed my waist tightly: "Where are you going? You can't leave! Since you don't like me, you should have someone release my mother. Don't use her to blackmail me!"

This brainless woman, she's just sticking to her guns and trying to extort money from me!

I said irritably, "I was about to ask you the same thing, where's your mother?"

She hugged me and cried, "I'll give you anything you want, okay? Just let my mother go! Her life has been hard enough, I can't let her suffer any more because of me!" With that, she fainted.

I noticed blood seeping from the bandage on her chest. I quickly picked her up, intending to put her on the bed. Just then, Shu'er and Li'er arrived. Seeing me holding a naked woman, Shu'er chuckled, "My husband is such a lecherous cat, sneaking off here to steal a bite!"

Li'er also laughed, "Husband, she's badly injured, she can't withstand your dragon's breath right now! Even stealing a bite has its timing!"

I said irritably, "Do you think I'm a lecherous devil?"

The two of them said in unison, "When..." "Of course, if you weren't, would there be anyone else in this world?"

I stopped joking and put the woman on the bed, saying, "Stop talking nonsense, Lily, take a look quickly, her wound might be aggravated!"

Without even looking, Shu'er said, "You're really crazy! Bleeding and knocking her unconscious! You're really reckless when you're insane!"

Enraged, I grabbed her and gave her a good slapping, making her scream. My buttocks didn't hurt, but she ended up clinging to my neck, her little lilac shoved into my mouth, and her little peach swallowed my entire penis.

What could I do? I had married such a scoundrel, so I had to find a room to "develop" her.

Just as I finished, another person appeared beneath me. I looked, and it was none other than Lily, the one who treated people. I said irritably, "You good-for-nothing girl, instead of treating your illness, why are you running around under me?"

"You bullied my sister in broad daylight, of course I have to help her teach you a lesson. What, out of ideas now? Did that little mixed-race eat you clean?" I angrily sent her to sleep!

Shu'er was not happy about this: "Oh, are you trying to shut people up? We caught you stealing food, we have witnesses and evidence!" I

was so angry that I grabbed her and sent her to sleep too!

I breathed a sigh of relief, straightened my clothes and stood up. Just as I was about to go out, I saw Yan'er standing at the door with a stern face, arms crossed, smiling at me.

A chill ran down my spine. I said casually, "Those two little ones are too greedy!"

Yan'er laughed and said, "Really? So greedy they've sent people all over the world to choose concubines!"

Damn it, she must have heard it from that woman. I quickly said, "Don't listen to her, it's nothing! I have you two, that's enough. Why would I go looking for more? That woman is crazy, who knows what she's saying?" Just

as I finished speaking, Fei'er came in with a yellow cloth: "Still being stubborn? Look at this! It's an imperial edict, bestowing upon her the title of Noble Lady Mei!"

I was so angry that I tried to grab her, but Fei'er dodged quickly and ran away. Enraged, I jumped up and down, shouting, "Go ahead and conspire to slander me! If I get really angry, I'll really bring her into the palace, hold her every day, and have the Emperor's favor with her, leaving you all out in the cold!"

No sooner had I finished speaking than someone knelt down at the door with a thud: "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty! Consort Mei is willing to be favored by Your Majesty every day, but please release my mother! Consort Mei would gladly serve you like a slave for the rest of her life!"

I was furious, "Why are you getting involved? When did I bestow a title upon you? Consort? Even a lowly person hasn't been given one!"

Yan'er looked at me seriously and asked, "You really don't know about this?"

I said aggrievedly, "I..." "What do you know? Since I arrived at Longhua Island, have I ever left your side? These guards around me are all new ones you've replaced. Ask them, who have I ever dealt with? Besides, when I left the mainland, I entrusted the imperial seal to Lin'er. When could I possibly issue an edict to bestow the title of Consort Mei? Although she's pretty, is she as pretty as all of you beauties? Her beauty isn't enough to make me lose my mind, is it?"

Yan'er said, "I believe all of that, but people say, 'Homegrown flowers aren't as fragrant as wild flowers.' Are you seeing that these sisters have so many children and are too busy to keep you company or satisfy you?"

"Nonsense! Do you think I'm a stud? Only you and Fei'er were the ones I took the initiative with. Which of the others did I actively seek out? Which ones didn't I only take in because I was desperate? If you don't believe me, then all of you leave and see if I can survive on my own. I don't believe I'll die without women!" I was truly angry. How did things get worse by trying to explain? Did I really leave them such a bad impression?

Yan'er said, "But how did this Xue Mei thing come about? And where is her mother? Now it's all over the branch offices that President Long is choosing a concubine, and some women are starting to pay attention to their appearance. There's no smoke without fire!"

I was taken aback, but immediately said, "That can't be right. This woman was only caught today, how could it have spread to all the branch offices so quickly?"

"It seems this didn't happen overnight. If you didn't arrange it yourself, then someone is playing a conspiracy to ruin our family and disrupt our plans! I suspect they have more than just Xue Mei as a target!" As she spoke, she reached out to Fei'er and said, "Bring me that imperial edict, let me see it. None of us sisters who follow him have ever received such a thing, but this fake one has made an imperial edict!"

Fei'er now also suspected something was amiss and quickly handed the thing to Yan'er. Yan'er glanced at it and chuckled, "This is an imperial edict? Whose imperial seal is this? Look, the character '玺' (seal) is a mistake! An emperor's seal with a mistake? This is a joke!"

I took it and examined it closely. The edict really did look authentic, except that the character '玺' was missing a dot below the character for 'jade' (jade), and below that was the character for 'king' (king). Just that one dot made it look fake!

Yan'er grabbed my hand and said, "Your Majesty, let's go ask Xue Mei. This matter isn't so simple! She's convinced you arranged everything, and she's demanding her mother back!"

I knew the seriousness of the situation, so I went with her to the woman's room. The woman was still crying, her face streaked with tears, looking utterly pitiful.

Seeing Yan'er and me enter the room, she wiped away her tears and said, "Didn't they say that His Majesty wants to take me in? I'll serve His Majesty well. Xue Mei doesn't ask for anything else, only that His Majesty release my poor mother!" She was about to kneel down before me again, but Yan'er pressed her down. "Sister Xue Mei, calm down. This really wasn't His Majesty's doing. He doesn't know you, and he didn't issue you that edict! Look at this edict, what's the difference between it and this one?"

She produced my official edict from somewhere and handed it to the girl.

The girl looked at it for a long time, then threw herself onto the bed and sobbed. After crying, she raised her head, her face flushed, and whispered, "I'm sorry, I wronged you! I have to go, I can't cause you any more trouble!"

She was a reasonable and intelligent girl.

Yan'er pressed her down again: "Sister Xue Mei, how did you see the difference?"

The girl whispered, “Although the imperial edict's format and tone are the same, there are four differences. First, the fabric used: yours is Suzhou and Hangzhou silk, a material unavailable to the common people, but I know it's genuine imperial tribute. His is Japanese linen. Second, the shafts on both sides: yours contains Xiangfei bamboo, which only grows in Xiangtan and is also imperial tribute. Its characteristics include a lasting fragrance, resistance to moisture, and it doesn't mold or bend. This fake one contains Japanese bamboo from various regions, which molds easily in humid weather. Because it's been soaked in water, mold spots have already appeared on the fabric. Third, the characters on your edict are written with genuine imperial ink.” The writing on the fake one was jet black and glossy, with a refreshing fragrance that could invigorate the mind, and it was also water-resistant. The fake one, however, used Japanese ink, which smelled foul and the writing would bleed when soaked in water. Fourthly, there was the error on the imperial seal that you also noticed. Although it was a fatal flaw, in Japanese calligraphy, such errors are often omitted, so it's easily overlooked. "If you hadn't produced the real imperial edict today, Xuemei would have thought you were conspiring to deceive me!"

The girl's words left me speechless. The one flaw that we two had only managed to spot after much examination, she had immediately identified four at once! And her knowledge was truly astounding!

I smiled faintly and said, "Young lady, you've really taught me a lesson! I wonder how you obtained this fake imperial edict?"

The young lady looked at me, her face suddenly turning red. After composing herself, she said, "My mother and I both work at the Longxing Stationery Store in Canberra, owned by the Australian Business Group. The day before yesterday, my mother went out on business and didn't come back. When I got home in the evening, I still hadn't seen her. I found a letter and this on the table. The letter said that I had been chosen as an imperial concubine by the Guangxu Emperor and that I should immediately report to the president's office in Longhua City. If I didn't report within three days, they would kill my mother! Actually, becoming an imperial concubine of the Guangxu Emperor is a dream come true for many young girls! I saw you in the hospital when you saved several imperial concubines, and ever since then, I've had many shameful dreams of unrequited love! But using someone's mother to force a marriage is a different story! At least this person doesn't respect human feelings, let alone family ties. I feel ashamed to live with such a person! So I decided to kill..." " You've already apologized to the world! I've been following you since yesterday, and only this evening did I have a chance to kill you, but I ended up making a complete mess of things! Now I know I was wrong, and I have to go save my mother!"

I asked, "Do you have any leads?"

She lowered her head, her face flushed red to her neck, and after a long while, she said, "Yes, but not many!"

Yan'er said, "Tell us, let's discuss it and see if it makes sense!"

She said, "Judging from the flaws in this imperial edict, this was done by the Japanese, and from their headquarters! Now their headquarters are no longer on Longhua Island, and the possibility of them being on the Japanese mainland is extremely small. The only possibility is the Japanese Yamato Company in Wellington, New Zealand! I suspect that the recent pirates were orchestrated by them, with the aim of disrupting the Australian business group, and this incident is part of that!"

Just then, Min'er, who was in charge of sales, brought me a invitation to attend the celebration of the second anniversary of the Yamato Company and the Yamato product exhibition in Wellington.

Looking at the invitation, I slammed my hand on the table: "Let's go, let's go to this trap!"

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