Snow Dance Across the Land (Episodes 1-20 Complete) Author: Shui Linfeng

This post was last edited by s175366 on 2015-10-24 21:56.

"Snow Dance Across the Land"

Author: Shui Linfeng

Volume 1: Dark Shadows Covered

Chapter 1: The General's Wrongful Accusation

A river of spring water flows eastward;
when will the national shame and family feud end?
Leaves wither, flowers fall, spring is gone;
dreams shattered in the deep palace, endless hatred
lingers; the beauties of the six palaces are ugly;
the emperor's cup reflects the thinness of the land; the Grand Canal
is a road of a thousand jade flowers; all
the gold has flowed away, only a lonely boat remains;

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: General Cao Meng has been found guilty of forming cliques and plotting rebellion, betraying the Emperor's grace. Effective immediately, all his titles and ranks are stripped, and he is to be handed over to the Dali Temple for questioning. His wives, concubines, and children are imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison for further investigation and punishment! Imperial decree! Cao Meng! Receive the decree and express your gratitude!" The messenger, Wang Huai, closed the imperial edict and handed it over!

The steps were filled with kneeling men, women, and children, all weeping. Cao Meng prostrated himself and bowed respectfully, saying, "If Cao Meng were to rebel, why would I have been ordered to come to court to plead my case? Now that I'm in Jinyang, the Emperor refuses to see me, blindly listening to the flattery of petty men, wanting to put me to death! Where is justice!"

Wang Huai shouted, "Bold Cao Meng! Things have come to this, yet you show no remorse and dare to harbor resentment! I am merely conveying the imperial decree. If the General has any grievances, he can appeal to the officials at the Dali Temple! Guards! Take the entire Cao family into the prison cart!"

The Imperial Guards stepped forward, pressing down on the heads and necks of the kneeling men and women, binding them tightly with ropes. The Cao household was full of beautiful maids and servants, and these Imperial Guards were not to be outdone, taking the opportunity to grope them, feasting their eyes and hands on their breasts and vulvas. The bound and beautiful maids and concubines all cried out in alarm and cursed loudly.

Cao Meng had a capable Imperial Guard captain come up and put him, his wives, concubines, and children in shackles, with their heads and necks clamped in heavy cangues. They were then put into a prison cart. The rest of the family members and servants were tied up by their arms and had thick ropes around their necks, and they followed behind the prison cart.

A captain of the Imperial Guard approached, clasped his hands, and said, "Lord Wang! I just took inventory of the Cao family and found two people missing!"

Lord Wang replied, "The Cao family is large and powerful; it's not surprising that a few people are missing!"

The captain said, "But the two missing people are Cao Meng's youngest son, Cao Lin, the fifth son of the Cao family, and Cao Da, the Cao family's top general!"

Lord Wang asked, "Oh! How old is Cao Lin?"

The captain replied, "Seven years old!"

Lord Wang laughed loudly, "What's the fuss about a seven-year-old brat? Men! Issue the order to have the Nine Cities Garrison thoroughly search the city gates. If they find him, arrest him immediately!"

The captain replied, "Yes, sir!"

Lord Wang shouted, "Let's go!"

The soldier driving the prison cart cracked his whip with a loud "crack!" and slowly set off.

Inside the cave hidden in the artificial hill, Cao Da tightly covered Cao Lin's mouth with one hand and held his waist tightly with the other, refusing to let go despite Cao Lin's kicks and punches.

Only after confirming the prison cart was far away did he breathe a sigh of relief, release Cao Lin, and whisper, "Young master! Come with me quickly!"

Cao Lin cried out, "I want my father! I want my mother! You bastard, why are you holding me so tightly?" He then shook off Cao Da's hand and tried to run away.

Cao Da grabbed him, saying, "I must die! You have offended the young master! Where are you going?"

Cao Lin said, "I want to find my father!"
Cao Da hurriedly said, "You mustn't! Now that the General is unjustly accused, only the young master has escaped from the Cao family. If you go to the General, wouldn't you be walking into a trap and causing the Cao family line to end?" Cao Lin

wasn't stupid. After crying and making a fuss for a while, he calmed down and said, "Then what should we do?"

Cao Da said, "Young master, you can secretly leave the city with me and return to my hometown, Dabie Mountain, to keep the Cao family here. " "I'll use my last bit of blood and flesh for future plans!"

Cao Lin said in a childish voice, "Maybe Father is alright? If you take me and run away in a flash, Mother will be worried when she comes back and doesn't see Lin'er!"

Cao Da said, "Young Master doesn't understand! Let's go quickly!"

Cao Lin was unwilling to comply, but at such a young age, he was no match for Cao Da's strength. He was half-carried and half-dragged, avoiding the soldiers standing guard in front of the mansion gate, and quietly broke through the ice in the secret passage of the small river in the Cao family's back garden, swimming out. Fortunately, Cao Lin had practiced martial arts since childhood, and his body was exceptionally strong for his young age.

At the end of the secret river was a section of the inner city's river. People from the Nine Cities Garrison in Jinyang City were already checking the area, and it was getting late, making it even more difficult to leave the city. Cao Da frowned, remembering someone who was a former general of the Cao family and lived not far from here. He could take advantage of the moonlight to go and seek refuge with him.

The Tianyi Temple was located on Xiaoye Mountain, southwest of Jinyang City. Although it was a Taoist temple, it was situated in a bustling area. The abbot, Master Qingchen, was originally a general of the Cao family. After being crippled in a fierce battle, he chose to become a Taoist monk. He certainly wouldn't stand idly by when the Cao family suffered such a calamity. Cao Da gently knocked on the temple gate. After only two or three knocks, the gate opened. The young Taoist priest, seemingly having waited for a long time, saw Cao Da and hurriedly said, "Is that Cao Da? Come with me quickly!"

He quickly stepped aside to let the two people covered in ice and mud into the temple. He peeked out and looked around to make sure no one was watching before quietly closing the gate. Snowflakes had begun to fall outside, and the occasional barking of dogs in the dead of night added to the desolation.

The Great Jin Empire, founded by Emperor Taizu, had existed for over 170 years, with eight emperors in succession. It was a wealthy and powerful nation with thriving trade, maintaining relations with many countries. Envoys were stationed throughout the land, and all nations revered the Great Jin as a celestial empire.

The territory spans over ten thousand li. The current emperor is none other than the eighth emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty, Princess Xuan of Jin. Since ascending the throne, she has heavily relied on eunuchs and ostracized ministers. Her reasoning is that ministers all have children and, for the sake of their future generations, are unlikely to be wholeheartedly loyal to her, harboring some selfish motives. In contrast, the palace attendants, mostly raised in the deep palace since childhood, have no children or family, naturally have fewer selfish motives, and are able to understand

the emperor's will, making them more trustworthy than ministers. Inside the Chengxin Hall of the Forbidden City, the bronze censers in the four corners glow red-hot, making the hall as warm as spring. Princess Xuan of Jin, with her small, narrow face, fair skin, and long limbs, wears a golden dragon crown and an embroidered dragon robe. She leans against the soft dragon couch, seemingly resting with her eyes closed, but in reality, she is listening to the ministers' reports.

The eunuch Zhang Jian, holding a whisk, stands respectfully to one side of the dragon couch, his shifty eyes darting around, listening to the ministers' reports even more attentively than Emperor Xuan himself.

Two beautiful palace maids knelt before the throne, their thin spring gauze revealing their breasts. Beneath the gauze, they were completely naked, their alluring bodies faintly visible. They submissively tapped his dragon legs. On either side of the steps knelt dozens of beautiful palace maids, all also draped in colorful light gauze, their garments completely bare beneath. Their heads were slightly lowered, and in the bright candlelight, the fragrance of perfume mingled with the scent of flesh, creating a tantalizing aroma.

In the center of the steps, one in front and two behind, stood three officials from the Court of Judicial Review. They seemed oblivious to these nearly naked palace maids, their eyes fixed straight ahead as they presented their reports. The leader, Zhou Luo, the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review

, held a ceremonial tablet and bowed, reporting, "Your Majesty! Cao Meng refuses to confess!" Emperor Xuan hesitated for a moment before saying, "In his memorial, he expressed his indignation on behalf of the deposed crown prince. Furthermore, spies have witnessed him secretly colluding with the deposed crown prince. What is this if not treason? Have you all warned him about this?"

Zhou Luo bowed and said, "Yes! Cao Meng argued that his memorial only mentioned the matter of deposing the crown prince, which, upon closer examination, seems quite suspicious. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider and not let father and son turn against each other, becoming a laughingstock for the world. This is also for Your Majesty's sake! The deposed crown prince once rewarded the Western Army on behalf of the Emperor, and we had met several times. Before his demotion, we happened to meet on the road,

and seeing his pitiful state, I sent him some daily necessities. He said his loyalty is as clear as day and night, and I hope Your Majesty will investigate thoroughly!" The eunuch Zhang Jian beside him shrieked, "What are you doing? It's been three days, and you still haven't gotten any answers! You're truly useless!" Emperor Xuan said, "Zhang Jian

! Do you have the ability to make him confess the truth?"

He immediately knelt down, fawning, "Yes!"

Emperor Xuan said, "Tell me first?"

Zhang Jian said, "This kind of villain cannot be dealt with without severe torture. Lord Zhou must be concerned about his reputation and is unwilling to use torture. It's been three days and there's still no result!"

Zhou Luo shouted, "You audacious servant! There is no evidence regarding Cao Meng's matter. If we force a confession, how can we explain it to the world?"

Zhang Jian sneered, "There's no need to explain to the world. This servant only knows how to be loyal to His Majesty!"

Emperor Xuan said, "Zhou Luo! Zhang Jian is right! You don't need to worry about this matter. I order Zhang Jian to inquire!"

Zhou Luo said, "Your Majesty! This is absolutely unacceptable. If this precedent is set, how many innocent people will die! Furthermore, let..." "A man with five missing limbs, blaming a general, Cao Meng will not be humiliated. But what if he commits suicide?"

Emperor Xuan waved his hand lightly and said, "No need for further words! It's settled then! I'm tired, you may all leave!"

The three from the Court of Judicial Review left the hall. One of the vice ministers, Meng Ping, whispered, "General Cao is innocent. We can't get any information out of such a baseless accusation. But His Majesty seems determined to punish Cao Meng. We can't possibly smear the crimes of high officials. Handing it over to Zhang Jian will save us trouble. Why argue with His Majesty, sir?"

Zhou Luo said, "You don't understand. If the Court of Judicial Review is controlled by eunuchs, perhaps even you and I will be persecuted in the future. Zhang Jian, Song Ning..." "Cao Duan, Huang Zong, and several others will surely cause trouble in the court in the future!"

Meng Ping said in a low voice. "Cao Meng's great-aunt is the current Empress Dowager. The Emperor has long wanted to eliminate the power of the imperial relatives. Now that the Empress Dowager has just passed away, the Emperor is already taking action. We officials are only concerned with our families' livelihoods. We don't need to meddle in the private affairs of the royal family. What do you two think?"

Zhou Luo said, "Indeed! But for our own sake, we must not let eunuchs control the court for long. If we have the opportunity, we must eliminate these incompetent people and ensure the safety of our families!"

Inside the Pixiang Palace, Emperor Xuan leaned against the proud, bare breasts of his beloved Consort Chen, talking idly.

Consort Chen, her body fully exposed, draped her thigh over the emperor's hairy leg, gently rubbing it with her warm, moist opening. She asked in bewilderment, "Since Your Majesty knows the Grand General is innocent, why doesn't Your Majesty release him?"

Emperor Xuan replied, "Establishing the younger son as heir is for the sake of the country. The deposed crown prince is more docile; if he inherits the throne, the ministers will be happy. Even if he acts recklessly, he won't be punished severely! Ce'er is decisive and has the demeanor of the late emperor. My choice of a virtuous heir is not wrong. The Grand General has deep sympathy for the deposed crown prince, and my health is failing! I fear I will pass away before him. After I depart, the Grand General might support the deposed crown prince. The old fogies in the court already have many complaints about my decision to establish the younger son as heir. The Grand General is from the Empress Dowager's family; the Cao family were founding fathers and hold power in the court." "Decades have passed, it's time for a fresh look! Destroying the Cao family is a win-win-win situation!"

Chapter Two: Old Cow and Tender Grass

Consort Chen sat up, teasing Emperor Xuan's ample chest with her glossy black hair, then stuck out her delicate tongue to lick his nipple, laughing seductively, "Your Majesty, I don't understand!"

Emperor Xuan hummed comfortably, laughing, "I just like talking to you, you big-breasted, brainless girl! It's good that you don't understand! I just wanted someone to talk to! By the way! My beloved consort, what do you think of the Crown Prince?"

Consort Chen replied naively, "Very good! Your Majesty, why would I look at the Crown Prince?"

Emperor Xuan laughed heartily, lifting her onto his lap, bringing her mountain-like breasts close to his face, lowering his head to the deep cleavage between her breasts, seeking the intoxicating scent of flesh.

Consort Chen wrapped her smooth, fleshy legs around Emperor Xuan's waist, her alluring eyes gleaming as if she were lost in thought. Her real name was Chen Xuanhua, and she was naturally alluring, with delicate, arched eyebrows and plump, smooth skin. What was even more remarkable was that her body was cool in summer and warm in winter, smooth and jade-like. She ranked twenty-sixth on the list of the most beautiful women in the world, thirty-eight years younger than Emperor Xuan. After this winter, she would be seventeen, twenty years younger than the newly established Crown Prince, and the same age as the Imperial Grandson, perhaps even a few months older. Since she began serving Emperor Xuan at the age of fourteen, he had never been able to be without her!

Women are perceptive, and she felt a deep fear of the current Crown Prince Ji Ce. Emperor Xuan was unaware of this, but every time Chen Xuanhua saw him, she felt a hunter's gaze secretly watching her, as if she were an animal waiting to be hunted.

She recalled her brother Chen Shu's assessment of Ji Ce: "Ji Ce has five strengths and only one weakness. He excels in etiquette and music, courage and strength, perseverance, ruthlessness, and decisiveness, but his weakness is also extraordinary greed!"

Chen Xuanhua had once privately joked, "Brother! In my opinion, the Crown Prince's lust is also extraordinary. Every time he sees someone, he stares intently at her breasts when his father isn't looking!"

Chen Shu whispered, "Men's lust is in their nature! Not only men, but all male animals choose the most beautiful among their kind to mate with in order to leave the best offspring. This is due to natural selection, not a weakness. If he ascends the throne one day, you must not refuse his demands, otherwise, you will surely die a violent death, and our Chen family will suffer because of you." "Remember this, remember this!"

Chen Xuanhua laughed and scolded, "Brother! You're not human! You actually expect me to serve those two, father and son. If word gets out, won't the whole world laugh at us!"

Chen Shu laughed, "The reason the world will laugh isn't because the Chen family is shameless, but because they're jealous of the women in our Chen family. They're so capable of winning over both father and son, young and old, and receiving the emperor's favor from everyone. They're so angry their eyes will pop out. They'll definitely say in their hearts, 'Please, Consort Chen, move your legs so our girl can also be favored by the emperor. Don't always monopolize the emperor's dragon chicken!'"

Chen Xuanhua covered her mouth and chuckled, taking it as a joke. The emperor was in his prime, living another ten or eight years wouldn't be a problem. How old would she be then? Probably thirty! Youth fades quickly, and time slips away easily. All she could think about was having a son or daughter, hoping that while she was still favored by the emperor, she could coax him into bestowing upon her child a title of prince, duke, or princess, so that the child would have someone to rely on in old age!

Unfortunately, despite being the emperor's favorite, she was unable to conceive, which made Consort Chen extremely anxious. At this moment, her thighs slowly began to tease the emperor's dead snake-like penis.

Emperor Xuan laughed, "It's no use! I'm old. Even if we were to unite, we wouldn't have any offspring. You vixen, don't waste your energy! Save your spirit and chat with me!"

Consort Chen said coquettishly, "No! Your Majesty, please try again. If you can't give birth to a dragon son, what will I do when I'm old and faded? I can't understand a word Your Majesty is saying!"

Emperor Xuan laughed, "If you were like Consort Dong, understanding everything, I wouldn't be chatting with you!"

Consort Chen's fragrant, smooth, pink buttocks swayed and wiggled, her small mouth already kissing the old emperor's stubble-covered dragon lips. Her jade-like, warm and smooth body then snaked against the old emperor's no-longer-young body.

The newly appointed Crown Prince Ji Ce, the second son of Emperor Xuan, is thirty-seven years old this year, in the prime of his life. At this moment, he is sitting in the Crown Prince's residence, which he has just entered, secretly discussing important matters with two advisors. In order to put on a show and let the old emperor know that he is benevolent, filial, and humble, there are no luxurious items or beautiful maids to serve him in the Crown Prince's residence. The only people who come and go to serve him are a few elderly palace maids. His wife and concubines are only a Crown Princess and two concubines. Anyway, he will not live here for long and will have to move to the palace sooner or later.

Ji Ce said, "Do you think the old man will kill Cao Meng?"

His advisor Li Nao laughed, "The emperor has long disliked the maternal relatives. Taking action against the Cao family isn't just something we did through the eunuch Huang Zonggao; it's a three-pronged approach!"

His advisor Fang Renhe laughed, "First, of course, it's about using this to drag everyone involved down and weaken the maternal relatives' power. Second, it's about taking back the Grand General's military power. And third? Hehehe—!"

His advisor Xu Jing laughed, "Thirdly, it's about making an example of them, warning those less capable than the Cao family's civil and military officials to be wary and not to oppose the emperor unnecessarily!"

Ji Ce laughed, "Actually, I should thank these ministers. If no one had intervened when Father revealed the matter of deposing the crown prince, that old fox would have been helpless! Unexpectedly, almost all the ministers, from the prime minister down, opposed it. What does this mean? This is a challenge to his imperial power!" "Furthermore, my elder brother is truly weak and incompetent. If he were to become emperor in the future, who knows, the Great Jin Dynasty might very well perish at his hands!"

Xu Jing, despite the freezing winter weather, still held a fan in his hand, fanning himself several times outside, and laughed, "Not necessarily. The deposed crown prince isn't all that great, but he is receptive to advice! He likes to listen to the opinions of his ministers on matters big and small, which can prevent him from acting arbitrarily and making mistakes! This is his weakness, but also his strength. If he could have the assistance of good ministers, he wouldn't have ended up in the point of national ruin!"

Li Nao stomped hard on his foot from below, but Xu Jing smiled, pretending not to notice, and continued, "However, the emperor's virtue lies in his absolute authority. The deposed crown prince's personality is best suited for the position of Marquis of Andong. Only Your Highness is the best candidate to be emperor!"

Ji Ce smiled and said, "Old Li! Just now, news came from the court that the old man has ordered Zhang Jian, that person with five missing limbs, to replace the crown prince..." "Zhou Luo of the Court of Judicial Review, go and interrogate Cao Meng. Do you think there will be any results?"

Xu Jing laughed, "Cao Meng has always been very self-important, skilled in martial arts, and commands a large army. He is quite imposing. I'm afraid he won't be willing to be questioned by a crippled eunuch! If Zhang Jian forces a confession, Cao Meng might commit suicide rather than suffer the humiliation of imprisonment!"

Li Nao laughed, "His Majesty wants Cao Meng to commit suicide. Cao Jiali served as the Great Jin's border defender, making great contributions without a single fault. His Majesty, out of the need to consolidate imperial power, did not hesitate to increase annual tribute and send beauties to the Great Lie Kingdom in the north, causing the Bai Di barbarians to run rampant and laugh at our Great Jin emperor as a pig. Disregarding national shame, just to kill a general at will, it really shows a lack of understanding of the Emperor's will!"

Fang Renhe laughed, "Old Li only knows one side of the story, not the other. Cao Meng commands the Great Jin's most valiant western and northern elite armies, numbering no less than 700,000." If he were to rebel, no one in the Great Jin Dynasty could control him. It would be much easier to eliminate him before he even realizes what's happening. Keeping this tiger around is unbearable!

Our Great Jin is rich and powerful, with fertile land. A small annual tribute is a drop in the ocean. If spread across the people, it's just like each person eating one or two fewer pancakes a year—far more cost-effective than maintaining 700,000 elite soldiers! Beautiful women aren't given out every year. Only during the initial peace negotiations were 500 sent at a time, and then none more. There are over 20,000 beauties in the palace. Your Majesty can use this opportunity to weed out a batch of old and ugly palace women—a win-win situation!

The northern barbarians have always been fierce and ugly. Even women from our great celestial dynasty, in their thirties or forties, are breathtakingly beautiful in their eyes. There are countless unfavored beauties in their late twenties or early twenties in the palace, and Your Majesty can't use them all. "It's a waste to waste them, so let's make use of them and give them away!"

Li Nao sighed. "That's true, but it's still shameful! Using beautiful women to exchange for peace with barbarians, what about the heroes of the Great Jin Kingdom! Besides, if we're only talking about money, it's certainly more worthwhile for our Great Jin Kingdom to cease hostilities and make peace. But for a great nation like ours to pay tribute to the northern barbarians, where is our national dignity?"

Fang Renhe laughed. "Your Majesty isn't afraid of losing face, so why are you in such a hurry? It's like the emperor isn't worried, but the eunuch is! I heard that the Great Lie Kingdom has already agreed to the terms of peace negotiations, including opening the border market. Once the market is open, our Great Jin Kingdom can recoup the annual tribute and silk from the Great Lie Kingdom in two or three months. Losing a little face is worth it!"

Li Nao sighed. "Being rich but weak will only attract wolves and jackals. In the long run, it's not good for the country or the people!"

Crown Prince Ji Ce said, "You two shouldn't talk about this now. We can discuss these matters later." "Furthermore! I heard from the palace attendant Wang that the Cao family lost their youngest son, Cao Lin. Do you think the old man will try to wipe them out?"

Xu Jing habitually shook his feather fan and laughed, "Even if His Majesty doesn't want to, someone will volunteer to show their loyalty!"

Li Nao said, "You're not talking about Cao Duan, the Grand Eunuch of the Western Depot, are you?"

Xu Jing said, "Exactly! This Cao Duan originally served in the Empress Dowager's palace. Because he was naturally clever, meticulous, and skilled in martial arts, he was promoted by the Empress Dowager to work in the Western Depot. This man is good at currying favor. Now that the Cao family has fallen, to show that he is only loyal to His Majesty, he will definitely volunteer to arrest Cao Lin!"

Ji Ce said incredulously, "Since entering the palace, Cao Duan has not only received many benefits from the Cao family, but also received the Empress Dowager's exceptional promotion. He shouldn't be so ruthless now, right?"

Xu Jing said, "Some people only consider their own interests, like reeds in October." "Whoever is strong, he'll side with them! He's not even as good as a dog, but such people are most useful in times of peace!"

Ji Ce said, "Eunuch Cao is handsome and dignified, skilled in both literature and martial arts. I, the Crown Prince, cannot imagine that he would be as despicable as you describe!"

Xu Jing laughed, "Whether a person has character or not has nothing to do with being skilled in literature and martial arts or how good-looking they are. If you don't believe me, I'll make a bet with the Crown Prince. What if the Crown

Prince loses?" Ji Ce said, "If I, the Crown Prince, lose, I will offer you a hundred taels of gold. But what if you lose?"

Li Nao laughed, "He won't lose!"

Chapter 3 Wind Blows the Grass on the Wall

Just as he finished speaking, a secret agent from the Crown Prince's residence reported at the door: "Grand Eunuch Cao Duan has volunteered to lead over a hundred experts from the Western Depot, along with dogs, to chase after Cao Lin. They have already destroyed the Tianyi Temple, which dared to harbor the Cao family rebels, and killed more than a dozen Taoist priests in the temple. They are chasing him all the way southeast!"

Xu Jing laughed. "How about it?"

Ji Ce said bitterly, "You can only know a person's face, not their heart. If I have the chance in the future, I must get rid of

such a villain!" Xu Jing laughed and said, "If the Crown Prince ascends the throne in the future, not only will you not get rid of such a villain, but you will have to make good use of him. This kind of dog-like person is easy to use. He is obedient and capable. He only has power in his heart, no likes or dislikes, and no great ambitions. You can ask him to do anything. Isn't

that wonderful?" Fang Renhe laughed and said, "That's right! Emperors and generals should enjoy themselves while serving the country and the people. If they are serious all the time, they will be tired! Isn't it said that it is better to befriend a true villain than a hypocrite? Those bookworms who only know how to study and stick to their own ideas are even more annoying!"

Ji Ce laughed and said, "That's true! But sometimes I have to pretend. If I act like I'm living a peaceful and prosperous life right now, I will definitely be criticized by the Grand Secretaries, and I will not be able to be the Crown Prince!"

Li Nao laughed, "While the Grand Secretary's impeachment is certainly detrimental to the Crown Prince, your so-called Empress Dowager is an even greater threat to you. This Empress Dowager of yours! Not only is she not your biological mother, but she also dislikes men having multiple wives and concubines. If you take in many beauties, she might cause you some trouble! She can't and dares not control your father, but you princes have to be careful. The Crown Prince's deposition was largely due to your mother's influence. She was extremely displeased seeing him constantly taking in concubines and showing her disrespect! That's why she used her influence to depose you, the Crown Prince..." "Brother, the position of Crown Prince!"

Xu Jing laughed, "A lesson from the past! The Crown Prince must be guarded against. That old woman has never had children. To her, it doesn't matter who ascends the throne. The emperor can depose the empress and concubines, but he has no right to depose the empress dowager. Once the old man passes away, you won't be able to touch that troublesome old woman! Your own mother will have to live under her thumb, and may even be harmed by her. It's better to use the old man's hand to get rid of this troublemaker as soon as possible!"

Ji Ce deeply agreed. Several treacherous people huddled together, trying to figure out a way to get the old emperor to depose the empress.

Outside Jinyang City, snow was falling heavily. More than a hundred wild horses galloped after tall hunting dogs. The riders, with bows and arrows on their backs and goose-feather sabers in their hands, dressed in black tight-fitting clothes, their mouths and noses covered with black cloths, lay silently on the saddle bridge.

The main road was nearly deserted, with few pedestrians. A man carrying a gourd of wine was about to step out of a tavern when he saw over a hundred spirited horses galloping wildly along the road. He frowned and asked, "Who are these people? In the dead of winter, why don't they rest at home?"

A customer who knew the situation replied, "They're from the Western Depot. It looks like they're chasing after those who escaped from the Cao family!"

Another customer said, "Is this the fate of those who are loyal to their country?"

The tavern owner said, "Gentlemen, why are you discussing these national affairs while you're enjoying your own wine? Haven't you heard the saying that the people suffer when the country prospers, and the people suffer when it falls? We commoners can barely protect ourselves. There's no need for us to stand up for others. Save your trouble!"

Cao Duan, the chief eunuch of the Western Depot riding a fine horse from Ferghana, had long eyebrows and narrow eyes, and was tall and strong. If he hadn't been castrated due to poverty, he would surely have been a handsome man pursued by young girls from all around. To him, there was no justice in this world. If Heaven had eyes, he wouldn't have been so cruelly exploited. Whether the Emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty killed ministers or ministers murdered the Emperor, it didn't matter to him. He only needed to follow whoever was strongest.

Everyone thought he was a member of the Cao family, and he had indeed received many benefits from them. But if he didn't show his loyalty to the current Emperor now, he would be implicated and punished. He had already lost a small head and didn't want to lose a larger one for no reason, for someone unrelated. Killing Cao Lin was a certainty; he didn't care if Cao Lin was a seven-year-old child or an eighty-year-old woman!

Not long after the cavalry had run out of the city, a Western Depot expert reported that Cao Da, with a small child, was in a cave not far ahead. Cao Da already had seven or eight wounds and was not far from death.

Cao Da didn't want to die, at least not now. He hid in a damp little cave, his head against the cold stone wall, feeling his body temperature slowly disappearing.

The young master Cao Lin, nestled in his arms, was covered in mud and water. His eyes, streaked with tears, looked helplessly at him and cried out in despair, "Uncle Da! Are we going to die here?"

Cao Da replied unwillingly, "No! Absolutely not! I will definitely get you to safety!"

Cao Lin, quick-witted, glanced at the blood-soaked Cao Da and said, "Uncle Da, they want me! Let me out, let me be with my parents and brothers. They won't bother you anymore after they capture me!"

Cao Da said urgently, "Young master! Listen to me! The General is doomed this time, and your whole family will not escape death. The Cao family may be wiped out." "The young general's death is not a pity, but no matter what, the young master must survive! If you can escape this calamity, the young master must hide his identity and never say in front of others that his surname is Cao, only Zhao. Since you are ranked fifth, be called Zhao Wu. Until your innocence is cleared, remember not to reveal your identity, lest you suffer a tragic death and cut off the bloodline of the Great General!"

Cao Lin nodded and said, "I remember! But Uncle Da! Can we fight our way out?"

Cao Da said in a hoarse voice, "Yes! We definitely can!"

Cao Da had already killed more than a dozen of the court's top spies, and was already at his limit. In theory, he had earned enough, but he really couldn't die, not because he was afraid of death. Unexpectedly, he, a dignified man, did not die at the hands of the Bai Di people, but died under the sword of his own people. Was this the court's reward for a general? What was the point of risking one's life to protect such an emperor?

Outside the cave, four or five imperial spies dressed in black, carrying heavy goose-feather sabers, patrolled back and forth, sealing off the exit. Escape was impossible for him, especially with a child in his arms.

In the distance, the grating sound of galloping hooves grew louder and louder, probably numbering over a hundred. The main culprit was approaching; it seemed he and his young master were truly going to die here today. He tightened his grip on the hilt of the goose-feather saber. He circulated his inner energy slightly; thankfully, aside from the acupoints he had sealed with his technique, his true energy could still flow through his vital organs, albeit very slowly.

This was a goose-feather saber he had seized from the spies. Cao Da didn't wield it with much ease. The saber, heavy for an ordinary person, felt too light for him, preventing him from utilizing his strength and power. After beheading more than ten people, the blade was already slightly chipped. He tried to stand, but his left side was paralyzed, making it impossible.

He was soaked through, indistinguishable between sweat, blood, and snowmelt. Seven wounds, from his shoulder to his leg, throbbed with pain. Two of them were fatal: one on his left side, penetrating deep into his internal organs, and the other on the inner side of his left hip bone, reaching his pelvis. This second wound was what made movement extremely difficult. Even worse, these imperial spies had poisoned his goose-

feather blade with a rare poison, which had now seeped into his internal organs. Even with an antidote, it was too late. With his battle-hardened prowess, honed through countless battles, he shouldn't have fallen to these effeminate lackeys who frequented the imperial palace. At least, escape wouldn't have been a problem. But with Cao Lin involved, five of his seven wounds, including the two fatal ones, were inflicted while protecting Cao Lin.

These imperial guards, somehow they found the Tianyi Temple and, knowing Cao Lin was his weakness, deliberately lured him into a trap during their fight. Although he knew it was a trick, he dared not risk letting the spies harm Cao Lin. The neighing of horses echoed at the cave entrance. The galloping horses were reined in by their riders and stopped on the steep slope at the cave entrance, their hooves pounding the snow. A spy

watching them at the cave entrance stepped forward and reported, "Eunuch Cao! The key is right there! Shall we attack?"

What? Eunuch Cao! Could it be Cao Duan? A glimmer of hope suddenly rose in Cao Da's heart. He gritted his teeth, used his goose-feather saber to support his clumsy body, and stood up, peering out of the cave.

Cao Lin also saw who it was and excitedly shouted, "It's Uncle Duan! We're saved!" He then ran out.

Cao Duan, the chief eunuch of the Western Depot, had received favors from the Cao family for over a decade since he started as a lowly eunuch. When the Cao family suddenly faced disaster, he was eager to demonstrate his loyalty to the emperor, vowing to serve only the court and sever all ties with the Cao family.

When Cao Dazhen was on the verge of collapse, he failed to stop Cao Lin, who ran away, crying out, "Uncle Duan! Save us!"

Cao Duan, on horseback, coldly snorted and shouted, "Men! Seize this traitor!"

Hearing this, Cao Lin abruptly stopped, terrified, and asked, "You didn't come to save us?"

Cao Duan replied, "I am acting on imperial orders to take you back to be executed, you little beast. I am not here to save you. I am only loyal to the current emperor. Cao Meng is a traitor, and his entire clan should be exterminated!"

Seeing that something was wrong, Cao Lin performed a beautiful backflip, narrowly avoiding the two spies' claws that were reaching for him. He then spun around and darted past the two spies, trying to run back.

One of the spies sneered, "You little brat! Not bad! You think you can escape from me? You've got a screw loose!"

Cao Lin wasn't simply running away. He suddenly turned and swept his leg, kicking up a large patch of snow. The two spies who were bent down to grab him were covered in snow. His small body moved like a rabbit, instantly creating distance between himself and the two spies. As he ran, he cursed angrily, "Cao Duan, you bastard! Ungrateful! If you get through today, I'll make sure you regret it!"

Cao Duan saw what was happening from his horse and shouted, "Useless! Do you think I have to do this myself to catch a child?"

The two spies from the Western Depot were even more furious after failing repeatedly in front of their superior and colleague. With a roar, they swung their goose-feather sabers left and right, using the spines of the blades, simultaneously striking Cao Lin's calves.

Cao Lin hadn't even thought to look behind him. Just as the blade was about to touch his shinbone, he suddenly felt light as someone lifted him into the air and skillfully tossed him far away. Cao Lin did a somersault and landed steadily on the snow.

Two screams came from behind him. Cao Da used battlefield swordsmanship, devoid of any fancy moves; every strike was deadly. The two West Depot spies were decapitated, their blood staining the white snow crimson.

Although Cao Lin was born into a military family, he was still too young. Although this wasn't the first time he had witnessed Cao Da kill someone that day, his little face turned deathly pale with fright.

Cao Da's true energy was exhausted. He felt dizzy, his ears ringing. He barely managed to prop himself up with his sword, his body swaying precariously, suppressing the churning blood in his chest and abdomen. He growled weakly, "Next!"

Like a cornered beast, the hundred-odd experts from the Western Depot looked at each other, none wanting to provoke this dying, mad tiger.

Cao Duan sneered, "What are you all standing there for? Go! Are you all a hundred experts afraid of this seriously injured man? If word gets out, where will you put your faces?"

One of them muttered, "Easy for you to say! Go ahead and go! Don't treat us like dirt!"

Cao Duan rolled his eyes, having heard him, and sneered, "Fools! Spread out and surround him for me. Don't let the cooked duck fly away. Watch me take down this big..." "A couple of traitors!"

Cao Da spat out a mouthful of blood and laughed wildly, "Cao Duan! You bastard, you really have guts, trying to take advantage of me while I'm injured? You bunch of bastards, watch closely, even if I'm injured, I'll still kill this bastard with one stroke!"

One of the experts, a eunuch, retorted, "Bold Cao Da! You dare to curse even when you're about to die, watch me pickle you too!" Despite their words, they didn't charge forward. In this world, all males who have been pickled are very good-natured and have no desire to fight.

Cao Duan didn't want to rush forward rashly either. Cao Da was going to die anyway, and if he grabbed him to use as a coffin cushion before he died, it would be very bad. He slowly approached and took a few stances.

Cao Da leaned on his goose-feather saber, looking up at the sky, ignoring him. Because of the excessive force, the blood on his wound began to drip down again, gradually congealing and freezing into blood ice.

The Western Depot's experts waited for ages in the blizzard, but Cao Duan didn't pounce. One of them, growing increasingly impatient, shouted, "Hey, Eunuch Cao! We've already blocked his escape route! Why don't you show us your prowess and we'll learn something!"

Cao Duan, embarrassed to lose face in front of his men, gritted his teeth and, with a "tiger seizing a sheep" move, grabbed Cao Da's shoulder. The sound of bones cracking rang out, but Cao Da remained motionless.

Cao Duan was startled, quickly withdrawing his claws and flipping him over. He saw Cao Da still in the same posture, leaning on his sword, slowly falling backward onto the snow. He had died from exhaustion.

The Western Depot members let out a long sigh, then turned their fierce eyes back to the young Cao Lin. At first, Cao Lin didn't understand what was happening, but when he saw Cao Da lying motionless on the ground, his young mind understood. His eyes reddened, and he suppressed a sob. He assumed a "Great Roc Spreads Its Wings" stance in the snow, ready to fight these Western Depot masters to the death. The north wind blew his small clothes, and the earth was silent.

Even if he died, he would die with dignity. Since the founding of the Great Jin Dynasty, the Cao family had produced generations of great generals; they would never be easily used by these incomplete, rotten bastards to embarrass themselves.

In an instant, the hundred or so masters of the Western Depot suddenly felt a tragic grandeur from this small body—an innate pride. In the biting north wind, Cao Lin stood like a mountain, like a great general on the battlefield, majestic and awe-inspiring!

Someone couldn't help but whisper, "Aren't we a bit despicable? Why do I feel like we adults are inferior to a child?"

Cao Duan shouted wildly, "Shut up! Traitors and rebellious sons deserve to be killed by everyone! Hurry up and attack!"

A dazzling white light flashed, and a disc-shaped, silvery-white object suddenly appeared silently on the snow behind Cao Lin. It was about two stories high and three or four zhang in diameter. The automatic door of the huge disc opened silently, and three stunningly beautiful women dressed in sexy clothes walked out.

A beautiful woman walking in the middle at the front of the group recited in a sweet voice: "This place is far from Yan Dan, where brave men's hair stands on end in anger. The people of the past are gone, but the water is still cold today! You, such a large group of people, actually have the nerve to gang up on a little child. You are truly despicable and shameless!"

Chapter Four: The Chamberlain

's Office The experts from the Western Depot all shielded their eyes with their hands. After the dazzling light flashed, when they looked again, they all exclaimed in admiration. Although there were countless beauties in the Jinyang Imperial Palace, they were all dog shit compared to these three beauties. Even Chen Jieyu, the favorite of the current Emperor Jin Xuan, paled in comparison.

While everyone stared in disbelief, Cao Duan was the first to react. He roared from his horse, his outward bravado masking his inner turmoil, "The court is arresting traitors! These idle people must not interfere!"

Behind the leading beauty, a tall, slender woman with a silver nose ring bowed to the stunningly beautiful woman reciting poetry and said sweetly, "Second Mistress! The master has ordered that we are not to meddle in the affairs of mortals!"

The woman rolled her eyes and said coquettishly, "I'll meddle! Let's see what that Grim Reaper can do to me! You shameless people, listen up, get out of here before I lose my patience!"

Sensing something amiss, one of the cautious eunuchs stepped forward and shouted, "Who are you?"

Behind the leading beauty, another tall, slender woman with a nose ring said sweetly, "How dare you! You ants!" "You bastard, how dare you speak to the Second Mistress like that! Are you looking for death?"

The beautiful woman turned around and asked, "Big Flute Beast, who is in charge of this pasture?"

The woman on the left, the one with the nose ring, who spoke first, replied, "Reporting to the Second Mistress! It is under the jurisdiction of Li Bozhao, the Eight Desolate Wandering Dragon!"

The stunning woman called the Second Mistress sneered and said, "You and Little Flute Beast, drive these people away, take that child with you, and we're leaving!" The

two stunning women behind her, both with nose rings, prominent breasts, slender waists, and hourglass figures, exchanged a glance and responded, "Yes—!"

They then walked side by side toward the secret agents of the Western Depot, shouting, "Aren't you leaving yet! Do we have to take action?"

One of the secret agents, seeing that something was wrong, quickly fired a hidden crossbow. The powerful arrow struck the two women in the face and immediately turned into powder, falling to the ground.

Cao Duan, still trying to maintain appearances, exclaimed in shock, "Who exactly are you, daring to oppose the imperial court?"

The Second Mistress said with a sly smile, "You wouldn't understand even if I explained. I'm taking this child with me! Goodbye!"

The experts from the Western Depot were shocked and started shouting all at once. Cao Duan's expression changed, and he shouted, "If you take this brat away, how will we explain to the Emperor? Don't go! Take this!"

The Second Mistress raised her eyebrows and opened her alluring phoenix eyes. She was about to get angry, but then she thought it was pointless to make things difficult for these mortals. With a flick of her hand, a divine wind froze everyone in place. She beckoned to Cao Lin and said, "Boy! Let's go!"

Cao Lin looked up and said, "No! If we're going to leave, we must take Uncle Da with us!"

The Second Mistress laughed and said, "That man is already dead. Never mind! Great Flute Beast! Take that man's body away and find a place to bury him!"

The Second Mistress had been a goddess for countless years. Recently, she had been feeling bored in Huaprot and had been wandering around the 84,000 pastures with her Great and Little Flute Beasts. She happened to get involved in this matter.

The Huaprot Ranch comprises 84,000 smaller ranches, each with varying levels of civilization. To facilitate management, the ranch's ruler, Shui Linfeng, designed all the ranches' timelines, place names, languages, and scripts to resemble Earth. This particular ranch, located in the constellation Cygnus, is five times the size of Earth and is called Goose Head Star. Its civilization there is currently at a level equivalent to Earth's Tang and Song dynasties, over 1.46 million light-years away. Humanity, as insignificant as mayflies on Earth, could never reach this place, no matter how much it develops.

Cao Lin stepped forward, took the outstretched hand of the Second Mistress, and together with the three goddesses, entered the flying butterflies. A flash of light, and they vanished. Although the Great Jin Dynasty had spies throughout the land, they could no longer find any trace of Cao Lin.

(For exciting stories about Shui Linfeng, the Big and Small Flute Beasts, etc., please read my "Tales of the Land"!)

Inside the Pixiang Palace, it was warm as spring. Emperor Xuan of Jin rested his head on Chen Xuanhua's beautiful legs, and the enchanting Consort Chen was feeding the old emperor a winter jujube mouth to mouth.

Outside the tasseled curtain, two eunuchs, Zhang Jian and Cao Duan, knelt. Emperor Xuan of Jin said unhurriedly, "Zhang Jian! You said Cao Meng committed suicide out of fear of punishment?"

Zhang Jian trembled and said, "This servant deserves to die; I failed to keep an eye on the prisoner!"

Emperor Xuan recalled his past friendship with the Cao family, and his heart sank. He waved his hand and said, "Cao Meng was highly skilled in martial arts. If he wanted to end his life by severing his meridians, no one could stop him. This is not your fault! General Cao is dead. I intend to release his family. Is that acceptable?"

Zhang Jian was shocked. The Cao family was no ordinary family. If his wife and children were released, within a few years, the old emperor would die, and a new emperor would ascend the throne. The Cao family would surely rise again. He, a mere eunuch, had forced the general to his death without cause, which had already angered the entire court. If the Cao family were to rise again, who knew how they would die!

Upon hearing that Emperor Xuan intended to spare the Cao family, Zhang Jian was terrified and knelt down, pleading, "Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

Emperor Xuan said, "Why not? Tell me!"

Zhang Jian said, "Cao Meng was convicted of treason, and there's no evidence to prove it. If we spare the Cao family because Cao Meng committed suicide out of fear of punishment, the Grand Secretaries will criticize Your Majesty again. Now Your Majesty is on the verge of disaster, and you have no choice but to act! The best course of action now is for Your Majesty to harden your heart and, regardless of right or wrong, punish the Cao family according to the serious crime of treason that Your Majesty initially decreed, to silence the gossip of the people!"

Emperor Xuan pondered for a long time, then slowly said, "I will do as you have suggested! This matter is entrusted to you. Do not make any more mistakes. You may leave!"

Zhang Jian was overjoyed and retreated from the Pixiang Hall on his knees. Emperor Xuan, his eyes now dulled by the effects of wine and women, looked at Cao Duan and asked, "How did your matter go?"

Cao Duan trembled and replied, "Your Majesty! This servant failed to capture Cao Lin!"

Emperor Xuan sat up and asked, "What happened! Over a hundred experts couldn't capture a mere child? I know! It must be because you remembered the Cao family's past favors and secretly released that little brat!"

Cao Duan was shocked and said, "This servant wouldn't dare! That's really what happened!" He then recounted the events of the time, not daring to conceal a single detail.

After listening, Emperor Xuan sneered, "You damned dog of a servant! You can't even make up a lie! Do you think I'm an idiot? Guards! Drag him away and beat him to death!"

Cao Duan burst into tears, kowtowing repeatedly, the bluestone paving stones in the hall clattering loudly, tears streaming down his face.

Chen Xuanhua suddenly smiled charmingly, "Your Majesty! Your health is of utmost importance! There's no need to get angry with this dog-like servant! In my opinion, let the Cao family boy go! He's so young, surely Your Majesty wouldn't be afraid of him?"

Emperor Xuan said, "My beloved consort doesn't understand! I don't care about that child at all. What angers me is this servant's incompetence. If he's not punished, all these servants will dare to deceive me in the future!"

Chen Xuanhua smiled, "Since Your Majesty doesn't care about the Cao family boy, if you want to punish the servant, I have a good idea!"

Emperor Xuan laughed and said, "You little vixen, you have so many tricks up your sleeve! What idea? Tell me!"

Chen Xuanhua smiled, "How about stripping him of his position as the Grand Eunuch of the Western Depot, demoting him to palace livestock, and giving him..." "I'll be your toilet slave for a bit!"

Emperor Xuan patted her back and joked, "Since it's my beloved consort's word, how dare I disobey!"

He turned to Cao Duan and asked, "You dog slave! Are you willing to be a toilet slave and serve Consort Xuan?"

Cao Duan was overjoyed. He had gotten his revenge. A toilet slave was fine, it was better than death. He immediately kowtowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for sparing my life! Thank you, Consort Xuan, for your life-saving grace!"

Chen Xuanhua smiled and clapped her hands. A maidservant nearby responded, "This servant is here! Please give your orders, Your Highness!"

Chen Xuanhua smiled seductively, "Take this newly acquired chamber pot away and fix it up. I'll need it in a bit!"

The maidservant responded and smiled at Cao Duan, "Eunuch Cao! Ah—! No! Chamber pot Cao, let's go!" "Alright! -- Don't stand up, you have to crawl behind me like a dog! This is the palace rule for palace slaves! I'll let you off this time since it's your first time, but be careful if you do it again!"

Emperor Xuan laughed, "This Cao Duan is quite skilled in martial arts, my beloved concubine, you'd better keep him locked up!"

Chen Xuanhua laughed, "Your Majesty need not worry, I will take care of it!"

A eunuch outside the door announced, "The Crown Prince requests an audience!"

Emperor Xuan said, "What is this boy doing here at this hour! Is he pleading for the Cao family? Cao Meng studied with several princes when he was young, and he got along well with them all! Never mind! Summon him in!"

Crown Prince Ji Ce entered as summoned, knelt outside the curtain, and respectfully said, "Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty, may Your Majesty live ten thousand years!" "Long live the Emperor!" he thought to himself, but inwardly he murmured, "May he die sooner, die faster!"

Emperor Xuan said, "Get up! What is it?"

The Crown Prince stood up and smiled, "Now that the country is peaceful and prosperous, Your Majesty is revered by all the people. I don't have anything important to say, but recently the winter plum blossoms in Hanxiang Garden have just begun to bloom. I would like to invite Father Emperor to go and admire them!"

Emperor Xuan said listlessly, "Those plum blossoms bloom every year, what's so interesting about them? I can't compare to you young people, I'm too lazy to move in the dead of winter!"

Ji Ce blinked and smiled, "Father Emperor, you don't know, this year's plum blossoms are different from previous years!"

Emperor Xuan smiled, "What's different? Tell me! If they are really good, I will go and see them!" As he spoke, he also winked at his son, and Ji Ce nodded.

Chen Xuanhua smiled and said, "Since the Crown Prince has so kindly invited you, Your Majesty, why not take a look? It's not good for Your Majesty to sit still for so long. Going out for a walk now and then will be of great benefit to Your Majesty's health!"

Emperor Xuan smiled and said, "Since my beloved concubine is advising me, then let's go and take a look! Someone—! Change your clothes and prepare the carriage for Hanxiang Garden!"

Consort Chen Xuanhua hurriedly rose, lightly shaking the thin veil covering her body, and knelt on the ground, saying in a seductive voice, "Your Majesty, this concubine respectfully sees you off!"

Emperor Xuan waved his hand, stood up, stretched out his arms, and had the eunuchs put on his outer robe. He turned and left. Four robust palace servants knelt beside the palanquin outside the door. Emperor Xuan boarded the palanquin, and the four strong maids accompanied him as he slowly walked away.

Crown Prince Ji Ce walked at the back, intentionally turning back to look at Chen Xuanhua kneeling on the ground. Chen Xuanhua, with her pink breasts half-naked, looked even more alluring.

Chen Xuanhua raised her head, not daring to be angry when she saw the Crown Prince looking at her. She smiled lightly, trying to hide her embarrassment. Ji Ce, seeing this, was slightly stunned, then turned and followed the palanquin away.

As soon as Emperor Xuan left, Chen Xuanhua impatiently said in a seductive voice, "Bring that newly acquired palace animal to my bedroom!"

The palace maid who had just taken Cao Duan away was called Xiaozhi. She responded and hurriedly beckoned, asking, "Is that palace animal ready? Her Highness is waiting to use it!"

Chapter 5: Intrigue and Strife in the Deep Palace

Cao Duan was tall and handsome. He was wearing a dog collar and had a sturdy leather strap fastened to his wrists and ankles by the trainer in the inner palace who specialized in training animals. He was completely naked, with a wide leather strap around his crotch covering his crippled penis, which had been pickled and was not worthy of being seen. The wide leather strap had small holes at the front to facilitate the flow of urine, but his anus was completely exposed at the back, making it convenient for the discharge of feces and for the palace nobles to torture his anus. Several similar leather belts were also fastened around his upper body. He was led like a dog to Chen Xuanhua's face and said in a low voice, "This little beast Cao Duan! Greetings, Consort Xuan!"

Chen Xuanhua smiled wickedly, "Wrong! Slap him!"

Xiao Zhi came over, lifted Cao Duan's extremely handsome chin, and slapped him twice, one on the front and one on the back. Although the sound was loud, the slaps were very skillful, and no blood flowed from his mouth.

Although Cao Duan was no longer a man, he still retained his excellent virtue of being able to bend and stretch. He said in a submissive voice, "This little beast thanks Your Highness for the reward! Please teach this little beast, Your Highness!"

Chen Xuanhua laughed, "You are a dog! How can you speak human language? From now on, whenever I ask you a question, if you can understand, you will answer as a dog would, understand?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Duan shook his bald buttocks, which were covered by a leather bib, and barked twice, which was his way of answering his master.

Chen Xuanhua laughed loudly, "Very good! It's just that you're not a real man. If you were a real handsome man, such obedience would be even more interesting! Eh--! Damn Xiaozhi! Why didn't you put the tail on him?"

Xiaozhi laughed, "Your Majesty! This dog's anus hasn't been dilated yet. The trainer said the tail is too big, and he might not be able to handle it and would rebel! So I dared not put it on him!"

Chen Xuanhua laughed, "Everyone knows you are the Grand Eunuch of the Western Depot, highly skilled in martial arts, and no one dares to offend you! Now that your hands and feet are not bound, why not kill me and run away! There are few people in this palace who can match you!"

Cao Duan was so frightened that he cried out "woof woof," his face full of sorrow, looking very pitiful. He then stuck his buttocks up high and swayed from side to side, begging Chen Xuanhua to put the dog tail on him!

Chen Xuanhua laughed, "But you are doing this voluntarily, Xiaozhi! Go and bring me the biggest dog tail, and I will personally put it on for you!"

Cao Duan immediately knelt down to thank her, his face full of joy.

Chen Xuanhua was delicate and exhausted. She had finally managed to stuff the dog tail into Cao Duan's mouth and was covered in sweat. She clapped her hands, leaned back on the brocade couch, stretched out a jade foot, and said with a seductive smile, "I'm so tired! Little dog! Come here! Lick my feet clean!"

Cao Duan immediately crawled over, held Chen Xuanhua's beautiful feet, and slowly stuck out his tongue, starting from the heel and licking upwards little by little.

Seeing that he seemed reluctant to lick, Chen Xuanhua gave him a signal, and with a sharp crack of a whip behind her, a bloody welt appeared on Cao Duan's back. She roared, "You lowly beast! Don't you like the Empress's feet? If you hesitate any longer, I'll take you to eat shit!"

Cao Duan was terrified and dared not hesitate any longer. He hurriedly and gently but quickly began to lick Chen Xuanhua's jade feet. Chen Xuanhua closed her alluring eyes in pleasure and said in a sweet voice, "Very good! You're getting it. Follow my feet, slowly upwards!"

Another crack of the whip rang out. Cao Duan really wanted to jump up and kill these two vile bitches, but after killing them, where could he run? If he killed the Emperor's beloved concubine, he would be captured and his life would be worse than death. He had managed the Western Depot for over two years and knew the cruelty of palace torture. The old emperor doted on Consort Xuan so much; if he could serve her well, he might be able to return to his position as a steward of the Western Depot!

For a martial arts master like him, a mere whipping was child's play. As long as it didn't injure his internal organs or bones, minor whip marks would heal quickly. Moreover, as far as he knew, the palace's "human livestock" (victims) had special trainers who would apply medicine to treat their wounds after each whipping.

He licked down Consort Chen's jade feet to her fragrant crotch, where the delicate pubic hair was already covered with milky white nectar. If he were a man, he would probably be hard by now. He flicked his tongue, parted her tender slit, and probed inside. He found Consort Chen's nectar sweet and sour, truly the best among beauties, without the fishy smell of ordinary women. Thinking of the old woman from the Cao family, her place was like a latrine compared to Consort Chen's fragrant vulva. He could do his best to please and serve that old woman, let alone a beauty like Chen Xuanhua?

Cao Duan cast aside his hesitation and unleashed his full oral skills, hooking, picking, stabbing, rolling, slicing, turning, and stirring, as if facing an enemy on a battlefield, his movements rapid and intense, licking and sucking with gusto.

Chen Xuanhua, straightforward and uninhibited, gripped the brocade couch tightly with her slender hands, her body drenched in fragrant sweat, moaning and groaning incessantly. Suddenly, her legs tightened, and a stream of milky white, transparent liquid gushed out from her fragrant vulva like an arrow. At that moment, a flash of blue light appeared on the palace beam, heading straight for Chen Xuanhua's breasts.

Cao Duan, already eager to test Chen Jieyu, saw this blue light as the very asset he so desperately wanted to gain access to her, and he was unwilling to let it slip by. Although he was diligently licking her vulva, he had already caught a glimpse of the blue light out of the corner of his eye, knowing it was highly poisonous and he could not afford to be careless. He casually picked up Chen Jieyu's embroidered sandalwood shoes and threw them at the blue light aimed at her breasts.

With three muffled thuds, the finely crafted sandalwood shoes grazed Chen Jieyu's swollen nipples, flying to the corner of the hall with three steel nails embedded in them. Cao Duan didn't hesitate; simultaneously, he grabbed Chen Jieyu's other sandalwood shoe and flung it towards the hall beam, shouting, "Hit—!" With

a "clang—," the sandalwood shoe was cleaved in two by a sword from the beam and fell to the ground. A red figure, light as a swallow, darted out of the hall without looking back.

The hall beams were bright red, and the assassin, dressed in matching close-fitting clothing, lay prone on the beam, holding her breath. No wonder Cao Duan hadn't noticed her earlier; judging by her prominent breasts beneath her clothing, she was undoubtedly a woman.

Cao Duan, seething with rage, saw the red figure trying to escape and coldly snorted, "You rat! Leave your life behind before you go!" Ignoring all animal rules, he suddenly leaped up. Xiao Zhi, unable to hold him back, was pulled down and fell flat on her face, struggling to get up.

Cao Duan grabbed the dog leash around her neck, breaking it inch by inch, striking out with each broken link. The severed chains, carrying a terrifying gust of wind, shot towards the red figure's vital points.

The red figure, discerning the weapon by sound, heard a terrifying whistling sound that made her dare not disobey. Though extremely unwilling, she had no choice but to stop and swing her sword to deflect the broken chains. "Clang, clang, clang—" she knocked down the broken chains that were attacking her vital points on her back. Then, with a somersault, she was already at the palace door. In that instant, Cao Duan arrived and shouted, "Die!"

Chen Jieyu also came to her senses at this moment. Ignoring that she was completely naked and her vulva was in disarray, she struggled to crawl towards the house. After crawling a few steps, she heard Cao Duan's shout and felt that he seemed to have the upper hand. She couldn't help but turn around to look.

Cao Duan proved his skill, single-handedly cornering the assassin into a dead end within the hall. The eunuchs guarding the Pixiang Palace, having heard the commotion, rushed over. Seeing Cao Duan fighting, they immediately stopped, knowing that with Cao Duan involved, the assassin was no match. The eunuchs spread out, forming a semi-circle around the two, preventing the assassin's escape.

Each time Cao Duan was about to succeed, the assassin forced him to deflect the attack with his sword, denying him his chance. Chen Jieyu was frightened by the assassin and, having just experienced a great orgasm, was sore and weak all over. She lay on the ground, unable to move, but her mind was still relatively clear. Through the gaps between the crowd's thighs, she saw Cao Duan fighting the assassin from afar. She couldn't help but muster her courage and say in a trembling voice, "You useless lackeys! Standing there like dumb chickens! Hand over a weapon to Xiao Cao! Xiao Cao—! Capture him alive for me, and I will reward you handsomely!"

This was exactly what Cao Duan was waiting for. He took a staff from the back of his hand and, with two sharp "thuds," knocked the long sword from the assassin's hand. He then performed a somersault in mid-air, landing behind the assassin. With a loud "smack," the staff made of nanmu wood mercilessly struck the female assassin's fair back.

The female assassin screamed and fell to the ground. Just as she rolled over, Cao Duan arrived, stepping on her high, firm breasts. With a swift movement of his left hand, he struck several of her pressure points, discarding his staff. He pried open her mouth, pulled out a poisonous fang, and sneered, "Goryeo bitch! Want to die? Not so easy. If you don't obediently confess the truth in my hands, I'll make you wish you were dead!"

Xiao Zhi was dazed and unable to move, lying on the ground, her face deathly pale. She dared not reach for Cao Duan again! She looked at Chen Jieyu with utterly terrified eyes. Consort Chen was in no better shape; her limbs were weak, and she couldn't stand up. She had soiled herself, and the assassin, only after being subdued, noticed the yellowish-white substance beneath her and cried out in shame, "Xiao Cao! Take the assassin away! Help me up first, so I can bathe and change!"

Cao Duan knelt and said, "Your Majesty! In this deep palace, without an inside agent, this assassin couldn't have entered. If Your Majesty wants to know the truth, please don't hand the assassin over to the Inner Court yet. Allow me to interrogate her first, and the truth will become clear!" Consort

Chen retorted angrily, "What's there to report? Help me bathe first! Do you want to see me humiliated? This assassin matter is yours to handle. Do whatever you want with her. You must find out who sent her!"

Cao Duan agreed. He said, "Yes! You few guard the palace gates. You few call people in to clean the palace. You few prepare the fragrant bath. I, Xiao Chu, will serve Her Highness her bath!"

He reached out and helped Chen Xuanhua up, half-carrying and half-dragging her into the bath. There was a hot spring gushing from the ground of Jinyang Palace, and there was also a hot spring outlet in Pixiang Hall. Chen Xuanhua weakly said to the palace maids behind her, "Eunuch Cao will serve you here. You few, you may all leave!"

After dismissing the people with pricked eyes, Cao Duan was also very shrewd. His future depended on this beauty. He boldly picked up Chen Xuanhua by the waist and put her into the steaming hot spring water. He knelt by the pool to serve her, gently rubbing her fair shoulders and jade back.

Chen Jieyu lay in the pool carved from white marble, becoming seductive, and said lazily, "Little Cao, come down and help me bathe!"

Cao Duan knelt by the pool and bowed his head, saying, "This lowly beast can only serve by the pool; I dare not come down to bathe with Your Highness!"

Chen Xuanhua said angrily, "I am weak all over. If you don't come down to help me, and I slip into the water, do you want to drown me? Come down now and hold me. If you keep making excuses, see how I deal with you!"

Helpless, Cao Duan lay on the ground, his thieving eyes darting around. He was sure there was no one else around. Chen Xuanhua was a beauty, and he couldn't refuse her kindness. He dared not offend her, so he slipped into the pool, gently held Chen Xuanhua in his arms, and slowly helped her wash her body.

Chapter Six: The Stealing Pickled Chicken
Chen Xuanhua laughed, “Ever since I first saw you in the Empress Dowager’s palace, I’ve wanted to have you for my pleasure. Although you’re not a man, you’re still quite handsome. Keeping you by my side and playing with you often would be the ultimate pleasure!”

Cao Duan said gently, “It is my great fortune to serve Your Majesty. Your Majesty’s flower buds are truly a masterpiece! They leave me with endless aftertaste!”

Chen Jieyu laughed, “Remember! You are the Emperor’s chamber pot! You’ll collect my bounty at night, won’t you?”

Cao Duan washed Chen Xuanhua’s breasts and laughed, “Your Majesty, rest assured, I guarantee not a drop will be spilled! If I don’t serve you well, Your Majesty can punish me as you see fit.” "Exactly!"

Chen Xuanhua regained her composure, her strength returning and the soreness gradually disappearing. She wrapped her arms around his neck, sat up in his embrace, and gently stroked his nipple with her slender hands. She chuckled seductively, putting on airs again, and said, "But since you saved me this time, I'll petition the Emperor to remove your status as a palace servant and let you stay in the Pixiang Palace as my personal chamber pot. As for revealing your identity, how about becoming a Pixiang Palace attendant?"

A Pixiang Palace attendant was the head of the Pixiang Palace. If Cao Duan were to become a Pixiang Palace attendant, he would be the highest-ranking person in the palace besides Chen Xuanhua. He immediately wanted to kneel down in the pool to express his gratitude.

Chen Xuanhua laughed, "Alright! No need for formalities! But even as an attendant, you still need to take care of me day and night. You lick me so well!"

Cao Duan thought to himself, "I've lost my dick. How can I please you stinking bitches without honing my tongue?" Back in the old woman Cao's Yongning Palace, I rose to the rank of fourth-grade Grand Eunuch of the Western Depot using only this tongue. You, little bitch, are much easier to serve than old woman Cao. Licking your vulva is not only a promotion, but also a real pleasure!

He then laughed and said, "If Your Majesty is willing, this humble beast is at your service at any time!"

Chen Xuanhua laughed and said, "When no one is around, there's no need to call yourself a humble beast. What's with such formality?"

Cao Duan flattered and said, "This humble beast will always be Your Majesty's dog. I'll do anything for Your Majesty willingly!"

Chen Xuanhua laughed and said, "You're so glib! Then why were you so hesitant when you were licking my toes just now?"

Cao Duan laughed and said, "At first, I didn't know Your Majesty's jade toes were so delicious. Now, if Your Majesty doesn't grant this humble beast the pleasure of licking them, how can this humble beast sleep? I'll think about it day and night!"

Chen Xuanhua laughed seductively. The bathroom was filled with mist. The hot, fragrant soup gushed from the dragon's mouth of the hot spring, making a gentle murmur. Palace maids stood guard outside, and Cao Duan and Consort Chen, oblivious to their surroundings, were suddenly startled to hear someone shout, "Your Highness! Come and see! It's hilarious! Haha—!"

Cao Duan was shocked. He was too embarrassed to show his mutilated penis while bathing, so he hadn't removed the wide leather belt covering his groin. Hearing such an unmutilated male voice coming from the deep palace, a place where no one should be, he jumped up abruptly, performing a somersault in mid-air, splashing water everywhere, and kicked out.

The man laughed, "You incomplete thing, daring to lay a hand on me? Are you courting death?" Without moving an inch, through the misty water, he swiftly grabbed Cao Duan's ankle and lifted him upside down. A searing pain shot through Cao Duan, and he couldn't help but groan, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Crown Prince Ji Ce followed behind, walking in unhurriedly, and said with a smile, "Rongdu! What are you doing, a dignified commander of the palace guards, carrying a clean, salted chicken? What did you say that was funny just now?"

The tall and strong man carrying the scythe was none other than Rongdu, the commander of the imperial guards of the Great Jin Dynasty, ranked seventh on the list of heroes in the world. He was skilled in using a 92-pound five-pronged sky-supporting fork and was exceptionally brave.

Since its founding, the Great Jin Dynasty has always valued civil affairs over military affairs, constantly belittling military generals. Military generals in the court were not allowed to participate in political affairs, did not hold any real power, and could not mobilize the army. As a result, the soldiers of the various armies across the country did not know their generals, and the generals did not know their soldiers. Generals who fought were only responsible for fighting and not for defending the city, and generals who defended the city were only responsible for defending the city and not for fighting. Therefore, although there were heroes like Rongdu, the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, which were occupied by the Bai Di people, could never be recovered. In the wars against the Great Lie Kingdom established by the Bai Di people for a hundred years, the dynasty suffered more defeats than victories.

Only the Cao family, starting with their daughter becoming the Empress Dowager of the Great Jin, truly controlled the power of the three armies as generals. They did not need military supervisors to lead their troops, and could act expediently in battle. They attacked Da Lie in the east, swept away Da Xia in the west, and campaigned in the south and north. They were the most elite army in the Great Jin, but they made the Great Jin emperor restless and determined to get rid of them. In the eyes of the Great Jin emperor, a hundred corrupt civil officials were not as harmful as a single military general rebelling.

Aside from the Cao family, the vast majority of military generals in the Great Jin Kingdom were of lower status than their civil officials. They were often used as henchmen by high-ranking officials or members of the royal family. To put it nicely, they were generals; to put it bluntly, they were unripe slaves, not much higher than eunuchs. Although the military generals of the Great Jin were dissatisfied, they were helpless. The generals' lack of dedication meant that although the emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty controlled various military affairs through civil officials who knew nothing about military matters, there had never been peace, either domestically or internationally, since the founding of the dynasty. The generals were unwilling to give their all, working for the court with a "just getting by" attitude, which sowed the seeds of great disaster for the Great Jin Dynasty, while the emperor and nobles of the Great Jin Dynasty were completely unaware of this.

Although Cao Duan was highly skilled in martial arts, how could he be a match for such a hero of the world? When he heard the crown prince call for "Rongdu," he immediately knew that he had been defeated in one move, and it was not unjust. When he saw Crown Prince Ji Ce return, he thought that it was all over. He had just made some contributions, but it turned out to be wasted again.

Ji Ce chuckled and squatted down, patting Cao Duan's handsome face. He laughed and said, "Eunuch Cao! You fickle old man, do you want to live or die?"

Cao Duan said dejectedly, "This servant wants to live, please spare my life, Your Highness!"

Although Rong Du was a master in the world and held the official position of Commander of the Palace Guard, his position was pitifully low. To put it bluntly, he was just a squad leader of the Imperial Guard. Even generals of the Great Jin Dynasty did not have the power to command troops. The power to command troops was entirely in the hands of scholars. The salary of military officers was not high, and his martial arts training was physically demanding. It just so happened that Crown Prince Ji Ce needed people. As long as he entered the Crown Prince's residence, he could eat and drink for free, saving a lot of daily expenses. What kind of people in this world are ambitious? Unless they are idiots, they all have to struggle to live a better life. As long as they can get something out of it, that's fine.

Seeing Ji Ce and Cao Duan talking, he laughed and continued, "Your Highness! Didn't you see? This pickled chicken still dares to steal food! When I came in just now, I saw him hugging Consort Chen and gnawing on her! Why don't we hand him over to the Imperial Household Department for punishment?"

Cao Duan knew he was no match for Rong Du, so he could only plead, "General Rong! Consort Xuan was frightened just now, and I had to comfort her. What can a spineless pickled man like me do?"

Chen Xuanhua said angrily, "Your Highness! Why aren't you with your father admiring the plum blossoms in Hanxiang Garden? What are you doing here with your stepmother?"

Ji Ce laughed and said, "Your father has a more beautiful woman to accompany him." "You won't be back for at least three to five days, you shameless woman! You're about the same age as my son, and you dare to call yourself my stepmother in front of me? You're shameless! Behave yourself, and how about we have a romantic swim together?"

Chen Jieyu shouted, "You beast! Get out of here now! If your father finds out, you'll lose your position as crown prince!"

Ji Ce smiled lewdly, "This crown prince is very filial. I don't mind what my father leaves behind. Come here obediently, you ungrateful woman, are you trying to get a beating?"

Rong Du picked up someone and stood to the side, unable to bear it any longer. "Your Highness! What should we do with this slut?"

Ji Ce pointed at Chen Xuanhua and said, "You little bitch! Stay obediently in the water. I'll deal with you later. Rongdu! Put him down!"

Rongdu responded and casually threw Cao Duan on the ground. Cao Duan dared not run around in front of Rongdu. He endured the pain and got up, kneeling down on both knees, and said respectfully, "This servant is willing to obey Your Highness's orders!"

Ji Ce laughed and said, "That's good! If you follow me, you'll have plenty of benefits in the future. You're a sensible servant. Come here, I have some questions for you. You've lived in the palace for a long time, so you must know a lot of people!"

Cao Duan hurriedly crawled over on his knees, leaning forward to listen. Ji Ce relayed Xu Jing's instructions to Cao Duan, who hesitated and said, "This is a small matter, but I fear that if Her Majesty hears it, it might cause trouble! It would be detrimental to His Majesty, and this servant would never dare!"

Ji Ce laughed, "You dare not! Good! Rong Du! Seize this pickled chicken and hand it over to the Imperial Household Department for disposal!"

Having lived in the palace for a long time, Cao Duan knew the personalities of the concubines. Now that Emperor Xuan's grandmother and mother had passed away, even Empress Liu was the most honored in the harem. However, Empress Liu was extremely jealous and had no children. She hated Chen Xuanhua to the core, let alone another more beautiful concubine? The assassin just now was very likely sent by Empress Liu.

Hesitating, Rong Du leaned closer and smiled, "Eunuch Cao! Have you thought this through? The Crown Prince is the future Emperor. If you dare disobey the decree, be careful you don't die a horrible death!"

Ji Ce laughed again, "Little Cao! I promise you, after this is done, I'll appoint you as a military supervisor so you can go out and have some fun, how about that?"

In the Great Jin Dynasty, every army had a military supervisor. The military supervisor had more power than the army marshal. On ordinary days, they were accompanied by five hundred Tiger Generals in their jurisdiction. The position of military supervisor was mostly held by eunuchs in the palace. In the palace, these eunuchs were all servants. If they were to serve as military supervisors outside the palace, they could act arrogantly and live like gods. From this point of view, the status of generals in the Great Jin Dynasty was even lower than that of eunuchs. No wonder the soldiers in various places were unwilling to fight, causing the Great Jin Dynasty to suffer repeated defeats.

If he could get a position as a military supervisor, it would be a huge benefit. Anyway, the old emperor wouldn't live much longer. Cao Duan gritted his teeth and said, "This servant obeys!"

Ji Ce said, "Good! Go and do your work! Oh! I heard you just captured a female assassin. Do you know who she is?"

Cao Duan said, "Your Highness, this servant hasn't interrogated her yet."

Ji Ce smiled and said, "After spreading the word, have a trusted person follow the Empress to see the results. You interrogate that assassin and see who she is. To be able to infiltrate the palace and carry out an assassination, she must have some connections. Report back to me after you've finished the interrogation." "Is that right?"

Cao Duan said, "Yes--! This servant takes her leave!"

Ji Ce turned around and said to Rong Du, "Go and keep watch outside the palace gate. If anything happens, help me hold them off!"

Although Rong Du was a warrior, he was not an ungrateful person as he was in the palace. Chen Xuanhua was more beautiful than a flower. She was soaking naked in the hot spring, her fair skin and delicate flesh, her breasts half exposed. He was already full of energy, and his penis was almost bursting through his pants. He had been feeling embarrassed staying there for a long time. Hearing this, he couldn't wait to leave. After quickly bowing, he hurriedly found a place to hide and went to masturbate.

Chen Xuanhua, enraged and ashamed, retorted, "You audacious beast, do you really intend to do something reckless?"

Ji Ce laughed, "Little vixen! Be a good girl and listen to me. If you anger this Crown Prince, after this old man dies, I will cut open your scalp alive, pour mercury into it, and make you be buried alive with this old man!"

Chen Xuanhua shuddered in fright. Such a way of dying was indeed extremely painful. She had heard from older palace maids that after Emperor Xuan's father died, he ordered his most beloved concubine, Consort Lan, to accompany him and enjoy eternal happiness. The beautiful Consort

Lan had her scalp cut open by craftsmen, completely ripped open, and mercury poured into her head. Her hands and soles were also pierced with sharp chisels and filled with mercury. A little was poured in each day, allowing the mercury to circulate throughout her body with her blood. She died after seven days and seven nights, suffering unbearable pain, a truly gruesome sight! No

matter how long the old emperor lived, he couldn't outlive the Crown Prince! If the Crown Prince really wanted her to be buried alive with him, what could she do? Why not obediently let him wash her? Otherwise, she'll be begging for death. The Great Jin Dynasty has a vast territory, and she's not the only beauty it produces. If she really angers the Crown Prince, the consequences will be terrible! But she can't openly agree to the Crown Prince's advances. After all, the old emperor is still alive. If the old man finds out, she'll be punished, and she won't be able to bear it. But when she saw the Crown Prince take off his clothes and get down, she stopped struggling and half-heartedly gave in in the hot spring, which led to this troublesome matter.

Ji Ce pressed Chen Xuanhua down beneath him, finding it incredibly pleasurable. He hastily began stroking his penis, searching the water for a long time without finding the entrance. He asked in surprise, "Are you a stone woman?"

Chen Xuanhua shook her head, "No! It's just that my private parts are too narrow, and Your Highness isn't used to water battles, so I can't find the entrance!"

Ji Ce grinned wickedly, "Help me get in! From now on, I, the Crown Prince, will cherish you greatly!"

Chen Xuanhua pleaded softly, "Your Highness! Please have some self-respect in the future and don't make things difficult for me anymore. If your father finds out, I will be severely punished. If you truly wish to favor Xuanhua, when His Majesty ascends the throne and Your Highness doesn't despise me then, I am willing to serve you!"

As she spoke, she inserted Ji Ce's penis into... In the narrow Peach Blossom Spring, her body trembled, and she tried her best to please him. Although Ji Ce had several concubines, this was his first encounter with such a beauty. Not only was she stunningly beautiful, but her vulva was also incredibly alluring. It gripped his penis tightly like a small hand, and gently sucked at her clitoris. It was the legendary treasure, "Jade Clam Holding Pearl!"

Although Ji Ce was the crown prince, for many years he had not dared to marry a beautiful concubine in order to win power. He preached the saying "marry a wife for virtue" in public and private, which only made him suffer. Compared with having sex with an ugly woman, the sensory stimulation was incomparable. After only a few rounds, he ejaculated wildly!

Chapter Seven: Beauty and Calamity

"A sprig of plum blossom, a thousand kinds of beauty, a sparse plum blossom tucked in, a slight touch on the eyebrows, a light smile, a graceful dance, what brings you to the wine cup, clapping and beckoning!" A tall, stunningly beautiful woman, dressed in a tight-fitting snowflake-patterned spring dress that partially exposed her breasts, adorned with specks of red plum blossoms, her hair styled in high double buns, a golden wax plum in her hand, her slender waist seemingly grasped, danced gracefully before a drooling old man, her snow-white legs swaying her waist, her movements revealing glimpses of her spring dress, showcasing her exquisite body to the fullest, captivating and alluring!

The double buns signified her virginity, but it didn't matter; after tonight, she would deflower this old man, no longer needing to wear such simple girlish double buns, many beautiful hairstyles and headdresses would adorn her even more alluringly beautiful.

Her name was Mei Chengxue, ranked twenty-second on the list of the most beautiful women in the world, four places higher than Consort Chen Xuanhua. Serving the emperor was the dream of most women. The old man before her was the reigning emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty, wealthy and powerful. Although he was now old, lecherous, and useless, his penis limp as a dead snake, he could still fulfill a woman's every dream in other ways.

Mei Chengxue had trained in various seductive arts in the brothels, and was confident she could make this seemingly wealthy and powerful emperor, who had never seen the world, fall for her. If she received his favor, she would be the most envied imperial concubine in the Great Jin Dynasty.

Emperor Xuan of Jin's fondness for beautiful women was entirely a fantasy, but seeing such a stunning beauty today, his long-dormant manhood began to stir.

The saying goes, "If you're not interested in beauty, you'll find it ugly!" There isn't a single man in the world who isn't attracted to beauty, and a man's ambition is directly proportional to a woman's beauty. The greater a man's ambition, the more beautiful the woman he possesses. Beauty and wealth are the driving forces behind a normal man's ambition and the fundamental source of progress.

This is the true intention behind Crown Prince Ji Ce's invitation to admire the plum blossoms. What a son! Having found such a beauty, he still considers the bond between father and son, not keeping her for himself, but eagerly giving her to his father, the Emperor, to enjoy. Truly, he is a filial son.

A few days ago, I casually discussed the beauties of the world with the Crown Prince, believing that none could surpass Consort Chen. Crown Prince Ji Ce, however, thought that the Great Jin Dynasty had countless beautiful women; if one searched diligently, one could surely find a woman even more alluring and charming than Consort Chen. Unexpectedly, he actually found one and even specially presented her to me.

It is said that Mei Chengxue was the top courtesan dancer in Yangzhou, selling dances but not her body. However, before the emperor, she had to sell both her dances and her body. What beauty in the world would dare to defy the emperor's will?

Mei Chengxue came from a brothel and was very shrewd. When she met a big spender, she naturally wanted to make the deal. The so-called selling dances but not her body was just a trick used by the brothel madam. How could she not sell to a big spender?

Therefore, she was well-trained in real bed skills. Her oral, hand, thigh, and breast techniques were all superb. Only a small part of her body remained unopened, and that part was worth a fortune! It was only allowed to open as a last resort, because once opened, it would lose its value.

Her alluring movements and seductive glances were extremely skillful. Otherwise, how could cold, emotionless singing and dancing captivate a man's soul? Her dance costume, which resembled flying plum blossoms and drifting snow, was specially made. It could not be found in ordinary places, and the palace certainly did not have such an extremely seductive outfit.

After the song and dance ended, Mei Chengxue knelt before the steps. The old emperor lifted her chin with one finger, cradling her head, and lewdly said, "Consort Mei! What other tricks do you have up your sleeve? Show them to me, let me have some fun. I haven't been this happy in a long time!"

Emperor Xuan originally intended to bestow upon her the title of Beauty, but when she received the title, Mei Chengxue actually smiled slightly. When Emperor Xuan asked her why, she said that the title "Beauty Mei" was too awkward to pronounce, and suggested that she be given a title like "Talented Lady" instead.

Crown Prince Ji Ce suggested that Mei Chengxue was adept at pleasing the emperor and would eventually be promoted to a title like "Consort" or "Imperial Consort." He suggested that she be given a title like "Partial Consort" first, and if she could make the old emperor happy later, she could be further promoted.

Thus, at the age of seventeen, Mei Chengxue rose to prominence overnight, from a prostitute in a brothel to a concubine of the Great Jin Dynasty. When the emperor asked her about it, she smiled seductively and said, "This servant can also play the flute!"

The old emperor picked up a cup of wine and laughed, "Then let my beloved concubine play it!"

Mei Chengxue smiled wickedly, crawled under the dragon table, and gently slipped between the old emperor's legs.

The old emperor asked in bewilderment, "Didn't my beloved concubine want to play the flute? How can you play it from underneath?"

Mei Chengxue laughed, "This flute is not that kind of flute. Only Your Majesty's dragon cock can play it!"

The old emperor, unfamiliar with such colloquialisms, exclaimed in surprise, "How can mine make a sound?"

Mei Chengxue smiled seductively, "Come on! I guarantee Your Majesty will like this flute!"

The old emperor, still somewhat doubtful, allowed her to pull down his brocade robe, reach inside, and pull out his limp, useless dragon cock. He put it in his cherry-like mouth and began to play it, making soft, whimpering sounds. This skill was a specialty of prostitutes; none of the concubines in the palace could play it, not even Consort Chen. But when the old emperor played it for him, his limp dragon cock immediately became excited, and he leaned back against the brocade couch, enjoying the exceptionally blissful sensation.

Cao Duan was incredibly efficient. Instead of blindly spreading rumors throughout the palace, he dressed in a eunuch's robe and went straight to the Jiaofang Palace. He told Tian Jin, a servant in the Jiaofang Palace, everything he knew, only saying that it was something a former member of the Western Depot had inadvertently revealed to him. He told Tian Jin not to tell anyone else, especially the Empress.

Tian Jin readily agreed. After hearing the news, he immediately found an excuse to turn around and tell the news to Empress Liu, trying

to curry favor. Empress Liu was naturally jealous, and after hearing it, she angrily asked, "Is this really true?" Tian Jin replied, "Absolutely true. If Your Majesty doesn't believe me, wait until the Emperor goes to court tomorrow and makes a pilgrimage to Hanxiang Garden. We'll find out everything then. I heard that Mei Chengxue was originally a prostitute. The Emperor, attracted by her allure, brought her into the palace and promoted her several ranks to the rank of concubine. I heard she'll be further promoted!" Empress

Liu angrily flicked her sleeves and gritted her teeth, saying, "Fine! You send someone to keep an eye on things. As soon as the Emperor leaves, you come and tell me that we'll make a pilgrimage to Hanxiang Garden and see what that little vixen looks like! The Emperor is getting more and more reckless with age, actually making a prostitute a concubine. If this gets out, how will our royal family save face?"

In the Cold Fragrance Garden, the old emperor's penis was erect from Mei Chengxue's oral skills. Besides her superb oral skills, Crown Prince Ji Ce had also added an extremely potent aphrodisiac to the old emperor's wine, causing the emperor, who had long lost his sexual desire, to experience multiple sexual encounters throughout the night. He didn't want to attend court in the morning, but today he had to meet with the envoys of the Great Lie Kingdom to discuss the important matter of peace between the two dynasties,

so he couldn't skip it. Gritting his teeth, he went to court with the help of two female attendants, despite his dizzy and throbbing body. Mei Chengxue got out of bed naked, knelt to see the old emperor off, and saw that it was still dark! She ordered someone to turn up the firewood in the fireplace, and too lazy to put on any clothes, she simply grabbed a large brocade pillow and, in place of a man's body, went back to sleep. Usually, in the brothels of Yangzhou, she would sleep until the sun was high in the sky before getting up, developing a habit of not sleeping at night and not getting up during the day.

Empress Liu, accompanied by palace maids and eunuchs, rushed to the outside of Hanxiang Garden, demanding that Mei Chengxue be summoned to see her. Mei Chengxue was fast asleep and couldn't hear them at all. The palace maids of Hanxiang Garden dared not approach her bed to wake her, and could only kneel before the bed, unsure of what to do.

Empress Liu waited at the garden gate for a while, but no one came. Enraged, she led her palace maids and eunuchs into Mei Chengxue's incense-filled boudoir. From afar, through the brocade curtains, she could see a stunningly beautiful woman with her legs spread wide, naked, clutching a long, plump brocade pillow. Her jade arms were also wrapped around the pillow, and her snow-white buttocks were completely exposed to the air. She was sleeping in a lewd posture, showing no regard for her, the mistress of the harem.

The palace was strictly forbidden, and Empress Liu had never seen such a dissolute girl who disregarded palace rules. She surmised that the old emperor must be completely infatuated with this vixen, no longer taking her, the middle-aged, yellow-faced empress, seriously.

Mei Chengxue always slept like this. As the most beautiful courtesan in Yangzhou, she was pampered day and night, and no one cared. If any man saw her sleeping like this, he would be unable to resist pouncing on her.

Empress Liu also pounced, an act of uncontrollable rage. She snatched the whisk from Tian Jin's hand, impulsively rushed to the bedside, lifted the brocade curtains, and, glaring at Mei Chengxue's smooth, delicate body, slapped her several times, leaving fine bloodstains on her snow-white skin—an indescribably lewd and stimulating sight.

Mei Chengxue was jolted awake from her sleep by a slap. Startled, she jumped up and turned to see an old woman in elaborate clothes, holding a whisk and glaring angrily at her, as if about to strike again. In Yangzhou, she had never suffered such humiliation. Without thinking, she reached out and delivered a resounding slap to Empress Liu, leaving her stunned.

If Mei Chengxue hadn't been so fierce, she would have been bullied to death in the brothel. Seeing the old woman frozen in place, unwilling to leave, she kicked her in the stomach right there on the bed. Her eyebrows furrowed, her eyes widened, and she snapped, "Where did this old sow come from, daring to bully this lady!"

Empress Liu stumbled backward, but the eunuchs and maids rushed forward to catch her, preventing her from falling to the ground. The old woman's lips trembled with rage, her eyes rolled back, and she opened her mouth for a long time, but couldn't utter a word.

Mei Chengxue sat up naked, jumped off the bed, and instead of frantically searching for clothes like a normal woman, she put one hand on her slender waist, pointed at her wife, and snapped at the palace maid, "Who let this old hag in? Get her out of here right now!"

Empress Liu was nearly driven mad with anger, finally managing to utter the words that had been stuck in her throat, roaring hoarsely, "Guards! Drag this ignorant fool away and beat her to death!"

Mei Chengxue jumped up, shouting, "Who dares! If you dare touch a single hair on my head, if the Emperor finds out, I guarantee he'll skin you alive!"

Empress Liu was almost going mad, disregarding etiquette as she shouted, "Beat her!"

The head maids who had followed behind rushed forward without a word, grabbed Mei Chengxue's arms, and started pulling her down. Mei Chengxue was not a submissive servant of the palace, so how could she surrender? She stubbornly lay on the ground, kicking and scratching wildly, resisting desperately.

Chapter Eight: No Hearing of the Old Beloved

's Cry The maids who were arresting her had never seen this master before, and just as they were at a loss for words, the old emperor, having heard of the commotion in the harem, entrusted state affairs to his ministers and hurriedly returned. He saw the beauty he had just favored being dragged and pulled by two burly maids, her beautiful hair disheveled, her snow-white body covered with several whip-like streaks of blood, crying like a pear blossom in the rain, her appearance particularly pitiful. He couldn't help but feel a surge of pity and tenderness unique to men, and his imperial face was filled with rage. He shouted, "Stop it, all of you!"

As soon as Mei Chengxue saw the old man arrive, she immediately crawled forward like a dog, knelt at his feet, grabbed the old emperor's robe, and cried pitifully, "Your Majesty, please let this lowly concubine go back! This lowly concubine is unfortunate and cannot serve Your Majesty any longer!"

The old emperor bent down halfway, gently patted her delicate face, and coaxed her softly, "Beauty, don't cry! There is..." "I am here, no one in this world can do anything to you! What exactly happened? My beloved consort, tell me quickly!"

Empress Liu said angrily, "Where did Your Majesty get this filthy slut? Disregarding court etiquette, you keep bringing her into the palace? Aren't you afraid of soiling this imperial palace?"

The old emperor said angrily, "Shut up! I'm just indulging in a beauty, it's no big deal! No need for the Empress to worry, don't make a mountain out of a molehill! What exactly happened! My beloved consort, tell me quickly!"

Mei Chengxue, who came from a brothel, was extremely cunning. From the old emperor's words, she already knew that the old woman in front of her was the current empress. She thought to herself, "Oh no, how come I was caught red-handed by his first lover on my first tryst? I'm so unlucky. Now, the only one who can save me is a man, but if this man is afraid of his wife, then I'm doomed."

They had to take a gamble, hoping the old man wasn't afraid of his wife. The madams of the brothel had taught them how to handle such emergencies, and now it would come in handy. They didn't know if it would work, but she crawled forward on her knees and kowtowed several times to the old emperor, not saying a word, just sobbing uncontrollably.

The old emperor beckoned, ordering someone to bring a cloak, which he draped over the little vixen. He glared at Empress Liu and said, "Empress, you don't intend to have my favorite concubine beaten to death again, do you?"

Empress Liu had a history of this. Years ago, relying on the favor of the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, she had beaten to death a concubine who had bewitched Emperor Xuan. That concubine caused Emperor Xuan to skip court for three days. Empress Liu had only acted on the palace rules because of the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager's instructions.

Mei Chengxue spoke, her voice sweet and alluring, her expression pitiful: "Your Majesty, the Empress intends to have this lowly concubine beaten to death. This lowly concubine is unworthy of such favor; I beg Your Majesty to release this lowly concubine!"

Empress Liu was about to retort angrily when Emperor Xuan waved his hand and roared, "Enough! If I, the ruler of a nation, cannot even favor a concubine, what kind of emperor am I? Empress! In the past, you relied on the favor of your grandmother and the Empress Dowager to act recklessly. Have you become addicted to beating my concubine to death? You madwoman! Even in a scholar-official's household, it's impossible for them to only have one old hag like you! Consort Chen trembles with fear at the mere mention of you, and the other concubines dare not freely offer their favors, day and night, spoiling my pleasure." "You shameless woman! You have no virtue as a wife! You never mentioned seeing any beautiful woman offering me a gift, but instead, you constantly plot to steal my pleasure, defy my will, and even beat my beauty to death. You show me no respect whatsoever! This is truly intolerable! Now you have dragged my beloved concubine naked off the bed and exposed her to these servants, letting them feast on her like pigs and dogs! This is utterly disrespectful to me! Even ordinary commoners would not tolerate such humiliation!"

Empress Liu retorted, "I am only doing this for Your Majesty's good. I hope Your Majesty will prioritize state affairs and not be tempted by bedroom pleasures. These vixens only care about bewitching Your Majesty and disregard national decorum. I implore Your Majesty to stay away from these sources of trouble!"

Mei Chengxue had heard many such stories in the brothels: any prostitute redeemed by a patron should never be too happy, for she still had to pass the test of the principal wife. Some principal wives were kind and forgiving, so they were not difficult to tolerate, but many were cruel and vicious, using every means possible to treat these concubines. These concubines were either driven to suicide, forced to run away, or simply tortured to death.

This Empress Liu seemed to have no intention of tolerating these concubines. If she didn't seize this opportunity to make a scene, once the old emperor's interest in her waned, they would surely fall into Empress Liu's hands. To have her eyes scrutinized and her tendons pulled out would be the least of her worries. Having come from a brothel herself, she deeply understood the psychology of men towards these concubines. All men saw them as adult toys; when they were in the mood, they would spend a fortune to buy them, and when their interest waned, they would discard them and never care about their fate again.

This Empress Liu, upon entering the palace, had inquired with the Crown Prince about her background. She was originally the niece of Empress Dowager Liu, but she had never borne children and was not favored by the Emperor. However, due to her powerful family background and her aunt's influence, she secured the position of Empress.

It's rare for cousins who marry to have children, and even if they do, the children are often mentally challenged. At the time, Mei Chengxue didn't understand why, but most of the patrons of the brothel were men who were related by marriage. While childhood sweethearts might seem reliable to women, for a normal man, it lacked novelty. Men generally prefer to have sex with unfamiliar beautiful women; once they become familiar, it becomes boring.

She immediately pleaded, "Your Majesty! This lowly concubine is not tolerated by the Empress and dares not remain in the palace any longer. If I remain by Your Majesty's side without knowing my place, I fear my life will be in danger! I beg Your Majesty to grant the Empress's request! For the sake of the country, this lowly concubine is as worthless as a dog and is not worthy of Your Majesty's pity. I beg Your Majesty to spare my life!"

The old emperor was already dissatisfied with Empress Liu, and upon hearing this, the veins on his forehead bulged. An ordinary man could protect his beloved woman, let alone him, the ruler of a country. If he couldn't even protect a woman and allowed her to be treated so degradingly, it would be a challenge to his imperial power.

To powerful nobles like princes and ministers, women were merely talking toys. Once they were tired of them, they would be discarded. But before they were even tired of them, someone had taken away their favorite toy out of nowhere. How could they not be furious and humiliated? Empress Liu was also a woman. Although she was a great beauty in her youth, she was a lady of high birth and would never have known the arts of seduction or other lewd arts. From the very beginning, the old emperor had never wanted her as a toy; it was only because his mother and grandmother insisted that he play with her, and he couldn't refuse!

Now that his mother and grandmother were both dead, no one in the world could control him anymore. This toy he didn't like was now finding an excuse to destroy the toy he loved. How could the old emperor not protect her? He roared, "Empress Liu! You have violated the virtues of a woman and harmed my concubines. You are not worthy to be empress. I will immediately issue an edict to depose you!" Empress

Liu had given her whole life to this man who didn't love her. In her old age, she suddenly had nothing left. What was even more terrifying was that no one could speak up for her anymore, and she had no son to rely on. In despair, she also roared, "You foolish emperor! I don't need you to issue an edict!" "I will end it all myself. How hateful my father was, so greedy for wealth and glory, who sent me to the palace, wasting my life in vain. If I had had the courage to resist, even if I had married a commoner, he would have treated me well. Wealth and glory are nothing but fleeting clouds! To spend my life with someone I don't love at all, I am so regretful and hateful. Ji! Take care of yourself, I'm leaving! In my next life, I will marry a pig or a dog, never an emperor!"

With that, she pulled the phoenix hairpin from her hair and stabbed it fiercely into her throat. Blood gushed out of her throat with a "whoosh," and she collapsed, clearly not going to live.

The palace maids, eunuchs, and nannies who had followed her were all terrified. With Old Lady Liu dead, they had lost their support. Who knew which concubine would use what method to torture them to death? The more timid immediately committed suicide, either by hitting their heads against the wall or jumping into the well. Chaos reigned.

Mei Chengxue was secretly delighted. This old woman was too weak to fight back; she was finished in just one round. Having witnessed all sorts of chaotic scenes day and night in the brothel, she knew all the princes and nobles, the common people, the fights and murders that occurred frequently. The madam trained them, the prostitutes, with whips and chains, blood and flesh flying everywhere. She wasn't afraid of such scenes. But she still had to maintain a respectable facade. With a blink of an eye, she "fainted" in the old emperor's arms. The stench of decay emanating from the old woman made her want to vomit.

The old emperor was alarmed and quickly ordered a maid to help hold her and move her to the bed. Mei Chengxue couldn't bear the deathly smell unique to the old woman, and she vomited.

Emperor Xuan was at a loss and hurriedly asked, "Quickly summon the imperial physician! Do any of you servants know what's wrong with Consort Mei?"

Tian Jin, a servant of the Jiaofang Palace, didn't want to die. Hanxiang Garden was just a simple garden in the royal palace, not suitable for a concubine. Consort Mei was so favored that she would definitely move to a palace, which would be his new master to rely on in the future. Upon hearing this, he hurriedly crawled forward and said, "Your Majesty! Consort Mei may have been frightened by the Empress's blood. It's nothing serious. If Your Majesty would grant permission, please let this servant serve her!"

The old emperor said impatiently, "Granted, granted! Stop kneeling and come up and help me hold her!"

Tian Jin was overjoyed and immediately got up, took Consort Mei, moved her to the bedside, lifted the brocade curtain, and put her inside.

The eunuch smelled unpleasant, and Mei Chengxue, who was feigning unconsciousness, suddenly remembered the pleasant masculine scent of a real man. Her eyelashes fluttered, just as Tian Jin noticed, and he exclaimed joyfully, "Thank heavens, Consort Mei is awake!"

Mei Chengxue still had things to say, so how could she continue to pretend to be unconscious? She pushed Tian Jin away, knelt on the bed, and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, please grant this lowly concubine death!"

The old emperor exclaimed in surprise, "My beloved concubine is truly frightened, speaking nonsense!"

Mei Chengxue said, "The Empress died in Hanxiang Garden; how can I face this? I can only atone with my death!"

The old emperor laughed, "This has nothing to do with my beloved concubine; there is no need for such self-blame!"

Mei Chengxue then... She kowtowed and said, "Although Your Majesty is magnanimous, the Empress has lived in the palace for a long time. As you see, as soon as the Empress left, her trusted palace servants committed suicide for her. Those who didn't will surely harbor resentment and might kill me one day. Rather than die an unclear death at the hands of palace servants, I'd rather die at Your Majesty's hands, knowing full well what happened!"

The old emperor also got into bed and embraced the little vixen, whose breasts were fully exposed despite her brocade robe, and said, "That's easy! Guards! Execute all the palace servants in the Jiaofang Palace, regardless of their social status!"

The skilled eunuchs from the Inner Court who had followed responded and first stepped forward to arrest Tian Jin, a servant of the Jiaofang Palace. Tian Jin struggled and said, "What are you doing with me?" "What?!"

The skilled eunuchs of the Inner Court shouted, "His Majesty has decreed the execution of you servants of the Jiaofang Palace! Are you deaf?"

Tian Jin shouted, "His Majesty just now promised this servant that I would serve Consort Mei from now on, and I am no longer a member of the Jiaofang Palace! Don't take anything!"

This address of "Consort" greatly pleased Mei Chengxue, who came from a brothel. She pressed her pink face against the old emperor's chest and said in a seductive voice, "Your Majesty! This person has already been used by this lowly concubine, so there is no need to take anything more!"

Chapter Nine: Two Demons Entangled with Dragons

Emperor Xuan was stunned, but he understood. He smiled and pointed at Tian Jin, saying, "You cunning servant, well—! For the sake of my beloved concubine..." "I'll spare your life for now!"

Tian Jin knelt on the ground, thanking the Emperor, "This servant thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness! This servant thanks Consort Mei!"

Mei Chengxue's eyes flickered, and she rolled back into the old emperor's arms, rubbing him, "If Your Majesty were to kill all the palace servants in the Jiaofang Palace for my sake, then my sins would be immense. In my humble opinion, it would be better to only execute those with treacherous intentions!"

Emperor Xuan laughed, "How do I know who has treacherous intentions, who has a guilty conscience?"

Mei Chengxue smiled and pointed at Tian Jin kneeling on the ground, "What's your name? What's your position?"

Tian Jin replied, "Replying to Your Majesty, this servant's name is Tian Jin, and I was originally a servant in the Jiaofang Palace!"

Mei Chengxue chuckled, twirling the old emperor's beard, and asked, "What is a 'sheren'?"

The old emperor laughed, "It's the head steward of the main hall, in charge of hundreds of palace maids and eunuchs—it's an official title for a eunuch!"

Mei Chengxue asked, "Then can this lowly concubine still be a sheren in Hanxiang Garden for him?"

The old emperor laughed heartily, embracing her slender waist, and said, "There are no sheren in Hanxiang Garden. This garden is not suitable for concubines. After we return, I will bestow Yunxiang Palace upon you, along with Consort Chen's robe..." "The Fragrant Palace is right next door, which saves me a lot of trouble! After my beloved concubine moves into the main hall, you can use whomever you like among the palace servants. I don't care about your petty affairs!"

Mei Chengxue laughed, "Very well! Someone died in this garden! I was just thinking of moving! Tian Jin! From today onwards, you will be a servant in my Yunxiang Palace. I'm new here and have no one else to use. If you serve me diligently, you will be richly rewarded in the future!"

Tian Jin kowtowed and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty!" " This servant will serve Your Majesty with my life!"

Mei Chengxue, accustomed to the coldness of human relationships, was not truly convinced by Tian Jin's words, especially since she was new to the palace and needed someone to rely on. Otherwise, being unfamiliar with the place would be very inconvenient. Seeing Tian Jin's feigned loyalty, she was unconvinced and said with a slight pout, "Now I have something to entrust to you! You've lived in the Jiaofang Palace for a long time; who in the Jiaofang Palace is likely to be loyal to me, and who isn't? You must know perfectly well..." " Chu is very important, go and help me choose. Those palace servants and eunuchs who are disloyal to me should be dealt with according to His Majesty's decree. Those loyal to me can be kept and put to use!"

The old emperor laughed, "My beloved concubine! This is a good idea! It can eliminate the wicked without harming the innocent, truly a brilliant plan! Hey—! You pickled chicken, what are you still kneeling here for? Go and carry out my beloved concubine's decree!"

Tian Jin responded and hurriedly led dozens of experts from the Inner Court straight to the Jiaofang Palace. The palace maids, eunuchs, and matrons in the Jiaofang Palace were all just following their masters around, freeloading. They weren't exactly sworn to be loyal to the Empress. Hearing of their mistress's death, they were all afraid of being implicated and were all willing to pledge allegiance to the new master.

Tian Jin's cunning eyes darted around. He thought that if he went to tell that girl this way, she would definitely not be satisfied, and he couldn't show off his skills. He immediately thought of a few palace servants who didn't get along with him and ordered the experts from the Inner Court to take them away and punish them. The remaining seventy-five palace maids went to Yunxiang Palace to prepare to welcome their new master.

When Emperor Xuan took Mei Chengxue's hand and walked out of the palanquin, the once deserted Yunxiang Palace was already filled with kneeling palace maids from the former Jiaofang Palace. Mei Chengxue thought it was a magnificent palace, but when she looked up, she was greatly disappointed. She opened her mouth again and again, but did not say a word.

The old emperor, observing every smile and frown of the new beauty with keen insight, couldn't help but ask, "Ah--! Consort Mei! Is there anything you're dissatisfied with? Just tell me, and I'll have it taken care of!"

Mei Chengxue smiled enchantingly, "It's better not to say! If I do, I'm afraid His Majesty will be angry and punish this humble woman!"

The old emperor kissed her enchanting cheek and laughed, "My little darling! How am I angry with you? Tell me quickly!"

Mei Chengxue laughed, "When I was young, I heard people talk about the palace, how magnificent it was. But seeing it today, I'm greatly disappointed! I'll tell you, Your Majesty, but please don't be angry. This so-called Yunxiang Palace is not even as grand as the mansions of a nouveau riche in Jiangnan. It's a disgrace to our great nation, and a disgrace to Your Majesty! Hehe--!"

Mei Chengxue originally wanted to say that this so-called Yunxiang Palace was not as luxurious as the brothels in Yangzhou, but the words that came out were "nouveau riche mansions."

The old emperor frowned and said, "Yunxiang Palace is the most exquisite palace besides Pixiang Palace, my beloved concubine! Which residence in Jiangnan can compare to Yunxiang Palace?"

Mei Chengxue thought to herself, "Our Lichun Courtyard in Yangzhou is much more magnificent and lively than your dilapidated palace!" But she said aloud, "It is this humble concubine who has never seen the world, and I have made Your Majesty laugh at me. This humble concubine has just entered the palace, and it is only natural that my residence is dilapidated. I would not dare to make Your Majesty feel embarrassed!" Hearing

the little vixen say this, the old emperor lost face and awkwardly laughed, "Most of the palace..." " The palace is old, and its style is outdated, which is understandable. How about this, let's go to the Pixiang Palace first, and I'll have the craftsmen repair the Yunxiang Palace properly so that my beloved concubine can move in later?"

Mei Chengxue smiled and said, "It's alright! Wherever Your Majesty goes, I will go!"

The next words were whispered in the old man's ear: "If I can't taste Your Majesty's treasures for a day, I won't be able to eat or sleep!"

The old emperor was taken aback, then laughed and said, "Are my things really that delicious?"

Mei Chengxue chuckled and said, " "Your Majesty, you may not know this, but the dragon's rooster is vastly different from ordinary ones. It has absolutely no fishy or foul odor; instead, it has a slightly sweet taste, like drinking fine dew—truly irresistible!"

The old emperor laughed. "Then why didn't the previous concubines say this?"

Mei Chengxue smiled. "Only the emperor's truly favored concubines can appreciate His Majesty's goodness. If they find it fishy, then they are not destined to be imperial concubines accompanying the king!" The old emperor laughed. "Is that so? Very well! I will have Consort Chen try it

!"

Then, she called out loudly, "Prepare the carriage for the Pixiang Palace!"

Inside the Pixiang Palace, Consort Chen, who was also a great beauty, stared blankly at the beautiful woman who had accompanied the old emperor in. She felt that she had been flattering enough, but compared to this beauty, she was nothing. How could she have the nerve to put the old emperor's ugly penis in her mouth in front of all the palace maids and eunuchs, and lick it with relish? The old emperor was an old man, and when you got close to him, he smelled of death. The turbid fluid secreted by his penis was even more foul and disgusting.

The old emperor laughed, "I heard from Consort Mei that if someone is truly destined to be my woman, then when I put my thing in my mouth, it not only has no strange smell, but also a slightly sweet and mellow aroma. Consort Chen, you should try it too!"

Chen Xuanhua was a clever and perceptive woman. Although the old emperor's penis could be smelled from afar with a nauseating stench, she still walked up to him with a charming smile and said in a seductive voice, "This humble concubine doesn't know how to lick it. Please, Sister Mei, teach me!"

The old emperor laughed, "Try it in your mouth first!"

Chen Xuanhua didn't dare to be negligent and immediately took Mei Chengxue's place, putting the half-erect, smelly penis into her small mouth. She tilted her head back and slurred, "Your Majesty's treasure is really fragrant! This humble concubine sucks it in her mouth..." "It's like sweet dew in my throat, I really can't bear to spit it out!"

The old emperor felt that Consort Chen's flute playing skills were too poor, so he took out his treasure and laughed, "Consort Chen is indeed my destined concubine, but her licking and sucking skills are too poor. In the future, I will have to learn more from Consort Mei!"

Mei Chengxue knelt on the side, and as soon as she saw the dragon rooster come out, she immediately grabbed it and put it in her small mouth, sucking it tightly and refusing to spit it out. Chen Xuanhua was afraid of losing favor,

so she hurriedly tried to grab the old rooster again, saying, "I'm afraid my sister won't teach me!" Mei Chengxue glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, nodded her head, and indicated that she was willing to teach her. Although the two vixens were jealous of each other, they were afraid of displeasing the old emperor. On the surface, their relationship was as sweet as honey.

The old emperor, seeing that evening was approaching, smiled and asked, "Shall I rest in the Pixiang Palace tonight, or return to Consort Mei's Yunxiang Palace?"

Mei Chengxue smiled and said, "Your Majesty need not trouble yourself. Didn't Your Majesty just say that you would repair Yunxiang Palace for me? I have nowhere else to go, so why don't the two of us, the sister from the Chen family, serve Your Majesty together, saving Your Majesty from any trouble!"

A eunuch in the corner of the palace hurriedly waved his hand and said, "Your Majesty! Absolutely not! This is licentious behavior in the palace!"

Mei Chengxue smiled and said, "In our common folk, it is very common for a man to sleep with two women, or even multiple women. Does Your Majesty, the emperor, not even deserve the respect due to those lowly men in the common folk?"

Chen Xuanhua added, "Sister Mei's suggestion is excellent. This humble concubine is also willing to serve His Majesty alongside Consort Mei. In the dead of winter, it will save His Majesty the trouble of running between two places!"

Xuanhua was terrified that Emperor Xuan would tire of her and abandon her. Compared to Mei Chengxue, she was like a used piece of toilet paper, easily discarded by the old emperor. Therefore, she was desperately trying to please the newcomer, hoping to get a share and avoid being neglected in the deep palace at such a young age.

Although she was now involved with Crown Prince Ji Ce, it was a distant solution to her immediate needs. How could the old emperor easily let her go? That unfortunate Crown Prince Ji Ce was now hiding under the ivory bed, forced to eavesdrop! She had to find a way to get him out of there.

The eunuch was about to speak again when Consort Mei pouted and said, "Your Majesty! This humble concubine truly doesn't understand, who is the Emperor, you or him!"

Upon hearing this, the eunuch was so frightened that he knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "This servant dares not! This servant dares not!"

The old Emperor said, "Consort Mei! What do you mean by that?"

Mei Chengxue coldly replied, "At first! When you wanted to depose the Empress, Empress Liu was not only dissatisfied, but she even said she would rather marry a pig or a dog than marry you. Her implication was that Your Majesty..." "You're worse than a pig or a dog! Now, your humble servant and Consort Chen are both heartbroken that Your Majesty is running around in the dead of winter, and are willing to serve you both. This servant is constantly babbling on the sidelines, showing no respect for Your Majesty as emperor. If such a servant isn't dealt with properly, anyone will dare to point their finger at Your Majesty and curse you! That will be unacceptable!"

This teasing from the beauty was too much for Emperor Xuan to bear. His anger surged to his head, and he roared, "My beloved consort is right! Guards! Take away this ignorant servant!" "Just beat him to death! Then issue an edict to confiscate the property of Liu Zhen, the Duke of Cheng!"

Consort Mei suddenly laughed. Emperor Xuan said, "What's so funny!"

Consort Mei said, "Beat him to death! This kind of palace cod, he'll die in no time, and he'll even gain a good reputation as a loyal servant, so that other cod will follow suit!"

Consort Chen said, "Then what should we do with him?"

Consort Mei laughed, "Why not freeze him to death? Wouldn't that be more fun?"

Emperor Xuan said, "Guards! Strip this servant naked!" "Kneel outside the palace gate and freeze to death!"

The eunuch in charge cried and begged for mercy. Consort Chen pointed at the two experts

from the Inner Court at the palace gate and shouted in a seductive voice, "So annoying! You two, why don't you drag him away? Do you want to alarm the Emperor?" Seeing that Emperor Xuan was no longer speaking, the two eunuchs waved their left hands. They glanced at the two seductive women and helplessly dragged the eunuch outside the palace. They stripped him naked, forced him to kneel down in the snow, tied him up, and let him freeze to death.

Mei Chengxue laughed, "Now that no one's gossiping, it's so much quieter! Consort Chen, let's serve His Majesty together!"

With these two beautiful enchantresses fawning over him and trying their best to please him, Emperor Xuan was overjoyed. The two enchantresses flattered each other, and that night, the old emperor went four or five times, still unable to satisfy the demands of the two young beauties, who kept asking for more in their seductive voices. The old emperor was exhausted from playing, limp as mud, and fell into a deep sleep like a dead pig, snoring loudly.

Chen Xuanhua and Mei Chengxue, two young and healthy beauties, serving one old man at the same time, how could they get tired? The old emperor always used a soft whip, never able to truly get an erection and thrust, which made Chen Xuanhua's vulva unbearably itchy, and Mei Chengxue almost went crazy. If it weren't for his status as the supreme ruler of the world, she would never want to have sex with such a useless old man and would have kicked him off the bed long ago.

After the old emperor fell into a deep sleep, Mei Chengxue smiled and said, "Empress Chen, is there a place to relieve yourself in your palace? Please have someone lead me there!"

Chen Xuanhua, wanting to curry favor with her, smiled and said, "It's the dead of winter, no need for Empress Mei to trouble herself. I have a human toilet in my palace, Xiao Zhi! Bring that toilet up so I can serve Empress Mei!"

A moment later, the handsome human toilet, Cao Duan, was led over like a dog and knelt by the bedside to serve Mei Chengxue urinating. Mei Chengxue brazenly lifted his chin and said, "What a handsome toilet! A palace supply..." "This thing?"

Chen Xuanhua laughed, "He's actually a eunuch, a cripple who's been castrated, all he has is a pretty face. The other day he made a mistake, and I spared his life in front of the Emperor, punishing him by making him a chamber pot! Consort Mei, please go ahead and do it! Don't hold it in!"

Mei Chengxue was using a flesh chamber pot for the first time, her face flushed red, and she carefully began to urinate. Cao Duan covered her tender vulva with his mouth and sucked, not letting a single drop of urine spill out. After he finished, he even used his tongue to lick the remaining urine off her vulva clean, without even needing toilet paper. It was indeed both convenient and clean.

Crown Prince Ji Ce hid under the ivory bed, listening to the lewd moans of the two vixens, imagining the intense battle on the bed. He couldn't help but pull out his penis again after just ejaculating, masturbating twice before finally stopping his lustful thoughts. He secretly vowed that one day he would definitely get his hands on both of these sluts and enjoy them as much as his father did, so that his life wouldn't have been in vain.

Chapter Ten: Rumors and Gossip

With a hint from Consort Chen, Ji Ce took advantage of the old emperor's deep sleep and Consort Mei's infatuation with Cao Duan, and quietly followed Rong Du to escape over the wall. Outside the palace, he changed into the brocade robe Rong Du had given him, complaining, "Father, why didn't you say anything when you were outside? I almost couldn't get out!"

Rong Du scratched his head and said helplessly, "When His Majesty came, I was in the middle of relieving myself and didn't know. By the time I wanted to come in, it was too late! It's so frustrating !" "I'm so embarrassed, I really feel bad!"

Ji Ce said, "Alright! Lazy donkeys pull millstones and pee and poop a lot! The old man is obsessed with two vixens, there will be a big change in the court! Let's go back quickly and find Xu Jing and the others to discuss countermeasures!"

In the Pixiang Palace, the two women dared not refuse the old man. After taking care of some things, they quietly climbed into bed and endured the old man's unpleasant smell. They slept with the old man, and the three of them slept until the sun was high in the sky. They didn't care about the morning court.

If it was just for one day, it would be fine. But from then on, it was like this every day. Consort Chen was a natural vixen. She spared no expense in the palace and humbly asked Mei Chengxue, who came from a brothel, for advice. She was even more afraid of being outsmarted by Consort Mei. Every time she learned a seductive technique, she practiced it day and night.

Consort Mei, a former courtesan, was particularly fond of wealth and disliked the old emperor's impotence in bed. Having acquired some exceptionally beautiful jewels and jade, she happily passed on her various courtesan techniques to Chen Xuanhua.

This benefited the old emperor, but his aging body couldn't handle the lust. He was driven to near death by two monstrous, lecherous women, his eyes sunken, his limbs trembling, yet he remained unable to extricate himself.

As the saying goes, in a large forest, there are all kinds of birds! The shameless service of these two beauties to the old emperor made the three thousand beauties pale in comparison. Rumors of the two vile consorts gradually spread throughout the palace, drawing ridicule from many concubines. While outwardly expressing disdain for the two favored ladies-in-waiting, they whispered among themselves, "If we had to do such lewd acts, we'd rather not have this favor."

Privately, they secretly entrusted their confidants and family members to search far and wide for brothel secrets. For a time, prostitutes became highly sought after. Some even went so far as to have their families redeem skilled older prostitutes from their brothels and take them into their mansions, ostensibly as maids, but in reality as bedroom instructors. Under the guise of visiting their parents' homes, they would secretly train diligently, preparing to one day gain the emperor's favor!

Chen Xuanhua seemed oblivious to the sarcastic remarks of these concubines, showing little concern for matters outside the Pixiang Palace. Having been favored for a long time, she was used to the jealous scorn of the other concubines and knew that if she were to get angry, it would only make her a bigger laughingstock. In secret, she wanted to teach these competitors a lesson.

Mei Chengxue, a frequent visitor to brothels, was acutely aware of her surroundings. Though shrewd, she lacked Chen Xuanhua's composure. Growing increasingly agitated by the rumors, she daily tasked Tian Jin, a palace attendant, and Cao Duan, a palace attendant, with investigating the source of these gossips and seeking evidence for revenge. Tian Jin

, lacking martial arts skills, relied heavily on hearsay. Sometimes, palace maids and eunuchs would fall silent upon his approach, making intelligence gathering extremely difficult.

Cao Duan, though highly skilled in martial arts and publicly known as a palace attendant, also sought to curry favor with Consort Chen and Mei Chengxue. However, his past as a high-ranking eunuch in the Western Depot, known to everyone in the palace, coupled with the fact that he was now a palace servant, a woman who served Consort Chen and Mei, made him a subject of gossip. Palace maids and eunuchs avoided him, preventing him from obtaining any information.

The two men were incompetent and were frequently whipped by Mei Chengxue. On this day, in a side hall of Pixiang Palace, Cao Duan was whipped thirty times and then dragged to Mei Jieyu's feet to kneel down.

Mei Chengxue's body was half-exposed; the thin red veil could not conceal her exquisitely beautiful breasts, two plump, pink nipples seemingly about to spring out. Mei Chengxue extended her snow-white, tender thigh beyond the red veil, placing her jade foot on Cao Duan's handsome cheek, and said in a seductive, angry voice, "Cao Duan! What can I say to you! It's not surprising that Tian Jin, who doesn't know martial arts, couldn't gather information. But you, highly skilled in martial arts and a former chief eunuch of the Western Depot, can't even find out the details of some minor palace affairs! Do you not want to serve me?"

Mei and Chen, these two enchanting women, were now as close as one. Their palaces, after renovations, were now connected, larger and more imposing than the Empress's Jiaofang Palace. How could Cao Duan dare offend Consort Mei? His cheek was being trampled by her jade feet, yet he dared not resist or struggle, pitifully pleading, "Your Majesty, you do not know, but for matters of espionage, one must find inconspicuous little characters. If, like this servant and Eunuch Tian, everyone in the palace knows us, we cannot be spies!"

Mei Chengxue tilted her head and thought it made sense, then said, "Then why don't you hide in a dark corner of some palace at night and secretly listen to people talking! You stupid pig!"

Kneeling beside her, Tian Jin thought to himself, "You bitch, you're the stupid pig! The inner palace is full of experts, and there are traps and hidden weapons in the corners of the palaces and high places. There are spies from the inner workshop patrolling everywhere. Do you think this is a brothel in Yangzhou?! Humph—!"

Cao Duan was very good at dealing with people, these As time went by, He Tianjin and Cao Duan became increasingly close. Both were servants who had lost their former masters, so naturally they thought of helping each other to get through the crisis. When Mei Chengxue asked Cao Duan to eavesdrop in the halls of other concubines, she immediately defended him, saying, "Your Majesty, you don't know! The 'experts' of the common people refer to the male and female spies of the Inner Court! If Eunuch Cao dares to eavesdrop in other halls, he might be caught by the Inner Court's experts, and it would be embarrassing for both Your Majesties if it came to the Emperor's attention."

Mei Chengxue kicked Cao Duan away in annoyance, saying, "Then you have no old subordinates to use in the Western Depot! Your popularity is too low!"

Cao Duan prostrated himself and said, "Your Majesty! The duty of the Western Depot is to patrol the common people and all walks of life." While there are many wealthy merchants, powerful figures, and members of the underworld, compared to the Inner Court, there are far fewer truly skilled and capable individuals! The Inner Court is the professional department responsible for investigating the secrets of the palace. Ordinary spies within the palace maintain extremely secretive identities. If Your Majesty could find the leader of the Inner Court's spies, you could easily learn everything, big or small. However, the current head eunuch of the Inner Court, Gao Jiuhe, is not only extremely senior and deeply trusted by the Emperor, but he also doesn't get along well with this servant and Eunuch Tian. Getting information from that old devil will be extremely difficult!

Tian Jin suddenly said, "Your Majesty! This servant has remembered someone. He is also a eunuch in the Inner Court, and a minor leader at that. His martial arts skills are no less than Eunuch Cao's. His name is Feng Xian, and he has always been... " "Gao Jiuhe is being pressured and can't get promoted. If Your Majesty agrees to let him become the Grand Eunuch of the Inner Court, he will definitely do his best to serve Your Majesty!"

Mei Chengxue laughed, "Is it really such a small matter? Alright! I agree to his request! Even if it doesn't work out this time, there will be other opportunities! You two secretly contact him and convey my words to him. As for the gold and silver needed, just ask me!"

As she spoke, Consort Chen emerged from behind the curtain and smiled, "Sister, there's no need to make such a fuss. In this deep palace, rumors and gossip have never stopped. You've gotten used to it after living here for a while. Let them say what they want! We sisters will just serve the Emperor wholeheartedly and don't need to pay attention to these people!"

Mei Chengxue waved her hand. He gestured for the two servants, Cao Duan and Tian Jin, to leave first. He stood up and led Chen Jieyu to sit on the brocade couch, gently stroking her body. He chuckled softly, "Is that old man asleep?"

Chen Jieyu smiled slightly, "Sleeping like a dead pig! Sister! Shouldn't we reduce the number of times we have sex with that old man?"

Mei Chengxue laughed, "I'd love to see that old lecher less often! Even if we were willing, would that old lecher have agreed long ago?"

Chen Jieyu said leisurely, "At this rate, he might not live much longer. If he dies, what will we do? We might have to be buried alive with him! Even if we aren't, we'll be banished to the cold palace to end our lives!"

Mei Chengxue grasped her small hand and smiled seductively: “If you were so open-minded, sister, you wouldn’t have been banished to the cold palace. You could still enjoy endless wealth and luxury!”

Chen Jieyu sighed. “You vixen, don’t tell me you have the secret to immortality!”

Mei Chengxue whispered a few words in her ear. Chen Jieyu was startled and asked, “Would he be willing? I’m a withered flower!”

Mei Chengxue laughed loudly, then whispered, “If he wasn’t willing, how could I tell you! Last night he had someone send over several bottles of aphrodisiac. We secretly slipped it into the old man’s food, and I guarantee he’ll be ecstatic!”

Chen Jieyu frowned and whispered, “Sister! You’re in the common world, you don’t know how dangerous things are in the palace. You absolutely cannot let that old man die between us two sisters.” "If that's the case, the court officials will surely want us sisters to be buried with them. At that time, compared to the hearts of the court officials, he will definitely side with those high-ranking officials and kill us. He wants to become emperor sooner; we must make him do it himself!"

Mei Chengxue pondered, "Sister is right! However, there's something I want to deal with as soon as possible!" Chen

Jieyu smiled, "Is it those vile women who gossip about us behind our backs?"

Mei Chengxue said, "Sister is also very clever, understanding so quickly! Those bitches are talking about us behind our backs, clearly trying to gang up on us and kick us aside. If we're not careful, they might gain the upper hand." "Before the old man was finished with us, we two would have died, truly a case of beautiful women dying young!"

Consort Chen laughed. "I heard those rumors too. Outside the palace, they're spreading them like wildfire, saying our mouths are dirtier than a latrine, that we're licking that old man's assholes and sucking his dick day and night to gain his favor. Even the lowly palace maids, when they gossip behind our backs, show their disgust for us, saying we're even more despicable than the prostitutes of Yangzhou. The other day, my brother Chen Shu came, and I told him about this. He taught me this and that. If any other concubine or beauty were to do this, it certainly wouldn't have any effect, but if you and I do it, the old man will definitely be terrified!"

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