[Wuxia] The Duan Family Women Generals (Complete) - 5

Chapter Ten – Pang Qi Murders Chengzu on the Way, Hu Sheng Kills Concubines in the Cold Palace

. After Pang Qi finished speaking, he brandished his sword, and his generals charged forward. Xu Youliang and the four generals of the Feng family, however, were completely fearless. In a fierce battle, countless government troops were killed or wounded, and many of Pang Qi's soldiers were also killed. Seeing the situation was dire, Pang Qi turned his horse and fled, with the four female generals in hot pursuit. Fortunately, the generals of the three passes held him off for a while, allowing him to escape with his life. Xu Youliang led his men in pursuit for over twenty li before returning, catching up with his family, and entering the Southern Ridge.
The group first rested at Huanglong Cave, the first pass in the Southern Ridge. Xu Youliang ordered his men to send his family back to the barbarian cave and entrust them to the barbarian king's care. He, along with his four wives and concubines and Zhang Gui, remained at Huanglong Cave to discuss how to rescue Xu Chengzu and his son from danger.
Feng Ling, having caused trouble, stood there weeping with her head down. Zhang Gui said, "Third Princess, there's no need to grieve now. There's still hope for a turnaround."
"Please speak, Uncle," You Liang hurriedly said.
"Of these three passes, apart from Hu Qihai of Zhennan Pass, the other two have old acquaintances with your father. Today on the battlefield, they didn't seem to genuinely fight the four princesses, which shows they also have doubts about your father's rebellion. Perhaps I should write two letters and send them to the two passes, asking the two generals to handle things carefully. I should also write another letter to Grand Tutor Hu Da, sending a capable person to the Grand Tutor's residence, with Guard Qiu accompanying him as a witness. Among all the civil and military officials, only Grand Tutor Hu is a loyal minister, and only he can speak on behalf of your father before the Emperor. We should also send someone to follow Pang Qi's men to inquire about your father's situation and report back promptly. In addition, we must intensify our military training to prevent that old scoundrel from having any more evil intentions and sending troops to suppress us."
"Very well, let's do as Uncle says."
Xu Youliang, following Zhang Gui's plan, sent messengers to the generals of the two passes and dispatched his trusted retainer Xu Zhiqin to the capital. Qiu Jiulong, remembering Xu Chengzu's past life-saving grace, risked his life to accompany Xu Zhiqin.
Xu Zhiqin and Qiu Jiulong arrived in the capital and went straight to Hu Da's residence to deliver the message. Upon arrival, they learned that Grand Tutor Hu had been away from the capital for a long time.
Since Duan Qiaoqi and Zhao Jian's sale of official positions and titles, the bureaucracy had become chaotic, with corrupt officials everywhere, leading to widespread famine and banditry. Hu Da had been forced to personally take command and quell the unrest, and had not returned to the capital for nearly two years; otherwise, the palace wouldn't have been in such turmoil.
Hu Da's wife, Wu, was very virtuous. Hearing that the messenger was from the Xu family, she inquired about the situation and kept him at home while sending messengers to deliver the message to Grand Tutor Hu.
The two felt each day in the Hu residence was like a year, constantly seeking information from the Grand Tutor's men. Soon, news arrived that Xu Chengzu and his son had been executed, and Empress Xu and the two empresses had been given death in the cold palace. Having
confirmed the news, Xu Zhiqin left Qiu Jiulong at the Hu residence, waiting for Grand Tutor Hu to return so he could plead for the Xu family's innocence. He hurriedly packed his belongings and headed back to Nanling to report the news.
It turned out that Pang Qi had been defeated and returned to his military town, immediately ordering the three generals to mobilize troops to suppress the rebellion. Hu Qihai, the general of Zhennan Pass, hoping to gain promotion, strongly supported the campaign, but the generals of Pingnan Pass and Dingnan Pass opposed it, saying they were unfamiliar with the terrain of Nanling and feared they would suffer losses
if they advanced rashly. Pang Qi, sensing their suspicion of the Xu family's rebellion and unwilling to be complicit, led the troops of Zhennan Pass with Hu Qihai to Nanling. Upon entering the mountains, they were ambushed by barbarian soldiers, realizing the treacherous terrain of Nanling, easy to defend but difficult to attack. After several days of maneuvering, they finally managed to escape the mountains.
Helpless, the two returned to the military town. Pang Qi ordered Hu Qihai to guard the town, while sending someone to the capital to report to Wang Feilian. He also personally led men to pursue Xu Chengzhu.
Meanwhile, the four treacherous officials were greatly surprised upon seeing Pang Qi's report and hurriedly discussed what to do.
Zhao Jian said, "Since we've already done this, let's go all the way. If the Emperor finds out about this, we're all doomed. We might as well make the best of a bad situation, forge an imperial edict to kill Xu Chengzhu on the road, and then eliminate the three empresses to silence them. Even if the Emperor finds out later, he'll have no choice but to suffer in silence."
The four treacherous officials all agreed that this was the only way. They sent someone to Pang Qi, instructing him to kill Xu Chengzhu and his son on the road, and then go to the palace to see the tyrannical Emperor.
At this time, Zhao Chan pretended her illness had improved and became intimate with Duan Qi. Duan Qi was only focused on Zhao Chan, disregarding whether the three palaces were unjustly accused. He first made Zhao Chan empress and moved her into the harem. Every day, he would twist and turn Zhao Chan's body, playing games of capture and restraint, until his desire was greatly aroused. Then he would hold her in the palace and make love to her. When
the four traitors saw Duan Qi, they said that the Xu family father and son had colluded with the barbarian king Feng Tong to rebel and kill the general Huang Keyi, and asked for the emperor's judgment. Upon hearing this, Duan Qi was terrified and hurriedly asked what to do.
Wang Feilian said, "Xu Chengzu and his son have long harbored rebellious intentions. If it weren't for Xu's jealousy and framing of the Empress, they might still be lying in wait. In my opinion, it would be better to send troops from the three passes to besiege Nanling and capture Xu Chengzu, his son, and Feng Tong in one fell swoop."
"Everything is up to you, Your Excellency. But has Xu confessed?"
"Your Majesty, regardless of whether she confessed or not, just the fact that her father and brother plotted rebellion is enough to execute them. Why ask further? Besides, we already have the testimonies of Consorts Huang and Jiang, which are sufficient to prove their guilt. In my opinion, let's spare them."
Duan Qi took the testimonies of Consorts Huang and Jiang and saw that they were aware of Empress Xu's plot against Zhao Chan but did not participate. However, they admitted to knowing but not reporting, feeling sorry for the Emperor, and were willing to accept severe punishment. Duan Qi himself had no opinion. Seeing that there were witnesses, he issued an edict ordering Hu Sheng to imprison the three empresses in the Cold Palace and execute them.
Where did the testimonies of the two empresses come from? After the four traitors conspired to arrest Xu Chengzhu, they interrogated both empresses separately, subjecting them to severe torture. Following Hu Sheng's plan, the two concubines were separated from Empress Xu and imprisoned alone. Hu Sheng secretly visited the two empresses in the prison at night, explaining the potential consequences to them.
He hinted that framing Empress Xu was the Emperor's idea, stemming from Xu's father's treasonous intentions. He suggested that if the two empresses testified against Empress Xu, the Emperor would spare their lives.
The two empresses, already harboring their own ulterior motives, readily agreed upon Hu Sheng's words. During the court session, they followed Hu Sheng's instructions, pinning all the blame on Empress Xu.
Empress Xu, however, was no longer hoping for her father to plead her case, unaware that Xu Chengzhu himself was also in dire straits.
The four traitors obtained the imperial edict from Duan Qi and sent a messenger on horseback to deliver it to Pang Qi. On the way, they beheaded Xu Chengzu and his son, cut off their heads, and sent them to the capital. They also handed the three palaces over to Hu Sheng to be taken back to the palace and executed in the Cold Palace.
Meanwhile, Pang Qi caught up with the prison cart and just as the imperial edict arrived, he killed Xu Chengzu and his son on the spot and returned to the military town to prepare for an attack on the Nanling barbarian caves.
Hu Sheng, with a dozen guards and eunuchs, escorted the three palaces from the Prince of De's residence back to the palace and imprisoned them in the Cold Palace.
The three palaces' injuries had healed, but they looked haggard and pitiful.
After the guards left, Hu Sheng summoned Liu Yu, the chief eunuch of the Cold Palace, and ordered him to prepare the necessary items to execute the three palaces.
Upon hearing that the three palaces were to be killed, Liu Yu was secretly pleased. Why? Although these eunuchs were incomplete men, people at that time did not fully understand the function of the testicles, so when they were castrated, only their penises were cut off, rendering them unable to have sexual relations, but it did not prevent them from having male desires.
These eunuchs spent their days with beautiful concubines and palace maids, their hearts filled with unbearable itch, which they could only relieve themselves in bed. They only had the opportunity to be intimate with the bodies of palace maids or concubines who had made mistakes, not to mention that the three palaces were the emperor's exclusive possessions.
Once everything was ready, Hu Sheng, along with Liu Yu, led a dozen or so eunuchs from the Cold Palace in and read the imperial edict to the three empresses: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: The Emperor's will is hereby issued. It has been found that the former Empress Xu, driven by jealousy and hatred, poisoned the imperial heir, a crime deserving of death. Furthermore, her father Xu Chengzhu, and her brothers Xu Youde and Xu Youliang, plotted rebellion and should also be implicated and executed by slow slicing. However, considering that you have served me without committing any major offenses, you are hereby granted a complete corpse. The former Consorts Huang and Jiang, knowing of Xu's poisoning but failing to report it, resulting in the death of the imperial heir, are also guilty of unforgivable crimes and are hereby sentenced to death. This is
the imperial decree." "Your Majesty, we accept the decree and thank you for your grace." Upon hearing this, the three empresses immediately collapsed to the ground.
"Your Majesties, with the imperial decree here, please forgive our rudeness," Hu Sheng said, turning to the eunuchs and ordering, "Ministers, assist the three empresses in changing their clothes."
The eunuchs agreed and immediately set out wooden tubs, filled them with warm water, and invited the three empresses to bathe.
These empresses were the emperor's wives and concubines; their corpses lay exposed, their beauty striking. During the execution by slow slicing, their private parts would be mutilated, which naturally could not be seen by outsiders. Palace maids were too timid to carry out the punishment, so the eunuchs had to do it.
In the emperor's eyes, eunuchs were not even human; little did he know that while they were incapable of sexual intercourse, their male desires were still abundant.
None of the three empresses were virgins, and they had already been spanked by the eunuchs during their court appearance at the Prince of De's residence, so they were not so ashamed. They slowly removed their brown robes, sat naked in the wooden tubs to cleanse themselves, and awaited their punishment.
The eunuchs then laid several large mats on the ground and three brocade cloths on top of the mats. The three empresses died unclothed, only wrapped in brocade cloths, placed in coffins, and then taken to the imperial cemetery outside the city for burial.
After the three palace women had finished bathing, the eunuchs draped white towels over them, and they dried themselves off. Then they knelt on brocade cloths to thank the Emperor for his grace before being executed one by one.
Hu Sheng looked at Empress Xu and said, "Your Majesty greets you."
"How does the Grand Eunuch intend to deal with me?" Empress Xu, having come to terms with the situation, looked at Hu Sheng.
"Your Majesty is the mastermind; naturally, you will be executed with a white silk ribbon."
"In that case, please assist me, Grand Eunuch."
"It is my duty." Hu Sheng was actually quite willing to help.
Hu Sheng had a eunuch bring a high stool and place it on a large, uncovered mat. He then stood on it, personally tied the white silk ribbon to the beam, tested the height, and then went behind Empress Xu. He asked Empress Xu to stand up, took out a short yellow rope, and tied her hands behind her back, his eyes fixed on her snow-white buttocks.
Empress Xu turned ashen-faced and followed Hu Sheng to the high stool. Hu Sheng then took two yellow silk ropes, squatted down, and tightly bound Xu's knees and ankles, preventing her from struggling. He then stood up, put his left arm around Xu's slender waist, and with his right hand, lifted her up onto the stool, causing Xu and Consorts Huang and Jiang to blush crimson with shame. Empress
Xu, at this point, no longer cared about shame. Besides, in her heart, shame belonged not to her but to the Emperor. Who should be ashamed if another man touched his woman?
Hu Sheng didn't care about such things; the opportunity to enjoy the Empress's buttocks was what truly mattered. He then moved a stool, stood on it himself, and placed the white silk ribbon around Empress Xu's neck. He jumped down and asked, "Are you ready? We servants beg Your Majesty to return to heaven."
All the eunuchs knelt down and cried out in unison, "We beg Your Majesty to return to heaven."
Although Empress Xu knew she was doomed, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She closed her eyes, made up her mind several times, but ultimately couldn't bring herself to kick the stool over.
Hu Sheng, kneeling beside Empress Xu, seeing her hesitation, said, "Hu Sheng begs Your Majesty's forgiveness." He stood up and kicked the stool away.
The two imperial concubines cried out in fright. Empress Xu was hanging in the air, swaying from side to side. She first tried to shake her head, but the white silk ribbon tightened around her, her face turning purple, her eyes bulging, as if in extreme pain. Then her whole body began to writhe, like a fish hanging on a fishing rod. A thick tuft of soft, black pubic hair appeared and disappeared between her snow-white body, her round buttocks twisting and turning, a truly erotic sight that made the eunuchs stare wide-eyed.
Empress Xu writhed on the beam, warm urine flowing down her jade-like legs, and yellow feces squeezing out from between her buttocks, filling the room with a stench. She writhed for more than a quarter of an hour before slowly stopping, her legs gradually tensing and then relaxing, remaining still.
How the two imperial concubines died remains to be seen; we shall find out in the next chapter.

Chapter Eleven—Long Qi Sends Troops to Suppress the Barbarian Caves, First Encounter at Liangshan.

The previous text stated that Empress Xu hung from the beam for more than a quarter of an hour before finally dying.
Hu Sheng hurriedly ordered the eunuchs to help untie her. First, he laid her face down on a clean mat, untied the ropes, then turned her over and ordered water to be brought.
Liu Yu came to help, and the two eunuchs spread Xu Shi's legs apart, revealing her private parts, which Duan Qi had penetrated countless times. Hu Sheng and Liu Yu each took a piece of white cloth, dipped it in water, and washed her legs and buttocks, which were stained with excrement and urine.
After washing her clean, a smile appeared on Hu Sheng's face. He inserted a middle finger into Xu Shi's vagina, probing left and right for a while, a satisfied look on his face. Liu Yu, not to be outdone, also reached out and probed Xu Shi's vagina a couple of times. Poor Xu Shi, though the Empress, was thoroughly humiliated by a group of eunuchs.
Hu Sheng then ordered a foot of white silk to be cut and personally inserted it into Empress Xu's anus. Only then did he lift Xu Shi onto a brocade bundle and lay her down, to be dealt with after the deaths of the two Empresses.
Seeing Empress Xu's agonizing struggle on the beam, the two concubines were already terrified. Upon seeing Hu Sheng, they hurriedly said, "Eunuch, what should be done with me?"
Hu Sheng replied, "That's up to you two ladies. If you wish to die this way, I will grant it; if you wish to die another way, I will grant it."
"But what other ways are there?"
"I have some imperial poison here. If you two ladies like it, you may use it."
"How about this poison?"
"It will kill you in a moment, much better than hanging yourself with a white silk ribbon."
"Then please grant my request, Eunuch."
"Since you two ladies say so, I will certainly grant your request, but..." Hu Sheng only glanced down at the lower abdomens of the two concubines. The two concubines
were furious that Duan Qi had used them to harm Empress Xu and then broken his promise to order their deaths. They were eager for revenge, wishing they were men instead, otherwise they would have made Duan Qi wear a hundred green hats. Seeing Hu Sheng looking at their lower bodies, she said, "If you grant my request, I will do whatever you want." With that, she lay down on the mat, spreading her legs wide, revealing to everyone the area that only Duan Qi could see.
The eunuchs were overjoyed and rushed forward to examine her closely. They saw that the Emperor's concubines were indeed extraordinary; their skin was strong and firm, but their private parts were different. The labia of the two concubines were very thick and white as jade, indistinguishable from the surrounding color, with pink flesh peeking out from the opening.
Hu Sheng guarded Consort Huang, and Liu Yu guarded Consort Jiang, each extending their "Lushan's claws" to rub and caress the two concubines' breasts, then groping their private parts. The two concubines, filled with hatred for Duan Qi, deliberately feigned amorous behavior, with fluid flowing from their vulvas, attracting the eunuchs to take turns digging into their private parts with their fingers.
After a long commotion, the group finally stopped. Hu Sheng said, "Then please let the two ladies pass away."
Huang Shi said, "Death is death, but I do not wish to suffer the humiliation of incontinence like Empress Xu. Do you have any brilliant plan, sir?"
"That's easy. The two ladies only need to relieve themselves beforehand, then insert a white silk ribbon into their anus."
"In that case, please assist us, gentlemen."
"Please."
The two ladies then relieved themselves, but not with a full bowel movement.
Hu Sheng and Liu Yu had the two ladies lie down and bound their hands and feet with yellow rope, just like Empress Xu, before calling for the white silk ribbon. The two ladies turned to their sides, curling up their legs to expose their anuses.
Hu Sheng held the white silk ribbon wrapped around the tip of his right index finger and thrust it into Huang Shi's small anus, inserting his entire finger. Madam Huang groaned, her whole body trembling, and cried out, "Slow down, Eunuch! It's so painful!"
Hu Sheng said, "The pain is only temporary; it will be over in a moment." He then poked her several times, stuffing half of the white silk into her body, and Madam Huang stopped crying out. Seeing this, Liu Yu also stuffed the white silk into Consort Jiang's body.
Once everything was in place, Hu Sheng took out the arsenic, mixed it with the wine, and ordered a young eunuch to help the two consorts up, then poured the wine down their throats in small cups.
Before long, the two concubines cried out in pain, but their feet were bound, and they rolled around on the mat like caterpillars on a hot pan. In just a few moments, blood flowed from their seven orifices, and they died.
Hu Sheng ordered the blood wiped from their faces, untied the ropes, and placed them on a brocade bundle. The three women lay naked and stiff on the bundle, a pitiful sight. It was a pity that three beautiful women, who had only become the emperor's concubines, had met such a fate.
This was the story of the Xu family father and son and the three concubines' suffering.
Xu Zhiqin, having confirmed the news, hurriedly returned to Nanling to report. Xu Youliang, upon hearing that his father, brother, and sister had died, wept so much that he fainted several times. Upon waking, he cried out, "Revenge! Revenge!"
Feng Tong, upon learning of this, was also furious. He summoned the barbarians of the Nine Gully and Eighty-One Caves to discuss the matter. The barbarians had received much kindness from the Xu family father and son, and upon hearing of Chengzu's death, they all wanted to avenge him.
Zhang Gui said, "To launch a campaign against the rebels, we need the support of the entire nation. Although Duan Qi is tyrannical, he is not yet utterly wicked, so we should not rashly use force. As the saying goes, 'A gentleman's revenge is never too late,' so it is better to be patient for now. On the one hand, we should send a messenger from the Wang family to the capital to meet with the emperor and explain to Duan Qi the false accusations against the Xu family. On the other hand, we should recruit talents and build up our army to wait for the right opportunity. If Duan Qi has a conscience and clears his name, and kills the treacherous officials and concubines, we can avenge our fathers' deaths without even having to send troops, and spare Nanling from the suffering of war. If not, it would be better to wait until Nanling has a well-trained and well-supplied army before launching a campaign to avenge our fathers."
Feng Tong also knew that Zhang Gui's words were very true, so he gathered 20,000 barbarian soldiers and entrusted them to Xu Youliang and his wife for training.
Xu Chengzhu was originally the military governor of Nanling, and the generals of the three passes were all his subordinates. When Xu Chengzhu was in power, he was fair in rewarding and punishing, and loved his soldiers like his own children. All the soldiers obeyed his orders. Now, although Hu Qihai was temporarily in charge of military affairs, he was capricious and unruly, and everyone resented him. Moreover, they knew that Chengzhu was wronged, so who would be willing to serve the court? Hearing that Xu Youliang was training troops in Nanling, several thousand men joined Xu Youliang's forces.
However, before Xu Youliang's troops could even set out, Pang Qi arrived first.
Pang Qi received the imperial edict and mobilized a total of 80,000 troops from the three passes to attack the barbarian king Feng Tong and Xu Youliang. The troops camped outside the Nanling Mountains to prepare for the enemy's attack.
Xu Youliang laughed loudly, "That old scoundrel Pang Qi! I haven't even gone after him yet, and he's come looking for me instead—he's walking right into my trap! Come on, muster your troops!"
Xu Youliang then led five thousand barbarian soldiers, along with the leaders of the eighty-one caves, out of the mountain and into battle formation.
Xu Youliang observed that the government troops were divided into three groups, forming a "gate" shape to block the exit from the mountain. The left group was led by Zhao Pizhi, the general of Pingnan Pass, and the right group by He Yaowu, the general of Dingnan Pass, each leading twenty thousand men, with four deputy generals. The middle group was led by the newly appointed Pingnan Grand Marshal Pang Qi and Hu Qihai, the general of Zhennan Pass, with forty thousand men and ten generals.
Youliang rode forward and bowed, saying, "Lord Pang, it's been many days. How have you been? What brings you here?"
Pang Qi replied, "Bold Xu Youliang, your father and brother rebelled and have been executed. You conspired with Wang Feng of Nanling. The imperial court has ordered my arrest. If you know what's good for you, dismount and surrender now to avoid innocent people suffering and bloodshed."
With Zhang Gui's advice, Youliang was not angry at this moment. He calmly asked, "Lord Pang, do you have any evidence that my father and brother rebelled?"
"All the generals at the border can testify."
"Generals, can you testify?" Youliang looked around, and the generals at the three passes all lowered their heads, avoiding his gaze.
"How were my father and brothers killed?"
"They were executed by imperial decree while being escorted to the capital."
"Did my father and brothers resist arrest when they were captured?"
"Traitors naturally resist arrest."
"If they resisted arrest, with my father's martial arts skills, which of you could have captured him?"
"Well..., I wasn't present when they were arrested."
"Indeed, it was I, the general, who captured the traitor." Hu Qihai hurriedly interjected.
"General Hu, could you have captured my father?"
"Your father and brothers did not resist."
"Since you arrested my father and brothers on charges of treason, if they had truly rebelled, why wouldn't they have resisted? Besides, the military town is heavily guarded. If my father and brothers intended to rebel, how could you have allowed them to lead troops to their headquarters?"
"Not to mention your whole family's treason, just your sister's plot to harm the imperial heir alone warrants the execution of your entire family." Pang Qi chimed in.
"Since you accuse my sister of poisoning, what poison did you use, and where did it come from? Do you have my sister's testimony? You accuse my father and brothers of treason, do you have their testimony? You killed my father and brothers without even conducting an interrogation, and there isn't a single confession. How can you execute them so easily? I ask you, sir, is there such a law in the Great Zhen Code?"
"Xu Youliang, stop with your words. As the saying goes, when the ruler commands the subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die. Whether you rebel or not, the Emperor's decree is here. Why don't you dismount and accept your death immediately!" Pang Qi knew he was in the wrong, and the more he said, the more trouble he would cause, so he simply resorted to shamelessness.
"Hmph! This is all because that old Zhao Jian and the evil concubine Zhao Chan are in cahoots, plotting with Wang Feilian and Prince De to forge imperial edicts and harm people. Generals of the three passes, you have served under my father for many years. You all know how my father treats the court. Now you are helping treacherous officials to attack the innocent. One day, when my father's name is cleared, how will you face him? My father-in-law, Prince Feng, has already sent an envoy to the capital to see the Emperor. Listen to my good advice, everyone, return to your posts, rest and recuperate your soldiers, and don't get involved in this mess."
As You Liang spoke, he saw that the soldiers on both sides of Pingnan Pass and Dingnan Pass were all silent and knew that they would not sincerely help Pang Qi fight. He then gave Zhang Gui a wink. Zhang Gui understood and secretly instructed his soldiers that if the government troops on both flanks did not attack, they should not take the initiative to attack.
"You audacious Xu Youliang, daring to disrupt my army's morale! Words are useless now. Generals, who will capture this traitor for me?"
Before the words were finished, a horse galloped out from behind him. It was Hong Wuyang, the deputy general Zhao Jian had sent.
This man was clad in silver armor, but had a dark face, fangs, and a long, menacing beard. He wielded a staff that reached his eyebrows and charged straight at Xu Youliang.
Just as Youliang was about to meet the attack, a loud shout came from behind the horse: "Prince, retreat! Let me deal with him!"
Youliang turned around and saw He Li, the leader of Delong Cave from the Eighty-One Caves. The leaders of the Eighty-One Caves were all the best warriors from their respective caves, skilled in battle.
However, Hong Wuyang was a mounted general, while He Li was a foot general, putting him at a disadvantage. He was somewhat worried and wanted to stop him, but the man had already gone out, so he had no choice but to return to his own lines.
He Li, wielding two curved swords, arrived before Hong Wuyang's horse. The two exchanged names and began to fight. He Li was short in stature, and Hong Wuyang initially looked down on him. However, once the fight began, he realized He Li was a formidable opponent. He was agile, like a monkey, weaving in and out of the horse's belly. His two curved swords were never far from the horse's hooves. Hong Wuyang, on horseback, couldn't reach them and could only frantically leap and thrash his horse to dodge the attacks, yelling in frustration. In a moment of distraction, He Li's curved swords struck the horse's two forelegs with two sharp cracks, severing the hooves. Hong Wuyang fell to the ground with a thud.
Pang Qi, seeing this, was shocked but it was too late to help. He Li's sword was already in his hand, flying through the air. With a snap, the head was in his grasp. Holding the severed head, he leaped back to his own lines.
Having won a battle, their morale soared, and the barbarian soldiers cheered. Pang Qi, furious, gritted his teeth and turned to shout, "Which general will step forward?"
Another warhorse galloped out from the ranks, carrying a young general in bronze helmet and armor, wielding a long blue spear—though the shaft wasn't iron, it was still eighteen feet long. He shouted, "Hey, barbarian general, I am Long Yubao, the Flower Spear Master of the Capital! Who will fight me three hundred rounds?"
Then, a cave chief named He Kun stepped forward from the ranks.
He Kun was also an infantry general, wielding a pair of hand hooks.
It turned out that Long Yubao had been observing from within the formation. The infantrymen were focused on slashing the horses' legs from under their bellies, while he himself wielded a long, ornate spear. If he could keep his opponent at bay, the opponent would be helpless, only able to take hits. So, when the two clashed, Long Yubao's spear moved like a wheel, shielding himself and his horse. He Kun jumped left and right, unable to get into the circle, and became increasingly frustrated, cursing under his breath.
However, He Kun was a seasoned warrior, while Long Yubao, though skilled, lacked experience in combat.
Seeing that he couldn't get close, He Kun deliberately feigned weakness, pausing to create an opening. Long Yubao was overjoyed and thrust his spear forward, distracted by the opportunity. This proved disastrous. While He Kun was normally unable to get close with his spear, this thrust created openings all around him.
Just as the spear was about to pierce He Kun's chest, He Kun suddenly turned around, the spear grazing past his clothes, and He Kun had already moved along the shaft to close in. Long Yubao realized the danger and tried to pull his spear back, but it was too long. He tried to turn his horse to run, but it was too late. He hurriedly drew his sword to protect himself, but his horse's hooves were exposed again, and with a crack, the horse stumbled.
He Kun knew he was in trouble. He dropped his spear in mid-air and brandished his sword to protect himself. However, as a mounted general in armor, his movements were restricted. He Kun was incredibly fast. With a single hook, he caught He Kun's ribs, pulled and swung him into the air. A heart leaped out from the hole in his ribs, and he instantly died. He Kun cut off his head and returned to his own lines.
Hu Qihai had been stationed at Zhennanguan for many years and was quite familiar with the martial arts and tactics of the barbarian soldiers. If Pang Qi's men were sent out again, more casualties would likely occur, and Pang Qi would then blame him. Therefore, he gave his eldest son, Hu Feng, a meaningful look. Hu Feng understood and quickly spurred his horse forward.
Hu Feng, only in his early twenties, rode his Chasing Wind Leopard and wielded a pair of silver-plated iron halberds. He galloped to the front of the formation and shouted, "Who dares to challenge me?"
Xu Youliang had known Hu Feng since childhood and knew his martial arts skills, which was why he wanted to fight personally. However, another cave master, Xi Shu, emerged from the formation. Xi Shu also wielded double halberds, so seeing the halberd-wielding warrior about to fight, Xu Youliang had no choice but to observe from the sidelines.
It remained to be seen which of the two halberd-wielding warriors would prevail. To be continued...

Chapter Twelve—The Four Daughters of the Feng Family Display Heroism, and the Enchanting Empress Zhao Bewitches the Tyrant Emperor

. As mentioned in the previous chapter, the two halberd-wielding warriors, Hu Feng and Xi Shu, clashed.
Despite Xi Shu's martial arts skills being considered top-tier among the eighty-one cave masters, he was no match for Hu Feng. Hu Feng was highly skilled and extremely agile, making it very difficult for Xi Shu to get close. Even when he finally managed to slip under Hu Feng's horse, Hu Feng used his ability to hide in the stirrups to maneuver around him. After a dozen or so rounds, Xi Shu was exhausted. When Hu Feng circled back to fight, Xi Shu made a mistake and was struck in the chest by Hu Feng's halberd. With a sudden burst of strength, Hu Feng lifted Xi Shu into the air with one arm and slammed him to the ground, smashing his skull open.
Xu Youliang cried out in pain and hurriedly rode forward to fight Hu Feng. At that moment, the Second Princess Feng Le galloped out from behind.
Feng Le had been watching from within the formation and knew that the enemy's elite troops were about to be unleashed. She knew that if her side didn't send out some of their strongest warriors, they would suffer losses. However, the Prince Consort was the commander-in-chief and couldn't be moved lightly, so she rode out herself.
Upon seeing the approaching general, Hu Feng, who appeared to be around twenty years old, was struck by her beauty. Her exposed arms and snow-white legs were a sight Hu Feng had never seen before, and he swallowed hard, quickly asking, "Please state your name, lady."
"I am Feng Le, the second princess of the Southern Ridge Kingdom, and the second wife of General Xu Youliang."
"A princess of noble birth, why not enjoy her blessings in her cave instead of coming to the battlefield? Know that swords have no eyes; I fear they might injure your beautiful face..." Hu Feng's words unconsciously became lewd.
"You audacious dog, daring to take advantage of your princess! Take this!" With that, Feng Le raised her two-pronged fork and thrust forward.
Hu Feng, seeing the fork coming, quickly dodged, parrying with his double halberds.
Although Hu Feng was a man and his martial arts were not lacking, he was far inferior to the fourth princess of the Feng family. After only a dozen or so rounds, sweat beaded on his nose.
Seeing the situation was dire, Hu Qihai hurriedly turned back and called for his second son, Hu Yunwu, to join the battle with twin spears. Meanwhile, the third princess, Feng Yun, wielded a bronze staff to intercept him. Hu Qihai's daughter, Hu Qiaoyun, seeing this, charged forward on horseback, brandishing her embroidered phoenix sword to rescue Hu Feng. The fourth princess, Feng Ling, also joined the fray, wielding twin swords
. Seeing the three pairs of generals fighting fiercely in the battle, Hu Qihai, fearing for his children's safety, hastily charged into the fray himself, wielding twin hammers, only to be caught by Feng Yi's single-
edged dragon shovel. Pang Qi, on horseback, saw that all four of the opposing female generals were in the fray, leaving only Xu Youliang as the main general. Thinking it an easy victory, he gave a signal to his lieutenants whom he had brought from the capital, and they all rushed towards Youliang.
Youliang, seeing this, remained fearless, mounted his horse, and charged forward with his spear. Several tribal chiefs from the barbarian army also rushed forward to engage him in battle.
Seeing he couldn't win, Pang Qi had no choice but to fight You Liang himself. After only seven or eight rounds, Hu Feng was pierced from both front and back by Feng Le's fork and fell from his horse. Hu Yun, hearing his brother's dying screams, lost his focus and was struck down by Feng Yun's club, falling from his horse.
Feng Le and Feng Yun each dealt with their opponents, one going to help Feng Yi, the other to help Feng Ling.
Hu Qihai, already at a disadvantage against Feng Yi, was further weakened by Feng Le's attack. Feng Yi slashed off his horse's rump with a shovel, causing the horse to lurch backward, where Feng Le's fork struck, piercing his throat; he was clearly doomed.
Hu Qiaoyun, skilled in martial arts, was fighting Feng Ling to a standstill when Feng Yun rushed to her aid. While struggling, she caught sight of Feng Yi and Feng Le charging towards her and, unable to withstand them, was defeated.
Upon seeing this, Zhang Gui, who was observing the enemy formation from the rear, quickly waved his command flag. Five thousand barbarian soldiers roared and charged forward like hungry tigers pouncing on their prey.
Three of the four Hu family generals had died, and the morale of the government troops was severely damaged. Their formation was broken in an instant, and the remaining soldiers, seeing this, dropped their weapons and fled. Pang Qi, sensing the danger, turned his horse and fled, with the barbarian soldiers in hot pursuit.
Pang Qi reached the city walls of the military town and repeatedly shouted for the gates to be opened, but no one answered. With the pursuers closing in, he had no choice but to bypass the city and retreat back to Zhennan Pass.
It turned out that the people in the military town were all old subordinates of the Xu family, who resented the court for framing Xu Chengzhu and had long harbored feelings for him. Seeing Pang Qi's defeat, they deliberately refused to open the city gates, forcing him to retreat to Zhennan Pass. Xu Youliang returned to the military town effortlessly, laying the foundation for his future campaigns against bandits and the recruitment of soldiers.
Pang Qi returned to the pass and inspected his troops. Of the 40,000 men he had brought with him from Zhennan Pass, only 3,000 remained. Of the 40,000 men from Pingnan Pass and Dingnan Pass, only a few commanders returned empty-handed. He didn't know that those soldiers had no desire to fight and were already eager to surrender.
Pang Qi's first campaign against the Nanling Mountains had resulted in heavy losses, rendering him unable to continue fighting. He could only send a messenger on a 600-li urgent mission to the capital to report and request a redeployment. Meanwhile
, the incompetent Emperor Duan Qi issued an edict to kill Xu Chengzhu and then ordered the execution of the three empresses. He devoted his heart solely to the wicked Empress Zhao Chan, spending his days drinking and reveling with her, playing the game of the hero capturing the beauty.
However, even the most interesting games eventually become tiresome. One day, Zhao Chan noticed Duan Qi's apparent weariness and said, "I've heard that Your Majesty is fond of raising leopards. Is that true?"
"Yes," Duan Qi replied, "when I was the Crown Prince, I kept over a dozen leopards and two tigers. They are now kept in the Leopard Garden at Jingshan. I haven't seen them for many days." "Your Majesty
," Zhao Chan said, "I've only ever heard of tigers and leopards since I was a child; I've never seen them. Why don't you take me to see them?" "
Since my wife wants to see them, let's go."
So, the two of them, surrounded by a large group of palace maids and eunuchs, arrived at Jingshan behind the palace. A fence made of thick iron bars enclosed half of the mountain, where a dozen or so tigers and leopards roamed freely.
Duan Qi summoned the head eunuch in charge of the Leopard Garden and said, "The Empress and I want to see the tigers and leopards hunt. Quickly, bring some live prey to feed them."
The chief eunuch agreed and hurriedly went to prepare. Before long, he found several rabbits and threw them over the fence. As soon as the tigers and leopards saw the live animals, they pounced. The rabbits were already terrified and didn't even know how to run. In no time, they were torn to pieces and swallowed clean.
Duan Qi watched with great interest, then said to Zhao Chan, "My Lady, what do you think?"
"Your Majesty, tigers and leopards are indeed ferocious. I wonder what they would do if they saw people?"
"Tigers and leopards would naturally eat people." "
Has Your Majesty ever seen one?"
"Where would I see one?"
"Your Majesty has the power of life and death. If you want to see one, just let a few people in, wouldn't that be enough?"
"My Lady, Your Majesty should prioritize benevolence and not kill people arbitrarily."
"I have a plan that will allow Your Majesty to see tigers and leopards eating people."
"Oh? What plan do you have, My Lady?"
"I remember that when the three palaces were being interrogated, there were still over a hundred palace maids and eunuchs imprisoned in Prince De's mansion. These people colluded with Xu Shi, harming the imperial heir. According to the law, they should be executed. Why doesn't Your Majesty have them temporarily taken to the Cold Palace and fattened up to feed the tigers?"
"What my wife says is absolutely right. I will immediately send someone to bring those guilty servants to the palace,"
Duan Qi said, then ordered the eunuchs attending him to go to Prince De's residence to deliver the decree.
The next day, Duan Qi and Zhao Chan went to the Leopard Garden, along with two of Empress Xu's personal maids, who were being escorted by eunuchs.
Zhao Chan ordered the two maids to be brought over. Both were considered older maids, around twenty-two or twenty-three years old, and their faces were somewhat haggard from being imprisoned for many days.
Upon seeing Duan Qi, the two maids hurriedly knelt down to pay their respects. Zhao Chan instructed the eunuchs, "Strip them barefoot."
The eunuchs obeyed and quickly stripped the two maids naked, making them kneel on the ground like two large white sheep.
Knowing what the emperor liked, Zhao Chan ordered the eunuchs and maids to leave, leaving only Duan Qi, herself, and the two maids. Then, Zhao Chan personally dragged one of the maids over, lifted one of her legs, revealing the two labia minora amidst the black pubic hair, allowing Duan Qi to play with them at will.
Compared to ordinary palace maids, these two were already quite mature. Duan Qi, aroused by lust, enjoyed himself immensely.
The palace maids were originally intended for the emperor, so the two maids allowed themselves to be humiliated, hoping to become imperial concubines as a result. However, when Duan Qi was in high spirits, Zhao Chan lifted her skirt, revealing her snow-white buttocks, allowing Duan Qi to penetrate her.
After Duan Qi finished, he and Zhao Chan dressed themselves and then summoned the eunuchs, ordering them to take the two maids to the Leopard Garden. Only
then did the two maids learn the truth. They first cursed Zhao Chan for her shamelessness, then cursed the tyrannical emperor. The two beautiful maids were then dragged by the eunuchs onto a rock shaped like an eagle's beak and pushed down. Below the rock was a pool of water, and the two maids fell into the water. They hurriedly stood up and struggled to climb ashore, only to find the tigers and leopards surrounding them, glaring menacingly.
The two palace maids trembled with fear and took off running, but this only made things worse.
These tigers and leopards were domesticated and had never eaten humans before, nor did they know that humans were edible. So when they saw people entering, they were merely curious. If you weren't afraid and went to meet them, they would naturally make way for you. Also, tigers never attack their prey head-on, so if they didn't circle around behind you, they didn't intend to eat you.
Unfortunately, the two palace maids didn't understand these things. Seeing a tiger, how could they not run? The carnivorous beasts' hunting instincts were innate. Seeing the two run, they knew they could attack and immediately pounced.
The leopard was naturally in the lead. The palace maids were already thin and weak; how could they outrun tigers and leopards? In just a few steps, one of them was overtaken. The leopard swerved its front legs, striking the maid's slender ankle. She lost her balance and fell to the ground. The leopard pounced, biting the maid's neck and pinning her to the ground.
Her snow-white body writhed on the ground, her hands slapping wildly at the leopard's head, her pink legs swinging and kicking helplessly. The remaining tigers and leopards quickly caught up, some grabbing her feet, others her hands, dragging her around wildly until she was sprawled out on her back. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the palace maid stopped moving.
The leopard that had been biting her neck released its grip, and the palace maid lay motionless on her back in the grass. The tigers and leopards merely watched, occasionally nudging her with their noses, but they didn't eat her. Duan Qi was quite puzzled, so he asked the head eunuch. The head eunuch replied, "These tigers and leopards have never eaten humans before and don't know what human flesh tastes like, so they won't eat it."
"Then what can be done?"
"Just cut open the palace maid's flesh and let the tigers and leopards smell the blood."
"Then go quickly."
The head eunuch received the order and ordered the eunuchs to take sticks and go inside for protection. The wild beasts made way for their master when they saw him. The head eunuch took the sword that Duan Qi had given him and thrust it into the palace maid's vagina with a swift motion, then ripped open her abdomen, and her intestines came out together. Then the eunuchs withdrew outside the fence.
The wild beasts swarmed around again, sniffing for a while before one leopard tried to drag out the palace maid's intestines, pulling them a considerable distance. Seeing this, the other tigers and leopards rushed to bite.
In the time it takes to eat a meal, the palace maid was reduced to a pile of bones.
Duan Qi, watching, exclaimed with satisfaction, pointing to another palace maid who had already fled to the other side of the circle in terror, and shouted to the tigers and leopards, "There's another one over there, go eat her!"
It turned out that these tigers and leopards, to increase their hunting success rate, usually only attacked one target at a time. Now that the first palace maid was gone, they weren't satisfied, so they turned their attention to the remaining one.
The palace maid, seeing the beasts surrounding her, was terrified, defecating and urinating, screaming for help, but no one paid her any attention. Seeing that she was surrounded by wild beasts, she hurriedly tried to run away through an opening, but after only two steps, a tiger pounced on her from behind, biting her throat tightly.
That scene repeated itself: a naked woman lay struggling on the ground, while a pack of tigers and leopards dragged her along, helping her.
Soon, the palace maid suffocated. The wild beasts first attacked her soft belly and genitals, tearing open her stomach, emptying her internal organs, and then tearing at her flesh. In no time, they were all gone.
Duan Qi and Zhao Chan watched with delight, clapping and cheering.
Zhao Chan said, "Your Majesty, what do you think of my idea?" "
My wife has indeed come up with a good idea; I will reward you handsomely."
From then on, Duan Qi had another pastime: watching the tigers and leopards devour people in the leopard enclosure. The palace
maids and eunuchs awaiting punishment in the harem could only be eaten for a few days; within a year, they were all gone. When Duan Qi wanted to watch again, there was nothing left to feed him.
Zhao Chan then gave him another idea: find prisoners sentenced to death in the various prisons of the Ministry of Justice. Duan Qi became addicted to watching, and these were far from enough. Zhao Chan then ordered him to issue an edict to the generals who were out suppressing bandits and quelling rebellions, ordering them to send the prisoners to the capital.
Duan Qi's cruel and tyrannical actions chilled the hearts of the people, further fueling their desire for change, and the Great Zhen Dynasty took another step closer to its demise.
One day, while Duan Qi was watching tigers and leopards devour palace maids in the Leopard Garden, a war report arrived from the Ministry of War. It reported that Wang Fengtong of Nanling and his rebellious son Xu Youliang were resisting the imperial army. Pang Qi had been defeated, and General Hu Qihai of Zhennan Pass and his two sons had been killed in action. Xu Youliang had occupied the Nanling military town, and the court was requested to quickly dispatch a large army to suppress them. The report also stated that the generals of Pingnan Pass and Dingnan Pass had suffered setbacks in battle, and requested an imperial reprimand. Duan Qi was shocked and immediately summoned Zhao Jian and Wang Feilian to discuss the matter.
Zhao Jian said, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Although Fengtong has won, Nanling is just a small place and cannot become a big threat. Once the imperial army arrives, it will naturally be wiped out in one fell swoop. The concern is that Grand Tutor Hu is leading troops outside, and there are no good generals in the court to lead troops. What should we do then?"
Wang Feilian also said, "This is indeed a major matter. However, with the world so vast, surely we can find a capable general? In my opinion, Your Majesty could hold a martial arts examination to select officials. Those with exceptional martial arts skills and strategic acumen could be granted military command and appointed as Marshals of the Southern Expedition, leading troops to annihilate the Barbarian King and Xu Youliang."
"What Minister Wang says is reasonable. I request that you two, along with Prince De, preside over the martial arts examination and seek talent for me."
The two traitors received the decree and spread it throughout the land, while also preparing the examination at the military training ground in the capital.
This martial arts competition brought forth several heroes.
What will happen next? Let's find out in the next chapter.

Chapter Thirteen—Heroes' Grand Martial Arts Competition at the Military Training Ground, Duan Qi's Imperial Conferment at the Golden Palace

It is said that Duan Qi held a martial arts examination at the military training ground to recruit talent, and martial arts candidates from all over the land gathered in the capital, creating a lively scene.
On this day, the imperial examination was being held. The treacherous officials Duan Jue, Zhao Jian, and Wang Feilian took their seats as examiners, ordering officers to post the list of successful candidates. All candidates were to register and enter the examination hall. Those who won five consecutive rounds would become third-class scholars, six second-class scholars, seven first-class scholars, eight third-class scholars, nine second-class scholars, and ten first-class scholars.
After the list was posted, three drumbeats sounded, and the candidates entered to compete. They displayed their skills, each displaying their talents, fighting back and forth.
The competition lasted three days, and the top three scholars were selected. Among them were a brother and sister: Cao Yunlong, twenty-three years old, and Cao Yunfeng, nineteen years old. Both were hunters, each wielding a three-pronged steel fork, and were extremely brave. Cao Yunfeng was especially beautiful, a truly exceptional woman.
Initially, only the elder brother fought, and after eight rounds, no one else challenged him. Only then did the younger sister step forward, explaining to the examiners that her brother and sister were evenly matched in martial arts. Her brother had already won eight rounds, while she hadn't yet entered the arena. She argued that if she won, it wouldn't be a testament to her skill; if she lost, she would lose all her honors. She requested the examiners to choose someone else to fight. The three examiners agreed, finding her reasoning sound.
Thus, Cao Yunfeng also fought eight rounds before requesting a sibling duel to determine the champion.
Before the two could even begin, someone outside the arena shouted, "Wait! This young lady is here!" A red horse galloped into the training ground, heading straight for the reviewing stand.
"Who is making such a fuss?" the three examiners shouted from above.
A moment later, a military officer came to report that a woman had entered the arena requesting to take the exam.
Duan Jue said, "Didn't you tell her she was late?"
The general replied, "I already told her, but she asked me to forward it to the three examiners. The court holds this military examination to select virtuous people for the country. Is there a priority in serving the country?"
"What a bold woman! Bound her and bring her to me!" Duan Jue shouted.
After a short while, several soldiers brought the woman up and made her kneel down. The woman appeared to be around twenty years old, with a fair complexion, peach-like cheeks, and a face like beautiful jade. She had almond-shaped eyes and sword-like eyebrows. Her beauty rivaled that of Diao Chan, yet she possessed a fierce and ruthless aura.
Upon seeing her, Duan Jue was astonished by her beauty and quickly ordered her ropes to be untied. He asked, "Young lady, what is your name, and why have you trespassed onto the military training ground?"
The woman remained calm and replied, "Your Excellency, my name is Duan Lingfeng. I heard that the Emperor is holding a military examination to select a champion, so I have come to take the exam."
"Don't you know the opening time?"
"I do know, but my home is far away in a border town. The journey is long, and even though I rushed, I still missed the exam. I beg you, gentlemen, to consider my sincere desire to serve the country and allow me to take the exam."
"However, we are only waiting to determine the top three scholars—the champion, the second-place scholar, and the third-place scholar. The top three spots are already filled, so there is no chance for me."
"I came here to compete for the title of champion; nothing else matters to me."
"How dare you speak so rudely! Don't you know there are always people more capable than you? You haven't even had a chance
to compete, yet you dare to boast so arrogantly! You truly don't know what's good for you! Come on, throw her out!" "My lord, please wait! As the saying goes, 'Don't take on a job you're not qualified for.' How can you know I'm not good enough before even competing? I beg you to show me some leniency and let me have a chance. If I lose, I will accept whatever punishment you give me!" "Your Highness, since this woman dares to boast, she must have some skill. Why not let her try? If she wins, it will be a blessing for my lord to have such a capable general. If she loses, then punish her for both crimes." Wang Feilian said, and Zhao Jian agreed. Seeing that the two had the same idea, Duan Jue said, "Since that's the case, then Duan Lingfeng, you go and compete. If you win, you will be the top scholar. If you lose, then punish her for both crimes and give her forty lashes."
"Yes, sir!"
Duan Lingfeng dismounted and prepared to mount her horse to challenge the Cao siblings. Cao Yunlong quickly spurred his horse to the platform and said, "My lords, my brother and I have each fought eight battles and are exhausted. She is the freshest of the three, which is unfair."
Duan Lingfeng also came over and said, "What this brother says is very true. I have two options for you to choose from. One is that I also fight eight battles and then compete with you two. The other option is for you two to fight me together." "My
lords, it is already late, and it is impossible to fight eight more battles. I think it is better for the Cao siblings to fight Duan Lingfeng together," Duan Jue said.
"Wouldn't this young lady be at a disadvantage? It would be dishonorable for my brother and sister to win." Cao Yunlong knew that although he and his sister had already fought eight battles, they were from the same school, so their combined strength was still greater than that of one person at their peak. He did not want to take advantage of her, so he said this.
"I know my own martial arts skills. Please rest assured, sir." After Duan Lingfeng finished speaking, she mounted her horse and went to the arena.
Left with no other choice, Cao Yunlong and his sister Cao Yunfeng mounted their horses, exchanged greetings with Duan Lingfeng, and then engaged in battle.
Duan Lingfeng appeared frail, but her strength was immense. She wielded a golden phoenix-winged halberd, displaying extraordinary bravery.
The three fought for over seventy rounds. Duan Lingfeng circled her horse, feigning defeat, and launched two thrusts at once. She countered with a downward swipe of her halberd, causing both women to lose control of their halberds, the tips falling to the ground. This move, known as the "Defeated Halberd," was uncounterable.
Duan Lingfeng leaped out of the circle on her horse, bowed, and said, "You two are too kind."
Cao Yunlong and his brother blushed deeply, ashamed, and hurriedly replied, "Miss Duan's martial arts are superb; my brother and I are truly in awe."
The three of them went to the front of the platform. Duan Jue, seeing this from above, summoned them up to the platform and laughed heartily, "To have such brave warriors, my lord is truly blessed!"
Thus, he appointed Duan Lingfeng as the top scholar, and Cao Yunlong and Cao Yunfeng as the second and third scholars, respectively.
The three treacherous officials reported the results of the imperial examination to the palace. Duan Qi was overjoyed and wanted to ascend the throne early the next morning, as the top three needed to be personally selected by the Emperor.
Zhao Chan had practiced martial arts since childhood and was very dedicated to it. Hearing that two of the top three were women, she was very curious and asked Duan Qi to take her to the palace for the final examination.
When the successful candidates came to the palace, some were large and robust, while others were slender and spirited. Duan Qi was very pleased, and seeing Duan Lingfeng's exceptional beauty, he was overjoyed.
Zhao Chan, being exceptionally clever, spoke before Duan Qi could even speak, saying, "Your Majesty, look at Duan Lingfeng, so young yet possessing such martial arts skills; it is truly a blessing for our Great Zhen Dynasty. Since she also shares the surname Duan, why not recognize her as a sworn princess? What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Duan Qi inwardly groaned, yet unable to refuse, he could only go along with it, bestowing upon Duan Lingfeng the title of Imperial Sister Princess.
The title of Imperial Sister was equivalent to a princess, an immense honor. Duan Lingfeng, originally just a girl from a humble family, was naturally overwhelmed with gratitude, hastily kneeling to express her thanks, saying, "Lingfeng has no virtue or ability to deserve such high regard from Your Majesty and Her Majesty; I will repay Your Majesty and Her Majesty's kindness with my life." With such favor, Duan Lingfeng devoted herself wholeheartedly to serving Duan Qi, a pitiful situation indeed.
A few days later, Duan Qi issued an imperial edict, appointing Duan Lingfeng as Marquis of Protectorate and Grand Marshal of Pingnan, Pang Qi as his deputy, Cao Yunlong and his sister as vanguard officers, and the other military graduates of the same cohort as deputy generals. They led an army of 300,000 towards Nanling.
Meanwhile, Xu Youliang, having achieved a great victory, did not launch any further attacks, but instead focused on recruiting soldiers and stockpiling provisions in the military towns.
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers from the three passes surrendered without resistance. Even more gratifying was that the commanders of Pingnan Pass and Dingnan Pass also led their troops to join him. It turned out that Pang Qi, angered by their poor performance in battle, had reported them to the court and severely reprimanded them, and had also embezzled provisions from the two passes, causing resentment among the troops. At this time, news of Duan Qi feeding leopards with humans in the Leopard Garden reached the three passes. Upon hearing of Duan Qi's tyrannical and incompetent rule, and the inevitable demise of the Great Zhen Dynasty, the two commanders simply led their troops to join Xu Youliang.
Xu Youliang already knew about the imperial examinations for generals, and Zhang Gui had even given him advice, sending over a dozen outstanding young martial arts masters to the capital to take the exams. Among the officers brought by Duan Lingfeng were spies sent by Xu Youliang, so they knew of Duan Lingfeng's arrival all along. Even so, Xu Youliang still suffered a huge loss. Meanwhile,
on his way here, Duan Lingfeng learned that Pingnan and Dingnan Passes had fallen into Xu Youliang's hands. If Xu Youliang attacked the capital from these two passes, it would be extremely dangerous. Therefore, he ordered the Cao siblings to each lead 50,000 troops to take the two passes, while he himself led the main force straight to Zhennan Pass to join forces with Pang Qi. After the two passes were recaptured, they would all leave the pass and rendezvous at the Nanling military town.
First, let's talk about the Cao siblings. Each led their troops to attack the two passes. Zhang Gui, upon receiving the news, hurriedly sent messengers to inform the generals of the two passes to hold their positions and avoid battle. However, the generals, unaware of the danger, were eager to prove themselves after recently joining the army and went out to fight. The Cao siblings were highly skilled in martial arts, and the generals were no match for them. Cao Yunlong challenged Zhao Pizhi on the battlefield, and Cao Yunfeng challenged He Yaowu, thus capturing the two passes.
At this time, Xu Youliang and Zhang Gui were stationed at the Man Cave. Upon receiving the news that the Nanling military formation was indefensible, they hurriedly ordered the four Feng sisters to retreat into the mountains, while simultaneously sending men to set up an ambush. However, the four Feng sisters, confident in their martial arts, refused to abandon their posts. Xu Youliang and Zhang Gui, upon hearing this, sent messengers on horseback to urge them on, while also leading over ten thousand men out of the mountains to provide support. But it was too late; Feng Le and Feng Yun perished on the battlefield.
To find out how the two sisters were injured, please read the next chapter.

Chapter Fourteen – Cao Yunfeng Helps Her Brother Kill Feng Le, Duan Yumei Slays Feng Yunlong on

the Battlefield. It is said that Duan Lingfeng arrived at Zhennan Pass, where Pang Qi led his entire army to pay homage to the commander-in-chief and welcome him into the pass. A few days later, the Cao siblings reported that they had captured Pingnan Pass and Dingnan Pass. Duan Lingfeng was overjoyed and arranged a date for them to meet at the military town.
On this day, the three passes simultaneously dispatched troops, heading straight for the military town, setting up camp outside the city to attack the enemy's key positions.
At the sound of the cannon in the military town, the four daughters of the Feng family led their entire army to meet them. The two sides arrayed themselves before the town, and without exchanging words, they clashed. The deputy generals of both sides fought, and both suffered casualties. Feng Le then
charged out on horseback, targeting Duan Lingfeng's key positions. From the other side, a man charged out – the vanguard officer Cao Yunlong.
Cao Yunlong and Feng Le engaged in a fierce battle on the battlefield, both wielding fork, exchanging blows for forty rounds without a clear victor.
The soldiers on both sides beat their war drums, and the man and woman fought with renewed vigor, their battle incredibly fierce.
After a hundred or so rounds, both were sweating profusely, yet neither could gain the upper hand. Feng Le thought to herself, "If I continue fighting like this, when will it ever end? I might as well use my ultimate move to finish him off."
With this thought, Feng Le suffered a defeat and fled in disarray. Cao Yunlong, however, was not about to let her go and gave chase.
Cao Yunfeng, seeing this from the ranks, became suspicious, fearing for her brother's safety. She thought, "Why don't I lend my brother a hand?" and secretly followed.
Seeing that Cao Yunlong was about to catch up with Feng Le, Cao Yunfeng secretly took out her bow and arrow, aimed at the back of Feng Le's head, and fired an arrow with a "whoosh."
Feng Le, running ahead, only heard the sound of hooves behind her. When the hooves drew closer, she suddenly spurred her horse, turned around, and thrust the arrow towards Cao Yunlong's throat.
Unaware of the trap, Cao Yunlong, seeing that he had enough steps, raised his fork and thrust it towards Feng Le's back.
Although both attacked simultaneously, Feng Le, having taken the initiative, should have been the one to succeed. However, just as the bowstring twanged, she caught sight of an arrow flying towards her and hastily dodged. The two forks grazed Cao Yunlong's neck, leaving only a bloody gash, but Cao Yunlong's fork precisely pierced her right ribs, with three prongs: one piercing her armpit, one going straight through her heart, and one lodging in her waist.
Feng Le screamed, dropped the fork, and died instantly.
Cao Yunlong, his neck lacerated by the fork, was also shocked. Seeing that he had succeeded, he exerted his strength and lifted Feng Le into the air.
In battlefield combat, after assassinating an enemy general, it was common to lift and throw the victim, as the sight had the greatest impact on the morale of both sides. Cao Yunlong did the same. He originally intended to throw Feng Le far away for everyone to see, but upon seeing the view under her skirt, he abandoned his plan and instead lifted her into the air, circling his horse back.
What view? It turned out that female generals in the Central Plains usually didn't wear skirts, but rather trousers. However, Feng Le was a barbarian woman, and according to custom, she wore a short skirt, and nothing underneath.
Cao Yunlong used a fork to hold Feng Le, lifting her into the air, making her body horizontal. A gust of wind blew, and her short skirt flipped up to her waist, revealing a plump, snowy buttocks, a tuft of dark, downy hair, and two soft, slightly parted pink legs, exposing two plump labia and that alluring cave.
Although Cao Yunlong was not young, his ambition was even greater, and thus he had never married. He had never seen such splendor before, so he deliberately tilted the fork towards his horse, letting Feng Le's head hang slightly downwards on it, her two pink legs dangling limply, her snow-white buttocks sticking out in mid-air, as she returned to her unit's formation.
The government troops immediately cheered, while the Nanling camp cursed angrily.
Duan Lingfeng, being a woman herself, felt somewhat awkward, but since this action boosted the morale of the soldiers, she ignored it.
Cao Yunlong, wielding that fork with such swagger, infuriated the Feng sisters. Feng Yun, wielding a large club, galloped forward to attack Cao Yunlong.
Duan Lingfeng, having observed the battle, knew that the Feng sisters' martial arts were superior to Cao's, and fearing for his safety, she personally rode out to meet him.
Seeing Lingfeng catch her third sister, Fengling spurred her horse forward again, only to be blocked by Cao Yunfeng. Fengle, disregarding her duty to observe the enemy formation, galloped to snatch her sister's body, but was again stopped by Hu Qiaoyun. A fierce battle ensued on the battlefield.
After nearly half an hour of fighting, Duan Lingfeng spotted an opening. She let Fengyun's large club come crashing down on her head, then swerved to the side, dodging the club. Her phoenix-winged halberd swept across, and Fengyun, unable to dodge, was struck across the throat, severing her trachea. She thrashed twice on her horse before falling to the ground.
The nearby soldiers, who had already seen Fengle's condition, rushed forward and seized Fengyun. She wasn't completely dead yet; seeing the soldiers grab her by the ankles and drag her upside down, her beautiful vulva exposed to their view, she was so enraged that her phoenix eyes widened in fury, dying with unresolved rage.
Duan Lingfeng raised her halberd, and the government troops roared and charged. Having lost two sisters, the Feng family generals could no longer hold out and fled south, with Duan Lingfeng in hot pursuit.
After chasing for over fifty li, they encountered Xu Youliang coming to their aid. Fearing further losses, Duan Lingfeng sounded the retreat.
Both sides then set up camp at the foot of Nanling Mountain.
Duan Lingfeng raised her tent, and each camp brought their captured heads to report their achievements. Only the two female generals, Feng Le and Feng Yun, had not been beheaded. They lay sprawled in the open space in front of the gate, their upper garments torn and their skirts flipped up to their waists, exposing their beautiful vulvas for all to see. The government soldiers surrounded them, looking at the two vulvas, their minds filled with lust as they imagined Xu Youliang's lewd acts in bed, their laughter filled with lewdness.
Duan Lingfeng recorded their merits in the merit book. The Cao siblings, having captured two passes and killed Feng Le in a duel, were credited with the greatest achievement.
Two more generals were to be beheaded as a signal.
The so-called "command" was to be displayed on the flagpole at the gate, both to boost morale and to demoralize the enemy.
Duan Lingfeng's order wasn't wrong, but the soldiers' execution was quite different.
Originally, when the commander said "command," it meant cutting off the enemy general's head and hanging it on the flagpole, but this wasn't explicitly stated. So, the soldiers deliberately turned the supposed command of beheading into a command of hanging corpses.
Look at them, first they stripped Feng Le and Feng Yun naked, then a group of men surrounded them, each grabbing a handful, groping and ravaging the two women's bodies.
The two women lay there helplessly, their most private parts exposed to being seen and touched repeatedly, utterly powerless to resist.
The soldiers took another rope, tied one end to one ankle, pulled it up, then tied it around the neck. They then used the other end to pull it up to the top of the flagpole through an iron gourd. The Feng sisters were left hanging with one leg raised high on each flagpole, their lower bodies exposed to the public eye. For a princess to meet such a fate was truly lamentable!
Xu Youliang, along with Feng Yi and Feng Ling, were in their camp when they heard the report from the soldiers. They rushed out and saw two naked female corpses hanging on the gate of the opposite camp. Recognizing the Feng sisters, they were speechless with rage. Xu Youliang said, "That vile woman, Duan Lingfeng! One day I'll catch you and make you suffer unspeakable humiliation, a fate worse than death!"
The three returned to their tent to discuss how to avenge themselves. Zhang Gui, hearing the news, knew they were acting impulsively because of the Feng sisters and rushed over.
Zhang Gui said, "Youliang, you are the backbone of the entire army. If others act impulsively, that's one thing, but if you act like that, wouldn't you ruin everything?"
Youliang replied, "Uncle, your nephew's wife's body is currently hanging on the flagpole, being humiliated. How can I, as a man, tolerate this?"
"Youliang, if we were to engage in battle, how confident are you of victory? Duan Lingfeng is a martial arts champion, and his officers are all scholars who passed the imperial examinations, representing the best of the Central Plains. Although you have eighty-one brave warriors, they are mostly skilled in foot combat, which is disadvantageous on the plains. Furthermore, the enemy has hundreds of thousands, while we only have a little over one hundred thousand. In terms of numbers and martial arts, we are at a disadvantage. As Sun Tzu said, 'He who calculates more wins, he who calculates less loses.' Just by calculating, neither of us can win. Not only will we not be able to retrieve the bodies of our two nephews' wives, but we might also have several more corpses hanging on the gate."
"In your opinion, Uncle, should we not fight?"
"It's not that we won't fight, but we can't act recklessly like you."
"What do you suggest?" "
Duan Lingfeng came here to wipe out the Barbarian Cave, so they will inevitably enter the Southern Ridge. We should retreat into the Southern Ridge and use its terrain to maneuver against them, dividing them one by one, and then annihilating them when the opportunity arises. As the saying goes, a gentleman's revenge is never too late, why rush it? We'll just wait until we capture Duan Lingfeng and make her repay double for the humiliation my niece-in-law suffered today. Nephew, the formation we set up in Huangshi Cave hasn't been used yet, so let's let Duan Lingfeng taste it first, wouldn't that be better?"
"Hmm, I really, really can't swallow this insult!"
"Patience is a knife in the heart."
"Alright, let's do as Uncle says and withdraw our troops."
Although Fengyi and the other two women were unwilling, they dared not disobey Xu Youliang's words. Fengyi said, "Even if the Prince Consort wants to withdraw his troops, he can't do it this way. We must guard against the enemy taking the opportunity to pursue and kill us."
"That makes sense, Fengling. You and your uncle lead the whole team to retreat into the mountains tonight and wait for me at Huanglong Cave. Fengyi and I will go to raid the camp tonight. If we succeed, we'll retrieve the bodies of the two princesses. If not, we'll at least scare them so they won't dare to pursue us."
"Why doesn't the Prince Consort lead the retreat himself and have my sister and I raid the camp together?" Fengling was unwilling.
"I'm afraid that you two won't be able to control your tempers when you get there, and if you fall into Duan Lingfeng's hands, how can I bear the shame? I'll go with your sister; with me there, she won't dare to run around recklessly."
Fengling knew he was telling the truth, so she said nothing more.
That night, Xu Youliang and Fengyi personally led a thousand barbarian soldiers to the outside of the government army camp. With a shout, they charged straight over. Before they even reached the gate, they heard shouts and neighing horses inside, knowing that the enemy was prepared. They quickly withdrew their troops, made a commotion outside, and then caught up with Fengling and the others, retreating into the mountains.
The next day, Duan Lingfeng led his entire army to challenge the enemy. Finding the enemy camp empty, he realized the commotion the previous night was to prepare for pursuit. Filled with regret, he hastily ordered his troops into the mountains.
They traveled without incident and soon arrived at Huanglong Cave. The cave's terrain was treacherous, easy to defend and difficult to attack, with flags fluttering and drums beating loudly.
How Duan Lingfeng managed to breach Huanglong Cave remains to be seen; we'll find out in the next chapter.

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