[Wuxia] The Duan Family Women Generals (Complete) - 36

Chapter 12 of Imperial Decree 012 – The Female Prime Minister's Mansion: Xiuying Tries the Case, the Minister of Personnel's Queen is Tortured

. The previous chapter recounted that Fan Lingyun and Hua Rong returned home to visit their families, staying overnight at the Fan Family Manor. That night, Fan Lingyun rose and called out to his mother, who turned out to be Tao Xiuying in disguise.
Tao Xiuying walked to the door of the west wing, lifted the curtain to peek inside, then returned to the main hall
and said, "Your Highness, your mission is complete. To ensure no one is harmed, I will send guards to escort you back to the capital first. I will handle everything here." "As you wish, Prime Minister." With that, Fan Lingyun lifted the curtain again, looking back reluctantly, before stepping out of the room to open the courtyard gate. He saw dozens of dark figures already lurking outside.
Tao Xiuying walked to the gate, quietly called over several guards, and ordered them to escort the Prince away first, while she led the rest into the courtyard.
They opened the door to the side room, lit candles, and rushed in to see what was happening. They found several guards from Bailong Pass drooling and fast asleep.
You might ask, these guards were seasoned veterans of the martial world, so why weren't they wary of being drugged? Firstly, Tao Xiuying and Fan Lingyun's acting was too convincing; secondly, Tao Xiuying didn't use ordinary anesthetics, but a drug with latent effects. The guards, seeing that their food and drink were no different from the others, and that one of them had already eaten without noticing anything amiss, all took it. Unexpectedly, the drug didn't take effect until midnight, and when it did, it came on very quickly. Even with the antidote, there was no time to use it, so they were all poisoned.
Tao Xiuying and the soldiers disguised as villagers also ate and drank, but after the meal, they promptly took the antidote, so it didn't affect them. Fan Lingyun had already taken the antidote beforehand, so it also didn't affect him.
Now, Hua Rong and the guards were like turtles in a barrel, completely at their mercy.
Xiuying looked at the guards, turned around and came out. One of her men asked, "What should we do with these men?"
"Silence them, don't leave any future trouble." Then she returned to the courtyard and saw two men disguised as village girls standing there. She beckoned them to come towards the main house.
The two fake village girls entered the west suite and their faces turned red as they looked at the scene.
On the kang (a heated brick bed), the bedding was thrown aside, and Hua Rongyu's face was flushed with desire. She was still dreaming of the pleasures of lovemaking. She was completely naked, lying on her back on the kang, her two jade arms stretched up beside her head, her jade legs spread apart like a frog's, her two jade breasts like chicken heads, and her pubic hair as black as lacquer. Looking at her beautiful vulva, it was covered with lustful fluids, which was quite disgusting.
Tao Xiuying looked at her and couldn't help but shake her head, saying, "This Fan Lingyun, although the Emperor bestowed the marriage upon her, knowing that she would surely die young, why doesn't he accumulate some good karma? How can he still not let her go at a time like this? Truly..." She couldn't finish her sentence and just shook her head repeatedly.
The two fake village girls secretly agreed with Tao Xiuying's words and showed disdain on their faces.
Tao Xiuying went over, personally found a cloth, and wiped Hua Rong's crotch clean. Then she told the two fake village girls to put Hua Rong's undergarment and red trousers on her, and used an iron shackle to handcuff her hands and feet. She then wrapped her head with a bed sheet before leaving the house. She saw that the other soldiers had already prepared the horses and were waiting outside the courtyard. Tao Xiuying ordered Hua Rong to be lifted onto the horse and secured with a rope. She also mounted the horse and they rode westward together.
Meanwhile, at Bailong Pass, a soldier guarding the city reported Hua Rong's departure to General Huang Yukun. Yukun initially paid little attention, but after two days, when Hua Rong hadn't returned, he became suspicious and rushed to the Prince's residence to inquire. He learned that Hua Rong had already gone into the pass to fetch his mother-in-law.
Huang Yukun had long foreseen Hua Rong's perilous situation, and upon hearing this, he sensed something was wrong. He quickly led a hundred soldiers, traveling day and night.
Upon arriving at Fanjiazhuang, they found the place deserted. He hurried westward, reaching the Beisha River ferry, only to find Tao Xiuying and the others had already crossed.
Huang Yukun immediately ordered a ferry to be set up. A general guarding the ferry on board said, "I have received an imperial decree from Prime Minister Tao to close the ferry for three days. No soldiers or civilians are permitted to cross here."
Although Huang Yukun was anxious, there were no boats on the shore, leaving him with no choice but to turn towards the downstream ferry.
Upon arriving at the ferry, he was again told that the ferry was closed for three days.
Huang Yukun turned to the upstream ferry crossings again, but to no avail. He tried five different crossings, but none offered a crossing. Realizing the court was prepared, he sighed inwardly that Hua Rong's fate was sealed.
He reasoned that although he wasn't particularly close to Hua Rong, he was still one of Hua Rong's former subordinates. Furthermore, leading troops in pursuit today would surely implicate him if the court found out. He decided it was best to leave. He returned to Bailong, hung up his boots, sealed his seal, and fled without a trace.
Many of Hua Rong's generals remained at Bailong Pass. Upon learning of Hua Rong's capture, they were greatly surprised and some were tempted to act. However, after some investigation, they learned that Cao Yunlong's forces to the south and Huang Yunxiang and Hong Wei's forces to the west were already on high alert, and thus dared not make a move.
Several days later, the court sent an imperial envoy to Bailong to appease the troops and redeploy the original Bailong Pass troops to other locations. Later, several who had shown dissent were executed on trumped-up charges, thus eliminating the threat.
Meanwhile, Tao Xiuying captured Hua Rong and brought him back to the capital, imprisoning him in the highest-ranking prison. She then reported this to the emperor.
Feng Qing was overjoyed and ordered Hua Rong to be sent to the Ministry of Personnel for Tao Xiuying's interrogation. He also
richly rewarded those who had rendered meritorious service and granted Fan Lingyun a marriage alliance with the royal family, making him Feng Xiaoyu's husband. Although Feng Xiaoyu had once secretly loved Fan Lingyun, and Fan Lingyun was quite charming, Feng Xiaoyu was, after all, a princess in name only, and she was unwilling to accept such favors. Initially, Fan Lingyun used all his charms to make Feng Xiaoyu lose her mind in bed. However, as time went on, Fan Lingyun, at the last moment, told Feng Xiaoyu about Hua Rong's alleged rape. She felt he was such a heartless person, and her disgust grew stronger. Afterwards, both harbored their own thoughts, and their lives became extremely unhappy—but that's another story. More importantly, Feng Xiaoyu knew that sending Fan Lingyun to seduce Hua Rong was Tao Xiuying's idea. Already harboring resentment towards Tao Xiuying, she grew even more hateful and sought opportunities for revenge every day.
Meanwhile, Tao Xiuying, smug and self-satisfied, believed she had removed two of the Emperor's biggest worries, and that he would surely make her a concubine sooner or later. Now, having received the Emperor's decree, she was even more eager to show off her abilities.
Returning to the Ministry of Personnel, it was still early, so she ordered a court session to begin, summoning the criminal Hua Rong to the court.
Hua Rong, on the way back to the capital, awoke to find herself wrapped in cloth and bound to a horse. She immediately understood the situation, and her heart burned with hatred for Fan Lingyun. She couldn't believe that despite her careful planning, she had trusted this shameless villain and had given him her virginity. She deeply regretted her actions.
This time, brought to the court, he had barely entered the courtyard when he shouted loudly, "Tao Xiuying, summon that man surnamed Fan to see me! Summon that man surnamed Fan to see me!"
Reaching the main hall, he stood tall and proud, repeatedly shouting, "Summon that man surnamed Fan to see me!"
Tao Xiuying slammed the gavel and shouted sharply, "You audacious official! Why do you not kneel before this minister?"
Hearing this, Hua Rong looked up and saw Tao Xiuying, becoming even more enraged. He said, "Tao Xiuying, I have no past grievances with you, nor any recent enmity. Why did you use your beauty to frame me? We are both ministers in the same court. You are merely a minor founding marquis, while I am the dignified Azure Dragon King. How can I kneel before you?"
"Bold Hua Rong! Know that even a prince who breaks the law is subject to the same punishment as a commoner. I am here by imperial decree to investigate this case. Do you think I cannot kneel before you? Kneel!"
Hua Rong remained standing. The two bailiffs stepped forward and aimed a kick at her knees. If it were anyone else, this kick would have sent them sprawling to their knees, their knees likely broken. But Hua Rong only bent her knees, staggered forward a few steps, and remained standing.
Seeing this, the bailiffs raised their heavy clubs, ready to strike Hua Rong's knees again. If hit, Hua Rong's legs would be crippled.
Tao Xiuying quickly stopped them and said to Hua Rong, "You think I, Tao Xiuying, am merely a marquis and therefore do not kneel? I ask you, when the Emperor arrives, will you kneel or not?"
"When the Emperor arrives, of course I will kneel."
"In that case, please present the imperial edict." Tao Xiuying stepped aside.
Upon hearing this, the bailiffs hurriedly tore down the yellow silk hanging behind the desk, revealing the imperial edict.
Upon seeing it, Hua Rong realized it was indeed an imperial edict, and had no choice but to kneel. For where the edict was, it was as if the emperor himself were present; what official or commoner dared not kneel?
Tao Xiuying also led her yamen runners and accompanying officials to kneel, performing a grand salute to the edict before returning to their seats.
With the edict in hand, Hua Rong had no choice but to kneel and answer.
How Tao Xiuying interrogated Hua Rong remains to be seen; stay tuned for the next installment.

Chapter Thirteen—Hua Rong, Knowing His Fate, Condemns His Crime; The Queen of the Marketplace is Executed

. As mentioned above, Hua Rong was lured out of Baihu Pass by Tao Xiuying using her charm, drugged, captured, and brought to the capital for trial at the Ministry of Personnel.
Hua Rong had long known this day would come, but he never imagined that after weathering so many storms, he would be captured by a weak scholar and a frail woman. It was a classic case of being caught off guard and his boat capsized in a ditch. How could he not be furious? That's why he stood before Tao Xiuying in the hall and refused to kneel.
Later, upon seeing Feng Qing's imperial edict, he had no choice but to kneel, his resentment still lingering in his heart.
Seeing Hua Rong kneel, Tao Xiuying rose back to her seat in the hall, slammed her gavel, and shouted, "Hua Rong, you criminal, I am here today to judge you by imperial decree. Do you know your crime?" "
Your subject Hua Rong knows his crime."
Tao Xiuying was quite surprised to hear this. Usually, prisoners in court would try their best to defend themselves, but she hadn't expected Hua Rong, who had been so rude just moments before, to now openly confess his crime. She asked, "What crime have you committed?"
"For the Emperor, Hua Rong fought in the south and north, fought in the east and west. Of the three parts of the country, two parts were conquered by Hua Rong. His merits overshadowed the Emperor, and he was resented by him. This is Hua Rong's crime!"
"Shut up! According to what you've said, does the Emperor want to kill meritorious officials? This is truly treasonous! Just for these words of insubordination, you are sentenced to be torn to pieces!" Tao Xiuying hurriedly stopped Hua Rong. Although Hua Rong's words were all true, no emperor wanted his true thoughts exposed.
Hua Rong, being quite straightforward, shook his head upon hearing this, saying, "I won't say anymore. I, Hua Rong, have seen countless battles, big and small. I have at least a dozen knife and arrow wounds on my body. At those times, I was in excruciating pain. Do you think I'd rather suffer the agony of being slowly sliced to death? Fine, whatever crime you want me to confess to, I will confess to, just don't say that I, Hua Rong, am guilty of treason." In truth, there was a hidden meaning in his words: even
being torn to pieces was nothing to Hua Rong. Hua Rong already knew that being captured meant certain death, so why suffer further physical torment in court? Knowing he was going to be killed, why not follow Feng Qing's wishes and fabricate several capital offenses to have his head chopped off? Why confess to everything except treason? Because treason not only meant being slowly sliced to death but also the extermination of one's entire family, and even one's friends would be implicated. Therefore, Hua Rong would rather endure all the tortures in the world than confess to treason.
Seeing that Hua Rong was very perceptive, Tao Xiuying didn't make things difficult for her. Instead, she avoided the topic of treason and questioned her about other crimes. Hua Rong, as expected
, complied with Xiuying's tone and confessed to everything. Tao Xiuying had initially thought this case would take months to resolve, but unexpectedly, in just half a day, she had several charges against Hua Rong. What were these charges?
Holding an army and plotting rebellion—the crime of treason; usurping imperial authority and harboring disloyal intentions—the crime of treason; praising rebellion—the crime of treason; failing to rescue someone in distress and taking advantage of a crisis to demand a title—the crime of heinous crime; repeatedly defying imperial orders—the crime of heinous crime; and being disrespectful to the emperor and speaking insolently—the crime of great disrespect.
In ancient times, there were ten unpardonable crimes, with treason, great heinous crime, and great disrespect listed as the first three, all punishable by death. Generally, treason was punished by slow slicing, while the most heinous crime was punished by slow slicing, and great heinous crime and great disrespect were punished by beheading.
Among the most heinous crimes, treason was the most serious, punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. However, Tao Xiuying charged Hua Rong with plotting rebellion and harboring disloyal intentions, implying that there was no concrete evidence, thus sparing her from execution. She had originally considered charging her with forming cliques for personal gain, but such a charge would inevitably implicate others, so Hua Rong refused to confess. Tao Xiuying, not wanting to escalate the matter further, considered only the charges of usurpation and praising rebellion, sufficient to sentence her to death by dismemberment.
After the trial, Tao Xiuying and the other judges discussed the charges and submitted a memorial to the throne, sentencing her to immediate execution by dismemberment for the heinous crime of treason.
After lunch, Tao Xiuying personally took the memorial to the palace to see the emperor. Feng Qing, hearing Xiuying's words, knew that Hua Rong was shrewd and that this was a good opportunity to demonstrate the emperor's boundless grace. He wrote on the memorial in
vermilion ink: "Deserves ten thousand deaths. Execute him immediately. Considering his past merits, grant him a complete corpse." Hua Rong, having been taken back to the imperial prison, knew his fate was sealed in a few days. Although injuries were inevitable on the battlefield, and he was used to pain, the thought of the agony of being slowly sliced to death, and the humiliation of being paraded through the streets on a wooden donkey, still chilled him to the bone. He wanted to commit suicide, but his hands and feet were shackled behind his back with iron shackles, forcing him to lie on his side, offering no chance for death.
As dusk fell, the female jailer did not arrive, but seven or eight male jailers and a jailer came, along with a lavish feast. Hua Rong knew something was wrong, for this feast was what was commonly known as "killing wine and chopping meat," signifying the last meal for a condemned prisoner.
Tao Xiuying entered from outside the prison and ordered the jailer to help Hua Rong up and kneel on the ground. She held up the memorial in her hand in front of Hua Rong and said, "Your Highness, the Emperor, remembering your past merits, has granted you a complete corpse. Why don't you thank him?"
Hua Rong saw the imperial edict on the memorial and knew it was true. The punishment of slow slicing had been changed to a complete corpse, which was already a great favor, as it was a reduction from beheading to hanging. She hurriedly kowtowed in gratitude.
Tao Xiuying told the jailer to wait outside, and personally poured a bowl of wine, handing it to Hua Rong, saying, "Your Excellency Hua, we were once courtiers, with no enmity between us. However, since I have received the Emperor's favor, I dare not forget the public duty for personal reasons, so I have to do this. Tomorrow, when you supervise the execution, please do not blame me. This bowl of wine is my apology."
Hua Rong drank the wine from Tao Xiuying's hand, saying, "Prime Minister Tao, I know all your hardships. Since we were once courtiers, there is something I must say. My fate today is a reflection of your fate tomorrow. You should know that once the birds are all gone, the bow is put away; once the rabbit is dead, the dog is cooked. It is also said that serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. Prime Minister, please do not make a mistake."
"Your Excellency Hua's golden words, I will remember them," Tao Xiuying said, but in her heart she did not take it seriously. Because her ambition was not for the throne, she thought the Emperor would not make things difficult for her. Little did she know that life is unpredictable, and no one can escape the tricks of fate.
The next morning at four in the morning, the jailer, accompanied by a group of guards, woke Hua Rong early.
The jailer ordered one of the guards to grab Hua Rong's shoulders from behind, while he himself squatted down in front of her, saying, "Your Highness, we brothers have come to serve you; we apologize for any offense."
Hua Rong knew that nineteen out of ten heinous crimes were subject to humiliation, and treason was the most serious of the ten crimes, so humiliation was unavoidable. Although Feng Qing'en had decreed that she be spared the death by a thousand cuts, he hadn't mentioned humiliation, so the punishment was inevitable.
Sure enough, before Hua Rong could reply, the guards behind her had already untied the straps of her bodice from behind, revealing a pair of small, jade-like breasts. Hua Rong's hands and feet were cuffed behind her back, her body bent backward, unable to see her stomach, but she knew the jailer's hand had already reached down to her genitals. Her face flushed red, and she looked at the cell floor, tears welling in her eyes. She felt the jailer's large hand tear open her belt and pull down her trousers.
The jailers stood around, their eyes wide, staring at Hua Rong's waistband. Her trousers had fallen below her knees, revealing her snow-white thighs and a tuft of dark pubic hair, and her snow-white buttocks were also visible.
Hua Rong remained silent, tears streaming down her face. She felt a pair of large hands slip between her thighs, a thick thumb pushing into her vagina, causing her great discomfort. The jailers rushed forward, each groping her breasts, buttocks, and genitals for a while, until they stopped her. Only then did they remove the shackles from her back, but her hands remained handcuffed. They then stripped her of her shoes, socks, and trousers, leaving her completely naked.
A jailer brought over a chamber pot, and the others helped her sit on it. Although Hua Rong was humiliated, she knew that once she left the prison, she would never have a place to relieve herself again. So she forced herself to relieve herself. Afterward, the jailer pulled Hua Rong up, lifted her buttocks, and wiped her bottom from behind. Then, another large wooden tub was brought over, and she was lifted into it and soaked in warm water. She was then scrubbed three times with soap until she was clean. The jailer touched her all over. Hua Rong was filled with shame, but she was helpless.
They took out the bucket and placed it on a new mat, wiping it clean with a large towel. Then they placed a large pillow on the mat, ordering her to lie face down on it, her beautiful, plump buttocks raised, and to spread her legs. The jailers crowded around to look. They saw a pink daisy, two plump labia. They parted the cleft, revealing a tender, red vulva, which aroused the jailers. If she weren't a wanted criminal, they would have already been tempted to insert their fingers inside. But they didn't let her off easily; each of them came over and inserted their fingers inside, groping around.
Hua Rong could only endure the humiliation and pain.
The jailer brought another object, which Hua Rong peeked at—a pear-shaped wooden ball the size of a duck egg. The jailer dipped the small end of the ball in sesame oil, squatted down, and the jailers on either side quickly spread Hua Rong's snowy buttocks apart.
For some unknown reason, Hua Rong was so frightened that she twisted her body wildly. The jailer said, "Don't move. The Emperor has granted you a complete corpse. When you are executed at noon, you will be hanged three times. During those three hangs, almost everyone, regardless of gender, will defecate and urinate. You, Lord Hua, are a person of status. Do you want to defecate in public like a lowly woman?"
Hua Rong then understood and stopped struggling. The jailer squatted down beside her and pressed the small end of the wooden ball against Hua Rong's anus, saying, "Don't pull it in. Make a gesture of defecating to avoid pain." Hua Rong did as she was told and made a gesture of defecating. Her small anus bulged out. The jailer pulled it to both sides, and her rectum was half turned out. The jailer took the opportunity to insert the wooden ball into the middle of the opening and pushed it in, shouting, "Don't use force!" The wooden ball slowly went in and was swallowed up by her small anus.
The jailer dipped his hand in sesame oil and inserted it into Hua Rong's anus, pushing the wooden ball in until his middle finger was completely inside.
Hua Rong felt a foreign object inside her abdomen, like constipation, and was extremely uncomfortable, but to avoid embarrassment, she had no choice but to endure the pain.
Just as things were settled, Zhou Xing, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, came to the prison to take Hua Rong away. It turned out that Feng Qing also knew that Tao Xiuying was a woman and could not bear to see Hua Rong humiliated at the execution ground, so he temporarily changed the execution to be supervised by a male official.
Since Zhou Xing was a man, he couldn't help but grope Hua Rong as well. Hua Rong had no more words to say at this point, and was embraced and touched by Zhou Xing and his men, who even dug into her sensitive spots with their fingers before finally verifying her identity.
After verifying her identity, the guards shouted, "Tie her up!"
Axemen stepped forward, pressed Hua Rong face down onto the mat, pinned her hips down with their feet, removed her handcuffs, and bound her tightly. A "hanging" sign was then inserted behind her back. Because she was a wanted criminal and a queen, yellow silk ropes were used to hold her arms, lifting her up without her feet touching the ground as she was carried out of the prison.
Countless people had already gathered outside the prison gates, all knowing that Hua Rong was the most beautiful woman in the world (few had seen Duan Lingfeng, and therefore did not know that Duan Lingfeng was the most beautiful). They had come early to see the most beautiful woman's body and how her beautiful vulva would be fitted onto the wooden donkey.
When the crowd saw Hua Rong, she was indeed stunningly beautiful, completely naked, her snow-white skin flushed red, contrasting with the thicket of ink-black hair below her abdomen, making it impossible for them to contain themselves. They all cheered. Hua
Rong, seeing the crowd, was filled with shame, her face turning crimson, and she could only look up at the sky.
A short while later, she was brought before the wooden donkey. Two axemen approached to catch her legs.
What happened next remains to be seen; we'll find out in the next chapter.

Imperial Chapter 014, Chapter Fourteen—Feng Qing's Dream Leads to Suspicion, Xiuying Offers a Plan to Eradicate the Root.

It is said that Hua Rong was brought before the wooden donkey by the axemen. Even though Hua Rong's virginity had already been defiled by Fan Lingyun, the sight of the enormous rod on the wooden donkey terrified her, her legs trembling uncontrollably.
Two axemen approached, intending to catch Hua Rong's legs to lift her onto the wooden donkey. They bent down, reaching for Hua Rong's knees. Everyone eagerly awaited a glimpse of Hua Rong's beautiful vulva, their eyes wide with anticipation.
Suddenly, a loud shout rang out: "Imperial decree! Hua Rong, receive the decree!"
The axemen were terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat. The reason they were so concerned was that the imperial edict arrived at such a time, fearing a pardon for Hua Rong.
They reasoned that if they were to have their way with Hua Rong's naked body, and were indeed spared, she might even be reinstated, and then she wouldn't let them go. Upon hearing the edict, they dared not let Hua Rong kneel on the ground, so they found a clean mat, spread it on the ground, and helped her kneel down.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Hua Rong has committed heinous crimes, great evils, and great disrespect, her original crime being unforgivable. She was previously granted a complete corpse, but now, considering her past merits, she is granted further pardon. She is exempt from riding the wooden donkey, and is granted a wooden covering for her shame. Three days later, her coffin will be allowed for burial. You shall obey this decree! I beg your grace!"
Upon hearing that she wouldn't be ridden the wooden donkey, Hua Rong was overwhelmed with gratitude, kowtowing repeatedly, completely forgetting that her merits were unparalleled, her crime being only arrogance, and she did not deserve death.
Upon seeing the imperial edict and hearing the words "to cover one's shame," Zhou Xing ordered Hua Rong to be taken back to the prison. When he saw the "benevolent wood," he almost laughed.
This so-called "benevolent wood" was made of a piece of softwood, half a foot long, thick at one end and thin at the other. The thicker end was an inch and a half in diameter, round and plump, while the thinner end was also an inch long. A soft leather sheath covered the thicker end, leaving a two-inch-long, sparse ring of black hair around the opening. Zhou Xing immediately knew how to use it. Although this object wasn't as unbearably painful as the wooden donkey, it was still a strange and humiliating device. Yet Feng Qing claimed it was a favor to cover one's shame.
Hua Rong, upon seeing the object, blushed crimson with shame, but it was still worse than the humiliation of the wooden donkey. She could only let the executioners place her on a wooden table, spread her legs, and expose her beautiful vulva. They dipped the large end of the sapwood in sesame oil, pressed it against the jade gate, and forcefully inserted it. The circle of black hair then half-covered her private parts. Because it was a gift from the Emperor, it was named Enmu (meaning "bestowing wood"), and Feng Qing also gave it the euphemistic name "Zhexiu" (meaning "
covering shame"). They then went outside and saw soldiers pushing over an imperial-bestowed execution cart. It turned out to be just an ordinary carriage with a two-zhang-high wooden pillar on top, a T-shaped beam at the top, and a wooden platform in the middle. A royal guard explained the procedure to the executioners. A nearby bailiff brought over a ladder, and the executioners lifted Hua Rong to the high position, making her stand on the platform. They then wrapped her upper body several times with ropes and tied her to the pillar. They also tied one of her jade feet to the pillar, and the other foot to her ankle, suspending her high on the T-shaped beam. This exposed her crotch, the black hair on the sapwood neither sparse nor dense, half-concealing and half-revealing her private parts, making it even more alluring.
At this moment, Hua Rong could only weep, her beautiful eyes gazing at the sky, filled with shame and resentment. She paraded throughout the capital, drawing crowds of people to the streets, creating a scene of bustling activity. After
one round of the procession, she was taken to the bustling marketplace, where a five-foot-high platform had been erected, upon which stood a two-zhang-high wooden gate. An iron gourd was attached
to the crossbeam, through which a finger-thick noose was threaded. Hua Rong was placed on the platform, the noose tightened around her neck, and at noon, the
noose was pulled, leaving her suspended in mid-air. Hua Rong's face was bluish-purple, her tongue lolling out of her mouth, her jade-like body writhing like a fish on a hook, her two delicate legs kicking wildly, hot urine dripping from between the black hairs on the wooden gate
. She struggled for half an hour before finally dying. The poor, greatest hero of the Great Flood Dynasty, ended up being hanged in the marketplace, suspended on that wooden gate for three days for all to see, before her body was finally placed in a thin coffin and hastily buried in the suburbs.
That night, some busybodies dug up the corpse, pulled out the penis, and, after examining the vulva, laid the body bare by the roadside for all to see. Countless people, having heard the news, rushed to watch. Although this act was suspected of disobeying the imperial decree, no one bothered to investigate; they simply kept it from Feng Qing, pretending to be deaf and dumb.
Hua Rong's body was buried and dug up repeatedly, countless times, until it was utterly decomposed and no longer pleasing to the eye, before finally being reburied. Back
then, when Hua Rong led four thousand men to storm Qinglong, she was single-mindedly focused on achieving great deeds, risking her life without fear of swords. Who would have thought that today, simply because of her perceived high merit, her life would be taken? Truly tragic and lamentable!
After killing Hua Rong, Feng Qing, along with Qi Shi and Tao Xiuying, devised a plan to dismiss or execute Hua Rong's former subordinates who held power. Due to various entanglements, thousands more were killed, including many who had known Hua Rong in the past. This created a climate of fear and trepidation.
Tao Xiuying, having helped Feng Qing eliminate Hua Rong, felt that with her great merit, Feng Qing should have welcomed her into the Western Palace long ago.
In fact, Feng Qing had long harbored this intention, but Qi Shi kept a tight watch on him, leaving Feng Qing helpless for the time being. As the saying goes, "Everything has its counter," and it's surprising that Feng Qing, despite being the supreme ruler, was so afraid of Qi Shi.
It was also because Tao Xiuying had no destiny to become an empress, and ultimately could not fulfill her wish.
On this morning at court, after all the civil and military officials had paid their respects to the emperor, Feng Qing summoned Huang Yong, the Grand Master of the Astronomical Bureau, to an audience.
Huang Yong entered the Golden Phoenix Hall. After shouting "Long live the Emperor!", Feng Qing spoke up, saying, "Minister Huang, last night I had a dream. I dreamt of a vast rice paddy, and a person walking on the rice stalks, wielding a giant axe, felled the Imperial Ancestral Temple. It gave me quite a fright. I wonder what good or bad omen this dream signifies?"
Huang Yong hurriedly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, this dream is bad."
"What does it mean?" "
The destruction of the Imperial Ancestral Temple signifies that someone will usurp the throne."
"Do you know who it is?"
"A person on a rice stalk forms the character '余' (Yu), and the person walking on the rice stalks symbolizes two people. This person plotting to usurp the throne is either surnamed Yu or Xu."
"I understand. You may leave."
"Your Majesty, I take my leave."
Feng Qing remained silent for a long time, then ordered the chief eunuch, "Issue an edict to dismiss the court, leaving only the Left Prime Minister to see you."
Feng Qing met Tao Xiuying and recounted his dream and Huang Yong's words. Xiuying said, "Your Majesty need not worry. As far as I know, there are only two or three officials in the court with the surnames Yu and Xu, and they are few and far between, incapable of usurping the throne."
"I am still uneasy."
"In that case, why not dismiss these officials to prevent future trouble?"
"Those officials are not a concern. What I worry about is Xu Youliang. Since escaping the net, his whereabouts are unknown, which is very worrying. I cannot rest easy until he is dead."
"What's so difficult about that? As far as I know, Xu Youliang was once the master of the Southern Ridge Caves, and he and Fengyi had a son. I believe he must be hiding in the Southern Ridge." "
Then what is your opinion?" " It would be better to try diplomacy
first, then force. Send someone with a large sum of money and a secret edict to Nanling to deliver a message to Huang Mian, the King of Nanling, ordering him to hand over Xu Youliang and his son. As long as Xu Youliang and his son are eliminated, the Emperor will have no worries." "How could those barbarians hand over their people?" "I also expect them to refuse. At that time, we can take the opportunity to send a large army to wipe them out. Nanling is a small place. After ten years of war, many men have died or been injured. The entire tribe can only muster less than 20,000 able-bodied men. Even with the elderly, women, and children, there are only 70,000 or 80,000. When the army arrives, everything will be destroyed! At that time, Xu Youliang will not be able to escape with his life, and the great threat to Nanling will be eliminated." Following Tao Xiuying's plan, Feng Qing first sent someone to inform Zhao Da, the general of Zhennan Pass, ordering him to conduct a strict inspection and not allow a single Nanling person to enter the pass, so as to cut off Xu Youliang's way out. Only then did he send an imperial envoy to Nanling military town to see Huang Mian. Ladies and gentlemen, as mentioned before, Xu Youliang is currently at Baima Mountain. Unfortunately, Feng Qing is unaware of this and mistakenly believes Xu Youliang is at Nanling. Therefore, he hastily raised an army at Nanling, committing another crime. We do not know what will happen next, but please listen to the next chapter. ( Empire Chapter 015, Chapter 15 – Zhou Xing Receives Imperial Decree to Nanling, Feng Ji Protects His Clan and Offers His Young Son ) It is said that Feng Qing sent the imperial envoy Zhou Xing to the Nanling Prince's Palace to meet Huang Mian. Upon hearing of the envoy's arrival, Huang Mian hurriedly went out to greet him. Zhou Xing first read out an imperial edict praising him and distributing the court's rewards. Huang Mian thanked the emperor for his grace and then invited the envoy inside for a banquet. After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Zhou Xing said, "Your Excellency, His Majesty has sent me here with a few private questions to ask you." "Please speak, Your Excellency." "Please dismiss your attendants, Your Excellency." Huang Mian gestured for everyone to leave, then said, "What urgent matter does Your Excellency wish to ask Huang Mian?" Zhou Xing said, "His Majesty has instructed me to inquire of Your Excellency, where is Xu Youliang now?" Huang Mian was startled and quickly asked, "Isn't Your Excellency Xu in the court?" "Does Your Excellency truly not know, or are you feigning ignorance?" "It has been two years since Your Excellency Xu went to Zhennan Pass to persuade the people of Nanling to submit, and we have not seen him since, nor do we know any news of him. What is the truth?" "Hehehe, Your Excellency is playing dumb." "What do you mean?" "Xu Youliang has secretly fled Bailong Pass and hidden in Dafang Mountain for a year. Nanling is his stronghold; if he doesn't come to Nanling, where else could he have gone?" "Then Lord Xu... Oh, Xu Youliang escaped? Why would he abandon his position as a prince and run away?" "Is there even a question? He clearly has ulterior motives, plotting a comeback and a counterattack! Nanling is his hometown, and he has children and relatives here, so it's a perfect opportunity for him to recruit soldiers. Lord Huang, why are you covering for him?" "It's not that I'm covering for him, it's just that I didn't know he escaped, and I never saw him go to Nanling. Your Excellency, please don't try to harm me." "Hehehehehe, Your Highness, please don't be like this. Zhou Xing is merely a minor official in the Ministry of Personnel; how dare he falsely accuse someone of treason? His Majesty sent me here only because he already possesses solid evidence. Before I left, His Majesty said: 'Your mission is to see if Huang Mian is truly loyal. If he is indeed loyal, he will surely bind Xu Youliang and that rebellious son and hand them over to the court. Otherwise, he will make excuses and cover things up. His Majesty also said that if you hand over Xu Youliang and his son, your Huang family will be kings for generations, forever the masters of Nanling. Otherwise, the court will have no choice but to mobilize troops to suppress us. At that time, everything will be destroyed. Your Highness, you must think carefully.'" "Oh, Your Highness, such matters are not to be taken lightly. Even if Huang Mian had ten heads, it wouldn't be enough to chop them off. However, Xu Youliang has indeed never been to Nanling." "What about Xu Youliang's rebellious son?" "I don't know either. Let Huang Mian ask him first." "Very well, I will wait for you at Zhennan Pass for three days. You must give me definite news." "Three days is not enough. It will take three days just to send someone into Nanling to deliver the message." " Then ten days. If there is no reliable news, don't blame me." "Certainly, certainly." After seeing Zhou Xing off, Huang Mian was both happy and worried. He was happy that Xu Youliang had finally escaped his misery, but worried that the court was going to send troops to Nanling again. Xu Youliang was indeed not in Nanling now, but Xu Xia, the eldest son of the Xu family, was indeed there. He was now ten years old and was being taken care of by Feng Tong's younger brother, Feng Ji. He and Feng Ji's grandson, Feng Hui, were childhood playmates. But no matter what, the people of Nanling could not hand over their cave master's son to the court. But if they did not hand him over, their entire clan would inevitably suffer. What should they do? While worrying, Huang Mian sent someone into Nanling to summon the cave masters of the nine valleys and eighty-one caves to Huanglong Cave for a meeting. He also rushed to Huanglong Cave himself. Upon hearing this, all the cave chiefs knew that Nanling was facing imminent disaster. At this critical moment, the indomitable spirit of the barbarians was fully revealed. Cave chief He Yi said, "Your Highness, once the court gets hold of Young Master Xu, they will surely harm him. The Young Master is the grandson of the old prince and the son of Prince Xu and Princess Feng. Nanling has never handed over its own people to the court for execution. Go tell that man surnamed Feng that if he wants to fight, he can send troops. We have no one to give up, but we can take your life." Everyone spoke in unison, unwilling to hand over the people to the court, yet they had no good plan. They looked at each other, at a loss for what to do. At this moment, Feng Ji stood up and said, "I am deeply grateful for the words of the cave masters, but it is unwise to cause the entire clan to suffer for the sake of a young child. In my opinion, it would be better to hand the young child over to Zhou Xing. Firstly, this would avert the calamity of clan annihilation, and secondly, even if the imperial court cannot obtain Cave Master Xu, it may not necessarily kill the young cave master." Upon hearing this, everyone felt disdain. He Yi said, "Cave Master Feng, is this the kind of thing that people from Nanling would do?"

"What can be done now? My clan numbers only 80,000, including the elderly, women, and children. With peace prevailing, even a million-strong army would be a piece of cake if the court were to send troops. If the entire clan is wiped out then, how can the young child survive?"
"That may be true, but there's no precedent for this in Nanling. The people of Nanling would rather die than suffer dishonor. We will never agree to betraying our friends for personal gain."
"I know everyone in Nanling is a man of honor, but since that young child carries the blood of my Feng family, only I, Feng Ji, can play the villain. There's no need for further discussion; my mind is made up."
Feng Ji was already seventy years old. With Feng Tong dead, the Feng family was his greatest authority. Since the Feng family patriarch had spoken, unless the child's biological father, Xu Youliang, intervened, no one else could object.
Huang Mian also disagreed with Feng Ji's decision, but since the other party was willing to hand over the child, he couldn't say anything more, only inwardly cursing Feng Ji.
Huang Mian sent someone to Zhennan Pass to meet Zhou Xing, informing him that Feng Ji was willing to hand over the man. Zhou Xing praised Huang Mian and Feng Ji, but inwardly cursed Feng Ji as utterly worthless.
A few days later, someone reported that Feng Ji had personally brought his young son. Huang Mian summoned him.
Feng Ji looked haggard, having aged more than ten years in just a few days. Behind him stood a boy of about ten years old, young but with an imposing air, clearly Xu Xia.
Feng Ji entered and knelt down with the boy to pay their respects to the prince. The boy introduced himself, and indeed, he was Xu Xia.
Huang Mian pulled the boy aside and questioned him carefully. He confirmed that the boy was the son of Xu Youliang and Feng Yi, and the grandson of Feng Tong.
Huang Mian asked again, "Do you know why you've come here?"
"The imperial court demands people from Nanling, or they will slaughter the entire clan. As the grandson of the old cave chief and the son of the princess, I cannot sacrifice my entire clan for the sake of one person. Therefore, I have come to surrender. Please, Your Highness, hand me over to the imperial envoy."
"Good child, do you know the danger of this journey?"
"It's nothing but death. As a Nanling person, what do I care about life and death? I am not afraid." "
Good child, you truly are a descendant of the Nanling people. I, Huang Mian, am ashamed before you." "
Your Highness, please don't say such things. To die for one's clan is Xu Xia's good fortune. Please, Your Highness, send me to see the imperial envoy now."
"Alright," Huang Mian said, tears already streaming down his face. Looking at Feng Ji, he too was weeping.
Zhou Xing was overjoyed to hear that Xu Youliang's young son had been delivered. He came out to welcome Huang Mian and his son into Guanzhong, praising them greatly.
Xu Xia said, "Your Excellency, now that I'm in custody, the calamity of Nanling should be averted, right?"
Zhou Xing replied, "Of course." He then asked, "Are you truly willing to surrender?"
"I'm here, and I wasn't bound with ropes. Who could possibly force me?"
"At such a young age, aren't you afraid of death? "
"What is there to fear in life and death? Feng Qing wants me to eliminate dissidents, isn't he? I won't even need you to lift a finger; I'll just die for you, so you can go to Feng Qing and claim your reward." With that, he suddenly pulled a small dagger from his sleeve. Everyone was caught off guard, and he slashed his own neck, blood spurting out, and he fell to the ground.
This startled Zhou Xing, who cried out "Ah!" Even Huang Mian was taken aback, rushing over to pick up his young son, repeatedly calling out, "Young Master, Young Master..." But
when he looked again, the child was already dead.
Upon seeing this, Huang Mian burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably. He said to Zhou Xing, "Your Excellency, the young cave master is, after all, a member of my clan. May I take him back to Nanling for burial?"
Zhou Xing, already trembling with fear, nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yes, Your Excellency! Yes, Your Excellency!"
Huang Mian ordered someone to carry the child's body back to Huanglong Cave with his entourage. Feng Ji, who was waiting at Huanglong Cave, knelt on the ground upon seeing the child's corpse, tears streaming down his face.
Meanwhile, Zhou Xing returned to Yecheng and reported everything to Feng Qing. Feng Qing was very displeased. It turned out that Feng Qing wanted to take this opportunity to attack Nanling and eliminate future troubles. However, since the other side had handed over the young child, it meant that he and Xu Youliang were not in Nanling. Otherwise, who would dare to send his son to Zhennan Pass to his death? But if Xu Youliang wasn't in Nanling, where was he?
Just then, Tao Xiuying spoke up, "Your Majesty, this matter is suspicious."
"What do you mean, my dear minister?"
"What does Xu Youliang's young son look like? Who has ever seen him? Couldn't he find someone else to present?"
"Impossible," Zhou Xing said. "That young boy is only ten years old. If it's not him, why would such a child impersonate someone else and go to his death?"
"I know that the Nanling barbarians. Even if their entire clan is killed, they would never betray a friend. Moreover, they are brave from a young age. Let alone a ten-year-old, even a seven-year-old child would not be afraid of swords when it comes to death. Otherwise, they wouldn't be Nanling barbarians."
"What should we do then?"
"Whether he is Xu Youliang's son or not, I have a plan to eliminate the root of the problem. Your Majesty can send another imperial envoy and say that the young boy is not Xu Xia. Order him to hand over the entire clan's household registration, and then send all the children under the age of fifteen in the clan, regardless of gender, to Zhennan Pass and kill them all to prevent future troubles."
"How can he agree to this?"
"It wasn't originally intended for him to comply, but this is a perfect opportunity to raise an army."
"Your plan, my dear minister, is exactly what I wanted. I wonder who should be sent as envoy?" "
His Majesty has issued an imperial decree appointing Liu Shentong, the general of Zhennan Pass, as imperial envoy, ordering him to act expediently and force Huang Mian to rebel."
"I will comply
, my dear minister." What will happen next? Let's find out in the next chapter.

Imperial Chapter 016, Chapter Sixteen—The Imperial Court Issues an Edict to Seize the Child, Nanling Vows to Protect the Young King

. The edict states that Tao Xiuying has given Feng Qing a plan to eradicate the root of the problem, to force the Nanling barbarians to rebel, so that an army can be raised to punish them and eliminate future troubles.
Liu Shentong, the general of Zhennan Pass, received the imperial decree and understood its meaning. He hurriedly sent someone to invite Huang Mian.
Huang Mian listened to Feng Qing's edict, pondered for a long time, and then feigned helplessness, saying, "Since His Majesty refuses to believe my words, I have no choice but to send someone to bring all the children of my tribe to show my loyalty."
Liu Shentong knew he was unwilling, but did not explain, only letting him go back to fetch the children.
Huang Mian returned to the Nanling Royal Palace and hurriedly summoned all the clan leaders to attend the ceremony. Upon hearing Huang Mian's words, the clan leaders were all enraged, saying, "We already gave him the child he wanted, and now he wants all the children of the clan? Isn't that tantamount to wiping out the Nanling lineage? We absolutely cannot agree to this!"
Feng Ji, upon hearing this, also said hatefully, "That Feng Qing! So cruel! I thought that by giving away the children, I could save the lives of the entire clan. Who knew it would turn out like this? I regret it so much… Alas, the poor children!" He couldn't help but cry again.
He Yi, seeing this, cursed, "Old man Feng, what did I say back then? Now we've lost face, and we can't even save our clan. And you still have the nerve to cry here!"
"Don't you dare curse my grandfather!" A little boy burst in, carrying a bamboo crossbow on his back and holding a flowery spear with several pheasants and rabbits slung over it, clearly having just returned from hunting.
"You brat, how dare you speak to me like that!" He Yi, recognizing Feng Ji's grandson, cursed.
"How dare you, He Yi, insult my grandfather! I'll fight you to the death!" With that, he threw the game on his spear to the ground and was about to attack.
Feng Ji quickly grabbed him, saying, "Little ancestor, go home quickly, don't cause trouble here."
"He dared to insult you, I will not let him get away with it!"
"You little beast, how dare you! This is the place where the cave masters hold their ceremonies, how can you act so recklessly here?" He Yi jumped up and shouted.
Huang Mian hurriedly stopped them, trying to mediate between the two sides, but the two sides continued to hurl insults.
Feng Ji pulled the boy, saying, "This is not the place for you to talk, go back quickly." He then walked away.
As they reached the doorway, He Yi persisted, "Like father, like son! A grandfather like this will have a grandson like this."
Feng Ji said, "Master He, he's just a child. You can say whatever you want, but why drag me into this?"
"I didn't say anything about you! I was talking about that old beast who took someone else's child as a gift!"
"Who did you say took someone else's child as a gift? Who did you say?" the child cried out, tears welling in his eyes.
"Little ancestor, go home quickly! There's no place for you to speak here!" Feng Ji said urgently, pulling the child forcefully towards the door.
"I won't leave! I can't let my grandfather be wronged!"
"Little ancestor, please consider me your grandfather. I beg you to go home."
"Grandfather, I know how much you've suffered. All the grandfathers and uncles are here. The court won't let Nanling go, so why keep hiding it?"
"Little ancestor, please go!" Feng Ji bowed deeply, pleading.
"No, if you won't speak, I will." The child struggled a few times, but Feng Ji was old enough to break free. Knowing he couldn't stop him, he sat down on the ground, tears streaming down his face.
The boy entered the hall and bowed to everyone, saying, "Gentlemen, uncles, I greet you."
The cave masters hurriedly returned the bow, but He Yi said, "It's not difficult to accept."
The boy ignored him and said, "Gentlemen, uncles, do you know who I am?"
"Aren't you Feng Hui, the grandson of Elder Feng?" Huang Mian asked.
"Elder Huang, in this hall, my grandfather may not claim to be the oldest, but he has been in Nanling for over seventy years. Doesn't he know the rules of Nanling? How could he send someone else's child to suffer?"
"The person is already dead, what else is there to say?" He Yi said.
"Do you know who died?"
"How could we not know? It was Xu Xia, the grandson of the late Master Fengtong, son of Prince Xu Youliang."
"Master He, you're wrong! I am Xu Xia! The one who died was my brother Feng Hui, whom I can never see again! My brother..." The boy finished speaking and sat on the ground, bursting into tears.
"Child, don't talk nonsense." Everyone was stunned.
"Why don't you believe me? I'm not talking nonsense. I really am Xu Xia." The boy cried and recounted the whole story.
It turned out that when Zhou Xing came to demand someone, Feng Ji, in order to save the lives of the entire clan, thought of using his grandson Feng Hui to die in place of Xu Xia. To prevent Xu Xia from refusing, he lied and said that a tiger had appeared in the mountain, asking him if he dared to go into the mountain alone to hunt it. Xu Xia had grown up in the Nanling Mountains since childhood, possessed extraordinary courage, and was young and unwilling to admit defeat, so he indeed went into the mountain alone. Fengji coaxed Xu Xia away, then called his grandson Fenghui to his side and explained the situation. Although young, Fenghui was righteous and determined to die in place of his brother, so he followed Huang Mian into Zhennan Pass. Fengji was older and rarely visited, so the other cave leaders had never seen Xu Xia and Fenghui before and naturally couldn't tell the truth. Fengji originally thought that by handing over Fenghui, the court would spare Nanling, but little did he know that Feng Qing's intention was to eradicate the entire Nanling tribe!
After hearing the child's words, the crowd's contempt turned to respect, and they all rose to help old Fengji into the hall to sit down. He Yi was filled with remorse, and hurriedly knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly. He drew his sword and said, "Old Master, Young Master, I, He Yi, have spoken rudely and offended you both, and wronged the old man. I have this sword; you may kill me or torture me, I will have no complaints."
Feng Ji, with tears in her eyes, reached out to He Yi, saying, "Master He, you are unaware of the truth, how can I blame you? I originally intended to keep this a secret, but now that it has been revealed, I beg you all, this matter should only be known to you, the masters, please do not let it spread outside. This child is from Xu Cave..." "He's the only descendant left by the Lord and Princess Feng. Even if we, the people of Nanling, are wiped out, we cannot allow him to suffer the slightest harm!"
Huang Mian echoed, "Elder He is right. Wherever Elder Xu goes, he is still a member of Nanling, still the leader of Nanling. His child is our future young master. Even if it costs the lives of our entire clan, we cannot allow him to suffer the slightest harm."
Xu Xia, upon hearing this, urgently exclaimed, "No, no! Since I am a Nanling person, I should be the same as all the other Nanling people. How can I watch my clansmen suffer while I am the only one left alive?"
“Child, that’s not how it works. Look at this imperial edict. He wants all the children under fifteen in my clan, regardless of gender. He clearly wants to cut off the lineage of Nanling. Even if you go to Zhennan Pass, he won’t let the young and old of Nanling go.”
“Exactly. Young Master, you are the root of Nanling. Even if the entire Nanling clan is slaughtered, as long as you, Young Master, are here, the Nanling lineage will not be cut off. If anything happens to you, what use is our life? Now, Young Master, you bear the great responsibility of reviving the clan. You must not say anything foolish.”
Everyone spoke up for a long time, and Xu Xia finally stopped talking. Huang Mian was afraid that something else might happen, so he hurriedly told Feng Ji to take Xu Xia back to the cave, while he and the others stayed behind to continue discussing countermeasures.
As for Liu Shentong, he waited for a long time, but there was no further movement from Nanling. Several days later, a scout reported that the barbarians in the Nanling military town had all left.
When Feng Qing ascended the throne, because the Nanling military town was isolated beyond the three passes and difficult to defend, he enfeoffed it to Huang Mian. Huang Mian did not usually reside in the military town, but rather in his palace in Nanling. The military town only had a hundred barbarian soldiers; of the remaining 20,000 people, 10% were from Nanling, and the rest were Han Chinese. Seeing that the barbarians in the military town had all left, Liu Shentong knew that Huang Mian intended to resist the Heavenly Army. Therefore, he issued a general's order, commanding Tao Li, the garrison commander of Nanguan, to lead 50,000 troops to advance into the Nanling pass, while he himself led 50,000 troops to garrison the military town for command. He also wrote a final ultimatum, ordering Tao Li to send someone into Nanling with a three-day deadline; if the children were not delivered, the army was to advance into Nanling. How Nanling would resist remains to be seen; stay tuned for the next chapter. (Empire Chapter 017, Chapter 17 – Cao Yunlong leads troops on imperial orders, protecting his homeland; Prince Huang dies in battle
. The three-day deadline has passed, Tao Li orders the army to advance into the mountains. ) After traveling only a couple of miles, a scout reported that several barbarian soldiers had been seen running erratically into the mountains. Knowing they were scouts, the scouts ordered a light cavalry to give chase, but they couldn't catch up. Once inside the mountain pass, the path was entirely mountainous, and the horses couldn't keep up with the riders. They continued south until they reached the Huanglong Cave. Tao Li ordered the main army to camp ten miles away, then personally led two thousand men to observe the enemy at the cave entrance. They saw that the Huanglong Cave pass was filled with Nanling banners, guarded by barbarian soldiers. Tao Li ordered his soldiers to step forward and speak to the commander guarding the pass. Soon, a man approached the gate and looked down. Tao Li recognized him as Huang Mian, the King of Nanling, and pointed at him, saying, "Huang Mian, with your army here, why don't you surrender?" Huang Mian looked down and saw a yellow horse with a man in iron helmet and armor, carrying a large three-section sword. He had a yellow face and a short beard, and recognized him as Tao Li of Pingnan Pass. He said, "Bold Tao Li, you are merely a guard of a pass. Why don't you kneel and pay your respects to me?" "Huang Mian, you are no longer a king, but a disgraced official. A traitor, everyone has the right to kill you. What respect do I have for you? Huang Mian, if you know what's good for you, obediently send the children of your clan to my camp so I can take them back to the pass to report to the general. Otherwise, I will raze Nanling to the ground." "General Tao, previously, His Majesty sent men to Nanling to demand the former cave chief's son, and now that the son has been sent, that's fine. But now he wants our Nanling children! We must know that of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no offspring. Even tigers don't eat their cubs; what parent would willingly hand over their own flesh and blood to be killed? As the saying goes, 'Respect the elderly as you would your own parents, care for the young as you would your own children.' His Majesty, upon ascending the throne, should govern the world with benevolence and righteousness. How could he commit such a heinous act? Clearly, some treacherous officials have forged an imperial edict to harm Nanling. General Tao , do not be fooled." "Now, whether it's a genuine or fake imperial edict, His Majesty's imperial seal is not fake. Huang Mian, as the saying goes, 'When the emperor commands a subject to die, the subject must die; otherwise, he is disloyal.' Since there is an imperial edict, you should obey it. How dare you avoid the sword?"

"General Tao, you only know one side of the story. Don't you know that if the ruler is not righteous, the subjects will defect to foreign countries? Since ancient times, emperors have been based on loving their people. If he wants to kill the descendants of my clan, even Jie and Zhou would not be more ruthless. How can we obey his orders? General Tao, you should withdraw your troops and return to the pass, write a memorial to the court, and ask him to rescind his order. Otherwise, our entire clan in Nanling will be wiped out. We will not let him have his way."
"How audacious of you, Huang Mian! Since that's the case, I have nothing more to say. Come out and fight me three rounds, then I'll cut off your head to claim credit."
Before Huang Mian could reply, two young princes emerged from behind him, pointing and laughing, "Tao Li, stop talking big! Let alone three rounds, even three hundred rounds, we're not afraid of you. We'll see who cuts off whose head to claim credit."
Tao Li recognized them as Huang Zong and Huang Hao and said, "Huang Zong and Huang Hao, your father defied Heaven's will and deserves to have his entire family exterminated. Don't be like him. If you can put righteousness above family ties, I'll plead for you before His Majesty."
"Tao Li, stop talking nonsense! How can a son kill his father? Now, don't say anything more. Let my brothers go out, and we'll take care of you in a few strokes."
"Very well, very well, I'll wait for you here." With that, he ordered his men to retreat a mile, revealing the battlefield.
A short while later, a loud bronze drum sounded from within the pass. The gates opened, and Huang Zong and Huang Hao led five hundred barbarian soldiers out, forming ranks opposite Tao Li.
Tao Li had only seen Huang Zong and Huang Hao before, at banquets, and never knew what weapons they wielded. Now, he saw them both riding bare-bristled ponies. Huang Zong wielded two curved swords, while Huang Hao held a sword in one hand and a rattan shield in the other.
Tao Li spurred his horse forward and asked, "Which of you will die first?"
Huang Zong replied, "We brothers are lucky; you will die first."
Enraged, Tao Li roared and charged at him. Huang Zong shouted, "Wait!" and brandished his sword to meet him. The two began to fight fiercely on the battlefield.
Tao Li's martial arts skills were originally average, but after the ten-year war, few famous generals remained. Instead, these second-rate warriors became warlords. On the Nanling side, most of the skilled martial artists had followed Xu Youliang in battle and died. The remaining members of the clan were all of average skill, making them a perfect match for Tao Li.
Tao Li was strong and wielded a large sword using a technique that relied on brute force, while Huang Zongma, though small, was agile and used a method of using skill to overcome strength.
The two fought for over thirty rounds on the battlefield, neither gaining the upper hand. Suddenly, Huang Zongma leaped onto his horse and stood there to fight Tao Li, startling Tao Li. He then realized that his opponent was riding without a saddle, apparently for convenience.
The barbarian soldiers had long lived in the mountains, and horses were not convenient for them, so most of them were infantry generals. Huang Zong was originally an infantry general, but he had long wanted to follow Xu Youliang out of the mountains to make merit, so he learned horsemanship. However, for him, horses were just a means of transportation; they were faster, but not as agile as infantry. So he used his horse as a stepping stone.
Although Huang Zong's horse was short, when Huang Zong stood on it, he was about the same height as Tao Li, which made up for his height disadvantage and made fighting much easier.
After a few more exchanges, as their horses passed each other, Huang Zong suddenly leaped onto the hill behind Tao Li's horse, shouting, "Take this!"
Tao Li was startled, realizing he couldn't withstand the attack, and could only cower and cover his head, tumbling off his horse and landing on the ground, thinking to himself, "My life is over."
Huang Zong, having won this exchange, didn't seize the opportunity to kill. He simply circled Tao Li's horse back, sat firmly in his saddle, and pointed at Tao Li, saying, "General Tao, our Nanling people do not wish to be enemies with the court, but the court is forcing us too far, trying to sever our roots. My people have no choice but to do this. Today we release you to go back and convey our message to the court, urging them to rescind their order and cease hostilities. Otherwise, though Nanling is weak, we will not be bullied! Go."
With that, he turned his horse and returned to his own lines, leading his barbarian troops back to their stronghold at the pass.
Tao Li, filled with shame, could only rise and return to his camp, ordering his army to retreat three paces before returning to Zhennan Pass to confess his guilt.
Huang Zong released Tao Li without completely eliminating him, leaving the court a way out and preventing a difficult situation.
However, Liu Shentong informed them that Tao Li had been released by someone else, insisting he had connections with Nanling. Huang Zong immediately ordered Tao Li bound and taken outside the tent, where he was beheaded with a single stroke. He then carried the severed head towards Nanling himself.
To put it simply, Liu Shentong's martial arts were slightly better than Tao Li's, but only at a second-rate level, far from first-rate.
Upon seeing Tao Li's head, the Nanling people knew this was no good and no longer needed to show mercy. Huang Zong and Huang Hao again led their troops. A disagreement ensued, and Huang Zong fought Liu Shentong, but was no match for him. Seeing this, Huang Hao rode out to join his brother in fighting Liu Shentong.
Liu Shentong's generals also came to his aid, but were stopped by several young warriors from Huang Zong's group.
A chaotic battle ensued. Liu Shentong fought two against one, but was ultimately outmatched. Huang Hao slashed him in the shoulder, severing his arm as well. With a scream, Huang Zong finished him off with a final blow, decapitating him. His body fell from his horse, dead.
Seeing their commander victorious, the barbarian soldiers surged out of the pass. The government troops, seeing this, dared not resist and were routed. Unaccustomed to mountain terrain, they were driven thirty li by the barbarian soldiers, with four or five thousand of their fifty thousand men killed.
The news reached Yecheng, and Feng Qing was deeply troubled. Tao Xiuying advised, "Your Majesty, there's no need for this. Liu Shentong was never a great general; his death is no loss. If the Nanling forces hadn't killed their high-ranking officials, Your Majesty would have had no legitimate reason to launch the attack. This is a perfect opportunity to use this as a pretext."
"That's true, but Huang Mian and his son are valiant. Now that Hua Rong is dead, who can stand against them?"
"Aren't there still Cao Yunlong, the Southern Azure Dragon, and Pang Qi, the Black Tortoise King? These two, who control their own territories, are a threat to the court. Why not appoint them as commanders and send them to attack Nanling? If they win, let them guard the barren lands of Nanling; if they lose, we can use this as an opportunity to kill them and eliminate future troubles."
"Your words are reasonable. I hereby order you to draft an edict appointing Cao Yunlong and Pang Qi as commander and deputy commander, respectively, each with three deputy generals and their own assigned lieutenants. They are to arrive at Zhennan Pass within two months and immediately mobilize 200,000 troops to attack Nanling. We must flatten Nanling, leaving not a single blade of grass behind!"
"As you command!"
Cao Yunlong and Pang Qi, upon receiving the imperial edict, dared not disobey and hurriedly led their capable officers to Zhennan Pass.
Within two months, they had all arrived, mustered a force of 200,000 men, and seized the opportunity to request two years' worth of provisions from the imperial court before advancing.
Cao Yunlong appointed his deputy Ma Feng and Pang Qi's deputy De Lin as vanguard officers, leading the troops towards Nanling. Reaching Huanglong Cave, they challenged the vanguard to battle. Huang Zong and Huang Hao once again engaged the two vanguards in combat.
Cao Yunlong and Pang Qi were both renowned generals, and their subordinates were no less capable. After dozens of rounds, neither side gained the upper hand. As night fell, they ceased fighting.
The next day, the two pairs of officers fought again. Around 9 AM, Cao Yunlong's army arrived.
Cao Yunlong and Pang Qi personally went to the front lines to observe. Huang Mian, seeing Cao Yunlong's prowess from the pass, immediately ordered a retreat.
Hearing the gong, Huang Zong and Huang Hao feigned an attack, jumped out of the circle, and rode away.
Seeing this, Cao Yunlong spurred his horse and charged after them.
His warhorse, a renowned Akhal-Teke horse from the Western Rong princess, was incredibly strong. The terrain here was flat in the mountains, so he caught up with the Huang brothers in just an arrow's flight.
Seeing Cao Yunlong's steel fork aimed at Huang Zong's head, Huang Hao knew his brother couldn't dodge, so he thrust his blade at Cao Yunlong's ribs from the side.
Cao Yunlong, seeing this, had to withdraw his fork to block the blade, relieving Huang Zong's danger. Cao Yunlong then thrust at Huang Hao, who was also forced to stop by Huang Zong. However, the two brothers were ultimately no match for Cao Yunlong. After a few more exchanges, Pang Qi and two vanguards arrived. The Huang brothers had no choice but to fight and retreat, step by step, up the mountainside. They were less than two arrows' flight from the pass, still unable to shake off Cao Yunlong's entanglement.
Huang Zong thought that if they retreated into the pass like this, Huanglong Cave would be lost. So he shouted to the gate: "Close the gate! Close the gate! Cao Yunlong is powerful. Don't let him take advantage of us!"
Seeing this from the pass, Huang Mian knew that holding the pass was of utmost importance, and tears streamed down his face. He ordered the barbarian soldiers to close the gate.
Cao Yunlong abandoned the Huang brothers and rushed to break through the pass, but he was too late and failed to reach it. Seeing the gate closed, countless powerful arrows and crossbows rained down from above, and unable to withstand the attack, he had no choice but to retreat and join forces to attack the Huang brothers.
Closing the gate also trapped the Huang brothers outside. Seeing the gate closed, they were relieved and looked at each other, saying, "Our brothers are united today." They then shouted to the pass, "Father, help my brothers!"
Huang Mian understood his son's heart and, with a heavy heart, ordered, "Release the rolling logs and stones."
The pass lowered the rolling logs, which rolled down the hillside.
Seeing this, Cao Yunlong and the others dared not linger on the hillside, abandoning their fight with the Huang brothers, and fled downhill.
Cao Yunlong, riding fast, went ahead. Pang Qi, who was slower, had only reached halfway up the mountain, but he had already escaped. Only Ma Feng and Delin remained, locked in combat with Huang Zong and Huang Hao, when they were stopped by rolling logs and forced to flee, unable to attend to their opponents.
The Huang brothers, who were prepared to fight to the death, ignored the rolling logs and rocks and attacked Ma Feng and Delin instead. Thus, the four men were driven by the rolling logs from the top of the slope to the bottom. Although they avoided the logs, the difference in strength was immediately apparent.
Cao Yunlong saw this but couldn't intervene in time. Huang Zong chopped Ma Feng in the back of the head, instantly splitting him into two pieces. Huang Hao also slashed at Delin's back. Delin heard the whooshing sound and dodged to the side, just as Huang Zong arrived after killing Ma Feng. With another blow, Huang Zong decapitated Ma Feng, and the corpse fell from his horse.
Cao Yunlong was enraged. He spurred his horse forward, but the two brothers didn't engage him. Instead, they circled around and disappeared into the forest.
Cao Yunlong knew his warhorse wasn't suited for navigating forests, but fortunately the trees weren't too dense, so he could only keep pace with the two men's horses from the outside. After running three or five li, Cao Yunlong's horse was fast and he caught up, but the Huang brothers suddenly leaped out of the woods and ran back.
When Cao Yunlong looked around, he inwardly groaned; behind them were the soldiers relentlessly pursuing them. These soldiers, upon encountering the Huang brothers, were like encountering Yama, the devil himself—one touch meant certain death.
As Cao Yunlong chased after them, the fallen soldiers slowed him down, and the Huang brothers took advantage of the chaos to kill over a hundred of his men before finally catching up. Meanwhile, Pang Qi, having lost his beloved general, was also filled with resentment and rushed in from the other side, finally surrounding the Huang brothers.
Undeterred, the Huang brothers used feints and diversions to evade Cao and Pang's pursuit, while simultaneously hacking away at the government troops, killing over a hundred more. Both brothers' swords were dulled from the blows. The surrounding officers and lieutenants closed in, keeping the soldiers at bay.
The Cao brothers were trapped, with nowhere to go. Huang Zong laughed, "Brothers, did you enjoy the fighting today?"
Huang Hao replied, "Borrowing your divine might, brother."
"In that case, let's deliver the final blow and behead that old scoundrel Cao Yunlong."
"Exactly!" With that
, the two charged at Cao Yunlong.
Cao Yunlong, seeing this, swung his trident, but the brothers didn't dodge, adopting a stance of mutual destruction, and lunged straight into his arms.
Unfortunately, both men were wielding curved swords. Before they could even reach each other, the fork struck Huang Hao, slicing a four-inch deep wound across his chest, shattering his ribs and damaging his heart and lungs. He fell from his horse dead without even a cry. The remaining force of the fork struck Huang Zong in the ribs, crushing half of his chest and sending his body flying five feet to the ground where he died.
Cao Yunlong had killed the Huang brothers, checked his troops, and lost two vanguard officers; it could hardly be considered a victory.
The next morning, Cao Yunlong personally led his troops to attack Huanglong Cave. The barbarian soldiers at the pass refused to engage, instead holding their position high and using arrows, rolling logs, and boulders to defend themselves, making it difficult for Cao Yunlong to succeed. The following
day, Cao Yunlong again launched a feint attack on Huanglong Cave, while simultaneously sending Pang Qi with ten thousand men to bypass the cave via a side path and launch a pincer attack.
It turns out that Cao Yunlong and Pang Qi had both followed Duan Lingfeng in attacking Huanglong Cave years ago, and knew that although the path was roundabout, it didn't have any particularly dangerous terrain.
Whether Cao Yunlong's plan would succeed remains to be seen; we'll find out in the next chapter.

Chapter 18 of Imperial Chapter 018 – Huang Mian Dies for Righteousness, Government Army Suffers Deception in the Ditch

. It is said that Cao Yunlong sent Pang Qi to take a detour via the path to ambush the rear of Huanglong Cave. Huang Mian knew of Duan Lingfeng's past actions and was therefore prepared.
Pang Qi traveled several miles along the path before encountering dozens of small groups of barbarian soldiers blocking his way. Knowing Pang Qi's martial arts skills, the barbarians dared not approach, instead using arrows and poisoned crossbows from the high ground on either side.
Pang Qi had no choice but to send troops up the mountain. Although outnumbered, attacking from above was no match for defending from below, resulting in hundreds of casualties each day. However, relying on their superior numbers, although slow, they were eventually forced to advance, and after more than ten days, they finally reached the rear of Huanglong Cave.
Hearing the battle cries from the pass, Pang Qi knew Cao Yunlong was attacking. He ordered his men to charge!
Upon reaching the pass, they found only a few hundred barbarians guarding the stronghold under two minor leaders. Pang Qi charged in, and the barbarian soldiers, disregarding Cao Yunlong, turned to fight him. Cao Yunlong seized the opportunity to smash open the gate and rush in. He saw the barbarian soldiers standing back-to-back, defending each other. The bodies of government troops lay scattered all around, piled upon each other. The barbarian soldiers were all covered in blood, yet none surrendered. Cao Yunlong
knew that Huang Mian had been shrewd enough to withdraw the main force back to the barbarian caves, leaving only these daredevils to hold off the government troops.
Cao Yunlong shouted to halt the government troops, and the barbarian soldiers seized the opportunity to gather together, forming a small formation. Cao Yunlong personally stepped forward to persuade the barbarian soldiers to surrender. One of their leaders said, "Cao Yunlong, don't underestimate us, the barbarians of Nanling! As long as we have a breath left, we will never surrender!"
Cao Yunlong had no choice but to order his men to fire arrows. The barbarian soldiers on the outside linked arms to protect their brothers behind them, but the arrows were merciless, and in no time, a layer of them had fallen.
The leader in the formation shouted, "Brothers, don't let your deaths be in vain!
Charge forward and fight to the death!" Hearing this, the barbarian soldiers charged forward. Although dozens of them died, once they got close, the arrows became ineffective, and they broke into the government troops' ranks, each finding their own opponent and engaging in combat. Seeing this,
Cao Yunlong shouted, "Kill!" The government troops rushed forward, and a chaotic slaughter ensued.
The battle raged for over half an hour before finally ending. Not a single barbarian soldier surrendered; they were all killed in action. The government troops also suffered over seven hundred casualties.
After passing Huanglong Cave, they reached a fork in the road.
Remembering Duan Lingfeng's defeat, Cao Yunlong dared not take the shortcut through the valley. He left a deputy general and several detachments with ten thousand elite troops to block the mountain pass, while he led the main army eastward, intending to attack via the route through the Nine Gully Eighty-One Villages.
As mentioned before, although the Nine Gully Eighty-One Villages were far away and heavily guarded, the treacherous passes were not enough to guarantee a stronghold. Even with Cao Yunlong's two hundred thousand troops, some losses and time would be enough to break through sooner or later. When Xu Youliang recaptured Nanling, he was concerned about Wang Bingzheng behind him and wanted a quick victory. Therefore, he exploited internal strife within the tribe to achieve his goal. Now, Cao Yunlong has no such worries, so he's not in a hurry. He simply sends troops to launch a strong attack, and it's only a matter of time before he breaks through Jiudaogou.
The Nanling barbarians also know the situation is critical, but after years of war, fewer than 20,000 able-bodied men remain. The rest are mostly old, weak, women, and children, and they are powerless to defend themselves.
After fighting Cao Yunlong for over two months, although Cao Yunlong has lost 30,000 men, the barbarians have also suffered heavy losses, forcing them to summon the women of their tribe to defend the pass.
The women of Nanling have a tradition of martial arts. These women were all wives of barbarian soldiers, now widows, filled with rage. They took swords and spears and fought bravely at the pass.
As dawn broke, Cao Yunlong finally breached the Toudaogou Pass, which had been fought all night. Upon seeing this, Huang Mian hurriedly led the few hundred remaining barbarian soldiers to risk their lives to block the breach. Huang Mian swung his scimitar and slaughtered the government troops who rushed up the pass, making them scream like ghosts.
Cao Yunlong was commanding from outside the mountain when he saw Huang Mian's bravery and realized that his men were no match for him. He quickly spurred his steed and rode up the mountain. Pang Qi, seeing this, also spurred his horse up.
Huang Mian, seeing this from afar, knew that the first gully could not be held and hurriedly ordered, "All female soldiers and generals, retreat quickly to the second gully and defend it. I will hold this place."
The female generals Kan Meiyun and her sister said, "Cave Master, retreat quickly. We will defend this place."
Huang Mian shouted, "I am all alone. If I die, I die. You all have important responsibilities. Retreat quickly and don't bother me."
Kan Meiyun had no choice but to lead the female barbarian soldiers away, leaving Huang Mian and the barbarian soldiers at the pass. This was the last remaining male soldiers in Nanling. Huang Mian looked up to the sky and cried, "Heavens, why have you destroyed my people?!"
Just then, Cao Yunlong charged up the pass on his horse. Huang Mian abandoned the government troops around him and went to meet Cao Yunlong.
Although Huang Mian was brave, he had been fighting for two months and was only a foot soldier. He was no match for Cao Yunlong. After less than three exchanges, Cao Yunlong smashed a man's head to pieces with his fork, and Huang Mian fell to the ground dead. Cao Yunlong then ordered his men to rely on their superior numbers and fight to the death, killing all the last hundreds of warriors of Nanling and thus occupying Toudaogou.
When the government troops cleaned up the battlefield, they found more than a hundred female corpses among the barbarian victims. They were all young women in their twenties and thirties. They were overcome with lust and lifted their skirts, only to find that they had no underwear underneath, revealing their dark, downy genitals.
Cao Yunlong and Pang Qi had seen barbarian women guarding the pass a few days earlier. Now, seeing these female corpses, Pang Qi said, "Marshal Cao, seeing so many female corpses here, I suppose the barbarians have no men left to use. Nanling will soon be captured, a cause for celebration!"
Cao Yunlong was also delighted. He ordered his soldiers to cut off the barbarian soldiers' heads to report their achievements, and also to cut off the female corpses' nipples, string them together with wire, and salt them. He personally wrote a battle report and sent the salted nipples and other items to the capital to report their victory.
Upon hearing this order, the government troops all got to work, stripping the female corpses naked. They cut off only two nipples from each woman and salted them, leaving the breasts on their bodies. They then cut thick bamboo poles, pierced them through the vulvas, and ordered the soldiers to carry them to Erdaogou to display to the public and demoralize the Nanling army.
Standing on high ground, Cao Yunlong surveyed the terrain of the first gully. He saw a deep valley stretching for miles to the east and west from the pass. He ordered his army to pass through the pass in order and search both sides of the valley. Cao Yunlong had several guides outside the valley, but these guides were not from the Nanling region and were not entirely familiar with the situation inside.
Cao Yunlong did not immediately attack the second gully. The first gully had already been attacked for two months, resulting in 30,000 casualties, and his soldiers were exhausted. Besides, there were over 100,000 men; just crossing the narrow pass would take half a day. Therefore, he needed to rest for three days and reward his troops.
While admiring the scenery, soldiers ahead reported that a group of barbarian women, led by five beautiful young women, were descending from the second gully and slaughtering the soldiers who were displaying their corpses.
Cao Yunlong quickly mounted his horse and, with Pang Qi, led a dozen generals and two hundred cavalrymen to the second gully. Upon reaching the foot of the slope a mile before the pass, they saw the ground littered with the corpses of soldiers, and a dozen or so tied to large trees, stripped naked, their genitals cut off, bleeding and screaming in pain.
Cao Yunlong ordered the ten or so survivors to be untied and treated. He questioned them, and they all said that over a hundred female barbarians had come down from the pass, all riding short horses, mostly wielding curved swords, led by five female generals. Each was incredibly imposing, their fighting style exquisite; the government troops, encountering them, were powerless to resist, swiftly defeated, and then retreated back to the mountain.
Cao Yunlong had seen several female generals assisting Huang Mian at the pass during the attack on Toudaogou, one of whom wielded a precious shovel and possessed exceptional martial arts skills.
At that time, he saw that the female general looked very familiar, but she was far away and he could not see her clearly. Only now did he remember that when Xu Youliang ambushed the Xirong Princess in Qiulong Forest, Kan Meiyun, the grain officer of Nanling, had helped him in the battle. At that time, she led hundreds of Nanling female soldiers, all riding short horses, and were brave enough to defeat the entire army. He thought that even if this female general was not Kan Meiyun, she must have some connection with her.
Cao Yunlong, recalling his encounter with Kan Meiyun years ago, remarked, "If it is indeed her, she is a remarkably beautiful woman."
Pang Qi asked, "Which one is the Marshal referring to?"
"When I was in Xu Youliang's army, I saw a female general from Nanling. She wielded a phoenix-headed shovel, was only a teenager, and extremely beautiful. Her female soldiers were also in their prime. If I could capture her, my tent would be filled with great pleasure."
Pang Qi laughed, "So the Marshal was thinking of this, but enjoying it alone is not as good as sharing it with everyone."
"Don't worry, Vice Marshal," Cao Yunlong said, "the female soldiers from Nanling are all unparalleled beauties. Now that the men of Nanling are all gone, if we fight again, it will all be women. You can capture just one at random and have a good time. I only want Kan Meiyun."
"Then it's a deal."
"It's a deal. Pass down the order: in future battles, whoever captures a female soldier or general from Nanling
will have their fate as they see fit, except for Kan Meiyun, who will be handed over to me." The officers and soldiers, upon receiving the order, were all eager to seize Jiudaogou immediately.
Before noon, reports from the various search parties indicated that the nine caves in Toudaogou were empty, and the barbarians had taken all their food, leaving not even a single grain of straw for firewood.
Cao Yunlong said, "It's clear these Nanling barbarians were prepared; they won't leave us a single grain of food." He then ordered them to set up camp in Toudaogou and prepare food.
A quarter of an hour later, another report came that there wasn't a single large flat area in the gully, making it impossible to build a large camp. Cao Yunlong personally rode to check and confirmed this. He had no choice but to order his soldiers to disperse and set up camp, some with ten or twenty tents, others with three or five, each surrounded by palisades. With nowhere to build their own main camp, they had to settle their central army in the pass. Even so, the ravine couldn't accommodate over 100,000 men, so they had to withdraw most of their troops outside the ravine, leaving only 20,000 to 30,000 men inside.
At midnight, a loud noise was heard in the distance. Cao Yunlong went out to investigate and saw countless torches burning on the Erdaogou mountain, accompanied by thunderous shouts—all women's voices. He immediately ordered his horses to be brought out.
Just then, a scout reported that five female generals who had charged down from the Erdaogou pass during the day had led another force out, setting fire to four or five government army camps, killing over a hundred men, before retreating back up the mountain.
Cao Yunlong hurriedly led over a hundred cavalry to the scene and indeed found the camps badly burned, with heavy casualties among the government troops. Just then, more soldiers came to report that barbarian female soldiers, of unknown origin, had stormed into the government army camp, burning and killing indiscriminately.
Cao Yunlong wanted to provide aid, but with alarms rising everywhere, he didn't know where to turn.
The commotion continued until dawn, when smoke rose from all sides of the ravine. Cao Yunlong went to investigate and found that the vandalized camps were small, with fewer than five tents each, totaling only a dozen or so. In every camp that had been attacked, the tents were burned to the ground, and the garrison soldiers were either killed or maimed; none survived. Cao Yunlong looked around and saw that the mountains on both sides were covered in dense forests. He knew the female soldiers must be among them, so he sent two thousand soldiers up the mountains to search. They searched an entire hillside but found no barbarian women. Instead , they
were ambushed and killed by crossbows hidden in the forest, killing more than a dozen soldiers. Seeing this, the soldiers were filled with fear. Cao Yunlong was furious but helpless.
Will Cao Yunlong be able to conquer Nanling this time? Stay tuned for the next chapter.

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