"Father, you don't understand. This is not a matter of blatant defiance. I simply see Situ Chuanqiong as a man, and he sees me as a woman. Between the two of us, it's a simple matter of romantic feelings between a man and a woman. Please don't elevate it to the level of nation and status. What we had was pure emotion!" Leng Yuanxiang tried to explain.
"Don't tell me all that nonsense. The person you mentioned is, first and foremost, the Emperor, and only then a man. Whether in our Great Ding Dynasty or any other small nation, show me where a concubine can tell the Emperor they are breaking up or seeking a divorce?" Leng Guang remained unmoved.
Leng Yuanxiang didn't want to continue arguing with Leng Guang's corrupt feudalistic mindset, so she ushered him out. "Forget it, Father. It's very late today. I'm tired and need to rest. Please go back now!"
"Yuanxiang, I don't care what you think now. From today on, focus your heart, and return to the palace in a few days! Don't be too arrogant just because you're favored. The Emperor's heart is the most fickle. If one day he is no longer doting on you, not only will you gain nothing, but our entire Leng family could be in mortal danger."
After saying this, Leng Guang flicked his sleeve and opened the door. He then addressed Chun Yue, who was guarding outside, "Keep an eye on your mistress. She sometimes acts impulsively. Don't be too stubborn."
Chun Yue meekly replied, "Yes!" but inwardly, she felt helpless. After all, she was just a little maidservant; how could she control the mistress's actions?
The night was cool as water. Lying in bed, Leng Yuanxiang's heart was also filled with complex emotions.
Over the past half-year, the more she interacted with Yan Yue, the more she liked him. Perhaps initially, she was captivated by his looks and talent, enjoying the thrill of chasing a star like she had enjoyed her favorite handsome idols in her past life.
But now, she realized she had genuinely fallen in love with him. Compared to Situ Chuanqiong's domineering nature, Yan Yue was warm, considerate, attentive, and deeply affectionate. He was truly the image of the lover she had always dreamed of.
Most importantly, Yan Yue was self-disciplined and devoted entirely to her. Unlike Situ Chuanqiong, who was constantly balancing court politics and harem intrigues, all he did was make her endure, caused her to miscarry, and broke every promise he made.
Thinking of her child, who had only been a few months old, Leng Yuanxiang couldn't help but shed tears again. The hatred she felt towards Situ Chuanqiong and Qin Mingzhu intensified.
...
On the same night, in the Imperial Study.
"Your Majesty, General Zhang and General Chu have sent back victory reports," Wang You gently knocked on the door and presented the reports to Situ Chuanqiong.
Situ Chuanqiong eagerly opened them and scanned through, a satisfied smile soon appearing on his face. "Lan'er is indeed the only female general of our Great Ding Dynasty. Once she took action, the small Pengxi Kingdom was utterly routed."
"The Consort is very capable, but it also cannot be separated from Your Majesty's brilliance. Otherwise, even the Empress would not usually be able to go to the front line," Wang You flatteringly remarked.
As expected, the smile on Situ Chuanqiong's face deepened. He said to Wang You, "Only you understand my intentions. Sending the Empress to battle put me under immense pressure."
"Your Majesty, please rest assured, everyone in the world will understand your difficulties," Wang You replied with his head bowed, though inwardly he felt a degree of disdain for Situ Chuanqiong's actions.
"By the way, Wang You, please make arrangements as soon as possible. It's been a while since I've visited Consort Leng Xian," Situ Chuanqiong said, seeing that the war was stabilizing. He then remembered his "little Xiang'er" and wondered, "Is she still sulking?"
Wang You subtly curled his lips but responded enthusiastically, "This servant will contact her first thing tomorrow. By this time, Consort Leng might have already gone to sleep?"
"You are right. I didn't consider that," Situ Chuanqiong agreed, his mood pleasant, considering himself quite democratic. "It's late, let's rest!"
"Shall this servant escort you back to your sleeping quarters?" Wang You inquired.
"Let's go!" Situ Chuanqiong led the way out of the Imperial Study.
After Wang You helped Situ Chuanqiong to sleep, he left the Emperor's chambers. He looked around and then went to an inconspicuous rockery in the imperial garden.
A guard was already there, pacing back and forth as if on patrol. Wang You approached him and handed him a small piece of paper, passing by him without a word.
After Wang You left, the guard patrolled the imperial garden for a while longer before leisurely heading towards the palace gate.
"Wang Liu, you're off duty?" a guard at the palace gate greeted him.
"Yeah, Zhang Gousheng. Want to go out for a late-night snack later?" the guard named Wang Liu invited.
"I've told you not to call me Gousheng. Just call me Zhang Sheng from now on," Zhang Gousheng strongly disliked the name his parents had given him. "I still have two more hours. I'll go straight back to sleep later, so no supper."
"Alright! We'll plan another time when our schedules align," Wang Liu waved his hand and walked straight out of the palace gate.
Once out of sight of the other guards at the gate, he began to run at full speed. Soon, he arrived at a residence and knocked an irregular rhythm on the door – three short knocks followed by a long one.
The door soon opened, revealing a familiar face, none other than the man in black who had been talking to Yan Yue that day.
"Third Brother, I have news," Wang Liu said as he entered, handing the note to Chu San.
Chu San was an orphan who had been sponsored and raised by Chu Qian. However, Chu Qian was a benefactor who sought no reward and never boasted about his deeds.
It was precisely because of this that Chu San, Wang Liu, and the group of adopted children had escaped Situ Chuanqiong's massacre of the entire Chu clan. As he looked at the information conveyed by Wang You on the note, a smile appeared on his face.
Yan Yue also received the news that Situ Chuanqiong was going to see Leng Yuanxiang tomorrow, and he was very happy, feeling a sense of impending success.
He recalled that when they learned that their benefactor, General Chu Qian, and his entire family were to be executed, all of them, who had benefited from the Chu family's kindness for so many years, had planned to storm the execution grounds.
However, when they reached the vicinity of the execution grounds, General Chu discovered them. He refused their plan with a determined gaze, sweeping his eyes over them and shaking his head subtly.
But how could these few people stand by and watch their benefactor's family die tragically? Thus, they decided to act, even if it meant risking their lives.
It was General Chu who stopped them at the last moment. Before his execution, he said, "My life has been without shame before heaven and earth. I have never harbored any ambition for the throne, only wishing that His Majesty would be understanding and treat my Yu Lan well!"
With a swift stroke of the sword, the head of a generation's great general fell. The severed head rolled to a spot not far from Yan Yue. The eyes were still open, staring in disbelief!
Yan Yue's veiled hat concealed his face, but it could not hide his eyes as he looked at the head on the ground. He clenched his fists tightly, controlling the impulse to erupt in a murderous rage.
Because he understood the meaning of General Chu's last words, which were for them to preserve their lives so that they could properly protect Empress Chu Yu Lan.