“Your Highness… What does Your Highness mean? This humble subject does not understand.” Cui Chengdong’s words faltered, not daring to look directly at Shen Qianyu.

“Don’t understand?”

Shen Qianyu stood up and suddenly reached out to grasp Cui Chengdong’s throat, squeezing with all his might. The man’s palm clamped down like iron pincers, and Cui Chengdong’s face quickly turned red as he struggled to breathe.

All the important court officials believed the Crown Prince to be a refined gentleman, never knowing he possessed such a side. Even Jiang Xingjian hadn’t reacted in time, startled by Shen Qianyu’s abrupt action.

However, knowing the Crown Prince’s words were reasonable, he didn’t speak up to stop him.

“Still don’t understand?”

Cui Chengdong struggled desperately, mumbling incoherently. Before long, unable to withstand the terror of impending death, he frantically nodded.

Shen Qianyu released him and thundered, “What have you done?”

The man whose throat had been injured knelt prostrate on the ground, gasping for breath. Shen Qianyu was about to question him again when he was interrupted by Wan Xiao entering the tent.

“Your Highness, Qin Rao requests an audience.”

Jiang Xingjian frowned. “We must guard against treachery.”

Shen Qianyu lowered his eyes in contemplation for a moment before striding out with large steps.

Emperor Wenhui had absolutely no intention of engaging in battle with Nanqing. Though Jiang Xingjian bore the title of marquis, the Chengyang Marquis Estate had long since fallen into decline. After Shen Qianshu’s death, he was even more useless. Thus, whether this person lived or died, he couldn’t stir up any trouble.

Yet he would not perish here—not because Emperor Wenhui held any father-son affection for him, but rather because he needed this Crown Prince to help him bear the eternal infamy of losing two strategic territories.

Emperor Wenhui was already advanced in years. Knowing he couldn’t hold onto this empire much longer, he only wanted to personally present the document ceding territory to the enemy nation as his final achievement. As for the realm and its lands, as for his subjects and common people, he didn’t care in the slightest!

Emperor Wenhui likely thought he too was spineless, believing that seeing the garrison forces withdrawn, he would meekly surrender and return to the capital to await orders for the sake of the throne.

No wonder Qin Rao had traveled unobstructed all this way—she had her backing all along.

Shen Qianyu clenched his fists tightly and strode out of the military camp with large steps.

Qin Rao stood on the shallow bank of the Su River wearing a veil and dressed properly. Behind her stood two unfamiliar individuals. Neither the naked man who had previously entered the capital nor Huai Jin were by her side.

Seeing this, Shen Qianyu sneered. Those two had likely contracted the illness and were now bedridden and unable to rise.

“It’s been quite a while.”

Qin Rao’s voice was hoarse and rough, as if abraded by coarse sand, almost unbelievable. Jiang Xingjian and Wan Xiao stood behind Shen Qianyu, both raising their eyebrows as they looked at her.

The autumn wind blew briskly. As a gust swept by, Qin Rao’s veil was gently lifted. Shen Qianyu’s brow furrowed tightly, his heart shaking.

The four characters “Dongning War Horse” were clearly visible as scars on her face. Not only that, but perhaps the medicine Song Wan and Zhang Baozhen had developed that day had taken effect—now, several months later, the wounds on Qin Rao’s face still hadn’t healed. When she spoke and her facial skin moved slightly, a trail of dark blood would flow down.

Shen Qianyu stood downwind. As the autumn breeze passed, it carried an indescribable foul stench.

Wan Xiao frowned as he looked at Qin Rao. He could see her flushed face clearly indicated she was still running a high fever. Thinking of the several women previously found for the Nanqing envoy delegation, he understood completely.

Seeing that Shen Qianyu didn’t speak after she did, Qin Rao couldn’t help but sneer coldly.

“You should know I originally had no intention of being your enemy.”

Lifting her veil, Qin Rao’s eyes were full of malicious venom. “But now, you’ve all brought this upon yourselves.”

Shen Qianyu sneered coldly. “You have no intention of waging war with Dongning. I am not Emperor Wenhui, who can be frightened by your mere force of less than ten thousand soldiers into handing over two strategic territories.”

Qin Rao’s heart was devoted to Qin Zhan. She wouldn’t want to waste time at the Su River. That she had frightened Emperor Wenhui’s cowardly heart with seven thousand troops was likely beyond even her expectations.

She was doing this mostly for Qin Zhan, yet Qin Zhan might not have much time left to wait for her to capture the Su River.

“The barbarian slave is still as clever as ever.”

Qin Rao spoke indifferently. “I wasted too much time in Dongning. Had I known the Dongning Emperor possessed such a spineless nature, this princess would never have entered the capital.”

She looked at Shen Qianyu, speaking word by word: “The Dongning Emperor doesn’t deserve your loyalty.”

“Why don’t you cooperate with this princess instead?”

Qin Rao slowly walked to Shen Qianyu’s side. Shen Qianyu, Wan Xiao, and even Jiang Xingjian all took a step back in unison.

Rage spread through Qin Rao’s eyes, but she forcibly suppressed it. “Join forces with this princess. This princess can help you eliminate the Dongning Emperor and support you to the throne.”

“No need.”

Shen Qianyu’s refusal was quite decisive.

“Qin Zhan is cruel and tyrannical. With him on the throne, he’ll only cause Nanqing’s people to suffer, leaving the common people homeless and displaced. This Prince disdains associating with such a person.”

“Ridiculous.”

Qin Rao laughed harshly, her rough voice extremely grating. “You say Imperial Brother is cruel and tyrannical? Then tell me, what kind of creature is the Dongning Emperor?”

“You don’t yet know what great gift he’s presented to this princess, do you?”

Qin Rao raised her hand in a wave, and two young men wearing Nanqing armor departed from behind her.

“Seven thousand troops—this princess merely casually bluffed that old fool, and he secretly sent three million taels along with Suncheng and Chiyang. Such a spineless thing can be Dongning’s sovereign, yet you have the face to say this princess’s Imperial Brother is unfit to be emperor?”

“Simply laughable.”

Shen Qianyu and the others’ faces turned between green and red with shame. Even the Shenshu Guard soldiers from the capital who had followed them displayed indignant expressions.

“This princess gives you two choices. Either you agree to cooperate with me, I help you take that cowardly emperor’s head, and you use Dongning’s power to help my Imperial Brother stabilize his throne. Or you hand over Suncheng and Chiyang, and I’ll take these two cities back to Nanqing to help Imperial Brother recover popular support.”

“This princess has no intention of becoming that old fool’s blade, wasting effort to collect your heads.”

As Qin Rao spoke, her gaze swept across Wan Xiao and Jiang Xingjian, her arrogant attitude fully displayed.

The Dongning Emperor had told her to spare Shen Qianyu’s life and send everyone else to Nanqing as sacrificial offerings. She didn’t have the kindness to clean up after that old fool. She would rather see Dongning’s father and son fighting each other, allowing Nanqing to reap the fisherman’s profit.

Gently arranging the veil on her face, Qin Rao said, “This princess gives you one day to think it over carefully.”

“Additionally, the great gift the Dongning Emperor sent to this princess—this princess returns it today.”

Everyone saw Qin Rao turn sideways to look toward the military camp behind her. The two men from earlier dragged someone out. At first, they couldn’t see clearly who it was. When those people drew near, they discovered it was a completely naked, disheveled woman.

The woman was covered in wounds, not a single patch of healthy skin. Her body was barely wrapped in a tattered cloth. When the two dragged her before Shen Qianyu and the others, Jiang Xingjian’s heart shook violently as he cried out, “Elder Sister.”

Hearing this, Qin Rao’s eyes turned cold. “So this lowly woman is your elder sister.”

“Even better then. You can collect her corpse.”

Jiang Man’s entire body had been branded with horse irons until there wasn’t a single patch of good flesh. From face to feet, even her scalp had been burned away by more than half. Jiang Xingjian removed his outer garment to wrap her in it, grinding his teeth as he glared furiously at Qin Rao.

Qin Rao sneered. “Why are you looking at this princess? She’s a Dongning imperial consort. Without the Emperor’s permission, how could this princess have brought her out of the palace?”

“Speaking of which, before this princess even left the capital, the Dongning Emperor hurriedly presented her overnight. It truly shocked this princess for several days.”

“It’s truly hard to imagine that the Dongning Emperor’s backbone isn’t even one-thousandth as strong as this lowly woman’s.”

Qin Rao dusted off her sleeves. “At this time tomorrow, this princess awaits your reply. As for this lowly woman, consider it this princess showing her some respect by leaving her wretched life intact.”

With that, Qin Rao walked away with large strides, laughing.