A’na Ri stared in stunned silence at Si Qin, whose face was dark as water, saying in disbelief: “What do you mean!”

“Khan.” Si Qin squeezed out these two words through his teeth, grabbed A’na Ri’s wrist in one motion, and pulled her in front of him. Looking down at her with their noses almost touching: “Have you made enough trouble?”

The tassels on A’na Ri’s hat jingled, and her wrist hurt from Si Qin’s grip, but at this moment she had no mind for such things. All her thoughts were overwhelmed by Si Qin’s unprecedentedly serious expression.

“Prince Consort, I am the Khan! Everything I do follows my own principles. How dare you say I’m making trouble?!”

Si Qin said through gritted teeth in a low voice: “You are the ruler of a nation. Your subjects are watching your every word and deed! Acting like a shrew, losing control of your emotions and throwing tantrums in public – do you still want any dignity? Acting this way, where will you put your face? Where will you put mine!”

“Enough! What about your dignity? All you have in your heart now is that vixen – you don’t care about my feelings at all! The reason I target her publicly and privately – what is it for! If you truly devoted yourself wholeheartedly to me without giving me the slightest cause for suspicion or heartbreak, how would I act this way!”

A’na Ri didn’t care about dignity or face. Si Qin deliberately lowered his voice to avoid drawing others’ attention, but A’na Ri just kept shouting. She felt wronged, holding back anger, and had never thought her actions inappropriate. Her shrill voice carried far, drawing everyone’s gaze, as if she wouldn’t rest until everyone knew about this matter.

Although Qin Yining couldn’t understand what they were saying, seeing A’na Ri’s mad appearance, she couldn’t help but frown in disgust.

A’na Ri happened to look back and met Qin Yining’s gaze. Her face immediately burned as if she had been slapped several times. She was already the noble Khan, the most distinguished woman in all of Tatar territory, yet her husband not only treated her roughly but did so for another woman!

Both ashamed and furious, A’na Ri forcefully broke free from the restraint on her arm and raised her hand to deliver a vicious slap across Si Qin’s face.

The crisp “slap” sound caused Si Qin’s head to turn to one side. His face remained expressionless, but all the surrounding guards and soldiers instantly fell silent, quietly staring at the scene.

A’na Ri actually regretted it somewhat after the slap.

Si Qin was a heroic man, unlike those ordinary flatterers who sought power and profit. When they married, it was A’na Ri who took the initiative, and Si Qin hadn’t been willing to become a prince consort from the start.

After all, any man with talent and ambition wouldn’t want to be branded as someone who must depend on a woman.

By becoming a prince consort, he could only be A’na Ri’s appendage. Even everything he achieved through his own efforts would be said by those with ulterior motives to have been accomplished by stepping on a woman’s shoulders.

A’na Ri knew that Si Qin had been questioned too much and had been holding back his anger. Precisely because she knew this, she felt insecure and watched him closely, giving him no opportunity to escape from her side.

But what had she done now?

She had actually slapped this proud man in public!

A’na Ri was extremely anxious and grabbed Si Qin’s hand in panic: “I didn’t mean it, I was just momentarily agitated…”

Before she could finish speaking, Si Qin shook her off.

Si Qin turned and walked away, calling out loudly to everyone: “Return.”

With just two words, the accompanying soldiers solemnly responded in acknowledgment.

Qin Yining and Lu Heng exchanged glances, both seeing deep meaning in each other’s eyes.

It seemed they hadn’t guessed wrong – in Tatar territory, Si Qin’s prestige in the military was equivalent to Pang Xiao and Ji Zeyu’s in Great Zhou’s Huben Army and Longxiang Army.

How could such a man be someone who willingly submitted to a woman’s authority?

From the current situation, it appeared that the guards and soldiers following A’na Ri all showed considerable respect and submission to Si Qin, and A’na Ri seemed accustomed to this situation. This indicated that Si Qin had long since grasped most of Tatar’s power and had even earned respect and submission with little criticism.

As for A’na Ri, Si Qin was even more successful. No matter how formidable A’na Ri might be externally, as soon as Si Qin was involved, she would immediately become a willful little girl, displaying everything she wanted and feared without reservation before Si Qin, making it easy for him to manipulate her if he chose to.

For a woman immersed in love, this wasn’t particularly significant.

But for a woman wielding power, such a situation was quite dangerous.

Qin Yining and Lu Heng followed beside the guards all the way to find their horses.

A’na Ri also followed with tightly pressed lips and a cold expression.

During the return journey, Lu Heng stayed close to Qin Yining’s side, deliberately spurring his horse closer and whispering warnings: “The situation is dangerous. From now on you must be careful and cautious. Be careful with food you consume, and be wary of those around you. I see those two quarreling so intensely – if things go badly, the Khan will ultimately vent her anger on you.”

Qin Yining nodded and whispered back: “You be careful too.”

“I’m fine – I can still cooperate with them, but you’re different…” At this point, Lu Heng sighed and said: “You’ve suffered an undeserved disaster.”

Qin Yining smiled bitterly and shook her head: “Things have come to this point. Overthinking is useless – we can only look forward.”

Lu Heng nodded, gazing at her for a moment before looking away, murmuring: “It’s precisely this character of yours that’s precious.”

“What?” They had been galloping on horseback the entire way, and with the confused sound of hoofbeats, Qin Yining couldn’t hear Lu Heng’s mumbling clearly, only vaguely catching that he had said something.

Lu Heng suddenly came to his senses and shook his head: “Nothing.”

Seeing this, Qin Yining didn’t ask further.

They had gone out hunting but caught almost no prey, while all the slaves they brought were fed to wolves without exception. If A’na Ri weren’t already nearly mad with anger, Qin Yining would have wanted to sarcastically ask whether she had gone hunting or wolf-feeding.

The group galloped through the city gates and was proceeding toward the palace when they saw two young men appearing once again in the middle of the road ahead.

Everyone hurriedly reined in their horses.

Qin Yining looked intently and, in broad daylight this time, finally saw the two clearly.

Both young men had regular features with thick eyebrows and large eyes. Though dressed in rags, they were barefoot in the bitter cold just like those slaves from earlier.

The two knelt on the ground, respectfully kowtowing with their foreheads touching the ground, saying devoutly: “Khan, we beg the Khan to release our father and mother!”

A’na Ri was already in a foul mood, and seeing these two ignorant ones blocking the road again, she couldn’t control her temper. Raising her whip, she struck the older youth: “Get lost!”

The young man cried out in pain but didn’t dodge: “We beg the Khan to release our father and mother! We Mino have long submitted to the Khan and are the Khan’s subjects. Why won’t the Khan spare us!”

A’na Ri had no patience and roared uncontrollably: “They’re all dead! Get out of my sight!”