Feng Miaojun noticed that everyone’s attention had scattered, so she twisted her body slightly, intending to step back to her previous position. As soon as she moved, Yun Ya gripped her slender waist, his thin lips almost pressing against her ear as he said, “If you don’t want more trouble in the future, don’t move around carelessly.”

While maintaining an outwardly graceful expression, she barely moved her lips: “What other trouble could there be?” He was already the biggest trouble, becoming increasingly difficult to deal with. She constantly felt herself in peril, wanting to retreat before being devoured, to stay far away from this man.

“Everyone seated here represents the most powerful figures in the Kingdom of Wei,” Yun Ya squeezed her small waist. “An’an is too beautiful. If you appear even slightly distant from me, they will devour you.”

Caught off guard by the compliment, she instinctively swallowed.

“The King of Wei is especially fond of beauty. Even at his age, he can still take multiple women in a single night. If I don’t show intimacy with you, he will set his sights on you.” Yun Ya calmly slandered his own sovereign while explaining why he was being so physically demonstrative with her.

Though the King of Wei did appreciate beautiful women, he wouldn’t go so far as to seize someone from his subordinate. However, An’an didn’t know this, did she? And the King himself couldn’t hear this conversation, so neither would raise any objections.

Feng Miaojun recalled the King of Wei’s lustful gaze when he first saw her and found herself believing Yun Ya somewhat. Staying by Yun Ya’s side was surely better than being with that lecherous old man.

Between two evils, choose the lesser one.

The subsequent events proved Yun Ya’s approach justified, as the King’s gaze kept drifting toward them with the suggestive intent that all men understand. After several rounds of drinks, emboldened by alcohol, he teased: “I now understand why Cloud Lord previously refused the beauties I offered—it seems those I sent weren’t to your liking.”

Xiao Yan immediately followed up: “The State Preceptor has exceptionally high standards. We’ve never heard of any maidservant lasting more than ten days by your side.”

Everyone present tensed, remembering Yun Ya’s capricious temperament—one moment drinking and conversing amicably, the next moment drawing his sword to behead someone. He was more difficult to serve than even the monarch. Among the nobility, Yun Ya held the record for replacing personal attendants at an unmatched pace.

The first maidservant assigned to him by the King of Wei died three days later.

The two who followed didn’t survive beyond ten days. Fortunately, the King of Wei was magnanimous and dismissed the matter with a laugh, not punishing him.

No matter how cruel others might be, none had broken this record.

But this beauty named An’an had been by the State Preceptor’s side for over two months, counting from the White Elephant Mountains. From all appearances, Yun Ya still cherished her dearly, showing no signs of weariness. To catch the State Preceptor’s eye, she must possess extraordinary qualities beyond her beauty.

Bah! With such transcendent beauty, how could anyone tire of her in just two months?

Feng Miaojun’s thoughts stirred. Having followed Yun Ya for so long, she knew that despite his unpredictable nature, he wasn’t cruel or bloodthirsty. How could he casually dispose of these maidservants?

The King, emboldened by wine, said to Yun Ya: “Your attendant looks somewhat familiar. I feel I’ve seen her somewhere before.”

Had these words been directed at anyone else, they would likely have respectfully offered the beauty, inviting the King to “familiarize” himself further. But Yun Ya merely took a light sip from his cup, with complete nonchalance: “Oh? Where has Your Majesty seen her before?”

Heh, regardless of whether the King wanted her or not, Yun Ya wasn’t giving her up.

Feng Miaojun’s heart tightened. As she grew older, she increasingly resembled Queen An Xia. The latter had been the most beautiful woman in the Northern Lands in her youth. Had the King of Wei perhaps seen her birth mother?

The King narrowed his eyes slightly, pondered for a while, then shook his head: “I can’t recall, just feel her features seem familiar.”

Yun Ya, not wanting him to keep his attention on Feng Miaojun, changed the subject: “How goes the war in the Southern Lands?”

This time General He Lian Jia responded: “Not well. The Kingdom of Pu is on the verge of collapse.”

The war between the Kingdoms of Pu and Yan had persisted for several months. Despite rapid development in recent years, Pu’s national strength still couldn’t compare, and the situation was deteriorating. The Kingdom of Yan had always been wary of Wei’s swift rise. If they concluded their conflict with Pu, they might turn their attention to the Northern Lands and begin interfering in the war between Wei and Yao.

The Kingdom of Wei didn’t want to face the three kingdoms of Yao, Jin, and Yan simultaneously. Xiao Yan interjected: “So we must achieve a swift victory here.”

A commander below laughed: “The Kingdom of Yan isn’t as formidable as anticipated.”

“The Kingdom of Pu has gained widespread support and rides a wave of good fortune, while Yan lacks righteousness and fights without just cause,” Yun Ya set down his cup. “As one wanes and the other waxes, they reach a stalemate.”

Xiao Yan solemnly added: “Moreover, Yan has enjoyed peace for too many years. Their military has deteriorated, and corruption festers within. This has been utterly exposed in this conflict. When war first broke out, the royal court ordered troops from Tong Dian Prefecture to reinforce Suo Dun City. The distance between the two is merely four hundred li, yet the forces from Tong Dian took a full seven days to arrive. By then, Suo Dun had already fallen. The commander from Tong Dian then retreated, stationing his troops a hundred li away, refusing to advance and reclaim the lost territory.”

The veteran commanders present roared with laughter: “To preserve one’s reputation to such an extent is truly rare.” The Tong Dian forces knew they couldn’t defeat the invaders, yet couldn’t openly disobey orders, so they deliberately dawdled along the way, unwilling to sacrifice their troops.

Experienced strategists could immediately discern two points. First, the process of “transmitting orders from above” was not smooth, indicating the royal court’s insufficient authority. Second, local powers were growing, showing signs of independent governance.

The King of Wei snickered: “Yan has flourished these years like oil over fierce flames, feeling self-satisfied, not knowing that peace breeds corruption—fortune and misfortune, intertwined.”

Yun Ya calmly replied: “Now that the problems have surfaced, the King of Yan isn’t a fool. He will surely reorganize his kingdom from top to bottom. The Kingdom of Pu will ultimately be defeated, losing due to the absolute disparity in national strength.”

The laughter subsided. What did Yan’s internal contradictions matter? It remained the world’s most powerful nation, with abundant wealth and manpower.

The banquet continued, though the atmosphere grew somewhat tense.

After some time, the King of Wei tapped a silver spoon against the table twice, raising his voice: “The State Preceptor has arrived, we’ve had our wine, and our enjoyment is complete. With tomorrow’s battle approaching, perhaps you gentlemen should rest?”

Everyone responded in agreement, and the banquet dispersed.

Yun Ya stood up, supporting himself on the table, his form swaying twice. Feng Miaojun quickly steadied him, then swiftly released her hand once he was stable.

“Return to the tent,” he said, his cloud-like eyes half-closed, seemingly genuinely tired.

Fortunately, the journey from here to the tent was only five or six minutes.

Feng Miaojun had already prepared sobering soup in her inch-sized bottle, which she now retrieved for him to drink, then moistened a cloth to wipe his face. Initially, she had wanted to simply toss the cloth onto his face, but somehow, her touch became increasingly gentle.

She could only attribute this to her weakness for beauty, unwilling to see that jade-like face damaged by her rough handling, and not wanting to quarrel with a drunk.

With alcohol rising within him, his face flushed completely red, his gaze becoming hazy and unfocused. At least his behavior while drunk wasn’t bad—he neither yelled nor made trouble, just narrowed his eyes and allowed her to tend to him, appearing extremely docile.

“Dizzy,” he rested his head on her shoulder, drawing out his words in a manner that sounded, at first hearing, like coquetry.