The cruel little princess

After Li Wenpo finished washing her hands, she returned to the inner hall and skillfully gave acupuncture to Concubine Shu.

The slender silver needle flashed coldly at her fingertips, but it pierced the acupuncture point steadily.

As the silver needle fell, Concubine Shu immediately felt a sense of relief after the soreness and swelling came over her. The headache she had been suffering for the past few days seemed to be relieved a little. She couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief: "Hmm... It's really relaxing and helpful."

Li Wenpo quickly put away her needles and knelt down to thank the emperor. Consort Shu was in high spirits and gestured to the palace maid beside her: "Go, bring a hundred taels of silver to reward Li Wenpo!"

When Li Wenpo heard this, she was so frightened that she waved her hands repeatedly, her face full of panic: "My Queen! You can't do this! You can't do this!

It is a great blessing for me that Your Majesty is willing to trust me and let me give you acupuncture!

How dare this servant accept another reward from the Empress? But this acupuncture treatment requires seven consecutive days..."

The Concubine Shu smiled gently, with a hint of condescending doting in her smile: "This is yours as a reward from me. Come back to give me acupuncture at this time tomorrow!"

Take the banknote! This is the reward you deserve! I am tired, please leave..."

So, Wengpo Li kowtowed respectfully and carefully to express her gratitude, took the banknote with trembling hands, and retreated with Zizhu.

After leaving the palace, Zizhu seemed to have something to say. She pulled Li Wenpo to stand in the corridor and chatted softly about family matters: "Sister Li, how is your eldest son's business?

Long time no see, is there anything new at home?"

The panic on Li Wenpo's face faded, replaced by a gentle smile: "Thank you for your concern, Auntie. My eldest son wrote to say that he found some good business on this trip south, and he estimated that he could make a lot of money!

And he also brought back a lot of weird little gadgets...

I'll ask someone to deliver it to my house and then I'll bring some for my aunt to play with!"

"Alas, I wonder when our queen will recover from this illness..." Zizhu sighed sadly again.

"Your Majesty is just overthinking..." Midwife Li echoed, "Your Majesty is deeply favored by the Emperor, how could you have other worries? Just let it go..."

"Indeed! The Queen has been troubled by this recently... and there's no one she can trust or help..."

"If there is anything I can do to help, please feel free to tell me..." Midwife Li said politely again.

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries before Zizhu let her go with peace of mind.

At this time, outside the palace walls, due to the emperor's rage, a gag order was like an invisible shackle, locking everyone's mouths.

The explosive news that His Royal Highness Prince Rui had syphilis was like a deeply buried spark and did not spread within the palace.

However, Princess Jin Shen Youyou, one of the people who knew the news, had a mischievous smile on her face when she was communicating with her elder brother, and she specially detailed the "good news" on the letter.

He even added playfully, "Brother, look, what's happening in the palace is even more exciting than a play!"

At this moment, Shen Zijin, who was thousands of miles away, had already led his troops like a surging steel torrent, advancing all the way like a hot knife through butter, and heading straight for the capital of Qinglong Kingdom as if they were in an empty land.

The wind blew his robe, making him look like a god of war. His eyes were resolute and cold as he looked towards the capital, as if he wanted to take all that land into his possession...

Shen Zijin stood in front of the formation with a figure as straight as a pine tree, his sharp eyes like an eagle fixed on the towering city wall in front of him.

The bricks and stones on the city wall were mottled, as if telling the vicissitudes of time, and seemed like a chasm that lay before him and needed to be crossed.

He knew in his heart that as long as he could break through the city wall, march straight into the palace, and capture the Emperor of Qinglong Kingdom alive, he could rush back to the capital, where everything he cared about was. At the thought of this, blood surged in his chest.

Shen Zijin's eyes were so bright that it seemed as if he could penetrate the city walls and see the scene inside the palace.

He held the blood-stained sword tightly in his right hand, the sword blade flashed with cold light, and pointed the sword at the sky, as if declaring his determination to heaven and earth.

The lines on his resolute face were tense, his deep eyes revealed an unusual solemnity, and the hair on his forehead was soaked with sweat, but it did not diminish his heroic spirit in the slightest.

"Slingers, get ready!" Shen Zijin's voice was like a loud bell, echoing throughout the battlefield.

Following this order, tall and sturdy catapults filled with gunpowder were pushed to the front of the formation amid the shouts of the soldiers.

The wheels rolled, crushing the sand and gravel on the ground, making a dull sound, as if it was the prelude to war.

Immediately afterwards, the passionate sound of war drums rose up, like rolling thunder, shaking the earth.

As the attack horn was blown, the sharp sound pierced the sky. The sword in Shen Zijin's hand slowly fell and pointed directly at the city wall, like a sharp lightning, pointing out the direction of the charge for the soldiers.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The soldiers' shouts were like thunder and waves, one after another, making people's eardrums hurt.

But amidst the shouts and cries of killing, the city gate opposite made a dull creaking sound. The sound was infinitely amplified in the moment of silence, and everyone held their breath and looked towards the city gate.

The city gate slowly opened!

Shen Zijin raised his hand with a clean and neat movement. Seeing this, the soldiers temporarily stopped their surging offensive, and the deafening shouts on the battlefield also stopped.

Only the slingers still held their slings tightly, their eyes sharp, ready for battle.

When everyone looked closely, they saw that the Emperor of Qinglong Kingdom was wearing a plain white robe with fluttering sleeves, but it could not hide his current embarrassment.

He led a group of officials dressed in court robes and with different expressions behind him, and left the city to surrender.

What made Shen Zijin's pupils shrink suddenly was that there was a woman with a haggard face and messy hair tied up next to the emperor.

When he got closer, Shen Zijin saw clearly that the person tied up was actually an old acquaintance - Princess Fukang!

Her eyes were sad and her lips were chapped, and her former cuteness was gone.

"General Shen!"

The Emperor of Qinglong Kingdom was as pale as paper, and he staggered forward. His voice had become hoarse due to the anxiety of many days, but the helplessness in it was so clearly audible.

"Our Qinglong Kingdom has now been defeated... After careful consideration, we have decided to submit. I..."

Having said this, he paused slightly, as if he was still making a final struggle and decision in his heart.

Then, he resolutely changed his words and said, "I am willing to follow General Shen and take this rebellious girl who provoked the war back to the capital to report!

I only beg General Shen to show mercy and spare my family and those innocent people!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the emperor, who was once high and mighty and ruled the world, now gently lifted up the jade seal that symbolized supreme power and the gorgeous dragon robe with his hands with utmost piety, then slowly and solemnly bent his knees and knelt on the ground in front of everyone without reservation.

Following his actions, the court officials behind him followed suit like dominoes. For a moment, the entire scene was filled with people. Everyone lowered their heads, humble to the extreme, as if they wished they could touch their foreheads directly to the cold, hard ground.

Shen Zijin, who was standing not far ahead, stared quietly at the Qinglong Kingdom's monarchs and ministers who were kneeling on the ground in front of him. His eyes swept over each of them, and an indescribable complex emotion surged in his heart.

There is relief at the end of the war, but also lament at the cruelty of war;

There is joy after victory, but also a hint of pity for the loser.

Time passed minute by minute, and the surroundings were so quiet that the only sound could be heard was the slight sound of the breeze blowing through the flags.

Finally, after a long silence, Shen Zijin let out a long sigh.

That sigh was like a heavy hammer that struck the hearts of everyone present, as if carrying all the heaviness and sorrow brought by this protracted, bloody and tragic war.

"Somebody come!"

Shen Zijin came back to his senses and shouted, "Please invite them back to our tent!"

He deliberately emphasized the word "please" and his eyes were cold.

Fortunately, Emperor Kaiyuan had foresight and sent civil officials to take over the management of the city. They followed Shen Zijin behind the battle and were on standby at any time.

So when Shen Zijin brought 30,000 elite soldiers to "escort" the former emperor of Qinglong Kingdom and a group of princes and generals back to the capital of Jinlong Kingdom, the civil servants, under the guidance of the soldiers, quickly rushed to various important posts in the city and took over the governance of Qinglong Kingdom in an orderly manner. Everything was settled and it was time to return.