Quick Transmigration: Why did you provoke him? He's love-struck!

"Since you know I hate being schemed against, why are you so quick to admit it?"

"Why wouldn't I dare?" Xiahou Chuan sneered. "Xiao Lingyi, you don't actually think that just because you're not cooperating, I can't do anything to you, do you?"

Yan Zhen retorted defiantly, "You think you can kill me?"

"Of course not." Xiahou Chuan pinched her chin. "Liu Su is on his way back to the capital with his troops and will not arrive for another two days. If I give the order now to kill ten descendants of the collateral branches of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion every half hour, how long do you think the Xiao family can hold out?"

Xiao Lingyi, are you really willing to let the Xiao family pay such a high price for your blind loyalty?

Yan Zhen said slowly, "You can try. See how many people you kill. When my father comes back, I'll slash you a few times."

Her composure enraged Xiahou Chuan, who suddenly grabbed her by the neck: "Xiao Lingyi, you're asking for death!"

The imperial concubine standing nearby felt a chill run down her spine and quickly stood up: "Xiahou Chuan, how dare you!"

Xiahou Chuan turned his head and looked at the Imperial Concubine. As if he had thought of something, he released Yan Zhen and gave the two guards a wink.

The guards understood and immediately brought the imperial concubine to him.

Xiahou Chuan drew his dagger and brandished it against the Consort's neck, saying to Yan Zhen, "Look at my memory. You entered the palace at a young age and have no feelings for the Xiao family. It's normal that you don't care about their lives. But the Consort, she was the woman who almost became your mother-in-law."

With the blade almost within reach, the imperial concubine trembled with fear.

Yan Zhen's face darkened.

"You've remained chaste for so many years, and no matter how much the Third and Fifth brothers tried to win you over, you remained unmoved. Isn't it because you still have your eyes on that dead man, Xiahou Jin?" Xiahou Chuan laughed. "Since you miss him so much, how about I send the Imperial Concubine down to reunite with him?"

After he finished speaking, he made a gesture as if he was about to kill the imperial concubine.

"Stop!" Yan Zhen said immediately, meeting the Consort's moved yet helpless gaze, her tone sharp, "Release her! I promise you!"

Xiahou Chuan immediately revealed a smug smile: "I can release her, but I need to see your sincerity first."

"Sincerity?"

Xiahou Chuan looked around the Hall of Mental Cultivation, his gaze falling on the screen in the hall: "Go there, take off your clothes—serve me."

Upon hearing this, the Imperial Concubine became agitated: "Xiahou Chuan, don't go too far! If General Xiao finds out that you have humiliated Lingyi like this, he will not let you off!"

"We'll have to wait until General Xiao returns in triumph before we talk about that! Besides, once Xiao Lingyi becomes my woman, the Empress of the Great Jin Dynasty, with countless riches and honors, she'd have to be crazy to spread such a tarnished story." Xiahou Chuan looked at Yan Zhen, "Right, Aheng?"

Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, Yan Zhen only needed to follow the plot to completely bring the Imperial Concubine into his camp and make her work for him.

She sighed, feigning helplessness, and turned to walk towards the screen.

Upon seeing this, the Imperial Concubine broke down in tears: "Lingyi, no! If you give yourself to that beast Xiahou Chuan for my sake today, how will I face Jin'er in the afterlife! I've lived this long, I've seen all the riches and honors, I've had enough! Don't do anything foolish for me! Lingyi—"

The imperial concubine tried to rush over to stop them, but two guards held her hands tightly behind her back, rendering her unable to move. She could only cry and shout in vain.

Yan Zhen went around behind the screen and had just taken off her gorgeous palace robe when Xiahou Chuan came over impatiently, grabbed her waist, and started to grope her.

"Wait." Yan Zhen raised her hand to stop them. She glanced at the Jin Emperor's corpse on the dragon bed a few meters away, her face showing apprehension. "This isn't appropriate in front of His Majesty..."

"It's just a dead man, what's there to be afraid of?" Xiahou Chuan said, roughly pulling Yan Zhen into his arms, tearing open her inner garment collar, and reaching out to touch her collarbone.

The beautiful woman, as lovely as jade, looked at the vivid and sensual scene before him, and a strong lust instantly welled up in his eyes.

Yan Zhen neither struggled nor took the initiative. As Xiahou Chuan lowered his head to smell the fragrance on her body, she quietly removed the gold hairpin from her hair.

Just as she raised her hand to deliver a fatal blow to Xiahou Chuan, a loud crash was heard as the door of the Hall of Mental Cultivation was kicked open from the outside.

Xiahou Chuan was startled and immediately looked up.

The next moment, an arrow, carrying the force of a thunderbolt, pierced through the screen and shot straight toward his left eye.

Xiahou Chuan immediately released Yan Zhen, leaned back, and the arrow almost grazed his cheek.

Before he could even feel grateful for his narrow escape, he straightened up and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.

Another arrow followed closely, striking him in the chest with such force that it pinned him to the golden nanmu pillar behind him.

Xiahou Chuan's pupils contracted sharply as he looked down in disbelief at the pierced chest.

Yan Zhen still held the gold hairpin in her hand and turned to look at the door.

The doors of the Hall of Mental Cultivation were wide open, and snowflakes swirled in with the wind. A tall figure stood there, holding a bow in his hand, his chilling aura even colder than the wind and snow.

It is Xiahou Che.

The two guards who were holding the imperial concubine inside the palace were stunned for a moment, but they immediately reacted and drew their swords to rush towards Xiahou Che.

Xiahou Che stepped into the hall, drew his bow and arrow, and with swift and decisive movements, shot one arrow at a time, piercing through the two men who rushed at him.

He rushed behind the screen and saw Yan Zhen standing there, her clothes disheveled, clutching a gold hairpin tightly in her hand, like a little sparrow standing in the wind and rain.

His eyes darkened, and he immediately took off his outer robe and wrapped it around her.

He then turned around, drew his sword from his waist, and slashed backhand. Xiahou Chuan didn't even have time to utter a word of begging for mercy before his head was separated from his body, and he died on the spot.

"Are you alright?" Xiahou Che finished off Xiahou Chuan, stepped forward and hugged Yan Zhen, asking in a low voice, "Did he hurt you?"

Yan Zhen peeked out from under his outer robe and looked at him quietly: "I'm fine."

As soon as she finished speaking, a deafening battle cry rang out outside the hall, and flames erupted everywhere.

Yan Zhen vaguely heard shouts of "Save the Emperor!" and "Kill the rebels!" She frowned and asked, "Who did you bring with you?"

As far as she knew, Xiahou Che had no one in the capital.

“It’s Liu Su,” Xiahou Che said.

"Isn't he still two days away from arriving in Beijing?"

"I sent a message by carrier pigeon to inform him of the situation in the capital. He led 30,000 soldiers and rushed back overnight to rescue the emperor." Xiahou Che said, glancing meaningfully at the already cold Emperor Jin on the bed, his tone playful, "It's a pity, he's still a step too late."

Yan Zhen narrowed her eyes slightly, and in a flash, she understood something, and her gaze towards Xiahou Che immediately changed.

"You're playing with fire!" Yan Zhen was somewhat annoyed. Xiahou Che's actions had completely disrupted her plans.

Xiahou Che said nonchalantly, "Fortune favors the bold—just wait for my news, and I will not let you down."