Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 324 321: A Thousand Years of Great Dream (5): The Family General Lin Could Never Have

"Hahaha~ I was just joking, General Lin. Don't be so serious~"

Shang Miaoyan suddenly burst out laughing. Lin Qianyan's gaze wavered, but in the end, she didn't say anything more.

After the two had a simple morning tea, Lin Qianyan made her excuses, saying she had matters to attend to, and took her leave.

Shang Miaoyan watched Lin Qianyan's retreating figure, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly.

'At first, she hadn't paid much mind to the rumors about Lin Qianyan keeping a male courtesan.'

'But after seeing Lin Qianyan's possessiveness today, she found herself growing somewhat interested in that man.'

'Shang Miaoyan suddenly wanted to see for herself just what kind of man could so captivate a once-in-a-millennium female general like Lin Qianyan.'

...

Due to the awkwardness of her failed advance on Pei Yuhang a few days prior, Lin Qianyan didn't seek him out for drinks for the next few days.

Pei Yuhang, however, carried on as usual: writing poems, painting pictures, and watering his flowers.

It was as if the incident where Lin Qianyan tried to force herself on him had never happened.

As time went on, Pei Yuhang's detachment began to inexplicably annoy Lin Qianyan.

'In her pride, she was actually waiting for Pei Yuhang to take the initiative and admit he was wrong.'

'I, a general, wanted to favor you, and you didn't serve me willingly. That's your biggest mistake! You must regret it now, don't you? If you had climbed into my bed, a lifetime of wealth and luxury would have been yours for the taking!'

'But it's fine. I'll give you a chance to apologize.'

'As long as you realize your mistake, apologize to me, and then... take the initiative... I, Lin Qianyan, will generously forgive you.'

However, Lin Qianyan never expected that Pei Yuhang would never mention the incident again. He even greeted her as calmly as ever when they met.

It made Lin Qianyan feel as if she had thrown a punch into a bale of cotton.

In the end, it was Lin Qianyan who couldn't bear the loneliness first. Just like before, she began seeking out Pei Yuhang for drinks every night.

Pei Yuhang's attitude toward Lin Qianyan, who had resumed her nightly visits for drinks, remained completely unchanged.

He still listened patiently to her complaints about the imperial court, gently rubbing her shoulders and massaging her feet.

He would still pour her wine, play music for her, and comb her hair.

When Lin Qianyan was tired, he would even let her rest her head on his lap while he massaged her temples with his fingertips, helping her unwind.

Their relationship seemed to have grown even closer than before.

Except for that final, unspoken barrier between them, they were no different from a pair of lovers.

...

Soon after, some terrible news reached the Da Jing Capital City.

An enemy nation was making a move. The Empress summoned Lin Qianyan, who would need to rush to the front lines again.

That night, Lin Qianyan came to drink with Pei Yuhang one last time. As she was about to leave, she suddenly stepped forward and pinned him against the wall.

"When I come back from this war, I'm going to make you mine. Then, we'll get married... Do you dare refuse?"

Lin Qianyan's hazy eyes held a hint of apprehension. She caught the scent of alcohol on her own breath and suddenly felt a pang of regret. 'I shouldn't have confessed after drinking...'

Just then, Pei Yuhang spoke.

"I dare not resist the General's command."

The surprise in Lin Qianyan's beautiful eyes could no longer be suppressed. She licked her dry lips and kissed him directly.

「The next day.」

Pei Yuhang went to the gates of the Capital City to see Lin Qianyan off.

This was the first time that the renowned "number one beauty in the world," had stepped out of the Lin Mansion and appeared before the public since being bought out by General Lin.

The civil and military officials who had gathered at the Capital City's gates to see off the Da Jing army sized up Pei Yuhang and began to whisper amongst themselves, their words filled mostly with scorn and jealousy.

After all, the wives of these noble ministers had nearly all slept with this "pretty boy"! The officials even wondered if the newborns in their mansions were their own flesh and blood.

But alas, given Da Jing's custom of revering women and the formidable power of their wives' families, these officials could only swallow their anger and silently accept being cuckolded.

Atop the Capital City's walls, Shang Miaoyan, draped in a black and red Dragon Robe, fixed her beautiful eyes on the figure in white below—a dazzling sight amidst the ranks of Black Armored Soldiers.

She swallowed hard. For some reason, her heart, which had never once fluttered for anyone, was now pounding like never before.

Her face flushing, Shang Miaoyan clutched her sleeves. 'In that moment, for the first time in her life, she actually had the thought of taking a male consort.'

After Lin Qianyan led the Da Jing army away, she watched Pei Yuhang's back as he lingered below the city wall, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly.

"Xiaojiu."

Shang Miaoyan softly called for her Personal Guard.

"Here."

"By the time I return to the Imperial Palace, I want a complete file on that man on my desk."

"And by tonight, I want to see him waiting obediently for me in my bedchamber, on the Dragon Bed."

The Personal Guard's eyes widened. She said, trembling slightly, "Your Majesty, he is General Lin's man... The General has only just left. This..."

Shang Miaoyan's eyes narrowed, and the Personal Guard instantly felt the air around her drop below freezing.

"What, do I need you to remind me who I want? So what if he's Lin Qianyan's man? It is her honor to share a man with the Celestial Emperor!"

"Besides, it's not like I won't give him back to her~"

"Wasn't this man a plaything to begin with? A plaything, of course, needs to be tended to nightly to stay beautiful. Who knows how long General Lin will be gone on this campaign? It will be at least several years, right?"

"In that case, I will do General Lin a favor and dote on her little pet for her~"

"Of course, this entire matter must be kept secret. I don't need to tell you what happens to those with loose lips, do I?"

The Personal Guard's heart trembled. She felt a sudden pang of sorrow for Lin Qianyan. She nodded lightly and departed.

On the very night Lin Qianyan marched off to war, Pei Yuhang was forced to secretly enter the Dragon Palace, blackmailed by Shang Miaoyan who used his sister and Lin Qianyan herself as leverage.

From then on, the Empress was consistently late for morning court, eventually canceling it altogether.

The Empress's health also began to show strange signs from her excessive indulgence.

A minister who admonished the Empress to exercise restraint and become a diligent and enlightened ruler was, in a fit of rage, demoted to a rural county.

From then on, a rumor that "a Demon Fox has bewitched the Empress, turning her into a degenerate ruler" began to slowly spread from within the palace.

...

Many years later, Lin Qianyan returned to the capital in triumph.

On the way, an emissary from the Empress arrived, forbidding Lin Qianyan from bringing her army near the Capital City and stating that soldiers sent by the Empress would be taking command of the Da Jing army.

Lin Qianyan frowned instinctively, and her trusted subordinates also insisted that surrendering military authority was out of the question.

But the Celestial Emperor's edict had arrived. What was the difference between not handing it over and treason?

'She had no conflict of interest with the Empress, nor did she harbor any ambition to conquer the world.'

'Treason was completely unnecessary for Lin Qianyan.'

'Besides...'

'Her "weakness," Lin Qianyan's weakness, was still in the Capital City. If the Empress were to make a move against him...'

Lin Qianyan took a deep breath and handed over her military authority.

After entering the capital, she was invited by the Empress for a private talk.

Having not seen her for many years, when Lin Qianyan met Shang Miaoyan again, she found her exceptionally enchanting, full of a mature charm. It was clear she had been well-nourished by a lover these past years.

However, Lin Qianyan wasn't interested in the Empress's private affairs, so she didn't ask.

But she never expected that what Shang Miaoyan wanted to discuss was her own private affair!

"General Lin, you have performed monumental service. What reward do you desire? Ennoblement, a generous stipend—anything you want is yours for the asking."

Lin Qianyan shook her head. "Your Majesty, I have been at war for many years and have grown weary. All I want now is to start a family and live a peaceful life."

As Lin Qianyan spoke, a rare tenderness flickered in her beautiful eyes.

Shang Miaoyan's gaze was calm as she replied, "Start a family? Very well. Whatever kind of man you desire, General Lin, I will search the entire world to find him for you."

Hearing this, Lin Qianyan frowned slightly.

'Who in the Capital City didn't know about her and Pei Yuhang?'

'If she wanted to start a family, it was with Pei Yuhang, of course.'

Shang Miaoyan seemed to know what Lin Qianyan was about to say. Her red lips parted as she spoke slowly:

"You shouldn't even think about my Xiaohan."

"Anything you want, except for him and my throne as Celestial Emperor, I can give you."

'My... my Xiaohan?!'

Lin Qianyan's gaze froze, and a terrible premonition began to form in her heart.

"Your Majesty... what do you mean by that?"

After dropping so many hints, Shang Miaoyan was finally growing impatient.

She licked her lips, her tone now laced with threat.

"I mean that Pei Yuhang is my man now! What, do you want to fight the Celestial Emperor for a man?!"

Lin Qianyan's breathing grew ragged. She felt the blood rush to her head, and her vision swam with heat.

She shot to her feet and slammed a fist on the table before her, the force shattering the tabletop.

"Your Majesty, how could you—! He is my man!!"

"While I was out fighting and dying for Da Jing, Your Majesty stole the lover I left at home! What kind of enlightened ruler does that?!"

Shang Miaoyan watched the wooden splinters fly, let out a cold snort, and said flatly:

"Your man? Everything under the heavens in Da Jing belongs to me. From the moment he was born, Xiaohan has existed only to serve me!"

"A man like him—who else but I, the Chosen One, is worthy of him?!"

"Besides, when you left, Xiaohan had no official status with you. By any standard, be it emotional or logical, I have done nothing wrong!"

After speaking, Shang Miaoyan stood up, drew her sword, and plunged it into the table.

Her piercing gaze fixed on Lin Qianyan, and she enunciated each word:

"What, is General Lin thinking of rebelling against her sovereign?!"

"..."

In that moment, Lin Qianyan finally understood why the Empress had taken her military authority.

'Such hatred...'

'But now, she had lost all power to protect Pei Yuhang, to defend her love.'

Shang Miaoyan watched Lin Qianyan's lowered head and dimming gaze. A slow smile spread across her red lips as she said softly, "General Lin, Xiaohan also asked me to pass on a message to you."

"He said, 'I am doing very well in the Imperial Palace and have decided to dedicate my life to the Empress. Please don't worry about me, General Lin~'"

...

Without her army or power, and all alone in the Imperial City, Lin Qianyan ultimately lacked the strength to defy Empress Shang Miaoyan.

She was ultimately placed under house arrest in the Lin Mansion by Shang Miaoyan, under the pleasant-sounding pretext of "letting General Lin recuperate."

After dealing with Lin Qianyan, Shang Miaoyan returned to her bedchamber.

She shed her majestic black and red Dragon Robe for a set of casual clothes, then gazed at the figure behind the white bed curtains, unable to stop herself from licking her dry lips.

"Xiaohan, I'm here~"

The Empress, so imposing in public, was now completely uninhibited. She strode to the bed and threw back the curtains, ready to reward herself for a hard day's work.

Behind the curtains, Pei Yuhang, dressed in plain white, wore a calm expression. He was easily pushed down onto the bed by Shang Miaoyan. Just as she began to undress him, Pei Yuhang grabbed her hand.

"Your Majesty, you promised me you wouldn't harm General Lin, didn't you?"

"I promise you~ As long as you serve me obediently... Mmm~ I'm not some degenerate ruler. Why would I kill a heaven-sent talent like General Lin?"