Chapter 33: You Lose If You Take It Seriously
Immense agony racked Li Qingchi’s body, forcing him to curl up on the ground in spasms. Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, dripping onto the floor. Although it was a chilly early spring day, seeing him in this state made it feel like the hottest days of summer when the scorching sun baked the earth.
“Tsk…” Huangfu Chang’an smacked her lips in amazement, stepping forward and gently nudging his leg with the tip of her foot. “Still alive?”
Li Qingchi endured the excruciating pain, his entire body trembling slightly. Using almost every ounce of his strength, he managed to spit out a few words with a quivering voice.
“You… don’t… break your word!”
“Oh my, you didn’t even faint from the pain. So impressive…”
Huangfu Chang’an sighed, finding it quite a pity. These three needles were a technique her Godfather had taught her previously, specifically used for severe torture. A full set consisted of seven needles; once all seven were applied, the person would either die or be crippled. Generally, only three needles were needed; even a strong and healthy man wouldn’t be able to withstand it and would faint. Li Qingchi had managed to endure it, which showed that his willpower and physique were extraordinary.
However, he was too unlucky.
Because he had encountered Huangfu Chang’an.
Reason with Huangfu Chang’an? Even the birds in the trees would laugh.
She was very reasonable, but her reasoning had only one standard, and that was herself.
Leaning close to Li Qingchi, Huangfu Chang’an squatted down, raised her hand to pinch his jaw, forcing his eyes to look directly at her. Word by word, her coercion penetrated to the bone: “Brat! Don’t think you can be arrogant just because you have military merits. As long as this empire belongs to my Imperial Father for even a day, you are a subject of This Palace for that day! This is the Imperial Palace, not a place for you to act wild. This Palace can spare you this once for what happened just now, but if you dare to disrespect This Palace again, This Palace won’t mind letting every single person in the Li family taste this bone-eroding agony!”
Li Qingchi glared at her, his eyes nearly splitting with rage.
“You dare?!”
Huangfu Chang’an laughed “hehe.”
“What is there that This Palace doesn’t dare to do? At worst, this empire will be ruined. But even if this empire is to be ruined, This Palace wants your Li clan to be buried along with it!”
Fight with her? What’s there to be arrogant about! She hated pretentious people the most!
Playing the rogue was her specialty, and acting like a hooligan was her forte. Who doesn’t know how to bluff? It’s just moving one’s lips; you lose if you take it seriously!
“You… shame… less!”
Huangfu Chang’an looked so innocent, blinking her eyes, feeling incredibly wronged.
“How is This Palace shameless? This Palace didn’t provoke or offend you, yet was inexplicably cursed by a mad dog in the hall with wild words, saying something like This Palace is ‘fat, ugly, and stupid’? Do you know what deceiving the monarch and committing insubordination means? And you call yourself an official; do you understand the rules of the palace?”
Li Qingchi turned his head away, veins popping on his forehead from clenching his teeth, yet he still sneered sarcastically.
“Did Laozi say anything wrong? You are just a fat and ugly idiot!”
Tsk tsk, that unyielding little look was truly cool, elegant, and noble.
Huangfu Chang’an pinched his jaw, slowly sliding her hand down to his neck, then strangled him, tightening her grip inch by inch. In a sudden moment, she ruthlessly pinned him to the ground!
Li Qingchi was nearly choked to death by her, regretting trusting this utterly shameless bastard. He had been tricked into taking three needles, and every bone in his body felt like it was falling apart, unable to exert even a tiny bit of strength. His left cheek was rudely pressed against the ground, burning with pain. From childhood to adulthood, he had never been bullied to such an extent. If he could move, he would definitely kill this bastard!
“The idiot is you.”
Huangfu Chang’an looked down from above, calm and composed. Seeing his face filled with anger, a handsome face distorted by rage, gave her a particularly twisted sense of pleasure.
“This Palace doesn’t intend to make things difficult for you, nor do I plan to deal with the Li family. But This Palace wants you to understand that the dignity of the Imperial Family tolerates no violation! You’ve worn official robes for so many years; does This Palace still need to explain such a simple and easy-to-understand principle to you? Or is it that… your Li family harbors disloyal thoughts and wants to rebel?”
“Don’t you dare slander us!”
“Hehe, don’t get excited! If there really is a need to wash the Li residence with blood, I think This Palace won’t need to do it personally. Prince Xiang would be very happy to do it for This Palace… what do you think?”
Ever since being awed by the impressive momentum of the Wolf Fang Cavalry, Huangfu Chang’an had diligently studied the power dynamics in the court. There were five forces controlling military power: first, the Poyun Army led by the Pojun Manor and Prince Xiang; second, the Li Family Army led by the Li Manor and Prince Rong; third, the Shence Camp led by Prince Jing; fourth, the Ziyi Guard personally controlled by the Emperor; and finally, the garrison troops of various prefectures and counties.
Among these five forces, the Poyun Army and the Li Family Army served as the armor of the nation, accounting for more than sixty percent of the Yelang Dynasty’s military strength. The two sides checked and balanced each other, standing as equals. One advocated allying with Zichen to oppose Tianqi, while the other advocated allying with Tianqi to oppose Zichen. They often argued endlessly in court, displaying a posture of love-hate conflict.
As soldiers in the traditional sense, both the Pojun Manor and the Li Manor strictly adhered to their missions, serving the country with absolute loyalty, prioritizing national interests and the safety of the people. Their disputes were due to differing political stances, not personal animosity. The generals of both sides were upright gentlemen, open and aboveboard.
Only Prince Rong and Prince Xiang were adept at manipulating power and tactics, regarding each other as thorns in their sides and flesh, stopping at nothing to achieve their goals.
When Huangfu Chang’an brought up Prince Xiang to threaten Li Qingchi, it wasn’t just idle talk. Although Huangfu Yinhua couldn’t be called a fatuous ruler, he couldn’t be called a sage ruler either. Coupled with his inconceivable doting on Huangfu Chang’an, if Huangfu Chang’an sincerely wanted to frame the Li family…
As the saying goes, pull one hair and the whole body moves. No one could predict how far the situation would develop!
Seeing Li Qingchi remain silent, Huangfu Chang’an knew her words had hit his weak spot. She couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows, smiling with a treacherous air.
“Don’t think This Palace is joking; This Palace is very serious… how does that saying go? Even a rabbit will bite when cornered; don’t provoke This Palace.”
Saying this, Huangfu Chang’an let go and pulled out the three silver needles from the back of his neck.
In the blink of an eye, just as Huangfu Chang’an turned around, Li Qingchi suddenly drew the sword at his waist and stabbed at Huangfu Chang’an’s back through gritted teeth.
However, before the blade could strike Huangfu Chang’an’s shoulder, a sharp, cold sword shadow parried Li Qingchi’s sword away.
Bai Su, dressed in martial attire, stood by with a sword in hand, watching coldly.
“General Li, please conduct yourself with dignity!”
Amidst the flashing swords and shadows, Huangfu Chang’an seemed completely unaware. She walked straight to the table to put away the silver needles, then took a small box from her sleeve. Picking up a cup of tea from the table, she turned back to Li Qingchi and opened her hand.
“Eat this and obediently be This Palace’s lackey—oh no, be This Palace’s guard. Otherwise… This Palace will execute your entire clan.”
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