The Desperate Batch

"A scholar with no strength to even tie up a chicken?"

"That’s me, isn’t it?!"

When Lin Yeping mentioned him, Yang An held his breath nervously and quickly looked at Qin Guo'er, hoping she would say something.

But Yang An was left dumbfounded.

Qin Guo'er didn’t even bother to respond.

She lowered her head and started playing with her nails.

Your Highness, are you seriously this carefree?!

Lin Yeping waited a moment, but when no reply came from Qin Guo'er, he angrily said, "Is the Princess trying to hide something?" His tone grew increasingly hostile.

"Such insolence!"

Lan, who stood guard outside the curtain, stepped forward and rebuked, "Commander Lin, you have quite the audacity! Are you accusing Her Highness of murder?!"

"You, a mere eighth-rank female official! A lowly servant! How dare you raise your voice at me, a third-rank military governor?! Who do you think you are?!"

Lin Yeping was utterly enraged.

Behind him, crimson flames flickered faintly, and the roar of a fierce tiger echoed around him—he seemed ready to take action right in the Princess’s residence!

Clang!

But Lan was the first to draw her sword.

Immediately after, the seven female officials—Chun, Xia, Qiu, Dong, Mei, Zhu, and Ju—also unsheathed their blades.

The swords pointed forward, their sharp cries piercing the sky!

The razor-sharp sword energy seemed to slice through his armor, tear his flesh, and send Lin Yeping’s black hair flying wildly!

Lan met Lin Yeping’s furious gaze head-on.

Without backing down, she declared, "Commander, if you wish to flaunt your authority, return to your own estate. This is the residence of Princess Anle, not a place for strays to run wild!"

Lan is this strong?!

He’s a military governor! A third-rank official!

And she just drew her sword on him!

Hiding behind Qin Guo'er, Yang An was thrilled by the spectacle, secretly hoping they would fight—preferably ending with Lin Yeping’s death.

But after a tense standoff,

Lin Yeping’s expression darkened, and the crimson flames behind him gradually dissipated.

Lan, however, did not sheathe her sword.

Still standing before the curtain, she coldly snapped, "If you want to go to Yunling Mountain, you must first leave Yunzhou City."

"All entries and exits are recorded."

"Whether the Princess left Yunzhou City or not, Commander Lin can check yesterday’s records himself! Or perhaps you already saw her name there?"

"Is that why you’re barking like a mad dog in the Princess’s residence?!"

Lan’s voice grew even icier.

Peering through the curtain at this well-endowed female official, Yang An had initially thought she was just Qin Guo'er’s personal maid. He never expected her to be this fierce.

She actually dared to curse Lin Yeping to his face!

Yang An mused to himself, Even a mighty dragon cannot crush a local snake. No matter how noble the Princess is, she holds no real power. Insulting a regional overlord like this won’t end well, will it?

Lin Yeping clenched his fists in humiliation.

With Princess Anle’s status, would she even need to use the city gates to leave? Her name wouldn’t be in the records!

She killed my son.

And now she’s acting so aggressive!

Lin Yeping glared venomously at the curtain.

He wanted nothing more than to kill Qin Guo'er outright and rebel!

But after a moment,

His rage cooled, and he reluctantly bowed his head. "This humble official begs the Princess’s forgiveness for my offense."

Yang An was stunned.

Wait, you’re a third-rank official! A regional overlord!

You command Yunzhou’s armies!

And you just surrendered like that?!

He turned to look at Princess Anle, only to find her completely unfazed, as if she had expected this outcome. She didn’t even lift her head, still examining her nails.

She hadn’t spared Lin Yeping a single glance the entire time.

I don’t get it!

Yang An couldn’t make sense of it.

In his understanding,

A princess’s status, while noble, was ultimately an extension of imperial authority—bound tightly to the throne but devoid of real power.

If Qin Guo'er’s father were still emperor,

And if he were an extremely centralized ruler,

This situation might make sense. But Qin Guo'er’s father had only been on the throne for a few days before being deposed by the Sacred Empress—the former Empress Dowager!

He was demoted to Prince of Jingzhou!

Logically, Qin Guo'er’s title should have been downgraded from Princess Anle to Lady Anle!

Even if the Sacred Empress favored her enough to retain her title, it was still just an empty honor!

Meanwhile, Lin Yeping was a third-rank official, a regional overlord commanding Yunzhou’s armies, with at least a hundred thousand soldiers under him.

Why is Lin Yeping so afraid of Qin Guo'er?

What is her real source of power?

Yang An couldn’t figure it out. Noticing his dazed expression, Qin Guo'er kicked him in the face.

With a light push,

She sent him tumbling to the ground.

Her delicate feet then pressed down on Yang An’s stomach.

With the curtain shielding them,

No one could see.

Yang An tensed his abs, afraid she might stomp down hard.

Princess Anle shot him a glare.

He quickly relaxed.

Qin Guo'er gave him a disdainful glance before withdrawing her feet, no longer interested in stepping on him. Indifferently, she said to Lin Yeping, "In consideration of your grief, this Princess will not hold you accountable. You may leave. I am tired."

With that dismissive remark,

Lin Yeping gritted his teeth in frustration, but there was nothing he could do. He still had to thank her: "This humble official is grateful for the Princess’s mercy."

After he was escorted out by the female officials,

The curtain reopened. As Yang An got up, he thought, Now that Lin Yeping knows I went to Yunling Mountain, it’s only a matter of time before he traces it back to me.

Lin Yeping has vast resources.

I can’t oppose him yet. If he targets me, not only will I be finished—my sister and brother-in-law will be too.

There’s only one way to survive now…

Once Lin Yeping was gone,

Yang An, thinking clearly, decided to cling tightly to Qin Guo'er’s thigh. He scooted closer to her long legs and pledged his loyalty: "Your Highness! Lin Yeping knows I went to Yunling Mountain. Sooner or later, he’ll find out it was me! I killed Lin Hao for you! You can’t just abandon me!"

Displeased by his proximity,

Princess Anle pressed a hand to his forehead and pushed him back. Knowing how slippery he was, she decided to mess with him a little and said coldly, "You killed Lin Hao because he hurt your brother-in-law, didn’t you?"

"Since when was it for my sake?"

"Don’t flatter yourself."

Yang An snapped, "You’re kicking me aside after using me! If you hadn’t stopped me from leaving, would I have killed him?!"

"Fine, you have a point. But it’s not a big deal. As long as you don’t expose yourself as my subordinate in public, Lin Yeping won’t trace it back to you."

Seeing that the Princess still refused to protect him,

Yang An grew desperate. "Even so, better safe than sorry! What if Lin Yeping does find out? How am I supposed to defend myself?"

Qin Guo'er replied, "Then it’s even less of a problem, because if that happens, Lin Yeping won’t be the only one coming after you."

"Who else would come after me?"

Qin Guo'er didn’t answer.

Standing nearby, Lan explained to Yang An, "Young master, you don’t know this, but Lin Hao’s mother—Lin Yeping’s wife—is surnamed Cui. The same as Governor Cui Wanzhou of Yunzhou."

Yang An: ?

He felt as if the sky had fallen.

In disbelief, he asked Qin Guo'er, "Your Highness… is Governor Cui related to the Lin family?"

"Clever. Lin Yeping's wife is none other than Cui Wanzhou's elder sister."

Yang An's vision darkened.

A provincial governor ruled over a region.

And a military commissioner commanded its armies.

He had killed Lin Hao with a single slash—satisfying as it was—but never imagined he’d instantly offend the two most powerful officials in Yunzhou City.

If this got out,

not only would he have no place left in Yunzhou City,

he might not even find refuge anywhere in all of Great Xia.

At this moment, Yang An felt like dying. In his panic, he forgot all propriety and clung to Qin Guo'er's long legs, pleading, "Your Highness, I am your man! You can’t abandon me now!"

Lan: "…"

Qiuer and Donger: "…"

The other palace maids: "…"

Their gazes were as sharp as blades, glaring at him—this scoundrel, how dare he lay hands on the princess already?!

Yang An’s sudden embrace

made the Anle Princess stiffen, her breath hitching. A flush of anger and embarrassment crossed her face as she hastily kicked him away.

Yet she didn’t lose her temper.

Instead, she said coldly, "You want my protection?"

Yang An nodded frantically.

Qin Guo'er smirked. "If you were as obedient as your sweet talk suggests, I might consider it. But you’ve told too many lies—I can’t tell which are true anymore~"

Feeling parched,

she had Lan pour her a cup of water. After taking a sip, she frowned—it didn’t taste fresh—and pushed the half-drunk tea toward Yang An. "Drink it."

A test of obedience, huh?

Yang An’s blood boiled. Seeing the faint lipstick stain on the rim, he hesitated. But refusing meant losing his chance to cling to this woman’s coattails.

For his family.

For his sister and brother-in-law.

Yang An took a deep breath, steeled himself, and downed the tea in one gulp.

Qin Guo'er tilted her head. "Was it good?"

"Delicious."

Yang An answered truthfully. Sweet, too—though he wasn’t sure if it was the tea or the lingering taste of her lipstick…

He shook off the thought and thumped his chest in a show of loyalty. "From now on, I swear absolute allegiance to Your Highness! No more lies!"

Qin Guo'er laughed.

"If you hadn’t just deceived me, I might’ve believed that." She gestured to the girl beside her. "This little one is Manman. Like you, she’s a gifted martial artist."

"Born with a unique ability."

"Hers, however, is quite special—she can see through a warrior’s strength and changes. For instance, on Snow Ridge Mountain, she witnessed your power multiplying in an instant."

Yang An: !

"That’s your innate talent, isn’t it? A tenfold boost—quite impressive~"

Yang An: !!

"Yet you lied to me, claiming it was only fivefold. Tsk, you wretched dog—not an ounce of honesty in you."

Yang An: !!!

His greatest trump card, exposed so effortlessly. A chill ran down his spine, followed by crushing helplessness.

Before a figure like the Anle Princess,

a nobody like him

was no different from an insect. No matter how careful or desperate, resistance was futile.

Killing him would be easier than crushing an ant.

Now, his family’s survival hinged entirely on Qin Guo'er. Terrified she might discard him,

Yang An forced down his turmoil and begged, "Your Highness, please give me one last chance. Forgive me this once. I’ll obey every word, without a single lie."

He resolved himself—if it meant living,

he’d endure even being her slave.

Qin Guo'er studied him, then crooked a finger with a smile. "I might grant you that chance… under one condition."

Yang An immediately bent forward.

She whispered, "There’s a venomous parasite called the Five-Day Gutrender."

"Once ingested, a black line appears on the inner wrist. In five days, it reaches the elbow. By then, you must take the antidote—or the parasite will start gnawing through your intestines."

"After the intestines, it feasts on the stomach."

"Then the kidneys."

"Next, the liver. And finally…" Qin Guo'er pressed a fingertip to Yang An’s chest, tracing slow circles, "once it devours the heart, it burrows out. By then, the victim is left a writhing, unrecognizable corpse."

"The perfect poison for unruly subordinates."

"Don’t you agree?"

Yang An’s back was drenched in cold sweat, his hair standing on end. He forced a laugh. "Your Highness! My loyalty is unwavering! I’ll obey every command, hide nothing!"

"There’s no need for such poison!"

"Someone as kind-hearted as you would never use it!"

Qin Guo'er blinked,

then smiled—shy yet bewitching. "But I already have~"

"W-what?"

"Hmm."

Yang An glanced at the jade cup in his hand.

Remembering the half-finished tea, his face turned deathly pale. As if touching something vile, he hurled the cup away, shattering it.

Frantically, he rolled up his sleeve.

There it was—a sinister black line creeping along his wrist.

That damned woman!!!

Yang An was utterly, hopelessly doomed.