"Welco back to the Capital City, General Lin!"
"General Lin is truly the savior of Da Jing!"
The common people cheered enthusiastically. As the supre commander of the Da Jing Expeditionary Army, Lin Qianyan erged from her carriage, mounted a fine white steed, and rode at the very front of the hundred-thousand-strong army.
The army could not enter the city directly, so in the end, only Lin Qianyan, accompanied by a small retinue of high-ranking generals and her personal guards, proceeded into the city to have an audience with the current Empress of Da Jing, Shang Miaoyan.
On the top floor of the Drunken Dream Pavilion, Pei Yuhang, dressed in simple white robes, watched Lin Qianyan with a large red flower pinned to her chest. His eyes widened slightly in surprise.
He never imagined that the hero of Da Jing would be her...
'That little girl who once said she would make a na for herself in the army actually did it.'
As if sensing his gaze, Lin Qianyan suddenly looked up, her beautiful, eagle-sharp eyes eting his directly.
Lin Qianyan's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. She said to the subordinate beside her, "What is this building?"
"Replying to the General, this... is a place of pleasure for the noble ladies and princesses of the city to amuse themselves."
"A place for won's amusent?"
A flicker of disappointnt and gloom crossed Lin Qianyan's eyes as she looked at the figure in white.
'Pei Yuhang, why did you still end up like this?'
'Didn't I tell you to wait for to co back? It's only been three years. Couldn't you even wait that long?'
"That man—I want him. I want to see him at my mansion when I return."
Lin Qianyan's cold order stunned all the surrounding soldiers.
General Lin, who was known to be as cold as ice and had never shown interest in n, was actually singling out a man from a pleasure house...
"What are you standing around for? Go!"
"Yes, General!"
The soldiers acknowledged the order and strode towards the Drunken Dream Pavilion.
The unshakeable Killing Intent emanating from these soldiers, fresh from the battlefield, sent all the n and won in the pavilion scattering in terror.
The owner of the Drunken Dream Pavilion scurried forward obsequiously to ask what the officers wanted. Upon learning they intended to take away the Pavilion's priceless treasure, Pei Yuhang, he stamred:
"No, no, that won't do! Pei Yuhang is the priceless treasure of our Drunken Dream Pavilion! Besides him, General Lin can take anyone else here..."
The soldiers just frowned impatiently. Holding up a tiger-striped military tablet, they bellowed, "The General wants him. How dare a pimp like you stand in our way?!"
"Obstruct a military order again, and you die!!"
...
「An hour later.」
As soon as her audience with Her Majesty was over, Lin Qianyan hastily mounted her horse and galloped back to her mansion.
When she saw the handso figure in white watering flowers with a kettle, she strode forward, grabbed Pei Yuhang's collar with both hands, and said through gritted teeth:
"You slut, you just love letting won have you, don't you? To think you'd go back to your old trade!"
Lin Qianyan's eyes held a look of anger at his lack of ambition.
But her gaze drifted unconsciously down to Pei Yuhang's alluring thin lips. Lin Qianyan couldn't help but swallow, her mouth watering reflexively.
But the thought of how many won had tasted those pink lips filled her with disgust, followed by an even greater sense of pity and a strange bitterness.
In the end, resentful yet helpless, Lin Qianyan let go of Pei Yuhang.
"Why... why couldn't you find a respectable line of work?"
Hearing this, Pei Yuhang said flatly, "A respectable line of work doesn't pay enough to hire a Maid to care for my sister, to support soone who will never wake up."
"Do you think I enjoy letting others have ? I'm not so naturally depraved man-whore."
Lin Qianyan knew Pei Yuhang had a younger sister nad Qing Yueqiu, who was in a vegetative state with nurous ailnts, her life sustained each month by a fortune in gold and silver.
She pressed her lips together, seeming to sense the exhaustion in Pei Yuhang's words. Her voice softened unconsciously.
"But I told you, didn't I? That I would definitely make a na for myself in the army? Why didn't you wait for ..."
"Wait for you? If I'd waited for you, my sister and I would have starved to death long ago!"
As Pei Yuhang spoke, his tone filled with resentnt.
But he quickly fell silent.
After a long pause, he lowered his gaze and said softly, "General Lin, since you find so repulsive, I'll just go back to the Drunken Dream Pavilion."
Just as Pei Yuhang turned to leave, Lin Qianyan suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist.
"...You'll live in the Lin Mansion from now on."
"Back when I was starving to death, you took in for a ti, supporting by receiving clients. I will spend the rest of my life repaying that kindness."
As she said this, her eyes, fixed on Pei Yuhang, were filled with sincerity.
"From now on, as long as I, Lin Qianyan, am here, I won't let anyone bully you~!"
Pei Yuhang's mouth opened and closed, but in the end, he just nodded.
"Thank you, General Lin, for buying my freedom..."
...
Soon, news that the number one male courtesan in the Capital City was being kept by Da Jing's number one female general spread like wildfire.
The entire city was shocked. Grand General Lin Qianyan, who served the country and its people, had actually fallen for a man of the pleasure quarters!
The affair not only caused a huge stir within the city but also created undercurrents in the imperial court.
All the civil and military officials were aghast at Lin Qianyan's choice.
After all, not long ago, when Lin Qianyan had an audience with the current Empress Shang Miaoyan, Empress Shang was so delighted by the general's spectacular victory over the enemy nation that she had intended to betroth a mber of the Royal Family to her.
But General Lin had firmly refused in open court, which had greatly displeased the Empress.
And then, she turned right around and, in a move that was practically a public declaration, bought the freedom of a man from the pleasure quarters and brought him into her own mansion.
This...
For a ti, with the help of certain interested parties, rumors that Lin Qianyan's achievents were overshadowing her sovereign and that she was beginning to challenge the Empress's authority began to circulate in the court.
...
The gossip swirling outside did not disturb the peace within the Lin Mansion.
Now that he no longer had to serve those powerful noblewon, Pei Yuhang's life beca much more regular.
He went to bed early and woke up early, painted pictures, and wrote poetry.
Although Lin Qianyan would always co to bother him, using a "commanding" tone to make him play music for her.
Pei Yuhang didn't find this troubleso. If General Lin wanted to hear a song, he would play one.
Sotis, Lin Qianyan would even co looking for him late at night to drink.
She would tell Pei Yuhang about her triumphant, exhilarating military career, describing the vast grasslands and the magnificent Celestial Mountain, drawing an envious gaze from Pei Yuhang, who had been confined to a pavilion serving won since he was a child.
He so envied Lin Qianyan's unrestrained and fulfilling life. As for himself, unfortunately...
'I'm just a caged bird.'
'Compared to a natural-born phoenix among won like Lin Qianyan, we are as different as clouds and mud.'
'How could a lowly sparrow dare to fly alongside a divine bird?'
That night, Lin Qianyan ca to drink with Pei Yuhang again. The pressure from the court had been heavy recently, and she drank far more than usual.
Lin Qianyan began to complain to Pei Yuhang, lanting that the seemingly clean and civilized imperial court was harder to endure than a battlefield of flashing blades and raining swords.
The civil officials killed with words; she would have preferred the straightforward satisfaction of drawing a sword.
Pei Yuhang didn't understand the affairs of the Da Jing court, nor did he dare to ask or listen too closely. He just silently refilled Lin Qianyan's cup and reached out to knead her shoulders and rub her back.
He prepared a basin of hot water and massaged her toes.
He hoped to help her relieve so of her stress as much as possible.
Pei Yuhang's massage skills were, of course, impeccable. Even Lin Qianyan, who was trying hard to restrain herself, couldn't help but let out several soft moans of comfort.
She sat on Pei Yuhang's bed, looking down at him as he knelt amidst the rising steam, kneading her fair, rounded toes.
Listening to the DRIP-DROP of water, she gazed at Pei Yuhang's face—handso as jade, with brows like distant, dark-hued mountains and eyes as bright as brilliant stars. It was a face that seed not of this world.
Finally, spurred by the alcohol, she could no longer suppress the fondness in her heart. She slowly reached out a finger and touched Pei Yuhang's face.
Pei Yuhang flinched back as if burned by her fingertip, his eyes cast down as he stumbled, nearly falling over.
Just then, Lin Qianyan extended her feet, still glistening with crystal-clear water droplets, and clamped them around Pei Yuhang's waist. With a slight exertion of force, she gently guided the stumbling Pei Yuhang down onto the bed.
The position the two were in was now rather compromising.
Her fair, powerful legs were wrapped tightly around Pei Yuhang's body, causing a flash of panic in his eyes.
He looked up, eting Lin Qianyan's lust-filled eyes, and said hastily, "Don't do this, General Lin. I'm begging you..."
"Pei Yuhang, why can't I?"
"I give you clothes, a place to live, and enough gold and silver that you don't have to worry about food or clothing. Now I'm a little lonely, so what are you doing hiding from , your General?"
Lin Qianyan licked her lips and, unable to restrain herself, threw herself onto Pei Yuhang's neck to breathe in his pleasant scent.
"Stop! General!"
Pei Yuhang shouted, biting down on the back of Lin Qianyan's hand.
Lin Qianyan cried out in pain. The haze and drunkenness in her eyes cleared. She released Pei Yuhang, her expression turning grim.
"Why? Why won't you accept ?"
"You should know my status now, right? I'm not that holess girl who needed you to save her anymore. I am now the number one general in Da Jing!
Do you know how many handso n want to curry favor with ?!"
Lin Qianyan's voice, frustrated and laced with sha and anger, rang out. After hearing her, Pei Yuhang just said mournfully:
"Of course I know everything you're saying, General... That's precisely why I'm unwilling to defile you.
I am just a ruined flower, a withered willow. I'm not worthy."
Seeing Pei Yuhang's trembling shoulders, Lin Qianyan finally let out a laugh of frustrated anger.
She snorted coldly, grabbed her outer coat, and left Pei Yuhang's room.
「The next day.」
「After the morning court session.」
Empress Shang Miaoyan had Lin Qianyan stay behind for morning tea.
"General Lin, you must have recently heard a lot of gossip about Us and you, haven't you?"
Lin Qianyan's eyes flickered, but she did not respond to Shang Miaoyan's words.
Shang Miaoyan chuckled, patting Lin Qianyan's shoulder affectionately. "Rest assured, We would not suspect a capable minister gifted to Da Jing by the heavens like yourself over so baseless accusations!
After all, We are no fatuous ruler~"
"Your Majesty is wise."
Lin Qianyan raised her hands and bowed politely to Shang Miaoyan.
Then, Shang Miaoyan noticed the faint teeth marks still visible on the back of Lin Qianyan's hand.
She ran her tongue over the corner of her lips and said with profound aning:
"What happened to the wound on your hand, General Lin? In all of Da Jing, does soone actually dare to bite Our darling!"
"Your Majesty is overthinking things. Your humble servant was simply bitten by a little cat I keep at ho."
Lin Qianyan knew what Shang Miaoyan was teasing her about, but she didn't want to discuss Pei Yuhang with an outsider, so she made up a casual excuse, hoping to change the subject.
Shang Miaoyan nodded and said with a grin, "Hehe, then the little cat at your mansion must be quite feral."
"We happen to be looking to keep a cat with a bit of a wild streak. Would General Lin be willing to part with her beloved treasure?"
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