At the final moment, Soren did not force Gui Qinshao to fulfil the wager, sparing her from total humiliation, and gave her a dignified way out by gentlemanly inviting her to dance.
Gui Qinshao, seeing this, breathed a long sigh of relief. She would not have to strip off her small undergarment in public, would not become the laughing stock of the nobility.
However, this woman was born knowing nothing of gratitude. Having just been spared by Soren, she immediately turned to plotting her revenge.
Seeing Soren still bent at the waist in gentlemanly invitation, Gui Qinshao’s beautiful eyes turned, and a plan suddenly came to mind.
“Soren, I refuse your invitation to dance.” She smiled and said, “Soren, you just invited my cousin Turingduo to dance, and she did not agree. Now you invite me, and I too shall not agree. Do you know why?”
Soren shook his head, awaiting this woman’s shallow attack.
“Because you are unworthy.” Gui Qinshao sneered coldly. Then she pulled a maidservant from the crowd.
This maidservant had a dark complexion, a stout build, and greasy hands. She was cutting venison for the guests, practically the lowliest servant in Duke Turing’s residence.
“Soren, she suits you well. Dance with her.” Then, Gui Qinshao shoved the servant girl violently towards Soren.
This servant girl, pushed before Soren, was so frightened that her entire body trembled, and she directly knelt on the ground.
Gui Qinshao was humiliating Soren. What she wished to express was that Soren was only worthy of dancing with such a lowly servant girl.
Soren was truly speechless. This woman, to vent her spite, truly cared for nothing and feared nothing, acting completely without regard for consequences.
She clearly knew that once he revealed her pre-marital loss of chastity to him, her reputation would be utterly ruined, and her engagement to Ling Ao would be completely finished.
But to vent her spite, she still chose the most extreme method of revenge without the slightest hesitation.
Gui Qinshao, seeing Soren and the servant girl standing alone in the centre of the hall, felt it was still not satisfying enough, that her revenge upon Soren was insufficient. Thus she pointed at the noble ladies present and said, “Among you, who is willing to dance with Soren?”
Not a single noble lady dared step forward. Although each and every one of them was willing, to become associated with Soren now would bring disaster upon their family.
Gui Qinshao said triumphantly, “Soren, you see? Not a single noble girl is willing to dance with you. They all despise you as base and vile. You are only worthy of dancing with this lowly servant girl.”
The noble girls present, seeing Gui Qinshao degrade Soren, felt incomparably pained and even furious, yet not one dared step forward.
And Ling Ao, witnessing this scene, felt truly incomparably satisfied, more refreshing than drinking iced sour plum soup in the height of summer.
Zhili said, “Ling Ao, your wife is truly… formidable, exactly like her mother.”
Ling Ao said, “Your Highness jests. But for a base person like Soren, such humiliation is precisely what he deserves.”
Gui Qinshao was indeed such a person. To vent the malice in her heart, she would say anything, do anything, completely regardless of any consequences.
And Soren simply watched her childish performance.
This was just as well. Originally, towards this woman Gui Qinshao, he had still harboured a tiny bit of reluctance.
Now, he could torment her with complete confidence. The great task of seizing Linhai City would fall upon her shoulders.
This was the classic masochistic personality, what was known as Stockholm syndrome. Gentleness towards her was useless. Only through violent passion could she be made obedient.
Ling Ao had grasped this point, so he had always been proud and cold towards her, rarely speaking tender words. Although he loved her to death in his heart, he completely showed it not. Therefore, Gui Qinshao instead drew close to Ling Ao, seeing him as the only one worthy of her regard.
However, Ling Ao truly loved her deeply, so he could only deliberately maintain a cold, proud face, not daring to inflict abuse.
Gui Qinshao, seeing everyone looking at her, seeing Soren “speechless” and not daring to retort, felt even more triumphant in her heart. After slight hesitation, she pointed at the stout servant girl on the ground and said, “Soren, in a moment I shall request my uncle to have him agree to let this servant girl attend your bed. By this time next year, your Tianshui City’s next generation heir will be born.”
The moment these words were spoken, while Ling Ao felt satisfied, he could not help but feel his heart race with fear.
These words were not merely humiliation towards Soren, but trampling upon the Soren family.
And Soren, standing in place, looked at this woman in astonishment. If not for her still having great use, Soren would truly go up to her now and pull out her tongue to cut it off.
But faced with such childish, crude verbal attacks, he truly had no good response. He could not very well go up and slap her, could he? Striking a woman on such an occasion would be most undignified.
Neither could he retaliate with more venomous words, for that would reduce him to her level.
And regarding the secret of her lost chastity, its killing power was incomparably great. Soren still had great use for it, so of course he could not use a cannon to swat a mosquito.
So at this moment, for such a clever and ruthless man as he, he truly had no way to deal with this woman.
Once a shrew gets going, truly even Zhuge Liang would be at a loss.
Everyone present watched with their own eyes as Gui Qinshao humiliated Soren thus!
And just then, a woman walked out from the crowd, tearing off her cloak to reveal a figure of incomparable, exquisite curves, wearing a dragon-patterned long gown that indicated her supreme status.
Princess Zhiyan!
Then, she removed the veil from her face, revealing a countenance of transcendent, otherworldly beauty.
Originally, Gui Qinshao had been the sole focus of attention, her stunning beauty overshadowing all other women.
However, the instant this face appeared.
The entire hall fell into complete, deathly silence. Everyone instinctively held their breath.
Almost instantly…
Gui Qinshao’s radiant aura was completely suppressed by Zhiyan.
All light seemed to instantly concentrate upon this face, this divinely crafted, spirit-infused face.
Gui Qinshao was still beautiful, still stunningly gorgeous, but before Zhiyan’s face, she immediately appeared quite vulgarly gaudy.
This face was so transcendent, as if gathering the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Any gaudy beauty before it could only feel ashamed and colourless.
Princess Zhiyan, this was her first true appearance before the world.
King Zhibian, to ease relations with the Dragon God Temple, had sent her to study at the Yanjing Temple since childhood, only returning to Zhidu this year.
After returning to Zhidu, she had attended but one banquet, and that banquet had consisted only of royal family members, with not a single outsider.
For most of the remaining time, Zhiyan had been in quiet cultivation at the Dragon God Temple, never appearing publicly.
Everyone had only heard of her, but never seen her. And now, they finally saw her face for the first time.
She was actually beautiful to such a degree, her immortal bearing so remarkable.
“Greetings, Your Highness the Princess!”
After a moment’s silence, everyone knelt down in unison.
The nobles present could choose not to attend the Princess’s residence banquet, could completely draw a clear line with Zhiyan, but she was still the supreme royal princess, with status identical to Zhili’s, even half a notch higher than Zhili’s.
All who saw her must kneel in salute.
Gui Qinshao clearly felt her neck shrink. Not merely in radiance and beauty, but in entire aura, she was completely suppressed.
Everyone knelt, but she did not wish to kneel. She had not even knelt when Zhili came.
Zhiyan gazed at Gui Qinshao’s gorgeous face. Her jade hand raised, and she directly delivered a slap.
“Pa…”
A crisp sound rang out. Gui Qinshao’s incomparably beautiful face instantly swelled red.
She had of course not used dragon power, otherwise Gui Qinshao would already be pulverised.
“Is this the upbringing of the Linhai Count?” Zhiyan said coldly.
At this moment, Gui Xingfu was not present.
He had only appeared briefly at the beginning of this banquet, then he and Duke Turingtuo had completely vanished.
Hearing Zhiyan’s interrogation, a warrior immediately ran outside to report.
A moment later, Gui Xingfu and Duke Turingtuo entered the hall at the fastest speed, kneeling in unison and saying, “Your subject greets the Eldest Princess.”
Gui Xingfu, seeing his daughter’s swollen face, felt pained in his heart, then kowtowed heavily and said, “Your subject has failed in discipline, allowing his foolish daughter to offend Her Highness the Princess. Your subject is guilty!”
Princess Zhiyan did not look at Gui Xingfu. She walked to Soren and said softly, “My dear, dance with me.”
At this moment, Soren sensed from Zhiyan a certain aura, an aura similar to Jiang Xue’s.
That kind of aura that looked down upon all under heaven.
A duke, a vassal kneeling on the ground, and Zhiyan completely ignored them, did not even glance at them, but directly came to Soren to dance.
This aura was completely innate.
Zhiying did not possess it, Zhili did not possess it, because this pair of siblings had grown up in an environment where their survival was uncertain.
Then, Zhiyan and Soren embraced and danced gracefully.
The entire hall, everyone still knelt on the ground motionless.
These two old foxes, Turingtuo and Gui Xingfu, could not possibly make any error in etiquette. Although the moment they turned around they would be plotting how to destroy Zhiyan, even how to destroy the king.
But before everyone, since Zhiyan had not permitted them to rise, they knelt thus.
And with these two highest-status individuals kneeling thus, everyone else also knelt.
The entire hall, only Soren and Zhiyan danced as if no others were present, dancing with magnificent beauty, dancing with transcendent grace.
This scene deeply pierced Zhili in the attic.
Zhiyan’s willful, look-down-upon-all-under-heaven aura pricked the most painful part of his heart.
He considered himself possessed of heroic talent and grand strategy, wisdom without equal, yet he still had to consider many people’s feelings, had to win people’s hearts, had to look after the interests of the majority, even had to sell many interests.
His own younger sister, his only kin, defeated in the Tianshui City great battle, to give the nobles and vassals an explanation, he had had no choice but to imprison her.
And in Gui Qinshao’s heart at this moment, there was completely deep jealousy.
She had always felt that although she was not a princess, she surpassed princesses. Wherever she went, she was the focus of all.
Yet now, she could only kneel here, watching Soren and Zhiyan dance as if no others were present.
Moreover, Princess Zhiyan, whether in appearance, status, or aura, completely suppressed her. And this woman actually called Soren “my dear”!
Instantly, she felt the glory Ling Ao brought her seemed to become bland and tasteless.
…
Princess Zhiyan and Soren danced a full piece, a full quarter of an hour, while these two old foxes Turingtuo and Gui Xingfu actually truly knelt for a full quarter of an hour.
After the dance finished, Princess Zhiyan and Soren departed just like that.
From beginning to end, Zhiyan never permitted Gui Xingfu and Turingtuo to rise.
If she were male, such behaviour would certainly invite universal condemnation. But she was female.
If she wished to win people’s hearts, acting thus tonight would certainly lose all support.
But standing beside her at this moment was only Soren, so she could indulge her willfulness to her heart’s content!
After exiting Duke Turing’s residence, the two walked upon the road. Soren said, “Thank you for venting my anger.”
Princess Zhiyan said, “You are welcome.”
Soren said, “Tomorrow I may still need your help.”
Princess Zhiyan said, “What matter?”
Soren said, “I have a private rendezvous with Gui Qinshao, but I worry she will bring experts to kill me. Your martial arts are so high, might I ask you to come with me.”
“Very well.” Zhiyan said.
Soren sighed and said, “Gui Xingfu fathered a fine daughter. Seizing Linhai City entirely depends upon her.”
Soren’s words were incomparably shameless, but Zhiyan showed no strangeness, instead asking, “Linhai City, is that not your third step plan?”
Soren said, “Prepare for a rainy day. Breaking in a masochistic woman also requires time.”
“Oh.” Zhiyan said.
Soren turned his face, gazing at her incomparably beautiful face, and said, “You… do you not find me quite shameless?”
“Not at all.” Zhiyan said, “I find you… quite charming.”
“Uh…” Soren was speechless.
Zhiyan said, “Tonight at Duke Turing’s residence, many people were present. In a moment they will be deliberating how to destroy the Sorrens.”
Soren said, “Yes, they will certainly come from the sea, but I do not know how many naval forces, how many men in total.”
“What do you plan to do?” Zhiyan asked.
Soren said, “See if I can get intelligence from Gui Qinshao’s mouth. This woman… is quite unique. Having her a few more times may bring surprises.”
Zhiyan said, “She is shallow, shrewish, vain. Is this kind of woman’s attraction to you men very great?”
Soren thought for a moment, then nodded and said, “Yes, she is extremely beautiful, extremely sensual, and we men are all quite shallow.”
Zhiyan said, “A man like you, your attraction to women is greater, because you are also extremely handsome, extremely clever, extremely sensual.”
“Uh…” Soren.
Zhiyan said, “For a woman like me, do I hold attraction for you?”
Soren was speechless. After quite a while he said, “You are too beautiful, too transcendent, too distant. You would make a man feel base and vulgar.”
Zhiyan gazed at Soren for quite a while, then said, “Soren, I am not transcendent, I am not detached, truly.”
In this brief conversation, Soren felt… his aura was suppressed.
Just as in the Blood Case Mystery City, he had been suppressed by Jiang Xue.
Although Zhiyan had frankly expressed her fondness for him.
…
The most remote underground quiet room of the Dragon God Temple.
This quiet room was merely ten square metres. Apart from the cold floor, there was nothing.
Zhiying was imprisoned here.
Here was even inferior to the underground cell in Tianshui main city. There was not even a window, nor any furniture.
But she did not hate her brother Zhili.
Because he had to give the nobles and vassals an explanation.
For this Tianshui City battle, Zhili had paid the price of over two hundred thousand gold coins, and had caused Duke Turingtuo and Count Gui Xingfu to pay painful prices as well.
This great defeat required someone to bear responsibility, and she, Zhiying, was the best candidate.
Of course, she was indeed the chief culprit of this great defeat.
Through these days of imprisonment in the quiet room, Zhiying deeply felt that she was only suited to scheming against a certain person, a certain detail, a certain concrete matter. Encountering such matters, she calculated without omission, and was extremely ruthless.
But when it came to a certain great battle, a certain strategy, she was completely out of her depth.
Her military talent was not merely inferior to Suo Hanyi, but even inferior to Nu’erdan and Turingduo.
In this Tianshui City great battle, even had Turingduo been sent to command, it would not have been lost so miserably.
Had Suo Hanyi and Nu’erdan been sent to command, Soren would long since be dead without a burial place, and the fifteen thousand troops he brought would have been completely annihilated.
But all this no longer concerned her.
Since being… slept with by Soren, she had instinctively avoided these matters in her heart.
Being imprisoned in this quiet room like this, waiting until her brother Zhili ascended the throne, was not bad either.
Of course, if necessary, she could still be married off by her brother Zhili in alliance, to Prince Ji Min of the Yan Empire.
Just then, footsteps sounded from outside. Then the door of the quiet room opened, and a female cultivator walked in, her expression grave.
“What is it?” Zhiying asked.
“You are with child.” The female cultivator said, “Swallow this pill, and terminate the child in your womb.”
Instantly, Zhiying was struck as if by lightning.