Chapter 91: Heroes Think Alike

After the banquet dispersed, Ji Yucang led the left and right Prime Ministers and the Minister of Rites to the Diligent Government Hall to continue discussing the matter of borrowing troops with the Nan Dynasty envoys.

Shen Ning and Princess Pingyao were not interested in this and planned to leave the palace and return to their residence.

As they were leaving the hall, the Duke of the State called out to Shen Ning.

“Find some time to come home for a meal.” He said, somewhat unable to put aside his pride, wanting to soften towards Shen Ning yet also wanting to maintain his fatherly dignity. “No matter what, you are still the daughter your mother carried for ten months, blood ties cannot be severed.”

A mocking smile appeared on Shen Ning’s lips: “When you made me a concubine to Qin Yanshu, you didn’t treat me as a daughter carried for ten months. When your good mother ordered my death, she didn’t treat me as a granddaughter.”

“Shen Ning!” The Duke of the State’s face turned green with anger. “Society’s demands on a woman’s chastity are harsh, and we were helpless. Now that you have become the Princess Consort of the Regent, and Qin Yanshu has been imprisoned, can’t you let everything go?”

“I cannot.” Shen Ning’s gaze was cold. “Let me tell you the truth, the real Shen Ning is already dead! She died the day she was humiliated. Whether you did it for the benefit of the Duke of the State’s residence or truly realized your selfishness and coldness as a father, it’s too late to regret.”

With that, she turned and left.

As she reached the steps of the hall, she looked at Han Rong, who was kneeling in a disheveled state, and said indifferently: “Ling Feng, send this person to the Regent’s residence.”

Ling Feng paused for a moment before responding: “Yes.”

Shen Ning and Princess Pingyao headed towards the palace gate together.

“Is the Regent’s Princess Consort really the disciple of the God of War, Princess of Nan Dynasty?”

“What do you think?” Shen Ning asked in return.

“I don’t think so.” Princess Pingyao smiled faintly. “Rather than saying you are her disciple, it’s more like you are War Goddess Princess herself.”

Shen Ning remained silent. Today, in the hall, she had no intention of hiding her true self.

This kind of incident, similar to a possession or reincarnation, is not something many people can accept, nor would they easily believe it.

But if anyone were to suspect, she wouldn’t deny it.

Because she wasn’t Shen Ning to begin with, she couldn’t pretend to be someone else and force herself to interact with the Shen family as Shen Ning.

Her hatred for Nan Dynasty was too deep-seated, so when she saw Han Rong, she didn’t want to hide her feelings at all.

Two years of hatred and humiliation were etched into her bones. Now that her enemy had delivered themselves to her doorstep, there was no reason for her to continue enduring in silence.

“What do you think about Nan Dynasty’s proposal of a marriage alliance?”

“I don’t have much of an opinion.” Shen Ning’s voice was calm and solemn. “Rather than helping them fight, it’s better for us to fight on our own. The territory we conquer will be ours.”

“Impressive.” Princess Pingyao nodded. “Heroes think alike.”

Nan Dynasty was simply a bunch of fools.

Now they couldn’t even protect themselves and wanted to stop the war. Sending someone to negotiate peace with the Western Zhou would have been the best strategy. Although the Western Zhou might also demand a high price, facing a strong nation, there would at least be room for negotiation.

The Western Zhou Dynasty had been fighting year after year, and their military strength and treasury had also suffered losses. They couldn’t possibly attack all the way to the imperial city in one breath. If Nan Dynasty sought peace, it might allow both countries to rest for a while.

However, they turned to the Yong Kingdom for help and even fantasized about borrowing troops?

It was truly baffling how they could think this way.

How could they be so sure that the Yong Kingdom had no ambitions?

As they were about to reach the palace gate, Princess Pingyao suddenly stopped: “I want to make a trip to the Ministry of Justice’s prison.”

Shen Ning turned to look at her: “To see Ling Fengyang?”

“Yes.” Princess Pingyao’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Some things need to be clarified sooner or later.”

Shen Ning remained noncommittal and walked out of the palace gate alone.

Ling Feng called a few imperial guards, and when they brought Han Rong to the palace gate, the Nan Dynasty guards waiting outside approached together, looking at Ling Feng with hostility.

“Stand aside.” Shen Ning sat in the carriage and lifted the curtain. “This person is now a prisoner of this Princess Consort. Anyone who dares to make a move will have all of Nan Dynasty’s people leave their lives here.”

As she spoke, the imperial guards had already brought the man over.

The confrontation between the two sides was tense and oppressive, as if it could erupt at any moment.

Suddenly, a person hurried out and shook his head at the guards, and they looked at each other before slowly backing away.

The light of hope in Han Rong’s eyes dimmed little by little as he was pushed forward by Ling Feng: “Walk faster.”

The shackles dragged on the ground with a heavy sound, as if foretelling Han Rong’s future fate.

Shen Ning returned to the Regent’s residence, changed her clothes, and when she came out, she ordered: “Take him to the Golden Courtyard.”

From the palace to the outside, Han Rong had been tormented enough. At this moment, kneeling on the bluestone slabs of the courtyard, not only was his body covered in wounds, but his hands and feet were also bloodied from the shackles, the pain piercing his heart.

Shen Ning just watched his wretched state, asking herself countless times in her heart, where exactly was this person outstanding, to have made her so blindly like him for over ten years?

Was it because he was good at pretending in front of her, and now he couldn’t even pretend anymore?

“Princess Consort of the Regent.” Han Rong slowly raised his head and called out towards the main house. “I have something to say to you.”

Shen Ning regained her senses and looked at him coldly through the window: “What do you want to say?”

“I—”

“Shi Qin.” Shen Ning untied the whip from her waist and handed it to her. “This person is now a prisoner of the Regent’s residence. Without the permission of this Princess Consort, he dared to speak on his own. Punish him with a hundred lashes.”

“Yes.” Shi Qin took the whip and walked outside.

“One hundred lashes, Han Rong, you’d better endure it well.”

Hearing these words, Han Rong’s pupils suddenly contracted. “You… are you Princess Yan Jiuli? No, impossible, don’t play ghosts with me! Who are you?”

Shi Qin’s whip lashed across his body, leaving a trail of blood.

Han Rong’s face twisted in pain as he stared fiercely at Shen Ning behind the carved window: “Are you Jiuli? You’re not her, she’s already dead, she’s already dead!”

The War Goddess Princess had never taken any disciples. The four people closest to her had either married or been taken into the imperial harem by the Emperor. It was impossible for her to take someone from another country as her disciple.

Shen Ning held a teacup, coldly watching Han Rong, who was in agony, his face pale. Her voice was indifferent: “I always thought you were a person with dignity and pride. Only today did I realize that you’re actually no different from an ant.”

“You… ah!” Han Rong fell to the ground, trying to dodge the fierce whip, but with heavy shackles and serious injuries, his body was too clumsy to be agile.

Shi Qin was a martial artist, and her strikes were no lighter than Shen Ning’s. Han Rong was in excruciating pain, utterly wretched.

After the hundred lashes, Han Rong’s clothes were in tatters, and he looked as if he had been pulled out of a pool of blood, with even his face inevitably bearing several bloody marks.

Shen Ning looked at Han Rong, who was lying on the ground like a dead dog: “Drag him to the stable.”

“Yes.”

When Ji Yucang returned, Shen Ning had once again buried herself in the pharmacy. Hearing that Han Rong had been thrown into the stable, he didn’t say anything and went straight to the pharmacy.

Like last time, he stood in front of the window and knocked. As the window opened, Shen Ning looked up at him.

Ji Yucang said: “Do you want to lead the troops?”

Shen Ning was slightly taken aback and then pondered: “Have you decided to share the spoils with the Western Zhou?”

“Since Nan Dynasty’s fate is over, there’s no reason to let the Western Zhou have this piece of meat all to themselves.” Ji Yucang said indifferently. “Moreover, the Beiwang Valley is beautiful with clear waters and lush mountains, rich cities, fertile land, and a strategic location that is easy to defend but hard to attack, suitable for us to retire.”

Shen Ning’s gloomy mood was soothed by his words, and she couldn’t help but laugh: “How old are you to start thinking about retirement?”

“Everyone gets old, no one is an exception.” Ji Yucang said. “Besides, Han Rong is just one of them. Don’t you want to meet the suspicious Nan Dynasty Emperor?”