I am invincible, that's why I lie down. You're using your entire clan to rebel?

Chapter 24 Slay gods and Buddhas alike!

Xu Longxiang wore a genuine smile, as if his momentary lapse in composure had never occurred.

"Qingxue has only been in the palace for three days, yet she has already gained the emperor's favor. What does this mean? It means she has already gained the emperor's initial trust! It means our plan is progressing smoothly!"

He walked up to Sikong Xuan and patted the old man on the shoulder: "Mr. Sikong, don't you think this is a good thing?"

Sikong Xuan was taken aback for a moment, then quickly realized what he meant and said, "It's...it's a good thing! Miss Jiang is exceptionally intelligent; having gained His Majesty's favor, she will surely be able to steal secrets even faster!"

"Mr. Fan, what do you think?" Xu Longxiang then looked at Fan Li.

Fan Li's eyes flashed with admiration, and he cupped his hands, saying, "Your Highness's magnanimity is beyond the reach of ordinary people. Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles. Miss Jiang is willing to sacrifice for the greater cause; Your Highness will surely treat her well in the future."

"Iron Slaughter?"

Tie Tu clasped his hands in a deep fist salute, his voice booming like thunder: "The young master is right! This is a good thing! Once we storm the capital, kill the dog emperor, and then bring Miss Jiang out!"

Xu Longxiang nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Liu Hongyan and Mo Shen.

Both men also expressed their praise for Xu Longxiang's foresight and magnanimity.

The atmosphere in the hall became lively again.

But everyone knew the truth.

The pain that flashed in Xu Longxiang's eyes just now was real.

He was just enduring it.

Endure what ordinary people cannot endure.

All five advisors were amazed.

The Crown Prince can endure what ordinary people cannot endure, and can give up what ordinary people cannot give up. This is the true demeanor of a hero!

Tie Tu said gruffly, "Why should a real man worry about not having a wife? Once we rule the world, what kind of woman won't we have?"

Liu Hongyan chuckled, "It is an honor for Miss Jiang to sacrifice herself for the greater cause. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne in the future, bestowing upon her the title of Imperial Concubine would be a fitting reward for her."

Fan Li waved his feather fan: "I just wonder if things went smoothly with Miss Jiang? If she couldn't handle it..."

"Qingxue won't," Xu Longxiang said firmly. "She's much stronger than you think."

As he said this, his heart was bleeding.

He understands Jiang Qingxue better than anyone else.

She appears aloof, but is deeply sentimental inside.

Forcing her to submit to a man she doesn't love would be more painful than death.

But what could he do?

Should we storm the capital now and rescue her?

All the previous plans and sacrifices were in vain.

Xu Longxiang closed his eyes, suppressing the turbulent emotions in his heart.

When I opened my eyes again, they were clear.

Xu Longxiang slowly stood up, walked to the guard, and looked down at him:

"You hesitated just now because you felt this news shouldn't be said in front of everyone?"

Cold sweat beaded on the guard's forehead. "Your subordinate... Your subordinate wouldn't dare. But this news involves Miss Jiang, and your subordinate thinks..."

"You think I'd mind?" Xu Longxiang interrupted him, his voice eerily calm. "You think I'd lose my composure for a woman? That I'd let personal feelings interfere with important matters?"

He turned to face the five chief advisors in the hall, his voice suddenly rising:

"All of you here are people I, Xu Longxiang, trust most, and are the key advisors to my future success! What secrets do I have that I need to hide from you? What information can't I share with you?"

These words were resounding and carried a sense of frank and open expression.

The five chief advisors were all moved upon hearing this.

The Crown Prince is treating them like his own people!

With such trust and such honesty, how could they not swear to be loyal to the death?

Sikong Xuan bowed first: "Your Highness's high regard for me is an immense gratitude!"

Fan Li, Tie Tu, Liu Hongyan, and Mo Shen all bowed in unison: "We are willing to die for the Crown Prince!"

Xu Longxiang nodded in satisfaction.

This is exactly the effect he wanted.

It's worth it to exchange one act of "honesty" for the deeper loyalty of five people.

"Alright." Xu Longxiang walked back to the main seat, sat down again, and his expression had returned to normal.

"As for the troop deployment, proceed as we just discussed. Tie Tu, you personally select the men, and remember, you must choose them skillfully."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Tie Tu clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Fan Li, you continue to be in charge of the Imperial Guards. Meng Fang's son is a potential breakthrough point, but don't push too hard, take it slow."

"Understood."

"Mr. Sikong, keep trying to win over officials from all over the country. If you don't have enough money, just take it from the treasury. Liu Hongyan, you assist Mr. Sikong. You know how to deal with those who are greedy and lustful."

"Yes," Sikong Xuan and Liu Hongyan replied in unison.

"Mo Shen, don't lose contact with the Miao region. We need their poison and gu techniques; they'll be very useful in a critical moment."

The figure in the black robe nodded slightly, its eerie green eyes flashing in the shadows.

"Understood."

Xu Longxiang gave a few more instructions, then waved for everyone to leave.

The five chief advisors bowed and left Zhenyue Hall, their footsteps fading into the distance.

Only Xu Longxiang remained in the hall.

As the sun set, its crimson afterglow streamed through the window, casting a poignant and melancholic hue over him.

He sat motionless on the tiger-skin chair.

The smile on his face had vanished without a trace, replaced by an almost numb calm.

Only his clenched fists betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

His fingernails dug deep into his palm, and blood seeped out between his fingers, one drop, two drops, falling onto the smooth bluestone floor, blooming into tiny blood flowers.

Subsequently,

He reached into his robes and took out a plain handkerchief.

The handkerchief is old, with some wear on the edges, but it is well preserved.

It is embroidered with a pair of mandarin ducks playing in the water. It is only half embroidered, with fine stitches, but it ends abruptly.

This is the handkerchief that Jiang Qingxue did not finish embroidering.

That day, she sat on the veranda of Tingxuexuan, embroidering. Sunlight shone on her, and she lowered her head, her expression focused.

He walked over, and she looked up and smiled at him, a smile so pure and without a trace of impurity.

"Brother Longxiang, look, aren't the mandarin ducks I embroidered beautiful?"

"It's beautiful. But... why is it only half embroidered?"

"Because..." Her cheeks flushed slightly, "I wanted to wait for you to come back before I finished embroidering. Mandarin ducks must be embroidered in pairs, not separately."

He held her hand and said, "After I finish this battle, I'll come back and marry you."

But what she received was not a bridal sedan chair, but an imperial edict to enter the palace.

Xu Longxiang gripped the handkerchief tightly in his hand.

"Qingxue, I'm sorry..."

He murmured softly, his voice hoarse, and finally, pain surfaced in his eyes.

The composure and "magnanimity" he had put on in front of his subordinates crumbled at that moment.

He was, after all, a man.

A man who watches helplessly as the woman he loves falls into the arms of another.

"Wait a little longer, it won't be long."

Xu Longxiang pressed the handkerchief to his chest, as if he could feel the woman's warmth that way.

Once I've conquered the capital and ascended the throne, I will personally escort you out.

When the time comes, I will use the entire country to make it up to you.

I will kill everyone who knows what will happen tonight.

I will make you the most noble woman in the world.

So... just bear with it a little longer.

Xu Longxiang closed his eyes, and Jiang Qingxue's face appeared in his mind.

That aloof and unparalleled face, those eyes that always held a hint of melancholy, that faint smile that only bloomed when she saw him…

Then, these images were replaced by another image.

The dog emperor's hand caressed her cheek, loosened her sash, and pressed her beneath him...

"boom--"

Xu Longxiang suddenly opened his eyes and slammed his fist on the rosewood coffee table next to him!

The sturdy coffee table shattered into pieces in an instant, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

He was panting heavily, his eyes bloodshot, like a wounded wild beast.

After a long while, he slowly calmed down and stopped breathing.

I stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the sky over the North was vast and high, and the setting sun was like blood.

Xu Longxiang looked south, towards the direction of the imperial city.

Tonight, the candlelight flickers there, and the spring night is warm under the tent.

And he could only drink this bitter cup alone here.

The night wind blew by, carrying the chill unique to the North.

Xu Longxiang's figure appeared exceptionally lonely, yet also exceptionally resolute, under the moonlight.

"Qin Mu..." he murmured the name, his voice filled with deep-seated hatred, "Enjoy tonight."

"Because it won't be long..."

"I will make you pay a hundredfold."

The night wind howled, swirling up the fallen leaves in the courtyard.

The pain in Xu Longxiang's eyes gradually faded, replaced by an even more fervent ambition and determination.

Qin Mu, the humiliation you suffer today will be repaid a hundredfold in the future.

He wants this empire.

He wants this beauty too.

He kills anyone who gets in his way.

I will slay gods and Buddhas alike!