In the main street of Langcheng, a magnificent and solemn pavilion, Lingfang Pavilion, stands out incongruously against the low-rise houses in the city.
This place is a symbol of status and position.
The owner of Lingfang Pavilion was Deng Xuan'an, one of the most trusted generals under Xu Rong, the King of Shu.
Deng Xuan'an is fifty-two years old this year. He has followed Xu Rong on the battlefield since he was a child, and has gone through 35 years of ups and downs.
As far as Xu Rong was concerned, Deng Xuan'an was a loyal and devoted man who would never betray him.
However, if we examine this matter from the perspective of the people of Sichuan, we will arrive at a completely opposite viewpoint—Deng Xuan'an is undoubtedly a heinous and outrageous demon!
The intelligence network he wove covered every corner of Sichuan like a net, almost omnipresent and all-pervasive.
If any people in Shu dared to express any dissatisfaction with the Xu family, they would be immediately arrested by his wolf-like spies and lackeys.
Immediately afterwards, these arrested people seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving no trace and not even a single clue.
Inside the hall, Deng Xuan'an sat upright at a bronze table, his eyes occasionally glancing towards the door, as if anticipating something.
Before long, a group of guards carefully brought plates of freshly produced milk to Deng Xuan'an's table.
"General, this is fresh milk from the sixteen pregnant women. Please enjoy it."
"Okay, put it down."
Deng Xuan'an rubbed his hands excitedly, took a deep sniff of the sixteen bowls of human milk on the table, and his face was full of enjoyment.
This was Deng Xuan'an's strange hobby: he liked to drink the fresh milk of young girls. For this reason, every now and then, he would send his henchmen and lackeys to various places in Shu to capture young girls who were not yet married.
Then, he would do everything he could to get them pregnant, just so he could taste that first sip of fresh milk.
Once they had had their fill of drinking, the girls would be aborted and then sent to the laundry camp to become military prostitutes.
Every year, hundreds of young girls from Sichuan become tools for Deng Xuan'an to satisfy his perverted desires, ultimately ruining their lives.
The Xu family did nothing to stop this tragedy.
After all, in the eyes of those in power, a capable subordinate is far more useful than a bunch of cannon fodder like ants.
However, this was the last dark moment before dawn arrived in Sichuan.
Deng Xuan'an excitedly picked up a cherry, dipped it into a bowl of fresh milk, stirred it a few times with a spoon, and was about to start tasting it when...
"Report!"
A guard suddenly came to report.
Deng Xuan'an, his interest interrupted, frowned and said impatiently, "What is it!"
"Reporting to General Deng, the Princess's carriage has arrived outside the city."
"I don't think it's anything important. Just let them in. There's no need to report such a small matter."
Deng Xuan'an did not take the princess sent by Da Feng to heart.
After all, based on his understanding of Xu Rong, he only wanted the princess to test the court's attitude.
As for women, given Xu Rong's status, there are all sorts of them, so there's no need to take them to heart.
But the guards did not leave immediately.
This made Deng Xuan'an very unhappy.
When he enjoys fresh milk, he must savor it slowly and quietly by himself, without wanting to be disturbed by outsiders.
"Get back! What are you standing there for?"
"General, the Princess Consort's men are outside the pavilion, waiting for your reply."
"Um?"
Upon hearing this, Deng Xuan'an pondered for a moment.
"The messenger said that if the general doesn't come out of the city to greet us, then... then..."
"What is it?"
"It is treason..."
"Ha ha!"
Upon hearing this, Deng Xuan'an immediately smiled.
"What audacity! Very well, let me see who dares to run wild in my Shu region!"
Deng Xuan'an never tolerated anyone who dared to challenge his authority.
He immediately dropped the cherries and strode out of the pavilion.
...
In the courtyard outside the pavilion, Shen Zhao gently waved his feather fan, his gaze fixed on a group of young women locked in cages, dressed in thin clothes, their bodies turning purple from the cold.
They looked to be only sixteen or seventeen years old, but their bellies were already swollen, at least five or six months along.
On the other side, a large number of men were imprisoned in cages.
They were all people in Shu who had privately expressed their dissatisfaction with the Xu family, including Chen Shicai.
"well--"
Hearing footsteps behind him, Shen Zhao sighed softly, slowly turned around, and met Deng Xuan'an's imposing figure.
Shen Zhao stepped forward, just about to bow in greeting, when Deng Xuan'an spoke first: "You are the palace guard by the Princess's side?"
"It is indeed I, Ren Piaomiao," Shen Zhao replied calmly. "General, the Princess Consort's carriage has arrived outside the city. Are you perhaps unwilling to receive her?"
Deng Xuan'an sneered: "I was busy with official duties and forgot."
"Forgot?"
Shen Zhao carried a feather fan on his back.
"If I remember correctly, news of the Princess's carriage passing through was delivered to Langcheng three days ago. Does the General intend to cover up his dereliction of duty with a simple 'I forgot'?"
Deng Xuan'an scoffed: "Heh, sorry, I, Deng Xuan'an, only obey His Highness the Prince of Shu's orders. No one else has the authority to order me around!"
"Oh dear, it seems that General Deng is truly loyal to His Highness the Prince of Shu. It's hard not to be moved."
Ren Piaomiao covered her face with a feather fan and turned her back to him.
"However, all land under heaven belongs to the king, and the King of Shu is also a subject of the Great Feng."
When the emperor bestows a marriage upon a subject, shouldn't the subject fulfill their duty?
Or perhaps the King of Shu simply didn't respect the current emperor at all.
Or perhaps, the Xu family had already harbored rebellious intentions?
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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