At court, Qianlong and all his ministers racked their brains to the point of going bald, yet they could not come up with a solution. After all, the enemy was already at the gates. If the remaining Eight Banners remnants had not known that those rebels would slaughter any Qing people on sight, they probably would have left the city and surrendered long ago.
While the capital was in chaos, Consort Li was busily making plans in the harem.
She had secretly pulled some strings and was preparing to sneak out of the Forbidden City to seek out the four Emperors. No matter what, as long as she latched onto one of them, she would soar to new heights.
Now, she was agonizing over which Emperor to choose. Zhu Yuanzhang was definitely out of the question. He was an old man, and she had no desire to do that sort of thing with an old man. She could not stand the smell of old age.
That left Liu Che, Li Shimin, and Ying Zheng.
After much consideration, Consort Li decided that Ying Zheng was the best choice.
Li Shimin had Empress Zhangsun by his side. If Empress Zhangsun was not dead, there would be no point in her going there. She did not want to gamble on whether her charm could defeat a man's first love.
Her charm only made people feel favorable toward her; it did not control them. She could not afford to take that gamble.
Then there was Liu Che, who had Wei Zifu. She was a woman who came with the Imperial Twin Pillars as her dowry, and it was said that both Imperial Twin Pillars were still alive. Even if Consort Li's charm worked on Liu Che, she would probably be chopped into minced meat by the Imperial Twin Pillars.
And once Liu Che found out, he probably would not blame the Imperial Twin Pillars at all. He might even praise them for doing a good job.
That only left Ying Zheng. She had never heard of him having an Empress or any favored consorts, so she could give it a try.
With arrangements made by a few trusted subordinates, Consort Li secretly left the palace and made her way to the Great Qin formation. Her appearance caught the attention of Meng Tian, who happened to be out inspecting the camp.
"A Han person?" Meng Tian glanced at the real-time map in his hand. The woman before him was Han, so he did not attack her immediately. Instead, he said, "This is a military camp. You may not trespass here. If you want to leave the capital, go that way."
Meng Tian pointed toward the passage. He had happened to be inspecting the camp today and encountered Consort Li heading toward it, so he assumed she did not know where to leave the city.
Consort Li looked at Meng Tian, and her eyes lit up slightly. This general was so manly. That aura of slaughter, those utterly masculine facial features, that strong and imposing physique... it was another kind of intoxicating charm.
Consort Li immediately said in a coquettish voice, "This humble woman is Xu Li. Greetings, General. I have intelligence concerning the Forbidden City that I wish to present to His Majesty the First Emperor. I ask that you introduce me."
Meng Tian's expression did not change, but inwardly, he found it somewhat amusing. She had come looking for His Majesty. Her purpose was very clear. And judging from her clothes, complexion, and overall state, she obviously lived a pampered life. Could she be a palace consort?
As for why Meng Tian did not think Xu Li was some noble young lady from a Han family, it was simply because they had seen plenty of such Han noblewomen on their journey. Those women were really only a little better off than ordinary commoners.
After all, the Han People were suppressed in Great Qing. In the eyes of those Manchus, a good Han person had to look servile. What they wanted had always been slaves, not subjects.
That was why this woman was in far better condition than those Han noblewomen. Her tender skin and slender, fair fingers could not possibly belong to a Han person.
Was it not said that Great Qing could not possibly have Han concubines? So there was clearly something suspicious about this woman.
Meng Tian nodded. "Come with me."
With that, Meng Tian led Xu Li into the camp.
Xu Li was somewhat stunned. This general believed her so easily? She had originally planned to offer him some benefits to smooth things over, but it seemed unnecessary now.
Xu Li followed Meng Tian into a tent, where two soldiers inside immediately subdued her, shackled her, and locked her onto a specially made wooden frame in the tent.
Xu Li's pretty face paled in panic, and she hurriedly cried, "General, what does this mean?"
"You wished to see His Majesty. His Majesty will be here shortly," Meng Tian said calmly as he stood to one side.
Sure enough, Ying Zheng soon entered the tent. He glanced at Xu Li, his eyes filled with mockery and disdain. Liu Bing had just sent him word that this woman was to be handed over to Zhou Ru.
Zhou Ru had already come into contact with these Emperors. For the sake of securing an official position, as well as out of compassion for the Han People, she had diligently traveled between various cities, distributing food to impoverished Han people.
When Liu Bing had gone to the One-Punch Man world, he had given Zhou Ru a storage device filled with countless supplies of grain, enough for her to aid the common people.
Moreover, with the strength granted by the Heavenly Immortal Pill, she had no concerns about her safety.
Most importantly, she had taught herself and even developed all kinds of healing techniques. Along the way, she had treated and saved many people. The commoners called her the Divine Maiden, and many followers had gathered around her.
However, she had no interest in fighting for supremacy. She only wanted to do what she could for the impoverished Han People of this world.
Because of her good deeds, her reputation spread far and wide, naturally reaching the ears of the Emperors who were conquering cities and claiming territory. Thus, they naturally came into contact with her.
After getting to know her, the Emperors learned that Zhou Ru was supported by Liu Bing and was intended to manage this world. Therefore, all of them treated Zhou Ru as an honored guest.
As for Zhou Ru's past, they had also probed around and figured it out. After all, none of these Emperors were simple men. Since Zhou Ru had earned Liu Bing's favor, they naturally wanted to know what was so exceptional about her.
Thus, they also learned everything about Xu Li.
It was precisely because he understood the situation that Ying Zheng held Xu Li in such contempt. Back then, he had even looked at Zhu Yuanzhang with a teasing smile and said, "Killing the donkey after it has done its work."
He seemed to be cursing Xu Li, but in truth, he was pointing at the mulberry tree while cursing the locust tree. All the Emperors present understood what he meant.
Zhu Yuanzhang's expression had looked utterly awful at the time, but he had no way to erupt. If he did, would he not be admitting that he was the sort of man who killed the donkey after it had done its work?
Did Zhu Yuanzhang not care about saving face?
Some things were better left unsaid. That way, everyone could still get along happily.
When Xu Li saw Ying Zheng enter the tent, her eyes went wide. Was this tall, handsome man radiating authority her charming ancestor? He really was handsome.
"His Majesty the First Emperor, this humble woman came to offer intelligence. Why have you arrested me?" Without a second thought, Xu Li activated her charm ability and cast a pitiful, flirtatious glance at Ying Zheng.
Ying Zheng raised an eyebrow. He could clearly sense Xu Li suddenly becoming softer and more alluring, as though she had instantly become far more beautiful.
"So this is your charm ability? Interesting." Ying Zheng's gaze was amused. He was not a man who lusted after beauty, so this charm ability had little effect on him.
He merely found it a pity that this woman had to be handed over to Zhou Ru. If she became a tool in his hands, her usefulness would be immense.
When dealing with people, especially men, there was nothing more than money, power, and women. A woman like Xu Li, who possessed a charm ability, was undoubtedly an excellent tool.
Perhaps he could speak with Zhou Ru. Once she had vented her anger, this tool could be left to him. From then on, Xu Li would become Ying Zheng's instrument for winning people over. She would have no right to choose, effectively becoming a prostitute shared by all men. That could count as punishment too, could it not?
Xu Li: "!!!"
Her eyes widened as she stared at Ying Zheng in shock. She had only just made her move, yet he had seen through it immediately. What should she do? This ancestor did not seem as easy to fool as Qianlong.
Before you continue