The Maid Qian Renxue, Burning Bridges

"Speak plainly, what do you want? This Crown Prince can satisfy any request."

Qian Renxue asked.

She trusted Ye Yunxi's methods implicitly. Moreover, it was surprising how well Ye Yunxi understood the people of the Four Great Sects.

If she were to visit them one by one, she might hit a wall. But the methods Ye Yunxi proposed would save her a significant amount of time.

As long as she could subdue these Four Great Families, even if the Clear Sky Sect were to reappear, they would have lost their right and left arms.

"In that case, come over here and knead my shoulders and legs. If you do a poor job, you can handle the remaining two families yourself."

Ye Yunxi gave a smug smile, extending a pair of fair, shapely legs and resting them before Qian Renxue.

"You want me to knead your shoulders? Isn't that a task for a maid? On what grounds?" Qian Renxue was deeply dissatisfied.

"On the grounds that you need me. Besides, you said if you didn't agree, you could perfectly well subdue the Four Great Sects with your own ability. Xue Qinghe, you must understand that sometimes, bowing your head is a good thing."

Qian Renxue let out a cold snort, grabbed Ye Yunxi's legs with annoyance, and pulled them directly toward her.

"Ouch, take it easy!"

Ye Yunxi complained.

"Be grateful I'm kneading them at all."

Qian Renxue shot Ye Yunxi a glare, looking at the small, delicate feet and the long, fair legs resting on her lap.

She placed her hands on the legs and began urging Ye Yunxi to hurry up and explain the rest.

Feeling the gentle massage on her legs, Ye Yunxi continued:

"Next is Bai He of the Speed Clan. That old man is as cunning as a fox; he cares most about the safety of his clansmen and his intelligence network."

"You should dispatch two experts at the Soul Douluo level to capture his granddaughter, Bai Chenxiang. Then, you deploy your forces in advance to 'rescue' her at the critical moment. That is equivalent to seizing his Achilles' heel."

"After that, in the remaining time, send people to destroy some of the Speed Clan's outer camps—in the name of Martial Soul Hall."

"Afterward, take the opportunity to invite them to relocate their core members into Tiandou City, designate an exclusive territory for them, and station troops to guard it."

"Then tell him, 'We shall share intelligence. You pass me the information I desire, and I will help your clansmen improve their strength; furthermore, Bai Chenxiang will be given a position of importance.'"

"Finally, paint a picture for him: 'Once Martial Soul Hall is destroyed, I will help you build the number one intelligence network on the continent.' He fears for his clansmen above all else; if you provide him with security, how could he not stand on your side?"

At this point, Ye Yunxi paused deliberately, watching the shock and confusion in Qian Renxue's eyes.

"Martial Soul Hall? Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

"Dummy, don't you know how to impersonate them? Some things only need to be done in secret; you just need to make him believe it. These matters are known only to you and me; others are none the wiser, so what is there to fear?"

Ye Yunxi smiled. In any case, you are a member of Martial Soul Hall, and Bibi Dong will implement such tactics sooner or later, so why not take this opportunity to act in advance?

Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue felt that Ye Yunxi was full of wicked schemes and incredibly black-bellied. But the proposal was excellent.

Regardless, as long as the blame was cast upon Martial Soul Hall, what did it have to do with Xue Qinghe?

It was very simple to mobilize Soul Douluo or Soul Saint level experts.

Indeed, once you start down the path of villainy, you might as well keep going.

"Finally, there is Yang Wudi of the Breaking Clan. That fellow is extremely arrogant, treats his Soul-Breaking Spear as his life, hates it when others question his strength, and feels he has nowhere to put his skills to use."

"You should lead a team of imperial experts to his door and say directly, 'I have heard that Clan Leader Yang's Soul-Breaking Spear is the best in the world, and none under my command can rival it; I have come specifically to seek instruction.'"

"Let him show off to his heart's content. Even if you lose, you must shout in front of everyone, 'Clan Leader Yang's spear technique is truly invincible!' Satisfy his competitive spirit."

"Then, entrust him with a heavy responsibility: have him train the imperial army's assault battalion as their chief instructor, and pass down the essence of the Soul-Breaking Spear."

"Provide them with rare medicinal herbs and support his research; even Dugu Bo can assist you in this. Finally, tell him that in the future, he only needs to follow your orders, and he will have plenty of time to display his prowess. When he finally shows his strength in the military camp, do you think he wouldn't want the chance to make a name for himself?"

Ye Yunxi finished in one breath, picked up her wine bowl and drained it, then raised an eyebrow at Qian Renxue:

"These four methods are each tailored to the specific ailment. No forced submission, only talk of win-win cooperation. It gives them dignity while binding them through shared interests."

"Once they have all received your favors, you can convene a sect assembly, point out the truth that 'when the lips are gone, the teeth are cold,' sign a treaty of equality, and divide the Four-Direction Alliance Seal as a token of trust. They will naturally become your trump card."

Qian Renxue stared at her, stunned, her eyes filled with shock.

She had always assumed that subduing the Four Great Families would require massive military force and resources.

She never expected Ye Yunxi to come up with such ingenious methods, each step striking at the soft underbelly of the four clan leaders.

At this moment, looking at the smiling Ye Yunxi before her, she felt that this little enchantress was not only devastatingly beautiful but also possessed a terrifyingly sharp mind.

As the alcohol rose to her head, Qian Renxue's cheeks flushed even redder. She took a deep breath and gritted her teeth:

"You little enchantress, you really do have some talent."

Ye Yunxi lifted her chin triumphantly:

"Of course! Otherwise, how would I be worthy of being the Crown Prince's Imperial Concubine? But... since I've given you such good ideas, how do you plan to thank me?"

"How to thank you? I'm already kneading your shoulders and legs, and you still want more?" Qian Renxue felt that Ye Yunxi was being quite greedy.

"One thing is one thing, and another is another. Besides, these methods aren't foolproof; when the time comes, I will certainly need to step in personally."

"I feel that, personally, I am still more useful than the Crown Prince."

These matters required her personal involvement, and besides, the future Emperor and Empress appearing together would demonstrate the importance they placed on the occasion.

As she was lost in thought, her legs were suddenly yanked, causing her to collapse directly onto the floor.

"What are you doing?"

Qian Renxue did not reply, simply taking a rope to bind Ye Yunxi's legs together.

"Have you lost your mind? I told you so much, yet this is how you treat me?" Ye Yunxi was dumbfounded; this was clearly a case of burning bridges after crossing them.

"This Crown Prince has had enough of you! Do you really think I was giving you face? If I hadn't been waiting for you to finish explaining those four methods, I would have taught you a lesson long ago."

Qian Renxue immediately summoned two maids, tossed them a rope, and commanded:

"Bind her hands and take her directly to the side hall next door. Let her reflect on her actions."

"Yes, Your Highness Crown Prince."

The two maids dared not disobey, quickly binding Ye Yunxi's hands.

"Qian Renxue, you treat me like this, just you wait! If you ever come begging for my help again, I'll take your surname!"

Ye Yunxi's shouts echoed throughout the entire residence, but Qian Renxue simply pretended not to hear.

After the two maids returned:

"The two of you, take all of this wine and force it down the Imperial Concubine's throat until she is completely drunk."

Thanks to book friend 20230702505_CD for the tip.

Thanks to book friend 202510234129 for the tip.

There will be two more updates in the early morning; future updates will be scheduled for around midnight to 1 AM.

I have been busy these past few days, which is why the updates have been a bit late.