Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong exchanged a glance, and Ning Rongrong said, "Oh right, Qi Ling, the disciples of the Light Observation Hall say that your identity seems to be very special. What exactly is it?"
"If it weren't for me, then your disciples were absolutely right; you should have arrested me right now," Qi Ling said helplessly. "Because I am the Commander-in-Chief of the Brocade Guard, Azure Dragon."
Qi Ling had expected the two to be very surprised, but to his surprise, they seemed to have no reaction at all, only a vague "Oh, I see" response, which left Qi Ling feeling quite frustrated.
"Aren't you two surprised?" Qi Ling couldn't help but ask. "The Embroidered Brocade Guard, the Commander-in-Chief!"
"It is indeed surprising, but since it's you, Qi Ling, then there's nothing to be surprised about," Qi Ling Ning Rongrong said. "Even if you said you were the king of the Shang Dynasty, we wouldn't be surprised, would we?"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right."
"Ah, ah, I see." Qi Ling sighed helplessly and said, "Alright, then you might as well explain the situation of the rebel army to me, so I can decide how to proceed next."
So the two of them told each other what they knew about the rebel army. As Qi Ling had expected, the leader of the rebel army was named King Wu. As for whether he had any lotus root people with three heads and six arms under his command, that was not so clear.
"I see. Judging from the current situation, it really won't be easy to end the war within two years," Qi Ling said helplessly. "Although the Shang Dynasty is already in a state of utter decay, it should be able to hold out for two years."
"Therefore, to overthrow it, we must attack from two sides and hasten its demise. Sometimes, a crucial battle can greatly accelerate this process."
" Qi Ling, do you have any good suggestions?" Ning Rongrong asked.
"The best approach would be a coordinated attack from within and without, but before that, I need to gather more intelligence on the Shang Dynasty," Qi Ling said. "I will return to the court first to collect information, and then make further plans when the time is right."
After parting ways with the two, Qi Ling returned to the capital, Chaoge, alone. White Tiger had been waiting for him for a long time, and as soon as Qi Ling returned, he immediately said to him, "Big brother, you're finally back! Did it go smoothly this time?"
"Well, things went smoothly. We've got the intelligence, and it should give the rebels a big lesson." To better conceal his identity, Qi Ling decided to reveal some less important information first to stabilize morale.
"That's wonderful! Big Brother is truly amazing!" White Tiger said, then seemed to remember something and added, " Noble Consort Su has sent a special decree, ordering you to see her immediately upon your return. You should hurry."
Qi Ling had already learned that the so-called Shang Dynasty was now completely controlled by Noble Consort Su. King Zhou was a walking corpse, and even the morning court sessions had been canceled. Many ministers had not seen him for months, and he only knew how to drink and make merry every day.
Without time to think further, and to avoid arousing suspicion, Qi Ling could only rush there as soon as possible to report to Noble Consort Su. At least Qi Ling now knew that the Embroidered Brocade Guard was an organization that directly obeyed Noble Consort Su's orders, and that it was even proposed and created by her in the first place.
Qi Ling could imagine the role of such an organization that should never exist; it must be incredibly powerful, overseeing the entire country, much like Noble Consort Su's influence.
Without any attendants, Qi Ling entered the palace and headed towards the inner palace. Along the way, Qi Ling kept thinking about how she should speak to Noble Consort Su without arousing her suspicion.
Perhaps he was too engrossed in his thoughts, because Qi Ling accidentally bumped into someone. With his physique, no one could possibly bump into him. Fortunately, Qi Ling caught the person just before they fell.
Only then did Qi Ling realize that the person she had bumped into was actually a woman. After seeing the woman's appearance clearly, Qi Ling couldn't help but sigh. As expected of the imperial palace, even a casual palace maid could be so stunningly beautiful and captivating.
Her appearance was exceptionally exquisite and stunning; if one word could describe her, it would be "magnificent"! This extreme beauty exuded a captivating Charm that went straight to the bone, making any man feel weak all over at first glance.
In terms of pure allure, Qi Ling couldn't find a comparable figure to this woman. Even Hu Liena, who was most skilled in Art of Charm, paled in comparison.
"I'm so sorry for the intrusion, sir." The woman gave a slight bow and said to Qi Ling, "Where are you headed in such a hurry, sir?"
"Ah, I... I..." Qi Ling was so stunned by the woman's beauty that she almost forgot why she had come. "I was summoned by Noble Consort Su and am on my way to her palace."
"Oh? What a coincidence! I'm also heading to Noble Consort Su's place, so we're going the same way, sir," the woman said with a smile. "Since we've met by chance, why don't we travel together?"
Qi Ling was unaware of the palace's rules, but seeing someone leading the way, she said, "That would be wonderful, but I still don't know your name, young lady?"
Upon hearing Qi Ling's words, the woman laughed even more heartily, and her laughter made her alluring charm even more captivating, so much so that even Qi Ling, with her composure, felt somewhat overwhelmed.
"You're so funny, sir. In that case, just call me... Xiao Xiaosu!" the woman said with a smile.
" Xiao Xiaosu?" Qi Ling was taken aback. This beauty had quite a sense of humor; such a name sounded rather adorable.
"Sigh." Xiao Xiaosu agreed, then said, "Lord Azure Dragon, let's go."
The two traveled together and soon arrived at Noble Consort Su's palace. Fortunately, Qi Ling knew that as a grown man, he could not go in directly, so he waited in the reception room.
"Lord Azure Dragon, please wait here for a moment. I'll go in and inform Noble Consort Su on your behalf," Xiao Xiaosu said, then went inside.
Qi Ling sat in the reception room, sipping tea and waiting for Noble Consort Su to come out. Although she didn't know what she would encounter, she knew there was always a way out, and she could only take it one step at a time.
Before long, several maids came out and lined up on both sides. Then, with one of the maids shouting "The Imperial Concubine has arrived," the ruler of the Shang Dynasty, Noble Consort Su, finally appeared.
However, when Qi Ling saw the other person's face clearly, she exclaimed in surprise, " Xiao Xiaosu?"