Chapter 19: Risking life and limb, is it too much to be emperor?

Shen Tianxing nodded, Mingyue also relaxed, he first walked in, Shen Tianxing turned his head and said to Erhu and Three Dog:

"You two wait outside first; after I finish talking with my wife, I'll come find you for a proper chat."

After saying that, Shen Tianxing entered the room and closed the door; just then Mingyue lit the oil lamp. Seeing the oil lamp nearly bottoming out, Shen Tianxing couldn't help but flash a bitter smile—the original owner's life had been truly miserable.

"Tianxing, may I call you that? Come over and sit; the things I'm about to tell you must be kept secret—you absolutely must not let anyone know."

Shen Tianxing smiled and nodded, sat on the edge of the bed, and reached out to embrace Mingyue.

"Of course, I'm your husband; you can call me whatever you like. Seeing how serious you look, this matter must be extraordinary—I will definitely keep it secret."

Mingyue blushed, nodded slightly, and then began to speak softly.

"Actually, I am the princess of the Great Feng state that was destroyed over ten years ago; my full name is Qin Mingyue. Over ten years ago, the Shenzhou Continent had seven states, the strongest being Great Feng, but it was annihilated by a coalition of the other six."

"My mother escorted me in fleeing; we eventually ended up in the Great Wu. When I was eight—that is, ten years ago—my mother died of illness. I have lived cautiously and with difficulty, still fantasizing about finding people from Great Feng to restore the nation!"

"But the hardships of life gradually made me face reality; I realized restoring the nation was impossible—just staying alive was already good. I had planned to spend my remaining days in Great Wu, never expecting that when the city fell I would be captured as a prisoner."

"Knowing I would be used to conscript soldiers and given as a wife to a new recruit, I thought at the time I must absolutely avoid being selected, so I smeared soot on myself, hoping not to be chosen and then look for a chance to escape—I never expected to meet you."

Shen Tianxing nodded; this plot is very familiar—normally the first female lead certainly has a unique background, and it also gave him a new path.

Helping Mingyue restore the nation would be justified; destroying the other six states to unify the world, avenging grudges—with a system in hand it's not difficult; when the time comes and the world unifies, there will be the Three Palaces and Six Courts and seventy-two concubines, a beautiful life beckoning to him.

"You must have suffered a lot these years, right? Now that you've met me, I am your wife; I will protect you well. If you're willing, perhaps one day I can help you restore the nation."

Speak as you think; sincerity is the ultimate skill—hiding and evading will eventually be discovered, only causing unnecessary misunderstandings.

"You wouldn't also want to be emperor, would you?"

"If the opportunity arises, being emperor wouldn't be bad either, but since I'm helping you restore the nation, you will certainly be the empress, and the child you bear will be the crown prince, inheriting the throne."

"Think about it: you have nothing now, but if you marry me and I succeed in helping you restore the nation, I will certainly have to put in tremendous effort and pay a heavy price."

"After success, letting me be emperor for ten or twenty years is also not unreasonable—after all, I cannot exert effort for nothing; I will need adequate compensation."

"Of course, if there is still an imperial prince of Great Feng hidden among the populace, he could also restore the nation by his own ability in the future; as long as he acknowledges you as the princess and doesn't cause trouble for me, I'll be happy to stay out of his way."

"Beauty is certainly tempting, but advocating a love‑brain is not advisable; grand ambitions and hegemony are what a man should strive for. While we are not yet husband and wife, I've laid things out clearly—now it's up to Qin Mingyue's own choice."

"As for whether Great Feng still has a prince, whether he has the ability to restore the nation, whether he will cause trouble—if he truly exists, he is destined to become an enemy; I just said that offhand."

Originally Qin Mingyue intended to confess frankly; if Shen Tianxing could accept, she would stay by his side, attend to him and raise children—but now she has fallen into contemplation.

"People, after eating much bitterness, naturally yearn for good days more; originally saying a single bun would make her happy, but now I'm directly planning a full Manchu‑Han banquet for her—how could she not be moved?"

"Fine, I'll do as you say, but I must have absolute certainty; otherwise, spending this life as just your woman would be enough for me—after all, I am merely a woman."

Shen Tianxing said what he thought, and Qin Mingyue did the same; after speaking, the two exchanged a smile, and Qin Mingyue, blushing, kissed Shen Tianxing on the cheek.

"You've made such a huge plan, and that's it? Looks like I still need to take the initiative more!"

As he spoke, Shen Tianxing pulled Qin Mingyue into his embrace; Qin Mingyue blushed shyly and lifted her head slightly. Seeing her delicate, beautiful appearance with her cheeks flushed, Shen Tianxing also felt a bit intoxicated, slowly lowering his head to press his lips against hers.

"Good things always attract unwelcome guests; it seems to be an unchanging rule."

"Shen Tianxing, you have slaughtered comrades and wasted lives—come out quickly to answer for your crimes."

Yunshan Village saw another wave of people; Pan Dongpeng brought them, among whom there were fifty guards, all Second‑Rank Third Layer, a hundred elite soldiers, all First‑Rank Fifth Layer, and the remaining were 350 ordinary soldiers.

These 500 people have already surrounded Shen Tianxing's house inside and out, including Zhao Lingfei and the others, enough to scare Shen Erhu and Shen Sangou silly.

Shen Tianxing and Mingyue had been kissing happily, but the sudden voice spoiled their mood; Shen Tianxing could only gently release Qin Mingyue and stand up.

"You came pretty fast, like a sticky plaster—wait inside, I'll go deal with them and then come back for you."

Qin Mingyue nodded; she knew that going out would only add to the chaos.

"Then be careful; if you can't handle it, run if you need to—don't worry about me."

"There's nothing I can't handle; if I truly couldn't and had to run, I'd definitely bring you along—rest easy and wait for me."

After saying that, Shen Tianxing opened the door, stepped out, and casually closed it, then turned his gaze to Pan Dongpeng, who was mounted on a horse.

"General, don't spout nonsense—when have I slaughtered comrades and wasted lives? Groundless accusations, reckless talk—there will be a price to pay!"

Shen Tianxing smiled lightly and calmly, simultaneously using the True Eye of Reality to examine the person's attributes before him.

"Name: Pan Dongpeng"

"Military post: Vice General"

"Martial strength: 1750+ (150)"

"Defense: 760+ (150)"

"Speed: 750+ (30)"

"Martial art: Middle‑Grade Thirty‑Six Paths Heavy Hammer"

"Internal force: 560"

"Martial Dao realm: Fifth Grade Third Layer"

"Equipment: Vajra Double Hammers, chainmail silver armor, high‑grade military boots"

After reading the personal attribute information, Shen Tianxing knew this was someone of Sun Tiejun's; only someone under this Marshal could hold the rank of Vice General, equivalent to the Deputy Commander‑Superintendent under Yang Hongyue.

"Shen Tianxing, no matter how eloquent you are, refusing to admit it is useless; today this General has come to take you. Come along honestly, return to the camp and explain clearly—perhaps there is still a way to live; if you stubbornly resist, don't blame this General for being ruthless."

Sending people to block Shen Tianxing under the pretext of finding an excuse to kill him was never an honorable act; Pan Dongpeng naturally could not explain anything—his current task is simply to wait for Shen Tianxing to erupt in resistance, then he and his men will kill him.

Shen Tianxing smiled, slowly raised his hand; Zhao Lingfei immediately untied the Dragon‑Slaying Blade hanging from Shen Tianxing's horse and placed it in his hand.

"Empty words, no proof—yet you still want to take me away? Then let me see if you have the ability to do so."