Chapter 1266: First Volume, Chapter 1266: Safe Evacuation

First Volume, Chapter 1266: Safe Evacuation

At this moment, whether for the Qin Family, the Ning Family, or the Xu Family—even the Beixi Soldiers present—Qin Feng had become their absolute leader.

Their loyalty and reverence for Qin Feng had reached unprecedented heights.

Everyone understood that their fates were now bound to Qin Feng's—prosper together, perish together.

Under Qin Feng's intimidation, the Longhu Army withdrew like a receding tide, leaving only deafening cheers behind.

On their way back to Jingdu, Zhang Zhonghai and Zhao Li remained silent for a long time, still not fully recovered from the shock Qin Feng had caused.

Only when Jingdu gradually came into view did Zhao Li let out a long sigh.

"Commander Zhang, the rift between Jingdu and the Northern Border is now inevitable. The Southern Campaign is not yet settled, and unrest has already stirred in the North. Why has our Great Liang suffered so many calamities?"

"Qin Feng could have been the anchor of Great Liang, safeguarding the empire for countless generations—but he was driven into becoming an enemy."

Hearing this, Zhang Zhonghai's expression darkened. He turned to Zhao Li and asked in a low voice: "Driven?"

"General Zhao, watch your words carefully!"

"Are you suggesting that all the turmoil facing Great Liang was orchestrated by His Majesty?"

"Qin Feng's achievements overshadowed the throne, and his arrogance was not a matter of days or weeks. His Majesty has tolerated him this long—this is already more than enough."

"What Qin Feng has done now is no different from rebellion!"

Facing Zhang Zhonghai's rebuttal, Zhao Li offered no counterargument—he wisely fell silent.

He knew full well that with Qin Feng's departure, every former Taolin Party official must now tread carefully, speak sparingly, or risk being purged by His Majesty.

Even Zhao Li, as Dragon Tiger Army Grand Commander, was not exempt.

Previously, the Qin Family's presence had kept the Imperial Court stable, and factional infighting had become exceedingly rare. But with the Qin Family's collective departure, Zhao Li sensed intuitively that the court would soon be engulfed in turmoil.

The old power struggles—forming cliques, excluding rivals—would rise from the ashes, yet Zhao Li could do nothing. Now, merely preserving his own safety was already difficult.

Qin Feng, with his family, safely departed the Jingji region and soon joined up with the arriving Beixi Light Cavalry.

Originally, the various garrison troops in Jingji had been restless, but seeing Qin Feng's forces grow ever larger, they abandoned all intentions.

Since large-scale troop movements consumed enormous military supplies, Qin Feng immediately dispatched Jin Yi Wei messengers to order the approaching armies to turn back and return to the Northern Border, avoiding unnecessary waste.

Thus, under the watchful eyes of countless onlookers in Jingji, Qin Feng and his family departed openly and unchallenged.

On the road back to Beixi County, Qin Feng had planned to share a carriage with Li Xiaolan and Jing Qianying—after so long apart, he missed them dearly.

But he was thrown out by Xiao Xiangxiang and Shu Feng, who claimed they no longer trusted Qin Feng's character.

Qin Feng was furious—what kind of nonsense was this?

In the end, he had no choice but to share a carriage with Qin Tianhu.

Qin Tianhu, who had been holding back a flood of words, spoke up: "Feng'er, our departure from the capital has caused such an uproar—it's effectively rebellion in His Majesty's eyes."

"With the Southern Campaign ending, His Majesty will surely turn his full strength against the Northern Border. We cannot afford the slightest slack."

In response to Qin Tianhu's warning, Qin Feng showed no concern—he leaned against the carriage window, legs crossed, utterly relaxed.

"Whether one is labeled traitor or loyalist depends entirely on one sentence from the Liang Emperor."

"A subject's loyalty is irrelevant—it's what the Emperor believes that matters."

"If the Emperor grows suspicious, even the most devoted minister will be driven into rebellion by his own schemes."

"So now that we've left Jingdu, there's no point in weighing gains and losses. Just march forward and enjoy life."

Had it not been for Great Liang's internal and external crises, Qin Feng would have retired to the countryside long ago.

Even if one reaches the pinnacle of power in court, what good is it? You're constantly restricted, living in constant dread.

Qin Feng had always dreamed of a life of idle ease—eating, sleeping, doing nothing. Now, that dream had come true. Far from lamenting, he felt utterly carefree—and even looked forward to the future.

In the past, seeing Qin Feng so carefree, Qin Tianhu would have slapped him instantly.

But now, Qin Tianhu didn't care. First, he was no longer a court official. Second, Qin Feng had proven his strength—no matter how reckless he acted, the entire Qin Family now depended on him in critical moments.

Qin Tianhu leaned back against the window too, sighing: "Ultimately, when war breaks out, it's the common people who suffer."

Hearing this, Qin Feng burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, Father, you're getting too sentimental. Do you think it's easy for His Majesty to launch troops against the Northern Border?"

"The Southern Campaign will last at least several more months. Even after it ends, Great Liang needs time to recover and rebuild its strength."

"That's years away, at the earliest."

"Even if Great Liang recovers, it doesn't mean we in the Northern Border sit idle."

"If we build our strength too, who will ultimately prevail remains to be seen."

"If His Majesty fears our existence threatens his throne, then we'd better have real power to back it up."

Qin Tianhu nodded—he understood this logic.

The true protection of the Northern Border isn't passive submission—it's possessing overwhelming strength that makes everyone tremble.

Qin Tianhu no longer worried about safety—Qin Feng was there.

The real issue now was what came next.

Qin Tianhu looked at Qin Feng with deep meaning: "Son, how many concubines are you planning to take?"

This sudden question left Qin Feng speechless.

Sensing his father's stern gaze, Qin Feng almost wanted to joke it off—but then he realized that would be irresponsible to the women he loved.

So he began counting on his fingers, seriously.

"Wives: besides Li Xiaolan, Jing Qianying, and Xie Yun'er… there's also Shen Qingci."

"As for concubines: naturally, Xiao Xiangxiang and Shu Feng."

"So that's six total—four wives, two concubines. Not too many, right?"

Not too many?!

Qin Tianhu wanted to slap this fool dead—he, Qin Tianhu, had held the highest rank in the empire, yet in his entire life, he had married only one wife: Qin Cheng Clan, Qin Feng's mother.

As the saying goes, the pupil surpasses the master; that much is fine.

But Qin Feng went and directly took four wives and two concubines — clearly leaving Qin Tianhu in the dust by a good many streets.