Chapter 336

First Volume, Chapter 336: Constant Victory

Blood instantly stained a large patch of Qin Feng's clothing red.

Jing Qianying saw this, her face turning pale, and hurriedly supported Qin Feng; she was about to shout angrily at the Imperial Consort, but Qin Feng beat her to it, covering her mouth.

Qin Feng shook his head, signaling Jing Qianying to endure, and not to lose her composure.

Although Qin Feng had exchanged sharp words with the Imperial Consort, he never once gave the appearance of disrespecting the Imperial Carriage, for the Imperial Consort's status was supreme, and she always held the special privilege of "execute first, report later"; even Qin Feng could only cautiously probe and respond carefully.

If the Imperial Consort caught him on any breach of protocol, he would be executed on the spot!

From start to finish, every word the Imperial Consort uttered, no matter how superficially innocent, was secretly designed to lure Qin Feng into breaking the rules.

He was just one step away from total victory—having uncovered the Lin Family's true stance and still being able to withdraw unscathed.

Unfortunately, in his meticulous planning, he forgot that Jing Qianying was a warrior by origin, had long lived in the Qin Residence's Back Residence, rarely ventured out, and knew almost nothing of imperial etiquette.

A gesture that seemed utterly ordinary and normal became the Imperial Consort's excuse to strike.

Whether facing the Emperor, the Empress, or the Imperial Consort.

First, never raise your head to gaze upon the imperial dragon and phoenix insignia; if your gaze meets theirs, it can be charged as "Stabbing the King and Assassinating the Chariot."

Second, never turn your back—even when retreating, you must step backward slowly; never turn around and walk away directly, or it is an act of grave disrespect.

These etiquette rules, though archaic and cumbersome, precisely demonstrated the imperial dignity.

The Imperial Consort had left the palace and waited for Qin Feng at the Taibao Residence not to argue with him, but to seize any opportunity to kill him.

No matter how the Emperor might punish her afterward, he could never harshly reprimand the Imperial Consort over the death of a mere ten-household official.

Thus, she could eliminate Qin Feng as a threat at minimal cost.

Seeing Qin Feng's bloodstained clothing, Jing Qianying's face turned deathly pale; she clutched him tightly, her eyes filled not only with rage, but also guilt and self-reproach.

As one of the Four Great Experts of the Capital, she had been protected by Qin Feng, who was always seen as frail.

In that instant, Jing Qianying's heart underwent a seismic shift.

Qin Feng's nerves were stretched to their limit; ignoring his shoulder wound gushing blood, he lowered his head and bowed toward the gauze curtain, speaking in a low, apologetic tone: "My elder sister lacks proper etiquette and nearly offended the Imperial Carriage. Please, Your Grace, calm your anger."

The Imperial Consort snorted inwardly—still at this point, this brat Qin Feng could hold his ground without the slightest panic.

"Nearly"? So he hadn't actually offended the Imperial Carriage?

This fellow had mastered the art of wordplay to perfection!

Though her first strike had failed, the Imperial Consort's mood brightened—this move alone proved Qin Feng was not as difficult to handle as rumors claimed.

At least she now held full control over his two fatal weaknesses.

First, money: if the Tianji Camp's finances collapsed, Qin Feng would sink deeper into crisis and lose power.

Second, family: for Jing Qianying, Qin Feng would risk his own life and abandon all strategy to save her.

What a man—seemingly sentimental, yet utterly devoted!

The Imperial Consort never loses!

Whether in face or substance, she always recovers her gains elsewhere.

Today, Qin Feng uncovered the Lin Family's true nature; correspondingly, the Imperial Consort had firmly seized Qin Feng's Achilles' heel.

Now, it comes down to who moves faster.

Qin Feng, clutching his shoulder, slowly withdrew from the Back Residence of the Lin Residence, supported by Jing Qianying.

Wu Wei and the Tianji Camp Guards, seeing Qin Feng wounded, immediately surrounded him; several guards drew their Waist Sabers, ready to fight to the death.

Wu Wei was tense and furious, for Qin Feng's safety was tied to the very survival of the Tianji Camp—anyone who threatened Qin Feng was the Tianji Camp's mortal enemy.

"Young Master, what happened? Did the Taibao set up an ambush in the Back Residence to assassinate you?"

At these words, the Tianji Camp Guards erupted in righteous fury, shouting to avenge Qin Feng.

Feeling Wu Wei and the others' concern, Qin Feng felt a wave of comfort—he realized he too had "Comrades."

But now was not the time to confront the Lin Family.

There was no choice but to endure.

Qin Feng pressed his hand down, signaling the group to calm down, then gave Wu Wei a sharp glance, indicating they must leave immediately: "Return to the Camp."

Though Wu Wei seethed with anger, he looked at Jing Qianying beside Qin Feng and swallowed his Hatred.

After all, Jing Qianying was one of the Four Great Experts of the Capital.

With Jing Qianying protecting him, Qin Feng still suffered such a severe wound—clearly, the figures in the Taibao's Back Residence were beyond Wu Wei and his men's ability to handle.

Under the protection of Wu Wei and the others, Qin Feng withdrew from the Taibao Residence without pause, heading straight for the Tianji Camp.

Zhao Yuxiong had intended to follow, but as soon as he stepped out of the Fu Men, a hand grabbed him—it was his father, Zhao Li.

Zhao Yuxiong felt a surge of confusion.

At this hour, his father should have been at the Dragon-Tiger Army Camp—why had he suddenly come here?

Before Zhao Yuxiong could ask, Zhao Li cut in, speaking sternly: "Come back with me to the residence."

From Zhao Li's utterly serious expression, it was clear he had abandoned the idea of letting Zhao Yuxiong join the Tianji Camp.

To outsiders, Qin Feng was a favorite of the Liang Emperor, enjoying boundless prestige.

But to Zhao Li, Qin Feng was merely the Liang Emperor's dagger, no different from the Heiwei Si.

Both existed solely to eliminate rivals and consolidate imperial power.

With Gao Ming's fall, the Liang Emperor had decided to strike at the Three Dukes—for the sake of the National War's success and the Liang Kingdom's fate.

But the Lin Family's power was too great—even the Liang Emperor had to proceed with extreme caution; any misstep could trigger a Mutiny and plunge the Liang Dynasty into peril.

Since the Liang Emperor could not act directly, someone had to stand in his place to carry out this task.

Qin Feng was naturally the first target.

If successful, he would gain boundless glory; if he failed, he would face utter ruin—and the entire Tianji Camp would perish with him.

While Beixi County was indeed a shortcut to advancement, angering the Lin Family was far from a wise move.

Zhao Li's gaze was utterly serious: "I will personally clarify my stance to the Tianji Camp. You think only of the Liang dynasty's welfare—your mind is too naive to navigate this treacherous arena of fame and gain. Even Qin Feng, sharp as he is, still saw blood today."

Zhao Yuxiong had no ties with Qin Feng.

Since joining the Tianji Camp, Zhao Yuxiong had been left idle; whether the heavy cavalry could ever be successfully formed remained uncertain.

Logically, Zhao Yuxiong had no reason to risk himself alongside Qin Feng.

But…

If anyone in Jingdu could secure the Liang dynasty's foundation, it could only be Qin Feng!