"My lord, look! The Hu family has sent reinforcements!"
Fa Zheng laughed. The reason they could arrive so quickly was not only due to their grappling hooks and sharp weapons, but also because the Li family had held firm, leaving their left flank vulnerable, allowing the soldiers to arrive faster.
Lu Ming's eyes narrowed, and he immediately spotted a man and woman leading cavalry charging out.
A beautiful woman with misty hair and cloud-like hair, wearing phoenix-head shoes and jeweled stirrups.
Golden armor over red gauze, a lion-head belt cinching her slender waist.
Giant axes hacked wildly at the enemy soldiers, her delicate hands capturing fierce generals.
A naturally beautiful woman, like a begonia in bloom, led the charge.
"What a beauty! I'll go meet her, haha!"
Lu Ming waved his hand, and his personal guards went into battle, quickly separating the battlefield and surrounding Hu Sanniang.
The private soldiers who tried to come to her aid were all instantly killed.
"Die!"
Hu Sanniang shouted, wielding her twin swords and slashing down. The powerful blades, even before they landed, already stung her cheeks with their force.
But before her stood Lin Lianhua, clad in heavy armor, her eyes, hidden behind the armor, gleaming with disdain.
Leveraging a shield, Lin Lianhua blocked Hu Sanniang's swords with a single, powerful thrust, her waist and horse moving in perfect harmony, shoving Hu Sanniang to the ground.
Before Hu Sanniang could even get up, Lin Lianhua dismounted and delivered two resounding punches to Hu Sanniang's stomach, leaving her dizzy and nearly unconscious.
A final, vicious chop to the neck, and Hu Sanniang's vision went black; she passed out.
The infamous Hu Sanniang had been captured alive!
The soldiers and instructors from the Zhu Family Village and Hu Family Village were utterly stunned. What the hell was going on?
Soon, Lin Lianhua returned with Hu Sanniang, and her personal guards also withdrew.
There were no casualties, but hundreds of corpses remained in Hu Family Village, each cleaved in two, blood and entrails scattered everywhere.
The number of dead wasn't large, but the scene was enough to make even seasoned veterans feel nauseous. This hellish sight was truly disgusting and repulsive!
The Imperial Guard was the elite of the elite, comprising the Imperial Guard, Tiger Guard, light cavalry, heavy cavalry, veteran soldiers, tiger and leopard cavalry, archer cavalry, crossbow cavalry, and sharpshooters.
Almost all of them were elite…
Furthermore, they were equipped with ten divine healers for treatment.
With this configuration, sweeping away those warlords wouldn't be a problem, it would just be a bit slow.
Lu Ming also planned to slowly train female Imperial Guards, then send them out as officers, quickly building up the army.
He had no interest in conquering cities and territories, but he was very interested in playing with women.
By nightfall, the battle was over.
In Zhu Family Village, some died, some fled, and those who remained had only one option: to kneel and beg for mercy.
In Lu Ming's tent, Hu Sanniang slowly awoke.
She immediately realized she had been helped; her body hadn't been moved, but she still felt a wave of humiliation.
Tap tap tap, footsteps approached, and a handsome man walked in, his physique robust, exuding masculine beauty.
Especially the overwhelming aura of nobility that emanated from him, Hu Sanniang was certain that the newcomer was a man of extraordinary status.
"Who are you!"
"Prince Qin, Lu Ming."
Lu Ming looked at Hu Sanniang before him; only up close could he truly appreciate her beauty.
Snow-white skin, a face like a lotus blossom, naturally elegant.
Golden armor gleamed, scales shimmered, a silver-inlaid red silk headband. Slender, jade-like hands, wielding two precious swords, so heroic and illustrious.
Her eyes, sparkling with allure, possessed a captivating charm.
"What a beauty! You are fortunate to serve me."
"Pah!"
Hu Sanniang was somewhat surprised, then muttered under her breath, "You are nothing but a traitor, deserving of death by everyone!"
"Oh? People can say whatever they want."
Lu Ming lifted her chin, looking at her exquisite and spirited face, and smiled: "The victor writes history.
Hu Sanniang, I am giving you a choice. You can choose to commit suicide, and then I will slaughter every last member of the Hu family village, demolish your ancestral temple, and dig up the dead to feed the dogs."
"You! Shameless!"
Hu Sanniang felt a chill run down her spine. Wasn't this meant to place her in a position of disloyalty, injustice, and filial impiety?
Unexpectedly, the seemingly harmless King Qin was actually so ruthless!
"You can refuse; I won't force you.
If you agree and serve me well, I can take you as my queen.
If you bear a child, regardless of gender, the Hu family will be highly valued.
The choice is yours.
Think it over, and tell me.
If you want to commit suicide, the knife is here.
If you've come to your senses,
then come here and undress me."
Lu Ming sat in the chair, a slight smile on his lips.
With power and influence, he could act recklessly, wantonly violating other women without paying any price.
Hu Sanniang felt humiliated. She was angry, furious, but utterly powerless.
She could choose not to live, she could die, she couldn't bear this humiliation.
But what about her father, her brother?
They would die along with him.
They could have avoided death, but they still died.
This is reality: man is the knife, I am the fish.
Lu Ming leisurely hummed a tune, looking at the map.
He was thinking about what to do next after taking Chengdu.
Should he support the local faction, or transfer the students from Liangzhou?
Actually, taking Chengdu wasn't difficult; the difficulty lay in the powerful families there.
Why not take this opportunity to eliminate them all, leaving no one alive!
And firmly grasp the power that would be vacated?
Thinking this, Lu Ming took out a pencil and began writing on a piece of white paper, filling it with flowing strokes.
"Lianhua, give this letter to Fazheng."
Lin Lianhua entered, took the letter, folded it, and left.
Like Lin Dong, she acted without speaking, remaining silent.
Hu Sanniang looked on with some suspicion, when Lu Ming's gaze fell upon her. She lowered her head again, somewhat embarrassed, seemingly unable to meet Lu Ming's gaze.
"Have you thought it through? Don't be like those old ladies, dawdling on and on."
"You!"
Hu Sanniang laughed in exasperation, looking at Lu Ming, gritting her teeth, and said, "Are you serious?
If I submit to you, the Hu family village will be given important positions?"