88: Chapter 88 Hongying's Choice

General Hong Ying listened to the suggestions of her female generals, but merely waved her jade hand: "Your Majesty has expanded the territory and achieved great merits. Even if she enjoys male companionship now, it has no significant impact. Didn't you all capture many handsome men yourselves?"

"But, Empress, one mountain cannot hold two tigers, and one country cannot have two emperors..."

A female general whispered a reminder in General Hong Ying's ear.

General Hong Ying was well aware of this.

After all, Fengqi Pavilion had always had a tradition of rebellion; whoever was stronger would sit on the throne of imperial power.

It was just that she still had some old feelings for Empress Yan Yufei, and she did not want to go that far.

"Empress, why don't you test her reaction to your Breakthrough to the Emperor Realm? We will lead our forces to ambush around the palace, and once you need support, we will charge in..."

"That's right, Empress, you are the true Empress that our Great Yan Empire needs. We all support you!"

A few female generals fanned the flames, enjoying the prospect of chaos.

General Hong Ying ignored them, but she understood their eagerness to earn the merit of supporting a new ruler.

She said to the female generals: "Do not mention rebellion again! Today, I have achieved a Breakthrough to the Emperor Realm, which is a joyous occasion. Each of you go to the Treasury Hall and collect three thousand phoenix spirit amber and ten thousand mermaid pearls!"

"Thank you, Empress!!!"

The female generals went off happily to collect their cultivation treasures.

General Hong Ying returned to her Immortal Cave to regulate her breath for a while. Once she had completely adapted to the Emperor Realm power in her body, she went to the palace alone.

"Where is Your Majesty?"

When she arrived at the Imperial Pavilion and did not see Empress Yan Yufei, she asked the palace maid.

The maid respectfully replied: "Replying to the Saintly Sovereign, Her Majesty is at Kunyu Palace."

General Hong Ying suppressed her Emperor Realm True Qi pressure very well; even the Grandmaster Realm maid did not notice that she had already achieved a Breakthrough to the Emperor Realm.

After hearing the maid's reply, she went to Kunyu Palace alone.

However, before she even reached the palace, she saw Empress Yan Yufei and that Male Consort admiring flowers, the two of them acting all lovey-dovey...

They were actually kissing right in front of her!

Seeing this scene, she frowned in thought. It seemed... what her female generals said was true. Empress Yan Yufei had been completely bewitched by this Male Consort and was ignoring state affairs, only concerned with pleasure.

"Empress."

General Hong Ying carefully suppressed her Emperor Realm aura, revealing only a Saint Realm aura, and bowed behind Empress Yan Yufei.

Empress Yan Yufei turned her head, a flash of surprise silently crossing her phoenix eyes.

She felt self-reproach and annoyance in her heart. Damn it!

Someone appeared behind me, and I didn't even notice!

Sigh, why do I forget everything when I'm with Su Fan? I even forgot basic vigilance...

Empress Yan Yufei, has your heart been completely stolen by Su Fan?

Thinking of this, she smiled at General Hong Ying: "General Hong Ying, what brings you to see me?"

As she spoke, she was still holding the Male Consort's hand, looking like she wouldn't let go.

General Hong Ying saw this and sneered in her heart. It seemed Empress Yan Yufei had indeed forgotten their old feelings and was only infatuated with her new lover. She didn't know what was so good about this Male Consort that made her so obsessed!

Thinking of this, she glanced at the Male Consort. At this moment, Su Fan was also looking her up and down, feeling a sense of familiarity, and subconsciously wanted to reach out and touch her head...

But just as he extended his hand, he suppressed the impulse and just gave her a sheepish smile.

Seeing him act this way, General Hong Ying sneered in her heart. She had thought he was some rare, peerless Young Master, but it turned out he was just a lecher. Bah, a useless facade!

The term "useless facade" that her brother used was perfectly suited to describe this person!

Thinking of this, she bowed to Empress Yan Yufei and reported: "Empress, the defense of Shenjing has been lax recently. Not long ago, the Blood Fiend Duo of the pseudo-Qi actually occupied the Phoenix Vein for a period of time. I think we should strengthen the defenses inside and outside the imperial city to avoid anyone causing trouble..."

Hearing this, Empress Yan Yufei waved her jade hand lightly: "General Hong Ying, handle these trivial matters as you see fit; you don't need to report them to me."

"Yes."

Seeing that General Hong Ying was still standing there and refused to leave, Empress Yan Yufei frowned slightly: "Is there anything else?"

"No, nothing..."

General Hong Ying lowered her head, bowed, and slowly retreated as if she had something on her mind...

...

After General Hong Ying retreated, Empress Yan Yufei frowned and complained to Su Fan: "This General Hong Ying is becoming more and more outrageous. Instead of waiting for me at the Imperial Pavilion, she actually came here to find me..."

Su Fan said nothing.

After all, as one of Empress Yan Yufei's harem, even if he was her "own brother," it was not his place to interfere in these matters.

After complaining casually, Empress Yan Yufei soon returned to a joyful state.

She took Su Fan's arm and rested her beautiful head gently on Su Fan's shoulder: "Su Fan, do you want to go out for a trip? How about we go sightseeing somewhere another day?"

Su Fan held her soft waist, feeling the warmth, and said gently: "Empress Yan Yufei, whatever you want to do, I am willing to accompany you, as long as you are happy..."

Yet in his heart, he sighed, even that thing that goes against human ethics, I have done it with you...

What else is there that I cannot accompany you to do?

"Good, then we will go on a trip in three days. Where do you want to go?"

"You decide..."

"Hmm, then let's go to the south first. The weather is good in the south now. We can go see the Luoxia Deep Sea. By the way, some White-Winged Dragon Horses live there. We can catch some to use as mounts. Let's go catch some..."

"If they don't adapt to our climate, they will die..."

"Su Fan, why are you so kind..."

"Because I love you..."

"Alright, I know, stop talking..."

"I insist on saying it!"

"Say it again tonight..."

...

General Hong Ying came out of the palace and returned to Fengqi Pavilion.

A large group of female generals immediately surrounded her, crowding around her and chattering incessantly.

"Empress, how was it? Was that dim-witted ruler messing around with that Male Consort again?"

"I told you, we should have rebelled long ago! Empress Yan Yufei has long been bewitched by that Male Consort, Su Fan; where is there any grand ambition left in her heart!"

"Sigh, a beautiful woman is a disaster. She led us to conquer the world, but now she is bewitched by a Male Consort. She really cannot resist the temptation of male beauty!"

"That... Empress, after we get rid of that dim-witted ruler, can that Male Consort... be handed over to me for interrogation? I will lock him in a small dark room and interrogate him properly..."

"Pfft, you coward! The abacus beads are flying in our faces, aren't you just coveting the Male Consort's beauty?"

"It's mainly that his temperament is so charming..."

"Look at you, you let it slip! If you ask me, forget about the interrogation, let's clear the ruler's side first! Kill this Male Consort!"

"..."

Listening to the group of female generals chattering, General Hong Ying felt annoyed and waved her hand to dismiss them.

After the female generals retreated, a woman in her forties brought a cup of tea. She placed the tea in front of General Hong Ying and said slowly: "I really can't believe it, in just fifteen years, you have become an Emperor..."

"I remember when I brought you back from that small county town, you even bit my arm."

As she spoke, she looked at her hand, as if the vanished tooth mark was still there...

General Hong Ying looked up and called her "Aunt Yun."

After hearing Aunt Yun's words, she suddenly recalled the experiences of these fifteen years...

That day she asked Aunt Yun to save her brother, but unfortunately, Aunt Yun only had Grandmaster Realm cultivation at the time, while a Great Grandmaster had suddenly arrived at the county government office, so they couldn't save her brother...

For these fifteen years, she had always held the obsession of "saving her brother" in her heart, fighting her way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood in Fengqi Pavilion and on the battlefield...

She had also tried every possible way to inquire about her brother's whereabouts, but unfortunately, at that time, Great Yan Empire was only a Principality, separated from Shanhai Principality by other countries. Moreover, she didn't have much weight in Fengqi Pavilion, so she couldn't know anything about Shanhai Principality, let alone find out the whereabouts of a "private salt smuggler" locked up in the county jail...

Finding her brother became a persistent obsession in her heart.

"Have you made up your mind?"

Aunt Yun asked suddenly.

"What?"

General Hong Ying took a sip of tea.

"Challenging Empress Yan Yufei's position."

Hearing Aunt Yun's words, General Hong Ying's heart trembled suddenly.

She put down the teacup and pondered for a long time...

Perhaps... by sitting in that position, she could command the entire Great Yan Empire, or even the whole world, to search for her brother, right?

For the sake of her brother, should she give it a try?

Should she kill Empress Yan Yufei?

The scene of Empress Yan Yufei and the Male Consort kissing kept appearing in her mind. She gripped the teacup she had just put down...

Crack!

The teacup turned into powder in an instant...

At this moment, she already had the answer in her heart.