Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 260 The Demon Queen raised her beautiful face with a blush

Yumen Pass.

Yang Guifang, wearing silver armor, stood at the gate, looking out at the vast expanse of yellow sand outside the gate. The wind was howling, bringing with it the chill of the frontier, and the silver armor on her body reflected a cold light in the sun.

"The wind blows for thousands of miles, passing through Yumen Pass." He sighed.

When he was a child, he read many frontier poems and yearned for the place beyond Yumen Pass. He especially remembered a story: Wang Xuance, an envoy of the Tang Dynasty, was sent to India. It happened that the king of Central India, Shilayita, died, and the country was in chaos. The envoys were also captured. Wang Xuance escaped, crossed the Himalayas, and went to Tubo to borrow troops.

An envoy, relying on the words "People come from the Tang Dynasty, soldiers are borrowed from the Tang Dynasty", borrowed 5,000 soldiers from Tubo and led his army to destroy the Central India Kingdom.

"That was the heyday of the Tang Dynasty." Yang Guifang sighed in her heart.

Wang Xuance was able to borrow troops not because he was powerful, but because he had the extremely powerful Tang Dynasty behind him. Yang Guifang was overwhelmed with emotion, and he thought that the Ming Dynasty was not far from the Tang Dynasty at that time.

A strong wind blew, and the Ming battle flag behind him fluttered. However, his heart was filled with a fiery passion, and he shouted loudly:

The Han flags filled the Yin Mountains, and not a single Hu child or horse was allowed to return.

I wish to serve my country for the rest of my life, why should I go to Yumen Pass?

"Yang Shuai." Wang Yue came over and smiled, "It seems that we are the same. We both like the wind and sand of this frontier, rather than the beautiful scenery of Jiangnan."

"This is the land beneath our feet. How many heroes have shed their blood here in the past." Yang Guifang opened her arms. "Now, it's our turn."

Wang Yue's pride was also ignited: "General Yang, it's so exciting to fight with you!"

The two stood facing the wind, chatted for a while, and then started to talk business. Wang Yue took a stone and began to draw on the ground while saying: "The current situation in the Western Region is like this. The Timurid Empire is in the middle. To the west is Persia, and there is also the powerful Ottoman Empire..."

The battle between the Timurid Empire and the Ottoman Empire lasted for more than a hundred years. Initially, the Timurid Empire was stronger. In the Battle of Angora, Timur used the mobility of his cavalry and adopted roundabout tactics to successfully lure the Ottoman army away from the favorable terrain and into the plains for a decisive battle.

In the decisive battle, Timur gradually gained the initiative on the battlefield by relying on his superior military strength and tactical application. The Tatar mercenaries on the right wing of the Ottoman army suddenly rebelled and joined Timur's side, causing the Ottoman army to collapse across the board.

Bayezid I was captured and the Ottoman Empire suffered a heavy blow. This battle became a major victory for the Timurid Empire.

After the Battle of Angora, Timur's hegemony in Central Asia and West Asia was further consolidated. However, Timur subsequently turned his attention to the plan of conquering the Ming Dynasty in the east, and failed to make full use of the results of this battle to further expand his advantage over the Ottoman Empire.

After Timur's death, his empire quickly fell into a struggle for the throne between his successors. Timur had divided his territory among his descendants and designated his eldest son, Jahangir's son, Pirmaham, as his successor. However, Timur's eldest son, Jihangir, died before him, leaving two grandsons to fight for the throne. In the end, Timur's fourth son, Shah Rukh, followed the example of Zhu Di of the Ming Dynasty and successfully seized the throne of the Timurid Empire.

During Shah Rukh's reign, the Timurid Empire maintained prosperity for nearly half a century. After his death, the Timurid Empire fell into civil strife again. His descendants and governors from various places competed for the throne, and the empire split into several small kingdoms. Until recent years, Timur's grandson Abu Said Mirza once again unified most of the Timurid Empire and formed an alliance with the Black Sheep Dynasty to fight against the Ottoman Empire.

The Ottoman Empire was badly damaged after the Battle of Angora and fell into a decade-long civil war. However, the Ottoman Empire has now surpassed the Timurid Empire. Three years ago, the Ottoman Empire captured Constantinople and destroyed the Byzantine Empire. The fall of Constantinople brought huge wealth and resources to the Ottoman Empire, making it the new overlord.

Economic prosperity was an important support for the continued expansion of the Ottoman Empire during this period. They gained huge taxes and commercial profits by controlling the trade routes between the East and the West. At the same time, the Ottoman Empire also actively developed domestic handicrafts and agriculture to improve productivity and economic self-sufficiency. These measures enabled the Ottoman Empire to gradually get rid of its economic dependence on foreign countries and achieve self-sufficiency.

"The strongest one right now is the Ottoman Empire." Yang Guifang frowned, "Their military is also very powerful."

Wang Yue nodded repeatedly: "Like us, they are also using firearms on a large scale. According to the news brought by the Western Region caravan, they have an extremely powerful Shenji Battalion. They have heavy artillery that is more powerful than our Hongwu artillery."

Yang Guifang threw away the stone in his hand, patted the dust off his hands, and laughed: "This is our opponent. However, we can't beat them for a while. Their current target is Europe. His Majesty gave us an idea in his letter."

"Your Majesty, are you up to something again? Tell me quickly," Wang Yue asked.

"That means making friends with distant countries and attacking nearby ones." Yang Guifang said, "We will send envoys to the Ottoman Empire, form an alliance with them, and attack the Timurid Empire from both sides."

Wang Yue frowned slightly: "How can it work when we are so far apart? There has never been any official communication between the Ming Dynasty and the Ottoman Empire, right?"

"Indeed, there is none, so we sent an envoy." Yang Guifang said, "Pick a team from the army and set off as soon as possible."

"Yes." Wang Yue nodded in acceptance.

He was about to leave when Yang Guifang stopped him and said, "Don't worry, I just received a message that Yuan Bin is leading a 100,000-strong army from Guanxi and is heading towards Alimali."

"So that means Halazhou is empty now?" Wang Yue was overjoyed.

Yang Guifang's eyes flashed with fighting spirit: "They must think that we won't go west so soon, but I will go west."

"General Yang, the imperial court's order hasn't come down yet, right?" Wang Yue frowned.

"What are you afraid of? A general is not subject to orders from his master when he is away from home." Yang Guifang waved his hand nonchalantly, "Opportunities are rare and can never come back. We cannot miss it, so I have decided to personally lead 30,000 elite cavalry to launch a surprise attack on Hala Prefecture."

Wang Yue was eager to try: "Yang Shuai, you have to stay here and let me go."

Yang Guifang glanced at him and said, "Only I can do this, because we might catch the fake emperor. Do you know what to do? Do you dare to take the responsibility?"

"I dare not, I dare not." Wang Yue shook his head repeatedly.

Yang Guifang chuckled, with a hint of helplessness: "I can only be the bad guy. Hey, now I think of Bai Qi. I hope I won't end up like Bai Qi in the future."

"Absolutely not, Your Majesty is not that kind of person." Wang Yue said.

Yang Guifang shrugged and smiled.

……

Beijing, Shuntian University.

Zhu Qizhen came here incognito to communicate with the teachers and students in the university, including many Western teachers and students. Zhu Qizhen was very friendly and talked with them about everything.

“Alas, the Earth is still lacking students from the Southern Hemisphere,” he sighed.

One of the Western teachers was extremely surprised when he heard this and asked, "Your Majesty, are you talking about the Earth? Do you also think that the place we are in is spherical?"

Zhu Qizhen was stunned. As a time traveler, he naturally thought so. But in today's world, there is no such understanding of the earth.

Copernicus' heliocentric theory had not yet appeared, and Copernicus had not yet been born.

"Of course!" Zhu Qizhen answered affirmatively, "The planet we are on is round."

Everyone exclaimed, and the Western student said, "Fortunately, this is the Ming Dynasty. Your Majesty, do you know? A hundred years ago, there was an astronomy teacher who proved that the world we live in is round, and then he was burned to death. The crime was that he violated the teachings of the holy scriptures."

Zhu Qizhen was not surprised and spread his hands: "He won't be the first one to be burned to death."

"Your Majesty, here is a new book, 'Corrections to the Alphonse Star Tables.'" Another student took out a book. "This is the latest book published a few years ago by Professor Malchin Kroll. Take a look."

Zhu Qizhen opened the book, glanced over it, and sighed in his heart, astronomy has risen in the West today. The Ming Dynasty is lagging behind in this area. However, he did not announce the solar system or the Milky Way, but guided.

After all, he is just an ordinary college student who only knows the result but not the principle. He hopes that the universities in Daming can produce talents in various fields.

……

After the exchange, he came to a small courtyard in the university where Shang Lu lived when he came to the university as president. When he opened the door of the courtyard, he saw a familiar person.

"Li Ling, why are you here?" Zhu Qizhen was surprised.

"Me? I am Mr. Shang's last disciple now, why can't I be here?" Li Ling glared at him first, then bowed again, "Your Majesty, I am here to pay my respects. I was rude just now."

Zhu Qizhen raised his hand nonchalantly: "It doesn't matter, you don't respect me in your heart anyway. Where is Mr. Shang?"

"It's time to go to class." Li Ling poured tea and asked the emperor to sit on a chair in the yard.

Zhu Qizhen drank tea, his eyes fell on the Goryeo princess in front of him. A few years later, Li Ling became more and more beautiful, no longer the silly girl she used to be.

She was wearing a simple long dress, with a graceful figure and a gentle temperament. Zhu Qizhen smiled and said, "Li Ling, you are already in your twenties now, right? If you don't get married, you will become an old maid."

"Who can I marry in a foreign country?" Li Ling lowered her eyes.

"I will grant you a marriage." Zhu Qizhen spread his hands, "You are the eldest princess of Goryeo, I will choose a noble descendant for you, how about that?"

Li Ling pouted: "No!"

Zhu Qizhen held his forehead with his hand: "Hey, you have quite high standards."

Li Ling took a sip from the teacup and said, "I still have to go back to Goryeo. My brother is still under house arrest. If things go wrong, his life may be in danger one day."

"You are right." Zhu Qizhen smiled nonchalantly, "Your brother would have been fine, but those so-called loyal ministers secretly raised an army to support him. Think about it, will your uncle be relieved? Those loyal ministers raised an army, and in the end, it was your brother who was harmed."

Li Ling's expression changed drastically: "Really?"

Zhu Qizhen smiled and nodded: "Of course, so, you should write a letter to Goryeo to warn those so-called loyal ministers."

Li Ling didn't bother to drink tea, turned around and ran to the room to write a letter.

Zhu Qizhen drank his tea leisurely. After a while, Shang Lu came back. He was surprised to see him and stepped forward to pay his respects: "Your Majesty, this old minister pays respects to you..."

"Stand up, don't hurt your old waist." Zhu Qizhen raised his hand, "I want to discuss the university with you. I plan to send another group of students to study abroad in Western universities..."

……

It was late at night, in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, and after the emperor's dragon bed shook violently for a while, the wind and rain suddenly stopped. Youlan's long hair fell like a waterfall on her shoulders, and she leaned in his arms, with a blush on her face. Her beautiful eyes were full of affection, and she whispered, "Your Majesty, I don't want to leave."

"Then don't go." Zhu Qizhen hugged her and said softly.

Recently, he has been looking for Youlan's brand. He likes this new concubine very much. She has a calm personality but a good figure and is very cooperative. According to the rules, concubines cannot stay overnight after serving in bed. This time, Zhu Qizhen doesn't want her to leave.

"We are husband and wife now, so we don't need to care about those rules in the future. Just tell me whatever you are thinking." He put his arms around her slender waist, feeling the softness in his arms, and said seriously.

Youlan pursed her red lips, nodded slightly, and said softly: "Your Majesty, the other sisters miss you too."

Zhu Qizhen was stunned.

Although he has a new concubine, he has only turned over Youlan's name card so far, and has not turned over the other concubines. It's not that he doesn't like them, but that he hasn't had time. Also, he wants Youlan to get pregnant first.

Youlan hugged him tightly and sighed: "The sisters in the palace are also very lonely."

"You are such a fool. People are eager to receive my favor alone, but you are still worrying about others." Zhu Qizhen stroked her cheek gently.

Youlan raised her head slowly, her clear eyes filled with lingering affection. Her slender jade fingers gently slid over his shoulder, biting his plump red lips, and asked, "Was this tooth mark left by someone? Who dared to bite your majesty?"

Her expression was somewhat complicated, with both heartache and anger.

After all this time of the emperor's overwhelming love for her, she has completely fallen in love with the emperor. How could she tolerate others hurting the emperor?

Zhu Qizhen was stunned for a moment.

What do you say? You say it was the demon queen who bit me?
"Well, I offended a girl before, and she bit me in anger and sucked my blood." Zhu Qizhen spread his hands, "It's good that you are gentle and don't suck my blood..."

Youlan glared angrily, and the blush on her pretty face, which had not yet faded, became even redder.

Zhu Qizhen took the opportunity to hug her, holding her tightly in his arms, looking into each other's eyes, and biting each other at the same time.

……

The next day, Zhiluo Palace.

The new concubine Jingwen lives in this palace.

Xiyao was not on duty at the Qianqing Palace today, so she came to visit Jingwen. Now her status is different, so she has to pay homage: "Your servant greets the queen."

Jingwen saw her coming in, waved her hand and asked all the eunuchs and palace maids to retreat. Then she stepped forward and pulled Xiyao up, saying happily: "Xiyao, why did you come to see me now? I am so bored alone."

"Are you bored now?" Xiyao said with a smile, "Don't you want to be a queen? You are already a queen now."

Jingwen's eyes flashed with disappointment, and she said quietly, "It's completely different from what I thought. His Majesty hasn't summoned me to sleep with him yet. Alas, there are so many beauties in the harem, I may have been forgotten by His Majesty."

"You are so beautiful, but that guy... uh, His Majesty didn't summon you?" Xiyao was shocked.

Jingwen nodded slowly: "New concubine, His Majesty has only turned over Youlan's card, and he has turned over it continuously. I heard that the Queen, Concubine Xian and Concubine De have all rewarded Youlan with many gifts. Well, she has made a name for herself, and she may get pregnant with a dragon seed soon."

Xiyao didn't care about these things at all. She just didn't want Jingwen to be sad, so she comforted her, "Don't worry, you are so beautiful, His Majesty will definitely think of you. His Majesty has been very busy recently, reviewing memorials until midnight."

"You are now His Majesty's tea-serving maid, so you get to see His Majesty every day." Jing Wen blinked her beautiful eyes and asked, "What kind of person is His Majesty? Is he fierce?"

Xiyao pouted and snorted: "She's not fierce, but she's evil!"

"Did His Majesty bully you?" Jingwen was curious and gossipy.

"No... He just keeps threatening me, saying he'll kill all my clans." Xiyao pouted, "Next time, I'll put some salt in his tea."

Her words scared Jingwen: "Xiyao, don't do anything rash. If you are not careful, you will be beheaded and your family may be implicated."

Xiyao waved her hand nonchalantly: "I know, I know, I was just saying it casually. Alas, I don't know when I can leave the palace. I miss my parents and my brother."

"Once you enter the palace, it's like entering a deep sea." Jingwen sighed softly.

……

Night falls.

Lanterns were lit in the palace on the top of the mountain. There was not a single maid in the queen's bedroom, and all the imperial guards were on guard outside the palace. Zhu Qizhen climbed over the wall and entered the bedroom with ease.

When she arrived at the main hall, she saw Shuangxi arranging flowers. He quietly came up behind her and suddenly hugged her, scaring her so much that she screamed. When she saw that it was Zhu Qizhen, she quickly nodded and said, "Your Majesty?"

"Where is your queen?" Zhu Qizhen asked.

"Enjoy the moon upstairs, and don't let me disturb you." Shuangxi lowered his head slightly, not daring to look him in the eye, respectful and humble.

She has been a palace maid since she was young. Even though she is now the emperor's woman, she is still cautious and has a weak expression, which makes people feel pity for her.

Zhu Qizhen kissed her delicate cheek and said, "Okay, we won't disturb her. Please help me get ready. I want to take a good bath in her bathhouse."

Shuangxi nodded slightly, pursed his lips tightly, and became more restrained and cautious. It seemed that he was not used to being alone with His Majesty.

Zhu Qizhen was not idle either, and followed her to the back hall, watching her fill the bathtub with hot water. While drinking tea, he asked, "Shuangxi, who else is at home? Do you miss them?"

Shuangxi was stunned, her beautiful eyes blinked slightly, and she seemed a little confused, not knowing why the emperor suddenly asked this. She entered the palace when she was young and lost contact with her family. She had no idea about the situation at home.

"I was sold into the palace. I don't know if there is anyone else at home." She whispered.

Zhu Qizhen was slightly startled, walked over and stretched out his hand to pinch her delicate face, and said: "Okay, then from now on the palace will be your home. You, me, and your queen will live together as a family of three."

After saying that, he always felt a little strange.

Shuangxi blinked her beautiful eyes slightly and nodded slightly.

The bathtub was soon filled with water and steam was rising. Zhu Qizhen quickly took off his clothes and jumped in.

So comfortable!
The demon queen also knows how to enjoy herself, as the walls of the bathing pool are actually made of white jade.

Zhu Qizhen lazily soaked in it, leaning against the edge of the pool, and shouted: "Shuangxi, come and give me a massage."

Shuangxi seemed to have known this for a long time, and had quietly changed into a light gauze undergarment, which vaguely revealed her graceful figure. Her skin was stained with a delicate pink due to the slight heat, exuding a soft and seductive breath. Her extremely beautiful hands gently kneaded his shoulders with just the right amount of strength, and every movement was delicate and gentle. Her exquisite face was hung with a focused and serious expression, which was extremely charming.

Zhu Qizhen closed his eyes and felt it, feeling extremely relaxed.

I don’t know how long it was, but he suddenly reached out and pulled Shuangxi down.

"Your Majesty, the Queen...the Queen is outside." Shuangxi said in a low voice, about to cry.

Zhu Qizhen's mouth flashed cunningly, and he whispered: "Don't worry about her, let's just enjoy ourselves and let her be envious."

Shuangxi took a deep breath, and a shy blush immediately appeared on her cheeks. She bit her plump lips gently, and her head drooped unconsciously. Her long eyelashes cast a soft shadow under her eyelids. Her delicate hands, like works of art, gently stroked her light gauze underwear. Her eyes were sparkling with crystal tears, adding a touch of charming charm to this gentle and beautiful state.

After a while, there was a loud sound of water splashing in the bathtub.

A cool breeze blew, and it felt a little chilly.

Zhu Qizhen held Shuangxi and placed her on the couch. Looking at her graceful figure and the beauty that could not be concealed by the thin gauze, his breath was held in his hand.

After an unknown amount of time, the bed curtain finally stopped shaking, and Zhu Qizhen gently embraced Shuangxi. Shuangxi's eyes blinked slightly, with a few tears in the corners of her eyes. There seemed to be more worry in her weak eyes. She raised her head and looked towards the window timidly.

"Go to sleep and ignore her." Zhu Qizhen whispered.

Shuangxi lowered her head meekly, then stood up gracefully, leaning against him on her knees, her hands gently folded in front of her belly, like a lotus quietly blooming. At this moment, the blush on her cheeks became more intense, like the gorgeous glow of the morning light, and her eyes seemed to be filled with a layer of mist, flashing with shyness and tenderness, adding a bit of indescribable charm.

"Your Majesty, I have to go out and serve the Queen." She whispered.

Zhu Qizhen snorted, "You spoiled her so much that she's now useless."

He reached out and pulled out the jade hairpin in her hair, and her long black hair fell down. Shuangxi still pleaded with grievance, "Your Majesty, the Queen is the Queen, how can she take care of herself?"

Zhu Qizhen held his forehead and shouted outside: "Hey, stop peeking and go get my clothes."

Shuangxi was frightened and hurriedly hid under the quilt.

After a while, footsteps were heard, and the witch queen came in holding Zhu Qizhen's clothes. She stood in front of the bed, raised her beautiful face full of blush, and snorted, "The clothes are here, why don't you get up quickly?"

"Hand it over." Zhu Qizhen said.

The demon queen took a few steps closer and handed over the clothes with both hands.

A hand stretched out from the bed curtain, grabbed her, and pulled her in. She was pulled in and shouted in panic: "You...don't be so ridiculous!"

(End of this chapter)