Villain: After I died, all the heroines cried themselves to sleep.

Deep within the palace grounds, lush green trees provide shade, and several sparrows chirp melodiously on the branches.

Ji Mi watched the sparrows play and frolic, then suddenly fly away into the distance.

It's inevitable to become sentimental.

"I fear I will be confined to this deep palace for the rest of my life. When will I be able to soar like a cloud in the sky, free to rise and fall as I please..."

She envied the birds' freedom, while also pitying her own situation.

For the sake of the Chu state, she was sent to Guanzhong.

They served the licentious and tyrannical King Liang.

The thought that her chastity, which she had maintained for so many years, was about to be forcibly defiled by the domineering King Liang was unbearable.

I couldn't help but feel sad and didn't know what to do.

Because long ago, she had already secretly fallen in love with someone and decided to entrust her virginity to him.

Although Liang Wang Zheng was more heroic and handsome than rumored.

But in Ji Mi's heart, there will always be only that one person.

Even during her years in the State of Chu, many talented men from prominent Chu families pursued her, including the rising stars of the Xiang family.

She didn't even give her a cold shoulder.

Unfortunately, life is full of twists and turns, and in the end, she had to marry someone she didn't love.

"On the banks of that marsh, there grow cattails and lotus. There is a beautiful woman, how can I bear her sorrow? I am unable to sleep or wake, my tears flow uncontrollably..."

Ji Mi murmured softly.

Suddenly, footsteps came from outside the door, interrupting her worries.

A beautiful woman in purple robes gracefully stepped into the courtyard.

"I heard from the palace maids that the State of Chu is marrying its daughter, Ji Mi, to the King to fill the harem. You must be referring to my sister."

"Ji Mi greets her elder sister. May I ask what kind of elder sister she is...?"

Ji Mi bowed obediently, then looked at the other person with a puzzled expression.

"I am Jiang, a princess of Qi. I entered the king's harem a few days earlier than my sister."

Qi Jiang smiled slightly and carefully examined Ji Mi's face.

"My sister and I are quite destined. There was a busybody at the Jixia Academy who compiled a list of beauties from ten kingdoms. My sister and I were both on the list, and she was ranked third. Now it seems that she truly deserved it."

"Sister, you flatter me..."

Ji Mi answered shyly.

However, he became somewhat closer to Qi Jiang.

The two chatted idly in the courtyard. Qi Jiang asked Ji Mi why she was so melancholy, and Ji Mi then revealed her misfortunes and worries.

To everyone's surprise, Qi Jiang not only did not try to persuade her, but instead scoffed at her.

"My sister is so fortunate to have been born in this degenerate age and become a concubine of the King of Liang."

"As long as you serve the King of Liang well, you can be assured of a worry-free life for the rest of your days, which is enough to make countless women envious."

As Qi Jiang spoke, it seemed as if she was recalling the past.

His tone then became more forceful.

"Countless women, like duckweed, drift with the tide, helpless and alone, becoming playthings to be manipulated at will."

"elder sister……"

Ji Mi looked at Qi Jiang in surprise.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she expressed her sorrow for Qi Jiang's plight.

However, Qi Jiang was somewhat annoyed by her attempt to comfort her.

"What does my sister take me for?"

Qi Jiang gritted her teeth and said.

"It was just that when the five states attacked Qi, I fled with the King of Qi, and that's why I said this."

"At that time, I vowed that I would never become such a pitiful plaything, unable to control my own destiny and available to anyone."

At this point, Qi Jiang glanced at Ji Mi, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"If you, my sister, are worried that the King will tarnish your reputation, you should support me more, because I have already decided to entrust my life to the King."

"Your Majesty commands respect from all directions and reigns supreme over the world. As long as Your Majesty does not give me away, I can rest easy."

"I wonder if Your Majesty is as rumored in Guanzhong as having the appearance of a celestial being and the countenance of an emperor."

"Sister, you haven't seen the King?"

Ji Mi tilted her head and told the other party the truth.

"Your Majesty is indeed handsome and majestic; you are the second most handsome man I have ever seen."

"Second? Then who's first?"

Qi Jiang asked curiously.

"..."

Ji Mi blushed and stammered, unable to answer.

Qi Jiang suddenly realized and immediately teased him.

"Oh, I see, so he's my sister's lover..."

"No, no! Sister, you've misunderstood!"

Ji Mi quickly shook her head in denial.

After saying that, she lowered her gaze in disappointment.

I felt deeply saddened.

That man was indeed not her lover.

In fact, she didn't even get a clear look at the other person's face.

Moreover, it had been almost ten years since I met that person.

The other person might already be married and treat her like a roadside weed.

I've completely forgotten about it.

I just can't let it go.

Because that man was the first to touch her body, he felt great pity for her.

At that time, she made up her mind that she would marry no one but him.

"pity……"

Ji Mi sighed softly.

When I came to my senses, Qi Jiang had already left.

It was unclear how much time had passed before Ji Mi heard sounds coming from outside the palace again.

She looked towards the door.

Just then, Qi Jiang was seen passing by the door with Liang Wang Zheng.

……

Luo Zheng followed Qi Jiang to the palace where Qi Jiang lived.

Qi Jiang warmly invited him to sit down and even offered him tea and water, behaving extremely flatteringly and considerately.

Luo Zheng sized up Qi Jiang, who had a graceful figure and a charming smile.

They were so friendly right from the start.

She was indeed fickle and promiscuous.

Next, they'll probably come over and ask for a kiss.

Should I refuse? Or should I refuse?

To be honest, Luo Zheng was rather averse to promiscuous women like Qi Jiang.

After all, pure love can triumph over righteousness.

But then Qi Jiang suddenly spoke.

"The State of Qi has Shao music, and I have also studied music in the Qi palace. If Your Majesty would not mind, I may perform a piece for you."

Luo Zheng then noticed that a guqin had been placed on the table not far away.

Qi Jiang sat down by the guqin and smiled sweetly at Luo Zheng.

Then he plucked the strings and began to sing softly.

The lingering melody of the zither and the melodious, clear singing voice were accompanied by a gentle fragrance.

Like heavenly music, it captivates the listener.

Unable to extricate oneself.

Even Luo Zheng had to admit it.

Qi Jiang's voice is even more melodious and pleasant than that of a nightingale.

When the song ended.

"I wonder if my musical skills have pleased Your Majesty?"

Qi Jiang smiled and greeted Luo Zheng.

Luo Zheng gave Qi Jiang a meaningful look.

This woman is quite shrewd; instead of directly pursuing him, she played hard to get and acted aloof.

But this suited him perfectly.

Luo Zheng praised Qi Jiang's performance.

"Jiang Ji's musical skills are so superb that even I am captivated by them, and I have not tasted meat for three months."

"Speaking of the current ruler of Song, she used to study at the Jixia Academy under an assumed name and was known as a talented woman. I once exchanged musical skills with her, and I was slightly better than her."

Qi Jiang slightly puffed out her chest.

He was clearly quite confident and satisfied with his musical skills.

"..."

Luo Zheng was speechless.

Just by listening, you can tell that Qi Jiang and Song Wan had a lot of squabbles at the Jixia Academy.

Seeing this, Luo Zheng shook his head and changed the subject.

"In my opinion, the song sung by Consort Jiang is too gentle and mild, lacking a bit of vigor and vitality. This is decadent music."

"What?"

Qi Jiang was stunned.

The confident smile on his face froze instantly.

Faced with Luo Zheng's questioning, she initially raised her eyebrows in anger, but quickly suppressed the rage in her heart.

Despite her chest heaving, Qi Jiang managed to maintain a smile.

"Your Majesty may not be very knowledgeable about music. I once played the zither behind a curtain at a palace banquet. The lingering sound lasted for three days, and all the officials in the hall applauded and praised it."

"Therefore, the State of Qi was attacked by five other states and never recovered."

Luo Zheng said sarcastically.

Qi Jiang's smile vanished completely.

She can accept a lot of slander, but she will not allow others to question her appearance and talent.

So Qi Jiang forced a smile and started arguing with Luo Zheng.

Luo Zheng, not to be outdone, engaged in academic discussions with him.

Although he rarely mentioned it, he always learned the Six Arts of a Gentleman very well.

She is also quite accomplished in music and art, able to debate with Qi Jiang without being at a disadvantage.

As for his own precise missteps.

Luo Zheng was very satisfied.

After all, he didn't come here to find love.

By pushing Qi Jiang to the brink, they were laying the groundwork for their own eventual death at the hands of the palace women.

……

In the days that followed, Luo Zheng finally found new enjoyment.

In the past, when he was in the palace, he would either accompany Zhao Ji and Xia Ji or flirt with Bao Ji.

Now, he spends a lot of time listening to Qi Jiang sing, and incidentally finding fault with her.

Zhao Ji and Xia Ji were quite jealous of this.

"It's a good thing that Your Majesty hasn't been coming here as often lately. Your Majesty should take more concubines and have children soon. Many men your age already have a house full of children."

Despite her reluctance, Zhao Ji urged Luo Zheng to have a baby as soon as possible.

Not only her, but also the court officials often asked Luo Zheng to remain as heir, as it concerned the succession and continuation of the nation.

Luo Zheng could only feign a domineering response.

"With the world in turmoil, how can I think of a home?"

On the other hand, Xia Ji's words were filled with undisguised sourness.

"Zheng'er has found a new love and forgotten his mother, spending all his time seeking pleasure with that Jiang Ji. In my opinion, that Jiang Ji is a perfume shop owner who likes to flaunt her charms; she is probably not a good match for Zheng'er."

Luo Zheng secretly chuckled as he listened to Xia Ji speaking ill of Qi Jiang.

He finally experienced what a mother-in-law/daughter-in-law war is like.

Then, when it came to Bao Ji, she remained expressionless as always.

One day, seeing that Bao Ji was silent, Luo Zheng suddenly came up with a mischievous idea.

He pinched Bao Ji's chin and threatened her playfully.

"These days I've been frequently visiting Consort Jiang, neglecting Consort Bao. Have you missed me?"

"If you miss me, then Bao Ji, give me a smile."

"Otherwise, I'll have to go find Jiang Ji!"

Luo Zheng observed Bao Ji with a mischievous eye.

According to his script, Bao Ji would definitely turn her head away indifferently and tell him to hurry up and go.

Then Luo Zheng could turn the tables and refuse to go, insisting on pestering Bao Ji.

as predicted.

Bao Ji glared at Luo Zheng and turned her head away in dissatisfaction.

He then remained silent.

"?"

Luo Zheng was filled with doubt.

After a long while, Bao Ji finally made a move.

She stretched out her slender index finger, pressed it to her lips, and forced a smile.

He stared longingly at Luo Zheng.

"...!!!"

Luo Zheng suffocated.

Is that correct?

wrong.

No, no!

This plot is wrong!

Luo Zheng couldn't understand why Bao Ji would do this.

Isn't this a way of trying to keep me here?

After pondering for a moment, Luo Zheng suddenly put on a smug smile, as if his wicked scheme had succeeded.

"You actually smiled, but unfortunately, it's no use smiling. I still have to go find Jiang Ji."

Upon hearing this, he continued to scrutinize Bao Ji.

Then I saw Bao Ji's expression change slightly.

His expression became extremely stiff.

"Okay, just kidding... I'm not going anywhere..."

Luo Zheng quickly stopped the situation before it got out of control.

"Your Majesty...you're always bullying people..."

Bao Ji pursed her lips and complained, turning her body to the side.

This time, I'm really ignoring everyone.

Luo Zheng felt that if he left now, he might trigger the death ending ahead of time.

Despite spending many years with Bao Ji, he ultimately softened and stayed.

As for Ji Mi?

It doesn't matter, just forget about it.

……

While he was having his daily fun with the women in the harem, things were also progressing steadily across the land.

While preparing to launch a war of annihilation, Luo Zheng sent envoys to coerce the nine kingdoms, demanding that they offer beauties and treasures.

Chen Guo was the first to succumb to the pressure and offered up the Suihou Pearl, which was said to be immune to all diseases.

On the Zheng side, Xu Daoyun personally wrote a letter, hoping that Luo Zheng could ease the tension for a while.

Luo Zheng followed Xu Daoyun's advice.

We decided to wait and see how things develop.

The other countries have basically not responded.

Only Song Wan, for some reason, disguised herself as a man and ran to Xianyang.

"After my brother left, I could only keep Lanling Jun from leaving the palace due to illness, or have someone impersonate him and occasionally show up in the palace. In this way, Lanling Jun truly became my male favorite."

"As long as Wang Mei knows what she's doing, there's no need for her to report to me."

"...It seems that Lord Lanling will never appear again."

Song Wan nodded, seemingly with some regret.

Soon, she inquired about the situation of Luo Zheng's harem.

Luo Zheng looked at Song Wan speechlessly.

What is this guy here for? To listen to palace gossip and secrets?

Luo Zheng deliberately brought up the matter of Qi Jiang and Song Wan exchanging musical skills.

As expected, Song Wan exploded.

"Brother Wang only knows one side of the story. In terms of music, my younger sister is indeed inferior to Qi Jiang, but when it comes to other talents, especially chess, Qi Jiang is far inferior to my younger sister, but she deliberately doesn't say it."

Song Wan sneered.

"I see……"

Luo Zheng nodded seriously.

If he weren't worried about Lanling Jun's identity being exposed, he would have really wanted to bring Song Wan into the harem.

Then grab some fine wine and food, and find a good spot.

Watching two women fight.

After Song Wan left, the political situation in the world gradually changed.

Luo Zheng's decision to observe and wait for the situation to unfold began to have a remarkable effect.

"According to the messenger's report, Wu Jingjun Li Qi and Xin'anjun Lian Jing had a grudge against Tang King's favorite minister Guo He, believing that he was colluding with the northern barbarians, but Tang King ignored them."

"Now Li Qi has returned to the north, and Lian Jing has been dismissed because of the Battle of Shangdang."

Li Tonggu reported this to Luo Zheng.

Luo Zheng was also surprised when he heard this.

As expected of the God of War Guo, in his predetermined fate, the Liang Kingdom could not defeat Li Qi, so they bribed this guy and forced Li Qi to his death through political maneuvering.

Feng Lu then reported to Luo Zheng.

"News has also come from Wei that Lord Xinling and Lord Longyang were at odds for some unknown reason. With the King of Wei's awakening, Lord Xinling has now been dismissed by the King of Wei."

"Your Majesty's strategy of retreating to advance is truly brilliant!"

Feng and Li congratulated Luo Zheng in unison.

"..."

Luo Zheng was speechless.

He just watched; who knew that the Tang and Wei kingdoms would suddenly collapse?

But in any case, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to send troops.

There's nothing more to say.

"If Heaven grants something and you don't take it, you will suffer the consequences; if you don't act when the time is right, you will suffer the calamity."

……

The Great Zhou Dynasty, 793 AD.

After a year of lying low, the Liang Kingdom appointed Bai Jian as general and launched a massive attack with hundreds of thousands of troops.

This officially marked the beginning of their conquest of the world.

A war that destroyed a nation.