The Emperor himself became encircled after underestimating the enemy and advancing too rashly. Just as the situation seemed hopeless, Yang Ye—having already defeated one contingent of the Northern Yuan forces—led his troops to the rescue and broke the siege.
While Yang Ye personally engaged the pursuing enemy forces, he ordered another general to escort the Emperor to safety; that general was She Xinlan.
She Xinlan had practiced martial arts during her time as a renowned courtesan; furthermore, many of her patrons were martial experts who, seeking to curry favor with her, shared various martial arts techniques and inner cultivation methods.
Possessing exceptional aptitude, her martial prowess was already on par with Yang Ye's. Having also studied military strategy under him, she was fully capable of commanding troops.
After a series of fierce battles, She Xinlan successfully escorted the Emperor to a stronghold in the rear; among the rescued officials and generals was Wu Zhenying.
Throughout the journey, Wu Zhenying watched She Xinlan fight valiantly against the enemy. Although his love for her deepened, he ultimately chose to let go, realizing he stood no chance; the bond between She Xinlan and Yang Ye was so profound that nothing could tear them apart.
Once the besieged Emperor was safe, he immediately conferred the title of First-Rank Lady upon She Xinlan and promoted Yang Ye to Marquis of Divine Valor, placing him in command of all border forces to wage war against Northern Yuan.
After nearly six months of intense combat, the Northern Yuan forces suffered heavy casualties—losing over half their troops—and were forced to retreat.
Yang Ye led his army to reclaim vast territories, achieving the most distinguished military record of any general in the realm.
Upon his triumphant return, Yang Ye was secretly summoned by the Emperor.
During those six months, the Emperor had spent time with She Xinlan—who served as the defending general—and had fallen for a woman who was a heroic warrior in armor and a virtuous wife out of it.
The Emperor promised that if Yang Ye agreed, he would be granted the title of Prince—a rare honor for one not of the royal bloodline.
In response, Yang Ye declined all rewards, choosing instead to lay down his arms and return to a quiet life of farming with She Xinlan.
Hearing this, the Emperor felt a mixture of gratification and regret.
He then summoned She Xinlan and Wu Zhenying, who had been waiting in the adjoining room. Over the past six months, the Emperor had repeatedly sought to make She Xinlan his consort, but she had consistently refused, as her heart already belonged to another.
Ultimately, the Emperor decided on a test: if Yang Ye were willing to give her up for the sake of power, She Xinlan would become the Emperor's "Consort Wu"; if Yang Ye refused to yield her, the Emperor would drop the matter.
She Xinlan agreed to the plan, confident that Yang Ye would never abandon her.
Yang Ye's choice did not disappoint her; in fact, he was willing to sacrifice even more than she had imagined.
Upon realizing that She Xinlan harbored affection for both the Emperor and Wu Zhenying, Yang Ye actually consented to her engaging in intimate relations with them.
Knowing her husband was sincere, She Xinlan did not reject his proposal; the next time the Emperor visited their estate, she joined him in bed.
After Yang Ye and Wu Zhenying became sworn brothers, she rekindled her past romance with Wu Zhenying, using her superb skills to pleasure him.
She Xinlan's sexual prowess far surpassed that of the Emperor's concubines and Wu Zhenying's wife—a lady of noble upbringing.
Once they had tasted the pleasures of She Xinlan's body, they found it difficult to take interest in their own women.
Even when they did sleep with their wives, they would merely go through the motions perfunctorily, leaving She Xinlan to frequently attend to their needs instead.
However, to avoid gossip, She Xinlan would always use her exceptional lightness skills to evade the guards and slip into the Emperor's chambers unnoticed.
Yang Ye was rewarded for his magnanimity in allowing She Xinlan these indulgences.
In addition to holding the title of Marquis Shenwu, he was elevated to the rank of Duke.
The Emperor even granted him free access to the inner palace; the Empress would often have him stay the night so he could recount his life experiences to her. And every time the Empress dismissed the palace maids and eunuchs, the sounds of flesh slapping against flesh—along with the lustful moans of passion—would echo through her chambers.
The lovemaking techniques Yang Ye had learned from She Xinlan ensured the Empress reached the absolute pinnacle of pleasure every time.
They only stopped meeting after the Emperor passed away.
Yet, the former Empress—now the Empress Dowager—still fondly remembered every night spent with Yang Ye; whenever the reigning Emperor sought to move against Yang Ye and his circle, she would find ways to intervene.
It was precisely because of this that the balance of power between the Crown Prince's faction and Prince Jing's faction remained intact.
Seeing these two legendary figures of the Tang Kingdom stirred excitement within us, yet we maintained our composure and waited for our second brother to make the introductions.
"Grandpa, Grandma! I've missed you both so much!"
Crying out, our second brother rushed into their arms and embraced them tightly.
As he hugged She Xinlan, he vigorously nuzzled his face against her still-firm breasts while simultaneously giving her ample, shapely buttocks a couple of squeezes.
"You rascal—acting like a child even at your age? Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you?"
She Xinlan gently stroked his head, allowing him to keep kneading her backside.
"I don't care what others think; as long as I'm with Grandpa and Grandma, I'll act like a spoiled child for the rest of my life."
Our second brother said this with a mischievous grin.
"Alright, enough acting like a child for now—why don't you introduce these beautiful ladies to your grandfather?"
She Xinlan said this after giving our second brother a playful rap on the head. Afterward, my second younger brother introduced the four of us to the Duke of Wu and his wife. Upon hearing the introductions, the couple showed no signs of surprise; it seemed they had known our identities all along.
We then proceeded to a reception room—not the main hall in the front courtyard, but a secluded room in the back.
"To what do I owe the honor of the Dragon Prince's visit to my estate?"