Chapter 353: Subduing the Enemy in Two Moves

Chapter 353: Subduing the Enemy in Two Moves

With a swift motion, Qin Xiaoyao sent the Liao Kingdom's Seventh Prince's Liao saber flying from his grasp.

She then swiftly struck again, using her dagger to effortlessly knock the Liao saber out of his hand.

The saber flew through the air and embedded itself in a gap in the floor nearby.

A sharp clang echoed as the saber stuck in the floor.

By this time, Qin Xiaoyao's dagger was already pressed against the neck of the Liao Kingdom's Seventh Prince.

The sudden turn of events left everyone—both the Liao envoys and the Great Jin officials—stunned.

It was the King of Huaiyin who first clapped his hands, breaking the silence.

Only then did the Great Jin officials start praising Qin Xiaoyao's incredible bravery.

The envoys from the Liao Kingdom, meanwhile, all lowered their heads or averted their gazes, unable to bear looking at their Seventh Prince.

The once cocky Seventh Prince now looked like a defeated bird, his face twisted with disbelief and frustration.

He knew Qin Xiaoyao was strong, but he hadn't expected her to be this formidable.

She was almost superhuman.

His strike had carried at least five hundred jin (about 600 pounds) of force.

Yet she had casually blocked such a powerful attack.

And then countered him.

He, the Liao Kingdom's newly crowned top warrior, had been defeated in just two moves.

It was an unbearable humiliation.

"Kill me!" the Liao Kingdom's Seventh Prince said angrily.

To him, this humiliation was worse than dying.

But Qin Xiaoyao moved her dagger away.

She then neatly placed the dagger back into her boot.

"The Great Jin and the Liao Kingdom have already made peace. What purpose would there be in killing you? I have no intention of starting a war between the two countries."

Hearing this, the Liao envoys collectively exhaled in relief.

The Seventh Prince lowered his head, no longer daring to meet Qin Xiaoyao's gaze.

Qin Xiaoyao didn't look at him again.

Turning around, her eyes fell on Song Que, and just as their gazes met, Song Que quickly looked away.

A flash of disappointment crossed his face.

Qin Xiaoyao then turned to the King of Huaiyin, signaling that he should take over from here.

The King of Huaiyin smiled and approached the Liao Kingdom's Seventh Prince and the Liao envoys to negotiate.

Soon, both sides finalized the terms of the peace treaty.

At this point, the war between the Jin and Liao Kingdoms finally came to an end.

After signing the treaty, the Liao delegation departed first.

Then, after a brief meeting, the officials from the Ministry of Rites also dispersed.

Song Que was about to leave with the other officials when the King of Huaiyin stopped him.

The King of Huaiyin, of course, was keeping Song Que behind for Qin Xiaoyao.

After keeping Song Que behind, he left the space to the two of them.

Qin Xiaoyao felt a wave of gratitude.

When the King of Huaiyin went out and closed the door behind him, Qin Xiaoyao darted toward Song Que from behind and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

Smelling the familiar scent on Song Que, Qin Xiaoyao felt her suspended heart finally settle down.

"Husband—" After holding him for a long time, she finally called out.

Song Que's heart stirred.

His hardened heart softened instantly.

But he still suppressed his tumultuous emotions and just responded with a soft "Hmm."

"Husband, where did you go after leaving Lingquan Town?"

"How did you end up in the capital?"

"And how did you join the Ministry of Rites?" Qin Xiaoyao asked quickly, her tone tinged with hurt.

Song Que felt a pang in his heart.

"I..." he wanted to say something to comfort Qin Xiaoyao, but only managed to utter this one word.

Soon, the strength of Qin Xiaoyao's arms around Song Que's waist increased, as if afraid that if she let go, she would be left behind.

Looking down at the hands tightly gripping his waist, Song Que felt a warmth spread through his heart.

After a moment, he finally spoke again.

"After being captured, I, along with some classmates, was sent to Lin'an City."

"There, Miss Shen rescued me and brought me back to the capital."

At the mention of "Miss Shen," Qin Xiaoyao's body tensed up.

"Is it Minister Shen's eldest daughter, Shen Rong?" she asked cautiously.

She hadn't forgotten that the King of Huaiyin had mentioned before that Minister Shen intended to recruit her husband as a son-in-law.

So, she had even sent people to gather information about Minister Shen's daughter.

It is said that Shen Rong is both beautiful and intelligent, virtuous and talented.

Now, you're saying that Shen Rong saved you, adding another layer of gratitude for saving your life.

How could she not worry?

"Yes." Song Que responded.

Qin Xiaoyao's heart panicked.

"Are you going to be a heartless man?" Then, she suddenly asked.

Song Que was instantly stunned.

He finally turned around and looked at Qin Xiaoyao.

Seeing her glare at him, only to quickly look away with a hint of fear, he sighed inwardly.

"When have I ever said anything like that?" Song Que sighed, grabbing Qin Xiaoyao's arms.

Qin Xiaoyao was startled.

Just hearing those words, her unease began to fade.

"Then why are you staying at the Prime Minister’s residence? And why haven't you come to find me since I've been in the capital for so long?"

She’s so well-known now; she can’t believe he doesn’t know where she is.

Song Que remained silent.

Qin Xiaoyao's heart tightened instantly again.

"Is Shen Rong interested in you?" she then asked coldly.

Song Que looked up at Qin Xiaoyao.

Then suddenly reached out and pulled Qin Xiaoyao into his arms.

Qin Xiaoyao was annoyed and struggled a bit.

Since she didn’t put up much of a fight, Song Que kept her firmly in his arms.

"Wife—" Song Que called out.

Those two simple words left Qin Xiaoyao frozen in place.

"There are many things I cannot explain to you right now. But I hope you can trust me."

Qin Xiaoyao's heart was moved.

"The capital is more dangerous than it looks. If you can, leave as soon as possible."

"Take mother and the others with you. You can return to Lingquan Town, or go to the border. Try not to stay in the capital."

"What do you mean? Are you saying my staying here is a problem for you?" After hearing Song Que's words, Qin Xiaoyao felt much more at ease but quickly added.

Song Que hugged Qin Xiaoyao's waist. "You know that's not what I meant."

Qin Xiaoyao immediately looked at Song Que with a grievous expression.

"What are you talking about?"

"Song Que, if you really treat me like your wife, you should explain everything to me."

"We agreed that we'd face everything together, no matter what."

"Plus, I’m now the Middle General and a marquis. I can handle a lot more than you can." Qin Xiaoyao said with confidence.

But Song Que frowned when he heard her words.

Seeing that Qin Xiaoyao was still stubborn, he let out a sigh.

"That’s exactly why I didn’t dare to reveal our connection." He said.

Qin Xiaoyao’s eyes widened in shock.

"Empress Jia’s faction has immense influence. If she finds out about your connection to me and the Song family, you could be in serious danger."

Empress Jia won’t let any potential enemies get too powerful.

Especially since that enemy is closely tied to the King of Huaiyin.

For now, she hasn’t moved against you because she thinks she can still win you over.