Qingyan wasn't afraid in the slightest, even with the cold black dagger just millimeters from the artery in her neck. Instead, she curved her lips into a faint smile and stared straight into the General's murderous eyes.
"Go ahead and kill me," Qingyan challenged casually. "Kill me now. But remember, General... if I die, you and the hundreds of thousands of soldiers stationed at the border will be the ones who suffer—not me."
The man's grip on the dagger's hilt wavered slightly. "What do you mean?!"
"Your forces on the northern border are in crisis right now, aren't they?" Qingyan said sharply. "The military coffers are running dry, food supplies haven't even been produced, let alone delivered, and your soldiers are starving in the middle of extreme weather. You secretly went to the capital to question what happened to your military funds, but what did you get in return?"
Qingyan let out a soft laugh, making the dagger's blade tremble slightly.
"You were ambushed by dozens of assassins, framed as a rebel, and hunted down by government soldiers! Why? Because the corrupt rats in the government who are withholding those military funds don't want their rottenness exposed!"
The General's eyes widened in shock. All this classified information should have been known only to the highest-ranking military officials... so how could it have come so plainly from the mouth of a cast-off princess in the borderlands?!
"Are you going to let your soldiers die needlessly in the border fortress just because their stomachs are empty while the enemy keeps launching attacks?" Qingyan pressed mercilessly. "If the fortress falls, guess who the palace will make the scapegoat? You! You'll be accused of neglecting your duty!"
The man clenched his jaw so hard that the veins in his neck bulged.
"Besides," Qingyan added in a whisper, "the Emperor in the capital hasn't been able to sleep peacefully for a long time. He's extremely wary of your family. Your father, King Feiyang, commands hundreds of thousands of battle-hardened soldiers. To the Emperor, your existence is the greatest threat to his throne. So don't expect those military funds to be released easily."
The man slowly lowered his dagger, staring at Qingyan with a volatile mixture of shock and fury. But the next second, his anger flared again.
"And do you know who the mastermind behind the withholding of those military funds is?!" the General hissed, his eyes bloodshot. "Prime Minister Lin! Your own biological father! He's the one pushing hardest to slash the northern military budget!"
Qingyan burst into bright laughter. "So what if he's my father? I'm the first person who wants to see that old bastard destroyed and sent to hell!"
The man froze.
"See?" Qingyan patted her own chest, then pointed at him. "Aren't we on the same side? We're allies! I need protection and the powerful status to slaughter Consort Yan and my Father, while you... you need funding to save your soldiers."
Qingyan stepped closer, wearing a sweet but calculating smile.
"I have all the dowry my Mother left behind—gold, gemstones, and land worth a fortune. It can fund your army for the next five years. I only have one condition: marry me in a contract marriage. Only on paper! You get the war funds, and I get the backing of being the future General's wife. This contract marriage is a perfect match and benefits us both, don't you think?"
The General fell silent for a long time. His gaze, which had been full of hostility, softened as he weighed the insane yet perfectly rational offer before him.
"Think it over carefully," Qingyan said, gently patting the man's shoulder. "I'll give you time to decide."
Creak...
The residence's gate suddenly swung open. A-Man entered with the coachman, bringing four young girls with innocent faces dressed in simple clothes.
"Miss! A-Man has brought the new servants!" A-Man announced excitedly.
But before Qingyan could greet the new servants, a middle-aged woman in a hooded cloak made of faded cloth came rushing in from behind them. Her face was covered in wrinkles, and her eyes instantly widened when she saw Qingyan.
"Eldest Miss?!" the old woman's voice broke at once. Without hesitation, she ran forward and threw her arms tightly around Qingyan, sobbing hysterically. "Oh my heavens, Eldest Miss... Is this really Miss Qingyan?!"
Qingyan stiffened, utterly bewildered. Good grief, who is this now?! Which part of the novel was this old woman in?!
"My poor Eldest Miss..." The old woman stroked Qingyan's face with trembling, rough hands. "The late First Madam must be crying in the afterlife seeing Eldest Miss exiled and treated like this in the borderlands... It's all my fault! I couldn't protect you!"
Seeing the confusion on her mistress's face, A-Man, ever perceptive, hurried over and whispered into Qingyan's ear.
"Miss, this is Auntie Chen," A-Man whispered hurriedly. "She used to be your late Mother's personal head servant and confidante. But as soon as First Madam died, Consort Yan slandered Auntie Chen and drove her out of the main residence."
Oh! Mother's loyal former servant! Qingyan understood immediately.
Qingyan's expression instantly warmed. She returned the old woman's embrace and guided her to sit on a stone chair in the garden.
"Auntie Chen... please don't cry anymore," Qingyan said gently, wiping the tears from Auntie Chen's wrinkled cheeks. "I'm fine now. In fact, I'm so happy to see you here again."
"How did you end up here in the borderlands, Auntie?" Qingyan asked curiously.
"After that vile Consort Yan drove me out, I had nowhere to go, so I eventually returned to my hometown here in the borderlands, Miss," Auntie Chen recounted through sobs. "Earlier, I heard that Eldest Miss's party had arrived, so I ran straight here... Miss, you really do look just like your late mother..."
They fell into a warm conversation. Auntie Chen told Qingyan about her mother's past, while Qingyan listened carefully, gathering more inside information about the Lin family.
In the middle of their conversation, Qingyan made time to glance toward the corner of the garden hall.
The place where the General had been standing... was now completely empty. The muscular man had vanished without a trace, leaving the room filled only with Auntie Chen's emotional sobs and the evening wind blowing in from the borderlands.
Qingyan curved her lips into a faint smile. A clever man. He must have gone to think over my offer.