TNIBFT -Chapter 212

Duan Qingshan followed behind Old Yang, looking at Nanfeng with a lazy, swaggering attitude. He cracked his knuckles, his eyes full of provocation.

Nanfeng’s expression darkened. “What are you trying to do?”

“Nothing much—just want to borrow that sword of yours to play with.”

Old Yang grinned crookedly and reached out to snatch the sword from Nanfeng’s hand.

A swordsman’s blade was like his arm—and his dignity.

Nanfeng’s figure flickered as he dodged.

Old Yang chased after him with steady steps, his moves fierce. Each punch cut through the air with a sharp whistling force.

A skilled fighter!

Nanfeng immediately grew interested. Glancing around, he said, “Shall we take this outside?”

The two stopped.

Old Yang took the lead, heading toward the backyard and beckoning to Nanfeng from the doorway. Duan Qingshan, eager to try his hand, quickly followed behind.

…

Meanwhile, in the kitchen—

Qin Fengyi stood with her hands behind her back, glancing over the ingredients on the table. A trace of unease crept into her expression.

Killing people? No problem.

Killing a chicken?

Looking at the old hen tied up on the ground, its round black eyes staring at her, Qin Fengyi frowned, her scalp tingling.

Ye Tian watched her reaction with a faint smile, saying nothing.

Seeing her troubled expression, he said, “Let’s just make Kung Pao chicken today.”

“Mm.”

Qin Fengyi pretended to stay calm, looking at Ye Tian with a fearless expression.

After she nodded, she stood there motionless for quite a while. Ye Tian turned around and pushed her lightly on the shoulder.

“What are you standing around for?”

“For Kung Pao chicken… where’s the chicken?”

“You have to kill it first to get the meat.”

Qin Fengyi didn’t move an inch. She shot Ye Tian a cold glance.

He actually dares to push me?

The next second—

A sharp kitchen knife was placed into her hand.

Qin Fengyi looked up in surprise. Ye Tian raised an eyebrow. “Here. Kill the chicken.”

Looking at the old hen tilting its head and staring at her innocently, Qin Fengyi didn’t know where to start.

She, the dignified Empress of Great Zhou—formerly the Crown Princess—when had she ever personally killed a chicken or cooked?

Her eyes flickered. “Doesn’t Yunting not eat chicken?”

“But my daughter likes it!”

Ye Tian smiled brightly.

Seeing his expression, Qin Fengyi took a deep breath.

If my daughter likes it, then so be it!

Killing one chicken—could it really be harder than killing a ninth-rank expert?

She gripped the knife tightly with both hands, her face solemn, and walked step by step toward the hen.

Just as she raised the knife—

“Cluck cluck cluck—!”

The hen, startled, flapped its wings wildly.

Qin Fengyi blinked in shock, then slowly turned to Ye Tian. “You—come hold it down for me.”

Seeing her slightly panicked expression, Ye Tian chuckled and stepped forward to grab the hen.

The two fumbled around together.

A few minutes later—

The hen was flapping wildly, flying all over the kitchen. Pots and pans clattered noisily everywhere.

“Do you even know what you’re doing?”

“You can’t even handle something this simple?”

Watching the hen soar through the kitchen, Ye Tian looked speechless and reached out to grab it.

Qin Fengyi’s face darkened. Holding the knife, her sharp gaze locked onto the darting hen.
“Shut up!”

As soon as she spoke—

A flash of cold light.

The large cleaver came down in a single strike, pinning the hen directly to the doorframe. Blood flowed freely—it was nearly split in half on the spot.

Qin Fengyi looked at Ye Tian with pride. “It’s just a hen. What’s so difficult about that?”

Reserved yet arrogant, her little expression made Ye Tian shake his head with a smile.

“Boss!”

“Something’s wrong, boss!”

Yuan Heipang’s voice rang out.

Then came a rush of hurried footsteps. The moment he stepped into the kitchen—

Whoosh!

A flash of cold light streaked past his eyes.

Yuan Heipang’s eyes widened in terror as he froze on the spot.

He swore—this was the closest he had ever been to death.

He could even smell blood.

Drip… drip…

A warm liquid slowly trickled down from his head onto the ground. Trembling, he reached up to touch it.

Sticky. Warm.

He looked down—

His pupils shrank instantly. Crying miserably, he wailed, “I’m bleeding so much… it’s all blood…”

Seeing the red on his palm, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed straight onto the ground.

Qin Fengyi glanced at him, her eyes flickering.

Isn’t this the Grand Eunuch Gao Defu?

What exactly is Ye Tian up to?

“Boss… the backyard… they’re fighting in the backyard…”

Lying on the ground, Yuan Heipang spoke with his eyes rolled back, then continued pretending to be dead.

Ye Tian lightly kicked him, ignored him, and ran straight toward the backyard.

Qin Fengyi cast a cold gaze at Yuan Heipang. Even while playing dead, he felt a chilling pressure pressing down on him like a mountain. Terrified, he scrambled up to his feet, his face covered in blood, and hurried toward the backyard.

In the backyard—

“So people from Great Zhou are nothing special after all.”

“Next time, will you still dare to act so arrogant?”

Old Yang sneered, jumping up and poking Nanfeng’s forehead with his finger.

Nanfeng was tightly bound, a rag stuffed in his mouth. Unable to resist, he could only glare viciously at Old Yang.

“What are you doing?”

Ye Tian’s voice rang out.

Everyone in the courtyard turned. Seeing Ye Tian arrive, Old Yang immediately stepped forward.

“Boss, this kid looked down on us and insisted on sparring. After losing, he refused to admit defeat. We were afraid he’d cause trouble, so we had no choice but to tie him up.”

Duan Qingshan quickly added, “Brother Yang’s right!”

“This guy is arrogant and even talked bad about you behind your back, boss!”

Ye Tian looked at Nanfeng.

Nanfeng’s gaze was full of disdain. He didn’t even bother looking at Ye Tian.

Got some backbone.

Ye Tian nodded. “Good. Tying him up is fine.”

“Keeps him honest.”

Old Yang grinned proudly and smack!—slapped Nanfeng on the head.

“Still want to fight?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be amazing?”

Smack! Another slap.

Nanfeng’s face flushed red with rage. His dignity felt like it was being ground into the dirt.

As the Empress’s personal guard, to be humiliated like this—

Those two couldn’t even beat him, yet they resorted to such shameless tactics!

“Stop!”

“What are you doing?!”

Qin Fengyi rushed into the backyard. Seeing her guard tied up, she quickly stepped forward.

Old Yang moved to block her, about to speak—

But Qin Fengyi simply lifted him lightly—

And flung him away.

Duan Qingshan’s pupils shrank as he hurriedly stepped back.

The rag was pulled out of Nanfeng’s mouth.

Looking at Qin Fengyi, he said aggrievedly, “They said they wanted to spar, but when they couldn’t beat me, they ganged up on me. They tricked me into a room and tied me up when I wasn’t paying attention.”

Qin Fengyi’s cold gaze shifted to Duan Qingshan.

He waved his hands frantically. “No! That’s not true! It has nothing to do with me!”

Seeing Ye Tian staring at him, Duan Qingshan hurriedly explained, “It’s really not like he said!”

“It was clearly those master and servant with bad intentions. Old Yang and I were in the kitchen—we heard them talking about stealing the child, so we…”

Ye Tian’s expression instantly turned cold, his sharp gaze shooting toward Qin Fengyi.

Qin Fengyi took a deep breath, thought for a moment, then looked at Ye Tian calmly and said, “It’s not stealing.”

“It’s taking them away!”

“Ye Tian, name your terms. Whatever you want, just say it—wealth, riches, gold and jewels, even a title of king or prime minister. I’ll exchange all that for the three children.”

The ground was blanketed in white snow, and the old locust tree in the corner of the courtyard stood tall and upright.

Everyone stood in the middle of the yard, faces full of shock, staring blankly at Qin Fengyi. She really intended to take the children—but why?

At that moment, Qin Fengyi stood in the courtyard with her hands behind her back, looking at Ye Tian without the slightest intention of backing down.

Ye Tian almost laughed from anger.

Out of nowhere, a complete stranger wanted to take his children away?

Was he the foolish one, or was she?

“Hmph!”

Ye Tian sneered, sizing Qin Fengyi up from head to toe. “What bold claims.”

“Granting titles of king or prime minister? If I remember correctly, Lord Meng is only a Vice Minister, right?”

“If you have that kind of ability, why not promote yourself first?”

Fueled by anger, Ye Tian’s face flushed slightly, his eyes filled with hostility. Qin Fengyi met his gaze, feeling a sense of guilt. In the past five years, she had never appeared once, yet Ye Tian had raised the children so well. Now that she wanted to take them away, his reluctance was only natural.

Qin Fengyi took a deep breath. “If you’re willing—”

“I’m not!”

Ye Tian cut her off immediately, staring at her coldly. “What are you to my children?”

“What right do you have to take them away and bargain with conditions? Do you even deserve that?”

“If we’re really talking about an exchange, I want to be Emperor of Great Zhou. Can you do that?”

Nanfeng suddenly lifted his head, staring at Ye Tian in shock.

Could it be that Ye Tian already knew his master’s identity?

He wanted to be emperor—what ambition!

In the courtyard, everyone exchanged stunned looks, all eyes fixed on Ye Tian.

As expected of the boss—truly bold.

He directly told Meng Yuquan to rebel.

Qin Fengyi pondered for a moment, then looked at Ye Tian and said weakly, “I’m just informing you. In a few days, I will take the children and leave. If you want to come with us, I guarantee you a lifetime of wealth and honor.”

“You won’t have to do anything—just change places and stay with the children.”

“As for what you asked—what I am to them—aside from you, the person who loves them most in this world is me!”

Qin Fengyi grew emotional, her voice trembling slightly.

She frowned at Ye Tian, trying desperately to prove her point, but everything she said felt pale and powerless. Not only did Ye Tian not believe her—even the children wouldn’t.

A mother who had never appeared in five years—did she have the right?

Qin Fengyi’s eyes reddened. She turned her head away, her voice hoarse. “Actually, I…”

Nanfeng lowered his head. He guessed that Her Majesty was about to reveal her identity.

He knew that compared to the three little princes, nothing—neither state affairs nor the people—mattered more to Qin Fengyi.

“No need to say anything. Even if their biological mother came back from the dead, I would never hand the children over to her. They are my children—no one can take them away!”

“Unless I die!”

After saying that, Ye Tian turned and prepared to leave.

Watching his resolute back, Qin Fengyi froze in place. For rebellious ministers, she would have killed them outright—but this was the children’s father. She said coldly, “Going with me is the best choice. Ye Tian, do you hate her that much?”

Who “she” referred to—Qin Fengyi knew best.

Without turning back, Ye Tian replied, “Don’t come again in the future. You’re not welcome here!”

As Ye Tian left, Old Yang and Duan Qingshan cast a deep glance at Qin Fengyi and her servant before quickly following him out of the backyard.

Looking at the snow-covered ground, Qin Fengyi seemed lost in thought.

Back then, while leading troops in Sifang City, she had been injured while saving her soldiers and fell down a snowy slope. When she woke up, for some unknown reason, she found herself lying in Ye Tian’s arms—completely naked.

Enraged, she had wanted to kill him.

Ye Tian told her he would take responsibility. His sincere gaze made her hesitate. But after that day, she never saw him again.

Perhaps the one who deserved hatred was herself.

At the time, she was eighteen. Years on the battlefield had numbed her, yet deep down she longed for someone to care about her. After Ye Tian entered her life and swore to take responsibility, she waited at the agreed place every day—waiting for more than half a month.

In the end, the army had to continue marching, and she had no choice but to leave.

Only later did she discover she was pregnant, and she risked her life to give birth to the children alone.

Recalling the past, Qin Fengyi’s eyes turned icy.

After a long silence, she finally spoke, “When the Second Prince returns, mobilize all forces in Sifang City. If that’s not enough, request reinforcements from Great Zhou. Even if it means destroying the entire city, I will take the three princes away—and Ye Tian as well, even if he has to be bound and brought back!”

Qin Fengyi rarely lost control like this, and Nanfeng didn’t even dare to lift his head.

He cupped his fists respectfully. “Yes!”

…

At that moment, outside the hotpot restaurant—

As soon as Ye Tian stepped out of the backyard, he saw Yuan Heipang with the two children and several employees blocking the entrance. They pressed themselves against the door, peeking outside.

Ye Tian frowned.

Hearing footsteps, Ye Shuangxue turned around. Seeing Ye Tian, her eyes lit up immediately. “Dad, come quickly!”

“There are so many city guards outside—come look!”

Before Ye Tian could get closer, a thunderous male voice sounded from outside the door:

“Open up!”

“I am Ironclad General Ji Zhengping. Ye Tian, by order of the City Lord, we’ve come to escort Chief Steward Gao to the City Lord’s residence. If you don’t open the door now, don’t blame us for being ruthless!”

After Ji Zhengping finished speaking, Ye Tian peeked through the crack in the door and saw that his hotpot restaurant was completely surrounded by city guards.

“What do we do?”

“What do we do?”

Yuan Heipang, looking panicked, was on the verge of tears. He looked helplessly at Ye Tian and cried, “Boss, you have to save me!”

“Miss Xiao said that Xiao Haoyang and Gao Defu are old acquaintances. If I go, I’m definitely doomed—I’ll be beheaded for sure! Maybe Xiao Haoyang will even castrate me!”

“Waaah…”

The more Yuan Heipang thought about it, the more terrified he became.

Everyone else at the door looked equally worried.

“Open the door!”

“Open up! By order of the City Lord—if you don’t open it, we’ll kill without mercy!” Ji Zhengping’s voice boomed like thunder.

Several guards had already stepped forward to ram the door.

Old Yang, short-tempered and fiery, rushed to Ye Tian’s side. “Let me go out and kill that bastard!”

“And that dog Xiao Haoyang—he ran away like a coward and still has the nerve to come back!”

Duan Qingshan nodded in agreement.

Ye Tian said, “Killing a general in public means declaring war against Great Liang.”

“We’d all become wanted criminals!”

“Ye Tian, I’ll give you one last moment!” Ji Zhengping shouted loudly.

Just as Qin Fengyi entered the front hall, she saw her son and daughter standing beside Ye Tian, their small bodies straining to hold the door shut while the shouting outside grew louder.

Her anger surged instantly.

A mere garrison commander of Sifang City dared to bully her children?

Courting death!

Such blind fools didn’t deserve to live.

“Lord Meng?”

Hearing footsteps, Ye Yunting turned and saw Qin Fengyi approaching. His face lit up with joy, but then turned complicated as he glanced at the door.

Seeing her son like this, Qin Fengyi reassured him, “There’s nothing to fear!”

Then she looked at Ye Tian.

“Open the door.”