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Simply put, "all-weather" means that no matter how the situation between the two countries changes, or how the situation on the continent evolves, the friendship between Daqin and Inazuma will remain unchanged. "All-round" refers to the scope of cooperation, including all aspects such as politics, economy, culture, and military. "Strategic" means that the cooperation is at a higher level, with both sides having consistency in the overall, global, and core interests. "Partner" goes without saying, as it highlights the intimacy even more than the word "ally"!
Therefore, the use of the term "all-weather, all-round strategic partner" also indicates that the Qin Empire and the Inazuma Empire are not only brother states from now on, but also inseparable. So, on the spot, Her Majesty Empress Haruko Yoda made the decision directly, and that's settled!
As expected, the people of Inazuma cheered with joy upon hearing this explanation. After all, as long as the two countries could coexist peacefully without fighting, it would be wonderful for them. Moreover, the Qin Empire would provide economic aid to Inazuma, which was simply the best gift. Who cared why the Qin Empire was being so kind, or whether this would cause Inazuma to lose its identity...
Although most of the Inazuma people who are really interested understand that, to hell with the all-weather, all-round strategic partnership, to put it bluntly, it means that the Inazuma Empire will be incorporated into the Qin Empire, so of course it will be an all-round cooperation!
However, now that the major families of the Inazuma Empire have been basically wiped out, and the smaller families are powerless to resist, not to mention that the Qin Empire's army is going to be stationed permanently in Inazuma from now on, it's clear that anyone who dares to say no will be the first to be wiped out!
Furthermore, anyone who dares to disobey Empress Haruko Yoda's orders will be annihilated without question! (The rest of the text appears to be nonsensical and unrelated to the initial statement.)
Under these circumstances, naturally no one dared to harbor any wicked thoughts anymore, and they quickly and obediently returned to Her Majesty the Empress's rule. After all, this was the nature of the Inatsumi people—habitually submitting to the strong.
In other words, the matter of the Inazuma Empire can be considered to have come to an end. Moreover, more than two months have passed since the Third Prince Qin Feng and his group embarked on their expedition, and it is time for them to return home. However, there is still a problem to be solved before returning home.
Because Emperor Qin Ziming finally agreed to Haruko Yoda's request, he would leave the 100,000 Qin troops that General Bai Hao brought with him in Inazuma as the first batch of troops stationed in Inazuma.
After all, they had been traveling around the Inazuma Four Islands with Bai Hao and the Third Prince Qin Feng for some time, and had a good understanding of the terrain and situation there, so they were better able to handle things there. Therefore, the current tentative term of their stay is three years, and other troops will be sent to replace them after three years.
Chapter 121: Inazuma Becomes Someone's Backyard
The problem is, General Bai Hao certainly won't and can't stay in Inazuma... He's a marshal of the Great Qin Empire!
Therefore, the selection of the next commander for the 100,000-strong army is very important. The commander must be loyal enough to the Qin Empire and have sufficient understanding and cooperation with Empress Haruko Yoda...
It's important to understand that the Inazuma Four Islands and the territory of the Qin Empire are completely unconnected, and the two sides are separated by a vast sea. Even crossing by warship would take three days. Most importantly, the Inazuma Empire currently has almost no troops, which means that the commander who remains in Inazuma to lead the 100,000-strong garrison is actually the de facto ruler of Inazuma. Even Haruko Yoda has to consult his opinions on many matters.
Everyone knows what this means, right?
To put it bluntly, once the commander stationed in Inazuma has any ambitions or other ideas, he can do so without any scruples, because he is a local emperor in the Inazuma Empire. Perhaps he will not have any thoughts at first, but over time, he will find that everyone here has to listen to his opinions. He will start to have ideas even if he didn't have any, and this will inevitably cause huge and completely uncontrollable consequences!
After all, even if Qin Feng and his group could obtain the information as quickly as possible within the Great Qin Empire, it would still take at least a week to reach Inazuma, and that would be under the condition of traveling light. Not to mention that if they were to bring troops, the preparation time would be even longer.
Considering that Haruko Yoda is now Qin Feng's woman, and that Inazuma has been regarded by Qin Feng as his 'logistics base' and the source of his immense Yin power, ensuring Inazuma's safety and stability is undoubtedly the top priority. Therefore, Qin Feng had a rare disagreement with General Bai Hao regarding the arrangement of the garrison commander...
According to General Bai Hao, the 100,000 soldiers who brought Inazuma were all people he had personally trained, so naturally they should be commanded by his deputy. On the one hand, his deputy was very familiar with the soldiers, their training, and their deployment, and was easier to manage. On the other hand, he could directly convey any tasks he had in the future without going through a third party, and it would be easier to understand the situation of the garrison here.
Qin Feng, however, was a little hesitant. He could trust General Bai Hao, but the situation with Bai Hao's adjutants was another matter.
And frankly speaking, Qin Feng didn't really trust any of Bai Hao's deputies or generals. Although these guys were all native Qin people and would become his subordinates in the future, Qin Feng was, after all, a transmigrator...
So if we're talking about who Qin Feng trusts most in this world, it would definitely be his goddess souls. Because of the existence of the Beauty Painting, this super artifact, they can only rely on him as their host. And because they can only rely on Qin Feng to find a way to revive them and take them to travel and experience the outside world, they will inevitably help Qin Feng wholeheartedly.
Moreover, when it comes to the ability to command troops, Zhang Xingcai and her ilk from the Three Kingdoms period were not necessarily inferior to Bai Hao's subordinates.
But the problem now is that Qin Feng certainly can't leave his goddess's soul in Inazuma, so how can he command an army of 100,000?
It seems unrealistic, doesn't it?
Putting aside the issue of whether the soldiers would obey orders, Bai Hao alone wouldn't pass the test, because the Qin Empire has never had a female general before...
Therefore, this is also the point that Qin Feng must try his best to reform next, because compared to others, he trusts his women more, especially those who have merged with the goddess's soul, such as Bai Zhiwei. With her talent, she may well become an excellent military general!
Just imagine, when Qin Feng becomes emperor, all the officials and civil servants standing in the court will be women, and they will all be his women... This scene is simply too bizarre!
Therefore, the final agreement between Qin Feng and Bai Hao was that Xi Liang, Bai Hao's adjutant, would serve as the garrison commander, but for a term of only three years. Once the three years were up, the empire would send someone to replace him and return to the country, while also rotating the garrison soldiers. No one was allowed to resist or obstruct this under any pretext.
But this was only the first layer of insurance. Qin Feng's second layer of insurance was that he also perfectly fused a goddess's soul with Empress Yoda Haruko...
...Mei, are you thinking of Lin? Are you in Lin? Are you there?...
Aya Gozen (SSR): Uesugi Kenshin's older sister, a noble lady who shows the direction for the Uesugi family's development.
Personal attributes: Attack +30000, Defense +30000, Health +300000, Mana +30000.
Personal Skill: Frost Storm (Greatly reduces enemy attack speed and movement speed by 40% for 15 seconds; 60-second cooldown.)
Contract Bonus (Uncontracted): Attack Power +4%, Defense Power +4%, Attack Speed +4%, Movement Speed +4%.
……
Next, Qin Feng formed an Empress Guard based on the original Chiba family members. This Empress Guard was not large, with only about ten people. However, each of them signed a beauty contract with Qin Feng. Chiba Runa, who was the first to assassinate Qin Feng, directly became the captain of this Empress Guard.
Yes, as I've already said, Inazuma is now Qin Feng's backyard!
As mentioned earlier, due to continuous warfare, the male-to-female ratio in Inazuma is now 1:5, with women outnumbering men by four or five times, resulting in a large number of women being unable to find men.
So during this period, Qin Feng was constantly changing women to play with. As long as a woman caught his eye, Qin Feng would have her brought to him and make her the furnace for his cultivation of the Dragon-Attracting Technique. Simply put, as long as Qin Feng used the Dragon-Attracting Technique to mark them with the True Dragon Mark, they could continuously provide Qin Feng with Yin energy even if he didn't touch them or they were thousands of miles apart.
This is also a new ability that Qin Feng unlocked after cultivating the Dragon Summoning Technique to the second stage!
In other words, once Qin Feng marks these women with the True Dragon Mark, they will become Qin Feng's Yin energy suppliers for life. Even if Qin Feng no longer favors them, they will still provide him with 'rent' every day.
Isn't that awesome?
But that's what makes the Infinite Beauty Picture so powerful; otherwise, how could it be called a divine artifact?
Especially for these women brought back to the Imperial Palace from the Chiba family, if they want to gain Haruko Yoda's trust, there's only one way: to please the Third Prince, Qin Feng...
Therefore, the current Imperial Palace is completely Qin Feng's place of debauchery. Almost everyone sees him playing with women all the time and even anytime and anywhere!
The same applies to Empress Haruko Yoda. Even when she is handling state affairs, Qin Feng could appear behind her at any moment, lift her skirt, and start having sex with her...
This is because Qin Feng stipulated that no woman is allowed to wear underwear in the Imperial Palace!
Some people might wonder, wouldn't girls like Qin Feng and Bai Zhiwei, who possess divine souls, acquire more yin and yang energy and thus improve faster?
That's true. The first time Qin Feng did it with Bai Zhiwei and the others who had activated Athena's soul, he gained a huge amount of Yin energy. The second time was the same, but the amount decreased afterward...
This is quite normal, since Yin energy needs time to accumulate. That's why the Beauty Picture can create so many, even hundreds of thousands, of goddess souls. Otherwise, wouldn't a few dozen women be enough?
Because Yin energy needs time to accumulate, after Qin Feng frequently did it with Bai Zhiwei and the others for a while, even a lot of Yin energy would be exhausted. The current income is no longer proportional, not to mention that Bai Zhiwei and the others also need to rest, right?
This is also reflected in the palace maids of his Maple Forest Garden. Although there are actually quite a few of them, several hundred in total, Qin Feng is no ordinary man. He doesn't get exhausted after playing with only two or three women a night. In fact, if he wants, he can keep going all night long. This means that he needs at least thirty or forty women a night to play with!
Chapter 122: The Old Emperor Suddenly Passes Away
Under these circumstances, the palace maids of Maple Forest Garden were quickly drained dry by Qin Feng's Dragon-Drawing Technique...
Since he is now far away in Inazuma, Qin Feng can only target the women in Inazuma. Although the Yin energy they provide cannot compare with that of the palace maids in Maple Forest Garden, it is better than nothing!
Especially when they were first drawn by Qin Feng's Dragon-Guiding Technique, their Yin energy was quite abundant!
Besides, Qin Feng's main goal right now is to collect rent, and he's focused on long-term income!
Because now, the more women he has, the more women he marks with the True Dragon mark, the more Yin energy Qin Feng gains every day, and then this Yin energy will be converted into an increase in his strength!
So Qin Feng originally intended to stay in Inazuma a little longer, after all, such days were simply too enjoyable. He even had an impulse to sleep with all the women in Inazuma, to make them all his yin energy providers, and then to establish a rule that all the girls in Inazuma who came of age must let Qin Feng enjoy their virginity before they could get married...
But at that moment, a shocking message came from the Qin Empire, forcing him to set off back overnight!
The Emperor of the Great Qin Empire, Qin Ziming, who was also Qin Feng's adoptive father, passed away at the age of fifty-eight.
Although I've always called Qin Ziming the old emperor, he's actually not old at all. Fifty-eight years old isn't young anymore, but he's still quite vigorous. As long as his health doesn't suffer too much, he should be able to live another forty or fifty years without much problem. After all, everyone in this world cultivates, and Qin Ziming himself is a ninth-level expert! (The last two lines appear to be unrelated and possibly spam/advertisements.)
Therefore, Qin Ziming has not yet officially confirmed who the true crown prince of the empire is from among the three crown princes, because there is really no rush!
However, it will be soon. After all, judging from the old emperor's usual words and deeds, including his current attitude towards the third prince Qin Feng, almost all the officials know that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the third prince Qin Feng will definitely succeed to the throne!
This time, Qin Ziming even sent the Third Prince out to gain military merit, which is practically a prelude to announcing his appointment as Crown Prince after the Third Prince's triumphant return!
And that's precisely the problem: will the eldest prince, Qin Yu, be willing to accept this?
As the eldest of the royal children and the first in line to the throne, and especially since he was once so close to the throne, Qin Yu is now almost exiled. Not only can he not receive the old emperor's favor, but he can only watch helplessly as his third brother is favored. Such a huge drop and blow would be unbearable for most people!
Especially after hearing that the Third Prince Qin Feng not only had a very successful expedition, but had also quietly 'annexed' the Inazuma Empire, his achievements were unprecedented, and his ascension to the throne was only a matter of course. How could he not be jealous, envious and hateful?
But the old emperor's death had absolutely nothing to do with the eldest prince, Qin Yu...
Because it was the fourth brother, Qin Yuan, who made the move.
In truth, the old Emperor Qin Ziming did many things in his life, both good and bad, and his reputation was mixed. Sometimes, people would even describe him as a ruthless emperor. But his biggest mistake was that he was soft-hearted and kept his younger brother's son, Qin Yuan, alive, and raised him as if he were his own son...
Because in the eyes of the old emperor Qin Ziming, he had seen so many ups and downs in his life, and everything was under his control. Even if Qin Yuan found out his true identity later, he wouldn't be able to cause any trouble.
But how can I put it? The human heart is always the most unpredictable thing.
Most importantly, as everyone knows, it's hard to guard against a thief within your own household, no matter how much you guard against them!
The Fourth Prince, Qin Yuan, was injured by Qin Feng, and Qiu Wen and the others did indeed go too far, breaking his leg. As a result, he had been lying in bed recovering for some time, which inevitably led to all sorts of wild thoughts and growing resentment towards Qin Feng.
After finally recovering from his leg injury and getting out of bed, Qin Yuan originally planned to go find his younger sister, Qin Ling, to ask how she was doing, since she hadn't visited him for many days. However, when he arrived, he discovered that his sister hadn't been in the palace for quite some time!
Are you kidding me? She's a princess, she can't just leave the palace like that.
If you told anyone, you'd be beheaded instantly, okay?
It's possible that Qin Yuan interrogated Qin Ling's maids and even threatened to kill them, only to find out that... the Fifth Princess Qin Ling had actually signed a master-servant contract with the Third Prince Qin Feng!
So she's now left the palace with the Third Prince Qin Feng, and they've gone to a place like the Inazuma Empire...
Well, can you imagine how Qin Yuan felt at that time?
His own precious little sister, the Fifth Princess, whom he had doted on and protected since childhood, was actually forced by Qin Feng to sign a master-servant contract.
And he even took her to the battlefield?
Given Qin Feng's character, would he really let the Fifth Princess Qin Ling go?
The thought of his precious younger sister being pinned down and humiliated by Qin Feng with his greatsword made Qin Yuan's eyes turn red instantly...
Qin Yuan, who already felt his fate was unfair because he was ranked fourth and therefore could not become the crown prince, was truly driven mad at this moment. His hatred for Qin Feng erupted completely. He could accept his own failure, but he absolutely could not accept that Qin Feng would become the ultimate winner in life!
This guy not only humiliated him several times, but now he's even turned his sister Qin Ling into a slave girl?
It's possible that Qin Ling has already been taken advantage of by this guy!
Just thinking about this scene made Qin Yuan feel like he couldn't breathe, and his hatred grew stronger and stronger!
Do you think that having someone protecting you means you can become the crown prince without any worries and then smoothly become the emperor?
Then I'll show you what I'm capable of!
It has to be said, Qin Yuan almost succeeded...
At least, he succeeded halfway.
Taking advantage of being the only remaining prince in the palace, Qin Yuan has been showering the old emperor with concern and greetings. His stated reason is quite legitimate, since he is the only prince in the palace at this time, so it's understandable that he doesn't pay his respects to the old emperor.
Besides, isn't he already an adult now? It's time for him to shoulder some of the responsibilities of a prince...
Therefore, Qin Yuan did this in a completely aboveboard manner, and no one had any doubts.
Although Qin Ziming was somewhat dismissive of Qin Yuan's actions, he wasn't too averse to Qin Yuan's overtures. He even thought Qin Yuan was trying to gain something, so he decided to adopt a conciliatory approach, since Qin Yuan was his brother's only child.
But Qin Ziming didn't expect that everything Qin Yuan did was just a decoy. His main method was to put a mixed type of poison into the desserts he contributed as a filial offering in batches. The biggest advantage of this mixed poison was that the various ingredients were not poisonous when separated, so the guards and imperial physicians around Qin Ziming did not detect it. By the time they found out, it was too late. The old emperor, who had been poisoned, died completely in just a few minutes.
The reason why Qin Yuan's plan was only half successful is that he was too young and his foundation was too shallow. Most importantly, he had no one to help him and no power to rely on.
So when he produced his fabricated "last will and testament" and said that the old emperor Qin Ziming intended to appoint him as the next crown prince, not only did the officials in the court remain silent in response, but the imperial guards also detained him without saying a word!
After all, the old emperor's death was too suspicious. Although Qin Yuan's methods were decent, he was still just an eighteen-year-old boy who had grown up in the deep palace. He had indeed taken everything too seriously.
Or rather, he was harmed by history books, because history books always say that the royal family has always been cruel, and that all means are used to fight for the throne. Moreover, it is often the case that the winner takes all and the loser is condemned. The victor can control everything and will not be held accountable even if he did something outrageous before!
Just like when the old emperor Qin Ziming came to power, didn't he also massacre countless people?
Chapter 123: Yu Wanlin, with a Baby Face and Huge Breasts
What Qin Yuan didn't understand was that Qin Ziming or those previous successful emperors were able to seize the throne because they themselves possessed a certain amount of power and had people supporting them behind the scenes.
But all he has now is the title of the Fourth Prince, nothing else. Who can respect him?
Who supports him?
Especially now that everyone is puzzled by the old emperor's mysterious death, Qin Yuan couldn't wait to jump out and announce that he is the "appointed" crown prince. Need I say more about the outcome?
Furthermore, with the eldest prince Qin Yu exiled from the capital and the third prince Qin Feng leading the second and fifth princesses on a distant expedition to Inazuma, Qin Yuan was left alone in the palace. Considering Qin Yuan's unusual behavior over this period, it was obvious who the murderer was!
To put it bluntly, Qin Yuan succeeded this time because Qin Ziming never expected him to use poison. After all, Qin Ziming had raised Qin Yuan as his own son since he was a child, so he never considered this possibility. As a result, one slip led to eternal regret...
He never even had the chance to correct the mistake!
Most importantly, with his death, the Great Qin Empire is really going to be in chaos. Not to mention that Qin Ziming has not yet officially established a crown prince, so several princes have a chance. And even if he does, how could the eldest prince Qin Yu easily give up?
Upon learning of the old emperor's passing, the eldest prince, Qin Yu, immediately rushed back to the capital to take over everything. He was racing against time, trying to consolidate his power in the capital before the third prince, Qin Feng, returned, and ideally, to make it a fait accompli by having the ministers support him as the new emperor...
After all, an empire cannot be without a ruler for even a day!
If the timeline had been three or six months earlier, this problem probably wouldn't have been a big one. Even though Qin Yu's mother was just a concubine, he was still Qin Ziming's own flesh and blood, and the rightful eldest prince. Coupled with his consistently excellent performance, the entire court would surely support him.
But the problem is, who in the court doesn't know that the old emperor's backup plan was actually the third prince?