Phoenix: Rules Of The Harem
Chapter 16: General Shi, Let's Work Together!

Each general who led the imperial war forces had their own headquarters. Then every month they will hold a special meeting to discuss war strategy and matters related to the military, then unite all the thoughts and ideas of each general so that there is no internal hostility that can damage their working formation. At least that was how the supreme generals of the Shao Empire were in taking care of their work. They also had an elite army trained and controlled by them using a special token, which was, the token was obtained with the permission of the Grand Empress as a gift because of the great merit they had done for the empire and could also be used to protect their families.

Thinking about the headquarters, right now Fourth Princess Shao Ling Mei was at the military training headquarters belonging to Imperial General Shi which was located not too far from the main residence of the Shi family. When Ling Mei visited, the headquarters looked even quieter than usual. Of course, that was because today was a holiday for the elite troops belonging to Great General Shi. The training of the troops was usually not carried out every day, each headquarters had their own training schedule, even the rules were also enforced by Ling Mei at her own headquarters located in Jianhu city. Previously Ling Mei had contacted Grand General Shi about her visit to his headquarters some time ago and took the day where the state of the headquarters was being extremely quiet to prevent the dismantling of the original Ling Mei condition.

Because of that, it was now certain that Great General Shi had been waiting for him in the woman's room and Ling Mei was convinced that rumors of his mental retardation starting to improve must have reached General Shi's ears. In order to be able to draw General Shi to his side, Ling Mei tried to give the woman some lucrative offers that would probably remain a little difficult to persuade her. Because after all, General Shi was famous for having honesty and neutrality on any side of the imperial family, he had no interest in siding with one of the princesses who was fighting for the phoenix seat for his own benefit. Ling Mei also tried not to use the offer of taking concubines while this deal was going on, but if the only thing that could be done was this she might reconsider.

"Have you come, Your Majesty?"

Ling Mei smiled faintly, both of them stood up and bowed respectfully to each other briefly before sitting down at the place that had been provided before.

"So, what brought you to my little headquarters, Your Majesty the Fourth Princess?"

Ling Mei snorted softly, General Shi turned out to be more impatient than she thought. "I heard that High General Wu wants the position of the Imperial Grand General that my grandmother still holds, don't you know what the nature of High General Wu looks like? Then, are you going to sit idly by here without doing anything, Great General Shi?"

General Shi Li Ying's gaze sharpened, he knew that there was something hidden within the fourth princess. "What do you mean, Your Majesty?"

"Stop pretending not to know, General Shi. Don't you want that position too?" Ling Mei looked at Shi Li Ying flatly, then she gave a small grin.

Li Ying was silent for a while before she again raised a question that people had never thought about Ling Mei. "Why are you pretending to be mentally disabled, Your Majesty?"

"Have you realized it now, General Shi? Even a crocodile would have to hide in the water for a long time before catching its prey, General Shi. And I was just waiting for the right time when I should show my canine teeth, before then I would bite and tear my prey crazily."

"You've really changed, Your Majesty. You are no longer the warm little princess Ling Mei and are favored by all the imperial people."

Ling Mei's gaze turned so cold as the freezing snow of winter, her facial features were nowhere near as noticeable as a speck of pleasure. "Hmph! The warm little princess had been dead since eight years ago, General Shi. When people started to hunt for his life and kill the people he loved inside his own palace."

Ling Mei sighed before returning to continue her words. "Stop talking nonsense about the past, now I want to make an offer to you, General Shi."

"An offer?" Li Ying looked at Ling Mei while raising one eyebrow.

"I can help you get that position so that High General Wu doesn't get it. Of course with the help of my first brother, High General Wu will definitely easily obtain the position of Great Imperial General. Also, my brother will not stop until he manages to pull all the imperial officials to side with him. Shao Mu Lan would use any means to get the imperial officials on his side, including using even dirty means. Don't you already know that?"

Brak!

General Shi kicked the table in front of him quite violently, it seemed like his emotions started to rise after hearing Ling Mei's words. All imperial princesses are the same! They approached the imperial officials just to ask for support from them! It made him feel unhappy. Even the loud noise made the two people standing hiding behind the door of the general's room also gasp in shock.

"Young Master, are you okay? Should we just go back? It seems like the Great Mistress is having an inviolable meeting." Looking at his slightly frightened master, the male servant standing behind a young man asked frantically.

The young man shook his head, in which case he became too stubborn. "No, there's no need! I'll wait, maybe soon it'll be over."

Back, General Shi's voice sounded quite loud.

"What do you really want to say, Your Majesty?! Even if you are an imperial princess and the only princess who has a legitimate position as heir to the throne, I am not afraid of you, Your Majesty! Therefore, never try to influence me!"

Seeing the fury that began to be seen on Great General Shi's face, Ling Mei laughed. It made him happy when he saw General Shi's truly courageous response. "Haha! This is what makes me like you, General Shi! Your courage makes me feel good!"

"Right now that your family is in danger of General Shi, the Crown Princess has been eyeing the support power of a Great General of the Shi Empire and is targeting your family to obtain it. Of course, if he can't get it from you, then he'll use your kids to get you on his side. Then, after he doesn't need you anymore, my good brother will throw you out and wipe out your entire family on the grounds of rebellion against the empire."

"Then, how can I trust your words, Your Majesty?" Li Ying asked Ling Mei while staring flatly at the cup containing tea that was starting to cool down, Ling Mei who saw it only smiled faintly.

"In a moment, first brother will probably come to you and if you still don't grab my hand, maybe I can't help you when that happens, General Shi. Even if you are a neutral noble, but you watch over the four of us in silence. In which case am I wrong, General Shi?"

The aura of an Imperial Great General was indeed beyond doubt, with the stern and sharp look of his eyes he looked straight at the two eyes of Ling Mei who also emitted a faint cold glint. "Then, what do you want from me Your Majesty?"

"As one of the protective wings of the empire, I want you to be on my side and give me full support to reclaim the position of mine that first brother forcibly took. To stay alive and protect my people, I must become Grand Empress!"

Li Ying snorted, but then he smiled obliquely. "Look at this, you really don't have any mental disabilities, Your Majesty."

"ah! Then, was our conversation so interesting that you chose to listen to everything and continue to stand there for a long time? Whoever's behind the door, aren't you going in?" Ling Mei spoke in an extremely cold tone without looking back in the slightest, she even remained staring straight ahead right at General Shi.

Shi Yu Han, the Shi family's first young master was jolted with both eyes wide-eyed. She did not expect that the fourth princess would notice her presence there, this took her by surprise when she learned that the fourth princess was really very different from what was rumored. There was no other choice, Yu Han then chose to enter and show himself. Shame enveloped her as the fourth princess and her mother thought she was an intruder stalking them, it was seen from General Shi himself who had prepared with a sword in his hand.

Yu Han lowered his head in salute, he secretly gulped his saliva nervously. "Before, greeting the Fourth Star of the Empire, may you always be filled with happiness. I'm sorry mom, I didn't mean to listen to your conversation on purpose."

"Then what are you doing here?" Ling Mei stared coldly at the young master, her facial expression looking mysterious without expression.

"I didn't have too much work in the residence and decided to visit my mother, I didn't know that it wasn't the right time. Sorry for interrupting both of you're time and presumptuously listening to something I shouldn't have known, Yu Han was willing to carry this secret to death."

Ling Mei stared fixedly at Yu Han, trying to trace the honesty of the young man's words. He was right, the young man said an honesty, not even Ling Mei found a single speck of lies in his speech. Ling Mei let out a long sigh and closed her eyes for a while before opening them again.

"Since you already know .. make sure you keep your mouth shut in this! If until this secret is known by others, especially my three brothers, don't blame me for not hesitating anymore!"

"This lowly one understood, Your Majesty." immediately after, Yu Han's gaze turned to stare towards his mother who had put her sword back in its original place. "ah! Since mother is in an important conversation, I will return to the residence and will meet mother at another time."

"No. Stay here and sit beside me, there are some things I want to say and it has to do with you."

As Li Ying spoke, Yu Han then walked towards her mother and sat down beside her. He lowered his head with both hands squeezing his hanfunya nervously, not daring to stare directly at Ling Mei who was in front of him.

"You have asked me to side with you, therefore I would like to apply one condition for you."

"Condition? What'sthat?" Ling Mei raised one eyebrow, trying to second-guess the will of General Shi inwardly, could it be...

"Please make Yu Han your concubine and promise to take good care of her, Your Majesty."

Hearing Li Ying's words, Ling Mei and Yu Han were both wide-eyed in disbelief. They were shocked, even though Ling Mei had guessed that before, she did not think that it would actually happen.

"What's? You're asking me to take your son as my concubine? Even if you have to get married, isn't your son a legitimate young master of the Shi family who can marry and become an official companion of the great miss of the famous family?"

"I understand, Your Majesty. However, there is no better option at the moment. Crown Princess Shao Mu Lan had targeted Yu Han who was the only legitimate son I had to tie me up to be willing to side with her."

Li Ying looked at Yu Han with warm eyes, her face looking softened making Ling Mei understand that General Shi really loved her son very much.

"General Shi, if he were to marry me, even though I gave him the title of Imperial Grand Concubine, it cannot change the fact that the concubine is still a concubine. Knowing that, are you still willing to give your son to me?"

"Yes, I'm ready." Li Ying looked at Ling Mei confidently, this was the only way to protect her son from the Crown Princess' sight.

"Han'er, I hope you understand. Mother does not want you to become the concubine of the Crown Princess, right now only Her Majesty the Fourth Princess can protect you and again she is a good person. You'll be fine with him."

When Li Ying said so, Ling Mei turned her face away with a faint glint of sad eyes. 'You're wrong General Shi, I'm not a good person. I'm really not a good person.'

"Hiao. Yu Han was willing to accept this marriage and would serve the Fourth Princess with great loyalty." Yu Han replied gently, she looks like a glass that is easily fragile and broken, it makes Ling Mei feel evil for marrying such a kind man.

"Alright, do it if you don't mind this. I will accept it and take good care of Yu Han as you wish from me."

Ling Mei paused for a while before returning to say, "As soon as you become my concubine, you will stay in my residence. Therefore, after this come to my residence to see your new abode, I will take you to see what my residence was like before you actually lived there."

"Yu Han thanked the Fourth Princess for the good she had been given." Yu Han smiled faintly, the young master has been determined to try to accept Ling Mei in his heart.

"Now, since the deal has been done, what if you practice swordsmanship with me, Your Majesty? I feel quite curious about the martial ability you have, are you pleased with this?"

The glint of a smile was seen in Ling Mei's eyes, she found a commensurate opponent other than her grandmother, it made her feel excited. "No problem, let's do it! I'll take it with pleasure."

When Great General Shi and Fourth Princess Shao Ling Mei had been in the fighting area, Yu Han and his male servant, Mo Xi had also seen through it. The aura of both of them was really sharp and domineering, it was amazing. Even Mo Xi unceasingly said that the fourth princess was very cool and powerful when carrying a sword in her hand, the face as beautiful as jade many times looks more charming when showing a serious look full of assertiveness. With the additional exposure of the twilight sun that made Ling Mei much more radiant, seeing that Yu Han also approved of Mo Xi's words in his heart.

"Young Master, look! Fourth Princess is really very beautiful, she is also very strong! Your wife is a rare talented person! If I were you, this servant would probably give my whole heart to the fourth princess. You are a very lucky man, Young Master. The fourth daughter is a good and great person, in the future I hope you will always be happy."

'Her 'Wife....'

Hearing Mo Xi's entire speech, both Yu Han's cheeks and ears turned red. The young man looked at Ling Mei who was fighting with her mother silently with glowing eyes. The fourth daughter is a great woman, and that great woman will be his wife in a moment. Suddenly his heart was beating so fast, Yu Han felt like he was about to explode because of that. He could not help but feel a strange stir in his heart. Shi Yu Han always asked in his mind, is he really allowed to get all of this?

"You're right, Mo Xi. I am very lucky to be able to marry her, therefore I hope that one day the Fourth Princess will open her heart to me." Yu Han muttered softly with a facial expression that showed a warm, so gentle and soothing radiance. Shi Yu Han would give his entire life and the feeling he had for Shao Ling Mei, after this in his life he wished Ling Mei had never left him no matter what.