Transmigrated into a Scummy Alpha Playboy in Ancient Times - Chapter 125

After several days of marching, Shen Xingyue no longer resembled the refined noble lady she had been in the capital. She had learned to adapt, making do with whatever was available. By the time she and Han Shu arrived in Jizhou, they received unexpected good news—Xiu Wenying had already persuaded several towns under Wang Mingda’s control to surrender. More than 20,000 soldiers had laid down their weapons without a single battle. It was practically a bloodless victory.

Now, only two towns remained under Wang Mingda’s command—Anguang and Pingning—with no more than 30,000 troops between them.

With that, Han Shu and Xiu Wenying’s forces surrounded both cities, hoping to create enough internal panic to take them without a costly siege.

Under the protection of her guards, Shen Xingyue made her way to Xiu Wenying’s camp. Xiu had already been waiting at the gate to welcome her personally.

After all, Shen Xingyue’s status was distinguished, and rumors had been circulating that she might be His Majesty’s illegitimate daughter. Xiu Wenying couldn’t afford to be disrespectful.

“General Xiu,” Shen Xingyue greeted him with a smile.

Xiu Wenying quickly cupped his hands and replied, “Your Highness, please come in. I’ve prepared hot tea for you in the main tent.”

“No hurry,” Shen Xingyue said. “What’s the situation with those 20,000 surrendered soldiers?”

“Most of them were forced to join Wang Mingda,” Xiu replied. “And I’ve received an imperial edict—their command now falls under your authority.”

“What about their commanding officers? Are they facing any consequences?” she asked, her eyes steady.

“I didn’t dare make that decision without your approval. Please instruct me,” Xiu Wenying answered respectfully.

“Gather the troops,” Shen Xingyue said calmly. “I have a few things to say—and some orders to give.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Xiu immediately went to carry out the order.

Soon, the 20,000 soldiers were assembled. Shen Xingyue, now on horseback, surveyed the troops and raised her voice:

“His Majesty has sent me to take command of you—former soldiers under Wang Mingda. I understand many of you were forced into service, and I will not punish you for that. But rebellion is still rebellion. Your commanding and deputy officers bear responsibility for this. Pass down my order: each of them will receive 20 strikes with the military rod. This is already a light punishment, considering the crime. You’re being spared because you didn’t loot the towns and because of the circumstances.”

“Yes, Your Highness!” the soldiers responded loudly.

The commanders and deputies among them stepped forward voluntarily. Many had feared harsh punishment, but the sentence was within reason. Relieved, they accepted it without protest.

Xiu Wenying’s soldiers carried out the punishment. Soon, the sound of heavy blows echoed through the camp. Twenty lashes were enough to break the skin, but these men were trained. They would recover within a week or two.

When it was over, Shen Xingyue spoke again:

“Your wages are paid by the people. Never forget that. Don’t let something like this happen again. From this day forward, you serve under my command. Once we return to the capital, I will formally reorganize and integrate you into the army.”

“Yes, Your Highness!” the soldiers shouted in unison.

With that matter resolved, Shen Xingyue turned back to Xiu Wenying and said, “To avoid further confusion, please keep these troops under your watch for now. Once the rebellion is fully dealt with, I’ll make formal arrangements.”

“Yes, Your Highness. I will follow your orders,” Xiu said with a bow.

Having finished the task, Shen Xingyue returned to Han Shu’s camp, flanked by her guards. Han Shu was in the middle of a strategy meeting with her officers. When she saw Shen Xingyue walk in, she smiled, “You’re back?”

“Yeah. I just had the commanding officers from those 20,000 men punished with 20 lashes each—nothing serious, just a warning.” Shen Xingyue sat down and then asked, “How are things going on your side?”

“Wang Mingda’s refusing to come out. From what we’ve seen, he has at least three months’ worth of food stored. I think he’s planning to outlast us. We’ve already sent men to shout insults at the gates, but if we try a direct assault, it might get ugly,” Han Shu said thoughtfully.

“We could attach messages to arrows and shoot them into the city,” Shen Xingyue suggested. “Tell them that anyone who surrenders will be pardoned. And if someone delivers Wang Mingda’s head, they’ll be rewarded with 3,000 taels of gold—and an official title once we return to the capital.”

“That’s a good idea,” Han Shu nodded. “But arrows are expensive. I’ll have the laborers cut some wood nearby and make simple ones. We can tie your message to those and fire them into the city. Even if no one responds, it might shake their morale.”

She immediately gave Jiang Zhao the task.

Shen Xingyue, having been running around all morning, finally returned to her tent to rest. Now that the siege lines were fixed, her accommodations were far better than during the march. The tent had a real bed, a table, chairs, and even a small wooden tub for bathing.

She removed her armor and collapsed onto the bed.

The moment she had a break, her thoughts drifted back to her little kitten.

If Wang Mingda kept dragging this out, their combined army—over 100,000 strong—would burn through supplies at a terrifying rate. Just the food alone would be a burden the court might struggle to maintain.

And worst of all, she wouldn’t be able to return home to see her little kitten anytime soon.

The thought alone made Shen Xingyue’s heart ache.

Jiang Zhao ordered the laborers to cut trees and craft makeshift arrows. Meanwhile, literate soldiers were assigned to write messages, which were then tied to the arrows. Han Shu’s archers lined up and began firing these arrows into the city. Some landed on rooftops, others struck the walls. At first, the soldiers on the city walls panicked, thinking Han Shu’s forces were launching an assault. But when they looked closer, they saw that every arrow carried a note.

Some of the soldiers opened the messages—and what they read started to shake their resolve. Since a large number of arrows had made it into the city, many received the message, including some of the commanding officers under Wang Mingda.

Wang Mingda himself saw the letters too. In a fit of rage, he grabbed the wine jar beside him and smashed it against the floor. Gritting his teeth, he shouted, “Han Shu, you dare to pressure me like this? I only have fifty thousand men, and even the Empress fears me. You think you’ll have a better end? Don’t dream of it!”

Then he barked orders at his men. “Anyone caught picking up these arrows—kill them on the spot!”

His subordinates, alarmed by his fury, scrambled to obey.

Two male courtesans beside him trembled in fear. Wang Mingda, face flushed and reeking of wine, turned his bloodshot eyes toward them and spat, “Useless trash. What am I keeping you around for?”

Without warning, he grabbed a large broadsword from the wall and, with two swift swings, cut both men down where they stood.

Still not satisfied, he roared toward the courtyard, “Guards! Strip them and hang their bodies at the gates! Let everyone see—whoever tries to desert will end up like them!”

“Yes, General.” A few guards quickly dragged the bodies away, but their hands shook—they couldn’t bring themselves to go through with it.

Wang Mingda, still holding the bloodstained sword, staggered outside, taking a few more swigs of wine from a new jar. He smashed that one too.

“What’s wrong? Have I become too weak to order you around?” he shouted coldly. “Or do you feel sorry for them and want to join them?”

“N-No, General. We wouldn’t dare,” the guards stammered, faces pale. Just as they were about to follow through, Wang Mingda stopped them again.

Still grinning coldly, his breath reeking of alcohol, he sneered, “Wait. Bring all the commanding officers, the generals and their deputies—gather them all in the courtyard. Skin these two in front of them. Let them watch.”

Wang Mingda burst into a fit of maniacal laughter. The guards, frightened by the look in his eyes, ran off to carry out the order.

Soon, his courtyard was filled with his highest-ranking officers. Wang Mingda stood before them, stinking of alcohol and blood, his expression twisted with rage.

“I know morale in the city is low,” he shouted. “Especially after those damned letters made their way in. Some of you are even thinking of turning your backs on me, aren’t you? The imperial army may be terrifying, but I—Wang Mingda—am no coward. Look at these two. This is what happens to traitors. You all better remember this—anyone who betrays me will suffer the same fate. The exact same!”

Blood splattered across the courtyard. Even among these battle-hardened men, some turned away, sickened by the gruesome scene.

Wang Mingda, however, only laughed harder.

He had been feeling more desperate by the day. With imperial forces closing in from both sides—Han Shu and Xiu Wenying tightening their grip—his fifty-thousand-strong force had already shrunk to thirty thousand. No word had come from the Hu tribes either. He felt death drawing near.

So, he indulged himself. Day and night, he stayed locked in his courtyard, drinking, taking his pick of any attractive men or women in the city—anyone he found pleasing. Once he grew bored of them, he killed them without a second thought.

His cruelty had already sparked resentment among the troops. Today’s bloody display was a warning—an attempt to reassert control through fear.

Three more days passed.

Though Wang Mingda’s city remained silent, his neighboring stronghold—Pingning—finally gave in. The ten thousand soldiers there opened the gates and surrendered.

Shen Xingyue issued punishment to the commanding officers and their deputies—thirty lashes each—and temporarily assigned their troops to Han Shu’s army. A full restructuring would wait until they returned to the capital.

Now, Wang Mingda was truly alone.

His remaining ten thousand men were cut off, isolated, and surrounded. With morale crumbling and panic spreading, more and more people in his ranks were beginning to wonder—was he really worth dying for?

“Report, General! Bad news—Pingning has opened its gates and surrendered to the imperial army. What should we do now?” The soldier who came in was drenched in sweat and clearly panicking.

Wang Mingda, however, seemed completely unshaken. As if he had expected this all along, he downed his cup of wine in one gulp, one arm still wrapped around the waist of a male courtesan.

“What are you panicking for?” he sneered. “So what if only one city remains? Anguang’s walls are tall and sturdy. Even if the imperial army launches a full assault, it would take at least a month to break through. You lot are just weak-willed, panicking over nothing. You’ve ruined my mood—you should be executed.”

As he spoke, Wang Mingda grabbed his broadsword with a smile, rushed out of the room, and with a single swing, cut the messenger clean in half. Then, standing in the middle of the courtyard, he burst into wild laughter.

He knew exactly what fate awaited him, and he had no plans to resist it. Instead, he intended to spend his remaining time indulging himself. The city still had enough food to last three to four months—plenty of time for him to continue his life of excess. And when the end came, he planned to go out in a blaze, taking Han Shu and the others with him if he could.

Tossing the blood-stained blade aside, he stumbled back into his room to continue drinking and “enjoying himself.”

Elsewhere in Anguang, at the residence of one of the city’s commanders, a secret meeting was underway. Nearly all the officers who weren’t Wang Mingda’s personal loyalists had gathered.

“Commander Zhang, this can’t go on,” one officer said urgently. “You’ve seen the general—he’s completely lost his mind. Killing and mutilating people… what kind of normal person does that? If we don’t escape soon, we’re all going to die here.”

“Exactly, Commander. You’re the one we all look up to. We’ll follow your lead.”

“I heard he killed several guards this morning—cut them clean in half. I’ll say it, even if it’s treason—General Wang has gone mad.”

Commander Zhang, a man in his forties, frowned deeply but finally nodded. “You’re right. If we keep following him, more lives will be wasted. And remember—he tricked us into this. He forged a royal edict, saying we were being sent to suppress bandits, but we were the ones turned into bandits.”

“Commander, my scouts found out that the soldiers who surrendered in Pingning weren’t punished. The Princess only had their commanding officers beaten with thirty strokes. The rest were let off. If we keep hesitating, we might lose the chance to redeem ourselves.”

Zhang clenched his teeth. “Alright. No turning back, then. Tonight, we kill Wang Mingda and offer his head in exchange for our lives.”

The men nodded. They spoke in low voices for a while longer, then dispersed to prepare.

At the front lines, Shen Xingyue had grown bored with camp life. With little to do, she often practiced archery. Her guards had made her a custom target, and with her natural strength and sharp eyesight, she was steadily improving. Day by day, her aim became more precise.

While shooting arrows, her thoughts often drifted to her little kitten back home. She had been away for over a month now, and there hadn’t even been a single battle. Most of the time, they were just waiting—dragging out the standoff.

After emptying a full quiver of arrows, Shen Xingyue stretched her arms and looked toward the city wall in the distance.

Han Shu emerged from her command tent, saw Shen Xingyue practicing, and smiled. “How are you holding up? Getting used to everything yet?”

“More or less,” Shen Xingyue replied. “My aim’s gotten a lot better too. But this Wang Mingda is ridiculous—still holed up in a lone city and refusing to surrender. It’s already been a month. At this rate, who knows what month it’ll be when we finally get back?”

“At most, we wait another half-month,” Han Shu said, her expression more serious. “Our supplies are running low. If he doesn’t surrender soon, we’ll have to storm the city. No choice.”

She was also worried about Shen Taotao—her baby was already four months old, and Han Shu feared the stress was too much for her.

Back in the capital, inside the royal residence, Su Muyu sat in Shen Taotao’s bedroom, going over household accounts. Shen Taotao sat nearby, flipping through one of Shen Xingyue’s old sketchbooks. Not wanting to be alone, she had asked someone to fetch Su Muyu, who now kept her company whenever she had time.

“Sister Su,” Shen Taotao murmured, her tone low. “When do you think Sister Shu and my sister will come back? It’s already been a month.”

“Wars don’t end that quickly,” Su Muyu replied gently. “Try not to worry too much. Didn’t your father say earlier that the front lines are progressing well? Only one city remains under Wang Mingda’s control. I think it’ll be over soon.”

“…Alright,” Shen Taotao sighed.

Though Su Muyu tried to comfort her, she missed Shen Xingyue terribly. After doing the books for a while, she gave up—her mind was somewhere else. She hadn’t been sleeping well, constantly wondering how her Yue’er was doing.

That evening, snowflakes drifted down from the sky. Inside Anguang City, Wang Mingda was once again dead drunk, indulging himself with several courtesans.

He never saw it coming.

His courtyard guards were all silently eliminated by Commander Zhang’s men, one by one.

Wang Mingda was startled by the sudden commotion outside. Before he could react, the door to his chamber was kicked open. Commander Zhang stormed in with a large group of armed men.

Half-sobered by shock, Wang Mingda shouted, “What do you think you’re doing? Are you trying to rebel against me?!”

Zhang stepped forward, face grim. “You tricked us from the very beginning. None of us ever intended to defy the imperial court. But because of your personal vendetta, you dragged us into this and got our brothers killed. You’ve mistreated your own men and terrorized the people of this city. Wang Mingda, we’re here for your head.”

As soon as Zhang spoke, his soldiers rushed forward. Despite the chaos, Wang Mingda wasn’t entirely defenseless. He managed to kill four men in the scuffle, but without armor, he was quickly overwhelmed. Several soldiers struck him down with their blades.

Commander Zhang personally severed Wang Mingda’s head, ordered his troops to regroup, and gathered the remaining city forces. Then, carrying the severed head in a wooden box, he led a small group out of the city.

Han Shu’s scouts quickly spotted the approaching party and surrounded them.

Zhang called out loudly, “We were tricked by Wang Mingda into this rebellion. None of us ever intended to betray the empire! This box holds Wang Mingda’s severed head. I ask to present it to Her Highness and General Han as proof of our loyalty.”

“You can enter the camp,” the squad leader replied, “but only you. The rest must stay behind.”

“Understood. We have no ill intentions,” Zhang replied without hesitation. Holding the wooden box tightly, he followed the soldiers into the camp.

He was escorted into Han Shu’s command tent, where Shen Xingyue was also present. The two women were seated at a small table, finishing a meal.

“Your Highness, General,” the guard announced respectfully, “this man has come from Anguang City. He says he’s brought Wang Mingda’s head.”

Shen Xingyue and Han Shu exchanged a glance, then stood to face him.

“You brought Wang Mingda’s head?” Shen Xingyue asked directly.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Zhang replied immediately, recognizing her voice despite the mask she wore. He quickly bowed and added, “I wouldn’t dare lie. His head is inside this box.”

“Check it,” Shen Xingyue ordered the nearby guards.

One of the guards opened the box and examined the contents. “Your Highness, it’s him. This is Wang Mingda.”

Both Shen Xingyue and Han Shu walked over to take a look. It was indeed Wang Mingda’s severed head.

Han Shu nodded and turned to Zhang. “It’s too late tonight to send more people into the city or have your men come out. Any sudden movement might cause unrest. I’ll send a small force of a few thousand to accompany you back and take over the city’s defenses. In the meantime, gather the rest of your troops and make sure they don’t disturb the citizens.”

“Yes, General. I understand,” Zhang said, quickly accepting the command. He then left with one of Han Shu’s deputy commanders to begin the transition.

After the matter was settled, Han Shu ordered the head to be properly secured. Shen Xingyue was still processing everything. “So… that means our mission is done?”

“Not quite,” Han Shu said with a smile. “We still need to restore order and reassure the citizens who were harmed during the chaos. Once everything is stable, then we can leave.”

“How long will that take?” Shen Xingyue asked eagerly.

“At least another seven or eight days. We’ve come this far—what’s a few more?” Han Shu replied, patting her on the shoulder reassuringly.

The next morning, Commander Zhang led nearly 30,000 soldiers out of the city to formally surrender. He was quick to show humility, personally bringing all officers with military rank to present themselves before Shen Xingyue and ask for forgiveness.

Shen Xingyue thought it over. A punishment of forty lashes seemed too harsh—especially for those in poor health, it could be fatal. But at the same time, they had surrendered several days later than the previous group, and a standard had to be set. After a moment’s thought, she spoke calmly:

“I understand that most of you were forced into this by Wang Mingda. I will report the full truth of the situation to His Majesty. It’s because you were willing to surrender peacefully that we avoided more bloodshed. But this is still a matter of national law—I must take a clear stance.”

“We understand, Your Highness,” one of the commanding officers said, bowing deeply. “Please issue your punishment.”

“Yes, we are ready to accept whatever penalty you decide,” the others echoed, kneeling respectfully.

Shen Xingyue let out a quiet sigh. “Then each of you will receive thirty-five lashes. This is a warning. Never let such a thing happen again.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.” The officers kowtowed in gratitude, clearly relieved it wasn’t worse.

In the following days, Shen Xingyue focused on reorganizing the troops, while Han Shu and Xiu Wenying worked on restoring order in the towns previously held by Wang Mingda’s forces.

Shen Xingyue wore her armor daily, personally patrolling the camps. She instructed soldiers to report any misconduct, especially cases of looting civilians or assaulting courtesans. Any soldier found guilty—over a hundred in total, including several officers—was executed immediately, without mercy.

She was firm in her decision: not only because these men deserved punishment, but also to send a clear warning to others. She was willing to forgive those forced into rebellion—but never those who took advantage of the chaos for personal gain.

Han Shu hadn’t expected her to act so decisively, but she approved. The best kind of leadership, she knew, was a balance of mercy and discipline. The innocent were spared, but the wicked were dealt with swiftly.

With order restored, they didn’t linger. Every extra day meant more food consumed and more strain on supplies. At dawn, Shen Xingyue and her troops began their return march to the capital.

By her count, the entire campaign had taken just two and a half months, including the return trip—a remarkably fast victory.

This time, riding didn’t exhaust her the way it had before. Though her back still ached by nightfall, she’d built up strength. She could now spend a full day on horseback without being completely drained.

That evening, after setting up camp, Shen Xingyue and Han Shu sat down together to eat and review the campaign.

“This whole thing went so smoothly because Wang Mingda lied to his men,” Shen Xingyue said between bites. “Most of them didn’t even know they were rebelling. That’s why we were able to bring them over without a fight.”

Han Shu nodded. “It helped that Wang Mingda lost control near the end. If he’d kept a firm grip on his officers, I doubt Zhang and the others would’ve dared to betray him.”

Shen Xingyue nodded thoughtfully. “Even though we didn’t fight an actual battle, I learned a lot—how to arrange troops, how to manage supplies, how to siege a city. These things are more complicated than I imagined. But more than that, I realized how hard it is for soldiers—fighting in this cold, marching day after day. It’s tough.”

Han Shu gave a long sigh. “Exactly. Beichuan isn’t like Daxia or Nanqi. Our springs are short and harvests are small. Every time we mobilize troops, it puts pressure on the national treasury. Sure, we have silver and gold mines, but they won’t last forever. What then?”

Shen Xingyue took a sip of hot soup and replied softly, “We’ll find a way. We always do.”

They sat in silence for a moment before Han Shu noticed Shen Xingyue rolling her shoulders.

“Your back again? Want me to help?” she asked with a teasing smile.

“What do you mean ‘again’? I’m a Dryuan—I never admit defeat,” Shen Xingyue said stubbornly.

Han Shu laughed. “Alright, mighty Grand Princess—want help or not?”

“…Fine,” Shen Xingyue admitted. “I’m getting used to the riding, but after a full day, my back still complains.”

This time, though, she didn’t cry out in pain as she had before. She had learned to bear it—and the massage really helped. Her body always felt lighter the next day.

Han Shu smiled, amused, and began massaging her shoulders.

At that moment, Commander Zhang arrived to speak with Shen Xingyue. But when he reached the tent, the guards stopped him.

“General Han is currently discussing matters with Her Highness. Please come back tomorrow,” one of the guards said politely.

Commander Zhang blinked, puzzled, and peeked inside. Through the glow of the lantern, he saw two figures close together.

His eyes widened.

He understood now.

He’d always found it strange—why the imperial inspector was so friendly with General Han, and why they seemed so close. But seeing them like this?

It all made sense.

Flustered, he quickly turned and left.

Unaware of being misunderstood, Shen Xingyue drank some water after her massage and went to bed early, exhausted from the day.

The army continued to march toward the capital over the next several days. Commander Zhang, meanwhile, couldn’t help sneaking glances at Shen Xingyue and Han Shu. Sometimes he’d flash a knowing grin—convinced he’d uncovered some grand secret.

Still, he kept it to himself.

He might be curious, but he wasn’t reckless enough to start gossiping.

Support