I am invincible, that's why I lie down. You're using your entire clan to rebel?

Chapter 481 Han Xin'er devised a training plan! Qin Mu intends to cultivate Han Xin'er.

"Give them a good lesson here. I'll come back in a couple of days to see how they turn out."

After saying that, Qin Mu stepped over the threshold and disappeared into the morning light outside the door.

The palace doors closed slowly behind him with a soft "bang".

Inside the side hall, only Liu Ruolan and Yun Suxin remained.

Liu Ruolan knelt on the ground, head down, looking at her empty, slightly trembling hands, her heart filled with coldness.

Yun Suxin sat in front of her, bound by ropes, like a prisoner.

Neither of them spoke.

Looking at Yun Suxin, who was bound hand and foot, Liu Ruolan had no idea how to discipline her.

How could she possibly know how to do that?

She had been studying women's precepts and admonitions since childhood, learning how to be a good wife and mother and how to manage a household. She had never been exposed to this kind of thing before.

She had no idea what His Majesty meant by "training" or to what extent he would be satisfied.

Liu Ruolan looked somewhat bewildered, her brows furrowed, her lips bitten, and her fingers twisting the hem of her dress inside her sleeve.

Seeing Liu Ruolan's bewildered expression, Yun Suxin breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Although being disciplined by this woman is a very undignified and shameful thing, it is still much better than being tortured in Qin Mu's hands.

This ending was infinitely better than she had imagined.

She had thought that Qin Mu would personally take action and use those perverse methods to torture her, making her wish she were dead.

But he didn't.

He simply handed her over to a woman who knew nothing.

This woman doesn't look like the type to make things difficult for others; she's gentle, soft-hearted, and even somewhat timid.

She should have a very comfortable life from now on.

Yun Suxin thought to herself, her tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and her breathing became more even.

Liu Ruolan became increasingly nervous and conflicted.

This is the task His Majesty has given her.

His Majesty did not make things difficult for her, nor humiliate her, nor even punish her; he simply gave her this task.

If she can't even do this, what awaits her next?

She didn't know, but it must have been terrifying.

She had to complete this task and satisfy His Majesty, otherwise she dared not imagine what would become of her and her daughters.

As Liu Ruolan looked at Yun Suxin, the face of her eldest daughter, Han Xin'er, suddenly appeared in her mind.

That young, calm face, as if it could see through everything.

She suddenly felt that perhaps Xin'er had a solution.

That child was smarter than her, more thoughtful, and better able to see through people's hearts.

Liu Ruolan turned around, walked to the palace gate, and gave a slight curtsy to the palace maids guarding the door, her voice soft and earnest.

"Excuse me, could you please help me bring my daughter here?"

The palace maid glanced at her and nodded slightly. "I need to consult His Majesty."

Liu Ruolan nodded repeatedly, her eyes slightly red, her voice hoarse. "Thank you, thank you so much!"

The palace maid turned and left, her footsteps fading into the distance.

Upon hearing this, Yun Suxin breathed a sigh of relief, only to have her heart leap into her throat again.

She didn't know why Liu Ruolan wanted to find her daughter. Did she want to ask Han Xin'er for help?

The girl who decisively tied her up this morning?

The image of Han Xin'er appeared in her mind.

She was in her early twenties, standing there quietly with a calm gaze and a faint smile on her lips, but her eyes were like two deep pools of water, unfathomable.

That girl was frighteningly decisive, acting swiftly and decisively without the slightest hesitation, much like her former self.

If it fell into the hands of that girl, it would be a million times more terrifying than it is now.

Yun Suxin suddenly felt a chill, her back broke out in a fine sweat, and her fingers trembled slightly inside her sleeve.

Soon, the palace maid returned, walked up to Liu Ruolan, and nodded slightly.

"His Majesty said it's possible."

The weight that had been hanging over Liu Ruolan's heart for so long finally lifted, and she let out a long breath, her eyes slightly reddening.

The palace maid turned and left to fetch Han Xin'er and Han Qin'er.

Yun Suxin looked at Liu Ruolan, gritted her teeth, and spoke in a hoarse voice, carrying a hint of suppressed urgency and unease.

"Hey, why did you call your daughter over here? Aren't you afraid that tyrant might do something to them?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Ruolan was immediately shocked, as if she had been struck hard from behind.

Her pupils contracted slightly, and her lips trembled violently.

She had forgotten to consider that.

But when she thought of His Majesty's mission, she gritted her teeth and decided to send her daughter over.

Anyway, they were all in the imperial palace, so they couldn't escape even if they wanted to.

If His Majesty is truly interested, a single decree can summon them back; hiding anywhere won't make a difference.

She didn't speak, but simply lowered her head and remained silent.

Yun Suxin became even more anxious, her body twisting slightly in the rope, her voice carrying a hint of pleading.

"Say something!"

Liu Ruolan remained silent, simply standing there with her head down.

Soon, hurried footsteps could be heard outside the palace gate.

Han Xin'er and Han Qin'er followed the palace maid in.

Han Xin'er walked quickly to her mother, her eyes slightly red, her little hand tightly gripping her mother's hand, her voice urgent.

"Mother, are you alright?"

Her gaze swept quickly across her mother's face, from her forehead to her chin, from her eyebrows to the corners of her mouth, and she only breathed a slight sigh of relief after confirming that she was not injured.

Liu Ruolan shook her head, a slight smile forcing at the corners of her lips.

"It's alright, Mother is alright."

Han Xin'er breathed a sigh of relief, then glanced at Yun Suxin, who was bound hand and foot to the side, and frowned slightly.

She turned her head to look at her mother, her voice steady.

"Mother, is there anything I can do for you?"

Liu Ruolan nodded, took her daughter's hand, and walked to a corner of the side hall, where she whispered the task His Majesty had given her.

Han Xin'er listened, her eyes flickering twice.

She didn't speak, she just stood there, her gaze fixed on Yun Suxin.

Yun Suxin felt a little uneasy under Han Xin'er's calm, watery eyes.

His gaze was neither cold nor warm, carrying no hostility whatsoever.

But it's like a sword that hasn't been drawn from its sheath; even through the sheath, you can feel its sharpness.

She instinctively shrank back, her back pressed against the cold wall, with nowhere to retreat.

Liu Ruolan held Han Xin'er's hand, her voice low, carrying a hint of barely suppressed tension and bewilderment.

"Xin'er, I have no idea what His Majesty is thinking. To what extent does he intend to train her? I'm completely baffled."

Han Xin'er did not answer immediately.

She released her mother's hand, walked to Yun Suxin, squatted down, and looked her in the eye.

She reached out, gently pinched Yun Suxin's chin, turned her face around, and examined her carefully for a moment.

Yun Suxin felt a chill run down her spine from her gaze, and goosebumps rose on her skin. She couldn't help but shrink back.

"What...what are you going to do?"

Han Xin'er ignored her, let go of her hand, stood up, turned around, and faced Liu Ruolan.

Her voice was steady.

"Mother, His Majesty didn't specify the exact degree of adjustment, which precisely shows that he has completely entrusted us with the decision-making process. Whether the adjustment is too lenient or too severe, it's all our responsibility. He only cares about the result."

Liu Ruolan frowned even more, her eyes filled with confusion.

"So... what was the result?"

Han Xin'er's gaze fell on Yun Suxin, and a faint smile slowly appeared on her lips.

"Make her obey. Make her stop wanting to run away. Make her fear from the bottom of her heart, so fearful that she doesn't even dare to have the thought of running away."

Upon hearing this, Yun Suxin's heart sank.

Han Xin'er continued,

"To achieve this result, you can't just use beatings and scoldings. Beatings and scoldings will only make her outwardly compliant, but inwardly she will hate him even more. When that hatred reaches its extreme, she will desperately look for an opportunity to escape."

Liu Ruolan nodded thoughtfully, a hint of admiration flashing in her eyes.

"Then... what should we do?"

Han Xin'er walked to Yun Suxin's side, reached out and gently brushed away the stray hairs that had fallen across her forehead.

The movements were very light and gentle, like an older sister taking care of her younger sister.

This scene is just too bizarre.

Because Yun Suxin is old enough to be Han Xin'er's mother.

Yun Suxin was taken aback by her sudden gentleness, her pupils contracting slightly.

Han Xin'er's voice was very soft, so soft that it sounded like she was talking to herself.

"Let her know that she can't escape. Not because she's tied up, not because there are guards outside, but because although the world is vast, there is no place for her to hide."

Yun Suxin's pupils contracted slightly, and her lips trembled slightly.

Han Xin'er continued, her voice even softer.

"She needs to understand that following His Majesty is her only choice. Not the best choice, but the only choice. Once she accepts this, she will no longer run away."

Yun Suxin's heart sank even further.

She didn't understand why the girl had told her all of this, as if she were hinting at something.

Is this girl really that confident? Doesn't she even shy away from saying things like that?

Han Xin'er straightened up, took two steps back, and looked Yun Suxin up and down with a burning gaze.

"So what we need to do is not to torture her, but to let her think it through herself. Let her realize that escaping will only lead to death, while staying will at least allow her to live."

Liu Ruolan's eyes brightened slightly, like a lamp suddenly lit in the darkness.

"Then...how exactly should we do it?"

Han Xin'er smiled, a faint smile, yet one that carried a certainty beyond her years.

"Let her calm down first. Right now, all she can think about is escaping, and she won't listen to anything. Once she's thought things through, we'll take it slowly."

She paused, her gaze falling on Yun Suxin's face, her voice even softer.

"Don't rush it. If you rush it, she'll rebel. Take it slow, wear her down little by little, until she accepts her fate."

Yun Suxin's heart sank even further, as if she had been plunged into ice water, completely frozen from the inside out.

Looking at Han Xin'er's young, calm face, which seemed to see through everything, she felt a deep chill run down her spine.

This girl was more terrifying than she had imagined.

Han Xin'er became more and more excited and confident as she spoke, her eyes grew brighter and brighter, and the smile on her lips deepened.

"Mother, don't worry. Leave this to me. I will definitely satisfy His Majesty."

Seeing her daughter's confident demeanor, Liu Ruolan finally felt a weight lifted from her heart.

Yun Suxin was completely stunned.

She looked at Han Xin'er as if she were looking at a demon in human skin who had crawled out of hell.

At this very moment, in the dark room next to the side hall.

Qin Mu sat in a rosewood armchair, his gaze falling on a palm-sized bronze mirror.

The scene inside the side hall was reflected in the bronze mirror, as clear as if it were real.

Jiang Zhaoyue stood beside him, her hands at her sides, her gaze also fixed on the bronze mirror.

She looked at Han Xin'er's calm, decisive, and methodical demeanor, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

"Your Majesty, do you intend to groom this young girl?"

Qin Mu smiled and tapped his fingers lightly twice on the armrest.

"Do you think she can be of use to me?"

Jiang Zhaoyue remained silent for a moment, her gaze falling on the bronze mirror, looking at Han Xin'er's young face and the face that seemed to see through everything.

"I believe...it is possible. She is smarter, calmer, and more resourceful than I imagined. Such a person, if employed by Your Majesty, would surely be of great use."

Qin Mu nodded, his smile deepening.

"That's what I think too. But let's not rush it, let's see how far she can go in this game first."

Jiang Zhaoyue looked at Qin Mu, a hint of admiration flashing in her eyes. "Is Your Majesty trying to toughen her up?"

Qin Mu leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers twice on the armrest.

"Let's test her, and see if she's worth my time."

Just then, a very light footstep sound came from outside the palace gate.

Yunluan walked in, her hand on the hilt of her sword, her back straight, her face cold and stern.

She walked up to Qin Mu, knelt on one knee, and clasped her hands in a fist salute.

"Your Majesty, news has arrived from the North."

Qin Mu raised an eyebrow. "Speak."

Yunluan raised her head, her voice clear, cold, and steady.

"Xu Longxiang is preparing a martial arts tournament to recruit heroes from all over the land, offering gold, silver, jewels, divine weapons, and martial arts manuals as prizes. According to his scouts, this event has already caused a sensation in the martial arts world, with masters from all walks of life flocking to the northern border."

Qin Mu smiled, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

"interesting."

He leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the sky outside the window, illuminated by the morning light, and the smile on his lips deepened.

"A martial arts tournament? He's certainly got some ideas. Under the guise of a martial arts tournament, he can gather all the heroes of the world under his command. What a clever trick!"

Yunluan lowered her head.

"Your Majesty, should we send someone infiltrate?"

Qin Mu shook his head and tapped his fingers on the armrest twice more.

"No need. Let him do what he wants. The more he stirs things up, the sooner his true colors will be revealed."

He paused, his gaze falling on Yunluan's face.

"Keep an eye on it. Report any news to me immediately."

Yunluan clasped her hands and bowed.

"Yes."

She stood up, turned and left the dark room, her footsteps fading into the distance.

Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, his gaze returning to the bronze mirror.

In the bronze mirror, Han Xin'er was still talking to Liu Ruolan, while Yun Suxin lowered her head, her face pale, and remained silent.

Qin Mu looked at the girl, and the smile on his lips deepened.

"Interesting," he said softly.