Chapter 207: Sack Who Must, Kill Who Must

Conquering a realm is easy, but ruling it is hard. For Xiao Li, a woman on the throne, the hardships and obstacles she would face were immense and all too predictable.

However, Xiao Li wasn’t worried. This was exactly why she had hosted the Scholars’ Banquet.

The first batch of five, led by Tang Shuyu, had already grasped the inner workings of the court. The second batch of recruited scholars diligently studied the hard-won insights of the first five. The third batch was diligent, obedient, and highly efficient in carrying out their duties.

Song Junzhan acted as a chancellor, leading all the scholars and implementing the systems established by Xiao Li with precision and force. This group had long since shed the world’s conventional ideas about officialdom. Instead, they were talents specifically groomed for the imperial court.

Their training was tailored to their aptitudes, their roles were clearly defined, and each individual’s strengths were maximized.

They were like a large, finely-tuned machine, fully assembled and ready to be moved into place and switched on.

There would be imperfections to iron out and adjustments to be made, but the overall direction was undoubtedly correct.

Of course, her people alone were not enough to run the country. That meant she had to sift through the old officials, keeping the capable and discarding the rest.

Dismiss those who must be dismissed, and kill those who must be killed.

To put it plainly, Xiao Li treated the nation like a corporation. She was now moving into a newly acquired enterprise with her own team.

The new team was taking over, laying off the old upper management, and re-evaluating the rank-and-file for employment.

Because a plan was already in place, Xiao Li didn’t need to worry in the slightest. Song Junzhan and his team were there to execute it.

Xiao Li had no doubts about their success. Song Junzhan and his men were young and, most importantly, filled with ambition and resentment toward the noble families who had suppressed them.

Hatred, ambition, passion, and fervor.

Fueled by these emotions, they could achieve the impossible if only given the chance.

Xiao Li gave them that chance. She gave them her backing, becoming their unshakeable pillar of support.

If they encountered difficulties, they likely wouldn’t run to Xiao Li. Instead, they would find a way to overcome them, putting in every ounce of effort to succeed.

They would be driven to prove themselves to Xiao Li, determined not to let her down.

Xiao Li had no concerns about her civil servants, and even fewer about her military generals.

Yang Jun took over the Imperial Army. Vice Officer Liu Dong and Rong Qing’s eldest apprentice, Wu Lie, jointly took charge of the Military Department. Rong Qing’s other two apprentices, Zhang Youli and Tian Sheng, took over the Patrol Camp.

Meanwhile, Rong Qing, leading half of the Silver Armor Guards and armed with Xiao Li’s personal edict as Empress, paid visits to the great aristocratic families one by one.

Those who accepted the edict knelt in submission. Those who refused were executed and their estates confiscated.

Of course, these methods were undeniably brutal and bloody, and they naturally bred resentment.

For a time, the Empress’s reputation for cruelty ran rampant. Whispers painted her as brutal, merciless, and tyrannical.

But these aristocratic families had long grown soft from their lives of extravagance and debauchery. Take the former Marquis Xuanping, for example. He hailed from a general’s family, yet both he and his son—one fat and bloated, the other lost to wine and women—looked as if they couldn’t even lift a sword.

Now, with enforcers at their gates, all they could do was curse her name. Very few had any real power to resist.

The old court, controlled by noble families and a clutch of old men, had long been corrupt, filthy, and dark. This was a process of purging the rot to make way for new growth.

It was bound to be painful. A great deal of blood was bound to be shed. But such were the rules of this world.

Emperors take their turn, as do nobles. What revolution has ever been bloodless?

With the civil servants and military generals handled, countless fortunes were also being poured into the National Treasury.

Since the court had yet to be fully consolidated, there were few official memorials to review. As a result, while everyone else was busy enough to see stars, the most idle person was, surprisingly, the Empress herself, Xiao Li.

For the past few nights, the Imperial Palace had been lit up like day. So many had died that it took three full days just to scrub the grounds clean.

Silver Armor Guards stood watch around Xiao Li, each one a ramrod-straight figure. Their silver armor glinted with a cold, intimidating light, their presence formidable.

Xiao Li stood at the entrance of Jinluan Hall, gazing at the lights in the distance.

’The view from here really is different.’

’Being an empress is a little different from being a boss.’ The feeling of reigning supreme over the world was a temptation no one could resist. Even though she still believed this was a fabricated world, she couldn’t help the thrill that surged through her veins.

A tall, slender figure stood silently behind Xiao Li, at a respectful distance, just as he had when serving the former Emperor. The difference was that he had once always kept his head bowed, never daring to look upon the imperial face. Now, his eyes were filled with nothing but the elegant figure before him.

’He had known the Princess was a match for any of the princes. He had known she possessed strategy and courage. But he had never imagined she would seize the throne herself.’

’He had been fretting over his inability to go to the Princess Mansion, and in the end, she had come to him, becoming his true master.’

A night breeze carried her teasing, smiling voice. "Lord Seal Master, restrain yourself. Your stare is about to burn a hole right through me."

Lou Yan lowered his gaze slightly. Taking advantage of the shadows in the corner that hid them from view, he knelt on one knee, took her hand, and bowed his head to press a kiss to its back.

"Your Majesty should refer to yourself as ’We’."

Xiao Li looked down at him. "I’m just not used to it yet."

Lou Yan’s expression was firm. "Then start getting used to it now."

Xiao Li laughed. "So insistent on that form of address. You like it?"

"Mmm."

Lou Yan nodded without hesitation, his gaze shimmering with a mesmerizing light. "I do. These past few days... it’s felt like a dream for this humble servant."

’The one he had yearned for in his wildest fantasies was now his master. He could see her every day. What was once only a dream had become reality, and it still felt slightly surreal.’

Xiao Li pulled her hand back and gave him a light, playful kick. "Then keep dreaming."

Xiao Li turned away, her gaze returning to the distant horizon.

Perhaps sated by the kiss, Lou Yan finally managed to tear his gaze from her. He followed her line of sight to the horizon, but it seemed ordinary, no different from any other night.

"What is Your Majesty looking at?"

Hearing his question, Xiao Li’s lips curled into a thin, sarcastic smile. "Waiting for the thunder."

The last time she killed Lu Chengzhi, it had been met with thunder and a torrential downpour. This time, she had charged into the Imperial Palace and become an empress, yet for days the weather had been unnaturally calm, with no strange phenomena at all.

’She didn’t believe for a second that the heavens had decided to let her off the hook. They were clearly winding up for something big.’

’The plot was already in tatters. Xiao Jingyu, Lu Yanzhi, and Xiao Jingzhao were all her captives. She had shattered the aristocratic families and the courtiers. Even if she gave them an opening, it would be nearly impossible for any of them to make a comeback and claim the throne.’

’She was curious to see how the plot would try to correct itself this time.’

’Truth be told, she was tempted to kill Xiao Jingyu and Xiao Jingzhao right now just to see what would happen. But she feared that if anything happened to her, the people she led would collapse like a house of cards.’

’She wouldn’t compromise for anyone. She would kill them, eventually. But she had to wait.’

’Her goal had never been to be a good empress. It was just that Song Junzhan and the others were so exceptional that building this team gave her an immense sense of accomplishment.’

’So, she would grant them a little more time to stabilize the situation. It wouldn’t be long...’