Chapter 219: Prince Yanping Is Dead

For once, Xiao Li was in the Imperial Study Room handling official business. Song Junzhan was away preparing for an exam, and the other officials were busy, so she, the Emperor, had been dragged out to do the grunt work.

In truth, this was all work the Emperor was supposed to be doing, but she had previously dumped it all on Song Junzhan. Despite being Emperor for so many days, she hadn’t handled a single memorial. Now that she was looking at them, of course she was getting a headache.

Xiao Li was used to reading reports and project proposals. Now she had to read a pile of memorials full of polite greetings, along with all sorts of trivial nonsense from the various ministries. How could she not be overwhelmed?

She grew restless after just half an hour. ’How can these trivial matters require the Emperor’s attention? It’s a complete waste of my time.’

So, she came up with a plan and summoned Wang Wanqing.

She was the perfect candidate for a little secretary, and it would be a waste not to use her. Most importantly, Wang Wanqing was very enthusiastic.

Watching her buzz about through the memorials like a busy little bee, Xiao Li chuckled. ’Heh, a newly yoked beast of burden is always the most cheerful. I hope she can still manage a smile in ten days.’

Wang Wanqing was completely unaware of the Empress’s ’sinister intentions,’ wholeheartedly immersed in the joy of finally being able to share the Empress’s burdens.

Xiao Li walked over to the side to have some tea. She had just taken two sips when someone came to report from outside that Imperial Tutor Feng was dead.

Feng Yin had been moving out of the Feng Family estate with his people, but Imperial Tutor Feng refused to leave. He had dressed neatly, then hanged himself in the Feng Family study. Before he died, he wrote a letter handing over the position of Feng Family Head to a distant relative, Feng Zhe. At the same time, he expelled Feng Yin from the Feng Family and even forbade Feng Yin from wearing mourning clothes for him.

Xiao Li was speechless after hearing the report. ’What kind of twisted logic was that old fool following?’

’Using his own death to destroy his grandson?’

’Still, the old man had some sense left; he didn’t name me. If he had said something like, ’The hen crows at dawn,’ or, ’The Empress is a tyrant,’ before he died, I really wouldn’t have minded sending his entire clan down to keep him company.’

"Have someone keep an eye on Feng Yin. As long as he doesn’t die, you don’t need to intervene."

The young master, who had been too well-protected, was now facing his own violent storm.

Whether he withered on the spot or rose from the ashes after this devastation was up to him.

’It’s a shame to think that the dazed little young master who would blush at a touch and cry from a kiss is gone for good. Still, a rabbit that only knows how to act cute, while sweet, gets boring after a while.’

’As for Imperial Tutor Feng’s death, heh. It was his own life. If he wanted to go to Yama Hall himself, what did that have to do with her?’

------

The Silver Armor Guards departed from the Capital City and reached the border in six days. By then, the Nanqi King and Prince Yanping had already captured Shanzhou, leaving only the final target, Yanping State.

And just at the final moment of the assault on Yanping State, the Nanqi King suddenly killed Prince Yanping.

The army’s second-in-command, Duan Ji, apprehended the maddened Nanqi King and took command in the crisis. He immediately launched an all-out assault on Yanping State, and within a day, he routed the invading army from Yue Country and recaptured Yanping State.

Everyone was discussing this suddenly-emerged general named Duan Ji, whom no one had ever heard of before.

Xiao Li was also quite surprised. In the Golden Hall, she praised him loudly, "The army is truly full of hidden talents! Duan Ji, an excellent name."

Only Lou Yan glanced at Xiao Li in astonishment. ’The same name? It couldn’t be.’

He remembered the name Duan Ji. He was the horse trainer at the racecourse who had trained the Ferghana Horse, Chi Yan.

The Empress had greatly admired him at the time and had asked his name, but nothing seemed to come of it afterward.

Lou Yan had only overheard their conversation because he was standing close by, his attention fixed solely on the Empress.

But he had thought it was just a casual inquiry. He never imagined the Empress had already recruited the man and, at some unknown time, trained him into a brilliant general capable of commanding a great army.

’No, that wasn’t right. It was more likely that Her Majesty recruited him precisely because she saw his talent back then.’

And he, who had been paying constant attention to Her Majesty, had not noticed a thing.

With the enemy nation defeated and the lost territory recovered, the Empress was overjoyed. She increased the salaries of all officials in the court by fifty percent.

Having received a tangible benefit, everyone could suddenly empathize with the Empress’s joy. One by one, they offered all sorts of pleasantries.

’Your Majesty is wise! Heaven blesses Longsheng!’

’May the nation stand eternal! Long live Your Majesty!’

See? An emperor who provides benefits is a good emperor.

Lin Yici went to have a drink with Tang Shuyu. One now worked in the Ministry of Revenue and the other in the Ministry of Personnel. Although they saw each other daily, they were too busy to exchange more than a few words. Even when they did chat, their official duties rarely overlapped. Today was the first time they finally had a bit of leisure to get together properly.

Their conversation now revolved around political affairs, which inevitably meant they couldn’t avoid the topic of the Empress, and naturally, the situation at the border.

Lin Yici wore a grave expression. "I don’t think Her Majesty ever planned on letting those two princes come back alive."

Tang Shuyu immediately said, "Don’t speak such nonsense."

Lin Yici replied, "I’m only saying this to you. I don’t believe you haven’t guessed it as well."

’Just because you’ve guessed something, does that mean you have to say it out loud?’

Tang Shuyu raised his hand to pour some wine. He hadn’t wanted to say more, but considering his friend’s personality, he continued, "They deserved to die in the first place. The Empress only kept them around because she is a woman and needed them to temper the public’s acceptance of her rule. Now that Her Majesty has secured her throne and the border has been reclaimed, they are simply meeting the end they deserved."

It doesn’t matter that the Empress is a woman. Even if she were a man, these ambitious, middle-aged princes who almost seized the throne are threats that must be eliminated.

The previous Emperor, Xiao Jingyun, is a living example. He was indecisive and overly concerned with familial bonds, and the result was several princes rebelling against him at once. If the Empress hadn’t protected him back then, he might not have even been left with an intact corpse.

There is only one throne, and an Emperor is destined for loneliness.

The Empress is ruthless enough, clever enough, and cold-hearted enough. That is what an Emperor should be.

"I know you have a benevolent heart, but don’t you forget who we have to thank for getting where we are today."

"You and I are able to be officials because of the opportunity the Empress gave us. It was the Empress who led her generals and soldiers to carve out a bloody path. The official careers we walk today are paved with blood and lives. If Prince Yanping had taken the throne back then, you and I would be the ones who were dead, and children from poor families would still have no way to advance."

"The Empress may be ruthless, but she isn’t wrong. That was a struggle for the throne among brothers. It would be stranger if people *didn’t* die."

"Right now, the court is orderly, officials are chosen based on merit, and every talented person is given a fair chance. This is the court and the wise sovereign we have always dreamed of. What we must do is be loyal to Her Majesty, not scrutinize her. Neither you nor I have the right."

Lin Yici was speechless. "I just said one thing. Did you have to give me a whole lecture?"

Tang Shuyu said, "I’m afraid you don’t see things clearly, and I’d hate to lose a dear friend like you. The Empress appreciates us, but that doesn’t mean she won’t kill us if we make a mistake. Besides, there’s a whole crowd of officials below us straining to prove themselves, just waiting for the next promotion. Not to mention, the imperial examinations are about to begin, and even more talented scholars, better than you or I, are about to enter the officialdom."

"If you have time to worry about a prince who was killed after a failed rebellion, you’d be better off worrying about your own political achievements. Don’t let it get to the point where you not only fail to be promoted to Chief of Staff, but you also lose your current position as Assistant Minister."

Lin Yici: ’...Damn. Is my friend’s mouth coated in poison?’

The words pierced his heart—a brutal but effective wake-up call.