Chapter 226: Awakening

December. Heavy snow fell.

The Capital City had already begun preparing for the New Year.

Nearly half a year had passed since the Empress ascended the throne. At first, everyone had been shocked, furious, and unable to accept it.

But in those six months, tangible benefits had begun to materialize.

Without the oppression of the great aristocratic families, the middle class gained their freedom, and the common people at the very bottom could finally breathe.

The wicked dandies who used to cause trouble daily were gone, as were the servants from wealthy households who bullied commoners.

The Empress was exceedingly wealthy, so she exempted all commoners from taxes for three years. With no grain tax to pay this year, people found they finally had money for New Year celebrations.

The new officials came from poor families. Gone was the arrogance of their predecessors; they began to handle cases for the common people. Past miscarriages of justice, where people were suppressed and falsely accused, were retried. The wicked were brought to justice, and the wrongly convicted were exonerated and released.

Although the patrolling guards had become more numerous and stern, they were highly disciplined and did not harm the populace. They patrolled day and night, so the petty thieves and crooks disappeared, allowing everyone to sleep soundly.

A sense of well-being suddenly exploded throughout the Capital City. Even the air felt less heavy. It was as if they had wasted all the previous years of their lives.

Most importantly, the Empress herself established five factories: one for clothing, one for shoes, one for candy, one for animal husbandry, and one for agriculture. These five factories were built on an immense scale and recruited workers from among the common people, regardless of gender. In fact, some positions even gave priority to women.

Wages were clearly posted and were three times the market rate. All who were hired received a set of decent-quality work clothes and were even provided with two meals a day.

In an instant, everyone was scrambling for these jobs, and the previously suppressed young women and wives in every household suddenly became their families’ greatest hope.

Anyone who managed to get a job at one of the Empress’s factories was seen as bringing honor to their ancestors, much like passing the imperial examinations.

At first, people were only in it for the jobs and wages, but a month later, all sorts of inexpensive yet durable clothes and shoes appeared on the market.

Candies with colorful packaging, slightly more expensive but with excellent flavor, also lined the shop shelves.

With spare money in their hands, people couldn’t resist buying some to try. They ultimately found the new goods were better and tastier than anything before. Most importantly, in the shops opened under the Empress’s name, everyone was treated equally, whether they were from a wealthy family or a common one.

And those who were chosen to work in the Empress’s factories would receive a portion of the goods for free.

The animal husbandry and agriculture factories had yet to show results, but based on the others, the future looked promising.

-----

Xiao Li never wanted to set up any factories. She had said it a million times and her stance hadn’t changed: she didn’t want to get into nation-building.

’I didn’t come to this world to get bogged down in infrastructure development. It’s so annoying!’

But she had let Wang Yizhu take the imperial examinations, and the Empress Dowager had walked before her under the watchful eyes of the entire world.

As the Empress, she could make Wang Yizhu a female official, but she couldn’t make every woman in the world step out of their homes as Wang Yizhu had.

The prerequisites for women to fight for power were economic value and societal demand.

Opening factories, raising wages, and designating positions for women was the only way to get the common people to let their daughters and wives leave the home, because the value they created by working was far greater than their value at home.

And once they went to the factories and received their wages, the factories, for the sake of production, would require them to be literate. Xiao Li arranged for people to teach them specifically.

Those who became literate could become group leaders, team leaders, or stewards. Although these positions held no official rank, a small post was still a post.

This would subtly instill in everyone the importance of education, showing them that it was just as useful for a daughter to study as it was for a son.

This was an awakening of the people’s consciousness.

It wasn’t about forcefully telling them that girls were the same as boys, but about letting them realize it for themselves.

Only when they felt their children were of equal value would they let their daughters study. And with more educated girls, and with Wang Yizhu as a role model, they could one day walk the path of taking the imperial examinations and becoming officials.

Furthermore, Wang Yizhu, once the Empress, had been willing to lower her status to take the exam again. This also served an educational purpose: to not be bound by convention, to not cling to one’s station, and to stand before all on the basis of talent alone.

Finally, Xiao Li roped in those scholars who had previously failed the exams because they specialized too narrowly. ’If you’re a specialist, then teach. Just teach what you know.’

There was no need to worry about these men looking down on the girls.

If any of these scholars dared to insult a girl or take advantage of one, they would be castrated immediately.

’Once everyone’s a sister, there’s no room for looking down on one another.’

Xiao Li: ’In short, there are no useless beasts of burden, only masters who don’t know how to use them. As long as you’re on my payroll, you’ll work for me!’

The scholars: ’...’ ’So we failed the imperial exams, but not completely.’

----

On the twentieth of the twelfth month, Duan Ji’s grand army returned in triumph. At the same time, envoys from several other countries also arrived.

The common people spontaneously went to the city gates to welcome them. The ten-li-long streets were packed solid; it seemed the entire city had turned out.

Although Duan Ji, the General of the Northern Expedition, was imposing, the most eye-catching sight was still the Silver Armor Guards, their armor glinting with a cold light.

Having been on the battlefield and taken lives, their silver armor seemed even more brilliant and chilling.

In the midst of the Silver Armor Guards, they escorted cannons covered with red cloth. News had already arrived from the border: these were the "Big Killers" that had terrified Yue Country into submission and ultimately led to its annihilation.

They were created by the Empress, and no one besides the Silver Armor Guards was allowed to touch them.

Awe, curiosity, reverence.

In the past, the aristocratic families were powerful and the Emperor’s presence was minimal. Now, the Empress was so powerful it felt unreal.

’Yue Country was annihilated just like that. Has our nation become so powerful?’

-----

"Your subject, Duan Ji, has not failed his mission. The lost lands have been recovered. Today, I return in triumph to greet Your Majesty. Long live my Empress!"

Duan Ji, clad in armor, knelt with a clang, his posture one of complete submission.

Xiao Li’s eye twitched. ’He didn’t just "not fail his mission," he wiped out the entire Yue Country.’

Thinking of all the proposals she had written over the past few days for annexing Yue Country, she felt like kicking Duan Ji.

Of course, she could only think this to herself. Outwardly, she looked very pleased.

"You may rise."

She then said a few token words before moving on to rewarding them for their merits.

Duan Ji’s rank was raised to Second-Grade General, making him the third Second-rank Military Officer after Rong Qing and Yang Jun. Liu Dong was currently third-rank.

After that came the rewards of mansions and Silver Taels.

Those below him were also rewarded according to their merits. The entire Silver Armor Army received a monetary bonus, and each soldier was promoted one rank.

After the conferment of rewards, the Nanqi King and the Emperor of Yue Country were brought before Xiao Li. Oh, and Prince Yanping was there too, brought back as a pile of ashes.

Xiao Li was very satisfied to confirm that he had been burned to ashes.

’Just killing them isn’t foolproof anymore. They must be burned to ash.’

As for the Nanqi King, it had only been a few months, but Xiao Li almost didn’t recognize him.

’Is this man with graying hair, withered as a dry weed, really the Nanqi King?’

Xiao Jingrong numbly raised his head to glance at Xiao Li. There was hatred in his eyes, but far more fear.

’Back when Xiao Jingyun was alive, they had only thought that this princess, Xuanyang, was too fierce and arrogant, and too cruel to her Prince Consort, Lu Yanzhi. Only now did they realize she wasn’t just cruel to Lu Yanzhi—she was cruel to everyone.’

’He hadn’t killed Prince Yanping. They were just having tea when Prince Yanping revealed a slight inclination to find another path for himself. The Silver Armor Guards had appeared out of nowhere, killed Prince Yanping, and shoved the bloody knife into his hands. He was forced to take the blame and didn’t even dare to cry injustice.’

’His wife, son, and mother were all in Xiao Li’s hands. The Empress dared to kill Prince Yanping; there was no reason she wouldn’t kill him too.’

’Later, Yue Country was annihilated. It all happened so quickly. The powers he once relied on now seemed so fragile and insignificant.’

’Having personally been on the battlefield and witnessed the might of the Silver Armor Army, he knew with utmost clarity that it was impossible for him to resist.’

He wanted to live, and he wanted his family to live.

Now, despite his weakened body, he forced himself to kneel. "Your subject... Xiao Jingrong... greets Your Majesty."