Chapter 294: Silver-eyed General

After suppressing King Xian’s rebellion, the Empress remained in Yanping State, making no move. Her actions suggested she intended to focus on developing the region.

But while she remained still, others grew anxious.

This was especially true for Yue Country, which had been attacked to the point of near-annihilation.

Beyond Yanping State lay Kang City and Liao City. These cities had once belonged to Yue Country but had not yet been reclaimed. However, the Empress showed no intention of advancing further, leaving it unclear whether she planned to conquer what was left of Yue Country, which was now less than half its original size.

They had cooperated with King Xian precisely to reclaim their lost territory, but the Empress’s arrival had turned their hopes to dust.

Now, the Empress neither attacked nor retreated. The feeling of a knife hanging perpetually before their eyes was unbearable.

As for Beicang, after witnessing the Empress’s ferocity in her assault on Changzhou and Qinzhou, they had completely abandoned their ambitions.

Beicang’s territory was comparable in size to Yue Country’s, but half of it was barren and uninhabited. Its national strength was inferior to Yue’s, and it paled in comparison to Longsheng.

They had previously agreed to join forces with Yue Country and King Xian in the hopes of getting a piece of Longsheng’s pie.

But the Empress had awoken, and she was a force to be reckoned with. Given her momentum, their chances of victory were slim to none.

Terrified of the consequences, they sent envoys with gifts to request an audience, but Xiao Li refused to even see them.

She had no need for their paltry offerings. If they dared to join a rebellion, they had to bear the consequences.

Yang Jun looked upon Yun Cang with disdain. “They’re a bunch of fence-sitters. Your Majesty, why not just annihilate them?”

Xiao Li replied nonchalantly, “There’s no rush.”

‘A fight is inevitable,’ she thought. ‘A soldier who doesn’t want to be a General isn’t a good soldier, and an emperor who doesn’t want to unite the world isn’t a good emperor.’

But Xiao Li had the mindset of a merchant.

Rather than the ambition of expanding her territory or the thrill of conquering the world, she saw only a lack of profit.

Years ago, she hadn’t wanted Duan Ji to attack Yue Country. Firstly, she had just ascended the throne and her power was not yet stable. Secondly, she simply thought Yue Country was too poor.

‘I have such a vast territory and so much wealth. Isn’t it better to govern Longsheng well and turn it into an unparalleled superpower? Why must I conquer those tiny, insignificant lands?’

‘If I don’t govern them, they’re still part of my empire, and it wouldn’t be right to just let them be.’

‘But if I do govern them, it’s basically just a poverty alleviation project.’

‘Yes, uniting the world is a tempting prospect.’

‘But the thought of the explosive increase in workload after conquering them gives me a headache.’

‘Of course, the root cause of it all is… I’m lazy!’

‘If I could leave this world right now, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second. Who the hell has the energy for nation-building from scratch?’

‘But the tragedy is that I can’t leave. I have to continue being the Emperor. And I have a bit of a complex—since I’m the Emperor, I have to do a good job. Even if this is just a temporary nest, I still have to tidy it up a bit, right?’

‘The end result? Being an Emperor has turned me into a damn workhorse.’

‘Forced to build infrastructure.’

‘Damn it!’

The more she thought about it, the more furious she became, so Xiao Li decided to go on strike for a day.

She wouldn’t do a single thing, and no one was to come looking for her.

‘If you can’t solve it, that’s your problem. You’re all seasoned ministers. If you can’t even handle this situation, then you can pack your bags and get lost.’

The Empress steamrolled everyone’s concerns and settled in to enjoy a full day of peace.

Early autumn was sweltering. The room felt stuffy even with basins of ice, so Xiao Li simply had a cooling couch moved under a large tree.

The shade beneath the tree was cool, and with the occasional wisp of a breeze, it was the perfect place for a comfortable afternoon nap.

She slept until sunset. When Xiao Li awoke, she felt languid and had no desire to move.

Drowsily, not wanting to open her eyes, she slowly lowered her feet toward the ground. But instead of the cool earth, a pair of broad, dry, and warm hands caught them.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw Rong Qing kneeling before her, his large frame blocking the couch like a small mountain.

His large hands held a slipper embroidered with black and gold thread, and he was gently sliding it onto her foot. His expression was so serious, it was as if he were completing a solemn and vital task.

Xiao Li couldn’t see his face, but she could see that his earlobes were bright red, his jaw was clenched, and the veins on his arms stood out. She couldn’t imagine how much effort he was exerting just to keep himself from fumbling.

His hands never trembled when he wielded a greatsword to slay enemies on the battlefield, yet this single embroidered slipper made him as tense as if he were facing a formidable foe. Still, with sheer force of will, he steadily fitted the slipper onto the Empress’s foot.

Xiao Li had no need for her General to help her with her shoes, but in this moment, she did not refuse. Once he had carefully put on the first slipper, she extended her other foot.

With both slippers on, Xiao Li didn’t hurry to sit up, instead leaning back lazily against the pillow.

Her gaze swept over him. She could feel the vibrant life in him; he was truly alive. Lu Ling hadn’t lied to her.

“You’re back.”

Rong Qing looked up at her. His gaze was the same as it had always been, yet it seemed different somehow.

“Your servant, Rong Qing, greets Your Majesty.”

“I ask for Your Majesty’s punishment.” Although his mind had been clouded at the time, he remembered the act of drinking Her Majesty’s blood with perfect clarity.

Xiao Li was exasperated. “Alright, enough with the requests for punishment. It’s annoying. If I wanted to punish you, I wouldn’t need your permission, and you wouldn’t be able to escape it.”

Rong Qing seemed to let out a soft chuckle. “This servant understands.”

Xiao Li studied him. The deathly traces on his face were gone, and his skin had regained its normal luster. However, the previously withered areas looked as if they had shed a layer, revealing tender, pink new skin underneath.

As a result, his face was now half-pink and half-tan, and his eyes had become a silver-gray. The combination looked incredibly awkward.

Xiao Li raised her hand slightly. She didn’t need to lift it high, as Rong Qing immediately lowered his head, bringing his face to her.

As he felt her soft fingertips land gently on his cheek, his silver-gray eyes trembled slightly. “Your Majesty, I… I’m afraid my appearance is somewhat ugly…”

For the first time, the tough, iron-willed man was concerned about his own appearance, his heart pounding with anxiety, terrified that Her Majesty would find him repulsive.

Xiao Li raised an eyebrow. “It’s not that bad.”

‘It just looks a bit odd,’ she thought, ‘but it’s a huge improvement over his half-zombified state from before.’

“Are you completely lucid now?”

Rong Qing nodded. “I am.”

Xiao Li asked, “Will your eyes be able to return to normal?”

Rong Qing shook his head. “I don’t know. What Lu Ling did wasn’t really a treatment; he absorbed the poison from my body into his own. He’s certain my body is fine and that I won’t fall into that bloodthirsty, berserk state again, but he couldn’t do anything about my eyes. We’ll have to ask Doctor Cen to take a look later.”

He glanced at Xiao Li. “If that doesn’t work, I’ll see if there’s a way to conceal the color.”

Xiao Li leaned in for a closer look. The once-lifeless grayish-white of his eyes now seemed to be coated in a silver sheen.

Aside from the fear of some latent poison or an impact on his vision, Xiao Li actually thought his eyes were quite beautiful.

They were a strange match for Rong Qing’s rugged, manly face, adding a certain indescribable charm to his entire persona.

“Is your vision affected at all?”

Rong Qing shook his head. “It’s the same as before. No different.”

Xiao Li smiled. “If it’s not a problem, you don’t have to worry about it. The color is quite unique. The Silver-eyed General of the Silver Armor Army—a perfect match.”

Rong Qing, who had been anxious about his eye color just a moment ago, was instantly convinced by Xiao Li’s words.