Chapter 296: Her Person, Her Life, All Fall Under My Dominion

Lu Ling saved Rong Qing, which was a point in his favor, but he also attacked the Empress, which was a crime. However, he had been unarmed and showed no killing intent; he had simply gone mad.

Xiao Li didn’t kill him. She had him locked up and paid him no further mind.

While Jiang Zhou was still being tormented, caught between Lao Die and Brother Lao, the governors from the various provinces began to arrive.

“Qiao Youcai, Governor of Luoxia City, greets Your Majesty!”

“Jiang Ming, Governor of Yuan City, greets Your Majesty!”

“Kong Sheng, Governor of Songzhou, greets Your Majesty!”

“Su Ze, Governor of Shanzhou, and Wu Jiang, Governor of Kang City, greet Your Majesty.”

The Empress was a woman, but she was the Emperor above all else—a powerful, formidable, and highly aggressive tyrant who held all authority in her hands.

These governors had held power for many years, and no matter how wily and experienced they were, they could do nothing but obediently kowtow upon arriving here.

The Empress was no pushover, and the blades of her Silver Armor Guards were even less forgiving.

Xiao Li scanned them. On the surface, they looked respectable enough. The youngest was in his early forties, and the oldest was no more than fifty-five.

They lacked the fiery passion of youth, but their strength lay in their stability.

Xiao Li wasted no time on pleasantries. After the initial greetings, she had them present their official reports.

Everyone else cherry-picked their successes, hoping to make their administrative records look more impressive. The only exception was Jiang Ming—the man who had relied on his son to get ahead on the exams. He honestly reported his shortcomings and even confessed his mistakes. He concluded by humbly expressing his desire to learn, correct his errors, and make progress.

Jiang Ming felt the others staring at him, making him extremely uncomfortable, but he had to maintain his composure.

The previous night, his son, Jiang Zhou, had climbed over a wall to see him, repeatedly warning him not to fool Her Majesty with a fabricated record of achievements like the others.

Not every ruler enjoys deluding themselves with glowing reports. The Empress was not a monarch who could be so easily fooled; she cared more for facts and genuine competence.

Jiang Ming hadn’t believed him at first. He knew exactly what his own son was—or wasn’t—capable of.

He had been an official for many years and had even had audiences with the previous Emperor. Since when did he need a young upstart like Jiang Zhou to teach him how to do his job?

But Jiang Zhou’s official robes had convinced him otherwise.

A Seventh-rank Ceremony Officer was a minor post, but the additional titles of “personally appointed by the Empress” and “Imperial Attendant” gave it a completely different weight.

Old foxes earned their name not merely for being cunning and treacherous, but for their ability to precisely seize advantageous opportunities.

‘The moment Jiang Ming finished speaking, Xiao Li knew. ‘Jiang Zhou must have given his father some private coaching. But Jiang Zhou himself probably doesn’t have such a thorough understanding, which means someone more skilled must have advised him.’

Xiao Li’s gaze swept over to Wang Wanqing, who was standing ramrod straight at her side.

Sensing the Empress’s eyes on her, Wang Wanqing offered a sheepish grin. ‘It’s not like she’d actually intended to help Jiang Zhou; she just casually gave him a pointer or two.’

Fortunately, Xiao Li had no intention of making an issue of it. Having connections who could offer pointers was a skill in itself. And the fact that a high-ranking border official of Jiang Ming’s age could heed the advice of two juniors and change his ways proved he was a man who listened to counsel.

After listening to all the reports, Xiao Li offered no commentary. This was merely a formality; their true fates would be decided by the carefully vetted dossiers.

The evidence was irrefutable. No amount of eloquent rhetoric could change it.

The governors withdrew with anxious hearts to await her decision. Xiao Li rose to stretch her legs, but before long, a subordinate rushed in to report that there was trouble involving Wang Wanqing.

Kong Yunfei had accompanied his father, disguised as a guard. Seizing an opportunity, he sought out Wang Wanqing. The moment he saw her, he grabbed her, yelling that she was his wedded wife.

When Wang Wanqing struggled, he cursed her for breaking the engagement, calling her heartless and faithless.

The Silver Armor Guards moved to protect Wang Wanqing, but Kong Yunfei actually started fighting them.

When Xiao Li arrived with her retinue, Kong Yunfei had a knife to Wang Wanqing’s throat and was threatening the Silver Armor Guards to back away.

Xiao Li narrowed her eyes. “Where is Kong Sheng?”

Yang Jun’s gaze flickered. “Kong Sheng has arrived. He’s over there.”

The Kong Family was a Martial Arts Family, and even dressed as a civil servant, Kong Sheng walked with a commanding presence. Seeing the situation, he ignored everything else and strode directly toward Kong Yunfei. “You insolent whelp! Release her at once! We are in Her Majesty’s presence. Do you want to get our entire family killed?”

Kong Yunfei, still obedient to his father, tossed the knife aside. But as Wang Wanqing tried to flee, he yanked her back, gripping her tightly. “Where do you think you’re going?” he snarled, his face ferocious.

Seeing him unarmed, the Silver Armor Guards rushed forward and freed Wang Wanqing from his grasp in an instant.

Kong Yunfei was about to fight back when countless blades were pressed to his neck.

Wang Wanqing was finally free, but she didn’t run. Instead, she drew a dagger and viciously lunged at Kong Yunfei.

The blow wasn’t fatal, but she didn’t strike again. She simply stared at the pained Kong Yunfei, her eyes filled with loathing. “You are the most disgusting person I have ever met.”

With that, she rose and walked toward Xiao Li without a backward glance.

A cut on her face was dripping blood, her neck was smeared with gore and marked with deep finger imprints. She looked as if she had been brutalized—a truly pitiful sight.

But this girl, known for being a fragile crybaby, did not shed a single tear. She simply stood before Xiao Li. “I have caused trouble for Your Majesty. Please forgive me.”

Kong Sheng came forward and knelt to beg for forgiveness. “Your Majesty, please forgive me. I, Kong Sheng, have failed to properly discipline my son. However, my son and Miss Wang were already set to be married. The bridal sedan was practically at her door when she fled. My son is deeply infatuated with her and was devastated that day. To this day, he still cannot accept what happened. Seeing her again today, he temporarily lost his senses and acted foolishly. I implore Your Majesty to see the truth of the matter.”

As Kong Yunfei was being restrained, he finally caught sight of Xiao Li. The moment he saw her face, he understood everything. ‘So, Wang Wanqing was in that carriage that day. And even if she wasn’t in the carriage itself, she must have been part of that procession.’

‘No wonder Wang Wanqing fled the marriage. The Empress herself came to back her up.’

‘Those two shameless hussies!’

Ignoring his injury, Kong Yunfei struggled with all his might, but the Silver Armor Guards held him down firmly. All he could do was glare at the two women with pure hatred.

Kong Sheng’s words carried a hidden meaning, and Kong Yunfei’s resentment and defiance were written plainly on his face.

Clearly, both father and son were deeply dissatisfied with the situation.

“Did Wang Changwen not tell you that all matters concerning Wang Wanqing are for me to decide?”

Kong Sheng replied, “Your Majesty, a marriage is arranged by the order of one’s parents and the word of a matchmaker. My Kong Family followed every tradition and formality, sincerely seeking to marry Miss Wang. Yun Fei holds a deep affection for her. Miss Wang had already agreed to enter the bridal sedan, yet she fled. Does she not owe Yun Fei an explanation?”

‘The meaning behind his words was simple: We followed the rules. We have done nothing wrong.’

‘Your Majesty condoned the bride’s flight, making us the true victims here.’

Xiao Li almost laughed in anger. They were actually trying to use their own sense of reason to defy her.

‘Who gave them the audacity?’