Chapter 297: Your Majesty, So Heartless

Kong Sheng wore an expression that said, ‘You may be the Empress, sure, but reason is on my side.’

Xiao Li’s lips curled into a smirk and her brows rose, but her gaze was piercing. Looking down at him, her voice was light yet carried an oppressive authority. “I’m afraid you misunderstood me. What I’m saying is… from the day the Wang family fell from grace, Wang Wanqing became mine. Her person, her very life, are for me to command. Your so-called marriage contract was invalid from the start. You may marry a girl from the Wang family, but Wang Wanqing—is off-limits!”

Kong Sheng started to argue, but Xiao Li had already raised her hand. “Kong Yunfei attempted to assassinate a court official. Take him out and execute him publicly.”

“Your Majesty!”

Kong Sheng’s face drained of color. “Your Majesty! Your Majesty, I beg your mercy! Yun Fei just had a small disagreement with Miss Wang and became agitated. It’s not a crime worthy of death!”

Yang Jun blocked the advancing Kong Sheng with his sword and said coldly, “The Miss Wang you speak of is a Sixth Rank official of the court. And the Silver Armor Guard that Kong Yunfei attacked is a fourth-rank military officer.”

Reason? What is reason? Imperial Power is the only reason!

In his panic, Kong Sheng tried to stand, only to fall heavily to his knees again. “Your Majesty, spare his life! Yun Fei didn’t mean it! He knows he was wrong! I beg you, Your Majesty, give him a chance to reform.”

He looked at Wang Wanqing, his voice a mixture of anger and desperation. “Wang Wanqing, no matter what, Yun Fei was once betrothed to you! You can’t just stand by and watch him die!”

Wang Wanqing stared at him coldly. “A betrothal? Her Majesty has already declared that it was invalid from the beginning. How dare you mention it again? That is contempt for an imperial decree—a crime worthy of death!”

When Kong Yunfei heard the Empress wanted him dead, he flew into a rage. “Why are you killing me? Tyrant! You ruin people’s happiness, you have no womanly virtue, you slaughter the innocent! What right do you have to kill me?”

Kong Sheng’s face went ashen. With Kong Yunfei screaming like that, the Empress would certainly not spare him.

As expected, the Empress merely glanced up, and a Silver Armor Guard beheaded Kong Yunfei with a single stroke.

Kong Sheng broke down instantly. “Yun Fei!”

Kong Sheng glared at the Empress, his eyes filled with hatred. Before he could move, two swords were at his throat.

Yang Jun let out a chilling smirk. “Mr. Kong, with the crimes you were already accused of, you weren’t going to leave Yanping State alive. The investigation was supposed to last another day or two, which would have given your son time to collect your body for burial. But since you were both in such a hurry, Her Majesty had no choice but to accommodate you.”

‘His son was dead, and the pain was immense. He never thought he would meet his own end here as well.’

He protested indignantly, “Why? I, Kong Sheng, have been an official for many years. Even if I have no great merits to my name, I have my years of toil…”

The Empress had already left. Yang Jun rolled his eyes without hesitation. “Kong Sheng, you have the nerve to complain? In that stack of case files detailing everyone’s crimes, yours is the thickest.”

“Trafficking official posts, corruption and bribery, illegally operating silver mines—tell me, which of those accusations is false? And then there’s your son. True, he never married and had a decent public reputation. But every month, a maidservant would die in his chambers. How did they die? Are you, his own father, telling me you didn’t know?”

Kong Sheng was stunned. He couldn’t believe the Empress had uncovered all this. Still, he refused to admit it. “You have no proof! Those are baseless accusations! I am an official of the court; you have no right to slander me.”

Yang Jun saw that Kong Sheng wouldn’t give up without being pushed to the brink. “The moment you two set foot in Yanping State, the Silver Armor Army was sent to your estate. I imagine they’ve collected all the evidence by now.”

Kong Sheng’s face instantly turned ashen.

They had only wanted to meet the Empress and gauge her attitude. They never imagined she hadn’t just summoned them for an audience—she was out for their lives.

Kong Sheng was dragged away, his face pale. Perhaps the shock was too great, for he had little reaction as he was led past his son’s body.

Yang Jun narrowed his eyes. “The Kong Family is a Martial Arts Family. Put him in shackles and post a heavy guard.”

“Yes!”

—-

While some were dragged down by their sons, their final judgment arriving early, others were saved by their daughters and pulled back from the brink.

Take the seemingly mediocre Qiao Youcai, for example.

“Your subject, Han Bin, and I, Qiao Ruyan, pay our respects to Your Majesty.”

“You may rise.”

Xiao Li felt a measure of satisfaction as she looked at the young couple.

‘My court should be filled with capable young people like this, who are also easy on the eyes.’

Xiao Li had a faint impression of Han Bin—he had come from the Princess Mansion, after all—but that wasn’t important.

Xiao Li studied Qiao Ruyan, growing more and more satisfied the longer she looked.

Seeing this, Han Bin immediately gave his wife the opportunity to speak.

Qiao Ruyan seamlessly took her cue. “The last time I saw Your Majesty, though I did not know your identity, I sensed your extraordinary aura and dared not be disrespectful. I never imagined it was truly you. Only after returning home and speaking with my husband did I learn that Your Majesty had graced us with your presence. We failed to provide proper hospitality and even caused you trouble. That is truly the fault of the Qiao family.”

“When my father came for this audience, my husband and I tagged along, hoping only for the good fortune of seeing you again.”

As she spoke, she presented a prepared gift and its accompanying list, but did so with a light touch, not making a show of it.

Xiao Li possessed the entire realm; she wasn’t short on gifts. But Qiao Ruyan’s social grace and skill were truly impressive.

When dealing with the right person, Xiao Li didn’t like to beat around the bush. “Han Bin has told you about me, so you should know: you are the one I have my eye on.”

‘Even though Her Majesty is a woman, and even though I know she’s referring to my abilities, her words are still a bit embarrassing.’

Qiao Ruyan couldn’t help but smile. “To have earned Your Majesty’s favor is an honor that would last me three lifetimes. I, Ruyan, am willing to serve Your Majesty, even unto death.”

Xiao Li nodded, satisfied. “Alright. You will stay here.”

Han Bin was bewildered. ‘Then… what about me?’

‘I don’t want to be separated from my wife, but I don’t dare question Her Majesty.’

‘I come for one audience with the Empress, and I lose my wife.’

He wanted to cry but had no tears.

It fell to Qiao Ruyan to comfort him. “Since we’re serving Her Majesty, we can’t put our own needs first. Her Majesty is the priority now.”

Han Bin had hoped to spend another couple of days with Qiao Ruyan before leaving. However, shortly after he stepped out, he received a transfer order delivered by the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs. He was to return to Luoxia City and temporarily assume the duties of governor.

Han Bin: “…” ‘Her Majesty… is so heartless!’

Qiao Ruyan held him for a long while, comforting him, unsure whether to laugh or cry. “Come on, now. Her Majesty gave you a promotion, and you’re unhappy? Besides, didn’t you see it’s temporary? That means she has other plans for you. If you do a good job, you might get transferred to the Capital City later. And whether you go there as a Deputy Governor or a full governor makes a huge difference.”

Han Bin said, “But have you considered this? That governorship belongs to my father-in-law. If I’m taking over temporarily, doesn’t that mean he’s in trouble?”

Qiao Ruyan replied, “Her Majesty kept me here and appointed you to a new post. That proves my father’s crimes aren’t severe. It’s more likely she simply doesn’t want him in that position anymore.”

Speaking of her own father, even Qiao Ruyan couldn’t help but feel a little disdain.

‘Is it any wonder Her Majesty finds him wanting?’

‘Just because a governor hasn’t committed any crimes doesn’t make him a good governor. A lack of merit is its own kind of failure.’

‘He’s been governor for less than three years, and if it weren’t for Han Bin and me watching over him, who knows what kind of trouble he would have caused. It’s for the best that he’s no longer governor. The way father is getting more and more muddled, who knows what disaster he’d cause if he were allowed to continue.’