Her Majesty Chose Violence, They Chose Her

Xiao Yang felt the breath catch in her throat; she nearly choked on the spot.

Song Qingyi bowed gracefully. "I thank Your Majesty for defending me."

Xiao Yang waved a hand limply. "Don’t mention it."

’It was no trouble, and it was mainly to protect myself anyway.’

However, Song Qingyi’s imagination had clearly run wild. She gazed at Xiao Yang, her eyes shimmering like autumn pools. "I wish to find a beloved husband. I don’t seek wealth or status, only two hearts devoted to each other, unwavering until death—a single, true partner for a lifetime."

Xiao Yang nodded. "Yes, that’s a beautiful thought. I wish you success."

Song Qingyi looked at Xiao Yang, hesitating. She seemed to want to say something, but held back, only to reconsider. Perhaps because Xiao Yang seemed so easy-going, she finally voiced her question. "Is Your Majesty’s unwillingness to take a consort because you have yet to meet the one you love?"

A giant question mark seemed to form over Xiao Yang’s head.

’When did Song Qingyi and I become close enough to chat about our girlish dreams?’

"I have no beloved. I only love myself."

However, Song Qingyi came to her own conclusion: ’So, Your Majesty is just like me, waiting for true love.’

She smiled. "I understand now. Thank you for enlightening me, Your Majesty."

After Song Qingyi left, Xiao Yang’s brow furrowed even deeper. "Wait, what exactly did she understand?"

It wasn’t that there was a problem with Song Qingyi’s response, but the strange, knowing gleam in her eyes was rather unsettling.

Xiao Lv clearly couldn’t follow the logic of a romance-obsessed mind either. "I don’t know."

"Your Majesty, Prince Jing is here."

Prince Jing entered to find them both wearing bewildered, troubled expressions. "What’s wrong with you two?"

Xiao Yang replied, "It’s nothing. Just contemplating the meaning of life. Did you need something, Uncle?"

Prince Jing sighed. "It’s about Prince Kang. I heard he was raising hell in his cell all night, and the Princess Consort fainted twice. The guards at the Heavenly Prison don’t know what to do with them. They ran into me and begged me to ask Your Majesty what your intentions are. They’re afraid the Princess Consort might actually die in there."

Xiao Yang was speechless. "It’s only been one night."

’Seriously?’

Prince Jing asked, "So, how does Your Majesty plan to deal with them?"

Xiao Yang shot him a look. Prince Jing held up his hands. "You’re really going to kill them?"

Xiao Yang asked, "Are the charges not enough?"

Prince Jing replied, "They’re a bit of a stretch. This kind of indiscriminate killing would be bad for Your Majesty’s reputation."

Xiao Yang shrugged. "That’s fine. I don’t care about my reputation."

Prince Jing hesitated. "But he’s the Regent King’s biological father. And his mother was Emperor Gaozu’s only daughter."

Xiao Yang was exasperated. "Then what do you suggest? I can’t just throw him in prison one day and let him out the next. Where would my imperial authority be?"

’The main thing is, the Empress Dowager brought him into this to stir up trouble. I can’t give her that opening.’

Prince Jing thought for a moment. "How about I plead for leniency? That would give Your Majesty an out."

Xiao Yang put on a troubled expression. "Well, I can’t very well refuse to give you face, Uncle."

Prince Jing smiled, relieved, but then Xiao Yang’s tone changed. "However, I can’t just let them go that easily."

"How about this..." A spark of inspiration hit Xiao Yang. "Didn’t Prince Kang mention he had a grand gift for me? Go tell him I’m furious. I hear the Prince Kang Manor is fabulously wealthy, and that they have many treasures at Yan Hill. Tell him to send me more ’local specialties’—you know, gold, jade, ginseng, bird’s nests, horses, ore, precious stones, that sort of thing."

As he listened to the Little Emperor rattle off the long list, Prince Jing’s eyes widened in shock. "Your Majesty, isn’t that... a bit inappropriate?"

’This is blatant extortion!’

Her Majesty was very generous. "I’ll give you half."

The look in Prince Jing’s eyes changed in an instant. He declared with righteous indignation, "That Prince Kang is truly outrageous! I will be sure to persuade him to apologize properly to Your Majesty and beg for your forgiveness."

Xiao Lv, who had watched the entire exchange: "..."

’Her Majesty can swindle my father so effortlessly.’

’And Dad is even happy to be ordered around like this.’

’He wanted to say something, but then he realized he was no better himself.’

’The Little Emperor... is terrifying!’

Xiao Yang: ’? What did I do?’

------

The New Year finally arrived. The palace was bustling with activity as all the Palace Attendants scurried about, preparing for the Royal Family’s reunion dinner.

It was only when the menu was delivered to Xiao Yang that she learned she was expected to bestow dishes upon the officials.

She could send anywhere from one to six dishes. The point wasn’t to eat rare delicacies, but to show how highly the Emperor regarded a particular household.

It was also an opportunity to win people over.

After all, even if some feigned disdain for a King’s reward, few could resist the appeal to their vanity.

Xiao Yang, of course, was savvy enough to understand this. The best rewards naturally had to go to her best helpers, Prince Jing and her cousin, Xiao Lv. Six dishes was the maximum; otherwise, she would have sent them sixty. It wasn’t about the food, it was about showing how much she favored them.

Li Wei would also receive six dishes. The Pingchuan Marquis Mansion, on account of Xiao Jinsu and her brother, would get four—two for each. Xiao Lan’s household, the Anyang Bo Mansion, would get two.

Since Grand Tutor Xu wasn’t in the Capital, his portion would be bestowed upon his son, Xu Shikai, the Imperial College Sacrificial Officer. Xu Xingchen would receive a portion of his own.

Then there were people like Zhou Jing, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel; they would each get one dish, a sort of consolation prize.

After looking over the list, she didn’t feel like sending a gift to anyone else. Finally, her gaze fell upon the name of the Regent King.

’I don’t want to send him anything. Not a single thing.’

’But for some reason, this Regent King has lost his mind and insists on being loyal to me. He even got injured while saving my life.’

She grudgingly ticked off six dishes—all of them vegetarian. ’Whatever. Han Yang said he needed a light diet. Let him graze on some grass!’

Of course, these dishes wouldn’t be sent out immediately. They had to wait until after she had finished her own imperial meal.

As dusk fell, the New Year’s Eve dinner began. The massive dining table was laden with over a hundred dishes, but only three people were seated around it.

There was the Empress Dowager with her scowl, the expressionless Xiao Yang, and a terrified, pale-faced Xiao Suixi.

Xiao Yang sighed. ’It’s not like we absolutely have to have this dinner. This is just asking for indigestion.’

"The Emperor has grown up. I can no longer control you..."

The Empress Dowager’s tone was dripping with sarcasm from the very first word. She hadn’t touched a single bite of the food before her.

Xiao Yang took a sip of wine. "What else do you wish to control, Empress Dowager? Or have you not whipped me enough?"

The Empress Dowager didn’t even try to hide her malice. "I whipped you too little. That’s how I ended up raising an abomination like you."

Xiao Yang nonchalantly picked up a morsel of food with her chopsticks. "What a pity."

The Empress Dowager was so angry she had to close her eyes to compose herself. "Why must you insist on being my enemy? What good will it do you?"

Xiao Yang couldn’t help but chuckle. "Good? Seeing you like this, Empress Dowager—that’s the greatest good of all."

The Empress Dowager understood. "So, in the end, you just hate me."

Xiao Yang’s lips curled into a mocking smile. "How perceptive of you, Empress Dowager."

’I couldn’t care less, but shouldn’t the original owner of this body hate her? What’s even more infuriating is that some stupid dog of a system claims the original owner *is* me. That’s the most infuriating part of all!’

The Empress Dowager was so furious she felt she could spit blood. The Emperor simply wanted to provoke her, and her goal had been achieved.

Her fists clenched so tightly the veins stood out on her hands. "Xiao Jin, you are a defiant, unfilial child! You will get what you deserve one day!"

Xiao Yang couldn’t agree more. A smile played on her lips, but it didn’t reach her cold, sarcastic eyes. "Just like you. An unkind mother with vicious methods. And now you’re getting what you deserve, aren’t you?"

"CRASH!"

In the end, it was the Empress Dowager who broke first. She smashed her plate in a fit of rage and stormed away from the table.