Her Majesty Chose Violence, They Chose Her

Rong Yin was acting normal again, but the Little Emperor was the one being a little strange. For two days straight, she kept giving him the weirdest looks.

It was enough to make Rong Yin’s skin crawl, leaving him too self-conscious to make a move.

Xiao Yang mocked him mercilessly. What was he so afraid of? When she still had her male identity, wasn’t he much bolder?

Now that she was a woman, why had he chickened out?

Xiao Yang was only focused on how amusing it was, never considering Rong Yin’s ploy. The more he had tried to get close before, the less the Emperor seemed to notice him. But now that he had changed his attitude, Xiao Yang’s gaze was always on him.

Teasing, amusement, mockery—it wasn’t fiery passion, but it was constant attention. And with it, the way everyone around them looked at the two had changed as well.

Meng Xuechen saw all of this, and he heard the gossip about the relationship between the Emperor and the Regent King. But, as always, he simply focused on his own tasks: helping the Emperor make money and managing the Ministry of Revenue.

Every day, he would meet with the Little Emperor at a set time to discuss court affairs and share a cup of tea.

Their interactions were as harmonious as a perfectly normal sovereign and minister. He never overstepped his bounds by a single inch, acting as if his previous confession had never happened.

’You’re just not willing to accept it,’ a sudden voice echoed, as faint and malevolent as a demon’s whisper.

Meng Xuechen’s hand, holding the teacup, paused for a moment before he brought it to his lips again.

’You want her. You want to take her for yourself, but you’re afraid of destroying the perfect image she has of you.’

’You know your special claim on her comes from the fact that you died for her. You know the only one she cares about is the you who was her childhood companion.’

’But you have long since become dark and twisted, a prolific killer full of schemes. Beneath your perfect gentleman’s exterior lies an ugly, corrupt, and withered soul.’

’You want her, yet you’re terrified of having her.’

’And you even used to hate her...’

CRACK!

The teacup shattered. Tea splashed everywhere. Shards of porcelain sliced through his palm, and blood instantly began to flow.

Every eye in the room, including the Emperor’s, fell upon him.

Xiao Yang raised her hand, signaling for someone to fetch medicine, before asking him, "What’s wrong?"

’We were just talking normally, how could he suddenly... Was there something wrong with the cup?’

Meng Xuechen slowly opened his hand, letting the porcelain fragments fall from his palm. He looked up at Xiao Yang, his expression as gentle as ever. "It’s nothing."

He offered no further explanation.

Xiao Yang could tell at a glance that something was wrong, but since he wasn’t talking, it wasn’t her place to press him.

A Palace Attendant immediately came forward with a tray to treat Meng Xuechen’s wound.

"No need. I’ll do it myself."

Meng Xuechen refused the palace maid who stepped forward to help, taking the tweezers himself to pull out the fragments.

He had injured his right hand. Though his left was also nimble, he was clearly distracted. Xiao Yang watched, wide-eyed, as he managed to push a barely-embedded shard even deeper into his flesh. Blood spurted instantly.

It made her flinch. He didn’t seem to feel the pain, but she felt it just by watching.

She grabbed his hand, snatched the tweezers away, and with quick, nimble movements, began picking out the porcelain.

She wiped away the blood, made sure no fragments remained, then sprinkled on some styptic powder. Only when the bleeding stopped did she wrap his hand in gauze.

Throughout the entire process, Meng Xuechen’s expression never changed, as if he weren’t the one who was injured.

"Thank you, Ah Yang. I’m sorry to have worried you."

Xiao Yang didn’t think much of it and casually touched his forehead. "You need to take care of yourself. If you run into trouble, just say so. Rest when you’re tired."

She wanted money to develop the nation, but that wasn’t something that could be rushed.

Developing new sciences and munitions isn’t something that can be done in a day or two.

Besides, she wasn’t in a desperate hurry for money. Even if she couldn’t earn it, there were still plenty of noble houses she hadn’t dealt with yet.

Noble houses = the Emperor’s piggy bank.

Xiao Yang still had plenty of incriminating evidence she hadn’t used. In this world, anyone could run out of money, but it was impossible for the Emperor to be broke.

Seeing the genuine concern in Xiao Yang’s eyes, a hint of a smile touched Meng Xuechen’s face.

They were quite close now. So close that he could smell her scent. If he leaned in just a little, he could kiss her.

"This subject will take his leave."

The voice was full of mockery: ’Coward! Useless trash!’

Meng Xuechen closed his eyes and kissed her.

The contact was brief. He pulled away slowly, then rose with calm elegance to take his leave.

Xiao Yang: "..."

The little palace maid standing nearby with the medicine tray had her mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg. Xiao Yang reached out and gently pushed her jaw closed.

The little palace maid blushed and gave a bashful smile. "Your Majesty, please forgive me."

She was only surprised, so of course Xiao Yang wouldn’t punish her. The Emperor simply turned to deal with official business.

Nanny Yang waited for the little palace maid to exit before admonishing her. "Remember the rules."

The little palace maid quickly composed herself. "This servant understands."

Whatever was seen or heard in Zichen Palace could not be repeated. Not a single word.

This was the rule Nanny Yang had set for all who served in Zichen Palace.

There was no need to threaten them with punishments. The memory of those who had disappeared before them was enough to ensure they kept their mouths sealed shut.

For a mere Palace Attendant, the Emperor didn’t even need to speak. Nanny Yang and Chief Lin could make them disappear completely and utterly in a matter of minutes.

----

"Didn’t you disappear?"

On the wide avenue, Meng Xuechen’s cold, heavy voice drifted in the wind.

The reply was a voice from within his soul, one only he could hear.

The voice was triumphant. ’You know full well that I can never disappear. I am you. The most wretched part of you.’

Meng Xuechen clenched his fist. The wound, which had already stopped bleeding, began to seep blood again, but he felt no pain.

The soul of a near-adult, transmigrated into a different world to become a three-year-old child.

A lowly status, helpless hands, bullied by anyone and everyone.

He was once the son of a merchant, the young master of a wealthy family. But he ended up an orphan, losing his parents and being thrown out on the street. He became a beggar, fighting with dogs for scraps of food.

He slept in graveyards and dug up the graves of the dead.

He had fought to survive to this day. His hands were stained with blood, and he had caused the ruin and death of countless families.

Schizophrenia.

He didn’t know when his second personality had appeared. As he struggled to survive, he had despised his own actions. Eventually, the voices of that self-loathing coalesced into a true second personality, one outside his control, that reminded him again and again of how pathetic and incompetent he was.

He was a merchant, a treacherous and cunning merchant who reeked of money. Yet he had the most harmless-looking face, and he dressed himself in the most ethereal and noble manner.

It wasn’t because he was noble; it was because he was a true hypocrite.

He wanted money and power. He wanted to overturn everything.

But just as he finally set foot in the Capital City, he had to go and meet Xiao Yang.

He liked Xiao Yang. He truly did. But he had also truly hated her.

In that situation back then, he had died for her willingly. He had regrets, but he only blamed fate.

But why? Why was he allowed to live on in this world, only to be dealt this kind of fate?

He hated the heavens and the earth. He hated the people of the world. He hated himself for not just ending it all with a single blade. And naturally, he had also hated Xiao Yang...

He had died because of her.

Now that they had met again, he spoke only of love, never mentioning his resentment or the debt she owed him.

It was too hypocritical. And so... his inner demon was reborn.