Her Majesty Chose Violence, They Chose Her

That overwhelming victory gave the soldiers of Da Wei an immense boost of confidence and morale.

After being pent up at Changlu Pass for nearly two months, they finally broke through the pass and launched a counterattack against the Xirong.

Li Wei personally led the charge. His soldiers were exceptionally fierce; no one would back down when it was time for revenge.

The Xirong army was shattered before they even had a chance to rest and regroup.

Huyan Mu had just become the King of Xirong and had yet to consolidate his power. Some tribal chiefs who refused to submit to him simply fled with their people.

The relatives of the Third Prince and Fourth Prince were also unwilling to submit. Seeing disaster looming, they too left with their men. In the end, the remaining main force was no match for Li Wei.

Hounded and cut down at every turn, of their seventy-thousand-strong army, over twenty thousand deserted, more than thirty thousand were killed, and the remaining ten thousand were driven back behind the White Wolf Mountain Range in the northernmost part of Xirong.

The pursuit only stopped when heavy snow and wind buried all tracks, making it impossible for Li Wei and his men to navigate.

After a relentless two-day, two-night pursuit, everyone’s stamina was at its limit. Yet, despite their wind-battered faces, their eyes shone with brilliant light. They all watched, wide-eyed, as Li Wei planted the flag of Da Wei on the peak of White Wolf Mountain.

With that, all the land south of White Wolf Mountain—two-thirds of Xirong’s territory—belonged to Da Wei.

One victory report after another arrived in the Capital City, and the entire court rejoiced as if it were the New Year.

The day the report of Li Wei’s victory at White Wolf Mountain arrived was also Xiao Yang’s birthday.

The Empress Dowager had been dead for less than a hundred days, so the Emperor was not supposed to celebrate a birthday. Xiao Yang didn’t care. Although her current birthday was not the same day as her original one, she still disliked celebrating it.

When the war report arrived, the whole court cheered. Previously, when they heard that five thousand Xirong cavalry had been killed in an instant by an explosion, many were skeptical, thinking it was an exaggeration.

But Prince Jing, with his chin held so high it nearly touched the sky, smugly announced that this was the new weapon developed by the Ministry of Industry.

It wasn’t until Chu Zhan, the Minister of War, nodded in confirmation that they dared to believe it was true.

Thinking about it rationally, they couldn’t see the explosives on the distant border, but they had all personally witnessed Her Majesty smash the Second Prince of Xirong’s head open with her own hands.

So nothing was impossible.

Now, Li Wei had fought his way to White Wolf Mountain, nearly wiping out the Xirong nation. Though they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, their nation was strong, and they all shared in the glory.

The Xirong had killed our great general and massacred one of our cities. Now, having conquered half of their country, we had our revenge. We could finally stand tall before the world.

Prince Jing proposed, "Your Majesty, this is a joyous occasion. Why not hold a banquet today so we can all celebrate together?"

The Empress Dowager had been dead for less than a hundred days. Filial piety prevented the Emperor from celebrating a birthday, but there was no rule against celebrating a military victory.

The King of Xirong had been killed, and we had conquered most of their country. How could they not celebrate such a momentous event?

Xiao Yang had just finished reading Li Wei’s letters. He described in detail how he had stormed the Xirong’s main camp, emphasizing the moment he threw a grenade into the King of Xirong’s tent. He even added that when he went to find the King’s head, he almost couldn’t recognize it.

A subsequent letter described his pursuit of the remaining Xirong forces and included a new map of the border. It ended with respectful wishes for Her Majesty’s health.

She was in a good mood after reading them. Hearing Prince Jing’s words, she looked up. "Very well. A small celebration is acceptable."

A true victory banquet would naturally have to wait for Li Wei’s triumphant return to the capital.

However, Xiao Yang appreciated their good intentions.

An emperor’s birthday was never a personal affair; it was an opportunity for the court ministers to display their concern for their sovereign’s burdens and their sympathy for her troubles.

A banquet inviting only the civil and military officials was easy to arrange. Although it was just a small affair, it had all the necessary components: fine food, good wine, music, and Dancing Girls.

Perhaps in consideration of the Emperor being a woman, the dancers were no longer exclusively female; there were now handsome, graceful men among them.

This wasn’t something Xiao Yang had requested, but as the Emperor, there were naturally plenty of people who wanted to curry favor with her.

Once the banquet began, toasts to the Emperor were, of course, inevitable.

Xiao Yang was in a good mood. She would drink any toast from a minister she found reasonably acceptable. As for those whose toasts she refused, they would have to look to themselves for the reason.

Xiao Yang was flanked by Prince Jing and Rong Yin. Prince Jing’s presence was a given. Rong Yin had been sick for the past two days but had recovered yesterday and seemed normal upon his return.

He hadn’t mentioned Meng Xuechen at all, nor had he come to her to cause a scene. It seemed he had managed to talk himself into a better mood.

Just as Xiao Yang was thinking this, the banquet music suddenly changed, becoming lingering and melodious.

A group of Dancing Girls appeared, dressed in long, smoky-blue gowns with water sleeves. They swayed gracefully, their movements like blooming, fluttering flowers.

At first, it seemed to be just a new dance piece. But as the dancers came together and then fanned out again, a man in a red dance costume appeared in their midst.

His figure was as slender and graceful as any woman’s, but his half-open collar revealed his male identity.

His hair was tied up high, and he wore a veil of pearls over his face, through which one could vaguely glimpse exceptionally handsome features.

Though he was a man, his dancing was no less exquisite than the women’s. In fact, the inherent strength of his male physique lent a unique power and resilience to his movements, giving the performance a distinct flavor.

His movements were fluid, his skill superb. He was captivating, yet there was no trace of vulgarity or overt flirtation; it seemed he was purely showcasing his artistry.

But everyone knew that for someone to perform here, with his gender so clearly on display, it was impossible that he didn’t have other intentions.

Seduction without a trace of seduction—that was the highest form of the art.

Many secretly glanced at the Empress. And indeed, her gaze was fixed on the man, a faint smile on her lips. She was clearly interested.

When the dance ended, the man concluded in a half-kneeling pose, his body arched like a longbow.

As the final note faded, he slowly prostrated himself. "This servant wishes Your Majesty an eternal reign and a long life of ten thousand years."

Xiao Yang smiled and raised her cup. Just as she was about to drink, she suddenly asked, "Your dance was certainly interesting. What is your name?"

The man raised his head slightly, his gaze resting on the edge of the table—a perfect angle that allowed the Emperor to see his face clearly, while he himself avoided looking directly at the imperial countenance.

"Replying to Your Majesty, this servant is named Yu Li."

Xiao Yang’s lips curled into an enigmatic smile. "Yu Li. A fine name."

With a wave of her hand, she declared, "Reward him."

The troupe departed, and Yu Li was but a minor, interesting interlude.

But the impact of this scene was not yet over.

The Little Emperor was a woman, but she was an emperor first and a woman second.

No one could use the rules that governed women to restrain the Emperor, but no one could stop her from exercising the Emperor’s power, either.

The Emperor turned seventeen today. It was time for her to marry.

If a man from their family became the Imperial Consort, and if Her Majesty were to become pregnant, the Imperial Consort would act as regent. That would be little different from being the emperor himself.

Suddenly, it was as if a golden path to heaven had appeared before their very eyes.

Many began to entertain crooked ideas. Prince Jing took a cool sip of his wine. ’Go on, dream,’ he thought. ’When the time comes, the Little Emperor will guarantee you all die in a wide variety of creative ways.’