Her Majesty Chose Violence, They Chose Her

It was already late at night when the carriage returned to the Imperial Palace. Xiao Yang had slept her fill and woke up, full of energy.

Just as she stood up to get out of the carriage, someone suddenly pulled her into an embrace.

Rong Yin buried his head against her stomach.

"I’ve been thinking this entire trip, Your Majesty. Let me hold you for a moment."

Xiao Yang chuckled. Though his grip was tight enough to nearly snap her in two, she wasn’t angry. Instead, her fingertips gently toyed with his hair.

"Is the Regent King trying to sweet-talk me?"

"Might I ask your age, Regent King? Aren’t you ashamed?"

Xiao Yang teased him, but her tone held no trace of annoyance or anger. Instead, it was laced with an unspoken, indulgent fondness.

Rong Yin had held back for the entire journey, only daring to embrace her waist. But Xiao Yang’s playful indulgence caused the restraint he’d so carefully maintained to instantly crumble.

He swept her up into his arms, lowered his head, and pressed a hard kiss to her neck, inhaling deeply.

Xiao Yang: "..." ’That’s it?’

’Coward!’

But now wasn’t the time to bully him. She let him hold her for another moment, then pushed his head away and left on her own.

Her retreating figure was so crisp and decisive it looked utterly heartless.

Rong Yin wanted to follow her out, but one look down and he covered his face with a sigh.

’Pathetic!’

Xiao Yang had intended to return to Zichen Palace, but she felt too energetic to sleep and headed for Luoyun Palace instead.

As she reached its entrance, she remembered that someone had died here before.

Plenty of people had died within the Imperial Palace, so she wasn’t one for such superstitions. Still, she wanted Xu Xingchen to live.

"Take down the plaque and replace it. This is now Fuyao Palace."

’His name was Xingchen, Sinking Star, of the Xu Family. Well, she would make him soar and live a brilliant life.’

"Yes."

Lin Yi immediately arranged for someone to remove the plaque.

Xiao Yang stepped inside. Two palace attendants were in the room, and Han Yang himself was standing vigil. Xu Xingchen’s condition was dire, so they were taking turns watching over him.

"Your Majesty."

Xiao Yang asked, "How is he?"

Han Yang replied, "His fever hasn’t returned, so his condition has stabilized for now. It all depends on whether he can wake up tomorrow."

Xiao Yang understood Xu Xingchen’s condition. She wouldn’t fly into a helpless rage and shout things like, "If you can’t save him, you’ll all be buried with him!" Threats couldn’t save lives.

She walked to the bedside, where Xu Xingchen was still wrapped tightly in bandages.

He couldn’t be covered too thickly. Braziers had been lit in the room, so only a thin blanket was draped over his body. He remained in a coma.

The faint rise and fall of his chest proved he was still alive, but how long he would remain so was up to fate.

’Three days...’

Xiao Yang reached out to touch him but found no place to do so; even his fingers were covered in wounds.

She had killed before, countless people in fact. She was by no means a merciful person, but that didn’t mean she was inhuman.

It was still painful to see someone she protected get hurt.

Gazing at his tightly shut eyes, she murmured, "Xu Xingchen, you have to live. If you live, what I’m doing will have meant something."

The next morning, a travel-worn Grand Tutor Xu returned, bringing Xu Xingchen’s parents with him. Xu Shikai and his wife followed behind with Xu Ling.

"Your Majesty, where is Xingchen?"

Grand Tutor Xu genuinely doted on his grandson, his eyes filled with urgency.

Xiao Yang didn’t stop them, allowing them to go see him.

After one look, Grand Tutor Xu was so grief-stricken he nearly fainted on the spot.

Xu Xingchen’s parents, Xu Yunzhou and Su Rong, were equally devastated. Su Rong went limp and collapsed to the floor.

"Chen’er!"

Xu Yunzhou clasped his hands in a salute. "Thank you for saving his life, Your Majesty. We would like to take him home. Please grant us permission."

Su Rong, weeping uncontrollably, nodded again and again. "Yes, we want to take him home."

Xiao Yang didn’t try to stop them. Instead, she asked, "Can you save him? Can you find a doctor more skilled than an Imperial Physician?"

The two had obviously not thought of this, but Xu Yunzhou reacted quickly. "Then we implore Your Majesty to allow Doctor Han to come to our home to continue treating our son."

Xiao Yang understood.

"You want to take him home simply for your own sakes, without any thought for his condition."

Xiao Yang’s words were blunt and merciless. "In his current state, it’s best he not be moved. In the palace, the Imperial Physicians are watching him in shifts, and I am providing the finest medicines. If you take him home, he will undoubtedly die."

Su Rong’s face turned deathly pale as she broke into a loud wail. "My son... SOB... Who on earth did this to you?"

Xu Yunzhou’s expression changed instantly. He rushed to grab his wife. "Don’t cause a scene! You mustn’t be impudent before Her Majesty."

Su Rong shoved him away, shouting angrily, "My son is like this, and I’m not even allowed to cry? This is all your fault! If you hadn’t insisted on going off to travel for pleasure, our child would never have ended up like this!"

Xiao Yang frowned. Grand Tutor Xu roared, "Enough!"

He shot the couple a fierce glare, then turned back to Xiao Yang, bowing deeply with clasped hands. "Xingchen has troubled Your Majesty."

Xiao Yang nodded and had her attendants escort everyone out. "One of you may come in each day to keep watch, but you are not to make noise or touch him. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being merciless."

Su Rong’s eyes were red and filled with indignation. "Your Majesty, he is my son! I am going to stay and watch over him, and you can’t stop me, even if you are the Emperor!"

Xiao Yang felt a lump of frustration form in her throat. She had no desire to argue with someone incapable of understanding reason.

She addressed Grand Tutor Xu directly. "As long as he is in the palace, I will do my utmost to save him. If he is taken out, I will no longer be involved."

Su Rong had lost all reason. "My son was perfectly fine in the Xu Family! If Your Majesty hadn’t made him the Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice, how would he have provoked those people? If Your Majesty hadn’t gone after the Liu Family, why would they have come for revenge—"

SHLICK!

A longsword flashed, and blood arced through the air.

Splattered across the face with blood, Su Rong’s words caught in her throat. She couldn’t make another sound.

No one had expected the Emperor to act so directly.

In an instant, the Emperor had drawn a guard’s sword and slashed down without mercy.

No one had time to react. Only Xu Shikai, who had witnessed the Emperor’s ferocity before, moved, throwing himself in front of the blow.

The longsword sliced across his back, splitting skin from flesh as blood began to flow.

Xu Shikai’s face was white with pain, but he didn’t forget to explain to Su Rong. "It was my fault that Xingchen went missing. I was the one who failed to inform Her Majesty, which delayed the rescue. Once she found out, she rescued him in less than four hours. Sister-in-law, if you must blame someone, blame only me."

Enduring the pain, he turned and dropped to his knees before the Emperor. "Your Majesty, I am willing to atone for this with my life. My sister-in-law was simply worried about her child and lost her head in her panic. I beg Your Majesty for forgiveness."

The others quickly knelt as well. "We beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness!"

Just as Grand Tutor Xu was about to kneel, Xiao Yang’s sword stopped him, the tip pressing against his knee.

"Don’t you give me any more trouble, old man."

She sheathed her sword. "Effective immediately, Grand Tutor Xu will stay in the side hall to keep watch. The rest of you are forbidden from entering the Imperial Palace."

Grand Tutor Xu quickly replied, "This servant obeys!"

Su Rong opened her mouth to say something else, but after wiping the blood from her face, she swallowed her words and simply trembled uncontrollably.

Xiao Yang left, but she posted guards to ensure no one could get near the inner hall.

The bloodstain on the ground was a stark, crimson pool. At this point, no one dared to provoke the Emperor’s authority again, because she had proven she was willing to kill.

Huang Yin and her daughter helped Xu Shikai to a side hall to beg Han Yang for medical aid.

Han Yang: "..." ’I’m already worked to death, and this family just had to make more trouble for me.’

’What else could he do? The Emperor didn’t say she wanted the man dead, so he might as well save him.’