Chapter 248: Your Majesty, Would You Like to Kiss a Little Longer?
Lou Yan seemed dazed, as pliant as a doll that could be molded into any shape.
Xiao Li teased him for a bit, but quickly grew bored and left him alone, curious to see how long he could keep it up.
Yang Jun went to inform Song Junzhan himself. Worried that Song Junzhan’s excitement might give things away, he simply said that Hong Yue needed to see him.
As a result, Song Junzhan arrived with a composed gait. But the moment he walked in and saw Xiao Li sitting there, he was so overwhelmed he nearly fainted.
Even Xiao Li was startled and quickly rose to her feet.
Fortunately, Yang Jun caught Song Junzhan and kept him from collapsing.
He steadied himself and recovered. Xiao Li had already walked over to him and asked with concern, "Are you all right? I didn’t think you startled so easily."
His head was spinning. ’Have I gone mad from reviewing too many memorials?’ he wondered. ’How am I seeing Your Majesty speaking to me?’
But he couldn’t spare it another thought. His only desire was to hold her—to hold the living, breathing her.
He acted on that thought. The moment he embraced her, he grew audacious and kissed her.
Hong Yue and the others stared in stunned silence. They quickly turned away, making sure to pull Yang Jun out with them. This was not the time for them to be in the way.
Once they were all outside and had closed the door, a sudden realization struck Yang Jun. "Didn’t Lou Yan come out with us?"
Whoa!
Hong Yue’s expression was a tangle of emotions. "It’s probably... not important... right?"
Lan Yue, however, was perfectly calm. "That’s Your Majesty’s problem to worry about. Relax, Her Majesty can handle it."
Hong Yue and Yang Jun both looked at her, their gazes showing their agreement.
But Lou Yan, trapped inside, hadn’t even noticed the door closing. His gaze was fixed on the embracing couple. The numb, listless look in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a sharp, sinister glare brimming with killing intent.
Unfortunately for him, neither of them paid him any mind.
Song Junzhan was still reeling from the shock, his lips cold and trembling. In his heart, he felt he could never kiss her enough, but in reality, he only pressed his lips to hers. A moment later, he reluctantly pulled away and gently held her in his arms.
"How long have you been awake, Your Majesty?"
"About two or three hours."
Song Junzhan sighed in frustration. "You’ve been awake for so long and I didn’t even know. This is my failing."
Xiao Li patted his arm. "You can let go of me now."
’Being held by him like this feels... strange.’
With great reluctance, Song Junzhan let go. He then stepped back, straightened his sleeves, and knelt on both knees. "Your servant, Song Junzhan, greets Your Majesty. I congratulate you on your recovery. May you have a long life of good fortune, free from illness and disaster, and may you enjoy everlasting peace and health."
’My life will never be a peaceful one,’ Xiao Li thought. But still, who didn’t like to hear such good wishes?
She reached out to help Song Junzhan up. Just as he was about to rise, a sudden whim struck Xiao Li, and she pushed him back down.
Song Junzhan was slightly taken aback, but he obediently remained kneeling and looked up at her. "Your Majesty?"
Xiao Li looked down at him for a moment, then hooked his chin with her fingertip, leaned down, and kissed him. It was a brief kiss, but she was satisfied.
’Song Junzhan is a bit taller than me. Being held and kissed by him just now felt... off. Now *this* feels right.’
Song Junzhan was exceptionally perceptive and understood what Xiao Li was thinking in an instant.
He couldn’t help but chuckle, no longer in a hurry to rise. "I can keep kneeling, Your Majesty. Would you care for a few more kisses?"
Xiao Li pinched his cheek. "In your dreams. Now get up."
The two sat across from each other, drinking tea, as Song Junzhan recounted the court’s affairs over the past year and more.
The loss of territory to the Yue Country and the three rebellious kings were his failures, he admitted, but they were measures born of desperation.
When Xiao Li first fell into a coma, he had detained the envoys from other countries to conceal the truth. But when a month passed and she still hadn’t woken, the secret could no longer be kept.
They had considered finding a woman to disguise herself as the Empress to get them through the crisis, but it was impossible to find a substitute with the presence they would willingly kneel to and serve.
They delayed as long as they could, but eventually, the truth came out.
Once news of the Empress’s coma spread, several nations mobilized their armies and demanded the release of their envoys. To avoid war, he had to let them go.
"As for the rebellion of the three kings, it was something I had, in a way, permitted."
"The fiefdoms of the three kings are all on the border," he explained. "By rebelling, they would have to defend their own lands from foreign invasion. I only needed to use our existing army to secure the heartland, which prevented the three rebel kings from daring to march on the court. In this way, the realm was secured."
"Of course, all of this is merely temporary."
"We are surrounded by wolves, and a war is inevitable. All I could do was buy time."
"Every day I could deter them from attacking was another day we had to strengthen ourselves."
"Planting crops, forging weapons and armor, training the cavalry."
"Over the past year, the court’s strength has grown visibly, making the three rebel kings even more hesitant to attack. Now they’re caught between us and the foreign powers, unable to advance or retreat."
Song Junzhan looked at Xiao Li, his gaze gentle. "Now that you have returned, Your Majesty, it is the perfect time to bring them to heel."
He was no warrior; his skills lay in governance and logistics. But he served an Emperor who was not only skilled in warfare but reveled in it. He just needed to make all the preparations and wait for her to brandish her sword and sweep across the land, unstoppable.
Xiao Li met his gaze. A year had passed, but his handsome features hadn’t changed, and he still possessed that same ethereal air. However, he had become more composed. Even though he reined it in before her, he still radiated the dignified authority of one who wielded immense power.
The Prime Minister, second only to the Emperor, naturally carried himself with a presence far different than before.
’A man dedicated to his work really is charming.’
"There’s no rush to reclaim the lost lands."
"The world outside is a hornet’s nest right now. No matter where I strike, enemies will swarm from all directions."
"The best course of action is to first focus on governing the lands we currently hold. Make the people prosperous and the army strong. Once our foundations are unshakeable, it won’t matter how many hornets there are; they’ll be nothing but a disorderly mob."
"As for the three rebel kings, a direct military campaign is out of the question. We must employ subterfuge—feign one move to conceal our true attack."
’This cannot be rushed.’
Xiao Li suddenly remembered something and asked Hong Yue, who was standing nearby, "Where is Rong Qing?"
Song Junzhan answered, "A month ago, a great fire broke out at Longxi Gully, burning down several workshops. After discussing it with General Rong, he led troops to garrison the area and investigate the cause."
"They haven’t dared to attack for over a year, all because of the powerful firearms you possess, Your Majesty. So, while they appear quiet on the surface, they’ve been secretly trying to get their hands on them. The fake workshops we built earlier confused them for more than a year, but this time they found Longxi Gully and set it ablaze. Fortunately, only the surface workshops were affected. The underground facilities sustained no damage."
To keep these advanced weapons secure, Xiao Li had established countless layers of defense and misdirection. They weren’t going to be easy to obtain.
"But sending General Rong there, doesn’t that just confirm that there’s something important at that location?"
Song Junzhan smiled. "Previously, whenever there was an incident somewhere, General Rong and General Yang would take turns investigating. The trips would last anywhere from three days to one or two months."
"The main goal is to create confusion and keep the enemy guessing."
Xiao Li chuckled. "What a cunning fox you are."
’It’s no wonder he’s the head of all civil servants. His mind is full of clever schemes.’