Her Majesty Chose Violence, They Chose Her

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: "Xiao Lv, You’re Really Something.

Xiao Yang knew Xiao Lv was a clever one. It was impossible he hadn’t discerned the truth in her words; he was just too shocked and, for a moment, didn’t know how to face it.

He would go to the Heavenly Prison to confirm things with Chen Guangzong and the others. Once he had, he would know what he had to do.

Xiao Yang was no admirer of patriarchy. On the contrary, her idols had always been powerful female leaders like Emperor Wu and Lady Lv.

But admiring them was one thing; being one herself was another entirely. She didn’t believe she possessed that kind of capability.

This was an unfamiliar dynasty. Never mind being the Emperor; even becoming an Immortal would be meaningless to her.

’One has to distinguish between fiction and reality.’

Furthermore, she had only ascended the throne by concealing her gender. And now, she had personally cut ties with her most likely supporters—the Empress Dowager and the Chen Family.

The moment her identity as a woman was exposed, it would be seen as a deception against the entire world.

The entire imperial court would rise up against her, and the condemnation of the masses would be enough to drown her.

She had no confidants among the court officials and no power faction to call her own. She was utterly alone and without support.

To sit in a position one doesn’t deserve without the power to hold it is simply to court one’s own doom.

Nor did she wish to exhaust herself trying to consolidate this so-called false Imperial Power.

That was why she had chosen to tell Xiao Lv, hoping that on account of what little fraternal affection they shared, she might be able to make a clean retreat.

Without the throne, she could just cozy up to the new Emperor and live out her days in leisure, waiting for the day she could finally return home.

And yet, Xiao Yang finished going through a mountain of court memorials, and still there was no answer from Xiao Lv.

She grew impatient waiting, so she returned to her chambers to eat and wash up. Just as she was about to sleep, news arrived.

"Your Majesty, Chen Guangzong and Liu Zhongwen have committed suicide in prison."

Xiao Yang stood frozen. After a long silence, she suddenly let out a derisive scoff. "Xiao Lv, you’ve really outdone yourself."

Xiao Yang was fated to have a restless night. The Empress Dowager had also received news of the two deaths and, in her agitation, rushed to find Xiao Yang in the middle of the night.

"Xiao Jin!"

The Empress Dowager stormed in, her face deathly pale despite the fury blazing in her eyes.

But she contained her fury, commanding, "All of you, withdraw!"

Xiao Yang knew what was coming. She raised a hand, dismissing the servants.

The moment the hall doors closed, the Empress Dowager raised her hand to strike Xiao Yang.

Xiao Yang caught her wrist and shoved her forcefully into a chair.

"I would have thought the Empress Dowager understood by now. These little acts don’t work on me."

The past few days had not been kind to the Empress Dowager. She had grown gaunt, her eyes were sunken, and dark, bruised circles ringed them.

She glared at Xiao Jin, her stare full of hatred, yet now it was tinged with a hint of helplessness.

"Xiao Jin, that was your own maternal grandfather! How could you hound him to his death?"

Xiao Yang retorted, "How can the Empress Dowager be so certain that I was the one who forced his hand? Many in this court wished him dead, but I can assure you, I was not one of them."

The Empress Dowager shot back, "Weren’t you simply afraid he would expose your identity as a woman, and so you had him silenced?"

Xiao Yang looked down at her, her gaze cold and thin. "If I were truly afraid of my secret getting out, the first person I should have killed would be you, Empress Dowager."

"One lie requires countless other lies to cover it up. You were the one who lied from the beginning, which is why you’ve spent sixteen years in terror, without a single day of peace."

"With one lie, you harmed your only child, and now you’ve harmed your father. You are the true culprit."

"No... it’s not like that... it’s not..."

The bloody truth had been laid bare, and the Empress Dowager could not face it.

She refused to admit that every mistake she had made to this day stemmed from a single, fleeting impulse long ago.

Her mind was reeling, but in the next instant she found her footing again, retorting, "Even if that’s true, it is an undeniable fact that *I* put you on the throne! After being so ruthless, aren’t you afraid of what will happen when your secret is revealed? Do you think you’ll meet a good end?"

Xiao Yang chuckled softly. "Look at me, Empress Dowager. Do I seem like someone who cares about this throne? I’ve been waiting all along, waiting for that day you mentioned to finally come."

"Even now, if the Empress Dowager wishes for me to pay for the lives of the Chen Family, you are more than welcome to go out and scream the truth. When you do, we can all have a nice reunion in the underworld."

Xiao Yang had nothing left to lose, and so she had nothing to fear.

In the end, the Empress Dowager left.

She loved power, and she loved the Chen Family, but what she loved most was herself.

She was furious about the deaths of the Chen Family and resented the Little Emperor, but she couldn’t bring herself to throw everything away and drag the Little Emperor down with her.

She wanted to live. She wanted the dignity of being the Empress Dowager.

Even if that status could vanish at any moment, she didn’t want to be the one to step into the abyss of being branded a sinner for all time.

’So, where was all this supposed deep love and affection? It was nothing more than a selfish person’s excuse.’

------

The Empress Dowager sent people to collect the bodies of Chen Guangzong and Liu Zhongwen. They were buried hastily without a funeral, but they were at least given coffins and graves, preserving a final shred of dignity.

The Chen and Liu Families were ultimately sentenced to exile, sent to the most remote and bitterly cold region. It was not just a question of how many years it would be before they could return; it was uncertain if they would even survive the journey.

At this point, the Chen Family’s fate was sealed. A comeback was impossible.

As for their remaining followers, even if the Emperor didn’t act, other factions would naturally be eager to suppress and absorb them. Their future would undoubtedly be difficult.

The Regent King picked up his books and went to the Imperial Study Room again. Unsurprisingly, he found the seat empty. The spot between his brows twitched.

’His Majesty has skipped lessons again!!!’

Already outside the palace, Xiao Yang took a deep breath. ’I will absolutely not compromise with that devil, the Regent King!’

"This one, this one, and this one—I don’t want any of them!"

Xiao Lv’s hand, already reaching for his purse, paused. He looked at the Little Emperor ahead of him, who had been pointedly giving him the cold shoulder.

’He’s angry! This won’t be easy to smooth over.’

While Xiao Yang felt the urge to shop, she was accustomed to the absolute best in all aspects of life. Few things one could find on the street held much appeal for her.

Besides, she hadn’t come out to shop, but to enjoy this rare moment of relaxation and freedom.

Xiao Yang was strolling along when she suddenly caught a whiff of an incredibly rich aroma. It instantly awakened her appetite, and she perked up.

Her eyes landed on a small noodle shop just ahead.

It wasn’t a large space, maybe twenty feet square, with six tables arranged inside. The stove was off to the side, one pot simmering a rich stock, the other used for boiling noodles.

It was a simple noodle shop, but the aroma was absolutely intoxicating.

Xiao Yang said, "Come on, let’s go get some noodles."

When Xiao Cheng saw this, he quickly tried to stop her, but failed.

The person cooking was a woman in her early twenties, with a gentle, lovely face. Dressed in simple, coarse-spun clothes, she moved swiftly—dropping noodles, adding seasoning—and in a flash, a bowl was ready.

It wasn’t the peak dining hour, and only four customers were seated inside.

When the woman saw them approaching, her calm expression instantly broke into a brilliant smile.

"Ah Cheng, what are you all doing here?"

The woman wiped her hands on her apron and hurried to greet them.

"Hurry, sit down. I’ll make you all some noodles right away."

Xiao Cheng called out a bit sheepishly, "Sis."

He looked at Xiao Yang and introduced her, "This is my older sister."

Then he turned to the woman and said, "Sis, this is..."

Xiao Yang cut off Xiao Cheng’s hesitant introduction. "It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m a friend of Xiao Cheng’s."

Xiao Jinsu naturally sensed the slight awkwardness, but she didn’t press. "Such a handsome young master. Please, sit down. I’ll make you some noodles. Young Master, can you handle spicy food?"

Xiao Yang replied, "The standard seasoning will be fine."