Her Majesty Chose Violence, They Chose Her

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Bite You to Death! Bite You to Death

No matter what Xiao Yang said, Xiao Lv refused. He even declared that if Xiao Yang were to directly pass on the throne in Jinluan Palace tomorrow, he would still reject it. Moreover, if Your Majesty insisted, he would leave on a long journey and never help her again.

’At that moment, I wanted to go up and bite him a couple of times!’ Stifling her fury, Xiao Yang shoved the Jade Seal into a bag, shouldered it, and stormed out of the palace.

「Xiao Yang went to the Prince Jing Mansion.」

Prince Jing was in the middle of drinking tea.

Seeing the Jade Seal appear out of thin air, he nearly chewed through his teacup.

"Your Majesty... what is the meaning of this?"

To be safe, Xiao Yang had also written an imperial edict this time. The gist of it was that she was abdicating the throne and appointing herself the Leisurely King.

Prince Jing’s expression stiffened. "Your... Your Majesty... please don’t play such a joke with your uncle."

Xiao Yang shot back, "Do I look like I’m joking?"

"I told you to write a rebellion plan, and you still haven’t given it to me."

"By the time you get around to rebelling, it’ll be too late."

"The throne for you, a princedom for me. From now on, you have to have my back, got it?"

Prince Jing did not get it.

He felt as if he must still be dreaming.

’Was the dried mushroom soup I drank last night poisoned?’

"Your Majesty, the throne is no child’s play..."

"Hold it!" Xiao Yang shoved the imperial edict against his mouth. "Xiao Lv already tried the whole ’refusal’ thing. You don’t get to refuse."

"Besides, I’m informing you, not consulting you. Just be ready first thing tomorrow morning."

Having made this overbearing decision, Xiao Yang cast off her heavy burden. She felt completely lighthearted on the way back.

Today was her last day as Emperor; tomorrow, she would be the Leisurely King.

’Even though this world has no phones, no TV, no internet, no cars or planes, not even running water or flush toilets...’

’Okay, stop thinking about it. This is getting depressing!’

’Anyway... it’s still good to be alive. I’ll just treat it like some exotic vacation. Maybe I can go back after I die here. Getting to live a whole extra life is a win, right?’

’Once I become the Leisurely King, I’ll keep a few handsome consorts. No one will be trying to assassinate me then, and I can roam freely wherever I please...’

As Xiao Yang dreamed of her wonderful future, her steps back became light and quick.

Until the Jade Seal and imperial edict she had delivered appeared before her, completely untouched.

"You’re spying on me?"

"Or are you spying on Prince Jing?"

Xiao Yang glared at the deceptively dignified Rong Yin before her, fury beginning to boil in her heart.

Rong Yin, however, was perfectly calm. "Prince Jing asked me to return these. He was afraid Your Majesty wouldn’t accept his refusal."

After hearing this, Xiao Yang could only let out a series of cold laughs.

"Useless!"

"Bastard!"

"You’re sick in the head!"

"So you won’t take it when it’s offered for free? You’d rather seize it by force, is that it?"

’Does it only count if you kill the Emperor and seize power? Is my life meaningless?’

Furious, Xiao Yang cursed up a storm. Then, grabbing a new scroll for an edict, she rewrote the abdication decree right in front of Rong Yin, this time putting his name on it.

As she wrote, Rong Yin commented, "Your Majesty’s characters have improved. They have more of an edge than before and look much more imposing."

"You wrote this character wrong. It’s missing a stroke."

"The content of the decree is passable, but Your Majesty’s method of praise is a bit too subtle..."

With a stony face, Rong Yin prattled on expressionlessly.

’So much for being a cool, aloof dreamboat. He just had to be a motormouth.’

Unable to take it anymore, Xiao Yang threw down her brush in a rage and lunged straight for him.

"I’m going to strangle you!!!!!"

Rong Yin grabbed her hands to keep her from strangling him, so Xiao Yang went in with her teeth. "ARGH..."

’I’ll bite you to death! To death!’

Xiao Yang wrapped her legs tightly around Rong Yin’s waist and, throwing all caution to the wind, bit whatever she could.

Despite Rong Yin’s superior martial arts, he could barely restrain her.

They tumbled to the floor together. Xiao Yang immediately lunged, sinking her teeth into Rong Yin’s jaw.

She was genuinely furious and bit down hard.

"HSS! Let go!"

Wincing in pain, Rong Yin put forth a sudden burst of strength and threw her off.

His ink-dark eyes stared grimly at her. Just moments ago he’d been a motormouth, but now he was too furious to utter a single word.

He touched his face. It was bleeding.

Rong Yin left, radiating a terrifying aura. On his way out, he snatched the decree the Emperor had just finished writing.

Xiao Yang pushed herself up from the floor, limping toward a chair. She’d hurt her leg when they fell.

’I glanced at the desk. He took the decree, but I hadn’t stamped it with the Jade Seal yet!!!’

"Your Majesty."

Bi Fang and Sun Yi came in. "Does Your Majesty need us to summon the Imperial Physician?"

"No need."

Xiao Yang closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair. She was truly tired.

’A bunch of stubborn, impossible psychos!’

’I’m offering them the throne, not a nuke. What are they running from?’

’No guts. They deserve to spend their whole lives kowtowing to others!’

Bi Fang straightened Xiao Yang’s disheveled robes and brushed away imaginary dust, while Sun Yi went to tidy the desk.

He first organized the messy stack of memorials, returned the Imperial Brush to its holder, and finally, his gaze fell upon the Jade Seal beside them.

The very instant his hand was about to touch it, a cold voice rang out, "Go on. Touch it."

Sun Yi’s hand trembled. He instinctively looked toward the source of the voice and saw Xiao Yang, who just moments before had been leaning back with her eyes closed in exhaustion, now staring straight at him. Her normally radiant, almond-shaped eyes were now filled with a chilling, profound coldness.

He hastily lowered his gaze. "I... I just wanted to put the seal back in its box."

Xiao Yang’s voice was low as she snapped, "Get out."

Sun Yi hurriedly bowed and left.

Bi Fang immediately dropped to his knees. "Your Majesty, please forgive our transgression."

Xiao Yang glanced down at him. "You’re dismissed as well."

The vast study fell silent. Xiao Yang sat there for a long time before slowly rising and limping toward the grand chair before her desk.

The Jade Seal was laid out before her.

’This was an object that, if let loose, would have the entire world scrambling for it.’

’She wanted to give it away, but not just anyone was qualified to even touch it.’

What she wanted was to be able to give it away and still live—and live comfortably and securely at that.

Prince Jing and his son were the best candidates. Rong Yin was another option; he had Royal Family blood and was powerful enough.

Li Wei would have been suitable too, but he didn’t have Imperial Family blood, so he would fail at the first hurdle of a legitimate abdication.

Beyond them, Xiao Yang couldn’t think of anyone else she could give it to.

After all, if anyone other than these few got the throne, they would surely find a way to get her killed.

If they found out she was a woman, they wouldn’t breathe a sigh of relief. They would undoubtedly kill her to rally support and legitimize their rule.

When it came to the ugliness of human nature, there was nothing they wouldn’t do, only things you couldn’t imagine.

Where could you find a good person in the struggle for Imperial Power?

-----

The next day at morning court, Xiao Yang sauntered in. The Regent King and Prince Jing stared intently at the Little Emperor, terrified she would pull some stunt. Even Xiao Lv was there.

Xiao Yang slouched lazily on the Dragon Throne, the picture of impropriety.

She listened to the usual impeachments, the words going in one ear and out the other.

’Her gaze drifted to the Regent King’s cheek. It had been bleeding yesterday, but now there wasn’t a hint of swelling or even a mark. What kind of miracle medicine was that?’

Until Prime Minister Song Qinghe brought up the matter of selecting concubines.

"Your Majesty, continuing the imperial line is a top priority for the nation. Please, Your Majesty, for the sake of the empire, order the selection of concubines."

Xiao Yang finally deigned to spare him a glance, her opening words a devastating blow. "Not a chance. I like men."

She then jutted her chin toward the Regent King and Li Wei. "See them? My Killing Concubine and my Scolding Concubine. You tell me which of them looks like they can bear me children?"

The entire assembly of officials: "..." ’His Majesty has well and truly gone insane.’