Her Majesty Chose Violence, They Chose Her

Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Serves You Right

Rong Yin’s power was not to be underestimated. In just one day, he found the mastermind behind the assassination attempt.

The Empress Dowager.

"According to their descriptions, the one who hired the assassins was undoubtedly Wang Hai."

The Empress Dowager wouldn’t trust something like this to anyone else, so she had her confidant do it.

"Kill Wang Hai. There is no need to inform Her Majesty."

Even without seeking proof, he knew this was surely the Empress Dowager’s idea alone. The Little Emperor only appeared lazy and unhinged; she was actually quite clever.

If she wanted to kill him, she had plenty of legitimate opportunities. She wouldn’t need to resort to such a low-class tactic.

Since it had nothing to do with Her Majesty, there was no need to let her know.

A shadowy figure acknowledged the order and departed. Less than an hour later, Wang Hai, the Chief Eunuch of Ciyun Palace, was killed in his own room.

When the Empress Dowager received the news and went over, she saw Wang Hai’s body and was so furious she nearly fainted on the spot.

"Rong Yin! It was him, it must have been him!"

"That savage, ambitious beast! Is he provoking me?"

This was a classic case of the attacker crying foul.

Wang Hai carried significant weight in the palace, so Xiao Yang learned of his death very quickly.

He was an irrelevant person, so Xiao Yang didn’t give it much thought. But then the Empress Dowager, unable to stomach it, came to find her. "I want to kill Rong Yin! You must kill him for me!"

Xiao Yang thought the woman had lost her mind, but then she belatedly put two and two together.

"So, you sent people to assassinate the Regent King?"

The Empress Dowager fell silent, and Xiao Yang understood at once.

’So it really was her.’

"Serves you right."

You try to kill him, he kills your man. Perfectly fair.

Besides, the Regent King only killed Wang Hai. He didn’t kill her, the true culprit. That could already be considered merciful.

The Empress Dowager’s face darkened with anger. "I was trying to get rid of him for you, and yet here you are, gloating! Do you have a conscience at all?"

Xiao Yang rolled her eyes at her. "Don’t be ridiculous. I have no desire to get rid of him, nor do I need your ’help’. You made this mess, you can deal with it."

The Empress Dowager’s face was ashen. "What do you mean? Are you saying you won’t do anything even if he tries to kill me?"

Xiao Yang replied, "He hasn’t killed you yet, has he?"

"You..."

The Empress Dowager shot out a hand, grabbing her sleeve in a death grip. Her eyes, glaring fiercely like a demon’s, bored into her. "I know you hate me, but that doesn’t change the fact that I am your mother, that you are my own flesh and blood! If you are unfilial, you will be struck by lightning from the heavens and die without a proper burial!"

Xiao Yang: "..."

’What terrible sin did I commit in my past life to be reborn from the womb of this lunatic?’

"Fine."

She was fearless. "I’ll be waiting for my retribution."

She wouldn’t commit matricide, but the Empress Dowager’s actions over the years didn’t warrant her protection, either. So she would absolutely not intervene while the Empress Dowager courted death.

’Filial piety? Struck by lightning? Dying without a burial plot?’

’Who’s afraid of who?’

Wang Hai had followed the Empress Dowager for many years. He was her staunch confidant, and there was even a hint of an unspeakable, ambiguous relationship between them.

His death was a heavy blow to the Empress Dowager. She arranged for him to be lavishly buried and subsequently fell ill, unable to rise from her bed.

Xiao Yang paid her a perfunctory visit, but it seemed to make the Empress Dowager’s illness even worse.

While the Empress Dowager was bedridden with a serious illness, the Regent King’s wounds healed quickly. He reappeared before Xiao Yang in less than five days.

"This subject wishes to recommend a person to the Ministry of Revenue. He is exceptionally skilled at managing finances and will surely be able to solve Your Majesty’s troubles."

Xiao Yang had no objection. The Ministry of Revenue was due for a change anyway; Prince Jing was so tormented he was on the verge of tears.

Making money was just too difficult a task for a man of technical talents.

"This commoner pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Hearing the voice, Xiao Yang looked up. At a single glance, she was thunderstruck.

’That face... What I saw that day wasn’t a hallucination!!’

"What... is your name?"

"This commoner is Meng Xuechen."

Xiao Yang lowered her gaze, finding it hard to calm herself.

’The same face, and the same name, too. This is insane.’

She had already seen him once that day, so although Xiao Yang was shocked, she managed to keep her composure. Her expression, however, turned a little cold.

Fearing the Little Emperor would be unwilling to appoint him, Rong Yin gave a detailed introduction. "Meng Xuechen is a master of generating wealth. He excels at management and coordination. His..."

For the first time ever, Rong Yin spoke at great length, offering nothing but praise. His admiration for Meng Xuechen was impossible to hide.

"We are aware."

After listening, Xiao Yang regained her composure completely.

Meng Xuechen possessed a delicate and refined type of beauty. His features weren’t the traditionally deep-set and defined kind, but rather perfectly balanced. You couldn’t call them exquisitely detailed or flawless, yet they were just right—perfectly handsome.

Any more would have been too much; any less would not have been enough.

A beauty that was just right, handsome, and ethereal.

He didn’t look like he came from a merchant family at all; rather, he resembled the young master of a scholarly or artistic lineage.

Elegant, noble, and otherworldly.

The kind of person who would draw your eye in a crowd at a single glance.

A beauty that brushes and ink could not describe, and for which words felt inadequate.

The man she once knew had been low-key and taciturn, yet people had still chased after and obsessed over him. Now, dressed in brocade robes and jade ornaments, he exuded an air of noble dignity that made it even harder to look away.

’But this person isn’t him.’

’If this person *is* him... then this world just got a lot more interesting.’

"Prince Jing has been worrying about the silver coins these past few days. Go find him first. If you can resolve the current predicament, We will make an exception and appoint you as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue."

Meng Xuechen lowered his head. "This commoner obeys the decree."

Rong Yin’s injuries hadn’t fully healed, so he took his leave along with Meng Xuechen.

Rong Yin said, "You’ve passed Her Majesty’s test, for now. As long as you can secure your position as Assistant Minister, becoming the Minister of Revenue won’t be a problem either. Prince Jing is not skilled with finances, and Her Majesty seems to intend to move him to the Ministry of Industry."

Meng Xuechen nodded. "Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness."

After walking a short distance, Meng Xuechen suddenly asked, "Your Highness, might you tell me Her Majesty’s name?"

An Emperor’s name is taboo and not to be mentioned casually, but it depends on who you are. The Regent King, at least, was permitted to speak it.

"Xiao Jin."

Meng Xuechen lowered his eyes. "’A name of fine jade.’"

He murmured this to himself, then changed the subject.

Meng Xuechen held no official post yet, so Xiao Yang didn’t see him again after that day. Prince Jing, however, was full of endless praise for the man. Every time he came to see Xiao Yang, he would go on and on, looking as though he’d found a priceless treasure.

To make him even happier, Xiao Yang gave him several blueprints. "Take your time studying these, Uncle."

Prince Jing’s eyes lit up at once. He returned to his Prince Mansion, buried himself in his work, and began building furiously. He worked day and night, forgetting to eat or sleep, and no one could stop him.

Xiao Lv, who was completely swamped: "..."

’His father and the Little Emperor... neither one of them made his life easy!’

"Your Highness."

Xie Liuzheng was carrying something to the Imperial Study Room when, as expected, she ran into Rong Yin.

"I heard that Your Highness was attacked. Are your injuries much better now?"

Her tone was polite with a hint of concern—just enough to not be annoying.

Rong Yin gave a cool nod and walked past without a sideways glance.

System: "The Emperor is up there."

Xie Liuzheng looked up and, sure enough, saw a figure in bright yellow sitting on the flying eaves of the palace. They were casually leaning against a carved dragon head, holding a wine pot in one hand and dangling their feet.

Xie Liuzheng was holding a bowl of soup for the Emperor. For a moment, she wasn’t sure whether she should call out or not.

But soon, she no longer had to agonize over the decision, because the Regent King had also spotted the person up there!

"Your Majesty!"

The words were ground out between clenched teeth!