Alone, Beautifully – Chapter 122
by Little PandaBestowing Upon You the Realm (4)
“?”
In front of her was a hard desk, behind her was a burning hot body. Xu Jiao was pressed against the desk by Yu Ye’s upright posture, forcing her stomach to lean on the table, causing slight discomfort from being wedged.
Ordinary people, upon hearing Yu Ye’s threat, would have been frightened to death. After all, her recent ruthless military action of bloodily purging the imperial palace was enough to terrify anyone to their core. Xu Jiao, being a princess who grew up in the sheltered environment of the palace and hadn’t seen much of the world, would surely have hastily begged for mercy upon hearing such a statement that combined both kindness and authority (ๆฉๅจๅนถๆฝ – a four-character idiom describing a carrot-and-stick approach).
Yu Ye thought such a warning was sufficientโ
Who knew that the person in her arms would merely shift left and right on her lap, raising a hand to push against the desk, desperately trying to keep her stomach from touching that hard and cold surface. She even said to Yu Ye:
“Mm, okay.”
“Move back a bit, don’t squeeze me. It’s uncomfortable sitting like this.”
Yu Ye: “โฆ”
She suddenly didn’t quite understand whether this person had actually comprehended her threat.
Moreover, who could tell her why this little one’s attitude towards her was so perfunctory?
Yu Ye’s fingertips applied slightly more pressure, causing a sharp pain in Xu Jiao’s chin. But she didn’t make a sound, only following Yu Ye’s force to look back, calmly meeting her gaze.
As if asking: Do you have anything else? If not, could you move back a bit? The dragon throne in this imperial study isn’t spacious enough to comfortably fit two people.
Yu Ye clearly read these thoughts in her eyes. After an indeterminate time, she released her hand and voluntarily moved back a bit, allowing Xu Jiao to sit more comfortably. Meanwhile, a dark fingerprint had appeared on the young girl’s chin.
It had been bruised by her grip just now.
On that clean, fair face, it was particularly eye-catching. Anyone who saw it would know she had been taught a lesson.
Although Yu Ye herself had caused it, she was the first to feel uneasy about it. Perhaps because after achieving her great revenge, everyone in the Yan Kingdom who knew her identity feared her like snakes and scorpions (็ๅฅนๅฆ่่ – a chengyu expressing extreme fear). Now that she had finally encountered a little creature who wasn’t afraid of her, she didn’t want to lose that so quickly.
She convinced herself with strange reasoning that she felt a bit guilty towards Xu Jiao. After a pause, she summoned the palace servants and ordered them to fetch a jade beauty balm (็ๅฎน่ – a culturally specific term for a high-quality cosmetic ointment) from the imperial physician.
This was the best medicine in the palace for healing external injuries. It contained only the most precious and high-quality ingredients, usually reserved for imperial use. Even the consorts in the harem didn’t have the privilege to use it.
But now, with military power in Yu Ye’s hands, she was naturally the one whose word was law in this imperial palace of Da Yan.
The person sitting in her arms heard that order, but only lowered her eyes to look at the patterns on the corner of the desk, not even blinking, unclear whether she understood how precious this item was.
After the imperial study quieted down again, Yu Ye spoke once more:
“I intend to unite with the court officials to welcome you as the emperor.”
Her tone was light, as if she were informing her of the lunch menu.
However, if others were to hear these words, they might laugh their heads off.
The Xu imperial clan had a total of 576 members. Among them, the male members of both direct and collateral lines had been purged by Yu Ye, leaving only scattered servants and women. The clan was considered extinct. Even if Xu Jiao was a princess, so what? In the history of Da Yan, there had never been such an absurd thing as a woman becoming emperor, even if royal blood flowed through her veins.
Xu Jiao had instantly thought through all the intricacies involved, but seeing that Yu Ye didn’t seem to be consulting her at all, she finally pursed her lips and simply said:
“Even though I grew up in the deep palace and don’t know much about the affairs of the previous dynasty, I do understand thatโhaving a woman as emperor would make other countries laugh their heads off.”
A tide appeared in Yu Ye’s pitch-black eyes, as if she had already imagined the opposition from the court officials. Her tongue lightly brushed her lower lip as she replied unhurriedly:
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I’d like to see how those who supported putting madmen like Emperor Jie of Yan and Emperor Shang on the throne can, in good conscience, voice opposition to youโthe most normal person with the Xu family’s mad blood flowing through your veins.”
She spoke lightly, but Xu Jiao could already envision the bloody storm that would unfold in the court on that day from these few words.
But Xu Jiao could do nothing.
She was too weak.
If it weren’t for Yu Ye’s sudden whim to spare her life, she would already be a departed soul (ๅไธไบก้ญ – a traditional phrase meaning “a spirit killed by the sword”) under her blade. Even so, she wasn’t absolutely safe. If someone wanted to do something, she could easily end up like that short-lived ghost (็ญๅฝ้ฌผ – a colloquial term for someone who dies young) in the main story, the one Yu Ye had placed on the throne, making just a brief appearance in this tale.
Yu Ye was still unaware of Xu Jiao’s thoughts, but even if she had noticed, the current Xu Jiao didn’t have much to impress her. She tossed a table full of memorials to Xu Jiao, calling it an early familiarization with imperial affairs, and then left.
Only Xu Jiao’s slender figure remained, sitting in the overly spacious imperial study.
Even the servants kept their distance.
She didn’t feel particularly uncomfortable with this. On the contrary, Xu Jiao felt a sense of novelty. She had tried being an immortal cultivator, an ordinary student, an actor, a holy maidenโฆ but this was her first time being an emperor.
However, compared to her previous roles, being an emperor was quite different.
This identity carried too much weight.
Over the next few days, Xu Jiao deeply understood the difficulty of this new job through the ministers Yu Ye had arranged to tutor her.
When Yu Ye appeared again,
Xu Jiao was working on her ใShang Shuใ (ๅฐๆธ – an ancient Chinese historical text meaning “Book of Documents”) assignment. She wore a bright red garment, its long sleeves covering her arms, revealing only a slender, fair wrist. One hand held her sleeve, while the other grasped a writing brush. Her long eyelashes were lowered, and as she wrote, she maintained a composed air, cutting quite a figure.
Yu Ye approached to look and was slightly impressed by her calligraphyโ
The strokes concealed a sharp edge, lacking the typical brashness of youth, yet not as delicate and gentle as most women’s writing. It possessed its own unique character.
It was a style uniquely hers.
Looking at the content she was transcribing, it was a passage from the Shang Shu: “He made the able and virtuous distinguished, and thence proceeded to the love of (all in) the nine classes of his kindred, who (thus) became harmonious. He (also) regulated and polished the people (of his domain), who all became brightly intelligent. (Finally), he united and harmonized the myriad states; and so the black-haired people were transformed. The result was (universal) concord.” (Translated by James Legge)
This means that a ruler should be just, as justice can demonstrate one’s wisdom and virtue. This leads to family harmony, which in turn allows for discerning good and evil among officials. If one can distinguish these, the common people can live good lives. When the country prospers, other feudal states will naturally submit to you.
At this point, a hint of mockery appeared in Yu Ye’s eyes, and she casually said, “To be just and virtuousโฆ if you can achieve just this, you’ll already surpass countless generations of your ancestors.”
This was the talent required of one in a high position.
The virtue a wise ruler should possess.
The Yan Kingdom had consistently produced tyrants, notorious for their atrocities throughout the realm. If Xu Jiao could achieve even a modicum of fairness, she would surpass many of them.
Xu Jiao, who had been diligently doing her homework, heard the sudden voice beside her without even blinking, as if she had already sensed the other’s presence. She glanced at Yu Ye’s casual remark, a faint smile appearing on her lips, but she didn’t respond.
Yu Ye didn’t seem to expect this novice student to say anything profound. Seeing that she had answered the question in relation to recent state affairs, Yu Ye glanced at the sun outside and casually asked:
“Has Your Highness the Crown Princess had lunch yet?”
Since the recent days when Yu Ye had strongly advocated in court for making the young princess Xu Jiao the emperor, all officials opposed it. Finally, Yu Ye took a small step back, requesting that Xu Jiao be temporarily designated as the Crown Princess. After executing some of the ringleaders who fiercely opposed with ulterior motives, the rest slightly “lowered their flags and silenced their drums” (ๅๆๆฏ้ผ – a chengyu meaning to cease hostilities), and both sides reached a temporary peace.
Now, addressing Xu Jiao as “Your Highness the Crown Princess” was indeed fitting.
Placing her brush on the blue-and-white porcelain brush washer decorated with two fish playing with a pearl (้้ญๆฒ็ – a traditional decorative motif), Xu Jiao answered with a slight smile: “Not yet. If Lord Yu hasn’t eaten either, why don’t we try the imperial kitchen’s latest creations together?”
“With midsummer approaching, the roast duck from the kitchen paired with a glass of hawthorn and dark plum tea is exquisite.”
Yu Ye had originally planned to just check on her and leave.
Regardless of her initial intentions for keeping this young girl, Xu Jiao had now become an important chess piece in her game with other ministers. No matter what happened later, Yu Ye still needed to come and check on her from time to time.
She wanted to see if the young girl was faring well. If she was doing too well, Yu Ye would need to be wary of any tendency to slip from her control. If she wasn’t doing so well, she’d offer some casual comfort.
She didn’t want to see a small flower that had just experienced the outside world wither at the first sign of wind and rain (้ขจๆฐด้จๆ – a metaphor for life’s hardships).
Fortunately, Xu Jiao’s performance remained impressive.
She hadn’t been brainwashed by the tutoring ministers to show any malice towards Yu Ye, nor had she been startled by the recent court activities into becoming a rabbit wanting to flee back to its safe burrow. Sheโฆ remained as calm as when Yu Ye first met her.
Whether it was because she had seen through worldly affairs at such a young age and was utterly perspicacious, or simply because she was unaffected by the outside world and slow to react, Yu Ye had to admit that this Xu Jiao somewhat satisfied her.
Or rather, she was slightly impressed.
Just a bit.
She wouldn’t admit to more than that.
So Yu Ye temporarily suppressed her refusal and tacitly accepted the other’s invitation.
A plate of duck meat with crispy skin and tender flesh, sprinkled with finely chopped sesame seeds, accompanied by small cups of deep red hawthorn tea, indeed looked quite tempting.
However, Yu Ye had recently killed too many people on the battlefield and hadn’t put down her butcher’s knife (ๆพไธๅฑ ๅ – an idiom meaning to cease killing) in the court either. Now, even the sight of meat made her somewhat nauseous. No matter how wonderfully Xu Jiao had described this dish earlier, Yu Ye merely listened, completely unmoved.
Seeing that Xu Jiao had already picked up her chopsticks, Yu Ye, out of courtesy, also picked up hers. However, her target was a cold vegetable dish beside the duck meat Xu Jiao had mentioned.
At first, Xu Jiao didn’t notice this detail. However, being naturally observant, she soon realized that Yu Ye wasn’t touching the meat. The Crown Princess’s meals had basic requirements: besides this duck dish to balance the summer heat, there was also lamb, beef, and four seasonal vegetable dishes.
After a moment’s thought, she guessed why Yu Ye wasn’t eating meat now.
A person can go a day without meat, but for someone like Yu Ye who practices martial arts, going too long without the nutrients from meat might be detrimental to her health. Thinking of this, Xu Jiao’s gaze swept over Yu Ye again, noticing that this Lord Yu had indeed become a bit thinner since their last meeting.
It wasn’t very noticeable in her black official robes, but the slightly protruding wrist bones and more sharply defined jawline revealed the truth.
Noticing Xu Jiao’s gaze, Yu Ye put down her barely-used chopsticks and curled her lips: “Why is Your Highness staring at this subject instead of eating?”
“Could it be that this subject is more appetizing than the meal?”
Just as Xu Jiao was about to speak, a palace servant approached to remove the plate now piled with duck bones. She leaned back slightly to make the servant’s task easier.
However, despite her considerate gesture, the servant’s plate seemed to have no eyes (ๆฒ้ท็ผ – an idiom meaning careless or oblivious), heading straight for a collision with her.
A flash of understanding crossed Xu Jiao’s eyesโ
Before she could feign an inadvertent dodge, Yu Ye’s eyes darkened. A chopstick from her bowl flew straight towards the servant’s neck, piercing through from one side. When the ivory-white tip emerged from the other side, it was still snow-white, as if it hadn’t had time to be stained with blood.
This demonstrated the depth of Yu Ye’s martial prowess.
Xu Jiao pretended to be startled at her narrow escape, patting her chest as she said to Yu Ye, “Fortunately, Lord Yu stayed for the meal today. These assassins are becoming more and more dedicated nowadays, not even allowing me a moment’s peace during mealtime.”
Yu Ye was initially angry at those behind the assassins, but as she listened to Xu Jiao’s words, she found herself oddly amused. She looked at Xu Jiao and saw not a trace of surprise in her eyes, as if this bloody scene was commonplace to her. She even managed to joke about it.
As Yu Ye continued to observe, her expression suddenly darkened.
Of course.
How could she forget? The Xu clan were all violent individuals. No matter how normal this person before her had seemed earlier, nowโฆ her true nature was finally showing.
Yu Ye wondered, was she going to support a madwoman to ascend the throne with her own hands?
Haven’t enough innocents died in this Yan Kingdom?
Xu Jiao watched as Yu Ye’s expression changed. Now, sensing the almost tangible killing intent emanating from Yu Ye, even someone as clever as her couldn’t help but feel a bit perplexed.
Nevertheless, she continued her previous thought: “If it’s convenient, could Lord Yuโฆ perhaps assign more people to protect me?”
Xu Jiao was tired of always pretending not to notice the assassins’ approaches.
However, since the original owner of this body didn’t know martial arts, she couldn’t reveal her own skills.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing her words, Yu Ye’s lips curled into an ambiguous smile. After a long pause, she drawled: “This subject has been careless, allowing Your Highness to be frightened recently. To ensure Your Highness can sleep soundly, this subject requests to atone for her crime by personally guarding Your Highness, ensuring your safety.”
While the words sounded reassuring, Xu Jiao couldn’t help but feel uneasy. In some ways, Yu Ye herself was far more terrifying than those assassins.
“Lord Yu is busy with countless affairs of state, such a small matterโฆ” Xu Jiao tried to dissuade her.
But Yu Ye immediately interrupted: “The Crown Princess’s safety is a matter of national importance, how could it be a small matter? Rest assured, Your Highness, as long as this subject is here, those treacherous ministers and rebels won’t be able to get within half a step of you.”
Hearing this, Xu Jiao struggled not to let her gaze towards Yu Ye become too strange.
Treacherous ministers and rebels?
Wasn’t the person before her the biggest ringleader?
Never mind, let Yu Ye say what she wants. As long as she’s happy.
However, that night.
Xu Jiao looked at Yu Ye standing before her bed, blinked once, and hugging her quilt, asked: “Lord Yuโฆ do you truly wish for me to serve you in bed?”
Yu Ye: “โฆ”
She was merely concerned about this person’s safety during the night!
Of course, she also didn’t want to let this person slip from her control. After all, Xu Jiao now bore the label of “mad bloodline”. Yu Ye had spent the day pondering, concluding that the most prudent approach was to personally observe Xu Jiao’s words and actions. If she discovered any signs of the Xu family’s madness, she would excise this final tumor with her own hands.
After all, the one thing a country never lacks is an emperor.
Thinking this, she smiled sinisterly, her thumb flicking the hilt of the long sword at her side. She slowly said to Xu Jiao: “Your Highness overthinks. How could this subject dare to have such presumptuous thoughts? That day was merely a jest with Your Highness.”
Xu Jiao gave her a long, deep look: “Lord Yu must remember today’s words.”
With that, she confidently pulled back the quilt, burrowed in, and wrapped herself up tightly. She closed her eyes contentedly, even letting out a comfortable sigh.
Yu Ye, standing before the bed: “?”
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