Alone, Beautifully – Chapter 143
by Little PandaBestowing Upon You the Realm (End)
A flourishing era of two emperors.
The one who actively applied to lead the troops to rescue Nie Yunyue was precisely his most competitive opponent for the throne, the Third Prince.
If Xu Jiao didn’t know the story of Nie Yunyue, she might not realize how important the cards in her hand were, and would naturally feel a wave of panic about the Da Liang army stationed at the border. But now—
She knew how much the Liang King cherished Nie Yunyue as one of his sons.
Even if she handed Nie Yunyue directly to that Third Prince, he probably wouldn’t make it back to the Liang Kingdom alive. After all, the Third Prince’s intention to bring him back home was essentially bringing his greatest political enemy back; how could that be allowed?
Letting Nie Yunyue die on the way back seemed more likely. Moreover, he could even seize some areas bordering Yan and Qi kingdoms, and return with military achievements and under the guise of avenging his brother. That was the Third Prince’s ultimate goal.
Xu Jiao, however, had no intention of communicating directly with this prince.
Although she was also a crown prince, and so were Nie Yunyue and that Third Prince, there was a difference in their statuses… Xu Jiao had no robust emperor hovering over her, and, if she wished, it was not impossible for her to ascend the throne immediately.
After making her threats, she only had someone send Nie Yunyue’s hair directly to the Liang King. If the Liang King still didn’t order that old ** to retreat his troops, the next parcel would contain a finger, a leg…
In any case, if the Liang Kingdom was patient enough to wait a bit, they should still be able to piece together the most outstanding heir, Nie Yunyue, and send him back to their country in one piece.
Xu Jiao, who was confronting Da Liang, was not in the least bit anxious.
But Yu Ye, who was allied with the Chu Kingdom, was anxious upon receiving the battle reports at the front line.
Entering the territory of the Qi Kingdom, she and the soldiers from the Chu Kingdom split into two routes. The Chu people were to attack the city closest in a straight line to the Qi Kingdom’s capital, which was also the hardest to capture. Meanwhile, she led the Da Yan army on a detour from the other side towards the capital.
The Qi Kingdom’s people were only guarding against the Chu Kingdom’s large army pressing at the border and were caught off guard when Yu Ye led her troops to break through from the side. By the time they reacted, Yu Ye’s army was less than a hundred li (50km or 31 miles) from the Qi Kingdom’s capital.
The Emperor of the Qi Kingdom fled overnight towards Da Liang, and the nobles followed the emperor’s imperial guard, fleeing in disarray. The common people of the capital also packed their belongings and followed the army through the night, extending the fleeing procession.
However, Yu Ye did not enter the capital.
She didn’t even have time to let her men loot the treasures left in the capital, instead leading the army to turn back, crossing the Qi Kingdom’s border again, and circled behind the Da Liang troops stationed at the Yanzi border, encircling the Liang Kingdom’s forces tightly.
The Liang ** were not fighting on home ground, lacking geographical advantage. The rear was originally entrusted to the Qi Kingdom’s allied forces, but the Qi Kingdom surrendered too quickly. Now, with the rear surrounded by Yu Ye’s troops, and the front being Da Yan’s territory—
When the generals and soldiers of the Yan Kingdom saw Yu Ye’s army, they naturally felt greatly encouraged. They opened the city gates and coordinated from inside and outside with Yu Ye, defeating the 80,000 troops from the Liang Kingdom at the border like drowned rats. Moreover, since the leading Third Prince was injured in a surprise attack, the morale of the Liang ** was severely damaged. They not only failed to bring back the crown prince Nie Yunyue but almost lost another heir. In the end, they could only flee in all directions.
Thus, the crisis at the Yan Kingdom’s border was resolved.
When Xu Jiao heard the news about Yu Ye, she sat in her study with a smile.
She then decided to go out of the city to welcome Yu Ye’s triumphant army.
Yu Ye assigned urgent military duties and specifically ordered a subordinate general to take people back to the Qi Kingdom’s capital. Because her rapid advance left the Chu Kingdom’s army still struggling with the city defenders, by the time they heard of the Qi royal family’s escape and tried to detour to capture the capital, Yu Ye’s men might reach there faster. Ultimately, which side the treasures left by the Qi royal family would belong to depended on who got there first.
“General—”
On the march, seeing her lead a part of the troops towards the capital, some subordinates looked puzzled. Obviously, there were still many matters to handle in Qi Kingdom, such as how to govern the captured cities, how to divide the spoils with the Chu Kingdom, and whether to adhere to previous alliance agreements, etc.
They didn’t understand why Yu Ye was in such a hurry to head towards the capital.
After all, wasn’t Da Yan doing just fine?
Yu Ye couldn’t express her concerns to them and simply replied without turning her head: “All remaining matters will be discussed upon my return! If it’s not urgent, let the military advisor consult with the generals and decide independently.”
With that, she spurred her horse, seemingly tireless, heading towards the Yan Kingdom’s capital.
The dust concealed her figure, with only the urgent sound of horse hooves expressing her longing and worry.
Because Xu Jiao wanted to leave the city to greet Yu Ye’s triumphant return, the ministers couldn’t just watch the future emperor travel alone, so they were naturally going to accompany her. To prevent Yu Ye from worrying, Xu Jiao specifically dealt with those in court who harbored disloyalty before departing. The assassins sent to the Eastern Palace were not as numerous as before.
She knew the remaining people were waiting for her to leave the Eastern Palace.
She refused to be a golden canary, always hiding in the palace, afraid to face the storms outside. This time, she would make all of Da Yan understand that as long as Yu Ye was willing, she would become the new ruler of Da Yan, firmly seated on the throne, expanding the territory, and bringing peace to the four corners of the world.
After making all the arrangements, she judged Yu Ye’s speed of return based on the news from the cities Yu Ye passed through, set a date, and led her people out of the palace.
She stood 30 li (15km or 9 miles) outside the city, where there was a farewell pavilion. The scenery along the road was wide open, not suitable for assassins to hide. Xu Jiao was surrounded in the center like stars surrounding the moon, with imperial guards and ministers around her. The sun hung in the sky, making the ground scorching hot and igniting a sense of urgency in people’s hearts.
There was no movement at the edge of her vision yet.
Xu Jiao was very patient.
She found that she wasn’t particularly skilled at anything, but one thing she happened to be good at was waiting.
As a child, she waited for her mother to come home, and as she grew up, she waited for someone who would never return. More than twenty years passed like this, but now it was different; Yu Ye would return.
Thinking of this, the smile in her eyes softened a bit.
It wasn’t clear how much time had passed when suddenly a small cloud of dust appeared at the horizon. Xu Jiao, with her sharp eyes, noticed it, and naturally, the officials around her did too, causing a stir among the crowd.
“General Yu has arrived?”
“Is that General Yu?”
“Indeed, it’s the King of Huai!”
Yu Ye’s former fief was Huai, so some called her the King of Huai. However, her reputation was earned on the battlefield, and she generally preferred to be called General. The title of King of Huai was more favored by the civil officials.
At this moment—
Taking advantage of the crowd’s chaos, someone dressed in imperial guard attire quietly approached Xu Jiao. Xu Jiao’s peripheral vision caught a slight movement, and Lan Yan beside her leaned closer:
“Your Highness?”
Xu Jiao raised her hand to move her aside, and quietly said, “Stay back.”
Lan Yan was puzzled, and in the next instant, she glimpsed a gleaming blade.
A highly raised dagger headed towards Xu Jiao, causing immediate panic among the ministers. Lan Yan shouted, “Assassin, protect Her Highness!” Some old officials, usually rather pedantic in the Ministry of Rites and still bickering with Xu Jiao about the enthronement ceremony, surprisingly lunged towards Xu Jiao at the first moment, spreading their arms to shield her from the assassin’s direction.
Xu Jiao raised an eyebrow.
But she didn’t allow anyone to sacrifice for her. She pushed the old official towards the nearby imperial guards and proactively faced the direction of the silver gleam, pulling a sword from the side of the guard leader to clash with the dagger!
A clanging sound rang out!
The sound of horse hooves from afar grew much closer!
Yu Ye, with her extraordinary vision, saw the commotion happening in the crowd from a great distance and guessed that something was up. Then, she caught sight of the flashing silver light and squinted her eyes. Sitting atop her horse, she lifted her red-tasseled spear, channeled her inner strength, and from a considerable distance, hurled the spear.
The silver streak flew from afar, with perfectly calibrated force, piercing the person attacking Xu Jiao right through the middle. The spearhead, silver entering, red exiting, pinned the person dead to the ground without harming Xu Jiao, who was engaged in the struggle.
Seeing this masterful control, a thought belatedly surfaced in Xu Jiao’s mind—
Yu Ye must have been holding back when dealing with her, right?
Judging by her battlefield stamina, matching that of men, if she really intended to toy with Xu Jiao, Xu Jiao reckoned she would have been worn out long ago.
Yu Ye’s action carried strong deterrent power; even though she hadn’t reached the scene yet, it already marked the area around Xu Jiao as within Yu Ye’s sphere of influence. Those still seeking death were welcome to step forward.
The impaled assassin seemed aware that the remaining ones had no chance. With some reluctance, he used his last breath to look at Xu Jiao before suddenly shouting:
“The Xu clan! Brutal and ruthless… devoid of… conscience…”
“Now placing women on the throne… disregards human ethics, utterly absurd… surely… the country will not endure…”
He used all his strength to say these words, his eyes fixed on Xu Jiao, but as his vitality drained, his voice inevitably grew lower and hoarser.
Xu Jiao lifted the corners of her lips, unafraid to meet the dying man’s gaze. She smirked slightly, leaned down to look at him, and slowly said:
“I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed—”
“When you walk the Yellow Springs Road, remember to look back at the prosperous kingdom under my rule.”
Her words provoked him, and he died with his eyes wide open.
Meanwhile, Yu Ye had already galloped to the front, dismounting from her horse. She made her way through the ministers to Xu Jiao’s side, her breathing still unsteady: “Are you alright?”
She wanted to ask why Xu Jiao had left the city, why she hadn’t stayed safely in the palace, but those questions transformed into concern for her safety when they reached her lips.
Are you alright?
Are you hurt?
Xu Jiao shook her head and, seeing the dried bloodstains on Yu Ye’s armor, couldn’t help but ask back, “And you?”
Before Yu Ye had a chance to speak, the surrounding ministers looked around and all congratulated her in unison, celebrating her victory over the Qi Kingdom and her glorious return!
Both of them were startled by the commotion around them, as if only then realizing there were others present. It wasn’t appropriate to say much more in such a public setting, so they were escorted by the ministers back to the palace.
After all the ceremonies welcoming Yu Ye’s return were completed, Xu Jiao finally had time alone with Yu Ye.
She had the servants prepare water, intending for Yu Ye to have a good rest—
Unexpectedly, just as she was at the bathroom door, instructing Lan Yan about the evening meal, the door behind her reopened.
Xu Jiao turned to ask, “What’s wrong? Is there something else?”
Yu Ye, wearing only her inner garments with the ends of her hair already damp, looked down at her with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes: “I realized I forgot something.”
Xu Jiao: “?”
The next second, Yu Ye extended her long arm, scooping Xu Jiao into the room, and she heard Yu Ye say, “Your Highness waited for me for so long outside the city, dusty and weary, it’s only fitting to have a wash.”
Xu Jiao: “I’ll do it later… Hey! Wait a minute!”
Yu Ye’s voice drawled slowly: “No waiting, one day apart feels like three years. It’s been decades now, and I’ve been saving it all for Your Highness. After today’s trip out of the city, are you ready?”
Xu Jiao: “No!”
Yu Ye: “Alright, shall I start then?”
Xu Jiao: “…”
That day, the bathroom in the Eastern Palace called for water three times.
In the evening, Xu Jiao was carried back to the inner hall by Yu Ye. By that time, the palace servants had all withdrawn, leaving only the two of them in the room. Yu Ye noticed the red marks at the corners of Xu Jiao’s eyes, gently touched them with her fingertips, and seemed to finally register the fatigue in her own body. She buried her head in Xu Jiao’s neck and softly said:
“I’m back.”
Xu Jiao, utterly exhausted, her mind in a haze of sleepiness and weariness, heard her voice and let out a soft hum, unclear if it was an acknowledgment or something else. Yu Ye kissed her neck and added, “For this lifetime, stay here and spend it with me, okay?”
In her drowsiness, Xu Jiao heard her still speaking, and wanting her to be quiet, she groped her way over and used her lips to silence Yu Ye’s.
Yu Ye was amused by her initiative.
She patted her head and held her tightly in her arms: “Sleep.”
Three months later.
The coronation ceremony of the Emperor of Yan began.
Xu Jiao was awakened early by the palace servants, dressed in the golden ceremonial robes, and adorned with the crown.
She looked down at the five-clawed golden dragon on her attire, which others saw as the symbol of supreme power, but to her, it felt like…
Shackles.
However, she was wholeheartedly willing to bear this country and its responsibilities.
Because she chose to stay here.
To stay in this story, and walk through it with Yu Ye.
She turned to look outside the hall doors, where Yu Ye was also dressed formally, but not in a python robe; instead, she wore the same golden attire—
It was a gift from Xu Jiao to her.
She intended to rule the kingdom together with Yu Ye.
The two exchanged glances and shared the same smile.
“…The Emperor lost her father early, and it was the King of Huai who supported her. The King of Huai presented the seal of the Qi Kingdom as a gift, welcoming the Emperor’s ascension, and the whole world celebrated. The Emperor was greatly pleased and wished to govern the world alongside the King of Huai. The ministers submitted petitions three times requesting the Emperor to retract this decision, but the Emperor refused.”
“Half a month later, auspicious signs appeared in the northern lands, and in the same month, a fisherman in the south caught a brocade carp, one zhang (3.3m) long, entirely golden-red, with two characters on it, ‘Huai Ning.’ The people of the world spread the tale, believing the King of Huai to be the guardian of Da Yan. The Emperor proposed joint rule again, and the ministers remained silent, with no further objections.”
“In that year’s golden autumn, the Dual Emperors ascended the throne, changing the era name to Huai Ning.”
“Three years later, Emperor Yu personally led a campaign, and Chu fell.”
“In the tenth year of Huai Ning, the capital city of the Liang Kingdom was breached, and internal strife in the Han Kingdom was unending.”
“In the fifteenth year of Huai Ning, the four seas submitted to Yan, unifying the world.”
“The Dual Emperors ruled together, governing the kingdom, and for the next hundred years, no foreign enemies dared to invade, and no internal strife occurred, a period known in history as the ‘Dual Emperors’ Golden Age.'”
— 《The Book of Da Yan》
Power couple indeed