Volume One: If Life Were Only as It First Met
Undercurrents Surging
Turmoil inside and outside the court continues unabated
In front of Suyuan Tower, a luxurious carriage stopped at the entrance. Before long, Li Yue pulled her fake mustache, walked out from inside, her face serious, prompting Qin Junlan to restrain herself a little.
The carriage slowly drove away, kicking up dust. Qin Junlan sat upright inside, looking at her with trepidation but she could not hide her smile and excitement.
Since they were not in the palace and there was no one else around, who cared about the etiquette between a ruler and her subjects? Unable to restrain herself, the person with the fake moustache hugged Qin Junlan tightly, resting her head on her shoulder, “Emperor Sister.”
“Who allowed you to come back? My decree clearly stated that only Bai Yifei should return to the palace alone,” Qin Junlan pretended to be stern and was unmoved.
“The decree was received by my brother, not me. Besides, I didn’t return with my brother, I came back alone.” The person with the fake moustache’s voice was clear, her dimples complementing her adorable face.
Qin Junlan raised her hand and tore off the mustache she used to disguise herself as a man, revealing a delicate and beautiful face with a noble aura of a wealthy family scion.
She was Bai Yifei’s younger sister, Bai Ruoxi, who was conferred the title of Princess of Xicheng. At the age of sixteen, she had grown into a graceful young lady, as pure and beautiful as a lotus emerging from the water.
“You have quite the nerve, causing trouble for me right after returning.”
“No way… I just heard about this Hong Yuan as soon as I stepped into the Ji Dynasty, and then I found out that the Emperor Sister was also here,” Bai Ruoxi pouted cutely, as if acting spoiled and complaining at the same time.
“What? Am I not allowed to be here?” Qin Junlan raised an eyebrow.
“You can… but you can’t… Emperor Sister, you are the ruler, how can you step into a brothel? It’s too degrading, and besides, that Hong Yuan isn’t that stunning either, certainly not as beautiful as to bring down a nation.”
“But you can’t be so reckless!”
Seeing Qin Junlan’s apparent anger, Bai Ruoxi’s lips drooped slightly, and her eyebrows showed pity, “Wuwuwu… Ever since you sent my brother to Fengcheng, it’s been three years since Xi’er last saw you. You scold me as soon as we meet, wuwuwu…”
With that, she used her characteristic sharp crying voice. Qin Junlan had a headache as soon as she heard it. She had been so willful and mischievous since she was young, and even now, as a grown woman, her nature had not changed a bit.
“Alright, alright, Emperor Sister won’t blame you, you’re forgiven, okay?” Qin Junlan had no choice but to soften. Although not her biological sister, Bai Ruoxi was deeply loved by the Empress Dowager and Qin Junlan.
Having seen enough of the palace’s scheming and the court’s open and covert struggles for power, they were already weary.
In a world full of tension and oppression, only where Bai Ruoxi appeared would there be laughter and joy. In the years of the palace, she was Qin Junlan’s source of happiness, deeply favored.
“I knew Emperor Sister wouldn’t blame me, you just like to scare me, hmph.” She once again hooked her arm around Qin Junlan’s shoulder, with no intention of avoiding her. Instead, Qin Junlan gently fanned her with a folding fan to cool her.
The carriage entered the palace through the Dragon Gate and headed straight for Fengluan Palace. Qin Junlan personally helped Bai Ruoxi off the carriage. She spread her arms and ran, “Finally back again, hahaha, so happy.”
“This child…” Qin Junlan shook her head helplessly.
“Your Majesty, the King of Zhennan is already waiting in the side hall.” Li Yue came to report, and Qin Junlan nodded, “Let him wait. Yue’er, help me change.”
Bai Yifei had rushed back as soon as he received the secret decree. Bai Ruoxi thought he hadn’t set off yet, but both siblings were eager to see Qin Junlan and arrived almost simultaneously.
The Bai family had been loyal and meritorious for generations, with countless military achievements for the Ji Dynasty. Bai Yifei’s grandfather was a military genius, renowned for his extraordinary victories with few troops. Bai Yifei’s father had commanded the Iron Guard Army, later leading the restructured Red Armor Army.
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From a young age, Bai Yifei was influenced by his family, well-versed in military strategy, and co-created the sixteen formations of the Red Armor Army with his father. After his father’s death and the threat of the Yu Kingdom, Qin Junlan conferred him the title of King of Zhennan. Due to his swift actions, he was also known as General Fei.
Three years of defending the city had made Bai Yifei much thinner, and his once fair skin had turned dark. His thick eyebrows and handsome eyes still carried the majesty of a general even after removing his armor.
“Your subject, Bai Yifei, greets Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor.”
“Rise quickly.” Qin Junlan, dressed in a red dragon robe embroidered with golden threads, looked vividly majestic. Her hair, meticulously styled, was smooth as silk.
Bai Yifei’s gaze fixed on her, staring intently. That look was not directed at a monarch but at his beloved woman.
“Do you know why I summoned you back?”
Bai Yifei did not hear her clearly, his distracted eyes focused only on her.
“Ahem…” Li Yue coughed lightly, and Bai Yifei came back to his senses, realizing his rudeness.
The past between him and Qin Junlan was long gone. If he hadn’t insisted on going to the battlefield back then, would things have been different? Once a perfect match, now only the etiquette between a ruler and her subject remained, but his deep affection never faded.
“Your subject dares to guess that Your Majesty summoned me for this.” Bai Yifei took out the military register he brought back, which detailed the reformation of the Red Armor Army.
Qin Junlan read quickly, “I’ve seen all this.”
“Please look at the last part, Your Majesty.”
At the end, there were a few inconspicuous lines, roughly recording an incident. During the reformation of the Iron Guard Army, there was unrest. Many soldiers were unwilling to take off their Iron Guard uniforms, causing a riot.
At that time, Qin Junlan had just ascended the throne, and her position was unstable. Bai Yifei, fearing that the unsuccessful reformation might affect her future rule, immediately adopted a strong suppression policy with his father. Out of ten thousand Iron Guard soldiers, two thousand rebels were killed, one thousand fled, and their whereabouts remain unknown.
“You were too presumptuous! Why didn’t you report such a major matter to me?” Qin Junlan angrily rebuked, throwing down the military register.
“Your Majesty, please calm down. At that time, the court was undergoing a power shift, and the remnants of several princes’ forces were a hidden danger. Foreign nations were eyeing us covetously. If news of the military reformation failure spread, it would surely cause internal and external troubles.”
“It has now become a major problem!” Qin Junlan sighed helplessly, slowly calming her emotions.
“I have been searching for the missing one thousand Iron Guard soldiers, killing any I find.”
“How many have you found and killed?” Qin Junlan’s deep eyes were unfathomable.
“Strangely, these one thousand Iron Guard soldiers seemed to have vanished into thin air. Your subject suspects they must have been recruited by someone.”
“That’s why I say it’s a hidden danger. If a foreign nation recruited them, it wouldn’t matter, as their land will eventually be mine. But if it was someone within our court, that’s terrifying.”
“Your subject will thoroughly investigate this matter.”
“No.” Qin Junlan waved her hand, her tone gentle, unlike before, “This matter must not be leaked. I will send someone else to investigate. Your duty is to keep an eye on the Yu Kingdom; they have been quite active recently…”
“Your subject obeys the decree!” Bai Yifei couldn’t help but cast passionate glances at Qin Junlan. He had not married, always waiting for the day Qin Junlan would choose a consort.
The encounter with the Iron Guard soldiers in the slums planted deep doubts in Qin Junlan’s heart, which now became her concern. Perhaps in this vast Ji Dynasty, there were still people who resented a woman ruling the world.
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“Emperor Sister.”
Bai Ruoxi always appeared without warning. She moved freely in the palace, and no one dared to obstruct this favored princess. Only she didn’t need to announce herself before seeing Qin Junlan.
“Such impudence, don’t you see I’m discussing official matters with Her Majesty?” Bai Yifei glared at her, but Bai Ruoxi didn’t care. Instead, she used it as an excuse to act spoiled with Qin Junlan.
“Emperor Sister, look, my brother always bullies me.” She took the opportunity to cling to Qin Junlan, showing affection.
“Bai Yifei!”
“Your subject is here.”
“Take good care of your sister, don’t shout at her, understand?”
“Your subject… obeys the decree…”
Bai Ruoxi made a face at her brother triumphantly, continuing to pester Qin Junlan, “Emperor Sister, take me out to play.”
“Alright, but first, we must pay our respects to the Empress Dowager, and then I’ll take you out to play.”
“How dare you! Her Majesty is the ruler of a nation, and you ask her to play with you?” Bai Yifei couldn’t help but scold, only to hear Qin Junlan and Bai Ruoxi say in unison, “You dare defy the decree!”
Bai Yifei shut his mouth reluctantly, and Qin Junlan couldn’t help but laugh. Only when Bai Ruoxi was around would she be like this.
She was a wise ruler, but also an ordinary woman, with a beloved sister, respected elders, and people she cared about.
However, with the world in turmoil and political instability, she had to be strategic and cautious. If anyone dared to plot against her empire, she would tear them apart. It wasn’t only Qin Junlan who worried about the Iron Guard soldiers; the Shura Sect’s investigation never ceased.
In the cold underground palace, that fiery red dress remained as dazzling as ever. Whenever something major happened, everyone in Suyuan Tower would gather to discuss plans. Usually, information was transmitted to her by subordinates.
“Mo Feng acted impulsively, disobeyed orders, and must be punished according to the rules.” Hong Yuan’s words carried a touch of charm, much softer than her once icy demeanor.
Twelve whip marks were heavily left on Mo Feng and the others. Assassins were supposed to be ruthless, but they had been trained together since childhood, selected as top warriors, and couldn’t bear to see their companions killed.
“Do you realize your mistake?” Mujin, the executor of the whipping, showed no mercy.
“Your subordinate… realizes the mistake.” Mo Feng, sweating profusely from the pain, replied.
“What about the Iron Guard soldiers I asked you to investigate?”
“Returning to the Tower Master, our men found that during the reformation of the Red Armor Army, there was unrest among the Iron Guard soldiers. Nearly one thousand Iron Guard soldiers were not integrated and have since disappeared. The group we encountered in the slums had been found and killed, with their bodies buried, leaving no trace.” Mujin handed over the message delivered by carrier pigeon.
Hong Yuan read it, and with a wave of her hand, the secret message burned in her palm. As the ashes scattered, she looked around, noticing someone missing.
“Where is Ye Ming?”
Mo Feng and the others exchanged glances. Hong Yuan’s expression changed slightly, feeling a bad premonition, “I’ll ask one more time, where is Ye Ming?” Her tone, now filled with anger, made her fiery red outer garment seem capable of burning everything, yet chilling to the bone.
“Tower Master.” Mo Feng knew he couldn’t hide it, bowing and presenting a yellow scroll, “The Sect Leader personally issued an order, sending Ye Ming on a mission.”
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“Give it to me!”
Mu Jin took the secret order from Mo Feng and handed it to Hong Yuan, who opened it to find the familiar handwriting.
“The tribute silver from the Luo Kingdom was robbed, and there are still suspicious points. Ye Ming is to personally investigate the Prime Minister’s residence.”
The Sect Leader had bypassed her to directly assign Ye Ming a task. Matters in Jidu had always been under her control; why interfere now? Hong Yuan frowned, wondering what the Sect Leader was planning. To this day, Hong Yuan realized she didn’t understand the Sect Leader at all, nor her intentions. The Sect Leader was always guarded, never revealing any weakness.
“Did she go alone?”
Rarely seeing Hong Yuan so worried, Mo Feng hesitated, “Yes…”
“When did she leave?”
“Half an hour ago.”
Hong Yuan immediately discarded the order, quickly rising, and with a flick of her sleeve, said, “Without my command, no one is to act rashly in the coming days, including the Sect Leader’s orders. I will take responsibility!” With that, she strode away.
The Prime Minister’s residence was filled with skilled warriors, and the infamous Black Fiend Sect was now at his service. Ye Ming’s mission was undoubtedly a death sentence.