Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio 

  At this very moment, there was coincidentally a group of people who were about to disembark from Xian Yang Port. A few weary men led a few horses and quietly reported, “Message from home. No one knew that the Young Master is absent. The Seventh Master informed that Young Master could proceed with his own business, and as long as you return within the next ten days, all will be well.” 

  The man in a violet outfit frowned ever so slightly, and with his crimson red lips, his eyes were like a bottomless well that no one could see through. Mounting a horse in a swift motion, his features vaguely showed some signs of being weathered by the elements. 

  “This trip to Tang Jing is merely three days if we take the shortcut. The problem is that there will be no major cities along the way, and it will be disastrous if anything goes wrong.” 

  “We have no time. Let us take the shortcut.” 

  A servant turned around, and looking at the man in violet, he suggested, “Master, shall we prepare a carriage? You have not slept well for a few days.” 

  “That would be unnecessary.” The man shook his head, before solemnly asking, “Is there any news from Tang Jing?” 

  “After Lady Chu defeated Zhan Ziyu, the entire court was brought to peace. There were merely some minor disagreements over who should watch over the young emperor. This subordinate feels that Lady Chu might end up following through the plot of one of them.” 

  “She dares to?!” The man snorted, his expression looking rather gloomy. “I’d like to see who dares to do that!” 

  The crowd followed this man’s lead and all mounted their horses. In the swift galloping of the horses, they quickly disappeared on the ancient roads of Xian Yang. Before long, they were out of the city, and through the West gate, they took a small path. After such a long parting, everything had changed, and even the people were no more. 

  Time flies. In the blink of an eye, tens of years had passed. Suddenly, she was no longer that young girl who radiated childishness, and he was no longer that stubborn young man. Time had once again drew countless boundaries between them originating from family, country, love, war, separation. But ultimately, their relationship was like an endless thread. No matter how hard destiny tried to pull, they remain tied together by that red string. 

  Wind bellowed from the distant Yan Bei, caressing the vast territories of the Xia Empire, passing by the still-warm Tang Empire, before turning into the blossoming flowers in the Song Empire, and finally reaching the unending waves of the ocean in the east, vanishing into the waves. 

  “The road is still long, and we may face with even more change. Are you afraid?” 

  “I am not.” 

  “Remember, I am waiting for you.” 

  The night was so cold, with only moonlight as illumination, the long stretch of the ancient dirt road was dimly lit up. The fragments of memories from the past had ultimately still been filtered by the blood and war, washing away the initial sense of happiness and hope. Calmness remained to logically divide the past emotions and the best course of action for the current situation. 

  “It is a pity. Ultimately, I do not believe in destiny!” 

  As the horse hooves rumbled, the night seemed to be everlasting. The Tang capital that he had not seen for so long was now right before his eyes. The news that General Xiuli was about to be bestowed the title of a consort was spread throughout the entire Tang Empire in merely one night. Shennan, Dianxi, Yuelin, Yunmo, and other areas sounded out protests in unity. Particularly strong was the resistance from the Southern regions. King of Jingan, King of Duanqing, and Duke Huayang had raised flags of rebellion in quick succession. 

  All these forces who had been lying low during the rebellion of the King of Luo, and absent during the rule of the Zhan siblings, had suddenly all jumped out, and with the slogan “remove the witch”, they led a total of over 180,000 soldiers, and headed off to the Tang Capital. Along the way, officials had all granted instant access to their forces. 

  Sun Di seemed to have predicted this situation long ago, and had already situated 200,000 soldiers from the Eastern regions. Led by Xu Su, they guarded Hanshui river. 100,000 soldiers from the Wolf army firmly garrisoned the capital, and guards were raised on all checkpoints. The capital was now armed to the teeth, and the neat rows of blades and spearheads formed an ocean that seemed ready to devour the imminent enemies from the South. 

  All was ready, with only the ceremony left to take place three days later. 

  In the autumn wind, as there was the need to prepare for the ceremony at the phoenix stand, the entire city fell into martial law, and the usually bustling roads were now completely devoid of life. The only thing that still resembled life was the autumn leaves that fluttered down from the sycamore trees that seemed like butterflies frolicking in the flowers. 

  In the residence of Sun Di, an eunuch wearing the clothes of a servant knelt on the floor, as he reported in with the sharp voice that was unique to eunuchs, “Master Chu had an argument with Meixiang, and alarmed the Emperor and Princess Xiao. At the end, this servant heard that Master Chu made a promise not to leave the Tang Empire.” 

  Sun Di flicked an eyebrow and asked, “Are you sure?” 

  “I am very sure. Meixiang was crying loudly, and the young emperor had drawn the sword. Master Chu had even burned the letter from the Xia Marshal.” 

  “When did Meixiang leave?” 

  “Before the sky was bright, she had already left, and that young man called Pingan escorted her out. Master Chu said that she was returning to Xuefu City.” 

  Sun Di nodded. After a long while, he stated, “Her departure is a good thing. She would only obstruct things by staying here.” The man’s feature remained emotionless. He took out two gold ingots and informed, “Go and continue, I will treat you well.” 

  “It is my honor, Master Sun.” 

  After the servant left, Sun Di called in one of his bodyguards. After thinking for a while, he slowly said, “Leave immediately and search for Master Chu’s maidservant Meixiang. If she is returning to Xuefu City, help escort her. If she decides to go anywhere else, you know what to do.” 

  The man immediately said, “This subordinate understands.” Just like that, he turned and walked out. Before long, there was a horse crying, and it galloped off into the distance. 

  Pushing open the window, Sun Di could only see the corner of the crescent moon. At first glance, it looked like the brow of a lady. 

  “May all……be well.” 

  Peace continued for the next two days.The entire court sank into silence. With the exception of a few archivists, none had any comments. The officials were either pressured by Sun Di or held a fear for Chu Qiao, who still commanded a huge fore. As for those few who resisted the strongest, Sun Di originally intended to handle them himself, but before he could act, the Xiuli Army had already thrown them into jail. 

  Upon finding out, Sun Di felt a tad worried. Although these people were stubborn, they were ultimately those who were the most loyal to the Tang Empire. Considering the loyalty of Xiuli Army to Chu Qiao, who knew if they would be mistreated. 

  He had personally headed into the palace to speak to this Lady who would supposedly watch over this empire. He knew that his little ploys had been detected to some extent by Chu Qiao, and now did not dare to enrage her too much. With that, he could only discreetly inform the jail guards to take care of those old officials. 

  This night was destined to be a sleepless night as the next day was the official ceremony for Chu Qiao to be given the title, and this was the first time since the beginning of the Tang Empire that they had to marry someone to a deceased Emperor. The ceremonial department had rushed day and night to ensure that all the decorations were suitable and that the Phoenix stand could be completed. At this moment, countless officials sat around plotting for themselves. No one knew where the Tang Empire would head to, and all noble families were focused on the direction that this woman, who had close ties with so many people of power, would direct this empire toward. Would she ultimately be a loyal subordinate, or a greedy tyrant? Would she leave society as it was, or would she set up a dictatorship like Yan Bei? No one could tell. After the next day, would the Tang Empire still be led by the Li Family? That was the exact question that most people had that night. 

  The entire Xiuli army was ever so quiet. The soldiers had not wavered in the slightest about the rumors. As the cold moonlight bask the entire encampment in a silvery glow, one could see that the grounds for practice were completely devoid of people. 

  The veil to He Xiao’s main tent shook, and a person who wore a black robe covering the entire face walked in. He Xiao happened to be drinking on his desk, wearing common brown clothes. With his hair unkempt and his collar unbuttoned, one could see his bronze colored chest muscles. This was a rare sight of roughness from this general. Seeing the visitor, he frowned ever so slightly, but did not speak. 

  The visitor took off the cap, revealing a beautiful face, and lightly smiling, she said, “Drinking in the middle of the night, as far as I know, is a breach of military law.” 

  Seeing her, He Xiao did not talk, and merely continued to drink. 

  Chu Qiao walked up and sat down before him. Lifting her head up slightly, she asked, “Are you not going to invite me to drink?” 

  With a clank, He Xiao casually threw a wine cup over. He did not bother pouring for Chu Qiao. Chu Qiao was unfazed as she earnestly poured a cup and downed it in one gulp, only to feel the full brunt of the alcohol. It was as though she had just swallowed a chunk of red hot coal. Frowning, she said, “Such strong liquor.” 

  Seeing that He Xiao was still not speaking, she got a tad serious and asked, “If I had not come to find you, would you never have come to look for me?” 

  He Xiao lightly lifted up a brow, and gazed at her before quietly asking, “I am feeling quite strange. How could you still be smiling and laughing?” 

  “Why not? This situation is so much better than that time we had to defend Beishuo.” 

  Looking at her, He Xiao suddenly turned away and chuckled. “Indeed, it is so much better. With so much power, it would be much better.” 

  Chu Qiao leaned forward, and her eyes gleamed like stars shining in midnight, as she coldly asked, “He Xiao, do you think I am such a person?” 

  Although he knew the situation, there was a certain anger and frustration that he could not suppress no matter what. He Xiao stared right into Chu Qiao’s eyes. In the cold expression, there was rage, but there was also sympathy. 

  Chu Qiao got into a half kneel as she leaned over and whispered some words by the man’s ears. He Xiao did not mind too much initially, but suddenly, his expression changed drastically. Lifting his head in a jerk, he glared at this daring woman. 

  “He Xiao.” Chu Qiao smiled at him, and in a calmness that was never seen before. She asked, “Are you willing to help me?” 

  This young general thought for a long time before finally revealing a smile. Stretching out his hand, they high-fived and gave each other a firm handshake, just like the old days. 

  As night descended once again, there was a group rushing on the path. Suddenly another group appeared before them. The leading man pulled on the horse reins. As the incoming horse dashed past, the men on the incoming group suddenly halted and dropped down from the horse, and loudly hailed, “Fourth Young Master!” 

  That night was really destined to be a sleepless night. Countless forces clashed in the camouflage of darkness, quietly waiting for the ceremony. 

  The night seemed like an eternity. 

  As the rooster welcomed the next day, the sun rose, immediately basking the entire world in the glory of the golden rays. In the palace, the King of Runan, whose hair had almost entirely turned white, read out the will of the deceased emperor. After which, trembling, he knelt down. 

  Wearing an auspicious dress that was donned with embroideries of the phoenix and clouds, Chu Qiao donned a head dress that was made from 18 pieces of ruby jade. On her waist, there was a golden belt that was tinged with a royal purple. As this was a marriage with the deceased emperor, even this auspicious dress was mainly black in color, and the multicolored phoenix was also embroidered with darker colors, with gold threads used only scarcely for the clouds, and much of the chosen jewels were those dark in color. With that dress, Chu Qiao seemed neat and proper, yet there was a sense of gloom that made people avert their eyes. 

  As the phoenix carriage started the journey from the main palace, it passed by Zhangyu Square, Rose Street, Anhua Gate, Taiqing Gate, Tai’an Gate, and even headed out of the Jinwu Palace and entered the Qingyun Road where only the richest dwelled, before turning round Tianqi Street and heading to the phoenix stand at the Ancestral Temple. 

  Along the entire route, the civilians all knelt down, calling out words of deference, with their heads deeply buried in the ground. As the entourage passed by, it kicked up a cloud of dust that at first glance seemed like a sandstorm. 

  In the falling autumn leaves, black clothes covered the entire Tang Capital. The sky seemed ever so blue and tall, and the Sun seemed ever so far away. Everything looked so scenic that it seemed like a masterpiece from an expert artist. The glory of the empire seemed to cover and conceal the layers of blood that flowed on the path to ascension. 

  As the carriage stopped, one could see that the phoenix stand, with the 366 steps of jade staircase, was almost 100 feet tall. Standing on it, one could see all of Tang Jing. Even the majesty Jinwu Palace seemed to pale in comparison.

  Chapter 239: Chapter 239 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio 

  “The Chu family is blessed to have produced such an outstanding heir to the family. They are benevolent, well-learned, and respectful. They are virtuous and kind people who are harmonious and cultured. With this, Chu Qiao is given the title of Royal Imperial Concubine. She will supervise the country’s affairs, to ensure its prosperity.” 

  A loud, stern voice reverberated across the brightly lit landscape. A crown, made of pure gold, was placed in front of the ancestral temple’s altar. Objects like the imperial jade seal, brushes were placed alongside the crown; those were objects that anybody would die to own, for it signified the holder’s wealth and power. Upon taking another step forward, she would hold those items in her hands―no one in the world would be able to hurt her easily anymore. 

  She stood atop the Phoenix Stand, looking at the numerous shadows kneeling under her. She saw jealousy, resentment, fright, fear, hesitation, and a tinge of expectation amongst those shadows, but nothing made her feel warm inside. The jade steps below her feet were cold, and so was the sunlight. 

  The scholar from the Department of Rites knelt in front of her, with a letter seal in his hands. The man, who was about 70-years-old, lowered his head as his aging knees trembled. 

  The wind blew past the eagles circling in the sky. She looked up at the majestic, red city gates of the Tang Capital. The gates, which had experienced countless storms over the past hundreds of years, seemed to stare back at her, in anticipation of this historic moment. As long as she received that item, she would hold absolute power over a quarter of this world. 

  That instant, she seemingly saw that pair of eyes again, with its trademark cold look on the outside, but with passion on the inside. His face was handsome as he gestured: Remember to wait for me! Remember! Wait for me! 

  The siren to signal the start of the coronation ceremony suddenly blared out. Outside the Tang Capital, a solitary warhorse stood at the entrance of a bridge. The wilted, yellow autumn grass swayed with the wind as the sunlight projected its golden rays onto the barren wasteland. 

  He was dressed in purple with his hair neatly combed. He was handsome and had a deep look in his eyes. A gust of wind blew past him, with some air entering into a bell he hung by his neck, causing it to let out some soft words. 

  “Remember, I’m waiting for you.” 

  I’m waiting for you…… I’m waiting for you…… 

  The majesty of the landscape was once again illustrated as the sun rose above the layers of clouds. 

  Boom! A sound suddenly echoed out from the southern city gates, causing even the ancestral temple to shake. 

  A huge cloud of dust started to form on the horizon to the south. More sirens started to blare as many horses started to gallop towards the ancestral temple. The soldiers on the horse shouted, “The king of Jingan is here with his troops! General Xu Su has defected to the enemy! The king of Jingan is here with his troops! General Xu Su has defected to the enemy!” 

  In that instant, the city fell into chaos. Everyone’s faces started to turn grim. Sun Di stood below the platform as his face started to turn pale. The 70-year-old man fell to the ground as the seal in his hands fell onto the white jade steps, giving off its golden glow. 

  Chu Qiao walked down the steps slowly and stood in front of Sun Di. He looked up at her with a cold and fearful look in his eyes. 

  “General Sun,” Chu Qiao took out a letterhead with many officials’ names written on it. “This is the list of officials who have secretly colluded with the king of Jingan to rebel. Please attend to this immediately.” 

  As Chu Qiao spoke her words, the faces of a few officials present on the scene started to turn pale. Sun Di received the list and looked at her suspiciously. Only now did he understand the woman who was standing in front of him. 

  “I’ll be leading troops to welcome the king of Jingan. I’ll leave the safety of this city and the emperor in your hands.” 

  “We have less than 150,000 soldiers in the city. The numbers of the enemy……” 

  Chu Qiao interrupted him and said, “We still have General Xu.” 

  “General Xu is not……” 

  “It’s not the first time he has done this.” 

  Sun Di was utterly stunned. He looked at Chu Qiao, who took off her flamboyant royal outfit, revealing a silver layer of body armor underneath. She took off the accessories on her head, covered her head with a green cloth, and mounted a horse brought to her by He Xiao. Then, she departed towards the outside of the city with the Xiuli Army. 

  The 150,000 troops stationed both outside and inside the city were already waiting for her. The young lady no longer had a cold, indifferent expression on her face. She gave off an uplifting vibe, like a phoenix that had been reborn from the ashes. She held her sword in the air as she made her way to the foot of the city gates, before she hollered, “Open the gates!” At that instant, she was like the beautiful sunrise that evoked tears in people’s eyes. 

  Sun Di watched on as the city gates opened up slowly. The thousands of troops galloped towards the battlefield five kilometers out at frightening speed, leaving behind a massive trail of dust. 

  Heroes were born amidst the most chaotic times. She was the sword that everybody coveted. 

  As the winds blew past her ears, she recalled Li Ce’s last words. “After I die, the court will be thrown into chaos. The Zhan siblings are but paper tigers. The real wolves are the ones in the royal family. Sun Di is a radical person. If he does anything suspicious, act according to plan and take the thing I gave you to Hanshui. After Xu Su sees that, he will follow your orders. Tie You’s Wolf Army will also listen to you. If you can take the chance to exterminate the spies that the feudal lords have planted in the court, it will be killing two birds with one stone. As for that Zhuge fellow, don’t think that he’s so smart all the time. Once you are involved, he will become an idiot. You don’t need to remind him then. Let him lead his troops to rescue you. Tang’s casualties will be minimized, and I can make him angry. Qiaoqiao, you have led a rugged life. If you are held back once again because of my death, I will never rest in peace even if I die.” 

  “Don’t let me down.” ……

  Chu Qiao’s eyes started to tear. She stiffened her lips and whipped the horse once again. The two armies had started to brawl on the battlefield. Xu Su led the frontline as the valiant warrior held a giant sword in his hand. A flag was hung behind him, saying the words: Kill the rebels, exterminate the corrupt officials. 

  “Kill!” The Wolf Army let out a deafening shout. Under the golden-colored landscape, the first full-scale conflict since the coronation of the Yongjun Emperor broke out. 

  On the eighth day of the tenth month of the Yongjun Calendar, the fake coronation ceremony caused the kings of Jingan, Duanqing, Huayang and Dagong to rebel. They dispatched 180,000 troops towards Hanshui Pass, where their allies joined them. Some of them included Fang Huaihai who was the vice-general of Shennan’s Jinji Camp, Tian Rujia, the admiral of Dianxi’s Western Army, Liu Mubai, the deputy commander of Xizhao, Zhu Jiong, a general of the city of Huai, and Xu Su, the general of Hanshui. Together, their forces totalled above 400,000 as they rampaged their way towards the capital. As the capital’s ruler learnt of the news, she opened up the southern gates and welcomed the enemy. 

  When Fang Huaihai, Tian Rujia, Liu Mubai, Zhu Jiong and Xu Su saw the symbol she carried, they rushed towards her side. Together, along with Chu Qiao, they killed 30,000 enemies and captured the rest alive. The king of Jingan, Zhou Yun, died under the sword of General Xu, aged 57. 

  Two days later, Chu Qiao hung the royal seal by the gates of the palace and knelt under the ancestral temple, begging for the late emperor to retract his orders on the grounds that she was a woman and could not hold absolute power. The next day, the emperor of Yongjun approved the order and stripped Chu Qiao’s title of Imperial Royal Concubine. He made her an honorary feudal lord of Tang, giving her the alias of Xiuli, and bestowed many valuable gifts upon her. 

  Chu Qiao wore a white cloak as she stood in front of the palace gates. As the sun set, it projected its rays onto her, giving her a peaceful and calm aura that was largely different from her aura earlier on the battlefield. 

  Sun Di’s carriage had just left the palace. When he saw Chu Qiao, his carriage stopped. He made his way towards her slowly, not knowing how to speak. After a long while, seeing that she maintained her cheerful demeanor, he lowered his head and said, “General Chu.” 

  “The Xiuli Army has settled down in Tang. They are no longer my personal army. By entrusting them to you, I am no longer the commander of the Xiuli Army. Don’t call me ‘general’ anymore,” Chu Qiao said in a gentle voice. 

  Sun Di, who had witnessed her prowess, did not dare to underestimate her anymore. He nodded and replied, “You are right, General.” 

  Chu Qiao smiled as she continued, “You can release those people that objected to my coronation that day. The emperor is still young. It’s a good time to buy people’s hearts now. I will not issue this decree on his behalf. After I leave, don’t forget those loyal officials in prison.” 

  Sun Di answered, “I will remember General’s wise words.” 

  “General Sun, those words were spoken to you by Tang’s king of Xiuli. Now, I, Chu Qiao, have a few words to tell you too.” 

  Sun Di froze as he looked up at the woman’s beautiful face. He nodded and replied, “Please speak.” 

  “You know that a woman can never ascend the throne. No matter what, even if I am the Imperial Concubine or the ruler of Tang, it will not have any impact on the political scenes of Yan Bei and Xia. Once the time is ripe, the war will not be avoided. No private, underhand dealings will influence this outcome. Presently, the resistance forces of Tang have been eliminated, but you cannot be complacent. No one can predict how this game will play out. We can only do our best to turn the tides in our favor, to protect Li Ce’s lineage and the Tang Empire.” 

  Sun Di looked at Chu Qiao as he frowned. With a heavy tone, he said, “General Chu, why are you handing such important matters to me, even though I plotted against you?” 

  Chu Qiao smiled and replied nonchalantly. “There are three reasons. Firstly, Tie You is in charge of the Wolf and Jingji Armies, while General Xu Su in charge of the armies outside the capital. They are all loyal officials. You are a scholarly official. Even if you have the political power, you are not authorized to mobilize armies. You are not affiliated with the royal family too. Even if you want to rebel, you do not have the necessary power to.” 

  As the setting sun shone on Chu Qiao’s face, she continued, “Secondly, the capital of Tang has just gone through countless battles. The civilians need time to rest and rebuild. With the downfalls of the kings of Luo and Jingan, the royal family’s reputation has gone up several notches. You are not revered by the civilians, hence they will not listen to you.” 

  “Thirdly,” Chu Qiao smiled as a sly expression flashed across her face, “I trust you.” 

  Sun Di’s heart skipped a beat. He looked at Chu Qiao in disbelief of what he had just heard. 

  “I trust you. Li Ce trusts you too. Although you are extreme in your actions, you are the most loyal official in Tang. Before Li Ce died, he said that you were the man most suitable for this job. I agree wholeheartedly with him.” 

  She took out two letters and handed them to Sun Di. “These are letters written personally by Xia’s seventh prince, Zhao Che, and the king of Qinghai, Zhuge Yue. They are willing to form an alliance with Tang. Your position will be reinforced by these two external forces. You don’t need to worry about any internal resistance. I will do my utmost to support you. I trust that you will raise the emperor into someone capable.” 

  Sun Di’s fingers started to tremble as he received those two letters, along with the heavy responsibilities that came with them. He knelt in front of Chu Qiao and declared, “General, rest assured. I, Sun Di, swear to be loyal to Tang. If anything bad happens to Tang, I will die to atone for my sins.” 

  “General Sun, stop with the formalities.” Chu Qiao helped him up and looked at him sincerely. “Since you’re Li Ce’s friend, you’re my friend too. If he trusts you, I trust you too.” 

  As the sun set, Sun Di stood atop the majestic city walls as Chu Qiao was escorted out of the city by He Xiao, Pingan, and the rest. A long shadow formed on the golden wastelands as the young lady galloped forward on her horse, like an eagle which had been freed of its imprisonment. Her white cloak spread out behind her as she rode on her horse. 

  That was an eagle. No one could break her wings. Other than herself, no one else could force her to stay. 

  At this instant, Sun Di understood why his friend had been so devoted to her all these years. It was indeed eye-opening that such a character existed in this world. He looked up and took a deep breath, seemingly seeing his friend’s jovial expression while he muttered to him with a chuckle, “Guess if there’s any makeup on the face of General Hu’s third daughter?” 

  The autumn winds continued to blow. This was a chilly month, but also a season of plentiful harvest.