Neun Lieder - Kapitel 111
Rongyue also issued a clear decree that infantry, cavalry, and crossbowmen are all equal and must not be discriminated against or oppressed. Violators will be severely punished without exception!
The order caused an uproar among the troops! It elicited a strong reaction from the soldiers, especially the ordinary ones, who saw an opportunity to make a name for themselves and were extremely excited. The surrendered soldiers of Louxi Kingdom, upon hearing that they would be on par with the invincible cavalry that struck fear into the hearts of other nations, felt a surge of excitement and pride, and their respect for Rongyue deepened.
Rongyue knew that Dongfang Lie, having suffered a defeat and lost his younger brother, would not let the matter rest; it was only a matter of time before Dongfang's army returned. Daring not to slacken her efforts, Rongyue continued to rise early every day to train the army, making full preparations for the upcoming battle.
As Rongyue emerged from the training ground, she wiped the sweat from her face with a handkerchief and raised an eyebrow at Ye Fan, who had been waiting for a long time: "Military Ye, is there something you need?"
Glancing around out of the corner of his eye, Ye Fan leaned forward and whispered, "General, what have you decided on that matter?"
Rongyue paused, then said seriously, "Let's discuss this further when we get back."
Having said that, he started walking towards the Chongde Hall.
Ye Fan quickened his pace, following closely behind...
At the entrance of Chongde Hall, two guards stood with swords at their feet. Upon seeing Rongyue stride in, one guard quickly stood at attention and saluted, respectfully calling out "General." The other guard's eyes lit up instantly, their brilliance dazzling as they stared intently at Rongyue's calm, expressionless face. His luscious red lips trembled as he uttered, "Wife..."
Without glancing to either side, he strode past him and entered the Chongde Hall, then casually instructed the person behind him, "Close the door behind you when you come in."
Ye Fan responded without stopping, but as he passed the servant, he gave him a pitying yet mocking smile. Stepping into the hall, he slowly closed the heavy doors and hurried a few steps closer to Rong Yue: "General."
“As you said, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day. Without a ruler, there is no centripetal force, no cohesion, and the country will fall apart. A country that is a disorganized mess cannot be called a country. However, this ruler… truly troubles me…” Rongyue frowned, pondering deeply, hesitating endlessly.
Ye Fan smiled slightly: "What's so difficult about that? This country was conquered by the Great General, so naturally the one who sits on it is you, the Great General!"
Her heart trembled slightly at Ye Fan's words. Once crowned, she would reign supreme, looking down upon all living beings, a solitary figure for eternity! At the pinnacle of power, she was truly the ruler of all, above millions, a fish on the chopping block, her life and death in her own hands. She was the master of the world, revered by all, no longer to suffer the pain of oppression…
Faced with such supreme temptation, and with the pinnacle of power within her grasp, she undeniably felt a momentary stirring of desire. But after that stirring, she became confused, a bitter feeling settling in her heart. When did she lose her former tranquil and detached nature, becoming greedy for fame and fortune, so eager to pursue recognition and wealth? At this moment, she truly didn't know whether to be pleased that she had become worldly and pragmatic, or to feel lost for having lost her detachment and serenity…
"General?" Seeing Rongyue lost in thought, Ye Fan called out suspiciously.
“Oh,” Rongyue said solemnly, turning to look at Ye Fan. “But Ye Fan, do you think people would be happy to see me overthrow tradition?”
Ye Fan was taken aback, then smiled knowingly: "Tradition? The origin of tradition is not actually tradition. It's just that someone overthrew tradition, and over time, the actions of this person were imitated by later generations, and everything became tradition. When tradition lasts for a long time, perhaps someone needs to overthrow it and establish a new tradition. Why don't you, General, be the one who overthrows tradition, set an example, and become the first person in history? What do you say?"
She raised an eyebrow: "You think so highly of me? You should know that I'm still quite uncertain and very nervous, yet you're so confident that you believe I can shoulder the responsibility of being the first person in history?"
He gently waved his feather fan: "General, you lack confidence? Heh, I don't believe it! In my eyes, you are exceptionally brave and daring. There is almost nothing in this world that you wouldn't dare to do! Moreover, you have an inflated sense of self-worth, so confident that you could be arrogant. How can you say you lack confidence?"
Glancing at Ye Fan, who was clearly praising but actually mocking, Rong Yue said coolly, "One day I'll pull out all those sharp teeth of yours."
Pretending to cover his mouth and feign fear, Ye Fan said in a panicked tone, "I know I was wrong, General, please have mercy!"
"Alright, let's get down to business! Ye Fan, to be honest, I feel more confident being a general than an emperor."
"Does the general intend to hand over the throne to another?"
"Of course not! How could I be content with that! I'm just considering whether I should find a puppet emperor from the Louxi royal bloodline... You know, the people of Louxi still hope that their sky is still the sky above them..."
He scoffed, "I'm afraid the tiger might turn around and bite!"
Rongyue was startled and remained silent for a long time.
He snapped the feather fan back into his palm and said, "General, what are you dawdling about? It's just a phantom emperor, what are you afraid of? You've even become a Grand General, commanding thousands of troops, and you're not afraid of anything. I'm just asking you to take one more step forward, how can you back down at the last minute? Please, show some of your usual fearless drive!"
Seeing Rongyue rubbing her temples with one hand, Ye Fan's eyebrows twitched: "So, General, you're thinking of leading the Ironblood Cavalry back to Nancha Kingdom to receive your reward? Heh, that's true. A valiant general has destroyed an enemy kingdom—a tremendous achievement! The old emperor of Nancha Kingdom must be so happy he can't sleep, tossing and turning, thinking about how to reward you, his meritorious general! Maybe in his joy, he'll bestow upon you the imperial surname and adopt you as his son! Or perhaps, he'll be so fond of you that even on his deathbed, he won't let go, wanting you, his adopted son, to accompany him to witness the beauty of the other shore flower together..."
"Then tell me, in what capacity should I ascend the throne?"
"Ha, so you finally understand the stakes!" He smiled enigmatically and asked, "What does the general intend to do?"
"The Phoenix".
"The truth will eventually come out."
"Let's wait until the fire breaks out before we talk about it."
Suddenly remembering something, Rongyue's expression turned serious: "By the way, what do you think should be done with those people in Emperor Yongwu's harem?"
Ye Fan made a decisive and ruthless slashing motion.
"They can't be that ruthless... With Emperor Yongwu dead, they probably won't cause any more trouble..."
"If you don't cut the weeds at the root, they'll just grow back in the spring! General, you mustn't be so soft-hearted!"
Rongyue shook her head: "It's not that I'm being sentimental. I'm just thinking that such a massacre might incite outrage among the people and be detrimental to the rule."
"So the general means..."
"Give the palace maids and concubines without children, oh right, and those eunuchs some silver and release them all from the palace. The rest stay in the palace and keep a close watch on them. If they make any trouble, kill them without mercy!"
After thinking for a moment, Ye Fan nodded slightly: "The general's concerns are indeed reasonable... This is not a bad solution. Oh, speaking of palace maids and eunuchs, I just remembered that once they leave, there will be no one to serve in the palace! It seems we need to post a notice and recruit a group of eunuchs and palace maids from the common people..."
"Palace maids are acceptable, but eunuchs are out of the question!" Making perfectly healthy men into eunuchs is simply too inhumane...
Ye Fan was taken aback at first, then understood and smiled teasingly: "That's true, eunuchs are indeed superfluous..."
Understanding the unspoken meaning in his words, Rongyue's old face flushed red, and she couldn't help but glare at him fiercely again...
Since his eyesight improved, Tuoba Chen's right to share a bed with Rongyue was ruthlessly taken away by her. Alone, leaning against the pillow, he was tormented every night, unable to sleep, having grown accustomed to her fragrance, her delicate body, and her warmth.
He still remembered the moment he opened his eyes that day, the face he had dreamt of so deeply filling him with an indescribable excitement and happiness, almost bursting forth from his chest and piercing the heavens! Willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, a delicate nose, diamond-shaped lips… Although she was much darker and thinner than a year ago, her face slightly elongated, it couldn't diminish the awe she brought him—for he discovered that she had shed her youthful naiveté, becoming increasingly mature, radiating an irresistible feminine charm! Her dazzling allure forced him to keep his eyes open, yet he couldn't bear to close them, lest he miss this captivating sight before him…
Upon learning that Rongyue had gone to Chongde Hall after leaving the training ground, he quickened his pace and headed towards Chongde Hall as well...
Volume Two: The Resolute Heroines' Chronicle, Chapter Forty-One: Two Men Stand Off Against Each Other
His simple guard uniform couldn't conceal his innate nobility. With his sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, straight nose, and thin lips, his facial features were soft yet not effeminate. He was fresh and handsome, with a refined and profound demeanor. The subtle elegance emanating from within added a touch of scholarly refinement, making his already unparalleled charm even more extraordinary and dashing.