Chapter 155: What If He Were to Rebel

Despite repeated summons from the palace, Xiao Yang delayed her return for a full five days. The main reason? She just didn’t want to go to work.

She didn’t ride a horse this time, opting for a carriage instead. She planned to take her sweet time getting back.

To her surprise, her procession ran into a foreign delegation on its way to the Capital City halfway through the journey.

The other party passed through the intersection first. Xiao Yang didn’t argue, simply letting them go ahead.

Xiao Yang sized up their strange attire and asked Rong Yin, "What country are they from?"

Rong Yin replied, "They’re likely from the Black Sand Country. The one visiting this time is their Fourth Prince. Rumor has it he was born to a slave and has an effeminate appearance. He’s not favored by their Emperor, so he has given up on himself and is infamous for his profligate, unrestrained ways."

Xiao Yang looked away. "I can tell."

A pale white thigh was sticking out of the carriage window, quivering slightly and leaving much to the imagination.

In broad daylight, a pose like that was a real eyesore.

Xiao Yang waited until their procession was far in the distance before giving the order to move.

The people from the Black Sand Country were being inspected at the city gate, their procession lined up to one side. Just as Xiao Yang’s entourage arrived, the guards immediately cleared the gate.

The Black Dragon Cavalry was so imposing that the people from Heisha kept staring. One of them couldn’t help but ask the inspecting guard, "Who is this great personage with such a grand entourage?"

Without even looking up, the soldier said, "Mind your own business."

’The Black Dragon Cavalry. That’s Her Majesty.’

’How could they not recognize them? What a stupid question.’

’The Emperor’s whereabouts aren’t something I can just reveal to anyone.’

’What if Her Majesty is in that carriage? What if there’s an assassin nearby? If I said anything, I’d be in for it.’

"The Black Dragon Cavalry... and that tall, imposing general at the front—could he be the legendary General Li? If that’s the case, could the one in the carriage be the Empress?"

A lazy, husky male voice drifted over.

The soldier looked in the direction of the voice. It came from the largest carriage of the Black Sand Country delegation.

Through the curtain, a graceful figure could be seen reclining lazily. At first glance, one might have thought it was a peerless beauty.

He had just inspected that carriage. Inside was only the Fourth Prince of Heisha, who looked like a woman and dressed even more like one. It was only when he spoke that one was startled to realize he was a man.

’Still, this fellow looks devilishly flamboyant, but he’s surprisingly knowledgeable.’

The moment Xiao Yang returned to the palace, she found a crowd of officials waiting for her in the Imperial Study Room.

However, before any of the others could give their reports, Prince Jing and his son whisked her away.

Prince Jing’s brows were knitted so tightly you could have crushed a fly between them. "You’re finally back! We’re in big trouble!"

Xiao Lv took out several secret letters and a few case files.

"We have reliable intelligence that four factions are preparing to rebel. They are led by King Huainan, King Guangchuan, Marquis Xiling, and Marquis Wucheng. Marquis Wucheng is particularly close with Prince Kang. Apparently, the marquis has an extraordinary strategist in his service who has helped him win over numerous generals and wealthy country gentry. Marquis Wucheng even plans to marry his daughter to him. However, this strategist is extremely mysterious; we still haven’t been able to uncover his identity."

Prince Jing was beside himself with panic.

"With so many people rebelling at once, even Li Wei couldn’t fight them all off if he had eight arms! Look at their locations—they’re on all sides, completely surrounding the Capital City."

’And she was off soaking in hot springs! Any longer and her throne would be gone!’

This was the first Xiao Yang was hearing of it, yet she showed no sign of panic.

’Seizing power and upsetting the balance of the court was one thing, but the Emperor turning out to be a woman? That was a catastrophe of the highest order.’

’With Prince Jing’s family holding down the fort at court, along with Rong Yin, Li Wei, and the Xu Family, she had managed to secure her throne with a so-called miracle—the "manifestation of the ancestors’ spirits."’

’But just because the people at court had submitted didn’t mean the rest of the realm had.’

’They hadn’t witnessed the supposed miracle, nor had they personally felt the weight of the Emperor’s authority.’

’They would only be thinking: "If a woman can be Emperor, why can’t I?"’

’So, a rebellion was inevitable.’

’The past six months had just been their time to prepare. Now, it seemed they were almost ready.’

Xiao Lv continued, "Right now, envoys from seven nations have arrived, numbering over three thousand. On top of that, many merchants have smelled an opportunity and are rushing to the Capital City. We estimate an influx of at least thirty to forty thousand people. There’s no telling how many spies and assassins are mixed in among them. If someone decides to stir up trouble now—whether by assassinating Your Majesty or killing an envoy to provoke a war—it would cause utter pandemonium."

"Four rebel factions and seven neighboring nations... If this all boils over, the forces we have in the Capital City won’t be enough to control it."

Xiao Yang listened silently. When Xiao Lv was done, she asked a completely unrelated question. "How is Prime Minister Song’s News Department coming along?"

Xiao Lv answered immediately, "The printing and block-carving processes are nearly perfected. They’re currently selecting articles and working on the layout. If there are no setbacks, the first edition should be out within ten days."

"That’s too slow."

Xiao Yang thought for a moment. "Go bring Song Qinghe here."

Xiao Lv had unconditional faith in Xiao Yang. Whatever she commanded, he would arrange.

But Prince Jing was frantic. "Your Majesty, is this really the time to be concerned with news? They’re about to rebel!"

Xiao Yang was still in the mood to tease him. "Yes, it is. If you’d become Emperor back then, there wouldn’t be any problems. But now they see I’m a woman, so they all pick on me. It’s all your fault."

"Wha— That’s not—" Prince Jing was completely stunned by the accusation. ’Things were going fine, so how did it suddenly turn to this?’

Xiao Yang grabbed his hand, her eyes brimming with tears. "Uncle, I don’t want to be the monarch of a fallen dynasty! If I can’t defeat them, I’ll just pass the throne to you and make a run for it, all right?"

"Huh?"

Prince Jing stared at Xiao Yang in utter disbelief, his mouth twitching. It was hard to tell if he was more shocked or terrified.

’Seriously, isn’t the Little Emperor a little too shameless?’

Xiao Lv was only gone for the short time it took to summon someone. When he returned, he found his father looking as if he were questioning his very existence, while the Little Emperor was doubled over in her chair, howling with laughter.

"HAHAHAHAHA~~~~~~~"

Seeing Xiao Yang laugh so outrageously, Prince Jing instantly realized she had been messing with him. He was so mad his mustache bristled.

’Bullying an elder! That little rascal!’

"Your Majesty."

Song Qinghe entered, carrying a copy of the first-edition newspaper. "This is what we’re preparing to distribute. Three hundred copies in total, just to gauge the reaction."

Xiao Yang took it for a look. This so-called newspaper was nothing like what she had imagined. It was just a collection of four essays, plus a small wellness tip from the Imperial Hospital.

It was less a newspaper and more an anthology of excerpts.

’She hadn’t wanted to get involved, so she had only offered suggestions and given them free rein. What they’d produced wasn’t wrong, per se, but now the situation had changed. She would have to handle this first edition herself.’

"Brother," she said to Xiao Lv, "go get Second Brother to help. Song Qinghe, have everyone in the News Department eat their fill and prepare themselves. We’re pulling an all-nighter. We need to print at least thirty thousand copies. And notify Li Wei to pick three thousand express riders and have them wait at the four city gates. The moment the papers are printed, they are to be delivered to the eight surrounding cities with utmost urgency."

Xiao Yang issued her orders one after another, her commands firm and unassailable.

The others left to carry out their orders, while Xiao Yang had Xiao Lv and Xiao Hong begin writing according to her instructions.

Her very first sentence, however, left them completely stunned.

"The main headline for our first edition will be: ’What If They Were to Rebel?’..."