Chapter 228: This Subject Willingly Admits Defeat

Xiao Li changed her clothes and prepared to attend the victory banquet.

The banquet at Jinwu Hall was bustling. From the sound of it, everyone was thrilled about the conquest of Yue Country.

It was so lively inside that the grounds outside seemed desolate in comparison.

Soft snowflakes drifted from the sky. Xiao Li reached out to catch one. "Am I being something of a killjoy?"

Winning a war, expanding her territory—logically, she should have been happy.

But she simply couldn’t feel happy. All she felt was vexation.

It was a vexation to manage an ever-expanding empire, and a vexation to feel so out of place in this world.

And the contrast between their cheers of joy and her indifference only highlighted how much she didn’t belong.

This clarity, this rationality of being unable to assimilate yet unable to leave, felt like it was tearing her in two.

She didn’t want to assimilate, because she didn’t want to be changed by this world. She wanted to leave, but she could not.

’I’ve been so even-tempered and quiet lately, haven’t I? But it’s always the quietest ones who are truly unwell. Beneath my calm exterior, this inner torment has no outlet. If I stay here much longer, I think I might actually fall ill.’

Lou Yan’s gaze shifted, landing on her profile. "Your Majesty is the master of this realm. They should take their cues from your joys and sorrows, not the other way around."

Lou Yan’s counsel was sound—any emperor would love to hear such words—but it had no effect on Xiao Li.

’Look at me. An Empress who doesn’t even want to hear flattery. What a failure I am.’

"Her Majesty has arrived!"

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

...

"Let the banquet begin!"

At a victory banquet celebrating the army’s triumphant return, the man of the hour was naturally the great hero, Duan Ji.

Duan Ji rose to offer a toast. "I, Duan Ji, was fortunate to receive Your Majesty’s favor and have not failed in my duty. This cup is for you, Your Majesty. May your empire be eternal and the realm enjoy lasting peace."

Xiao Li sized up Duan Ji. She knew of this great hero, and yet, she didn’t know him at all.

They had met only twice, and so briefly that even now, she hadn’t gotten a proper look at his face.

Studying him closely now, she saw he had deep-set features, dark skin, and a resolute gaze. He couldn’t be called handsome, but he certainly had the striking look of a high-ranking military officer.

Duan Ji drained his cup in one go, and Xiao Li raised her own in a show of respect.

"The men of Longsheng should be just so!"

Tall, strong, and unyieldingly formidable.

Song Junzhan and the others also rose and raised their cups. "May your empire be eternal and the realm enjoy lasting peace."

Xiao Li smiled as her gaze swept across the hall, pausing for a moment on Song Junzhan. The color of her Prime Minister’s robes...

It was a bit pale, but unless her eyes were playing tricks on her, that was pink, wasn’t it?

Sensing Xiao Li’s scrutiny, Song Junzhan made a helpless expression and mouthed the words: *I honor my bets.*

The empress and her minister had previously made a playful wager on whether the Nanqi King and his men would rebel.

The truth was, while the Nanqi would surely have the desire to rebel, they would have neither the means nor the opportunity.

Song Junzhan knew from the very beginning that he was bound to lose. Or rather, even if he had won the bet, he would have personally ensured his own loss. He would never let anyone threaten Her Majesty’s empire.

For a grown man, let alone the Prime Minister of the court, wearing pink was indeed rather embarrassing. But when he remembered he was wearing it for the Empress to see, it wasn’t so difficult to accept.

At the very least... her eyes were on him once more.

The others, of course, were oblivious to the Prime Minister’s hidden feelings. Duan Ji, for example, had previously mentioned bringing back a beautiful prince from the Yue Country. The prince hadn’t appeared that morning, having been saved for the evening banquet to make a stunning entrance.

She looked at the man—or was he just a boy?—who was dressed up like a museum exhibit.

’Is he even eighteen yet?’

"Your Majesty, this is the eleventh Prince of Yue Country, Murong Yu."

The slender, fair, and beautiful boy was forced to his knees, the decorative bells and pendants adorning his clothes chiming with the movement.

"My respects to the Empress."

The crowd’s eyes darted back and forth between Xiao Li and Murong Yu, their thirst for gossip impossible to conceal. Some also cast glances at Song Junzhan. There had always been hushed rumors about the young Prime Minister and the Empress, and now it seemed a third party was about to enter the picture.

No, wait—a fourth party. They’d almost forgotten Lord Rong Qing, whom the military generals considered the most suitable match for Her Majesty.

The top civil servant and the top military general—surely they couldn’t lose out to some wet-behind-the-ears brat from the Yue Country, could they?

Of course, some also noticed the dangerous killing intent emanating from behind the Empress. But that was just the eunuch, and he was always that fierce, so no one thought much of it.

Xiao Li raised her hand and waved it dismissively. She neither accepted nor refused. ’Let them guess.’

Xiao Li truly wasn’t taken with the boy. She appreciated youths, like Feng Yin for example, but it was a simple, harmless admiration, with no ulterior motives.

When she had kissed Feng Yin, it was because she knew he was of age—plus, he had been the one to initiate.

This prince of the Yue Country was very beautiful, but his was not the kind of beauty Xiao Li preferred. And she wasn’t some sex-crazed animal, ready to pounce on any handsome man she saw.

Xiao Li was inwardly calm, feeling tranquil and desireless, but that didn’t stop certain people from getting anxious.

"Your Majesty..."

Xiao Li left the banquet early. She hadn’t gone far before Song Junzhan caught up with her.

As he drew near, Xiao Li took a good look at him.

The robe was indeed pink, but a pale, whitish-pink that didn’t look garish at all. Paired with his handsome features and his hair bound neatly in a jade coronet, the effect was clean and sharp.

In fact, it gave him an ineffable elegance, an almost ethereal air. The pale pink suited him more than white, but it made him look so young and handsome that he lacked any of the gravitas a Prime Minister ought to have.

The scent of wine drifted from him. Xiao Li looked him in the eye. "How much have you been drinking?"

Song Junzhan answered obediently, "Not much, just a small jug. I’m not drunk."

Xiao Li saw that his eyes were still clear. He really didn’t seem drunk.

"What is it?"

"I’ll see you back, Your Majesty."

Song Junzhan fell into step just behind Xiao Li as they walked. It was still a fair distance from the hall to her bedchambers.

After they had walked for a while, the snowy wind having blown away much of the wine’s effect, he suddenly spoke. "I lost. I had intended to make a request of Your Majesty. Do you wish to know what I wanted to say?"

Xiao Li: "Hm?"

"Your Majesty..." Song Junzhan’s ardent gaze was fixed on Xiao Li. A liquid light shimmered in his eyes, and a torrent of emotion seemed about to erupt at any moment.

He suppressed it, held it back. He lowered his head to draw closer, but that was all he dared to do.

"Your Majestyyy~"

He called her name again, his slightly trembling voice carrying an ambiguous, seductive hook.

They were extremely close, near enough to feel each other’s breath. He only needed to lean in a fraction more to fulfill his deepest desire, but he didn’t dare.

He was a subject; he dared not profane his Emperor.

The craving in his heart was about to drive him mad, but he could not bear the thought of being blamed, alienated, and despised by Her Majesty.

Mustering all his courage, he had only managed to lean in a little closer.

"Your Majesty, forgive me..." In the end, he gave up. "I’m drunk."

’He was such a coward.’

Xiao Li watched with unhurried amusement as her Prime Minister struggled, his face a mask of agony as he drew near only to retreat. She was truly tormenting him.

’She really was a villain. She didn’t feel sorry for him at all; in fact, she found it utterly fascinating.’

The next moment, before Song Junzhan could pull away completely, Xiao Li shoved him against a pillar, tilted her head up, and pressed her lips forcefully against his.

Song Junzhan: O.O...