The Fallen Nation System, Turning the Tide - Chapter 10: The Empress

Chapter 10: The Empress

So women could also become emperor.

When the news of Xia Chenglie capturing the Khan of Beidi alive reached Chang’an, many officials quickly pulled strings to intercept the impeachment memorials being sent to Youzhou. Minor officials whose memorials had already arrived in Youzhou beat their chests in frustration.

Just imagine – the emperor receives a victory report and is in high spirits, only to open memorials filled with accusations against Xia Chenglie. How could she remain pleased? Wouldn’t she fly into a rage?

While Chancellor Liu and other high-ranking officials could get away with such criticism, minor officials like themselves would become perfect targets if their memorials reached the emperor!

“Discretion is the better part of valor” – these four words were deeply imprinted in the minor officials’ hearts. Power struggles had nothing to do with them.

They had realized that when immortals fight, mortals suffer. Whether the emperor won or Chancellor Liu prevailed, it made no difference to them.

Their previous jumping about opposing Xu Ying’s policies hadn’t accomplished anything against her, but might have cost them their positions. Better to keep their mouths shut, remain dutiful, and focus on their own responsibilities.

The minor players were one thing, but the most awkward position belonged to Zhang Yu. No sooner had he hinted that the emperor could rely on him than he received a stunning slap in the face.

He didn’t understand. He couldn’t comprehend it.

Military operations require favorable timing, geographical advantage, and popular support. The northern expedition lacked proper timing with the bitter cold, and geographical advantage was absent since commander Xia Chenglie had previously only garrisoned against Western Rong and was unfamiliar with Northern Barbarians terrain. So how did he manage to penetrate deep into enemy territory and locate the Northern Barbarians royal camp?

Terrain is crucial to any battle. Normally, commanders make decisions based on actual conditions before engagement – how to deploy formations, when to shift tactics, the timing to breach enemy lines – all depending on the commander’s predictions. Strategies aren’t suddenly changed mid-battle.

Because transmitting orders and soldiers’ execution require time, and time is the most precious commodity on the battlefield. There’s even a military crime for delaying combat opportunities, punishable by dismissal for minor offenses or beheading for serious ones.

On the battlefield, there’s no room for the slightest error. By the time a commander finishes giving orders, the enemy might have already changed formations. If new orders are issued then, soldiers would still be executing the previous commands – there simply isn’t enough time. Thus, most battles’ outcomes are determined before fighting even begins.

Unfamiliarity with terrain is extremely dangerous. It demands exceptionally rich experience, keen observation, flexible reaction capability, and superb sense of direction from commanders.

The Northern Barbarians’ continuous mountain ranges have caused many brave generals to get lost during campaigns. This is one reason why the Northern Barbarians haven’t been pacified for centuries – once inside their territory, forces lose direction, can’t locate the enemy, let alone achieve victory.

Finally, Youzhou’s garrison troops were all under He Chongguang’s command. Even the most excellent general needs time to adapt with soldiers to win brilliant battles. How did Xia Chenglie accomplish this in such short time?

Zhang Yu reviewed the entire incident from beginning to end and suddenly realized he had been deceived by Xu Ying into underestimating her. This underestimation stemmed from Xu Ying’s design – what they had seen was exactly what Xu Ying wanted them to see. Everyone had fallen into her trap!

First, Xu Ying’s succession itself was highly questionable. Prince Qi rebelled, first poisoning the princes, then surrounding the altar and killing the previous emperor and crown prince with arrows, only to be killed by the Fifth Prince. Yet the Fifth Prince didn’t successfully inherit the throne, instead dying mysteriously. The coroner’s examination showed death by poisoning.

Too coincidental. Everything was far too coincidental.

Perhaps Xu Ying had been scheming from the very beginning. She had somehow caused three consecutive years of drought and incited Qi Wang to rebelotherwise, the bizarre events on the day of the sacrificial ceremony would be inexplicable.

If this reasoning held, it was highly likely that the poisoning of the princes in the palace was not Qi Wang’s doing but Xu Ying’s.

No matter how ruthless Qi Wang was, he had no reason to kill young children. The young princes posed no immediate threat to him, but they were a threat to Xu Ying.

After poisoning the princes and framing Qi Wang, she deliberately allowed Wu Huangzi to escape the palace, luring him to the sacrificial altar to kill Qi Wang. Little did anyone know, she was the true mastermind pulling the strings.

After ascending the throne, she released Qi Wang’s former subordinates, making everyone believe she was ignorant of court politics and lowering their guard. This allowed her to smoothly lead the Royal Army out of Chang’an on the northern campaign.

Who knew how many years Xu Ying had spent planning every step, flawlessly manipulating everyone without their knowledge.

It was terrifyingher profound cunning and ruthless methods. Zhang Yu wondered how the palace could have raised such a person, utterly unlike any woman he had ever known.

Thinking of the letter he had written to Xu Ying, Zhang Yu’s face flushed with embarrassment. While he had been gleefully plotting to sideline her and seize power, Xu Ying was probably laughing at his foolish antics from the sidelines.

The cold wind rattled against the window frame, its mournful howl piercing straight into Zhang Yu’s heart.

A servant entered to replenish the charcoal brazier and, seeing his master trembling, panicked, fearing he had mismanaged the fire. He rushed to the stove, ready to kneel and beg for forgiveness, but a glance revealed the flames burning vigorously. Only then did he realize the room was warm and far from freezing.

“My lord, shall I light a few more braziers…” the servant stammered nervously.

Zhang Yu slumped at his desk, weakly waving his hand, his voice faint and weary. “No need. Go and request sick leave on my behalf.”

The northern campaign’s victory brought the greatest joy to the people of Youzhou. The Northern Barbarians had been a persistent scourge, frequently raiding and plundering. Now that they were subdued and dared not cause further trouble, the people were overjoyed. They poured into the streets, beaming with happiness, greeting neighbors and friends with respectful bows and praising the emperor’s wisdom.

Ordinary folks, preoccupied with their own livelihoods year-round, seldom cared who sat on the throne. But this time was different. With the Northern Barbarians pacified and news spreading that the emperor was a woman, crowds gathered in astonishment, marveling that a woman could ruleand do so as capably as any male emperor.

“I don’t understand all the complexities,” one remarked, “but I know that any emperor who lets us farm in peace is a good one.”

“Exactly,” another agreed. “As long as we have enough to eat, what does it matter if it’s a man or a woman?”

The consensus among the people was unanimous praise for Xu Ying. Some even added, “I heard the emperor lives in a residence on Pingshui Street, unlike the previous emperor, who built palaces wherever he went. Our female emperor truly cares for us.”

In reality, only two palaces had been constructed for southern tours, and one had faced repeated construction halts due to financial constraints. The constant delays led people to mistakenly believe many palaces had been built.

“That’s right,” others chimed in. “The female emperor is much better than the previous one. She doesn’t drink dew from jade vessels like he didshe eats the same grains as we do. Don’t believe me? Well, I’ll tell you this: she’s eaten the cabbage grown on my farm. I’m not boasting. One day, I saw a palace maid out buying groceriesshe looked like a fairy from a storybook, so elegant, clearly from an extremely wealthy household. I watched her enter Pingshui Street with my own eyes, so I’m certain she serves the emperor.”

All eyes were cast with envy upon that man’s good fortune, and their adoration for the Empress grew even stronger.

“Foolish commoners,” a passing scholar shook his head and sighed to the heavens. “Truly, the rites have collapsed and morals have decayed.”

The discussions in the tea houses differed from those in the fields. These people had modest means, free from worries about food and drink, their sole concern being how to climb even higher in status. Observant individuals had already noticed the opportunities brought by the female emperor.

With a new sovereign comes new ministers. Most new emperors would appoint their own trusted aides. The Empress currently had no prominent figures around her, nor any close confidants among the officials. These many vacant positions urgently needed to be filled. Now it was a matter of who could seize the opportunity, ride the wind, and rise swiftly to prominence.

Thinking of this, their hearts swelled with excitement. Some even left without finishing their tea, returning home immediately. Those whose studies were lacking pushed their sons to work harder, while those with some promise buried themselves in diligent study, all waiting for the Spring Examination at the beginning of the year.

Due to Xia Chenglie’s previous defeat, court officials found an opportunity. They would rather expend manpower to transport memorials just to make sarcastic criticisms of Xu Ying. Once this trend started, it couldn’t be stopped. Sending only impeachment memorials would look bad in the historical records, so they included all sorts of trivial, insignificant reports and sent them together to Youzhou. Xu Ying had no choice but to deal with them, suddenly finding herself extremely busy.

Reading memorials day after day left Xu Ying dizzy. She genuinely admired these civil officials – how could they be so verbose, going on and on endlessly?

Reviewing memorials gave her the feeling of scrolling through social media feeds. Even trivial matters like finding money on the street could be elaborated upon repeatedly, spanning hundreds of words with flowery language. While the content might seem empty, each piece would conclude with uplifting messages, full of positive energy.

Xu Ying had a headache. Mechanically, she would write a few words at the end of each memorial: Good, Very good, Well done, Noted, I understand.

After two consecutive days of this, Xu Ying found herself apprehensive at the sight of memorials. Her wrist ached terribly from writing. She could only simplify all her responses to single characters, alternating between “Good” and “Noted.”

After writing one “Good” character, the drowsy Xu Ying opened the next memorial. Finally, she saw something different – a letter from Zhang Yu.

Xu Ying’s eyes lit up, and she immediately became alert, quickly opening the letter.

The letter reported Liu Xu welcoming Prince Ning into the capital, essentially tattling to her while also showing some intention to support her. Zhang Yu’s ambition was clearly visible between the lines.

“Excellent!” Xu Ying slapped her thigh.

She had finally received some good news. Since Prince Ning had already arrived in Chang’an, Liu Xu’s next step would be to kill her, right? If Liu Xu proved inefficient, there was still this Zhang Yu, who showed great potential to overthrow her and take charge himself. He could be cultivated.

Xu Ying decided to wait for Liu Xu first. After all, Zhang Yu was a scholar, and rebellion would take too long. She would put Zhang Yu on the backup list, letting him develop on his own for now. If Liu Xu didn’t work out, she could switch to him.

Xu Ying rotated her sore wrist, feeling much more comfortable. She picked up her brush to reply to Zhang Yu, entrusting all affairs in Chang’an to him. She informed him that she wouldn’t be able to return for some time and told him to guard Chang’an well.

After writing the letter, Xu Ying had already imagined the wonderful scenario of being beheaded tomorrow, feeling much lighter throughout her entire body.

Speaking of this Prince Ning, she had actually met him once before when he returned to congratulate the Empress Dowager on her birthday while she was still alive. The impression he left was quite memorable.

At the birthday banquet, he had boldly bypassed the emperor to examine the princes and comment on state affairs, truly acting as if he were directing the nation with passionate words. Her father had been furious at the time, maintaining a dark expression throughout the entire banquet.

Prince Ning always picked on the easy targets. After boosting his ego by criticizing the young prince, he came to lecture the princess, saying that while Xu Lang was gentle and upright, his appearance was lacking, and advised her to put more effort into her grooming.

He then approached her, saying her needlework and embroidery skills were too poor and needed more practice. A woman who couldn’t do needlework, even if she was a princess, would be embarrassing to mention.

Fortunately, he didn’t stay long before being sent back to his fief, otherwise she really wanted to put a sack over his head.

That Liu Xu actually ended up choosing him after all his deliberationsno wonder the Jin Dynasty couldn’t do without Xu Long. These imperial clansmen were truly useless.

Author’s Note:

Regarding the prediction of commanders affecting battle outcomes, I forgot where I read about this. If any of you know the source of this theory, feel free to leave a comment.

There are no insinuations in the text, please do not read into it.

Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated with nutrient solutions from 2023-03-28 19:42:13 to 2023-03-29 20:27:58~

Thank you to the little angels who threw hand grenades: Qingyu Chenxi, Kerborn Callet – 1 each;

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Thank you all very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!