I, who disguised myself as a woman, turned out to be a queen! ?

Chapter 1324 The Empress, could she be a man?

Outside Deyang City, Liuzhou.

Green reeds sway on the rippling waves, their verdant expanse endless; suddenly, white hair turns to snowflakes in the air.

In that reed marshland, two solitary graves stood alone, with only the words "Zhao Shi" and "Zhao Shi's wife" inscribed on the tombstones.

Now, after slowly rising, King Xia Tingyu of Shu looked at the two tombstones without any sadness. She simply smiled and gently removed the white reed fluff from the tombstones, murmuring, "Mother, your daughter is going to the capital."

After saying that, Xia Tingyu buried a jade arrowhead ornament in front of her mother's grave: "I'll leave Uncle Dian's things here so that he can keep you two company."

This isn't my first time here, so I'm quite familiar with the place.

There used to be two wooden posts standing here, erected by Dian Junming, and the words on them were also written by Dian Junming.

Therefore, Xia Fengye was furious.

However, Xia Fengye did not move the grave or destroy the place. It is unknown whether Dian Junming did something or Xia Fengye himself did something.

Later, Xia Tingyu replaced it with a stone tablet, still using the same characters, without changing anything else.

A gentle breeze blows, the reeds sway loosely, and white fluff floats into the sky.

Xia Tingyu ran a hand through her hair, looked up, and smiled gently.

After Xia Tingyu turned around, she looked at the carriage parked by the roadside not far away. She noticed that the person in the carriage had lifted the curtain and couldn't help but smile. Right next to Xia Tingyu, Lang Gou stepped forward and whispered, "The old prince has been peeking all this time."

As Xia Tingyu walked in that direction, she laughed and said, "Don't worry about it. Whether he comes or not is his own business. I can't control him. But my master has already run away?"

Kunling nodded: "The master said he can't go to the capital. If he goes, he'll be beheaded by Commander Yan. He said she's a stubborn woman who will carry out the late emperor's decree to the end. So he's going to the Western Regions to see. He said that since the Western Regions are now part of the Great Xia, the so-called Five Great Families shouldn't exist anymore. He also said that the Empress's decree of grace for the Western Regions, although it seems to be able to dismantle the rule of the royal families of the Western Regions, will inevitably have some blindly loyal people who might use religious means to restore their countries. Since the Empress is considered by many people in the Western Regions to be the reincarnation of a Zoroastrian god, we can't just leave such a good move unused. Some people from these countries surrendered because of the Empress, so we need to work harder to make things happen. With a long and arduous journey ahead, the Western Regions can finally become part of the Great Xia."

Xia Tingyu smiled and shook her head: "Leaving me, your disciple, to go to that dangerous place in the capital, you are indeed a good master."

After saying that, he laughed and said, "Let's continue on our way. According to the schedule, we should be entering the capital area in a couple of days."

Kunling and Langgou said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Zhang Junyi, the bodyguard that Dian Junming specially assigned to Xia Tingyu, with a sword hanging at his waist, immediately clasped his hands in greeting when he saw Xia Tingyu approaching: "Lord Shu, news has come from behind that they have already left Shu. According to the timeline, they should arrive about ten days later than us, but the exact date depends on the health of Second Master and Fifth Master."

Xia Tingyu was the King of Shu, but according to the rules of the Great Xia, when a woman became a king, she was no longer called "King" but "Jun". Whatever title she was given as king, she would be called "Jun".

The so-called Second Master and Fifth Master are naturally the second and fifth sons.

After all, Xia Tingyu has become the King of Shu, so it would be inappropriate to address these two as Your Highness.

Xia Tingyu said, "Didn't I tell you? Uncle Zhang can just call them Second Brother or Fifth Brother, or by their names. There's no such thing as a 'master' in the capital."

Zhang Junyi, who was taciturn by nature, immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute and said no more.

Xia Tingyu then boarded the carriage.

Inside the carriage, the old prince Xia Fengye closed his eyes to rest, not even opening them when he sensed Xia Tingyu getting into his carriage.

Xia Tingyu said, "I plan to find suitable families for my second, fourth, and fifth sons in the capital. Since we're going to settle down in the capital anyway, it's not good for them to stay single. The two younger brothers are fine, but the fourth one is a bit more troublesome. After all, she's a girl, and I'm afraid she might marry into a bad family. If all else fails, I'll find a son-in-law to live with us so I can take care of her. As for the third one, it depends on her own wishes. If none of them are willing, I'll find Su Liheng and have them learn how to do business. At least they'll have some assets. I can support them here, and they'll have their own private property, so they can make a living."

Seeing that Xia Fengye remained silent, Xia Tingyu continued, "The new imperial examination system has already been announced by the government in Deyang City. The fifth son has no hope, and there's no way to recommend him. It's just as well. He can stay at home and be a rich man with only one arm. The second son is fine, since he hasn't done anything bad. He was only targeting me, so it's nothing. The fourth son is the same, but I don't think he's cut out for studying."

Xia Fengye slowly opened her eyes: "You're the eldest sister, so you can make the arrangements. But what about the second brother? Didn't Master Yao want to take him as a student?"

Xia Tingyu said, "Master Yao doesn't hold grudges. This shows Master Yao's magnanimity. It's not that the second son's talent is being appreciated. If he wants to go, he should first kneel at the gate of the Imperial Academy for three days. After that, he can become a disciple."

Xia Tingyu looked at her father and smiled gently: "He must give an explanation to all the students in the world for what he has done to the Master."

Xia Fengye didn't say anything more about the topic, but glanced at the carriage curtain that was gently lifted as the carriage started moving, and said, "I thought you would go to pick up Prince Yong, Xia Zhe, to return to the capital together."

Xia Tingyu said, "Father."

Xia Fengye turned to look at his daughter.

Xia Tingyu smiled and said, "This matter has nothing to do with us, Father, so please don't worry about it."

Xia Fengye chuckled softly upon hearing this: "Is this why Xia Qingge trusts you? But leaving Xia Zan outside is probably a trap she set for me long ago. If I dare to capture him, then Zhu Huang will have yet another reason to send troops."

Xia Tingyu said, "She simply respects her brother's choice. Xia Zhe now runs his own hot pot restaurant in Liuzhou. His wife and in-laws are honest, hardworking farmers who work the fields in spring and summer and run the restaurant in winter. They don't make a lot of money, but they live a happy life. This is Xia Zhe's own choice. He doesn't establish a royal residence or publicize it, so His Majesty allowed him to follow his own path. Just like the late Emperor respected Prince An and Prince Beian, they are all living comfortably now. Moreover, if Xia Zhe were really used as bait, the name of Lu Shan would probably have been placed on his head long ago." Xia Fengye stopped looking at his daughter and instead lifted the carriage curtain to look at the people outside carrying hoes and pushing carts. "Along the way, I've thought a lot about the situation in the world."

Xia Tingyu looked at her father.

Xia Fengye said softly, "From the time my fourth brother died, the world was on the verge of chaos, but now the Great Xia Dynasty has returned to the prosperous era of Emperor Xuanzong, and is even slightly surpassing the era of Emperor Taizong. I think about it and I can't think of any reason. It seems that everything should be as it is."

Xia Tingyu said, "Such is the fate of the nation."

Xia Fengye scoffed: "What does 'national fortune' mean? It means the emperor. You know how our ancestor, Emperor Taizong, ascended the throne when the Great Xia Dynasty was founded. But his methods were so powerful that no one in Great Xia dared to disobey him. Was that national fortune? Emperor Xuanzong was diligent and hardworking in his early years, and Great Xia rose to a higher level. In his later years, he became decadent, indulging in wine and women, and even relinquished power to his left and right prime ministers. He trusted An Lushan, and Great Xia suffered a calamity. Was that national fortune? My grandfather ascended the throne and personally led troops to quell rebellions and internal strife. He was saved several times by my grandmother. Was that national fortune? My father trusted his subordinates. He was not good at governing the country, so he used virtuous ministers to govern. He personally led troops to fight foreign enemies, giving Great Xia decades of respite. Was that national fortune? My fourth brother, the late emperor, killed the corrupt officials in the country and still personally led troops. His diligence was comparable to Emperor Taizong, and Great Xia was thus restored. It's just a pity he died too young. But was his death national fortune?"

Xia Fengye looked at Xia Tingyu: "You should know that these things have nothing to do with the fate of the Great Xia Dynasty, but only with the monarch. Xia Qingge, humph, her methods are no less than those of the late emperor. If we have to talk about the fate of the nation, it lies with Su Chang'an."

Xia Fengye chuckled self-deprecatingly: "That person was too lucky, frighteningly lucky, to the point that I almost thought it was a trick left behind by the late emperor. If you hadn't said that Xia Qingge just happened to meet him, I might have continued to think that way."

Xia Tingyu retorted, "Isn't this the fate of the nation?"

Xia Fengye chuckled a few times, then said, "It is the fate of the nation, but the loss of the Shu King's position and the fall of the Great Xia have made me see more clearly. The methods left behind by your fourth uncle are not weak."

Xia Tingyu looked at Xia Fengye.

Xia Fengye said, "The choice of who to keep is never the key; it's about what those people do. It's a lie to have your eleventh uncle and Zhu Huang keep an eye on me at the only two places I'm sending troops to in Shu. Now it seems they're using the pretense of keeping an eye on me to garrison troops—one in Luzhou, one in Liuzhou, one to guard Jiangnan, and one to protect the capital. The eighth prince is useless. He thinks Zong Ze is watching him, but actually, the Northern Border Camp is right north of the capital. That's the capital's backing. Jiangnan, the west, and the north form a triangle, and the capital is right in the middle. The eleventh prince, Zong Ze, and Zhu Huang have all been with him since before he became crown prince. With these three protecting him, whoever rebels in Great Xia will die!"

"Heh, when he was a prince, he thought it was all about him. Now that he's gone, everything is clear. As for the court, it's been chaotic for three years. I used to think it was because those few people had changed. The fourth prince died suddenly and was incompetent, which allowed his daughter to be bullied. But now it seems that the fourth prince was the one who allowed his daughter to be bullied. The court had to be chaotic. Without chaos, people's hearts can't be united. Without chaos, how can the court be stable? The way of checks and balances, even in death, is so smooth. Your fourth uncle saw through people's hearts. But the only failure was probably Li Nishang. Before he died, he was considerate of my fourth sister-in-law's last words and showed a woman's mercy. He didn't kill her, which caused a lot of trouble for his daughter. But fortunately, no matter what, no one dared to touch Li Nishang."

"But because of Li Nishang, the court was in complete chaos, but because of this, it is now completely stable, and Xia Qingge's emperor is completely accepted by the people."

Xia Tingyu looked at her father and laughed after speaking.

Xia Fengye looked at Xia Tingyu and asked, "You're very intelligent; you must have thought of these things, right?"

Xia Tingyu said, "I had some guesses when I left Beijing last time, but now I understand it clearly. Besides, I am also a pawn in Fourth Uncle's hands."

Xia Fengye laughed loudly: "He calculated that you would help Xia Qingge because you hate the power struggles and intrigues in the court. He also calculated that because of my guilt towards you and your mother, I would indulge and tolerate you."

Xia Tingyu looked at Xia Fengye: "Fourth Uncle told me that you love Mother, which is why you won't let her go, even though you know that Mother's heart is with that scholar and she can never be with you in this lifetime."

Xia Fengye laughed: "If I can't have her heart, I can still have her body. She is my only wife, and no one can replace her."

Xia Tingyu retorted, "So, you're not going to scold Fourth Uncle for being stupid for keeping Li Nishang?"

Xia Fengye paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "I have criticized Xia Huachang for many things, but this is the one thing I will not criticize him for, because I understand him."

"I fought with Xia Huachang for so long, I wished he were dead, but my fourth sister-in-law was the only one who treated me so well. Even though she knew I was her rival, she was always very kind to me. I thought about what I would have done if I had won back then. I would have settled her in Jiangnan, away from the troubles of the capital, so she could live out her life peacefully. As for Xia Huachang, he didn't kill Li Nishang because he deeply loved her. He wouldn't do anything she told him not to do. Otherwise, given his personality, Li Nishang would have suddenly fallen ill the day after she entered the palace and died a few days later. But my fourth sister-in-law was too kind and always protected Li Nishang. It's hateful that bitch Li Nishang who kept slandering her!"

The King of Shu never truly joined forces with Li Nishang; on the contrary, he made things difficult for her at every turn.

Xia Tingyu knew this, but she never imagined it was because of the late Empress.

Xia Fengye suddenly smiled: "It's really much more comfortable now that I'm not in this position anymore. Before, I had to consider the details when I talked about these things, but now, I can just say it."

Xia Tingyu asked with a smile, "But Father seems to have something on his mind?"

Xia Fengye said, "There is something that I couldn't see before, but now that I'm free, I've noticed some clues. But I still find it ridiculous and can't quite grasp it, so I've been thinking about it."

Xia Tingyu asked in confusion, "May I hear it?"

Xia Fengye looked at Xia Tingyu and didn't hide anything, getting straight to the point: "Su Chang'an, she, could she be a man in disguise?"

Xia Tingyu looked surprised.

Xia Fengye continued, "What's real and what's fake is real. What people see isn't necessarily the truth, because what people see is what they want to see, like wildflowers about to burst into flame, or water flowing like fire. I never thought about it before, but now, after carefully reviewing all these events, Xia Qingge's indifferent behavior, and the news from Yan about investigating Su Chang'an's background, I'm wondering if she might actually be a man. As for why she's considered the most beautiful woman in the world, perhaps it's because of her appearance? As for why she doesn't have a male Adam's apple or other features, there are many strange things in the world, and this isn't a big deal. But if it's really true, how absurd! That's why I find it laughable, impossible to grasp, and can only keep thinking about it. After all, there are some things about the young emperor that are truly incomprehensible."

Xia Tingyu said, "Once we enter the capital, we will be able to see the Empress."

Xia Fengye was silent for a moment, then looked at his daughter: "I've heard before that you have a good impression of the Empress?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Tingyu replied almost instantly: "No!"

(End of this chapter)