You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

Bookmark this page to continue reading "Wandering Among the Heavens as a Tyrant, You Don't Understand My Joy" anytime, anywhere.

In July, the heat of Nanjing is at its peak.

Dust swirled along the official road leading to the imperial city.

A large, somber convoy, under the close watch of elite cavalry, slowly entered the territory of Jinling.

The vehicles were all ordinary postal carriages or freight wagons, without any decorations, which was out of place with the former status of the passengers inside.

The wheels rolled over the scorching stone pavement, making a monotonous and weary rumbling sound, as if telling the story of a journey that had already ended.

Inside one of the slightly more spacious, but still bumpy and stuffy carriages, the air was filled with the smells of sweat, dust, and a faint scent of perfume.

The curtains on the car windows were strictly forbidden to be opened, allowing only a little light and heat to seep in through the gaps.

Inside the car, a woman in her thirties, still charming and with a hint of former nobility in her eyes, was tightly holding the hand of a young girl of about sixteen.

The girl was beautiful, with the unique radiance of a woman from the plateau, but at this moment her face was pale, and her eyes were filled with fear and unease, like a frightened fawn.

The woman was the wife of a deceased prince of Western Xia, and by seniority, she was the aunt of Li Renxiao, the current deposed emperor.

The girl was her daughter, a former princess of the Western Xia dynasty.

The woman looked around, lowered her voice to an extremely low hue, almost whispering in her daughter's ear, her tone more stern and sorrowful than ever before:

"Qingyi, my child, listen carefully."

"Now, there is no Western Xia, nor are there any princesses or queens."

"Our lives are in the hands of that person in the palace of Nanjing."

The young girl Qingyi's eyelashes trembled, and her lips were pressed together until they turned white.

The woman continued to whisper, each word seemingly imbued with helplessness and resignation: "You must have overheard the soldiers and eunuchs escorting us discussing this along the way."

"That emperor of the Song Dynasty... had a temperament unlike that of ordinary people."

"He dislikes empty fame and doesn't care much for formalities, but..."

She paused, her voice becoming even more hoarse: "But he is extremely practical, and... it is said that he has a rather... preference for women, especially women of special status."

Qingyi trembled slightly, tears welling in her eyes. She wanted to say something, but the woman stopped her with a look.

"Don't act like a child!" the woman's tone turned urgent. "At this point, what are you still thinking about—your innocence, your dignity?"

"That's all just a passing cloud!"

"Look at the fate of those people in the Jin Dynasty. The men were enslaved and humiliated."

"If a woman fails to win his favor, her fate is even more tragic!"

"Being sent to Jinling instead of being treated like ordinary palace servants is already an immense 'blessing'!"

She squeezed her daughter's hand tightly, as if trying to convey her resolve: "I want to live, I don't want to freeze or starve to death, be bullied by others, or even..."

"If you still want even a little bit of the peaceful life you used to have, there's only one way—accept your fate!"

"Recognize who we are now and what we should be doing!"

She stared into her daughter's eyes and said, word by word, "Stop your useless tears and unrealistic ideas."

"Once you're in the palace, no matter how you're placed, remember: be gentle, obedient, and resourceful..."

"Make yourself seen and remembered."

"If we have the opportunity to serve the Emperor, then it will be the only chance and hope for us, my daughter, everyone in this carriage, and perhaps even the women of our entire family!"

"Do you understand?"

Looking into her mother's eyes, which held a mixture of fear, calculation, and desperation, Qingyi finally shed tears, but nodded heavily, swallowing back her sobs.

The other two young women in the car also lowered their heads silently, their fingers twisting the hem of their clothes tightly. Clearly, they had heard similar "instructions" from their elders.

In another, more crowded carriage, several younger royal women, who were related to each other, were huddled together.

The carriage was bumpy and the heat was unbearable. My expensive silk dress was already soaked with sweat and clung to my body, making me feel even more uncomfortable.

After the initial crying, complaining, and fear, the long, prison-like journey seemed to have dulled their emotions, leaving only numbness and deep exhaustion.

A round-faced woman fanned herself with her sleeve and sighed softly, "When will this ever end?"

"I've heard that the Jinling Imperial Palace is extremely large and beautiful, but if we go in, we don't know where we'll be locked up."

A woman with an oval face stared blankly at the car wall beside her: "So what if I'm locked up somewhere?"

"It's a caged bird after all."

"I just hope that we won't be separated too far, so that we can take care of each other."

"Take care of them?" Another woman with thin eyebrows gave a bitter smile, her voice hoarse. "We can barely take care of ourselves, how can we take care of them?"

"I only ask for... I only ask for a full meal, a clean bed, and to stop this daily jostling and living in fear."

The round-faced woman suddenly lowered her voice, her tone carrying an eerie calmness born of resignation: "My aunt secretly told me that once you're inside, you'll have no say in anything."

"That person...I heard is very capable, but also very generous."

"As long as we go along with him and keep him happy, life might not be much worse than it was in Western Xia..."

"It's better than being left to fend for itself in the cold palace, or being given away to those rude soldiers."

The woman with slender eyebrows murmured, "The country is gone, and our fathers, brothers, sons, and nephews can barely protect themselves. What bargaining chips do we women have left besides this physical body and our former status?"

"Accept your fate... After all, he's the emperor, the most honorable man in the world..."

Silence fell inside the car, broken only by the sound of the wheels and each other's breathing.

An atmosphere of near-melancholy, of complete resignation to fate, permeated the stuffy, dirty carriage.

They were once the most distinguished group of women in Western Xia.

Now, amidst their wanderings, they can only soothe their fear of the unknown fate with the most realistic, even the most humble, thoughts.

And they set out for themselves a seemingly only viable path to survival: to depend on the new Lord.

……

The convoy did not enter the bustling streets, but instead detoured through secluded palace alleys, eventually entering a cluster of somewhat desolate courtyards surrounded by high walls in the northwest corner of the imperial city.

This place was originally an idle government office and storage area of ​​the previous dynasty, which was temporarily cleared out to be used to house these special "prisoners".

The courtyard walls were high, the gates were heavily guarded, and there were expressionless eunuchs and strong female servants standing watch.

The carriages entered one by one, and the women were ordered to get off. They were roughly divided into groups according to the roster and herded into courtyards and rooms that were not very clean, had simple furniture, and even smelled musty.

Next came the coarse food... hard corn rice, vegetables with little oil and no salt, and so-called vegetable soup that was crystal clear.

"Is this all we get to eat?" a young, hot-tempered woman couldn't help but complain.

"Eat it or don't! Do I think I'm in your Western Xia imperial palace?"

An old eunuch in charge of distributing the food shrieked and sneered, "Being able to have a bite to eat and not starve is already a great favor from the Emperor!"

"Stop behaving yourselves, learn the rules, and don't cause trouble for yourselves!"

Looking at the poor-quality food in his hands, and being in this simple and even dirty environment.

Comparing this to the luxurious life and servants she remembered in the Western Xia imperial palace, the stark contrast was like a bucket of ice water poured over her head, extinguishing the last vestiges of pride and illusions many women held.

Fear and confusion struck again, but were quickly replaced by a stronger, almost instinctive will to survive.

The prince and princess held her daughter Qingyi's hand tightly, looking at the coarse food in the bowl, and whispered, "Do you see that?"

"This is reality."

"If you don't fight for your life, this will be the norm from now on, or even worse."

Qingyi bit her lip and nodded vigorously.

The women in the other courtyards also mostly swallowed their food silently and with difficulty.

In the exchange of glances, the fear gradually faded, replaced by a resigned, even somewhat urgent, calculation...

How can we get out of this predicament?

The answer seems to be becoming clearer and more singular: please the man who can decide their fate, the Song emperor who destroyed her country and was rumored to be "fond of beautiful women".

As for the monarch they once served, the Western Xia emperor Li Renxiao?

Who would remember him now?

Even when one can barely protect oneself, the safety, honor, and disgrace of a deposed monarch seem so distant and insignificant in the face of one's own survival.

……

Almost at the same time, in the side hall of the Fengtian Hall in the Imperial Palace.

The atmosphere here was completely different from that of the outer courtyard where the women were housed; it was solemn and dignified.

Li Renxiao had removed the crown and robes of the Western Xia emperor and changed into a plain white outfit for a disgraced official. His hair was disheveled, and he knelt on the gleaming gold brick floor, bowing deeply in worship.

He could feel the calm yet extremely oppressive gaze directed at him from the throne.

As he had been taught, he read aloud the humiliating surrender document in a trembling voice, expressing his willingness to relinquish his imperial title, surrender his territory, and become a permanent subject of the Song Dynasty, begging for the preservation of his clan's lives.

Lu Zuo, seated on the throne, listened to the lengthy memorial, then merely gave a faint "hmm," before the eunuch beside him read out the imperial decree:

"Because they submitted out of fear of power and did not fight like cornered beasts, lives were spared from the ravages of war..."

"You are hereby granted the title of Marquis of Guiyi, and a residence in Jinling shall be provided for you, with an annual stipend to support you through your old age."

"I hope you will shut yourself in and reflect on your mistakes, behave yourself and do not fail to live up to the grace of Heaven."

"So be it."

Marquis of Guiyi?

Is Nanjing under house arrest?

Li Renxiao was taken aback at first, but then a huge, inappropriate sense of relief and ease welled up in his heart!

He was not imprisoned, not enslaved, and did not suffer inhuman humiliation like the Jin emperor!

He even had the honorary title of marquis and a salary!

This was a million times better than the worst outcome he had anticipated!

Sure enough, the treatment of those who surrender voluntarily and those who are captured after the city falls is worlds apart!

"Your humble servant... Your subject Li Renxiao kowtows in gratitude for Your Majesty's divine grace! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

He kowtowed nine times, almost to the point of tears of gratitude, his forehead touching the cold ground.

The real pain gave him a sense of security that he was "still alive".

Even if I lose my freedom and power, living like this is still better than dying or being humiliated!

He left the side hall in a daze and, guided by a eunuch, walked towards the palace gate.

My steps were a little unsteady, and I had not yet fully recovered from the huge shock and the unexpected "lenient" treatment.

There were several ordinary horse-drawn carriages that looked somewhat familiar to him; they were the ones that had escorted them all the way here.

At that moment, a group of women filed out of the carriage, led by expressionless, sharp-eyed eunuchs.

Although the women were simply dressed, even somewhat disheveled, Li Renxiao recognized their faces and demeanor at a glance...

They were his elder sister! His younger sister! Several of his imperial aunts! And several young concubines he had once favored!

They lowered their heads and silently followed the eunuch into the deep palace gates that symbolized imperial power and an unknown fate.

The sunlight was blinding, shining on their pale faces and slightly trembling figures.

"Buzz—!"

Li Renxiao's mind went completely blank, as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer!

The relief and ease I felt just now shattered like fragile glass in the face of this scene!

The icy chill, mixed with overwhelming shame, powerless anger, and heart-wrenching pain, was like countless icicles, fiercely seizing his heart and piercing through his limbs and bones!

they……

They were sent directly to the palace!

He himself had just been granted the empty title of "Marquis of Guiyi" and was banished from the palace!

What this means is self-evident!

That man not only wanted his land and his power, but he also wanted to do it this way...

They utterly trampled and crushed his last shred of dignity as a man, his last shred of dignity as a monarch, and his last remaining connection with his family!

Granting him the title of marquis might not be an act of kindness, but rather a crueler contrast and humiliation.

Let him live, and watch helplessly as his sisters, his women, enter the conqueror's palace!

"Heh...heh..."

A hissing sound, like a broken bellows, escaped Li Renxiao's throat. His body trembled violently uncontrollably. He wanted to rush over, to scream, to stop it all.

But his feet felt like they were nailed to the scorching ground, unable to move.

Only boundless humiliation and icy despair, like a tidal wave, completely engulfed and swallowed him. The palace gates, carriages, and figures before him began to distort and blur.

"Lord Guiyi, please get in the carriage." The eunuch responsible for "escorting" him urged expressionlessly, his voice devoid of any emotion.

Li Renxiao took one last look at the familiar figures that were about to disappear into the depths of the palace gates, then abruptly closed his eyes. Two streams of turbid tears finally broke through his eyes and rolled down his pale, ashen face.

Like a puppet whose soul had been emptied, he was half-helped and half-pushed by the eunuchs into that small, simple blue cloth cart.

The wheels turned, leaving the palace gates and heading towards the "Marquis of Guiyi's Mansion," which would become his magnificent prison.

Behind him, the heavy palace gate slowly closed, separating the two worlds and crushing the last soul of a deposed monarch.

The next chapter is even more exciting: Chapter 305, The Princess of Western Xia, Now a Caged Bird, awaits your visit.