These fairies want me to deal with them every day.

That's exactly right...

I don't want him to get involved in these mundane affairs anymore. This so-called Heavenly Way shouldn't entangle him anymore.

Although she knew he would definitely say it was okay... he would definitely say that, she didn't want to, so she came anyway.

Even if there are many mistakes or omissions, it doesn't matter.

He should also see that he is an emperor.

I can protect all of this on my own without his help, worry, or concern, and without becoming a burden.

I will not become a puppet, nor will I lose control of the situation and betray his efforts.

All of these can be done...

She walked up the steps one by one.

"His Majesty……"

The palace maids hurriedly brought over a chair, and the young empress was helped to sit down.

"This servant will immediately summon the imperial physician..."

She said that.

Ye Bingluan leaned back in her chair, holding the handkerchief handed to her by the palace maid beside her, and simply wiped the bloodstains from her hands.

Then he shook his head.

"No rush... let General Murong come over."

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects!"

Murong Ji knelt on the ground, but his deep eyes dared not look up at the young woman's expression.

He had seen the late emperor in his youth, full of vigor and ambition, and the scene seemed vivid in his mind.

He just didn't expect that when the throne came to this woman, a familiar feeling would appear.

In his view, what had just happened was by no means a burst of youthful vigor or a particularly reckless act.

It seems that the most important thing for an emperor is her own safety and life, but sometimes... she has to do something, and she has to make some decisions all by herself.

An emperor murdering his brother might be a horrifying event in history, but what impact would it have in the present day?

An emperor, and a woman.

She could kill anyone who plotted rebellion, even her own brother.

It will only frighten and terrify people.

Imperial power is extremely complex, and what it requires is absolutely not unchanging kindness or a magnanimous heart that can tolerate everything.

You must have the means, the temper, the authority, and the decisiveness to strike fear into people's hearts.

Governing the world may require benevolence, but ruthlessness and decisiveness are equally essential. One must not only earn the gratitude of the people but also the heartfelt submission of one's subjects.

So even if others couldn't understand, Murong Ji felt fortunate.

At least the one who sits on this throne is not an emperor who is only kind.

Ye Bingluan looked at Murong Ji with a somewhat weak expression, and she raised her hand slightly.

"You can handle the affairs of the Prince of Ye's family."

"Your Majesty obeys... but I wonder to what extent Your Majesty expects me to do it?"

Murong Ji had one last question, but the woman's answer neither disappointed nor surprised him.

It's a very simple sentence.

“Treason should be punished in the same way. If there is even the slightest oversight, General Murong’s merits this time will be negated.”

"Your subject obeys! I will certainly complete it!"

"Go."

And so, Ye Bingluan issued commands one after another, as if it were a process she had planned in advance.

He handled matters concerning the palace, the troops involved in the rebellion, and the officials who facilitated it all with meticulous care.

It even reached the terrifying point where nothing was missed.

The rewards that follow have already been discussed to a large extent, but these will be discussed at tomorrow's morning court session.

Now it seems all that's left is this mess.

As someone carried away Ye Yunhen's body from the snow, Ye Bingluan looked over there and suddenly stood up.

"His Majesty?"

In the distant snowfield, they appeared as a few tiny black dots. They turned around and looked back uncertainly.

Ye Bingluan glanced at it and shook her head.

Finally, he slowly sat down.

She didn't actually want to do anything; it seemed that now that everything had settled down, there was nothing she could do.

It seemed to perfectly reflect the words that had been used to describe him taking the seat.

"I am all alone."

From this moment on, I realize that I am alone.

The heavy snow has stopped falling, and the setting sun on the horizon seems to be turning into twinkling stars in the night sky.

The figure gradually disappeared, and eventually even the pool of blood in the snow was shoveled away and buried.

It was as if nothing had happened; no one had died here, only people were still alive, like myself.

"Your Majesty...would you like to return to your palace to rest first?"

The maidservant, who was close to Ye Bingluan, asked in a low voice. She had already lit a brazier at Ye Bingluan's feet and brought a thick blanket, fearing that the woman, who was in an unstable mood or particularly depressed, might catch a cold.

But Ye Bingluan thought about it and shook her head.

"You may all leave now; I'll sit here by myself for a while."

"Yes……"

At the palace gate on the steps, distant starlight.

The faint light from the brazier seemed to be the only direction in the gradually descending darkness.

Sitting in the chair, Ye Bingluan looked at the large open space that she had seen from day to night, and it seemed that she could no longer see anything there.

I just can't help but think about the possibility that things will never happen again.

If only I hadn't ascended the throne.

What kind of life should we be living now?

She pulled the blanket tighter around her, her slightly pale cheeks glowing softly in the firelight, yet unable to regain their former color.

If it weren't for this throne...would I have lived a happy life? Perhaps like those princesses who grew old and died...I would have been married off by the new emperor under various pretexts.

Perhaps it is the king of another country.

Perhaps they are powerful figures in the country.

She might give birth to a son or daughter, or... she might die in childbirth.

Or... nothing at all, just growing old alone.

So how is that different from who I am now?

I'm just sitting here alone, looking at the distant stars.

"But if that happens... I won't be able to meet you anymore."

She couldn't help but say those words.

It seems they said it so frankly and directly without even thinking about it.

She herself seemed to be subconsciously surprised for a moment, and then smiled.

I laughed self-deprecatingly, gazing at the distant starlight.

Which star will you be on?

Perhaps, as he said, we will never see each other again. Is this the best outcome?

When you understand certain things, and realize that you have to change your goals and actions because of the situation, you feel like you are no longer the person you were sure you would become.

He will understand why he did it, but... he can also choose not to accept it.

And I will understand his departure, but I just can't let it go.

Like a ship sinking to the bottom of the sea, it always hopes to drift a little longer and hopes to see the bright moon rising over the sea.

Like shooting stars that fall to earth, they might prefer to linger in the sky.

He seemed to recall the words he had once spoken to himself, and how could he be certain about the future now?

How can I be certain about my future self now?

A promise doesn't have to be kept; it's just that your feelings at the time tell you that you genuinely wanted to keep it.

But the promise wasn't kept later because you really couldn't keep it.

"Ye Yunhen... after all these years of staying indoors and not seeing anyone, do you really think it was worth it to end up like this?"

But Ye Yunhen wouldn't answer her.

In fact, he is no longer here now, and the world will erase all traces of his existence at an extremely fast pace.

"Father... so this is what you mean by feeling all alone."

She tightened her grip on the stall, hugging it to her body, as if that could replace some of the warmth.

Immense exhaustion, oppressive emptiness, and a desolate feeling that swept across the sky all rushed over her at this moment.

It's not just about being tired.

She closed her eyes slightly, feeling a sense of eternal loneliness and distress.

She wanted to fall asleep, and even to fall asleep like this and never wake up again.