The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan-Chapter 564 - 562 Imperial Expedition (First Update)

Bai Mengling gave a respectful bow to Murong Ce and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Her gentle voice rose in the dark night, and the Chief of the Palace Servants standing by the door couldn’t help but overthink, it seemed that the empty Harem would soon have its mistress.

But glancing at him, it seemed that the young Emperor, who had just ascended the throne, remained unmoved after hearing her, still thinking of the Empress far away in Khitan.

Nevertheless, there was some progress at the moment; at least the Emperor did not reject Miss Bai, and he knew how to show concern in his words.

Murong Ce was always cold-hearted; getting a word of gentle speech from him was rare.

Murong Ce, with his sharp eyebrows and star-like eyes, looked at the letter with a cool glance and said indifferently, "Someone come!"

A guard close by immediately entered to take orders.

"Order the preparation: I shall personally lead the campaign," Murong Ce commanded coldly.

Houliang had lost two cities overnight; morale was low, and nothing could inspire the troops more than the Emperor’s personal command.

Murong Ce was ruthless in seizing power, but once he took the throne, he was very capable of winning people’s hearts.

To expand military provisions, he imposed heavy taxes through his officials, a move that was met with complaints.

Beyond his ruthlessness and unscrupulous methods, Murong Ce was flexible and deeply understood strategy.

He then abolished this tactic, instead ordering the search for evidence against wealthy households and merchants.

Which of these wealthy households and merchants did not have skeletons in their closets, and which could withstand a thorough investigation?

He cast a wide net, checking from county to county, while strictly controlling the checkpoints to prevent these wealthy families and merchants from fleeing with their money.

What could be squeezed out from those poor farmers facing the soil? It was the wealthy families and merchants, rich as they were, who were fined; some even as wealthy as nations had their luxurious lives confiscated.

After several rounds, the treasury of Houliang was full, and the military provisions could be expanded.

Murong Ce was very satisfied with this outcome.

At the same time, he did not forget to win over people’s hearts.

With a full treasury, there was no reason to withhold from the people; he reduced taxes and ordered the elimination of bandits that harassed the citizens, executed local tyrants who oppressed the people, and purged many corrupt officials who extorted from the populace.

In just a few months, aside from implementing a policy of "keeping the people ignorant," Murong Ce did many good deeds for the country and the people, winning many hearts.

In fact, the confiscation of the assets of those wealthy families and merchants also earned Murong Ce much favor from the people.

Most people harbor resentment towards the wealthy; those rich parading through the streets, living carefree lives, had long become objects of both envy and hatred amongst the common folk.

What could be more thrilling and schadenfreude-inducing than watching these lofty rich ones dragged into the mud?

However, people quickly noticed that Murong Ce’s particularly favored Qingxiang Pavilion was conspicuously absent from the list of wealthy and merchant families targeted.

People from inside the palace still frequented Qingxiang Pavilion for preserved fruits and raisins.

Murong Ce’s desk was always stocked with these treats.

At first, everyone thought that their Emperor simply enjoyed preserved fruits and raisins.

But there are no walls in the world that do not leak, and tracing back the origin, the reason soon became clear.

It was said that the Khitan Queen had built a Drying Room and workshop in Khitan, and the skills to make preserved fruits and raisins were passed down by the Queen herself.

It suddenly dawned on everyone; no wonder the Emperor consistently sent people to patronize Qingxiang Pavilion—it was the sight evoking memories of someone special.

The citizens were moved by the lovestruck Emperor and, at the same time, harbored bone-deep hatred for the Khitan Khan, Yelu Yan.

Taking what’s someone else’s, the act of stealing one’s consort was an unforgivable enmity.

What Yelu Yan had taken was the mother of the nation of Houliang, which was intolerable as it suggested Houliang was without anyone to stand up for it; this was insufferable.

Murong Ce had also had the affair between him and Li Xianyun spread around.

In these rumors, Murong Ce and Li Xianyun were mutually in love, deeply attached to each other, and it was Yelu Yan who forcibly stole Li Xianyun’s love by coveting her, compelling the Houtang Emperor to marry her to him.

For Li Xianyun, Murong Ce had vomited blood several times. He even braved the dangers of venturing into Khitan and did not hesitate to wage war against them.

A man who had lost his wife always managed to evoke people’s sympathy and resonance.

As expected, within just a few days, the fighting spirit within Houliang rose even higher.

Many robust and able-bodied men enlisted in the army, swearing to give their lives for their Emperor, to even fight if necessary to bring the Empress back, to reunite the imperial couple, and to forge a beautiful story.

Bai Mengling walked out holding a tray, feeling somewhat excited; her heart was pounding.

Could it be that Murong Ce actually cared for her?

Did it mean that she was one step closer to her own revenge? freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

Once Murong Ce took a liking to her, she would leave him with no place to be buried.

She had no martial arts skills or other capabilities; the only thing she could rely on was her similar appearance to Murong Ce’s beloved.

In Bai Mengling’s mind, the image of the woman sitting in the carriage unavoidably surfaced—the lovely face, the graceful figure, like a solitary orchid in a valley, unsullied and pure, clean and untainted, evoking a desire to cherish her.

Could Murong Ce really abandon such a beautiful being and develop feelings for her?

Even Bai Mengling herself found it hard to believe, but she was not in a hurry; that woman was now the Khitan Khan’s favored concubine, and there was no way for her to return.

The only person Murong Ce could spend his days with was Bai Mengling.

So, she still held the advantage.

-

Yelu Yan appeared unharmed before the public, masterminding strategies and pointing out directions for the future.

Li Xianyun was finally relieved from playing her part in the act and was allowed out.

Li Xianyun first visited the workshops in the Drying Room, the shops, and the Xuanyi Pavilion. Seeing that everything was as usual, she felt relieved.

Watching the war between Khitan and Houliang extend over an increasing area, Li Xianyun started drafting designs for weapons and machinery.

On the battlefield, whichever side had large-scale equipment would suffer fewer casualties and have a greater chance of victory.

She could finally utilize her knowledge of weapon manufacturing.

While drawing up designs for weapons and machinery, Li Xianyun also began arranging the marriage between Youlan and Jinwu.

Youlan’s family had already replied, and regarding her wedding, since they were too far away to participate, they earnestly requested Li Xianyun to oversee it and directly stated that if Li Xianyun found Jinwu to be suitable, they would have no objections.

Youlan’s family knew Li Xianyun was good at judging people; anyone who could win Li Xianyun’s approval was certainly reliable.

So, Li Xianyun fixed a date for them, and the day was not far off.

Youlan couldn’t help but tease her, "My lady, are you in such a hurry to marry me off?"

Li Xianyun replied with a smile, "If you do not wish to, we can postpone it to a later date."

Youlan thought of how Jinwu always looked at her with eager eyes and said no more.

In reality, the reason why Li Xianyun had advanced their wedding was that if the war were to break out on a larger scale, Yelu Yan would likely lead the battle personally. She wanted to follow and contribute with her medical skills and ability to manufacture weapons.

Striking at Murong Ce was also a process of avenging Huanhuan.

As a result, Youlan and Jinwu’s wedding would inevitably be delayed. Once the war between Khitan and Houliang broke out widely, it surely wouldn’t end quickly, and their wedding might be postponed indefinitely.

The future was uncertain; it was better to let the lovers unite sooner rather than later.