Chapter 7 — My Mother, the Crowned Queen

Tiet Mang clenched his teeth tightly, remaining utterly silent. Yen Tam Hac let out a laugh, a sound that made one's hair stand on end.

If I had not feigned such dissolute absurdity, how could you have felt secure enough to scatter your military power?

If I had not allowed the family of Tiet Tinh Dung to dominate the inner palace, how could your ambitions have expanded to the point of swapping imperial heirs and forcing a palace rebellion?

With every single word that left Yen Tam Hac's lips, Tiet Mang's complexion turned another shade of ash.

Over the past ten years, the commanders of the twelve military garrisons under your command were long ago replaced by my hidden stakes.

The fifty thousand elite soldiers of the Tiet family that you take such pride in—forty thousand of them are my men.

Yen Tam Hac turned on his heel and delivered a fierce kick straight to Tiet Mang's face.

What do you have left to fight me with?

The entire hall fell into a pin-drop silence. At this very moment, the invisible chat commentary cascading through the air exploded into a frenzy, filling the void with exclamation marks. This is what true sovereign strategy looks like! Heavens above! This piece of foreshadowing was buried for a full ten years! Yen Tam Hac is truly a man ruthless to the very core! So for the past ten years, he wasn't even siring children for real; he was orchestrating a massive chess game all along! Those eighteen imperial princes were nothing more than a smokescreen he threw out!

Lying snugly in my swaddling clothes, I was so utterly startled that even the decorative silk ribbon in my tiny hands slipped away. Oh, this is brilliant. This convenient father of mine is a cold-blooded schemer from head to toe. From the very beginning, he never took the Tiet clan seriously; everything was merely a waiting game for a legitimate excuse to confiscate their property and exterminate their entire clan! Tonight, Tiet Tinh Dung attempted to swap the child, and Tiet Mang forced a rebellion—every single move had been accounted for within his meticulous master plan.

Drag him out.

Yen Tam Hac drew forth a bright golden silk handkerchief, wiped the trace of blood staining his boot, and spoke with deep aversion.

Strip his skin, stuff it with straw, and hang him upon the city walls. Let him and his precious daughter dangle there as a matching pair.

Your Majesty's will!

The deputy commander hauled away Tiet Mang, who was still hurling curses at the top of his lungs, and strode out of the grand hall. The battle raging outside concluded without a shred of suspense. A rebellion that had promised to shake the heavens failed to hold out for even half an hour before being utterly crushed to dust. The grand hall returned to its previous profound quiet. Eunuch Hai and Little Le Zi propped themselves flat against the cold floor stones, not even daring to draw a heavy breath.

Yen Tam Hac swept away the chilling aura of slaughter that clung to him and lowered his gaze to look at me. The eyes that had been overflowing with lethal intent a moment before instantly softened into pools of absolute tenderness. He extended a single finger and gently poked my chubby, rounded cheek.

Did I frighten you nearly to death, my little princess?

I pouted slightly. Even though you are a profoundly cunning and dark lord, the way you shielded me just now was undeniably handsome. In consideration of how deeply you cherish me, I, your legitimate eldest princess, shall graciously grant you my protection from this day onward.

Yen Tam Hac cradled me in his arms and turned to walk out of the hall, issuing casual commands as he strode.

Issue an imperial decree: apart from the empress, all consorts and concubines within the inner palace are to be dismissed and sent out of the palace gates.

Since I already have my princess, the inner palace has no need to recruit anyone further.

Eunuch Hai jerked his head up in utter shock. Your Majesty, this matter...

Stop chattering nonsense and simply obey.

Yen Tam Hac could not be bothered to spare him another glance. A wave of profound relief washed over my heart. Although this whole ordeal was nothing more than a calculated chess match played by the emperor, fortunately, he genuinely adored his daughter. My mother would be directly elevated to empress, and hereafter, she would enjoy the exclusive favor of the inner palace! This kind of life was simply transcendent!

The floating chat commentary surged in response once more. Ah, a thousand times ah, Yen Tam Hac is entirely mesmerizing! Disbanding the entire inner palace! This man is not only a scheming emperor, but also the ultimate daughter-dependent combined with a wife-pampering lunatic! Oh, so his previous absurdity was just an act all along! Now that supreme power is firmly in his hands, he has directly cleared the entire fishpond! A perfectly flawless grand finale; our little princess shall henceforth be the most noble woman beneath the heavens!

I, too, silently gave a mental thumbs-up. Flawless, truly beyond perfection.