The mad princess forces love upon him, and the aloof imperial advisor trembles every night.

The Sixth Prince, Chu Xuanlang, was a complete fool. At this moment, he was just staring blankly at Chu Qingyue's face. He was only brought back to his senses when the Fifth Princess, Chu Qingyao, secretly pinched him. "It's good that Ninth Princess is back..."

Chu Qingyao stepped forward, her voice as soft and sweet as a nightingale's song:

"Ninth Princess, you're finally back! Yao'er has been thinking of you day and night, praying for you..."

Chu Qingyue reached out and gently stroked Chu Qingyao's cheek with her fingertips. The movement was as gentle as caressing the most precious flower petal. Chu Qingyao, however, turned pale with fright and her whole body stiffened.

"The Fifth Princess's face is still so endearing."

Chu Qingyue chuckled softly, her fingertips lightly tracing the delicate neck of the woman, her voice so gentle it sent chills down one's spine: "Seven years have passed, Fifth Princess, you must take good care of yourself. Don't accidentally... go down to join your Consort Shen. Look, this swan-like neck can't withstand... even the slightest breeze."

Chu Qingyao almost burst into tears.

Si Chen spoke up at the opportune moment: "Princess, His Majesty is still waiting in the Taiji Hall."

Chu Qingyue withdrew her hand as if nothing had happened, then turned and followed Si Chen toward the palace. Her red dress trailed on the ground, each step like a lotus blossom, leaving behind a trail of terrified gazes.

————Taiji Hall———

The Chu Emperor sat high on his dragon throne, staring at the woman in silver armor in the hall, his gaze complex and unreadable. He had never cared for this daughter. Her mother was a lowly palace maid, whom he had forgotten after a fleeting moment of pleasure.

He didn't even glance at her when she was born. At five, she fell into the water, and it was the Imperial Advisor Si Chen who pulled her from the icy pool. At thirteen, she was sent to marry a foreign ruler, and he merely remarked, "Fine, she'll do."

But now, she has returned. She has returned with the military merit of destroying a kingdom, and with the heads of the Northern Underworld royal family.

"Your subject, Chu Qingyue, pays respects to Your Majesty."

Chu Qingyue knelt on one knee with a swift and decisive movement. Behind her, Chi Xiao and Liu Yun carried a gold-inlaid sandalwood box.

The moment the lid of the box was opened, the entire hall erupted in uproar—the head of the Northern Underworld King had been specially treated, making his face incredibly lifelike. His wide-open eyes held the frozen terror and resentment of his death, and his slightly parted lips seemed to still be screaming silently.

Beside the head lay the imperial seal and a thick stack of books.

"Beiming is tyrannical and has repeatedly invaded the borders of our Great Chu, burning, killing, looting, and committing all sorts of atrocities."

Chu Qingyue's voice was clear and cold, and her words were firm and resolute: "Seven years ago, I was ordered to marry a foreign ruler, hoping to exchange marriage for peace between the two countries. However, the ruler of Beiming was tyrannical and cruel. He not only mistreated the people, but also sent troops to ambush me on the night I arrived at the border, intending to kill the dowry cavalry and seize the military equipment of my Great Chu."

She slowly raised her head, her gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall.

"Your subject was forced to rebel, and could only rely on five thousand iron cavalry as a base, uniting with the righteous army of Beiming to kill this tyrant and overthrow his state. Over seven years, through forty-three battles, large and small, we killed three hundred thousand enemies, incorporated eighty thousand surrendered soldiers, and expanded our territory by a thousand miles. Now, we present the Beiming State Seal, the national treasury registers, the map of our territory, and the tyrant's head, beseeching Your Majesty for Your Majesty's judgment! From this day forward, the sixteen prefectures, thirty-six cities, and one hundred and seventy-two tribes of Beiming will all belong to our Great Chu. This is due to Your Majesty's boundless blessings and the mandate of Heaven; your subject merely followed the trend!"

Her words not only clarified the "legitimacy" of destroying the country, but also cleverly attributed the credit to "the emperor's divine might," leaving no room for criticism and instead making her appear humble and loyal to the emperor.

The palace was deathly silent. Three hundred thousand enemies had been slain, territory expanded by a thousand miles, and a nation destroyed. In the four hundred years since the founding of the Great Chu, no prince or princess had ever achieved such military exploits. The Chu Emperor stared at the severed head, then at the seal and map representing the power of the nation, and an unprecedented sense of expansion surged in his chest.

Expanding territories! This is an irresistible temptation for any emperor!

Even if he disliked this daughter, this tremendous achievement was enough to silence public opinion and add a glorious chapter to his history! Moreover, with such military merit, it would be difficult to explain to the world and the army if he did not receive a decent reward.

So he coughed lightly.

"Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!" he exclaimed three times, his face flushed with excitement: "My Ninth Princess is truly a pillar of the nation, my most outstanding daughter! She is no less capable than any man, her achievements surpassing those of renowned generals throughout history! Rise quickly! Take a seat!"

A eunuch brought over a brocade stool, and Chu Qingyue calmly sat down, the armor rubbing against the stool making a cold, hard sound.

"Princess Chu Qingyue has rendered meritorious service in destroying the kingdom and enhancing our national prestige. She deserves a great reward."

The Chu Emperor slowly spoke:

"The Ninth Princess is granted the title of 'Zhenguo' (Protector of the Nation), promoted to the title of Zhenguo Chang Princess (Princess of the Nation), enjoys the salary of a double prince, is granted a mansion, and is allowed to participate in government affairs and not kneel before the emperor."

He paused, then added:

"He is also bestowed with ten thousand taels of gold, a thousand bolts of brocade, ten chests of jewels, a bushel of pearls from the East Sea, and ten fine horses from the Western Regions, to recognize his merits!"

The Princess Who Protects the Nation!

An uproar erupted in the hall.

The title "Zhenguo" is an immense honor—since the founding of the Great Chu, only the founding princess has received this title, not to mention the privilege of establishing her own government, participating in government affairs, and not having to kneel before the emperor—this is practically another "regency"!

The princes' faces immediately turned extremely ugly, but Chu Qingyue remained unusually calm. Although the rewards were plentiful, they did not grant her any military power.

Only Si Chen saw the cold smile that curved her lips as she bowed her head to express her gratitude:

"Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your grace."

She knew why the Chu Emperor had bestowed such honors upon her—it was simply to use her as a weapon, an extremely sharp and bloodthirsty weapon, to counterbalance the growing power of the princes.

The old fox. She chuckled inwardly, "But it's alright, Father. I hope you can wield this knife well and not hurt yourself."

She slowly raised her head, her gaze passing over the layers of officials, and looked directly at Si Chen, who stood quietly like snow on the side of the hall.

Si Chen was also looking at her. Their eyes met. One eye burned with a world-destroying flame. The other's eyes were frozen with an eternal, unyielding ice.

The Chu Emperor's voice interrupted their eye contact:

"Grand Preceptor, you have been in seclusion for many years. Have you emerged today to divine the future crown prince of the Great Chu?"

These words caused a great uproar among the officials.

Si Chen—the Grand Preceptor of the Great Chu, in charge of astronomy, divination, and sacrifices to Heaven and Earth. Since the founding of the nation, he has remained detached from the court, and all the emperors of the Great Chu dynasty have been divined by him. For four hundred years, he has never been wrong.

Si Chen raised his eyes. His light gray, glass-like pupils swept over everyone in the hall, finally settling on the eldest prince, Chu Xuanche.

He spoke, his voice clear and cold, like ice water striking stone:

"The phoenix's cry resounds through the nine heavens, its feathers are black. The dragon battles in the wilderness, its blood is the moon. The bright light illuminates the shadows of mountains and rivers, and the earthly realm conceals the souls of the sun and moon."

A long, slender finger was raised, pointing at Chu Xuanche:

"This divination is very auspicious. Heaven's mandate favors the legitimate heir, and Chu Xuanche should be established as the crown prince."

Chu Xuanche could hardly contain his ecstatic joy. He quickly stepped forward and knelt down, his voice trembling slightly with excitement:

"Your subject... Your subject is terrified! I will certainly live up to the high expectations of Father Emperor and Imperial Preceptor!"

The officials, as if waking from a dream, knelt down in unison and shouted:

"May Heaven bless Great Chu, for its successors are worthy! Congratulations to the Crown Prince!"

The cheers were deafening. Chu Qingyue stood still. She looked at Si Chen, and Si Chen was looking at her too. As their eyes met, she caught a very subtle ripple in the depths of his eyes, which were as calm as an ancient pool—like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, the ripples spreading for only a moment before returning to silence.

But she saw it.

Seeing it chilled my heart.