She trembled all over, hardly believing her ears.

His words meant he wanted to marry her!

Furthermore, he would grant her a fief from his empire!

After the initial shock, she instantly understood his intention.

If she became his Empress, then no matter how vast her fief might be, it would remain part of his domain. Yet if she received this fief, with autonomy over its civil affairs, military, and taxation, wouldn’t it essentially become a state within a state?

He remained silent for a moment, then spoke again: “This way, you will have the highest position, your territory, and command over military forces. What other ambitions do you harbor?”

Her hands, hidden within her wide sleeves, trembled uncontrollably as she struggled to maintain a calm expression. “What the Zhongwan loyalists seek is for a Meng imperial descendant to ascend the throne and restore the nation, not merely a fief in name.”

His eyebrows twitched slightly. “If you become Empress, then regardless of whether your offspring is male or female, I will designate them as imperial heir. After my passing, this empire shall be ruled by your Meng descendant. Isn’t that precisely what the Zhongwan loyalists desire?”

She gazed at him, her eyes gradually misting over, her red lips trembling too much to utter a single word.

His gaze was so cold and merciless, yet every sentence he spoke made her want to weep.

He didn’t have to go this far.

But why would he do this?

Seeing her prolonged silence, his expression darkened further. “Perhaps you can refuse. But if you do, then I will have no choice but to execute you, and then slaughter nearly one hundred thousand rebel troops scattered across three routes and several provinces. I would rather not deploy troops within the country, but should civilians suffer in battle with blood soaking the plains, you cannot blame me for lacking benevolence.”

The moisture in her eyes congealed, and her bright black pupils grew somewhat cold.

This matter had nothing to do with love or hatred; it was simply his decision made for the sake of the common people.

She couldn’t help but clench her fingertips.

Wasn’t she the same? Before the empire and its people, had she ever truly considered their private feelings?

He sat behind the desk, motionless, waiting for her, watching her, thinking of her.

He understood her so well.

His royal father had executed her parents and clan members, creating an insurmountable blood feud between them. Thus, she could sacrifice herself for the people’s sake, even willing to die to ensure peace for the common folk, but she could never love him wholeheartedly and without regret as she once did.

If he had approached her with sincere feelings, she would surely reject him.

Only by using the people’s safety as leverage could she possibly agree.

The tent fell silent. She sat rigidly, not moving for a long time, as if her spirit had left her body. After an unknown period, the sudden sound of soldiers commanding their horses outside, loud and piercing, finally startled her.

She raised her eyes, her gaze no longer as resolute as before. “I have no foundation in Shuzhou City. Even if I agree, the Zhongwan loyalists there may not comply.”

His expression was stern. “Even if they disagree, I can make them comply.”

She continued: “Have you considered my current reputation? If you make me your Empress, regardless of the reason, it will cause tremendous upheaval in the Da Ping court.”

He replied: “That need not concern you.”

She frowned. “But there is no precedent for enfeoffing an Empress.”

His face showed complete indifference. “Then I shall set the precedent.”

With nowhere to retreat, she could only lower her lashes and say: “You are personally leading troops in the field; how can the matter of appointing an Empress be rushed? When and where would this appointment take place? I fear by then everything will be too late.”

He stood up, supporting himself on the desk, a flash of sharp light in his eyes, and said word by word: “Right here, right now.”

She trembled slightly, unsure if he was serious or joking. She stared at him in astonishment and watched as he took a gold-bordered yellow edict from nearby.

This object was all too familiar to her.

Her heart immediately jumped to her throat, holding her breath in confusion.

Previously, he had reformed the protocols for appointing Empresses and consorts in court, personally determining whom to appoint and what ceremonies to perform. The court officials could not oppose him then, but who would have thought he would truly be so stubborn and unrestrained today…

“The edict appointing the Empress is here.”

He gazed at her intently, his voice slightly hoarse: “From this day forward, you, Meng Tinghui, are my Empress. Even if you leave the imperial presence, violate edicts, or cease to be loyal, you will remain my Empress. Unless I strip you of your position, you will never be able to sever your relationship with me for the rest of your life. Even in death, you will still be mine.”

Though she knew his words had nothing to do with love or affection, this quasi-oath made her unable to suppress the conflicted longing that had accumulated in her heart for days. Tears instantly burst from her eyes.

There were no elaborate ceremonies, no ritual officials or palace attendants, nothing at all.

The hem of her long dress was covered in mud, disheveled, and she hadn’t even properly arranged her hair.

There could be no more rudimentary appointment ceremony than this in the world.

And there could be no more bedraggled Empress than her.

In the past, she had desperately wanted to be with him for life, to stay by his side, to watch him secure the empire and nurture the people toward prosperity. But this position of Empress had seemed so utterly beyond her reach.

Now she had truly become his Empress, yet everything was so different from what she had hoped for.

And how ironic it all was.

The tears kept flowing, impossible to stop no matter what.

He slowly walked to her side, raised his hand to her cheek, gently wiping away her tears, but they could not be stemmed.

These drops of tears scalded his fingers, making them tremble slightly.

His heart trembled along with them.

After so many days and nights, he had finally touched her again.

He had thought he would never be able to touch her like this again in this lifetime, but heaven was merciful, finally granting him this one person in this lifetime, allowing him to live without regret.

How desperately he wanted to pull her into his embrace, to kiss her eyebrows, eyes, ears, and lips, to embed her into his body so they would never be separated again. But he only withdrew his hand and said: “Return to your tent, eat something, change your clothes. We will break camp and depart at the hour of Si (9-11 AM).”

She quickly wiped her face with her hand, still keeping her head down, and asked softly: “Breaking camp to head toward Shuzhou?”

He nodded.

She rose to her feet, her expression somewhat understanding, and asked again: “When will you announce to everyone this matter of appointing me as Empress, and the agreement we reached today?”

He said: “When we reach Shuzhou, after all the Zhongwan loyalists have consented, then it will be announced to the world.”

“Very well.” She glanced at him once, then turned and left the tent.

Her tone was very calm, as if all this was merely a transaction between him and her.

The tent curtain fell lightly, and the fresh scent of grass wafted in.

His fingertips still retained the dampness, and his heart suddenly felt somewhat moist as well. He had not deceived her, humiliated her, or betrayed her, yet he had still made her cry.

Turning back to look, he saw that the yellow edict still lay on the cold desk.

He had forgotten to give it to her, and she had forgotten to take it.

Yue Linxi sat in the simple tent, hearing the constant commotion of troops outside but unable to go out and look, making him increasingly restless.

In his agitation, someone entered from outside. The backlit figure happened to block the slight light coming through the tent flap, and the tent immediately darkened.

Yue Linxi instinctively straightened up, looked up, and frowned slightly, saying in a low voice: “Is Your Majesty about to break camp and head toward Shuzhou?”

Ying Gua didn’t answer, slowly walking toward him. Behind him, sunlight leaked in, casting a faint streak of light on the ground.

But this silence made people increasingly tense.

Yue Linxi felt his throat tighten and asked again: “What else does Your Majesty want me to do?”

His expression showed slight satisfaction. “Quite perceptive.”

Yue Linxi’s face darkened somewhat. Unable to retreat or resist, he could only say: “Please speak plainly, Your Majesty.” In his heart, he understood that having written that letter to Shuzhou last night, he could only follow the Emperor’s wishes; otherwise, it would result in disgrace and death either way.

Ying Gua stood still, looking down at him, and indeed spoke directly: “I have appointed her as Empress.”

Yue Linxi started in shock. There was no need to explain that “her” definitely referred to Meng Tinghui, but he was astonished that the Emperor would be willing to make her his Empress.

He seemed reluctant to explain further, simply putting on a stern face and saying: “Gather your troops to join the Da Ping Imperial Army in attacking North Jian. I will give you the former Zhongwan territories and half of North Jian’s land as her fief.”

Yue Linxi was increasingly stunned, his mouth opening several times without making a sound.

Ying Gua continued: “I know you are learned and quite clever, so you surely understand my intentions. When we reach Shuzhou, tell the other loyalists that twenty thousand Da Ping capital troops have surrounded the Jiankang Route. With Mingzhou already fallen, Shuzhou cannot be defended. I originally intended to execute her and you, but you saw that I still had feelings for her from the past and came up with this plan, persuading me to hold back my forces. If they agree, tens of thousands of lives can be spared, and the Zhongwan ancestral lands can be reclaimed.”

Yue Linxi’s expression was conflicted, and he remained silent for a long time.

The Emperor raised an eyebrow. “Four days later, when the defenders in Shuzhou surrender and open the gates, only to be met by Da Ping imperial troops, how do you think they will treat you? Only by following my instructions will they believe you are both brave and resourceful, rather than merely afraid to die.”