Chapter 27
The situation here was similar to a certain once-glorious dynasty in the outside world. This dynasty had also experienced a period of prosperity and had its own empress. But unlike the outside world, just when it was about to decline, this dynasty was revitalized due to the revival of spiritual energy.
While Xu Fu once sailed to sea and never returned, nowadays, there are clear paths to immortality. Those royal children who fail in their bid for power either seek military merit and advancement, or join a clan, trading worldly wealth for a relaxed life within the clan, hoping to live for a few hundred more years.
As for the emperor, he could not cultivate immortality before abdicating, and could only use the true dragon energy to protect his body and embark on the path of the human emperor. If the path to the human emperor was not smooth, he would have to abdicate and change his cultivation method. For this reason, after the revival of spiritual energy, it was rare for the emperor to be unwilling to abdicate.
"So the rank of Duke can be either male or female." Xishi enthusiastically gave the village chief a small dish.
The village chief refilled his teapot, his appetizers a bit salty from the extra bite. "That's right. The hierarchy of female nobility, from highest to lowest, is Princess, then Princess, Duke, and finally, Princess of the County. You can't just call her Lord, right? Some countries have that title for the ruler. Oh, and by the way, if someone has been hiding their gender since childhood and their true gender is revealed after being named a Duke, it doesn't count as deceiving the emperor." There are no female imperial consorts here, but there are quite a few female Dukes, some of whom have barely escaped death to reach this position. These people's families were awful, so awful that they'd risk their lives to leave the place where they'd felt suffocated since birth.
"Then the next step up from Duke Anping is Princess Anping?"
"No, the next rank above is Princess, and it's extremely difficult to upgrade. Princess and Prince are titles that only the biological children of the emperor can have. People who don't have a direct blood relationship with the emperor cannot become them, so this level can only be skipped." They say all roads lead to Rome, but some people are born in Rome, which is something you can't envy.
"Wow, that means someone can come from behind and become more noble than the emperor's child."
“…are more noble than children who have no talent and don’t work hard. What do you think the royal family is? It’s a place where all the resources in the world are gathered.” The village chief smiled and shook his head: “They have been standing at a high position since birth, with good teachers to teach them and resources to allocate to them. It is much easier for them to make further progress than others.” The kind of irritable and innocent love-brained prince in the storybook is just the writer’s fantasy. If he really exists…the title can be demoted anyway.
"Anyway, the princess is about to become a general. Isn't that so cool?" Yu Qian, feeling relieved after handing in her manuscript, took it upon herself to join the crowd: "She's definitely as good as any man!"
"Handsome," the village chief took the refilled teapot from Xishi: "It's quite handsome, but it costs his life." Not all county lords and princesses have the ability to come back alive from the battlefield. A general's success is built on the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers. The word handsome is too light to describe the princess.
No one likes war, but it is inevitable. As long as one person in power is greedy, they will drag all the surrounding countries into the flames of war. And when war breaks out, the people living on the border will suffer.
Wu Chaochao, the subject of much gossip among the villagers of Yuanshan Village, was currently hosting a banquet at her Duke's Mansion. Just over twenty days earlier, an imperial edict had arrived at the border, conferring upon her the title of Duke of Anping, fresh from a great victory. From that day forward, her title became equal to that of her elder brother, and only one rank lower than that of her father, the youngest son of the current empress, the Duke of Anping.
The day the imperial edict was received was before the beginning of autumn, and the weather was scorching. The battle at the border couldn't be delayed. To stabilize the situation, Wu Chaochao didn't depart immediately after receiving the imperial edict. Despite the emissary's mournful gaze, he fought the battle to the end, driving the enemy ten miles away. He then waited for the person to take over and, after completing the handover, finally rode his horse and led his guards to the capital. By then, the emissary couldn't wait for him to depart.
Galloping along on horseback, changing trains at every post station, Wu Chaochao unexpectedly caught up with the envoy's honor guard halfway. Meanwhile, she ran into her brother, who had been driven out by his family to pick her up, at the local post station. It must be said that after a year of not seeing him, her foolish brother didn't seem so annoying anymore...
No wonder! After not seeing him for a year, he's become even dumber! Not only was he tricked into speaking for Pu Xinnan, but he didn't even realize how to get some benefits for himself. Ha! Such a idiot brain is really not suitable for independent living. Better send him back home and let his parents educate him for a few more years.
This post station happened to be relatively close to Wu Chaochao's maternal grandparents' home. She examined her weathered face in a bronze mirror, freshened up at the post station, changed into the silk dress her brother had brought from home, and rode in a carriage to visit her grandparents, whom she hadn't seen in a year. After the visit, she donned her armor again, arranged for a guard to watch over her brother, and rode her horse as fast as she could towards the capital. She caught up with the envoy's group outside the city and entered before him.
The messenger who was stood up twice: "..."
The younger brother who was being watched by the guards, unable to eat, drink, gamble, or have sex, and was forced to study: "..."
He arrived in the capital on the morning of the day before Chinese Valentine's Day. Considering that the envoy had already entered the city, it would be unreasonable for him to be late again. Wu Chaochao did not bother to go home. He turned his horse around and went directly to the palace to express his gratitude. He also sent a guard home first to tell his family that he had returned safely.
The morning court ended a little late that day, and when Wu Chaochao went there, she happened to encounter people saying bad things about her. The fact that she did not immediately set out to Beijing to express gratitude after receiving the imperial edict was regarded as a sign of treason by several old stubborn people, and they kept repeating it over and over again, as if they would not stop until she was removed from office.
Wu Chaochao, who traveled almost day and night, had anticipated this situation. In fact, not to mention herself, who held military power, even her father, the idle prince, had been impeached before. As a princess, such situations would only become more frequent. As long as the emperor was clear-headed, they would only suffer temporary grievances. And the more grievances they suffered before, the greater the rewards they would receive later.
But... that didn't mean she was willing to be wronged! After a year of fighting, Wu Chaochao's temper had become much blunter than before. Seeing that the censor was still talking nonsense, she rolled up her sleeves and started arguing with him without hesitation. If she wasn't afraid that the other party was old and might collapse at any time to make trouble, she actually wanted to fight him.
No matter how much they quarreled, the final decision still belonged to the emperor. The empress finally lived up to everyone's expectations and gave the censor a harsh reprimand.
"You are so energetic, but you are always busy with these trivial things. I guess you are just bored. So I will just fine you three months' salary." The empress helped the maid to stand up and said, "Dismiss the court!" I asked you to make a petition, not to make trouble!
The person who impeached Wu Chaochao: "...Your Majesty, thank you for your grace." I don't want to thank you, but my colleague who hit his head against the pillar to show his determination had no one to help him, and now he is still lying on the ground. That head, that blood, makes my old heart pound just looking at it.
Wu Chaochao lowered her sleeves and bowed her head slightly, quietly waiting for the Empress to leave along with the other ministers. She said goodbye to her father, who was also in the court, then asked the guards outside for her sword and hurried out. A letter had been sent to the border earlier, informing her that her eldest brother had had his first child. She was too anxious to return home to hold her niece and too busy to show off her daughter to her father.
News spread quickly in the capital. When Wu Chaochao returned home after the quarrel, her good friends were already waiting for her in the hall.
Wu Chaochao: "...It seems that today is not a day off."
Sister A: "It's just a day off!"
Wu Chaochao: "I remember someone was in the court just now."
Sister B: "I'm standing in the last row, so of course I'll leave earlier than you."
After a while of joking around with everyone, the female soldiers that Wu Chaochao had sent the guards to find arrived. Before entering the palace, Wu Chaochao remembered that she had a new Duke's Mansion under her name, so she quickly sent guards to bring the female soldiers near the capital who were disabled and could no longer go to the battlefield to her mansion.
These girls each had their own specialties, and Wu Chaochao planned to have them help her manage the Duke's Mansion, and then select some female soldiers who were good at business to help her manage the shop. Being able to provide these female soldiers with a place to stay and have them continue to follow her was Wu Chaochao's greatest joy.
"So that corrupt official's mansion ended up in your hands," the sisters all expressed their desire to see it. By the time the empress issued the decree, the Duke's Mansion prepared for Wu Chaochao had already been cleared out. Land in the capital was extremely expensive, and Wu Chaochao's ability to own a mansion so quickly was thanks to the tireless efforts of its previous owner, a corrupt official whose property had been confiscated.
Wu Chaochao was also a little curious about the new Duke's Mansion, so everyone decided to hold a small banquet in the Duke's Mansion. The women who were responsible for entertaining these young ladies were naturally the female soldiers that Wu Chaochao had recalled earlier.
At the banquet, Wu Chaochao shared her experiences during this period with her sisters. Just when she set up the target and was about to compete in archery with her sisters, the female soldier in charge of the housekeeping came running over and told her that a madman insisted on breaking into the Duke's Mansion to ask for an audience. She wanted to ask whether she should beat him up and throw him out, or ask clearly before beating him.
"How can a madman be so mad?"
"He seemed to say that he wanted you to be his concubine." Butler Hua Luo felt speechless: the man who wanted a duke with military power to be his concubine must have a problem with his brain.
"Equal wife is such an old-fashioned term..." Wu Chaochao scoffed, stood up, turned her back to the sisters behind her, and waved: "Sorry everyone, wait a moment, I have to go take care of some things first."
A few minutes later, Wu Chaochao came back so quickly that the sisters were surprised: "You sent that lunatic away so quickly. What did you say to him?"
"I didn't say anything. I just took a look to decide whether I should have him knocked out and dragged away or just drag him away." Wu Chaochao picked up the teacup and took a sip: I'll just give him a long speech and wait for him to feel ashamed or regret it. For someone like him, it would be too easy for him to say anything to him casually. It's totally unnecessary.
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