Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Queen Ju stood by the door as she looked out into the night. When she saw the figure walking slowly towards her, she couldn’t stop a bitter feeling from blossoming in her heart.
Besides the day the Dragon King had awakened from his coma, this would be the first time the two met.
She quickly dispelled the feelings in her heart because once she became a disgruntled wife, she would be trapped in a vicious cycle. This was war, where no one would surrender voluntarily, and only a continuous attack could guarantee one victory.
‘Even women have their own weapons.’ Although Xu Yanwei was a woman of humble origins, her words sometimes sounded very reasonable.
Gu Shenwei had to come. The Queen had helped him a great deal, and he needed to thank her in person even if he knew that she was just acting in front of the Second Consort.
Xu Yanwei had carefully prepared a table full of food and wine. Instead of beef and mutton being served as chunks, as was the Norland style, she tried to make them as exquisite as dishes from Jade City. After greeting the Dragon King, she beckoned for the maids to leave with her.
Gu Shenwei caught a glimpse of Shangguan Hong, who disappeared in a flash. Not knowing what to say, he asked, “Is Shangguan Hong still obedient?”
“Hmm, he’s loyal too. Else, he wouldn’t have been left here.”
Gu Shenwei nodded. Among all the sons of the Unique King, Shangguan Hong was the least ambitious, but that didn’t mean that he would submissively accept the fate of being a eunuch.
He wanted to remind Queen Ju of this, but Shangguan Hong had actually been sent to her by him. It was hard to explain their subtle relationship.
The Queen was a stranger to him, who held even less of a tacit mutual understanding with him than the swordsman of the Big Snow Mountain
The ‘stranger’ smiled intimately at him and held up a glass of wine as she toasted, “Congratulations to the Dragon King for uniting the three forces. It was worth the trip.”
In front of Gu Shenwei laid two wine glasses and two jugs; one contained wine while the other was filled with water. Gu Shenwei hesitated for a moment before pouring himself a glass of wine.
Queen Ju’s smile grew bigger. It was a good sign that the Dragon King had not immediately expressed his thanks.
Chitchat was a difficult task for Gu Shenwei. He found himself always distracted and had so many things to consider that he couldn’t help but wonder whether he was wasting his time here.
Queen Ju tried to empty her mind and find a topic to talk about: the silly words of Xu Yanwei, the empty flattery of the prominent women from the Western Regions in the camp, the situation at Xiaoyao Lake, and so on and so forth.
Gu Shenwei was also trying to cooperate and respond appropriately to each topic but time still crawled at a snail’s pace, seemingly impossible to fill up.
“That Xiao Fengchai is really funny. She wanted to see you, but came to me pleading instead,” said Queen Ju flatly. She originally wanted to wait a little longer, but there was really nothing left to talk about, so she had no choice but to throw it out there in a hurry.
The Dragon King’s response was impeccable. He looked a bit surprised, which was probably a genuine reaction. Queen Ju began to believe the words of the Jade City courtesan that she had nothing special to do with the Dragon King.
“She wanted to meet me?” Gu Shenwei was indeed a bit surprised but he knew that Xiao Fengchai wasn’t funny at all.
“She wanted the Dragon King to send troops to escort her back to the Western Regions. The ladies in the camp held the same hope, but she seemed to think that she could convince the Dragon King first.”
“She’s rich.” Gu Shenwei didn’t say anything more. From Xiao Fengchai’s point of view, the first thing he would think of was always countless piles of gold and silver.
Although the dishes and wine had barely been nibbled at, the requisite time finally passed by. Gu Shenwei stood up and said, “I’m going back to the camp. Have some rest yourself.”
On this night, Queen Ju had noticed many good omens and her hope had gradually risen, but all her fantasies were immediately extinguished by the Dragon King’s words. “Won’t you stay here for the night?”
“This is the Second Consort’s camp. It’s not very convenient.”
“Does the Dragon King really believe that that’s a good reason?” The emotions Queen Ju had deliberately been trying to forget burst out all of a sudden. She could not accept such an ending.
“It’s an appropriate reason.” Gu Shenwei kept his composure but felt that the scene in front of him was growing absurd.
Queen Ju’s pent-up bitterness broke through the blockade of reason, half turning to tears as the other half turned into questions. “Why? What did I do wrong? Why are you doing this to me?”
“It’s not your fault, but mine.” Gu Shenwei hoped that he could still comfort his queen, but his voice had turned slightly stiff, “I’m walking on the edge of a saber every day. The enemy is not defeated yet, and I dare not nor am I entitled to enjoy myself.”
“What if you defeat the enemy?” Queen Ju pressed.
“I may have a change of heart.”
Queen Ju wiped her tears away and looked strangely tough. “But you quite ‘enjoyed’ the time you had with her.”
“Which her?”
“I never would have thought that the Dragon King would pretend to feign ignorance.”
Gu Shenwei slightly raised his head, “What do you really want? Frankly speaking, I’ve never intended to rule the Stone Kingdom. The throne will be reserved for the sole bloodline of the royal Ju family. Or do you want to extend the territory? Unfortunately, that will have to wait until I take Golden Roc Castle.”
Queen Ju regretted her outburst. Failing to control her feelings was a sign of emotional immaturity, and she was supposed to perform better. “I don’t understand why the Dragon King said that. I’m not worried…”
“You are ambitious and smart enough.” Gu Shenwei interrupted her and treated her as an opponent in need of negotiation. “I appreciate that, but if you have even a little bit of knowledge and respect for me, you’d better get straight to the point.”
Queen Ju tried to make several expressions but failed, so for the first time, her expression became cold, which was more like what it naturally was. “I want to bear you a son, an heir, and that’s the only request I have.”
“We’re still young; there’s no need to rush.”
“But if even Lotus is jealous of the woman around the Dragon King, then I think I should be more anxious.”
“But like Lotus, you are wrong. You are the Queen, the only Queen. If I have an heir, it must be yours.”
“You promise?”
“I can’t promise. I might die on the prairie tomorrow. Even back in the Western Regions, I’m not sure of winning. The Unique King hasn’t exerted all his might. He is terribly powerful and has not yet fully unleashed it. I may still die in an assassination attempt. If that happens, then you will be grateful that you did not bear me a son.”
“I won’t…” Queen Ju anxiously argued.
“You haven’t seen through the truth yet,” Gu Shenwei interrupted her. “You were born a princess. Even if you were banished or and exiled, you are still a princess. There’s a state that belongs to you in name and all you lack is the power to take it back. I’m the opposite of you. I have the power, but no pretext. There’s no land in the world that belongs to me by right. I have to fight for every inch of it. The Land of Fragrance, the five kingdoms at Xiaoyao Lake, as well as the tens of thousands of soldiers in the Norland that you see, are all temporary cases for me.”
Gu Shenwei didn’t expect that he would speak so much, but he felt that it was necessary. “If I die before I defeat my enemies, then all the lands and the soldiers I’ve gathered will all vanish overnight as if nothing had ever happened. This is my weakness, a weakness that the Unique King doesn’t have, the Khan doesn’t have, and that you don’t have. Your titles will be remembered, but I will be forgotten by the world.”
“Even if all goes well, and I defeat all my enemies and bring the whole Western Regions to its knees, that’s just the beginning. It will take at least two or three generations to gain the loyalties of the people. And it will take even longer to reach the status of the Khan’s family in the Norland.”
“So, do you still want to bear an heir for me? At this moment and for a long time to come, there will be nothing he can inherit.”
Queen Ju bowed her head. The Dragon King’s words were far beyond her imagination, but after a quick examination, she understood the truth. It wasn’t actually that complicated because she had felt uneasy about the Dragon King’s origins long before she became queen.
Fame was illusory and would not add any power to its owner.
But fame was also real, and a person skilled at using it could magnify the power in their hands a thousandfold.
“I believe in you. That’s why I’m anxious to have an heir. I’m sure that our son will inherit a large legacy. But you are right. We’re young, there’s no need to rush, and this is not the right place.”
“You are a qualified queen; none of the noblewomen in the camp are comparable to you.”
Queen Ju smiled again. ‘That’s it,’ she thought. She and the Dragon King would probably never have a false display of affection. They were together simply because of interests. All of a sudden, she felt relieved.
“Will I always be your queen?”
“Yes, as long as you do not act too self-assertive, like when you wanted to take the King of the Stone Kingdom to the Land of Fragrance back at Xiaoyao Lake, or like this time, when you met the Second Consort in person without consulting me.
Queen Ju blushed a bit and quickly and solemnly said, “No, not anymore. The Dragon King can rest assured of that, but I also want you to remember that I want to bear your child in the right place at the right time.”
After a moment of silence, Gu Shenwei nodded.
Xu Yanwei who was listening intently by the door felt puzzled because she didn’t hear the familiar sound from inside the tent. Then she saw the Dragon King come out alone. She became more puzzled and asked, “The Dragon King is leaving?”
“Mmm.”
“But…”
“But nothing. This is war.”
“Don’t make it too complicated. War or whatever, I don’t understand. But if men didn’t sleep with women before the war, my sisters in the Retention Alley would’ve had to live off of air.”
“She’s the Queen, not one of your ‘sisters’ in the Retention Alley.”
“Oh.” Half-understanding, Xu Yanwei drawled a bit sarcastically, “Can I be honest with you?”
“Of course.”
“The Dragon King should find a ‘sister’ to satisfy your sexual desire. Look at you, even the first-year chick can tell that you desperately need a woman.”
The two maids sniggered, and Shangguan Hong looked left and right in embarrassment. Xu Yanwei opened her big eyes even wider and continued her tirade, asking, “What’s so funny? This is the truth. As long as he’s a man, he has to either cut it off like Shangguan Hong or cannot live without women… Don’t mention Shangguan Fei to me. Oops, it’s getting more and more confusing. I told you that I’m not good at speeches. Dragon King, please don’t go…”
Gu Shenwei walked into the darkness. Long Fanyun led the horse to him. He knew what he needed; it was not women but killing.
It was already the second half of the night when he returned to the Dragon Army camp, but Gu Shenwei was not sleepy at all. He drew his saber and sword and put them on the table. Then he brandished them each in turn, not tiring of wielding them even by the time the early morning sun had risen.
