Chapter 115 - Stab of the Century (1/2)

After Lei Xing sent her mother off, she went to soak in her medicinal bath for a while then spent the rest of her day resting. The Emperor did not show up all day, while she was a bit curious, she did not mind it at all and leisurely spent her time rolling around the bed reading, enjoying her alone time.

She picked up a book called the ”Grievance of Xia” to read, it was one of the books she had recently bought. As she flipped through the book, the bookkeeper told her that it was rumored to be history's true account which piqued her interest. She had been too occupied lately with the Emperor and the bracelet to read, and it finally got into her mind this evening.

It was general knowledge that the Empress dowager was the fallen Xia empire's princess. From what she had gathered in her time here, the fall of the Xia empire was the highlight of the late Emperor's life. It was his last battle before he hung up his armor to become Emperor. Although, it was the true beginning of the military campaign that expanded the Long empire to what it was today.

The book was quite informative, it was either the author had a great imagination or was fearless with a death wish. Either way, Lei Xing admired their boldness and bravery to publish something like this about royal family members.

According to the book, before the battle of Xia, Long empire had been in a long era of peace following the civil unrest that occurred in the scramble for the throne amongst the then princes when their father died without naming a Crown prince. The winner of that scramble was the current Emperor's grandfather, who was only able to win thanks to the help and support of the Xia empire.

Apparently, their countries had always been allies and his grandfather and the Xia Empire's Emperor had fought battles together when they were both princes. They got along so well that they became sworn brothers. When the scramble for the throne began in Long empire, this sworn brother lent him the army he needed to suppress his brothers to successfully ascend the throne.

The two sworn brothers never forgot their bonds of friendship forged in their youth even after both becoming Emperor of their respective nations. The sworn brothers often sent their crown princes as representatives, to show the importance of this friendship, as well to create the opportunity for the next generation to create bonds of their own. Eventually, truly becoming a family with the marriage of Long's crown prince and the Xia's only princess.

The two countries enjoyed a few years in this newfound solidarity and harmony until Dong country, a country bordering Xia empire began attacking them. Xia Empire was having trouble pushing the enemy back and so the Xia Emperor requested help from his sworn brother, who swiftly responded sending an army with his crown prince leading the charge.

But then this help had doomed the Xia empire.

Instead of the Long crown prince heading to the border to lend assistance, he charged into Xia empire's capital and massacred everyone, including the royal family members who had known him all these years and had taken him as another family member. The Long crown prince killed anyone who questioned his orders and blocked news of his actions from spreading to his father or the Xia army at the border.

Knowing that his father would disapprove of his actions and would probably execute him, the Long crown prince swiftly returned to the capital with a battle unit and with the assistance of Defense minister Fu and other officials, he assassinated his father and brothers and safely ascended the throne. He then announced that the Xia empire was a threat and so must be destroyed before it was too late, then he sent the full force of Long empire's army to join the army he left in the Xia capital and ordered them to crush the Xia army and seize control of the territory.

By the time the Xia crown prince received information on what had happened in the capital it was too late. If he chose to turn the army around to push out the Long army in their capital, the Dong army they were currently holding off will storm their country. It was impossible for them to fight the two battles at the same time. Swiftly and unexpectedly, the Xia empire fell at the hands of their longstanding ally.

Enraged at the Xia princess's criticisms and refusal to ascend the throne as his Empress, the new Long Emperor ordered that the Xia citizens be turned into slaves out of spite. In the end, the Xia princess was demoted to a Noble consort and Defense minister Fu's daughter ascended to Empress. As if as an atonement of some sort, the Long Emperor soon ordered an attack against Dong country and subjected them to Xia's fate.

Lei Xing sighed and put the book on her face as she contemplated the tale.

{...Well, he sucks...You can't eat your cake and have it too, that's too selfish...I personally think you should have just killed her...Ah, but then he wouldn't exist and tha- Wait, what do I care?! I don't care if he exists or not! Not at all!...*sigh* Who cares. He exists, so he exists and she's alive so she lives -_-)...If this were the case, then I can kind of understand her crazy, but what the hell do I have to do with her crazy husband?! Why take out your ang-...}