Chapter 389: Chapter 389 - 381: Surname Ji, Given Name Jiuli

Late at night, Qiu Yang quietly slipped out of the Imperial Palace and gathered a few trusted subordinates.

"Boss, why are you calling us so late?" A Beastman asked, rubbing his eyes.

Qiu Yang lowered his voice, "I want you to go assassinate the Monarch of the Night Glow Empire."

"What?!" Several of his subordinates instantly sobered up, looking towards the direction of the Imperial Palace in terror, "Does Your Majesty know about this?"

They had been following Qiu Yang all the way, naturally aware of certain inside information.

"Shut up!" Qiu Yang glared at them fiercely, "Can things like this be known to Your Majesty?"

A Beastman’s voice trembled, "Boss, this isn’t a joke... if Your Majesty finds out... we could lose our heads!"

Qiu Yang sneered coldly, "As Hidden Guards of Your Majesty, you should be loyal to Your Majesty. How can you be so afraid of death over such a small matter?"

"But, looking at Your Majesty’s demeanor, he hasn’t completely let go of her..."

"It’s precisely because of Your Majesty’s lingering attachment, we must assist him in severing this ill-fated bond!"

A trace of ruthlessness flashed in Qiu Yang’s eyes, "That arrow back then should have hit her. If it weren’t for Your Majesty blocking it for her, that female would be dead by now."

He surveyed the group, his tone chilling, "She is supposed to be a dead person, how can because of this one trivial individual hinder Your Majesty’s grand achievements and make him so indecisive!"

"But didn’t she marry Your Majesty..."

"Ridiculous, simply absurd! Your Majesty is the Monarch of the Yiyuan Empire, a noble and pure-blooded Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox, absolutely impossible to marry an Outer Clan female, nor degrade himself to serve one female with other common males."

Qiu Yang said coldly, "You’ve followed Your Majesty for so many years and still can’t see it? His stance is evident by his attitude, a ruler should be detached and cold-hearted, if he can’t bear it... then we’ll do it for him!"

"I was entrusted by the Late Emperor to assist the young Emperor as a loyal minister, everything I do is for the sake of Your Majesty and the Empire! Even sacrificing my life is worth it!"

"A momentary pain is better than a lifetime of pain."

"Once the pain is over, it will be forgotten."

Under Qiu Yang’s indoctrination, the Beastmen stopped hesitating and began to act.

...

The cold winter finally passed, and the weather gradually warmed up.

Budding green sprouts appeared on the bare branches, the sunlight warm on the skin.

With the weather warming up, the Beastmen worked with more vigor than in winter, and all the cities were bustling with reconstruction.

The houses destroyed in the war were almost repaired in the city, and numerous temporary houses and tents were set up outside the city to accommodate the homeless refugees.

Last winter, the heavy snow sealed the ground, and the grains planted in Greenfield City and its surroundings were frozen. Now in spring, the newly sown seeds have broken through the ground, soon to bring a bountiful harvest.

Shen Tang hasn’t been idle during this time, running around various cities suitable for farming. She personally distributed grain seeds to the Beastmen and brought good hands from Greenfield City to teach everyone how to tend the crops.

Even cities not suitable for farming were busy, establishing many factories for ironworking and steelmaking, selling the products to other cities to support their citizens.

The Empire following the turmoil of war was like this spring, full of vitality everywhere.

No longer were there anxious-faced citizens on the streets, everyone was spirited, hoping for better days ahead.

Shen Tang walked down the street, observing this flourishing scene, her mouth involuntarily curved into a smile.

A follower came over, saying, "Your Majesty, it’s reported that unknown pests and diseases have been found on the farmland in the West Suburb, should you go and check?"

Shen Tang’s heart tightened, pest and disease outbreaks can be devastating to farmland.

"Lead me there quickly!"

Shen Tang followed the Beastman outside the city.

In the dense forest, more than a dozen shadows suddenly emerged.

All High-level Beastmen, with a minimum of Eighth Rank power, the leader even reaching Ninth Rank!

These assassins moved aggressively, instantaneously slaughtering all the guards, charging towards her!

"Earth Wall!" Shen Tang’s face changed instantly, calling out commandingly, the ground rumbled to raise several thick earth walls, while full spiritual power controlled Earth Spikes to jab out from tricky angles.

The assassins evidently didn’t expect a female to hold her own against them, their aggression clearly stalled.

"Your Majesty, over here!" A servant suddenly dashed forward.

As Shen Tang turned around, light flashed from that person’s sleeve, a poison-tipped blade aimed directly at her heart!

Shen Tang’s reaction was swift, instantly raising an earth wall to stave off the attack.

Simultaneously, the earth wall shattered, condensing into a sharp blade, pinning him to the ground.

Xue Yinzhou heard the commotion and quickly rushed in.

His silhouette flickered like a phantom, sweeping with his tail, sending several High-level assassins flying to the ground.

"Seeking death!" Murder surged in Xue Yinzhou’s eyes, ready to strike lethal blows.

Shen Tang stopped him, "Wait, don’t kill them yet, these people are strong and of uncommon origin."

Internal rebellion forces have mostly been purged, how could such high-level assassins suddenly appear? It was too strange.

She gazed at the dying assassin on the ground, her eyes deepening, "I need to know where these assassins came from."

Jia Lan and Xiao Jin rushed in when they heard Shen Tang was attacked, only relaxing once seeing she was unharmed.

The group of assassins had their hands and feet severed, thrown into prison, to force interrogation of the mastermind.

They took poison internally, gritted their teeth to die.

Fortunately, Shen Tang used her Healing Ability to bring them back.

Regrettably, these assassins were well-trained, fearless of death, let alone the brutal tortures, questioning yielded nothing useful.

Jia Lan said, "Let me handle it."

Shen Tang worried, "Is your body okay?"

"Rest assured, this is nothing." Jia Lan personally interrogated the assassins.

Over half an hour later.

He came out.

The young man didn’t look well, not from fatigue, but concern, "Tangtang, I’ve found out, they’re assassins sent by the Yiyuan Empire."

"I have no vendetta with the Yiyuan Empire, why would assassins specifically come to kill me?" Shen Tang was puzzled, "Who sent them to kill me?"

Jia Lan answered gravely, "They’re under the Emperor’s orders."

The mysterious Emperor of the Yiyuan Empire?

Shen Tang’s eyes widened, incredulous.

The Emperor had just sent aid to her, now sending assassins to kill her, what was his intention?

Shen Tang questioned Jia Lan about the Emperor.

Jia Lan wasn’t interested in foreign politics, though he loved gossip and befriended many people from all over, whose information was well-connected, gleaning much from these assassins’ mouths.

"The Yiyuan Empire has been unstable lately, the court underwent a major purge, the Regent King along with his faction were all executed."

Shen Tang, "Was all this done by the Emperor?"

Xiao Jin interjected, "Who else but the Emperor could have such power."

Shen Tang frowned, "Isn’t the Emperor supposed to be sickly? How did he suddenly become so assertive?"

In a mere few months, the Yiyuan Emperor had purged the court, eliminated dissenters, controlled the army with an iron fist, not at all the incompetence rumored externally.

"That I am unsure of." Jia Lan replied, "This Emperor is very enigmatic, unfathomable, even the assassins aren’t qualified to directly meet him."

Shen Tang furrowed her brow, suddenly asking, "What’s the Emperor’s name?"

Jia Lan thought for a moment and replied,

"The surname of Yiyuan Country is Ji, named Jiuli."