Chapter 193 Ending Three “Is It Possible?”

Chapter 193 Ending Three "Is This Allowed?"

"The 'Emperor' the Han people speak of is just another word for 'King,' right? They want Khatun to be King too? So we'd have two Kings? How can there be two Kings?"

"No woman has ever ruled as King on the grasslands."

"If there are two Kings, who should we listen to in the future?"

"Are those Han still refusing to submit to the Xianbei and trying to rebel, that's why they want their princess to be King too..."

Rumors buzzed through the Xianbei ranks, and the rank-and-file sought out Su Li, Chigan Balie, Modolou, and others.

They huddled together, all equally torn.

"So, what's your take on this?" Chigan Balie asked.

"Who knows if this rumor’s even true? What's there to think? You should go ask the King," Su Li retorted irritably.

"Fine, I'll go." Chigan Balie couldn't stand his tone and took the bait immediately.

Thus, early the next morning, Chigan Balie came to ask for a meeting.

The first to step out was a tall figure. Chigan Balie recognized the King and started to speak—but then another graceful figure followed: Jiang Congyan.

"Chigan Balie," she greeted him with a smile.

Chigan Balie's words caught in his throat. He stiffly replied, "Khatun."

"You're here early—something urgent?" Jiang asked again, her tone as gentle as always, as if completely oblivious.

Chigan Balie had many things he wanted to say, but under her questioning, he clammed up, tongue-tied.

Jiang then spotted Su Li peeking from behind the door and called him out.

Called out by name, Su Li had no choice but to yank Modolou along. The two hung their heads and shuffled behind Chigan Balie.

Jiang had already guessed their purpose. She smiled. "You've heard the Han want me to take the throne as Emperor, right?"

The three shifted guiltily at her words, none could meet her gaze, mumbling half-formed replies.

"Are you here to oppose it?"

"No," Chigan Balie blurted out a denial.

Huh? That caught Jiang off guard.

Chigan Balie looked away, blinking fast. Though Khatun had never led troops into battle, from being abducted by Wudati Hou, through the royal court rebellion and the Battle of Guyuan, her guts and smarts in every crisis had won their respect. Not to mention the industries she developed in Xianbei had helped countless people and secured supplies for their campaigns—especially the military doctors trained by Zhang Fu, who saved many comrades.

Honestly, they had no real complaints about Khatun—especially not to her face. They could only beat a hasty retreat.

Watching them flee, Jiang turned to Tuo Baxiao with a smile. "This went better than I thought."

Tuo Baxiao said, "I told you I’d handle it."

"It's fine. I had to face it eventually."

She knew that ascending the throne as a woman would bring many obstacles, but since she had decided to walk this path, she wouldn’t fear any future difficulties.

And wasn’t this also a crack in those old traditions?

Since the formation of Confucian teachings, women have been expected to rely on men for survival, and the social norm of men being superior to women has persisted for thousands of years.

The economic base determines the superstructure. In today's society, most work still depends on manual labor, and the natural strength differences between men and women lead to their inherently unequal status. It is not something that can be changed by her chanting a few slogans, but she still wants to strive to do something.

It is also because of her lineage and current identity that she has been able to break free from constraints under specific circumstances. Only by seizing this opportunity can she more easily convey her ideas.

——

As the saying goes, "Strike while the iron is hot."

After their initial humiliating retreat, the men went to find Tuo Baxiao the next day. This time, they deliberately avoided Jiang Congyan and approached Tuo Baxiao while he was marshaling the troops.

"Does the King truly intend to comply with the Han people's wishes and let the Khatun also be declared king?"

Tuo Baxiao did not answer but instead asked, "Has the Khatun contributed to the Xianbei?"

"Yes."

"Is the Khatun worthy of your respect?"

"Worthy," the three replied in unison.

"I will only tell you this: things will stay as they are. Her change in status will not cause any harm to the Xianbei."

"But—"

They still wanted to say something, but Tuo Baxiao cut in, "I have already made up my mind."

"Moreover, with me here, what do you have to worry about?"

Ah, right—the King was their greatest source of strength. As long as he was present, the Xianbei would remain strong and prosperous forever.

——

On the third day after the surrender agreement was finalized, the Liang army opened its river fortress to welcome the Xianbei Army into the city.

Although the two sides had already negotiated peace, when the fully armed and armored Xianbei Army marched forward with an intimidating presence, the Liang soldiers on both sides visibly tensed. The citizens of Jiankang didn’t dare step outside, leaving only the orderly footsteps and clatter of armor of the Xianbei troops echoing through the streets.

The autumn wind was chilly, and the atmosphere was tense.

However, the Xianbei Army truly came only to assume control of Jiankang—replacing the city gate guards, securing the armory, and refraining from any acts of pillaging or violence.

Jiang Congyan and Tuo Baxiao walked hand in hand into the great hall where they had once held discussions. Some of those present were not seeing Tuo Baxiao for the first time, and after six or seven years, they noticed his presence had become even more commanding.

Now that he held the territories of the Jie, Xiongnu, Liangzhou, and Liang firmly in his grasp, he had undeniably become the undisputed ruler of the land, with no one left to challenge him.

The assembly took their seats.

Southern Liang still kept the old tradition of sitting on the floor. Jiang Congyan, four months pregnant, couldn’t bear sitting like that and directly switched to a chair, with Tuo Baxiao naturally following her example.

When Tuo Baxiao first visited Chang’an, he had been criticized by the ministers of the time for his poor manners. But now, no one dared say a word.

They discussed many matters, with Jiang Congyan leading most of the talks and occasionally seeking Tuo Baxiao’s opinion. He mostly agreed with her decisions.

Seeing that she indeed had real influence in front of Tuo Baxiao, the attendees felt reassured.

Once the major issues were settled, someone asked, "Our roots are in the north. Can we return to our hometowns?"

Jiang Congyan replied, "Of course. Not just you—any displaced people who want to go back to their places of origin may do so."

Wang Gui’s heart swelled with hope. “So… can our original homes and land be returned to us?”

“Of course. But now, land is divided by headcount. Once you return to your hometowns and report the number of people in your household to the local authorities, you’ll naturally receive a corresponding share.”

“This…”

The crowd’s faces fell instantly.

“Divided by headcount?”

Jiang Congyan smiled and nodded, then motioned for A Chun to step forward and read aloud the list detailing tax exemptions for officials of different ranks.

Hearing this, over half their former privileges were wiped out.

“Princess, this… according to Liang’s old customs, it shouldn’t—shouldn’t be like this.”

“Old customs? Exactly—*old*. As the saying goes, ‘New reign, new rules.’ With Liang fallen and a new dynasty established, we naturally start fresh. Any problem with that?” Though her smile remained faint, her eyes turned cold, revealing the authority she had cultivated over the years.

This was a disaster.

They had thought supporting Jiang Congyan’s rise would help protect their own interests. They never dreamed she’d play this hardball.

It could only mean they still hadn’t grasped reality: her ascension didn’t hinge on their support, but on her own actions, influence, and Tuo Baxiao’s stance.

The clans seethed with regret—but it was too late.

Once, they held the advantage in land, population, wealth, and military power, allowing them to dominate the court. Now, stripped of all that, what leverage did they have left?

“Why is Lord Huan silent?”

Wang Gui brought up Huan Jun. He was their leader, and from an aristocratic family—shouldn’t he fight for their interests?

Huan Jun didn’t even blink. “The princess makes fair points.”

“You!” Wang Gui jabbed a finger at him. He couldn’t understand Huan Jun’s thinking at all. Did he truly not care about his family’s interests? If they stood together, maybe they could change the princess’s mind—but instead, he just agreed?

With the current situation clearly against them, the group had no choice but to bite their tongues.

After everyone else left, Jiang Congyan kept Huan Jun and Xie Shao behind.

Hand on her hip, she rose and walked toward them personally.

“Long time no see—you holding up alright?” She greeted them like an old friend.

“Thank you for asking, Princess. Indeed, many years have passed,” Huan Jun replied wistfully.

“I’ve gone through the records you compiled. Thanks to both of you, the southern territories are doing well,” Jiang Congyan said with a genuine, cheerful smile.

Despite the chaos lately, life in the south had improved compared to before—just as she’d envisioned. One managed governance while the other cracked down on bandits and refugees, making the regions weirdly peaceful.

After the aristocrats moved south, Huan Jun had played factions against each other, keeping them balanced so no one gained the upper hand. While full land reform remained distant, the power of the aristocracy had indeed been greatly weakened.

At this, Huan Jun’s face went stormy.

He had tried to save Liang, only for everything he’d done to pave her way instead.

“Did you plan this all along?” he bit out bitterly.

Jiang Congyan shook her head. "Not at all. I don’t have the power to see the future—how could I know how the world would unfold?"

At that time, she didn’t yet know Tuo Baxiao’s character. If he had hated the Han people, or even if he hadn’t but still allowed the Xianbei army to massacre civilians, she wouldn’t have helped him unify the land—she might’ve even worked against him. It just so happened he had a sincere and kind heart.

He’d always been strong and fearless, making “kind-hearted” seem out of place when describing him. Yet that was truly who he was. Even centuries later, when cultures had blended more fully, racial prejudice and misunderstanding still couldn't be erased completely. For him to treat Han people as equals was an incredibly rare quality—one that likely came from Queen Wang Fu's teachings.

"Still, I really should thank you both. I know you weren’t resisting with your full strength," Jiang Congyan said more seriously.

Huan Jun and Xie Shao had been building power in the south for years—how could they have had no way to fight back? If they’d really gone all out, it would’ve been a real problem for Tuo Baxiao.

Huan Jun looked at her. "It was for you, Princess, that I took the chance. If it had been the Xiongnu at our gates, I would’ve fought to the last."

He’d struggled with this choice—whether to stand firm for the Han dynasty or to avoid bloodshed.

Now it seemed his decision had been right. He’d found a ruler who truly cared for the people.

Jiang Congyan was chatting with them so enthusiastically that Tuo Baxiao, standing beside her, couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

When they finally finished talking, Jiang Congyan personally walked them to the door. As she turned around, she saw Tuo Baxiao glaring, clearly unhappy.

"What’s wrong?"

Tuo Baxiao pulled her into his arms, his hands tight on her shoulders, then lowered his head and bit down a bit too hard on her lip.

Jiang Congyan winced at the pain.

"What are you doing?" She pushed at him, but his arms didn’t give an inch.

"You were having such a good time with them. I didn’t like it," he muttered.

She laughed, tilting her face up. "You’re jealous?"

"Yeah," he admitted bluntly. "I hate it when you smile at other guys."

"They're just my subjects and friends. There's no reason to be jealous." She poked a finger at his tense cheek.

"That guy Xie—there’s something off about him. He’s got feelings for you."

"Him? He barely even looked at me just now. What gave you that idea?"

Tuo Baxiao snorted. "Exactly because he’s got dirty thoughts that he wouldn’t look at you."

You had to admit guys were sharp about this stuff. Out of the two, Huan Jun had looked at her longer and smiled more—but Tuo Baxiao had picked up on something subtle about Xie Shao.

Thinking back, Jiang Congyan recalled that Xie Shao had always been very proper—he never overstepped, and nothing had ever happened between them.

"What if you're imagining things?" she asked.

"My instincts are never wrong," Tuo Baxiao said firmly.

"Fine," she conceded. "Let’s say, like you say, he has a little crush on me. So what?"

"Hmm?"

"You’re the one I love. We’re married—he’ll never be more than a subject."

With that, she rose onto her toes and kissed his lips.

Tuo Baxiao was still stunned by her sudden confession when he felt her warm lips meet his, her sweet scent wrapping around him. Only then did he snap out of it, pulling her tightly into his arms and deepening the kiss.

Then he picked her up, carried her to another room, kicked the door open, laid her on the bed, and stripped off her clothes, kissing every inch of her body.

"May I?" His voice was husky and controlled.

Be gentle.

Mmm, I know.

...