Chapter 78 A Promising Start to the New Year

Chapter 78: A Victorious Start to the New Year

"Her Majesty has won..."

The distant shouts of victory, rising one after another, momentarily drowned out the cheers celebrating the successful defense of Jiankang. It was as if someone feared the news might be missed within the city, so they stepped onto the battlements and proclaimed it again, letting it spread even farther.

But by the time the words reached people's ears, their minds, still reeling from the recent fervor, were momentarily dazed.

Her Majesty has won...

This wasn't merely about Jiankang remaining under the Great Ying's control, nor about her courtiers securing victory for her. It also meant that Her Majesty, from Luoyang, had repelled formidable enemies. Even with celestial omens foretelling events and her adversaries incited to act prematurely, she had still achieved a resounding victory.

Listen to what the messenger said!

The Qin state lost its Prince of Jin, and the Wei state lost two senior generals—both halted outside Luoyang's Eight Passes!

They came to seize Luoyang exactly as Her Majesty had predicted, yet they suffered such a crushing defeat, proving once and for all who was truly destined to rule the land.

"Did you hear that?" Yu Hong scuffed his feet on the ground, as if from habit, to wipe away the blood, or perhaps just to draw closer to those around him.

But then, without even looking, he suddenly gripped the shoulder of the person beside him, his excitement indistinguishable from the exultant crowd.

"I heard, I heard! Her Majesty has won!" Sun En slapped his hand away, his face twisted in disdain, yet his eyes shone brighter than when he had rallied the people for the counterattack.

The next moment, everyone watched as this down-to-earth General Sun dashed through the crowd, even slinging an arm around someone he had previously "encouraged."

"Her Majesty has won! We've just delivered Her Majesty some excellent news!"

Was there any sight more moving than this...

In Sun En’s eyes, the faces of those who had, in righteous indignation, once picked up hoes, now brimmed with a twofold joy.

They were not trained soldiers, already utterly exhausted, yet they still turned and ran back the way they had come, eager to spread the good news to even more people.

By the time he and a few others carried the remains of Wang Yu and his ilk to Xie Daoyun, the battle outside the city had fully concluded.

The troops led by Chu Lingyuan slowly halted beneath the city walls amidst the fading clangor of weapons, responding to the war drums above, preparing to set up camp. It was then that Sun En and the others happened to witness the oldest and youngest among the courtiers exchanging glances.

The one on the walls had personally sent her away from Jiankang, entrusting her with a great responsibility—and she had fulfilled it, steadying the morale of the reinforcements.

The setting sun and the blood, both typically ominous colors, now seemed like manifestations of life and hope, enveloping Jiankang as it descended into night.

And soon, it would awaken to the light of a new dawn.

Unable to resist, Sun En joined the voices above and below the walls, shouting once more, "Hey, did you hear? Her Majesty has won!"

***

Xie Daoyun had a splitting headache.

A terrible headache.

Logically, with the news of Her Majesty’s victory spreading, the people of Jiankang had been given further reassurance, and no more troubles should arise. Aside from hunting down a few scattered traitors, the overall situation had stabilized.

Amidst the clashes on multiple fronts, Liu Muzhi had also meticulously documented events in the rear, gathering evidence to hold certain "old tortoises" accountable later.

All that remained was to wait for Her Majesty’s return, report the series of events in Jiankang, and then she could finally rest—but who could have foreseen this fresh wave of trouble?

Chu Lingyuan looked at her with hopeful eyes. "Historian Xie, I want to go welcome Her Majesty too."

"Jiankang has too much unfinished business. We’re short-handed," Xie Daoyun mercilessly refused her.

Everything should be seen through properly, from start to finish!

They couldn’t let Her Majesty see that, the moment news of her victory reached Jiankang, a crowd had rushed into the welcoming procession, heedless of protocol, as if abandoning the capital behind them.

With officials involved in rebellion, some needed to be detained, others imprisoned, leaving many positions vacant—some even requiring temporary replacements.

These were all matters for the logistical officers to handle.

She had scarcely recovered after the city's defense, yet after just one night’s rest, she would have to pick up her brush again, issuing directives one after another.

And now, a few persistent petitioners had come knocking, each asking for permission to greet Her Majesty.

What was this?

A bunch of foster children clamoring to see their guardian?

Chu Lingyuan pouted. "Then why can Murong De go?"

Xie Daoyun replied, "He has ties to the fallen Later Yan, which may affect Her Majesty’s strategic adjustments in the north. General Liu’s decision to march on Ye was also made without prior approval, verging on insubordination. He needs to seek forgiveness from Her Majesty sooner rather than later."

There was another reason she couldn’t explain to Chu Lingyuan, but Xie Daoyun deemed it necessary.

Liu Bobo’s origins were obscure, yet his strength was undeniable. As his deputy general, Murong De still carried an imperial haughtiness—he needed to cool his head before Her Majesty’s triumphant army.

Chu Lingyuan pressed, "Then why can Strategist Zhang go?"

Xie Daoyun answered, "She holds no official appointment from the court. Earlier, she was only assisting Sun En in subduing the Celestial Masters. And there’s one thing she said that obliged me to let her go: ‘I was Her Majesty’s first subject.’"

Chu Lingyuan seethed—this was one point she truly couldn’t compete with!

"Then what about me...?"

She was yearning to see Her Majesty too...

Resting her chin in her hands, Chu Lingyuan caught Xie Daoyun using her brush to slide a document out from the pile. Puzzled, she reached for it and unfolded it—only to find it was a petition of confession from Liu Muzhi.

"What’s he confessing to?"

"What do you think?" Xie Daoyun sighed, shaking her head.

"Oh—he slipped away!" Chu Lingyuan slammed the table, never expecting that Liu Muzhi, the second-most restrained among them, would attempt such a deception.

"He claims it wasn’t slipping away—he was just informing Her Majesty in advance about who rebelled and who defected, so she could deal with them immediately upon returning. His excuse isn’t completely without merit. Do you understand what I’m saying?"

Chu Lingyuan nodded emphatically. Understood, absolutely understood. How could she not? "I’ll go prepare a memorial right away!"

Amused, Xie Daoyun watched as the figure, who had recently grown so much steadier in public, darted off like a nimble rabbit. She knew she shouldn’t be impulsive now, yet she couldn’t help but heed her heart's desire this once.

Perhaps she also wanted to show Her Majesty through this eagerness that, even with upheavals in the rear, even though Great Ying was still a fledgling dynasty, the court’s loyalty to Her Majesty remained undiminished.

Indulge their childishness—just this once.

Of course, next time, those who had already "confessed" would have to remain at their posts.

Madam Huan, who had just been invited, looked on in confusion as the senior official in charge gazed at the mountain of documents before her, a faint, enigmatic smile playing on her lips.

As if, beyond this paper mountain, she could see another scene entirely...

***

That was the Great River blanketed in winter snow.

In the unusually cold weather, the river's flow had also slowed to a crawl. So much so that the eastbound fleet, though moving downstream, seemed to progress even more sluggishly than on their way here.

Yet the atmosphere aboard these vessels was far from frozen by the harsh winter—instead, it was boisterous.

"Your Majesty—" Liu Yiming shouted through cupped hands toward Wang Shenai, who was leaning against the bow of the ship, "Who do you think will win this round?"

Wang Shenai smiled faintly and murmured something to He Song beside her. He Song then strode over and replied, "Her Majesty says that since it’s the New Year, and the first gift for the courtiers hasn’t even been sent out yet, you all can decide for yourselves."

Liu Yiming’s expression instantly turned serious, all traces of playfulness vanishing in an instant.

"Come on, everyone, step aside! Let me be first to defend the challenge!"

Ever since the army turned back from Luoyang and entered Jing Province, supplies had been plentiful—if anything, more than enough.

The officials in Jing Province were quite amusing. Each of them knew that while they hadn’t made any mistakes in transporting military supplies, they hadn’t exactly distinguished themselves either. They had merely cooperated in groups without daring to cut corners. Now that Her Majesty had returned victorious, they feared she might settle accounts with them one by one. So they scraped together everything they could, rummaged through their storerooms, and sent over a substantial amount of military provisions.

Her Majesty said nothing, merely passing through Jing Province first, intending to deal with matters in Jiankang before having words with the people of Jing. This only made them even more uneasy.

Liu Yiming found their expressions so entertaining that she could work up an extra appetite every day. Now, well-fed, warmly dressed, and at the peak of her strength, the exhaustion from her earlier surprise attack on the Wei Army’s rear had long been replenished. She was determined to take first place in this hand-to-hand combat!

She wanted the New Year’s reward from Her Majesty!

However, just as she grabbed Tan Daoji’s shoulder, ready to fling him like a sack, the boat suddenly rocked, throwing both of them off balance. They stumbled and fell to the side.

Liu Yiming reacted quickly, bracing herself against the ship’s hull and flipping back onto her feet in an instant.

But when she looked down, she realized she had crossed the line. Her temple twitched. "This round doesn’t count! What kind of steering is this?"

The soldiers around her, eager to compete for the prize, burst into laughter—Xie Yuejing’s being the loudest. "Who ever heard of someone on a boat complaining about the rowing? Just step down already."

Liu Yiming decided to appeal to authority. "Your Majesty—huh?"

Her call to Her Majesty had barely left her lips when she saw the sovereign abruptly straighten from her lounging position, leaning slightly forward as if peering ahead.

Liu Yiming immediately abandoned her argument with the others, snatched up the Black Lance resting nearby, and made for Wang Shenai.

Seeing her reaction, the soldiers swiftly shed their playful expressions and rushed to their respective posts, bracing for enemy contact.

No river pirates would dare block a fleet of this scale, but no one could guarantee that something hadn’t gone wrong in Yangzhou’s rear. An enemy attack was entirely possible!

"If anyone’s really that blind, it’s time they learned a lesson..."

Whether she was good at naval combat or not didn’t matter—she and the others accompanying Her Majesty back were still battle-ready.

But when she looked ahead at the river, Liu Yiming realized in an instant that her guess was completely wrong.

It wasn’t the enemy—it was friendly forces bringing good news.

Yet the sight on the river was enough to take one's breath away.

Boats—so many boats! When Her Majesty had set out on the campaign, Fu Yan had volunteered to lead his troops into battle, but only a single fleet had arrived ahead of them. Now, however, vessel upon vessel lined both sides of the river, slowly emerging and gathering along the homebound route.

They were now within sight of Jiankang, so it shouldn’t have been surprising to see fishing boats from the area sailing onto the river to welcome Her Majesty’s triumphant return.

But ahead of the fishing boats were the usual merchant vessels, their tops flying the great "Ying" banners in imitation of Jiankang’s military flags. They looked like beacons lighting up one by one across the river’s surface.

And on both sides of the Great River, regular imperial troops stood at attention, silently awaiting the imminent reunion.

Vessels of all kinds drifted along this mother river, the lifeblood of the land, flowing toward Jiankang, the heart of the Ying Dynasty. In the winter chill, the scene seemed to freeze for a moment, catching in Wang Shenai’s throat as she watched.

Suddenly, several boats surged forward, closing rapidly once given leave, heading straight for Her Majesty.

Liu Yiming blinked and spotted Chu Lingyuan standing on one of them.

She couldn’t be sure, but it looked like the woman had discreetly wiped her face—whether brushing off river mist or tears at the fleet’s reunion, it was impossible to tell. By the time she boarded, she showed no sign of her earlier emotion.

Liu Yiming had to admit that in these short few months, rapid growth hadn’t been limited to just herself—it extended to everyone stepping onto the ship now.

Some were familiar faces, others not, but without exception, they all bore the scars of battle and a kind of unmistakable, hard-won maturity. When they stood before Her Majesty, they did so with straight backs, awaiting her appraisal.

If even she could see it, how could Wang Shenai miss it?

As Zhang Dingjiang slowly approached, the sovereign couldn’t suppress a faint smile. "It seems you’ve all gained much. You couldn’t even wait for me to return to Jiankang before rushing to report."

"Yes!" Zhang Dingjiang answered firmly, bowing. "After Your Majesty’s departure, the aristocratic families plotted rebellion and usurpation. We crushed them, slaughtering over 3,000 rebels from the Northern Army and 4,500 riotous officials and private troops from the aristocratic families. We confiscated seventy-odd officials’ residences and implicated thirty-seven major clans. General Liu remains stationed in the southeast, awaiting final accounting. All involved parties in Jiankang are now under guard. We await Your Majesty’s judgment."

The list Liu Muzhi had insisted should reach Wang Shenai early was now lifted overhead by Zhang Dingjiang and presented to her.

Thirty-seven implicated clans might not sound like much, but if each aristocratic family’s branches were counted under the main lineage, the number of individuals involved could exceed two thousand—no insignificant number for the Ying Dynasty!

With the unrest in Jiankang quelled and the northern enemy only just repelled from Luoyang, what judgment would Her Majesty render?

Wang Shenai’s gaze swept over Chu Lingyuan, Liu Bobo, Liu Muzhi, and the others before settling back on Zhang Dingjiang. She pronounced judgment: "I rather like a straightforward word I once heard mentioned—"

"Kill!"

Let the guilty perish—only then would their efforts be honored. The boats continued eastward, bearing her decree onward. "Let this be... the New Year’s auspicious beginning!"

***

Mu Rongde lowered his head and mumbled to himself, "My Chinese might not be the best, but is that really how the term 'auspicious beginning' is used?"

His voice, however, was soon lost to the river's roar.