She is the Side Character! — Watch Her Change her fate!

"I believe we should not take this lightly. It’s best to send more spies to Canglan Country, in case they grow strong and develop ideas against Nan Qi."

...

After much discussion, the conclusion was to remain inactive until provoked by the enemy.

Given the current situation in Canglan Country, even the radicals dare not boast and can only choose to bide their time.

The journey back for Ah Chen was indeed not smooth; someone attempted to assassinate her.

Of course, they didn’t succeed, and a live assailant was captured. It wasn’t a Death Warrior, but rather a member of an uprising force from the east.

"Make a note of this," Ah Chen said with a smile to Lu Zhu inside the carriage, "We can use this as an excuse to attack them later."

Who knows if other rebel forces would come to assassinate her. It would be best if they all came at once, providing a ready excuse.

If none come, it doesn’t matter. The rebels have already made their move against her, and she can’t distinguish between them; they’re all from the east.

Lu Zhu and Hong Zhu exchanged glances, both smiling in agreement. Who wouldn’t they provoke, but chose to provoke Your Majesty specifically. However, the east is indeed chaotic; according to what they’ve learned, the common people there have the hardest lives. Today they’re governed by one force and have to pay taxes; tomorrow, if another force takes over, they’re taxed again. Families with beautiful daughters better remain unnoticed, or they can’t escape. Wealthier families either pledge allegiance or are forced to do so, and those with even a bit of integrity who refuse face dire consequences.

There are indeed some uprising forces with decent conduct, but among the multitude of factions, they are not prominent, having started late. Their luck is in managing their small domain and not much else. Over time, they might have the chance to grow stronger. But given the chaos in that region, unforeseen incidents could happen at any time.

After several waves of assassination attempts proved futile, the other side gave up.

There’s no need to think much about it; the forces taking action clearly want to provoke conflict between Canglan Country and Nan Qi, hoping that they would fight, allowing the eastern factions to fish in troubled waters.

But they overestimate Nan Qi. They don’t even dare to oppose Bei Qi, let alone challenge the much stronger Canglan Country.

Nan Qi’s resolve is too weak. What do they have to resist with?

Even if the Ninth Princess died on the road, they wouldn’t dare utter a word, and might even help Canglan Country concoct a reason. It’s something they’re capable of doing.

When they want to fight, anything can serve as an excuse; when they don’t, there are plenty of reasons to avoid conflict.

After some difficulties on the road, they finally returned to Nan Qi’s Capital City.

Time passed quickly, it had been over two years since she last left this place.

Ah Chen lifted the curtain slightly, casting a glance at the somewhat unfamiliar city gate. The image of the Commissioner returning from Bei Qi to Nan Qi popped into her mind. Upon seeing the familiar gates, he was filled with joy, excitement, a sense of having survived a calamity, believing that from then on he could live smoothly, slowly forgetting the painful memories of the past.

He even consoled himself with the thought that he had at least maintained peace in Nan Qi, seeking some comfort for his heart.

Who would’ve thought what came next, to the extent that she eventually became a joke, forming the foundation of her profound hatred toward them all.

In a very secluded palace within the Imperial Palace of Canglan Country, the captive is the Third Prince of Bei Qi, Song Yuheng.

Inside the palace lived only two people, Song Yuheng and his loyal maid, Jing Shu.

He wasn’t entirely cut off from outside news; if he wished to know, he could learn of the latest happenings from the guards at the entrance.

Over the past two years, he has learned from the guards about the changes in Canglan Country, and he knows that when the Barbarian Tribe invaded, they were easily repelled.

Those Barbarian Tribes, notoriously troublesome, having been defeated multiple times by Canglan Country, were actually frightened, to Song Yuheng’s disbelief.

A guard, noticing his surprise, said with a smile, "His Majesty treats the soldiers very generously. They are well-fed, warmly clothed, and can even take silver back home. Naturally, the soldiers are strong and willing to fight. It’s not difficult for them to defeat the starving and freezing Barbarian Tribe. If they couldn’t, were they just freeloaders?"

Two years have passed, and it turned out Canglan Country had been established for over two years.

They never dreamed they would live such a good life, without worries, just fulfilling their responsibilities, and as long as they made no mistakes, no one had the right to punish them nor assign them to degrading tasks, nor would they be mistreated.

Isn’t a Monarch King like that, a country like that, worthy of their loyalty?

In fact, they were originally slaves of the Bei Qi Royal Family, and now many with similar origins in Canglan Country are employed by His Majesty, no longer fearing they might be mistreated someday.

There were those who disapproved of His Majesty’s employment of slaves, but it was futile. Someone even attempted to coerce His Majesty but was demoted to slavery for three months, then reinstated in their position. He said, "Now that you are like them, do you also feel inferior, unworthy of being an official? If you can’t get over it, resign your post."

Because of this, many people criticized His Majesty.

But even more people admired Her Majesty—those who were once captive slaves, the common citizens of Canglan Country. A Monarch King like this makes them more willing to follow; for them, in her eyes, there is no distinction, and only His Majesty truly cares about them.

Once people find dignity and respect, no matter how lowly they were once regarded, they are unwilling to return to those days; they want to stand tall, no longer a head lower than those nobles.

Initially, some still held onto their noble mindset, failing to recognize the gravity of the situation. Later, discovering something amiss, it was already too late.

News from outside continuously astonished Song Yuheng.

Did Canglan Country really so easily subdue the army that once belonged to Bei Qi? Was Bei Qi truly so unpopular?

Canglan Country killed many people, particularly among the nobility of Bei Qi, almost wiping them out. Song Chen was once criticized as tyrannical, said to be a future despot.

But... the people of Canglan Country clearly didn’t think so.

The ones who died were nobles; what did that have to do with commoners? With the death of those nobles, they were better fed and clothed—wasn’t that a farce? It’s said that after confiscating the properties of those nobles, Canglan Country’s treasury was nearly filled.

Song Yuheng smiled bitterly—how could there be someone like Song Chen? Unless hosting a banquet for meritorious ministers, it’s said she never had more than three dishes and a soup in one sitting. It seems she didn’t care for such things at all, as if her mission was merely to change everything, indifferent to any external possessions. Since the establishment of Canglan Country, she has never indulged; her entire mind invested in governing Canglan Country.

She even had people like Fan Shi and Xue Shanhuai by her side. These two are very much like her, which is truly frightening. Who could stand against them?

Since ancient times, who among those who held power did not indulge in it?

Song Chen also didn’t care if others wanted to enjoy life, as long as it was within reason and they did their duties well; they were free to do as they pleased.

That is what makes it even more terrifying.