novelraw Chapter 71
Chapter 71
71~ Speculation~
There wasn't much worth describing about the road. Aside from the Empress playing with her in the carriage, it was the Empress playing with her in the carriage. Not a single bit of novelty! Simply not worth describing! (Not)
"Haven't you played enough?"
The little Princess pouted.
She wanted to pull her feet back, but the Empress had gripped them tightly the entire way. Her white-stockinged little feet had been played with the whole journey...
Being held and touched wasn't really a problem. If it were her previous life, as long as the Empress didn't mind, she could touch them forever. But the problem was her current body was truly very sensitive. Being played with like this with her white-stockinged little feet felt really quite strange...
Just lightly tracing her fingertips across the soles could bring her tremendous stimulation...
"Mm..."
"Bring the other foot over too."
The little Princess reluctantly extended it for the Empress to hold.
Now, the stimulation she had to endure doubled.
Not knowing whether she had tired of playing or thought of a new way to play, the Empress had her lie on her lap, then stroked her fur like petting a cat, from the top of her head smoothing to the tips of her hair, then stroking back up against the grain. Her other hand also constantly rubbed her bottom, just like petting a cat.
"Haven't you played enough? We're almost at the military camp!"
The little Princess said somewhat frantically.
If Xiyan pulled back the curtain in a bit, wouldn't she see her in this embarrassing state?
"Does Mo not like this feeling?"
"Who would like it!?"
Only you, this hentai Empress, would like it!
The little Princess cursed inwardly.
Really treating her like a pet...
Oh, right. The contract she signed with the Empress was a Pet Contract. It seemed like there was nothing wrong with this...
Perhaps because of the contract's existence, although she had no magic power and couldn't control magic power, the Empress could let her intuitively "see" magic power.
Looking with the naked eye, there was nothing, but she just knew where magic power was sparse and where it was abundant. However, she couldn't absorb this magic power she could "see."
After getting off the carriage, the little Princess curiously looked at the military camp temporarily built by three armies. The scale was much larger than the one she had visited before, but the facilities were much fewer. It was probably because they were departing soon so everything had been withdrawn.
Entering the military camp, brought by guards to a tent specially provided for them, the little Princess immediately lay down on the bed.
Although the mattress was somewhat hard and not as comfortable as sleeping in the Imperial Palace, this was already the tent with the best conditions in the military camp. While easy to dismantle and take away, it still had a certain level of comfort.
"Mm, Xiyan, bring me my body pillow."
Before departing, she had specifically asked the little loli maid to help her bring the small crocodile body pillow, precisely so she could hold something while sleeping to sleep peacefully.
"The two lords' tent is next door. Conditions in the military camp aren't as superior as in the Imperial Palace. If you have any needs, please feel free to call me."
"You may all withdraw first. Ling, go greet the General. Rest for another day today. Have the soldiers get organized. Depart tomorrow morning."
The Empress looked at the little Princess on the bed constantly rolling around while hugging the small crocodile body pillow and spoke to the several people behind her.
"Yes." ×3
Then, only she and the little Princess remained in the tent.
"Mo."
"Mm? What?"
"After entering Glaze Nation's territory, what do you plan to do?"
The Empress inquired.
Asking to have a mental preparation, so she could salvage things when problems arose.
"Emmm... planning to head straight for Glaze City."
Glaze City was Glaze Nation's main city, located in the southern part of Glaze Nation. After crossing the border between Scarlet Phoenix Nation and Glaze Nation, walking east for a while, they could directly head north, bypassing South Palace City and going straight to Glaze Nation's main city!
"Going straight for the main city?"
She had to say, after hearing the little Princess's explanation, it was truly bold. Bypassing South Palace City and going straight to Glaze City. If South Palace City's garrison came to support, they would be sandwiched.
"No, South Palace City's garrison is small in number, and they should still be in the reconstruction period right now. They can't support Glaze City."
When Scarlet Phoenix Nation sent out troops before, South Palace City was the first to be attacked. If nothing unexpected happened, South Palace City simply didn't have more military strength to support. Even if they did, it wouldn't constitute much of a threat.
"Then what about the Eighteen Alliance Nations army? If, as Mo said, they've colluded with the current acting King of the Eighteen Alliance Nations, this move will definitely draw the Eighteen Alliance Nations army, right?"
"I'll resolve everything before that happens."
The little Princess guaranteed.
She was confident she could quickly resolve Glaze Nation's current problems, rapidly remove that beast from power.
"Then let's go with Mo's idea. But remember the consequences if Mo doesn't handle things properly."
"Mm..."
She would also completely lose her freedom. Of course she would do her utmost to accomplish all of this.
"Then does Mo want to tour around?"
"Not really."
After being toyed with for two and a half hours in the carriage, she was quite tired. Her body constantly making various stress responses and all kinds of distracting thoughts in her mind had truly exhausted her. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been like just now, unable to wait to lie down the moment she saw the bed.
She wanted to sleep first, properly replenish the energy drained on the road, then she could start touring the military camp, arranging tactics, and so on.
"Then since you're tired, sleep well."
"But, but... why are you following me up!?"
The little Princess said somewhat desperately.
She really wanted to rest properly. She didn't want to be... that and that anymore...
"I'm also resting. Mo doesn't need to mind me. Just close your eyes and sleep."
As the Empress spoke, she had already removed her clothing, set up magic so that anyone wanting to enter from outside had to get her permission, then made it so sound couldn't transmit outside...
"Sleep."
The Empress embraced her slender waist and said.
Then there were no more movements. It seemed like she really was just holding her to sleep.
"Don't you have some proper business to handle?"
"I can have some."
"Then go do it!"
The Empress smiled without speaking, staring tightly at her.
"Are you sure?"
Wait, the proper business wouldn't be herself, would it?
The little Princess thought, then immediately closed her mouth, afraid that saying one more word would make the Empress treat her as the proper business.
Although it wasn't very likely right now in the military camp, she was still a bit afraid the Empress would really do it.
"Alright, sleep. I'm also tired."
The Empress buried her head in the little Princess's hair and took a deep sniff.
"At least let me take off the white stockings first!"
...
"So why is that Princess Mo following Her Majesty the Empress to prepare to go to the battlefield frontlines?"
"Don't know. Perhaps Her Majesty the Empress wants to bring Princess Mo for training?"
He speculated.
However, speculation could only be speculation. The real situation still depended on what the Empress said and what the Empress did. Otherwise, it was all blind guessing.
"Then what about those two other lords? I remember those two are Her Majesty the Empress's and Princess Mo's personal maids, right? Should we ask?"
"If you want to go, you go. I don't want to."
Joking. Going to inquire about Her Majesty the Empress and Princess Mo for no reason, isn't that purely looking for trouble? If Her Majesty the Empress wanted them to know, they would naturally know.
Author’s Note: Cough cough...
Next are some questions reflected in the comment section that I'll explain below.
—Dividing Line—
First is someone in the comment section saying the Empress doesn't respect talent, engaging in violence, assassination, and internal division issues.
Regarding this, what I want to say is, when having absolute control over the little Princess, normal people almost wouldn't consider the problem of rebellion, especially when the little Princess is also under house arrest by the Empress. After having absolute control, it's no longer a question of respect or not, but whether she'll be tormented. I think I've already written this very lightly.
Then regarding violence, historically there hasn't been a single emperor who wouldn't use violent means to maintain rule. Whether tyrant or wise ruler, all would use certain violent means. Those who could become good emperors were all people who were decisive in killing.
Moreover, there were already hints before, even outright statements. General Qin openly defied the Empress's orders. When the Empress announced withdrawal, he still planned to continue attacking Glaze Nation. This kind of thing in ancient times would also directly result in beheading. Here, defying orders and still wanting to attack, I didn't write about executing the entire family. Just giving a decent death method was really very light. Reality is even harsher than this...
Also, regarding the nobles later, thinking the little Princess was a Scarlet Phoenix Nation royal family member, planning to make a move on the little Princess to infiltrate the royal family, this kind of threat to the royal family in ancient times would also result in certain death.
As for internal division, the Empress has already nearly achieved dictatorship. This is a fantasy novel. Magic exists, something that completely doesn't exist in the real world. As a Great Archmage, the Empress has absolute strength and status. This kind of official, the Empress can abolish and appoint another at any time.
As for how things develop subsequently, please don't just casually read after reading Crimson King and then directly start judging. Thank you.
—Dividing Line—
The second is why the little Princess would develop favorable feelings toward the Empress. Let me first talk about Glaze Nation's own problems.
Because the little Princess copied her previous life's China's foreign policy for Glaze Nation, she was too naive at the time and didn't consider this was a war-torn era. Copying this set of policies caused Glaze Nation to be infiltrated by multiple nations.
Put it this way: when everyone is attacking each other and you suddenly propose peaceful coexistence and exchange with everyone, do you think it's realistic? The result of doing this is being targeted, because you don't have a fixed position and can lean toward anyone. So everyone would hope you were gone, all afraid you'd suddenly lean toward their opposition.
Then the reason Glaze Nation could push out this policy and still survive was completely because they didn't dare make a move due to Scarlet Phoenix Nation's threat, afraid that once fighting started, Scarlet Phoenix Nation would kill two birds with one stone. As mentioned later, some countries within the Eighteen Alliance Nations were simply in an adversarial state. Facing Scarlet Phoenix Nation's threat, they had no choice but to band together. So they could only infiltrate Glaze Nation, all attempting to make Glaze Nation controlled by themselves. Without Scarlet Phoenix Nation's threat, the first to disappear would be Glaze Nation.
Then after Glaze Nation was infiltrated, the First Prince colluded, willing to become a puppet to usurp power. The little Princess was awakened by the Empress, realizing the policy she originally pushed out was simply wrong. Glaze Nation's royal family was infiltrated without her knowledge, including Scarlet Phoenix Nation also infiltrating Glaze Nation. Otherwise, at the beginning, they wouldn't have known the little Princess was that commanding strategist.
Back to the main topic, the little Princess developed favorable feelings toward the Empress because the Empress planned to send troops to help the little Princess preserve Glaze Nation. The little Princess was also clear at the time that if there wasn't Scarlet Phoenix Nation's threat, Glaze Nation would have been gone long ago. After she pulled business for Glaze Nation and it leaked out, being targeted by the Eighteen Alliance Nations, the Empress later being willing to redirect troop deployment to help her resist the Eighteen Alliance Nations' attack made her develop a certain level of favorable feelings.
—Dividing Line—
The last question: Does the Empress only treat the little Princess as a private plaything?
Regarding this point, it's probably my fault. I described it too blandly, causing it not to stand out. Also, some things weren't written out, causing everyone to completely not see it. I'll take this blame. It really is my own problem.
The Empress doesn't simply only treat the little Princess as a private plaything. She has certain feelings. I didn't write it too obviously before, so I'll explain a bit here.
First, the Empress indeed at the beginning only treated the little Princess as a private plaything. Later, discovering the little Princess was actually only deep in scheming on the surface but actually very simple, it aroused her curiosity about the little Princess. After gradually understanding deeper, discovering that although the little Princess was a princess in Glaze Nation, she actually didn't live satisfactorily, compassion arose.
When the Empress overthrew the former Scarlet Phoenix Nation, she was a collateral royal family member, almost dropped out of the royal family member ranks. Among royal family members, she was the one with no status who was ostracized. Regarding the little Princess here, being magical, it's resonance.
Cough cough, don't say it's unrealistic. What you're reading is a magical light novel, not some reality reflection.
Later, the Empress's feelings toward the little Princess slowly warmed up (this point I apparently didn't write obviously, causing many people to tell me they couldn't see it...). Then up to the current plot pushing to the end of the volume's rapid warming (this apparently also wasn't written very obviously). But the Empress also has an extremely strong desire to control the little Princess. So what's presented later is that deformed love where the Empress wants to completely grasp the little Princess in her hands.
Regarding this, I can only say I'll definitely sort out the emotional line properly later, then optimize the emotional line's subsequent development to give everyone a better reading experience.
Also, please rest assured, I won't forcefully whitewash the Empress here. Things will develop however they should develop. No one will be forcefully whitewashed.
(PS/Author's Note: By the way, because of her past experiences, the Empress views family affection very lightly, so she can't understand why the little Princess would view these things so importantly. Because generally, royal family members universally aren't particularly focused on family affection. On this foundation, the Empress is extremely disgusted with her own family affection.)