Han Ziwen was intelligent and lively. The Second Prince's birth mother doted on him, praising him repeatedly and inviting him to visit the palace often.
After a while, the Second Prince also came to pay his respects to his birth mother, and the three of them had dinner together before the Second Prince took Han Ziwen back.
In the carriage.
"Ziwen, you behaved very well today. I like it very much."
"As long as my wife likes it."
On the day of returning home, the Prime Minister's husband held Han Ziwen's hand and asked him carefully how he was doing.
"Father, please don't worry. My wife treats me very well."
"Good child, you must learn to plan for yourself early and strive to give birth to a daughter. The royal family still values heirs. You must do this before others enter the household, do you understand?"
"Son understands."
As for the Prime Minister, whenever the Second Princess brought up state affairs, the Prime Minister would skillfully deflect. After two attempts, the Second Princess understood her meaning and only talked about marital matters.
That night, the Second Princess came to Han Ziwen's courtyard. Upon seeing her, Han Ziwen became as timid as a startled rabbit.
"Your Highness."
"Ziwen must have been very favored by Prime Minister Da Ren when you were in the Prime Minister's manor. Do not become estranged from the manor after marriage."
"Yes."
"If you could marry my elder sister, I doubt you would be this dull and silent."
Han Ziwen quickly knelt on the ground, "Your Highness misunderstands. Ziwen has been poor at speaking since childhood."
"Heh, get up and help me change."
"Yes." httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
The Second Princess would often verbally humiliate him and treat him roughly before leaving. Han Ziwen lay on the bed, not daring to make a sound, tears soaking the pillow.
Zhao Zhuoru possessed memories of her past life, and the Empress was willing to delegate power to her. After years of recuperation, Yue Country had become increasingly prosperous, so she decided to take the initiative.
With the Empress's permission, she quietly moved troops to the border. She personally led the army to march, catching the Ri Country completely off guard.
Shui Wa: "I must record this battle observation diary well."
"This is too foolish. Why would they send someone to shout a few words before engaging in battle? Aren't they afraid of an ambush?"
"Damn, what formation is this?"
"The quality of this armor is good. It's been pierced twice and still hasn't broken?"
"Holy shit, Zhuo Zhuo, you're amazing! How did you know they were going to launch a sneak attack? You truly are someone who can be Crown Princess."
"These people are quite clever, knowing to open the city gates to welcome the army. Resisting to the death is just a dead end."
Zhao Zhuoru ordered that the civilians were not to be massacred. Those who surrendered voluntarily were incorporated into the army and would be closely monitored to prevent them from causing trouble. They would be at the forefront of the next battle against Ri Country.
The women of Ri Country lined the streets to welcome them, some holding their own grain, wanting to offer it to the female soldiers of Yue Country.
"Crown Princess, you are mighty! Thank you so much. I've been waiting for this day for so long, hahaha."
Shui Wa: "Hmm, Zhuo Zhuo is very popular with the people."
A small number who cursed Zhao Zhuoru were caught by soldiers and immediately beheaded as a warning.
The Yue Country army advanced like a broken bamboo, reaching the capital of Ri Country. Seeing Zhao Zhuoru's army at the city gates, those arrogant ministers' legs finally turned to jelly.
"How can I, a man of seven feet, be subject to a woman? Wouldn't it be chaos if women ruled the country? Your Majesty, this old minister will take his leave first."
After speaking, the man rushed forward and leaped from the city wall. The others knelt, not daring to move, their hearts turning cold.
The Emperor of Ri Country silently took a few steps forward and subtly glanced down. The old man's head was askew, and there were red and white substances scattered around.
Seeing this, the Emperor of Ri Country felt nauseous. He took a deep breath and immediately calmed himself.
"Crown Princess of Yue Country, our two nations have never been enemies. Why must you make such a large-scale attack? I am willing to cede two cities and offer ten thousand taels of gold. Can you withdraw your troops from the city?"
"No."
"Whatever your demands, you may state them one by one."
"I am acting under the mandate of heaven to achieve great unification."
The Emperor of Ri Country knew that he had no hope of turning the situation around. He removed his imperial crown and placed it on the city wall.
"I hope the Crown Princess will treat our people kindly."
With that, he drew his sword and slit his own throat.
Seeing him fall, the ministers behind him rushed forward with red eyes. The Prime Minister of Ri Country hugged his corpse and wept bitterly.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty."
Tears flowed freely on the city wall. The soldiers guarding the gate threw down their weapons. The Yue Country army marched in unimpeded, and Zhao Zhuoru entered the imperial palace directly.
The Emperor's consorts were gathered in the Empress's main hall. The maids had already packed their valuables, ready to flee at any moment.
A young eunuch in blue ran in, knelt on the ground, and cried loudly, "Empress Niangniang, Empress Niangniang, His Majesty has passed away."
Everyone panicked. They clutched their daggers, ready to follow the Emperor to death if necessary.
Zhao Zhuoru's people quickly took control of the entire palace. All the consorts were allowed to return to their own families.
Those from ordinary families who were not in the capital could stay for the time being, but they all chose to leave that day. Zhao Zhuoru thoughtfully arranged for female soldiers to escort them.
Influenced by Shui Wa, Zhao Zhuoru decided against forced relocation this time. After all, these houses were significant assets, and rebuilding them would require immense manpower and resources.
Zhao Zhuoru sent people to politely invite the ministers of Ri Country. Those who came recognized the current situation. The stubborn ones claimed to be ill and did not come. Zhao Zhuoru directly had them dealt with.
With the help of those ministers, the system of Ri Country was quickly understood, and her confidantes were left behind to arrange everything.
As for the soldiers of Ri Country, Zhao Zhuoru sent the most combat-effective and insubordinate ones back to Yue Country to dig canals and divert the holy water to Ri Country.
The old officials of Ri Country naturally could not control military power. Those who surrendered and had been trained had to obey Zhao Zhuoru's confidantes and be stationed in Ri City, as Yue Country would be paying their salaries from now on.
The day before Zhao Zhuoru departed, her confidantes had already organized the money and treasures within the Ri Country palace. Zhao Zhuoru took charge of the account books, and all the gold, silver, and treasures were transported back to Yue Country.
Shui Wa: "Life on campaign is truly difficult. Just sitting in a carriage for so many days makes me want to vomit. Zhuo Zhuo, you are truly amazing."
"You're making me blush."
"It's just... that Vermilion Gold Eight Treasures Ruyi Necklace is so beautiful."
"You can take it yourself. I don't know where it's put."
"Alright, Zhuo Zhuo, you're so kind. ฅ(̳•◡•̳)ฅ"
As the sky darkened, the entire army halted its advance. Tents were set up, and preparations were made for cooking, creating a harmonious scene.
Several female soldiers even became interested in the tall men of Ri Country, gathering in twos and threes to chat.
"You haven't even cleaned this fish properly. It'll taste bad when it's grilled."
"How could that be? We always prepared them like this before. I rinsed it several times with water."
The female soldier smiled and took the item from his hand, quickly cleaning it. She threaded it onto a branch and placed it over the fire to roast slowly.
"How old are you?"
"I..."
"Hahaha, I'm not going to eat you. What are you afraid of? Our army's discipline is very good; we won't discriminate against you."
The person looked disbelieving and whispered, "Eighteen."
The female soldier frowned and asked directly, "Are you married?"
The person shook his head, and the female soldier burst into hearty laughter.
"Then what do you think of me?"
"We... we are not suitable. I cannot have children."
"I have an elder sister at home, so not having children is not a big deal."
The girl's gaze was ardent and sincere. The person, afraid, retreated a step, his face filled with mistrust.
"Don't women in your Yue Country place great importance on descendants? Just like our women in Ri Country must give birth to boys to carry on the family line."
"Ri Country no longer exists. Women in our country greatly respect their husbands. It is not oneself who suffers, so one has no right to demand anything."
"Let me consider it."
The person said and then ran away.