“Alright, alright. We’ll do as you say and reopen the imperial examinations.”

Yan Bailu was already annoyed to death by this old man, so she simply agreed to his request.

As for the consequences, what did they have to do with her?

She had no interest in thinking about anything else right now, since she was only temporarily living in this body.

As for this country and its rivers and mountains that belonged to her enemy, the sooner it was destroyed the better.

“Your Majesty is wise. This old minister will take his leave.”

Hearing his voice, Yan Bailu came out of her thoughts.

By the time she looked up, the white-haired old man who had made her feel such immense pressure was already retreating out of sight, and she finally let out a breath.

Moments earlier, when she awoke in this body, she had realized she seemed to be in a different place.

Then, from the mouths of the attendants serving “her,” she learned the identity of her current body, and she had been utterly stunned on the spot.

The empress, Wu Qianlan.

That was her current identity, and also the very target she had always wanted to avenge herself upon.

At first, she had even thought of killing herself outright, to count it as avenging the extermination of her entire clan.

She did not value her own life that highly.

Yet, for some reason, just as she was about to commit suicide, a man’s face appeared in her mind.

It was her husband, the man she had snatched from the foot of the mountain three years ago.

At first, she had only wanted to leave a descendant for the Yan family.

But after three years of living together, no child had been born, and instead they had developed deep feelings.

If she died so easily, what would become of her husband?

He knew no cultivation at all.

How was he supposed to survive alone in that bandit den?

While she was hesitating, a white-haired old man suddenly entered the palace requesting an audience.

Watching the richly dressed old man with his overwhelming presence bow and shuffle his way out, Yan Bailu suddenly understood something.

Who said revenge had to be taken through destroying someone’s body?

Now that she herself was the empress, didn’t that mean the entire Great Song was under her command?

Besides, the one who had ordered her entire clan executed was not this empress, but the foolish emperor of the previous reign.

Since that dog of a foolish emperor was already dead, if she destroyed the Wu family’s realm and toppled the Great Song that his ancestors had painstakingly ruled for hundreds of years, would that not be even more satisfying?

Once she understood this, Yan Bailu relaxed.

For now, the most important thing was to familiarize herself with this imperial palace.

She could sense that there were many experts within the inner palace.

Although she had inexplicably become the empress Wu Qianlan, those people should not suspect anything.

Or rather, no one would ever imagine such a thing could happen.

But she had never placed her hopes on others, even if her current status was that of an empress.

With that thought, she turned her gaze inward, preparing to check whether this body could circulate internal qi.

Then she saw two towering “peaks” blocking her view, preventing her from directly observing herself and forcing her to use other, more troublesome methods.

Drawing on her past experience, Yan Bailu directly drew in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and used it to instantly open up the Eight Extraordinary Meridians of this body.

Moments later, having returned to the third rank of a martial grandmaster, Yan Bailu opened her eyes once more.

‘I really don’t know what the point of growing something this big is. Compared to my old figure, this is pathetic.’

Feeling the heavy burden on her chest, Yan Bailu irritably slapped it twice, sending waves rippling.

In truth, whether in the literary path or the martial path, once one reached the third rank, the ultimate direction of cultivation was largely the same.

For someone like Yan Bailu, who was only a step away from the second rank, returning to the third rank in such a short time was as easy as drinking water.

Even if this body seemed to have some inherent restriction that prevented it from entering the path of cultivation, a minor flaw like that was nothing more than a skin-deep infection to a peerless martial genius like Yan Bailu.

Once she had restored this body to the third rank, Yan Bailu finally felt at ease. She glanced outside and saw that dawn was fast approaching.

She had no intention of sleeping. Instead, she closed her eyes and sat in the imperial study, quietly waiting for the morning court session.

She was very much looking forward to it, and an odd little smile unknowingly appeared at the corner of her mouth.

Of course, before she turned the Wu family’s realm upside down, she should probably find her husband first.

Alone in that mountain stronghold, he was surely in great danger.

* * *

Ning Qingtian slept very soundly.

For the first time in three years, he slept with such peace of mind.

Because last night, he had finally gained power that truly belonged to himself.

Although that power might still be far weaker than his wife the “monster,” at least he no longer needed to cling to her side every moment and rely on her protection.

So it was only when his face became covered in blazing sunlight and he began to feel uncomfortable that he finally opened his eyes.

“You’re awake.”

Hearing the familiar voice, Ning Qingtian sat up, stretched, and felt his joints crack and pop all over.

As he wiped away the comfortable moisture at the corners of his eyes and yawned, he looked toward the source of the voice.

His wife was already fully dressed, seated at the table, seemingly looking at something.

Ning Qingtian glanced outside.

The sunlight was painfully bright, and it was already close to noon.

“Madam, how come you have time to wait for me today? Is there nothing to deal with in the stronghold?”

As he shrugged on his outer coat, he questioned his motionless wife.

Usually, he only saw her at mealtimes and when they went to bed at night.

He had tried offering his suggestions in the past, but before he could even speak, that Wang Shuye—who had always resented him for stealing the position of “stronghold husband”—sent him away with “the inner chambers must not meddle in government affairs,” drawing laughter from all the bandits.

From then on, Ning Qingtian simply kept his mouth shut.

He knew that in talking to these bandits, if you lacked the strength they recognized, they would treat your golden words as nonsense.

In truth, at any time, only by holding power could one have the right to speak.

“There is business today, but I have put it aside for now.”

“Put it aside? Why?”

Startled, Ning Qingtian came over to her side and saw that she seemed to be looking over the personnel register of the stronghold.

“I told you last night, didn’t I? My cultivation ran into some problems and my memories are a little unclear. It is better if you temporarily handle the stronghold’s affairs for me.”

Wu Qianlan closed the roster she had found in the room and spoke calmly to this “bandit husband.”

“I can handle it, but those people definitely won’t listen to me.”

Ning Qingtian frowned.

To be honest, he had long wanted to change the way things were in this stronghold.

“That was before. Now you have begun cultivating the literary path, and besides, with me behind you, what is there to fear?”

Wu Qianlan frowned as she stated her reasoning.

“Since my lady has my back, then I will leave everything to your husband.”

Ning Qingtian did not refuse.

Since he now had a chance to hold authority, it was time to straighten out the crooked habits of these bandits.

He just did not know that his “wife” currently had no ability to protect him at all.

If he knew, he probably would not have agreed so readily.