SDIWD - Chapter 114
Chapter 114
New Year was one of the most important holidays in the Sheng Chao Empire. The government would hold parades and celebrations on this day. Nobles from all over the country would travel to the royal capital for an audience with the Queen, and the royal family would open a portion of the palace to entertain guests.
What the common people gossiped about most eagerly was who the lucky individuals chosen for an audience with the Queen would be each year. On the last day of the year, the Queen would meet with ten commoners selected by lottery to hear their opinions and suggestions.
This was a royal tradition. Although it had become more of a publicity stunt in modern times, it remained a major annual event because it was entertaining enough for the public. Ambitious participants hoped to use this opportunity to make a name for themselves, while those just joining in for the fun simply hoped to see the Queen up close.
In previous years, the entire nation would have long been filled with a festive atmosphere by this time, but this year was different. Ever since Hezhou province declared its independence, a somber mood had settled over the empire. Although the celebrations were held as usual, the royal family canceled this year's gathering of nobles, displaying a considerable degree of caution.
Just as the public was speculating whether the segment for meeting commoners would also be canceled, the royal family announced the list of attendees. To ensure the Queen's safety, a detailed background check was conducted on every commoner beforehand, and this year's procedures were especially strict.
After undergoing a thorough security check, the ten commoners were finally allowed to enter the royal palace. Four Sentinels from the Royal Guard escorted the group to the Queen's reception room. This was where the Queen usually received foreign dignitaries and political leaders, and where she gave interviews. This meeting was also being broadcast live via satellite.
During such tense times, security at the palace was even tighter. The ten individuals were led to separate waiting rooms to await the Queen's summons.
Hua Cu had just rushed back from the command headquarters in Hezhou that morning. After dealing with a backlog of official duties and meeting with the prime minister, she had only half an hour to rest before the live broadcast began.
The Queen lay on a massage chair with a steam eye mask on, resting with her eyes closed. The masked woman stood silently behind her.
"A'Zheng, pour me a glass of water," Hua Cu said, her voice tinged with fatigue as she crossed her hands over her abdomen.
The masked woman respectfully obeyed the royal command, but as she poured the water, she said, "You should not address me that way."
"Not even when it's just the two of us?"
Hua Cu lifted the eye mask to look at her just as the masked woman was handing her the glass. Hua Cu didn't take it immediately, staring intently at her instead. They remained in a standoff for a moment before the masked woman finally relented.
"Fine. As long as you're happy."
Only then did Hua Cu take the glass, a victor's smile gracing her lips.
The masked woman waited quietly for her to finish the water, then offered her a plate of caramel biscuits.
"Eat a little something. There's no telling how long the audience will last." Although each person's time was usually limited to ten minutes or less, if they encountered someone who came prepared to deliver a lengthy speech and genuinely possessed some insight and talent, they would, in principle, not be interrupted.
There was once an attendee who had written a hundred-thousand-word speech and spent two hours expounding on his views, causing the king at the time to fall asleep. Even better, ten years later, he became the empire's prime minister and would often recount this experience as an amusing anecdote, bringing even more attention to the tradition.
For once, Hua Cu had no appetite for sweets. She pushed the biscuits away and shook her head. "No, thank you. Is there anything sour?"
Perhaps due to the immense pressure, her appetite had been poor recently, and she had noticeably lost weight.
"Have some plums, then." The masked woman picked up a plate of preserved fruit from the coffee table and handed it to her. "You should stay and rest at the palace tonight. The situation in the new Hebei district is stable; there's no need to rush back overnight."
Although travel was convenient now, the journey was still exhausting. Moreover, the atmosphere at the frontline command post was tense, and the situation in the newly recovered Hebei district was complex. It would be better to stay in the royal capital and celebrate the New Year first.
But Hua Cu shook her head. "No. The situation in the new district is still unclear, and many urgent matters require my decision. Being there will improve efficiency."
"Not everything needs to be decided by the monarch."
Hua Cu raised an eyebrow. "Normally, no, but these are special circumstances… If we don't resolve this quickly, when will we ever be able to look for Mumu?"
To Hua Cu, Hua Ce's actions were nothing more than a desperate last struggle. If it hadn't coincided with Hua Mu's disappearance, she wouldn't have minded slowly wearing him down.
The Leader seemed a little helpless that the Queen's mind was preoccupied with matters of the heart rather than affairs of state.
"It seems your father's decision was correct after all. In some ways, you are truly unsuited to be Queen, to say nothing of Hua Jian."
In the past, Hua Cu would often get angry at the masked woman's opinions, but now she had learned to simply laugh them off.
"Suitable or not, I am already the Queen. For the people, a monarch with a human touch isn't such a bad thing. Besides, don't I have you? You can do all the rational thinking. As for A-Jian… his ambitions don't lie in politics. It's already a great injustice to him to be burdened with official duties. If it weren't for Mumu, he probably would have gone to guard Simin's tomb right after she died."
Grand Duke Hua Jian's devotion was famous throughout the empire, which was why, despite rumors of his extravagant lifestyle and absurd behavior, he still had a large following of female supporters.
"You two certainly have a deep bond as brother and sister. One takes care of… for his sister, and the other goes to great lengths for her brother."
Hua Cu gave her an ambiguous smile. "Are you jealous? Who's to blame that devotion is a royal 'tradition'? After the abolishment of polygamy, relationships between children naturally became more harmonious. Look, even someone as ambitious as Hua Ce was willing to violate the rules to marry Alisa. Even though Derek didn't awaken, he never had any intention of remarrying."
"…Besides devotion, isn't being widowed also a tradition?"
It was as if a curse had been cast. The more harmonious and loving the relationship between a royal couple, the earlier the other half would pass away. In this age of advanced technology, where the average lifespan of a normal person reached 100 years, and Sentinels and Guides could live up to 200 barring unnatural death, passing away before the age of 40 was extremely rare.
But looking at the royal family's history, over 60% of its members' spouses died before the age of 30, and less than 2% lived to a ripe old age. Among the closest direct lines today, Grand Duke Hua Jian's wife passed away at the young age of 22, Hua Ce's spouse Alisa met with an accident before she was 30, and the wife of Hua Cu's uncle, the old Marquis Hua Yuanziwei, also died early without leaving any children. Not to mention the former king, Hua Yuandu, and Hua Ce's father, Hua Yuanqing.
The names of this generation of Hua Cu's elders were taken from Qing Du Zi Wei. The third son was given a two-character name because his mother died in childbirth.
Although it was never spoken of openly, scholars had long proposed the theory of the royal family's tradition of widowhood on anonymous forums. Many also believed that a monarch like Hua Cu, who declared she would never marry, did so to protect her lover.
Hua Cu hadn't expected the other woman to believe in such things and gave a playful smile.
"You believe that? Simin was in poor health since she was a child; A-Jian was mentally prepared for it long before he married her. There are only a handful of bloodlines close to the royal family these days. How can you treat such a small statistical sample as a scientific conclusion? And if you go further back, you have to consider the average lifespan of the time, don't you?" The Queen was a believer in science and scoffed at so-called 'traditions'. "Besides, it's impossible to live a peaceful life at the center of power. In a way, I suppose that's a curse in itself. What's wrong? Is that why you're unwilling to go to Hezhou yourself?"
Hua Cu never worried about Hua Zheng, because in her heart, Hua Zheng's power surpassed that of a mortal. She truly couldn't imagine anything that could harm her, and she believed the other woman shared that confidence. She said this purely to pass the time and bicker with Hua Zheng, fully expecting a retort like, "I'm not your lover." She never imagined that the masked woman, after a moment of silence, would say something so incredible.
"Even if it was only by adoption… I was once a member of the royal family, after all."
Ever since Hua Cu ascended the throne, Hua Zheng had never left her side, protecting her like a shadow. But she had always believed that the other woman simply saw it as her duty.
Because she could never forget… what happened back then. She had to constantly remind herself, "this person has no heart," so as not to misinterpret some of her actions and words.
Hua Zheng was rational. Hua Zheng was wicked. Hua Zheng didn't understand love. Hua Zheng was just an all-purpose robot her father had prepared for her, one that had no choice but to obey.
But words like those… could never come from someone without a heart, could they?
"Come here."
Hua Cu's heart stirred. She sat up slightly and beckoned to the masked woman.
Hua Zheng didn't hesitate, obediently kneeling at her feet.
For once, the Queen openly embraced her guard and smiled. "What do you mean by that?"
"I'm explaining why I cannot leave your side."
"So you admit…" The Queen bit her lip, a little shy. "That I'm your lover?"
The Sentinel's tone was perplexed. "Why would you interpret it that way? Weren't we talking about your safety?"
Hua Cu was about to die of anger. She pinched the masked woman's thin back and said fiercely, "We were clearly talking about the royal tradition of widowhood. You're worried about me, isn't it because of… that?"
"Is that so? In a critical situation like this, Hua Ce will naturally try every means to target you. Why would I need another reason to worry about you?"
The Queen realized she had been played once again and was so furious she nearly fainted.
"Hua Zheng, go to hell!"
The entire empire was watching the live broadcast of the Queen's meeting with the commoners. The good news of the recovery of the new Hebei district was announced by the Queen herself, bringing a positive end to a rather turbulent year.
No one doubted the victory in this war. As long as the Queen held firm control over the power of the Tower, Hua Ce couldn't make any significant waves. What people were concerned about was how to minimize losses and casualties, and the royal family had now delivered a result that satisfied most people.
As in previous years, the meeting was full of unexpected situations. There was an uncle who fainted from excitement, a young man who talked so eloquently that he had to be interrupted, and of course, there were some heartwarming moments as well.
The last lucky person was a little girl of only five, who happened to be from the newly liberated Hebei district. Everyone guessed this was the main event, deliberately arranged by the royal family. The little girl was exquisite and adorable, and her childish, innocent words drew frequent laughter from the audience. The Queen even took the rare step of rising and walking toward the attendee, intending to embrace her.
But just as the audience was about to witness this historic hug, a black figure suddenly flew across the screen, followed by a brilliant flash of light and a massive explosion—the live broadcast was cut off.
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