Empress, Can I? [Transmigration + GL] - Chapter 66

Meng Wan’s party disembarked from the boat and switched to land travel, heading straight for Wangnan Village, the area hardest hit by the disaster.

Yanzhou’s terrain was uneven, compounded by devastating floods that made the roads nearly impassable. After a full day’s journey, they had only covered thirty li. As night fell, the group had no choice but to take shelter in a roadside village.

This village had once been sizable, with one to two hundred households. Now, it was completely deserted—everyone had likely fled as refugees.

Two houses in the northern part, situated on higher ground, had escaped flooding. The group settled in there.

There were sixteen Guards in total, handpicked by Wang Zhan from the Imperial Guards under Xuan Jingchi’s orders to protect Meng Wan and Yao Xianhui.

Among these sixteen, their leader was a man named Yan Xing—the same guard who had taken a knife meant for Xuan Jingchi when Leng Qiuci attempted to assassinate the emperor. Touched by his unwavering loyalty, Xiao Yueli had not only rewarded him handsomely but also ordered imperial physicians to spare no effort in saving him. Thanks to their care, he miraculously survived and became even more devoted to serving the emperor.

For the night, Yan Xing assigned three guards to keep watch while he and the others stayed in the western house. Meng Wan and Yao Xianhui took the eastern one.

Yao Xianhui set her bundle on the table, tidied up efficiently, then fetched bedding from the carriage and skillfully arranged it on the bed. She turned to Meng Wan and said, “Teacher, you should rest early. We have another long journey tomorrow.”

Meng Wan, impressed by how effortlessly the young woman handled these tasks, remarked with a smile, “Who would have thought Xianhui would be so capable? You’re quite the homemaker.”

Yao Xianhui gave a faint smile. “You flatter me, Teacher. I’m no homemaker. It’s just that during my exile in the wilderness, life was harsh. We often went hungry, and I had to do everything myself. I simply got used to it.”

Noticing the light dimming in Yao Xianhui’s bright eyes and the disappearance of her usual sweet smile, Meng Wan realized her casual remark had stirred painful memories. “I’m sorry for bringing up difficult times,” she said apologetically.

Yao Xianhui shook her head. “It’s all in the past. At least I’m still alive, aren’t I? I’ve started anew and even had the fortune of becoming your student. That counts as great luck.”

Meng Wan studied her for a moment before asking, “Xianhui, do you resent the Emperor?”

Before her family’s fall from grace, Yao Xianhui had been the pampered daughter of an official, living in luxury with fine clothes, lavish meals, and servants at her beck and call.

But after their conviction and exile, she had plummeted from heaven straight into hell.

Though Meng Wan’s family had also been implicated and enslaved in the palace, she had been just an infant at the time—never knowing privilege, and thus unaware of how cruel her circumstances truly were.

Compared to her, fate had been far crueler to Yao Xianhui. At twelve years old when exiled, she had already been old enough to understand everything.

Hearing Meng Wan’s question, Yao Xianhui shook her head gently. “I don’t resent her anymore.”

Which meant she once had.

“During those four years in exile, I kept wondering why such misfortune had befallen me. I hadn’t done anything wrong, yet I was exiled—filthy, exhausted, living worse than an animal. There were times when death seemed preferable.”

“But I never went through with it,” Yao Xianhui added with a self-deprecating smile. “Maybe I was just too cowardly to die.”

“Then one day, someone else voiced the same question. The guards laughed and said to her, ‘When you were living in luxury, did you ever ask why you had everything without lifting a finger?'”

“That offhand remark unraveled all the knots in my heart. Suddenly, my resentment vanished.”

“My good fortune came from my father, and so did my suffering.”

“It was fair after all! Truly, Heaven is fair to everyone.”

“If I must blame anyone, it’s myself for being too young—too young to stop my father when he was doing wrong.”

Under the candlelight, Yao Xianhui’s lips curved slightly as she lifted her gaze to Meng Wan. “Teacher, you don’t resent Her Majesty either, do you?”

Meng Wan hadn’t expected the question. She smiled faintly but didn’t answer.

Far from resentment—the Emperor had recognized her talents. Even if it meant sacrificing everything, she would repay that debt without hesitation.

Yao Xianhui bowed respectfully. “Teacher, please rest. This student will take her leave.”

Meng Wan nodded. “Sleep well too. We’ll reach Wangnan tomorrow, and there will be much work ahead.”

That night, lying in bed, Meng Wan reflected on what she had seen and heard these past two days.

The Emperor had long ordered the granaries opened to relieve the disaster-stricken areas and commanded the construction of temporary shelters for refugees. So why were the people still fleeing?

There had to be a problem—a serious one.

Everything would become clear once they reached Wangnan…

It was past midnight when Meng Wan finally settled her thoughts and closed her eyes. Exhausted from the day’s travel, she soon fell asleep.

But in the dead of night, shouts and the clash of weapons jolted her awake. The sky outside glowed with firelight.

She bolted upright, swung her legs off the bed, and rushed to the door. The moment she opened it, a cold glint shot toward her—embedding itself in the ground just three inches from her feet.

Meng Wan gasped in shock.

“Minister Meng, come with me quickly!”

Before the words had faded, another volley of arrows rained down from the sky. Yan Xing rushed over in haste, his longsword sweeping through the air to deflect the flying arrows as he urgently shouted, “Bandits are coming! Run! Hurry!”

Meng Wan was startled. “Bandits?! How many are there?”

“Can’t see clearly, but at least a hundred or two! Our men are holding them off up front, but they won’t last long. It’s critical! Minister Meng, you must leave now!”

Meng Wan nodded, then suddenly remembered something and called out loudly, “Xianhui! Xianhui!”

“Teacher, I’m here!” Yao Xianhui dashed out from another room, clearly having risen in haste—her hair disheveled and clothes in disarray.

“Run!” Meng Wan grabbed her hand. “Bandits are here!”

Immediately, Yan Xing summoned two Guards. He took the lead, sword in hand, while the two Guards flanked them for support. Meng Wan and Yao Xianhui followed behind as the five of them rushed toward the back of the house. Though there were bandits there as well, their numbers were fewer—most were being held off by the remaining Guards at the front.

Yan Xing and his comrades, being Imperial Guards, were elite warriors handpicked from hundreds, rigorously trained and each capable of taking on ten foes alone.

Yan Xing shouted, “Honorable men, I have humble gifts for you—take these banknotes as tribute!” With that, he reached into his robe, pulled out a stack of banknotes, and scattered them forward.

The message was clear: take the money and let us go. Even Meng Wan couldn’t help but silently admire his seasoned tactics—brave yet shrewd.

Yet, to their surprise, the bandits remained unmoved, making no move to grab the money. Clad entirely in black, they all glanced toward a figure seated on horseback, as if awaiting his command.

In the darkness, his silhouette was indistinct, but his cold laughter rang out. “Brothers, kill them all! Slaughter the men! Take the women back as our mountain brides!”

With a unified roar, the bandits raised their broadswords and longswords, charging forward once more.

Seeing this, Meng Wan bellowed, “I am an imperial official! Who dares defy the law? Take the money and withdraw, and we will let bygones be bygones!”

The man on horseback sneered even more viciously. “Hah! Pretending to be officials now?! Kill them! Leave none alive!”

By then, the Guards holding the front lines had fallen one after another, and more bandits surged toward them.

Meng Wan and her group were like helpless lambs, encircled by a pack of ravenous wolves.

A wave of bandits rushed forward. Yan Xing and the two Guards formed a protective ring around Meng Wan and Yao Xianhui, fighting desperately.

Warm blood splashed onto Yao Xianhui’s face, making her gasp. Thinking she had been struck, Meng Wan cried out in alarm, “Xianhui!” shielding her student with her own body.

All three of Yan Xing’s group were wounded, drenched in blood, yet their grips on their swords only tightened. Their eyes burned with fury as they glared at the encircling enemies.

The bandits faltered under their ferocious gazes, involuntarily stepping back.

The man on horseback roared, “Useless cowards! Archers! Shoot them full of holes!”

At once, the bandits at the front retreated, and over a dozen figures emerged from the shadows, drawing their bows and aiming at Meng Wan, Yan Xing, and the others.

Realizing their fate was sealed, Meng Wan held Yao Xianhui close and said regretfully, “I’m sorry for bringing you here.”

Yao Xianhui clung to her in return. Though disheveled and frightened, her expression was resolute. “It’s not your fault, Teacher. I chose to come.”

Just as the group was about to be riddled with arrows, agonized screams suddenly erupted from the darkness.

The bandits holding bows fell one after another, and then the leader sitting atop his horse was abruptly kicked off his mount.

Instantly, chaos erupted among the bandits.

The moon emerged from behind the clouds, dispelling the darkness before the forest.

Meng Wan only saw a white shadow darting back and forth among the crowd, like a wisp of white mist—elusive and impossible to pin down.

Wherever the white mist passed, cold steel flashed, and cries of pain followed. In mere moments, more than half of the hundred-odd bandits had fallen.

Yan Xing observed the lithe figure of the white-clad woman, her movements swift and peerless, her long sword flashing like lightning. Wherever she struck, it was as if she faced no resistance at all. Realizing they had encountered a top-tier martial artist, he exclaimed in relief, “Thank you, noble heroine, for saving us!”

The woman only replied coldly, “Still not leaving?”

Yan Xing snapped back to his senses, clasped his fists, and said, “Your great kindness will never be forgotten.” With that, he and the two other guards hurriedly escorted Meng Wan and Yao Xianhui away.

Meng Wan had been staring at the white figure all along. Now, hearing her voice, her heart trembled inexplicably. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a word, Yan Xing urged urgently, “Minister Meng, we must go!”

They had only taken a few steps when Yao Xianhui suddenly gasped, “Master, our baggage is still in the house!”

“What?!” Meng Wan halted.

The baggage contained clothes, silver, and books—those could be replaced. But the most crucial item was the imperial edict appointing her as an imperial envoy.

Yan Xing, no longer concerned with propriety, grabbed Yao Xianhui and ordered the other two guards, “You escort them away. I’ll retrieve it!”

Meng Wan insisted, “I’ll go with you!”

“No! Minister Meng must leave first!”

By now, the bandits had been scattered by the white-clad woman, but some still fired arrows toward Meng Wan and her group, clearly intent on killing her.

The woman casually scooped something from the ground and flung it. The archers cried out and collapsed simultaneously.

“I’ll go!” she declared. “You leave first!”

With that, her sword swept like a furious gale, instantly clearing the bandits blocking her path. In a flash, her white figure landed atop the large house.

Seeing this, Yan Xing was overjoyed. This woman’s skills were terrifyingly formidable—she would retrieve the baggage without fail. He shouted gratefully, “Thank you, noble heroine!”

Turning around, she led Meng Wan and Yao Xianhui charging out.

The bandits had suffered heavy casualties. Seeing Meng Wan escape, their leader, who seemed severely injured, lay on the ground wailing while furiously shouting, “What are you idiots standing around for? Chase her! If she gets away, none of us will live!”

A group of them scrambled to their feet, grabbing their broadswords and longswords as they gave chase.

Yet, after only a few steps, a white figure suddenly flashed before their eyes.

A woman in white stood before them.

She was breathtakingly beautiful, with snow-white skin and robes—her entire figure pristine except for her jet-black hair.

Her expression was cold and aloof, her bright eyes devoid of any warmth. Under the moonlight, her sleeves fluttered, and her long hair danced in the wind, making her look like an ethereal, otherworldly fairy.

But the sword in her hand exuded a chilling aura, its tip dripping blood that formed a thin, continuous stream.

The moment they saw her, their faces twisted as if they had seen a ghost. Their hearts seized with terror, and they shrieked, turning tail and fleeing.

“Stop! Don’t run! Kill her!”

Hearing their leader’s command, the group reluctantly halted, glancing back fearfully. They saw the woman slowly raise her eyes, her icy gaze sweeping over them.

A single glance was enough to make them tremble uncontrollably. They turned to their leader, stammering, “Boss, boss… this, this woman is evil! She—she might not even be human!”

“Bullshit! Stop scaring yourselves! Attack! Kill her!”

Reluctantly, the group turned back, hesitating whether to charge at the woman in white.

Suddenly, the woman curled her lips into a smile and said, “If you’re not afraid of death, come at me. A night like this is perfect for killing. Watch how I dismantle your bones one by piece and feed them to the dogs!”

Her voice grew softer as she spoke, and by the time she uttered “feed them to the dogs,” it was like a wisp of mist floating in the air.

“Ahhh! Mother! Ghost! Help!”

The group screamed in terror, dropping their weapons and bolting.

“Come back! You cowards! Useless trash!”

The leader, seeing his men flee, pounded the ground in fury. “Worthless! Good-for-nothing idiots, always ruining everything—”

He abruptly stopped. The moonlight cast a dark shadow on the ground before him. He looked up and met the gaze of a figure in white.

The woman loomed over him, a cold smirk on her lips, her eyes icier than frost. Seeing him look up, she punched him without hesitation.