Chapter 81 81: Empress Nova (Part 1)
Succubus Demon Queen Lena, And Solo Miasma Form Suthia, has been released in chapter 00
Nova the Empress of Dragon will be released in the next chapter...
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Another chapter after 20m.
Dragon Nation.
Imperial Capital.
This is the place countless people in the Dragon Nation dream of coming to, and it is undoubtedly the largest city in the Dragon Nation.
Here, it is abundant and bustling, with clean and tidy streets, and a dazzling array of shops and stores lining both sides of the road. There is a wide variety of goods, making it a feast for the eyes.
People dressed in a decent manner gather in groups on the streets, chatting and laughing. Luxurious beast-drawn carriages come and go, each carriage carrying wealthy and influential figures, making the capital lively and bustling.
Of course, there are also the fully armed Imperial Guards in uniforms patrolling the various alleys of the capital to maintain law and order and punish wrongdoers.
The Imperial Capital, as far as the eye can see, is a picture of peace and prosperity, seemingly demonstrating the flourishing state of the Dragon Nation to all visitors.
Perhaps that's why so many people from the Dragon Nation flock to the Imperial Capital, seeing settling here as a lifelong dream…
After all, even if it's superficial, even if it's an illusion, it's still beautiful, isn't it?
The Imperial Palace in the Imperial Capital.
If the capital is the heart of the Dragon Nation, then the Imperial Palace is undoubtedly the heart of the capital, the most crucial place.
The reason is simple.
Just one.
The Empress is here.
This place is the palace of the founding Empress of the Dragon Nation, the supreme monarch Nova, who stands above millions.
Today, the Imperial Palace welcomes a scene that hasn't been seen in centuries. The vast "Dragon Hall" is filled to the brim with people.
The identities of these people are well-known to any somewhat cultured citizen: the Minister of Finance, senior internal affairs officials, the Supreme Judiciary, the commander of the Forbidden Army.
Any one of these ministers and officials, whose names alone could intimidate many, are all gathered together. Despite their usual arrogance and dominance, they are all trembling and dare not even breathe loudly at this moment.
Because they all know.
Something has happened.
And it's big.
"Your Majesty! I... I hope to get an explanation, to let myself and my soldiers understand why we suddenly started a war, and why we are attacking the Holy Kingdom, initiating aggression!"
A burly man dressed as a general stepped forward from the ranks of civil and military officials. He half-knelt below the Dragon Throne and, with a loud and firm voice, dared to request an audience from the woman high above the hall, seated on the Dragon Throne.
However, the woman, on the other hand, had one hand casually resting on the armrest of the throne, rhythmically tapping it, while the other hand supported her chin. Her fiery red long hair cascaded down from the throne, reaching the ground. The deep brown dragon horns that rose on both sides of her crown were shiny and majestic, symbolizing her noble status.
The woman kept her eyes closed throughout, and below the split in her black qipao were two white long legs stacked on top of each other. The combination of red hair, black robe, and white skin created a striking visual contrast and impact. The faint eye shadow at the corners of her eyes was like ink painting, adding a final touch to her picturesque appearance, exuding a classical charm.
Seeing that the Empress had not responded and continued to rest her eyes, General Long, with his head lowered, mustered the courage to persist in his words. His voice, although lower, along with his subsequent words, shocked everyone in the Dragon Hall.
"If her Majesty cannot give me an answer, then I implore Your Majesty to retract the diplomatic document to the Holy Kingdom and withdraw the declaration of war against Holy Kingdom!"
This statement caused an uproar in the Dragon Hall.
In the hearts of the officials and ministers present, there was only one word left to describe General Long: (insane. He was definitely insane!)
(To dare to question the Empress, and in her presence!)
As expected.
As the last syllable of Long's words fell, the woman on the Dragon Throne finally opened her purple eyes.
In an instant, everyone in the Dragon Hall felt a shiver from the depths of their souls. It was an oppressive feeling from an absolute superior. As the woman's gaze swept over them after opening her eyes, each person's legs went weak, and they wished they could prostrate themselves. The overwhelming sense of being on a different level of existence made them feel like ants before the Empress on the Dragon Throne.
Fortunately, this aura of the Empress was quickly withdrawn, or rather, it was directed at just one person.
General Long, who had just requested her to retract her order.
The man known as the Dragon Kingdom's top general, the commander of the Dragon Army, which was arguably the strongest army on the continent, and the one who made countless people tremble with fear, was now sweating profusely. He clenched his teeth and felt the Empress's gaze locked onto him. Just that gaze felt like a thousand-pound boulder pressing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe, his shoulders ached, and his whole body trembled.
But even in this state, General Long did not yield, did not relent. He remained half-kneeling, using his knees to support his body, preventing himself from being completely crushed. He conveyed his determination to the Empress in this way, hoping she would listen to his advice.
After a few breaths, the woman on the Throne seemed to lose interest, retracting her gaze and closing her eyes again.
Below, General Long finally felt relieved, gasping for breath. His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to explode.
'Is this the Empress? Is this the power and pressure of Empress Nova? What kind of person am I claiming to be the strongest in the Dragon Kingdom when I couldn't even withstand her Majesty's gaze?'
While Long was still trembling, another minister in the Dragon Hall, who saw that the Empress had ended the interaction with General Long, stood up from the assembly.
It was the minister in charge of internal affairs, Charl.
"Your Majesty, please disregard the cowardly and timid pleas of some. The true citizens of the Dragon Nation, from top to bottom, are willing to exert all their strength to assist Your Majesty in conquering the Holy Kingdom!"
"I have already instructed the city treasuries to increase military pay allocations and be ready to recruit and expand the army at any time. In one week... no, within three days, our army can be at the gates, all the way to the Holy Kingdom's door!"
Charl spoke with respect for the Empress, but many officials in the rear of the Dragon Hall, upon hearing Charl's words, especially the words "military pay" and "expanding the army," had their faces turn unpleasant, and some even showed signs of anger.
Of course, most of them concealed their true feelings with a mask of joy, but they did so quite skillfully.
After all,
"Charl! On such a matter that will affect the Our Nation, even causing chaos throughout the continent, do you still intend to be corrupt, to engage in your despicable methods of extortion?"
"Do you still want to ask each city for military pay? Don't you know that there's no money left in the cities? Don't you know that most of the people in each city are already struggling to make ends meet, barely having enough to eat and wear!?"
Even in the presence of the Empress, Long could no longer contain himself. He stood up and shouted at the fat minister beside him. The general was furious, his eyes wide with anger.
Seeing that Charl completely ignored him, Long turned his head and knelt heavily in front of the Empress this time, not just a half-kneel, but a full one.
"Your Majesty, we must not expand the army any further. The army and its soldiers, no matter how many there are, are like a boat. The people are like water. Even if we build the largest boat, if there's no water, even the most powerful warship becomes a decoration!"
"Your Majesty, the Dragon Kingdom is already riddled with a thousand wounds. The people are suffering, famines are widespread, and disasters, big and small, are continuous. Yet they fail to receive the necessary disaster relief and poverty alleviation. It is because of these incompetent bureaucrats that people in various places have started to resent Your Majesty. Some arrogant and scheming people are even seizing the opportunity to incite the public, under the guise of righteousness, forming private armies, attempting to overthrow Your Majesty and subvert the Dragon Kingdom."
"Your Majesty! What our nation lacks now is not aggression and war with others. We should first ensure internal stability before we can think of expanding our influence externally. Taking advantage of your rare presence in the Dragon Hall, I implore you to abolish slavery, establish a monitoring office, clean up all those who are corrupt and abuse the law, and eliminate those who are eating away at the Dragon Nation from within. Meanwhile, I will personally lead the Dragon Army to eradicate the rebels, those who deceive the public and are traitors, and restore a true era of peace and prosperity to our Nation!"