Chapter 11: Margaret Wants to Share the Empress’s Burdens!
Maple Spirit Moon Shadow Palace.
After teleporting back to her chambers, the Empress of Eternal Night remained proud and powerful, her every movement exuding an aura of dominance that looked down upon all beings.
She was overjoyed, having finally found a direction for the empire’s progress.
However, upon closer inspection, a hint of panic could be seen in the Empress’s eyes.
Luring someone in and then running away felt a bit too thrilling…
She had killed countless people, but she had absolutely no experience with romance. At the time, she was merely contemplating how to reward Roger for once again resolving the empire’s predicament.
Money? Titles? Weapons and equipment?
It seemed the young man wasn’t particularly interested in any of them.
She gifted him a divine artifact, only for him to call her a jinx?
The Empress felt both puzzled and wronged.
Perhaps, an artwork?
As the word surfaced, the Empress inexplicably recalled the book Roger had been looking at earlier, “The Empress’s Feast.”
It was such a vulgar thing, yet he had risked burning his hand to save it…
He had even said those women in the book had figures similar to hers…
Bah! Bah! Bah!
He truly lacked worldly experience!
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck the Empress of Eternal Night: why not let him experience the world a bit?
The Empress of Eternal Night remembered a play she had watched during her maiden days.
During their first meeting over a meal, the female protagonist leaned forward to wipe a coffee stain from the male protagonist’s lips as they parted.
It was a simple gesture, yet it became an unforgettable, stunning glimpse etched into the male protagonist’s memory.
The Empress found that love story to be rather cliché; she couldn’t even recall the plot.
Yet, that particular scene lingered in her mind for a long time.
The actress, whose beauty wasn’t top-tier, combined with her actions, the atmosphere, the setting, and her expression, created a beauty that made one forget their worries.
Thus, the Empress decided to emulate it.
Judging by Roger’s reaction, the Empress of Eternal Night was certain she hadn’t ended up like Dong Shi imitating Xi Shi.
Her performance surely couldn’t be worse than that famous actress in the imperial capital?
After all, I am a hundred times more beautiful than her!
“Instead of coming to please me, who is right here, you’re going to look at those improper books? I’ll cure your blindness!”
The Empress made a gesture of gouging out eyes at the air, fiercely.
Then, she giggled, covering her mouth as if she had done something naughty.
She hadn’t felt this lighthearted and happy in a long time.
Listening to that brat’s unrestrained complaints made her feel young again, as if she had returned to her maiden days.
No longer the high and mighty Empress who had killed countless people, but the carefree little princess of the Azurevine Empire of old, idly discussing state affairs with her classmates in the academy.
Those beautiful, slow days!
A flicker of distraction crossed the Empress’s eyes, and she restrained her smile.
When she was in a good mood, she would help that kid improve his aesthetic sense!
For now, work still needed to be done!
The Empress rested for a while, changed into more comfortable casual wear, and ordered Margaret to be summoned for a discussion.
The grand unification policy could be implemented later; the secret arrangement for the disguised restoration army operation needed to be handled first.
Margaret was full of clever ideas and was best suited for this task.
…
Left Chancellor’s Mansion.
Margaret was deep in thought, staring at maps and military reports, trying to find a way to resolve the unrest in the seventeen nations.
To be honest, her feelings for the empire weren’t profound.
But she couldn’t bear to see the Empress of Eternal Night worried.
Moreover, Angelina had been on a triumphant streak lately, and she felt the need to regain her footing.
Just then, she received news that the Empress of Eternal Night had summoned her to the palace.
“Is it a meeting with everyone?” she asked the Empress’s personal maid.
“Only you.”
“Hooray!”
No need for that blue-haired saint to be a third wheel; His Majesty wants to summon me alone!
Margaret became excited.
She quickly changed into a cute Lolita-style outfit and bounced her way into the imperial palace.
As expected, His Majesty still had me in her heart!
When faced with the most vexing matters and the most difficult problems, she still thinks of me, Margaret, first!
Soon, she arrived at Maple Spirit Moon Shadow Palace.
“Your Majesty, your Margaret has arrived!”
“Hmm, sit properly and listen. I’ll speak, and you’ll record.”
Before the Empress of Eternal Night was a projection of the empire’s vast territory, covered in dense markings.
She had reconsidered and transformed it into the “disguised restoration army” operation, part of a chain of schemes, and informed Margaret.
Margaret listened, utterly stunned.
Her usually watery peach blossom eyes sparkled with brilliance, and her heart melted towards the Empress of Eternal Night!
Your Majesty, she is truly, truly, truly magnificent!
In just one afternoon, she devised such an ingenious chain of schemes!
The disguised restoration army would extort funds from the seventeen nations;
Lure out and capture all the surviving descendants;
And also extort benefits from the Seven Gods Church;
Most importantly, this move, crying “stop thief” while being the thief, would directly push the citizens of the seventeen nations into the empire’s embrace!
This was a top-tier strategy that achieved four objectives with one stone!
Coincidentally, the atmosphere of longing for their former homelands was already brewing in the old territories of the seventeen nations, making the establishment of a restoration army a natural progression.
Implementing this plan would be incredibly simple, and the gains would be immense!
When the time comes, a veritable “arrow to the clouds,” and a thousand armies will arrive to meet!
Who would have thought this was merely a small trick by the Empress?
She quickly explained all the key points.
The Empress of Eternal Night then asked:
“Have you recorded everything?”
“Your subject has recorded it all.”
“What do you think the chances of success are?”
“Your subject is absolutely confident that we can deal with those seventeen remnant forces using Your Majesty’s brilliant plan, and thwart the Seven Gods Church’s schemes!”
Margaret replied with utter certainty.
“Good. I trust your abilities. This matter must be handled quickly and secretly. You will be directly accountable to me and will have the right to enter the palace and have an audience at any time during the operation!”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. There is one thing your subject doesn’t understand!”
Margaret said, feigning seriousness, “How did Your Majesty’s brain grow like this? I was racking my brains all afternoon and couldn’t come up with any new methods, yet you’ve already devised such an imaginative, easy-to-execute, highly beneficial, and soul-crushing strategy?”
The Empress of Eternal Night obviously knew that this little girl was using a question to flatter her.
Flattery, no matter how it’s disguised, always gets through.
But she was in a good mood now and chuckled without exposing her.
After all, it was indeed a good plan.
She herself had contributed a considerable number of details.
She could claim at least forty percent credit, couldn’t she?
However, the Empress of Eternal Night truthfully replied: “The person who initially proposed this plan wasn’t me.”
“Could it be Marshal?”
“No.”
“Is it Dean Hall?”
“Not him either.”
Margaret’s expression suddenly changed: “Could it be that blue…”
“Alright, stop guessing. You are the Prime Minister, can’t you be a bit more magnanimous?”
The Empress of Eternal Night shook her head helplessly. “It wasn’t Anja, it was a… commoner magician I met at the grand library.”
Margaret was surprised: “A commoner? Then why hasn’t Your Majesty recruited him into the court?”
The Empress of Eternal Night’s expression became peculiar.
She had offered Roger a chance to serve, and Anja had also made arrangements.
But that guy had always found a plethora of excuses to dodge them.
He just wanted to lie flat!
The Empress felt a little embarrassed about this, attributing it to her insufficient charm that she couldn’t persuade the hidden dragon and phoenix to emerge.
So, she could only sigh regretfully: “He said he was still young and wanted to study more at the grand library before entering officialdom.”
“What a pity.” Margaret sighed in agreement.
This commoner who could devise such a cunning and malicious plan was very much to her liking!
She was willing to cede the title of “Empire’s Number One Poisonous Strategist” to him!
He truly played with people’s hearts at his fingertips.
Margaret left the palace.
Besides the disguised restoration army operation, she also remembered the keywords: grand library, young, commoner magician.
This commoner magician was unwilling to serve in the court, and from the Empress’s demeanor, she was truly regretful!
She, Margaret, the smartest, most considerate, most beautiful, and most adorable Prime Minister by His Majesty’s side, must naturally take the initiative to share Your Majesty’s burdens!
She decided that after the operation was over, she would visit the grand library.
If she was fortunate enough to meet this commoner magician, she would definitely persuade him to join the court and serve His Majesty!
Even if, as a last resort, he still refused to serve, as long as she built a good relationship with him and he offered her some advice, she could surely perform well in front of His Majesty, couldn’t she?
At that time, let’s see what that blue-haired saint can do to compete with me!
I have an unparalleled advisor, while she only has a useless brother!
Mwahahaha!
Margaret was extremely pleased with herself, believing she had found the secret to victory!
