Chapter 873
"You mean now?"
Shen Lang shook his head.
"Dhipas, you are incredibly beautiful, and you still are. But I just can't bring myself to do it right now. Your illness hasn't fully healed yet; if we were to have relations, it might be contagious. Besides, the brand on your buttocks hasn't completely healed either—it's still red and swollen, which rather kills the mood for me!"
Hearing Shen Lang's utterly shameless words, Dhipas clenched her fists so tightly they cracked. She was a hair's breadth away from smashing his skull.
"Huu, huu, huu..."
She gasped for breath, afraid she might die of rage, but since she hadn't fully recovered, she broke into a violent coughing fit. Shen Lang quickly patted her on the back, chiding her.
"See? Why get so angry? I'm a man who speaks his mind. I hate beating around the bush."
Duchess Dhipas finished her ginseng porridge without a word. Then, she quietly brushed her teeth and rinsed her mouth with rose-scented water. She struggled to get out of bed, slipped on a silk gown, and then lay back down. Worried about putting pressure on her wound, she hesitated for a moment before slightly lifting the hem of her gown to let the air reach it. At this, Shen Lang's breathing grew a little ragged.
"Shen Lang, I am an intelligent woman. You branded four characters on my body: 'Shen Lang's Slave.' I know that unless I have it carved out, I can never become Emperor Sauron's mistress, nor can I marry any other man of noble birth."
"Indeed. You could just treat those four characters as a tattoo. It makes you look all the more sensual and alluring. But if you were to have it carved out, the area would become quite unsightly."
Shen Lang nodded as if in vehement agreement with her. At that moment, Dhipas once again felt the urge to smash him with her fist.
*Weren't you the one who branded me?*
But then again, she had burned Shen Lang at the stake as a sacrifice to the Emperor. All things considered, they were even.
"Because you cornered me, I have been abandoned by many and find myself utterly isolated. In the future, I will execute all the traitors, which will put me at even greater odds with my vassals. When that happens, the only person I can rely on will be you. You have a saying in the East, do you not? 'What is lost at sunrise may be gained at sunset.' I have already lost something at sunrise; I cannot afford to lose you at sunset as well."
"You are quite cultured, Your Grace."
"Your scheme was quite brilliant. First, you drove me into a corner, and then you saved me. By doing so, all my resentment would be transferred to the traitors, while my hatred for you would be comparatively diminished."
"I have many women entangled with me in a web of love and hate."
Duchess Dhipas ignored Shen Lang's boast and continued speaking.
"Soon, all my vassals will ostracize me. The entire Seiren Empire will likely consider me a disgrace for marrying a mere Easterner."
"But..."
Shen Lang uttered the single word, speaking for her.
"But, as another of your Eastern sayings goes, 'Just when you think you've reached a dead end, a new path reveals itself.'"
*Clap, clap, clap.*
"Dhipas, you've made me see you in a new light. Your knowledge of Eastern literature is truly impressive. To think you even know that phrase."
Dhipas continued.
"But I never expected you to be Princess Helene's younger brother. Has she acknowledged your identity?"
"Of course. I am her only younger brother."
"Then our marriage is a union of equals. Although the northern nobles call Empress Helene the 'Traitor Empress,' no one has ever dared to deny her legitimacy. The histories of the Seiren Dynasty and the annals of every noble house all unequivocally recognize Empress Helene's rightful claim, and they devote significant space to the history of her reign. Although my Russo family's fief is in the south, I am a northern noble through and through. I hold no affection for Empress Helene; in fact, I vehemently oppose her policies of inclusion. But for high nobles, self-interest is paramount; personal feelings of love or hate are of little consequence."
"I've already figured it out. When the Witch Empire conquered the south, everyone feigned loyalty to Queen Medusa on the surface while secretly amassing a great army to reclaim their lands. This was all your doing. Your brother kneeling to the Witch Empire was, in fact, part of your plan. But after it happened, you had him killed."
"Shen Lang, are you rebuking me? Accusing me of being inhuman?"
"I was going to. But then I saw how well you treat Taren the eunuch, and Vaitin as well. That was genuine concern, straight from the heart."
"My brother was scum, a scoundrel through and through. Ah, my apologies, Lord Shen Lang. I'm not insulting you. While you may also be scum and a scoundrel, he was a far more despicable kind of scum. Hmm, no, you're that kind too. Forgive me. I can't seem to find the right words."
Shen Lang corrected her.
"He was a repulsive scoundrel, whereas I am a charming one."
Duchess Dhipas was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"That statement itself is repulsive, but it happens to be true."
"Let's return to the main topic. I don't believe you're a person devoid of humanity."
"Let's return to Empress Helene. In the north, and in the history books, she has a poor reputation. She's seen as the one responsible for the collapse of the Second Seiren Empire. But in truth, she was a great empress. Her policies were brilliant. During her reign, the southern part of the Seiren Dynasty saw tremendous development. So while they say she brought about the fall of the Second Empire, the Seiren Dynasty as a whole grew stronger. I'm not sure if you can grasp the logic in that."
Of course, Shen Lang understood. It was analogous to the relationship between the Sui and Tang dynasties. Although they were two different dynasties, in a way, they were a continuation of each other. Emperor Yang of Sui, Yang Guang, in order to counter the powerful aristocratic clans of the north, invested heavily in developing the south, drained the treasury to dig the Grand Canal, and turned the war with Goguryeo into a bloodbath for those same northern clans. Ultimately, his excesses led to the downfall of the Sui Dynasty. However, the glorious political legacy was inherited by the Tang Dynasty of the Li clan. Emperors like Li Shimin and Li Zhi continued to attack Goguryeo, develop the south, and suppress and destroy the northern aristocratic clans after ascending the throne. If the Sui Dynasty of the Yang clan had not laid the foundation, the Tang Dynasty of the Li clan could not have risen and become so powerful so quickly.
The Seiren Dynasty's situation was slightly different. The collapse of the Second Empire was due to the north-south divide and the lack of a suitable heir to the throne, which led to the dynasty's fragmentation. Despite this, the Seiren Dynasty's overall power remained formidable. Furthermore, the Seiren family had occupied the throne for ages, and successive emperors had not brought disaster upon the nation or its people, so they still enjoyed popular support. That was why, even after the unifying force of the dynasty was lost and the Second Empire collapsed, it did not descend into a large-scale civil war.
"Within the Seiren Dynasty, no matter how hostile the nobles are toward Empress Helene, no one can deny Princess Helene's bloodline. If she were to return, her claim to the throne would be among the top four. Moreover, most of the southern city-states and planets would support her, and the Veda people, who make up eighty percent of the population, would throw their full support behind her. After Emperor Sauron ascends the throne, he will surely appoint Princess Helene as the Prince-Regent of the empire to appease the south. Then she would be second only to one and above all others, a Vice-Emperor."
Westerners were certainly interesting. They even had a Vice-Emperor.
Shen Lang couldn't help but smile as he listened to Dhipas. The plan he was forming in his mind was quite different. Sauron had told Queen Medusa to either die or kneel and become his empress. That alone made Sauron an enemy in his eyes. Furthermore, Sauron had a close relationship with the White Whale, a creature that was both bizarre and powerful, and had undoubtedly played a crucial, unspoken role in the plot to destroy the Amazon Kingdom. Besides, why couldn't Helene become the Empress of the Seiren Dynasty herself?
"Would Sauron be able to tolerate Helene?"
"You would do well never to underestimate His Majesty Sauron's magnanimity. He is truly a towering figure of his generation, a man of immense ambition. His ideals do not stop at merely ascending the throne. Lord Shen Lang, what is that look on your face? Do you dislike hearing me praise another man?"
"What do you think?"
"But it's the truth."
"What truth? Say no more."
"Fine. I will say no more. In any case, Princess Helene is a descendant of the imperial family, and you are her brother. Although you do not share Empress Helene's bloodline, simply by being Princess Helene's brother, you will surely be made a duke of the empire. Therefore, our union is truly one of equals. This way, my marrying you will no longer be a scandal for the Seiren Dynasty, and my vassals will come to accept your presence."
Shen Lang asked in a surprised tone.
"So what is it you're trying to say?"
"I wish to accompany you for an audience with Princess Helene, the future Vice-Emperor of the empire. After that, we shall go to the Seiren Archipelago together and hasten the establishment of the Third Seiren Empire."
Shen Lang stared at Duchess Dhipas, his mouth agape. She was truly a political animal. No matter the situation, her primary goal was always to secure a political advantage. Duchess Dhipas said seriously.
"By doing so, I can maintain my position as the Guardian of the South."
Shen Lang remained stunned and silent for a long moment.
"What is it? Do you find my thinking abnormal? You were a noble in the Eastern world, were you not? You should be able to understand my reasoning. Ah, you were a noble in the East, correct?"
"Have you not heard my nickname? The man destined to be emperor. That's why my Mulan Castle is called the Empress's Castle."
Duchess Dhipas said with a weary expression.
"It was precisely that childish talk about being an 'Eastern emperor' that made me so suspicious of your noble status. Taren even wondered if every village in the East has its own emperor, with perhaps ten thousand people all claiming the title."
Ugh. Right. He had to admit, that sort of thing did happen. After the founding of the modern state, dozens of self-proclaimed emperors had emerged from the countryside alone.
"Princess Helene's father was an Easterner, and he is my father as well. Do you know who that Easterner was?"
"I do not. Everyone knows Princess Helene's father was an Easterner, but his identity is irrelevant. The descendants of Empress Helene are called traitors, but they are also known for being incredibly inclusive. Having relations with other races is quite normal for them. Ah, forgive me. My words may have offended you, being an Easterner yourself."
"Do you have any understanding of Eastern history?"
"I know a little."
"My father's name... was Jiang Li!"