Chapter 99 The Empress Destroyed Your Country (25)

Bai Tang’s gaze was gentle yet firm, exuding an air of certainty that made it seem like success was a sure thing. After uttering these words, Bai Tang let out a yawn and lazily said, “How annoying, still feeling sleepy even in my dreams. Nie Suzhi, you pulled me into this dream with you. It’s time to wash up and go to bed. Get lost!”

Her tone was gentle in the first half of the sentence, but then her attitude suddenly changed in the latter half, and she kicked Nie Suzhi out of the dream.

Song Zhi had experienced humiliation and it made Bai Tang even more sympathetic towards women who had gone through similar experiences, so she risked everything to save them. Nie Suzhi’s actions today were too extreme, wanting everyone in the world to suffer as he did.

Nie Suzhi, who had been kicked out of the dream by Bai Tang once again, had surprisingly become accustomed to it. He ordered De Fu to hold the lamp, took out some paper and ink, and started drawing.

The woman in the painting had long, lustrous black hair that cascaded down her shoulders. She wore simple and plain clothing, yet had an indescribable air of elegance.

Ever since he had discovered that Bai Tang was disguised as a man, her appearance in his dreams had remained like this.

Nie Suzhi then brought out a map and carefully examined it, trying to guess where Bai Tang might be.

She wanted to create a prosperous world and build a utopia, a paradise on earth.

So… it had to be hidden, with this as a prerequisite.

Nie Suzhi circled several locations on the map, thinking about the word “earth”.

Was she trying to overthrow him?

As a woman, she would likely choose the most likely force to rely on.

With this in mind, Nie Suzhi circled several more locations. He didn’t circle Minnan, though. Influenced by the era, no man would think that a woman could try to overthrow a regime on her own. At most, she would be dependent on another force.

The idea that women were subservient to men was deeply ingrained in people’s minds, which made Bai Tang’s actions even more covert. At the same time, it was more difficult to fight for a relatively equal position and break people’s inherent ideas.

He handed the portrait and map to De Fu and sat on the high platform, saying, “Pay close attention to these locations and send out more secret guards.”

That team still couldn’t move. Nie Suzhi felt that it wasn’t worth it to move that team for the sake of one woman.

De Fu was eager to make arrangements. His Majesty had many secrets, and it had been days since the assassination attempt, yet he could still paint a vivid portrait of the Empress. It seemed that the attack had cast a psychological shadow on His Majesty.

Everywhere there were whispers and rumors. Even some Jianghu¹ people who were only after money had joined in. However, Bai Tang seemed to have vanished without a trace, as if a needle had fallen into the ocean. This led many to suspect that she had died.

Little did they know, Bai Tang was living a much more comfortable life. Along the way, she picked up several capable people and frequently imparted to them her knowledge of management, military law, and livelihood.

The only thing was that every night she went to bed, Nie Suzhi would drag her into dreams that he had created. Over time, Bai Tang became numb to it and didn’t even bother to respond.

Three months later, Bai Tang and her group smoothly arrived in Minnan. 

The mountains here were undulating and the terrain was complex, with many refugees gathering, making it an ideal spot for bandits to thrive. The government’s attitude towards this was lax, to say the least.

Upon arrival, Bai Tang and several others discarded their disguises. Minnan was remote and conditions were harsh. 

She selected a mountain range where there were likely to be a large number of bandits and intended to lure and capture them. She executed a preemptive strike, beheading the most notorious of them in front of the rest.

Intending to train Wen Yueqing and Song Zhi, Bai Tang took them with her wherever she went. 

They watched as the brilliant and heroic Bai Tang became the leader of the biggest bandit gang in just a few short days. Those who dared to resist were all beaten mercilessly, so much so that it was too brutal to watch.

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1. TL/N: Jianghu
   -Literally means “rivers and lakes people”, refers to people who are active in the world of martial arts, often associated with the society of outlaws and vigilantes in ancient China. They are often portrayed as wandering martial artists who live outside the boundaries of conventional society and operate according to their own set of values and codes. ↩︎