Dragon Phoenix Double Happiness!

Luo Shenhuang, escorted by Wei Tong and others, returned towards the Great Zhou Imperial City.

On this return journey, Luo Shenhuang felt as if her heart had turned to ash, knowing the path ahead was bleak.

The only thing that brought her comfort was that along the way, whether in the countryside villages or ancient towns, countless common citizens were loudly praising and publicizing the Divine Phoenix Army's victory over the barbarians.

Especially her name, Luo Shenhuang, was passed from mouth to mouth, revered as a once-in-a-millennium heroine, a truly remarkable woman.

"Hahaha!"

"No regrets in defeating the barbarians!"

This made Luo Shenhuang laugh heartily towards the sky, with a resolve to face death calmly. Finally, three days later, the group arrived back at the Great Zhou Imperial City.

Luo Shenhuang was secretly escorted by Wei Tong and others to the Imperial Study.

Xia Weiyang, dressed in a magnificent phoenix robe, was seated at the imperial desk.

Upon seeing Luo Shenhuang, Xia Weiyang's originally gloomy expression brightened, and a smile appeared. "Divine Phoenix Sister, you're back!"

Looking at Xia Weiyang's feigned smile, Luo Shenhuang had never felt so disgusted. She shook her head and said indifferently, "Xia Weiyang, why are you still pretending at a time like this!"

Seeing Luo Shenhuang drop the pretense, Xia Weiyang immediately dropped her fake smile.

She waved her hand, signaling Wei Tong and the others to withdraw, and then said coldly.

"Luo Shenhuang, can you blame me for this? It's all your doing. I told you to stop the northern expedition and go south to pick lychees, why did you defy my imperial decree!"

"Do you know how many Golden Edicts I sent you? A total of thirty-six. And what did you do? You ignored my orders and insisted on defeating the barbarians!"

"You are a subject, and I am the sovereign. Yet, you, my subject, treated my commands as if they were mere whispers in the wind. Do you still acknowledge my existence!"

By the end of her speech, two streams of rage shot from Xia Weiyang's eyes!

Luo Shenhuang's actions had greatly damaged her authority as Empress!

Upon hearing this, Luo Shenhuang remained neither servile nor overbearing. Although her hands and feet were bound, her delicate body stood as straight as a spear, and she argued logically, "You are the sovereign, and I am the subject. By rights, I should obey your imperial command!"

"But what did you say before the Former Emperor passed away? You promised that as long as I helped you ascend the throne, you would reform the court, reduce taxes, clarify laws, and rectify discipline... become a wise ruler, a legendary Empress!"

"The barbarians have been a cancerous tumor plaguing the northern borders of my Great Zhou for hundreds of years, and they must be completely eradicated. Yet, you wanted me to go south to pick lychees?"

"Is this your act of a wise ruler? Absurd, simply absurd!"

Although Luo Shenhuang's words were not loud, their impact was immense, like a series of slaps fiercely striking Xia Weiyang's face, causing her expression to become enraged, her fists clenched tightly.

Xia Weiyang wanted to retort, but she couldn't utter a single word.

In the end, she could only say unwillingly, "What do you know? That was a delaying tactic. When did I ever say I wouldn't destroy the Northern Barbarians? Besides that, in what other way have I not been a wise ruler!"

"Hahaha!"

"Xia Weiyang, you truly don't even blush when you lie. Do you really think I don't know about the sordid things you've been doing behind my back?"

Luo Shenhuang sneered contemptuously, then continued, "You say going south to pick lychees was your delaying tactic, but what about Ding Hao?"

"Ding Hao?" Xia Weiyang was startled.

Luo Shenhuang said with a face full of mockery, "Do you really think no one knows about your disgraceful act of using Ding Hao as a stud for your fake imperial heir and then demoting him to a death row inmate? Is this your wise rule?"

"What! You!"

Xia Weiyang was shocked, truly not expecting Luo Shenhuang to know about this.

However, in a flash, she figured it out. It must have been Ding Hao who told her!

After all, Zhang Dalong's letter mentioned that Ding Hao was highly valued by Luo Shenhuang now.

Seeing all her disguises ruthlessly exposed by Luo Shenhuang, Xia Weiyang was no longer angry or upset. She let out a cold laugh.

"Heh heh, yes, you're right. I, Xia Weiyang, am not a wise ruler, nor have I ever intended to be one!"

"I endured countless hardships to climb from a talented woman to the position of being above ten thousand people. Why should I be a wise ruler, toil for those common folk, or consider those ungrateful people?"

"I, Xia Weiyang, will be a tyrant, a foolish ruler, a wicked ruler! I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me!!"

Hearing Xia Weiyang's words, Luo Shenhuang's expression trembled violently!

She never expected Xia Weiyang to be far more terrifying than she had imagined.

After all, throughout history, even foolish rulers wouldn't openly declare their intention to be a foolish ruler from the start, but Xia Weiyang dared to!

This proved that she had no regard for the common people or the Great Zhou dynasty in her heart!

Her sole desire to be emperor was for her own selfish desires!

And she, Luo Shenhuang, had actually helped such a person ascend the throne and become the Emperor of Great Zhou. This made her incredibly angry and full of regret!

"Xia Weiyang!!"

"You scoundrel, how could you... gag~"

Luo Shenhuang was furious and about to curse Xia Weiyang, but as soon as the words left her mouth.

She suddenly felt a wave of nausea and immediately rushed to the side to dry heave.

"Hmm?"

This scene made Xia Weiyang frown, but then, as if she had thought of something, her beautiful eyes narrowed, and she quickly said, "Someone, summon the imperial physician!"

Luo Shenhuang gagged for a good while before coldly stating, "Xia Weiyang, we've already fallen out. Why pretend? No matter how unwell I am, I don't need your concern!"

Xia Weiyang didn't reply. She waited for the imperial physician to arrive, then pointed at Luo Shenhuang. "Go, she's been gagging constantly. Take her pulse properly!"

"Yes!"

The imperial physician approached Luo Shenhuang. She initially wanted to resist, but remembering how unwell she'd been these past few days, she stopped struggling.

After the imperial physician took her pulse for a while, he immediately knelt and reported, "Your Majesty, Military Lord Luo is experiencing morning sickness. The reason her reaction is more severe than usual is because she is carrying Dragon Phoenix twins!"

"What!!"

This statement was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, striking Luo Shenhuang's head and leaving her completely stunned!

As for Xia Weiyang, after a moment of surprise, she burst into laughter.

Her laughter was filled with sarcasm and mockery. "Heh, Luo Shenhuang, Luo Shenhuang, you really proved me right. You're actually pregnant. But I recall you've never been married, never had a lover, right?"

"The world says I climbed my way up using my looks, that I ascended through cunning tricks. So it turns out you, Luo Shenhuang, are also a debauched slut!"

"Luo Shenhuang, Military Lord of the Divine Phoenix Army, pregnant before marriage, and during wartime no less! This is truly a shocking scandal to the world. And you, Luo Shenhuang, have the audacity to lecture me with such righteous indignation!"

Xia Weiyang seemed to have found a handle and lashed out at Luo Shenhuang.

Little did she know.

Luo Shenhuang hadn't heard any of it. Her mind was already a complete blank!

After all, she had returned to the capital with the intention of dying!

And now, she was pregnant? And carrying twins!

How could this be?

What should she do?

How should she proceed?

She was dazed!

She was dumbfounded!

She was stunned!

It wasn't until Xia Weiyang's questioning shout echoed that her thoughts were jolted back to reality!

"Luo Shenhuang, whose bastard child are you carrying?"