Three Steps: From Assassin to Empress - Chapter 70
Chapter 70: A Provocation
The chapter begins at the military exercise on玄wu Lake. The Qiang envoy, mocking the Southern Dynasty, challenges them to send out a specific swordsman, a veiled reference to Ying Xiu, the assassin. He believes that no matter what the Emperor does, the Southern Dynasty will be shamed. The Emperor, from his high platform, stares at the envoy with an intense, icy gaze. The envoy is surprised to see such a beautiful and dignified ruler.
The Emperor, however, is not intimidated. He mockingly suggests that the envoy himself should participate in the competition, which makes the envoy nervous. The two sides agree to a fight without weapons, just a test of strength. The Qiang soldiers, larger and more muscular, easily defeat and kill two Southern soldiers. The envoy, full of pride, boasts about his victory.
Ying Xiu’s Intervention
Suddenly, a clear voice rings out, and Ying Xiu appears on the platform. Dressed in gold, he is a stunning sight as he gracefully moves toward the Emperor. The officials are surprised to see the “male Empress” here, wondering if the Emperor is truly serious about him. The Emperor, visibly worried, asks Ying Xiu why he has come. Ying Xiu, in a rare moment of formality, addresses the Emperor as “Your Majesty” and says he wants to try.
The envoy, still arrogant, makes a flirtatious comment about the beauty of the two men, which angers Ying Xiu. Ying Xiu challenges the envoy, offering to fight in his place. The envoy, confident that Ying Xiu will lose, accepts and agrees to give him anything he wants if Ying Xiu wins.
Ying Xiu then jumps off the platform and glides over the water to the waiting Qiang soldier. He introduces himself, “I, Ying Xiu of the Southern Dynasty, will fight you.” The soldier laughs, mocking Ying Xiu’s small stature, but Ying Xiu, annoyed by the comment, glares at him with an expression he learned from the Emperor.
Victory and Revelation
As the fight begins, the soldier, trying to cheat, uses a concealed set of sharp claws on his fingers. But Ying Xiu, an expert assassin, disappears in a flash. The water explodes as the two men fight. The officials on the platform are nervous, but the Emperor calmly watches, holding a heavy crossbow. He then fires an arrow into the water.
The water clears, and the onlookers see a single figure standing on the surface: Ying Xiu. The Qiang soldier is submerged, with only his head showing. Ying Xiu holds up the soldier’s concealed claws and loudly accuses them of cheating. The envoy is embarrassed, and the Southern officials are stunned—not only did Ying Xiu win, but he also revealed his intimate relationship with the Emperor by calling him Yin Huan, the Emperor’s birth name.
The Emperor, ignoring the envoy’s accusations of foul play, immediately goes to Ying Xiu to check for injuries. He asks if he is hurt, and Ying Xiu reassures him that the bl00d is not his. The Emperor is relieved but visibly upset, and he asks Ying Xiu who gave him permission to come to the lake. Ying Xiu avoids the question and turns to the envoy, reminding him that he owes him something.
The envoy, nervous and unsure of what Ying Xiu will ask for, is shocked when Ying Xiu turns to the Emperor and asks, “Yin Huan, what do you want?” The envoy realizes he has gravely miscalculated and is now in a very dangerous position with a tyrannical ruler.