Simultaneously, the political landscape within the imperial court underwent a significant transformation.
At the request of the Princess of the Western Regions and the Prince of Baiyue, Luo Wushuang dispatched elite units to both territories. Their mission: stabilize the governments and purge the administrative ranks.
The King of Baiyue, who had originally sent his son away for a political marriage alliance just to secure a small corner of peace, was absolutely stunned the moment he received word that the Great Luo army had crossed his borders.
Hadn’t he sent Baili Xuan away for a marriage alliance? What had that rebellious son done to provoke an invasion from the Great Luo military?
His heart hammered with trepidation as he rushed to the front. But when he saw Baili Xuan standing at the vanguard of the massive army, the King froze in his tracks.
Baili Xuan is leading the attack against me?
The King of Baiyue was about to roar a reprimand in his fury, but his gaze shifted to the Great Luo generals flanking the prince. His voice immediately lost its edge, dropping several octaves.
“My son… what is the meaning of this?”
Facing the King of Baiyue—his nominal father, who was notorious for bullying the weak while fearing the strong—Baili Xuan felt nothing but cold contempt. However, he maintained a mask of impeccable filial respect.
“Father, you have been blinded by treacherous men, favoring sycophants while distancing yourself from virtuous ministers,” Baili Xuan announced clearly. “For the sake of our ancestral legacy, I have borrowed troops from the Empress Regnant of Great Luo to protect the throne and purge the court of these corrupt influences.”
Seeing Baili Xuan’s naked ambition finally laid bare, the King of Baiyue’s face twisted with rage. He pointed a trembling finger at the son he had never once taken seriously, his mouth working wordlessly as he struggled to find his voice.
“I respectfully invite Father to return to the palace,” Baili Xuan added.
As soon as he spoke, two Great Luo generals stepped forward. They hoisted the King of Baiyue up from both sides and marched him toward the most luxurious palace in the city.
Gazing at the palace gates looming before him, the King’s eyes were filled with resentment and despair. He knew that once he stepped through those doors today, nothing in Baiyue would ever be under his control again.
Worse still, his very survival would depend entirely on the whim of the new King.
Meanwhile, in the Western Regions…
As they first entered the territory, the Great Luo generals accompanying Lou Yanhui looked out over the wilderness, filled with toxic mists and miasma. They had been silently bracing themselves, assuming a brutal, uphill battle lay ahead.
To their surprise, at Lou Yanhui’s command, the gates of every city across the Western Regions swung wide. The local officials and soldiers stood in rows, respectfully welcoming their princess home.
Before the King of the Western Regions could even react, the entire realm had effectively fallen into Lou Yanhui’s hands.
Having witnessed the sheer efficiency and hidden influence of the princess, the Great Luo generals finally shed the last remnants of their condescension.
Lou Yanhui noticed the shift in their attitude. A slight smirk played on her lips; she knew she had achieved her goal. She was a foreigner, and if she wanted to integrate into the Great Luo court, she needed to demonstrate her power when the time was right.
She didn’t care about the disdain or the strange looks others might give her, but she refused to let Little Jin suffer through that alongside her. Her current priority was to do everything in her power to ensure Little Jin lived a comfortable, carefree life.
If the two of them could grow old together, that would be ideal. If not… she would stay by Little Jin’s side until the end. They would follow each other in life and in death.
Inside the royal palace, the King of the Western Regions was busy enjoying music and dance. He didn’t realize what was happening until the palace gates were breached. Upon learning that the army was led by the daughter he had only recently begun to rely on, he began shouting and cursing, demanding to see Lou Yanhui.
Hearing the chaotic shouting echoing from the main hall, Lou Yanhui’s brow furrowed. She didn’t even have the desire to step inside. After ordering her subordinates to choose a “dignified” way for the King to pass away, she summoned the court officials for a brief meeting.
There, she laid out the agreement she had reached with the Empress Regnant of Great Luo.
First, the Western Regions would voluntarily submit to Great Luo, becoming the Western Regions Commandery.
Second, the status and treatment of the royal family and court officials would remain unchanged, but they were required to assist the Commandery Governor sent by Great Luo in governing the region.
Third, as the newly titled King of the Western Regions appointed by the Empress, Lou Yanhui would retain ten thousand elite troops but would reside temporarily in the Great Luo capital.
In the past, the old traditionalists would have fought this tooth and nail. However, the ministers present were either those Lou Yanhui had secretly recruited long ago or those she held significant leverage over. Though they were reluctant, they knew that with a foreign army at their doorstep, this was the best possible outcome.
Seeing that no one dared to object, Lou Yanhui produced the Empress Regnant’s imperial decree. She didn’t even bother to sit on the throne before preparing to leave the palace.
In the end, she stayed for a few more days only because of the urgent pleas of her subordinates. After participating in the grand sacrificial ceremony, Lou Yanhui appeared before the people wearing her crown and wielding her scepter to offer reassurance.
She told the citizens that she, their King, would never abandon them. Her stay in the capital was merely to act as a guarantor for the Western Regions’ future development. As long as they remained law-abiding under the Governor’s leadership, their lives would only improve. She promised to send envoys back frequently, and if anyone… blah, blah, blah.
Once she had pacified her subjects, Lou Yanhui let out a long, internal sigh of relief. Finally… she could return to the capital.
She had been away for over a month. She wondered if Little Jin had been behaving herself while she was gone.
Thinking of Luo Yunjin, Lou Yanhui paused mid-step. Lately, Little Jin’s appetite hadn’t been very good, which had caused Lou Yanhui no end of worry. She had been racking her brain for ways to make the girl eat more.
She suddenly remembered that Little Jin seemed to enjoy the cuisine of the Western Regions. She decided to bring back a few local chefs and a large supply of authentic ingredients. If these small things could make Little Jin happy, then this entire trip would be worth it.
Furthermore, she ordered the palace’s collection of jewelry and ornaments to be melted down and redesigned into the trendy styles popular in the capital. Whatever other ladies had, Little Jin must have. And whatever they didn’t have, her Little Jin must have as well!
And then there was…
Lou Yanhui, her mind completely occupied by thoughts of her “wife,” was just about to order her men to pack everything when she was blocked by a rather burly man.
Recognizing him, Lou Yanhui instinctively frowned. “Atomu? What are you doing here?”
Hadn’t he resigned from his position as Captain of the Guard and retired to the countryside after Lou Yanshi was sent away for the marriage alliance?
The man bowed respectfully. “This humble one heard that Her Highness had returned from Great Luo and traveled to the royal city specifically to see you.”
Lou Yanhui studied him with confusion. What did her return have to do with him?
Atomu knew his appearance was abrupt, but there were things he needed to know if he ever wanted to sleep soundly again. “This humble one wishes to ask… how is the Seventh Prince faring in the capital?”
Considering he had helped her in the past, Lou Yanhui shook her head and spoke the truth. “Not well. He offended the Empress Regnant. I fear Lou Yanshi’s future will be quite miserable.”
Atomu let out a long breath, appearing as though a heavy weight had been lifted. He muttered, “That is good. Hearing that the Seventh Prince is suffering… I can finally be at peace.”
His grudge against Lou Yanshi went back ten years.
Ten years ago, his sister was only six years old. She had accidentally stumbled into the path of the Seventh Prince’s carriage. For that minor offense, Lou Yanshi had ordered his men to hold her down and beat her to death in the street.
At the time, Atomu had wanted to charge forward, but his parents had held him back with all their might. His father told him that to the royalty, the lives of commoners were worth nothing. If he had charged, he would have just been another ghost.
From that day on, he had made a silent vow: he would destroy Lou Yanshi, the King’s then-favorite son, to avenge his sister.
[Xiaobai: Care to guess why Lou Yanshi ended up in such a pathetic state? Hehe…]*
![Is Self-Redemption That Hard? [Quick Transmigration]](https://i0.wp.com/dobytranslations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/au.png?resize=151,215 "Is Self-Redemption That Hard? [Quick Transmigration]")
