The Ugly Empress by Yun Guo Shi Fei / 丑娘娘 by 云过是非

Chapter 1 - An Ugly Empress

This one's dedicated to  @ZhanYing for suggesting me the novel.

Enjoy!

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Xue Country had a famously ugly empress.

The Ugly Empress' surname was Feng-- a Feng Country's royal surname. She was Feng Country's current ruler's blood sister. She was sent to Xue Country for one purpose-- diplomatic marriage.

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Teng Yun's skin didn't look pretty. After only two short-days in imprisonment, he was covered in all signs of torture.

Gripping the shackles binding him, he walked unsteadily; he was at the last of his strength. If he could just crawl on the ground, he wouldn't bother trying to walk. But this place wasn't his hometown. He couldn't show any trace of weakness, even as a prisoner.

He was shoved by the guards into a main hall.

Every eye in the hall was watching this legendary figure. Teng Country's God of War; who had been invincible in battlefields, who was now eventually defeated. Looking at his state now, people could already imagine the future changes happening in this man's home country.

But the man himself, his dark eyes were sharp; bright as crystals, shining brilliantly with a glint of defiance.

People's hearts shivered slightly; this man unfortunately wouldn't live for much longer.

Teng Yun glanced up at the top of the main hall. One person was sitting there, wearing black clothes with a black tassel crown. The person's eyes narrowed while one corner of his lips curled; the man appeared to be smiling, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

The man was handsome and powerful; his figure was robust and tall under his black robes. He had a kingly air around him; his conduct ruthless, firm and headstrong. He could command military forces swiftly and decisively, also govern his country just as well...

Teng Yun had heard about the man. He was Xue Country's highest ruler, Xue Junliang.

Xue Junliang stared down with arrogance and disgust at Teng Yun, as if he was a lowly peasant.

"General Yun, raise your head, let me look at you."

[T/N : Xue Junliang called himself 'Gu (孤)' here. It is used only by kings to address themselves in front of people of the same or lower ranks than them. Apparently Chinese royalties loved to call themselves in third person, there's a whole page in wikipedia for it.]

Teng Yun didn't resist and raised his head; his gaze unfriendly, icy cold and full of hostility. He looked at Xue Junliang with calculation; this man was his lifetime nemesis.

Instead of being angry, Xue Junliang slowly stood up, started down the jade steps and walked over to Teng Yun.

"Da Wang, you can't!" A court official wearing black robe at the front said in alarm, forgetting a number of formality rituals, trying to prevent their Xue Wang.

[T/N : 'Wang (王)' here means 'king', while 'Da (大) means 'high/old'. Da Wang (大王) literally means 'High King', it's equivalent with 'Your Majesty' or 'Sire'. {edited}]

This prisoner was an enemy country's prince, but also this generation's celebrated God of War. He may look weak right now, but on battlefield he was Bloody Asura. Thanks to this Iron-handed General alone, Teng Country which had been on the verge of collapsing, could actually last for ten long years.

Seeing the official's reaction, Teng Yun couldn't help laughing out loud. But his laughter contained a deep despair of an arrow at the end of its flight.