Chapter 4: If You've Got the Nerve, Take a Swing at Me!

When Fang Xu remained silent, the smile on the young girl's face grew even more radiant. She wriggled free from Fang Xu's embrace—Fang Xu dared not protest, awkwardly scratching the back of his head and rubbing his hands together.

"Are you feeling embarrassed?" The girl crossed her arms, looking at Fang Xu with a haughty expression as he fidgeted.

Fang Xu nodded in response; after all, in his eyes, this was truly mortifying. Who would have guessed that the reigning emperor was actually a girl? The descriptions from the ladies earlier had easily led Fang Xu to imagine the familiar Qin Shi Huang. Yet here, before him, the young girl was indeed Qin Shi Huang—though only as the emperor of this era.

Why? Because the term "First Year" refers to the beginning of a particular event, and with the founding of Great Qin, it was indeed the first year of the dynasty.

"Hmph! Enter, now!" The girl strode toward the grand hall, forcing Fang Xu to follow behind. There was no choice; had he not known she was the emperor, perhaps he could have asserted himself as a man. But now, clearly, masculinity couldn't guarantee his survival. In Fang Xu's mind, a real man should know when to yield.

Following her into the hall, Fang Xu noticed the bed was still in disarray. The girl seemed a little embarrassed, then glared at Fang Xu. He felt aggrieved, but what could he say?

"Tell me, what do you plan to do now? How should I deal with you?" She took her seat at the head of the hall, smiling as she questioned him.

"Little girl—no, Your Majesty, how do you intend to deal with me?" Fang Xu understood well: the initiative rested entirely in her hands; he could do nothing.

"Hmph! Explain yourself! Why do you call me 'little girl'? In what way am I little?" Clearly, she cared deeply about this point.

This made Fang Xu anxious; he'd only said it in passing, but now she insisted on an explanation. Truthfully, she was not little—certain aspects even exceeded the norm—but Fang Xu called her "little girl" simply because, in his eyes, she was one.

But he could never say that aloud, for doing so would guarantee his death.

"Because... because..." Fang Xu faltered, unsure what to say. Despite his skill in sales, facing the imperial aura emanating from this girl left him tongue-tied.

Perhaps this was the charisma unique to great figures. Even though Fang Xu, before traveling through time, had dealt with corporate CEOs, they paled in comparison to this young girl. She outclassed them by centuries.

That was why Fang Xu stammered, unable to utter a word.

"Hmph! Since you can't give an answer, I've decided—drag him out and behead him!" She stood with one hand on her hip, pointing at Fang Xu.

"What?!" Fang Xu was stunned, unable to believe her words.

"Why?!" he protested. Was he to be executed merely for calling her "little girl"?

"Because I'm the emperor! My word is law!" She raised her nose proudly. Fang Xu finally realized she was right.

She truly was the emperor. All under heaven belonged to the sovereign, all subjects were hers. If she wished to kill him, she could. Fang Xu felt utterly miserable. Not only had he been inexplicably transported here, now he was about to be executed by a young girl. Was anyone's fate after time-travel more tragic than his?

As several burly men entered to drag Fang Xu away for execution, he caught sight of a young lady whispering in the emperor's ear.

Fang Xu, skilled in reading lips, understood their conversation. In summary, she advised the emperor not to kill Fang Xu now; the world had just been unified, and Fang Xu was a consort chosen by heaven.

If the emperor killed him, how would the world perceive her? After all, news always escapes, and if word got out, the newly unified realm would descend into chaos once more.

Upon hearing this, the emperor saw wisdom in her words and waved her hand, dismissing everyone from the hall.

Once again, only Fang Xu and the pouting, indignant emperor remained. Fang Xu was genuinely curious—how had such a young girl managed to seize this empire?

It seemed improbable. Yet, compared to his own time-travel, perhaps it wasn't so unreasonable.

"Hmph! Go ahead, behead me! Weren't you just about to do it? Why aren't you doing it now?" Fang Xu, now certain she could not harm him, couldn't help but taunt her.

After all, she had been so overbearing before; Fang Xu wasn't one to be cowed.

"You! You! You! I am the emperor!" She pointed her delicate finger at Fang Xu's nose, admonishing him.

"Yes, yes, you're the emperor. No need to repeat yourself, little girl." Fang Xu crossed his arms and sat down on the floor, nodding absentmindedly.

"You! Why don't you come sit beside me?" She, realizing she couldn't win the argument, decided to abandon it.

"Why should I sit over there? Am I looking to shorten my life?" Fang Xu glanced at the empty spot beside her; there was space for him, but did he dare? Not at all.

What a joke! If he recklessly sat there, who knew what tricks she might pull? Did she think he was a fool? Fang Xu was determined not to fall for it. Absolutely not.