Chapter 110

“Your Majesty, please appoint an empress as soon as possible to oversee the harem and ensure the continuation of the imperial bloodline!”

“Your servant seconds the motion!”

Swish, swish, swish—the ministers below dropped to their knees in droves!

They wore expressions of solemn respect and sincerity, but what they were really doing was applying pressure and issuing threats.

Yun Yaoyao let out a cold laugh inwardly. She accepted the joint petition presented by the ministers, skimmed through the list of names, and committed them all to memory.

So these are the Du family’s lackeys, are they? I’ll take you down first once the time comes!

Still, this petition to appoint an empress had landed exactly where she wanted it to…

Schemes bubbled merrily in Yun Yaoyao’s mind, yet on the surface she maintained an austere and imposing expression.

The imperial loyalists saw the inscrutable look on the emperor’s face and could not determine what she was thinking, so they kept silent.

Du Guanliu hurriedly signaled to several ministers in the court, urging them to keep making trouble and apply more pressure.

Who could have guessed that the emperor seated above would nod?

“The ministers make a fair point. The empress should indeed be chosen soon.”

Du Guanliu froze.

Why was this treacherous emperor being so agreeable today? It was making him distinctly uncomfortable.

He had not even used the backup plans, the backup plans to the backup plans, or the backup plans to those backup plans yet!

“Do any of you have a recommendation?” the emperor asked.

As soon as those words fell, the ministers began voicing their opinions one after another.

The Du faction naturally believed Consort Ling to be the most suitable candidate. They praised her as a prodigy of poetry and literature, a woman of noble birth, graceful and well-mannered—the perfect choice for empress.

The imperial loyalists were even more convinced that Consort Miao was the right candidate. Never mind that Consort Miao was Yan Chi’s auspicious omen and had made countless contributions to Yan Chi.

Just look at what she was capable of. She could ride horses, shoot arrows, wield blades, and handle spears. She could also write calligraphy, play chess, and master mathematics. She was well versed in politics and history—a truly all-around warrior consort who left Consort Ling leagues behind.

As for the neutral faction, naturally, they adopted an ambiguous attitude. They praised both women without clearly supporting either one. Their guiding principle was simple: remain neutral!

Of course, quite a few members of the neutral faction had already begun secretly admiring the emperor and contemplating how to throw themselves into her embrace…

After listening to them all, Yun Yaoyao thought for a moment before saying, “It seems that the ministers hold differing opinions.”

One minister cautiously asked, “What does Your Majesty think of the candidates for empress?”

Yun Yaoyao replied, “If we are speaking of personal feelings, I already have someone in mind.”

Those words immediately piqued the ministers’ curiosity. Every ear perked up as they waited for her to continue.

After all, the emperor’s favor toward Consort Ling and Consort Miao was remarkably evenhanded. If she favored one today, she would surely favor the other the next day. On one occasion, she had lost control and favored one of them several times in a row; the next time, she immediately made it up to the other. Even the rewards they received were equal. The emperor was nothing if not committed to sharing her grace evenly!

The only exception was that, because of Consort Miao’s identity as an auspicious omen and her exceptional talent for governing, the emperor often brought her along to review memorials. But that was strictly for official business.

Thus, aside from Yun Yaoyao’s trusted aides, none of the ministers could tell which consort she truly favored.

Yaoyao had successfully whetted everyone’s curiosity, but she had no intention of satisfying it. With righteous conviction and a ringing voice, she declared, “But that is not important!”

“Your Majesty bears the entire burden of Yan Chi. Personal feelings come second; the people come first! My empress will be the empress of all Yan Chi. She must be capable of contributing to the people of Yan Chi… and so on and so forth.”

The Yaoyao faction exchanged glances before dropping to their knees. Deeply moved, they cried out in unison, “Yan Chi is blessed to have such a wise ruler!”

“Your Majesty is truly selfless!”

After the two sides took turns delivering impassioned speeches, the Du faction grew anxious.

When it came to contributing to the people of Yan Chi, who could possibly compare with Consort Miao?

They racked their brains to list Consort Ling’s advantages. Yet the more they listed, the more uneasy they became. Other than her superior literary talents and her backing from the Du family, she was completely outclassed by Consort Miao in every other regard!

No matter. The Du faction had numbers on their side, and their faces were thick enough. Even if they had to hammer the same point home one person at a time, they would still proclaim Consort Ling to be the greatest goddess under heaven!

After this tug-of-war had gone on for a while, Yun Yaoyao let out a long sigh.

“Very well. Let us do it this way. Consort Ling and Consort Miao will compete fairly for me—compete for the position of empress!”

The ministers: What???

Before they could voice their confusion, Yun Yaoyao continued slowly, “The people will struggle through the winter, as they do every year. Every harsh winter, impoverished commoners freeze to death by the roadside, while livestock and crops suffer the ravages of the cold. This year, winter has arrived particularly early. I am deeply concerned!”

“This is a matter of great importance. Since the position of empress has yet to be decided, let the matter of helping the people of Yan Chi survive this winter be tied to the contest for the throne’s consort. Once winter has passed, whoever has achieved the better results shall become the empress of Yan Chi!”

“The rules are as follows: the capital will be divided into two halves, with one half consisting of the wealthy districts and the other of the common and impoverished districts. Consort Ling and Consort Miao will each take temporary charge of one half. They must resolve the people’s suffering during the winter and address the hardships faced by livestock and crops. The two categories will each account for half of the final assessment…”

By the time Yun Yaoyao finished explaining the rules, all the ministers had recovered from their surprise. Their hearts were filled with admiration.

As expected of His Majesty! Her methods grew more ingenious by the day. She had even transformed the appointment of an empress into an effort to improve the people’s livelihood. Once word spread among the common folk and the matter was recorded in the history books, it would surely become a celebrated tale!

Every minister was satisfied. The Du faction, in particular, breathed a sigh of relief. Their eyes shifted rapidly, gleaming with the light of people eager to stir up trouble.

At the head of the Ministry of Personnel, Du Guanliu cast an oblique glance toward the imperial throne. His eyes concealed sky-high ambition.

The Du family’s reputation had been in tatters recently, while the emperor’s attitude toward them remained ambiguous and difficult to predict. He, too, had been restless and uneasy—especially after what had happened at the Pure Spirit Lake yesterday. That incident had finally driven him to make up his mind, leading to today’s joint petition to pressure the emperor into appointing an empress.

This time, no matter the cost, he would ensure that his legitimate daughter took the position of empress!

The future emperor would bear the blood of the Du family. Du Guanliu would control the young emperor and become the true supreme ruler of this land of Yan Chi!!

Above them, Yun Yaoyao’s gaze also fell upon the black winged hat atop Du Guanliu’s head. The corners of her lips curled slightly upward.

Du the Jackal, you used the winter disaster in the original story to join forces with Tushan Ze. You intercepted the relief grain, coal, and winter clothing allocated by the imperial court, then seized supplies of your own and profited from the disaster. As a result, countless commoners froze and starved to death. The streets were no longer filled with wandering beggars, but with frozen corpses. You turned a year of suffering into a year of triumph for yourselves.

This winter, however, for the sake of the contest for the empress’s position, you will take the initiative to mobilize the entire clan to help the people survive the cold. You could call that karma.

But do you know that this contest for the position of empress is precisely the trap I have set for you—a trap designed to crush the Du faction, once and for all?

On the surface, the court remained calm, but beneath it, everyone’s thoughts were churning and their motives differed.

The position of empress represented interests powerful enough to disrupt the court’s seemingly peaceful balance. The struggle within the court was once again becoming as treacherous as storm clouds gathering on the horizon!

This storm, however, clearly had nothing to do with Gao Dexiang.

For one simple reason: he had been isolated.

The Minister of the Du family had begun giving him the cold shoulder. The Du faction had always been dissatisfied with the way he had risen through shameless flattery, so they no longer bothered with him.

As for the neutral faction and the imperial loyalists, they were even less interested in speaking to him.

A bitter river of tears flowed through Gao Dexiang’s heart. At last, he understood what Yun Liang had gone through back then in the imperial court!

Waaah~

After court was dismissed, Gao Dexiang followed far behind Du Guanliu, frantically racking his brains for a way to regain the other man’s trust.

As a shrewd old fox, Du Guanliu naturally knew exactly what Gao Dexiang was thinking. He merely snorted and continued walking, leaving the other man with nothing but his aloof, arrogant back.

Du Guanliu still had no intention of giving up on Gao Dexiang. He was simply deeply dissatisfied with Gao Dexiang’s performance over the past few days. On top of that, he had just taken his anger out on him by Gao Chongguang. After all, a son’s failings were a father’s fault, and that had made him see Gao Dexiang in an even more unfavorable light.

He had therefore decided to ignore him for a few days before giving him a proper warning, so that Gao Dexiang would understand how he was expected to conduct himself while working under him.

Not long after leaving Xuanzheng Hall, Du Guanliu suddenly found a guard blocking his path. He was just about to erupt in displeasure.

What sort of nobody dared to block his, Du Guanliu’s, way?

The guard gazed at him with sincere, starry-eyed admiration. Holding a piece of calligraphy in both hands, he spoke with tremendous excitement. “M-Master Du! I’ve long heard that your attainments in calligraphy are extraordinary. Each of your works is worth a thousand gold pieces, yet you refuse to sell them. In my heart, you are the grandmaster of the calligraphy world, the founding ancestor of calligraphic history! Your contributions to the entire field of calligraphy are truly immortal!”

“My family has treasured more than a hundred pieces of your calligraphy. I’ve even tracked down and collected the drafts you discarded in your youth, Master Du. I regard them as priceless treasures! They’ve benefited me immensely! Every time I study them, I gain a new insight. They are truly marvels of aesthetics! …And so on and so forth…”

After enduring this uninterrupted torrent of flattery, Du Guanliu’s expression changed completely. A smile appeared at the corners of his mouth, and he became considerably more amiable.

This man might be somewhat rash, but he certainly had a sweet tongue. He also seemed sincere—and, most importantly, he had excellent taste.

The guard’s expression grew even more worshipful as he displayed his own calligraphy to Du Guanliu. “This is a humble piece of my own work. If Master Du could offer me a few pointers, I would be eternally grateful!”

Du Guanliu was thoroughly pleased by the man’s attitude. Stroking his beard, he gave the calligraphy a cursory glance.

“Savage, frightening, murderous, wolfish; beggarly, afflicted, benevolent, joyous.”

Pointing at the characters, Du Guanliu casually offered a few comments.

“These eight characters are written with neat, even strokes, but they lack force. The left-falling stroke in the character for ‘savage’ should…”

Unbeknownst to him, Gao Dexiang, who had been following at a distance, had also drawn a little closer. He happened to hear Du Guanliu recite those eight characters.

The words struck Gao Dexiang like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky. His lips trembled, and he stumbled back three steps in disbelief.

The Vice Minister of Personnel… was being replaced?!

Gao Dexiang stared blankly at Du Guanliu’s cold and heartless back.

Once Du Guanliu finished offering his pointers and walked away, the guard tucked the calligraphy into his robes. The obsequious, respectful expression he had worn moments earlier vanished. When he turned to Gao Dexiang, his face was filled with malice.

The guard—who was in fact a Dragon Shadow Guard who had carefully plotted this entire misunderstanding—revealed a smug, villainous smile and lifted his chin.

“Master Gao, the position of Vice Minister of Personnel will soon be handed over to my elder brother.”

“Heh heh heh…”

Gao Dexiang glared viciously at the guard, his chest heaving with rage.

He actually wanted to replace him—and had said so openly?!

Gao Dexiang had flattered him for decades and served tirelessly at his beck and call for decades. And now, with such ease, the old bastard intended to discard him once he had outlived his usefulness?!

I poured my heart and soul into you, you old bastard, and now you want to rip out my heart and lungs?!

Du Guanliu, you truly are no human being!

A cold wind swept past, and Gao Dexiang shuddered. The horrifying dream he had experienced the night before once again appeared before his eyes: the old bastard, his face grim, driving a sword straight through him.

Gao Dexiang clutched his chest, as though pain and palpitations had suddenly appeared out of thin air.

At the same time, his gaze gradually hardened with resolve.

He had done everything he could to cling to Du Guanliu’s powerful support, but now it was clear that he could no longer hold on.

They said fools sometimes had the best luck, and that evil men lived long. Perhaps that wretched son of his had latched onto a more reliable and lasting patron after all.

He could only hope that His Majesty would put the past behind him and be willing to accept this late-arriving fence-sitter.

After wrestling with these thoughts for no more than a few dozen seconds, Gao Dexiang quietly turned around and headed toward Qianqing Palace.

Your Majesty, your humble subject is here to cling to your powerful support!