Chapter 2422 - 2112: When Do You Plan to Help Me Ascend the Throne?

Ji Yunmeng once again examined her own body, and she now only felt that she was in excellent condition.

She then replied, "Nothing’s amiss."

At this moment, Ji Yunmeng’s gaze fell upon Lu Chen. She scrutinized Lu Chen for a moment, then detected the faint fragrance of a woman and a peculiar smell on him.

Previously, she had no idea why this fellow was running to the Imperial Palace every night, but now she understood—there were fairies in the palace.

However, this wasn’t her concern; she was only worried about when Lu Chen would help her ascend to that position.

Ji Yunmeng proactively asked, "When do you plan to assist me in ascending the throne?"

Seeing Ji Yunmeng so eager, Lu Chen smiled and said, "Since you’re this eager, accompany me to the court tomorrow."

Upon hearing Lu Chen’s words, Ji Yunmeng felt relieved. It seemed he had not reneged, and thus she was reassured.

The next day.

Imperial Palace, Hall of Political Affairs.

Upon arriving at the Hall of Political Affairs, the ministers discussed the matter of installing a new emperor.

Hearing the ministers’ discussions, Prince Lu Yi and Prince Wu Ming’s faces turned sullen and pale.

Especially Prince Lu Yi, who had a secured claim to the throne, but once Prince Zhen Nan entered the capital, his throne became unstable.

He had also visited Zhen Nan Prince Manor over the past few days, hoping to visit Prince Zhen Nan and gain his support, but Prince Zhen Nan refused to see him, making it difficult for him to ascertain Prince Zhen Nan’s stance.

Of course, what worried them most was Prince Zhen Nan usurping the throne. If Prince Zhen Nan ascended to that position, neither Prince Lu Yi nor Prince Wu Ming would have any chance.

At that moment, the entire Hall of Political Affairs resembled a bustling marketplace, very noisy.

Just then, Pei Shuhua’s figure appeared in the side hall.

Seeing Pei Shuhua appear, the entire hall instantly quieted down.

Pei Shuhua arrived and sat down on the Dragon Throne, expressionlessly glancing at the ministers in the hall.

To be honest, Pei Shuhua had lost interest in court affairs.

Previously, she controlled the court because she wanted to securely hold Emperor Zhou in her grasp, so when the Ancient Ruins appeared, they could use Emperor Zhou to open the ruins.

Moreover, she wanted to know if by controlling the court she could force the Qi Fortune of Dazhou to transfer to herself.

But now that Prince Zhen Nan had entered the capital, in the current Dazhou, Lu Chen held the power.

In the face of absolute strength, the power she held was nothing but a joke.

At this moment, the eunuch’s sharp voice echoed in the hall: "Court begins."

With these words, all the ministers in the hall uniformly saluted Pei Shuhua: "Greetings to the Empress Dowager."

Pei Shuhua said faintly, "You may dispense with the formalities."

In the next moment, the eunuch’s voice rang out again, "If there are matters to report, present them now; if none, the court is adjourned."

Just as the eunuch finished speaking, two figures suddenly appeared at the entrance of the hall.

Upon realizing someone was behind them, the ministers uniformly turned their heads to the hall entrance, seeing Lu Chen and Ji Yunmeng. Instantly, they speculated that the emperor supported by Zhen Nan Prince Manor was likely Princess Yun’an.

Ji Yunmeng was a royal princess, and as she belonged to the royal bloodline, she had a legitimate claim to the throne.

Furthermore, she was Lu Chen’s legitimate wife, and in the future, her throne might pass to Lu Chen’s child.

Thus, Dazhou would seamlessly transfer to the Lu family; the Lu family’s actions were essentially usurping the throne, but even though the ministers suspected Lu Chen’s intentions, they dared not speak out.

This was a world that revered strength, Zhen Nan Prince Manor wielded Heavenly Realm power; in a place like the Border Wilderness, one Heavenly Realm was sufficient to suppress an entire dynasty.

Seeing Ji Yunmeng, Prince Lu Yi and Prince Wu Ming’s expressions grew even darker, their hands within their robes clenching into fists involuntarily.

They should have anticipated that Zhen Nan Prince Manor entered the capital to help Ji Yunmeng seize the throne, yet amidst their internal conflicts, they had unwittingly allowed a woman to benefit.

Lu Chen entered the center of the hall, smiling, and said, "A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. Our Zhen Nan Prince Manor recommends Princess Yun’an as the next emperor. Do any of the ministers have objections? If any ministers have thoughts, they can express them now."

Upon hearing these words, the entire hall fell silent, even the factions supporting Prince Lu Yi and Prince Wu Ming dared not speak.

If they stood up to oppose now, they’d face the wrath of nine generations.

Then, Pei Shuhua said indifferently, "Since none of the ministers have objections, let it be decided as such. The Ministry of Rites will immediately pick an auspicious date for Princess Yun’an’s enthronement."

The Minister of Rites quickly stepped forward and said, "Yes, Empress Dowager."

Pei Shuhua glanced at the ministers in the hall once more and continued, "Do any of the ministers have other matters? If not, we will adjourn today’s court session."

Pei Shuhua had no interest in staying here; remaining was purely a waste of time.

Now that the throne had been handed to Ji Yunmeng, henceforth, Dazhou would entirely fall under Zhen Nan Prince Manor’s control.

She had no fondness for being a puppet; she now only wished to return to the harem and cultivate.

Seeing no ministers stepping forward to speak in the hall, Pei Shuhua promptly said, "Court adjourned."

As she finished speaking, she flicked her sleeves and left the Hall of Political Affairs directly, heading to her chambers.

Seeing Pei Shuhua depart, the ministers quickly surrounded Lu Chen, smiling, congratulating Ji Yunmeng, and offering praises to Lu Chen.

At this moment, Lu Chen smilingly told the ministers, "Honorable ministers, I have matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave."

With these words, Lu Chen promptly turned and left the hall.

Seeing Lu Chen hurrying to leave, Ji Yunmeng frowned slightly, wondering if this fellow was heading to the harem to indulge again?

The allure in the harem still baffled her; previously, he had frequented the palace daily.

But Ji Yunmeng paid him no heed; she had no possessive desires towards Lu Chen, as long as Lu Chen handed her the throne of Dazhou.

A moment later, Pei Shuhua returned to her chambers, preparing to meditate and cultivate, only for Lu Chen’s figure to appear in her chambers shortly thereafter.

Seeing Lu Chen, Pei Shuhua couldn’t help but tremble slightly; had he come for business again? And in broad daylight?

Pei Shuhua hurriedly shifted the topic, asking, "Master Lu, have you uncovered the cause of last night’s anomaly?"

Lu Chen took several steps to Pei Shuhua’s bed, then removed his shoes, climbed into bed, and pressed the beautiful woman below him.

Lu Chen then lowered his gaze upon her delicate face and answered, "Nothing was discovered, perhaps the world is undergoing changes."

Pei Shuhua pouted, thinking: Why must he pin her down to speak?

At this moment, Lu Chen’s hand fell upon Pei Shuhua’s sash, gently tugged, and loosened it.

Pei Shuhua was somewhat helpless; indeed, just as she had thought, he was here solely for matters of passion.

So be it, the sooner she bore this fellow’s child, the sooner she’d be liberated.

In the days that followed, Lu Chen remained in the Imperial Palace, dwelling there daily, relentlessly engaging with Pei Shuhua until the Ministry of Rites finalized the date for Ji Yunmeng’s enthronement.

The half-month elapsed in the blink of an eye.

At the Royal Mausoleum’s grand altar, Ji Yunmeng donned a yellow Dragon Robe, standing upon the altar, offering incense to the ancestors of the Ji family.

At this moment, the Minister of Rites presiding over the enthronement ceremony took out a pre-written scroll of enthronement rites, and began to recite.

Meanwhile, Lu Chen and Pei Shuhua stood below the altar, watching the proceedings, intent on knowing whether Ji Yunmeng could indeed bear Dazhou’s Qi Fortune.

After all, Ji Yunmeng was Dazhou’s first female emperor in history. Whether Dazhou’s Qi Fortune would recognize her was still an unknown.