Chapter 157: Presumptuous, Too Presumptuous!

The publication of the first edition of the newspaper sent shockwaves through the entire Capital City.

On the third day of heated public discussion, the second edition of the newspaper was published.

The headline was just as eye-catching: *All About the Seven Kingdoms*.

The content revealed the identities of the envoys from the Seven Kingdoms and provided an objective analysis of each nation’s situation. It then invited the public to discuss the purpose of each envoy’s visit—whether they were hatching conspiracies or harbored ulterior motives.

The envoys of the Seven Kingdoms, already under intense scrutiny from the people of Da Wei: "..."

’Seriously, who does things this way?’

’Who proclaims these things to the entire world?’

’Aren’t these matters supposed to be confidential? Do they even know what "confidential" means?’

’Is this Emperor out of his mind?’

’Great. The people who just spent the last two days analyzing the rebel princes have now moved on to analyzing us.’

’The rebel princes aren’t in the Capital, but we are.’

The envoys’ residences were surrounded by countless commoners, who stared at them as if they were monkeys in a cage.

Forget about hatching conspiracies—if one of them so much as stood up to take a single step, someone would start analyzing whether they were going to take a piss or a crap.

Not a shred of privacy!!!

How audacious! This is utterly audacious!

Even more infuriatingly, the second edition of the newspaper included three personal interviews. These featured the three individuals who had provided the most thorough analyses of the rebel princes. Their brilliant commentary was compiled, published with their names and credentials, and with the paper’s release, they instantly became local celebrities. They even received an unprecedented recommendation from Prime Minister Song of the News Department. Now, they only had to pass an examination to potentially become court officials.

Of these three, one hailed from one of the great Civil Servant Families, but the other two were scholars from poor families who had languished in obscurity for years. It was precisely because of their frustrations that they had been so outspoken and audacious, never expecting their candor would lead to such a life-changing opportunity.

The masses of toiling scholars had never witnessed such a spectacle. It was as if a ladder to the heavens had been lowered right before them.

And so, the ranks of those analyzing the envoys of the Seven Kingdoms swelled. Specialized "analysis groups" were formed, and some people even took it upon themselves to conduct surveillance and tail the envoys.

The envoys of the Seven Kingdoms: "..."

The Patrol Camp, originally assigned to watch the envoys and prevent them from causing trouble, now found themselves acting as bodyguards, protecting the envoys from being harassed.

"Everyone, stop staring at that guard. He has fifteen little braids in his beard—I’ve already counted for you."

"The prince of the Black Sand Country is a man. I’m not lying."

"Staring at him while he eats is one thing, but you follow him to the privy too? Doesn’t the stink bother you?"

"Calm down, everyone, calm down! They really aren’t going to do anything bad."

A few days ago, the courtiers were terrified. ’The envoys of the Seven Kingdoms are coming,’ they thought. ’Something terrible is sure to happen.’

A few days later, the courtiers sighed. Something terrible had indeed happened.

The courtiers: "Your Majesty, some people want to rebel."

The Emperor: "I have a plan."

The courtiers: "Your Majesty, the envoys of the Seven Kingdoms are surely plotting something."

The Emperor: "I have another plan for that."

In Jinluan Palace, the Emperor sat enthroned, looking at the resentful gazes of the courtiers. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Ahem... regarding that... the News Department is Prime Minister Song’s responsibility. If you have a problem, take it up with him."

With a helpless sigh, she added, "Song Aiqing, I trust you, but you can’t just abuse your authority and act so wantonly. Look at what you’ve done, you’ve thrown the whole city into an uproar. But what can I say? I am just too fond of you. I’ll let it slide this time. Just be more careful next time, alright?"

Prime Minister Song: "..." ’So in the end, the blame still landed squarely on my head.’

’It was absurd. But why wasn’t he the least bit surprised?’

Prime Minister Song before: ’The Emperor doesn’t value me. He’s sidelining me. I feel panicked, anxious, and lost.’

Prime Minister Song now: ’I’m being crushed under the weight of all this blame. The "heavy" responsibility I wanted wasn’t *this* kind of heavy! My panic has turned into heart-stopping terror, my anxiety has become bone-chilling dread, and my confusion... is still just confusion.’

Having stirred up trouble, Xiao Yang happily passed the buck.

She was just a poor, helpless, and kind Little Emperor. Everything else was the doing of her ministers. It had nothing to do with her, oh no.

Of all the officials in the imperial court, none was happier than Prince Jing.

When he was the only one being tormented by the Emperor, he had cursed the unfairness of the world. Now that a whole crowd was being tormented, he felt a sense of balance.

He was delighted to watch others fall into the same trap.

"Your Majesty."

Xu Ling was waiting outside the Imperial Study Room. When she saw Xiao Yang approach, she hurried to offer a salute.

Xiao Yang’s gaze swept past the person standing beside Xu Ling, head bowed, before finally settling on Xu Ling herself.

Xu Ling was the very picture of a well-bred lady from a good family. Her features were well-proportioned—not a peerless beauty, but gentle and pretty, with the kind of face that spoke of peace and national prosperity.

She wasn’t exceptionally brilliant, but she was sensible and perceptive. She was reasonable, knew how to act appropriately, and hailed from one of the most prominent Civil Servant Families. Her literary foundation was impeccable—a classic humanities scholar.

"Grand Tutor Xu has told me of your situation. For the time being, you will serve as my Assistant."

Xu Ling suppressed her excitement. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will be sure to do my best."

Xiao Yang turned to enter the Imperial Study Room, but after taking two steps, she stopped and walked back to the person who stood with their head bowed low.

"To see your Emperor and not bow... you’re quite bold."

The person slowly lifted his head, revealing a handsome face. His eyes were sparkling, yet they held a hint of awkwardness.

"Your subject... pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Xiao Yang looked him up and down, satisfied. "Very good."

’He’s all in one piece. Looks like he’s recovered well.’

Xu Xingchen self-consciously touched his ear. He was wearing a hat today because his hair was very short. The butchered mess had been shaved off, and the new growth was barely an inch long, making him feel awkward.

Xiao Yang noticed. She reached out a hand, glancing at him for a moment before taking his hat.

Xu Xingchen hesitated for a moment, then gave his silent consent, dipping his head slightly toward her hand.

Xiao Yang removed the hat, revealing a buzz cut underneath. Scars were still visible on his scalp, but the new hair covered most of them, leaving only faint traces.

Scars aside, the sight of him with such short hair left Xiao Yang slightly mesmerized.

’A handsome youth in the classic style is a fine sight, but a handsome youth with short hair is stunning in his own right.’

Xu Xingchen had been watching Xiao Yang intently, worried his appearance would displease her. He never imagined she would actually seem to like it.

The anxiety that held him in its grip finally subsided.

"I came today to express my deepest gratitude for Your Majesty’s saving my life."

’He hadn’t intended to come so soon, but he couldn’t sit still after hearing that Xu Ling was to have an audience with the Emperor.’

Xiao Yang poked his cheek with her fingertip. "That Chapter is closed. We won’t speak of it again."

"Things have been turbulent in the Capital lately, so the Ministry of Justice must be busy. Be careful, and once you uncover any wrongdoing, show no mercy."

Xu Xingchen nodded obediently. "I understand."

Xiao Yang checked the time. "It’s still early. You rarely get to come to the palace. Accompany me for some tea."

Xu Xingchen immediately and obediently followed.

Xu Ling: "..."

’Second Aunt said Your Majesty was using my little brother, making him do her dirty work. But... why does it look like Her Majesty is coddling Xingchen like a child?’

She had never seen Xu Xingchen look so compliant, so full of life. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.

And yet, the bloody deeds Xu Xingchen had committed in the past were real, and the fact that he had nearly been killed was also real.

’In the end... I suppose I’ve just seen too little of the world.’