Chapter 103 Yan Jue will no longer conceal his talents and is about to make an incognito visit.

Seeing that Su Xuanmao agreed, the Emperor nodded in satisfaction.

The eldest prince and the other princes were not yet married, so the emperor did not summon them.

Since both daughters of the Shen family were going to accompany him on the incognito trip, there was no need to summon Lord Shen of the Shen family, so the Emperor did not include the Shen family on the list.

The Emperor then asked the Luo and Wen families, as well as several important officials in the court, for their opinions. Seeing that they had no objections, he was very satisfied.

With a wave of his hand, he said, "You may all step down. Thank you for your hard work, my dear ministers."

"It is my honor to serve Your Majesty and to accompany you on your incognito travels," Luo Jia said first, before leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Wen Jin followed suit and imitated Lord Luo's speech. After receiving the Emperor's permission, he also left the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

But at the end, he couldn't help but glance at Yan Jue, his eyes filled with scrutiny.

Is this the man my little daughter has her eye on?

Wen Jin planned to take a closer look during his incognito visit.

Many ministers had left the Hall of Mental Cultivation, but Yan Jue was the only one who had not yet left.

The Emperor frowned slightly. "Yan Jue, is there anything else?"

Although Yan Jue was nominally the emperor's cousin, he was actually no older than the emperor. He looked at the emperor for a few seconds and was not at all intimidated by the aura emanating from the emperor.

Yan Jue replied, his expression returning to its former nonchalant manner, "Your Majesty, I would like to ask you a question."

The Emperor waved his hand: "Regent, please speak frankly."

Yan Jue asked, "Does His Majesty intend to make an incognito visit before the Spring Banquet, perhaps to the south of the Yangtze River? But what has happened in the Jiangnan region?"

Upon hearing this, the Emperor frowned slightly. "Yan Jue, do you know something?"

"Your Majesty, I am unaware of the situation. However, in recent years, Your Majesty has rarely made incognito visits. This year, Your Majesty's sudden incognito visit makes me suspect that something may have happened in Jiangnan."

The Emperor understood Yan Jue's meaning. He sighed and said, "Indeed, nothing can escape the Regent's discerning eyes. I went to Jiangnan before the Spring Banquet to seek an answer."

Although Yan Jue already knew the answer, he had to cooperate and ask, "May I ask, what kind of answer does Your Majesty seek?"

The Emperor's expression suddenly turned serious. "Yan Jue, are you aware of the smuggling of salt in Jiangnan? I've heard that Minister Chen is behind it all. But over the years, as a high-ranking official in the court, I've always trusted him. I find it hard to believe that Minister Chen would do something like this."

It is said that emperors are suspicious, but when the emperor ascended the throne, he could not have done without the support of these people. So when he learned that someone had changed their mind, he was still very anxious.

He tried to deceive himself, but reality delivered a heavy blow.

Yan Jue pondered for a moment, seemingly puzzled, "I have heard that Minister Chen is the most loyal and loves the people. How could he be involved in the trade of smuggled salt and make huge profits from it?"

The Emperor sighed, "I didn't know either!"

"If Your Majesty feels disheartened now, it would be better to investigate the truth of the matter during your incognito visit before feeling disheartened."

The Emperor frowned. "Yan Jue, what do you mean by that?"

Yan Jue said, "It's easy to draw a person or a tiger, but difficult to draw their bones. You can know a person's face, but not their heart. Seeing is believing, hearing is deceiving. You'll know all this when we get to Jiangnan. Your Majesty doesn't need to worry about this."

The Emperor hadn't expected Yan Jue to mean that. He looked at Yan Jue with rare admiration in his eyes, "Regent, have you finally cheered up?"

Yan Jue said, "After I got married, I realized that I should be more restrained. I want to gradually change my bad habits so that my queen will look at me with new eyes."

The Emperor was startled. "You and that girl from the Shen family... now it should be Shen Pingjin. You've really fallen for Shen Pingjin?"

Although it was just a simple question, Yan Jue knew perfectly well that the Emperor was testing him.

He no longer intended to hide his talents. That day, when he was talking with the emperor in the palace, he knew that if he continued to hide his talents, everyone would probably think that he was that kind of person.

He has now accumulated enough power that even if the emperor is wary of him, he cannot get rid of him. He can only use him while keeping him in check.

Furthermore, his reputation was something he deliberately cultivated; if it weren't for that incident back then, he wouldn't have needed to hide it so much.

Yan Jue said calmly, "Your Majesty, your humble servant and Shen Pingjin have never had a question of liking or disliking each other, but only whether we are in love or not."

Now it was the Emperor's turn to be surprised. "Yan Jue, I never expected that an accident would lead you to find the love of your life. This is truly a rare thing!"

Although the Emperor knew that Yan Jue was not as simple as he seemed, he also knew that Yan Jue was truly a womanizer. So when he saw that Yan Jue was actually going to settle down for Shen Pingjin, he was quite surprised.

Yan Jue smiled and said, "Your Majesty, if there are any matters in the court in the future, you may entrust them to me. I will do my best!"

The Emperor nodded in agreement, but his eyes held an unfathomable expression. Nevertheless, he replied with a loud laugh, "The Regent is so considerate, knowing to share my burdens in court affairs. I am very pleased!"

Yan Jue was not unaware of the danger in the Emperor's eyes, but he pretended not to know it. "Your Majesty, I thank you for your understanding. Your Majesty's words are too heavy."

The Emperor nodded. "What happened back then was indeed my fault. Yan Jue, go ahead and do it." As long as what you do doesn't touch his sore spot, he can tolerate it.

But if it were touched... The Emperor's eyes revealed a hint of danger; he wouldn't mind making Yan Jue, the regent, cease to exist.

Yan Jue said respectfully, "Your Majesty is wise. This humble subject will take his leave."

The Emperor waved his hand and said, "You may leave. I grant your permission."

"yes."

Yan Jue left the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and as the Emperor watched Yan Jue's figure disappear into the hall, he called out loudly towards the entrance:

"Eunuch Shun—"

Just as Eunuch Shun greeted Yan Jue, he heard the Emperor's voice and hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, this servant has arrived!" He then rushed inside.

The Emperor possessed an innate majesty. He looked at Eunuch Shun and spoke in a deep voice, his gaze dangerous, as if he were not the same person as the kind, amiable, and dignified Emperor he usually was. "Go and open the secret passage."

Eunuch Shun was taken aback, his expression somewhat troubled. "Your Majesty, this..."

The cup was lifted high by a large hand and smashed to the ground. The cup shattered into pieces, and scalding tea splashed onto the eunuch's clothes. Even so, he still insisted, "Your Majesty, no! Please, Your Majesty, reconsider!"

The Emperor snorted coldly, "Now even you dare to defy me?"

Eunuch Shun hurriedly said, "This servant wouldn't dare, but...the matter inside the secret passage..."

"This servant is afraid of upsetting His Majesty!"