At the beginning of the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), all was quiet.

The Imperial Study was dimly lit, with only a few ever-burning lamps casting a faint glow that made the vast space appear shadowy.

The imperial heirs had all settled down to rest, but Qin Zhaoyue was still forcing herself to stay awake.

Tomorrow's court session is a major event, and the three elder sisters and brothers above need to be well-rested to deal with it.

The three younger ones were clamoring to stay up all night with their sixth sister, but Qin Zhaoyue rudely sent them off to sleep.

They're all teenagers; they're energetic now, but they'll definitely get sleepy later. Don't let them lull you into a drowsy state too.

In any case, the members of the Mo Group were already used to working in two shifts, so guarding the night curfew was not a difficult task for them.

The one who really has a problem is Qin Zhaoyue herself.

Regardless of whether it's a fifth-rank or third-rank official, it's already past 1 a.m., and the power of the biological clock is stubborn and strong, which is when people are most prone to drowsiness and fatigue.

Qin Zhaoyue felt her eyelids were as heavy as lead, and her consciousness seemed to be floating in lukewarm water, constantly sinking.

At this moment, Ling Muxue is responsible for using her own "domain" to help suppress the toxins in His Majesty's body.

She sat cross-legged not far away, her eyes gently closed, her breath long and deep, as if she had entered a meditative state.

Tsk... I don't know how he trained, he can stay awake with his eyes closed...

Qin Zhaoyue stared blankly ahead, her head bobbing down heavily like a chick pecking at rice.

Just a moment before, a pair of hands reached out at the right time, gently but firmly supporting and straightening her head.

Not far away, Ling Muxue, who had been meditating with her eyes closed, had a barely perceptible smile curving her lips.

It was fleeting, so fast it was like an illusion.

Qin Zhaoyue snapped back to her senses and glared at the owner of the hand with annoyance.

Sui Mo's expression remained calm, as if he had simply done something perfectly ordinary.

She calmly withdrew her hand, lowered her eyes, and stood aside, as if she wasn't the one who had just manually helped His Highness stay conscious.

She's long been used to her prince rolling his eyes at ten or eight times a day.

In this imperial study today, besides her, probably only Mo Yi would dare to be so audacious and unafraid of being punished afterward.

Therefore, the two of them were specially separated into two groups to ensure that someone could "take special care" of Her Highness at any time to prevent her from actually falling asleep.

Qin Zhaoyue opened her mouth, but no sound came out. However, her clear mouth movements clearly revealed a few curse words.

Suimo stood to the side, eyes downcast and head bowed, looking utterly obedient and submissive.

Qin Zhaoyue gritted her teeth inwardly.

Damn it, have I been too lenient with these women? They're practically riding roughshod over me.

Yes, she knew she absolutely couldn't sleep, but how could willpower completely resist this physical drowsiness?

The current group of six on duty has a clear division of labor:

The two of them kept a close eye on the hand she was pressing on the Empress's chest, ensuring a stable flow of true energy.

The other four people kept their eight eyes focused on her like searchlights, preventing her from falling asleep.

That was a truly comprehensive and tight-knit defense, leaving no loophole whatsoever.

Just as Qin Zhaoyue was waging a fierce battle against drowsiness, the door was gently pushed open, bringing in a wisp of cool night air.

Yin Zhe strode in, his brows furrowed with weariness and a chilling expression from his journey.

He walked straight to Qin Zhaoyue's side, lowered his voice, and spoke very quickly:

"The four great families have sent word that the operation is complete."

All strongholds and residences have been captured, and the situation is under control.

However… an unexpected situation arose.

Qin Zhaoyue was finally roused a little by the news, her eyes regaining some of their sparkle. She nodded slightly, signaling her to continue.

Yin Zhe paused, then added with a grave expression:

"Although the operation went smoothly, a number of the most important figures among the four core clans were disguised and replaced."

It's as if they vanished into thin air; they must have hidden themselves beforehand, and now their whereabouts are unknown.

"Moreover, the large sums of easily portable silver notes, as well as the finest jewelry, antiques, and other valuables in the treasury, also disappeared."

Clearly, they had planned this in advance and disappeared along with the others.

Upon hearing this, Qin Zhaoyue did not show much surprise on her face, but she had already guessed it in her heart.

Because the merit book in my mind, the page representing the "Four Great Families," did indeed experience a surge in merit points starting at noon.

However, the increase did not reach the expected level, and it quickly stagnated afterward.

It is clear that although this operation dealt a heavy blow to the powerful families, it did not achieve complete success.

In contrast, after it was clearly announced that the rankings of the Zhongchendao provincial examination would remain unchanged and that the "culprit" was brought out to take the blame, the merit points on the "Yin and Yang in Harmony" page saw a sustained and stable increase.

Qin Zhaoyue guessed that it was probably Prime Minister Pei who was starting to exert his influence.

His influence as the leader of the literati and the head of the civil service was by no means undeserved.

Indeed, this was the case. In addition to stabilizing the overall situation in the court, Pei Xuanyun truly regarded promoting the follow-up matters of the women's imperial examination as a top priority.

He even used his personal connections and influence to have his two sons personally lobby on his behalf.

Many influential academies in the capital have agreed to open classes for girls, and even the Imperial Academy, which has always had extremely high entry requirements, seems to be showing signs of softening its stance.

Only in the area of ​​"national peace and prosperity," since the prediction that the war in the northern border might change, the growth of merit points has almost completely stagnated, like a stagnant pool.

Yin Zhe carefully observed Xiao Liu's expression and, seeing that she did not seem too disappointed or angry, he couldn't help but frown slightly.

"You...aren't you disappointed?"

Qin Zhaoyue waved her hand, her tone calm.

"Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows, let alone a behemoth that has been entrenched for thousands of years."

Besides their intricate network of countless tentacles, the most fundamental element of powerful families is the vast amount of land they control…

She paused for a moment at this point.

Land policy involves a wide range of issues and is a major national policy concerning the foundation of the country.

It's hard to say whether it's more important to popularize education or reform the imperial examination system.

How to balance and advance the process is not something that can be figured out in a short time.

"Has the Queen Mother mentioned any plans regarding land to you before?"