Understanding is one thing, but understanding is another.
With her experience, when Wen Hemian truly wanted to hide something, even Xie Lang couldn't tell how much of it was genuine and how much was fake.
Moreover, he was unwilling to consider the worst possible outcome.
Xie Lang gave Wen Hemian a deep look, then stood up and said, "The weather has cleared up. Would the Grand Tutor like to go out and take a look?"
Wen Hemian disliked bloody scenes, but considering that this was the result of their years of patient waiting, she nodded and said, "Let's go out and take a look."
The scene outside was very different from what she had imagined.
After the heavy rain, the air became fresh. The body had long been disposed of, but indelible marks remained in the cracks between the bricks, which could only be left to erode over time.
It's hard to imagine that a fierce battle was taking place outside until the middle of the night.
After the rain stopped and the sun rose, it shone on the mountaintop, making the water droplets sparkle.
The ministers who were being protected also emerged from the tunnel with surprise and uncertainty. Seeing the outcome, they knew that the situation was settled. They exchanged glances, and none of them dared to utter a sound.
Finally, someone whispered something—
"May God bless our Great Zhao..."
These words seemed to have flipped a switch; instantly, some veteran officials were moved to tears, and their voices converged into one: "Heaven bless the Great Zhao! Heaven bless Your Majesty!"
Everyone seemed quite excited, after all, they had been waiting for this day for far too long. In the beginning, when things were bleak, no one expected that they would finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Looking at the distant mountains, Wen Hemian naturally had the same thought: putting everything else aside for the time being, having achieved this much, they could have a few years of peace and stability.
With a final touch, her task was essentially complete.
Looking back, the road no longer seems so long.
"Grand Tutor, it's over."
Xie Lang's deep, chuckling voice rang in her ears, his pleasure clearly visible.
“Yes, it’s over.” Wen Hemian blinked. “The humiliation His Majesty suffered can now be repaid one by one.”
Xie Lang is extremely vengeful. When he was still young, he had been turned down by Ning Hechu many times. When he returned to the capital, it would be time for him to settle scores with him.
Xie Lang smiled and said, "I have to thank Grand Tutor for all of this. Without Grand Tutor, I wouldn't be where I am today."
Wen Hemian paused slightly.
It's hard to say.
The only problem is that Xie Lang might become even crazier if he came out that way.
...
With no one interfering, the ancestral worship ceremony proceeded smoothly.
Those who were captured were all taken to the imperial prison in advance, so they didn't have to rush on the way back.
The only thing to be wary of is that one group of rebels escaped and took the opportunity to hide in the deep mountains and forests. There must have been some people among them who were very familiar with the terrain. In any case, no trace of them has been found so far.
The leader of this rebel army was the Left Vice Minister of War, a smooth and cunning man who was not particularly loyal to Ning Hechu. When he saw that things were not going well, he ran away, which made it difficult for others to catch up.
Xie Lang issued a wanted notice, offering a large reward to anyone who finds this person, dead or alive, and brings him back.
If you don't cut the weeds at the root, trouble will surely follow.
This is a principle that every person in a position of power understands.
The ancestral worship ceremony was followed by a bloodbath, but Jin Chen was not significantly affected. Ultimately, this was because Ning Hechu did not have many capable men under his command.
Despite his efforts to recruit soldiers and build up his forces over the years, Wen Hemian has repeatedly cut off his retreat routes, and these forces have suffered significant losses.
As for the military generals, with Wen Hemian present, it was even less likely that they could garner much help.
It can be said that from the moment he underestimated Xie Lang and Wen Hemian, he had unknowingly walked down a dead end with no way back.
This battle led to a major reshuffling of power in the capital.
The once glorious Ning Mansion was raided and sealed off. Stacks of account books were sent to the Dali Temple. The remaining members of the Ning faction were filled with fear and anxiety. Some of them with poor mental fortitude couldn't help but hand over the evidence and confess their crimes.
There were so many things to hand over that the Imperial Study and government offices were bustling with people, an unprecedented level of activity.
Wen Hemian was once again extremely busy and overwhelmed.
This involves a lot of officials, creating a large number of vacant positions that need to be filled one by one. Fortunately, she and Xie Lang had a large pool of candidates in advance, and they could fill the positions wherever needed.
Min Rong was also arrested and brought to justice. The Right Vice Minister directly replaced him. Since he had already taken on a lot of work, he was not too overwhelmed.
Seeing that he was still handling things, Wen Hemian said, "Lord Wen, shall I go to the palace first?"
Wen Youling frowned slightly: "Lord Wen, please go."
During Wen Heming's tenure as Minister of Personnel, he was gentle and polite to people and never hesitated to train his subordinates. Wen Youling knew that she had great responsibilities, so he could only help share some of the burden himself.
Wen Hemian smiled gratefully at him.
On her way to the Imperial Study, she happened to bump into several cabinet ministers who had just come out.
The cabinet had been under Ning Hechu's control for many years, and they were among the few who remained after the purge. Their expressions were not very optimistic, but when they saw Wen Hemian, they all greeted her politely.
"Lord Wen."
With Ning Hechu just fallen and the Ning faction still being purged, the situation in the court is already quite clear.
They were even wondering whether His Majesty would give the position of Grand Secretary to the man before them.
Whether it's ability or years of accumulated prestige, it seems that only Wen Heming is suitable now.
Wen Heming nodded, not paying much attention to their gazes, and hurriedly headed towards the Imperial Study.
In fact, she came here to discuss cabinet matters with Xie Lang.
In the original book, Xie Lang was extremely wary, especially after purging the rebels. He was unwilling to entrust his back to others and held onto his power tightly.
This would indeed be beneficial for concentrating imperial power and controlling the court, but it would be extremely energy-consuming and mentally taxing... As for now, she didn't know what he was thinking.
Although she felt that entering the palace was no less than sending herself into a wolf's den, Wen Hemian still had no choice but to bite the bullet and go.
The familiar imperial study, the familiar mountain of memorials—the young man looked up from among them, his eyes lighting up when he saw her: "Grand Tutor, are you done with your work?"
Wen Hemian shook his head: "No, let's go to the palace first."
Xie Lang immediately straightened his back obediently: "My cold is cured, Grand Tutor, you don't need to worry."
Xie Lang got caught in the rain while offering sacrifices to his ancestors, but he didn't pay attention at the time. Later, he relaxed and caught a cold. He was sick for several days, but he still had to work on his memorials. He was truly pitiful.
Having her words cut off, Wen Hemian choked with emotion: "...I didn't ask you about that. I wanted to ask His Majesty how he plans to handle the cabinet, whether to open it or not?"
It was business again. Xie Lang slumped his brows in dejection, but his answer was firm: "Of course we have to keep going."
Being an emperor is exhausting. Xie Lang sometimes envies ordinary people, who at least have the opportunity to spend time with the people they care about, something he can't do.
The cabinet will be convened to help him share some of the workload.
“That’s fine too.” Wen Hemian said calmly, his hands clasped behind his back. “Your Majesty really shouldn’t push yourself too hard.”
Xie Lang smiled and said, "Let's not talk about that. Let's deal with the current matters first and make plans later... Next month is the Grand Tutor's birthday, and I have prepared a gift to give to him."
His eyes were filled with a subtle, shimmering smile and anticipation.
Wen Hemian's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly felt a little flustered, as if she had missed a beat.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com