As darkness fell, the gentle moonlight slid across the sky and landed on the orchids by the window, draping them in a soft, shimmering glow. A gentle breeze carried the faint scent of bamboo.
Outside the window, the bamboo shadows are heavy, and the rustling of the leaves creates a melodious tune in the quiet night.
The dim candlelight flickered gently. Xia Zi, dressed in a dark blue eunuch's uniform, carefully shielded the flame with his hand, moving silently and not daring to make the slightest sound.
On the imperial desk, the emperor, dressed in a bright yellow robe, held a vermilion brush, writing his comments on the memorials with bright red ink, wielding the power of life and death over the Great Zhou Dynasty.
"Sigh..." Wuyou gently put down the vermilion brush and sighed. Xiaxiazi immediately and tactfully helped Wuyou rub her temples, trying to make her more comfortable.
"Your Majesty must be exhausted from reviewing memorials today. A batch of grapes from a foreign land arrived at the palace today. Why don't you try some, rest a bit, and then continue reviewing?" Xia Zi's touch was very gentle, and her tone was calm and soft, which smoothed out many of the wrinkles between Wu You's brows, making him feel much more relaxed.
The eunuchs who had been castrated in this palace always spoke with that shrill, hoarse voice, which was really unpleasant to listen to. It was rare to find someone with a gentle and steady voice like Xia Zi's; it was truly a rare find.
Most importantly, Xiaxiazi is calm, reliable, and takes care of everything meticulously. She is also very tactful and doesn't interfere too much in her master's affairs. Such a good sense of propriety truly makes her a talented person.
"Well, then take some! Tomorrow morning after the court session, go and invite the Grand Secretary and the others to come to me." Wuyou gave a soft "hmm," then lowered her eyes slightly, quietly savoring this moment of tranquility.
————
As dawn broke, ministers dressed in various official robes gathered outside the palace, whispering amongst themselves, huddled together in groups, discussing something.
"Congratulations, Your Excellency! I heard that Her Majesty the Empress has been granted custody of Princess Anle. It seems that His Majesty has changed his mind." An official dressed in a dark gray robe embroidered with cloud and wild goose patterns approached, his face beaming with a fawning smile and his tone quite obsequious.
The Duke of Qi, dressed in a purple official robe with a jade pendant at his waist, had a hint of pride on his face, but kept humbly flattering, "Not at all, not at all. It is only right for the Empress to share the Emperor's burdens in the harem and raise the little princess."
Although he was the emperor's brother-in-law, he ultimately had no control over the emperor's harem. His daughter had always been well-behaved and raised to be gentle and virtuous, but unfortunately, the emperor disliked her, and she had no children. All of them had worried themselves sick. Now, their suffering had finally come to an end.
"His Majesty's mind is unfathomable, so it's best if you gentlemen don't speculate too much. We only need to do our duty as subjects." At this moment, a middle-aged man wearing a dark purple official robe embroidered with crane patterns stepped forward, his tone calm and powerful.
The middle-aged man had a standard square face, thick eyebrows, big eyes, a serious expression, and a beard that added to his ruggedness. Just standing there, he exuded an aura of authority without being angry.
"Lord Zhou—" The two men immediately paused, then smiled and bowed to each other in greeting.
"His Majesty has arrived—" The steady voice was exceptionally loud, resounding throughout the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
"Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!" All the ministers knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" The scene was quite spectacular.
Wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, Wuyou sat on the dragon throne without changing his expression. His right hand rested casually on the armrest, gently stroking the exquisite dragon head on it, with a faint smile on his lips.
"Ahem... My esteemed ministers, please rise." After a moment of silence, Wuyou finally spoke slowly, leaving the ministers below completely bewildered. Normally, the Emperor wouldn't pause for so long before telling them to rise! It seemed... like he was doing it on purpose?
"Do any of you ministers have anything to report today?" Wuyou's lips curled slightly, and he seemed to be in a good mood. The ministers below looked on with interest, and after scanning back and forth, they raised their eyebrows at Zhou Changqing and the others standing directly in front.
The Grand Secretary Zhou Changqing, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat Liu, and the Grand Secretary Qian—these three were all key ministers who had helped the Emperor advance, regents left to the original ruler by the late Emperor. Because Helan Wuyou was kind-hearted and not particularly adept at politics, these three ministers were constantly worried about him, overseeing and concerning themselves with everything, always speaking of the court and the Emperor. Unbeknownst to them, this only fueled Helan Wuyou's rebellious spirit.
Which emperor didn't want to hold power? Which emperor wanted to be suppressed by his subjects? Which emperor's vermilion brush was almost covered in dust?
These regents treated the original owner like a child, keeping him firmly in their grasp. They may not have had any intention of disloyalty, but they still deeply suppressed the imperial power.
"Your Majesty, I have received a report that the son of the Duke of Chu has forcibly abducted women from respectable families, is suspected of buying and selling official positions, and is acting tyrannically and causing harm to the local people. I request that the Duke of Chu be imprisoned as a warning to others." The Minister of Justice was the first to step forward, spitting as he spoke, becoming more and more agitated as he went on.
His gaze kept glancing at Zhou Changqing, the Grand Secretary, his intentions clear. It was common knowledge that Consort Chu, Chu Baiwei, was deeply favored by the Emperor, and her entire family had risen in rank along with her; however, they only obtained their Duke titles because of their daughter.
These ministers, who came from noble families and rose through their own efforts, naturally looked down on those who climbed the ranks through nepotism.
They had gone to great lengths to find fault with the Cheng'en family, and this time they were determined to bring this person down.
"Oh? Do you have any evidence?" Wuyou raised an eyebrow, unmoved by the Minister of Justice's words, and reacted indifferently.
"This is the evidence I have gathered. Please take a look, Your Majesty." Having come prepared, he was clearly not without confidence. The Minister of Justice respectfully presented a pile of evidence on the ground, showing his complete composure.
Xiazi handed the evidence to Wuyou, who listlessly flipped through the testimonies and official documents without changing his expression.
The Grand Secretary Zhou Changqing, who had remained unmoved, couldn't help but frown with some doubt. The Emperor wasn't like that. According to their estimation, the Emperor was either biased towards Consort Chu and unwilling to deal with the matter, letting it pass by vaguely, or he was vague and left the matter to them, the old ministers, to handle.
This calm reaction is quite different from before! It seems to have some of the late emperor's unfathomable demeanor. But... how could that be?
"It seems Lord Xu has made ample preparations. This evidence appears quite substantial, but relying solely on one side's account is too hasty. The Duke of Chu is, after all, a high-ranking official. In that case, I will send someone to investigate first, and then punish accordingly."
Wuyou quickly skimmed through the evidence and casually set it aside. Her gaze towards Minister Xu of the Ministry of Justice was full of admiration, seemingly quite satisfied, yet it sent a chill down the other man's spine.
"Who should we choose? What are your thoughts, Minister Zhou?" Wuyou smiled and turned her attention to him.
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