Chapter 6: Each with their own agenda, the first court session reveals the deep-seated problems within the court...
Yuan Hao's words undoubtedly exonerated Yuan Yan from her previous crimes and also compensated her with gold and silver as a form of appeasement.
"Your Majesty is wise! Your son is deeply grateful..." Yuan Yan was moved to tears and kowtowed to express his gratitude.
...
After leaving Ganlu Hall, the system finally spoke.
[Host, your performance just now was absolutely spot-on! The tears just flowed so easily… I didn't dare make a sound, afraid of affecting your performance.]
Look at Yuan Xiao's expression at the end; he looked completely frustrated. You tricked him, and he couldn't refute it, so he could only swallow his anger and admit defeat.
“Since she can harm me, why can’t I harm her? An eye for an eye is an eye for an eye. Today, I will repay her for all the crimes she committed against Yuan Yan,” Yuan Yan said.
In this contest, Yuan Yan not only escaped punishment and had Yuan Xiao punished, but also made the Empress Dowager realize that someone was using her suspicions against the Lin family and Yuan Yan, leaving the Lin family with a chance to turn things around. It can be said that he won a great victory.
[Congratulations, host! You've turned the tables and changed your situation. Your control level has increased to 5.78%!]
"That's great! The emperor has restored your opportunity to attend court and participate in politics. Now that you're back in the court, it will be much easier to develop your power." The system said happily.
"Let's go, we have a lot to do, this is just the beginning." Yuan Yan said, lifting his robe and stepping into the carriage to return to the mansion.
...
Inside the Prince Qi's residence.
After Yuan Yan left the palace, Yuan Jing soon heard the news that Yuan Yan had resumed attending court, Yuan Xiao had been punished, and Shu Qing had been demoted.
"Third Imperial Sister, Yuan Yan clearly accepted the punishment before, so why would he tell Mother about it now?" Yuan Jing paced back and forth, completely puzzled.
"Eldest Princess!" Yuan Xiao was already upset after being punished, and now that Yuan Jing not only failed to comfort her but also blamed her, Yuan Xiao shouted angrily.
"I have taken full responsibility for this matter, and it will not implicate my eldest sister. It is my father who has been implicated, not only being demoted but also losing face. Even the power to assist in the management of the six palaces that he had worked so hard to obtain has been taken away..."
“My daughter and I have sacrificed so much for Your Majesty’s plan, helping you to fulfill your wish and win the heart of the beauty. I wonder how Your Majesty will compensate my father and me,” Yuan Xiao said with a cold laugh.
Yuan Xiao was arrogant, domineering, impulsive, and easily angered. He was not the type to remain subservient to others for long and secretly harbored ambitions to seize the throne. If it weren't for the fact that his two elder sisters, who were above him, were more powerful, Yuan Xiao wouldn't have had to humble himself by serving the eldest princess and become known as part of the eldest princess's faction.
In Yuan Xiao's mind, once Yuan Jing eliminates Yuan Yan, Yuan Yan will become more powerful and will inevitably turn against him to compete for the throne. Now, because of Yuan Jing's scheme, he has gained nothing and suffered heavy losses, which is hardly a worthwhile deal.
"Rest assured, my sister, I will certainly not ignore the fact that Shuqing has been implicated because of the two of us."
“I will send someone to tell Feng Qing to ask Father to take care of Shu Qing. After Mother Empress calms down in a few days, Father will find another reason to plead for Shu Qing,” Yuan Jing said.
"As for my younger sister..." Yuan Jing paused slightly, "I'm sorry to trouble you to stay in the manor for a while to avoid this storm. I will find a way to make it up to you later."
Yuan Xiao was barely calmed down. "Then I'll trust my eldest sister this time."
After seeing Yuan Xiao off, Yuan Jing discussed matters with his advisors.
"Yuan Yan has now returned to the court. If the Empress Dowager wants to make amends by relinquishing power to her because of this incident, what is your opinion on how to deal with it?"
“Your Highness need not worry. The Second Princess has no ability to handle state affairs, and her subordinates are mostly military officers. She has no capable people in politics, and her power lies with the Lin family. If the Lin family falls, there is nothing to fear about the Second Princess. She is just a paper tiger that can be easily knocked down. Why should Your Highness take her to heart?” The advisor laughed.
She bowed again and said, "Your Highness, I congratulate you on your marriage to the Lu family. The wedding will be held soon, and with the Lu family's support, Your Highness's wish may be within reach."
Yuan Jing felt comforted by his advisor's words, and his brows relaxed slightly. "Then I'll take your kind words as a sign."
...
The following day, Yuan Yan attended court and stood with the eldest princess, Yuan Jing, quietly listening to the emperor and his ministers discuss politics.
"Why haven't all the grain tributes been delivered this year?" Yuan Hao asked the Ministry of Revenue officials.
"It will arrive soon, Your Majesty. It was delayed for some time due to the siltation of the canal, but it will be delivered soon after the route is changed," replied Attendant Yang.
"The river was dredged just last year, how come it's silted up again now?" Yuan Hao frowned. However, the national treasury was tight, and there was no extra money to dredge the river again, so it had to be put on hold for the time being.
An official from the Ministry of Revenue apologized and reported on the current state of the river. Yuan Hao gave him a final deadline and ordered the Ministry of Revenue to expedite the transport.
Afterwards, many officials stepped forward in turn to report on government affairs to the emperor.
What impressed Yuan Yan most, besides the matter of the grain transport, was the unusual activity that occurred in the neighboring country of Wu.
This troublesome neighbor, like the Liang Kingdom to the west, would harass the Huang Kingdom from time to time, causing the emperor much distress.
"Delays in the transport of grain usually indicate problems in the internal operations of the government. If such an important matter is not handled properly, it will affect the capital region and the border areas, causing serious consequences."
"The deep-seated problems within the court are no joke. To unify the world under such circumstances, System, you've really left me with a mess," Yuan Yan thought to himself.
"Relax, relax, host. You're capable of doing this. If it weren't such a challenging task, we wouldn't have approached someone as highly qualified as you to help us," the system reassured her.
Since Yuan Yan held no official position, she had no opportunity to demonstrate her abilities during the entire morning court session.
Yuan Yan didn't say much, just listened quietly, gathering information from the emperor and ministers' words, and constructing a picture of the inside and outside of the Phoenix Kingdom's court in his mind.
For more than two hours, she remained standing, hardly moving at all. Yuan Jing, on the other hand, held an official position and participated in the political discussion.
Only when the emperor's face showed signs of fatigue did the imperial guards crack their whips three times to signal the end of the court session.
All the officials stood solemnly, respectfully seeing the emperor off as he left the court, and knelt down again, saying, "Respectfully seeing off Your Majesty."
After Yuan Hao left the hall, all the officials left in order of rank, and the morning court session came to an end.
Yuan Yan quietly attended the morning court sessions for several days. After court, he would practice martial arts, drink with his original body's military friends, and wander around.
For several days in a row, she did not seem to be contacting officials or developing her influence, as if she were content to be a mere backdrop in the imperial court.
King Qi had already finished his business and received praise from the emperor, but she seemed in no hurry at all, remaining calm and composed, and continuing her daily routine without any sense of presence.
As the wedding day of King Qi and Lu Lingyue drew ever closer, even the system couldn't help but feel anxious.
A note from the author:
Female history replaces Mr.
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