A Scummy Alpha Emperor Transmigrated and Marked the Powerful Prime Minister - Chapter 13

Lu Siling definitely belongs to the high-energy elite—busy from dawn to dusk, seemingly immune to fatigue.

On the other hand, Wei Jinming had developed a strange new habit of becoming excessively diligent, buzzing in Lin Jiayue’s ear all day about who did what. Naturally, the most frequent subject was Lu Siling.

Who the Grand Chancellor received today, what she did… Based on the reports, Lu Siling didn’t have a single moment of rest.

Lin Jiayue was currently practicing her calligraphy. Looking at these “chicken-scratch” brush strokes, she wondered when they would ever be fit for public viewing.

Wei Jinming leaned in to take a look, blinking rapidly. What on earth is this? The young Emperor’s handwriting hadn’t been a masterpiece before, but under the Grand Chancellor’s strict requirements, it had at least been neat and orderly.

Wait, the Emperor’s left hand is injured, but she writes with her right, doesn’t she?

“Is Your Majesty’s right hand injured? This servant will call the imperial physicians immediately.”

Lin Jiayue: “…”

She felt personally attacked.

If her handwriting was bad, she could just say so—but bad enough to warrant a doctor? That was a bit much. Lin Jiayue stared at her fixedly until Wei Jinming panicked and dropped to her knees. “This servant was overstepping.”

Wei Jinming was now being incredibly respectful, which was exactly the effect Lin Jiayue wanted.

“In this world, there are many who love to play the teacher—especially those who are teachers to an Emperor. To ‘correct’ a sovereign or insult an Emperor who hasn’t taken power… in the mouths of scholars, that’s called ‘loyal remonstrance.’ They are viewed as upright officials, while they label me as a seeker of hollow fame. I have no power to punish them, so for them, it’s low cost and high reward.”

“Even the eunuchs in the palace want to step on me to establish their own prestige. They think: ‘Look, even the Emperor listens to me; do you lot dare to disobey?’ Wouldn’t you say that’s the case, Eunuch Wei?”

Lin Jiayue’s voice was slow and unhurried, but her words made cold sweat break out on Wei Jinming’s back. It was one thing for civil officials who considered themselves “Pure Streams” to step on her for fame, but eunuchs were domestic servants. To step on her just to seize more power?

Lin Jiayue didn’t want a “fake father” figure popping up around her. Wei Jinming’s habit of deceiving those above and bullying those below while stirring up trouble in the middle had to stop.

This was why she had distanced herself from Wei Jinming these past two days. She might not have other powers, but the power to execute a eunuch in Daming Palace was still hers.

Terrified, Wei Jinming banged her head against the floor. Her forehead, which hadn’t even healed yet, split open again, blood trickling down.

“Get up.”

Lin Jiayue was speechless. She knelt so fast and broke her head even faster. Am I really that intimidating?

Perhaps she hadn’t fully grasped or felt the weight of imperial authority in this world yet. She hadn’t taken full power, but if she decided to go “crazy” and take the capital’s big shots down with her, no one could stop her. The world has plenty of room for mutually assured destruction—the problem is usually dying before you can reach the person.

But she was the Emperor. No one could refuse her summons. Moreover, eunuchs were household slaves; whether they lived or died was her word alone.

Wei Jinming knew better than anyone whose hand held her life. Although the Emperor told her to rise, she didn’t dare actually stand up straight.

Lin Jiayue frowned. “Don’t make me say it twice.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Wei Jinming stood up quickly. Lin Jiayue hadn’t explicitly told her what to do, but if she couldn’t take the hint, there wouldn’t be a second chance. Wei Jinming would keep reminding herself: I am someone who has made mistakes; I must never make another.

Using a person with a “track record” of mistakes is often more effective than using someone with only merits. Merits lead to arrogance, while mistakes keep a person alert. But everything has a limit—too much pressure only brings rebellion.

“Go have the physician wrap your head. You rest for the day.”

Wei Jinming was about to kneel again, but seeing Lin Jiayue’s gaze sweep over, her tears began to flow. “Your Majesty is so kind to this servant, I…”

“Just do your work well.”

Lin Jiayue withdrew her gaze and continued her practice. In her previous life, she had practiced cursive (caoshu). People said a doctor’s handwriting shouldn’t be legible to patients, so she had followed the trend. Her hard-pen calligraphy was decent, but her brushwork was truly “hard to describe.”

Thank goodness for muscle memory, or it would have been even uglier. Regular script (kaishu) was the foundation, and because the original owner’s writing had always been poor, she was still stuck practicing it. In a bit, these practice sheets were to be sent to the Grand Secretariat for Lu Siling. Looking at these giant characters, Lu Siling would probably think she was a moron.

Oh, and there was the statecraft essay. Writing a regular composition was one thing, but statecraft required that archaic “Zhi Hu Zhe Ye” style.

In the essay, she wrote: Official documents should be appended with the names of every official they pass through to ensure individual accountability. Policies recorded by low-level clerks should be delivered directly to the central government via “dead drops” to form a closed loop. The Imperial City Guard should be tasked with supervision—the dead drops allow only entry, not exit, maintaining strict secrecy. A two-pronged approach to ensure central decrees reach the grassroots.

Lin Jiayue even thoughtfully explained what a “dead drop” (dead letter box) was. After finishing, she polished it to fit the formal essay format, adding a bit of scholarly flair to make herself look educated. With her Master’s in Law, she placed great importance on formatting; she just needed to reference a few other essays to get the tone right.

The only hard part was the handwriting. Truly hideous!

Maybe she should just use cursive. Simplicity, connectivity, speed, and vitality are the core of cursive; currently, she only had the first two basics down. Regardless, it was better than her regular script. Lin Jiayue dipped her brush and wrote it in one go. She was satisfied with the result—after all, she had practiced this before.

“Someone come.”

A eunuch in crimson robes entered. “Your Majesty.”

Zhang Huairou was the eunuch second only to Wei Jinming in status. Her personal detail included one fourth-rank eunuch and two junior fourth-ranks; the rest were lower. The highest rank for eunuchs and female officials was the fourth rank. She’d had a senior fourth-rank female official, but she had retired recently. The two left by her side were “Auntie-level” servants who had looked after the original owner since childhood. There were young and beautiful ones, but they weren’t allowed to serve her directly.

“Have these sent to the Grand Chancellor.”

The essay and the calligraphy were meant to tell Lu Siling that she was studying hard. Zhang Huairou quickly found a brocade box, sealed the items inside, and didn’t spare them a single glance.

Lin Jiayue looked at her. As expected of someone placed by the Emperor’s side—delicate features, obedient, and sensible. In the original owner’s memory, Zhang Huairou didn’t talk much; she handled every task perfectly. The only issue was that she often gave “remonstrances.” The original owner found it uncomfortable, thinking she might be Lu Siling’s spy because her advice sounded just like the Grand Chancellor’s. The original owner had been cowardly, wanting to wait until she took power to kill everyone who opposed her.

But she had waited until eighteen, and personal rule was nowhere in sight. She was fifteen at her coronation; Great Zhou had no shortage of fifteen-year-old rulers. Emperor Wu ascended at seven and ousted a powerful minister at thirteen; Emperor Xuan ascended at twelve and forced the Empress Dowager to hand over power at fifteen. There were precedents. The original owner’s failure to rule was simply due to her own incompetence.

As for the new Lin Jiayue? A woman can never say she is incompetent.

Soon, Lu Siling sent back a message. Zhang Huairou kept her head buried deep; she felt that if she offended the Emperor again, she’d be sent to the bottom of a pond. She couldn’t very well let a junior eunuch relay the message; she could endure things that would be a catastrophe for those below her.

“Calligraphy is the portrait of the heart; handwriting reveals the person’s character.”

Lin Jiayue: “?”

Was Lu Siling insinuating that her character was trash?

That hateful woman! Her calligraphy teacher had clearly said her style was “free and unconstrained.” Lu Siling just hated her, so she hated her handwriting too.

No, she had to go settle this with Lu Siling personally.

“Zhang Huairou, prepare the palanquin for the Grand Secretariat.”

Zhang Huairou: “?”

The Emperor was usually terrified of the Grand Chancellor and avoided her at all costs. Why go proactively today? Did Her Majesty think that because she fended off the Empress Dowager once, she could go head-to-head with the Grand Chancellor?

It’s over. Someone please remind Her Majesty that the Grand Chancellor’s authority is not something she can touch right now.

Lin Jiayue didn’t care what Zhang Huairou thought. she had to ask: how exactly did this handwriting reveal her character? What did Lu Siling see in it? It was one thing to assign so much homework every day, but to look down on her at every turn? She couldn’t stand it for one more second!