A Scummy Alpha Emperor Transmigrated and Marked the Powerful Prime Minister - Chapter 17

Lin Jiayue stole another glance at Lu Siling. Their eyes met, and both felt a flicker of awkwardness—that specific sensation of being caught peeking.

Lin Jiayue immediately strode toward Lu Siling. Dressed in her crimson martial attire and looking high-spirited, she made Lu Siling narrow her eyes.

“Teacher Lu.”

The credit-seeking puppy grinned, virtually wagging its tail. “I just beat Master Zheng.”

Lu Siling’s tone was cold. “Commander Zheng is a martial scholar. If she does not hold back, few in the Forbidden Army are her match.”

Lin Jiayue’s vivid, lively appearance pricked Lu Siling’s eyes. Why was it that after everything that happened, Lin Jiayue could still live in the sunlight, while she was doomed to sink forever into darkness?

Lin Jiayue tutted. “It’s truly difficult to earn a word of praise from Teacher Lu.”

Technically, Lu Siling was right; everyone knew Zheng Qinglin hadn’t used internal energy. But even without it, she was a warrior who could take on three Forbidden Guards at once. In many people’s eyes, Lin Jiayue’s victory was legitimate—and quite impressive.

Her performance today wasn’t just for a compliment. She wanted the favor of the military. In this world, only those who fight are seen. Those who don’t are forgotten in a corner forever.

Although Lin Jiayue was the Emperor and had a strong “presence,” she was not yet a factor in anyone’s calculations. The original owner had desperately craved power but acted as though she had no interest in it. A sovereign who bowed so low to the Empress Dowager and the Grand Chancellor didn’t look like an Emperor, or even a minister—she looked like a eunuch. Who would want to pledge loyalty to such a ruler? Even the scholars arriving for the exams would rarely choose the Emperor as their patron.

Speaking of the Spring Exams, though they were two months away, the capital was already teeming with scholars. Wei Jinming had told her that currently, twenty to thirty percent of the arriving students had moved into Prince Cheng’s “Hall of the Virtuous.” That number might seem small, but it was terrifying. There were many free lodgings in the capital, often backed by “anonymous” merchants claiming to give future officials a home. Once a student passed the exams, how could they not remember that “kindness”? By staying at a guild hall, one effectively became part of that faction.

From the start, Lin Jiayue hadn’t planned to fight for the favor of the literati. In the novel, the Great Zhou would soon descend into war. Compared to the favor of scholars, she needed military power. Military power was an Emperor’s true foundation.

Take the palace right now: the City Guard was “named Cui,” and the Forbidden Army was a complex web of loyalties—everyone had a stake except her. She lived in a place where her protectors belonged to others; she was a caged beast at constant risk.

Showing her talent during martial arts practice was her first step. She hadn’t expected Zheng Qinglin to actually spar with her, but she had managed a narrow victory by utilizing her knowledge of pressure points against Zheng’s overconfidence. After this battle, the way the guards looked at her had changed, and news of her victory would soon spread. Unlike scholars, warriors were more direct.

“Good medicine is bitter to the taste,” Lu Siling remarked, her tone stiff and her demeanor perfectly upright—almost archaic.

But there is a difference between an old pedant and a cold beauty. Clearly, Lu Siling was the latter. Her icy, prim appearance made Lin Jiayue look away. This woman was far too alluring; if she stared too long, her soul might be snatched away.

“You’re pretty; you’re right.”

Lu Siling: “…”

Smooth-tongued, low-charactered, not a shred of seriousness.

Lin Jiayue suddenly sneezed twice. “Teacher Lu, are you scolding me in your head?”

Lu Siling immediately began to cough, her face flushing red from the effort of holding back. The young Emperor spoke in hushed tones; no one else nearby could hear what they were saying. To Zheng Qinglin, their posture even looked… intimate. She must be out of her mind to see intimacy between the Emperor and the Grand Chancellor.

“If the sovereign is not upright—”

“Teacher Lu,” Lin Jiayue interrupted softly. “You’re so young; don’t be so repetitive with the platitudes.”

Her initial caution and the fear of this strange world had made her very reserved. Her smiles were rarely real, but today, she felt much more authentic. How can such a beautiful face produce such stiff, ancient words?

“By the way, why is Teacher Lu here? Looking for me specifically?” Expectation lit up Lin Jiayue’s eyes, catching Lu Siling off guard.

“I came to see Commander Zheng.”

At those words, Lu Siling almost hallucinated seeing Lin Jiayue’s wagging tail go limp. It was hilarious. She didn’t even notice the slight lift of her own lips.

As Lu Siling’s gaze swept over, Zheng Qinglin strode over. “Grand Chancellor, have you come to speak of my transfer?”

“Transfer?” Lin Jiayue raised an eyebrow. “Where is Master Zheng going?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, I have studied military strategy and martial arts since childhood to protect my home and country. Currently, the border is unstable; I ask to be sent there.”

Zheng Qinglin couldn’t very well say the Emperor was too much of a waste and she didn’t want to teach her anymore. Even though the young Emperor’s performance today was stunning, she still didn’t want to continue. As a general, fighting on the battlefield—even dying there—was better than drowning in the whirlpool of political intrigue. Since becoming the Emperor’s teacher, countless people had tried to bribe her with money, beauties, and power, followed by threats. She didn’t understand why a person who refused to join a faction couldn’t simply stay in the capital. The court atmosphere being what it was, she had to leave the center of the storm.

Lin Jiayue frowned. “Teacher Lu, I’ve never heard anything about the border being unstable.”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, the Northern Di Khan, Yelu China, intends to seek the hand of a Great Zhou princess in marriage. He threatens that if Your Majesty does not agree, he will lead a million-strong army to attack.”

Lu Siling didn’t want to discuss this with Lin Jiayue. Based on her knowledge of the young Emperor, she wouldn’t care about a princess. The Emperor cared only for her throne and power; everyone else was expendable. The Empress Dowager’s side was even more willing; there were two unmarried princesses in the palace, or they could just pick a girl from the clans and title her a princess. Many dynasties had done so; it didn’t have to be a biological daughter.

But in Lu Siling’s view, regardless of who the girl was, once titled a Princess, she represented the Great Zhou and the Imperial Family. Furthermore, international relations were never settled by sending a princess. Without absolute strength, it wasn’t just useless—it was a humiliation.

Lin Jiayue immediately clenched her fists. “That is pure delusion. Forget princesses; not a single Kunze of my Great Zhou—not even our cattle or sheep—will be sent to the North.”

“The Son of Heaven guards the gates of the country; the Sovereign dies for the state. If the Northern Di army truly comes, I will personally take to the battlefield.”

She wasn’t joking. Even if she had never been to war, she had seen enough documentaries and dramas to know it was a cruel place. But she knew one thing better: if the country falls and the home is destroyed, even the Emperor is not spared. If the Great Zhou experienced war, where could she possibly hide in seclusion? If she had transmigrated as a commoner, she might not feel such a strong sense of duty—but she was the Emperor. In the position, fulfill the duty.

“Unable to do it” and “able but unwilling” were two different concepts. Lin Jiayue was never one to back down. She had worked her way up from a small town, received a modern education, studied medicine to save lives, and law to pursue justice. She had a moral compass.

Lu Siling never expected Lin Jiayue to say such things. Whether it was sincere or an act, the words themselves seemed to carry weight now.

Zheng Qinglin was even more moved. She immediately dropped to one knee. “Your Majesty’s words are deafening! I ask to be sent to the Northern Frontier. I shall ensure the barbarians know that our sovereign and subjects are of one mind—the dignity of our nation shall not be trampled!”

The surrounding guards were also fired up, kneeling alongside Zheng. “We are willing to go to the Northern Frontier!”

Lu Siling’s gaze remained on Lin Jiayue’s face, as if trying to see into her soul. Regardless of anything else, such words coming from the Emperor would empower those opposed to the peace marriage.

“Your Majesty is correct.” Ever since the Northern Di proposal reached them, Lu Siling had been a staunch opponent. She thought: If the young Emperor wants to pretend to be a wise ruler, she’d better keep pretending forever. Just as some gentlemen do good deeds for the sake of reputation—regardless of the motive, the good deed is done.

Seeing everyone’s reaction, Lin Jiayue smiled sheepishly. “It’s because Teacher Lu taught me well.” She then looked at Zheng Qinglin, whom she had almost ignored. “And Master Zheng is excellent too.”

Honeyed words and a sword in the belly, Lu Siling snorted inwardly. A bastard is a bastard.