A Scummy Alpha Emperor Transmigrated and Marked the Powerful Prime Minister - Chapter 20

Time ticked by second by second. Lu Siling closed her eyes and took a sip of tea.

The candy had been left on the table by her; how could she possibly eat something given by the young Emperor? Lu Siling took a piece of candy from her own silk pouch and placed it in her mouth. As the sweetness spread across her taste buds, much of the stagnation in her heart dissipated.

“The Grand Chancellor enjoys candy too?”

Sun Xiuyuan, sitting beside her, looked at the candy on the table, picked it up, peeled it, and ate it.

Lu Siling’s gaze froze. Just because she wasn’t going to eat that candy didn’t mean she wanted to give it to someone else. “Elder Sun, at your age, are you not afraid of tooth decay?”

Sun Xiuyuan suddenly felt the candy in his mouth lose its sweetness. The Grand Chancellor is truly stingy, over a single piece of candy. “If the Grand Chancellor likes them, I’ll have someone send the deeds to my family’s candy shops to your manor after court.”

Lu Siling was speechless. Who wants your candy shops?

Just then, Gao Changqing walked into the hall, and every eye fell upon her. Expressionless and stern, she walked to the center of the hall. “Reporting to Your Majesty, the investigation into the Bureau of Equipment is complete. When I first arrived with my men, a murder had actually occurred.”

Handled so hastily… it seems the enemy still underestimated the Emperor. Perhaps they were also worried that dealing with so many people at once would make it easy to be caught. Regardless, the deed was done, but traces were left behind.

“Two officials of the Bureau committed suicide. One Assistant Director was fished out of a well. As for the Director of the Bureau, when he was found, he was in a panic trying to flee the palace.”

Silencing the witnesses.

This thought surfaced in everyone’s mind. A matter decided just moments ago in the morning assembly, and immediately there was a massacre. To be able to relay news during the assembly and have the power to silence multiple people within the palace…

The Bureau of Equipment was located on the palace periphery, specialized in crafting daily necessities for the imperial household. Several names inevitably floated into everyone’s minds: the Empress Dowager, Empress Xining. Combined with past events, everyone assumed it was the Empress Dowager. It must be that the young Emperor’s uncharacteristically strong performance had thrown the enemy into a frenzy.

After all, the young Emperor of the past was cowardly and incompetent; she would never have been this forceful, insisting on clearing everything up right during the assembly. This sudden, precise strike gave them no time to react, forcing them to kill to cover their tracks—proving that the Emperor’s move was accurately fatal.

A flash of coldness crossed Lin Jiayue’s eyes as she waited for Gao Changqing to continue.

“However, after interrogating the knowledgeable personnel, it was learned that Your Majesty’s oral decree was to use ordinary wood and ordinary lead to make a charcoal pen. Here is the deposition; I ask Your Majesty to look it over.” Gao Changqing held a stack of statements, one for each person, all marked with fingerprints.

Lin Jiayue waved it off. “You all look at it.”

Gao Changqing clasped her hands and continued: “According to the testimony, it was Fuquan, a servant of the Empress Dowager. Fuquan told the Bureau that anything given to the Emperor must be of the highest quality.” At the time, the best wood in the Bureau was the Ten-Gold Wood. The Bureau didn’t dare disobey a command from the Empress Dowager’s circle, and thus the expensive charcoal pens were made.

The Grand Secretaries finished reading first, then the deposition was passed down the ranks. Zhou Shouzheng also stepped forward. “The testimony is verified. I ask Your Majesty to decide.” As the chief investigating official, she didn’t need to do the legwork; her primary role was to emphasize the case’s importance and the conclusion’s authority.

Lin Jiayue looked at Lu Siling with a smile, but said aloud, “What does Elder Zhou suggest?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, I believe Fuquan should be drawn and quartered. The other involved personnel should be beheaded. The Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Rites should be beheaded and his estate confiscated.” Zhou Shouzheng clasped her hands. “The sovereign’s dignity must not be profaned; without heavy punishment, there can be no deterrence.”

Only confiscation and no extermination of the clan? Zhou Shouzheng felt she was being merciful.

The Supervising Secretary of Rites collapsed to the floor. He thought he was prepared for death, but when it truly arrived, fear submerged him like seawater. Worse, he hadn’t gained a single thing he had plotted for.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty! This servant dares not do it again! I beg Your Majesty to spare me!” As the Forbidden Guards dragged him away, it was as if he were in a different dimension; his ears were ringing, and he was so overwhelmed by terror he could hear nothing.

Lin Jiayue was quite satisfied with this result. Zhou Shouzheng’s sentencing served to make those so-called “Pure Streams”—who tried to step on the monarch to rise—tuck away their little schemes. This was also the first time she, as Emperor, had truly displayed her authority.

Those in the court who supported the Emperor were exhilarated. There was always a group of loyalists who were faithful to the throne itself; whoever sat on it, they supported. In a way, it was its own kind of obsession.

Lu Siling, however, felt a twinge of irritation seeing the smile on Lin Jiayue’s face. It was undeniable: for Lin Jiayue to personally enter the fray and achieve this with no one usable behind her and no real power in her hands was indeed impressive.

But the matter was not yet over.

In the next second, Sun Xiuyuan turned and gave a look to the man behind him. The Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue stepped out.

“Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present.”

Lin Jiayue’s lips curled slightly. “Granted.”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, recently, those close to the palace have attempted regicide and publicly slandered the sovereign. Their hearts are treacherous. I have reflected on the cause, and it is because the ‘Regency from behind the Curtain’ has lasted too long, blurring the boundaries between the inner palace and the court. Petty people have suddenly gained power and dared to assassinate and defame the sovereign. This is an unpardonable crime.”

“When the late Emperor was alive, he appointed the Grand Chancellor, Elder Zhou, and the Old Prince of Jing as regents. He never spoke of the Empress Dowager ruling from behind the curtain. Now that the Empress Dowager’s eunuchs frequently move against Your Majesty, to clarify the imperial power, I respectfully ask that the Empress Dowager enjoy her honors in peace and return the government to Your Majesty.”

It had arrived. The morning assembly was reaching its climax.

As soon as these words were spoken, approximately one-fourth of the ministers stepped forward. “We respectfully ask the Empress Dowager to enjoy her honors in peace!”

Those who did not step out included Lu Siling’s people, the Empress’s people, and those who never took sides. Among those who did step out, there were naturally those who truly hoped for Lin Jiayue’s personal rule. However, it wasn’t that there weren’t enough people—it was that no “heavyweights” had spoken yet. None of the three great regents had stepped forward, nor had any other Grand Secretaries.

Clearly, they were waiting.

Zhou Shouzheng certainly wouldn’t stand up. Although Lu Siling was the Grand Chancellor, she had always been neutral; if she moved now, it would inevitably raise the suspicions of the other two factions, making things even more complex. So, everyone was waiting for the Old Prince of Jing to speak. Prince Jing was the sister of Emperor Ying, the aunt of the late Emperor and current sovereign—the closest blood relative to the Emperor and the one with the highest seniority. Furthermore, as a regent, she had the standing to speak on this from any perspective.

Once she spoke, the Empress Dowager would have to withdraw.

Zhang Wuwei immediately stepped out. “Your Majesty, in every dynasty, when a sovereign has not yet taken power, the Empress Dowager ruling from behind the curtain maintains the orthodox imperial power and the stability of the Great Zhou. How can she simply withdraw?”

“Heh!” Grand Secretary against Grand Secretary. Since Zhang Wuwei had spoken, Sun Xiuyuan wouldn’t back down. “The Empress Dowager’s regency never had the late Emperor’s decree. Now that petty people are causing chaos, if the Empress Dowager does not withdraw, I fear people will say she is obsessed with power. Furthermore, Your Majesty has reached the age for personal rule.”

Most of the court now knew of the words the young Emperor had spoken to the Hanlin lecturer. This was the first time the Emperor had expressed her intent to rule to outsiders. Some things must be fought for; only by fighting can one be seen. Just as when fighting for the world, if the sovereign has no ambition, talented people will not offer their service.

Sun Hanzhang also wanted to speak, but after glancing at the silent, quietly seated Grand Chancellor, she closed her mouth.

In reality, arguing like this wouldn’t settle anything. Zhou Shouzheng leaned slightly toward Lu Siling and whispered, “Grand Chancellor, if you don’t call a stop to this, I’m going to miss lunch.” They had started the assembly so early; she hadn’t eaten much and was already hungry.

“If Elder Zhou steps out to say a word, the matter will end,” Lu Siling said impassively, casually picking up her tea.

Zhou Shouzheng snorted. “Little fox, I won’t do as you wish.” Having no desires made one strong; Zhou Shouzheng was an Elder, so even if Lu Siling was the Grand Chancellor, she couldn’t kill her. She only wanted to go home and retire early, so she was not polite to Lu Siling in private at all.

Lin Jiayue, on the throne, also frowned. Sun Xiuyuan’s attempt to use the opportunity to push the Empress Dowager out was actually dragging things out. She didn’t think she could take full power in a single morning assembly; besides, even if she did, she was an Emperor with no one under her. Everyone else had supporters; who did she have? Even with personal rule, she’d have to rely on these people to relay her orders, and even if she issued a forceful decree, they might still defy it in secret.

Today was just the groundwork.

Lin Jiayue looked at Lu Siling, who was quietly “eating melons” (watching the drama) as if the events of the court had nothing to do with her. Steady-as-a-rock wicked woman.

Lin Jiayue thought for a moment and decided to stay silent. If it was a war of attrition, so be it—she was the one sitting, and she had tea service. Aside from the Grand Secretaries, all the civil and military officials were standing.

Just as the situation reached a stalemate, a shrill cry rang out.

“The Empress Dowager has arrived!”

Empress Dowager Cui finally lost her patience and prepared to take the field personally. Lin Jiayue clearly saw the corners of Lu Siling’s lips curl into a smile. It was as if she were saying: The real show is about to begin.

Tsk, this “controlling everything” charm is truly captivating. Lin Jiayue didn’t deny it; in that moment, she had once again fallen for Lu Siling’s charisma.