"Are you even competent as a vice minister? So many people have submitted memorials accusing you, saying that whenever they come to you on official business, you either shirk it or drag your feet. You dragged one tiny matter out for over a year. Why don't you just go die!"
"And you! You even embezzled the money for the palace's paving stones. You stole right out from under my feet! Impressive. I'll fucking give you this-you've got guts. If the man beside you had half your initiative, he could be a minister by now."
Indeed, the person saying all this was none other than Li Chen, the elder brother Li Sining had been longing to see.
Before Li Chen, two officials knelt on the floor, trembling like leaves.
A memorial could also be seen striking one of the officials squarely in the face, frightening him so badly that he nearly convulsed and passed out.
It was her first time seeing her brother so angry. His imperial aura was unmistakable.
Li Sining's affection for him, already full to the brim, rose another few notches.
Perhaps Li Sining would adore anything Li Chen did, even walking or eating, and her affection would keep rising. She simply hadn't realized it yet.
Beside her, Chu Ruoyan was also curious about who this Palace Dress girl was.
To her eyes, the Palace Dress girl looked like an immortal maiden who had stepped out of a painting, with skin fairer than snow, exquisitely drawn brows and eyes, a high nose, and cherry-colored lips.
Even Chu Ruoyan, who had always been renowned for her beauty, felt immense pressure.
Chu Ruoyan recalled something. The Palace Dress girl seemed to have called Li Chen her imperial brother just now. Could she be a princess?
Hadn't she heard that blood relatives in the imperial family weren't particularly close, and that everyone wore a mask of false kindness?
Yet from what Chu Ruoyan could tell, the admiration and affection in the Palace Dress girl's eyes when she looked at Li Chen really didn't seem like an act.
And she didn't seem afraid of Li Chen. Perhaps the two of them were close.
Chu Ruoyan wondered whether she should first get on good terms with this Palace Dress girl.
If she became Li Chen's consort in the future, this girl would be her sister-in-law.
But if Li Chen wasn't interested in her, how awkward would that be?
Most importantly, their faces were so close together right now!
Chu Ruoyan wanted to move away, but she was afraid the Palace Dress girl would think she was showing aversion.
Yet staying put felt rather strange.
While she was agonizing over it, the two ministers inside had already received their verdicts.
One scurried out on his own to await further news, while the other was carried out by the Imperial Guards.
"You two, come in."
Li Chen's voice soon reached the ears of the two beauties peeking through the window.
Li Sining playfully stuck out her tongue, then walked inside.
Chu Ruoyan still looked somewhat ill at ease, even more nervous than she had been during her visit a few days earlier.
She couldn't really be blamed for that. Many people feared entering Li Chen's Imperial Study.
Chu Ruoyan had seen many court officials, including General Guo Poyun, emerge from it with either trembling legs or bodies drenched in sweat.
Indeed, Li Chen's Imperial Study was like a place governed by rules from a horror tale, a place dreaded by every minister of the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty.
A set of rules for the Imperial Study had even begun circulating among the ministers:
[Rule 1: Upon hearing His Majesty's summons, immediately set aside your current work and reach the Imperial Study as quickly as possible. Otherwise, you will be in grave danger.] [Rule 2: When picking up a memorial that has fallen at your feet in the Imperial Study, no matter what you see, be sure to look frightened, and never admit to what is written in the memorial, even on pain of death. This will allow you to survive for the time being.] [Rule 3: When His Majesty rises, under no circumstances should you meet his eyes. Otherwise, he will think you are provoking him.] [Rule 8: If you violate any of the above rules, it means you have been contaminated by the horror tale. Please proceed to the Meridian Gate yourself to receive a blade's stroke and bring this journey through the horror tale to an end.]
Perhaps in many people's eyes, Li Chen was terrifying, a majestic new emperor.
Li Sining, however, mostly felt sorry for him. Her master had said being emperor was exhausting, and now it certainly seemed that way.
As Li Chen's loving little sister, she naturally had to work hard to share his burdens.
At that moment, inside the Imperial Study, Li Chen was puzzled himself. There hadn't seemed to be this many memorials when the Previous Emperor was alive.
Why, now that he was emperor, were these memorials being sent in as though they cost nothing?
What he didn't know was that during the Previous Emperor's reign, the emperor had needed to balance the factions at court and even look after the veteran ministers who had followed him before his rise to the throne.
Many matters had been left to cool or simply ignored. The court officials had more or less understood the emperor's wishes, so fewer of them submitted memorials.
But Li Chen took on anyone he caught. He had no faction of his own, nor did he need to care about the feelings of those veteran ministers. He even dealt with imperial princes and powerful nobles, so his subjects submitted memorials with great enthusiasm.
As his "political achievements" continued to mount, Li Chen naturally grew more and more outstanding in his subjects' eyes. The loyal ministers, in particular, privately hailed him as an enlightened ruler of his generation.
After all, calling Li Chen an enlightened ruler to his face was merely flattery, and no one would take it seriously.
Saying it in private carried real weight. It was equivalent to their sincere recognition of Li Chen.
Inside the Imperial Study, Li Chen finished reviewing the last memorial and gently rubbed his temples, finally freed from the mountain of official business.
Just then, Li Sining and Chu Ruoyan slowly entered the Imperial Study.
The sight of the two beauties brightened Li Chen's mood considerably.
"Imperial Brother, you're finally done." Li Sining wore a slightly playful smile, her eyes shining with concern for Li Chen.
Li Chen raised his head, his gentle gaze settling on Princess Li Sining, and smiled. "I have indeed been rather busy lately. How did you find the time to return to the palace? Aren't you busy with your studies?"
Li Sining walked over to Li Chen and gently kneaded his shoulders, saying coaxingly, "I heard you've been working day and night, Imperial Brother. I felt sorry for you, so I came back to help share some of your burdens."
The two hadn't seen each other in a long time, and now that Li Chen was emperor, there weren't so many rules constraining them here. Li Sining began pouring out her grievances, recounting the hardships she had suffered over the years.
Her mother was always making her study this and that. She had no interest in many of those things, but was forced to learn them anyway.
During festivals, celebrations were held in the Imperial Capital. She wanted to go but couldn't, and could only listen to the bustle outside. It was so dull.
Li Chen told her, "Don't worry. Now that I'm emperor, who besides me can tell you what to do?"
The two chatted so enthusiastically that they even forgot someone else was there.
Chu Ruoyan began to feel she might be rather superfluous.
After they had chatted for a while, Li Sining seemed to remember something, and her expression grew a little solemn. "Imperial Brother, there's actually something else I came back for this time. I almost forgot to mention it."
Li Chen paused briefly, then motioned for her to continue as he enjoyed the massage.
Li Sining took a deep breath and said, "Tomorrow is the twentieth-anniversary celebration of the Cloud Deer Academy's founding. Great scholars from all over will attend, and students from across the realm will come, drawn by its reputation, just to behold the academy's splendor. My master specifically asked that you attend, Imperial Brother, both to celebrate the academy's twentieth anniversary and to let the scholars of the realm behold your imperial majesty and experience your wisdom and martial prowess."
The master of the Cloud Deer Academy? Li Chen had heard of him. He was one of the few Saint Realm experts in the Imperial Capital.
Li Chen remembered that during the Previous Emperor's reign, he had repeatedly invited the man to serve at court, only to be politely refused each time.
The Previous Emperor had even visited him at the academy in person, but he had still shown no desire to do so.
Why does he suddenly want to approach me now?
It was rare to meet another expert in the same realm. To put it bluntly, they both operated in the same patch of territory, and Li Chen wanted to get acquainted with him too. He therefore agreed, "Very well. Tomorrow, I shall personally attend the ceremony and join the scholars of the realm in celebrating this grand occasion!"
His answer was rather official, expressing his stance as emperor.
Li Sining was delighted to see Li Chen agree. Then she glanced at Chu Ruoyan beside her.
With a mischievous grin, she asked, "Imperial Brother, are you two going on a date?"
Li Chen rolled his eyes at her and replied, "Since you know, why haven't you disappeared yet?"
"As you command!" As Li Sining left, she gave Chu Ruoyan an encouraging look, making her feel rather embarrassed.
Before you continue