Because the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty's Majesty Needed No Gold or Silver to Secure It! (Please Subscribe and Vote with Monthly Tickets)

Seeing the memorials piled throughout the Imperial Study, Li Chen frowned. "Why are there so many?"

Whenever he went out gallivanting before, he would return to mountains of memorials, but never this many.

Beside him, Eunuch Cui, the Chief Eunuch, smiled. "Your Majesty, there have been rather more affairs concerning the Southern Kingdoms lately."

Eunuch Cui was the same as ever: he answered whatever Li Chen asked, neither adding embellishments nor deliberately concealing anything.

That was the sense of propriety required of someone who could survive at an emperor's side.

If an emperor noticed a minister slipping a private agenda into his words, he would either consider the minister incompetent or suspect that he had accepted some benefit.

Li Chen rubbed his temples, but still sat down and began reviewing the memorials carefully.

While he handled affairs of state, only his two personal attendants, Chu Ruoyan and Wu Nanzhi, could enter to serve tea and water. The other consorts had no such privilege.

That alone showed how high these two consorts stood in the Imperial Harem.

Even Jiang Rong had to announce her arrival first and obtain Li Chen's permission before entering the Imperial Study to discuss anything.

The next day, Li Chen attended the Imperial Court for the first time in a long while.

At the sight of him, the civil and military officials looked as though they had seen their savior.

What sort of emperor spent all day wandering around outside, neglecting his duties? Li Chen, however, thought nothing of it. If you bother me with everything, what am I keeping you ministers for?

"Your Majesty, the envoys from the Southern Kingdoms have all arrived and await your summons," the Minister of Rites reported, stepping forward.

With tensions running high in the Southern Kingdoms lately, their kings naturally