Handling the aftermath

The fourth prince, who was about to declare himself emperor, froze in mid-air, staring blankly at his younger sister, suddenly feeling that she was a complete stranger.

Huaiqing's words were like a thunderclap, echoing in the ears of Prince Li and other members of the royal family. The shock was even greater than when she and Xu Qi'an forced Yongxing to abdicate.

Is she crazy?!

The same thought crossed everyone's minds at the same time.

King Li steadied himself, his slightly cloudy eyes fixed on Huaiqing, and said:

"What did you say?"

Huaiqing's tone remained unchanged:

"I wish to ascend the throne and become Empress."

"Smack!"

Prince Li slammed his hand on the table, rose with his cane, his finger trembling as he pointed at Huaiqing, his anger barely contained.

"Absurd!

"You wretched child, do you know what you're saying? A mere woman, daring to ascend the throne and become empress, who will submit to you! I think you're blinded by lust for power and have lost your reason."

"If you were to ascend the throne, how would you gain the support of the people? There would surely be those who seize the opportunity to rebel, Great Feng would perish even faster."

Unacceptable!

Emperor Yongxing abdicated, and Prince Li was able to tolerate it. Turbulent times are always accompanied by power shifts, and Emperor Yongxing's inability to retain the throne was due to his incompetence.

As long as the successor is a legitimate royal prince, there will be no problem.

Huaiqing was a member of the royal family with impeccable lineage, but she was a princess, a woman. How could she possibly become empress?

The princes and dukes discussed it, some sighing in regret, others slapping their thighs and cursing the madman, their emotions running high.

Seeing the strong opposition from his uncles and brothers, Prince Yan shrewdly seized the opportunity, raised his hand to suppress it, and said:

"Uncles and elders, please calm down."

At this moment, Huaiqing's identity as the elder brother became apparent, and the princes and dukes indeed quieted down.

When a woman in a family gains power, all the glory falls on the man. Huaiqing is Prince Yan's younger sister, born of the same mother. Because she is in power, everyone tacitly agrees that the power of speech lies with Prince Yan.

Prince Yan earnestly advised:

"Huaiqing, your fourth brother knows that you have always been ambitious and capable, and that you are no less than any man. Your fourth brother promises to give you an opportunity and space to realize your ambitions."

"As for the matter of ascending the throne and becoming emperor, let's not mention it again. Even if we agree, you gentlemen do not agree, and the people of the world do not agree."

It's practically saying outright, "You, a woman, want to be emperor? Isn't that just making a fool of yourself?"

Huaiqing glanced at Prince Yan, then swept his gaze over the other princes and dukes, his tone calm:

"Who says a woman cannot be an empress? It has existed since ancient times; Empress Dayang set a precedent for all ages."

"Yang" refers to a dynasty that existed before the Great Zhou, nearly two thousand years ago. In the middle of the Great Yang period, various feudal lords rebelled, captured the capital of Great Yang, slaughtered members of the royal family, and wiped out all the men.

At that time, there was a princess of Dayang who was exceptionally talented. She did not study music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but loved to practice martial arts. During the rebellion in which her father, brothers and the male members of her clan were almost all slaughtered, she resolutely stood up.

She rallied an army and quelled rebellions across the land, taking six years to finally bring an end to the chaos caused by the feudal lords.

She then ascended the throne and became the first female emperor in the history of the Central Plains.

King Li sneered:

"If you were a second-rank military officer, I would kneel down and beg you to ascend the throne."

Empress of the Great Sun, Second Rank.

Huaiqing remained calm and composed, his expression unchanged, and said indifferently:

"My cultivation is shallow, merely at the fourth rank, but Xu Qi'an has already advanced to the second rank."

Inside the side hall, everyone looked utterly astonished.

King Li's eyes widened, his hand holding the cane trembling slightly:

"Xu Qi'an... he's been promoted to the second rank?!"

Seeing that Huaiqing remained silent, he impatiently tapped his cane and angrily said:

Answer me.

Huaiqing laughed:

"Otherwise, how could we have the confidence to fight the rebels of Yunzhou to the death?"

Prince Yu was slightly moved:

"You mean, he supported your ascension to the throne and becoming emperor."

Huaiqing was momentarily dazed, recalling the scene of the two exchanging messages via ground writing that day—

[Three: Your Highness, one last question.]

[One: Please speak.]

[Three: Are you really willing to make the fourth prince your heir?]

[1: Why is this question asked?]

[Three: Because I think you want to be emperor.]

There was a long, long silence. [One: If I were to ascend the throne, what would you do?]

[Three: Sure!]

Even now, recalling that conversation, Huaiqing can still feel the turbulent emotions that surged within him at that time.

At that moment, she went to the window, opened it, and let the sunlight and the cold air rush in together.

She faced the sunlight, head held high, eyes closed, and sighed as she uttered three words.

"Xu Ningyan"

Huaiqing did not answer Prince Yu's question, because there was no need to.

She continued:

"The Wei faction and the Wang faction are both my people. Most of the twelve guards in the capital have already submitted to my command. The five battalions of the Imperial Guard only recognize the tiger tally, not the person. And the tiger tally is now in my possession."

"With the support of Xu Ningyan, a second-rank military officer, Uncle, and all my uncles, is there anyone in the royal family more suitable to be emperor than me?"

"Jiang Luzhong and Zhang Kaitai command tens of thousands of troops stationed at Yuyang Pass, who are my men. The General of Chuzhou is also my man."

"Does Uncle think it's enough?"

There was complete silence. After a moment, King Li said in a deep voice:

"A woman becoming empress corrupts ethics and disrupts the court; let us not forget that outside the capital, there is also the Cloud Deer Academy."

"What a coincidence, that's exactly what I was about to say," Huaiqing said calmly.

"I have already promised to restore Cloud Deer Academy to the imperial court and to appoint Zhao Shou to the cabinet."

"..." King Li closed his eyes.

Huaiqing seized the opportunity to ask again:

"In terms of strategy, talent, and courage, is there anyone in the royal family who surpasses me?"

Prince Yan opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing.

Huaiqing stood up, his gaze sweeping forcefully over the princes and dukes, and said:

"Besides me, who else in the royal family can save the precarious Great Feng and your lives that are hanging by a thread?"

"Relying on a weak and incompetent Yongxing?"

This was the first time she had shown her sharp edge and revealed her disdain.

The royal family members then realized that they had underestimated the eldest princess, thinking she was merely a bookworm with a reputation for talent.

From Yuanjing to Yongxing, she always kept a low profile, never showing off, and did not care about politics.

Only then did she reveal her true colors. By the time they came to their senses, their lives were already in her hands.

Seeing that no one disobeyed, Huaiqing toned down his sharp edge and said:

"I have summoned you all here today because I do not want the royal family to shed blood. If you support me, you will enjoy wealth and honor. If you have any disloyal thoughts, you will be killed without mercy."

"Uncle, you are the elder, please say something."

King Li couldn't help but look at Huaiqing, and was startled to find that her eyes were dark and calm, yet contained murderous intent. His heart immediately tightened, and he said in a deep voice:

"Things have come to this, what more can I say?"

Huaiqing then looked at his distraught brother, gently straightened his clothes, smoothed out the wrinkles on his chest, and said softly:

"From now on, Fourth Prince, Yongxing, and the other brothers will have to live in the underground of the Star-Gazing Tower for the time being."

"I will take good care of the children of Fourth Brother and all my brothers."

"If any of you uncles are interested in staying at the Star-Gazing Tower for a while, I would be most pleased to welcome you."

The expressions of the royal family members present changed slightly.

"Clap clap!"

Huaiqing clapped his hands, summoned the armored soldiers outside the side hall, and gave them orders:

"Bring them back to the Golden Palace, and bring the members of the royal faction to me as well."

Wang Dang was unaware of her intention to ascend the throne, Xu Qi'an persuaded Wang Zhenwen by arguing for the establishment of Prince Yan.

However, now that they're on the wrong path, it's difficult to get off. So, Huaiqing needs to have a heart-to-heart talk with the core members of the Wang faction.

By noon, the riots from the palace to the capital city were completely quelled. All the experts in the Imperial Guards were suppressed by Xu Qi'an. Among the Twelve Guards, those loyal to Emperor Yongxing were persuaded to surrender if possible, while those who remained loyal to the death were all executed.

With Xu Qi'an in charge, no one dared to show their face among the retainers of high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital.

Inside the Golden Palace, the nobles, meritorious officials, and members of the imperial family gathered once again. Huaiqing, escorted by two rows of armored soldiers, stepped into the Golden Palace, wearing a white dress with the hem trailing on the ground.

She walked gracefully to the throne, looked down at the assembled officials, and spoke in a clear, cold voice:

"Since the beginning of winter, the cold disaster has ravaged the land, and the people are suffering. Yongxing has failed in his governance, which has led to resentment among the people and uprisings. Knowing that he is not worthy of his position, he wishes to abdicate and hand over the reins to a more virtuous person, entrusting the country to me."

"Do any of you have any objections?"

Apart from the delegation from Yunzhou, all the officials, nobles, and members of the imperial family in the hall bowed their heads and shouted:

"Your Highness possesses great virtue and is capable of undertaking this important task."

Because he has not yet ascended the throne, he cannot yet be called Your Majesty.

The Yunzhou delegation stood alone, feeling both apprehensive and somewhat embarrassed.

At the top of the Golden Palace, Xu Qi'an stood with his hands behind his back, overlooking the entire palace city.

A cold wind lifted the hem of his clothes and ruffled his hair. The voices of the officials in the hall echoed in his ears. For no reason, Xu Qi'an recalled that two years ago, he was still an insignificant nobody.

Yuan Jing, Wei Yuan, the Supervisor, Wang Zhenwen, and the court officials in the palace were all high-ranking figures whom he could only look up to but never reach.

Two years later, these people were either dead or sick, while the officials of the court, and even the entire capital, were under his feet.

The mighty Yangtze River flows eastward, its waves washing away the heroes of the past. Right and wrong, success and failure, all vanish in the blink of an eye. The green hills remain, witnessing countless sunsets.

"If this poem gets out, it'll cause a huge uproar, and my second uncle will get scolded again."

After reciting it softly, he smiled with a complicated expression:

But I no longer have the same desire to become famous for my poetry.

Inside the imperial study, only Huaiqing and Xu Qi'an were present.

"I still have some influence; the Twelve Guards of the Capital and the Imperial Guards have already suppressed the rebellion, and everyone is giving me face, so they're keeping quiet for the time being."

Xu Qi'an stood in the hall, gazing at the aloof beauty behind the large table, and said:

"The rest is up to you to stabilize morale within the army, replace trusted confidants, and win over the hearts of the people."

He acted as if it were none of his business.

Next, the capital will enter a brief period of chaos, and the major powers will need to be reshuffled.

Won over those who can be won over, eliminate those who cannot, and of course, compromise where necessary and make certain concessions.

He didn't need to worry about these things; Xu Qi'an trusted that the Princess would handle them herself.

Huaiqing ran his fingers over the brushes on the brush holder, selected an ivory brush, and said calmly:

How you deal with Lin'an next is also your business.

"A palace maid from Jingxiu Palace risked her life to come and deliver a message: Consort Chen wishes to see you, and Lin'an is also here."

After taking control of the four gates of the palace, Huaiqing lifted the restrictions and no longer prohibited the princes, princesses, and concubines from leaving their residences.

Xu Qi'an thought for a moment and said:

"As for stabilizing public sentiment, I have an idea. We can parade the Yunzhou delegation through the streets and post notices saying that I initiated this purge of corrupt officials. As a princess, your ascension to the throne is illegitimate and you will not be accepted by the people until you have made some achievements."

"But you can borrow my reputation."

"That's exactly what I was thinking." Huaiqing picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and casually wrote some of his previous poems on the paper, saying:

"You need not pay any attention to Consort Chen. If she finds it bothersome, I will deal with her for you. As for Lin'an..."

The eldest princess's lips curled into a mocking smile:

"Xu Yinluo is best at sweet talk; just use your best skills."

"Don't speak so sarcastically," Xu Qi'an said irritably.

"Yongxing is, after all, her brother."

Huaiqing nodded:

"Therefore, sparing his life is the best way to honor Lin'an. After crying for a few days, she'll come to her senses."

Xu Qi'an felt he had been cheated and complained:

Is this how you show your support for me?

Huaiqing put down his pen and looked at him expressionlessly:

"Yongxing has abdicated, so the marriage he bestowed is invalid. After I ascend the throne, I will help Xu Yinluo dissolve the engagement."

"Then you will no longer need to worry about appeasing Lin'an."

"My second uncle has already agreed, how can I back out?" Xu Qi'an shook his head repeatedly.

"What I say goes." Huaiqing was unexpectedly domineering, seemingly determined to annul the engagement.

"Your Highness should focus on the matters at hand!"

Xu Qi'an cupped his hands in greeting, left the imperial study, and instead of going to the inner palace, he turned and left the palace to Nightwatchers's office.

In the imperial study, Huaiqing bit his lip and let out a cold snort.

Riding a mare, they returned to the Nightwatchers's office with a "clatter, clatter, clatter," and, led by Song Tingfeng, went to the dungeon.

The jailer opened the iron gate leading to the underground. Song Tingfeng walked ahead, and as he passed the interrogation room, he wondered:

"Ningyan, every time I see these strange and unusual instruments of torture, I feel like I've forgotten something."

Xu Qi'an was unfamiliar with the Nightwatchers's dungeon and even less so with the instruments of torture, so he paid no attention to Song Tingfeng's words.

"Let's go to the brothel later, but you'll have to disguise yourself first."

"We'll talk about it when we have time. I don't have time to go to brothels right now."

The two talked as they went, and soon arrived at the prison gate where the Yunzhou delegation was being held.

The guards accompanying the Yunzhou delegation have been executed on Huaiqing's orders, leaving behind the negotiating team officials, Ji Yuan, Xu Yuanshuang, and Xu Yuanhuai.

The three were locked together, their glamorous outer garments stripped away, and they were dressed in prison clothes.

Xu Yuanhuai's tendons in his hands and feet had been severed again. He was handcuffed and shackled, and leaned weakly against the wall.

Upon seeing Xu Qi'an open the cell door and enter, the three reacted in different ways.

Ji Yuan frowned slightly and took a step back.

Xu Yuanhuai looked up at him, then turned his head away, his face indifferent.

"What are you doing here?"

Xu Yuanshuang's feelings towards this older brother were much more complicated. There was the hostility instilled in her from childhood, the pity formed by her mother's influence, the respect a younger sister has for her older brother, and the helplessness of each being in charge of their own affairs.

As a result, she herself couldn't figure out what kind of feelings she had for her older brother.

"Why did Xu Pingfeng send you two to the capital? Was it to deliberately annoy me, or to increase Ji Yuan's margin for error?"

Xu Qi'an glared at them coldly.

Xu Yuanshuang lowered her head and whispered:

I think it has both.

Xu Qi'an scrutinized the two of them and sneered:

"Looks like they're treated like ants to be discarded at will. Truly useless, not even worth anything."

Xu Yuanhuai clenched his fist tightly, but the tendons in his hand were severed, and he couldn't even clench his fist properly.

Xu Yuanshuang felt wronged and ashamed, and lowered her head.

"Now that you're in the capital, don't even think about leaving. This place isn't suitable for you." Xu Qi'an turned to look at Song Tingfeng:

"Move them to the underground of the Star-Gazing Tower."

Song Tingfeng nodded.

"Has that kid been interrogated?" Xu Qi'an, looking at Ji Yuan, who was leaning against the wall.

"I questioned the Warlock at the Bureau of Astronomy, but the information is classified; I haven't seen it." Song Tingfeng finished speaking, looked at Xu Yuanshuang, and clicked his tongue.

"Such a charming young beauty, don't send her to the Bureau of Astronomy, Ningyan, take her home as your concubine."

He was unaware of Xu Qi'an's background and his complicated entanglements with the Yunzhou lineage.

If there's a chance later, I can bring her home to let my second uncle meet them, and also see who's stronger, my younger sister or my cousin, through their magical duel. Xu Qi'an walked up to Ji Yuan and looked down at him condescendingly:

"You ranked ninth among that bunch of useless brothers?"

Ji Yuan remained completely unperturbed, a smile playing on his lips.

"Ji Yuan greets his cousin."

After being imprisoned in the Nightwatchers's dungeon, Ji Yuan quickly calmed down. After a brief analysis, he concluded that Xu Qi'an still had some brains. Although he had seized the opportunity to launch a coup and install a woman in power, Xu Qi'an hadn't killed him, indicating that he still had some value to him.

Maybe they're going to use him in negotiations with Yunzhou.

"Smack!"

Xu Qi'an slapped him across the face.

Ji Yuan, a frail scholar, could hardly withstand the fall. He was thrown out like a broken sandbag, his ears ringing, and he didn't get up for a long time.

"Stop trying to claim kinship. Who's your cousin?" Xu Qi'an's expression was calm, as if he had just swatted a fly away.

"The legitimate son and the illegitimate son?" he asked again.

Ji Yuan, suffering from tinnitus and hearing loss, couldn't hear very clearly. Seeing Xu Qi'an raise his hand to slap him again, his expression changed drastically. It was Xu Yuanshuang, out of consideration for their cousin relationship, who answered for him:

"A son born out of wedlock."

Xu Qi'an said "Oh," and chuckled:

"Born of a lowly concubine, you're just another worthless pawn. How much do you think that person in Qianlong City would be willing to pay to redeem you?"

"Think it over before you speak. It depends on whether you can get back to Yunzhou alive."

"A crude, uncouth warrior." Ji Yuan leaned against the wall, struggling to his feet. His cheeks were swollen high. Suddenly, he lowered his head and spat out a bloody tooth.

Xu Yuanshuang whispered:

"He is Ji Xuan's younger brother."

Xu Qi'an's eyes lit up, and he smiled:

"Interesting!"

He walked slowly toward Ji Yuan, who frantically pressed himself against the wall; the slap he had just given him had shattered all his confidence and self-assurance.

"No wonder we're brothers; you and Ji Xuan are both lacking in self-awareness."

He patted Ji Yuan's face, then led Song Tingfeng and his two younger siblings out of the prison cell.

Ji Yuan stood with his back against the wall, his fists clenched, his face filled with resentment and humiliation.

In the corridor, Xu Qi'an hadn't walked far when he heard a woman's clear voice coming from a cell on the left:

"Hey, is that Xu Yinluo?"

Turning my head, I saw a woman with disheveled hair and dirty prison clothes, but with extremely beautiful features.

Xu Qi'an was stunned for a moment:

Who are you?

"I am A-Zhu from the Thieves' Guild, no, the Divine Thieves' Guild. You arrested me during the battle between Celestial Person and Man."

The woman seemed to have suffered a great shock, gripping the fence with an agitated expression.

"Oh, it's you. What's up?" Xu Qi'an asked, puzzled.

"When are you going to let me out? I've been locked up for nine months," Azhu said agitatedly.

Xu Qi'an looked at Song Tingfeng:

What should we do with this woman?

Song Tingfeng curled his lip:

"A notorious criminal like her should either be exiled, have her hands chopped off, or be imprisoned until death. Before you sent her in, didn't you tell her to keep a close eye on her, saying she might be useful in the future?"

Xu Qi'an thought to himself, "I'd completely forgotten."

"Now is the perfect time to need people. I'll arrange a position for her later." Xu Yuanshuang whispered as Xu Qi'an stepped out of the dungeon.

"Ji Yuan has been secretly in contact with Consort Chen these past few days."

Consort Chen... Xu Qi'an nodded, then turned to Song Tingfeng and said:

"Tomorrow, take the Yunzhou delegation out for a spin and give the people of the capital a surprise."

After leaving the Nightwatchers's office, they parted ways with Song Tingfeng, who was escorting Xu Yuanshuang and Xu Yuanhuai to the Bureau of Astronomy.

He rode his horse all the way to the palace.

Coincidentally, there's an unsolved mystery in the case of Consort Fu that he wants to ask Consort Chen about personally.