Good Morning, Your Majesty!

"Brother Gu, you've finally arrived!"

In the palace's inner court, Zhao Sheng had waited and waited, and finally Gu Yuan arrived.

"Forgive me, Brother Zhao. It's my first time here, and I didn't know my way around. I almost arrived late."

"It's still early, hehe. Brother Gu, you really are a striking, handsome young man! Standing there in that silver armor, you'll probably stop the palace maids in their tracks..."

"Don't make fun of me, Brother Zhao."

Gu Yuan was already handsome, and with the added effect of his martial god physique, he had gained an even more extraordinary air. On the street, if he didn't turn a hundred percent of heads, he'd turn ninety-nine point nine.

There wasn't another like him in the entire Mystic Shadow Guard.

"Hehe, let's go, Brother Gu. You're on duty with me today." Zhao Sheng patted Gu Yuan on the shoulder and handed him a small booklet. "These are the palace rules. Make sure you commit them to memory."

"Brother, what happens if I break the rules?"

"Isn't it obvious? You'll be dismissed and investigated, of course."

"The empress won't kill me?"

Zhao Sheng smiled. "Her Majesty is ruthless and decisive, but she never kills indiscriminately. The Mystic Shadow Guard are her trusted confidants, too. Breaking the rules is a minor matter; there's no reason to kill someone over it."

Gu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as she wouldn't kill him, that was fine.

It seemed the empress was fairly normal before she fell to demonic influence...

He opened the Imperial Palace Rules and found it densely packed with text.

In plain terms, it said:

Don't speak out of turn, don't look where you shouldn't, don't pry, don't form cliques, don't neglect your duties, and keep every secret strictly confidential... And most importantly, of course, protect the empress.

Not that Qi Yueli needed protection.

Imperial Palace Rules, huh? I'll do the exact opposite and see if you fire me!

With Zhao Sheng leading the way, Gu Yuan soon arrived outside the empress's bedchamber.

A new face had suddenly appeared in the palace, and a handsome young man in silver armor at that. Along the way, the palace maids couldn't help sneaking extra glances at him.

Normally, an imperial guard should have avoided any suspicion at a time like this, keeping his eyes straight ahead and paying them no attention.

But Gu Yuan not only greeted them warmly, he even tried to take the pretty maids by the hand.

Watching him made Zhao Sheng's heart pound.

If he hadn't stopped him, this fellow might even have dared to hug them!

"Brother Gu!"

"Her Majesty's bedchamber is just ahead. I must give you a serious warning!"

"If you act as frivolous and unrestrained as you did just now, the empress will definitely dismiss you. You'll lose the post you worked so hard to obtain!"

Lose it?

Good!

Gu Yuan couldn't ask for more.

"Brother Zhao, I understand. Don't worry."

Zhao Sheng looked doubtful.

"Put on a serious, dignified expression when the time comes, and don't speak unless the empress asks you something. Understood?"

"Understood. You can put your mind completely at ease, Brother."

Zhao Sheng had a vague sense of foreboding, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

There were two guards at the bedchamber at any given time, working in shifts. Gu Yuan and Zhao Sheng had the day shift.

They had to stand guard for six shichen at a stretch, with one day off every six days...

Gu Yuan was speechless. Wasn't this fucking 996?

He'd be nothing but a beast of burden. He couldn't stand it!

This was no longer a question of whether he would go to Qingzhou. Even if he didn't go, he still didn't want the job!

He'd be better off spending that time listening to music at a pleasure house.

Gu Yuan made up his mind.

Just then, the doors opened.

A faint, delicate fragrance wafted toward them, refreshing the senses.

Zhao Sheng quietly gave Gu Yuan a look, signaling him not to act rashly.

But Gu Yuan paid him no heed.

He snapped to attention, turned right, and raised his hand in a salute. Then, filling his voice with true qi, he shouted at the woman inside the hall:

"Good morning, Your Majesty!"

"Mystic Shadow Guard Gu Yuan, reporting for duty!"

His voice was so loud that the entire palace couldn't contain it.

"Gah!"

Zhao Sheng froze on the spot, utterly dumbfounded.

The palace maids inside the bedchamber were so frightened that they fell to their knees, not daring to make a sound.

The empress prized peace and quiet above all else. This new guard was far too bold!

Even if he wanted to attract the empress's attention, he shouldn't have used such a clumsy method...

Although Qi Yueli had been prepared, she hadn't expected Gu Yuan to be so bold.

He had disturbed the empress on his first day of duty. Just how much did he not want the job?

The corners of Gu Yuan's lips curved upward almost imperceptibly.

That scared you, didn't it?

Come on, dismiss me. I'm ready!

"..."

"Mm, good morning."

A voice like celestial music sounded softly, its tone calm and unruffled.

Huh?

Zhao Sheng was stunned.

The palace maids were stunned.

Gu Yuan was even more stunned...

What's going on?

Not only did the empress not get angry, she even answered me?

Everyone was thinking, What the fuck?

"Keep your voice down from now on," Qi Yueli said slowly, then headed for the Heaven-Praying Hall.

Zhao Sheng and the palace maids stared at Gu Yuan in astonishment.

"Brother Gu, why did Her Majesty treat you so..."

Gu Yuan really didn't know.

This isn't how it was supposed to go!

Shouldn't I have been stripped of my post?

Is the empress really that good-tempered?

"Brother Gu?"

Gu Yuan sighed. "Probably because I'm a genius."

After turning it over in his mind, that was the only reason he could come up with.

A genius?

You've got to be kidding. Who in the Mystic Shadow Guard isn't a martial arts genius?

Zhao Sheng's heart was still pounding.

There had to be a secret between Gu Yuan and the empress that they couldn't reveal.

Looking at Gu Yuan's exceptionally handsome face, he even had an extremely bold thought.

He's such a handsome young man. It wouldn't be strange for the empress to like him...

He was glad he hadn't offended Gu Yuan. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

"Brother Zhao, where are we going next?"

"The Heaven-Praying Hall. Her Majesty is attending morning court, and we have to stand guard at the entrance."

"Your Majesty, torrential rain has fallen on Ruzhou for days, causing its rivers to swell and flood. A thousand qing of fertile fields have been inundated, villages submerged, and the people left homeless. I beg Your Majesty to allocate grain and silver for disaster relief..."

"Your Majesty, a plague of locusts has struck Yunzhou..."

"Your Majesty, an earthquake has struck Shuzhou..."

"Your Majesty, banditry is rampant in Liangzhou..."

Outside the Heaven-Praying Hall, Gu Yuan listened to the voices within and sighed repeatedly.

With natural disasters and man-made calamities coming one after another, Great Qi was having a hard time too.

The root cause of it all was the depletion of Great Qi's dragon vein and the dynasty's insufficient fortune. A permanent solution would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

That said, it wasn't as if there was no way.

In the original story, the heir to the Prince of Qingzhou accidentally fell into an ancient tomb on his way to the Qi Capital and, through a series of coincidences, obtained the dragon seal of the previous dynasty.

The dragon seal held half the fortune of Great Li, the previous dynasty.

If Great Qi could obtain it, the dynasty might still be saved.

Not only that, the dragon seal also contained a unique martial cultivation technique that could greatly increase one's strength.

Gu Yuan had little interest in the dynasty's fortune, but the technique...

Judging by the time, the heir to the Prince of Qingzhou shouldn't have obtained the dragon seal yet. I'll find a chance to visit the ancient tomb and borrow the seal for a look... The corners of Gu Yuan's lips lifted slightly as he made his plans. Just then, he heard a voice from inside the hall.

"Your Majesty, the imperial birthday is approaching, and the heirs of the princes of the nine provinces will soon arrive in the capital for an audience. We must find a capable young heir of a duke or marquis to receive them, so that proper etiquette is observed."

"Who do you ministers think would be suitable?"

"Ning Yan, the heir to the Duke of Wei'an, excels in both literary and martial pursuits. He would be the best choice."

On the throne, Qi Yueli pondered for a moment, her gaze involuntarily drifting toward the hall doors.

"Draft the decree."

"Ning Yan, the heir to the Duke of Wei'an, will be in charge of this matter, with the heir to the Marquis of Pingxiang assisting him."

The ministers paused.

The Marquis of Pingxiang?

Who?

Outside the hall, Gu Yuan was full of question marks.

What on earth is this empress trying to do?