In the thirty-ninth year of Yuan’an, in December, Emperor Qi He passed away in the Qianlong Hall.
In the same year and month, the Crown Prince Zhao Zhengtan, who was imprisoned in the Dali Temple, became insane, babbling nonsensically day and night.
Great Zhou lost an emperor, but at the moment, there was no one suitable to inherit the throne.
At that time, the neighboring Yidan Kingdom also eyed the border, seemingly intending to take advantage of the chaos to attack Great Zhou.
Both the Grand Tutor Xu Di’an and the Prime Minister Song Jiniang died in the political upheaval, leaving only the Imperial Advisor Wei Yun to wield power alone in the court.
Because the Crown Prince’s only heir died in infancy, some courtiers suggested considering the legitimate son of the Prince Xin to succeed the throne.
But Wei Yun rejected this proposal.
How could the offspring of rebels inherit the throne?
Then some courtiers suggested whether it was possible to select someone from the imperial relatives to inherit the throne, either by adoption from the late Emperor or from the current Crown Prince who was imprisoned in the Dali Temple.
Wei Yun responded, “Did the late Emperor not leave behind legitimate descendants? Why are you all considering collateral relatives?”
His indifferent words immediately puzzled the entire court.
What did he mean by legitimate descendants?
Not to mention the Crown Prince’s serious crimes, how could someone with his current insane state inherit the throne as a legitimate member of the imperial family?
Emperor Qi He had only four sons in his lifetime.
Apart from the Crown Prince and Prince Xin, the eldest prince died in infancy, and the fourth prince fell off a horse and broke his spine at the age of sixteen, passing away within two years.
Now Prince Xin was dead, and the Crown Prince was in this state.
Apart from the two princesses, Heyue and Heyu, what legitimate imperial bloodline did the late Emperor leave behind?
Countless people speculated secretly in their hearts that this Imperial Advisor might indeed be intending to usurp the throne.
Yet, no one dared to speak openly about it.
Just when everyone was anxious because they couldn’t decipher the Imperial Advisor’s intentions no matter how much they speculated, Imperial Advisor Wei Yun produced the posthumous edict left by Emperor Qi He.
On the second day of Emperor Qi He’s death, during the court assembly, it was orally proclaimed by the Chief Steward De Yu to everyone present.
No one had ever expected that in Emperor Qi He’s posthumous edict, it explicitly stated that the future of Great Zhou was to be entrusted to Princess Heyu.
How could this be?!
Many courtiers were astonished; this was utterly absurd!
How could the late emperor hand over the throne of Great Zhou to a woman?
For a while, both in the court and in the streets, there were many discussions and doubts.
But now, the situation was entirely in the hands of Imperial Advisor Wei Yun.
Even if this edict were forged, no one dared to confront Wei Yun.
Moreover, the neighboring country of Yidan repeatedly caused trouble on the border of Great Zhou, obviously aiming to stir up trouble while the country was in turmoil.
But in any case, there were many admirers of Princess Heyu. Furthermore, during the palace coup, Princess Heyu disregarded her own life, risking herself to save the late emperor, defending the capital from the rebels for two days and nights, and later thwarting the plot of the traitor Xu Di’an to lead troops into the city, thus guarding both the capital and the imperial palace.
Not to mention her astonishing literary works like “The Unpolished Jade” and “The Spine of the Arrow,” followed by her collection of poems and essays that benefited the nation and the people, all of which demonstrated that Princess Heyu, despite being a woman, possessed exceptional talent rarely found in the world.
However, even so, in such a male-dominated era, the idea of a woman as an emperor was a hurdle difficult for many men to overcome.
Thus, opposition voices gradually arose, mostly consisting of men’s grievances and complaints.
Before Wei Yun or Princess Heyu could react, those loyal followers of Princess Heyu, both men and women, began to counterattack one by one.
“What’s wrong with being a woman? Even in writing, women are stronger than you lot who only know how to talk!”
“What’s wrong with our Princess? Her literary talent is astonishing, and she even risked her life to save the late emperor. With such great righteousness and courage, how could she be inferior to men?”
“The talent of our Princess is rare in the world. Except for Imperial Advisor Wei Yun, no one can match her.”
“In the previous dynasty, there was even an empress ruling the country. How come in our Great Zhou, it’s not allowed?”
Whether they were argumentative or not, everyone would engage in a lively debate with those meddlesome individuals.
Regardless of the disputes among the people or the opposition within the court, with the late emperor’s decree, and with the resurgence of turmoil in the Kingdom of Yidan, coupled with the power usurped by the Imperial Tutor Wei Yun, Princess Heyu still ascended the throne as scheduled, becoming the first empress of Great Zhou, and changing the reign title to Yongxing.
The first thing Princess Heyu did upon ascending the throne was to appoint the military general Zhou Shengsi as the Grand Marshal, leading troops to the border to wage war against the Kingdom of Yidan.
In the end, Great Zhou emerged victorious in the battle against the Kingdom of Yidan, driving those barbarians back to their territory once again.
“I thought he wanted to be emperor himself…”
When Meng Lichun appeared once again at Xie Tao’s house, she rested her chin in her hand and sighed in front of Xie Tao.
“So, doesn’t that make Tao Tao his little empress?” Xie Lan chuckled, munching on melon seeds. “Quite exciting.”
Xie Tao tossed a melon seed shell at Xie Lan’s forehead.
“Aunt Meng, what happened to you before?” Xie Tao turned to Meng Lichun, no longer paying attention to Xie Lan.
Meng Lichun, feeling proud at the moment, straightened her back and lifted her chin. “Tao Tao, perhaps you don’t know, but I’ve been promoted.”
“Promoted? What position?” Xie Lan asked casually while eating barbecue.
Xie Tao also looked at Meng Lichun with confusion.
“Our eldest, he’s now the director of the Third Temporal Management Bureau.” Nian Jitang raised his beer and clinked glasses with Xie Lan, interjecting.
Seeing Meng Lichun’s smiling face, Nian Jitang continued, “Do you remember Shao Junkang? This guy can be considered as one of the most fortunate among time travelers. Not only did he marry into a good family, but he also obtained a crystal left behind in another timeline by a certain immortal. That crystal holds immense power. If Shao Junkang can unlock its secrets, he can cultivate immortality with it, shedding his mortal coil and possibly ascending to the ranks of the immortals…”
Nian Jitang paused for a moment, seeming a bit disdainful. “But this stubborn fellow just knows how to make firearms. He hasn’t been willing to study the secrets of that crystal at all.”
“This isn’t the first time he escaped from the Third Temporal Space and betrayed Lord Wei, but after I caught him and brought him back, somehow that bald guy, who used to be the former bureau chief, found out about his crystal…
The bald guy mentioned by Nian Jitang used to be an ordinary mortal devoted solely to cultivating immortality and Dao.
After a stroke of luck, he managed to enter the realm of immortals to become a minor celestial being, but was then assigned to be the bureau chief in that cramped Third Temporal Space.
There were no benefits like social security or high wages.
Most importantly, there weren’t as many elixirs and spiritual medicines available for the bald guy to continue his cultivation.
Because his innate talent was poor, if not for a stroke of great luck, he wouldn’t have achieved immortality.
Yet, he wasn’t content with his cultivation being stagnant.
To break through the bottleneck, the bald guy harbored thoughts of seizing the crystal when he discovered it in Shao Junkang’s possession.
But the crystal had a master, and without Shao Junkang willingly giving it, he couldn’t access the power within the crystal.
As Shao Junkang concealed his intention to kill Wei Yun and only claimed to have found out that Wei Yun wasn’t his father’s murderer, thus dropping the idea of revenge and returning to Great Zhou to find his real enemy, the bald guy thought by monitoring him and confiscating all the firearms and ammunition he created, which shouldn’t have existed in Great Zhou, he wouldn’t be able to produce new ones in the short term.
So, he made a deal with Shao Junkang.
He gave Shao Junkang four days.
He didn’t care who Shao Junkang wanted revenge on, as long as he didn’t use weapons that shouldn’t exist in that timeline.
It didn’t matter whether he wanted to kill Wei Yun or someone else.
As long as the means were in accordance with the temporal order, it was fine.
That’s why he detained Meng Lichun and Nian Jitang, to prevent them from interfering in Wei Yun’s affairs.
If Shao Junkang could kill Wei Yun, it would be the best outcome for the bald guy.
After all, in his eyes, Wei Yun was always someone who had to be eliminated.
“I don’t know who told the Heavenly Realm’s Temporal Affairs Supervisor, Hengyun Immortal Lord… As soon as the bald guy was caught, the boss and I were released.”
Nian Jitang explained the whole situation while gnawing on a skewer of meat.
“Then Aunt Meng, did you become the director?” Xie Tao bit into a skewer of mushrooms, gazing at her with those almond-shaped eyes.
Meng Lichun covered her mouth, laughing exaggeratedly for a few moments. “Actually, I didn’t expect it either.”
“There were several seniors in the bureau more qualified than our boss. I don’t know why the position of director was given to our boss by Hengyun Xianjun. I’ve heard people whispering, wondering if our boss has some kind of special connection, like a lover or something, otherwise how could she get this position?” Nian Jitang couldn’t help but interrupt.
Meng Lichun nudged him with her elbow and rolled her eyes. “I got the recognition from my superiors through my capability. What do they know!”
When Wei Yun arrived, he saw the four of them sitting at the table, eating barbecue and chatting.
With a mouthful of beef skewer, Xie Tao turned her head and suddenly noticed Wei Yun had appeared in the living room at some point.
“Wei Yun!”
A joyful smile spread across her face as she quickly set down the skewer and ran towards him.
Wei Yun noticed the grease stains around her mouth. He paused for a moment, then took out a handkerchief and wiped it off for her. “It’s quite lively here today.”
The other three watched this scene as if force-fed with dog food, suddenly feeling that their barbecue wasn’t so appetizing anymore.
“Wei Yun, do you know? Aunt Meng got promoted! She’s become the director!” Xie Tao couldn’t wait to share the news she had just heard with him.
Wei Yun casually tossed the handkerchief into the nearby trash can. When he heard this, he glanced at Meng Lichun sitting there and spoke with an indifferent tone, showing no sign of emotion, “Is that so?”
Meng Lichun touched her neck and stood up instantly, laughing awkwardly. “Well, it’s just… luck, luck.”
She completely lost the confident demeanor she had a moment ago.
“Wei, care for some food?” Nian Jitang also stood up, awkwardly offering.
Only Xie Lan remained seated, munching on his skewers. “Wei Yun, come over here and have some food, and maybe a drink.”
After finishing speaking, he took an empty cup and poured a glass of beer for Wei Yun.
In the past, Wei Yun would never have gone over to sit and drink with them, but this time, he glanced at the girl in front of him and still held her hand as he walked over.
Perhaps because he had never drunk this kind of wine before, Wei Yun found it a bit difficult to adapt for a moment.
Seeing him frowning, Xie Lan mocked him, pointing at his nose, “Look at you, drinking like you’re being forced to take poison!”
Wei Yun directly threw the cup in his hand at Xie Lan.
Luckily, Xie Lan reacted quickly and caught it.
This could also be considered a late-night snack. By the time they finished eating, it was already one in the morning.
Since Wei Yun appeared, Meng Lichun and Nian Jitang had been feeling uneasy. When it was time to leave, they naturally left decisively. Xie Lan was not as stubborn as before at this moment. He found a bottle of yogurt in the fridge, inserted a straw, and drank it while walking out.
Xie Tao bit the straw, drinking peach-flavored yogurt, sitting on the sofa with Wei Yun, watching TV.
The light of the crystal lamp in the living room was bright, illuminating the whole room.
“Wei Yun, have you ever thought about being an emperor?”
Thinking of what they casually discussed with Xie Lan today, Xie Tao suddenly turned her head and asked him.
Wei Yun’s gaze was on the TV screen at the moment, but when he heard the girl beside him suddenly say this, he seemed a little stunned. Then he glanced at her, and then leaned back on the sofa.
His voice remained calm and cold, “I used to think about it.”
Wei Yun didn’t mind telling Xie Tao about this matter.
Indeed, he used to think about it.
How could he firmly grasp power? Just being in a position of authority over others was not enough. Only by truly becoming the top person could he control his own life and the lives of others.
Living was such a boring thing.
Wei Yun once thought that power should be the only thing he was interested in.
“But what good is that Dragon Throne?”
Wei Yun pulled the corner of his lips, his eyes seemed to lack interest.
He pursued power but was also unwilling to be bound by it.
Because Wei Yun knew very well that he was not suitable to be an emperor.
As long as the one sitting above was not Crown Prince Zhao Zhengtan, it was enough.
So, he agreed to Zhao Shuwei’s alliance proposal and supported her ascension to the throne, becoming the first Empress of Great Zhou.
He was willing to fulfill the ambition of this former princess.
He would let her sit on the Dragon Throne, but if she dared to have inappropriate thoughts or burn bridges, Wei Yun would not hesitate to take action.
He could help her ascend to power, but he could also pull her down from that throne.
“Why ask me this? Could it be… you want to be the empress?”
As if suddenly realizing something, Wei Yun turned his head and looked at her, with a hint of a smile in his eyes, sighing as if regretting something, “If only I had granted your wish earlier.”
???
Xie Tao bit on the straw, almost choking on the yogurt. She quickly shook her head, “I didn’t…”
But Wei Yun looked at her drinking yogurt with the straw for a while, then suddenly asked, “Is it very tasty?”
The topic changed quite abruptly, and Xie Tao nodded in confusion.
Who knew that the next moment, he would snatch the yogurt from her hand.
She thought he wanted to drink her yogurt, so she wanted to say something, but she saw him suddenly leaning over, his fingers pinching her chin, bending down to kiss her lips.
Different from before, Wei Yun almost fiercely nibbled on her lips.
He seemed to have changed a bit.
Xie Tao was kissed by him until she felt dizzy, her mind sluggish.
It used to be that whenever she wanted to steal a kiss from him, it would make his ears turn red, instantly shy enough to push her away, as if she had done something extraordinary.
He always asked her to be more reserved.
But recently, it was he who initiated kissing her the most.
Although his ears still blushed, he didn’t seem as shy as before.
Xie Tao absentmindedly reached out her fingers and pinched his slightly red earlobe.
How did he suddenly… become less reserved?
