Free Web NovelChapter 427: Chapter 260: Cabinet Reshuffle, Holy Netherworld Garrison, A Beauty in a Golden House, Freedom Restored
Suddenly, a warm and gentle voice reached Lu Mingyuan’s ears.
He looked down to see Wen Sheng meeting his gaze.
The calm in his eyes, coupled with his words, offered Lu Mingyuan a measure of comfort.
"What do you mean by that?"
Lu Mingyuan asked.
Wen Sheng smiled faintly and continued via voice transmission, "The heavens are fixed, but people are alive."
"Celestial Destiny and Fortune, when you get down to it, is merely an inert thing. It must ultimately be entrusted to a person. If Your Majesty’s power is great enough, you can vie for the destiny of other dynasties. This is not without precedent in history."
"Back then, the Grand Ancestor of Great Yan obtained the destiny of the Beiwei Dynasty, which is how he gradually unified the Northern Border."
"I remember when I was still the Great Zhou National Preceptor, I obtained a sliver of Celestial Destiny and Fortune from a certain dynasty, which ultimately extended the Great Zhou Dynasty’s reign by two hundred years."
Hearing this, Lu Mingyuan almost forgot.
The man before him, Wen Sheng, was once someone else entirely.
He was the Imperial Tutor of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
He was the man who had single-handedly saved the once-collapsing Great Zhou from peril, a Saint who had extended the dynasty’s reign by two hundred years.
If the Crown Prince and Royal Family of Great Zhou hadn’t listened to slander, alienating and ostracizing Wen Sheng, perhaps the Great Yan Dynasty would never have existed.
However, he remained somewhat cautious, not daring to trust him completely.
After all, Wen Sheng was the former Imperial Tutor of Great Zhou, while he was now the ruler of a nation. It was impossible for them to be entirely close.
Their respective positions made a certain distance between them inevitable.
Even if Wen Sheng harbored no ill will, Lu Mingyuan couldn’t stop himself from being wary.
A certain amount of vigilance was necessary.
Regarding this,
the elder Su Wensheng’s heart was like a clear mirror; he knew exactly what Lu Mingyuan was thinking.
As a Wen Sheng, he could not possibly advocate for Lu Mingyuan to become a warmonger, sending troops to attack other dynasties and plunder their Celestial Destiny and Fortune.
It was even more impossible for him to publicly call for war, or else he would face a reckoning from the Confucian Temple.
It was untenable, both in principle and in practice.
But that didn’t stop him from telling Lu Mingyuan about the histories of past dynasties.
’I am merely telling Lu Mingyuan that Celestial Destiny and Fortune can, in fact, be plundered. That such a thing is possible.’
’Nothing is set in stone.’
In fact, every five-hundred-year cycle of the Celestial Mandate’s Reincarnation was a prelude to an era of chaos.
Looking through the historical records, those powerful dynasties would all send troops to attack nations that held Celestial Destiny and Fortune.
It was not a rare event in history.
It’s true that the human heart is treacherous, but who could refuse the blessing of the Central Plains’ Celestial Mandate?
After hearing the explanation, Lu Mingyuan’s expression was calm. He didn’t much care for this "Celestial Destiny and Fortune" his subjects spoke of.
And he certainly wasn’t about to become a warmonger and immediately try to seize it.
Right now, Great Yan had just endured a major war with the Holy Nether Demon Country. Many cities were in ruins, the army was exhausted, the finances were tight, and a hundred things needed to be rebuilt. It was all waiting for him to clean up this mess.
He had only just ascended the throne, and the people’s loyalty was not yet settled. Now was not a good time to resort to military action.
He still needed some time to quietly build up his strength.
From now on, he just had to do what he thought was right.
The enthronement ceremony was supposed to be an event to reassure the people, but the appearance of the Celestial Dao Divine Lotus had the opposite effect.
It had been a perfectly good ceremony, and now everyone looked like they were harboring ulterior motives.
With Emperor Yong’an dead, the current Imperial Court had lost all its former cohesion, like a tray of loose sand.
This incident caused some ministers to wonder, ’Can Great Yan even last a hundred years?’
But Lu Mingyuan already planned to reorganize the Cabinet and recruit new, talented individuals.
It was a frustrating situation, as he had no control over the whims of Celestial Destiny and Fortune.
After paying respects to the ancestors and the past emperors, the tedious ceremony finally came to an end.
Lu Mingyuan announced his first decree:
"We have decided to change Qi Xingyan’s posthumous title to the first-rank ’Wenzheng’. Do any of you have objections?"
Hearing this, the civil and military officials looked at each other in dismay.
’This father and son are really at odds with each other.’
No sooner had Emperor Yong’an revoked Qi Xingyan’s first-rank posthumous title than the new emperor restored the honor.
But no one dared to come forward and protest.
Who would dare challenge the new Emperor during his own enthronement ceremony?
Wasn’t that just asking for death?
This was the ruthless man who had just assassinated Emperor Yong’an.
"We have no objections."
At once, all the officials voiced their agreement. None dared to defy him.
Seeing this, Lu Mingyuan nodded in satisfaction and continued, "The second matter: We intend to reorganize the Cabinet. The specific candidates will be chosen by Us personally. Furthermore, the triennial Court performance evaluations will be changed to an annual basis. We trust you all understand."
The announcement of this news made many officials in sinecure positions complain silently.
’The new Emperor is trying to weed out the freeloaders in the court!’
"As for Prince Zhenbei and the Champion Marquis, Your Majesty, how will they be dealt with?"
"Recently, the Holy Netherworld has still been lingering on Great Yan’s border. It seems they have stationed troops both inside and outside the Great Wall. Several sections of the Great Wall have fallen and have not yet been reclaimed. I fear the situation looks grim."
Below the dais, one of the officials stepped forward, cupped his hands, and asked.
Lu Mingyuan simply waved his hand and said without hesitation, "Prince Zhenbei will continue to guard the Northern Border. The Champion Marquis is wasted as a military supervisor in the Northwest. We plan to put the Imperial Guard under his command."
"As for the Demon Country, we must proceed slowly and not be hasty. We will make our plans after the autumn harvest."
This news undoubtedly caused another uproar in the Imperial Court.
’The new Emperor’s attitude toward Great Yan’s two highest-ranking nobles is so lenient?’
’Logically speaking, shouldn’t he be consolidating military power in his own hands after ascending the throne?’
However, those who thought carefully about the relationship between the new emperor, the Champion Marquis, and Prince Zhenbei felt a sense of relief.
The Champion Marquis was the Imperial Father-in-Law. Prince Zhenbei’s standing was more sensitive, but he could also be considered practically a father-in-law.
This new Holy Emperor undoubtedly trusted both men immensely. His magnanimity was greater than they had imagined, and he clearly intended to place great responsibility on them.
With the new emperor’s ascension, the status of Prince Zhenbei and the Champion Marquis in Great Yan would undoubtedly rise even further.
"Silence."
Lu Mingyuan swept his gaze over the officials and began to announce the members of his Cabinet.
He essentially moved his entire team from the Eastern Palace Mansion to the Imperial Court.
...
「After court was dismissed.」
Lu Mingyuan came to a secluded courtyard deep within the Imperial Palace and, with familiar ease, pushed open the door to the Cold Palace.
Lu Mingyuan asked the Imperial Guard at the gate, "How has Princess Consort Zhao been lately?"
The Imperial Guard respectfully lowered his head, gave a military salute, and said, "The Princess Consort has given instructions. If the Holy Emperor comes to see her, you may enter directly."
’It’s been quite some time since I moved into the Eastern Palace and came to the Harem. I hope she’s alright and hasn’t fallen ill from worry.’
Lu Mingyuan mused to himself, straightened his sleeves, and entered the elegant and exquisite courtyard.
There, on a cattail cushion in the courtyard’s sitting room, sat a mature woman in a red dress, beautiful as a celestial fairy.
Her Cloud Crane Jade Hairpin glittered in her hair. The fiery red Hundred-leaf Pleated Skirt was stretched taut over her full hips, and her delicate, vermilion lips shone like jade in the sunlight.
Lu Mingyuan was stunned for a moment, deeply captivated by her otherworldly beauty and aura.
But very quickly, his "Glazed Heart" restored his composure.
After all this time, Princess Consort Zhao, Yang Yingchan, was still the same as before, evoking a sense of deep tenderness in anyone who saw her.
"You’re finally here."
Yang Yingchan’s red lips parted slightly, her voice carrying a clear yet seductive charm unique to a mature woman. fгeewebnovёl.com
It was a perfectly proper tone, yet upon hearing it, Lu Mingyuan felt an inexplicable stirring in his heart.
She was simply too alluring.
"We... I..."
Lu Mingyuan fumbled for his words, even considering changing how he addressed himself.
"I understand."
Before he could finish, Yang Yingchan interrupted him.
As her glistening eyes looked at him, Lu Mingyuan sighed. "I bathed before I came."
He had come this time not only to check on Yang Yingchan but also with the intention of releasing her from the Cold Palace. After all, he was now the Emperor of Great Yan. Restoring Yang Yingchan’s freedom would only take a single word.
Hearing this, Yang Yingchan’s pretty face flushed red.
She obviously knew what he meant.
"Haven’t you always wanted to go out for a walk?"
"Now, I can grant you that wish."
Lu Mingyuan stared into her beautiful eyes and said with utmost seriousness.
Yang Yingchan stared at the familiar yet strange face before her, stunned for a long time.
Suddenly, she threw herself into his arms and began to cry her heart out.
This was something she had pursued her entire life but had never been able to achieve.
Now, Lu Mingyuan had done it for her.
...
