A Grand Wedding for a Consort

After entering Yuweiju, Ling felt as though she had returned to her own home.

After ordering their food, she didn’t call her good-for-nothing younger brother Yu out for a discount.

Seeing that the waiter was rather talkative, she stopped him and casually probed, “Waiter, I haven’t been to the capital in a long time. Has anything interesting happened in Baizao recently?”

The waiter didn’t quite dare meet the gaze of someone as ethereal as her. Turning his head slightly, he replied, “That’s not something I can explain in just a sentence or two.”

“Then don’t bother.”

The waiter nearly choked on those words. Flicking the towel in his hand, he was just about to leave the private room when she called after him again.

“Waiter, one moment.”

“I do!”

“…Huh?”

The waiter’s face turned bright red.

“Y-Yes, miss? What else can I do for you?”

“I’d like to ask… how many consorts does the emperor have?”

The waiter was speechless.

If she’d asked how many dishes the kitchen had cooked today, how they tasted, or whether there were any discounts, he could’ve chatted all day.

But asking how many consorts the emperor had chosen?

There was no way he could know something like that.

Well then… these two “fairies” were probably in Baizao hoping to be selected as imperial consorts too.

Thanks to His Majesty’s grand beauty selection, business throughout Baizao had flourished.

Everyone’s standards of beauty had risen by several notches.

Who didn’t enjoy looking at beautiful women?

Everyone did.

Even so, he respectfully answered, “How would I know something like that?”

“If you don’t know anything, how are you even a waiter?”

‘Mooncakes don’t actually have the moon inside them either!’

The waiter felt utterly wronged.

‘If I actually knew how many consorts the emperor had selected, would I still be working here as a waiter?’

‘This guest is seriously a little rude.’

“You may go now…”

“Certainly. Please enjoy your meal, you two.”

Ling decided she’d find Zhong Yue that night and ask him about everything first.

Since she’d already decided to sneak into the palace, she might as well meet with Zhong Yue before making any further plans.

Inside the imperial court.

The moment they realized they had fallen into a trap, the Grand Tutor and the Grand Commandant both fell silent, their gazes settling upon Yan Shou seated atop the Dragon Throne.

His Majesty sat there as though doing nothing.

Yet beneath that calm exterior, he was quietly stirring the tides of the empire.

Everything seemed to unfold within their expectations.

And yet, the outcome always escaped those very expectations.

Since the beginning of the year, he had appeared idle, incompetent, and uninterested in governing.

Yet whenever a critical moment arrived, one seemingly casual move after another always muddied the waters before they could react.

As expected of one carrying the bloodline of the True Dragon.

Power had transformed him with astonishing speed.

It seemed they could only proceed with courtesy before force, remaining still while waiting for the enemy to move.

When the Grand Tutor and Grand Commandant stopped speaking, the officials behind them took it as tacit approval.

The debate immediately became even more heated.

Civil and military officials alike stepped forward with remonstrations.

Cangting Bo was obviously planning to rebel.

How could they not send troops to capture him?

Even if they wished to demonstrate the emperor’s magnanimity by refraining from immediate action, they should at least make preparations to prevent disaster before it happened.

Yet His Majesty actually believed that a man who had already written a rebellious poem would abandon rebellion simply because his beloved disciple was entering the palace.

His Majesty was being foolish.

Still, it wasn’t a major issue.

No emperor could be perfect in every matter.

Otherwise, what purpose would ministers serve?

Leading armies into battle and resolving such crises was precisely the responsibility of generals.

Bai Dingshan’s meteoric rise had given many loyal generals hope.

Naturally, Bai Dingshan stepped forward once more, volunteering to take command of the campaign against the rebellion.

Yan Shou felt a headache coming on.

More than half the officials in court were urging him to send troops and guard against Cangting Bo supporting an imperial prince in establishing a rival regime.

‘Why does Great Yan have so many loyal ministers and capable generals?’

‘How am I supposed to act like a fool with all of you around?’

‘Cangting Bo is the second strongest expert under heaven!’

‘Can any of you even beat him?’

‘Aren’t you all supposed to be split between the Grand Tutor’s faction and the Grand Commandant’s faction?’

However, Yan Shou had underestimated them.

The generals volunteering for battle had very simple thoughts.

His Majesty was wise.

He promoted talent and appointed capable people.

Though he had flaws, what ruler was truly flawless?

Wasn’t the very purpose of ministers to make up for their sovereign’s shortcomings?

Wasn’t Bai Dingshan himself the perfect example?

From promotion, ennoblement, imperial favor, and becoming related to the imperial family, to governing an entire military region…

In only a few months, he had accomplished what most people couldn’t achieve in a lifetime.

Who wouldn’t envy that?

Everyone wanted to become another Bai Dingshan and leave behind an immortal name.

So whenever they noticed the emperor overlooking something, they naturally wanted to fill in the gaps.

Yan Shou naturally had no idea.

Had he known, he never would’ve promoted Bai Dingshan in the first place.

He’d practically been ready to exile the man to Ningguta, yet somehow Bai Dingshan still refused to give him any peace.

Right now, Yan Shou felt utterly depressed.

Every loyal official in court could instantly see through his attempts at playing the foolish ruler and rushed to stop him.

How was he supposed to keep this act going?

Even if he wanted to rule by sheer imperial authority, he’d still need enough supporters.

Compared to court disputes, rebellion was a matter capable of toppling the entire dynasty.

The civil and military officials simply couldn’t allow him to fool around.

“Sigh… there still aren’t enough traitorous ministers.”

Left with no other choice, Yan Shou compromised and allowed Bai Dingshan to lead the army.

Several days later, Yan Shou welcomed Jingzhe into the imperial palace.

According to Great Yan’s rites, only the emperor’s principal empress received a grand ceremonial wedding.

The women of the imperial harem simply entered the palace and began serving the emperor.

But Yan Shou wasn’t willing to accept that.

He was supposed to be a foolish tyrant.

Naturally, he needed extravagance and waste.

He wanted the infamy.

Some ministers tried to dissuade him.

Yan Shou rejected them all, claiming it was to reassure Cangting Bo.

Since the censors remained silent, no one else dared push the matter further.

After all, what if Cangting Bo really did abandon rebellion because his beloved disciple had entered the palace and gained the emperor’s favor?

Anyone who had opposed it would have no way to defend themselves.

Yan Shou had his own motives.

Besides satisfying his curiosity by experiencing what it felt like to take a consort, he also wanted to send a clear message to the entire court.

He wanted everyone to know.

He wanted the whole world to know.

“I, Yan Shou… am a foolish tyrant!”

He intended to use miles of lavish red bridal decorations to flaunt his extravagance and establish himself in the hearts of Baizao’s citizens as a lustful emperor.

Otherwise, if the officials thought he was a fool while the common people believed he was a wise ruler, first impressions would shape everyone’s judgment.

Wouldn’t all his effort at being a foolish tyrant be wasted?

There were only so many officials.

There were countless commoners.

He knew which audience mattered more.

He had assumed the Grand Tutor and Grand Commandant would oppose him.

Instead, Yan Shou failed again.

The Grand Tutor, the Grand Commandant, and the entire court unanimously agreed to make the ceremony as magnificent as possible.

They had predicted exactly what he would do.

The officials threw themselves wholeheartedly into preparing the festivities.

Not only would there be miles of crimson bridal decorations, but the people of Baizao would celebrate alongside them.

In their eyes, His Majesty was using the gentlest possible method to calm Cangting Bo’s anger and prevent a war.

Regardless of how this storm had begun…

Perhaps reality was cruel.

Perhaps war could not be avoided.

Even so, that didn’t stop the officials from doing everything they could to preserve the people’s peace and innocence.

The people, in turn, felt nothing but gratitude.

This was the emperor sheltering Great Yan from wind and rain.

His Majesty was only human.

Humans made mistakes.

Only an emperor capable of making mistakes gave his ministers the chance to prove their own worth.

If the emperor were perfect in every way…

What need would there be for ministers?

Thus, everyone enthusiastically participated in the ceremony for welcoming the new consort.

Every face was filled with joy.

Yan Shou couldn’t understand it.

‘I’m causing such an enormous disturbance and wasting so much money just to take a single consort.’

‘Why are all of you this happy about it?’

‘You’re all so annoying!’

Late at night, both the Eastern and Western Palaces lay in complete silence.

Under the calm moonlit sky, Ling casually entered the imperial palace.

This wasn’t her first time entering the palace.

It was simply her first time visiting the Eastern Palace, where Yan Shou resided.

She had naturally noticed the palace’s grand protective formation.

But honestly…

It wasn’t that the formation had many loopholes.

It was more like they’d built the entire palace directly on top of one enormous loophole.

If formations weren’t outside her area of expertise, Ling would’ve been tempted to patch all the palace’s security flaws herself.

Maybe she’d have Nian come over someday and do a little construction work.

No wonder the emperors of Great Yan always died so suddenly.

The palace’s security was truly beyond words.

It also explained why His Majesty had recruited Zhong Yue into the palace as a bodyguard.

Ling intended to finish things quickly without alerting the palace servants.

But after entering the palace, she suddenly realized…

Where exactly was she supposed to find Zhong Yue?

As a grandmaster who stood above grandmasters, Zhong Yue sensed Ling’s arrival the moment she stepped inside.

Having no other choice with this rather absent-minded girl, he quietly released the faintest trace of his aura to guide her.

Following it, Ling quickly found Zhong Yue.

She patiently knocked on his door, her voice gentle and deliberately syrupy.

“Yue-er~ Open the door.”

“If you don’t open it…”

“I’m going to start shouting!”