VBNWDW - Chapter 142

Chapter 142

Throughout history, the emperor and the crown prince have always been fundamental to the nation's stability. The loss of even one would cause turmoil, let alone Great Liang losing both at once.

It was hard to know whether to feel fortunate. Thankfully, both men had been useless; the daily operations of the court had always relied on the ministers led by Prime Minister Meng, with the Grand Princess serving as its backbone. For now, Great Liang remained relatively stable.

But everyone knew this was merely a temporary peace. If a decision was not made quickly, Great Liang would inevitably descend into chaos.

And so, the great hall echoed with constant arguments.

The throne on the high dais was temporarily vacant. Zhong Jueyu ascended to the top of the steps and sat down right there, looking down as the men debated.

No one questioned it, as if they had all inexplicably accepted that Zhong Jueyu belonged there. Even if a new emperor were chosen, she was destined to be the Prince Regent—second to one, and above all others.

But they were unaware that Zhong Jueyu's ambitions went far beyond that. They were still debating which of the two imperial princes, long since dispatched to their fiefdoms, was more suitable to be emperor.

The woman above found it amusing, a sneer touching her lips. Sunlight now streamed in, falling upon her purple robes, where the embroidered four-clawed python-dragon seemed to roar with an open mouth.

A minister who happened to glance up saw this and was struck by the thought that the woman on the steps possessed more majesty than the emperor who had once occupied the Dragon Throne. In a daze, he could have sworn the python-dragon had grown a fifth claw.

He quickly lowered his head and rubbed his eyes hard.

Meanwhile, the argument was winding down. Since the only two people who could make a decision—the Grand Princess and Prime Minister Meng—remained silent, what was the point of arguing any further?

The voices gradually subsided. A civil official strode forward, knelt, and declared, "Great Liang now faces threats from within and without. His Majesty has passed away, the Crown Prince has gone mad, and there is no one in the court to make a final decision. This subject implores Your Highness to temporarily take charge of the Imperial Seal and establish a course of action."

At his words, the others remembered and quickly knelt to join the plea.

Zhong Jueyu waved her hand in assent. "There is a mountain of chaos to address," she said slowly. "You could argue endlessly and achieve nothing. It would be better to discuss matters one by one."

Her words managed to calm the chaotic assembly.

Zhong Jueyu continued: "The first matter is the late emperor's posthumous title."

She turned her head to look at Meng Yunshan and said, "Prime Minister Meng, do you have any thoughts?"

The man who had not yet spoken finally stepped forward. "An old text from Chu records that one who dies prematurely in middle age may be called Dao."

Choosing an emperor's posthumous title was a matter of great importance. Normally, it would have been a process lasting over a month, involving a review of the late emperor's life, the drafting of several titles, and a final selection by the court officials.

But who had the leisure for such things now?

Besides, the late emperor's life had been utterly mediocre. The officials could not find a single praiseworthy achievement to his name. One could only say he had no accomplishments, nor had he had time to make any grave errors. To die by assassination and receive the title Dao was fitting enough.

Zhong Jueyu nodded and said, "Agreed."

She remembered that in her dream, Zhong Tuming had been given the title Li. This was an improvement; at least he wouldn't carry a name of infamy after death.

And so, the matter was settled.

"As for the funeral rites…" Zhong Jueyu paused, then said gravely, "For now, everything will be kept simple. Given Great Liang's current situation, it would be inappropriate to hold a grand ceremony."

Hearing this, the officials let out a collective sigh of relief. They knelt as one, crying, "Your Highness is truly righteous."

Zhong Jueyu then announced the arrangements she had decided on the previous night. Ruan He and Li Shigui received their orders and were permitted to leave the court to prepare for their departure from the capital early the next morning.

Finally, they came to the most critical question: which imperial prince would succeed the throne?

The hall fell silent as a tense atmosphere spread. At some point, the arguing officials had split into two factions, while those who had already pledged their loyalty to Zhong Jueyu stood to one side, silent.

Zhong Jueyu beckoned, and someone brought forward what had been prepared.

On a wooden tray were stacked memorials, piled high like a small mountain.

Zhong Jueyu opened them one by one, glanced through them cursorily, and then tossed them down.

The pages fluttered down like snowflakes, rustling before they hit the floor.

Someone risked a sideways glance. The most conspicuous things were the names of the two princes who had been the subject of debate, followed by evidence of their crimes marked in red ink, densely covering page after page.

No one dared to utter a word, their heads bowed like frightened quails.

Since they had dared to propose them in the great hall, they must have privately investigated them. Though the information was not detailed, they knew bits and pieces. After all, events had unfolded so suddenly that the two princes had no time to hide or destroy evidence.

After much deliberation, they had merely picked what they considered the lesser of two evils from a pile of rubbish.

Zhong Jueyu suddenly laughed out loud, the mocking sound echoing through the hall.

The last memorial fell, scattering the previously accumulated pile across the floor.

"My two imperial brothers have been living quite freely in their fiefdoms, haven't they," Zhong Jueyu said, her face grim.

She'd had no time to bother with them in the past, but upon closer inspection, she realized that the incompetent Crown Prince had actually been better. At least he had been supervised and hadn't descended to the point of committing every evil imaginable.

But these two princes, believing they would never have a chance at the throne, had taken advantage of their distance from the capital to act with impunity. They had at least a dozen lives on their hands.

Zhong Jueyu hadn't originally planned to deal with them. She had intended to placate the officials, leave the princes in their fiefdoms, and handle them after she returned with her army. But now, seeing all this…

Her tone was chilling as she asked, "What? You want to hand Great Liang over to this kind of scum?"

"But-but a nation cannot be without a ruler for a single day," someone said fearfully.

Zhong Jueyu's lips twitched into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She looked at the man and said, "What kind of dog are you, so desperate for a leash that you'd wag your tail at a piece of trash?"

A roar of laughter erupted.

The man's face turned shades of green and purple, but he didn't dare to retort.

Zhong Jueyu ignored him and turned away. "The matter of the imperial heir concerns the next hundred years of Great Liang and cannot be decided rashly. For now, have my two imperial brothers return to the capital and be placed under the tutelage of Prime Minister Meng."

She thought for a moment, then added: "These two have vile characters. In their fiefdoms, they used their power to do as they pleased. I fear they will become even more lawless upon returning to the capital. Therefore, temporarily revoke their fiefdoms, strip them of their titles, and demote them to commoners. Only after Prime Minister Meng gives his approval can we consider restoring their princely status."

Prime Minister Meng immediately accepted the order.

Those who were unaware were increasingly surprised. They thought Her Highness was ceding power to Prime Minister Meng, letting him personally cultivate the two princes and choose one to succeed the throne.

Prime Minister Meng's status in their minds rose even higher, almost rivaling Zhong Jueyu's.

But Meng Yunshan simply kept his head down, ignoring the occasional glances cast his way.

As for Zhong Jueyu, she rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration, a hint of annoyance showing.

It wasn't that she didn't want to succeed the throne, but Great Liang's borders were not yet secure. After handling the funeral rites, she had to rush to the front lines. If she ascended the throne hastily, it would surely cause instability, and she wouldn't have time to suppress the rumors. So, she decided to delay and slowly lay her plans.

After discussing a few more matters, the court was dismissed. The officials departed one after another, and the long-waiting carriages finally began to move.

---

In the Princess's manor.

Zhong Jueyu waved away the surrounding attendants and strode into the room.

The room was dim, the bed curtains still drawn, just as she had left them.

Luo Yueqing was already fond of sleeping, and after last night's late-night antics, she was even less able to get up. Zhong Jueyu had already finished with the morning court, yet this person hadn't even opened her eyes.

Zhong Jueyu's steps slowed. She took off her outer robe, hung it on a wooden rack, and then walked over quietly.

She lifted the bed curtain, sat on the edge of the bed, and looked down.

The woman was a relatively quiet sleeper. Despite the heat, she hadn't kicked off the blanket; it was still tucked neatly below her collarbones, causing her face to flush and a thin sheen of sweat to form on her forehead.

Zhong Jueyu sighed helplessly, reached out to pull the blanket down for her, and then brushed aside her scattered hair.

Disturbed, the woman mumbled a few words and unconsciously snuggled closer to Zhong Jueyu. The movement exposed the nape of her neck, revealing scattered red marks—bites left by an annoyed Zhong Jueyu after being utterly drained.

They weren't actually that deep. Although she had bitten down fiercely with tears in her eyes, Zhong Jueyu had been so drained of strength at that point that she could barely lift a hand, let alone bite with any force.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have let Luo Yueqing tease her with a light laugh, even deliberately leaning in to let her bite. She was truly wicked.

Thinking of this, Zhong Jueyu felt a surge of annoyance. She wanted to hit her but couldn't bear to, so she just poked the other's cheek and chided, "You vexing thing."

She hadn't planned on sitting on the steps today, but her back was so sore she simply couldn't stand any longer…

Thinking of this, Zhong Jueyu couldn't help but sigh again. She had truly seen the extent of this person's temper. It had only been a few days, and she had even asked Ruan He to give a proper excuse, yet the woman had still gotten this angry. If she had delayed a few more days, Luo Yueqing probably would have packed her things and rushed back to Xuanmiao Temple to be its Little Daoist again.

"My little ancestor," Zhong Jueyu whispered. She truly was her ancestor—saving her from dire straits on one hand, and tormenting her until she couldn't get out of bed on the other.

Yes, Zhong Jueyu had already thought it through. It didn't matter whether the dream was real or fake, or why Luo Yueqing's behavior was different from the person in the dream. None of that was important.

At least, both in and out of the dream, she had never harmed her. She had even secretly helped her change her destiny, allowing Ruan He and Li Shigui to remain safely by her side.

What was lost had not yet been lost, and she had even gained the best possible outcome. Why dwell on things that shouldn't be dwelled upon, only to create unnecessary trouble and make those around her worry and fret?

Zhong Jueyu's expression softened, and she tucked a strand of the other's hair behind her ear.

The woman stirred, turning to lean against her. After humming drowsily a couple of times, she buried her face in Zhong Jueyu's abdomen, rubbing her fluffy head against her.

She looked as if she were about to wake up.

Zhong Jueyu didn't stop her, only placed a hand on her back and patted it gently.

Outside, the sunlight was perfect, filtering through the dense canopy of leaves to scatter dappled spots of light on the ground, which danced in the wind.

The room was quiet for a while until Luo Yueqing slowly woke up. She lifted her arms to wrap them around the other's waist, burrowing deeper into her abdomen and humming, "You're back."

So she knew the other had returned after a busy morning.

Zhong Jueyu could only give a helpless "mhm" in response.

The woman was still a bit sluggish. She paused for a moment, then suddenly wailed, "Zhong Jinyan, my hands are so sore."

She struggled to turn over, then held her hands out to Zhong Jueyu with a pitiful expression, crying, "So sore."

As if she wasn't the one who refused to stop last night.

Zhong Jueyu opened her mouth, but in the end, she just took her forearm and lowered it. She'd never heard of a victim having to compensate and comfort the culprit, but alas, this was Luo Yueqing.

Zhong Jueyu sighed and began to massage the other's forearm.

Luo Yueqing made little humming and whimpering sounds. Perhaps because she wasn't fully awake, her voice was a little hoarse, but it couldn't hide the smug, roguish delight within.

It was a good thing it was Zhong Jueyu, who could tolerate her like this.

The Grand Princess, who was so decisive and authoritative in the great hall of the palace, could only retreat again and again before Luo Yueqing.

"A little too hard," Luo Yueqing hummed.

Zhong Jueyu lightened her touch. "Later, I'll have someone bring in a bucket of hot water for you to soak in."

Luo Yueqing nodded, finally showing a sliver of conscience. "What about you? Do you want to soak for a while too?"

But even this conscience seemed to hide a mischievous idea. Zhong Jueyu recalled the last time she had "helped" and silently shook her head, refusing. "I have things to do this afternoon."

"I won't even do anything…" The regret in Luo Yueqing's tone was palpable.

Zhong Jueyu laughed in exasperation and could only retort, "You won't do anything? You've clearly done everything!"

The other woman was thick-skinned. She blinked, feigning innocence. "What is Your Highness talking about? This little Daoist doesn't understand."

Before Zhong Jueyu could retort, her wrist was grabbed. With a slight tug, Luo Yueqing pulled her onto the bed. The curtains fell once more, plunging the space into darkness.

"Why don't Your Highness demonstrate for this little Daoist one more time?" a low, amused voice asked.

Zhong Jueyu tried to speak, but her words were muffled, and she could only make a vague sound.

The scenery outside was lovely, but no one lifted the wooden window to look. Only faint, intermittent gasps escaped, adding a touch of spring to the air.

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