IBTSOME Chapter 41 Part 1: Emperor’s Grace

I BECAME THE STEPMOTHER OF MY EX-HUSBAND

 

Chapter 41 Part 1: Emperor’s Grace

 

 ^^

The little emperor tilted his head slightly and looked at Lin Wei Xi with undisguised curiosity in his eyes.

 

The Emperor being curious was not necessarily a good thing, Lin Wei Xi's head lowered again, only revealing her slender neck. Gu Hui Yan glanced at Lin Wei Xi, and then said, "It's the family’s wife."

 

The Emperor looked inquisitively a few more times before saying, "You may dispense the curtsey."

 

Lin Wei Xi stood up with everyone, and the Emperor stepped forward to salute Empress Dowager Qian. The Emperor and Yan Wang came together, and of course the seats had to be rearranged. Lin Wei Xi took this opportunity to walk to Gu Hui Yan's side, silently hiding under Yan Wang's imposing aura.

 

Gu Cheng Yao also followed Gu Hui Yan and the Emperor to visit the Empress Dowager. He saw Lin Wei Xi walking in his direction with her full makeup, but finally stopped at his front side and stood still.

 

Gu Hui Yan was wearing a black Qinwang python suit, Lin Wei Xi wore gorgeous red dress, Gu Hui Yan was tall and slender, and Lin Wei Xi was curvy. From the back, the two stood together in an unspeakable harmony.

 

Gu Cheng Yao had some inexplicable moods for some reason. Gao Ran saw Lin Wei Xi naturally walked to Yan Wang’s side, she also could not be outdone and walked towards Gu Cheng Yao. After she stood beside him, she saw Gu Cheng Yao looked a little distracted, she couldn't help but whispered: "Shizi?"

 

Gu Cheng Yao woke up and saw Gao Ran looking at him with concern. Gu Cheng Yao smiled gently, and easily concealed his emotions, tried to appease Gao Ran with his eyes: "I'm fine. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager are here, so I'll talk about it later."

 

Gao Ran naturally understood this reason, but when Gu Cheng Yao said this, she was a little unhappy for some reason. It seemed that in her expectations Gu Cheng Yao should not behave like this. Gao Ran wanted to let Gu Cheng Yao know how Lin Wei Xi acted with her mother-in-law's identity, how she deliberately intercepted her words, and how she slander her in front of Empress Dowager. But now, Gao Ran could only respond quietly, and then lowered her head to listen to the Emperor and Yan Wang talking.

 

The Emperor took the throne at the age of eight, and after five years, the Emperor would be thirteen after the New Year. The age of thirteen, could not be said old but could not be said young either, but in imperial family it was a sensitive age.

 

The earth dragon in Cining Palace burned very hotly, and the incense floating in the palace was warm like spring. It was a very comfortable environment, but in the room, only the Emperor and Gu Hui Yan were talking.

 

The other people didn't even dare to breathe loudly, bowed their heads and waited. Even Empress Dowager Qian just forego the small talk. She just sat on the side with a smile and nodded and answered one or two from time to time, but couldn't really intervene with the conversation. Lin Wei Xi just sat next to Gu Hui Yan with a bright smile on her face, but she was a little distracted.

 

Right now is the eleven month of Yuanjia's fifth year, the Emperor was already twelve years old. If she were still Shizi Consort of the previous life, she would certainly feel that the court was harmonious and the country was peaceful, but Lin Wei Xi had read that book of heaven, and she knew that the rest was not all smooth sailing.

 

Since he came to power, First Assistant Zhang had made drastic reforms, grasping all matters of the court political affairs, and also served as the Emperor's teacher, responsible for teaching the Emperor's benevolence, justice, and etiquette. For a court minister to reach this point, it could be said he was the best among scholar since the dawn of time. However, Lin Wei Xi learned from the book that in his life Zhang Xiao Lian had reached the highest official position, but near his death, it was inevitable like all ministers of the past he didn’t end well, even the bones could not be saved. Later, there was even a wave of crusade against Zhang Xiao Lian, all the policies promoted by First Assistant Zhang were rejected, all the officials who opposed First Assistant Zhang would be called loyal and respectable people, even if the minister was actually just a cynical idiot.

 

Just a few words in the heavenly book, Lin Wei Xi could already feel the thrilling explosion of that time. Lin Wei Xi had never involved with the government affairs. She did not know what kind of person the famous First Assistant Zhang was, but it was true that the national treasury tax had doubled several times during Zhang Xiao Lian’s reign. He commanded the court with strict decree, but the Zhang’s family wantonly accepted bribes was also true. Zhang Xiao Lian took the opportunity to exclude dissidents and install his own people was also true. Such a legend was not within Lin Wei Xi's turn to evaluate, she actually only concerned about Yan Wang Mansion.

 

Once she was the Shizi Consort, but now she become the Yan Wangfei, she was bound to live and die together with Yan Wang, to share both the honor and the disgrace. The previous Emperor left the three auxiliary ministers in order to control each other. Yan Wang was the clan elders, holding the military power in his hand, deterring the world; Eunuch Feng was a palace eunuch, to take care the Emperor, and restraining the cabinet; Emperor Muzong's original intention to promoted Zhang Xiao Lian before his death must be because he had seen Zhang Xiao Lian's outstanding administrative ability, he wanted to use him to guard against Yan Wang. Yan Wang himself had the surname Gu, his nephew was young, and Empress Dowager Qian didn’t have a high IQ. In case something happens, afraid the person who sat on the dragon chair would be replaced.

 

Unexpectedly, things went on the opposite direction. Yan Wang was still well-behaved, but Zhang Xiao Lian, who was once the most trusted, had a dominant family. There was no prime minister in this dynasty, and all the memorials must be personally approved by the Emperor. In fact, apart from the founding Emperor, no Emperor could withstand this kind of physical work. Therefore, the dynasty set up a cabinet to replace the Emperor's vote. Later, he was afraid that the cabinet would be too dominant, and so the Emperor later set up a department of rite supervisor. The draft proposal sent by the cabinet, that was, the preliminary plan, would only take effect if department of rite supervisor approved it. Today's superintendent of the department of rite is Eunuch Feng.

 

Eunuch Feng watched the Emperor grew up, and affectionately called "Feng Dabao" by the emperor, which was no different from daddy¹. It was unknown how Eunuch Feng looked at First Assistant Zhang, the two people who were supposed to be competing with each other were actually very harmonious. Eunuch Feng even directly approved all memorials that First Assistant Zhang handed over without looking at it. In this way, it was not surprising that First Assistant Zhang could covered the sky with one hand and monopolized the courts.

 

The two of the three legs stand were joyous and harmonious, and Yan Wang as the other end was very important. After Yan Wang remained in the capital, he was on good terms with First Assistant Zhang. At least on the surface the two respected each other and had gentlemen’s friendship. Lin Wei Xi once thought that the friendship between Gu Hui Yan and First Assistant Zhang must be good, but when Gu Hui Yan came back from the banquet on the wedding night, there was a faint anxiety between his brows. The true relationship between these three auxiliary ministers may not be as calm as the outsiders had seen.

 

Even Yan Wang found it tricky, Lin Wei Xi never thought that she could say any wise opinions. She was just a little worried. If what the heavenly book said were true, what would happen to Yan Wang Mansion when Zhang Xiao Lian criticized heavily in the future? What would happened after the next First Assistant Shen came into power? Even more maliciously speculated, what role did the Emperor play in this matter?

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1 The original word is 奶爸 or naiba which literally means ‘milk dad’ LOL, it refer to man who takes an active role in taking care his newborn baby, but it’s kinda awkward to call it that so I changed it to daddy. ^↩

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