AEOGA CH11

The next day, the entire court and commonality were seething with excitement.

The ministers, who had long grown accustomed to sleeping in, were shaken awake from their warm beds by their wives and servants before dawn: “Master, wake up! Someone has come from the palace. His Majesty is holding court today!”

Most of the ministers suspected they were hallucinating. Turning over to go back to sleep, they muttered incoherently, “His Majesty holding court? That’s something that only happens in dreams.”

Only when the servants anxiously added, “Someone has really come, they are waiting right outside the estate!” did they snap their eyes open. Their drowsiness vanished instantly as they asked in utter disbelief, “His Majesty is truly holding court?”

What followed was a frantic rush to put on shoes and socks, changing into official court robes they hadn’t worn in eight hundred years, and ordering carriages to be prepared for the palace.

Since official carriages were banned inside the palace grounds, a long line of vehicles parked outside the palace gates. Ministers dressed in official robes alighted one after another, every single one of them looking half-asleep, exchanging pleasantries with familiar colleagues as they walked.

“Lord Zhang, long time no see.”

“Lord Li, long time no see as well.”

“Early this morning, I heard people running around spreading the word that His Majesty is holding court. I was so startled I suspected I hadn’t even woken up yet.” Lord Zhang said, letting out a yawn. “The last time I saw His Majesty was when young General Qin… no, when Noble Consort Qin returned triumphantly to the capital, right? And the time before that was during the palace examination back in March… What is it for this time?”

“Perhaps he has taken a fancy to some other young master. What a pity for Talent Fu. During the palace examination, he debated the entire crowd of scholars, leaving even us old ministers with nothing but admiration. He clearly possessed the talent of a top-ranking Zhuangyuan, yet His Majesty saw his handsome appearance and insisted that Master Fu was as delicate as a flower, decreeing he should be the third-ranking Tanhua, forcing him into third place. Since then, he hasn’t served as an official for a single day before being summoned into the palace to attend to the Emperor. Although he was granted the title of Talent, the harem is forbidden from interfering in state affairs. I fear that vast talent of his will find no place to be displayed. What a pity, what a pity.”

“If we’re talking about pities, isn’t Noble Consort Qin even more of a pity? It’s fine if His Majesty is infatuated with beauty, but how could he induct these pillars of the state into the harem? How many years does it take for Changli to produce a young General Qin who uses troops like a god—”

“Shh, speak no more.”

“Why stop me? Even if it costs me my head, I will say it! What His Majesty has done is utterly absurd!” Lord Zhang said with deep sorrow.

The current Emperor was fatuous and lacking principles; he had completely lost the hearts of the people, and his prestige had vanished into thin air in the eyes of these court officials. The loyal ministers despaired over his failure to live up to expectations, while the treacherous ministers simply held the Emperor in complete contempt. He was nothing but a lump of mud that couldn’t stick to a wall—what was there to fear?

Lord Li lowered his voice: “Has His Majesty done few absurd things? I’m not telling you not to speak, but the Grand General of Weiyuan has arrived.”

Lord Zhang looked back, and immediately fell silent.

No matter how heartbroken outsiders were, none were more heartbroken than the Grand General of Weiyuan.

The Lu family was a prominent clan of noble lineage and a scholarly household. They had produced many empresses and powerful officials, yet they never harbored treacherous thoughts; generation after generation, they served the sovereign with loyalty and sought the welfare of the people of Changli. The Qin family had been loyal for generations, spending their lives fighting on the battlefield, protecting Changli generation after generation, and remaining heroes in the hearts of Changli’s people.

One family represented civil governance and the other military might, together forging peace for Changli. Coupled with the diligent efforts of successive emperors, Changli achieved its peak prosperity.

By this generation, both families had produced an extraordinarily brilliant successor. The Qin family youth had loved studying military strategy books since childhood, displaying surpassing military talent and mastering all manners of weaponry. The Lu family young master was a prodigy with a photographic memory, recognizing all characters under heaven at the age of three and clinching the top spot as Zhuangyuan at fourteen in one fell swoop—the youngest Zhuangyuan from ancient times to the present, a feat worthy of being recorded in the annals of history.

Chancellor Lu and the Grand General of Weiyuan were lifelong bosom friends and lifelong rivals. When they were young, they compared whose father was better; when they grew up, they competed over who could contribute more to the Emperor; and in their old age, gathered together, they loved most to compare whose child was more excellent. The General would say, “Yulong has mastered another weapon, I’ll have him perform for you,” while the Chancellor would say, “Xuechao just composed a new poem, let me recite it to you.” The General would counter, “At such a young age, Yulong actually devised a military strategy entirely on his own, something even I hadn’t thought of,” and the Chancellor would respond, “Today at court, I resolved His Majesty’s recent worries. I feel ashamed to say, the method was actually suggested by Xuechao”… They had competed subtly like this for many years until Lu Xuechao became the Zhuangyuan at fourteen—unprecedented and unrepeatable. Only then did the General laugh and admit defeat: “I can’t compete, I can’t compete. But my Yulong is two years younger than your son after all. In another two years, when he goes to the battlefield to establish merit and career, he won’t necessarily be inferior to your son.”

From this, it was evident that both Lu Xuechao and Qin Yulong were the pride and joy of their respective elders.

Coincidentally, the youthful Crown Prince of this generation was also exceptionally intelligent. He possessed the benevolent virtue of a wise ruler toward the common people and was decisive and ruthless toward foreign enemies. He was also childhood friends with Lu Xuechao, sharing a very deep bond. After achieving Zhuangyuan, Lu Xuechao did not enter officialdom but requested to become a strategist for the Eastern Palace, helping the Crown Prince achieve several great successes before being wed as the Crown Princess.

Chancellor Lu, the Grand General of Weiyuan, and the late Emperor had once gathered to drink and converse merrily, laughing as they said, “Heroes emerge from youth. With these three children around, Changli will surely achieve unprecedented glory. We old fellows can finally go into the ground in peace.”

…Peace, my foot.

If the late Emperor knew his son would later become such a scoundrel, he would probably be angry enough to leap out from the imperial mausoleum.

The Grand General of Weiyuan had a cold, grim expression, the chill emanating from his body causing the hundred officials to automatically retreat three feet, not daring to cross him at this delicate juncture.

At this moment, the only one who dared speak to the Grand General of Weiyuan was Chancellor Lu.

“Old Qin.” Chancellor Lu patted his shoulder. “I’ve heard about Yulong’s matter. Today at court, I will definitely petition His Majesty to allow Yulong to leave the palace…”

The Grand General of Weiyuan smiled bitterly: “Brother Lu, His Majesty acts arbitrarily and listens to no one. If he could listen to you, why would Xuechao have had to endure three bitter years in the Cold Palace?”

These words struck Chancellor Lu’s weak spot. For a man just over forty, his eyes and features instantly aged.

Years ago, when the current Emperor first ascended the throne, he banished the Empress to the Cold Palace, causing an uproar throughout the country and sparking endless speculation in court. Some said His Majesty feared the power of the consort’s clan and that the Lu family’s glory was too great, hence the suppression; others guessed that the next to suffer would be the Qin family, whose high military achievements intimidated the ruler.

Chancellor Lu had knelt for a long time before the Golden Chime Hall and submitted dozens of memorials. The entire court of civil and military officials pleaded together for the deposed Empress, yet they failed to make the Emperor rescind the decree.

The Grand General of Weiyuan had been comforting Chancellor Lu back then, never imagining that just three years later, his own son would follow in those footsteps.

Yulong had won the war and returned to the capital, and he was happier than anyone. Who could have known that when His Majesty summoned Yulong to reward his merits, upon seeing the young general’s appearance, he would change the reward from a generalship to a consort title right on the spot.

“Is His Majesty truly intent on suppressing our two families? Is that why he confined these two children to the harem…” The Grand General of Weiyuan frowned. “But doing this damages the very foundation of the state. His Majesty cannot fail to understand the stakes…”

Speaking up to this point, the Grand General of Weiyuan fell silent again. If it were the brilliant and martial young Crown Prince of yesteryear, he would naturally understand the bigger picture. The current one… perhaps his body has truly been hollowed out by wine and desire, and his brains along with it.

Chancellor Lu said, “His Majesty might not have had such intentions, but simply saw that Yulong was handsome and was moved…”

“If we’re talking about looks, who can compare to your Xuechao?” The Grand General of Weiyuan found it incomprehensible. “They say His Majesty is lustful, yet he could cast aside even a peerless beauty like the former Empress. To bring fine talents into the harem solely for their appearance—is that possible?”

Chancellor Lu sighed. He too could not understand the current Emperor.

Everything His Majesty said and did was utterly absurd, clearly blinded by lust. Yet occasionally, when His Majesty summoned ministers into the palace to discuss state affairs, the annotations and reviews he left on the memorials were still thoroughly considered, clear, and perceptive—the mark of an enlightened ruler.

Such contradiction, it was almost as if he were possessed…

Chancellor Lu was suddenly startled, stopping his own wild thoughts.

No matter what speculations they harbored in their hearts, the ministers still entered the Golden Chime Hall in an orderly manner on the surface, kneeling and shouting long live the Emperor.

“Rise.” The Emperor’s voice betrayed neither joy nor anger. After expressing their gratitude, the ministers all stood quietly with bowed heads. Unless they had a matter to report, they were not permitted to look directly upon the dragon countenance.

Yun Luo announced, “If there are matters, present your memorials; if not, the court shall dismiss.”

Deeply concerned for his son, the Grand General of Weiyuan was the first to lose patience, taking a step forward: “This minister has a matter to report.”

“My son has wielded swords and spears since childhood and is rough-skinned; I fear he is unsuited to serve Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty to permit my son to leave the palace.”

Xie Chongjin said without hesitation, “This matter shall be discussed further.”

They would definitely send him out of the palace, but the timing was not right now.

In the heavenly book, a player had asked when the Lu Xuechao bug could be fixed, which proved one thing: so-called glitches could be repaired. Players called the people who fixed glitches “programmers.”

It was only because the Lu Xuechao bug was likely harder to fix that it hadn’t been resolved to this day. The other consorts had never awakened like them, so they might not be able to resist.

Qin Yulong was a Plot Consort with a complete romance line. Rashly sending him out of the palace at the very start, causing him to completely leave the main storyline map, would inevitably create a massive bug. If it were fixed immediately, no one knew what the consequences would be.

Perhaps with the stroke of a programmer’s finger, a living person would simply cease to exist.

Neither Lu Xuechao nor Xie Chongjin would carelessly gamble with another person’s life. They would find a way to preserve everyone.

Even if they couldn’t think of one just yet.

“Your Majesty!” The Grand General of Weiyuan wanted to say more, and Chancellor Lu also stepped out of the line: “Your Majesty—”

“We happen to have an announcement to make, which concerns the Chancellor,” Xie Chongjin interrupted him.

“We shall reinstate the Empress.”

Chancellor Lu froze.

The entire court of civil and military officials was also shocked.

Her Highness the Empress has been banished to the Cold Palace by you for three years, and you finally remembered him?

Amidst the dead silence, someone was the first to shout, “Your Majesty is wise, long live Her Highness the Empress!” followed by a wave of echoing shouts.

“We have never harbored a second heart toward the Empress,” Xie Chongjin said earnestly.

The ministers: “……”

They treated it entirely as a joke.

Xie Chongjin did not care about the ministers’ reactions, saying calmly, “Three years ago, when We first ascended the throne, We were unexpectedly afflicted by a curse. Since then, whenever We wished to hold court, We suffered from a splitting headache. Our words and deeds were completely contrary to Our true intentions.”

The expressions of everyone changed instantly, and an uproar ensued. Even Chancellor Lu and the Grand General of Weiyuan showed astonishment in their eyes.

The word “curse” was a taboo in Changli, and casting a curse was a capital offense. People feared curses even more than ghosts and gods.

This was because a hundred years ago, during the war between Changli and Yelang, Changli’s troops were strong, its horses well-fed, and its provisions ample; they should have won a resounding victory. Who could have known that when Yelang saw they could not match them in a head-on clash, they cast a curse on Changli’s commander-in-chief, causing him to make disastrous decisions, resulting in the total annihilation of the fifty-thousand-strong army.

After that battle, Changli and Yelang became mortal enemies, and everyone blanched at the mere mention of curses.

Xie Chongjin continued, “We have investigated for three years and discovered that the curse was the work of the Kingdom of Yelang. We secretly searched the world for talented and extraordinary individuals, and finally managed to break the curse yesterday.”

Matters regarding players and games were not suitable for public broadcast. Not everyone could accept that they were merely characters in a game; if such a statement were made, the court would surely fall into chaos.

However, Xie Chongjin’s behavior over these past three years had to be explained, otherwise his prestige would never return to what it once was, no matter how much he tried to salvage it.

Yelang had always eyed Changli covetously, and besides, they had done such things before. In past lives, they had even breached Changli’s gates and massacred its people. Throwing the blame onto them left Xie Chongjin with absolutely no guilt.

The ministers looked at one another, seeing a sudden realization in each other’s eyes.

So that was it, no wonder it was so.

This explained why the young, martial Crown Prince had turned into a fatuous ruler the day he ascended the throne—

It turned out that the wolf-hearted Kingdom of Yelang, whose heirs grew worse with each generation and could not match their Crown Prince by any means, had resorted to such filthy methods, intending to control the monarch and destroy Changli!

Looking at His Majesty today, sharp and articulate, a far cry from his past gloomy and ruthless appearance—like a trapped beast breaking free from its cage and showing its claws—claiming he had escaped control made perfect sense.

For a moment, public indignation was stirred, and everyone was filled with righteous text.

“Damnable Yelang, after a hundred years they are still the same dog, only daring to use such underhanded methods!”

“What does casting a curse count for? If you have the ability, fight a proper battle out in the open!”

“I knew our Majesty was wise and martial, how could he do such absurd things? He was indeed plotted against by vile people!”

“Your Majesty, this general requests permission to lead troops and march upon Yelang!”

Xie Chongjin raised his hand, signaling the ministers to quiet down.

“Yelang held Us hostage through the curse, forcing Us to act fatuously to weaken Changli’s national strength, and they indeed succeeded halfway.” Xie Chongjin tapped his knuckles against the armrest of the dragon throne, saying faintly, “But since We have broken free, their previous efforts are utterly wasted.”

“The person who broke the curse for Us is currently in the palace. Yelang’s methods are strange and treacherous. To prevent them from secretly casting curses on Changli’s rising talents again, individuals like young General Qin and Tanhua Fu shall temporarily remain in the palace for protection. When the time comes to employ them, the sharp blades shall naturally be drawn from their sheaths.”

Xie Chongjin referred to them as “young General Qin and Tanhua Fu” rather than “Noble Consort Qin and Talent Fu,” which gave them ample respect.

Now, even the Grand General of Weiyuan had no further objections.

It was they who lacked His Majesty’s deep foresight, actually viewing His Majesty’s act of bringing these pillars of the state into the harem as something absurd—this was clearly His Majesty’s talent protection initiative!

Yun Luo: “……” If he weren’t a close attendant of the Emperor and didn’t know that there was absolutely no such thing as a curse-breaker, he would have believed it.

But of course, he wouldn’t undermine His Majesty.

Seeing that he had successfully hoodwinked the ministers, Xie Chongjin stopped sitting rigidly, relaxing slightly as his phoenix eyes cast downward.

“From now on, remember to wake up during the Yin hour (3 AM – 5 AM). Do not miss the time for morning court.”

“Court is dismissed.”