Chapter 486

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Protagonist:

Shen Yao

After the funeral rites ended, following some turmoil, the New Emperor finally took charge of court affairs at the age of thirteen.

Impossible to stop.

"The Former Emperor only had this one Prince; if we don't bow our heads, what else can we do?"

"As for what happened before," they certainly did plenty of it.

"What's there to fear? Court operations can't rely on just one person; besides, does the New Emperor have evidence? To arbitrarily convict and execute people based on mere speculation—does the New Emperor not care about his reputation?"

"……"

Court officials who managed to stay until now and remain steady all have some means at their disposal; whether relying on marital connections or their own abilities, they can stand firm and protect their families.

Yu Cheng had just taken over court affairs; he definitely couldn't turn against these people immediately.

Both sides tacitly took a step back each and let the matter pass.

Without the Former Emperor, the Imperial Palace operated as usual, and even the Border did not descend into chaos.

In such days, Shen Yao and these Imperial Consorts of the Former Emperor began moving house, vacating their original Palaces, only waiting until the Mourning Period ended three years later to hold the Imperial Selection for the New Emperor.

"Mother, son is not in a hurry," in three years he would only be sixteen.

Yu Cheng tasted power and only then knew what the best tonic was.

Female beauty before power and authority was simply vulgar beyond endurance.

Shen Yao: ……

"You may not be in a hurry, but the State Foundation, Court, and Imperial Clan Relatives will force you to be."

Was this something Yu Cheng could delay with just one "not in a hurry"? With the Former Emperor as a Precedent, those court officials were holding their breath, wanting to send people into the Huang Hou.

Shen Yao didn't need to think to guess that Yu Cheng's Huang Hou would be far livelier than during the Former Emperor's time; especially since Yu Cheng was Healthy and had no Offspring issues, the Imperial Children born should be affordable to raise.

"Rather than postponing the Imperial Selection that will happen sooner or later, it's better to plan ahead," take a look at the Empress candidate, best to have a plan in mind.

Holding the Imperial Selection at this time meant selecting from within the Court; all related Forces had to be considered.

Yu Cheng: ……

Yu Cheng felt a Headache; he really didn't want to do it, looking at Shen Yao with pleading eyes, pouting his lips, just short of splitting his mouth corner to wail.

Shen Yao: ……

"This Palace can help you select, but in the end it still relies on you yourself," it's not like spending a lifetime with Shen Yao; meddling too much in this kind of thing easily leads to discord between mother and child.

There have always been such experiences and lessons; Shen Yao doesn't plan to manage too much, children have their own lives to live, good or bad depends on the individual.

Yu Cheng was relatively busy, mostly fighting wit and courage with the people of the Court.

Shen Yao helped manage the Huang Hou, arranging personnel scheduling properly.

Even she had the system strategize for her regarding the women planning to participate in the selection three years later, sorting them by Ancestry Background, Temperament, and Appearance.

System: ……

"What kind of candidate does the Host want?" Great Clans certainly don't lack such women.

"Suitable."

Shen Yao said two words with an indifferent expression, afraid the system wouldn't understand, she further explained, "Cheng'er's character is given to much thought, always liking Deep Thought, so the Empress candidate cannot be of the same temperament; otherwise the couple won't get along, and the Huang Hou won't be peaceful."

If the relationship between Emperor and Empress is bad, lightly it affects the relationship with Imperial Offspring, heavily it affects the Court, leading to more serious situations.

Shen Yao certainly didn't want to be Empress Dowager and still not Quiet Down, so women like those who cause trouble were not considered.

"Also, Appearance doesn't need to be too radiant; this person's family relatives had best be harmonious," such a person at least has a good heart and won't think of causing trouble right away.

"Other miscellaneous conditions can only be known upon meeting the person; three years' time, so many candidates," surely one Empress meeting the conditions can be picked.

Shen Yao listed the points she cared about one by one, of course more were placed later; without contacting the person, saying anything is useless, the gap between reality and imagination is large—anyone who has been in contact knows.

The system felt the Host's decisiveness in letting go in this aspect was quite surprising.

"The system thought the Host would look according to her own Template," after all, the Host in this world is a legend, whether in promotion speed or achievements, enough to make a group of ambitious women look up to her.

"My kind of Template isn't easy to find," besides, if one truly found someone exactly like herself, then Yu Cheng's life Safety would be under Threat.

No matter what, they are children born from herself; Shen Yao certainly can't disregard the child's life and death for the sake of a Mission.

So people are all double-standard; requirements placed on others, when used on oneself, feel unsuitable everywhere.

"Find an opportunity to seize time and work; we can't stay in the Palace for much longer," once Yu Cheng truly marries and has children, this group of us will officially exit the historical stage and be settled in a Manor with nice scenery.

System: ……

The system thought they still had plenty of time; they couldn't leave within at least three to five years.

Leisurely expanding its own detection range, the system listened very well to Shen Yao, going through the families of these Court officials in Jingcheng one by one from head to tail; any woman who could participate in the selection three years later was not let go.

Soon, the system transmitted the personnel roster it had compiled into Shen Yao's mind.

"How is it? There is also some Image Data above, guaranteed to let you understand as much as possible."

Hehehe, it really is a genius.

Shen Yao closed her eyes to view these Image Data, even including these people's daily conduct and behavior.

"Not bad, keep working hard," hooking her mouth corner, Shen Yao picked out a few not bad ones to continue observing.

Of course, her information channels were not only the system, but also the Shen Family outside the Palace and those Imperial Noble Consorts in the Huang Hou who had risen in Generation and had nothing to do.

The system had once been puzzled by this; wasn't the Host afraid of disrupting the Generation order?

Shen Yao was very disdainful of this, saying that in the Huang Hou, the place with the least Family Rules and no constraints, what did it matter if the Generation order was disrupted?

"Those Imperial Consorts' lives are not easy; having some petty thoughts is not unreasonable," besides, even if they didn't recommend, would the families outside the Palace let go of this opportunity?

The upright young emperor, Yu Cheng, is far more competitive than the Former Emperor.

If during the Former Emperor's reign, he was suspected because he had long failed to produce offspring, then the current New Emperor, in good health, has no such concern at all; the big shots can't wait to send their juniors in, preferably producing one, two, three, four, five, then selecting and cultivating the best from among them.

Any family sending their own juniors into the palace is dreaming of becoming the New Emperor's in-laws.

Perhaps there are a few special ones whose ambitions aren't that great, but what good does that do? Once inside the palace, they are at the mercy of others; neither family nor person can escape or break free.

Shen Yao can understand the imperial consorts in the harem because they have lived together here for many years, and all grudges and grievances become irrelevant with the Former Emperor's passing.

But this is not why She Shi came running out to make a scene; the Shen Family benefited from her and her son, and paid no small price themselves, so what right does She Shi have to claim credit? Back then, when She Shi got into trouble, it was Shen Yao who cut through the chaos with a sharp knife, allowing She Shi to narrowly escape disaster.

"Tell them not to overthink it; She Shi's daughter will not enter the palace." There is a difference between ideals and delusional fantasies; she has no intention of letting in-laws monopolize power, so why must she force She Shi's women into the harem?

The defects of two closely related people producing offspring are obvious; having transmigrated through so many task worlds, Shen Yao understood what she could understand long ago.

She Shi came running in, hesitantly making her request; in Shen Yao's eyes, this was She Shi taking an inch and demanding a mile.

She Shi:...

Although directly refused by the Empress Dowager, this matter has no impact on her; the Shen Family has no daughters of marriageable age to enter the palace, and although She Shi does, that does not represent the Shen Family, and it is not up to a daughter-in-law like her to express an opinion on how to choose.

"What Her Ladyship says is extremely correct; my husband and the others think the same way," it's just that they inevitably love to dream a little, thinking the Empress Dowager would inevitably look after the family, but who knew the Empress Dowager refused so cleanly and decisively, more open-minded than Shen Changyu and the others.

She Shi's expression when speaking was somewhat unnatural; after all, being rebuffed to her face, even if that person is the supremely noble Empress Dowager, would still make one feel displeased in one's heart.

Who let She Shi rise step by step relying on the Shen Family these years, not hearing a voice of opposition for a long time; Shen Yao's clean and decisive refusal made her realize there are always people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens.

"The Shen Family has already received plenty; with the New Emperor's ascension, all matters must be restarted," the sensible thing is to honestly work for the New Emperor, do one's own job well, and take the rightful remuneration belonging to oneself.

If they are not obedient, and the in-law forces grow larger and larger, then the New Emperor will not show them mercy; sooner or later, both sides will go from the honeymoon period to parting ways.

What Shen Yao can think of, the Shen Family can certainly think of too; if the Shen Family really dares to defy Shen Yao's wishes and continues to expand their power while ignoring risks, then the Shen Family will sooner or later follow in the footsteps of certain other families.

She Shi left the Empress with a heavy complexion; Shen Yao will not pay attention to the Shen Family's own internal discussions, after all, time is a good thing; as the older generation passes away and the younger generation grows up, their relationships will become mixed with interests.

Fortunately, the Shen Family still has some brains at this time; they did not let She Shi make a scene, but stopped her decision to send people into the palace, quietly following behind the New Emperor, working diligently and hard for the New Emperor.

In the blink of an eye, they had long since emerged from the sadness of the Former Emperor's passing.

Shen Yao held the screened personnel list and handed it to Yu Cheng, who came over.

Yu Cheng investigated privately on his own, and was not on the same route as Shen Yao, nor did he tell Shen Yao about this matter.

"Oh, men, even if it's one's own son, they still have their own secrets," the System gloated over another's misfortune.

Shen Yao didn't take it to heart, "If he really wanted to tell me everything clearly, then I would be the one to worry."

Having a scheming mind is better than being a naive sweet fool; the position of Emperor is not easy to muddle through.

System:...

The System was once again choked by the Host's words; who let the Host say something reasonable.

"Take it back and ponder it; there is still one year until the Imperial Selection, you should figure out early what kind of Empress you want," Shen Yao waved her hand, and while Yu Cheng looked over, she did not forget to call out a reminder to him, "After the Imperial Selection ends, I will take these Imperial Noble Consorts in the palace out of the palace to settle them.

Normally you only return during holidays and festivals; you must choose a worthy inner helper well."

At least husband and wife are one body; it makes no sense for someone who already has plans in their heart to want to kill the Emperor right away.

Yu Cheng nodded, did not try to keep Shen Yao, but seriously chose an Empress, striving to find a partner who could fight side by side with him in the Imperial Selection one year later.

"Mother Empress, if you leave the palace, what should I do?" Yu Xi twisted herself into a knot, acting coquettishly around Shen Yao.

"You are still young and not in a hurry to marry," with her own brother sitting on the Dragon Throne, naturally she can do as she pleases.

Yu Xi puffed her cheeks, somewhat displeased, thinking to herself, couldn't Mother Empress stay behind?

"You will soon have an Imperial Sister-in-law; if I stay behind, the harem will be unstable. What about the Empress Dowager and the Empress contending for power? Let the Emperor finish his duties at the Front Court and then return to the harem to continue judging cases?"

Yu Xi:...

Just thinking about that scene made Yu Xi feel terrified; she shook her head to indicate she'd rather give up.

A princess destined to marry someone, thinking so much is of no use at all.

Shen Yao raised her finger and tapped Yu Xi's head, "Whether staying in the palace or leaving the palace with me, take care of yourself and do not cause trouble."

Yu Xi nodded, "Mother Empress, your daughter understands."

"Go back; there are still several months until the Imperial Selection, stay at ease in the Princess Residence," neither she nor Yu Cheng would shortchange Yu Xi.

The Royal Family's family affection is thin, but it does not include the already scarce royal personnel.

Nowadays, only the three of them in the palace have a close relationship, with no excessive demands, and no one can destroy it.

She waved her hand to let Yu Xi leave, and Shen Yao continued to lie leisurely in the palace. Occasionally seeing a few consorts of Imperial Noble Consort Rongsheng, most of the time she was contentedly enjoying herself.

After the mourning period passed, the court officials who had endured for three years submitted memorials all at once.

Yu Cheng had no reason to stop them; he was already sixteen years old, and marrying and having children was imminent.

Both sides tacitly put this matter on the agenda; Weiyang Palace, previously used to house consorts, was once again operational, to accommodate the consorts entering the palace.

Because there was no one attending to Yu Cheng by his side, the matter of the Imperial Selection was handled by Shen Yao (the final decision was still made by Yu Cheng himself; Shen Yao mainly did not over-participate).

"The candidates are all here; it depends on your wishes," the selected girls passed five obstacles and slew six generals, and finally only a mere three were presented before the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.

These three have good family backgrounds, appearances, and demeanors; there are civil officials and military generals among them.

Yu Cheng bent his finger and tapped the tabletop, placing his gaze on the roster of a woman surnamed Liu.

Shen Yao drooped her eyes, "Is it her?" If she remembered correctly, this person's family background was not bad; the only thing worth questioning was her kinship relation with her parents.

A stepmother and birth father, paternal half-siblings; hearing this gives a bit of the feeling of a female-frequency female protagonist novel.

"En, my son feels that her regard for her family perhaps won't be too great."

Because the Liu Family had not given her any benefits; on the contrary, she was the one sacrificed by the Liu Family; it can be said she has no small amount of resentment in her heart.

"Not necessarily; some people who encounter injustice still choose to forgive."

Similar to the meaning of 'the kind can be bullied,' and this kind of thinking was abundant in ancient times.

"Then my son can only express regret and change to another Empress."

Yu Cheng put the matter lightly, but upon careful explanation, one could hear the coldness in his words.

"It's up to you to decide; I have no objection," Shen Yao raised her eyebrows, determined not to let herself participate in the grudges and affections of the younger generation.

Yu Cheng put away the roster of three names; although the other two had failed in the Empress selection, the Four Consorts Three Ladies still had their places.