Chapter 255: The Aftermath Continues

The Aftermath Continues

Yin Fengzhan's ascension, although somewhat hurried in terms of time, had everything that should be there, without any omissions.

Afterward, as soon as Yin Fengzhan ascended the throne, he acted decisively. In just three days, he dealt with the ministers involved in Nie Wenhao and Empress Dowager Duan's collusion to force the palace, as well as those involved in Prince Rui's rebellion—killing those who should be killed and exiling those who should be exiled, leaving none behind!

It is said that just on that day in the great hall, the imperial decree read aloud by the young eunuch took an entire hour! After the decree was read, guards entered on the spot, stripped the ministers present of their official robes and caps, and dragged them out! At the same time, he sent people to the homes of all relevant individuals to arrest those who should be arrested and search those who should be searched.

During these three days, batch after batch were beheaded at the vegetable market in the capital, and at the same time, groups were sent off into exile... Watching the entire court and the public of the capital, everyone was left dumbfounded!

Everyone was stunned! But at the same time, various rumors about the Xingning Emperor, Yin Fengzhan, began to multiply!

Some said he was cold-blooded, some said he was cruel, some said he was hard-line... But everyone also knew that the people Yin Fengzhan killed were all those who had participated in the forced palace rebellion. So more people said he was decisive in killing and would surely be a wise monarch of his generation!

But regardless of whether the rumors were good or bad, one thing was certain! That was that Yin Fengzhan had used a mere three days to shock everyone, whether it was the court, the public, or the imperial clan!

No one dared to underestimate this newly ascended monarch. They were even more fearful of his iron fist and decisiveness. Consequently, the turbulent Dongling calmed down in just three short days!

After dealing with these matters, Yin Fengzhan began to handle the state affairs that had been accumulating. One must know that ever since the late Emperor Shuncheng suddenly passed away, although the then-Crown Prince Yin Fenghan ascended the throne, during his reign, because he was constantly immersed in the struggle with Empress Dowager Duan, he had hardly handled any state affairs! Added to that was the subsequent Prince Rui rebellion, so one can imagine the level of busyness Yin Fengzhan reached!

But Yin Fengzhan was not a fool who only knew how to bury his head in work. Therefore, on the first day he took over the government affairs, Yin Fengzhan flipped through all the memorials and state documents, then categorized them into three, six, and nine grades according to their complexity, importance, and urgency. He distributed the unimportant and simple memorials to the ministers he had summoned, while he kept the important and complex ones to review personally!

Of course, this led to a problem. That was that the memorials submitted, whether important or not, were all written to the Emperor. And those who wrote the memorials were all ministers of the court, so letting ministers review other ministers' memorials inevitably led to some problems, such as handling things in favor of their own interests or subjective emotions!

Therefore, Yin Fengzhan specifically came up with a method: he had all the ministers who reviewed the memorials write their names after the memorials they reviewed. In this way, when Yin Fengzhan had time to check them later, he would discover any problems. At the same time, by looking at the methods and ideas of those ministers' reviews, Yin Fengzhan could better gain a certain understanding of them!

And those who could be summoned by Yin Fengzhan to review memorials were all the backbone ministers of the court, and each one was an elite who had spent a lifetime in officialdom! So, without needing to think, one knew that everyone naturally understood Yin Fengzhan's intentions! Therefore, in order to leave a good impression on Yin Fengzhan and demonstrate their uprightness, fairness, and outstanding talent, all the ministers put in their utmost effort and racked their brains to review those memorials. That level of dedication was absolutely a hundred times more focused and attentive than when they had taken the imperial examinations!

Yin Fengzhan's method achieved good results. But at the same time, Yin Fengzhan was so busy he couldn't free himself. And because Yin Fengzhan's ascension was relatively hurried, and there were too many things to handle afterward, and Nie Jinxuan was pregnant, he did not immediately appoint an empress, but first had Nie Jinxuan stay temporarily at the Chen Wangfu.

Just like that, Yin Fengzhan was busy in the palace, and Nie Jinxuan couldn't help much, so she had to spend her days leisurely in the Wangfu. Fortunately, with Jin Jingwen, Qiu Pingting, and Zhang Guifei accompanying her every day, Nie Jinxuan lived quite comfortably!

However, there were those who couldn't stand Nie Jinxuan's leisure. So they would come over from time to time to have Nie Jinxuan do something... And looking across Dongling, there was probably only one person who would do this, or rather, dared to do this, and that person was the Jingzhao Yin, Pei Yaoguang! And the thing he asked Nie Jinxuan to help with was naturally only one thing: performing an autopsy!

After all, Nie Jinxuan's autopsy technique was nothing short of miraculous. And Pei Yaoguang was not someone who knew how to read people's expressions or status, so although it was obvious that Nie Jinxuan was the future empress, Pei Yaoguang still dared to come to the door to ask her to handle matters. Such courage was not something everyone possessed. Of course, considering Nie Jinxuan's current inconvenient condition, Pei Yaoguang couldn't make Nie Jinxuan run to the Jingzhao Office all the time, so every time, he would have the corpse carried to the Chen Wangfu and let Nie Jinxuan examine it on the spot!

Regarding this matter, Nie Jinxuan didn't feel much about it. Anyway, in Nie Jinxuan's view, although she was indeed a pregnant woman, she still needed appropriate exercise. But others didn't think so, so every time Pei Yaoguang brought a corpse over, Jin Jingwen and the others couldn't avoid arguing with Pei Yaoguang!

But Pei Yaoguang was no soft persimmon. Facing the questioning and obstruction of a group of women, Pei Yaoguang didn't take it to heart at all. He would lift his head, roll his eyes, pretend he didn't see them, and go straight to find Nie Jinxuan! Because he knew Nie Jinxuan's temperament, so every time he found Nie Jinxuan, the matter was naturally resolved. This couldn't help but make Jin Jingwen and the others furious!!

So, it was the same this day. Nie Jinxuan had just finished eating in the morning when Pei Yaoguang brought his "treasure" over. By the time Nie Jinxuan finished helping with the autopsy, it was already past lunchtime. So when Nie Jinxuan returned, Jin Jingwen and Qiu Pingting, who had been waiting anxiously, immediately rushed over, helped Nie Jinxuan to her seat to rest, and didn't forget to complain:

"Really, what is this Pei guy thinking? This is the third time already, it's just so annoying!"

"That's right, Sister Jinxuan, this Pei guy is too infuriating. Not only does he look at people with his nostrils every time, but he also always brings a corpse over—isn't that scary? Besides, Sister Jinxuan's belly is so big now, and he still keeps troubling you, it's just infuriating!"

Over these days, with Nie Jinxuan's help, Qiu Pingting had recovered quite well. She was even no different from before. At this moment, Qiu Pingting, like Jin Jingwen, was very annoyed by Pei Yaoguang's behavior. Just then, Shui Yun on the side timely handed over bird's nest porridge. After Nie Jinxuan drank a few mouthfuls, she couldn't help but smile and say:

"Alright, you two don't need to say that! Magistrate Pei is a rare good official, and his character is also quite good. Although he looks arrogant sometimes, he is still a good person, so don't hold it against him~!"

Nie Jinxuan still appreciated Pei Yaoguang very much. After all, in Nie Jinxuan's view, given Pei Yaoguang's temperament, if he didn't truly treat her as a friend, he would never have come to find her! And since Pei Yaoguang treated her as a friend, she naturally treated Pei Yaoguang as a friend, so Nie Jinxuan naturally didn't want to see Jin Jingwen and Qiu Pingting be too hostile toward him!

It was a pity that both Qiu Pingting and Jin Jingwen had long-standing grudges with Pei Yaoguang, so a few words from Nie Jinxuan naturally couldn't dispel their thoughts. Just then, Zhang Guifei on the side couldn't help but smile and interjected:

"Hehe~, actually, in my opinion, that Magistrate Pei is not bad either! Although he is a bit arrogant, just as Jinxuan said, his character is really quite good! You know, now that Zhan'er has ascended the throne, I don't know how many people are rushing over to curry favor, but look at that Magistrate Pei—not only did he not curry favor, but he even came to ask Jinxuan for help instead... Hehe, this is the first time I've seen such a person! You know, being able to not change one's attitude because of a person's change in status is not something everyone can do!"

Zhang Guifei's view of things was indeed much more thorough than Jin Jingwen and the others. Upon hearing this, Nie Jinxuan also smiled and nodded. But just then, Princess Yun, Chen Yan'er, who had been silent, curled her lips and said on her own:

"The Imperial Concubine is right. But if you ask me, that Magistrate Pei should still change! After all, if it were anything else, it would be fine, but bringing a dead person over every time—what kind of behavior is that?! I reckon it's just you; if it were anyone else, they would have kicked him out with one foot. How unlucky!"

……

Although Princess Yun, Chen Yan'er, was still as headstrong, domineering, and straightforward as before, after going through all the previous events, she had become much closer to Nie Jinxuan. After all, Chen Yan'er's dislike for Nie Jinxuan before was mostly because of Zhen Xiao Lian, and now that Zhen Xiao Lian was gone, plus Nie Jinxuan had helped her, Chen Yan'er naturally had eliminated much of the estrangement toward Nie Jinxuan!

Of course, there was another reason for this, and that reason was Prince Yun, Yin Fengjin.

One must know that Yin Fengjin had previously attached himself to Crown Prince Yin Fenghan, but even so, neither Yin Fenghan nor Empress Dowager Duan had entrusted Yin Fengjin with important tasks. But now, ever since Yin Fengzhan ascended the throne, he had handed over quite a few tasks to him, which naturally made Yin Fengjin very happy. So Yin Fengjin also reversed his previous stance of opposing Yin Fengzhan and began to perform his duties sincerely and genuinely. His relationship with Yin Fengzhan, and even with the other brothers, had eased quite a bit.

Therefore, whether it was for herself or for her husband, Chen Yan'er had no need to be hostile toward Nie Jinxuan anymore. And Nie Jinxuan was not a person who liked to hold grudges, so after all this, their relationship had become quite good!

And Chen Yan'er's words did make sense. So after her words fell, they immediately drew agreement from Jin Jingwen and Qiu Pingting, and then the few women began to talk excitedly... But just as everyone was chatting away, a little maid walked in quickly and whispered a few words to Shui Yun, who was by Nie Jinxuan's side.

The little maid was very well-behaved, and her voice was very low. The others were all talking, so no one noticed. But at this moment, upon hearing the little maid's words, Shui Yun couldn't help but be startled. However, Shui Yun first dismissed the little maid, and then, after hesitating for a long while, she stepped forward to Nie Jinxuan's side and whispered:

"Princess, word just came from outside that Miss Bai and Miss Qin have come, saying they want to visit the Princess... So, Princess, what do you think..."

The Miss Bai and Miss Qin that Shui Yun spoke of naturally referred to Yin Fengzhan's two former concubines, Bai Meilan and Qin Yuxia.

Ever since the incident where Zhen Xiao Lian secretly harmed Nie Jinxuan, causing a miscarriage, they had been sent to a villa outside the city to recuperate. However, while it was called recuperation, in fact, it was to avoid Zhen Xiao Lian's revenge. Fortunately, at that time, Zhen Xiao Lian was only focused on dealing with Nie Jinxuan and didn't have time to keep an eye on them, which allowed them to escape a calamity!

Afterward, there were constant events in the city and the palace, so they had been left at the villa. Logically speaking, things were peaceful, but ever since Yin Fengzhan was confirmed to ascend the throne as emperor, the two of them had become restless, especially Qin Yuxia, who had said more than once that she wanted to return to the residence. It was just that Yin Fengzhan was still in the residence at the time, so he had directly refused! He even laid down harsh words, forbidding any further mention of returning to the residence, otherwise, they would bear the consequences!

Yin Fengzhan was a man of his word; everyone knew this! So, fearing Yin Fengzhan's iron fist and cold-bloodedness, Qin Yuxia and Bai Meilan had calmed down quite a bit, at least they didn't mention returning to the residence anymore... But Yin Fengzhan had ascended the throne and was currently busy handling government affairs in the palace, yet the two of them had come at this time saying they wanted to visit Nie Jinxuan. This intention made people feel a bit intrigued!

Therefore, upon hearing Shui Yun say that the two of them had come, Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but be stunned. This attracted the attention of the people nearby, and they stopped talking.

"Sister Jinxuan, what's wrong?"

"Yes, Sister Jinxuan, what happened?"

Jin Jingwen and Qiu Pingting were puzzled, and even Chen Yan'er on the side frowned. Only Zhang Guifei had noticed that Shui Yun was saying something to her just now, and she lifted her eyes to look at Shui Yun.

Meeting Zhang Guifei's eyes, Shui Yun reflexively pursed her lips, then lowered her eyes to look at Nie Jinxuan before saying slowly:

"Replying to the Imperial Concubine, word just came from below that Miss Qin and Miss Bai have come..."

"Miss Qin? Miss Bai? Who are they?"

Qiu Pingting didn't remember Qin Yuxia and Bai Meilan, so she couldn't help but interject. At this moment, Chen Yan'er sneered coldly:

"Hmph, they are the two concubines from the Wangfu before!"

When she was in the palace before, Chen Yan'er had seen them, so she naturally had an impression. But speaking of this, Chen Yan'er also raised her eyebrows slightly, then turned to look at Shui Yun:

"But I remember they ran off to a villa, didn't they? What are they doing here?"

"Yes, they have been at the villa all along. This time they came, saying they wanted to visit the Princess!"

"Visit the Princess?!"

With a suddenly raised tone, Chen Yan'er sneered again and again:

"Does the Princess need them to visit? And they specifically ran over from the villa... I think they have ill intentions!"

Chen Yan'er didn't hide her disgust for the two of them at all. Hearing this, the clever Jin Jingwen also sneered:

"I think so too! A weasel paying respects to a chicken—they have no good intentions! So, Sister Jinxuan, if you ask me, you shouldn't see them, it'll just save you the annoyance!"

Not many principal wives were willing to see concubines, so knowing that Qin Yuxia and the others had come, all the women disapproved of letting them in. But at this moment, Nie Jinxuan smiled slightly:

"Actually, I think it's unnecessary. Besides, since they are already here, it wouldn't be good not to see them! Moreover, I think it's better to see them and see what they want to do. If we just turn them away, it wouldn't look good either!"

As she spoke, Nie Jinxuan smiled at them again and made a move to get up... But just then, Zhang Guifei, who hadn't spoken, timely stopped her:

"Jinxuan, wait a moment."

"Uh... what is it, Aunt?"

Now Nie Jinxuan also followed Yin Fengzhan in calling Zhang Guifei "Aunt." At this moment, although Zhang Guifei's gentle expression didn't change, her gaze narrowed slightly:

"Jinxuan, you were right just now. Now that they have come, regardless of the matter, if they are turned away before even entering the door, others will inevitably say you are unreasonable. So, they should be seen... But Jinxuan, it's not that I want to lecture you, but you are just too soft-hearted and can't bear to see others in difficulty. So if you want to see them, I agree, but if you do, you must have them come here; you don't need to go out specifically to see them... You should understand what I mean, Jinxuan!"

Zhang Guifei had spent a lifetime in the palace and had seen many struggles between women. Although the current Chen Wangfu was not like the palace, in fact, it was exactly the same! So, ever since she heard that the two concubines, Qin Yuxia and Bai Meilan, who were temporarily staying at the villa, had come, although Zhang Guifei hadn't seen them, she instantly had a clear idea in her heart.

And Nie Jinxuan was also a clever person; once Zhang Guifei said this, she understood immediately. She smiled and nodded:

"Alright, then I will listen to Aunt!"

Everyone had their own thoughts, and Nie Jinxuan was naturally not a saint who saved all living beings. Moreover, when Yin Fengzhan didn't sweep them out of the house directly, it was she who had pleaded for them! So people should know how to be content, otherwise, she wouldn't accommodate them again!

Nie Jinxuan had a plan in mind, and then Shui Yun had people bring Qin Yuxia and Bai Meilan in. Afterward, when Qin Yuxia and Bai Meilan entered the door and saw Zhang Guifei, Princess Yun, and the others in the room, Qin Yuxia, who walked in first, was stunned. Bai Meilan, who followed, also had her gaze shift instantly, but she immediately lowered her eyes.

The two had completely different reactions, but all of it was seen by Nie Jinxuan. Nie Jinxuan smiled lightly again, and without waiting for the two to speak, she said directly:

"So it's Miss Qin and Miss Bai who have come, hurry in~!" ===== CHAPTER 256 =====