Chapter 18: The Ministers with Overly Exaggerated Acting!

The imperial palace, the imperial study.

The appearance of these two senior officials at the start had already stirred Chu Ruoyan’s heart; she never expected to encounter such towering figures in this setting.

But those who followed filled her with even greater unease, for some among them she actually recognized.

As a second-tier family of the capital, the Chu family still had access to certain upper circles.

These people entering the imperial study one after another were all powerful officials of the capital.

They were the core figures of the Six Ministries, key officers of the Imperial Guard and City Defense Army, even the Capital Prefect and a renowned grand noble.

Among them, several were towering figures Chu Ruoyan had met at various gatherings; her father often went out of his way to send gifts during festivals just to curry favor with them.

He even went out of his way to learn their birthdays and anniversaries, and would show up uninvited, shamelessly.

Though her father’s cultivation was respectable and he carried great prestige within the Chu family,

before these powerful officials, he became meek, head bowed, tail tucked.

Yet now, these powerful officials of the capital knelt trembling before Li Chen, some even shaking uncontrollably before entering the room, unable to speak clearly.

If the earlier Grand General and Prince had been acting, these later arrivals were genuinely terrified.

Of course, the grand noble Chu Ruoyan knew nearly tripped upon entering—his performance was overly exaggerated, deliberately theatrical.

Chu Ruoyan now understood why Li Chen had just muttered, “Old bastard, what an actor.”

For some reason, watching these high officials tremble on the floor, Chu Ruoyan felt deeply moved.

Could those towering nobles her own father could never hope to reach really look like this?

Perhaps outside the palace, a single glance from them could freeze those around them with fear.

But here, inside the palace, they faced the Emperor.

Before this Emperor, it was they who trembled.

Slowly, Chu Ruoyan’s gaze toward Li Chen began to change.

She couldn’t quite articulate the rest, but reverence and admiration shone plainly in her eyes.

Chu Ruoyan stood for nearly three hours before Li Chen finally finished reviewing the memorials on his desk.

“Sorry to keep you waiting so long.”

Seeing the striking figure standing in the imperial study, Li Chen offered an apologetic smile.

This left Chu Ruoyan utterly flustered; her expression panicked, hands fluttering helplessly.

“N-no, Your Majesty, don’t say that—you’re handling state affairs; for you to spare even a moment to see this humble subject is already my great honor. If you’re busy today, you may summon me at any other time.”

By the end, Chu Ruoyan didn’t even know what she was saying.

Her face flushed faintly with embarrassment, no trace left of the disdain or despair she’d shown when she first arrived.

Now, she was merely a girl lost in confusion.

It was the first time in her life she’d felt this way.

Watching Li Chen approach, her heartbeat quickened; her mind went blank, unsure what to say next.

Li Chen had merely intended to chat with her, get to know her better, perhaps even invite her out.

After all, he was choosing a wife—appearance mattered, but character and temperament required deeper understanding.

At the very least, there needed to be some emotional foundation; after all, they’d share a pillow. What if she slipped a dagger into him while he slept?

Li Chen was a cautious man; he wouldn’t risk himself for fleeting beauty.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have spent years in seclusion, cultivating to the Saint Realm before revealing his strength.

Just as Li Chen was about to speak, several more people entered. Their arrival puzzled him—hadn’t he summoned everyone today? Who were these?

Three eunuchs arrived; their leader was the familiar Chief Eunuch, Master Cui, who oversaw palace affairs and had served the late Emperor.

Master Cui and two junior eunuchs carried another large stack of memorials.

“Your Majesty, these are memorials from provincial administrations and secret reports from military officers—they’ve piled up for some time. Please attend to them soon. Old servant will leave them here.”

With that, Master Cui ordered the two nimble junior eunuchs to pile the memorials on the desk and move the ones Li Chen had already processed to the side.

Soon, two more “little mountains” appeared on the desk.

Li Chen had just planned to go out and relax, and now this much more trouble.

From dawn till now—does anyone even get to live?

“This—”

Li Chen stared at the lively, alluring Chu Ruoyan, momentarily at a loss for words.

“Your Majesty, please prioritize state affairs. If you don’t mind, this humble subject will stay here and keep you company.”

!

Chu Ruoyan was, of course, a perceptive woman—this was the most appropriate thing she could think of to say.

When she first entered the palace, she’d thought it cold and sterile, and couldn’t wait to leave.

But now, she no longer found it so repulsive.

Because she saw a diligent, earnest Emperor at work.

In his interactions with subordinates, Li Chen spoke with the authority of a sovereign ruling all under heaven, yet retained the calm wisdom unique to an emperor.

In dealings with blood relatives, his words carried authority and strength, handling every matter with impartial fairness.

Whether Li Chen was a good Emperor by others’ standards, Chu Ruoyan didn’t know—but in her eyes, he was.

“Ah, well then, you may wander around here for now.”

Li Chen summoned the senior palace maid and ordered her to prepare tea and snacks for Chu Ruoyan.

Then he sat back down and resumed reviewing memorials.

The pile had accumulated because the late Emperor had left them unattended during his final days.

These were all urgent memorials requiring his approval before action could proceed.

Li Chen had no choice—he was Emperor now.

Since he was Emperor, he must at least fulfill his duties.

Seeing Li Chen’s exasperated expression as he returned to his desk, Chu Ruoyan found it amusing.

Even the Emperor of the Celestial Strategy Dynasty could look so miserable.

Hmm, could it be that the Emperor is frustrated because he wanted to take me out, but now can’t?

Thinking of this, Chu Ruoyan felt a small, secret thrill.

But quickly, she dismissed it as self-delusion—the Emperor was surely burdened by the fate of the nation.

It was a change she hadn’t even noticed in herself.

The senior palace maid placed a chair for her in the imperial study, beside it a delicate tea set and pastries.

To an ordinary person, it might seem unremarkable, but Chu Ruoyan’s eyes widened in astonishment—she recognized several of the pastries.

The one that made her mouth water most was “Dragon Saliva Jade Dew Cake.”

Dragon Saliva Jade Dew Cake was made with deep-sea dragon’s saliva incense, golden silk dates, and rare lingzhi spore powder.

Chu Ruoyan remembered—on her eighteenth birthday, a grand noble had gifted her exactly this cake!

(End of Chapter)