Chapter 42: The Empress, Two Princes, and a New Era

Routines.

Everything is a routine.

The longest road in this world is the routine itself.

In the fourth year of the Zhizheng era of the Great Jin, in the autumn, on the eighteenth day of the ninth month, Chancellor Chen Qingyao declared the Emperor frivolous and unfit to rule the world, deposed the Jin Emperor Liu Shaobai to the title of Prince of Beiyang, and, citing that a nation cannot go a day without a ruler, enthroned the Grand Princess Liu Qingzhi as Empress.

She became the second female emperor in history.

The following day, the new Empress was married, and Chen Qingyao, in the name of the Imperial Consort, was enfeoffed as the Prince of Zheng and appointed to assist in governance.

The Great General of the North, Yu Yun, was released without charges, promoted to Grand General, enfeoffed as the Prince of Yan, and appointed to assist in governance.

In just three short days, a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering change had settled, vanishing without a trace.

Dou Changsheng watched this grand drama with dizzying confusion.

This little emperor had been picked clean, leaving absolutely nothing behind.

Even his most trusted imperial aunt, the Grand Princess, had long been entangled with Chen Qingyao; the two had shared a bed and were colluding together.

The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Liu Baiyu, a powerful member of the imperial clan, had been at Sanyang Mountain at the critical moment and could not immediately appear in the capital—similar examples were not few. By the time everything settled and Liu Baiyu returned to the capital, his titles had been promoted, his official position changed, his salary increased, and his relatives had all been promoted, leaving him only to sigh and accept the Empress's ascension to the throne.

The only one who ever suffered a loss was the little emperor.

Oh, right.

His own family had also received a share of the benefits.

Dou Changsheng had stayed in the capital for three days, precisely waiting for the new Empress's reward.

The Taiji Hall.

This sacred palace of the Great Jin—the orders issued from here were enough to shake the world.

After passing through layer upon layer of searches, Dou Changsheng stood in this place, high and unreachable, like a heavenly palace.

The Grand Princess—no, the Empress—did not appear in full regalia. Instead, she wore a green robe, her jet-black hair falling softly, her sleeves rolled up to reveal a section of fair forearm.

Beside her, Chen Qingyao, like a musician, sat kneeling behind a guqin.

His long, slender fingers were plucking the strings, and the pleasant sound of the qin rose melodiously.

Opposite them, a man with an ordinary appearance was continuously raising his wine cup, drinking cup after cup, his expression melancholy, his eyes containing a hint of shame.

At the first glance, Dou Changsheng recognized him; this was the current Grand General, the Prince of Yan, Yu Yun.

These three were the three most powerful people in the Great Jin today.

They also represented the three major factions.

The Empress, representing the imperial clan and encompassing the capital and the Liang lands.

Yu Yun, representing the Northern lands, and Chen Qingyao, representing the Zheng lands.

Seeing Dou Changsheng arrive, the Empress raised her head slightly, her eyes falling upon him, and she spoke gently: "Because of the deposed emperor, the hearts of the people in the North are in chaos."

"They harbor resistance toward the imperial court."

"I do not blame the North; such a situation is entirely understandable."

"Now that I have set things right, I must soothe the hearts of the people in the North."

"Regarding the military pay, I have already discussed it with the ministers. There is no time like the present; today, you shall be the transport officer as the Captain of Defeating the Captives, and personally deliver it to the North."

"I will also issue a clear decree to exempt the North from taxes for three years."

"We shall dismantle all checkpoints between the Liang lands and the North, allowing the two regions to be unobstructed, greatly promoting trade. The North's specialties can be sold in the Liang and Zheng lands, and the supplies of the Liang and Zheng lands can also be quickly transported to the North."

Yu Yun put down his wine cup and could not help but speak: "The Liang lands are mostly flat, a vast expanse. If we abandon the checkpoints, the North will fall, and the Liang lands will no longer be defensible. At that point, enemy troops could reach the capital in a day or night."

"With no time to set up a defensive line, the Great Jin will face the disaster of collapse."

The Empress waved her hand forcefully: "Only by doing this can we regain the hearts of the people in the North. I want to tell them."

"I coexist with them."

"If the Hu Ren move south and the North falls, then the Great Jin will perish."

Yu Yun sighed and did not try to persuade her further. He picked up his wine cup and took a sip. It was all a routine; he had already seen it, but he couldn't help but speak. He couldn't resist—wasn't this just Liu Qingzhi's little scheme?

One little emperor was gone, and the one who replaced him was no better.

It was just that this one was older and more skilled at playing power politics.

Sigh.

At least she was better than the ignorant little emperor.

Dou Changsheng felt nothing; he was not from this world, but he could not show it. Instead, he hypocritically exchanged pleasantries: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Using an emperor as the price to soothe the explosive hearts of the people in the North.

One had to admit, it was effective.

Dou Changsheng had no particular feelings about emperors because he grew up in a later age where the emperor had lost his sanctity. But this world was different; even if martial artists were powerful, many still followed the creed that "if the ruler wants the subject to die, the subject must die."

Adhering to loyalty to the ruler and patriotism, serving the imperial court...

In just three short days, there was a new emperor, there was military pay, and the North had been soothed. It felt like everything had been achieved all at once.

It felt very, very dreamlike.

For an emperor to ascend the throne, just the auspicious day and the preparation of the ceremony would take an unknown amount of time, and the same went for an imperial wedding; which one didn't take a long time?

Yet it was all finished.

The four words "everything simplified," used under the guise of soothing the North, possessed righteousness and were invincible.

If any official remonstrated that simplifying the ceremony was insufficient to manifest the dignity of the imperial family and awe the world, or that it would be laughed at by other nations, they would be rebuked with a single sentence: save the money and transport it to the North so that a few more people in the North might live.

Looking at this trio, Dou Changsheng knew deeply that he and the future Dou were likely split into two timelines; it was truly different.

In the future Dou's timeline, the little emperor was likely still active.

This time, they acted because the Daoist Qingyang's fake death failed, exposing the military pay incident.

In the future Dou's timeline, the Daoist Qingyang did not attempt the fake death, so naturally, he did not dare to expose it. The little emperor did not expose it, so he did not lose the hearts of the people.

It truly fulfilled that saying: a butterfly flapping its wings can stir up a storm on the other side of the ocean.

The qin music continued to play; Chen Qingyao said nothing, only playing continuously.

The Empress's voice sounded again: "Dou Changsheng."

"You exposed the Daoist Qingyang's scheme of faking death to escape, and furthermore, you investigated the true culprit behind the theft of the military pay."

"You have captured the rebels for the imperial court and made a huge contribution to the stability of the world."

"The imperial court rewards and punishes clearly; naturally, I will not be stingy with rewards."

"Rare treasures of heaven and earth, divine techniques and marvelous methods, peerless beauties, mystical realms..."

"As long as it is what you desire in your heart, anything the Great Jin possesses can be bestowed upon you."

Dream on.

Dou Changsheng chuckled in his heart.

Whoever believes such grand and empty words is a fool.

If he were to say, "I also want to be emperor."

He would likely never walk out of this hall.

As for what he specifically wanted, Dou Changsheng's knowledge was limited, so it was hard to say.

Therefore, Dou Changsheng spoke without hesitation: "What Your Majesty bestows is what this commoner deserves."

"This commoner dares not have any inappropriate thoughts."

Passing the buck—Dou Changsheng was also capable of that.

Turning it around to make things difficult for the Empress.

A dignified ruler of a nation wouldn't be stingy, right! ===== CHAPTER 43 =====