The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

Chapter 454 Prime Minister’s Mansion

Because the court officials were frightened in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Shen Tianjiao generously granted them a three-day leave.

This allows them to take advantage of these three days to rest their bodies and also to think carefully about what to do next.

Should they continue to stand up and fight against Shen Tianjiao, or should they give up and become an obedient subject?

If some of these court officials fail to repent and continue to oppose Shen Tianjiao, then Shen Tianjiao will not hesitate to show mercy and let them off the hook.

If these people are not dealt with thoroughly, then the plan to wage war against the six kingdoms of Kyushu will be a long way off and there will be no possibility of it being realized.

However, if they learn from this experience and realize that those who are wise will be wise to give up their inappropriate thoughts and stop contradicting Shen Tianjiao from now on...

So no matter what they did in the past, Shen Tianjiao would forgive and forget, and pretend that nothing had ever happened.

Although Shen Tianjiao announced a three-day recess, the court officials were far from idle.

These people became officials through their own abilities or by relying on the power of their families.

How many of those who have managed to establish themselves in officialdom and survive to this day are fools?

If he were a fool, he would probably have died long ago in the machinations of his political enemies, and would have been reincarnated countless times.

The incident at the Imperial Ancestral Temple made these court officials clearly understand the current situation.

In Yunli today, the true power holder is no longer their Emperor, but their Empress Shen Tianjiao.

The saying goes, "Those who obey prosper, those who defy perish." These ministers understood this principle better than anyone else.

The current situation leaves them with no further choice.

If they don't listen to Shen Tianjiao, they will all suffer a terrible fate.

Not only will Shen Tianjiao not let them off the hook, but even their emperor will not let them off the hook.

Therefore, these cunning and scheming court officials have been busy these past few days, all going to the palace to request an audience with Shen Tianjiao.

They wanted to take the initiative to beg for peace with Shen Tianjiao before she could unleash her fury.

Ultimately, the arm can't twist the thigh. This applies not only to officials like themselves, but also to powerful families that even the emperor can't control and have to defer to.

In just a few short days, the ten great families of the capital city either fell from grace or had their heads replaced, making quite a scene.

They witnessed reality firsthand, which taught them an unchanging truth: disobeying Empress Shen Tianjiao, the regent, would lead to dire consequences.

Those aristocratic families and court officials who had long been dependent on Shen Tianjiao were all safe and sound, and had no need to worry about any sudden disaster befalling them.

Those who disobey Shen Tianjiao and insist on going against her will definitely not have a good ending.

To take a recent example, the Su family alone is a good illustration.

As the second largest family in Yunli, they were inexplicably brought down and wiped out after Li Zhaohui's rebellion.

Empress Shen Tianjiao, who is in charge of the country, has yet to come forward and provide a reasonable explanation.

How could these things not make them feel uneasy and afraid?

Shen Tianjiao, who rarely wanted a moment of leisure, was exhausted both physically and mentally by wave after wave of court officials, even more so than when she was handling government affairs.

Frustrated and annoyed, Shen Tianjiao decided to find someone to do her work and resolve these troubles.

And the most deserving candidate was none other than Prime Minister Wang Yunzhi, who was recuperating at home.

Shen Tianjiao knew that Wang Yunzhi's injuries were not serious.

The minor injury Wang Yunzhi suffered that day has probably healed by now.

Now that his injuries have healed, there's no need to keep him pretending to be sick at home. As a subject and the prime minister, who is the head of all officials, it's time for him to rise up and share the burdens of the emperor.

Shen Tianjiao went to the Prime Minister's residence in person. She went there to find some peace and quiet, and also to take a stroll through the streets and markets of Yunli to observe the local conditions.

Let's see how ordinary people are doing these days.

Now that the court has basically stabilized, Shen Tianjiao's next task is to develop people's livelihoods so that they can not only live in peace but also work happily.

Shen Tianjiao not only wanted to free the people of Yunli from the suffering of war, but also to ensure that they could live a life where they had enough to eat and wear, and that they had money in their hands and grain in their homes.

After leaving the palace and arriving at the most bustling street in the capital, Shen Tianjiao lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked at the lively street outside, filled with emotion.

What a beautiful and peaceful scene this is! Whether Shen Tianjiao is reforming the court or waging war against the six kingdoms of the Nine Provinces, all she wants is for the people of Yunli to live a peaceful and tranquil life like this.

Shen Tianjiao had no other desires.

Her past life experiences still frequently appear in her mind, and Shen Tianjiao never wants to see those tragic scenes again.

The carriage gradually drove from the bustling street into a wide and quiet alley, which was the location of the Prime Minister's residence.

As soon as the carriage entered the alley, someone came to guide it, leading Shen Tianjiao's carriage all the way to the gate of the Prime Minister's residence.

Once the carriage entered the gates of the Prime Minister's residence, the gates were immediately closed.

Wang Yunzhi and Wang Hengshan were already waiting at the gate.

The carriage did not stop when it passed Wang Yunzhi and Wang Hengshan, but continued to move forward until it reached the courtyard where they were preparing to receive Shen Tianjiao, where it finally stopped.

With Chun Chao's help, Shen Tianjiao got off the carriage. She looked up at the courtyard in front of her, which was decorated quite elegantly.

"Your servants respectfully welcome Your Majesty the Empress."

Since Wang Yunzhi and Wang Hengshan were still behind and hadn't arrived yet, the Wang family's steward had to be used to greet Shen Tianjiao in place of his masters.

Chun Chao helped Shen Tianjiao inside. After Shen Tianjiao sat down, tea and snacks were immediately served.

Shen Tianjiao had already drunk her tea when Wang Yunzhi entered, supported by Wang Hengshan.

"My injuries have not yet healed, so I am unable to move around easily. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

As soon as Wang Yunzhi entered, he apologized to Shen Tianjiao, explained his physical condition, and revealed that he needed to stay home to recuperate.

Shen Tianjiao looked up at the two Wang brothers kneeling in front of her, but did not say anything to tell them to get up.

Shen Tianjiao knew what Wang Yunzhi was thinking at this moment, but she would not allow him to resign and retire at this time.

"Prime Minister Wang, I have come to your home today to tell you that as the Prime Minister of the country and the head of all officials, you cannot continue to hide at home to recuperate as you are now. It is time to rise up and serve the country and share the burdens of the emperor."

Shen Tianjiao didn't exchange a single polite word, directly shattering Wang Yunzhi's illusions, leaving Wang Yunzhi momentarily at a loss for what to do.

This empress always acted unpredictably. Even Wang Yunzhi, who had been in officialdom for many years, couldn't handle her tactics and methods.

Wang Yunzhi understood everything Shen Tianjiao had just said; Shen Tianjiao had seen through his little scheme.

Now that we've been exposed, there's no need to play tricks or make pointless excuses.

Shen Tianjiao was an exceptionally intelligent person; any scheming or trickery would be futile in the face of her.

Wang Yunzhi lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, I dare not deceive you."

"I am deeply guilty and I am unworthy to be the head of all officials and to oversee all officials."

"Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty the Empress to grant my request to resign from the position of Prime Minister and to select a capable and virtuous person to replace me."

"Only in this way can we better assist you in governing Yunli and bringing stability to the court."

Wang Yunzhi's decision to withdraw this time was not because he disbelieved the promise Shen Tianjiao had made to him.

Rather, Wang Yun knew himself well, and the things he had done were bound to become the basis for criticism and ridicule from others.

If he were just an ordinary official, it wouldn't matter, but he is now the prime minister, the head of all officials.

Although he enjoyed considerable prestige in the court, this did not mean that he had no political enemies.

In the political arena, political enemies will never leave you any chance to survive.

After what happened with Li Zhaohui, his status and prestige as the prime minister, the head of all officials, would probably be far less than before.

If he does not resign from his position as prime minister, not only will he face difficulties and criticism in the court, but Shen Tianjiao will also inevitably face difficulties.

Wang Yun knew that Shen Tianjiao wanted Ling Yunzhi to change Yunli's current situation. He himself could no longer serve the country loyally, but he was unwilling to hold them back any longer.

Making himself an obstacle to Shen Tianjiao's revival of Yunli, resigning from the position of Prime Minister was the last thing he could do for Yunli.

Shen Tianjiao smiled; she could probably guess why Wang Yunzhi did this.

"Alright, Prime Minister Wang, let's not waste any more words on such a smart person as us."

“Li Zhaohui has now been brought to justice, so the past is the past. Since I promised that I would not hold you accountable for what you did in the past, I have truly agreed to forgive and forget.”

"As the Prime Minister of Yunli and the head of all officials, you are needed in the court now, and you cannot resign from this post."

"If you quit, where will I find someone familiar with court affairs and politics to solve the current problems?"

"I am not asking you now, I am commanding you."

"I don't think your injury will be a big problem even if you don't let it heal."

"Then starting tomorrow, you will handle government affairs on my behalf."

Shen Tianjiao glanced at Wang Yunzhi and Wang Hengshan, who were still kneeling on the ground, and gave them a look, signaling the accompanying eunuchs to help them up.

Wang Yunzhi, who was helped up, did not sit down, but remained standing there with her head down.

"Your Majesty, you should know that because of what I did in the past, countless people are now watching me, waiting for an opportunity to strike."

“If I am not punished this time and am still sitting in the position of prime minister, those people will be extremely dissatisfied.”

"The court has finally begun to stabilize, and we cannot allow any more discord to arise because of me."

"Your Majesty, I know that your lofty ambitions extend beyond the court in Yunli."

"I cannot allow my own selfish desires to become an obstacle to your lofty ambitions."

Shen Tianjiao remained silent, quietly sipping her tea. After a while, she looked up at Wang Yunzhi and said, "Prime Minister Wang says I have lofty ambitions. Then I would like to ask Prime Minister Wang, do you also have lofty ambitions?"

Faced with Shen Tianjiao's question, Wang Yunzhi was stunned for a moment and fell into deep thought.

Once upon a time, he also harbored lofty ambitions and thought about becoming a good official, one who could bring benefits to the people.

He also wanted to be able to manage the officials in the court and set an example for them.

But all of this vanished because of his obsession with Li Zhaohui.

Now, he feels ashamed of his past mistakes and dares not even think about the lofty ambitions he once held in his heart.

"Prime Minister Wang remains silent, which suggests that you also harbor lofty ambitions."

Seeing that Wang Yunzhi remained silent, Shen Tianjiao spoke first.

"To be honest, apart from the matter of Li Zhaohui, you have done a very good job as prime minister."

“When His Majesty was in power, you not only helped him manage the affairs of state very well, but you also helped him solve and overcome many difficulties on many occasions.”

"Moreover, you possess a great virtue, which is that you are fair and just in everything you do, and never show favoritism."

"Gu Changyu, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, is at odds with you in private and has repeatedly tried to frame you for wrongdoing, both openly and secretly."

"But because he was a genius at solving cases, you did not use your power to make things difficult for him."

"Even when he was framed, it was you who found out the truth and personally overturned the verdict for him, saving him from being wronged and preventing his whole family from being exiled."

Even if the person doesn't appreciate your kindness afterwards, you still don't hold it against them.

"This is truly a rare and precious quality in Yunli's court today."

Shen Tianjiao put down her teacup, feeling a pang of emotion. If there were more selfless, fair and just people like Wang Yunzhi in the Yunli court, how could Yunli not prosper?

"Everyone makes some unforgivable mistakes in their life. But what's there to be afraid of if you've made a mistake?"

"If you make a mistake, it's fine to correct it. But if you abandon your responsibilities because of past mistakes, that's not something you, Wang Yunzhi, should do."