Wei Tianlin heard this and just laughed coldly, "Entering the cabinet and being appointed Prime Minister? He’s not worthy!"
"Ever since Yun Rujiang, that old undead, stepped down from the position of Prime Minister, the seat has been vacant. Although every faction harbors ambitions, due to mutual apprehension, no decision has been made until now, so it has simply remained vacant."
"I know this Shang Jingchuan; he’s nothing but a pedant who’s read himself silly. Although he’s loyal to Great Yan, his abilities are mediocre and it’s no cause for concern. However, I’ve heard his daughter is quite shrewd, and might be more difficult to deal with."
Wei Tianlin is well aware of Shang Jingchuan’s situation and has even investigated Shang Luoluo.
"Not only that, but there’s also an old feud between Shang Jingchuan, Zhao Ya, who entered the capital with him, and my Wei Family."
"Oh? What kind of feud?"
"Shang Jingchuan used to be the Commander of Yunxiao County, and my cousin Wei Hongbin was stationed there, yet he was killed by Shang Jingchuan."
Then Wei Tianlin briefly recounted the events.
Though the distance is great, Wei Tianlin had a detailed grasp of the situation, knowing even the actions Zhao Ya took down to every detail.
Hearing the name Zhao Ya, the Sect Leader of Paradise couldn’t help but snort coldly.
"If that’s the case, our Paradise Sect should have a connection with this Zhao fellow too because the halls I had in Yunxiao County were wiped out overnight. I reckon it was also Zhao Ya’s doing."
"Now that Zhao Ya is in the Capital City, should we kill him while we have the chance?" the Sect Leader suggested murderously.
Unexpectedly, Wei Tianlin shook his head, "No need, I’ve sent people to investigate Zhao Ya, and he seems to have some background. Besides, I suspect the recent issues with the Four Seas Gang might also be connected to Zhao Ya."
"Doesn’t that mean we should clean him up as soon as possible?" the Sect Leader asked, surprised.
"It would be unwise to alert him at this time. Since Zhao Ya can confront Yan Xizhao head-on with just half-step Fifth Realm strength, it shows his abilities are quite extraordinary. To complicate matters at this critical time over trivial matters would be quite foolish," Wei Tianlin said lightly.
"But what if he ruins our plans?"
"He won’t. From what I’ve observed, he acts with great method. Unless his own interests are involved, he wouldn’t act easily."
Wei Tianlin appeared to be calm and composed, "Leader, maintain your composure. Compared to what we aim to achieve, Zhao Ya is trivial and not worth our attention."
The Sect Leader nodded, "So we ignore this Shang Jingchuan as well?"
"That won’t be necessary. Since Shang Jingchuan clearly wants a share of the power in the court, I’ll obviously grant him that wish. Doesn’t he want to enter the cabinet and be Prime Minister? I’ve already had Noble Consort Rong whisper in the Emperor’s ear. I believe he’ll receive a big surprise tomorrow."
Saying this, Wei Tianlin wore a cold smile.
The Sect Leader finally relaxed upon seeing this, "Then I’ll leave everything to Patriarch Wei."
"Hahaha, no problem. Come, have some tea!"
Meanwhile, in the rear courtyard of the Yun Family, someone was also scheming.
"Brother, I’m so angry today. I had everything planned perfectly, but suddenly, this Zhao fellow ruined the situation I worked so hard to control," Mrs. Yun said, full of rage.
Standing in front of her was a middle-aged man, with an impressive appearance, obvious at first glance that he held a high position.
This was Mrs. Yun’s elder brother, the Patriarch of the Lin Family, Lin Shizan.
After hearing his sister’s account, Lin Shizan also frowned.
"I know this Zhao Ya. Back then, it seems Shi Country died at his hands. I didn’t expect him to be so bold after coming to the capital."
"Oh? This happened too? Then what are we waiting for? Send someone to kill this Zhao fellow!" Mrs. Yun exclaimed, eyes lighting up.
"No rush, the Wei Family specifically sent someone to remind us to be cautious and not act recklessly. Zhao Ya’s strength is not weak, and killing him won’t be straightforward."
"Then what should we do? Zhao Ya clearly supports Yun Yuan, and with him leading, those Jianghu people who were so bold before have now become hesitant. Are we just going to watch as the property falls into Yun Yuan’s hands?" Mrs. Yun said, unwillingly.
"Certainly not. Hao’Er is my own nephew, and I must think of him. Since we cannot confront him directly, we’ll take a detour."
"A detour? How?"
"Ever since Yun Rujiang retired, he’s become entirely unserious about worldly matters, spending his days with those old books and becoming increasingly pedantic. I think we can take advantage of this," Lin Shizan said.
"Oh?" Mrs. Yun became interested, "What exactly should we do?"
"Very simple. Find a beautiful woman, the more alluring, the better!"
Then Lin Shizan proceeded to elaborate on his plan.
The more Mrs. Yun Zhang listened, the more excited she became, eventually nodding, "Alright, I understand. I’ll do it right away."
"Remember not to rush, especially to avoid being seen by Yun Yuan."
"Understood."
The next day.
Shang Jingchuan got up early, finished washing, and without eating breakfast, put on his official robes and headed to the palace.
Today, he was carried by the same people as before.
It seemed they caught wind of something, as not only the bearers but also the attendants flattered Shang Jingchuan endlessly, their attitude being more agreeable than ever.
Shang Jingchuan found it very pleasing.
Upon arriving at the palace gates and dismounting from the sedan, he was immediately greeted by his many colleagues.
"Governor Shang!"
"Today, Governor Shang’s face is glowing; surely, good news awaits!"
With a smile, Shang Jingchuan returned salutations one by one.
After some chaotic exchanges, he finally arrived at the grand hall.
As the current Great Yan Emperor, Yan Tingshan, who had been ruling for thirteen years, made his appearance, all courtiers, including Shang Jingchuan, knelt and shouted long live in unison.
Yan Tingshan appeared uninterested, even yawning before casually waving a hand.
"That’s enough, you may rise," he said.
Shang Jingchuan glanced up, noting that this year, thirty-year-old Yan Tingshan looked weary, with dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn’t rested well, filling Shang Jingchuan with emotion.
The Holy Emperor must have been working late into the night handling state affairs, or else he wouldn’t be so tired.
It seemed he also needed to work harder in the future.
Little did he know, although Yan Tingshan did handle "state affairs" last night, it wasn’t quite as he imagined.
As Shang Jingchuan pondered in self-moved contemplation...
Yan Tingshan quickly dealt with the complex official business and then, as if suddenly remembering something, looked towards the kneeling Shang Jingchuan.
"Shang Jingchuan!"
"Your subject is here!" Shang Jingchuan’s heart became instantly excited, he shouted loudly.
"Shang Jingchuan has done meritorious service in the Outer Province. From today, he shall take on the role of Capital Prefect, overseeing the security affairs of Yan Capital City," Yan Tingshan said through a yawn.
Hearing this, it was as if Shang Jingchuan fell from the clouds into a bottomless abyss, his heart momentarily stopping.
"W-what?"
"Didn’t you hear? From now on, you’re the Prefect of our Yan Capital City. Do well; I have faith in you," Yan Tingshan said with a smile.
After saying this, he waved his hand and walked away.
The court session ended, but Shang Jingchuan remained kneeling, having forgotten to rise.
Capital Prefect, overseeing the security of Yan Capital City.
It seemed significant, but it’s actually only a third rank, even lower than the Commander position Shang Jingchuan previously held.
The key issue is that this position is thankless.
Yan Capital is filled with nobles, the waters run extremely deep.
Additionally, with the Four Seas Gang and many Martial Dao schools established.
Attempting to govern such a place well would be immensely challenging.
As such, previous Capital Prefects either resigned or offended powerful figures, ending up in jail, their lives uncertain.
This role had remained vacant for years, and now, to his surprise, it’s been given to him; one can only imagine Shang Jingchuan’s feelings.
"Governor Shang, oh no, now I should say Prefect Shang, quickly accept the decree of gratitude and go to assume your duties!" someone mockingly said.
Shang Jingchuan dazedly got up from the ground, looking around to see that those colleagues who had smiled at him earlier now avoided him like the plague.
Some even bore gleeful expressions.
Shang Jingchuan was heartbroken yet helpless, and could only muddle his way home.