"This is not necessary, after all, there is no regulation in Great Yan that prohibits a person from holding multiple positions, so why not let him also serve as the Capital Prefect to reassure the people." Yan Xizhao said.
"Alright, let’s do as you say."
To Yan Tingshan, this was just a trivial matter, and since Yan Xizhao had already spoken, there was no reason to refuse.
"Thank you, Imperial Brother."
"Hahaha, do we siblings need to be so polite? You rarely visit the imperial palace over the years; since you’re here, why not stay for a couple of days?" Yan Tingshan said.
"No, there are still many things to handle at the manor, I must hurry back."
As Yan Xizhao said this, she stood up, intending to bid farewell and leave, but suddenly thought of something.
"Imperial Brother, although the state affairs are important, so is your health, so I hope you take good care of yourself and do not overwork."
These words were spoken very tactfully, hinting that Yan Tingshan should exercise moderation.
However, Yan Tingshan seemed to not understand at all, smiling and nodding, saying, "Thank you for your concern, sister, I will."
Seeing this, Yan Xizhao knew that Yan Tingshan didn’t take her words to heart, and she sighed inwardly, knowing she could only hint and not speak further.
She nodded, then turned around and left.
Once she left, Feng Rong finally breathed a sigh of relief, then turned pale and said, "Your Majesty, the aura of this princess is so fierce, I’m terrified."
"Hahaha, don’t be afraid, she’s like that, you’ll get used to it."
As he spoke, Yan Tingshan pulled Feng Rong into his arms, comforting her.
Feng Rong’s eyes were so enchanting that they seemed to drip water, unknowingly reigniting the fire in Yan Tingshan’s heart...
Meanwhile, outside the Capital Prefecture, more and more people were gathering.
Amidst the unrest, Lin Shizan’s face became increasingly grim.
He never expected to encounter such a situation right after taking office.
Originally wanting to order his men to drive these people away, but seeing the situation in front of him, Lin Shizan hesitated and hid in the main hall, leaving Shang Jingchuan to deal with it outside.
Shang Jingchuan tried his best to calm the people, but no matter what he said, they refused to disperse.
It was then that the decree arrived.
Upon hearing that Shang Jingchuan would not be reassigned, but would hold both the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and the Capital Prefect, the crowd erupted in cheers.
"Great!"
"His Majesty is wise!"
Amidst the cheers, Shang Jingchuan was somewhat dumbfounded.
Because he truly did not expect such a decree.
Could this be the result of Zhao Ya’s secret planning?
In his confusion, he saw the government officials and constables happily escorting him back.
As for Lin Shizan.
He knew as soon as the decree was issued that the situation was over, and staying would only lead to embarrassment, so he quietly slipped away through the back door.
Shang Jingchuan once again sat back in the main hall.
Meanwhile, Zhao Ya stood atop the eaves of a small building in the distance, speaking with Wang Tiancheng and Xu Niannian.
"I originally thought I could use this opportunity to give those noble families a shock, but I didn’t expect Yan Xizhao to intervene." Zhao Ya sighed.
Last night, he instructed Chen Xiao’Er to spread the news to incite an uprising among the common people, forcing the Great Yan court to make concessions.
Because only rights fought for by oneself are true rights; always waiting for others’ charity means you’ll never stand tall.
The result, with Yan Xizhao’s sudden intervention, was a change in the outcome.
"It’s not surprising, after all, Yan Xizhao is a daughter of the Great Yan royal family, naturally siding with the court." Wang Tiancheng said.
"However, this outcome is not bad; at least for now, those noble families won’t make any small moves." Xu Niannian also said.
Zhao Ya nodded.
Although the process didn’t go as expected, the outcome was satisfactory.
"I bet those noble families are cursing at home right now." Wang Tiancheng laughed.
The three exchanged a glance and also burst into laughter.
They were indeed correct, as at that moment in Prince Qi’s Mansion, Yan Sifu was cursing angrily.
"This is great, not only has the position of Capital Prefect not been taken, but now there’s also an additional Minister of the Imperial Secretariat! Is Yan Xizhao deliberately opposing me?"
Although Yan Sifu had previously stated he would not interfere in Shang Jingchuan’s case, he was still somewhat disgruntled.
Upon hearing of Shang Jingchuan’s reassignment, he was quite pleased.
Unexpectedly, the situation changed at the last moment, and now Shang Jingchuan not only retained his benefits but also gained an additional position as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.
No one dared to speak.
After venting his futile rage, Yan Sifu had no choice but to accept the reality. But from then on, he could no longer handle Shang Jingchuan as he did before.
Because the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat is high-ranking, and he cannot be disregarded.
Meanwhile, in Yan Capital City, many shared his anger.
The Wei Family.
Wei Tianlin, after sending away a dejected Lin Shizan, also wore a somber expression.
"Patriarch Wei, why have you summoned me?"
A breeze blew through, and then the Sect Leader of the Paradise Sect appeared in the room.
"How much longer do your people need to eliminate Yan Tingshan?" Wei Tianlin asked in a deep voice.
"About two or three more months."
"That long?"
"There’s no choice. To ensure safety and avoid being detected by Washing Sword Manor, Feng Rong, who was sent into the palace, is an ordinary person without martial arts training. Although she has studied Charm Art from a young age, to deplete Yan Tingshan’s Primordial Yang, it’s a process that must be done gradually."
"What, is Patriarch Wei in a hurry?"
"Yes, I’m concerned the people of Washing Sword Manor might notice. Today, Feng Rong sent a message saying Yan Xizhao seemed suspicious of her after visiting the palace."
"Don’t worry, suspicion is normal, but no matter how they investigate, they won’t find any evidence." the Sect Leader of the Paradise Sect confidently said.
"Let’s hope so. Once Yan Tingshan is dead, the court will be thrown into chaos due to the lack of an heir, and foolish Yan Sifu will certainly step down to vie for the throne, which will be our best opportunity to act." Wei Tianlin said with a sinister look.
"Good. But what about Shang Jingchuan? His power is growing."
"For now, don’t move against him. Yan Xizhao has already noticed him, and any action will only alert the enemy. As for power..."
"He has no foundation at court, so no matter how much power he has, he’s a tree without roots."
"I have been secretly communicating with the Profound Sun Sect, and we’ve agreed that when the time comes, they will act alongside us, first taking out Zhao Ya, then dealing with Shang Jingchuan."
"Good, here, take this!" the Sect Leader of the Paradise Sect took out a small box and placed it on the table.
"What is this?"
"This is an aphrodisiac I recently developed. You can offer it up when the time comes; it will surely speed up the process." the Sect Leader of the Paradise Sect said with a sinister smile.
Beneath the calm surface, undercurrents began to stir.
Most people were unaware, only a few noticed something was amiss.
Zhao Ya was naturally one of them.
But to him, none of this mattered.
He felt no sense of belonging to Great Yan; his actions were solely for the common people.
As for what happened to the Emperor of Great Yan or who would become Emperor after his death, Zhao Ya had no interest.
At that moment, he was holding a piece of tracing paper, comparing it bit by bit against a map.
The tracing paper depicted the mountains and rivers recorded in the Eastern King’s Legacy.
It was a tedious task, but Zhao Ya was doing it with great diligence.
In front of him was a stack of maps as tall as a man, all of which had been compared.
The map in his hand was the last one that had been selected as the most probable from the lot.
Success or failure depended on this.
Suddenly.
Zhao Ya paused because the pattern on the tracing paper had faintly overlapped with the map beneath.
This had happened before, but each time was ruled out, although this time the overlap was the highest.
Crucially, one of the peaks perfectly matched the treasure location.
Zhao Ya carefully compared once more, confirming it without mistake, and let out a long breath.
"So this is it." Zhao Ya murmured, his eyes filled with uncontrollable excitement.
Below the map, a small line of words was marked.
Wanshou County, Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain!