Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

The Minister of Revenue stepped forward first: "Your Majesty, Her Highness the Eldest Princess has served in charge of the Imperial Treasury for many years with outstanding achievements. Now that Her Highness is unwell and needs to leave the capital to recuperate, the Imperial Treasury cannot be without a head for even a day. I believe that a successor should be determined as soon as possible to avoid chaos in the operation of the Imperial Treasury."

The Minister of War followed up: "The Imperial Treasury is related to military supplies and indeed needs to be handled with caution. However, since Young Master Fan Xian has been betrothed to Princess Lin Wan'er, and there has been an imperial decree to entrust the Imperial Treasury to Young Master Fan Xian, why not take this opportunity to let Young Master Fan Xian take over in advance?"

"Absolutely not!" The Vice Minister of Rites hurriedly objected. "Although Young Master Fan Xian is the designated successor of the Imperial Treasury, he has not yet married the Princess, and his status is still undetermined. Moreover, Young Master Fan Xian is young and unfamiliar with the operation of the Imperial Treasury. Taking over rashly could lead to chaos."

The court was immediately abuzz with discussion, and various factions began to vie for power. Some supported Fan Xian taking over immediately, some suggested that the Ministry of Revenue temporarily take over, and others proposed selecting another member of the royal family to serve as interim leader.

Emperor Qing sat on his dragon throne, expressionless as he watched the arguing ministers below. His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, a steady rhythm, but those who knew him well knew it was a habitual gesture when the emperor was deep in thought.

"Enough." Emperor Qing finally spoke, his voice not loud, but it instantly silenced the entire hall.

All eyes were on the emperor.

"Since Li Yunrui is unwell, she may go to Jiang County to recuperate." Emperor Qing's voice was calm and unwavering. "The affairs of the Imperial Treasury will be jointly supervised by the Ministry of Revenue and the Inner Court for the time being, and will be handed over after Fan Xian and Wan'er are married."

This decision, seemingly a compromise, actually conceals a hidden strategy. Joint oversight by the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Court means that control over the Imperial Treasury is decentralized, preventing either party from wielding absolute power. Setting the final handover date after Fan Xian's marriage maintains the original arrangements while providing all parties with time to prepare.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that this was just the beginning. The ownership of the Imperial Treasury was destined to become the focus of the upcoming court struggles. And Fan Xian, the young man who was originally only designated as the future successor, was suddenly thrust into the eye of the storm.

Undercurrent

After the court session, several important officials were kept behind by Emperor Qing. The atmosphere in the imperial study was even more somber than in the court.

Chen Pingping sat in his wheelchair, calmly awaiting the emperor's words. The head of the Censorate appeared calm, but his mind was in turmoil—Li Yunrui's sudden departure from the capital must have reasons he didn't know.

"Li Yunrui's departure this time was sudden." Emperor Qing stood by the window, his back to the crowd. "What do you all think?"

The Minister of Revenue was the first to reply: "Your Majesty, I believe that the Princess's actions may be because Young Master Fan Xian has recently performed outstandingly, and she knows that she can no longer control the Imperial Treasury. Therefore, she is taking a step back to save face."

"Preserve face?" Emperor Qing chuckled. "Is Li Yunrui the kind of person who cares about face?"

Chen Pingping slowly spoke: "Your Majesty, before the Princess left the capital, she visited the Gao Family Restaurant several times."

"Gao's Restaurant..." Emperor Qing turned around, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, "That place that has recently become famous in the capital. The owner is called Gao Yao, whose origins are unknown and whose background is mysterious."

“Exactly.” Chen Pingping nodded. “The Censorate investigated this person, but found no useful information. He appeared out of thin air, bringing with him a lot of novel ideas and products that had never been seen before, and in just a few months, he turned Gao’s Restaurant into one of the most popular restaurants in Kyoto.”

"Moreover," Chen Pingping paused, "there are rumors that the Eldest Princess is behind the Gao Family Restaurant."

Emperor Qing walked to his desk and picked up a secret report: "It's not just a rumor. Before Li Yunrui left the capital, he did indeed transfer some of his businesses to the Gao family's restaurant. This Gao Yao is no simple man."

"Your Majesty, should the Censorate investigate this person further?" Chen Pingping asked.

Emperor Qing pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "No need. Now that Li Yunrui has left, Gao's Restaurant can't cause any trouble. The most important thing right now is the smooth transition of the Imperial Treasury."

But Emperor Qing knew in his heart that things wouldn't be that simple. Li Yunrui was never one to give up easily; her sudden departure must have a deeper purpose. And what exactly was the relationship between the mysterious Gao Yao and Li Yunrui? And what connection did he have with Fan Xian?

Emperor Qing recalled that Fan Xian had visited Gao's Restaurant a few days ago and stayed for nearly an hour. The spies from the Censorate were unable to enter the private room and did not know what the two had discussed, but Fan Xian left with a solemn expression, clearly indicating that the conversation was unusual.

"Chen Pingping, what has Fan Xian been doing lately?" Emperor Qing suddenly asked.

"Your Majesty, aside from his regular duties at the Censorate, Fan Xian has been spending most of his time cultivating at home these days. He seems... to be even more diligent than before."

"Cultivation..." Emperor Qing mused. "He wants to become stronger, that's good. But is he prepared for the matter of the Imperial Treasury?"

Chen Pingping paused for a moment before cautiously replying, "Fan Xian is exceptionally intelligent, but the Imperial Treasury is of great importance, involving the interests of various parties. Without sufficient support, even if he takes over, it will be difficult to gain the trust of the people."

"Then give him support." Emperor Qing's words surprised everyone present. "Issue an imperial decree that, effective immediately, Fan Xian may participate in discussions on some matters of the Imperial Treasury and familiarize himself with its operations. During the period of supervision by the Ministry of Revenue and the Inner Court, major decisions must take into account Fan Xian's opinions."

This decree quickly spread throughout the capital. Fan Xian's name once again became the focus of the entire city's attention.

Meeting again

Ten days later, Fan Xian returned to Gao's Restaurant. This time, he didn't announce his arrival beforehand and went directly to the private room on the top floor.

Gao Yao seemed to have anticipated his arrival, as two cups of tea were still placed on the tea table.

"Almost at the ninth rank?" Gao Yao asked without looking up.

Fan Xian sat down opposite him: "Almost there, but it'll be soon."

For the past ten days, Fan Xian has devoted almost all his time to cultivation. He needs to become stronger, he needs to reach the "peak of the ninth rank" that Gao Yao mentioned, only then will he be qualified to know more of the truth.

Gao Yao finally raised his head, looked Fan Xian up and down, and nodded: "Not bad, it's good to have determination. But you should know that the matter of the Imperial Treasury is causing quite a stir right now. Aren't you afraid of being targeted by someone if you come to me now?"

“If I were afraid, I wouldn’t have come.” Fan Xian repeated his words from last time, but his tone was more determined. “I want to know, is Li Yunrui’s departure related to you?”

Gao Yao laughed: "Why do you ask that?"

“Because the timing was too coincidental.” Fan Xian looked directly into Gao Yao’s eyes. “Shortly after she met you, she took the initiative to give up the Imperial Treasury and leave the capital. This is not in line with Li Yunrui’s character, unless she had a bigger plan or was threatened in some way.”