The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

Normally, Shen Tianjiao hated such arguments the most.

She was able to listen patiently at the beginning, but that was only because she had a plan in mind.

Who knew that as I listened, I actually found out something big.

Listening to gossip is human nature, and even the queen Shen Tianjiao is no exception.

She had gone from not wanting to listen at the beginning to being eager to continue listening.

At this moment, everyone's eyes in the imperial study were focused on Wang Yunzhi, the prime minister.

They didn't understand why Wang Yunzhi, who was always calm and composed, was acting so out of character today.

"Prime Minister Wang, please be careful with your words!" Hou Zhen's face changed with anger. Wang Yunzhi said this in front of the Queen, which was equivalent to telling the Queen that there was something wrong with Zhang Pengliang and the Prince of Huai's Mansion.

"Why, is it because I hit the nail on the head that made Censor Hou anxious?"

Wang Yunzhi has long been fed up with this Censor Hou who is always looking for trouble and making groundless accusations.

Wang Yunzhi did not target Hou Zhen before because his upbringing and status did not allow him to bother with such a shameless villain.

But now Wang Yunzhi is in a desperate state. He doesn't want any education or status anymore.

People are going to die soon, so what's the point of having education, status, and fame?

"Wang Yunzhi, stop slandering me here. You are making groundless accusations without any basis. What on earth are you thinking?"

Hou Zhen was anxious and didn't care about the court etiquette. He actually called Wang Yunzhi by his name.

"Hou Zhen, although this isn't the imperial court, you're being so rude in front of the Empress, calling her superior by his name. What's your crime?"

Wang Yunzhi made up his mind today not to let Huai Wang Zheng Guang and Hou Zhen go.

"That's enough! How dare you, an official appointed by the imperial court, behave so disrespectfully in front of me!"

Although Shen Tianjiao really wanted to continue watching the show, if she didn't interrupt and allowed the two to continue fighting, something serious might happen.

Now nothing can happen in the Huai Palace. Shen Tianjiao wants to keep the Huai Palace as a knife in her hand. Nothing can happen before the knife is used up and put back into the sheath.

Shen Tianjiao's roar stopped the quarrel between Wang Yunzhi and Hou Zhen, as well as the whispers in the imperial study.

Shen Tianjiao is now the only person that all officials and aristocratic families in the entire Yunli Kingdom tacitly agree is not to be offended.

"Let's wait until Zhang Pengliang returns to make a decision on this matter. Don't discuss it any further before then."

Shen Tianjiao looked up at Wang Yunzhi and said, "Now that Zhang Pengliang has returned to Beijing, someone has to take over the affairs of Quzhou."

"I do have a suitable candidate here. How about Wang Wei, the official in charge of the Ministry of Works?"

Wang Wei, the official historian of the Ministry of Works, was the biological son of Prime Minister Wang Yunzhi and the eldest son of the Wang family.

As soon as Shen Tianjiao said this, the whole room was in an uproar again.

Wang Yunzhi was stunned on the spot. Shen Tianjiao knew that he was Li Chaohui's man, but now she wanted to use his son?

What was going on? Was there something wrong with his ears and he heard it wrong? Or did the Queen have other intentions?

Shen Tianjiao looked at Wang Yunzhi, who stood there in confusion and motionless, and asked, "What do you think, Prime Minister Wang?"

"I think it's very good." Although Wang Yunzhi didn't understand what was going on, since the queen mentioned it now, it was a grace.

Since he is the King of Grace Yunzhi, he should continue. No matter which side he stands on, he is now the Prime Minister of Yunli Kingdom. The king has orders and the ministers have to obey.

"If Prime Minister Wang thinks this is a good idea and has no objections, then immediately send Wang Wei, the official in charge of the Ministry of Works, to Quzhou to oversee the flood control and reconstruction work."

"As for Zhang Pengliang, as a doctor in the Ministry of Works, he was not conscientious and responsible in supervising the flood control and reconstruction work in Quzhou. He was just a figurehead and neglected his duties."

"Immediately dismiss him from his post and investigate him. Upon his return to Beijing, he will be handed over to the Ministry of Justice for investigation. If it is true, all those involved will be severely punished!"

Nowadays, corruption and embezzlement cases are emerging one after another in Yunli's officialdom. Shen Tianjiao has been waiting for a suitable opportunity to rectify and eliminate this unhealthy trend in the court. Now is a good opportunity.

As soon as Shen Tianjiao gave the order, the court officials below instantly became uneasy. They had been protecting each other for so many years, and no one dared to say that anyone was innocent.

Those who participated in the Quzhou incident were panicked, and those who did not participate were also uneasy, fearing that the incident would expose their own illegal deeds and bring them into trouble.

Among them, the one whose expression changed the fastest was Hou Zhen. From what the Queen Mother said, he and the Huai Palace were probably doomed this time and would be in trouble together.

Shen Tianjiao looked down upon the officials below. This was exactly the effect she wanted.

"My Lords, the matter of the Quzhou flood has been temporarily resolved. Is there anything else you would like to report?"

What just happened was just an appetizer before the big show. Now is the time for the big show to really begin.

"Your Majesty," said Pan Qi, the Minister of Rites, "I have something to ask for."

Shen Tianjiao looked up at Pan Qi who was speaking. Pan Qi was Su Chang's disciple. It seemed that the Su family had been colluding with Li Chaohui openly or secretly for a long time.

"Well, go ahead." Shen Tianjiao retracted her gaze, lowered her head and casually fiddled with her nails.

Shen Tianjiao's attitude made Pan Qi feel a little afraid. The person in front of him now holds real power and is actually the real ruler of Yunli Kingdom.

He is a man of ruthless determination and a hard heart, and he will never show mercy to his enemies.

Pan Qi wanted to retreat, but it was too late. From the moment he boarded the Su family's ship, he was doomed to have no way out.

Pan Qi bravely stepped forward and said, "Reporting to the Empress, the Grand Princess suffered severe burns in the fire at Anguo Temple. With the Empress's grace, she has been allowed to leave the temple."

"But there is something that has troubled me today. The Grand Princess has left Anguo Temple, and I don't know what to do with her."

"According to the law, since she left Anguo Temple, she should have returned to her residence to recuperate. However, the Grand Princess's residence was burned down in a fire that year and has never been repaired."

"How to place the Grand Princess is up to Her Majesty the Queen."

Shen Tianjiao snorted in her heart. Li Chaohui really couldn't wait a moment for his own honor.

I had just scolded her last night through the mouth of a palace maid, but who would have thought that today she would ask someone to force me to admit and restore her identity.

I really don't know where Li Chaohui got the confidence from. He thinks that Shen Tianjiao will definitely give in, acknowledge and restore her identity in front of the world, and let her use this to elevate her own status and make it easier for her to act in the future.

Li Chaohui still wanted to use public opinion and his own superiority to force Shen Tianjiao to admit her identity as he did before.

Unfortunately, she was wrong. Shen Tianjiao was Shen Tianjiao. She was not the great-grandfather, nor the late emperor. She had no family ties with Li Chaohui, nor did she want to gain a good reputation.

"The Grand Princess? Humph!" Shen Tianjiao snorted disdainfully, "There's only Princess Pingyang in this palace, so where does the Grand Princess come from?"

This was the second time Shen Tianjiao had said this since yesterday. The difference was that she said it to Li Chaohui last night, and today she said it to the court officials in the imperial study.

As soon as Shen Tianjiao said this, it was like a thunderclap that struck the court officials, making them furious.

"Your Majesty, the Grand Princess was personally bestowed upon her by Emperor Gaozu. Her virtue is impeccable and her title cannot be stripped."

Pan Qi lowered her head and tremblingly defended Li Chaohui. Judging from what the Queen said, she might not be able to keep the title of Grand Princess today.

Virtue intact? Shen Tianjiao couldn't help but roll her eyes. These people really said anything for Li Zhaohui.

If Li Zhaohui had a good character, would she have ended up in this situation today?

A princess of a country had an affair with someone and gave birth to a child before getting married. She was greedy for vanity and power. In order to ascend to the throne and become the queen, she created civil unrest, made the people's lives miserable, and brought disaster to the country and the people.

Now, in order to leave Anguo Temple, she burned down Anguo Temple without caring about other people's lives. All these things are placed before our eyes, yet she can still lie and say that she, Li Zhaohui, has no faults in morality?

If those who were killed by Li Chaohui heard the words "virtue is intact", they would probably jump out from the ground to attack him.

"Minister of Taichang Temple, aren't you speaking against your conscience?" Shen Tianjiao glanced coldly at the court officials in front of her, which made them feel uneasy.

"If she had no faults, how could she have been imprisoned in Anguo Temple for so many years?"

"Shouldn't you who follow her know what she has done better than anyone else?"

Shen Tianjiao's words frightened all the court officials in the imperial study and made them kneel down. After all, the scene of the Queen ordering the execution of Li Hong and his followers was still vivid in their minds.

Except for a few people, all the people who came to the imperial study to discuss matters today have unclear ties with Li Chaohui.

It is indeed terrifying to see this. With today's arrangement, they might be the next to be unlucky.

There is nothing wrong with following Li Chaohui, but you can't risk your life. If you lose your life, what's the use of Li Chaohui's promises to them?

"Your Majesty, we are loyal to our country and support His Majesty the Emperor and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. We have no second thoughts."

These people vied with each other to express their loyalty, fearing that if they were a little late, they would offend this demon-like queen and their lives would be in danger.

Shen Tianjiao looked at the people in front of her with eyes full of sarcasm. Before today, she really thought that these supporters of Li Chaohui were very loyal to Li Chaohui. It turned out that they were just so-so.

All the vows, all the loyalty, all the unforgettable love at first sight, these things cannot withstand the passage of time, nor the test of life and death.

"I may as well tell you today that her title, Grand Princess Li Zhaohui, was stripped from her while Emperor Gaozu was still alive."

"It was an order issued by Emperor Gaozu himself. The reason it wasn't announced to the public was simply because the late Emperor, out of consideration for their kinship, was sparing her face."

Speaking of this matter, Shen Tianjiao couldn't help but admire Emperor Gaozu's wisdom and ruthlessness. In order to preserve the purity of imperial power, he would sacrifice the life of his own daughter without hesitation.

One of the most important reasons why Li Chaohui has been able to live safely until now is her identity as the eldest princess.

Only with the protection of this identity can Li Chaohui remain invincible, and only then can her followers and the people of the world recognize her legitimacy and legitimacy.

In short, in other words, without the protection of her status as the Grand Princess, Li Chaohui would be nothing.

In terms of courage and ruthlessness, the late emperor was far inferior to Emperor Gaozu. He was indecisive and hesitant. If he had announced to the public that Li Chaohui had been stripped of his status, why would there be so many troubles now?

There are so many thunders today that they are almost going to knock these people unconscious.

Seeing that these people were silent, Shen Tianjiao said, "Why, you don't think that this matter was fabricated by me, right?"

"I can tell you clearly and plainly that I have never been afraid of Li Zhaohui, and naturally I would not do anything that would be beneath my dignity."

"Prince Ping is here today. He is in charge of all matters concerning the royal family. You can listen to what he has to say."

Prince Ping, who was named by Shen Tianjiao, quickly looked up and said, "Every word the Empress said is true. When Emperor Gaozu was dying, he indeed issued an edict to strip Li Zhaohui of her title of Grand Princess."

"The jade certificate proving her identity has been reclaimed, and the imperial edict stripping her of her title is now enshrined in the clan residence. If you do not believe me, please ask the Empress to issue an order and bring the imperial edict from Emperor Gaozu stripping her of her title here for your review."

"See if this is the decree from Emperor Gaozu himself, and see if I have deceived you."

Prince Ping was Emperor Gaozu's youngest brother and was in charge of all affairs of the royal family. He had said this himself, so who would dare to raise any objections?

Bring over the imperial edict from Emperor Gaozu depriving them of their titles. Are they perhaps tired of living and think their lives are too long?

The thunder today was not as big as the one at this moment, which directly struck these people to pieces, leaving them burnt on the outside and tender on the inside.

Shen Tianjiao signaled the eunuch to help Prince Ping up and sit him on the chair he had been sitting on.

Although Prince Ping was Emperor Gaozu's younger brother, he was more than twenty years younger than Emperor Gaozu. Not only that, he was even several years younger than the previous emperor.

Now he is almost becoming the national treasure of Yunli Kingdom, and Shen Tianjiao dare not let him get tired.

"I heard it carefully. Do you have any objections?" Shen Tianjiao lowered her eyes. She really didn't want to see these people from the bottom of her heart.

But as a ruler, she had to swallow her anger today.

Those in power today are all capable people in the Yunli court. If Shen Tianjiao annihilates them in one fell swoop, the Yunli court will be useless and the Yunli country will really be in chaos.

For the sake of political stability, Shen Tianjiao could only endure it temporarily, and wait until the time was right in the future to eliminate them one by one.