The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

After returning to Yuxiu Palace, Shen Tianjiao ate something, and her soul returned to its place, and she felt that she was still alive.

After eating and drinking her fill, Shen Tianjiao lay on the beauty couch and didn't want to get up anymore. Finally, she got up and took a bath after being urged by Qiong Niang.

While drying Shen Tianjiao's hair, Qiong Niang asked, "What troubles did you just think of?"

"Ah!" Shen Tianjiao, who was about to fall asleep, looked up at Qiong Niang in a daze. It took her a while to realize what she was asking.

"Ah!" Shen Tianjiao sighed and said with a heavy heart, "Don't you think that Yunli is only prosperous on the outside, but is actually slowly becoming corrupt and decadent in places that are not visible?"

Qiong Niang paused as she wiped Shen Tianjiao's hair. She sighed and said, "Yes, let's not talk about other places. Just in this palace, there are so many shameful things that can be exposed openly."

A thousand-mile-long levee can be destroyed by an ant hole. Woodworms, especially those invisible woodworms, are the most terrifying. The current Yunli Kingdom is like a towering tree, tall and straight on the outside, but in fact, the inside has been riddled with holes caused by woodworms, and it will fall down with just a strong wind.

"If I want to change the current situation, is it a bit unrealistic?" The frustration of being unable to change reality in her previous life came back, and Shen Tianjiao could clearly feel the change in her emotions.

"Man proposes, God disposes. It won't kill you to try anyway. Even if nothing changes in the end, at least we tried, right?"

"You should know better than anyone how incompetent that man is. If you hadn't secretly helped him handle state affairs over the years, the throne would have changed hands long ago."

"Actually, I'm not surprised at all that Li Bin has rebelled this time. However, after this incident, if the country still doesn't have a wise ruler to govern, I'm afraid there will be no peace from now on."

Qiong Niang's words made Shen Tianjiao feel a little nervous. "You, what do you mean?"

Qiong Niang looked directly into Shen Tianjiao's eyes. "What can I mean by that? I just think you're more suitable for ruling than that bastard. Haven't you ever thought about replacing him?"

Shen Tianjiao jumped up from the stool reflexively, raised her head and touched Qiong Niang's forehead, "You don't have a fever, why are you talking nonsense?"

Qiong Niang knocked Shen Tianjiao's hand away, looked at her unhappily and said, "I'm fine, I don't have a fever."

"Then are you possessed by an evil spirit?" If those words were spoken by someone else, Shen Tianjiao might not find it strange, but when they came out of Qiong Niang's mouth, she felt something was wrong.

Qiong Niang was born into a family of scholars and officials that had existed for hundreds of years. She was taught to follow the rules since she was a child. When she grew up, she entered the palace and was bound by various palace rules. Although her behavior could not be said to be as rigid as her original self, Shen Tianjiao, she had never done anything out of the ordinary. Now she actually asked Shen Tianjiao to rebel and replace Li Rui to become the empress. If Shen Tianjiao had not heard it with her own ears, no one would believe it if she told others.

"I'm fine. Is there any need to be so surprised?" Qiong Niang looked at Shen Tianjiao with an expression that said 'you're very ignorant'. "Why do you think I'm just like those daughters of aristocratic families, ignorant and living their whole lives as a wife and mother? Or am I just like Feng Yuanyuan, a brainless person who desperately fights for the family's interests by using all means to win favor, doesn't even cherish herself, treats herself as a toy, and lives a life of humiliation and lowliness?"

"That's not true. It's just that judging from your father's and mother's behavior, you should be the kind of person who follows the rules. I haven't seen you do anything out of the ordinary during all these years we've been together. How could you have such a crazy idea?" Shen Tianjiao felt that she couldn't understand Qiong Niang more and more. What kind of heart did she have under her gentle and submissive appearance that was not bound by the world?

Qiong Niang stood up and poured a glass of water for both Shen Tianjiao and herself. After handing the glass to Shen Tianjiao, she said, "Yes, my parents are both respectful and polite people. They taught me the same thing since I was a child. Maybe I was born an outlier. I appear obedient and well-behaved on the surface, but deep down I'm actually very rebellious. It's just that I'm constrained by my environment and can't show it."

"The reason I'm telling you this today is because of the Grand Princess. I once saw her grace in the palace when I was young. Although she was a woman, her demeanor and ability were no less than any man's."

"She stood among those men, like a ray of light, dazzling and brilliant, unmatched by anyone. At that time, I thought, how wonderful it would be if one day I could be like her, not confined to the backyard of a deep house, able to do what I want and live freely."

"And the current Tatar Queen of Beidi. When she was sent to Yunli for marriage, I had the honor of catching a glimpse of her beauty. She was also a bright and outgoing woman with a strong sense of independence and strategy. Her marriage failed, and others felt sorry for her. But I felt very fortunate that she wasn't bound by that political marriage and had the opportunity to be herself. Later, she became the Queen of Beidi, and I wasn't surprised at all, because she was meant to be."

"When I read history books before, the records of the previous empress Huo Yingying always described how cruel, licentious, and bad she was. But they never mentioned how wise and brave she was, how she personally led the army to defeat the enemy and recover lost territory, how she issued reform decrees that freed the people from heavy taxes, allowing them to recuperate and strengthen the country, and how she reformed the officialdom, breaking the system that only allowed hereditary official positions to be passed down through the aristocratic families, and allowing all scholars in the world to take the imperial examinations and be selected to serve in the court."

Qiong Niang's words touched Shen Tianjiao deeply. This era has always been generous and tolerant to men, but harsh and cruel to women.

Whatever a man does will be accepted and approved, but a woman can only live in the back house all her life, bound by many rules. She has to be careful with every word and action. If she makes the slightest mistake, she will be criticized by everyone.

In her previous life, when she was still Chu Qingge, although she was born into a family of military merit and was not bound by so many rules, she still remembered the slander and humiliation of those people when she was forced to go to the battlefield to fight the enemy on behalf of her father. If the battle was won, she would become a domineering and arrogant devil in the mouths of those people. If the battle was lost, she would become an unforgivable sinner in the eyes of those people.

"This world is indeed too harsh on women, so I want to change it, so that women can have a life like men, can study, do business, and even serve as officials. Everyone has the equal right to freely choose their own life."

"As for replacing Li Rui and becoming the empress, I've never thought about it, nor do I want to do it. It's not that I'm afraid of what others say, but I just don't want to be bound by another identity. My dream is to strengthen Yunli's national strength, at least for a hundred years, so that the surrounding countries dare not covet it, and the people can live and work in peace and prosperity without the suffering of war."

"Then I will retire after completing my mission, leave as a free man, and wander around the world to see the beautiful scenery and customs of Yunli."

This was the agreement Chu Qingge made with that person in her previous life. She didn't do it in her previous life, but she must do it in this life. Even if that person is no longer around, she wants to fulfill the agreement of her previous life and not carry regrets into the next life.

"Although I don't want to be the Empress, I can train someone who is suitable for that position to help me realize my ambitions. That way, even if I'm gone, there will still be someone who can stick to my original aspirations."

"Are you talking about Mu'er?" The light in Qiong Niang's eyes softened a lot. The child was her weak spot, and it would never change.

"Yes, so from now on you must teach him diligently. He is the one who carries the hopes of countless people. And from this moment on, you and I must forge ahead, clearing all obstacles and barriers for him, and helping him accomplish his great cause."

Shen Tianjiao's eyes were full of determination. Although she didn't know how many difficulties and obstacles were waiting ahead, she would definitely not be afraid of them and would not stop moving forward no matter what she encountered.

"Okay, let's go together." Qiong Niang was also infected by Shen Tianjiao's emotions, and her heart was warm and filled with hope and courage.

"We shouldn't drink tea today, we should drink wine." Shen Tianjiao put down the teacup in her hand with disgust. Although she is not a wine lover, she is a person of temperament. She is happy today, and she always feels that something is missing if she doesn't drink some wine.

"Okay, I won't drink this tea anymore. Let's have some wine." Qiong Niang was also a generous person. Today, she first visited Empress Dowager Liu and Feng Yuanyuan in Kangning Palace. He Wanying was defeated and vented the anger that had been suppressed in her heart for many years. Then she dealt with Zhang Ziqing in the imperial study and then sent the army out to quell the rebellion. There were so many happy things that it seemed unreasonable not to drink some wine.

Shen Tianjiao was no longer sleepy at this time, and she was in high spirits. "Chunchao, go and get a bottle. We are in a good mood today, so get a few more bottles of good wine. Let's not stop drinking until we are drunk today."

"Okay, I'll go right away." Chunchao responded happily and trotted happily to get the wine.

Soon, several maids set up a table in the small garden in the yard and put fruits, snacks and wine on it.

Looking at the noisy and cheerful little girls, Shen Tianjiao's mood was also very good. "Come on, today we don't have the distinction between master and servant. Let's all sit down and have a good drink."

The little maids did not hesitate and sat down obediently, chattering non-stop. Chunchao told them about what happened in Kangning Palace when he came back. They were all happy for their master. From then on, no one in the palace could bully their master anymore.

Shen Tianjiao drank her wine and looked at the little girls and Qiong Niang in front of her, her eyes almost blinded by laughter. This scene before her was what it really meant to be alive. It was unrestrained and spontaneous. It was really good.

Shen Tianjiao has a good alcohol tolerance, but unexpectedly, Qiong Niang can also drink quite a lot. Among the other four little girls, except Chunchao who is still sober and clamors to make sobering soup for Shen Tianjiao, the other three are already drunk.

"Okay, Chunchao, take them downstairs to rest. I'm not drunk, so why should I drink sobering soup? Go, go back to sleep. Qiong Niang and I still have something to say. Don't make noise here and disturb us." Shen Tianjiao called someone and took the little girls downstairs to rest. She and Qiong Niang also changed places and ran to sit on the rockery to sober up.

"Are you going to start from the palace?" Qiong Niang was a smart person. She understood what Shen Tianjiao wanted to do without her saying anything more.

"Yeah." Shen Tianjiao felt a little dizzy and leaned on Qiong Niang's shoulder. "This palace is too complicated now. The forces in each palace are mixed. This is not a good thing. Even in Yuxiu Palace, who knows how many of his people he has planted. Although I cleared out a few a few days ago, they are still rare. How many more are hiding in the dark and unknown to the public? Who knows how many there are."

"If we want to seize the initiative, we must establish a comprehensive intelligence network. Only by controlling the harem in our hands can those people not have the opportunity to stir up trouble. This will save a lot of trouble and allow us to better control that person."

The biggest obstacle to their progress now is Li Rui, this troublemaker who is more likely to cause trouble than to help. If they cannot grasp his movements, there is no guarantee that he will not cause trouble again and put them in an irretrievable situation.

Qiong Niang pondered for a moment and said, "Can you trust me?"

Shen Tianjiao smiled. "If I didn't believe you, why would I rescue you, and why would I tell you all this here?"

"Okay, as long as you trust me. Leave this matter in the palace to me. I promise to build the intelligence network as quickly as possible." Qiong Niang looked at Shen Tianjiao and promised solemnly.

"Then just do it. Don't rush it. Just take your time. You can't rush this kind of thing." Shen Tianjiao straightened up and looked at Qiong Niang and said, "Since you and I are allies standing on the same front today, we can trust each other with our lives. You are the one who can leave your back to each other, so you don't have to worry about anything. No matter what happens in the future, if you have any doubts in your heart, you can come to me and talk to me face to face."

"Okay." Qiong Niang's nose felt sore and her eyes turned red.

"Hey, let me ask you, how did you know that Yufeng Grain Store belongs to the Minister of Revenue?" Shen Tianjiao looked at Qiong Niang, her eyes full of curiosity.

Qiong Niang lowered her head and smiled, then supported Shen Tianjiao and said, "Go down, it's time to go back and rest. I'll tell you on the way."

Qiong Niang helped Shen Tianjiao and the other two down from the rockery. Qiong Niang then said, "This matter is thanks to my unworthy uncle. He used to be a business partner with this Mr. Zhang. The two of them often engaged in speculation and profiteering together. My uncle also had a stake in the Yufeng Grain Company. My father even punished him for this."

"It seems that I will have to thank that uncle in the future."

The two of them walked towards the bedroom, chatting and laughing all the way.