The abandoned concubine who transmigrated woke up shouting "Long live the widow!"

After hearing Ye Muchen's words, Jingxue knew that Li Huan was unsure of himself.

"Maybe my uncle just felt it was sudden!"

“Hmm! That’s possible,” Ye Muchen said.

Gao Chi caught up, and the three of them mounted their horses and returned to the Prince's Palace.

Before dinner, Ye Muchen handed Jingxue a few sheets of paper. "This is a list of retired soldiers who are willing to send their children to school, compiled by someone else. It also includes those who can come out to work. Take a look."

Jingxue raised an eyebrow and took the list. "You're very efficient!"

"Since I have some free time these next few days, I'll have my subordinates do it!"

"Thank you!" Jingxue said with a smile. Her gratitude came from the bottom of her heart. The statistical work was actually quite tedious, and she appreciated the thanks.

"Why are you thanking me between husband and wife?"

Jingxue didn't say anything more and started looking at the list.

It was a bit cloudy today, and when Li Huan and Li Jun arrived, it was almost late afternoon.

This time, they were received at Mingyuan Pavilion, and Jingxue did not bring any maids.

A servant brought tea, and Jingxue was surprised that Li Jun would come along as well.

Ye Muchen spoke first, "Congratulations on your promotion, Uncle!"

Li Huan smiled wryly, "Your Highness, I am very nervous! We were already preparing to return to Qingzhou, and our luggage was all packed. This is too sudden. The Emperor's will is truly unpredictable."

"Don't all officials hope for a smooth and successful career? This is a good thing!" Jingxue said with a smile.

Li Huan said, "Your Majesty, you may not know this, but the relationships in the court are complicated, and besides..." He glanced at Ye Muchen and then swallowed his words.

Jingxue laughed, "Is Uncle trying to say that serving a ruler is like serving a tiger?"

"Your Majesty, you mustn't say such things!" Li Huan said nervously. His niece was really too bold.

Ye Muchen looked at Jingxue with affection and smiled, "That's just how Xue'er is, so outspoken! It's fine in her own home."

“Since returning to the capital, I’ve felt that the court is different from what it was three years ago. I’m now taking up a post in the Ministry of Revenue, so I would like to ask Your Highness for some advice on how to conduct myself,” Li Huan said.

"Uncle, don't overthink it. Just do your job well. Also, be careful. Your father-in-law is a good example."

Li Huan immediately understood Ye Muchen's meaning and nodded, saying, "This subordinate will remember."

“Actually, there’s another matter between us brothers today, which concerns our two children,” Li Huan said.

Li Jun nodded in agreement, but Ye Muchen didn't know what was going on. He looked at Jing Xue.

"An'an and Yingying are their uncle's children!"

Ye Muchen looked at Li Jun and asked, "Really? What a coincidence!"

Jingxue sighed, "Alas! It's a long story for a child to grow up without a mother, Uncle, you tell me!"

Li Jun gave a brief explanation, and Ye Muchen understood.

"Yi specifically came to me privately two days ago to talk about this matter. Alas! I never expected it. Because more than half a year has passed and there is no evidence, we cannot report it to the authorities."

“My brother and I originally planned to go back to Qingzhou first and find a suitable opportunity to talk to your maternal grandmother. If your maternal grandmother agrees, Sun will divorce her, and then we will take the two children back to raise them.”

“But now, we don’t need to go back to Qingzhou. I will be taking up my post the day after tomorrow. If something happens in the manor at this time, it will definitely be criticized. So, the child should stay in the manor for a while longer.”

After Li Huan finished speaking, Li Jun also said, "I also plan to stay in Shangjing and not go out to do business. If Your Majesty can use me, I am willing to come."

After listening to her two uncles, Jingxue said, "I've said before that I can take care of An'an and Yingying without any problem. You can go about your business without worry. I can only entrust the two children to you with peace of mind if they are properly taken care of."

“Yes, Your Majesty, we understand. Please rest assured!” Li Huan nodded and said.

“If Sun only divorces her, it’s too lenient for her. Actually, with a little effort, I can make her confess. But the final decision is yours. If she dares to harm the two children again, then her death is imminent,” Jingxue said.

Li Huan had witnessed Jingxue's abilities firsthand. He glanced at Li Jun and said, "Let's go back and discuss this further!"

Li Jun wanted to ask the two children, but he didn't. For some reason, he felt a little afraid of this niece, not because she was a princess, but because she herself had a certain aura, or rather, a sharp edge.

The news of Li Huan's promotion reached the Prime Minister's office and several ministerial offices, which surprised Wang Hansheng and Hu Yucheng.

That evening, they met again at the Prime Minister's residence.

"This is too unexpected! How could it be Li Huan?" Wang Hansheng asked bluntly.

Prime Minister Zou remained calm. He waved for the servants who were serving tea to leave. "Perhaps it's because Li Huan and the Duke of Anguo have become in-laws! Don't forget, the Duke of Anguo is the Emperor's maternal uncle."

Hu Yucheng protested, "But Li Huan has been promoted two ranks in one go, which is against the ancestral rules!"

Wang Hansheng nodded, "Yes!"

Prime Minister Zou picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Wasn't Wang Shumo, whom my elder brother suggested the other day, of the same rank as Li Huan?"

"I... but Wang Shumo has achieved something, what has Li Huan done?"

"Hmph! Whoever the Emperor says is capable, is capable!" said Prime Minister Zou.

"So we're just going to stand by and watch?" Hu Yucheng asked.

Wang Hansheng said, "In this way, the Prince of War has gained another ally, and the Minister of War has also formed a marriage alliance with the Prince of Rui, and the Prince of Duan..."

He wanted to say that Prince Duan never did anything of importance, but then he remembered that Prince Duan was, after all, Prime Minister Zou's nephew, so he swallowed his words.

How could Prime Minister Zou not know what his nephew was like! If it weren't for his constant support over the years, Prince Duan might not even have received a title. "The current situation is still unclear, so we should remain still and observe how things develop. Whatever we do, we must remember not to be too ostentatious or conspicuous, lest we bring trouble upon ourselves."

Hu Yucheng, who was standing to the side, picked up the conversation and said thoughtfully, "In my opinion, the censors will probably not remain silent about this matter; they will definitely take some action."

Prime Minister Zou said, "What needs to be said must be said, even though it won't have much effect. In fact, the Emperor doesn't know, but the Emperor Emeritus is perfectly clear-headed. Do you think the Emperor doesn't know that Li Huan has been promoted two ranks? But I guess the Emperor already has a way to deal with the questions raised by the court officials."

"The Assistant Magistrate of Qingzhou has been promoted to Prefect, and the officials below him have been promoted step by step!" Wang Hansheng said helplessly.

In truth, Zou Ting didn't have any good ideas either. He felt that from some point onwards, many things were no longer under his control.

For example, Li Huan's appointment came without any prior notice or indication; it was particularly sudden. In all his years as an official, this was the first time he had encountered an appointment that did not go through the Ministry of Personnel.

Gao Pengju, the Minister of War who had just begun to show signs of allegiance to them, is probably wavering again. Winning over an official of the ministerial rank is no easy feat, and now a single arranged marriage has rendered all their efforts futile.

Why do I say that? In the past two years, Gao Pengju would come to pay his respects and bring gifts during the first month of the lunar calendar, but this year! Tomorrow is the Lantern Festival, and that guy hasn't come.

The three of them drank tea for a while, but couldn't come up with anything, so Wang Hansheng and Hu Yucheng said goodbye and left.