Quick Transmigration: After Fake Death, All the Protagonists I Flirted With Went Crazy

With a major matter resolved, Gu Yao felt a sense of relief.

It is now the twenty-second autumn of the Heavenly Qian era. In about half a year, Emperor Xuan will suffer from internal depletion due to long-term consumption of "elixirs," and his health will rapidly decline, forcing him to choose a successor for the position of crown prince.

If it weren't for the so-called "elixir of immortality" creating the illusion that Emperor Xuan was still vigorous and energetic, he wouldn't have punished his two capable sons so severely this year, directly cutting off their chance to seize the throne.

Emperor Xuan had a fairly large number of children: the eldest princess was born to the Empress; the second prince and the third princess were born to Consort Xian; and Prince Yu and Prince Jing were the third and fourth princes, respectively, but they were no longer competitive.

The eldest prince was in poor health, so he was given a wealthy fiefdom early on.

The seventh and eighth princes were still young and insignificant, and the families of the two princes' mothers were not powerful clans, so there was no possibility of them interfering in politics or supporting a puppet emperor.

Oh, and there's also the Fifth Prince.

Prince Yi, also known as Xi Yunzhou, was a man who loved nature, farming, and had no interest in fame or fortune. He was kicked out of the court by Emperor Xuan at a young age.

He was one of the few princes in the story who survived to the end.

After all, the original storyline depicts Xi Yue's eventful life. Later, Prince Yu and Prince Jing raised private armies in their fiefdoms and became kings of their own lands. Xi Yue personally led an expedition against them, which ultimately led to the deaths of both of them.

Gu Yao thought for a moment and concluded that in the end, it would still be a battle between the Second Prince and Xi Yue, not much different from the plot.

When Emperor Xuan discovered his health was failing, he did not become overly angry. He believed that life and death were preordained, a lesson this emperor, who had spent half his life on the battlefield, had learned.

But when faced with the inevitable, a person still wants to live, which is why he tries those so-called "elixirs of immortality."

Emperor Xuan ascended the throne after a struggle for succession, so he had a broad perspective.

It was at this time that Emperor Xuan was already secretly observing and selecting a successor.

Looking back, only two princes remained who were capable of shouldering the great responsibility. One was the second prince, born to Consort Xian, whose family was a prestigious clan with a long history and considerable influence. The other was Xi Yue, who had demonstrated his talent in the court.

Xi Yue's birth mother, Lady Xu, was merely a lowly palace maid whom Emperor Xuan favored while drunk in his temporary palace. Even after he had his way with her, Emperor Xuan did not bring her back to the palace.

If it weren't for the birth of his son, Emperor Xuan would never have thought of such a person.

Later, the Empress took charge and brought him back to the palace, bestowing upon him the title of Beauty. He passed away when Xiyue was five years old.

Xi Yue was raised in the Ruzi Room by palace nannies, and when she got a little older, she went to the palace school.

From a young age, I lived by the whims of others, witnessing countless sordid acts and enduring countless hardships.

Xi Yue was exceptionally intelligent and mastered the Six Arts of a Gentleman, but no one paid him any attention.

When Empress Nian was in charge of the inner palace, she investigated the children still living in the palace and found that Xi Yue had reached the age of retirement but had not yet left the palace. She then petitioned Emperor Xuan to grant him the title of prince.

The Empress, as the legal mother, did not make things difficult for the sixth prince, who had lost his mother at a young age. She did not deduct any of the rewards and servants he was entitled to when he left the palace, and even added two extra rewards herself.

Although it wasn't particularly elaborate, it was still given according to the standards expected of a prince.

It was precisely because the Empress did not make things difficult for Xi Yue that Xi Yue honored his mother, who had no legitimate son, as Empress Dowager after he ascended the throne.

Perhaps feeling guilty for neglecting his son for so many years, Emperor Xuan arranged a position for him in the Ministry of Personnel. Xi Yue demonstrated his abilities and was highly regarded by Emperor Xuan.

That trip to Jiangnan was to inspect salt.

Private salt trade was rampant in Jiangnan, with collusion between officials and merchants.

The second prince, however, was worried that his private salt business would be exposed, so he colluded with corrupt officials in Jiangnan to keep him permanently in Jiangnan.

Xi Yue returned to the capital, only to be met with a false accusation from the Second Prince.

The second prince sacrificed the pawn to save the king, shifting the blame for the smuggled salt incident onto the governor of Jiangnan, and using this as an excuse to accuse the long-delayed return of Xiyue of harboring a criminal.

At that time, a rebellion broke out among the southwestern tribes. The second prince's uncle had won a battle, but the rebellion was not yet over, so it was not advisable to take any action lightly.

The Li family is a family with a long history of official service and deep roots.

Moreover, Consort Xian and Emperor Xuan knew each other since they were young and had feelings for each other.

If it weren't for the strong support of the Li family back then, Emperor Xuan might not be sitting on the throne today.

Weighing the pros and cons, Xi Yue, who had no background and shallow foundation in the court, became the pawn to be discarded.

He was dismissed from his post so easily, and the matter was dropped.

The Emperor successfully reclaimed the salt rights in Jiangnan and, incidentally, gave the Second Prince a warning.

Who would care whether a prince rejected by the emperor lives or dies?

Times change, and so do human relationships; such is often the case.

This strengthened their resolve to attack Yue.

He held back and hid all the evidence he had.

They'll just have to wait until the day they can add fuel to the fire and bring down the Second Prince.

Bathed in the bright moonlight, Gu Yao knew that the weather was about to change.

*

The following day, the third prince of Xiling submitted a memorial to Emperor Xuan, proposing a trade agreement.

After the morning court session, Emperor Xuan urgently summoned Chancellor Gu, the Minister of Personnel, and several other key ministers in the Yanhe Hall, and even exceptionally summoned Gu Yao.

Some people wanted to test Gu Yao's abilities.

Let's see if this Vice Minister Gu, whom he exceptionally appointed, can accept his favor.

The fact that he could discuss matters with so many senior and trusted ministers demonstrates the extent of Gu Yao's favor.

No one knows what they talked about, only snippets of conversation leaked by the eunuchs outside the palace, suggesting that the officials had been arguing for a long time.

It wasn't until the sun was setting that the group emerged from the Yanhe Hall.

The next morning at court, Gu Yao was granted a title and concurrently appointed as the Superintendent of Trade, giving him full authority over trade with Xiling.

Xiling has warhorse resources, but faces food shortages every winter, which is the main reason why the two countries have frequently clashed and fought small-scale wars over the years.

The trade allows both sides to get what they need. Da Xuan can obtain high-quality warhorses in exchange for a fixed annual supply of grain, tea, salt, and other materials needed by Xiling.

With imperial approval in vermilion ink and the emperor's personal decree, the trade agreement is now finalized.

Gu Yao, who had kept a low profile since entering the court, stole the spotlight in this matter.

Wanyan Jue was already the de facto crown prince of Xiling, and was only waiting to be officially recognized upon his return to the country, so he naturally possessed immense power.

The trade agreement with Xiling was initially finalized before the Xiling delegation left Beijing.

The negotiations went exceptionally smoothly. Gu Yao's long-held vision and the grand ambitions of the two men were gradually fleshed out and solidified through their repeated discussions, awaiting only to be realized step by step.