Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

On the third day of the twelfth month of the sixth year of Xuanyuan, a heavy snow fell in Jinling.

Fortunately, Shen Lang took precautions in advance. From the moment he took over the government from the Empress, he paid close attention to the people's livelihood in various places and had already prepared a disaster prevention manual to distribute to local government offices.

Shen Lang stood at the entrance of Xuanzheng Hall, gazing at the heavy snowfall, lost in thought.

The Jingwei Bureau has just sent a secret letter that Zhao Gou's faction has been completely captured, and Yue Fei's Northern Expedition will no longer face any obstacles.

The current problem is how to settle Zhao Gou and the others.

Shen Lang had no intention of letting Huang Qianshan, Wang Boyan, and their ilk live. He had always despised these sycophantic collaborators who sought peace while they were ahead.

But what should be done with Zhao Gou?

After thinking for a long time, he finally came up with an idea.

"Why not just find an opportunity for him to get sick and die? Why go through all this trouble?"

After figuring it out, he let out a breath and turned back to Xuanzheng Hall.

Charcoal fires were already burning in the walls and partitions of Xuanzheng Hall, making the indoor temperature very comfortable.

Watching the busy officials of the six ministries, Shen Lang silently calculated the days until his departure.

In just a few months, at the latest by next spring, once Jiang Mengxuan has recovered, he can peacefully step down as regent.

He had already planned out the future direction of the nation for the next five years. As long as the officials of the six ministries followed the established procedures, the power of the Chu state would surely advance further in five years.

Moreover, during this period, he innovated the cabinet system, which greatly improved the efficiency of government administration.

All I have to do is make decisions on major issues; I don't have to do every other trivial thing myself, which makes things much easier.

"Your Majesty, this old minister has a question he would like to ask you."

As soon as Ye Mo returned to the palace, he came to Shen Lang with a memorial in his hand.

Shen Lang returned to his seat and poured Ye Mo a cup of tea: "Minister Ye, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask."

Ye Mo: "Shangguan Yan from Guanzhong reported that the reconstruction of Chang'an is nearing completion and suggested that His Majesty move the capital to Chang'an. I wonder if this is feasible?"

Shen Lang picked up his teacup and slid the lid down: "Have you sent anyone to investigate on-site?"

"Three groups of people have already been dispatched to investigate, and the head of the Ministry of Works has also gone there in person. He said that the current appearance of Chang'an is completely different from that of a few years ago, and it truly has the style of an imperial capital."

"So, what does Ye Xiang mean? To move or not to move?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Mo sighed deeply: "To be honest, as a native of Jiangnan, I naturally do not wish for Your Majesty to move the capital."

But Chang'an is, after all, the original capital, and now that its reconstruction is complete, it should logically be moved back to Chang'an. However, if the capital really is to be moved...

This will likely alarm the entire Jiangnan region, so this old minister specifically wishes to consult the Regent: what should be done?

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang chuckled and said, "Actually, I think there's no need to worry about whether to move the capital. Jinling can be the capital, and Chang'an can be the capital as well."

Ye Mo frowned: "What does the Regent mean by this?"

Shen Lang replied, "We've all fallen into a misconception: that there can only be one capital city. If Chu were just a small country, then naturally there wouldn't be a problem."

But the problem now is that the State of Chu is expanding its territory, and it needs to pay attention to all directions—east, west, south, and north—so having only one capital city is definitely not enough.

Upon hearing this, Ye Mo's pupils constricted: "Does the Regent mean that both Chang'an and Jinling can be the capital?"

Shen Lang nodded: "Naturally, now that the Great Chu's focus is overseas, Jinling is the most suitable capital. If the focus is shifted to the mainland, then Chang'an is the only choice."

"With the railway line open, north-south transportation will be smooth, and the cost of relocating the capital will not be as heavy as before, making it entirely affordable."

"The advantage of having two capitals is that the strategic direction can be adjusted at any time, which facilitates unified command and can also deter local unrest forces."

After a moment's thought, Ye Mo understood the meaning behind Shen Lang's words.

Indeed, once the railway line is completed, transportation costs will be greatly reduced, and even the deployment of personnel can be completed in just a few days, so why care where the administrative focus is?

"Alright, Prime Minister Ye, don't overthink it. Whether or not to move the capital ultimately depends on whether the Empress agrees. There's no point in us discussing it like this."

Shen Lang put down his teacup and took a deep breath.

"I'm about to step down as regent, and I must thank you all for accompanying me through so many official duties."

Upon hearing that Shen Lang wanted to step down, Ye Mo frowned: "Regent, do you really not want to stay in office?"

Shen Lang nodded: "Actually, what difference does it make whether I'm here or not? You see."

Shen Lang pointed to the busy figures inside the Xuanzheng Hall.

"As long as you follow the cabinet system, each of you performs your duties, and everyone focuses on managing their own affairs, what difference does it make whether I am here or not?"

Ye Mo sighed; that was indeed true.

In the past two months, Shen Lang's reform of the cabinet system has indeed greatly improved administrative efficiency.

There was no need to report trivial matters to the Empress in front of the court, nor to argue heatedly with those who disagreed with him in front of the palace.

All that's needed is for officials of the third rank or above from the six ministries to hold a high-level meeting, reach a consensus, and then implement the plan directly.

If a consensus cannot be reached, then the minority shall yield to the majority.

If the difference in opinion between those who oppose and those who implement the plan is not significant, then Shen Lang will be needed to make the final decision.

However, regardless of whether the suggestion is adopted or not, the person who adopts it must bear all the consequences.

The implementation of this system did indeed improve the administrative efficiency of the Chu state considerably.

This is just the beginning. Ye Mo can even foresee what kind of scene it will be when the cabinet announces the election for the prime minister soon.

However, whether this administrative system could continue was ultimately decided by Empress Jiang Mengxuan, who was about to return to power.

To be honest, Ye Mo now doesn't really want the Empress to return to court; he'd rather Shen Lang continue as regent.

Since the Empress seized real power, the extreme sense of oppression she exerted left even Ye Mo with lingering fear.

He was well aware that the Empress, with Shen Lang's assistance, was no longer the patient and compromising woman she had been when she first ascended the throne.

The current empress can unleash her imperial power without restraint; no one in the entire Chu Kingdom can rival her.

She has become a true emperor, even more so than any previous ruler of the Chu Kingdom.

but……

Ye Mo couldn't quite describe the feeling. The Empress rarely got angry, yet her anger made him feel even more uneasy than when she was.

It was just an ordinary look in his eyes, yet he couldn't decipher the meaning behind it.

Therefore, he always chose to protect himself in court, and would pretend to be dead when there was no need to.

It was only during Shen Lang's reign that Ye Mo felt truly alive. Even though Shen Lang's methods were more sophisticated than the Empress's, he still preferred to work with Shen Lang.

Now that Shen Lang is about to return power, Ye Mo felt a pang of disappointment and worried that the cabinet system would be abolished.

"Why don't you resign from your official post and become an instructor?"

Suddenly, an idea, without any apparent reason, took root and sprouted in Ye Mo's heart.