Traveling back to ancient times to get rich

The Emperor frowned, looking with heartache at the weeping, swaying Consort Li before him. Without hesitation, he reached out and gently helped her up. He tenderly comforted her, "My beloved consort, do not be so sad. These ignorant fools are utterly wicked! Since they insist on not allowing Ji Yun to compile the Great Codex, then I will simply promote Lord Ji to a first-rank official and appoint him as Minister of Rites." After saying this, the Emperor turned to Zhao Quan standing beside him and sternly ordered, "Zhao Quan, you must immediately draft the imperial edict without the slightest delay, and then convey it out as soon as possible. These fellows are becoming increasingly audacious, daring to disregard my authority like this!" Immediately afterward, the Emperor waved for the others around him to leave, leaving only a hidden guard concealed in the shadows. The Emperor lowered his voice and whispered a few words to the guard. His face was grim, and his eyes revealed a resolute determination, clearly indicating that he had made up his mind to take action.

The Emperor pondered inwardly that the Empress and Crown Prince's recent actions were utterly foolish, to the point of being intolerable. Perhaps it was time to remove them from this game of power. Thinking this, he shook his head, deeply disappointed in their behavior. However, at that moment, a thought suddenly flashed through the Emperor's mind—why did he actually think the Seventh Prince was superior to the Crown Prince? Oh, it was because he had met the Seventh Prince by chance today; his outstanding demeanor, intelligent mind, and humble manners had left a very deep impression on him. Even now, recalling it, he still felt a sense of admiration.

Consort Li was extremely grateful that the Emperor had not only helped her but also promoted her father's official rank. She, Ji Xiaofu, had never asked anyone for anything before; this was the first time. She said to the Emperor, "Since Your Majesty has helped me, I hope Your Majesty can rest here." The Emperor had liked her before, but she was always cold and aloof. Today, however, she was unusually accommodating, sharing some snacks and chatting with the Emperor before finally spending the night together. Around dawn, the Emperor rose to prepare for court. Consort Li helped him dress, and while combing his hair, she was surprised to find that the Emperor seemed much younger, his hair turning black from the roots. She exclaimed with delight, "Your Majesty, what kind of magic potion have you taken? Your hair has become so much black, and the wrinkles around your eyes have diminished considerably!"

The Emperor looked closely, and sure enough, it was just as he had imagined. His mind raced, trying to recall what he had eaten the previous day. "Ah, I remember now!" he thought. "Yesterday, I first tasted the miraculous Rejuvenating Pill presented by the Seventh Prince's wife. Its effects are truly astonishing!" As for the other pill… the Emperor frowned slightly, racking his brains. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him: "I remember casually placing that pill in a corner of the Hall of Mental Cultivation." Thinking this, the Emperor couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. He couldn't let anyone else benefit from it! It seemed the Seventh Prince's wife truly possessed some real skill! At this moment, the Emperor's affection for the Seventh Prince and his wife deepened even further. At the same time, he cursed the Empress in his heart, denouncing her for being blind and unable to distinguish right from wrong. "Hmph, how can such a foolish person bear the heavy responsibility of being the mother of the nation?"

Upon entering the solemn and imposing court, the Emperor was greeted by a group of old men, whom he found utterly tiresome, already dressed in their finery, launching into a dazzling array of performances. Among them were undoubtedly loyal ministers and generals, with Ji Yun being a prime example of unwavering integrity. He was always diligent and conscientious, never harboring the slightest favoritism. But what about the others? Most had likely already secretly pledged allegiance to the various princes and crown princes, each choosing their own lord. The court was a complex web of power struggles; some sided with the First Prince, some with the Second Prince, and others with the Third Prince… In short, almost every prince was surrounded by followers, but upon closer examination, it seemed no one truly wished to follow the seventh prince. Yet today, however, the Emperor suddenly had an idea: he wanted Ji Yun to join the Seventh Prince's faction, helping him carve out a niche for himself in this treacherous court intrigue.

The eunuch Zhao Quan shouted, "Those with a case, speak up; those without, leave the court!" At this moment, General Wei began to impeach Ye Qingchen's biological father, Ye Zhao: "Your Majesty, I have heard that Lord Ye has been keeping quiet about his legitimate daughter, Ye Qingchen, and has instead elevated his concubine's daughter to the status of a legitimate daughter, marrying her to the Crown Prince as a concubine, thus insulting the Crown Prince. I beg Your Majesty to punish him and demote Ye's concubine to a mere concubine." Ye Zhao was naturally unwilling and did not want to bear any crime of deceiving the emperor. He hated Ye Qingchen, that wretched girl. Why didn't she come back sooner when she was still alive? And why did she marry the Seventh Prince? Since she was married, why did she claim to be his daughter and accuse him of elevating Shi Qing to the status of a legitimate daughter? However, he couldn't repeat "exquisitely noble" again, as this was the imperial court. So Ye Zhao explained, "Your Majesty, I have my reasons. My wife is in poor health and is recuperating in the mountains. At the beginning of this year, Your Majesty arranged for my daughter to marry the Seventh Prince. I sent someone to fetch my wife and daughter, but they encountered bandits on the way. My wife died on the spot, and my daughter fell off a cliff. Upon hearing the news, I fell seriously ill and immediately informed you that my daughter could not marry the Seventh Prince. Then I elevated my second wife to the rank of wife and my daughter Shiqing and son Xuyang to the rank of legitimate daughter and son. Later, when the Crown Prince was choosing a concubine, he took a liking to my daughter Shiqing. Your Majesty is wise; this old minister has not deceived the Emperor!" With that, he knelt down in the main hall.

The Emperor saw it clearly: Ye Zhao, having achieved success, had become disdainful of his wife's status, finding a noblewoman to treat as his principal wife, while abandoning his wife and daughter in the countryside to enjoy his carefree life. If it weren't for his seventh son's poor health, preventing him from marrying his daughter to him, he wouldn't have traveled so far to fetch her. Whether it was a genuine bandit attack or the work of his concubine waiting to be promoted, the Emperor initially believed the mother and daughter were dead. Coincidentally, his seventh son wrote to say he had a wife, so he stopped trying to find him one. And his seventh son's wife was none other than Ye Zhao's daughter—in other words, Ye Zhao's abandoned daughter.

But at this moment, seeing General Wei impeach Ye Zhao, the Emperor felt a secret pleasure. He felt indignant for the Seventh Prince and his wife. Since the Crown Princess was unhappy and had instigated General Wei to impeach Ye Zhao, then Ye Zhao would also find a way to deal with General Wei. He had been unable to get the Empress's family to fight amongst themselves before, but now this was an opportunity. How could he miss such a good opportunity! Empress, your mistake is not that you like power, but that you favor a useless Crown Prince. Your mistake is not that you don't love me, but that you suppress my youngest son to enhance your family's power.