Disguised as a man, she became the biggest villain in the book.

Hearing Wen Yichuan's reminder, Chen Xianlin understood. So that's why Young Master Wen came. He must have seen her walking with Zheng Luoqi today. She nodded slightly and said, "I thank Young Master Wen for the reminder. I will be careful." After saying that, she turned and left.

Wen Yichuan watched Chen Xianlin's departing figure, his brows furrowed with confusion. He knew very well that Zheng Luoqi was ruthless and a two-faced man. Zheng Luoqi wouldn't approach someone for no reason; he must have had a purpose in getting close to Chen Xianlin. He just didn't know what he planned to achieve by using Chen Xianlin... Wen Yichuan sighed.

Meanwhile, Zheng Luoqi returned to the courtyard. He sat inside, gazing at the bright, clear moon outside the window, lost in thought…

With Yang Chang's resignation, the position of Minister of the Imperial Household couldn't remain vacant indefinitely. Zheng Luoqi pondered for a long time, trying to figure out who her father intended to fill the position, while also avoiding the emperor and the Wen family's scrutiny. She sighed softly, deciding to put these worries aside for now and ask her father for advice the next day.

The next morning, Zheng Luoqi was having breakfast when the butler rushed in to report: "Master requests that the young master go to the council hall immediately."

Zheng Luoqi was startled, a strange premonition rising in her heart: Could something have happened? Coincidentally, she also needed to speak with her father.

"Young Master, please go quickly!" the butler urged.

Zheng Luoqi rushed into the council chamber. Upon seeing Zheng Luoqi, Zheng Yuxiang handed her a confidential letter, gesturing for her to read it herself.

Zheng Luoqi quickly read through the letter and then burned it.

Zheng Yuxiang said with a solemn expression, "Jinzhou is suffering from a severe drought, and refugees are fleeing to Jinzhou. A large number of refugees have already gathered outside Jinzhou City."

"Didn't a batch of disaster relief grain already go to Jinzhou? Why are there still so many refugees?" Zheng Luoqi replied cautiously.

"This batch of relief grain was originally sent to Jinzhou by Yang Chang, but an accident occurred en route and the grain was stolen by bandits. Now that Yang Chang is under investigation, one of the charges is that he embezzled the relief grain. However, before this, I had carefully checked the accounts, and it is estimated that only a portion of the relief grain went into Yang Chang's pocket; the rest probably ended up in the pockets of other officials," Zheng Yuxiang sighed and said.

"His Majesty hasn't received the news yet, but he'll probably receive it tomorrow. Once he knows, he'll definitely take this opportunity to replace some officials, injecting new power into the court. The new emperor has no power base of his own, so he certainly won't let this opportunity pass him by."

"Father, what is the location of the Junior Mansion?" Zheng Luoqi asked in confusion.

“I already have arrangements,” Zheng Yuxiang replied with a slight nod.

The next morning court session

Scholar Ji reported to the Emperor with a solemn expression: "Your Majesty! Jinzhou has suffered a severe drought, and a large number of displaced people are flocking to Jinzhou seeking refuge. Now, the area outside Jinzhou is crowded with refugees. I implore Your Majesty to send officials to Jinzhou and Jinzhou as soon as possible to provide disaster relief."

The Emperor, with a pained expression, said, "I am aware of this matter. Jinzhou is relatively close to the capital, so we must immediately send officials to Jinzhou to resolve the urgent crisis there. Otherwise, it will cause even greater losses. Do any of you ministers have suitable candidates?"

Scholar Ji quickly agreed and advised, "In my opinion, no one is more suitable than Meng Yunxi, the third-ranked scholar, for disaster relief work in Jinzhou. Currently, the position of Minister of the Imperial Household is vacant, and there is no suitable candidate. I have observed that he is exceptionally talented, learned, and well-versed in literature. Moreover, his answer to the question on disaster management in the palace examination was outstanding. He is truly a rare talent. I believe that with Meng Yunxi's abilities, he will be able to properly handle the crisis in Jinzhou."

As soon as Scholar Ji finished speaking, Li Zhaoheng, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, stepped forward to refute: "This move is probably inappropriate. Meng Yunxi is young and inexperienced. If we send him to Jinzhou for disaster relief, he will inevitably encounter trouble. Is it too risky to let a young man who has just entered the workforce take on such an important task?"

"I think Zhang Yuanqing, the Vice Minister of Rites, is more suitable than Meng Yunxi."

"I second that proposal," Zheng Yuxiang then stepped forward and said.

Scholar Ji frowned. “Your Majesty, I believe that although Zhang Yuanqing is a steady and experienced man, he is quite old. If we send him to Jinzhou, I fear there may be unforeseen dangers.”

“Your Majesty,” Li Zhaoheng countered, “in my opinion, although Zhang Yuanqing is old, he is extremely capable. If we send him to Jinzhou, he will surely be able to properly resolve the predicament there. Moreover, this matter is of great importance. If we send Meng Yunxi, he may not be able to resolve the disaster in Jinzhou smoothly, after all, he is still young.”

Not to be outdone, Zheng Yuxiang stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe that although Zhang Yuanqing is not the most suitable candidate for Jinzhou, there is currently no better one."

"Your Majesty, I recommend the top scholar Ye Churan. This young man is exceptionally capable, upright, and honest; he is a rare talent," said Grand Commandant Wen, who suddenly stepped forward.

Scholar Ji snorted coldly: "This is inappropriate." He naturally knew that Ye Churan was also very capable, but Meng Yunxi was his student.

"What's wrong with it?" Grand Commandant Wen smiled faintly.

"Your Majesty! The disaster that has struck Jinzhou is truly heartbreaking! According to my investigation, it was all because the relief grain was hijacked by those despicable refugees! Such a shocking case is something no ordinary person could have done."

"Your Majesty, I deduce that there must be a huge conspiracy behind this, and the person who orchestrated this incident must be an audacious and lawless individual! What's even more frightening is that this person dared to target the disaster relief grain, which means that he must have some close ties with certain officials in the court."

"Therefore, I humbly suggest that we send the third-ranked scholar and the top-ranked scholar to accompany Minister Zhang Yuanqing to Jinzhou. At the same time, let Meng Yunxi and Ye Churan assist Zhang Yuanqing in combating the drought. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation? With the help of Ye Churan and Meng Yunxi, Zhang Yuanqing will surely be able to quickly resolve this drought crisis in Jinzhou and restore peace to the people." Chen Tongyu suddenly stood up and said.

"Hmph, the third-place scholar and the top scholar have both gone, why not invite the second-place scholar as well? I think the second-place scholar, Yu Zisang, is quite good," Zheng Yuxiang said sarcastically.

Grand Commandant Wen's face darkened, and he shouted, "Prime Minister, watch your words! How dare you question His Majesty's decision!"

Zheng Yuxiang, however, remained unfazed and continued, "Your Majesty, I am not questioning Your Majesty's decree, but stating the facts. The disaster in Jinzhou is so severe that if relief is not provided in time, people will starve to death every day. Instead of arguing here, we should hurry up and provide relief."

“Prime Minister, you are mistaken. Aren’t we discussing who should go to provide disaster relief?” Chen Tongyu said.

"Enough, enough, stop arguing. Just send Meng Yunxi, the third-ranked scholar, there." The emperor said simply, seeing that the ministers' arguing was fruitless.