There are too many ruthless, domineering women who are considered "losers"!

Lu Chang'an departed from afar.

Murong Yuyan stretched, her skin rosy and her whole body tingling. The young emperor's technique was truly excellent, dispelling all her unhappiness of the past few days.

"Your Majesty, have you truly returned military power to His Majesty?" a trusted confidant asked curiously.

Murong Yuyan stroked her jade-like neck, feeling extremely pleased, and said, "It's just a loan. In the end, it's up to me to decide what happens."

Upon hearing this, the confidant immediately understood.

"Your Majesty's move is brilliant. You are testing His Majesty's willingness to submit by testing the military power. If he truly submits, the military power will naturally be returned to Your Majesty. If he is stubborn and harbors ulterior motives, the people of the Black Cloud Commandery may also defect to Your Majesty at any time. He cannot mobilize them all by himself."

Faced with the praise and flattery from her confidants, Murong Yuyan remained calm, as if she had already taken it for granted.

"If the capital were to fall, it would certainly be a troublesome matter."

"If someone can save them, then save them."

A trusted confidant reported: "The Yang family has been making a lot of moves lately. Envoys from various countries are visiting Grand Counselor Yang, bringing gifts and carriages that have caused a traffic jam."

Murong Yuyan smiled faintly: "Yang Gong was a pillar of the court of Emperor Taizong, having served seven emperors, and his reputation was renowned throughout the land. Isn't that quite normal?"

"I'm afraid he will threaten the Empress's position."

Murong Yuyan shook her head: "Of the three regents, only Lord Yang would not do such a thing. In this court, there must be some ministers who do practical things. This Great Yuan Dynasty cannot function without Lord Yang's Prime Minister's Office."

A cold glint flashed in her eyes: "But this chief marshal, a mere rebel in the southeast, has shown no sign of turning the tide after several months. His intentions are truly despicable."

"The Grand Marshal holds a high position and wields great power, controlling the entire nation's military and possessing the strongest military strength. If he were to establish a separatist regime in Jiangnan, who could restrain him?"

"The fact that they haven't taken any action yet is probably because they are observing the situation in the capital."

Murong Yuyan had long since seen through the Grand Marshal's thoughts.

They just didn't say it out loud.

The situation in North Korea is complex and unpredictable.

If it weren't for Murong Yuyan, things would have been in complete chaos long ago.

With her around, at least a brief period of peace can be maintained.

Even so, some people still say she brought disaster to the country and its people, which is utterly ridiculous.

......

Far to the northwest corner of the imperial city, there is a row of black-eaved palace buildings standing side by side.

One could see Hanlin scholars dressed in various official robes coming and going.

His Confucian and Taoist spirit was as vast and powerful as a surging tide.

In that year, Emperor Shizong established three sacred sites of Confucianism and Taoism.

The Academy of Scholars, the Academy of Worthy Scholars, and the Academy of Hanlin.

Emperor Taizu passed away shortly after entering the Central Plains, and it was not until Emperor Shizong that the country became stable.

Emperor Sejong once declared that he would welcome all talented people from across the land to join the Three Academies and serve the court.

Those who have achieved official rank must enter these three academies for training, to learn document writing and to study the art of governing the people.

Later, this place also became the site for the Prime Minister's office to select talented individuals.

After several years of internship at the Three Academies, one can become an official in the Prime Minister's Office or be appointed as a local official in a province or prefecture.

In the backyard of the Prime Minister's residence, there is a bamboo grove that remains green all year round. Some say it was planted by Yang Dacan as the Youqing Bamboo, which is evergreen in all seasons.

In the past, bamboo was more than enough.

Now, it stands tall and majestic.

Beneath the bamboo grove, an elderly man with graying temples, dressed in a blue scholar's robe, and a middle-aged man in a green robe played a game of chess, black and white.

This middle-aged man in green robes was none other than Xuan Yuan Qingfeng, the Sword Saint of Western Shu.

Xuan Yuan Qingfeng looked at the old man in front of him and smiled faintly: "It's been many years since we last met. Your chess skills have truly become more and more superb."

Everyone assumed that Yang Gong, who had served in the imperial court for many years, must be busy with official duties, working tirelessly for the benefit of the entire empire.

That's not actually the case; only he knows the truth.

This little old man is very relaxed.

He appears to be the prime minister, but in reality he's just slacking off.

The Confucian Academy handled central government affairs, the Academy of Worthy Scholars was responsible for personnel transfers, appointing people based on merit and performance evaluations, and the Hanlin Academy drafted documents for various regions and sent them to local authorities.

Finally, it was submitted to the Prime Minister's office for review.

Yang Da Can stroked his white beard and said, "The Sword Saint is still as valiant as ever. He comes to the capital to pay tribute every ten years, and fewer and fewer people recognize him. The great waves wash away the sand, and only a few of the heroes of yesteryear remain. In the end, only you and I are left. In a few years, I too will retire to the mountains and become a mountain immortal."

Xuan Yuan Qingfeng wholeheartedly agreed: "Since the great war between the righteous and the demonic, the cultivation world has been peaceful for many years. Many True Monarchs have been in hiding for hundreds of years, and True Persons can also be called immortals. On the contrary, the human world is becoming more and more unstable. The fate of the Great Yuan Dynasty is unstable, and the world is in grave danger."

Yang Dashen placed a black stone and said slowly, "Why think so far ahead? Let's just live one day at a time."

Xuan Yuan Qingfeng frowned and asked, "Does Lord Yang really intend to do nothing about the Empress Dowager in the court?"

Yang Dacan remained calm: "It's just the cycle of time, one act ends and another begins. The commotion won't last long. As long as there's no unrest among the people, nothing serious will happen."

"Father, a lot of people came to the manor with many gifts, but I told them to return them all."

At that moment, a melodious voice rang out from outside the bamboo forest.

Attracting Xuan Yuan Qingfeng's attention, he saw a woman dressed in a moon-white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), walking briskly with peach-blossom embroidered shoes, exuding a dignified and gentle temperament.

"Yu'er, why don't you come and greet your senior?"

The woman in the ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) bowed slightly upon seeing the woman in the blue robe opposite her father and greeted her in a soft voice:

"This humble girl, Yang Yujing, greets the Sword Saint, senior."

When Xuan Yuan Qingfeng saw this woman, he noticed her delicate and refined features, her bright and clear eyes, and her scholarly air. She was far superior to his own hot-tempered and impulsive husband.

If the princess were even a fraction like him, he wouldn't be so worried.

For a moment, I felt envious.

"I never imagined that the little girl from back then would grow up so much."

"The Jade Palace in the Heavens, with its twelve towers and five cities, what a beautiful name!"

Xuanyuan Qingfeng praised it thus.

Yang Dacan laughed and said, "This girl is quite worry-free. I can entrust her with many things in the court, and this old man can have some peace and quiet."

While the three were chatting, a soldier came to report:

"Senior Sword Saint, His Majesty invites you to join the army for a discussion."

"His Majesty?"

Xuan Yuan Qingfeng was quite surprised.

Tell them I'll be right there.

"Here you go!"

Xuan Yuan Qingfeng apologized to the Yang family father and daughter, saying, "Excuse me, gentlemen."

"It's alright, come again next time."

Watching his retreating figure, Yang Yujing asked in confusion, "When did His Majesty gain military power?"

Yang Dashen poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and said, "His Majesty is still young and inexperienced; it's hard to say whether he can withstand this test."

"Even the Gentleman Sword Saint says that the current emperor is a wise ruler. Is Father really not going to take action?"

Yang Yujing very considerately refilled her father's tea.

Yang Dacan sighed and said, "The Yuan Dynasty is no longer something that can be saved by one or two wise rulers."

"Once people's hearts are scattered, spilled water cannot be gathered up again."

......