"Then, Yunying, you will accompany me to the Grand Secretariat..."
Luo Zhao paused mid-sentence.
What about the Wenli Hall?
There were massive amounts of account books and dossiers piled up here, requiring a sufficiently reliable person to stay behind and keep watch.
Shangguan Yunying was obviously the best candidate, but she needed to accompany her to the Grand Secretariat to negotiate and apply pressure.
Just as Luo Zhao was considering having Chen Busha or another female official stay behind, a calm voice sounded from behind a small desk nearby:
"Your Highness, Xiaoli can do it."
Hearing the voice, Luo Zhao and Shangguan Yunying turned their heads simultaneously.
They saw that Gu Xiaoli had put down her pen at some unknown point, meeting Luo Zhao's scrutinizing gaze.
Without avoiding her eyes in the slightest, she spoke clearly and logically, "When I was in the Inner School, I was Eunuch Lu's assistant."
"Eunuch Lu had to serve His Majesty and was extremely busy, so I handled all the affairs of the Inner School."
She paused, seemingly to add persuasiveness, and added, "There hasn't been a single mistake to this day."
Then, Gu Xiaoli glanced at Shangguan Yunying, turned back to Luo Zhao, and said, "I just heard that something happened to Big Brother Gu."
"Sister Yunying must have more important things to do, right?"
"I can keep a good watch over the Wenli Hall."
Luo Zhao and Shangguan Yunying exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.
Time was pressing, allowing no room for much hesitation.
Luo Zhao pondered for a moment and finally nodded, making her decision:
"Alright, I will leave this place in your hands for now, Xiaoli."
"I will have General Chen come over to protect your safety."
"You only need to ensure it operates normally."
"Mhm!"
Gu Xiaoli nodded vigorously. "Rest assured, Your Highness! I will definitely keep a close watch."
Having arranged matters at the Wenli Hall, Luo Zhao delayed no further.
She picked up the stack of documents that Gu Chengyin had carefully selected and entrusted to her.
What kind of secrets were hidden inside?
Gu Chengyin had only pointed out their importance but hadn't explicitly told her the mysteries within.
So he wanted her to find the answers herself?
Luo Zhao lightly bit her lip, a trace of complex emotion flashing through her heart.
This guy really took his role as Junior Preceptor for granted.
To think he even left her homework.
Leaving her, his student, to figure it out on her own?
Fine!
As the dignified Crown Princess, could she possibly fail to understand a set of accounts?
Without thinking further, Luo Zhao gripped the stack of documents tightly in her hand.
She said to Shangguan Yunying in a deep voice, "Yunying, let's go. We head to the Grand Secretariat first."
"Yes, Your Highness!" Shangguan Yunying's spirits lifted, and she immediately followed.
The two, one after the other, hurriedly left the second floor of the Wenli Hall.
...
Outside the gates of the Grand Secretariat, below the white marble steps, three Grand Secretaries were already standing solemnly in waiting.
The sunlight was somewhat dazzling, stretching their shadows straight and reflecting the varying degrees of solemnity on their faces.
According to the original schedule, the three Grand Secretaries gathered today to hear Gu Chengyin's final conclusive report, complete the procedures, and officially close the case.
However, plans could never keep up with changes.
What was even more surprising was that Luo Zhao didn't choose to enter the palace to seek an audience with the Emperor immediately, nor did she directly apply pressure. Instead, she sent a message to the Grand Secretariat, stating she would visit in person.
Everyone could tell that this struggle had reached a complete boiling point, escalating from a secret wrestling match to a stage where the core figures of both sides were personally taking the field.
As the honor guard of the Crown Princess's carriage appeared at the end of their line of sight, the three Grand Secretaries unanimously straightened their backs, restrained their expressions, and put on looks of respectful solemnity.
The carriage slowly approached, finally stopping steadily in the open space before the main entrance of the Grand Secretariat.
The driver and accompanying female officials quickly lined up in dead silence, with only the banners fluttering loudly in the wind.
Cui Shifan, as the Vice Grand Secretary of the cabinet, was the first to step forward. Facing the carriage, he gave a deep bow:
"We subjects respectfully welcome Your Highness to the Grand Secretariat!"
The carriage curtain was lifted from the inside.
The first thing that caught their eyes was a bright yellow sleeve embroidered with complex golden phoenix patterns. Immediately after, Luo Zhao's stunningly beautiful yet frost-cold face appeared before everyone.
She hadn't deliberately dressed up and was still wearing her everyday Crown Princess attire, but her innate noble bearing, along with the awe-inspiring majesty gathered between her brows at this moment, made everyone present shudder inwardly.
Luo Zhao's gaze swept over the three Grand Secretaries. She didn't tell them to dispense with formalities, nor did she offer any pleasantries.
She stepped straight down from the carriage using the stepping stool, and once steady, she strode directly toward the doors of the Grand Secretariat.
Seeing this, Cui Shifan, Hu Juzheng, and Yuan Zhengqing hurriedly straightened up and quickly followed, clustering behind Luo Zhao as they entered the Grand Secretariat together.
Passing through successive corridors, they arrived at the Grand Secretariat's council hall.
Luo Zhao didn't hesitate in the slightest. She walked straight to the main seat, flicked her sleeves, turned around, and sat down steadily.
Her movements were smooth and flowing, completely natural, as if she was always meant to sit there.
The three Grand Secretaries followed closely inside, standing on her left and right below her, their hands resting respectfully at their sides as they awaited her instructions.
Luo Zhao's gaze swept over them once more before she finally spoke, carrying a hint of questioning:
"Where is Grand Secretary Xiao?"
Cui Shifan immediately bowed and replied, "To answer Your Highness, today's originally scheduled agenda was to hear the final conclusive report on the sudden death case of the Left Vice Minister of Revenue, Xiao Michang."
"Grand Secretary Xiao is Xiao Michang's clan uncle. To avoid suspicion, he is not in attendance today."
This reason was high-sounding and beyond reproach.
Hearing this, Luo Zhao nodded. Her face was devoid of expression, but the words she spoke made the hearts of the three Grand Secretaries skip a beat simultaneously:
"That's fine."
"It saves me the trouble of having to invite him out."
Invite him out?!
The dignified Crown Princess, right in front of three Grand Secretaries of the cabinet, was openly stating her intention to invite the current Chief Grand Secretary out of the council hall?
The smell of gunpowder in these words was practically overflowing.
The three Grand Secretaries were all shrewd old foxes, instantly understanding Luo Zhao's attitude.
She was truly furious.
Come to think of it, who was Gu Chengyin?
He was the Marquis of Equal Standing personally titled by Luo Zhao, the newly appointed Junior Preceptor to the Crown Princess, her trusted favorite, and the key figure leading the charge on her behalf.
One moment, he had just encountered a street assassination, narrowly escaping death.
The next moment, he was arrested on the street by the Ministry of Personnel under the charge of being a spy—a crime severe enough to warrant the confiscation of his property and the extermination of his entire clan.
How was this just making a move on Gu Chengyin?
This was clearly a slap in Luo Zhao's face and a direct challenge to the authority of the Crown Princess's Palace.
With Her Highness's temper, it would be a miracle if she could swallow this anger.
Not directly ordering someone to surround the Ministry of Personnel's office was already considered restrained.
Luo Zhao's gaze swept over Cui Shifan, Hu Juzheng, and Yuan Zhengqing one by one.
In the past, when facing these crafty and cunning Grand Secretaries, she rarely gained any advantage. She was often left speechless and suffocated by their various grand principles, ancestral laws, and bureaucratic rules.
These old foxes could always easily seize upon the slightest flaw in her words or actions, bringing down heavy accusations of being contrary to etiquette, lacking the decorum of a Crown Princess, or being young and arrogant, leaving her in a dilemma.
But today was different.
A strong surge of confidence welled up in Luo Zhao's heart.
She first looked at Cui Shifan, cutting straight to the point:
"Grand Secretary Cui, the case of Xiao Michang's sudden death is an earth-shattering matter decreed by Imperial Father, jointly investigated by the Three Ministries."
"Imperial Father's golden words demanded that the cause of death must be investigated and a conclusion provided within three days."
"Now that the deadline is fast approaching, the chief investigating official, Gu Chengyin, was forcibly taken away halfway through by the Bureau of Official Evaluations on trumped-up charges. Because of this, the final report of the case cannot be submitted, and His Majesty's imperial edict cannot be fulfilled."
"This action by the Ministry of Personnel shows a blatant disregard for the dignity of the imperial court and flouts the Emperor's will! To interfere with the investigation of such a major case sets an exceptionally vile precedent!"
"The Grand Secretariat serves as the central hub that oversees state affairs and coordinates the various ministries. Should it not provide an explanation for such a chaotic state of affairs?"
Here it comes, Cui Shifan thought to himself.
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
