Chapter 185 - 184: This is His Majesty! Grand Secretary Ye Yu

Chapter 185: Chapter 184: This is His Majesty! Grand Secretary Ye Yu

’When was the first time he saw her?’

「Jiuzhou Calendar, year 1601. The 28th year of the Xiping era.」

That year, the infamous Xiping Rebellion, a major event in the history of the Jiuzhou Dynasty, took place.

This palace coup and the Chengtian Suppression of Chaos, launched by Chengtian Emperor Yuanzhi two thousand years prior, were arguably the two conflicts that altered the course of Jiuzhou’s history.

In the late autumn of that year, the first snow fell upon Mingjing.

Many said this was a sign of Heaven’s fury, provoked by Shi Yaoguang’s patricide and fratricide. They claimed even the heavens were venting their displeasure with her, and that she would one day be struck by lightning.

According to custom, the new sovereign was to continue using the previous emperor’s era name for the remainder of the year.

The new era name would only be adopted in the first month of the following year.

The first month of the next year was just over a month away from the day of her ascension.

Very soon, the era name "Xiping" would become a thing of the past, replaced by "Taichu."

Admittedly, they recognized Shi Yaoguang’s military achievements. She was, after all, the one who had led the army to reclaim the three border provinces of Meizhou, Cangzhou, and Yanzhou.

But she had been raised in the Xuan Sect for over a decade since birth. She had never studied the Six Arts of Gentlemen or the Eight Classical Arts of Women, much less understood the ways of emperors or how to balance the court.

Most importantly, she was a woman.

’How can a woman be an emperor?’

Looking back through more than twenty dynasties and hundreds of emperors, there had only been one Empress, during the Sheng Dynasty.

But that Empress, at least, had followed protocol, starting with ruling from behind a curtain and eventually seizing full power. But Shi Yaoguang?

This was a complete and utter usurpation!

Furthermore, she disregarded all ethics and morals—a complete madwoman.

It was like two thousand years ago, when Emperor Chengtian founded the Jing Dynasty and unified Jiuzhou. His achievements were undeniable, but the fact that he had risen to power through rebellion meant he would forever be nailed to the pillar of "illegitimacy."

Public resentment boiled over. In that moment, they completely forgot the five years she had spent leading troops into battle, how much of their homeland she had reclaimed, and how many lives she had saved.

For a time, countless factions rose up to denounce her.

He was among them.

But he knew nothing of martial arts; his only weapon was the pen in his hand.

An "Imperial Decree to Denounce the Empress" spread throughout Jiuzhou, earning the support of scholars from all corners.

"Brother Cui, your ’Imperial Decree to Denounce the Empress’ truly spoke what was in all our hearts," a fellow dissenter said with a laugh. "But Brother Cui, you must be careful. I hear she’s the type to seek revenge for the smallest slight. Watch out, or you’ll lose your head!"

He remained noncommittal.

Since he had dared to write it, he was naturally unafraid of death.

But she didn’t kill him. She only told him to remember that, in the future, when he insulted her, he shouldn’t use so many complicated words she couldn’t understand.

She had Ye Yu arrange for him to enter the cabinet. And Ye Yu, surprisingly, obeyed her completely, even appointing him directly to the post of Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

The Xuan Dynasty had the Five Supervisors, the Six Ministries, and the nine temples, which governed through a division of labor.

At that time, however, the court was empty.

Some officials had been killed by Emperor Taichu; others, fundamentally opposed to her rule, had chosen to resign and return to their hometowns.

Therefore, in the beginning, almost everyone believed that even if Shi Yaoguang succeeded in her usurpation, she would ultimately be forced to abdicate, because she had no one to serve her.

That was, until Ye Yu became the Chief Cabinet Minister, a development that shook all of Jiuzhou.

Ye Yu, though only twenty-four, was a man of world-shaping talent, possessing strategies to rule a country and secure its peace.

Furthermore, he was versed in astronomy, geography, military strategy, tactics, literature... There seemed to be nothing he did not know.

Thus, there had long been a saying: he who gains Ye Yu, gains the world.

But he had secluded himself in a remote corner of the world, living deep in the mountains and paying no mind to worldly affairs.

It wasn’t that no one had tried to persuade him to leave his seclusion, but all had failed.

’How could Shi Yaoguang, a mere warrior, possibly convince Ye Yu to serve her?’

No one knew how she had managed it.

Cui Jinghan couldn’t understand it either. What shocked him even more was that Ye Yu had also taken on the role of Imperial Tutor.

’Could a world-saving talent like Ye Yu truly think highly of Shi Yaoguang, a woman who came from a military background?’

Ye Yu’s calm voice pulled him back from his daze. "The Ministry of Personnel is short-staffed. For the next few months, we will have to trouble you a great deal, Mr. Cui."

In the end, he couldn’t stop himself from asking what was on his mind.

"Me?" Ye Yu raised an eyebrow, seemingly amused by his question. "Well, why do you think I agreed to assist her?"

Cui Jinghan did not know.

Because back when he was still finding his way in the art of calligraphy, Ye Yu’s fame had already spread far and wide. He was an object of reverence for many, including Cui Jinghan himself.

But Ye Yu had a gentle and detached nature, with no desire for fame or fortune. He was like a snow lotus on the peak of Tianshan Mountain, admired by climbers from below but impossible for any to pluck.

For Ye Yu to enter official service was no different from a Banished Immortal falling to the mortal realm, and it left scholars like him deeply disappointed.

Some speculated that the Empress had used forceful means to compel Ye Yu’s submission.

Others guessed that Ye Yu was merely a common man after all, and had been swayed by the Empress’s beautiful appearance, harboring improper thoughts.

The rumors were many and varied, but no one knew the real reason.

Ye Yu said calmly, "Cui Jinghan, you have overstepped."

He was still smiling, his expression still gentle, yet it sent an inexplicable chill through one’s heart.

"To become a Standard Third Rank Official at such a young age... not everyone has such good fortune. I don’t care what accomplishments you can produce. You only need to do one thing—" Through a wisp of rising steam from his tea, Ye Yu looked up at him. "—you must not disappoint Her Majesty."

Entering the court, it seemed he had gained power.

But serving a monarch is like accompanying a tiger. He couldn’t help but live in constant fear, worried that Taichu would be capricious and unpredictable.

Later, he discovered that she was very difficult to disappoint. No matter if what he wrote was good or bad, she would always offer a word of praise first.

Even when he submitted an essay he was very dissatisfied with—one that earned him a scolding from Ye Yu—she still praised him.

He had no choice but to ask Ye Yu about it again.

Ye Yu stood quietly for a moment before speaking. "Her Majesty says that in the past, no matter how great her military achievements, she never received a single word of praise."

Seeing him standing there, stunned, Ye Yu smiled and nodded. "Her Majesty needs encouragement. Therefore, Her Majesty also believes that only encouragement can help people improve."

His heart couldn’t help but tremble. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Ye Yu calmly add, "But I am not Her Majesty. Cui Jinghan, this essay of yours is trite and unbearable to read. Your salary will be docked for three months."

With his salary docked, it was Pei Jiang who took pity on him during those three months and helped him out for a few days.

When Pei Xuan found out, he flew into a rage, telling him that if he had no money, he should go beg on the streets and not sell a sob story.

Those eight years under Taichu were the most carefree period of his life.

He had also believed that she would be able to make the "Yaoguang Script" famous throughout the world, even more renowned than his "Cui Style."

But, fate had other plans.

In the end, she left far, far too soon, with so much still left undone.

Bitterness, sorrow, pain, joy... a whirlwind of emotions intertwined, battering Cui Jinghan’s mind and leaving him unable to control himself.

The entire room was deathly silent. Everyone watched as the future heir to the Mingjing Cultural Heritage Institute held the piece of calligraphy and wept in silence.