Chapter 1353: Why Is Your Mouth Full of Such Crude Words?

"Insolence!"

A furious shout rang out through the Imperial Court.

"Tong Nianyi, you dare deceive the Emperor?!"

The gathered officials finally snapped out of their daze.

They never could have imagined that the Minister of Revenue, who had worked alongside them in the Imperial Court for so long, was actually a woman.

When those flowing black locks tumbled down and her lilting voice rang out, no one could believe it.

Upon the Dragon Throne, Yan Ning was jolted back to his senses as well.

"Silence!"

He snapped furiously.

He had only just ascended the throne. An incident like this was completely beyond his expectations, and the current chaos only agitated him further.

At Yan Ning's outburst, silence fell over the entire Imperial Court.

The officials hastily lowered their heads.

Only the woman with her hair spilling over her shoulders remained standing in the center of the hall, her gaze fixed straight upon the Emperor.

Yan Ning took a deep breath. "Guards!"

He simply could not think of a better idea.

The Ministry of Revenue was vital, and he had no desire to let Tong Nianyi leave. Yet, given the circumstances, he could neither let her go nor allow her to stay.

"Take Tong Nianyi to the dungeons! Keep her under strict guard!"

Tong Nianyi's brow furrowed slightly. "Your Majesty need not go to such lengths. I have made up my mind to leave, and no one can stop me."

Furious, Yan Ning roared, "Insolent!"

Yet Tong Nianyi merely replied in a calm voice, "And what if I am?"

At those words, the hall fell silent.

Even Yan Ning was taken aback.

By now, the palace guards had rushed into the hall, reaching out to seize her.

Tong Nianyi cast a glance at them.

The two guards froze, hesitating for a fraction of a second.

The Emperor's personal eunuch snapped back to reality and shrieked, "What are you staring at?! Seize this traitor!"

The guards jolted into action and lunged forward.

Tong Nianyi simply raised her sleeve and gave it a gentle wave.

Wind surged from the ground. In an instant, a howling gale swept through the entire hall.

Cries of alarm erupted as the raging winds sent the two guards flying backward. They crashed to the ground, struggling to catch their breath.

Tong Nianyi tossed her official's cap onto the floor.

She cast one final glance over the Imperial Court, then turned and strode out of the hall without looking back.

Yan Ning watched her go.

He sat in a daze for a long while, completely at a loss for what to do.

A sudden wave of exhaustion washed over him. He was a newly ascended Emperor, yet an incident like this had already struck. What was he supposed to do about the Ministry of Revenue? What was he supposed to do about the entire Imperial Court?

"Your Majesty..."

An official stepped forward to advise him.

Yan Ning took a deep breath and cut the man off. "Let her go..."

Yan Ning rose to his feet. Completely devoid of any mood to manage state affairs, he abandoned the assembled officials and retreated to the Imperial Study.

Outside the palace gates.

A swift horse was already galloping toward the entrance.

"Hyah!"

A woman charged through the streets of Shangjing City on horseback, kicking up plumes of dust in her wake and drawing cries of alarm from the crowds.

Patrolling guards immediately spotted the disturbance and gave chase.

However, the woman suddenly yanked hard on the reins right before the palace gates.

The horse reared onto its hind legs, coming to a halt directly outside the entrance.

Tong Nianyi walked out through the gates, her long hair spilling freely over her shoulders.

Seeing the reckless rider, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

A bright grin spread across Xuanji's face. "Let's go, Sister Nianyi! We're going to roam the ends of the earth!"

Tong Nianyi blinked in surprise, unable to stop a smile from blooming on her own face.

This girl was always so reckless.

Xuanji glanced over her shoulder to see the patrolling guards closing in.

"No time to explain!"

Xuanji grabbed Tong Nianyi's hand and hauled her up onto the horse.

"Halt!"

The guards were in close pursuit.

"Hyah!"

Xuanji snapped the reins, and the horse charged straight through.

Two women and one horse brazenly tore through the bustling market streets, turning everything upside down in their wake.

Xuanji laughed aloud, feeling completely exhilarated.

With Tong Nianyi riding behind her, she galloped right out through the city gates.

From then on, they stepped into a completely different world.

...

The events that transpired in the Imperial Court quickly spread throughout Shangjing City.

The revelation that the Minister of Revenue, Lord Tong, was actually a woman quickly became the primary topic of conversation over every meal.

Some spat in disgust, while others praised her.

Heated arguments broke out between the two camps, and some disputes even escalated into physical brawls.

In a single day, these fierce debates triggered three separate brawls.

Some passionately defended her, crying out against the injustice: "You all just see that she is a woman and completely ignore all her achievements! Have you forgotten? Over these past years, the Imperial Court has overhauled the waterworks, pacified the Northern Desert, and fortified the southern walls—and we never once ran short of silver taels! The state treasury has always been overflowing! Where do you think all that money came from?! Did it just fall from the sky?!"

"There are countless capable men in this world! Would replacing her really have been impossible? A mere woman, disguising herself as a man to enter the Imperial Court and deceiving the Emperor—by law, she ought to be beheaded!"

"Bullshit!"

"You—you are an affront to decency!"

"What the hell are you?! 'Countless capable men,' my ass! If you're so capable, why didn't you step up? Who are you to stand here and pass judgment? Do you even have the right?!"

Each side stubbornly clung to their views, their words growing increasingly venomous until they finally lunged at each other in a brawl.

Many hailed Lord Tong as the greatest female scholar of the age, unmatched in her talent for governing the state. The tale thus spread far and wide, echoing across the entire realm.

And so, the entire Mortal World came to know of this extraordinary woman.

Even in the relay stations along the roads, travelers could be heard recounting the exploits of Minister Tong.

Sitting at a table drinking tea, Xuanji listened to the surrounding chatter. She leaned close to Tong Nianyi's ear and whispered, "Sister Tong, it seems everyone knows who you are now."

Tong Nianyi set down her teacup. "But very few of them have actually seen my face. To them, it is nothing more than a name."

Xuanji blinked. "What does that have to do with anything? You're still you."

Tong Nianyi shook her head. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words died on her lips.

Her thoughts drifted back to that woman who had lost her name.

Someone like Tong Nianyi might rarely be recognized by face, but at least people knew her name. But what about that woman? Who still remembered her? Even in the annals of history, all that was recorded was the year and month of her death, and nothing more.

"Sister Tong?"

Tong Nianyi snapped out of her daze and shook her head. "It's nothing."

Xuanji smacked her lips. "I get the feeling that you're always thinking about something else, Sister Tong."

Tong Nianyi smiled. "When people get older, they naturally have more on their minds."

Xuanji crossed her arms. "That's not true! You might be getting older, Sister Tong, but you're actually a total beauty."

Tong Nianyi reached over and rapped her on the head.

"Such a sweet-talker."

Xuanji just grinned, unfazed.

Tong Nianyi looked at her, then suddenly changed the subject. "And what about you? How could you be so reckless? You are a commandery princess! How could you associate so closely with someone who committed treason by deceiving the Emperor? When you return, His Majesty will certainly punish you."

Xuanji let out a disdainful snort. "Like I'm afraid of him! I have his old man's imperial edict. I'd like to see him try to do anything to me."

"Ouch... Sister Tong, why did you hit me?"

"You're a young lady. Why is your mouth full of such crude words? What kind of behavior is that?"