AUBTN -Chapter 187 The Empress Dowager Puts on a Show

Shen Jue immediately summoned his trusted subordinates for questioning.

Meanwhile, when Lu Yan returned to the Northern Pacification Office, what he saw made his heart sink inch by inch.

The two imposing stone lions at the entrance of the Jinyiwei headquarters still stood as before.

But the guards at the gate were all completely unfamiliar faces.

When they saw him, they knelt to salute as expected, yet there was an undisguised hint of scrutiny and disdain in their eyes.

As he stepped inside, his heart trembled even more.

The entire office had been filled with a large number of new faces.

And those he had personally promoted—his trusted aides, from the Deputy Commander to the Thousand-Households and Hundred-Households—were nowhere to be seen!

He casually stopped a somewhat familiar Banner Officer and demanded sharply, “Where is Deputy Commander Wang?”

The Banner Officer trembled as he replied, “R-reporting to my lord… Deputy Commander Wang… was found to have embezzled and accepted bribes a few days ago. He has already been… dismissed and imprisoned.”

“And Li Qianhu?”

“Li Qianhu… while pursuing the remnants of the Grand Princess’s faction, fell from his horse and broke his leg. He is currently recuperating at home.”

“And Zhao Baihu?”

“Zhao Baihu… it’s said his mother back in his hometown fell gravely ill, so he requested leave and returned home…”

After questioning several people in succession, every answer he received was the same—perfectly reasonable explanations on the surface.

Lu Yan’s heart had already turned ice-cold.

At that moment, a fair-faced man in a flying fish uniform, with a faint, insincere smile at the corner of his lips, walked out from the main hall.

Upon seeing Lu Yan, he feigned surprise and cupped his hands in greeting. “Ah! Isn’t this Commander Lu? You’ve finally returned! This humble official, Zhao Ming, greets you, Commander!”

Lu Yan looked at him coldly. “Who are you? Why are you in my office?”

Zhao Ming smiled. “My lord may not know—after your disappearance, the Empress Dowager, concerned for state affairs and worried that the Jinyiwei would be leaderless, made an exception and promoted me to temporarily act as Deputy Commander to assist in handling official duties. Now that you have returned, I can finally be at ease.”

Though his words sounded respectful, his posture and tone carried not the slightest hint of subordination.

Instead, it was a blatant declaration of his own position.

Lu Yan sneered. The Jinyiwei had clearly been taken over by others.

The same situation was unfolding in the Eastern Depot.

From his trusted agents, Shen Jue learned that on the fifth day after their disappearance, an imperial decree had been issued from the palace. Citing that the Eastern Depot could not remain without a leader in the Supervisor’s absence, the Empress Dowager had appointed her close confidant eunuch, Sun Dehai, as Acting Chief of the Eastern Depot.

The moment Sun Dehai took office, he moved with thunderous efficiency. The clerks and agents promoted by Shen Jue were either reassigned, imprisoned, or, under various pretexts, directly beaten to death—replaced entirely with his own people.

Now, aside from a few peripheral agents, the core of the Eastern Depot had already been completely purged.

Seated in a grand chair, Shen Jue lightly tapped his slender fingers against the table, his eyes brimming with overwhelming hostility and killing intent.

What an Empress Dowager!

What a Sun Dehai!

Taking advantage of his absence to make a move on his Eastern Depot!

Just as Lu Yan and Shen Jue stood in their respective yamen—now hollowed out from within—rage surging in their hearts, a summons from the palace arrived almost simultaneously at both the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot, as if perfectly timed.

An incense stick’s time later, Cining Palace.

Inside the hall, it was warm as spring, incense curling gently through the air. Lu Yan and Shen Jue stood side by side, heads lowered in respectful bows.

“Quick, rise, rise! You… you’ve finally returned!”

The Empress Dowager spoke with deep emotion. “Ever since I heard the news of your fall from the cliff, my heart has been weighed down like a great stone. Day and night, I could not sleep in peace. The Emperor is still young—court affairs rely entirely on the two of you. If anything had happened to you, it would have been a tremendous loss for Great Wei!”

She paused, letting out a long sigh before continuing her performance.

“Bearing the pressure from the court officials, I dispatched three thousand Imperial Guards to search within a hundred-li radius of Yangu Mountain, combing the area again and again. Alive, they were to find you; dead, they were to find your bodies! I gave a strict order then—if you were not found, they were not to return either!”

Her words were delivered with tears and emotion.

Lu Yan and Shen Jue sneered inwardly, though their expressions remained unchanged.

Three thousand Imperial Guards?

More likely sent to seal off the mountain—to ensure they died there, undiscovered.

As if unaware of their indifference, the Empress Dowager continued.

“But with no news of you for so long, and with the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot being pillars of the state, they could not remain leaderless for even a day. To stabilize the court and reassure the people, I had no choice but to temporarily appoint Zhao Ming and Sun Dehai to manage them. I know this does not follow protocol, but circumstances left me no alternative. I hope you can understand my difficulties.”

At last, she arrived at the real point.

Shen Jue slightly raised his gaze and spoke before Lu Yan, his voice gentle.

“Your Majesty has borne the burdens of the state—we are deeply grateful. Now that we have fortunately survived, we will naturally return to our posts at once and resume our duties, not daring to trouble Your Majesty further.”

His words were flawless—both a statement and a test.

Hearing this, the Empress Dowager’s pleased expression deepened.

“It’s good that you’ve returned, good that you’ve returned! Now I can finally be at ease.” She smiled, then abruptly shifted the topic.

“However, during your absence, Zhao Ming and Sun Dehai reorganized the yamen and purged the remnants of the Eldest Princess’s faction, earning considerable merit. I have already promoted a number of deserving officials, and they now occupy key positions. If they were dismissed arbitrarily, it might chill the hearts of others. In my view, it would be best to let them remain for the time being and serve the court alongside you. What do you think?”

This was her true objective.

Not a discussion—but a notice.

She not only wanted to plant her people, but also force them to keep these “nails” embedded within their own territories—completely hollowing out their authority.

Seeing the two remain silent, her smile faded slightly. She lifted her teacup, lightly brushing away the foam, and added casually:

“Speaking of which, I heard that your escape this time was largely thanks to the two girls by your side—Su Hewan and Yu Qing, was it? Truly loyal and devoted children. One of these days, I must summon them into the palace and properly reward them.”

A threat—barely concealed.

Lu Yan’s fingertips turned ice-cold.

He could disregard his own power and position, but he could not tolerate anyone treating Yu Qing as a bargaining chip.

A violent killing intent flickered across him for an instant.

Shen Jue keenly sensed the emotional shift of the person beside him. Without drawing attention, he lightly nudged Lu Yan with his elbow, then bowed again, his tone even more respectful than before.

“Your Majesty speaks wisely. Deputy Commander Zhao and Eunuch Sun have indeed worked hard and rendered great service—we would not dare forget it. However, the affairs of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot are complex; personnel changes must be considered carefully over time. As for those two girls, they merely fulfilled their duties—how could we dare trouble Your Majesty to personally reward them?”