AUBTN -Chapter 304 Promotion and Raise

Before she could even react, Shen Jue had already cupped the back of her head with one hand, while the other tightly wrapped around her slender waist.

He pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips fiercely against hers!

“Mmph…”

Su Hewan’s eyes flew wide open.

This kiss held none of his usual tenderness—it was urgent, almost punishing, as he pressed and ground against her lips.

He advanced relentlessly, his breathing heavy and uneven.

He was afraid.

Kissed until her whole body went weak, Su Hewan could barely stand.

Only after a long while did Shen Jue finally release her, panting.

Their foreheads pressed tightly together, their breaths mingling.

In his enchanting eyes, a deep crimson hue flickered.

“Wanwan…”

He bit lightly at the corner of her lips, his voice hoarse, almost pleading.

“If anything like this—risking your life—ever happens again, you must tell me first.”

His fingers threaded through her hair, gripping so tightly his knuckles turned pale.

“Don’t go along with Yu Qing’s reckless behavior…”

Feeling the fierce, unsteady pounding of his heart against her, Su Hewan’s own heart melted instantly.

She didn’t resist. Instead, she obediently leaned her cheek against his chest.

“Alright, I promise you.”

Nestled in his embrace, she nodded softly, her eyes filled with indulgence and affection.

The next day.

Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the officials stood in strict order according to rank, the atmosphere silent as a grave.

Yet beneath that calm surface, turbulent undercurrents were already surging.

News of the young emperor’s awakening had spread throughout the court overnight like wildfire.

At this moment, Zhou Wenhai stood in the great hall with his head lowered.

The early autumn morning carried a chill, yet beads of cold sweat kept forming on his forehead.

The upheaval in the palace last night had led to the Empress Dowager’s residence being completely sealed off—no one, not even a fly, could get in or out.

He had stood at the palace gates the entire night, trembling as he tried to gather information, yet he hadn’t even caught a glimpse of her.

“His Majesty arrives—!”

With the sharp cry of the head eunuch, even the faintest sounds of breathing inside the Golden Hall became audible.

All civil and military officials knelt in unison, hailing the emperor.

The young emperor walked steadily toward the dragon throne.

Though still young, the timidity and frailty he once showed had vanished, replaced by a commanding imperial presence.

“Rise, my ministers.”

The officials thanked him and stood.

But the moment they raised their heads, they were stunned.

Behind the dragon throne, the yellow curtain had been lifted high today!

The Empress Dowager—who should have been seated there, ruling from behind the curtain—was nowhere to be seen!

Since the new emperor’s ascension, this was unprecedented.

Zhou Wenhai’s heart leapt into his throat.

He feared that now the emperor had awakened, he would settle accounts with him.

But to his surprise, the young emperor sat calmly on the throne, sweeping his gaze across the hall, and said nothing at all.

No fury. No accusations.

Only a suffocating silence.

That unknown tension hanging overhead made Zhou Wenhai feel even more uneasy, like thorns at his back.

Finally, several censors from the Empress Dowager’s faction could no longer endure the eerie atmosphere.

The Vice Minister of Rites stepped forward, forcing himself to speak loudly:

“Your Majesty, I dare to ask—why has the Empress Dowager not appeared to preside over court today?”

“Yes, Your Majesty—how is the Empress Dowager’s health?”

For a moment, officials from her faction stepped forward one after another, their tone even carrying a hint of coercion, emboldened by their numbers.

Faced with their questioning, the young emperor let out a cold laugh.

He suddenly slammed his hand on the desk—!

“Impudence!”

The entire court trembled, staring in disbelief at the young emperor on the throne—the same boy who had once been easily manipulated.

The little emperor abruptly rose to his feet, looking down at the officials below with commanding authority. The childishness in his gaze had vanished, replaced by a sharp, blade-like intensity.

“I would like to ask all of you—does the Great Wei empire bear the surname Li… or Zhou?”

The moment those words fell, the hall plunged into deathly silence.

Everyone sucked in a sharp breath.

Step by step, the young emperor descended the imperial stairs, his voice clear and ringing.

“The black gauze hats you wear, the salaries you receive—all come from Great Wei. The grace you enjoy comes from the Li imperial house!”

“Well then—now that I stand here before you, whom do you truly serve? Me… or the Empress Dowager?”

That single sentence struck the Empress Dowager’s faction like a hammer to the chest.

Who would dare accept such an accusation?

To accept it would be to admit treason—a crime punishable by the extermination of one’s entire clan.

In an instant, a large portion of the court dropped to their knees. Officials kowtowed frantically, shouting, “We dare not!” and “We are terrified!”

But the Empress Dowager’s faction had been entrenched for years, with deep roots. They would not be so easily suppressed by a mere youth.

Especially in recent days—whenever they tried to visit the Empress Dowager at Cining Palace, they had all been coldly turned away by the Imperial Guards.

A creeping sense of impending purge lingered in the hearts of every one of them.

The Vice Minister of Personnel gritted his teeth and raised his head shakily, forcing out an argument.

“Your Majesty, please quell your anger. We are absolutely loyal! It is only that Your Majesty is young and state affairs are heavy. With the Empress Dowager assisting from the side, things would naturally be better!”

“Indeed! We were merely concerned for Her Majesty’s safety, not harboring any disloyal intent. We ask Your Majesty to see clearly!”

The two factions immediately began to clash beneath the surface, tension thick as gunpowder in the Golden Hall.

Just then, at this critical moment—

The Grand Chancellor, Lu Zhixing, who had been standing at the head of the civil officials with an impassive expression, suddenly stepped forward.

Holding his court tablet with both hands, his demeanor respectful—he played the role of peacemaker with perfect timing.

“Your Majesty, please calm your anger.”

Lu Zhixing bowed slightly.

“These ministers act out of filial concern for the Empress Dowager’s health.”

“Since doubts linger in everyone’s hearts, may Your Majesty clarify a thing or two, so as to reassure the court.”

The young emperor looked at Lu Zhixing below, his gaze flickering slightly.

This was Lu Yan’s father—the leader of the civil officials of Great Wei.

No matter what, he had to accept this offered way out.

Taking a deep breath, the young emperor returned to the dragon throne and softened his tone.

“Prime Minister, you overstate the matter. The Empress Dowager is my imperial grandmother—I care more for her health than any of you.”

“It is merely that she has caught a chill and is unwell. The imperial physicians have advised quiet recuperation, so she has been resting in Cining Palace these days.”

“Without my decree, no one is permitted to disturb her seclusion.”

A trace of doubt flashed quickly through Lu Zhixing’s lowered eyes.

Naturally, he did not believe it.

No one in this court was a fool.

What they didn’t know was—the Empress Dowager hadn’t simply caught a chill.

After the commotion caused by Yu Qing and Su Hewan—she had been so enraged that she suffered a stroke after being carried back!

Now, her mouth and eyes were twisted, half her body paralyzed, bedridden and unable to utter even a complete sentence.

The young emperor had immediately sealed off the news, surrounding Cining Palace like an iron fortress.

On one hand, it was to prevent the Empress Dowager’s faction from taking advantage of the situation.

On the other—it was to buy time to fully seize power himself.

Hearing the emperor’s flawless explanation, the officials whispered among themselves, each harboring their own thoughts.

Lu Zhixing remained as steady as a mountain, asking no further questions.

Because he knew exactly what his son, Lu Yan, had been secretly doing alongside the Eastern Depot.

As his father—he had long been fully aware.