RWNEFE -Chapter 548 Young Master Huang Yu

Zhou Ruyuan had truly thrown caution to the wind in order to gain the navy’s support.

To secure the throne, his methods were unscrupulous to the extreme. He not only sacrificed himself, but also imitated Shen Lanxi by reclaiming land, building schools, reducing taxes, and so on.

Everything Shen Lanxi had implemented, he copied one by one.

A new round of scolding began at court.

“The traitor will stop at nothing!”

“What a waste of our great Zhou’s fine grain—stolen just like that!”

“We cannot let him steal the techniques from our many factories. The technology that fills the national treasury must remain firmly in the court’s hands.”

“Shameless—how did we never realize the God of War was such a plagiarist?”

“Just repeating what others have done—don’t end up trying to draw a tiger and instead create a dog!”

After mocking him, some officials expressed real concern:

“Your Majesty, we absolutely cannot allow him to continue growing in power.”

“I never expected Zhou Qiwou to be so scheming and ambitious.”

“The late emperor misjudged her; she should never have been allowed back into Jinmen!”

Shen Lanxi waited until the anger had simmered down and then said: “After the examinations are over, we will punish the traitor!”

“Yes!”

…

“General, these are the clothes Qiao Niang made for you!” Qiao Niang, seeing Wei Dongzhu return, immediately went into her room and brought out several sets of clothes.

Wei Dongzhu had been meaning to speak with her.

“Has anyone come looking for you recently?”

Qiao Niang frowned. “No. The children and I stay home every day, with palace guards on duty. No outsiders have come in.”

Wei Dongzhu hesitated for several days, then finally made up his mind.

“I’ve already sent word to the Northwest. Pack your things—tomorrow, you’ll take the child back with you.”

The clothes slipped from Qiao Niang’s hands to the floor, and her eyes instantly filled with tears.

“General… you’re sending me and the child away?”

Wei Dongzhu’s face was stern as he nodded: “It’s not safe for you and the child here. It’s better to return to the Northwest sooner.”

Qiao Niang lowered her head, tears dropping to the floor.

Wei Dongzhu watched helplessly.

“Qiao Niang, His Majesty has revised the marriage laws. Once you return to the Northwest, you should find someone to marry.”

Hearing this, Qiao Niang collapsed to her knees with a thud.

“General, I will not marry. In life, I belong to you; in death, I am your spirit. I beg you, do not abandon me.”

“I do not ask for status, only to remain by your side. I was raised in the Wei household, and you are my family. If you do not want anyone to know about Yan’er’s parentage, I will tell them the child is not yours, but mine with someone else.”

“Please do not drive me away!”

Qiao Niang knelt, bowing her head repeatedly while crying.

Wei Dongzhu’s eyes flickered with conflict, but he quickly suppressed it.

“Go. Only by returning to the Northwest can you preserve your lives.”

Qiao Niang’s eyes widened in disbelief. What did the general mean? Could it be…?
A chill ran through her body, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

Once the official report was published, the people despised Zhou Ruyuan without restraint.

Soon Shen Lanxi also received a report from Jinmen:

“Shameless! A slightly large clam pulled from the sea is being called an auspicious sign.”

“Zhou Ruyuan is copying His Majesty, without even keeping proper conduct.”

“Your Majesty, at this rate, the next step might be…” the words went unspoken.

Shen Lanxi sneered: “To think they would use my own methods against me.”

Che Mingyuan and the others were speechless—there was no need for the emperor to be so blunt.

“Your Majesty, we should attack Zhou Ruyuan now. Next, he’ll likely manipulate reports to spread lies.”

The only weakness His Majesty had in front of Zhou Ruyuan was the lack of royal blood.

By then, Zhou Ruyuan, under the pretense of suppressing rebels and upholding legitimacy, would rally a few petty thieves to submit.

Shen Lanxi’s eyes were sharp, her focus restrained.

“No rush. Zhou Ruyuan is like a magnet for scrap iron—those pieces usually mixed in with soil are hard to detect. I can take this chance to remove some.”

Che Mingyuan worried: “What if their power grows too strong?”

Shen Lanxi patted the dragon on the throne, asserting: “I was able to ascend to the throne and maintain it for so long—why would I fear these petty clowns?”

Che Mingyuan thought: other rebels who claimed the throne left rivers of blood behind. His Majesty’s “bloodbath” at the palace gates was mild in comparison. Indeed, she had taken the throne with remarkable ease.

…

That evening, Shen Lanxi received another report:

“A palace maid who was sweeping was found drowned in the lotus pond. When retrieved, her face was so swollen it was unrecognizable.”

If it had been an ordinary palace maid, the guards would never have reported it.

“Was she one of the maids brought from the Shen household?”

“Yes.”

“Have someone paint a portrait of her and send it here.”

“Yes!”

Why would a palace maid sent by her mother die so mysteriously? Shen Lanxi studied the portrait thoughtfully.

The next day, at the women’s examination registration office, a girl registered with her parents’ accompaniment.

“What is your name?”

“Official, my name is Huang Yu.”

“Sign your name here, press your fingerprint, and write your household registration. After verification, we’ll notify you.”

“Official, how long does verification take?”

“You are a capital resident; it will be faster—ten days at the shortest, fifteen at the longest. Don’t worry, it won’t delay the exams.”

“By the way, civil or military exam?”

Huang Yu: “Military!”

“You little girl—barely taller than a sapling, not very sturdy. Think carefully; the military examination doesn’t separate men and women. Don’t get hurt.”

Huang Yu, spirited and bright: “Thank you for your concern, sir. I may be small, but my ancestors served the court. My grandfather taught me martial arts from a young age.”

Hearing that Huang Yu’s family had served the government, the registrar felt reassured and carefully verified her household registration before placing it with the other military exam applicants.

…

“Princess, the young master sneaked out of the palace to participate in the military exam.”

Zhou Xinrou’s eyes widened, her face full of anger.

“Preposterous! Who gave her the courage?”

“Princess, the young master has been pampered since childhood. The staff can’t control her,” the maid said helplessly.

Zhou Xinrou’s face remained cold, her anger intensifying.

“I risked my life sending her into the palace. Does she think it’s a playground she can enter and leave at will?”

The maid tried to reassure her: “Your Highness, the young master disguised herself and arranged a decoy. She did it cleanly; no one will suspect.”

Zhou Xinrou scoffed: “The palace is full of shrewd people. I already bent the rules sending her in. Now a maid has mysteriously died—do you think Shen Lanxi wouldn’t suspect?”