The Long Emperor had not moved, sitting calmly at the front. No particular emotion could be discerned.

Marquis Xuanping narrowed his eyes and, following the Emperor’s lead, inconspicuously lowered his head.

The Empress was shaking with anger, but the civil and military officials remained unmoved, kneeling and kowtowing, their voices of remonstration ringing out loudly.

“How dare you! Do you intend to defy the imperial edict?” Empress Mingxing grabbed the old Tianqing kiln brush holder beside her and smashed it on the ground before the hall, shattering it to pieces.

The sharp sound of breaking porcelain cut off the officials’ voices of remonstration.

She leaned over the imperial desk, pointing at the fragments on the ground, and said with a cold laugh: “Since none of you will listen, what use is there in keeping you alive? Why not shatter you like this brush holder…”

The civil and military officials nearly fainted from anger at the Empress’s actions.

Pei Yuanshao suddenly raised his head. He lazily yawned, interrupting Empress Mingxing’s arbitrary threats.

He stood up and glanced at the female attendants serving in the hall, saying in a moderate tone: “You dogs, the Empress’s hand slipped and dropped the brush holder. What are you standing there dumbly for? Don’t you have the sense to come forward and clean up the fragments!”

The female attendants serving in the hall broke out in a cold sweat, trembling as they knelt to accept the order.

At the front, the Long Emperor’s rounded fingertips carelessly played with the prayer beads on his right hand. He turned to look at the Empress beside him.

She wore a bright yellow dragon robe, her figure tall, but without much in her head. Her face now wore the intimidating expression he had taught her in the past.

Unfortunately, she had not learned even the superficial aspects, only managing a shallow imitation.

The art of ruling lay within, not on the surface. Violence and cruelty would only cause ministers to become estranged. Where had benevolence, righteousness, propriety and shame been thrown?

Everything he had taught her in the past, she had completely failed to grasp.

Pei Yuanshao felt no particular disappointment in his heart, having long expected this… he felt three parts clearer.

His imperial sister was going to break with him completely! He had warned her that she could not think about the Jia family’s son. But she could not resist her greed.

She had grown up, so she wanted this power, wanted the country and beauty. Disregarding sibling affection, disregarding imperial benevolence and virtue, disregarding propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame…

Hah!

He would give her one last chance.

Pei Yuanshao pressed his lips together, his deep eyes inscrutable. He asked in a flat voice: “Your Majesty, have you thought through the consequences of marrying Jia… Zichan?”

Empress Mingxing’s forehead was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. When her imperial brother was not smiling, he was different from other men, his whole body shrouded in a layer of cold pressure, like an unsheathed sword, making it hard to breathe.

She turned her gaze away, a trace of struggle appearing on her face as she thought of last night, of the man whose clothes she had torn off and lavished with affection.

The timidity in her eyes disappeared completely, her round eyes filled with stern resolve.

She said unequivocally: “I have already favored the newly appointed Emperor Consort last night. The imperial edict has been issued, so of course it is true!”

When the Empress’s words came out, the ministers kneeling before the hall nearly fainted a second time from anger.

Acting first and reporting later… Grand Tutor Jia had resigned and retired to avoid court disputes, how could she allow her second son to enter the palace to serve? The Empress used the word “favored” today?

It was likely not “favoring”, but forced!

The four grand secretaries stood up from the ground, not kneeling to the Empress, but turning their heads to look at the Marquis of Zhennang and the Long Emperor respectively.

“If Your Majesty insists on marrying the Jia family’s second son, we as ministers cannot disobey an imperial order. However, we old women still have one remonstration that we must voice. Your Majesty has taken two sons of the Jia family into the palace in succession, disregarding the meritorious service of a minister who has served for generations, acting first and reporting later, forcing the old minister’s son. Your temperament is truly unstable. Now that the rice has been cooked, we can hardly criticize further. But with Your Majesty’s current temperament, it would be inappropriate to entrust the country and society to you in the future. We earnestly request that the Marquis of Zhennang and the Emperor make the decision – the matter of Your Majesty personally taking control of the government after the new year should be postponed for further discussion.”

“You…” Empress Mingxing’s eyes widened, panic flashing across her young face for an instant. She raised her voice to cover the growing fear in her heart, shouting at the imperial guards outside the door: “Are you threatening me? Come, take these old fools and drag them out…”

Pei Yuanshao broke the string of beads in his hand, the beads scattering across the ground with a clatter.

He stood up, his dark eyes capturing Empress Mingxing’s gaze, and rebuked coldly: “Silence! I taught you in the past, if the surface is not correct, one cannot seek a straight shadow; if the target is not clear, one cannot expect to hit the mark. Yet you have completely disregarded it all.”

His lips were unsmiling, his brows high and stern: “As a ruler, to take by force and rob is neither benevolent nor virtuous. When the civil and military officials remonstrate, you do not listen or believe, but instead act recklessly. The grand secretaries’ words are not wrong. The matter of you personally taking control of the government will be postponed for further discussion. When you have learned the way of ruling, I will return control of the government to you.”

Pei Yuanshao finished speaking without looking at Empress Mingxing again. He addressed Jing Huan, who had not spoken a word, from afar: “Marquis of Zhennang, do you have any objections? In the future, you and I will have to jointly bear the responsibility for governing!”

Jing Huan met his gaze from across the space, a smile of successful scheming in her eyes: “The Emperor is wise! I obey the order.”

With her words, the civil and military officials knelt and kowtowed, saying in unison: “Your Highness is wise, we concur!”

Pei Yuanshao looked at the group of court officials and said with feigned self-reproach: “The late emperor ordered me to assist in governing the country. It is my fault for being lazy usually, thinking that the imperial sister was about to come of age and should handle state affairs early. I never expected it to be a case of pulling up seedlings to help them grow. Enough! It is Ziyuan’s crime. In the future, imperial sister should learn by my side!”

Empress Mingxing looked at her imperial brother before her in shock, the wariness in her eyes turning to deep panic. She turned her head and tugged at his sleeve.

But he did not move at all, no longer putting her first as he had in the past.

His angular face showed coldness and detachment she had never seen before. Empress Mingxing watched the entire court respectfully kowtowing, and suddenly had an epiphany.

Her honor was honor propped up by her imperial elder brother. The civil and military officials submitted to her because behind her was the benevolent and virtuous Long Emperor who listened to advice and sought good governance.

If he were not there, she would not even be a puppet.

From the corner of her eye, she glanced at the Marquis of Zhennang to the side. That person had a faint smile, and when looking at her,

Her full lips parted, silently mouthing two words: “Stupid fool”

Empress Mingxing suddenly clenched her fists, her body trembling.

She stumbled back to sit on the imperial throne.

Jing Huan stood up, positioning herself beside Pei Yuanshao, blocking the last ray of light from her.

Empress Mingxing suddenly realized what she had truly lost. Her elder brother was right, one misstep leads to a series of mistakes. He had supported her for ninety-nine steps.

But at the final, crucial moment, she couldn’t resist the impulse screaming in her heart, and kicked him away with one foot.

She wanted to enjoy this supreme honor alone, desiring both the country and beauty for herself.

Last night’s debauchery, when the long-desired man writhed beneath her, the exhilarating slaughter gave her unstoppable courage, releasing all her pent-up frustrations and restraint.

She was the Emperor, naturally high above all others. Years of restraint dissipated in that moment of domineering possession.

The person beneath her was hers, the country was also hers…

She didn’t need to restrain herself. Born to be an emperor, she could be more majestic, more decisive, more forceful.

So, she made the most satisfying decision of her life.

But she never expected…

A bucket of cold water poured over her head, chilling her to the bone!

Her imperial elder brother had repeatedly instructed: “Endure hardships and taste bile, and this world will eventually be all yours.”

She had forgotten, in the long period of frustration, she had developed a sense of wariness… giving rise to an unstoppable rebellion.

In the end, she had completely destroyed the sibling affection!

An Empress Mingxing without the Long Emperor’s support… hah!