Chapter 367 – Turmoil in the Capital (24)
Xu Ke expressed his worries, “Young Master, if you face any difficulties in the palace…”
Jiang Pengji was surprisingly calm about it, casually saying, “Don’t worry, it’s not that serious. At most, we’ll just chat a bit about old times.”
In a sense, Jiang Pengji was a more valuable “hostage” than others. Being the only “son” of Liu Zhi, as long as she was still in the capital, right under the Emperor of Dongqing’s nose, Liu Zhi, as the governor of Chongzhou, wouldn’t dare to entertain any rebellious thoughts.
Understanding this, Jiang Pengji wasn’t concerned about this trip to the Yang Palace at all.
Xu Ke grasped the underlying reason, his expression dark like ink.
Whether as a citizen of Dongqing or as Jiang Pengji’s right-hand man, he held the Emperor in utter disdain.
If this Emperor truly cared for his people, why would he need to worry about anyone’s hypocrisy?
With the eunuch carrying the imperial edict entering the palace, Jiang Pengji waited outside the palace for her summons.
Just as Jiang Pengji had anticipated, the Emperor only took a short moment to meet her. They exchanged pleasantries, reminisced about the bond he shared with Liu Zhi, warmly invited her to stay in the capital for a bit, and showered her with a feast of exquisite dishes, all in less than half an hour.
Jiang Pengji didn’t waste the opportunity, directly switching into a semi-interactive livestream mode, titled—”A Half-Day Tour of Yang Palace.”
<Nutritional Fast Line>: I feel that the architecture of Yang Palace has some characteristics of the Qin and Han dynasties, yet certain aspects are full of Tang style… Hmm, in any case, ancient palaces are truly treasures of human cultural heritage, incomparable to ordinary film sets.
<Building a Nation Not Allowing Spirits>: Come on, this is a real royal palace! If a film set were to be 100% accurate, they’d have gone bankrupt ages ago. Just getting a replica is good enough, why nitpick so much? If you want to see a palace, go to the Forbidden City!
<Scraping Feet While Eating>: The Forbidden City, huh? It’s been poorly maintained for years, and not many places are displayed. With so many tourists every day, many areas look like dangerous buildings. Every time I visit during Golden Week, I can’t help but feel that the royal inner court is nothing special.
Jiang Pengji had been in this era for several years, yet this was her first close encounter with Yang Palace. The audience in the livestream was incredibly excited, as everything about the feudal dynasty sparked their curiosity and exploration.
<Wow Haha>: Ugh, don’t talk about the royal inner court. Seeing this Emperor of Dongqing has totally shattered my lofty expectations! I thought I’d see a dignified, middle-aged handsome dude, but the Emperor is just a middle-aged man with heavy eye bags—where’s the royal aura? He looks like a shell of a person, far less energetic than any uncle dancing in the plaza.
<Scan to See Me>: I wholeheartedly agree. Sure, he’s a middle-aged sleazy guy, but the thought that all the beautiful ladies in the palace have to deal with him gives me the same queasy feeling as finding a dead caterpillar in an apple. Thank goodness the host didn’t engage in palace struggles. Otherwise, just imagining her getting jealous over such a low-tier guy would haunt my dreams!
Clearly, regardless of the era, looks still matter a lot.
The Emperor of Dongqing’s age, appearance, and aura did not match the audience’s expectations and admiration for an emperor.
As the audience chatted away, suddenly a distinctly different comment appeared.
<Panda Noodle Shop>: Am I the only one who realizes we’ve been played by the host? Today’s livestream title is—”A Half-Day Tour of Yang Palace,” but all the host did was take us down a single path without stopping to introduce the architectural scenery. And it didn’t even last half a day!
Forget half a day; it didn’t even last an hour!
A real bait-and-switch!
Upon seeing this comment, Jiang Pengji specifically replied and tagged this viewer.
<Host V>: Given the current situation, I can’t just wander around Yang Palace. But someday, I’ll do a full-day tour of Yang Palace livestream. When that happens, wherever you want to see, we’ll go, and I’ll have free rein inside! @Panda Noodle Shop.
What seemed like an ordinary comment sparked some serious chills among the viewers.
She was still a citizen of Dongqing. Due to the imperial authority, she could only follow the leading eunuch and couldn’t roam freely in Yang Palace.
Then, under what circumstances could she ignore this rule and move freely in Yang Palace?
When she becomes the new master of Yang Palace.
Reaching this conclusion sent the livestream audience into fits of laughter, showering Jiang Pengji with gifts, the screen filled with 666.
<Old Driver Alliance>: Host, I give you 101 points. One extra point doesn’t worry about you getting cocky.
Amid the audience’s playful banter, Jiang Pengji left the palace unscathed, only to spot the anxious Xu Ke waiting for her.
“I’m fine; let’s head back,” she waved her hand, signaling the coachman to drive.
Noticing her calm expression, Xu Ke secretly sighed in relief. “Young Master, was this trip smooth?”
“I received a few compliments and had some food. The royal chef isn’t as good as Wu Ma Jun’s top-notch chef…” Jiang Pengji complained.
The royal chef’s skill was undoubtedly better than a regular chef’s; however, the meals served had already gone cold, so how could they compare to hot dishes?
Xu Ke was momentarily at a loss for words.
His Young Master’s style was always refreshingly unique.
“However, it seems we can only stay in the capital for the time being. There’s no way to leave.” Jiang Pengji shook her head and softly said, “The Emperor has become increasingly obsessed with beauty, and his body is weakening. He refuses to take a break and insists on relying on elixirs to prop himself up… He probably realizes his health isn’t great and is becoming increasingly fearful of death. Keeping the noble families under house arrest in the capital might just be his extreme fear of dying…”
Even though the Emperor seemed to be supporting the influential clans and the eunuch powers against the noble families, he was still raising tigers to harm himself.
The noble families might appear to be retreating, but they weren’t truly a threat.
Which noble house isn’t deeper and richer than the Dongqing royalty?
If the Emperor were to suddenly pass away, who knows if the noble families might retaliate and turn the Dongqing royal family into puppets?
Perhaps it was this concern that led the Emperor to gradually summon back the noble youths serving outside, using them as hostages.
If Jiang Pengji were Dongqing’s Emperor facing such a situation, she’d quickly select an heir, step aside, ensure a smooth transition of power, grant amnesty to the people, show kindness to ministers, while also dismantling the remnants of the influential families and eunuchs to ensure a stable throne for the new emperor.
As for threatening noble families, winning over some while suppressing others would be the best strategy to stabilize the gravely wounded Dongqing.
However, this current Emperor clearly had no intention of shifting his rear or willingly passing the throne to his son.
Facing the increasingly intense struggle for the throne, this Emperor not only did nothing but even seemed to welcome the chaos and allowed Changshou Wang’s power to grow, keeping several princes in check… Heh, as his sons grew up, this old Emperor found himself unable to sleep peacefully even at night.
