Before Chu Rui arrived, Yun Chu had already received the news.
Among the Imperial Guards in the palace, there were some remnants of Fan Ming’s forces planted in various places. They were all now people she could use.
“This subject pays respects to the Empress Dowager.” Chu Rui bowed his head in salute. “May the Empress Dowager be well.”
Yun Chu’s voice was indifferent: “The Prince Regent need not be overly courteous.”
Chu Rui raised his head and looked at the palace servants in the room: “This prince has matters to discuss with the Empress Dowager. You may all withdraw.”
Standing in attendance in the room were Tingshuang and Qiutong. Qiutong occupied the position of guard, while Tingshuang had the status of an aunt. Both were considered important figures in the palace.
Seeing Yun Chu nod, they withdrew and closed the door.
Qiutong didn’t leave, standing guard at the main entrance. As soon as she heard any sound, she could rush in at any time.
Yun Chu took a sip of tea, her expression composed: “What matter does the Prince Regent wish to discuss?”
“Does the Empress Dowager know what the Emperor has been busy with these days?” Chu Rui directly sat down in a chair and poured himself a cup of tea. “Does the Empress Dowager think that by inviting Ouyang Ye, you can make the young emperor into a benevolent ruler? Unfortunately, the young emperor’s birth mother is inauspicious—probably born to some woman of lowly status from outside. With such base bloodline, naturally he cannot shoulder the responsibilities an emperor should bear…”
“Insolent!” Yun Chu set down her cup heavily, her face cold as frost. “The Prince Regent speaks so wantonly of the Emperor—do you know what crime this is?”
A smile appeared on Chu Rui’s face: “Am I not speaking the truth?”
Yun Chu’s face grew somber.
When she first married Chu Yi, there had been people discussing Brother Yu’s origins. Later, as she and Brother Yu and Changsheng appeared increasingly close in public, who didn’t say they were birth mother and son?
Even after she gave birth to Brother Jue later, Brother Yu’s position as heir apparent wasn’t shaken.
Gradually, no one brought up Brother Yu’s origins anymore.
She never expected that now, with Brother Yu already emperor, she would still hear such remarks from others.
“The Empress Dowager need not be angry. Actually, I believe there’s a better candidate for emperor.” Chu Rui smiled. “Chu Hongjue is your and Chu Yi’s biological child, with Yun family blood flowing in his veins. What the Yun family truly wants to support should be Prince Yan, Chu Hongjue.”
Yun Chu lowered her eyes.
So it was to sow discord.
Her voice carried mockery: “I thought the Prince Regent would say that the better candidate for emperor is yourself.”
“That is indeed the intention.” Chu Rui’s upper body leaned forward. “If the Empress Dowager and the Yun family support me as emperor, I will take the Empress Dowager as empress and enfeoff Chu Hongjue as crown prince. What say you?”
Yun Chu laughed in anger: “Such outrageous words!”
“You’re only twenty-four, in the prime of a woman’s life. You shouldn’t be alone in the rear palace.” Chu Rui’s eyes gazed at her. “I can arrange a new identity for you—eldest legitimate daughter of an aristocratic family. With this new identity, you can marry me as wife and become my empress, sharing with me these ten thousand miles of rivers and mountains.”
Yun Chu picked up the tea on the table and splashed it at him.
Chu Rui’s face showed no trace of anger. He reached up to wipe away the tea stain and continued: “I know you find this difficult to accept right now. It’s fine—there’s plenty of time. Consider it slowly.”
Yun Chu spoke coldly: “The Prince Regent has been greatly disrespectful to me. Someone come—reward the Prince Regent with ten slaps!”
Qiutong rushed in immediately.
She first glanced to ensure Yun Chu was unharmed, then immediately moved toward Chu Rui, raising her hand to slap him.
Chu Rui’s body shifted slightly, easily avoiding the slap.
Qiutong pressed her advantage, one hand pressing down on Chu Rui’s shoulder.
“Audacious servant!”
The paper fan in Chu Rui’s hand opened, blocking Qiutong’s attack.
The next moment, the trusted young eunuch at his side burst through the door, fighting with Qiutong from inside the room to outside.
Qiutong was slightly inferior. When other guards in the courtyard joined in to help, they still couldn’t subdue that young eunuch.
Yun Chu’s eyes deepened.
Last time she had suspected Chu Rui knew martial arts. Having Qiutong test him, it proved true.
This young eunuch was definitely a high-level expert.
“This subject was presumptuous.” Chu Rui’s expression was displeased. “Later, this subject will send some things to apologize to the Empress Dowager.”
He turned and walked outside, speaking: “Duobao, let’s go.”
The young eunuch called Duobao immediately stopped fighting and stood obediently behind Chu Rui, with lowered eyes and submissive appearance, showing no sign whatsoever of martial ability.
“Empress Dowager, that young eunuch’s martial skills far surpass this servant’s.” Qiutong came in to report. “The Prince Regent should be about evenly matched with this servant.”
Yun Chu spoke: “Spread word of what happened in Kunning Palace just now.”
She needed to win over more of the neutral faction. Once she accumulated sufficient power, she must kick Chu Rui out of court.
Otherwise, Brother Yu was in far too much danger.
At this moment, Chu Hongyu swaggered into the Minister of Works’ residence.
The previous few days he had come sneakily, going to the back garden to paddle boats and research improvements… Today he didn’t hide, deliberately wanting to encounter the Minister of Works, then take the opportunity to ask for his advice.
As the head of the Ministry of Works, Minister Chen was usually quite busy with a pile of miscellaneous matters to handle.
But during this period, with the Emperor coming to his home every afternoon to paddle boats for amusement, it was truly dangerous. Therefore he dared not go anywhere, staying on standby at all times.
He sat in a pavilion beside the back garden, handling official business while keeping an eye on the water’s surface.
Suddenly, he saw the young emperor walking toward this pavilion.
He quickly picked up a memorial, covering his face.
When the young emperor walked to the right side, he covered the right side of his face.
When the young emperor walked to the left side, he covered the left side of his face.
The memorial in his hand was pulled away.
He met the young emperor’s round, large eyes.
“Cough, cough, cough!”
The Minister of Works nearly choked to death on his own saliva.
“Oh, so it’s Minister Chen.” Chu Hongyu blinked. “What a coincidence.”
Minister of Works: “…”
This was his home—what coincidence was there?
He quickly stood up to bow: “When did Your Majesty arrive? This subject didn’t know and failed to welcome you properly. Please, Your Majesty, forgive this offense!”
“We pardon you without guilt.” Chu Hongyu sat down in the pavilion. “We just happen to have a question for Minister Chen. Look, this blueprint—can Minister Chen understand it?”
The Minister of Works immediately examined it seriously. The more he looked, the more grave his expression became.
On the blueprint were two military forces engaged in battle at sea. The main image showed two large ships, with some small ships in the background.
Above one of the large ships was something resembling a “boarding bridge” placed on the enemy’s ship. The back of that thing was covered with dense nails that could fix the opponent’s ship in place, forming a passageway between the two sides… With this thing, they could immediately control those Dongling people skilled in surprise attacks and transform naval warfare into land warfare. Simply brilliant!
“This, this…” He spoke incredulously. “If this were used on warships, it would be extraordinary! Did Your Majesty draw this?”
A smile appeared on Chu Hongyu’s face: “Naturally.”
The Minister of Works suddenly understood.
These past two weeks, the Emperor hadn’t been playing in the water for amusement at all—he had clearly been researching warship improvements!
He immediately praised: “Your Majesty is truly extraordinarily intelligent, with unparalleled perception!”
“Ha!” Chen San curled his lip. “I don’t know who says every day at home that the Emperor is willful and obstinate, that Great Jin’s realm will be ruined in the Emperor’s hands, and also says… mmph!”
“Unfilial son!” The Minister of Works clamped his hand over his son’s mouth and smiled ingratiatingly at Chu Hongyu. “This wretch speaks nonsense, pure nonsense…”
“I’m not speaking nonsense… mmph!”
Chen San’s mouth was covered completely.