Li Yue hastily said, “How would this subject ever dare deceive the throne!”

“Best not to.” The emperor waved the paper in his hand. “Is this the full list of qualifiers?”

“Yes.” Li Yue nodded.

“Then I’ll have the deputy generals who were present that day come and verify it,” the emperor said, “just in case you accidentally left someone off.”

Cold sweat ran down Li Yue’s back instantly. “Your Majesty, please let this subject go add Commander Huo’s name first.”

It was just a martial contest — he’d thought he could get away with it, never expecting the emperor to be this thorough! If people really came to verify it, that truly would be deceiving the throne!

The emperor raised an eyebrow, thought it over, and nodded. “Very well. Go put together a new list, and I’ll have someone look it over again.”

“Yes.” Greatly relieved, Li Yue took the list and withdrew.

Not daring to leave a single name off this time, he went back and wrote up everyone who should have qualified.

Li Jiyue and the others still didn’t know about the first day’s results, and Li Yue, being timid, didn’t dare report the botched plan right away — he quietly waited for the final outcome instead.

With Huo Zichong in the mix, the outcome was a foregone conclusion — who else could possibly claim the martial championship two days later?

“Ruthless, how ruthless!” Hua Chun kept sighing. “To think they’d let Huo Zichong enter the contest!”

Yuwen Jie sat beside her reading memorials, not even looking up as he replied, “They said it themselves — participants had to be low-ranking officers or noble scions. Zichong’s skills are wasted as an Imperial Guard; better for him to go temper himself in the army.”

Hua Chun clicked her tongue and propped her chin in her hand. “I can just imagine the expressions on those old ministers’ faces. They wanted to send their own grandsons into the army, and instead they ended up sending Huo Zichong straight to the rank of general. Come to think of it, why did they even push for this martial contest in the first place?”

The emperor calmly turned a page and shook his head. “I don’t know either.”

Maybe they were just being foolish.

After the contest, no one at court had any objection to Huo Zichong taking the top spot — after all, they’d been the ones to say it should be about skill, not age, and among the competitors, no one could match Huo Zichong by any measure. Handing him the title of general, no one could say a word against it.

Li Jiyue hauled Li Yue back and scolded him half to death, and the group gathered together, thoroughly indignant. “We’ve done all this work for someone else’s benefit — what now?”

“You shouldn’t have let people with official rank participate!” Li Jiyue said angrily. “There are hidden talents lurking in this court — of course someone would swoop in and steal it out from under us. As for the commoners, the talented ones were already skimmed off by the last imperial exam, leaving only the dregs. Don’t let anyone with official rank get involved in the Ministry of Justice matter this time — find some commoners to serve as foils for the Meng family’s son!”

“Yes.” Li Yue agreed nervously, then went to petition the emperor again about the vacant position of Minister of Justice.

“Mm.” The emperor agreed just as readily. “Have the old minister come out and make the selection. You all just recommend some candidates for interview.”

Li Yue said solemnly, “This subject and the others are striving for fairness. This time we’ll recruit talent from among commoners and noble families without official rank — we’ll surely find Your Majesty excellent support.”

“You’ve worked hard,” the emperor nodded.

To find foils among commoners, they naturally needed people who had taken the imperial exam but scored poorly. Li Yue had someone make inquiries, and soon a list arrived.

“These people aren’t bad at all,” Li Jiyue said, nodding in approval as he looked it over. “None of them scored well. Old Minister Song has notoriously high standards, and this old man was worried Young Master Meng might not catch his eye — but with these as a backdrop, Meng Nai will stand out and win his favor.”

Li Yue nodded repeatedly.

He Chang’an, following the emperor’s instructions, went ahead of time to have tea with Minister Song.

The former Minister of Justice, Song Song, was a man of great integrity — he took no bribes and bowed to no power. But precisely because he held himself to such high standards, he hadn’t served at court for long; after only a few years, he’d resigned of his own accord, leaving the position of Minister of Justice vacant ever since.

Because Song Song had always handled cases so impeccably, everyone still referred to him as Minister Song even without a new minister appointed.

“It’s been a while, my lord,” Song Song said, clasping his fists and inviting him in for tea.

Marquis Gongyu had a fairly good relationship with Minister Song, and this visit was to discuss the selection of the new minister.

“Not just anyone can be Minister of Justice,” Song Song said with a faint smile. “Even if the Crown Prince himself were brought before this old man, if he lacked the ability, this old man still wouldn’t nod his approval.”

“His Majesty knows well that you’re this kind of person, which is exactly why he’s so at ease entrusting the selection to you,” He Chang’an said. “It’s just that, looking at the candidates Li Zhongtang’s side has recommended, their exam scores don’t seem very good.”

“What do scores matter?” Song Song chuckled lightly. “Last time we selected several high scorers from the imperial exam and put them into the Ministry of Justice, yet they didn’t accomplish anything particularly outstanding — isn’t that exactly why the position of minister has remained vacant all this time?”

He Chang’an nodded. “That makes sense. Then I’ll leave it in your capable hands.”

“Don’t worry, my lord,” Song Song said. “Even if you hadn’t come today, I’d have known what to do.”

He Chang’an smiled.

The selection was held at the Ministry of Justice. Li Yue sent in fifty commoners, and had them line up in no particular order — and there, standing first in line, was a rather dim-looking scholar.

“What’s your name?” Li Yue asked on a whim.

The scholar clasped his fists and answered, “This one is Lü Sanbian.”

Checking the name against the exam scores — good, this was one of the poor performers, so putting him at the front wouldn’t be a problem. Li Yue nodded, and once everything inside was ready, he waved for him to go in.

Hua Chun and the emperor waited together in the palace for news, expecting the selection process to take at least a whole day. Instead, in less than two hours, Minister Song personally arrived at Purple Dawn Hall with someone in tow.

“Your Majesty!” Song Song’s face lit with delighted joy as he clasped his fists. “This humble subject has finally found someone fit to take up the post of minister!”

Yuwen Jie looked up at the scholar standing behind him. “This is him?”

“Yes!” Song Song reached out and had Lü Sanbian step forward. “This man has a remarkable gift for solving cases, and he is upright and incorruptible, with a fierce hatred of evil — he’s precisely the right person for Minister of Justice!”

Lü Sanbian?!

Hidden behind the partition, Hua Chun was astonished. Peeking out, she realized — wasn’t this the scholar she and He Chang’an had once run into on the streets of the capital, the one who’d spoken up against injustice? She’d recommended him for the Ministry of Justice back then, and the emperor had never responded, so she’d assumed he simply looked down on commoner scholars — never expecting he’d send him straight to the position of minister!

Li Yue and several court ministers hurried in after him, clasping their fists. “Your Majesty, this man is unsuitable!”

Song Song turned to look at them.

These men had run over so fast they were out of breath, and Li Yue went straight down on his knees before the emperor. “Minister Song is being blatantly biased — he’s only interviewed one candidate and already declares him fit for the position of minister! There are still so many others waiting to be interviewed — how can he be certain this man is the best?”

“This old man isn’t selecting the best — only the most suitable,” Song Song said righteously. “It was you who asked this old man to make the selection, and now that a candidate has been chosen, why won’t you accept it? Could it be there’s someone else you’ve already prepared, and you insist that person must be the right one?”

Li Yue faltered, unable to find a retort, and the person beside him quickly added, “Choosing a minister so hastily is far too improper.”

The emperor gave a cold laugh, and those kneeling below flinched, trembling all over.

“Just how long do you all intend to keep toying with Me?” His voice was severe. Yuwen Jie swept his hand and smashed the tea cup beside him to the floor. “You wanted a martial contest, you wanted a Ministry of Justice interview — I agreed to everything you asked for, and now the martial contest produces a General Huo you’re unhappy with, and the interview produces a Lü Sanbian you’re unhappy with too. Just how much scheming is going on behind the scenes? Who exactly are you all trying to put in power?”

Porcelain shards scattered everywhere, and Purple Dawn Hall fell utterly silent. The emperor looked coldly at Li Yue. “Perhaps you really are too young to hold office.”

His face went pale, and Li Yue hurriedly kowtowed. “Your Majesty, please calm your anger, please calm your anger — this subject didn’t think things through carefully this time, but… the people who were selected are still all capable, Your Majesty, please calm your anger!”

What a coward — even more timid than her! Hua Chun shook her head repeatedly. The emperor’s whole show of anger was really only good for scaring the new officials, but it worked well enough — one scare and he’d immediately admitted that both Huo Zichong and Lü Sanbian were competent. No telling if he’d survive Li Jiyue’s wrath once he got back.

Hearing this, the emperor’s anger did indeed seem to subside. He waved his hand impatiently. “I won’t doubt Minister Song’s judgment. Since the choice has been made, Lü Sanbian will take up his post tomorrow.”

“Thank you for Your Majesty’s boundless grace!” Lü Sanbian was overjoyed and quickly kowtowed in thanks. The trembling ministers beside him didn’t dare say another word.

Once everyone had dispersed, Hua Chun came out and curled up beside the emperor, smiling. “With this new batch of young officials, Your Majesty’s burden must be a lot lighter now, isn’t it?”

Yuwen Jie nodded.

If Li Jiyue’s group had still been in charge, it wouldn’t have been this easy to fool — in the end, he was simply taking advantage of their youth and inexperience, and one trap was all it took.

“But they’re really foolish too,” Hua Chun muttered, holding onto his arm. “Why would they hand over such an opportunity so freely, still naively thinking their own people had a chance of getting into court?”

The emperor’s lips curved. “Women shouldn’t think so much. Let’s eat dinner first.”

“…Oh.” Hua Chun nodded, pouting as she followed him to mooch a meal.

Ever since Noble Consort Huo had been ordered to her death, the palace had been quiet for a good while, with no one vying for favor — everyone must have been thoroughly frightened. Hua Chun took the opportunity to visit Purple Dawn Hall for extra meals more often, since the food there was far better than at Yangxin Hall, and lately she’d been especially hungry all the time.

Being hungry was one thing, but eating her fill also made her especially sleepy — her daily routine had started resembling a pig’s.

“Looks like I’ll have to eat vegetarian for a couple of days,” Hua Chun muttered under her breath as she ate. “The fat on my waist is starting to show.”

The emperor paused and looked up. “You like eating vegetarian food?”

“Mm.” Hua Chun nodded. “I’ve had meat for so long I’m getting sick of it.”

Yuwen Jie pressed his lips together and said nothing.

Then the next day at Yangxin Hall, Hua Chun stared at the eight plates of various vegetarian dishes on the table and stammered, “What… what is this for?”

Qing Niao said helplessly, “His Majesty said you wanted to eat vegetarian, so he had these prepared.”

Weren’t vegetarian dishes usually just leafy greens, pickles, that sort of thing? Why was this such an elaborate spread of dishes she felt reluctant to even touch? Although there was no meat, some of the broths still had a meaty aroma, smelling absolutely delicious.

“If vegetarian food is always like this, I’d be happy to eat vegetarian every single day!” Hua Chun’s eyes lit up, and she swallowed and started eating.

Qing Niao watched her with a smile, thinking that the emperor wasn’t as harsh as she’d imagined — at least when it came to food, he treated her mistress extremely well. He hadn’t skimped on sending ingredients to Yangxin Hall either.

After the Noble Consort Huo affair, the Empress Dowager had been in an extremely foul mood and had fallen ill for a time. In the end she’d arranged for the imperial physicians to give each consort a monthly wellness pulse-check.

However, this was a privilege only extended to those who were regularly summoned. Officially, the emperor hadn’t summoned anyone from Yangxin Hall in over a month, so no imperial physician had been assigned there either.

“Unfavored consorts really do perfectly dodge all sorts of inspections,” Hua Chun said, watching the cold wind blow through the trees outside, shaking her head repeatedly. “Now I’m suddenly a little grateful he always climbs through the window at midnight.”

Qing Niao blinked, thinking to herself that the emperor was actually a remarkably thoughtful person — though he didn’t say much and never discussed his actions with her mistress beforehand, on the whole, everything he did seemed to be for Hua Chun’s good.

Could it be that the emperor actually did keep her mistress close to his heart?

Just as she was thinking this, after attending to Hua Chun’s rest, Qing Niao was brought to Purple Dawn Hall.

“There’s something I need your help with,” the supreme emperor said, his manner gentling before her. “You’re someone wholeheartedly devoted to her. I don’t know why, but I’ve observed you for a long time now, and you have no ill intentions.”

A chill ran down her back, and Qing Niao’s heart jolted.

The emperor had even been observing her all along?

“…Whatever Your Majesty commands, please speak freely.”

The emperor’s eyes grew deep. He dismissed everyone else, then lowered his voice and told her a few words.

Afterward, Qing Niao floated out of Purple Dawn Hall in a daze and kept watch beside Hua Chun’s bed all night.

“What’s wrong?” Hua Chun woke the next day to find dark circles under her maid’s eyes and looked at her, torn between laughter and exasperation. “Not sleeping, keeping watch over me — what for?”

Qing Niao smiled. “It’s been cold at night lately; I was worried you’d kick off your blanket.”

“As if.” Hua Chun pouted. “You think I’m still living in a school dormitory?”

With a bed and blanket this large, however much she tossed and turned, she’d still be covered.

Qing Niao nodded, stood up, and brought in the morning meal. “It’s gotten cold lately, and quite a few palaces have set up small kitchens. I went and bribed a few people, and got one set up for our palace too. From now on, just tell me whatever you’d like to eat, and I’ll make it for you.”

“That good, huh?” Hua Chun perked up for a moment, but then thinking of her increasingly round figure, felt a pang of sorrow. “Looking like this, I really don’t do justice to Hua Jinghua’s naturally good figure.”

“You look good even with a bit more weight,” Qing Niao said. “We’re not relying on men to get by anyway, so why care so much? As long as you’re comfortable, that’s what matters.”

That sounded rather reasonable. Hua Chun nodded, then quite unabashedly ate a huge meal again.

That night, when it was time to retire, the emperor swept in through the cold wind outside and entered Yangxin Hall.

“You’re here?” Hua Chun yawned and shifted over to make room for him. “I’m too sleepy to chat with you tonight.”

“Mm.” Yuwen Jie nodded, lay down beside her, and reached out to touch her stomach.

“Mm-mm.” Hua Chun kept her eyes closed but still reached up to block him. “Don’t touch, I’m getting fat!”