Though she finally held the reins of power, the Queen of New Xia didn’t feel particularly glorious. Before her always lay endless official duties. Recently, noble families seeking audiences have been coming in an endless stream. She had already refused many times, knowing she couldn’t keep people outside her door forever.
After all, in present-day Wusel, she still had a troublesome matter unresolved.
Furthermore, since the day Fu Lingchuan was overthrown, Yun Ya has disappeared. Feng Miaojun had slept peacefully for several nights without him disrupting her dreams, so she assumed he had left Wusel and returned to the Kingdom of Wei.
She had been unprecedentedly busy lately and rarely had time to think of him.
After several upheavals, Wusel City had now returned to tranquility. Speaking of which, the previous series of dizzying changes had all begun with the Queen’s marriage affairs, so now the ministers dared not bring up old matters again, which gave Feng Miaojun’s ears some peace.
Young Master Yu Linlang, the third son of the Yu family, had recovered from his injuries and left Wusel City on a bright day, reportedly to travel the world and gain insights into his art. The head of the Yu family, Yu Gengqing, couldn’t stop him as his son was escorted out by guards from the palace, accompanied by a servant.
The Yu family had once been suspected of deceiving the sovereign. Yu Gengqing now touched his nose, not daring to make a fuss.
Everything was calm and peaceful.
The Pine Creek Villa in the southern suburbs of Wusel City faced a clear stream and backed against a mountain, making it an excellent place for self-cultivation and relaxation.
In the past, the entrance hall often had visitors seeking an audience, waiting for half a day. But these days, the spacious courtyard only witnessed cold plum blossoms falling in the snow, while squirrels frequently came and went, jumping down to pick up pine nuts.
Currently, a person was appreciating the snow in the courtyard, dressed in a red cloak over white garments, with snow-white skin and a flower-like countenance. She held a handful of hazelnuts, trying to lure small animals, but a small marten emerged from her sleeve. Its eyes, like black buttons, glanced left and right, frightening the squirrels on the ground back up into the trees, not daring to appear again.
“Mischievous.”
The small marten licked its paws. Trying to compete with Master White Board for affection? No chance!
At this moment, a voice came from behind:
“The Queen’s grand presence brightens my humble abode.”
The white figure turned around, her smile growing more radiant—wasn’t it Feng Miaojun?
She smiled at the person descending the steps: “How is cousin’s wound recovery?”
The master of Pine Creek Villa was none other than Fu Lingchuan. At this moment, he wore blue garments, his complexion somewhat pale, lacking the former vibrancy and vigor.
“Thanks to the Queen’s blessing, it’s no longer a major concern,” he said slowly. “I just wonder how my Queen, with her myriad daily affairs, would have time to visit my remote dwelling?”
After losing power, he moved from the royal palace to Pine Creek Villa to recuperate. Feng Miaojun had directly assigned two imperial physicians to reside here, attending to his injuries daily as a show of care.
This action caused much discussion in the royal court, as people couldn’t discern how the Queen would deal with Fu Lingchuan. Officials like Prime Minister Wang Yuan could guess that since Fu Lingchuan was a descendant of the royal family of An Xia, and the royal bloodline was thin, Queen Changle might not kill this distant cousin. Otherwise, with the many enemies Fu Lingchuan had made over the years, once he lost power, many might come seeking trouble.
Feng Miaojun casually plucked a small flower: “This place is even quieter than White Horse Lake. Cousin knows how to enjoy life. At my place, official duties pile up like mountains. Even without sleep or rest, they cannot be processed completely. I might as well come here to slack off for a few days and find some comfort.”
Fu Lingchuan smiled faintly: “Changle jests. Your frequent actions these past few days have intimidated all ministers. Even if I were personally in charge, I couldn’t have done better than you. How can you speak of slacking off?” His withdrawal from the political stage had an impact on Wusel no less significant than a major earthquake. Feng Miaojun’s actions these days were aimed at a safe transition, gradually taking back political and military power. Although Fu Lingchuan had surrendered at White Horse Lake, with fluctuating public sentiment, Queen Changle personally governing would encounter no small amount of trouble.
Her methods these past few days could be described as swift and decisive, appeasing those who needed appeasement, suppressing those who needed suppression, dividing those who needed division, all in an orderly manner, allowing the royal court to quickly pass through this adjustment period and restabilize.
Even Fu Lingchuan himself couldn’t have done better.
Feng Miaojun coughed lightly: “What are cousin’s plans for the future?”
“I am now a common citizen. Since I no longer stand in the court, naturally, I will focus wholeheartedly on cultivation and seeking the Dao.” His gaze toward Feng Miaojun was cautious. Was she concerned about him continuing to stay in Wusel? “If Your Majesty dislikes it, I can move away immediately.”
“What are you saying?” At this point, Feng Miaojun moved into the hall and took a sip of the clear tea handed by the steward. “How could a person of cousin’s caliber be left idle in the martial world?”
What did that mean? Fu Lingchuan’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Let’s dispense with formalities between siblings.” Feng Miaojun said softly under his questioning gaze, “I would like to invite my cousin to serve as the Minister of Administration, managing the government affairs of the New Xia royal court for me.”
Fu Lingchuan, being extremely astute, was immediately astonished: “Me?”
“That’s right.” Feng Miaojun said in a low voice, “Even when I am away, you will have to act as regent.” After speaking, she smiled slightly, “Just political power.”
Fu Lingchuan understood her meaning—military power would remain in her hands and would not be given to him. Even so, he was quite surprised, not expecting that she would still dare to use him.
Seeing his silence, Feng Miaojun sighed, “These past few days have exhausted me. Each profession has its expertise, and I am best at eating, drinking, and playing. I’m still impatient dealing with these court officials and government affairs, urgently needing a cousin to share my worries.”
When Fu Lingchuan controlled the government, although she had the title but no power, her days were leisurely, in stark contrast to now. They say the capable are given more work, but personally handling everything would probably result in being worked to death. Those in leadership positions should excel at selecting and employing the talented rather than doing everything themselves. Fu Lingchuan had governance talent, and it would be a pity to bury it.
Fu Lingchuan saw clearly: “I suspect there’s more to it than that?”
“There are still people secretly stirring up trouble,” Feng Miaojun didn’t conceal. “The kingdom passed down by ancestors should be guarded by family members for more peace of mind.” She was convinced that Fu Lingchuan valued the foundation of New Xia above all else and wouldn’t want the kingdom he had personally fought for to be destroyed by treacherous officials.
Now, he was her family again? Fu Lingchuan was speechless. Feng Miaojun had made it very clear; that she wanted to request his return from retirement. The difference was that before, he controlled everything, but now he would just be an employee.
She leaned slightly forward, sincerely saying: “Since we are both descendants of An Xia, we should watch out for each other.” Previously, when Fu Lingchuan controlled the government, she only wanted to overthrow him and reclaim power; now that she had succeeded, she wanted to find him again to assist her. Between them, there was no irreconcilable hatred; everything was merely a requirement of the circumstances.
She could understand this, and she believed that Fu Lingchuan, as an experienced politician, could understand it equally well.
After another moment of silence, Fu Lingchuan asked her: “Is Hu Yan Bei difficult to handle?”