Chapter: 1 Empress Development Plan?
Princess Han Mansion.
In a hall as large as a palace, several sandalwood-made tables are neatly placed inside.
Sitting in the main seat is a delicate-faced woman, wearing a luxurious long robe in bright black color, with golden-threaded carvings of a four-clawed divine dragon on the side of the robe. One hand slowly shakes the goblet in her hand, while the other lightly taps on the table, exuding a compelling aura.
She lightly said, “Father is getting older day by day. But why haven’t the Princess of Qin and Jin taken their fiefs yet?”
As she spoke, her eyes swept over everyone sitting beside her.
Those invited here naturally belong to the factions loyal to the Princess Han Mansion, simply put, they are the Princess Han party.
Thinking back to how her father ascended to the throne at a young age, the country doubted him, entrusted with the responsibility by the former emperor, he single-handedly controlled the court’s affairs. Then, her father concealed his abilities for more than ten years, finally stabilizing the court and reclaiming power, officially dominating the world. Since then, the situation of the Great Cheng dynasty has been stable for decades, and imperial power has been thoroughly consolidated.
However, to this day, her father’s age has reached a critical point, and those who once served him are gradually considering who will succeed as the next emperor.
It’s awkward that the Emperor has no son but eight princesses. Princess Han, the eldest among them, is next in line for the throne. However, her mother—despite being elevated to the position of Crown Princess, passed away long ago due to illness, and her maternal family comes from a declining lineage of commoners. The only notable aspect is Princess Han’s status as the eldest daughter, which doesn’t hold much sway in the public’s perception.
The second princess, Princess Qin, her uncle is the current Prime Minister, showing strategic acumen and knowledge beyond her age. Due to the respect and prestige of her uncle and other relatives in the court, her influence is widespread among civil officials and political factions, except that Princess Qin’s temperament is hard to fathom, making her the most likely candidate to ascend the throne in the current court.
Apart from Princess Qin, the third princess, Princess Jin, excels in martial arts and is the jewel in the crown of the military nobility group. Her mother’s father is the Duke of Annan, a former flying general, with generations of military heritage, which has earned Princess Jin’s line high prestige in the court.
The main contenders in the struggle for succession are these two. Princess Han’s presence on the stage is only because she is the eldest princess. As for the matter of taking fiefs, Princess Qin temporarily has no intention due to health concerns, and Princess Jin similarly found a reason to avoid it.
And the Emperor favors the two princesses of Qin and Jin, unwilling to heartlessly send them to take fiefs.
This puts Princess Han in an awkward position. Although she is the eldest princess, she has no rightful status, and she is always on the verge of irrelevance.
As she spoke, everyone present exchanged glances.
They were all here to make a living, literally speaking, so where would they have the ability to come up with any good suggestions? Those who truly aspire to make a mark in the next regime either align themselves with Princess Qin or Princess Jin.
Do they really think Princess Han can seize the throne?
This is not a fate that Princess Han can reclaim.
Whether it is Princess Qin or Princess Jin, the groups they represent are unprecedentedly powerful forces.
Seeing the silent crowd, she already knew the outcome. Princess Han, Su Yuzhou, gently touched her temple with her hand, “I’m tired. You may all leave.”
With that, she got up and left, brushing her sleeves.
Even if she feels unwilling, so what?
Although she is the eldest princess, without a group truly supporting her, she is no different from a puppet, and the Princess Han faction under her command is nothing but a group of useless people.
Think of a way to get rid of these people early on, that’s the right solution.
Just as Su Yuzhou walked into her inner room, a strange voice sounded in her mind, followed by a scene unfolding in her eyes. Just when she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, the notification sound rang out again.
[Empress Development Plan is initiating…]
[Would you like to play the game? (This game will simulate all your actions. Please note that any actions in the game may affect reality.)]
[Yes/No?]
Su Yuzhou felt a bit bewildered but instinctively chose yes.
[In the seventh year of Zhengying, as the atmosphere of the succession struggle intensified, you, knowing that you couldn’t compete with your two imperial sisters, gave up your pursuit of the throne.]
[You disbanded the Princess Han faction and conveyed goodwill to your father, which pleased him greatly. Ultimately, he agreed to one thing for you.]
Agreed to something for me?
Su Yuzhou was puzzled, but as she looked at the note above, she fell into silence, completely in line with her current thoughts.
“I am indeed not the candidate in my father’s mind.” Su Yuzhou’s gaze was complicated. Quitting the competition for the throne actually pleased her father, which made her understand something to some extent.
[You were preparing to let go of your ambitions and immerse yourself in nature and the arts, when suddenly, a major exam cheating case erupted in the court. All fifty-one names on the exam list were southern scholars. The case was characterized as a rebellion by the old courtiers in the seventh year of Zhengying, resulting in the execution of four chief examiners and the nullification of the exam scores of these fifty-one southern scholars, known as the North-South Exam Case.]
[In this incident, under your father’s thunderous methods, you gained a deeper understanding of political foresight and royal strategies.]
[The next day, a southern scholar, Lu Cheng’an, who was forced into the North-South Exam Case, visited you, wanting to become your retainer.]
[Do you agree?]
Su Yuzhou fell into contemplation. Having a clean background was important here. Scholars like Lu Cheng’an, who were involved in major cases, could be said to have a bleak future. Seeking refuge with her was a desperate move, and there was nowhere else to go. So Su Yuzhou didn’t have high hopes for his outstanding abilities.
But, seeing the words “forced into,” what if he did have some talent?
So, Su Yuzhou chose to agree.
At this point, the scene unfolded again, and the portrait of a character lit up before her eyes.
[Han Mansion First Encounter – Lu Cheng’an]
Su Yuzhou looked for a while, realizing it was just a portrait of a character.
Then, Su Yuzhou found that she could click on the character’s profile. After carefully examining this scholar named Lu Cheng’an, she realized he was not as ordinary as she had imagined.
[Lu Cheng’an]
[Character Introduction: Han ethnicity, style Qingzheng, native of Qiantang County, Hangzhou Prefecture, Zhejiang Province. (Rank ???), Lifetime (???).]
Su Yuzhou didn’t pay too much attention to these character introductions. The main point was Lu Cheng’an’s special ability.
[Far-sighted: With a vision beyond his time, he can often find opportunities that ordinary people cannot grasp.]
“It seems that he will be an extraordinary person in the future?” Su Yuzhou pondered for a moment and moved on to the next step.
[In the seventh year of Zhengying, you, as the titled Princess Han, gave up the struggle for the throne and sought opportunities elsewhere. Successfully establishing yourself in Le’an Prefecture, the newly appointed Princess Han faction member Lu Cheng’an followed you to Le’an Prefecture. You suddenly realized that the political allies you had gathered in the capital were few and far between.]
Su Yuzhou noticed a button called “Give Orders” next to her, which could be used to assign tasks to the people inside.
“As the dignified Princess Han, I arrived in Le’an Prefecture with the status of the eldest daughter, but aside from the local officials in Le’an Prefecture, there are only two people available to me. Is this the only follower besides this newcomer Lu Cheng’an, and this person is just a servant of the Princess Han Mansion? Is there a more miserable start than this?” Su Yuzhou sighed.
“This thing does seem to fit reality quite well. Well then… let me try to manage Le’an Prefecture first.” Guided by the beginner’s instructions, Su Yuzhou tried to use the functions on the interface and began her first issuing of orders.
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