Chapter 193:

This year could indeed be called a year of upheaval.

The Empress Dowager has passed away, the Li family has declined, the Fu family suffered a devastating fire, and even within the palace, many people have been punished.

If there is any good news, it would be the rise of the Shen family, with Consort Shen being elevated to Empress.

But this good fortune belongs solely to the Shen family; what relevance does it have to them?

The more the Emperor favors the Empress, the fewer opportunities there are for others.

The year-end is approaching. In December, the palace is busy preparing for the New Year celebrations. Reflecting on last year, there was still the Empress Dowager and Madam Gui to assist, but this year, everything has changed.

Still, there are some useful people: Lady Xian, Consort De, and Concubine Zhang.

December occasionally delegates palace duties to them.

These women are all very obedient, just as Emperor Jing said, they understand exactly how to position themselves.

Before the New Year, December encountered the long-absent Sixth Prince at the Emperor’s side.

He looked even older now. December was puzzled because the Sixth Prince was actually two years younger than Emperor Jing, yet he looked older than the Emperor now.

The Emperor is busy with state affairs, while the Sixth Prince has nothing to do. Some things are indeed unpredictable.

“Your Majesty, what did the Sixth Prince come for?”

The Sixth Prince had just left when December entered.

The Emperor’s expression remained unchanged: “Perhaps the Sixth Brother wants to become a monk?”

Upon hearing this, December was stunned.

The Sixth Prince Yan Lie wants to become a monk?

What drama is this? However, seeing that the Emperor seemed unwilling to explain further, December refrained from asking more.

Emperor Jing, on the other hand, had much on his mind. Earlier, Yan Lie had indeed mentioned this.

Because of his interference, Yan Lie’s investigation revealed that Yue Qingcheng had calculated her own fate.

Yue Qingcheng was not murdered; thus, Yan Lie no longer had a reason to continue his investigation.

Yet, the ability to foresee life and death was still inexplicable. The national master is dead, and so is Yue Qingcheng. There is no one else in the world who possesses this skill anymore.

Yan Lie’s feelings for Yue Qingcheng had reached an extreme. With this revelation, he was even considering becoming a monk.

“He fell in love with someone who has been dead for many years. He has lived aimlessly all these years. Now thinking of becoming a monk might finally allow him to let go completely.”

Upon hearing this, December remained silent for a long time.

She no longer dwells on her past life.

But if it meant developing any affection for the Sixth Prince, that was impossible.

As for becoming a monk, she could only hope he could truly let go of everything.

“Leaving behind worldly concerns is not necessarily a bad thing. But I wonder whether he can endure the strict monastic rules.”

After hearing December’s words, Emperor Jing raised his eyebrows and looked at her with a smile, then pulled her into his arms: “I don’t know about him, but I know I could never do it. Because, I love you so much.”

December smiled faintly and kissed his chin.

“There will be some good shows coming up soon.”

December looked at Emperor Jing in surprise, not understanding what he meant by that sudden remark.

Emperor Jing winked playfully: “I let Princess Diva out of the palace earlier, and now that the big fish has taken the bait, it’s time to reel it in!”

Suddenly understanding, December realized he was implying that Minister An would soon face trouble.

“I just hope it won’t get too messy, or Consort De will find herself in an awkward position.”

Emperor Jing was unconcerned: “Are you sure she won’t be clapping her hands in delight?”

He continued with a smile: “No matter how many mistakes Minister An has made or what fate he meets, Consort De will always remain Consort De. The concubines have nothing to do with the affairs of the court.”

December smiled along and nodded.

Sure enough, a few days later, a new scandal emerged in the court.

It was none other than Princess Rosalind of Diva, who submitted a petition requesting a divorce.

The entire court had already been driven mad by this foreign princess.

It seemed that whatever she did was possible.

And the Emperor, considering the relationship between the two countries, and since she was not his own concubine, thus not causing him any embarrassment, was even more indifferent.

But this time, the princess’s claim surprised everyone. She accused Minister An of being ambitious, despicable, and a petty man.

Minister An had always been respected in court, so she must have had a reason for making such an accusation.

Unexpectedly, Princess Diva indeed presented evidence. It turned out that Minister An had once been a poor scholar from a humble background and was already married. Later, after achieving high honors in the imperial examination, he married the daughter of his benefactor, who is now Lady An. Lady An came from a noble family and naturally could provide more support to Minister An.

To avoid complications, he even poisoned his first wife and brought his two-year-old daughter from her into his household.

That daughter is now Consort De.

As for this daughter, he did not go so far as to kill her.

Lady An was also involved in all these matters.

Princess Rosalind declared that upon learning all this, she deeply felt she had fallen in love with the wrong man and thus insisted on seeking a divorce.

With solid evidence, Emperor Jing could not ignore the matter. In no time, the An family collapsed like a tree whose roots had been cut. Minister An and Lady An were imprisoned, and others in their circle also met unfortunate fates.

But no matter how much turmoil the An household caused, or how many times they pleaded with the eldest daughter of the An family, now elevated to Consort De, she refused to see them.

Some people called her heartless, while others thought it was justified.

Her own birth mother had been murdered, and the murderer was none other than her father. How unbearable that must be.

Upon learning all this, December finally understood the An family’s so-called family secret.

It turned out to be such a matter!

A heartless husband, a noblewoman, and a virtuous wife. Such stories have been common throughout history, and even in Nan Qin, one often heard of similar cases.

A sigh!

In just a short year, the major noble families in the capital had all, without exception, been gradually suppressed by Emperor Jing for various reasons. Those with sharper minds could already see the pattern.

If one still couldn’t perceive the signs at this point, then one must truly be foolish beyond reckoning.

At first, people didn’t understand, but watching Emperor Jing’s decisive and ruthless actions now, there was not a hint of leniency.

Some even speculated how Princess Diva could coincidentally have done all these things.

When too many things happen by coincidence, they are likely orchestrated by human hands.

Looking at the current state of the noble families, the only one that still seemed somewhat intact was the Fu family. But the Fu family had also experienced a mysterious fire this year, which left them severely weakened.

At this time, everyone was keeping a low profile, fearing that a single misstep would make them the Emperor’s target.

In the court, apart from a few ministers who were originally favored by the Emperor, others dared not openly oppose the Emperor’s opinions.

Looking back now, even the previously slightly withdrawn Zhu family could not help but feel relieved. With Concubine Li becoming a nun to pray for the Empress Dowager and the Zhu family thus retreating from the political scene, it turned out to be a fortunate move.

At the very least, they were not disgraced for various unseemly reasons.

Their retreat was dignified, and the Emperor now also showed them some respect.

Initially, the Zhu family was indeed reluctant to step back, but it was fortunate that Zhu Yuning’s uncle, the head of the Zhu family, had a far-sighted vision and insisted on his decision.

Looking back now, it turned out to be a very wise move.

Temporarily stepping back does not necessarily mean staying away forever. But for other families like the Zhous, the Lis, and the Ans, there would be no chance of a comeback.

Inside Xuanning Hall:

Fu Jinyu stood below, speaking in a calm tone: “It seems Your Majesty has already achieved what you desired. Now, it seems only my Fu family remains.”

His words carried no emotion.

“Could it be that Jinyu thinks I truly did this merely to target the noble families and eliminate my political rivals?”

“Of course not, Your Majesty.”

Emperor Jing smiled: “If that were the case, if I really wanted to establish autocratic rule, the first to be dealt with would be you and the Great General.”

Upon hearing this, Fu Jinyu gave a bitter smile.

“My father left the noble families for me to handle, and I cannot leave this issue for my son to resolve. This matter must be resolved. If the noble families’ sons or heads were all like you, Jinyu, I naturally would not act recklessly. But the reality is different. You can see that for yourself. They lack capability, yet they refuse to be mere idle nobles. They insist on forming alliances in court, creating factions, and even trying to influence my decisions, placing their own people in key positions. How could I tolerate such behavior? I am not targeting the noble families specifically; they are simply too disobedient. The court cannot tolerate such parasites. Since they fail to understand this principle, I must make them understand. It is time for a reshuffling of the court.”

Fu Jinyu sighed and nodded.

“However, the cost has been too heavy. Among the noble families’ sons, there are certainly promising talents.”

The Emperor tapped the table: “If there are, then their merits outweigh their demerits. They can compete. Gold will always shine eventually. Without the support of decaying noble families, won’t capable individuals be more easily recognized?”

“Your Majesty naturally thinks more thoroughly than we do.”

In fact, these noble families were indeed too blind to read the situation. When the Emperor first took action against the Zhou family, they should have been alarmed. But they treated that incident as a mere scandal.

As for Minister An, he must have been blinded by greed. How could he dare to provoke Princess Diva? Looking back now, it seems they all got what they deserved.

Although Fu Jinyu did not know the exact circumstances surrounding Princess Diva, he was certain that she must have acted under Emperor Jing’s instructions.

“Go back and draft a memorial. Next year, I will expand the imperial examinations. I have not held them for several years to prevent them from seizing the opportunity.”

The Emperor smiled.

With the court’s cancer removed, he naturally felt cheerful.

Upon hearing this, Fu Jinyu also became energized: “Your servant obeys.”

With the resumption of the imperial examinations, many talented individuals would have the chance to shine.

Thinking about recruiting more talents for the court, Fu Jinyu also felt delighted.

They had all contributed too much to Nan Qin.

And the prosperity of Nan Qin was what they wished to see most.

“Your Majesty, I have a question, and I only hope Your Majesty will answer truthfully.” Fu Jinyu thought for a long time before finally speaking.

Emperor Jing nodded, already anticipating what he would ask.

“It’s about my mother’s matter. Did you know about it beforehand?”

Perhaps this question would offend the Emperor, but to speak disrespectfully, he regarded the Emperor as his own brother.

At this moment, he only wished to know the truth.

Emperor Jing replied seriously: “I only learned about it after the incident occurred.”

Fu Jinyu closed his eyes for a long time before opening them again: “Thank Your Majesty for telling the truth.”