The Regent Keeps Flirting With Me - Chapter 2

“Your Highness, Shen Lingyan actually wants to handle state affairs now?” a man in blue stood beside Zhou Jin, asking.

Zhou Jin was staring distractedly at Shen Lingyan, who was seated on her sedan chair, dressed in a magnificent phoenix robe, and was utterly stunning. When she heard the man’s question, she felt a slight annoyance.

“She is the Empress, so taking charge of governance is naturally what she should do. It’s just her temperament…” Why does she seem a little different?

The former Shen Lingyan used to go mad whenever she saw her, as if she were looking at her father’s murderer. But now, she was willing to talk to her calmly, and even tried to set a trap in their conversation. If Zhou Jin hadn’t been quick-witted, she might have fallen into Shen Lingyan’s scheme.

While Zhou Jin pondered, the man in blue felt unable to gauge Zhou Jin’s mood, so he lowered his eyes and stopped talking, quietly following behind her.

It wasn’t until Shen Lingyan’s sedan chair had moved far away that Zhou Jin turned around and instructed the man in blue faintly: “Go see where she is headed, and come back and tell this King immediately.”

The man in blue acknowledged, immediately flew to follow, his steps light and silent.

Zhou Jin’s red robes swayed slightly in the wind, and the tassels on her head also swung. A subtle hook appeared on the corner of her lips, as if she had locked onto her prey.

Outside the Imperial Palace, in front of the Prime Minister’s residence.

The rain had stopped, but the sky remained overcast. Shen Lingyan’s carriage stopped steadily, the bells and crystal ornaments on it swaying continuously, creating a loud noise that caused the guards at the gate to rush forward and kneel in welcome. Shen Lingyan was not in a hurry to alight. As an Empress, she would absolutely not step down until the Prime Minister came to greet her.

Sure enough, after a short while, Prime Minister Wei Kangsheng was seen running hurriedly to the gate, leading his subordinates to perform a full kowtow. Only then did Shen Lingyan narrow her eyes in satisfaction and step down from the carriage with the support of Yun zhu, walking up to Prime Minister Wei Kangsheng.

“Your… Your Majesty, why would you grace this humble residence of your subject?” Wei Kangsheng knelt there nervously, not daring to raise his head to look at the Empress Shen Lingyan who had suddenly sprung this visit, perhaps out of guilt.

Shen Lingyan looked down at Wei Kangsheng. Of course, she knew that Wei Kangsheng had long been on Zhou Jin’s side. Almost all the civil and military officials in the court had been replaced by Zhou Jin. If Shen Lingyan wanted to regain power, she had to start with these patriotic veteran officials.

Wei Kangsheng only sided with Zhou Jin because Zhou Jin had promised him some good measures for the country’s peace and prosperity. What the entire nation currently wished for most was the recovery of the lost border territories. Zhou Jin had not yet taken any action, and today, Shen Lingyan’s goal was to use the recovery of lost territories as leverage to make Wei Kangsheng switch sides.

In the original book, it was Zhou Jin who used the recovery of lost territories to successfully win over countless officials, thereby emptying Shen Lingyan of her power. Now that Shen Lingyan held the script, she had to be faster than Zhou Jin in everything.

“Rise first. I have come, firstly, to visit my dear subject, and secondly, for an important matter.”

Hearing Shen Lingyan’s gentle voice, Wei Kangsheng instead broke out in a cold sweat. This Empress was known for her vulgarity and madness; how could she ever speak in such a soft tone?

He tremblingly stood up, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead: “Your Majesty must be joking. If there is an important matter, even if it were thousands of miles away, your subject should trek over mountains and rivers to see you, let alone this mere short distance. How could we trouble you to come?”

As he spoke the polite words, he led Shen Lingyan into the residence. Shen Lingyan ignored Wei Kangsheng, simply scrutinizing the furnishings of the Prime Minister’s residence. As expected of a patriotic veteran official, he was unwilling to spend money even on extra decorations; Wei Kangsheng perfectly embodied being incorruptible. Perhaps he wasn’t a good minister for the Emperor, but he was a good official for the common people.

Shen Lingyan continuously praised Wei Kangsheng in her heart, until they reached the main hall, her gaze towards Wei Kangsheng carried much satisfaction. However, this look made Wei Kangsheng feel uneasy.

A cup of steaming, high-quality tea was brought forward. Shen Lingyan picked up a cup and took a light sip. She didn’t comment on the tea, immediately getting straight to the point.

“The lost border territories have now become the biggest heartache for my dear subjects, the common people, and myself. I was just about to prepare provisions and the like to march out and recover them, but unexpectedly, I find I no longer hold much substantial power…” Shen Lingyan’s words were thought-provoking, but Wei Kangsheng didn’t have time to think too much. He stood up with a clank, his eyes filling with tears as he looked at Shen Lingyan: “Your Majesty is finally willing to send troops to recover the lost territories!”

This sentence, which Wei Kangsheng had longed to hear for so long, instantly made Shen Lingyan feel a lump in her throat. In truth, what the common people wanted was nothing more than a peaceful and prosperous country. How could they allow others to invade their homeland! Although her current motive was not pure, she could still see the excitement of this old man who had navigated officialdom for decades, showing how long they had been waiting.

After laughing heartily towards the clear sky a few times, Wei Kangsheng immediately fell to his knees in front of Shen Lingyan: “Your old subject deserves death for not knowing Your Majesty’s predicament! Your subject is willing to go before all the ministers and plead with the Regent, Your Highness, on your behalf to reclaim a portion of your authority! May Your Majesty keep your promise!”

Hearing this, Shen Lingyan immediately stood up and helped Wei Kangsheng rise. She was overjoyed in her heart. Was reclaiming authority not that difficult? Just as she was about to slap her chest to guarantee it, she suddenly saw a figure in red robes drift in. At the same time, Shen Lingyan’s face darkened.

“Regent Zhou Jin pays her respects to Her Majesty the Empress.” Zhou Jin’s bow this time was not perfunctory at all; she said it with great seriousness, and then looked at Wei Kangsheng with a wronged expression: “Does the Prime Minister not trust that Zhou Jin can recover the lost territories by personally leading the troops?”

“Personally, leading the troops!?”

Shen Lingyan and Wei Kangsheng asked out loud in unison, then looked at each other in confusion. Shen Lingyan thought, this is bad, and was about to intervene, but Zhou Jin had already spoken.

“This King was already prepared to personally lead the troops to battle and recover the lost territories next month. Who would have thought, while still in the preparation stage, Your Majesty would already distrust this King…” Zhou Jin once again switched on her ‘white lotus’ skills, making Shen Lingyan’s teeth itch. Her small fists were tightly clenched; she wanted to tear off one of her hairpins and stab Zhou Jin a few times just to vent her anger.

As if feeling Shen Lingyan’s resentful gaze, Zhou Jin reluctantly stood up straight and stopped sobbing, only fixing her eyes on Wei Kangsheng, waiting for his decision.

Wei Kangsheng was not someone who couldn’t calculate. Now, Zhou Jin had already begun preparations early. If he were to go discuss with other ministers about having the Regent return authority, what if the Regent was disheartened and unwilling to lead the troops?

Due to these reasons, Wei Kangsheng was no longer so determined to give the authority back to Shen Lingyan. He only looked at her tactfully: “Your subject feels that what the Regent said is extremely reasonable. Your Majesty, what do you think…”

Shen Lingyan waved her hand, unwilling to say more, tacitly agreeing to Wei Kangsheng’s suggestion, and fiercely holding the grudge against Zhou Jin.

Outside the Prime Minister’s residence, Zhou Jin still looked innocent as she faced Shen Lingyan. Just as Shen Lingyan was about to get into her carriage, she turned back and leaned close to Zhou Jin’s ear, whispering: “I don’t think anything of it, I just find it pathetic. I am the dignified Empress, yet even taking back what I deserve is so difficult…”

Zhou Jin’s smile gradually froze. She looked at Shen Lingyan’s frosty face. Their eyes met, both filled with something amiss, but more so with anger.

“This will always be Your Majesty’s…” Zhou Jin was unwilling to argue with her, dropping this sentence as she watched Shen Lingyan depart.

She did not pay any attention to Wei Kangsheng either, but headed in the opposite direction from Shen Lingyan…