The Regent Keeps Flirting With Me - Chapter 3

“Your Majesty, where is the Regent going?” Yun Zhu looked at Zhou Jin’s departing back with confusion and couldn’t help but ask. Shen Lingyan was, after all, still young. She didn’t ask where Zhou Jin was going, nor did she care to know. She simply gave a few perfunctory responses before getting into the carriage: “To the General’s Manor.”

She had temporarily put aside the political power, but she absolutely had to win over the military power. Didn’t Zhou Jin want to lead the troops out on a campaign? As long as she took the military authority, found an opportunity to threaten her, she should be able to seize the political power, right?

The naive Shen Lingyan believed she held the golden finger of the script, completely unaware that Zhou Jin also possessed her own golden finger.

It was raining again. The already gloomy sky grew darker. It should have been around dusk, but General Dai Junwu had not yet returned home. Yun Zhu held an umbrella for Shen Lingyan, while Shen Lingyan held a hairpin. The large pearl adorning the hairpin was exquisitely beautiful, making even this oppressive and scary sky seem gentle.

The ones who came to greet them were the General’s wife and her fourteen-year-old daughter. It was the General’s wife’s first time meeting the Empress Shen Lingyan. She was both excited and nervous, but as a lady from a good family, her etiquette was proper. When she led Shen Lingyan inside, and Shen Lingyan personally placed the hairpin on the General’s wife’s hair, both the wife and the daughter were obviously stunned.

“Your Majesty! You absolutely must not!” The General’s wife politely refused, trying to take the hairpin off, but Shen Lingyan held her hand down. She spoke softly, “Madam, there is no need to be so polite. A hairpin should be given to a beauty. Besides, it has been a long time since I had the leisure to leave the palace. Consider this a belated gift for Madam.”

Shen Lingyan’s gentleness and generosity deeply moved the mother and daughter. The item itself was secondary; Shen Lingyan’s gesture was truly precious. For an Empress to humble herself and come here, acting in such a manner, was truly exceptional.

Shen Lingyan’s words were also true; the General’s wife was indeed a beautiful woman.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the group fell into silence. Fortunately, it was the General’s fourteen-year-old daughter who broke the silence: “Your Majesty, Lan’er has admired you since she was a child and always wished to accomplish something great. Perhaps one day, I can be of assistance to you…”

Her name was Dai Sulan. Her words were sincere. She was not ignorant of the fact that the Empress’s authority was gradually being hollowed out. On the contrary, precisely because she understood it so well, she always wanted to do something for Shen Lingyan.

Shen Lingyan hadn’t expected to have such a young admirer, so she leaned down and gently pinched Dai Sulan’s cheek: “Even though I am so disheartened now, are you still willing to help me?”

The young girl nodded, without hesitation. Shen Lingyan couldn’t help but sigh in her heart: The original owner actually had such an infatuated little fan!

Before Shen Lingyan could say anything, a person barged into the front hall. The person was wearing military attire. Shen Lingyan knew who he was without waiting for him to introduce himself.

“General Dai, have you been well recently?”

“Thanks to Your Majesty’s good fortune, this subject is very well!”

As expected of a general, his words and actions were much more forthright than the Chancellor’s. After kneeling down and performing a proper salute, he began conversing with Shen Lingyan. It was then that he noticed the hairpin his wife was wearing. His expression changed, and he sat up straight: “Does Your Majesty have a matter of great importance for this visit?”

Shen Lingyan had waited this long to finally hear Dai Junwu say those words. She glanced at the General’s wife and Dai Sulan, and Dai Junwu, understanding the hint, led the mother and daughter to the back courtyard. He then returned and seriously closed the door to the front hall.

“Your Majesty… what is the purpose of this trip?” Although Dai Junwu was a bit crude, he wasn’t foolish. The Empress, who usually never left the palace, suddenly coming to his General’s Manor and giving his wife such a fine hairpin—there must be a reason. Shen Lingyan could tell he was already suspicious, so she skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point: “I intend to send troops to recover lost territory. What is the General’s opinion?”

Dai Junwu was first stunned when he heard this, and then he slapped his thigh and laughed heartily. If he hadn’t considered Shen Lingyan’s status, he would have rushed over to hug her.

Even a rough man was so happy about this matter, showing how united the people’s will was. Shen Lingyan nodded with satisfaction again, but still opened her mouth: “When I wanted to mobilize the military authority, I discovered it was no longer in my hands…”

No matter how relieved she was, Shen Lingyan now had to state her objective. She was still a bit thin-skinned and felt embarrassed to look at Dai Junwu’s face. She simply sat down and picked up a pastry to eat, appearing calm and collected, but feeling extremely flustered inside.

After a long pause, when Dai Junwu spoke again, Shen Lingyan had already eaten two pastries and was just raising her teacup to wash them down. She saw Dai Junwu, a grown man, sighing for a while before slowly turning around: “If Your Majesty wishes to consolidate the military authority from the various generals into your own hands, your subjects dare not disobey. This empire belongs entirely to Your Majesty… but…”

“But you are afraid that the Regent will quickly seize my military authority?” Shen Lingyan finished the sentence Dai Junwu didn’t know how to articulate.

Dai Junwu nodded, a look of distress on his face.

After witnessing the fate of the civil officials, they had dispersed the military authority, thoroughly stripping the Empress Shen Lingyan of her power, but also preventing the Regent Zhou Jin from gaining any advantage. Now that the Empress was finally willing to stop acting crazy and aspire to improve, her subjects had absolutely no reason to obstruct her.

“How could this King seize the military authority? Your Majesty should not accuse people unjustly…” Zhou Jin walked in, still looking the same. Dai Junwu, upon seeing her, completely ignored her act, and resolutely told Shen Lingyan that he would restore the military authority to its rightful owner as soon as possible.

Zhou Jin’s red clothing was slightly wet from the rain, clinging slightly to her skin, making her look quite graceful. Shen Lingyan reluctantly averted her eyes, stammering, “You… what are you doing here again…”

Zhou Jin noticed Shen Lingyan’s nervousness and slowly moved closer to her, ignoring Dai Junwu’s presence. Her red sleeve brushed Shen Lingyan’s neck, causing a slight tickle.

Shen Lingyan shrunk her neck and grabbed Zhou Jin’s hand: “The Regent is overthinking. When did I ever accuse you unjustly?”

Zhou Jin didn’t seem to have come to ask for the military authority. Who was she trying to play the innocent white lotus for now?

In a moment, Shen Lingyan understood: Zhou Jin was playing the innocent white lotus for her to see.

“Your Majesty… with Your Majesty presiding over the military authority, Ah Jin can still use you to suppress these disobedient soldiers when leading the troops. How wonderful that is.” Zhou Jin rubbed against Shen Lingyan’s arm. The eyes that usually showcased Zhou Jin’s arrogance now looked as innocent as a startled fawn, making people unable to bear speaking to her harshly.

Especially with such a beautiful face. Shen Lingyan repeatedly recalled the cruel things Zhou Jin had done to the original owner in her heart, and then put herself in her place. Only then was she barely able to suppress her desire to rub the top of Zhou Jin’s head.

Dai Junwu, knowing better than to interfere, held his teacup and remained silent. Even when Shen Lingyan was ready to leave, Zhou Jin continued to follow her.

“Elder Sister… Ah Jin wants to have dinner at the General’s Manor before leaving. Elder Sister, please keep me company…”

Zhou Jin didn’t even call her ‘Your Majesty’ anymore. Relying on the fact that she was a year younger, she began calling Shen Lingyan ‘Elder Sister.’

It must be said, her tone combined with Zhou Jin’s deliberately seductive voice, these few cries of ‘Elder Sister’ were utterly captivating. Shen Lingyan was completely disarmed.