Chapter 55: Chapter 51: My Prime Minister Grandfather

“Then it’s a deal, Sister-in-law. When I come knocking, don’t you dare slam the door in my face.”

On the cobblestone path, Lu Mingyuan waved goodbye to Yang Yingchan.

Yang Yingchan gave a slight nod, then turned and walked away, her retreating figure still graceful and full of charm.

’Her figure really is something,’ Lu Mingyuan thought. ’Big Brother married a fine wife. Why didn’t he know how to cherish her?’

Shaking his head at the thought, Lu Mingyuan once again set off for Bihu Garden. However, from a distance, a number of Consorts standing on the balconies of their pavilions saw this exchange and began whispering amongst themselves.

“That Sixth Prince, daring to seduce Princess Consort Zhao. He’s truly lost to his lust.”

“If the Eldest Prince weren’t in prison now, it wouldn’t end well for him.”

“The way I see it, it was probably that wanton hussy, Princess Consort Zhao Yang Yingchan, who initiated it!”

Lu Mingyuan’s cultivation realm had advanced rapidly, and he could now hear the faintest sounds from a hundred meters away. Naturally, he heard this malicious gossip, but it only made him more satisfied.

His objective had been achieved.

The more perfect his profligate persona, the safer he was.

Just then, Zi Yun, who was beside him, asked curiously, “Your Highness, is that what you like?”

“What are you talking about? This Prince prefers women with substance.”

Lu Mingyuan hurriedly retorted.

“What is substance?”

“Well…”

Lu Mingyuan thought for a moment before answering, “Substance is something like… ’True grace comes from a wealth of knowledge.’ In any case, it’s a reflection of a person’s upright heart.”

“Is it like a woman with astonishing talent and fame, like Qi Muxue?”

“I suppose so. But it’s not necessarily about scholarship. It could be kindness, or a heart full of benevolence, loyalty, and righteousness.”

Zi Yun’s eyes dimmed. “Then this servant must not have any substance…”

Lu Mingyuan chuckled. “It doesn’t matter if you have substance, but you’re definitely substantial. And that’s enough.”

Hearing this, Zi Yun’s face flushed red, and she lowered her head, lost in thought.

Before long, Lu Mingyuan arrived at Bihu Garden.

The sunlight gently caressed everything in Bihu Garden. Golden rays shone on the lake’s surface, reflecting a magnificent light that was dazzlingly brilliant.

The upturned corners of the pavilion were supported by grayish-white marble pillars, standing serene and steady in the gentle breeze. Gossamer veils hung from the stone steps between the pillars, and as the wind swept by, the thin gauze billowed and danced. The silver-hued fabric intertwined with the sun’s splendor, shimmering with iridescent colors.

From a nearby thicket, a clear spring gurgled forth, forming a green ribbon that wound around the palace before flowing into the depths of the woods. The sparkling points of light glinting in the spring water were a beautiful surprise. Everything was so peaceful and serene.

Lu Mingyuan thought to himself.

’The scenery here really is pleasant and beautiful, like a huge private park. So this is the reek of wealth, is it? I absolutely love it.’

Lu Mingyuan lay down between the hanging curtains of the pavilion, feeling utterly comfortable. ’If only things could stay like this forever.’

If his goal when he first transmigrated was simply to survive, then his goal now was to maintain this leisurely life, be a carefree Prince, and preferably cultivate to the Ninth Realm of the Martial Dao and live for a few hundred years.

However, Lu Mingyuan knew this would likely face considerable resistance. After all, he was in the whirlpool of the succession struggle and needed to be careful at all times. The slightest misstep could still lead to him being schemed against.

“So this is where you were. You had your grandfather searching all over for you.”

At that moment, a middle-aged man with graying temples and a rugged face appeared at the garden entrance. He was dressed in a Vermilion Robe and had a smile on his face. Though his face showed his age, his complexion was rosy, and his Essence, Qi, and Spirit were excellent. If a Qi Cultivator were to observe him with the Qi Observation Skill, they would discover a wisp of purple-green qi on his face—a symbol of a meteoric rise in his official career.

When Lu Mingyuan saw it was his grandfather, Wang He’fu, he quickly sat up. “Grandfather, you were looking for me?”

At the same time, he noticed a detail. Wang He’fu’s official robes were much newer than before, and the ordinary gold fish bag he wore had been replaced with a Red Gold Fish Bag. A look of delight appeared on Lu Mingyuan’s face:

“Grandfather, you’ve been promoted?”

Wang He’fu smiled slightly and nodded. “Yes, that’s right. By the Holy Emperor’s trust, I have entered the Cabinet and been appointed Minister of Wen Yuan University.”

“Congratulations, Grandfather! Your grandson will be able to bask in your glory now.”

Lu Mingyuan said with a grin.

’My mother is a favored Noble Consort, my grandfather is the Prime Minister, and my old man is the Emperor. In a way, isn’t this the ultimate expression of wealth and status?’

Seeing Lu Mingyuan’s reaction, a hint of gratification flashed in Wang He’fu’s eyes, but it was accompanied by a trace of guilt. He sighed. “This was all earned by you, Yuan’er.”

“Grandfather, what do you mean by that?”

Lu Mingyuan’s heart skipped a beat, and he asked in confusion.

Wang He’fu began to explain seriously, “If you hadn’t refused to leave the palace that night, your grandfather wouldn’t be enjoying such a smooth official career now. More importantly, the new Prime Ministers the Holy Emperor has chosen all share one characteristic.”

“What characteristic?”

“They haven’t taken sides.”

Wang He’fu said in a low voice, “Clearly, after the coup, the Holy Emperor is no longer using officials who participated in the struggle. Instead, he has appointed many officials from the Lower Class. The main reason your grandfather was able to enter the Cabinet this time is because you were in the Cold Palace.”

As soon as his grandfather said this, Lu Mingyuan quickly understood.

The reason Wang He’fu was chosen to become a Prime Minister was that Lu Mingyuan himself had lost any chance of inheriting the throne and hadn’t participated in the struggle for it. Therefore, the Holy Emperor could appoint his grandfather without worry.

For every loss, there is a gain. That was the principle at play.

That was why Wang He’fu felt that with every step he took forward in the Imperial Court, his guilt toward Lu Mingyuan grew.

“Grandfather came to find you this time because the situation in the court has changed again. But before that, Grandfather must ask you a question. We’re grandfather and grandson, so let’s speak frankly. Tell me, do you have any intention of fighting for the throne?”

Looking into Wang He’fu’s serious eyes, Lu Mingyuan didn’t flinch. He simply shook his head and said:

“Grandfather, I truly have no such thoughts.”

“You know your grandson. Aside from sleeping with women, I have no interest in anything else. How could I possibly be Emperor material? Besides, my Second, Third, and Fourth Brothers are all more senior and qualified than I am. Even if there was a line, it wouldn’t be my turn.”

Wang He’fu was not surprised by Lu Mingyuan’s answer. He nodded slightly. “Contentment is good. Contentment is a rare and precious quality. In this world, how many people have met their doom by seeking wealth and status through danger, all because of their insatiable greed? The examples are countless. The Eldest Prince, Lu Changfeng, was dealt a great hand, but he played it terribly. He was just too discontented and too impatient.”

“It’s good that you’re like this. A lifetime of wealth and honor is not a bad thing at all.”

A smile returned to Wang He’fu’s face.

“Don’t worry. With your grandfather and your mother here, you have nothing to fear. The repercussions of the coup are gradually winding down. The Patriarchs of the Xie and Cui Families have been beheaded, their male descendants exiled to the Border Region, and all the women of their households have been thrown into the Music Bureau. Our Wang Family has also absorbed a good portion of their vast estates. Your life of luxury is certainly not a problem.”

“A family’s hundred-year foundation, brought to an end just like that. What a pity.”

Lu Mingyuan couldn’t help but sigh.

Wang He’fu chuckled and shook his head. “What does a hundred-year foundation matter? It’s nothing against a single word from the current Holy Emperor. With the lingering authority from his sixty-year reign, he’s specifically targeting the troublemakers. Even our Wang Family has to keep its head down. Not everyone understands the principle of the nail that sticks up getting hammered down.”

“Furthermore, the situation in the Imperial Court has been reshuffled again. Your Third Brother and Eighth Brother have become hot commodities in the eyes of the officials.”

Lu Mingyuan didn’t care about court affairs and had no idea what had happened outside during this time. He asked curiously, “Eighth Brother is also contending for the Emperor’s Throne? Why is that?”

Wang He’fu said meaningfully, “After the Eldest Prince fell, his remaining partisans and the forces behind him didn’t choose to side with the Second Prince—after all, the two factions were mortal enemies. Instead, half of them, the Civil Servants led by the Confucian Temple, pledged their allegiance to the Eighth Prince. The other half, the Military General Families led by the Seven Great Marquis’s Mansions, along with the scions of the Second-tier Noble Families in the Great Yan Army, have all gathered under the Third Prince’s banner.”

“The Seven Great Marquis’s Mansions?”

Hearing this, Lu Mingyuan murmured to himself.

In the Great Yan Army, to encourage soldiers to fight bravely without worrying about their future, the system of military merit was based on a modification of the “Twenty Ranks of Nobility” from an ancient dynasty, changed to the “Twenty-Five Ranks of Military Nobility.”

It was divided into twenty-five levels. The top four ranks were: Four Symbols General, Becoming a Marquis, Titled King, and Celestial King.

The rank of Celestial King had only been established when Great Yan was first founded, granted to a few founding heroes. It was also established during major crises when the Emperor was unable to make decisions and the army lacked a leader, to add a sense of weight. For example, on the hundredth anniversary of Great Yan’s founding, a Grand General was appointed in a time of crisis to resist the Northern Country. He turned the tide and saved Great Yan, and was later granted the title of Taiping Celestial King. However, this title was not for life; once the holder died, it was gone.

Currently in Great Yan, aside from Prince Zhenbei, Yang Xiao, there were seven Grand Generals who had become Marquis. These seven men, all at the Middle Fifth Grade of cultivation, and the Marquis Mansions they formed, could be said to be the ceiling of power within the Great Yan Army.

He just hadn’t expected Lu Guangyao’s prestige in the army to be so high that he could gain the support of the Seven Great Marquis’s Mansions.

“Grandfather has heard that you’ve also gotten to know Qi Muxue, the daughter of Master Qi?”

Wang He’fu looked at Lu Mingyuan with an expectant expression.

Lu Mingyuan smiled sheepishly. “We met by chance.”

Wang He’fu nodded and instructed, “If you can build a good relationship with her, then do so. We may not be fighting for the throne, but we cannot be completely unprepared.”

“Your grandson understands.”

Lu Mingyuan answered obediently.

“From your grandfather’s perspective, Qi Xingyan shouldn’t remain idle for long. He is, after all, one of the few Great Scholars in Great Yan, a man of high status and a living signboard. If the Holy Emperor wants to win over the scholars of the world, he must make good use of this signboard.”

Lu Mingyuan praised him from the bottom of his heart, “Grandfather, you think so far ahead.”

Wang He’fu smiled. “It’s nothing. If you had also floated and sunk in the court for several decades like your grandfather, you would also develop such a keen sense.”

Having said most of what he wanted to say, Wang He’fu also stood up, preparing to leave.

“Cultivate diligently, eat and drink well. If anything comes up, have your mother pass a message to me.”

Lu Mingyuan nodded repeatedly.

“Farewell, Grandfather.”

Seeing that it was about time, Lu Mingyuan left Bihu Garden with Zi Yun.

On the way, he was drawn to the figure of someone in a white Daoist Robe with a Peach Wood Sword on their back. This person was handsome, elegant, and very young, with a profound aura. He walked through the palace with light, nimble steps that held a certain mystery. Behind him, the faint aura of thunder seemed to rise, like fire and lightning, emitting a low, deep rumble. He was utterly inscrutable.

Looking at his direction, he was actually heading toward Qianyuan Hall.

’Why is there a Daoist in the palace?’

Lu Mingyuan couldn’t help but wonder.

…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep