knife

Chapter 157 The Female Lead of Southern Chu
It was early spring, but the remnants of winter had not yet faded completely outside the pass. In some nooks and crannies, traces of white could still be found occasionally. In the river, the crystal-clear ice, washed by the water, rose and fell with the waves, eventually merging with the river over time, becoming indistinguishable from it.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Jiangnan, spring is in full bloom.

The peach blossoms are in full bloom, red, pink, and white flowers stretching out their shapes to the fullest, releasing their fragrance under the sun, attracting bees and butterflies to dance and flutter among the flowers. Finally, covered in pollen, they go to another place to complete their great task of procreation.

Laughter drifted from among the flowering trees. A six- or seven-year-old boy was running and waving a net, trying his best to catch a large, colorful butterfly not far ahead of him. But the butterfly was very clever, flying around the net and sometimes even landing on it, but it just wouldn't give in.

Several young women, holding up their skirts with both hands, ran closely behind the boy, their temples already damp with sweat and panting heavily.

"Your Majesty, be careful, there's a embankment ahead!" a woman shouted.

Before the sound had even faded, the boy running ahead tripped and fell flat on his face, even throwing his butterfly net aside.

Several women were terrified and rushed forward to surround the boy, helping him up.

The child, his face covered in mud and flower petals, burst into tears. Tears streamed down his face, carrying petals with him. One petal ended up on his chin, while another remained near his lips. With a flick of his tongue, the child swallowed the petal.

A woman picked up the net and exclaimed in surprise, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, look! We've caught them! We've caught them!"

Inside the net, the large, colorful butterfly that had been chased for quite some time was lying there obediently. Presumably, when the boy fell, the net swung downwards and caught him perfectly.

The boy immediately stopped crying and started laughing.

This truly proves the saying, "Flowers planted with care may not bloom, while willows planted unintentionally may thrive."

Not far from the boy, under a large tree, a languid woman reclined on a soft blanket, her head propped up on her elbow. Her gaze seemed to be fixed on the boy playing among the flowering trees in front of her, but upon closer inspection, her eyes were unfocused and her mind was clearly elsewhere.

Her jet-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, covering most of her face before finally spreading across the blanket.

The woman was barefoot, one leg curled up beneath her, the other stretched out straight, her toenails adorned with bright red dots. Lying on her side, she displayed her perfect curves, one hand gently patting her high hip bones.

Within a dozen or so steps around the flowering tree, several eunuchs and palace maids stood with their heads bowed or sat cross-legged, but their eyes were all fixed on the woman. They could respond immediately if the woman made the slightest move.

This woman is none other than Empress Dowager Jiang Qian, the actual ruler of the Great Chu Dynasty. And the one frolicking among the flowers is none other than the young emperor of the Great Chu Dynasty: Xiong Kuo.

Despite being called the Empress Dowager, Jiang Qian is actually only in her early twenties.

However, her actions over the past two years have made everyone subconsciously overlook her age.

She became the Crown Princess at fifteen, the Empress at eighteen, and a widow at nineteen. Then, as if she had a cheat code, she rose rapidly in the chaotic Chu court. Now, at twenty-two, Jiang Qian has firmly grasped the power of Chu in her hands.

Footsteps echoed along the path, and an elderly eunuch with gray hair hurried over to Jiang Qian's side, whispering, "Empress Dowager, the Prime Minister requests an audience!"

Jiang Qian gave a soft "hmm," sat up straight, and hid her bare feet under her skirt. "Please let him in!"

The Chancellor, Xiong Shoucheng, was fifty-seven years old.

Just by looking at his surname, one can tell that he came from the royal family of Southern Chu.

In the State of Chu, there was an unwritten but customary rule that the prime minister was always a member of the royal family.

The previous prime minister, Xiong Yi, resigned a year ago due to illness and closed his doors to visitors. Xiong Shoucheng was eventually chosen by Jiang Qian and became the new prime minister.

Xiong Shoucheng was quite famous in Southern Chu.

However, this reputation did not stem from his governance; in fact, he never held even a minor official position in his entire life. But he was extremely famous for his scholarship. In his youth, he traveled to the Qin Dynasty to study under Yu Entai. After returning from his studies, he devoted himself to scholarship in the Chu State. For decades, he compiled and collected countless books for the Chu State, and even paid out of his own pocket to gather scholars to collect, research, and supplement many lost and incomplete books. Today, the Danyang Royal Library far surpasses the Chang'an Academy, thanks to Xiong Shoucheng's efforts over the past few decades.

For him, being the prime minister was truly a difficult job.

But I can't just not do it.

The position of former prime minister Xiong Yi was left vacant after he suddenly resigned.

The Xiong family, being members of the royal family, naturally did not want to relinquish the position of prime minister to anyone else.

Because once this tradition is broken, it's very difficult to bring it back. Unfortunately, the Xiong clan of the imperial family is currently suffering from a severe lack of talent, making it extremely difficult to find someone who can command public support. More importantly, this person also needs the approval of the Empress Dowager.

If the Empress Dowager doesn't approve, everything is for naught.

After much deliberation, Xiong Shoucheng was finally chosen. Upon seeing Jiang Qian's current state, Xiong Shoucheng, who had been rushing over, slowed his pace, hesitating whether to approach her.

Jiang Qian's current attire is far too casual.

"Prime Minister, please come over here!" Jiang Qian said with a smile from afar.

Xiong Shoucheng cupped his hands in a gesture of respect from a distance: "Your Majesty, I suggest we come at another time!"

“The Prime Minister is an elder, and I should call him Uncle. We are family, why be so formal? Kuo’er, go and invite your great-uncle over!” Jiang Qian said with a smile.

The six-year-old boy walked over with a pained expression.

He disliked Xiong Shoucheng.

Because Xiong Shoucheng, the prime minister, also served as the crown prince's tutor, Xiong Kuo, at the age of six, had already begun his education.

Reading is, of course, a chore.

"Grand Tutor!" The little boy, who had just been laughing and carefree, now transformed into a mature man, clasping his hands in a solemn and meticulous bow.

It wasn't that he wanted to, but if he wasn't careful, the Grand Tutor would punish him with a slap on the hand!
Looking at the boy in front of him, Xiong Shoucheng smiled. Although Xiong Kuo was still young, he was intelligent and sensible and would surely achieve great things in the future.

She then took Xiong Kuo's hand and walked over slowly.

The eunuch had already placed a soft cushion in front of Jiang Qian.

"Go play, Kuo'er, catch a few more butterflies!" Jiang Qian said with a smile, looking at Xiong Kuo who was standing awkwardly with his hands hanging down.

The little boy was overjoyed upon hearing this and turned to run away.

"This child is intelligent!" Jiang Qian smiled as she watched the boy's retreating figure. "Although he has only just begun his education, his talent is already evident. With the Prime Minister's guidance, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will undoubtedly become a wise and benevolent ruler in a dozen or so years. But some people are unwilling to even wait those dozen or so years. We've only had a few days of peace, and they're already trying to stir up trouble! The Prime Minister rushed to the palace to see me today, presumably for this very reason?"

Xiong Shoucheng nodded and said, "Empress Dowager, those arrogant people are all confused, self-righteous, and ignorant of the greater good. I beg you to hand them over to me for instruction. After all, Xiong Qingxian is still His Majesty's biological father, and we should at least give His Majesty some face."

Jiang Qian smiled and said, "A delusional person? Not necessarily. Does the Prime Minister know what Xiong Qingxian said in private and what he colluded with? You are probably the last person they want to win over. In their eyes, everything is ready and things will fall into place!"

Sweat dripped down Xiong Shoucheng's face: "Could they have already colluded with the military?"

Jiang Qian smiled and said, "This Xiong Qingxian is quite capable. He even persuaded Sun Jun, the deputy general of the Shence Army. He is already preparing to launch an attack at the grand court in three days to seize back the regency from me, end the situation of the Great Chu being ruled by a hen, and restore peace and order!"

"How could this be? I thought they were just talking." Xiong Shoucheng knew things had gone wrong. If it were just a bit of lighthearted banter, Jiang Qian might have just laughed it off, but once the military was involved, it was outright treason.

Moreover, judging from Jiang Qian's attitude, everything was clearly under her control.

Xiong Qingxian and his group's so-called secret plot was nothing but a joke.

"The Prime Minister hasn't disappointed me after all!" Jiang Qian said with a smile. "He came to me as soon as he received the news. Prime Minister, please go back with peace of mind. Nothing will change. What's happening today will be happening tomorrow!"

"Empress Dowager, what about that Kuo'er?"

"The day Kuo'er was adopted by the late Emperor, he had nothing to do with Xiong Qingxian anymore. How could Xiong Qingxian's rebellion involve Kuo'er?" Jiang Qian looked up at the children playing with the palace maids in the peach grove in the distance and said with a smile.

"Since everything is under the Empress Dowager's control, I beg you to have mercy and not involve innocent people!" Xiong Shoucheng said.

"Who are the innocent people?" Jiang Qian countered. "However, since you, Prime Minister, have spoken, I will give you face. Xiong Qingxian and his other sons are certainly not going to live. The other women will not be pursued. As for Sun Jun and the others, their entire families will be exterminated. What do you think?"

Xiong Guocheng let out a long sigh of relief. He knew that this was perhaps the best outcome he could achieve.

"Your Majesty is kind and benevolent! This subject takes his leave!"

"Prime Minister, you should stay in the capital tonight. There will surely be chaos outside tonight, and someone might try to break into your residence. It will be safer to stay in the capital."

“But my family!” Xiong Shoucheng exclaimed in surprise.

"With you gone, they're naturally safe, and I'll have people guarding them too!" Jiang Qian waved her hand and said. "You'll have a lot to do tomorrow, and the grand court assembly the day after tomorrow absolutely cannot be affected in the slightest!"

(End of this chapter)