You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

The Southern Chen dynasty had a long tradition of holding small court assemblies.

The so-called "small court assembly" was a meeting between the emperor and his key ministers to discuss important national affairs.

Sometimes it was an audience with the emperor, and sometimes it was an audience requested by his ministers.

Today, Shi Wenqing and the representatives of several powerful families reached an agreement and came to the palace to see Lu Zuo to discuss the matter of whether the sons of powerful families could be exempted from minor offenses.

To put it bluntly, they came to ask the emperor for special privileges.

......

Inside the Imperial Study, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

On the large imperial desk were piles of documents awaiting approval, and on the wall hung a map of the country.

The decor here is not luxurious, but it exudes a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

Shi Wenqing stood before the imperial desk, his eyes burning as he stared intently at the Imperial Seal on the table, his fingertips trembling slightly.

If it weren't for the presence of others, I would have already grasped the jade seal inscribed with "By the mandate of Heaven, may your reign be long and prosperous" in my hand...

How many people in the world can resist the temptation of these eight words?

Ever since Li Cheng'an replaced Chen Shubao with Lu Zuo and proposed changing the dynasty and recommending himself as emperor, Shi Wenqing has been dreaming of that day!

He...he...desperately wanted to be emperor!

"That's overstepping my bounds..."

Behind Shi Wenqing, an elderly man with a slender build, refined demeanor, three long wisps of beard, slightly graying hair, and gentle eyes muttered to himself.

This man's surname was Lu, his given name was Yuan, and his courtesy name was Wenyuan. He was the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat of the Great Chen Dynasty and a representative figure of the Lu clan of Wu Commandery.

Since His Majesty returned from his incognito visit, the political landscape of the court has undergone a complete transformation.

Although he and Li Chengan were once quite favored, they were cautious and sycophantic.

What now?

Yet it has a sense of unbridled recklessness!

Lu Wenyuan glanced at the people beside him and noticed that they were also squinting and deep in thought, probably pondering the same question as him.

Little did people know that Shih Wen-ching's so-called request for special privileges from the aristocratic families was actually a political performance.

After all, he couldn't succeed in dealing with the Shen family without the support of other powerful families.

His act of usurpation was both a reflection of his ambition and part of his performance.

"His Majesty has arrived."

A shrill shout came from outside the door, and the six people in the imperial study immediately became solemn and straightened their appearance.

Shi Wenqing, however, did not seem to care much, and only reluctantly stepped down from in front of the imperial desk.

With a creak, the door to the Imperial Study slowly opened.

Lu Zuo, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, stepped inside.

"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty, long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" Everyone bowed in unison.

"My beloved subjects, rise."

Lu Zuo waved his hand, went behind the imperial desk, sat on the dragon throne, and scanned the crowd with his eyes.

The representative figure of the Yu clan of Donghai was Yu Hongsheng, the Grand Minister of Agriculture; the representative figure of the Su clan of Qiantang was Su Bojian, the General of the Cavalry.

There was also Gu Chengye of the Gu family of Jurong, Wei Huizhi of the Wei family of Guangling, Xie Daoan of the Xie family of Kuaiji, and Lu Wenyuan of the Lu family of Wujun.

It is obvious that Shi Wenqing has been getting close to them recently and is trying to win them over.

"Why have you, my esteemed ministers, suddenly requested an audience?"

Shi Wenqing stepped forward first, without bowing or making a gesture of respect, and said in a loud voice, "Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, I impeach Shen Mai, the Vice Director of the Chancellery, for forming cliques and engaging in favoritism, thus obstructing the flow of information and preventing Your Majesty from hearing about the hardships of the people and the true situation on the frontier!"

"Furthermore, Shen Keqing, a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat, has been in close correspondence with certain military commanders, raising suspicions of interference in military affairs and plotting treason!"

"as well as……"

He spoke eloquently and passionately, impeaching more than a dozen key figures of the Shen family in Wuxing in one go.

This also includes Shen An, the prefect of Nantong, who had just returned to the capital to report on his duties.

"Your Majesty, please issue an edict ordering the Ministry of Justice to take the lead, with the Black-Clad Guards assisting, to thoroughly investigate those involved."

Lu Zuo nodded: "Approved."

Upon hearing this, the representatives of the major families were all shocked, and their gazes toward Shi Wenqing changed.

They clearly agreed to help our aristocratic family fight for special privileges, so how did it turn into impeaching the Shen family of Wuxing?

And the emperor listened to him without question and agreed without thinking.

Has Shi Wenqing already been able to influence His Majesty to such an extent?

Or……

Has His Majesty long intended to eliminate the Shen family of Wuxing?

At this moment, Shi Wenqing said again:

"Your Majesty, what I just presented was to rectify the court and set things right."

"However, governing a country is like cooking a small fish; one needs both a strong fire to remove the defects and a gentle fire to nourish the essence."

"Today, your humble servants and I have come here with another matter concerning the foundation of the nation, which we hope Your Majesty will decide upon."

Lu Zuo gave a soft "Mmm": "Go on."

Shi Wenqing took half a step forward and continued, "Our Great Chen Dynasty has stood strong for generations; what has it relied on to achieve this?"

"Besides His Majesty's wisdom and martial prowess, it is also because the powerful families of Jiangnan have devoted their manpower, financial resources, and efforts to sharing weal and woe with the nation."

"The scions of prominent families are outstanding talents, some serving in the imperial court day and night, others guarding the land and protecting the people, and still others studying classics and history to pass on the cultural heritage. They are truly the pillars of the nation and the foundation of the country."

"Yes."

"Gold is never pure, and no man is perfect."

"Young men from noble families are bound to be hot-blooded and sometimes make mistakes."

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you issue an edict to destroy the records of past misdeeds of the scions of noble families and to show them leniency and compassion."

"Those from noble families, unless they commit one of the ten heinous crimes, will either be exempted, pardoned, or given a light punishment."

"Only in this way can we preserve the foundation of the nation, the talents of distinguished families, and ensure the long-term stability and lasting peace of our Great Chen!"

Lu Zuo chuckled inwardly. These days, the scions of powerful families are acting recklessly and arrogantly. Now you want me to destroy the files directly? Wouldn't the world be in chaos?

He nodded: "Approved."

"Your Majesty is wise!" Shi Wenqing exclaimed.

The six great families, on the other hand, were somewhat bewildered and shocked.

I originally thought it would take a lot of talking and a long negotiation, but I didn't expect Shi Wenqing to resolve it with just a few words.

It seems...

Shi Wenqing has already managed to make His Majesty listen to and believe him blindly.

"They really want to take action against the Shen family!"

Looking at the expressions of the major families, Shi Wenqing felt very smug.

After today, his prestige in their eyes will greatly increase, and he will continue to use the emperor's name to establish his authority.

Isn't the purpose of supporting Lu Zuo to rise to power precisely this?

Until he had enough prestige to usurp the throne.

This kid is useless now...

……

After the performance, the members of the six great families left one after another, but Shi Wenqing stayed behind.

He walked to the imperial desk, fiddled with the Imperial Seal of the State, and grinned, saying, "You did well today."

Lu Zuo stood up and stepped aside: "This humble subject is dull-witted, but it is thanks to Lord Shi's excellent guidance."

The eunuch has already told him what to do today.

"Hehehe..."

"This child is teachable, this child is teachable."

Shi Wenqing sat gracefully on the dragon throne and said in a deep voice, "You should not leave the palace for the time being."

Lu Zuo nodded hurriedly, putting on a humble and fearful expression: "Yes, this humble subject will obey your orders, sir."

"As long as you obey, you will enjoy endless wealth and luxury."

Shi Wenqing gave another instruction, then got up and walked out of the Imperial Study.

"Also, Eunuch Li will be returning from Nanxu in a few days."

Upon reaching the study door, he suddenly remembered this matter, turned around and said something to Lu Zuo, then pushed open the door and strode away.

……

A short while later.

Shi Wenqing walked on the palace road, his feet treading on the white jade stone surface. His gaze slowly swept over the majestic palaces on both sides, as well as the eunuchs and palace maids coming and going.

"It won't be long..."

"Everything here belongs to me!"