Governing the country, enriching the people, an unparalleled imperial tutor

Wei Cheng was sent to stand guard outside the palace by the two men. Before leaving, he looked back at Lin Yanzhou three times, as if he were looking at a living ancestor.

He finally understood that today's mission was of hellish difficulty. Making the right choice was his duty; making the wrong choice would be defying fate and destroying the dynasty. No matter how much pressure a powerful minister faced, it couldn't compare to the late emperor's message. He might as well pretend to be deaf and dumb, obediently guarding the gate, letting whoever wanted to cause trouble do so.

The palace doors closed gently, shutting out the eyes and ears of those outside the corridor.

The large side hall was quiet and peaceful, with only the beams and pillars covered in dust, and no trace of the grim atmosphere remained.

Without the constraints of outsiders, Emperor Jinghe completely shed his imperial persona, becoming like an ordinary young man who had been holding back for a long time. He sighed deeply and slumped wearily onto the soft stone cushions in the hall.

"Sir, thank you for your help earlier. If Wei Cheng had really made a move, something terrible would have happened in my Jingxin Side Hall today."

Lin Yanzhou sat down opposite him casually, without any of the restraint of a courtier. The relaxed aura of the middle-aged man just diluted the oppressive atmosphere of the deep palace.

"It was nothing, and besides, you just saved me." He said calmly, "However, I'm new here and know absolutely nothing. If I want to help His Majesty break out of this predicament, I must first understand the situation."

"I ask, Your Majesty answers; there's no need to hide anything, just tell the truth."

Emperor Jinghe was taken aback for a moment, then nodded obediently like a student: "Please ask, sir, I will answer whatever I know."

Lin Yanzhou spoke clearly and directly, getting straight to the point, and first asked the most crucial question: "Who is the most powerful minister in the court today? And to what extent does his power extend?"

Mentioning this man, Emperor Jinghe's eyes instantly clouded over, and his tone was filled with a deep sense of powerlessness: "Grand Tutor Zhang Lin, the current chief minister, the head of all officials."

"Before the late emperor passed away, he often secluded himself and appointed him as a regent to manage state affairs. But as soon as the late emperor left, he turned around and took control of the cabinet and the six ministries. Half of the civil and military officials in the court were his protégés and former subordinates."

"In the present court, government orders do not leave the Zichen Palace, and officials only know Grand Tutor Zhang, not me, the emperor."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yanzhou instantly understood the situation.

This is a classic scenario of a powerful minister usurping power. The regent turns against the young emperor, seizing control of the court and monopolizing the officialdom. It's just like the veterans in the modern workplace who take over the old boss's business and then turn against the new boss. It's domineering and unsolvable.

He pressed on, "And what about military power? Who holds the reins of the Imperial Guards, the Beijing Garrison, and the border defenses?"

Emperor Jinghe gave a wry smile and shook his head: "The Imperial Guards are mostly controlled by Zhang Lin's nephew. Wei Cheng just now was merely a pawn, obeying the Zhang family. The commander of the Capital Garrison is Zhang Lin's sworn brother, making it a completely private army."

"As for the four border garrisons, they each hold considerable military power and are self-reliant. They observe the court year-round, neither rebelling nor obeying my orders, only watching the winds blow in the capital. To put it bluntly, they listen to whoever is in power."

Lin Yanzhou clicked his tongue inwardly: Good heavens, this young master is having a really tough time.

With no one in the court, no soldiers at his disposal, and no reinforcements on the frontier, he was a puppet emperor with no power, a situation even more suffocating than when he was a salesman in modern times being manipulated and exploited by his clients.

"Then, are there no powerful forces among the imperial family, the harem, or aristocratic families that can help you?" Lin Yanzhou persisted, continuing to probe.

"The imperial clansmen are idle and incompetent, and have been avoiding trouble for years, only seeking to protect themselves and daring not to get involved in the court disputes; the Empress Dowager in the harem died early, and I have no maternal clan to rely on; the powerful families in the north and south have been suppressed by Zhang Lin for several years, and they have either submitted and become dependent, or had their property confiscated and been demoted. The rest are all barely surviving and are powerless to resist."

Emperor Jinghe spoke each word with heartache, finally concluding with helplessness: "Aside from my elder sister who is skilled in martial arts and can temporarily protect me, I am all alone in the court."

After listening to all the information, Lin Yanzhou remained silent for a moment. Combining the clues from before and after his time travel, he quickly reviewed and sorted through the situation in his mind, piecing together the complete chess game of his predicament.

He originally thought that he was simply helping a disadvantaged boss turn the tables in a workplace power struggle.

But now it seems like a completely hellish start.

In the Xuan Shuo Dynasty, the young emperor was isolated and helpless, facing danger at every turn.

His own situation was equally perilous, starting from scratch.

His only reliance was the imperial edict bestowing upon him the title of "Heavenly Name," and the skills he had honed through more than a decade of hard work in controlling situations and engaging in strategic maneuvering.

The only chance was that the powerful minister had not yet completely usurped the throne, and the people still respected legitimacy and imperial authority. Zhang Lin had held power for many years, wielding immense influence but lacking official status. This was the young emperor's only chance to breathe and his only opening to break the deadlock.

"Sir, are we... doomed?" Emperor Jinghe looked at his silent figure, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes, a rare display of youthful vulnerability. "Do you even think I'm powerless to change the situation?"

Lin Yanzhou looked up and saw the fear and resentment in the boy's eyes. Instantly, he suppressed his heavy heart and smiled, his tone relaxed and comforting:

"Your reign as emperor has indeed been tragic, and your predicament has truly been one of despair."

"But it's in dire straits that we're most likely to turn things around. We'll look for opportunities to cultivate our own people."

He analyzed slowly and methodically, clearly stating: "Zhang Lin seems to have the whole situation under control, but in reality, his plans are full of flaws."

"First, he has a fatal flaw: his power is illegitimate. He is a regent, not an emperor. As long as His Majesty doesn't give the green light, he will always be a subject. If he were to usurp the throne, he would be a traitor and lose the hearts of the people."

"Secondly, he has made too many enemies. He suppresses powerful families, sidelines the imperial clan, and manipulates military generals. He seems to control the court, but in reality, he has enemies on all sides. Everyone is only afraid of his power and does not truly submit to him."

"Third, he is impatient for quick results. Today, with the unusual events in the side hall and the strange phenomena in the sky, he will immediately lose his composure and want to take the opportunity to convict and control His Majesty. The more anxious he is, the more likely he is to make mistakes."

His words dissected the seemingly unsolvable deadlock, turning it into a game where every move could be made.

Emperor Jinghe's eyes lit up as he listened, and his mind, which had been troubled for many days, instantly became much clearer.

"Your words are worth more than ten years of study! This seemingly hopeless game of chess actually has so many flaws!"

Seeing the boy instantly recover, Lin Yanzhou chuckled to himself.

Children are prone to despair, but also easily inspired to take a leap of hope. I need to encourage him more.

Unlike him, a 38-year-old middle-aged man, who was already used to squeezing profits out of a mess.

Although Lin Yanzhou was a little dazed, he still asked one last question: "I have one last question, which is also the most crucial: Who was the emperor of the dynasty preceding yours? How was your Xuan Shuo dynasty established?"

Emperor Jinghe shook his head: "Sir, I don't know either. The late emperor was very tight-lipped about it. I only heard him say that my grandfather established the dynasty, and our family suddenly appeared in this country. We knew nothing about the previous dynasty, and we never interacted with neighboring countries. Our treasury was never short of gold and silver, and the people didn't rebel. We just lived a mediocre life, often lacking food and frequently experiencing famine. I also wondered why my father didn't open up food trade with neighboring countries. Last year, my father suddenly disappeared, just like my grandfather, without anyone knowing how he vanished."

Just then, the crimson mineral crystal deep within his mind began to heat up slightly, and a new divine soul prompt quietly appeared.

[The host has completed assessing the situation and reviewing their own circumstances.]

[Completed the phased cognitive task, unlocking the basic passive skill for mineral crystals: Situation Insight.]

[Passive effect: Automatically analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of each side, predicts the opponent's short-term behavior, without forced deduction, conforms to human psychology and the actual chess game situation.]

Lin Yanzhou's eyes brightened slightly.

He doesn't possess heaven-defying combat power or invincible supernatural abilities, but his skills are perfectly suited to his area of ​​expertise.

By relying on our own efforts to understand the situation, with mineral crystals serving only as an auxiliary tool, we align with the principle that "all growth depends on our own strength."

"Sir?" Emperor Jinghe called softly when he saw him suddenly lost in thought.

Lin Yanzhou snapped out of his reverie, concealing the strange glint in his eyes, and looked at the young man with a firm and composed tone: "Your Majesty, now that we are bound together, I understand our situation to a general extent. We can discuss the other details later."

"It's a bad situation, but we can win."

As soon as he finished speaking, a series of rapid footsteps came from afar. Officials arrived in droves, and the clamor of voices, along with a surging pressure of court authority, approached the Jingxin Side Hall.

The first test for both of them is about to begin.