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

With the bet settled and the officials dispersed, a storm was brewing in the imperial court.

Lin Yanzhou's first step was not to rush into manipulating grain prices, but to recruit teammates, win hearts and minds, and prepare for battle.

He directly instructed Emperor Jinghe to issue an imperial edict urgently summoning the reigning princess, Zhao Lingxi. She was the most beautiful woman in the court, the young emperor's only elder sister, and currently the only powerful and courageous woman in the royal family with martial arts skills and loyalty.

Before long, a graceful figure entered the palace, her every step captivating the entire hall. Zhao Lingxi wore a moon-white brocade robe, a jade belt cinched at her waist, and a sheer veil as thin as a cicada's wing draped over her shoulders, possessing both the exquisite gentleness of a woman and the noble aloofness of royalty. Her skin was as white as snow, her lips naturally red, and every smile and frown was a unique and breathtaking beauty.

She was tall and graceful, with a cool and aloof demeanor, exuding an aura that kept strangers at bay. Her figure was exquisite and her charm captivating. Every gesture she made was a blend of nobility and allure, making her so beautiful that it was impossible to look away.

Even Lin Yanzhou, who was used to seeing all kinds of modern beauties, unconsciously lingered his gaze on her tall, shapely figure for half a second, his heart fluttering slightly. He felt a rare moment of distraction, secretly marveling that this ancient beauty truly matched his aesthetic sensibilities. She was incredibly beautiful; the saying from Deyun Society, "Beauty in every thought," perfectly described her. He thought, "I should get to know her better, get closer to her. If one day I end up sleeping with her, then my time-traveling experience won't have been in vain."

Zhao Lingxi's first impression of Lin Yanzhou was extremely poor. Rumors had been circulating outside the palace since early morning that His Majesty was heavily relying on a strange man of unknown origin, an arrogant and reckless individual who had just made a death-defying bet, staking the empire and His Majesty's throne on him. Especially after hearing that Lin Yanzhou's first move was to raise grain prices, allowing merchants to sell for as much as 150 wen per shi (a unit of dry measure), she saw it as a mediocre ruler ruining the country, a foolish politician, and a blatant joke about the lives of the people.

Her beautiful, aloof eyes fell on Lin Yanzhou, filled with undisguised contempt, incomprehension, and disappointment. Her tone was urgent, each word sharp and barbed. "Sir, you gambled the empire and His Majesty's throne, stabilizing grain prices in ten days, only to turn around and let them skyrocket, allowing merchants to profit while the people suffer. The people are the foundation of the nation. How is your action any different from Zhang Lin's disastrous policies? Are you perhaps Zhang Lin's spy?"

Straightforward and sharp, showing no mercy whatsoever. Anyone else would have been embarrassed, flustered, and speechless. But Lin Yanzhou, a seasoned debt collector, remained remarkably composed. Far from panicking, he smiled and looked directly into her beautiful eyes, his tone playful yet ambiguous, deliberately closing the distance. "Princess, your judgment is excellent, but your patience is lacking. The outcome of the bet will be known in ten days. Perhaps we'll even win the lottery? But for these ten days, you must obey my every command, without questioning, and execute it completely. Whether I am a mediocre minister who harms the country or a savior of the nation, Princess, don't regret it later."

For the first time, a man dared to approach her so closely and look her directly in the eye, and she had clearly seen his lewd gaze lingering on her chest. Zhao Lingxi's cheeks flushed almost imperceptibly, a hint of surprise flashing in her cold eyes. She then snorted coldly and turned her head away, secretly making a mental note of this arrogant and lewd weirdo. "He's messed things up. I'll kill this lecher first."

Although Emperor Jinghe was also unsure, he still told his elder sister, "Elder sister, Father did appear to me in a dream last night, instructing me to wait in the side hall at that time for a strange man dressed in unusual clothes. He was referring to the Master. Since they have already usurped my imperial power, we might as well trust the Master and listen to him. Perhaps there will be a turning point."

Princess Zhao Lingxi naturally obeyed her younger brother, the emperor, but she was worried that if she lost this huge gamble, she would lose the entire imperial power.

"Your Majesty, how can his price-raising tactic possibly lower grain prices? It's tantamount to giving unscrupulous merchants and Zhang Lin a helping hand!"

"Princess, I'm right here. You can take my head anytime. If you don't want to, just kill me now, and the bet will be void. How long can you and His Majesty continue to eke out a living? Why can't we take a gamble together?"

Emperor Jinghe quickly came over and said, "Sister, trust Father and trust the Master!"

Having temporarily appeased the eldest princess, Lin Yanzhou immediately began his "identifying and forming teams" strategy. He instructed Emperor Jinghe to secretly summon two loyal ministers on the fringes of the court: Censor Zhou Yan and Shen Qing, the head of the Ministry of Revenue.

Both men were upright and incorruptible, but because they refused to align themselves with Zhang Lin and were unwilling to compromise their principles, they were marginalized in the court for many years, powerless and suppressed. They were truly loyal to the emperor and patriotic, reliable and capable individuals. This morning at court, only these two men couldn't help but cry out that His Majesty should not gamble with the empire and imperial power; this was also the reason Lin Yanzhou had selected them as his advisors.

In the secret room, Lin Yanzhou laid bare the ten-day wager, the crisis of imperial power, the rebellion of powerful officials, and the harm caused to the people by grain merchants. He was completely honest with the two of them and explained the entire secret plan for sending them abroad.

"Just follow the plan and don't worry about anything else."

The two were impressed by his brilliant strategy and immediately knelt down to swear an oath to serve His Majesty and the Imperial Advisor to the death, obeying his orders and going through fire and water without hesitation.

The loyal and reliable support team is in place. With this, the entire task force is assembled: the young emperor oversees operations from the rear, the stunning princess manages the palace affairs, ensuring the safety of the emperor and Lin Yanzhou, two loyal ministers run errands, and the sage strategist controls the entire situation. The ten-day game of divine conquest has officially begun!