I manage female characters in all the heavens.

Back then, Zhu Wushi returned to the palace in glory, possessing the world's best martial arts skills and the achievement of eliminating the great demon Gu Santong. He was admired by almost the entire martial arts world. Even a large number of civil and military officials praised him, with ambiguous attitudes.

Under the pressure of popular support, Emperor Hongzhi had no choice but to bestow enormous rewards and power upon Zhu Wushi, using great favors and virtues to morally bind Zhu Wushi and prevent him from rebelling and seizing the throne.

This was naturally a necessary measure; otherwise, if the young, ambitious, and highly respected Zhu Wushi were to rebel, it would be an catastrophic event.

However, although he was forced to grant Zhu Wushi enormous power, he did so by establishing a secret service agency to monitor civil and military officials and even the emperor—a power that was almost limitless—rather than some lower-level local military and political power. This undoubtedly reflects the wisdom of the Hongzhi Emperor.

Although this power is immense, it is naturally placed in opposition to the civil and military officials. If Zhu Wushi accepts it, the civil and military officials in the court will naturally distance themselves from him or even become hostile. Without the support of the civil and military officials, rebelling and seizing power is just empty talk.

Moreover, the civil and military officials at the time were indeed in dire need of reform. If Zhu Wushi did not want his image of being wise and powerful to be shattered, once he accepted this power, he had to earnestly help him reform the bureaucracy and let the people of the world see real and positive changes.

This consolidated Zhu Wu's power and also strengthened imperial authority, which was a good thing for Hongzhi himself.

If Zhu Wushi does not accept this power, that would be even better. It's not that the emperor is not showing great favor; it's that you yourself are refusing. The emperor's grace is still boundless, and moral constraints still exist, yet you don't even have to give up the power. It's a huge win.

A crisis that could have destroyed the Ming Dynasty was quietly averted by Zhu Wushi accepting imperial favor, establishing the Dragon Guard Manor, and working together with his brothers to improve the Ming Dynasty.

But this is not the end, but the beginning of the next crisis. Once Hongzhi dies, Zhu Wushi will surely have new ideas.

However, this crisis no longer belonged to Emperor Hongzhi, but to his successor. Before his death, he told Zhu Houzhao all about this, saying that he was dying and hoped that his son could resolve the crisis himself.

If this crisis can be resolved smoothly, the resulting benefits will be enough to allow Zhu Houzhao to firmly establish himself on the throne, wield absolute power, and be free from any constraints in the court.

Since ascending the throne, Zhu Houzhao has always kept his father's teachings in mind, and has been committed to finding a way to solve the problem of Zhu Wushi, and has tried to do so.

The Eastern Depot, under Cao Zhengchun, represents his greatest achievement in this area since taking power.

Before today, he even thought he had resolved Zhu Wushi's crisis, that he had balanced and controlled Zhu Wushi, and that the Dragon Guard Manor would truly live up to its name.

Recent feedback from various quarters has been telling him that, with the Eastern Depot and the Dragon Guard Manor in his hands, he has firmly secured his throne.

His orders, whether reasonable or unreasonable, were generally obeyed by his subordinates.

Even when he went out of the palace to cause trouble and personally led military campaigns, the officials would only offer a few sarcastic remarks using the classics of the ancients. Fewer and fewer people dared to take advantage of his position and confront him directly.

This authority was even greater than when his father was in power, so he unknowingly became arrogant and acted more and more absurdly and recklessly.

But at that moment, he suddenly became fully awake, and the hairs on the back of his head stood on end!

He never had Zhu Wushi under control; the crisis was always there, but he simply ignored it.

Now, Cao Zhengchun's disappearance may mean that the sword hanging over his head has finally fallen!

A tremendous sense of crisis exploded in his heart, leaving him completely disoriented. His imperial composure allowed him to remain composed, but his anxiety and fear were almost impossible to suppress.

He had even imagined that Zhu Wushi would burst in the next moment, put a knife to his neck, and force him to abdicate.

Zhu Houzhao opened his mouth slightly, wanting to issue some orders to salvage the seemingly irreversible situation, but his chaotic thoughts prevented him from coming up with an effective solution.

Fortunately, at this moment, Yunluo spoke up: "Your Majesty, the Eastern Depot cannot be without a leader for even a day."

The voice was very soft, yet it exploded in Zhu Houzhao's ears like a thunderclap.

His eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he immediately realized: Yes, I still have the Eastern Depot!

Cao Zhengchun is gone, that's all. As long as the Eastern Depot still exists, there's still room for maneuver!

More than a decade has passed, and Zhu Wushi is no longer as invincible in the martial arts world as he was when he first defeated Gu Santong. Time is the most ruthless thing; even the greatest achievements will be forgotten by the world under the erosion of time.

On the surface, the civil and military officials showed Zhu Wu respect, but in reality, they all kept their distance from him.

Without winning over these two major groups, he would temporarily lack a base for rebellion.

The Eastern Depot was inherently evil, and in recent years it has acted without restraint, causing fear and unease among officials and resentment among the people.

If Zhu Wushi wanted to gain enough support, eliminating the Eastern Depot would undoubtedly be the best and fastest way.

Eliminating the Eastern Depot would surely earn praise from officials and be lauded throughout the land, making it easier to ascend the throne and gain popular support.

Conversely, as long as Zhu Wushi doesn't deal with the Eastern Depot, he can't openly break ties with them, and he's safe for the time being.

Could he get Zhu Wushi to eliminate the Eastern Depot?

"Hahaha, good, my sister is absolutely right!" Zhu Houzhao suddenly burst into laughter, his words full of satisfaction.

My sister is truly insightful and wise beyond her years; her words have awakened me from my reverie!

"The Eastern Depot cannot be without a leader for even a day. Let's put Cao Zhengchun's matter aside for now and choose a new head of the Eastern Depot. That is the most important thing right now!"

He looked at his most adorable younger sister, as if she were a trusted advisor, and asked, "Yunluo, tell me, who is suitable to be the head of the Eastern Depot?"

Cabinet scholars, palace eunuchs, and even your bedmates and close associates—none of them are trustworthy.

Only Yunluo, who grew up with him since childhood, shared meals, played games, did bad things together, enjoyed the benefits while Yunluo took the blame...

Only a beloved sister who is so loyal and devoted is truly trustworthy!

Regardless of whether Yunluo possessed the wisdom to recognize and utilize talent, her advice could never harm her.

Moreover, she was a woman, so she had no chance of vying for his throne.

It seems I need to trust her completely from now on!

Yunlu tilted her head, somewhat bewildered. She felt as if she had suddenly taken a huge step forward. Was it just her imagination?

Before he could even speak, a eunuch came to report that the Iron-Blooded Marquis was outside requesting an audience.

Zhu Houzhao's eyelids twitched.

What do you mean? My guess was wrong. Is Zhu Wushi now trying to force me to abdicate?

You're trying to ruin my Great Ming Dynasty!

Chapter 106's progress is too fast; I can't keep up at all!

"No, I have to hide!" After much deliberation, Zhu Houzhao was still afraid and decided to avoid seeing Zhu Wuzhu.

Since he didn't just barge in, it means Zhu Wushi still cares about appearances. As the emperor, he can't just refuse to see anyone.

On the other hand, it would be unreasonable for the emperor's uncle to come and then run away without being entertained. If the emperor were to use this as an excuse to turn against him, that would be bad.

Zhu Houzhao's eyes darted around, fixing on his beloved younger sister.

You've raised your sister for a thousand days, only to use her for a moment. Now that your brother is facing a great crisis, my dear sister Yunluo, it's time for you to shoulder the responsibility!

He stood up, grabbed Yunluo, and pulled her to his seat, earnestly explaining:

"Your Majesty suddenly remembered that there are some important matters to attend to, but since Your Majesty is here, we can't interfere. Yunluo, please temporarily take my place today. Ask Your Majesty what he has to say later, and then relay it to me."

"I will instruct the eunuchs to cooperate with you. You can use this seal as you please and issue imperial edicts as you please. Just consider it a day of experiencing what it's like to be an emperor."

This isn't something you can experience!

Everyone was stunned. Pi Xiaotian, who was kneeling on the ground, didn't even bother to bow his head to show respect. He suddenly looked up at the emperor with his mouth wide open.

Has His Majesty gone mad?!

Yunluo's hand trembled. She thought that Zhu Houzhao was wise beyond words and had seen through her traitorous nature. Now he was testing her in this way.

She activated her senses to the maximum, wanting to see if there were tens of thousands of axemen lying in ambush, waiting for the emperor to smash the cup as a signal to rush in and chop her into mincemeat.

But no, not at all. She couldn't sense it; this small space couldn't possibly hold tens of thousands of axemen.

So, was Zhu Houzhao serious?

Yunluo leaned back tactically, looking at Zhu Houzhao in disbelief, and exclaimed:

“Brother, I have always known that you and I are close siblings, but to this extent is beyond my comprehension.”

She then abruptly changed the subject, revealing an unwavering expression:

"But since it is my brother's request, I will certainly not fail you! Leave it to me, you can entrust everything to me!"

"Brother, please go ahead and do your work. I'll take care of things here!"

Zhu Houzhao was very pleased. "Good, good, Yunluo. Your imperial brother is very happy that you have such a sense of responsibility."

If your uncle forces you to abdicate later, and you really can't resist, just help your brother abdicate. Your brother will never blame you!

Of course, if in the future the people curse you, the civil and military officials despise you, and your ancestors summon you, you'd better withstand it.

After all, you abdicated the throne to me without my consent, and I only found out afterward, too late to change anything.

Zhu Houzhao hurriedly left from the back, and no one knows where he went, but it was definitely somewhere Zhu Wushi couldn't find him.

Silence fell over the study. "Yunluo" sat on the emperor's throne, looking at Pi Xiaotian and the eunuchs in bewilderment for a long time before he came to his senses.

Yunluo glanced at the large pile of memorials on the desk and the emperor's seal gleaming beside it, then touched the dragon head carved on the armrest of the chair beneath her, still bewildered.

Damn, they're progressing too fast, I can't keep up at all!

Originally, she only came to plot against the Eastern Depot, but she suddenly discovered that she could also take over a key border town. A hundred thousand troops were about to fall into her hands, and the Ming Dynasty was facing a challenge.

Before she could even say a few words, she suddenly became the acting emperor, and the Ming Dynasty's rule changed hands almost instantly. Now, she can command the entire country with a single word.

"Ahem!" The princess coughed lightly twice, adjusted her mindset, and quickly focused her energy on her work as the emperor.

"Um, you, it's your first day as emperor, you have no experience. What am I supposed to do all day?"

The eunuch she pointed at quickly came over and said respectfully, "Your Highness, you may simply call me Changlin."

"According to His Majesty's previous plan, he will handle government affairs for an hour this morning, followed by entertainment activities such as diabolo, ice skating, sumo wrestling, acrobatics, teasing and watching wild animals."

"In the afternoon, we'll go to experience folk life in a simulated urban setting."

"In the evening, there will be a banquet, singing and dancing. His Majesty specially requested this morning that we watch Western Region dancers perform tonight and also choose two dancers to have his way with. However, such things are naturally not suitable for Your Highness to experience. I will cancel it later."

How dare you cancel before I even spoke? This princess is not worthy of enjoying Western Region dancers?

Cancellation is not allowed!

“My brother has his reasons for arranging the time and work this way. He has entrusted me with such an important task, and I must do my best to help him complete all the tasks. Let’s proceed according to this plan. It seems like it’s time for some entertainment. Let’s go.” The princess said righteously.

Chang Lin was both amused and exasperated: "The most urgent matter right now is to meet with Iron-Blooded Marquis. He's been waiting outside for a while now."

The princess suddenly realized that she had snapped out of her joy at becoming the acting emperor and remembered that her number one uncle was still being left out in the cold!

"Please come in, please come in! Oh dear, why didn't you remind me sooner? You've left the Imperial Uncle waiting for so long. If he scolds me later, you'll all have to step forward and apologize!"

The moment the acting emperor ascended the throne, he learned to delegate responsibility to his subordinates.

While waiting for Zhu Wushi to come in, Yunluo fidgeted uncomfortably in her chair, unable to find a suitable and comfortable position.

This chair was custom-made by Zhu Houzhao according to his own body shape, and it was not suitable for the petite "Yunluo" at all. After sitting down, the table was too high, making her look even smaller and lacking any imposing presence.

This won't do. On his first day as acting emperor, he's meeting Zhu Wushi, the most powerful man in the land. If he can't keep him in check, how will his decrees be effective?