Empress in her second playthrough: Something's not right with this plot!

The short knife in front of me is over two feet long.

The hilt is decorated with a dragon and a bird, which are very lifelike.

Even a layman like Li Yunsheng could tell from the sheath alone that it was no ordinary item.

The blade was drawn, exuding a chilling aura.

Li Yunsheng reached out and grabbed a hair from Liu Quan's head.

The light, flowing hair landed on the blade and was immediately severed in two.

"What's the origin of this knife?"

"Dragon Sparrow".

Liu Quan, seemingly afraid of getting his hair pulled again, stood a little further away.

"I've heard of this sword's name, the Dragon Sparrow of Yan. It's said to have been forged by Yu Tu, a blacksmith from Yan, over eight years."

Li Yunsheng looked at the Dragon Sparrow Blade in his hand and spoke slowly.

"Ancient weapons of great power, such as Zhanlu from Wu and Chu, and Longque from Yan, were renowned throughout the capital. They could pacify distant lands and pacify nearby regions, moving like the wind through the grass, and subjugating the nine regions."

He looked up at Wei Xiang.

"How did this treasure of the Great Yan end up in your hands?"

"The Empress Dowager of Yan".

Li Yunsheng nodded knowingly.

The State of Yan had long since perished, and the Queen Dowager of Yan ended up in the Imperial Music Bureau of the Great Chu.

In other words, the Dragon Sparrow Blade was in the hands of Empress Dowager Hu.

It's really strange. When the city of Yan fell, many people wanted to find this Dragon Sparrow Blade, but it seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Empress Dowager Hu had been in the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau) for a long time and possessed this powerful weapon, yet it went unnoticed by the Ministry of Rites.

Since he entered the world of the book, he has gradually discovered that there are too many self-perfecting plots here.

After all, Li Yunsheng is not the ultimate villain, so he is not given much attention.

He had no idea that a maid named Xiaolian in Li Yunsheng's household could be connected with a secret agent from the Wei Kingdom.

With his short sword sheathed, Li Yunsheng's thoughts drifted into the distance.

The Yan state's cavalry was once unmatched in the world, but in the end, it could not escape the fate of destruction.

The Great Chu is not without its worries. The State of Wei in the south has begun to make underhanded moves, while the Northern Qi in the north is eyeing it covetously and constantly invading its northern border.

He sits in this position, seemingly secure in the court, but if he doesn't resolve the external threats, he might one day become a minister who brings about the downfall of the country.

……

The next day, the bright moon hung high in the sky.

When Li Yunsheng stood in front of Miaoyin Tower, he could already faintly hear the bustling noise inside.

As soon as he stepped down from the carriage, the maid who had been waiting for a long time immediately stepped forward to lead the way.

"Please, Your Excellency."

Li Yunsheng was quite familiar with this place, but there were just too many people today, so the maid led him straight to the second floor.

There was a private seat reserved for him, where he would not be disturbed and could have a clear view from above.

Fortunately, Miaoyin Tower is spacious enough that both the first and second floors are already packed.

Everyone was looking forward to seeing Su Wanwan.

At this time, the Flower Moon Party had not yet officially started, so only a few ordinary dancers were warming up the crowd on the central stage.

He followed the maid to the seat that had been reserved for him, only to see a familiar face—Su Yingjie.

The maid explained.

"Your Excellency, this Vice Minister Su said he has an appointment with you, so he has been waiting here for a long time."

Li Yunsheng waved his hand.

"You go down first."

After the maid left, Su Yingjie performed a deep bow.

"Thank you, Prime Minister Li."

Li Yunsheng stepped forward to help Su Yingjie up.

"Minister Su, why do you do this?"

Su Yingjie did not get up immediately, but continued to speak with his head down.

"Thank you, Prime Minister Li, for allowing me to reunite with Shu'er."

After bringing down Fei Su, Li Yunsheng had Fan Shu brought out of Baique Nunnery and sent to the Su residence.

At the same time, they also helped Fan Shu change her identity.

Su Yingjie had helped him in the imperial court before, so this could be considered repaying a favor.

As for getting Fan Shu out, it was just a matter of a word for him.

"I can't bear to see unfortunate couples suffer. It's just a small matter."

The two took their seats.

Su Yingjie took the initiative to bring up the matter of the morning court session.

"Prime Minister Li, I did not intend to oppose you regarding the morning court session."

“Minister Su has his own ideas, of course you can bring them up.”

You're making it sound like I'm running a one-man show in the imperial court, where no one is allowed to say a word against me.

"That's not what I meant."

Su Yingjie hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"I believe that Prime Minister Li's influence in the court is too great, and His Majesty's eyes are fixed on you, which is ultimately not a good thing."

Prime Minister Li should also understand that what His Majesty most desires to see is a power struggle, with ministers checking and balancing each other.

Snapped.

With a crisp sound, Li Yunsheng peeled open a peanut.

"Does Minister Su think I need to be mindful of the Empress's feelings?"

“I know that Prime Minister Li will one day return power to His Majesty.”

Does this mean that even then, Prime Minister Li will still be at odds with His Majesty?

Despite holding sole power in the court, the old Grand Secretary still enjoyed the late emperor's reliance and trust, preventing the Northern Qi from making any rash moves for decades.

At this point, Su Yingjie paused.

"But His Majesty is not the late Emperor."

Chapter 26 Roaring Howls

Li Yunsheng looked up at Su Yingjie; the other man was not lying.

And what they said is not wrong.

The Empress's attention is now focused on him, and given her experience in her first life, she is convinced that he will rebel.

So much so that they actually sent Shangguan Xuanran to assassinate him.

The important thing is not whether he will rebel, but that he can rebel whenever he wants.

How can an emperor feel at ease with such a minister?

However, even when he took power, the empress was only someone he could manipulate.

Perhaps the only hope is to ride on his back and be reborn.

"When does Minister Su think I will return power to the Empress?"

Su Yingjie's eyelids drooped slightly.

"I imagine that in two years at most, His Majesty will be able to take charge of the country."

Of course, he has the ability, but whether he can take power still depends on Li Yunsheng's decision.

Li Yunsheng tossed two peanuts into his mouth, recalling the aggrieved look on the Empress's face when he bullied her.

"She can only have eyes for me; she doesn't need anyone else."

At that moment, a commotion arose downstairs.

Su Wanwan, dressed in a wide-sleeved shirt, descended the stairs from the second floor. Her bright red skirt trailed slowly on the steps, and also trailed in the hearts of every man.

Her long, slender, fair legs were faintly visible beneath her skirt, and her bare, delicate white feet strode towards the center of the stage.

She held a peony in her mouth, its color reflecting her crimson lips. Her alluring eyes swept across the faces of those below the stage, and her luscious lips curved into a smile.

Li Yunsheng was on the second floor, and when he looked down, he saw the tightly bound, snow-covered hills and ravines.

This flowing robe was stunning.

At the same time, several dancers took to the stage, all dressed in wide-sleeved gowns.

What kind of dress is this?

"I heard it comes from Shangpin Shop. Look over there, Minister Cui's wife is also wearing this kind of dress."

"She's so beautiful! I must buy one for my wife tomorrow."

"Let me tell you, Shangpin Shop also sells a gauze cheongsam, that's absolutely gorgeous!"

"really?"

“Last night, my concubine wore a…”