WBSGVS Chapter 211 V2

Of course, he could accept it.

Back when he had watched his sister being forced into a political marriage and could do nothing to stop it, he had secretly vowed that one day he would rise higher than any of them. He would hold others’ fates in his hands, instead of letting others control his and his sister’s.

Now, that opportunity was here. And with his sister leading the way, why would he refuse?

Qingli smiled in satisfaction and led him to the head seat. “Good. Then from now on, you’ll sit here and receive the ministers alongside me.”

Sima Yan pressed his lips together nervously, but when he saw Qingli’s calm smile, he took a deep breath and straightened his back, poised and composed, just as she had taught him.

As soon as the two sat down, the ministers—who had been waiting anxiously—streamed into the hall. Upon entering the spacious chamber, the first thing they saw was the pair seated side by side: a young girl dressed in simple, elegant attire, and the boy beside her, just a child, yet already carrying a commanding presence.

The Prime Minister, walking at the front, felt momentarily dazed.

These two—who together weren’t even thirty years old—were, from this day forward, the most powerful people in the entire Jin Dynasty.

And yet, none of the officials present had even the slightest thought of resisting. Instead, they felt it was only natural.

As the highest-ranking official, the Prime Minister was the first to respectfully kneel and bow. “Your Highness, the Fourth Prince, Honored State Preceptor, with the court leaderless and the Imperial Physicians declaring His Majesty unlikely to wake, all affairs of the realm require leadership. We humbly request the State Preceptor to assist His Highness in becoming the Crown Prince and oversee the government in His Majesty’s stead!”

Behind him, the rest of the ministers followed in unison: “We humbly request it as well…”

Sima Yan looked to Qingli, waiting for her to respond before speaking.

Qingli asked calmly, “Esteemed ministers, what role would I assume? In what capacity would I assist?”

The Prime Minister answered solemnly, “Naturally, Your Excellency would govern from behind the curtain. You are older than His Highness, blessed with wisdom and foresight. Until he comes of age, decisions would primarily fall to you. During that time, His Highness will learn by your side. With your guidance, he is sure to become a wise and capable ruler.”

Qingli, satisfied with the answer, nodded toward Sima Yan.

The boy’s cheeks flushed slightly, but he maintained his composure and nodded back. “Then, honored ministers, I would like my royal sister to live with me in the Eastern Palace. Would that be acceptable?”

Qingli let out a soft laugh. She hadn’t expected Sima Yan to bottle up his feelings only to blurt out something like that.

He was still, after all, a child.

After a brief pause, the ministers nodded in agreement. If the princess were to serve as regent, living in the Eastern Palace with the Crown Prince wasn’t unreasonable.

“Of course,” said the Prime Minister.

Satisfied, Sima Yan stood up. “Then let’s go!”

The ministers were overjoyed. “We respectfully escort Your Highness back to the palace!”

The Crown Prince was appointed, the State Preceptor was named regent, and although the Emperor remained unconscious in his quarters, most of the court had already begun operating under the Crown Prince’s authority.

Officially naming a Crown Prince was no small matter.

But with the throne vacant, the Ministry of Rites expedited the process. Keeping the ceremony simple, they managed to complete everything within ten days.

On the eleventh day, Qingli and Sima Yan formally began attending court together.

From that day, all state matters in the Jin Dynasty proceeded smoothly.

Since neither Qingli nor Sima Yan resided in the Inner Palace, the harem remained relatively peaceful. Most of the consorts stayed calm—they hadn’t offended either of the two, and their lives weren’t affected. Although it was disappointing to see new power take the stage, they knew they would still be provided for under the new reign, even as retired concubines or dowagers.

Only two people couldn’t sleep at night: Consort Wan and Princess Sima Qinghe.

As the only two in the palace who had directly offended both Qingli and Sima Yan, their nerves were on edge. The mother of the Second Prince, Consort Li, had already committed suicide on the night of the coup. But neither Consort Wan nor Sima Qinghe could bear to take their own lives.

Yet watching their enemies rise to power with their own eyes—it was a kind of torment that slowly shredded the soul. In just a few days, both women had noticeably withered.

Especially Sima Qinghe. Her mind raced constantly: what would Qingli do to her? Would she be married off to the old king of Chu as a form of revenge? Would she be killed? Crippled? Or slowly tortured?

Why had karma come so swiftly?

In this agonizing wait, on the thirteenth day after the Emperor’s stroke—and the third day of the Crown Prince’s regency—a new imperial edict was issued:

At the State Preceptor’s suggestion, it was declared that Princess Leqin (Sima Qinghe) and her fiancé, Luo Liang, should be married as soon as possible. This would bring festivity to the palace during a somber time. As Princess Leqin was the Emperor’s favorite child, perhaps the joy of her wedding would move His Majesty enough to regain consciousness.

The wording was noble and respectful, but in reality, it was a sentence: she was to be married off to Luo Liang, a notorious playboy.

Even though she had mentally prepared herself, Sima Qinghe still felt like the sky was collapsing when the eunuch delivered the decree. Marrying someone she once looked down upon as utterly beneath her—it was an unbearable humiliation.

She hadn’t even risen from her knees when her vision went dark. She fainted on the spot.

The eunuch smirked. “Oh my, the princess has fainted from happiness. Still, the Crown Prince’s decree must be received!”

Consort Wan, now pale and weary, forced a smile and quickly bowed, accepting the edict with both hands.

Once the eunuch left, she returned to her chambers. Ever since her illness, Sima Qinghe had been staying there. Now unconscious, she was carried to her bed.

As soon as Consort Wan approached, Sima Qinghe awoke and threw herself into her mother’s arms.

Consort Wan’s heart broke. Gritting her teeth, she whispered, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll think of a way to get Yihan to see you. Let him take your virtue. Then the engagement will be ruined, and you can marry him instead. It’ll be too late for them to stop it. He’s madly in love with you—he won’t care about such things!”

But to her surprise, Sima Qinghe shook her head violently and whispered, “I don’t want to resist anymore, Mother. I want to get married. I want to leave this place. Please—help me. Move the wedding date up if you can.”

Consort Wan gasped. “You’ve gone mad! Marrying Luo Liang would be worse than dying!”

Everyone knew what kind of man Luo Liang was—a debauched aristocrat infamous across the capital. When he liked a woman, he would lavish her with everything he had. But once he got what he wanted, he discarded her without a second thought. Countless women had been ruined by him.

But Sima Qinghe said firmly, “Mother, I’m not crazy. Marrying Luo Liang is my only way out. We can’t make any rash moves right now. If she finds any excuse to act against us, we’re finished. Father can’t protect us anymore.”

So what if she married? Yihan wouldn’t mind. As long as she got out of the palace alive, Yihan would come for her.