The court fell silent.

Everyone had their own thoughts about Yan Ling’s words.

If Wen Yuesheng wanted to legitimately control the Palace Guard, she indeed needed to hold military power.

But…

“Your Majesty, this matter is inappropriate.” Someone, unable to suppress themselves, stood up first. “The Palace Guard is one of the three elite forces, with the authority to enter and exit the palace, and answer directly to Your Majesty. Such an important position has now become vacant, and this decision must be made with great caution.”

“Princess… acts too aggressively and without mercy. If she truly takes control of the Palace Guard, with such power in her hands, I fear her actions will become even more reckless.”

“Exactly, and she is still a woman.”

“Before, it was already inappropriate for her to attend court. Now, if she directly takes control of the Palace Guard, won’t that be the same as other princes attending court regularly?”

Recalling that every time Wen Yue Sheng attended court, she dealt with many officials, some of those present began to hesitate.

One by one, officials stood up to oppose Wen Yuesheng gaining power.

The hall became lively again, with Yan Ling, who had first raised this matter, standing to the side, listening as they criticized Wen Yue Sheng’s identity and her forceful methods.

There were many such comments, but none said that Wen Yue Sheng was unfit for the position.

Wang Jin Zhi noticed this as well and coldly spoke, “You’ve said so much about her identity and methods, but no one has said that the princess is incapable of handling this matter.”

“Gentlemen, now with enemies approaching, the spies from Hao Zhou have already infiltrated the Great Hui’s elite troops. Given such behavior, are you still concerned with her identity and methods?”

The General of Zhen Guo scoffed directly: “If Hao Zhou invades one day and arrives at your door, will they care about your identities or past methods?”

“If we must speak of appropriateness, then tell me, who else is fit for this task? Who could clear out the entire Palace Guard in such a short time?”

The opposing voices immediately quieted.

If there were such a person, the Great Hui’s military would not have been in such a weakened state for so many years. The recent changes were because Wen Yue Sheng had the ability.

Over the years, besides the three generals from the Lu family on the frontier, who else could be considered both courageous and resourceful?

Young generals, like the General of Zhen Guo or the loyal Marquis, had been capable in their youth, but as they aged, many things were beyond their ability.

Among the younger officers, who else possessed such ability?

The opposing officials fell silent, and Yan Ling spoke again.

This was the second time he had spoken since proposing Wen Yue Sheng for the position of military commander.

His voice was still cold, but his words were colder.

His eyes were indifferent, devoid of emotion as he spoke: “If we do not use Princess Sining, so be it.”

The hall went silent. He then coldly said, “Just abolish the Palace Guard.”

The room was shaken.

Countless people raised their heads to look at him.

It took many a moment to realize, yes, this person was Yan Ling.

If one spoke of ruthless methods and no mercy, it would certainly be him.

His methods of dealing with things were even harsher than anyone could imagine.

If the Palace Guard could not be purged, then abolish it altogether.

But!

That was the Palace Guard!

For years, the three elite troops had been in a delicate balance, forming the strongest military force in the capital and the emperor’s closest personal guard. If it were really abolished, it would be no different from severing one’s own limb.

This was not like the few officials who had stood out earlier to oppose Wen Yue Sheng coming to court.

Now, almost everyone realized the gravity of the situation and voiced their opposition.

“Your Majesty! This is unthinkable. Abolishing the Palace Guard would mean directly reducing one of the three elite forces! Such an act would endanger the capital and the emperor’s safety!”

Yan Ling replied, “Can a military force infiltrated by so many foreign spies still protect the capital and the emperor?”

The official fell silent.

“But such an action is no different from cutting off one’s own food supply. The Palace Guard, with its tens of thousands of soldiers, has capabilities that even surpass some frontier troops. After abolishing it, do you have any plans to replace them?”

Yan Ling flatly stated, “No.”

The official was silenced by his directness.

Without a chance to respond, Yan Ling continued, “How would you replace it? Who will replace it? In the new army, will there still be spies from Hao Zhou?”

The official had no answer.

Yan Ling rarely spoke, but when he did, he did not leave any room for argument.

As he said, if the Palace Guard could not be used, it was the same as being abolished.

His performance made it clear to everyone in the court the gravity of the current dilemma.

The real issue was not whether Wen Yuesheng, as a woman, should attend court, but rather the state of the Palace Guard and the overall military morale, which were far more urgent matters.

This concerned the entire Great Hui.

Even the emperor, sitting high on his throne, wore a deep expression.

Yan Ling had provided two extreme solutions, but both precisely aligned with the emperor’s thoughts.

The emperor, in his position of power, had concerns about Wen Yuesheng growing increasingly bold, but what he feared more was the inability to use the Palace Guard, one of his closest elite forces.

No matter how capable Wen Yuesheng was, she was still just one person.

The Palace Guard was crucial to the safety of the entire capital, and if mishandled, the emperor might not even sleep peacefully at night.

The emperor closed his eyes, his face darkening further.

The arguments continued, but Yan Ling stood silently among the officials, waiting for the emperor’s decision.

Many senior officials, seeing the emperor’s silence, already understood where his stance lay.

“Enough!” After a moment of silence, the emperor spoke directly: “Let it be decreed that from this day forward, Princess Sining shall be appointed as the commander of the Palace Guard, holding one-third of the elite forces and the four great guarding armies.”

The decision was final.

The once noisy court instantly became silent.

Prince Jingkang lowered his gaze, hiding the emotions surging in his eyes.

The formidable Yan Ling’s control over the court and his understanding of his father, the emperor, was deeper than that of any of the princes.

From the moment he spoke, every step he took, even the phrase “The emperor’s orders cannot be defied,” was precisely aligned with the emperor’s desires.

By the end, despite the entire court’s opposition, Wen Yue Sheng had been officially appointed to a position of power.

Such a masterstroke.

But he was curious—since Yan Ling understood his father so well, wasn’t he afraid that the emperor might grow wary of him helping Wen Yue Sheng?

Yet, that was a question he didn’t dare to ask in Yan Ling’s presence.

By the afternoon, the events of the morning court had spread throughout the capital, causing a great stir.

No one had expected that, after Wen Yue Sheng had decisively relinquished her golden waist belt, she would return to the court and even be appointed to an official position.

The power she held had expanded from the northern military camp to the four great guarding armies and now, the Palace Guard.

No matter her gender, even an ordinary military general would not have risen so quickly.

Her path was something others could not even dream of.

Especially after hearing this, Wen Yurou in the mansion felt a great mix of emotions.

In just a few short months, Wen Yuesheng had completely transformed.

She had gone from being an unloved princess to becoming a key minister in the court.

Not just any minister, but one who controlled military power to the point that even the likes of Xiao Jin had to make efforts to build connections with her.

For a moment, many people’s hearts were filled with mixed feelings.

What others thought, Wen Yuesheng neither knew nor cared.

On the third day after receiving the emperor’s decree, she formally entered the court.

On a chilly morning in November, the weather had turned cold.

After days of overcast skies, the sun suddenly broke through, casting golden rays across the sky.

The bright sunlight illuminated the entire Taihe Hall.

The court was silent, with countless officials standing in their crimson official robes.

The official attire of the Great Hui was bright red, a color established when the founding emperor established the dynasty.

In the stillness of the hall, two young palace attendants suddenly pulled open the doors of Taihe Hall with great force.

The harsh, blinding sunlight from outside shone in.

A person stood against the light, in the most glaring and dazzling position.

After the main door was fully opened, she slowly walked into the hall.

It had been many days since their last meeting, and she had changed completely.

Wen Yuesheng had attended court several times, either dressed in light travel attire or in the grand ceremonial robes of a princess.

But today, she wore the newly designed court attire.

The court robes were embroidered with the emblem of the Great Wei Dynasty, with a round pattern, and the style was a skirt.

She wore a court outfit for women, a style that had never existed in the Great Wei Dynasty.

Moreover, due to her royal background, the color was distinct from that of all the other court officials.

The color was the same as the ceremonial robes of a princess—bright red, with embroidered patterns and matching court beads.

In some ways, it resembled the royal court robes worn by the princes of Great Wei.

The difference was that the princes wore light yellow robes adorned with aggressive dragon patterns.

Her expression was indifferent, her right hand still holding a string of white jade prayer beads, her steps slow and measured.

She was led by the palace servants to the front.

With every step she took, countless eyes turned to her, all focused on her.

Step by step, she moved toward the central area of the main hall.

Standing there before her were the three princes—Jingkang, Weiyang, and Yong’an.

Now, there was one more—Wen Yue Sheng.

Her female skirt-style court attire stood out even more among them.

After she stood in place, the hall fell silent.

At that moment, when Wen Yuesheng appeared in her clearly formal court robes, many began to realize something.

Although her surname was Wen, she was a member of the royal family.

In certain dynasties, when an emperor had no heirs, a royal family member would inherit the throne.

Of course, this was only possible if both Wen Yue Sheng and her mother were men.

But her bright red court robes, though not as striking as the yellow worn by the princes, still drew significant attention and made many people recognize her identity clearly.

From today onwards, Wen Yuesheng, just like the princes, would hold real power as a princess and formally participate in state affairs.

The hall was silent.

The Tahe Hall was incredibly quiet, like a calm lake in the afternoon. However, beneath this silence, a turbulent current was already surging.

The dazzling, brilliant color in the hall was eye-catching.

And more eye-catching than her robes was the first action Wen Yue Sheng took after officially entering the court—she ordered the military to assemble.

Just three days after entering the court, it was the day of the military assembly.

During those three days, her forces—1,000 elite soldiers from the North City Blade Camp—defeated all the elite troops from the three major imperial armies in a military exercise, winning the top spot with overwhelming strength.

Wen Yuesheng had just taken office, and her troops had already claimed two first-place victories.

She didn’t even have to do much; her role as Commander of the Imperial Guard had already been solidified.

On the day of the assembly.

At the royal hunting grounds, countless soldiers stood in tight formation, a sea of black.

Unlike the military exercise, today’s assembly included nearly all the soldiers.

Due to the recent incidents with the spies from Haozhou, the morale was low, and the atmosphere was somber.

On the high platform, civil and military officials stood by, all waiting for the assembly ceremony to begin.

The military drums were beaten, and a voice shouted, “Please, Commander, order the assembly!”

The voice was loud, echoing over the entire hunting ground, calling three times.

Wen Yuesheng, dressed in a dark robe, walked slowly up from the lowest step of the platform.

Her cool, indifferent demeanor, combined with her measured pace, matched perfectly with the sound of the military drums and the eyes of the countless onlookers.

As she stood on the high platform, all the black-clad eyes below her focused on her.

After Wen Yuesheng took control of the military, the soldiers seemed somewhat inspired.

But the spies from Haozhou had not been eliminated, and the military still carried a shadow of doubt, which was why the atmosphere remained oppressive.

Behind her stood civil and military officials.

Because the high platform was quite far, someone whispered, “The princess has returned, but I don’t see how she’s stirred the military’s morale.”

“After everything that’s happened, the princess has only been the commander of the guard troops. Didn’t you see how the guard troops were before?”

Indeed, among the sea of black-clad soldiers below, those from the guard troops led by Wen Yue Sheng seemed much more energized.

Even the guard troops from the West and South City, which had not performed well before, now seemed to be filled with new energy.

In the entire army, the four major guard divisions stood out, appearing particularly spirited.

“… It’s not easy to stabilize military morale, especially after the issues with the princess,” one person said quietly.

“Yeah, even as a princess, it’s not easy to unite people’s hearts.”

The situation was indeed worrying.

On the throne, the emperor’s face was somewhat dark.

In this tense atmosphere, Wen Yuesheng stood at the edge of the high platform.

Her thin robes fluttered in the autumn wind. Her jet-black hair was styled with elegance, her frame slim and fragile, appearing unfit to lead so many soldiers.

But when she spoke, the first words were not to order the assembly, but to ask, “Where is Zhang Yulin?”

Below, the soldiers paused in confusion and looked around.

But with so many people present, they did not immediately spot Zhang Yulin.

Just as they were wondering, they heard the sound of hooves approaching from afar.

It was an unusual sound—loud and distinct, echoing across the field.

Was someone riding a horse at the assembly?

Many were puzzled.

But before long, a group of soldiers arrived, and leading them was none other than Zhang Yulin.

Under the clear sky, Zhang Yulin, dressed in armor, rode a warhorse, holding someone in his hand.

Yes, someone.

Not just him, but every officer behind him was dragging someone along.

The scene was so shocking that all the soldiers in their path instinctively stepped aside to make way for them to ride through.

While the soldiers were stunned, those from the guard troops were excited.

There was a reason for their excitement—they had seen this scene before.