When leaving the palace, Lord Wang Jin was still somewhat frustrated.

“This move of the Princess, isn’t it just bullying this old man because I’m an honest person?” As soon as he said this, he quickly looked around to confirm that Wen Yuesheng and her black-clad soldiers had already left the palace, then continued, “If she wants me to recommend Master Yan, she could have just said so.”

“Today, saying such things about me being decisive and having great skill,” Wang Jin said, irritated, “almost scared me into an illness!”

Minister Lu: “If she had said it directly, would you have agreed?”

Wang Jin: …

Well, not necessarily.

Although they were close friends, their personalities were completely different.

Wang Jin was a man who cherished talent but was also quite conservative.

Many times, his desire for change was slower than Lu’s decisive actions.

Though Wang Jin greatly admired Wen Yue’s writing, if she had directly approached him with the intent to win him over, he would have been displeased.

Moreover, he had served in the court for so long, becoming a senior official through three different reigns.

He could not easily choose sides.

Even though Lu’s opinion had an influence on him, making a real change wasn’t easy.

Wang Jin knew himself well — he was an old-fashioned, stubborn man.

But he never expected to be treated like this in his lifetime.

“Well, that’s enough,” Lu waved his hand, not wanting to continue the conversation. “You should know that the Princess pushed you forward so that you would become the chief examiner for the spring examinations.”

Wang Jin coughed lightly, “That’s not entirely unknown.”

As things progressed and Wen Yuesheng personally rejected the position, he had already understood.

Just like her writing, this Princess was truly an extraordinary person.

Wang Jin couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration.

He glanced at Lu and suddenly asked, “Speaking of this, I have a question.”

“It’s one thing for the two of us, we’re both old men with half our bodies already in the grave, but we were still drawn to the Princess’s talent.”

“But when did Master Yan fall under the Princess’s influence?”

Wang Jin seemed to have recalled something and paused before continuing, “When he first entered the officialdom through the imperial examination, I was so amazed that I even considered marrying my granddaughter to him.”

“But you said that Yan Ling was cold-hearted and distant, that he was a great talent but not a suitable match.”

“You’ve known countless people, and I have no doubts about your judgment, but what about now?” Wang Jin paused for a moment, “If we follow your assessment, did the Princess not just raise a wolf beside her?”

Elder Lu couldn’t help but glance at him. Yesterday, Wang Jin had said that the Princess was a woman, but today, after just one court session, he was already referring to her as “the Princess” both in and out of the court.

He was worried about Yan Ling’s loyalty now?

“Everything in this world follows fate,” Lu paused for a moment before continuing, “It’s precisely those who are cold-hearted and self-restrained to the extreme, that once they change, they become harder to control.”

“And don’t worry, even if you really did kill a chicken, Yan Ling won’t betray the Princess.”

After Yan Ling was appointed as the Imperial Attendant, he had acted ruthlessly.

As soon as he took office, he swiftly handled several officials, all of whom were either connected to the Ma family or had corrupt practices.

Not only did those who fell under his judgment lose their lives, but their influence and factions in the court and capital were also completely eradicated.

After two rounds of such actions, the court had become much calmer.

By the eve of the New Year, there had been no further incidents.

During this time, however, an unexpected event occurred.

Among the Emperor’s sons, only the Prince of Yong’an had not married.

His marriage had undergone several changes and was delayed for a long time, making him the last of the princes to marry.

After the new year, he would be one year older, and his marriage could no longer be delayed.

So, as the year drew to a close, the Empress’s palace became quite lively.

Banquets were held every few days, all in the hopes of finding a suitable Princess consort for Xiao Jin.

After Princess Sining had rejected the marriage proposal, everyone had tacitly accepted that the second daughter of the Wen family would be the future Princess consort of Yong’an.

After all, Xiao Jin was deeply fond of her.

Wen Yuruo had also sacrificed much for this marriage.

After Xiao Jin and Wen Yuesheng had their martial arts competition, Wen Yuruo had been the one to take care of Xiao Jin from his injury to his recovery.

During the New Year, when the Empress was busy, it was also Wen Yuruo who accompanied her and shared her burdens.

But just when everything seemed settled, an issue arose: her mother had been caught giving money to a moneylender.

Although this matter seemed trivial, it affected not only Wen Xun’s reputation but also Wen Yuru’s prospects for marriage.

By the eve of the New Year, the Prince of Yong’an’s marriage was finally decided.

However, the future Princess consort was not Wen Yuruo.

The Empress issued an edict, announcing that the marriage would be between Prince Yong’an Xiao Jin and Wei Lanzhi, the daughter of the Duke of Zhen Guo.

In the end, Wen Yuruo, who had almost been the future Princess consort, was only given the position of a side consort.

The news spread like wildfire throughout the capital.

It was said that Lady Chen was foolish, too shallow-minded, and that it was her fault for harming her own daughter.

Others said that the Wen family should have anticipated the consequences when they allowed Wen Yuruo to steal the marriage intended for the princess.

Those who snatch away another’s marriage would naturally have their own taken away in turn, wouldn’t they?

Between Wen Yuruo and Wei Lanzhi, it was unclear who was more favored by Xiao Jin.

But anyone involved in court politics knew that the current situation was all about preparing for the succession struggle.

The Empress wanted to strengthen Xiao Jin’s ties with the Duke of Zhen Guo’s family.

They were unwilling to let go of Wen Xun, whose reputation had already been tarnished in such a short time.

Wen Yurou’s marriage was merely a pawn in the royal family’s strategy to consolidate power.

Wen Xun had already explained the situation to Wen Yuruo.

Given the current state of the court, the options were either siding with the second prince or the fourth prince.

Their family had already aligned itself with the Prince of Yong’an, and there was no possibility of switching sides.

However, Chen’s mistake had caused the royal family to act carefully for the sake of face.

But in the future, should Xiao Jin ascend the throne, Wen Yuruo would at least be granted the position of a noble consort.

The reasoning was sound.

Yet, Wen Yuruo still couldn’t accept it.

Even on the day of the New Year’s Eve banquet, she refused to make an appearance.

She had overestimated her own influence; as a daughter of the Wen family, she could afford to be emotional, but as the future side consort of the Prince of Yong’an, she could not.

She had just claimed to be unwell, but the Empress promptly sent two attendants to care for her.

They told her she “must” attend the banquet the following day.

No matter how resentful Wen Yuru was, she had no choice but to rise early the next morning, dress up, and rush to the palace.

At the New Year’s Eve banquet, all the officials and noblewomen would attend.

Wen Yuruo wore a hastily made, ill-fitting side consort’s ceremonial dress, with a heavy headdress.

Listening to the people around her address her as “side consort,” she forced a smile.

Beside her, Wei Lanzhi in a striking red ceremonial dress stood out.

Wen Yuruo glanced down at her own dull pink attire, momentarily losing focus.

Just then, she heard a commotion outside.

The synchronized footsteps echoed, thundering in everyone’s ears.

Not only Wen Yuru, but everyone in the vicinity looked up.

A palace servant shouted loudly, “Princess Si Ning has arrived!”

The voice was sharp and piercing.

Wen Yuruo snapped back to her senses and glanced around.

The officials were all tense.

Her elder sister, the princess, had arrived, and yet the officials looked so nervous—it was absurd.

As she thought this, she suddenly saw the palace doors swing open.

The blinding sunlight outside hit her eyes, making it almost impossible for her to open them.

Her eyes stung, and just as she was about to look away, she saw Wen Yuesheng step into the hall.

For the New Year’s Eve banquet, Wen Yuesheng wore a simple red-gold robe, holding a black jade Buddha bead.

Her attire was simple and casual, but behind her stood towering warriors, like Zhang Yulin, who was as tall as a mountain.

These fierce-looking warriors, who had once intimidated Wen Yuruo, followed in an orderly fashion.

When she entered the hall, the surrounding officials immediately stood and said in unison:

“Greetings, Princess.”

The voices were loud and clear, echoing in the hall.

Wen Yuesheng walked through the crowd directly to the front of the banquet hall, sitting across from Prince Jingkang and Prince Yong’an.

Wen Yuruo stared blankly for a long time, unable to process what had just happened.

She looked up, and her seat was among the noblewomen, always behind Wei Lanzhi.

Looking towards Wen Yuesheng, it felt as if a vast chasm separated them.

For a moment, she felt lost.

She remembered last year’s New Year’s banquet, when she had sat beside Xiao Jin, and Wen Yuesheng had sat alone at the back, ignored by everyone.

In just one year, how had things changed so drastically?

Wasn’t she always the one who was most favored?

Before she could recover from her shock, a soldier entered wearing military attire, his face grim.

She recognized this soldier—he was one of Wen Yuesheng’s generals, named Li Qingyuan.

While the celebration continued around them, Li Qingyuan’s face was tense.

He entered the hall, barely saying a word, before addressing Wen Yue Sheng: “Princess, there’s been a disturbance at the border.”

The festive atmosphere vanished instantly, and the expressions of those in the hall shifted.

Though they had expected it, no one had anticipated it to come so soon.

On this special New Year’s Eve, a long-standing threat, the Haoshou kingdom, had finally made its move.

Wen Yuesheng’s eyes slightly froze, and she rose from her seat.

The New Year’s Eve banquet was no longer a time for celebration.

By the time she reached the Imperial Study, many senior ministers had already gathered.

The atmosphere in the study was tense and oppressive.

A minister reporting the border situation spoke in a hushed tone:

“…According to the border report, Haoshou soldiers have crossed the defense line.”

Unlike previous years when the enemy’s army was merely near the borders, this time, Haoshou was truly preparing for battle.

The Imperial Study fell into a heavy silence. Prince Jingkang spoke after a long pause:

“From previous experience, we know that Haoshou often makes a move towards the end of the year.”

“At its root, it’s because the harsh winter in Haoshou makes it difficult for them to survive.” He paused before continuing, “Father, perhaps we should send someone to negotiate with Haoshou.”

“Negotiate?” Wen Yuesheng entered the Imperial Study, her eyes cold.

Prince Jingkang’s expression changed when he saw her.

“Haoshou has already mobilized its troops. What do you propose to negotiate—territory or reparations?” Wen Yuesheng asked, her face expressionless.

Upon hearing this, Prince Jingkang sneered: “It’s the New Year, and our troops are critically insufficient. If we don’t negotiate, what else can we do?”

His words caused the ministers present to change their expressions.

But Wen Yuesheng, with no visible emotion, merely glanced at him.

“If Haoshou comes, then we fight.”

When she spoke, her voice was calm, but the moment her words left her mouth, everyone in the room, including the emperor, felt the overwhelming murderous intent emanating from her.

This was the first time she had openly displayed such intense killing intent in front of others.

She was Wen Yuesheng, and she was also known as “The Seventh of the End of the World.” In her career, she had never known defeat.