There was a moment when Lu Qinghuai doubted if he had heard correctly.

Yan Ling?

That Yan Ling, the emperor’s close confidant, who kept everyone at arm’s length, held immense power, yet never gave face to any of the princes?

His lips twitched slightly. Unable to hold back, he asked, “Is he really useful?”

It wasn’t that he doubted Wen Yue’s words, but among the civil officials, the absolute powerholder was undoubtedly Yan Ling.

The emperor’s close advisors were usually reclusive, and Yan Ling’s personality made him even more distant.

Lu Qinghuai remembered that Wen Yue had asked him about Yan Ling before, but at the time, he thought she was just curious.

He never expected her to say one day that she might use him.

Would Yan Ling really agree?

Lu Qinghuai was too curious, so much so that the next morning, when Wen Yue went to meet Yan Ling, he got up early and stood by her side.

In the morning light, Wen Yue was dressed in simple clothes, casually feeding fish by the pond.

Lu Qinghuai paced in front of the golden Buddha statue.

Gu Yu, who was nearby, got dizzy from the pacing and asked, “General Lu, aren’t you tired?”

Lu Qinghuai glanced at Wen Yue and lightly coughed. “Aren’t you supposed to meet Yan Ling? Why are you still feeding the fish here?”

How could she still have the mood to feed the fish when she was trying to get Yan Ling on their side?

Wen Yue didn’t even lift her eyelids, only replying softly, “He’ll come on his own.”

Lu Qinghuai: …

This was probably the first time in Yan Ling’s many years of serving in the court that someone was trying to draw him in and had him deliver himself to their doorstep.

Wen Yue was indeed lacking in any sentiment.

But the more she was like this, the more curious he became.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait too long.

Soon, someone pushed open the side door.

Lu Qinghuai was anxiously waiting and was about to go out when he saw Yan Ling walking in slowly, accompanied by a servant.

Lu Qinghuai:?

Wait, did he really come?

As expected, Yan Ling was as distant and aloof as Lu Qinghuai remembered, hard to approach.

He wore a crimson official robe, his tall figure standing out, and his face was almost too handsome.

Wen Yue stood by the pond, with him by her side.

As she casually scattered the fish food, the fish in the pond fought for it, catching Yan Ling’s attention. His gaze paused for a moment.

“…This is roughly the situation. What does Lord Yan think?” Lu Qinghuai explained the entire matter.

Yan Ling spoke in a calm voice, “The letter sent by the princess also mentioned this.”

Lu Qinghuai: …

So, he had him explain all of that for nothing!

Before Lu Qinghuai could respond, Yan Ling spoke again, “Yan Ling is willing to serve the princess.”

Silence.

Once these words were spoken, not just Lu Qinghuai, even his attendant, Di Zhu, looked shocked.

Yan Ling had been in the court for several years.

Even the powerful King Hengguang, King Weiyang, and the seemingly indifferent Prince Yong’an, along with the Empress and the Zhen Guo Duke’s family, had tried hard to win him over.

Even before the marriage between Emperor Yuhao and Princess, the emperor had actually considered having Yan Ling marry the princess.

However, Yan Ling had no master. No one could force him, and so the matter had failed.

Now, without Wen Yue even saying a word, he had already made this commitment.

Not only that.

Yan Ling’s eyes, as vast as a calm sea, turned toward Wen Yue.

In the sunlight, her eyes were as dark as ink, cold and emotionless.

The lingering scent of sandalwood still hung around her.

His voice was steady as he spoke, “Not just today, but in the future as well.”

As long as she spoke, he would be her sword. Whoever she wanted him to strike at, he would do so without hesitation.

Wen Yue turned her head, and behind her was a sky full of brilliant, beautiful light.

She spoke softly, “Thank you, Lord Yan.”

Yan Ling’s eyes moved slightly.

It seemed that even the calm waves couldn’t hide the turbulent emotions beneath.

But he, being reserved and controlled, didn’t look at her further. He lowered his gaze, smelling the scent that was both alluring and sorrowful.

After leaving the princess’s residence, Yan Ling headed straight to the palace for the morning court session.

Today’s court was especially lively.

In the Taihe Hall, before the emperor had arrived, the court had already become noisy.

The cause was simple.

Yesterday, a petition had been filed against the Minister of the Ministry of Works, Sun Mingyuan, and news had already spread.

The Supreme Court had not yet made a decision, but this morning, a new development occurred.

Over a dozen scholars, all with official titles, had united to submit a joint petition to the Supreme Court.

Among them was even a former Hanlin Academy editor who had been demoted.

The group was large, and their target was clear: accusing Sun Mingyuan of corruption, accepting bribes, and selling official positions.

The former editor’s inclusion also brought up another charge.

That was the framing of colleagues, forming cliques for personal gain!

Each of these charges, if taken alone, was enough to cause Sun Mingyuan’s downfall.

Not to mention, so many people had jointly petitioned against him.

And it wasn’t over yet.

Many of those involved had evidence not just against Sun Mingyuan but also implicating dozens of other officials.

Some were still in positions of power, some held smaller titles, and some could be considered insignificant.

However, no matter what, this case was the biggest in recent years.

Interestingly, the officials involved, the highest-ranking of them, had positions in the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicature, and the Shuntian Prefecture.

By the time the emperor entered the palace and the morning court session began, the matter had already reached a boiling point.

“This is not a lawsuit; it’s clearly a false accusation! Though the officials involved may not hold the highest positions, they wield significant power. If what they say is true, then aren’t these people merely accomplices to Sun Mingyuan, clearing obstacles for him?”

“In my opinion, these people are clearly being manipulated by someone with ulterior motives. The involvement of so many officials is merely an attempt to escalate the matter, forcing the court to intervene and deal with Sun Mingyuan.”

An official immediately stood up and agreed: “Matters within the court, involving the three largest judicial departments in the capital, cannot be allowed to be stirred by commoners. If everyone follows this example, where will the authority of the court be? How can the three great judicial departments function?”

“Your Majesty, this matter cannot be ignored.”

“Then, Lord Li, do you think this issue should just be left unresolved?” Another official stepped forward: “The autumn exams have just passed, and the lists were posted only a few days ago, yet such a major incident has occurred!”

“Do you know that the people accusing Sun Mingyuan are all scholars with official titles? If they were to make false accusations, would they not be ruining their own futures? Who would do such a thing unless they had truly been pushed to the brink?”

“Failure to provide a proper explanation would certainly disappoint scholars across the land. Can you, my lord, bear the consequences of that?”

“Lord Jiang, your words are harsh. Is it impossible that among the scholars, some would have malicious intentions? Such behavior is like throwing a bucket of dirty water on the entire court. Lord Jiang, are you willing to bear the blame for this?”

The court was split in two.

One side fiercely condemned the behavior, while the other felt it necessary to thoroughly investigate the matter.

The noise was deafening, and the emperor sat on his throne, his expression increasingly solemn.

Amidst the argument, one official stepped forward and said in a deep voice, “Please, allow me to speak.”

The court fell silent for a moment, and the official continued, “At this point, it is no longer a question of whether we should address this issue, but how we should address it.”

“Corruption, bribery, selling official titles, and forming factions are all serious crimes. Normally, this case would be handled by the Court of Judicature or the Ministry of Justice. However, now that all three major judicial departments are implicated…”

“Who will investigate it?”

His words silenced the room.

The three major judicial departments were already implicated, and since they were involved, they could no longer handle the case.

If others were to investigate, who would have the authority to do so?

And who could guarantee that none of those involved had connections to Sun Mingyuan?

This was a hot potato.

Whoever took on this case would have to deal with the aftermath in the court later.

In the capital, hundreds of officials were not all connected to Sun Mingyuan, but once they became involved, they would surely become targets of public criticism.

The situation in the court was complicated, and no one could predict what would happen in the future. Therefore, the key was not to take on such a thankless task.

Yan Ling stood among the officials, his expression indifferent.

Since the morning court began, he had not said a word.

He stood silently, as though none of the events concerned him.

However, during the deadlock, he slowly raised his gaze.

Among the officials on the other side, someone stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, this matter has already escalated. This morning, as I passed the academy, I overheard the scholars discussing this issue.”

“Moreover, people are now protesting outside the Court of Judicature. This matter involves over a dozen officials. If we don’t give a clear explanation, it will shake the court and cause unrest among the people.”

“Whether this is a false accusation or not must be investigated. But if we ignore it, it will only cause disillusionment among scholars across the land. The consequences of such negligence are far greater than just dealing with one false accuser.”

The Grand Secretary, Wang Jin, also spoke: “Corruption, bribery, and the sale of official titles are parasitic to the court. These parasites must be removed, or the atmosphere in the court will never improve.”

“Your Majesty, please issue a decree to investigate this matter and set the record straight.”

Wang Jin’s words made a strong impression, and almost the entire faction of reform-minded officials stepped forward.

One after another, they said: “I second this.”

“I second this!”

“Please, Your Majesty, thoroughly investigate this matter and give an explanation to the scholars who will take the exams next spring!”

The reform faction was so powerful that their voice nearly drowned out all previous debate.

Prince Hengguang’s face darkened, and he was about to speak when he was stopped by Duke Xu beside him.

The emperor’s expression was unreadable as he spoke in a deep voice, “Then who should handle this case?”

His gaze fell on several princes.

With the three major judicial departments excluded, the most authoritative person would be one of the princes.

However, this was a thankless task. If handled poorly, there would be punishment.

Not only would their reputation among the thousands of scholars be ruined, but they would also become estranged from the court officials.

“Father, this matter can be handled by your son.” Prince Hengguang, his face gloomy, said with a cold smile before limping forward.

To deal with him in such a way was truly absurd.

Sun Mingyuan had always been cautious while doing his work, and very few knew about it.

Now that no one else could handle this case, he would take it on himself.

After dealing with those who dared to accuse the court officials, he would see who else dared to cause trouble.

As soon as Prince Hengguang spoke, the court fell silent.

Under the current circumstances, if any prince was willing to handle the case, it would be ideal.

However, many knew Prince Hengguang’s character.

If these people fell into his hands, they would surely not escape death.

Whether the investigation was thorough or not was not important. The moment he stepped forward, it was likely that some of those accused were people he wanted to protect.

The emperor said nothing, his gaze fixed on him.

Beside him, Prince Wei Yangwang rubbed his nose and stared at the floor.

Xiao Jin’s expression was complicated.

Just as he was about to step forward, a cold voice suddenly broke the silence.

It was Yan Ling.

Once he spoke, the entire court went completely silent.

Yan Ling said, “If this matter is true, Sun Mingyuan must have someone behind him who is protecting him.”

The court fell deathly silent.

What he said was true, but among all the officials in the court, very few could speak so directly about the potential future heirs.

“Therefore, I believe that none of the princes are suitable to handle this case.”

Prince Hengguang’s face darkened, and he abruptly turned to look at him.

But Yan Ling was not an ordinary person. His words did not faze him, and he remained completely unshaken.

“If none of them are suitable, then who do you think should handle it?” the emperor asked in a deep voice.

His gaze fell on Yan Ling.

Wen Xun lowered his gaze, remaining silent. Judging by the emperor’s words, it seemed he had intended for Yan Ling to handle this matter from the beginning.

In the entire court, only Yan Ling could move freely among any faction without being influenced by them.

Others in the court also thought the same.

After all, besides being a court official, Yan Ling was also the nephew of Imperial Consort Yan.

The emperor trusted him even more than the princes.

But no one expected that after hearing this, Yan Ling would remain silent for a moment before saying, “I believe this matter should be handled by someone not involved in the court, yet of noble status.”

Wang Jin asked, “Who is this person, not involved in the court yet of noble status?”

There were some, such as the empress or the dowager empress, but the imperial court had always kept the palace uninvolved in political affairs.

Aside from that, all present were court officials.

The court fell silent, except for Xiao Jin, who suddenly turned to look at Yan Ling.

His eyes were deep, fixed on Yan Ling.

Yan Ling, however, did not even glance at him. He simply said in a deep voice, “This person is the newly appointed Princess of Sinning, who has just received the golden waist token from the emperor, leading the northern city guards, and won first place in the competition under the scorching sun.”