A lazy bum transmigrates and marries a eunuch – it's awesome!

Chapter 198 Progress

Jiang Xinyu had no respect for imperial power, Jin Zekang loathed his own family, and Xiao Yuan was simply resigned to his fate.

The content of their conversation was so outrageous that it would be an understatement to call it treasonous; under normal circumstances, it would be worth a family genealogy book.

Jiang Xinyu really didn't know much about the emperor's sons.

Finally, after much discussion, Xiao Yuan and Jin Zekang decided on the eighth prince, born to Consort He, and the ninth prince, born to Consort Yu.

The Eighth Prince is seven years old and quite clever, but his mother is a palace maid who is not very favored.

The mother and son lived a very difficult life in the palace. Jin Zekang had helped them once, so it was a good deed.

The Ninth Prince is 6 years old; to put it simply, he's a little idiot.

His mother wasn't particularly bright; she was just a pretty but dim-witted woman from a good family.

This mother and son are relatively easy to control. If they think that Consort Yu's family is too large, they can eliminate a group of them during the palace coup.

Jin Zekang prefers the Seventh Prince.

He and Xiao Yuan only wanted wealth and status, but they had no ambition to become emperors. They could come clean and reach a consensus with the Eighth Prince when he got older.

The Eighth Prince is intelligent and will surely be a good emperor. As long as he is properly taught, they can retire in peace.

The biggest conflict between the young emperor and the powerful regent was over court politics.

They never intended to hold onto power and toil away for the rest of their lives.

As long as the young emperor readily relinquishes power after the emperor's wedding, he cannot completely eliminate them for the sake of public opinion.

Xiao Yuan, however, preferred the Ninth Prince.

In his words, he had no expectations of the humanity of the Jin family.

Those who come from humble backgrounds and suffered hardships in their childhood tend to value power more.

They've put the poor eighth prince on the throne now, and he might be grateful, but that might not be the case as he reigns longer.

Those who become emperors are all suspicious, and even if they readily relinquish power to the young emperor, the young emperor may not trust them.

Any emperor with a modicum of intelligence would not tolerate powerful ministers and regents like them.

If you want to play politics, don't be afraid of hard work. Instead of racking your brains to assist a good emperor, you might as well adopt a few smart kids and develop your own power.

If the emperor is mediocre, he will always have to rely on these powerful ministers. Even if he doesn't want to put in the effort himself, he can pass it on to the next generation.

When the little emperor grows up and their own children are able to stand on their own, they can let their godson take over the reins and still retire.

Even if Jin Zekang could have several biological children, it would be easier for powerful ministers to keep them in their own homes.

Jiang Xinyu didn't speak for fear of interfering with Xiao Yuan's judgment, but she actually quite agreed with Jin Zekang.

The old emperor slept with a foolish beauty and gave birth to a silly son. If this young emperor marries a few more idiots in the future, who knows what kind of children they'll produce?

There was a family of lunatics in the Northern Qi royal family before; this kind of hidden danger is truly terrifying.

Politics is a game for powerful ministers, but a foolish ruler affects the people of the world.

A weak ruler, strong ministers, constant factional disputes, and a disorganized state are definitely signs of national demise.

Jin Zekang's chosen people were more friendly to the country, while Xiao Yuan's chosen people were more friendly to him and Jin Zekang.

Neither of them was very committed to their choices; they were in a "this is fine, that is fine" state.

Jiang Xinyu found it somewhat amusing.

It's quite bizarre that two treacherous officials could be so peaceful when they disagreed on choosing an emperor.

Although the candidate has been chosen, it's just talk. The old emperor is still firmly on the throne, and who knows what changes might happen in the future.

Xiao Yuan also confessed his plan: he deliberately allowed himself to be captured as a strategic retreat, using the same tactics as Zhang Zhongyi.

The two always kept each other in check. When Zhang Zhongyi was on his deathbed, the old emperor would imprison him, but if something happened to him, Zhang Zhongyi would inevitably be suspected as well.

Even the most injured and dying person doesn't survive for more than ten days or half a month. Now that guy is in a bind.

They either had to feign death and be removed from the court's list, or they had to take the risk of usurping the throne.

There's a saying: "When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter."

While Zhang Zhongyi was alive, court officials would side with the Third Prince and obey his orders because of his reputation.

If this Left Prime Minister dies, the influence will fade away, and the forces gathered on their side will likely find new allies very quickly.

Even if he faked his death, as long as he doesn't dare let others know, it's no different from being really dead.

Jiang Xinyu wasn't interested in what Jin Zekang and Xiao Yuan were talking about, which was rather profound. Watching the two of them exchanging witty remarks, she suddenly wanted to laugh.

Indeed, people have a thousand faces.

Now, His Highness Prince An is waving his folding fan with a confident expression, much like Zhuge Liang. Who would have thought that he would be so angry at a few words that he would jump up and down or even swear?

Xiao Yuan is even more interesting.

With his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed and his fingers lightly tapping, he uttered a series of treacherous schemes amidst his laughter, sending chills down one's spine.

But in reality, he was completely naked, with nothing underneath the thin cloth.

Jin Zekang noticed Jiang Xinyu's mischievous smile and shuddered, thinking he might have interrupted the couple's sweet talk, so he quickly said goodbye.

He suddenly turned back just before reaching the door, giving an apologetic, dry laugh.

"Um, I almost forgot, I'm here to give you some news."

The governor's office has been sealed off, and it's estimated that everyone in the office who is being investigated by the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review will be subject to questioning.

He Zhang has been suspended from his post, and your godson has been arrested. There's no other news at the moment.

Do you need me to rescue Ye Xiao?

I guess the supervision over him isn't as strict as it is over you.

Xiao Yuan shook his head. "You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub. Let him stay in there for a few days."

They're all shrewd people; they won't dare go too far until they see my corpse.

Jin Zekang mimicked Jiang Xinyu's "OK" sign.

"As long as you have a plan in mind, that's fine."

I also told my people to be careful; it would be a shame to lose something so big after all that effort.

Jiang Xinyu nudged Xiao Yuan's shoulder worriedly.

"Do you think the old emperor will let them cause trouble for a few more days?"

That prison isn't a place for humans; Ye Xiao's leg is still injured and he can't put any weight on it yet.

"Twelve isn't that fragile."

Xiao Yuan held Jiang Xinyu's hand and pressed it against his face, "That kid is tough and can take a beating, you don't need to feel sorry for him."

"My lady, please only care about me, okay?"

Good, how could it be bad?

Xiao Yuan, pitifully seeking attention, was both innocent and alluring. Jiang Xinyu's mind was instantly filled with him, and she completely forgot who Ye Shier was.

Fortunately, Ye Xiao was already an adult.

Fortunately, Ye Xiao wasn't their biological son.

Fortunately, Ye Xiao was unaware that his godparents, even knowing he was in prison, only cared about being affectionate.

As expected, having a stepmother meant having a stepfather; Ye Xiao's initial worries were not unfounded.

Since Xiao Yuan got a wife, his status as his godson has plummeted. If he's not home for half a year, even the Grand Supervisor wouldn't remember to look for him.

Fortunately, He Zhang remained loyal to him and used all his connections to try to make things better for his son, Xiao Ye, in prison.

Xiao Yuan's guess was correct.

The old emperor became suspicious of Zhang Zhongyi's lineage, and the reason he imprisoned Ye Xiao and ordered an investigation of the Supervisor's Office was simply to see if there were any clues about Xiao Yuan.

He never intended to kill Xiao Yuan, at least not before Zhang Zhongyi's funeral.

Although the imperial physicians sent there all said that the Left Prime Minister had suffered damage to his lungs and did not have much time left.

But the old emperor was always suspicious. Even if he saw a corpse, he would examine it three times before he was sure.

At present, the only people he trusts most are his own secret guards.

They said that the group of men in black were indeed after Xiao Yuan, so there must be more to the story.