Holy fuck!
Zhou Siren can't die!
Her body moved faster than her brain could process. Yun Yaoyao instinctively flicked a pebble, which sliced through the air with sharp force and knocked the hairpin right out of the woman's hand.
Yun Yaoyao could not help but admire the inborn physical prowess of this body belonging to Tu Shanjin.
Having missed her strike, the woman immediately pushed off the ground with her toes to flee, only to be pinned to the ground by the Dragon Shadow Guard who rushed over.
Zhou Siren slumped onto the ground, gasping for breath, his face pale with lingering fear. "I... I knew a lucky romantic encounter like that would never happen to me..."
Seeing there was no point hiding anymore, Yun Yaoyao stepped out from behind the trees with her hands clasped behind her back, her misty eyes cold and sharp. "Zhou Minister, what are you doing here?"
"How dare you carry out such a shameless act on the solemn and sacred Autumn Sacrifice day? Do you know what crime this amounts to?"
"If I hadn't passed by here, you would have lost your life just now!"
Zhou Siren dropped to his knees in a hurry to explain. "Your Majesty, spare my life! This strange woman suddenly blocked my path, bewitched my mind, and then pulled out a hairpin to try to kill me!"
Yun Yaoyao sneered, a murderous glint flashing in her eyes. "You knew she was a stranger, yet you still let her get close to you without any guard, and just now you were even about to lose control and do that improper act right then and there? Today is the Autumn Sacrifice, a day of great reverence. As for this woman, I will deal with her. But I cannot spare you for such a treasonous offense!"
Zhou Siren kowtowed several times so hard his head thudded against the ground, overwhelmed by panic, cold sweat soaking his robes. Committing such an act on the day of the royal sacrifice was indeed unforgivable.
He gritted his teeth, stopped hesitating, and decided to pledge his allegiance to cling to this powerful patron. "Your Majesty, I was just about to take care of some personal business and then go find you to formally express my admiration and offer my loyalty to you!"
"But this disaster struck. I am full of guilt, and I am willing to die to atone for my sin!"
"Yet I know I can only make up for my fault by contributing to the Yanchi Dynasty. I beg Your Majesty to give me a chance. I will do whatever you command, help you take control of the Ministry of Revenue, and do my part in the construction of the Grand Canal!"
After saying that, Zhou Siren hung his head, his heart thumping with nervousness.
To his total surprise, a strong hand immediately reached down and pulled him to his feet. Yun Yaoyao looked at him with clear approval. "Why didn't you say so earlier, Minister Zhou?"
"I will always protect those who loyally submit to me, as long as it is within my power."
"Since you said you can help me take control of the Ministry of Revenue, let's discuss the specific plan right now."
The drastic shift in Yun Yaoyao's attitude caught Zhou Siren completely off guard, leaving him utterly stunned. His sense of awe toward the emperor deepened sharply. His Majesty's control over his emotions these days was terrifyingly formidable.
But he had already declared his allegiance. From now on, the two of them were tied together like two grasshoppers on the same rope—they would rise together, and fall together. With that thought, Zhou Siren replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, I believe we should start with the official from the Granary Department first..."
Screw my colleagues in the Ministry of Revenue, I'm looking out for myself first!
After they worked out the detailed strategy, Yun Yaoyao patted Zhou Siren's shoulder appreciatively. "Minister Zhou, this plan is excellent. You are truly a capable talent."
Zhou Siren was flattered beyond words.
Yun Yaoyao added, "I know you are extremely skilled in financial management. I will also assign you to take charge of the budget, allocation and related financial matters for some sections of the Grand Canal construction. Tomorrow, I will have the canal records sent to you in secret."
Now that she had gained such a capable subordinate, of course she would make full use of his talents—let him enjoy the wonderful 996 work life!
Suddenly saddled with a mountain of extra work, Zhou Siren froze, on the verge of tears. "Your Majesty..."
Yun Yaoyao waved her hand dismissively. "Minister Zhou, I only entrust such an important task to you because I truly recognize your abilities. Don't let me down."
"Besides, this is a test for you. I will definitely remove Lou Jianshan soon, and then the position of Minister of Revenue will be vacant. Finding a new person to fill that spot will be quite a headache."
"Not to mention, once the Grand Canal is completed, the benefits it will bring are enormous, and I don't even need to spell that out for you."
She first lifted him up to a promising position, then dangled two huge, tempting carrots in front of him. Zhou Siren's heart burned with ambition, and he knelt halfway down again to swear his loyalty. "I will live up to your trust, Your Majesty. I will go through fire and water for you, and I will never turn back!"
"Good." Yun Yaoyao nodded, satisfied.
The woman who had been pinned to the ground eating dirt for ages: ......
You two are just discussing top-secret court matters right in front of me? Do you think I don't even exist?!
Feeling the woman's burning, indignant gaze, Yun Yaoyao finally turned her attention to her. She sighed inwardly—this woman was a real stunner. Even in such a messy, humiliating state, she still had a beauty that made people want to cherish her.
Yun Yaoyao walked over to her, looking down at her with a sharp gaze.
"Do you know why I didn't bother to keep secrets from you?"
Tears welled up in the woman's eyes as she tried to act weak. "Your Majesty... why? This commoner has long admired you, and today I finally get to meet you in person..."
Yun Yaoyao knew the woman was still trying to use her seductive tricks. Unmoved, she cut her off with icy words that came out of her normal body temperature mouth like shards of ice. "Because a dying person is allowed to hear any secret."
The woman's face froze instantly, and panic flooded her.
The Dragon Shadow Guard holding her drew his sword and swung it at her neck. Yun Yaoyao's eyes widened in shock, and her heart skipped a beat in panic.
You idiot! I was just scaring her! Who told you to actually cut at her!
The sword stopped half an inch away from the woman's neck. She shut her eyes tightly, feeling the sharp cold of the blade brush right past her throat. She gasped for air violently, and tears streamed down her face nonstop.
The Dragon Shadow Guard grinned at Yun Yaoyao. He was just cooperating with His Majesty to scare her, he wouldn't really hurt her.
Yun Yaoyao let out a quiet sigh of relief, and shot an approving look at the clever Dragon Shadow Guard.
You smart little guy, well done.
"Speak. Who is the mastermind that ordered you to assassinate Zhou Siren?" Yun Yaoyao's voice boomed above her, cold and intimidating.
The woman gritted her teeth, her body trembling with fear, but her answer was firm. "Your Majesty, this commoner has a personal grudge against Zhou Siren. That's why I snuck into the banquet to plan his assassination!"
"A personal grudge that allowed you to sneak into the royal court banquet? The mastermind behind this must have considerable power. They erased almost all traces, so if I tried to investigate now, I would find nothing," Yun Yaoyao said unhurriedly.
"Let me guess." Yun Yaoyao tilted her head slightly, the glint in her misty eyes dark and chilling. "That person is holding your birth parents hostage? Or your siblings? Or a dear friend, or your lover? Someone you would sacrifice even your own life to protect."
"Someone you love so much that you would rather die than betray their secret."
The woman's body went rigid, trembling even harder, and her tears fell faster.
Yun Yaoyao knew she had guessed right. This was such a cliché, overused trope.
She bent down, her large hand gripping the woman's jaw, forcing her to look at her.
Moonlight spilled over her sharp, cold face, and the aloof, superior aura in her eyes made her look like a demon god who could take or give life at will, leaving the woman with nothing but utter terror in her heart.
"But have you thought this through? Now that you've failed the mission, the people you care about have become useless to that mastermind. Do you think he will keep feeding and housing them? Or let them go, only for them to come back and seek revenge on him later? Of course he will just kill them to tie up loose ends."
Yun Yaoyao let out a cold scoff, mocking how stupid the woman was.
"You should count yourself fortunate that there is still a way out laid before you. I am the Son of Heaven, and only I can rescue the person you care about before he even has time to react."
"Death, or life."
"Choose."
The large palm loosened its grip, and Yun Yaoyao rose to her feet unhurriedly. She did not utter another word, yet the silence only made the atmosphere around them grow more frigid.
Zhou Siren felt as if thorns were pricking at every inch of his skin. Coupled with the woman's increasingly terrified, broken sobs, the scene made one's heart pound with dread.
Who said that His Majesty had become far more easygoing these days and thus easier to handle? The truth that torture and harsh interrogation might never have pried out of a person had been drawn out with just a few casual threats, as he probed the very depths of human nature with perfect clarity. This state of his was the most terrifying of all.
It also erased the last sliver of doubt in Zhou Siren's heart: whether this woman was a trap His Majesty had deliberately set for him.
Just as expected, the woman collapsed fully onto the floor, prostrating herself as she sobbed, "Your Majesty, please, Your Majesty, save my younger brother! From this day on, this humble girl will be at Your Majesty's complete beck and call!"
"The one who threatened this commoner to kill Minister Zhou is..."