She sent these people into the households of officials and wealthy merchants, even delivering men to those officials or noble ladies with particular tastes. The young lady of the Li family mentioned below, for instance, fell for one such man. Her father was an official in the Ministry of War, so, Master, you get the picture!
Occasionally, Xie Zhiyao would personally intervene if she spotted a promising young talent—somewhat like Li Ling, the daughter who made tofu.
"Do you think someone like this is fit to be an emperor?"
"Indeed, if her unorthodox methods were merely about political maneuvering, it wouldn’t be a big deal. In times of peace and prosperity, abusing power is nothing but self-sabotage—a sign of shortsightedness and moral failure among rulers.
But isn’t the Great Yan Dynasty on the verge of collapse? A domineering monarch skilled in political tactics might not be the worst thing.
After all, during the desperate final days of a dynasty, the cautious and measured use of extreme measures can sometimes be the necessary evil to break deadlocks and turn the tide.
Still, Xie Zhiyao’s underhanded methods are a far cry from what I had in mind!"
"So, Master, you’d best stay out of this mess!"
The Yu Family silently agreed with the system’s words, nodding fervently in their hearts—yes, yes, the Divine Artifact is right, we should steer clear of this chaos. One wrong move, and countless lives could be lost.
"Little Pearl, if Xie Zhiyao’s goal is to become empress, why is she marrying my elder brother?"
"She and County Princess Aman share the same motive—they’re both after you. Who wouldn’t be, given how much influence you’ve gained lately?
From the Emperor, Empress Dowager, Empress, and Crown Prince down to the six ministers and other high-ranking officials, you’ve built close ties with them all. No wonder she’s green with envy!
Of course, she also intends to bring the Yu Family under her control.
The Yu Family has wealth and manpower—perfect assets to aid her father’s rebellion and secure her own rise to power. And let’s not forget, she has a private hobby of keeping male consorts. Your brother isn’t her only target!"
"Well, well, so everyone sees me as a juicy piece of meat, huh? All eager to take a bite? Do they really think they can treat this tiger like a feeble cat?"
"Master, don’t be angry. Should I, Little Pearl, teach her a lesson?"
"No need. Like I said, I’ll find someone to deal with her! If you intervene, who’d know it was us? Revenge is pointless if the enemy doesn’t even know who struck them.
We’ll do this openly—let them seethe at the sight of me, powerless to do a thing about it. That’s true satisfaction!"
Yue Fuguang flipped through the last portrait but couldn’t find a suitable candidate for her sister-in-law. Either the ladies already had someone in their hearts or had secretly pledged themselves to another.
She couldn’t very well go around breaking up happy couples.
In this era, even if a young woman was infatuated with someone else, as long as she hadn’t eloped or pledged herself, most would settle down just fine once married off—with only rare exceptions.
After all, it’s only natural for youths to harbor fleeting romantic fantasies—a white moonlight or a crimson beauty mark in their hearts.
But such observations were easy to make as an outsider.
As a sister, she didn’t want her elder brother to be anything less than his future wife’s first choice. Historical records showed that her brother would rise high in both career and status.
He was a responsible man who respected his wife—so much so that he didn’t even keep concubines.
He deserved a spouse who loved him as much as he loved her.
Yue Fuguang handed the album back to Madam Zhang, pouting. "Mother, I didn’t see any sister who caught my eye. Why don’t you choose instead?"
Madam Zhang accepted it with a smile. "No matter. If none suit your taste, we’ll keep looking. Truth be told, your grandmother and I weren’t entirely satisfied with these either."
The Yu Family matriarch nodded. "Fuguang, your mother’s right. We weren’t too impressed either. We’ll take our time—there are plenty of fine young ladies in the capital.
This is the wife for our eldest grandson, after all. We must find someone truly fitting."
The next day, after Eunuch Qian announced the end of court, Yue Fuguang didn’t rush off to eat as usual.
Instead, she approached Emperor Mingxi and asked in a calm but audible voice, "Your Majesty, do you have a moment?"
The Emperor, recognizing that she had something important to discuss, smiled. "I’m free now. What is it, Fuguang?"
With utmost seriousness, she declared, "Your Majesty, I wish to lodge an imperial grievance!"
The words "imperial grievance" stunned not only the Emperor and Crown Prince but also the lingering ministers, who shot her looks of shock or concern.
Those privy to her thoughts fretted inwardly—Who dared provoke this little ancestor?
Did they have a death wish?
But if you’re going to die, must you drag yourself through public humiliation first? Such unnecessary cruelty to oneself!
Emperor Mingxi steadied himself. "Fuguang, who do you wish to accuse? Tell me who wronged you, and I’ll see justice served!"
"I accuse Prince Qi and Princess Taikang. Your Majesty, shall we settle this here, or should we proceed to the Empress Dowager’s palace?"
While the Princess could be reprimanded via imperial decree, Prince Qi’s family was involved in rebellion—a matter of both state and imperial family affairs.
But Yue Fuguang framed it as more of a familial dispute.
Exposing the Qi household’s treason? That was the Little Immortal Lord and Divine Artifact’s job.
As an eight-year-old who knew nothing, Yue Fuguang had no part in it!
The Emperor’s expression darkened at the mention of these two. To think the first people the Little Immortal Lord would openly accuse were members of his own Xie family!
Did they truly lack fear? Had his and the Empress Dowager’s special treatment of Yue Fuguang failed to deter their own kin?
"Qian Gui, summon Xie Qi and Princess Taikang’s household to the palace. Take them straight to the Empress Dowager."
Turning back to Yue Fuguang, his face softened. "Fuguang, even if we’re going to punish those two, we shouldn’t do it on an empty stomach.
I heard you brought a basket of fresh vegetables for Mother today. The imperial kitchens must have prepared them by now.
Why don’t we dine at the Empress Dowager’s palace first? We’ll deal with them after we’ve eaten."
Yue Fuguang nodded and followed the Emperor out. Food came before all else!
Spotting the Yu Family father and son trying to follow, she waved them off. There was no need for the whole family to attend—such a trivial matter wasn’t worth the royal family’s dignity.
"Little Pearl, do you think the Emperor is more eager to help me or to eat my vegetables?"
"Look at how impatient he is—it’s definitely the vegetables. I told you, I should’ve just struck those two households down with lightning. Why bother with all this trouble?"
