Chapter 217 Mediation

Chapter 217 Mediation

This enthronement ceremony had been waiting for half a year, until the bells of the Imperial Ancestral Temple rang.

A new emperor of the Yunhan realm has been born!

This surprised everyone, as the Prince Jing, who was in the prime of his life, did not ascend the throne, but instead gave it to his son.

He still held the title of Prince Jing, but at the suggestion of senior officials, he was given the additional title of Regent to assist the young emperor.

Because of the Cangjue attack, the enthronement ceremony was rather hasty and lasted only three days.

After the ceremony, Xie Yan took Cheng'er to handle the important matters at hand.

Yunhan has a rule that women are not allowed to interfere in politics. Now that Cheng'er is the emperor, the Chengwang Army will naturally be handed over to him.

Shen Minghan was also extremely busy, but fortunately his sister-in-law stayed in the palace to help out.

After the late emperor passed away, the three powers were in a state of balance of power. The concubines who had been reborn in the harem were afraid of being implicated, so they had already moved out of the palace and found other places to live.

Consort Wei was also a concubine of the late emperor. Shen Nanzi asked her what she thought, and the Hele Palace was still reserved for her so that she could spend her remaining years there.

Consort Wei declined, insisting on staying at the Sixth Prince's residence. Some remnants of this arrangement remain today.

When the throne changed hands, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, according to the established rites, was required to clean and renovate the palaces and halls of the inner palace.

Because the new emperor is young, there is no harem yet; the only harem is Empress Dowager Shen Nanzi.

The palace complex in the rear palace is enormous.

Inside Yunyang Palace.

"Are you really not going to live with Xie Yan?" The sister-in-law packed their belongings, preparing to move back to the Grand Commandant's mansion.

Shen Nanzi sat to the side, helping her sister-in-law tidy up. "We've never lived together before, so why should we?"

These past few days she has been sleeping in the side hall with Cheng'er.

"I've thought about it, and Cheng'er is still young. I think I should live in the same palace as him!"

Yang Wenhui: "I know you're not used to it yet. We're not used to Xie Yan's sudden change either."

"When he saw me today, he respectfully called me sister-in-law, which gave me goosebumps."

As she spoke, Yang Wenhui crossed her arms, seemingly recalling that scene.

“He had said it twice before, but we all knew it was just for show.”

“This time, he apologized to me, saying that he had misunderstood you before, and that he was indifferent to the Shen family, etc.”

"That attitude...so sincere!" Yang Wenhui held her head, trying to figure out how to describe it.

"It's just not like him, do you understand?"

Shen Nanzi nodded, "My brother used to want to hit him whenever he saw him, and he would scold him whenever he mentioned him. But since he came back, he has been praising him highly."

"Sometimes I feel like my brother betrayed us."

Yang Wenhui nodded repeatedly: "I know, I know. Your brother also kept talking to me about how good and brilliant Xie Yan's decision was."

"How meticulous and comprehensive the plan is, we didn't see it with our own eyes. To be honest, we didn't really feel it."

Shen Nanzi nodded; the two women, sister-in-law and aunt, felt the same way.

Shen Nanzi looked around the hall and said, "After you leave, Cheng'er and I will stay in this Yunyang Hall, which is not bad."

"There's a lake in front, and it's quiet all around."

Yang Wenhui: "This used to be where the princess lived. Cheng'er should live in the largest Yongxi Palace!"

Shen Nanzi: "The largest room was where the late emperor lived. The Grand Master of Ceremonies said that according to the rites, Cheng'er should live in that room. The room is already being rearranged."

"I'll stay here if I get used to living here. Cheng'er can move over."

She doesn't like to move around; once she gets used to something, she doesn't like to move.

Especially in the last six months, it felt somewhat unreal to her.

“I’m afraid you have no choice. This isn’t the Prince Jing’s residence; the rules are strict. They’ll definitely make you move to the Empress Dowager’s Chang Le Palace,” Yang Wenhui said.

Finally, after hesitating for a moment, he said with some difficulty, "I advise you, for Cheng'er's sake, to live with Prince Jing! He has feelings for you now, and didn't you like him before?"

Shen Nanzi looked up at her sister-in-law and asked, "It was my brother who asked you to persuade her, wasn't he?"

In the past, his sister-in-law was the one who scolded Xie Yan the most, so it would be strange if she spoke up for him.

Yang Wenhui wiped her forehead, somewhat embarrassed. "I knew I couldn't hide it from you. Your brother insisted that I talk to you."

"For the sake of the bigger picture, and for Cheng'er's sake, he has already given up the throne, so you should get along well with him."

Shen Nanzi remained silent.

Yang Wenhui: "I know you no longer have feelings for him, and it must be hard for you to do things against your will."

"Since you don't have any feelings for him anyway, just treat this as a chore!"

“Cheng’er is still young, and the affairs of the court all depend on him.”

"For Cheng'er's sake, just bear with it, consider it as using him."

Every mother endures hardships that most people cannot bear for the sake of her child.

She survived the most difficult days by being with Xie Yan.

Nowadays, it's not unreasonable to just associate with Xie Yan, treat him as a friend but not a friend, and treat it as a job.

Shen Nanzi nodded, reassuring her brother, "I know, sister-in-law. Tell my brother to help Cheng'er manage state affairs."

"Brother, you don't need to worry about things between my husband and me."

Yang Wenhui knew that Shen Nanzi was unwilling, but Xie Yan had made such a big concession that she was so upset that she scolded him.

The two women chatted for a while longer when the Grand Commandant's carriage arrived, and Yang Wenhui left the palace with the children.

＊

Inside the Shengming Hall, a group of ministers gathered around the imperial desk.

Xie Chengze wore a black dragon robe with red trim, and a crown with jade beads hanging in front and behind him.

With a crimson tassel tied around her neck, her fair and rosy face, sculpted like jade, showed a maturity beyond her years.

"Our army will set off from here to meet up with Prince Qi's army and launch a pincer attack."

His youthful voice carried a hint of ruthlessness and decisiveness, quite like that of a monarch.

Beside him, Xie Yan's cold face showed satisfaction.

Shen Minghan, Zhao Zhendong, Lin Wei, and the others all nodded.

"Your Majesty, your two-pronged attack tactics are very skillful!" Lin Wei praised.

Zhao Zhendong said, "The last time I fought against the Liang King with Prince Jing, we used the same method."

"I never expected that His Majesty would be able to apply this knowledge to this battle."

Xie Chengze: "I...I'm just mentioning it. We'll use it if it's useful."

Xie Yan: "We must adapt our tactics to the situation. As long as we can win the battle, we must use all our strategies and methods."

Xie Yan looked at the sky outside and said, "Now that today's matter is settled, everyone has been busy for several days. Let's go back!"

One by one, the officials took their leave, with Shen Minghan being the last to leave. He looked at Xie Yan, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

"Grand Commandant Shen, just say what you have to say!" Xie Yan said, holding Cheng'er's hand.

Shen Minghan said earnestly, "Nan Zi still harbors resentment towards you. I'm worried that with her temper, she might not forgive you easily."

"Whether for Cheng'er's sake or for Yunhan's sake, I hope that you two, husband and wife, will live in harmony and support Cheng'er as he grows up."

“In my eyes, she is very good; even her minor flaws are virtues.”

"If you are sincere to her, she will repay you tenfold."

"It's just that the resentment between you runs too deep."

Xie Yan remained silent.

Shen Minghan added, "I have already told you what I have done for her and Cheng'er. It has only been a short time, and I'm afraid it will take her some time to accept it."

Xie Yan knew this, but he pursed his lips and remained silent.

Shen Minghan: "As an older brother, I have no other wish than for my sister's safety and well-being. Now, I have one more wish: that you two will be of one mind soon."