Yes, this was their plan all along.

Qiu Che wrote a letter seeking the Empress Dowager’s assistance, ensuring that the memorial reached Li Shi’s hands.

The emperor had long suffered under Prime Minister Wu’s dominance. He had been searching for a capable minister to counterbalance Wu’s power but had never considered that the issue lay within the very structure of the current laws.

The late emperor had been wholly focused on unifying the Central Plains, leaving no room for legislative reform. The Empress Dowager, on the other hand, took a steady and methodical approach. After more than a decade, she had just begun stabilizing the empire from corruption and decline when the emperor forced her out of power, disrupting all her efforts.

Prime Minister Wu Rusheng hailed from a faction of upright officials, a man of humble origins who had fought alongside the late emperor to establish the dynasty. A founding minister, he had shown unwavering deference to the ruling Empress Dowager after the late emperor’s passing. Yet, in secret, he had been helping Li Shi, then nothing more than a puppet emperor by consolidating court officials in his favor, ensuring a smooth transition of power.

This maneuver caught the Empress Dowager completely off guard.

Once Li Shi took full control, gratitude dictated his deep respect for Wu Rusheng, ultimately allowing him to monopolize power. Over time, this led to the current predicament Prime Minister Wu’s influence overshadowed the imperial court, reducing it to a stage where only his voice mattered.

Even the memorials submitted by officials had to pass through his hands before reaching the emperor.

In other words, the emperor only saw what Wu allowed him to see.

How was this any different from being a puppet ruler once more?

Perhaps in the past, Li Shi still harbored genuine appreciation for Wu Rusheng. However, as Wu’s grasp extended further and further, that gratitude eroded, replaced by wariness.

The emperor wanted to curb Prime Minister Wu’s influence, but the court’s power dynamics were too intricate, each faction deeply intertwined. Making a move without careful planning was impossible, and he had yet to find anyone who could offer a viable strategy.

Qiu Che’s memorial arrived like much-needed rain after a drought.

If he could not strike at Prime Minister Wu directly, he would start with the very foundation.

The proposal was simple, beginning with legislative reforms. Strip the prime minister of his authority over the final review of memorials. All documents should first reach the emperor before being passed down the administrative chain.

This was an overt attempt to weaken the prime minister’s power. However, Wu Rusheng had no grounds to object. As an official formerly under the Empress Dowager’s faction and now under imperial scrutiny, he was caught between two formidable forces, unable to act rashly.

The emperor had already considered such changes but lacked an official willing to take the first step and bear the ensuing criticism.

Qiu Che, as the top scholar of this year’s imperial examination, was already in the public eye. Despite coming from the Qiu family, his background was clean, making him the perfect candidate to take the fall should the reform fail.

Even if he were ousted, it would not be a great loss.

Qiu Che had spent a decade navigating the court in his past life and knew Li Shi’s mindset inside out.

And that was precisely why he had done this deliberately.

He was offering himself to the emperor as a weapon, his first and sharpest blade.

This blade would not only weaken Wu’s power but also cut deep into the legal system, tearing apart the decayed structures of corruption and eradicating outdated customs.

Years from now, historians will record this reform as the Qiu Reformation.

But that was a matter for the future.

For now, Qiu Che had entered the palace well prepared.

Securing real authority from the emperor was one goal. The second was to please the emperor, so that he could request to marry the princess.

Li Shi cared deeply about appearances and valued ministers who could bring him tangible benefits.

If Qiu Che could prove his worth, then to solidify his position, the emperor would likely grant his marriage request.

When Qiu Che shared this plan, Li Qingwu hesitated as if recalling something.

Qiu Che asked, “Is there an issue?”

She shook her head but said, “Are you certain that bringing this up won’t anger my father?”

“Why do you ask?”

“If you’re uncertain,” Li Qingwu deliberated, “perhaps I should bring it up instead.”

“At least on the surface, he still favors me. Even if he gets angry, he won’t do anything too drastic.”

It wouldn’t be the first time. A whipping was inevitable.

The moment Qiu Che mentioned making the request himself, an old, nearly faded dream resurfaced in Li Qingwu’s mind.

Ridiculous as it was, she found herself deeply unsettled by it, as if it had truly happened.

Just like in that dream, no matter how furious Li Shi became, he would never discard her, his meticulously cultivated chess piece.

But for a low-ranking official with no real power, the same mercy would not apply.

In the dream, she had been embroiled in scandal, forcing Li Shi to cast her away hastily in an act of disappointment.

But now things are different.

No scandal had occurred. Nothing was forcing this marriage.

She was still the emperor’s most prized pawn.

If the marriage request came from Qiu Che…

Li Qingwu feared that Li Shi might have Qiu Che executed on the spot.

But Qiu Che leaned back in his chair, unconcerned. “That’s always a possibility, if he doesn’t want me to be his blade.”

Li Qingwu didn’t fully understand, but with no other choice, she nodded, anxious but resigned.

She knew nothing of political intrigue. If Qiu Che was confident, all she could do was wait for news.

—

After a long silence, the emperor’s voice finally came, tinged with surprise. “You’re speaking of… Lehe?”

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“Yes.”

Li Shi chuckled, a meaningful expression crossing his face. “What a coincidence.”

“Not long ago, Lehe was making a scene in front of my hall, insisting on marrying you.”

Qiu Che paused slightly.

Li Qingwu had already brought up the marriage?

When?

“I had thought it was merely her one-sided infatuation,” Li Shi mused. “But it turns out… the two of you are mutually fond of each other?”

“I recall now.”

“A month ago, the day you paraded through the streets, she snuck out of the palace just to catch a glimpse of you. Upon returning, she pestered me endlessly, demanding to marry you.”

“Could it be that, even then, the two of you had already—”

“Your Majesty.” Qiu Che cut in, his voice steady despite his rapidly turning thoughts.

Li Shi fell silent, clearly intrigued by what Qiu Che had to say.

“Indeed, I was fortunate to catch a glimpse of Her Highness that day. Since then, I have been haunted by thoughts of her. It was only during the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet that I had the chance to see her again.”

Qiu Che smiled, appearing slightly embarrassed. “I admit that when the empress ordered her to play the zither, I acted impulsively out of concern for her honor and rashly confronted the empress. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”

“As for the matter of Her Highness proposing marriage…” Qiu Che hesitated briefly. “I was unaware. Could it be that Her Highness also fell for me at first sight?”

Every word was true.

Whether the emperor believed it was another matter.

Li Shi nodded, his expression unreadable. “Then it must be fate.”

“If both of you desire this union, I see no reason to refuse.”

At the very least, there was still the Empress Dowager as a backup plan.

Li Shi nodded in satisfaction and continued, “Good! Someone, bring me a brush and ink! I shall draft an imperial edict to bestow marriage upon you and Lehe—”

“What do you think of the Summer Solstice in June?”

It was already early June, and the Summer Solstice wasn’t far off.

If it were just for the betrothal ceremony or engagement, there was still time, but setting it as the wedding date seemed far too rushed.

Seeing that Qiu Che didn’t respond immediately, Li Shi raised an eyebrow. “Beloved minister, the capital has no shortage of fine young men. Just yesterday, I received several betrothal gifts, all seeking to marry Lehe.”

“I was troubled over which family to choose. If you’re unwilling to wed so soon, then tell me, how am I to answer the sons of these esteemed ministers?”

Wasn’t there still the engagement ceremony?

If he truly doted on his daughter, would he decide on her wedding date without even consulting her?

Qiu Che thought this but didn’t say it aloud.

Forget it. The sooner the wedding, the sooner Li Qingwu could escape from Li Shi’s control.

With that in mind, Qiu Che no longer hesitated. She cupped her hands and said, “I shall abide by Your Majesty’s will.”

The news of the Eldest Princess marrying the top scholar spread through the court like wildfire.

His Majesty cherished Princess Lehe dearly, and in past years, he had even hinted at bestowing her hand to the eldest grandson of Prime Minister Wu’s family. Many believed that even if she didn’t marry into the Wu family, she would surely wed into some other prestigious noble household.

Who could have expected a dark horse to appear, allowing an obscure scholar from a humble background to seize the opportunity?

To everyone’s shock, this scholar was then promoted twice in quick succession, rising to the rank of Fifth-Rank Scholar-Aide. Rumor had it that the Emperor even granted him the authority to revise laws, signaling the start of court reforms.

Such favor was unprecedented, even across two dynasties, no historical record had ever seen the like.

Naturally, the curious began to investigate this “Scholar Qiu” and found that he hailed from the Qiu family, which had been implicated in the Xuan Yin Incident three years prior.

Digging deeper, they discovered that he had been an unfavored child in his family. And now, his father and elder brothers had all been mysteriously imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice.

Qiu Che had even moved out of the Qiu residence, purchasing a small courtyard with his salary.

This was an unmistakable sign of severing ties.

Speculation spread like wildfire, why was His Majesty favoring Qiu Che so much? Could it be that history was about to repeat itself, with two powerful women ruling the court and the aristocracy standing in opposition once more?

“Two powerful women ruling the court?”

Qiu Che heard the rumor while seated in a private study, playing a game of Go.

The capital was in turmoil, and as the center of it all, she naturally received countless invitations.

She refused them all under the excuse of “poor health,” utterly unconcerned about offending anyone. Her attitude was one of fearless defiance, a perfect match for a young, brash upstart.

This only made Li Shi more pleased with her, and the strict surveillance around her eased somewhat.

At this moment, sitting across from her was none other than the Empress Dowager, Fu Yijun.

After sharing the latest rumors with her, Fu Yijun teased, “Lord Qiu, you are quite the favored minister these days.”

“I have Your Majesty to thank for that,” Qiu Che responded with practiced courtesy before asking, “May I ask, what exactly does this ‘two powerful women ruling the court’ refer to? Has Your Majesty heard of it?”

“You don’t know?” The Empress Dowager looked surprised, then nodded in understanding. “Of course. Your grandmother passed away when you were still young… Later, the Emperor deliberately buried those past events, forbidding anyone from mentioning them. It’s no wonder you’ve never heard of it.”

The phrase referred to none other than Qiu Che’s grandmother, Lin Xi, and the Empress Dowager herself, Fu Yijun.

There were still things she didn’t know?

Qiu Che perked up.

“Your grandmother was my first teacher and my closest confidante.”

Fu Yijun sighed deeply, setting down a game piece as nostalgia softened her gaze. “If Sister Lin were still here… perhaps the court wouldn’t be in such a state now.”

Fu Yijun had entered the palace at seventeen, risen to Imperial Consort at nineteen, and became Empress Dowager at twenty when the previous emperor passed.

During those years, it was Lin Xi, then the head of the Qiu family, who had guided her in managing state affairs.

Before Lin Xi, the Qiu family had been an ordinary noble house of the previous dynasty. After her, they never again reached such heights of power.

Even the previous generation’s ruler had acknowledged Lin Xi as a once-in-a-century genius, entrusting her with full control over the Qiu household despite her being a married daughter.

She was strict with herself, ruled her household with precision, and was a literary prodigy, eloquent and sharp-witted.

The former emperor once lamented that had she been born a man, she would have been a prime minister, immortalized in history.

Yet this extraordinary woman gave birth to an utterly mediocre son—Qiu Chudong.

He failed the imperial exam three times, had no talent for martial arts, and was neither scholarly nor skilled in combat. He was a glaring contrast to his brilliant mother.

When Lin Xi passed away from illness, the Qiu family’s decline began.

Some whispered that if Lin Xi had still been alive, the Xuan Yin Incident three years ago would never have succeeded in forcing the Empress Dowager out of power.

“The first time I saw you, I saw her shadow in you.” Fu Yijun’s gaze softened as she looked at Qiu Che. “You resemble her, yet you are different.”

“I once believed all men were insufferable. But when I read your memorial…”

“For the first time, I wondered—”

“Are you really a man?”

Fu Yijun traced her fingers along her temple, then chuckled meaningfully. “The things you wrote in that memorial, no narrow-minded, self-important man would ever consider them.”

The foot-binding practice had existed for centuries, ingrained so deeply that even royal princesses could not escape it.

Yet Qiu Che, while proposing reforms to weaken the prime minister’s authority, had also included the abolition of foot-binding, a detail so minor in men’s eyes that not even the Emperor had noticed it.

Qiu Che fell silent.

Fu Yijun studied her, waiting for an answer.

After a long pause, Qiu Che finally spoke.

“Your Majesty.”

“Mm?”

“Some things do not need to be spoken so plainly.”

Qiu Che smiled and placed a game piece on the board. “So long as we both understand.”

Sometimes, silence spoke louder than words.

Fu Yijun stilled, momentarily stunned.

She looked Qiu Che over with renewed curiosity, the gleam in her eyes growing brighter.

After a while, her tone lightened, and she shook her head with a smile. “And yet you still sought an imperial marriage?”

“If you delay Lehe’s future, I won’t forgive you.”

“Your Majesty need not worry,” Qiu Che said softly. “As long as I live, I will protect her.”

The imperial decree was set in stone. But in this life, she would never allow Li Qingwu to repeat the same tragic fate.

She would climb to the very peak.

And she would ensure that Li Qingwu remained the proud, radiant Eldest Princess she was meant to be.

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Note: Empress Dowager: Strange… Why does it feel like there’s something sapphic about them?

Next chapter: The wedding night! Hehehe (wiggles excitedly).