The once boisterous Xuan Zheng Hall fell into sudden silence.
All eyes turned toward Ye Qing'an.
Bathed in the weight of a hundred gazes, Ye Qing'an stepped forward with resolve and spoke slowly, each word ringing clear:
"This humble official believes that no one is more suited to the position of President of the Merchants' Association than Princess Sheng An."
"..."
Who? Princess Sheng An? A princess?!
Ye Qing'an must be mad!
His statement was so unexpected that the entire court momentarily forgot their earlier suspicions that this appointment had come directly from Emperor Xuanwu. In contrast to their factional disputes from moments ago, their opposition to Ye Qing'an's proposal was swift, forceful, and united.
Among them, the Crown Prince's faction was the most aggressive:
"The court is not a place for childish games!
Grand Preceptor Ye, you entered office through the imperial examinations. How could you, of all people, let personal affection for Princess Sheng An cloud your judgment and utter such preposterous claims?"
"There has never been a precedent in the Tian Sheng dynasty of a princess holding a court position. Moreover, Princess Sheng An is still of tender age. How could she possibly shoulder such weighty responsibility?"
"The Princess may be pure-hearted, but she still studies with the Sixth Prince in the Palace Academy. Where would she find the time or capacity to deal with cunning merchants and scheming profiteers?
Grand Preceptor Ye's words are laughable at best!"
...
Ye Qing'an held no real power in court. Though titled Grand Preceptor, it was an honorary post, devoid of actual authority. Thus, each time the officials emphasized "Grand Preceptor Ye," it was less a form of address and more a veiled reminder of his close ties to Princess Sheng An.
The so-called praise of her "pure heart" was barely a mask for their disdain—they were one step short of calling her an uneducated, useless girl.
Outside the hall, Yun Shu calmly took note of each of these vocal ministers, one by one. Her expression remained unbothered, as if she were merely observing a play.
But even dissent loses its edge when repeated too often. Once the initial wave of opposition passed, a new voice emerged from the silence.
Tang Yuanlin, who had not been informed beforehand, stepped forward. He became the first to stand beside Ye Qing'an:
"Your Majesty, this old subject believes that Lord Ye is not a man prone to reckless decisions. Furthermore, it was he who first proposed the new commercial tax and the formation of the Merchants' Association. Perhaps Lord Ye has reasons we have yet to hear."
"In that case..."
Emperor Xuanwu had clearly been waiting for someone to say this. Without allowing anyone else a chance to object, he interjected:
"Ye Aiqing, let Us hear it. Why do you believe Our Princess Sheng An to be the most suitable candidate?"
"Replying to Your Majesty. The reason I speak thus is because Princess Sheng An possesses a deep understanding of both the new commercial tax and the Merchants' Association. Her knowledge rivals, if not surpasses, my own.
In truth, it was she who first inspired the idea of the new tax. The subsequent improvements and the very structure of the Merchants' Association—all originated from Her Highness. Her mind is sharp and her insights profound. Given her noble birth and unmatched acumen, there is no candidate more fitting than Princess Sheng An."
"What?"
Ye Qing'an's words caused a stir throughout the court.
The very idea that such a brilliant scheme, one that entrapped merchants and even outmaneuvered great clans, had come from the same princess who, only months ago, could not recite basic classics like The Great Learning or The Doctrine of the Mean? Impossible!
The court buzzed with disbelief.
Only the Right Prime Minister remained still, a storm brewing in his heart.
"So that was why the Empress and Crown Prince saw Princess Sheng An as a mortal threat—they had tried more than once to eliminate her. It turned out she had been hiding her true capabilities all along."
As the murmurs grew, the Marquis Wu'an stepped forward, seizing the moment:
"Your Majesty, the sages taught us: 'High or low, old or young, where there is the Way, there is a teacher.'
If Princess Sheng An truly possesses the talents that Ye daren claims, then at least in matters of the new tax and the Merchants' Association, she surpasses all of us here.
Thus, appointing her as President is not beyond reason."
"Marquis Wu'an speaks wisely. To bury the gifted merely for their youth would be a grievous loss."
"...???"
Until now, most could understand why Tang Yuanlin and the Marquis Wu'an would support Yun Shu. The former was her maternal grandfather, and the latter had a granddaughter who studied alongside her.
But now the Left Prime Minister, Liu Xiang, had also voiced his support. This baffled everyone.
Surely it wasn't just because the Sixth Prince was on good terms with Princess Sheng An? That would make no sense.
After all, the Liu family was the wealthiest in Jiangnan, and the biggest "victim" of the new commercial tax!
When Grand Preceptor Ye first proposed the policy, Liu Xiang's faction was the first to oppose it.
Why the sudden change?
The ministers looked at each other, utterly confused.
Even Yun Shu, still waiting outside the hall, raised her brows in quiet surprise.
Only Emperor Xuanwu remained impassive, as though he had anticipated this from the beginning:
"Then according to the Left Prime Minister, what should be done?"
"Your Majesty, this subject humbly suggests summoning Princess Sheng An into the hall. Whether Her Highness is capable of leading the Merchants' Association can be known with a single question."
Liu Xiang bowed slightly. On the surface, his words appeared fair and impartial. Yet with those few lines, he set the tone: if Princess Sheng An could truly demonstrate her ability, then she was worthy of the post.
Emperor Xuanwu gave a satisfied nod.
"Very well. Summon Princess Sheng An into the hall."
"Summon Princess Sheng An into the hall!"
No sooner had the Emperor spoken than Li Dehai called out in his sharp, clear voice.
At once, from beyond the wide-open doors of Xuan Zheng Hall, a slender figure in crimson appeared.
Caught by surprise, the officials turned to look.
Backlit by the morning sun, they could barely see her features. All they could make out was a slim silhouette walking slowly into the hall.
The early sunlight, soft and golden, outlined her form in a delicate glow.
Only when she stepped fully into the hall did someone finally react—
Princess Sheng An had been waiting just outside all along!
Which meant... this entire scene had been orchestrated.
It had been arranged by the Emperor himself.
It was he who intended for Princess Sheng An to enter the court.
The Right Prime Minister's heart trembled.
He dared not speculate what this truly meant.
As he turned his gaze away, he gave a subtle glance to the Minister of Revenue, unseen by all but its recipient.
===
I've just finished translating The Villainess Refuses to Repent up to the latest serialized chapter!
(๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧
Right now, I have one free slot open. I'm thinking about picking another short novel this time — something with either short chapters or a smaller overall word count. It could be another xianxia or maybe a modern story.
I'll share my final choice later in a little blurb about the novel I pick. Stay tuned! (・ω<)
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Due to my negligence… or maybe just my clumsiness… or the fact that I often translate late at night, I sometimes mess up the timer or publishing schedule (´;ω;`). If you follow a few of my works, you might have already noticed this.
Because of that, the dates from August 13–15 ended up being "skipped" for this novel. As you know, I actually finished translating this title quite a while ago, and the draft already has 262 chapters. Honestly, I was just too lazy to go back and fix the publish times… (￣▽￣;)
I'm really sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused, and thank you for your understanding ♡
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"daren" (大人) is an honorific title used in historical Chinese contexts, especially in imperial courts and bureaucratic settings.
Literal meaning: "Great person" or "respected person."
Function: A formal and respectful title used to address or refer to officials, judges, ministers, and other people in positions of authority or civil service.
Position-neutral: It doesn't specify rank or office, but conveys that the person is a government official or someone of high status.
"Daren" was commonly used during the imperial era when referring to: Court officials (e.g., ministers, magistrates, or governors); Senior advisors or scholars; People with official rank but not necessarily nobility