Soon after, they arrived at the training grounds. The morning air was cool, and the sky above was painted in a pale shade of blue.
Li Jun dismounted and helped Shen Yuqing down from the horse. She instinctively wanted to pull away, but with so many eyes watching, such a gesture would be improper.
Li Jun let out a soft chuckle, amused by Shen Yuqing's rigid demeanor. After setting her down gently, she began stretching her arms and legs. Fortunately, this body still has some strength, if I dropped her in front of everyone, wouldn't that be ridiculous?
She left Shen Yuqing behind and began jogging around the yard. She no longer resembled a pampered noble who feared sweat or hardship.
From the side, Shen Yuqing watched in silence, her brows slightly furrowed. Had the poison changed her? Not just her personality, but her behavior too?
After a few laps, Li Jun dropped to the ground and began doing push-ups, sit-ups, and martial arts stances. Sweat began to form across her forehead and neck, glistening under the morning sun.
The former Li Jun had been a lazy pig; her joints were stiff and every movement felt heavier than it should. No matter what happens, I'm getting my ideal figure back. Defined abs, toned arms… like before.
Hong Yi approached and offered a towel. Li Jun wiped her brow and made her way toward Shen Yuqing.
"Qing'er, what's on my schedule today?" Li Jun now treated Shen Yuqing like a personal assistant, trusting her with almost everything.
Shen Yuqing replied calmly, "Every morning, there is a court session. The ministers will present reports and petitions on matters of state."
"I see. Then how about you accompany me and help identify them?"
Shen Yuqing immediately shook her head. "That is not allowed. Even as a shadow guard, I cannot enter without an official summons."
Li Jun frowned slightly. "I don't want people to find out that I've lost my memories. That will only give my enemies a chance to strike."
Shen Yuqing's expression softened. "Don't worry, Your Majesty. Xiao Diaozi will be by your side during the court session. I'll tell him to quietly whisper the names and positions of the ministers."
Li Jun thought for a moment and nodded. "Can I trust Xiao Diaozi?"
"He is loyal and discreet. He won't let Your Majesty down."
"And if they ask something I don't understand or I'm unsure about?"
"Just say, Your Majesty will think it over and reply later."
Li Jun touched her nose and gave a faint smirk. "Hmm… okay, that'll do."
"I'll be waiting outside the hall," Shen Yuqing said. "If anything goes wrong, I'll be there."
---
Once training was done, Li Jun returned to Yunxiu Palace. She bathed quickly, letting the warm water wash away the dust and sweat. The scent of sandalwood filled the air as the palace maids helped her dress.
They put her in a formal dragon robe, made of rich golden silk with crimson patterns that flowed like fire. A small ceremonial crown was placed gently on her head, secured with a golden hairpin.
Li Jun stood tall and took a steady breath. She looked into the bronze mirror, calmly adjusting her sleeves. Then, with confidence, she turned and stepped into the sedan chair that would carry her to the grand audience hall.
"There's nothing to worry about," she whispered to herself. "It's just like leading a meeting back in the office."
The sedan chair moved slowly. Through the small window, she could see the magnificence of the palace grounds passing by.
When they arrived at the main hall, Xiao Diaozi helped her step out. Li Jun walked inside, arriving before any of the officials.
A few minutes later, the court ministers began to enter one by one. As they stepped into the grand hall, their eyes widened in surprise to see Empress Shangwen already seated on the throne, calm and composed. Her expression was energetic and radiant, with no trace of someone who had recently recovered from a severe poisoning.
This was an unusual sight. The Empress had never arrived before them.
Many of them just stood there in surprise, exchanging confused glances. The Empress was known for waking up late, often keeping them waiting for an hour or two. Court sessions usually started late and ended quickly because she was either bored or completely uninterested.
Silently, they filed into position and dropped to their knees.
"Long live Your Majesty. May you have health and prosperity," they said in unison, though a few still glanced up at her with a hint of hesitation.
"Rise," Li Jun said, lifting her hand. Her sonorous voice rang through the hall, calm yet carrying the dignity of a true ruler.
The ministers looked at her as if seeing a different person. Whether this change was a blessing or a disaster for the future of Great Qi, no one could say yet.
The ministers stood in silence, all eyes turned to the Empress.
Li Jun frowned. "Dear ministers, don't you have anything to report? Has Great Qi become so peaceful that there are no more problems?"
The ministers exchanged uneasy glances again. The Empress had never shown interest in state affairs. She usually let them handle everything and rarely asked questions.
Li Jun found their silence strange, so she took the initiative. As a businesswoman in her former life, the first thing she would check was the financial situation. That instinct hadn't changed.
The first person she wanted to question was the Minister of Revenue. She scanned the rows of officials, still unsure who was who, then said calmly, "Minister of Revenue, explain the current state of Great Qi's economy."
Wen Jiabao exchanged a quick glance with the Prime Minister before stepping forward, adjusting his robes. He bowed deeply. "Your Majesty, the truth is… Great Qi is facing a serious financial crisis."
The hall fell silent as the other ministers listened closely. "The people are struggling to survive," he continued. "Because of this, the tributes from the provinces have decreased. Many regions can no longer afford to send what they used to. Meanwhile, the palace's expenditures remain high, and the imperial treasury is running dangerously low."
He kept his head lowered as he finished, pretending to be nervous about delivering such dire news.
Li Jun turned slightly toward Xiao Diaozi. The young eunuch immediately understood her signal and leaned in to whisper something in her ear.
"That is Minister Wen Jiabao," he murmured.
Li Jun gave a small nod, then looked back at Wen Jiabao. "Minister Wen," she said calmly, "I want to see your ledger."
Wen Jiabao's expression remained composed. She wants the ledger? Let her see it, he thought. She won't understand a thing.
He exchanged a subtle look with a few other ministers, and a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
Moments later, a thick ledger was brought forward and handed to Xiao Diaozi, who respectfully placed it before the Empress.
Li Jun flipped through the pages swiftly. Fortunately, she could still understand about seventy to eighty percent of Great Qi's writing system. Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the numbers.
The monthly tax income hovered around one million taels, yet the court's expenditures were outrageous, with most of it allocated to internal palace expenses.
Her expression darkened. Even if the former Li Jun had indulged in banquets and leisure, it didn't make sense for the expenses to be this high. She had no concubines, no lavish construction projects, and the banquets were mostly about food. So where had all the silver gone?
"I want to see the treasury records," she said coldly.
Wen Jiabao's eyes widened slightly, anxiety flickering across his face.
The Grand Director of the Imperial Treasury, Zhang Yuan, stepped forward and handed another thick report to Xiao Diaozi, who brought it to the Empress.
Li Jun opened it and skimmed the contents. Her gaze grew sharper with each page. Then, without a word, she snapped the report shut and threw both ledgers onto the floor in front of them.
"Are you two trying to deceive me?" Her voice rose, sharp and cold. "Misusing Great Qi's silver for your own gain?"