Chapter Thirty-Five: Departing Great Qi Once More to Assume a High Post in a Foreign Land

"Your Majesty, this..."

The Chancellor remembered when he first met Tian Yueying; she had been nothing more than a slip of a girl. During the reign of the late emperor, the Great Qi had been embroiled in constant warfare, and several princes had perished on the battlefield, leaving her the sole survivor. Initially, An Xunlu had not supported a woman ascending the throne. It was only when the royal line appeared truly extinct that he, out of sheer necessity, joined the other veteran officials in consenting to her rule.

After Tian Yueying ascended, her youth made her a target for the old guard. Forced into a corner, she had used the pretext of seeking an elixir of immortality to withdraw from state affairs for three years, biding her time and cultivating her strength in secret.

Yet, An Xunlu, who commanded a vast faction of supporters, had chosen to feign ignorance while the other ministers bullied the Empress. For years, he had claimed illness, never once attending the morning court. State matters were reported to him at his residence by his confidants only after they had finished their business at court. Later, hearing that Cao Ding had consolidated power and taken control of the government, An Xunlu felt a secret joy, convinced that Tian Yueying’s grip on the empire was destined to crumble.

It was precisely for these reasons that the Empress held no affection for the Chancellor. Even with his powerful faction behind him, his decision to join the other ministers in impeaching Yang Chuan today forced her to strike back.

An Xunlu had not expected that the frail, submissive girl of the past had become so formidable, daring to humiliate him in front of the entire court. However, a cunning veteran like An Xunlu would not be easily toppled by a few words. Regaining his composure in an instant, he turned cold and spoke with righteous indignation: "Your Majesty! Although I have not attended court for years, I have heard that you, in your youth, were willing to abandon the entire Great Qi to seek some elixir of immortality?"

"Ha! Absurd, truly absurd!"

"Furthermore, to maintain order, Grand Marshal Cao Ding has spent these years working tirelessly, exhausting himself for the sake of the empire. Yet you, Your Majesty? You suddenly bring back a disgraced official named Yang Chuan from the Kang Kingdom. No sooner does he begin to assist in governing the Great Qi than he throws the Grand Marshal into the death row. May I ask, for whom is Yang Chuan performing this act?"

Prodded by An Xunlu, the kneeling officials seemed to find their voices, joining in the chorus of protests. The most vociferous among them were, naturally, Cao Ding’s own partisans.

"Your Majesty! The Chancellor is right. Grand Marshal Cao Ding has served the nation with unwavering loyalty for three years; he has poured his heart and blood into this empire while you were absent. How can you allow a fugitive official from another kingdom to convict him at will?"

"Your Majesty, by indulging Yang Chuan, you are chilling the hearts of over a hundred veteran officials of the Great Qi!"

Seeing the followers of Cao Ding using the Chancellor’s momentum to invert black and white and shift all blame onto Yang Chuan, the Duke of the Protectorate, Sun Xin—the only one among them who remained clear-headed—could no longer stand by. If things continued this way, how could the country be governed?

Just as the Empress had noted at the start, these officials were always making excuses when there was work to be done, yet they were more united than any other kingdom’s ministers when it came to obstructing those who threatened their own political paths. If they were allowed to babble on, even if Yang Chuan were innocent, they would surely pin a dozen fabricated crimes upon him.

The Kang Empire was indeed pressing the Great Qi hard, but Yang Chuan possessed genuine talent in statecraft. Now that the reparations to the Kang Empire had been settled, convicting Yang Chuan over this matter would only cause the Great Qi to lose another pillar of strength.

"Your Majesty!"

Thinking of the broader picture, Sun Xin, who always considered the national interest, finally stepped forward.

"Oh? Duke of the Protectorate, what do you have to say?"

Just as he was about to speak, he saw Yang Chuan, who had been silent until now, descend from the dais. Approaching Tian Yueying, he bowed respectfully and extended a hand, as if inviting the Empress back to her throne. She looked at him with suspicion, but then decisively placed her hand in his, allowing him to lead her back to the throne.

Then, Yang Chuan knelt before the Empress and proclaimed loudly: "Your Majesty! I, Yang Chuan, have unresolved personal grievances with the Kang Kingdom, which have caused the Great Qi to suffer on my account. I am guilty!"

"Today, I willingly resign from my post as Chancellor. As for any other punishments, I leave them entirely to your judgment, Your Majesty!"

The entire court fell into a stunned silence, unsure if Yang Chuan was acting or in earnest. What was this? The usually defiant Yang Chuan was voluntarily resigning? This scene seemed similar to what had happened back in the Kang Kingdom. Was he planning to flee the Great Qi and take up a high post in another land?

No! Though he was a source of trouble, his administrative and martial brilliance were peerless. Even if he were stripped of the Chancellorship, he could not be allowed to drift to another country! If he were to choose any other nation to recuperate, he would become a threat to the Great Qi in the future!

After his voluntary resignation, Yang Chuan glanced back at the officials with a look of contempt. Rather than letting them force charges upon him, it was better to act first and secure a way out for himself. He had originally intended for Tian Yueying to demote him, but seeing her hesitation today, he knew she could not bring herself to do it. The situation was urgent; any further delay would trigger a catastrophic chain reaction. If he wanted to exit the political arena in the simplest way possible, this was his only chance.

Seeing that Yang Chuan had taken the initiative to resign, Tian Yueying realized she could no longer defend him. To do so would only bring him more harm.

"Yang Chuan, I am deeply gratified by your willingness to admit your faults today. Very well, I shall strip you of your Chancellorship. Return to your residence and reflect for a few days. If I find that you still possess a contrite heart, and should the court have need of you in the future, I will allow you to return."

Having arranged the "aftermath," Yang Chuan looked up, satisfied, and exchanged a smile with the Empress. In that moment, it was as if their lives were inextricably linked; come fortune or disaster, they would face it together.

From that point on, the officials had no more objections, though Sun Xin continued to watch Yang Chuan with new eyes.

"This young man is resourceful; to be able to exonerate himself before the entire court, combined with the Empress’s deep bond with him—as long as there is a glimmer of hope, the rise of our Great Qi into a true empire is within reach!"

This was the day Sun Xin truly came to respect Yang Chuan. He finally understood how such a young man had been able to take the Kang Kingdom, then on the brink of collapse, and mold it into the formidable power it had become.