The Fallen Nation System, Turning the Tide - Chapter 98: Chaos

Chapter 98: Chaos

Xu Ying must not die!

“Your Majesty, upon investigation, the achievements reported by Yu Province Governor Bu Shiren rightfully belong to his wife Qin Jinxiu. Lady Qin has petitioned to divorce Bu Shiren and establish an independent female household.”

Xu Ying lowered her head to review the investigation dossier. Recently, court officials’ memorials had become increasingly concise and clear, making them much easier for her to read.

“Approved. Bu Shiren seized his wife’s accomplishments, showing no benevolence as an official and no righteousness as a husband. His moral character is deficient. Remove him from office permanently.” Xu Ying set down the dossier.

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Yu’s body swayed and fell to the ground with a thud. The court officials were startled by this sudden incident, those near Zhang Yu stepping back in panic.

Xu Ying hurriedly stood up and descended the steps. “The imperial physician, summon the imperial physician immediately!”

Zhang Yu’s face was pale. While dismissing the other court officials, Xu Ying crouched down, grabbed Zhang Yu’s shoulders and shook him, calling his name loudly in his ear. There was still no response. When she checked his carotid pulse, her heart sank.

As a last resort, Xu Ying desperately recalled the specific steps of CPR emergency procedure.

Just then, the imperial physician on duty arrived hurriedly from outside the hall. Checking Zhang Yu’s breath, he found it so faint it was almost gone. When he opened Zhang Yu’s eyelids, the physician was greatly alarmed and immediately applied acupuncture. Then he knelt trembling before Xu Ying. “Your Majesty, I’m afraid it will be very difficult to save the Vice Director.”

Xu Ying composed herself and told the physician: “Remove his clothing, lay him flat…”

She explained the CPR steps to the physician and had him perform them on Zhang Yu. Xu Lang walked over to Xu Ying in astonishment and grasped her hand.

Directed by Xu Ying, the physician pressed on Zhang Yu’s chest and, despite his embarrassment, breathed into Zhang Yu’s mouth. If not for Xu Ying’s status, he would have walked away long ago. Zhang Yu was already breathing out more than in, beyond saving – no amount of effort could bring him back.

The continuous compressions made the physician’s hands sore. Xu Ying didn’t know if Zhang Yu could be saved, her heart suspended in anxiety.

After what seemed like forever, Zhang Yu’s eyelashes fluttered. Xu Lang cried out joyfully, “It’s working!”

Xu Ying breathed a sigh of relief, her back drenched in cold sweat.

Surprise also rose in the physician’s eyes. Finding it unbelievable, his attitude suddenly changed and he began treating the situation seriously.

After Zhang Yu’s heartbeat recovered, Xu Ying had him carried to a side chamber under the imperial physician’s constant care. Then she summoned Zhang Yu’s servant and inquired: “What happened to your master? What has he been doing recently?”

The servant answered trembling: “Your Majesty, my master has been handling official duties continuously, not even closing his eyes for a brief nap through the night. Other than that, he hasn’t been doing anything else…”

Case solved – death from staying up late.

Xu Ying never expected that while she hadn’t succeeded herself, she had nearly worked her minister to death.

Suddenly connecting this to the recent efficiency improvements among court officials and the successive sick leaves taken by senior ministers, Xu Ying was startled. She quickly asked Xu Lang: “Have all the ministers not been getting proper sleep and rest these days?”

Xu Lang nodded matter-of-factly. “Exactly. With Your Majesty being so diligent in governance, how could your subjects dare to be lazy?”

Xu Ying gasped. So that explained why all the ministers had been so listless recently, why the Censor Officials had stopped speaking out – everyone had been weak and exhausted. They were all working overnight shifts.

No wonder the old ministers fell ill one after another, with three already passing awayit turns out it wasn’t nearly, but three officials had already been worked to death.

“Absurd!” Xu Ying was furious. “One after another, they care so little for their own health. Working overtime doesn’t earn them extra paywhy are they pushing themselves so hard?”

Xu Lang couldn’t quite understand. “As the saying goes, those above set the example for those below. If the sovereign reviews memorials late into the night every day, how can the officials retire early? To do so would show disrespect to Your Majesty and bring shame upon their official positionsthey would be unworthy of their posts.”

The entire court followed this trend: whatever the emperor did, they would emulate, lest they be seen as outsiders.

Moreover, if they argued with the emperor, they would lack conviction. It was like the emperor favoring concubines over the legitimate wifethose below would follow suit. Since the emperor himself did it, he had no grounds to reprimand his officials, thus creating a culture of favoring concubines.

Xu Ying, however, was a rare diligent ruler. If the officials wanted to criticize her for anything, they had to match her diligence. Otherwise, how could “slackers” have the face to accuse a hardworking sovereign? Their arguments would hold no water.

Xu Ying was exasperated. If they couldn’t handle it, they shouldn’t force themselves. Were they going to stay silent until they lost their lives?

“Effective immediately, everyone must return home on time and is forbidden from working at home. Otherwise, it will be deemed inefficiency and a waste of lamp oil. If I discover anyone secretly working after hours, the Ministry of Personnel will give them poor evaluations,” Xu Ying decreed firmly, adding, “I will do the samesleep when it gets dark to save candles.”

To be honest, she was barely holding on herself. Lately, she had been falling asleep at her desk, and one day even dozed off leaning against her chairfar from the image of diligence they imagined.

Her plan to work herself to death had failed, and to her surprise, it had sparked such a trend. Xu Ying quickly put a stop to it.

When Zhang Yu woke up, he discovered he had broken two ribs but was grateful to be alive. Upon hearing that Xu Ying had mandated fixed office hours for all officials, forbidding work beyond those times, he felt a twinge of regret.

The imperial physician said, “Her Majesty values you all deeply. Vice Director, you may not realize how critical your condition was. When I arrived, your breathing was nearly gone, beyond recovery. It was Her Majesty’s insistence on treatment that saved your life. Do not betray her kindness.”

Zhang Yu felt a surge of fear upon hearing this. Just a few sleepless nights had nearly cost him his lifehow many times during his exam preparations had he brushed shoulders with the King of Hell?

Xu Ying granted all officials several days off to rest and recover from their exhaustion.

Liu Xu, bedridden due to illness, heard that Zhang Yu had nearly died and that Xu Ying had somehow snatched him back from the underworld. With the new ban on overtime work, Liu Xu secretly breathed a sigh of reliefhis old bones couldn’t take any more strain.

Others, however, grew fearful. Combined with Xu Ying’s promotion of Female Officials and suppression of powerful clans, they sensed the changing of the guard. Resentment reached its peak.

Shen Zhengshi approached Liu Xu and suggested, “Prince Yong’s Heir, Xu Jin, is exceptionally bright, obedient, and humble. Why not join forces with Prince Yong to support Xu Jin’s ascension?”

Liu Xu was startled. He had hoped for Xu Ying to appoint Xu Jin as heir, but Shen Zhengshi clearly wasn’t willing to wait that longhe planned to directly elevate Xu Jin to the throne.

“The will of the people cannot be defied. Have we so quickly forgotten the lessons from Zheng Song and Wei Qiandao? When fireworks were set off in the palace, the commoners mistakenly believed the emperor was in danger and rushed into the palace despite the curfew. If we try to install Prince Yong’s Heir now, I fear he won’t be able to hold that position securely.”

Shen Zhengshi paced restlessly. “Zheng Song and Wei Qiandao hesitated because they cared about the people, missing their chance. If we arrest or execute the ringleaders among the commoners on charges of provocation and disorder, the people won’t dare cause trouble again. Moreover, by controlling Xu Ying and forcing her to write the Abdication Edict, then having her come forward to appease the people, Xu Jin can smoothly ascend the throne.”

“As for the other imperial clans… we’ve already established our position in Youzhouwhat can they do? If any among them prove capable, we can hide behind Prince Yong. Let him bear the blame for treason, and we can switch sides when the time is right.”

After all, as long as it wasn’t Xu Ying, he could accept anyone as emperor.

Liu Xu frowned. Logically, he should be pleased about forcing Xu Ying to step down, but at this moment he couldn’t help hesitating, his heart heavy.

Shen Zhengshi’s younger brother, Shen Daoshi, was the imperial guard responsible for patrolling Duckweed Street and could help manipulate things to let Prince Yong’s men in. Forcing Xu Ying to abdicate wasn’t impossible.

But among those imperial clansmen, Liu Xu felt none could compare to Xu Ying. Xu Jin was clever, but at such a young age he was already scheming and adept at pretensehardly trustworthy.

“It would be better to proceed cautiously with this matter,” Liu Xu said slowly. A rebellion required careful consideration.

Shen Zhengshi’s expression shiftedLiu Xu might have already sided with Xu Ying. Fortunately, he had come prepared tonight. Shen Zhengshi drew a golden lock from his sleeve.

At the sight, Liu Xu’s pupils trembled violently. “You…”

“The lives of the Liu clan rest in your hands, Minister. As long as you know what should and shouldn’t be said, they will remain safe.”

“How long have you been plotting this rebellion?”

To control Qingzhouthis was no spur-of-the-moment plan.

Shen Zhengshi’s face twisted slightly. “On the day of the Heaven Worship Ceremony, if Xu Ying hadn’t declared herself emperor and snatched Prince Yong’s ripe achievement, the empire would have been his long ago.”

Liu Xu stared in shock. “The chaos at the Heaven Worship Ceremony, the death of the princes… were these all… masterminded by Prince Yong from behind the scenes?”

It was unimaginable. They hadn’t considered him initially because Prince Yong was frail and bedridden, with few heirs and no outstanding qualities. Who would have thought such a seemingly unqualified man had coveted the throne for so long?

Prince Yong had arranged everything. The missing Fifth Prince Xu Long was discovered due to Xu Lang’s unusual movements, so he took advantage of the situation and poisoned Xu Long.

Everything was ready except for the final pushbut then Xu Ying emerged, declaring herself emperor right at the Heaven Worship Ceremony, disrupting his plans. When he tried to move against her, she left Chang’an to campaign in the north, beyond his reach.

Watching her position steadily consolidate, winning popular support within a year or two, Prince Yong could no longer sit still.

Shen Zhengshi’s silence confirmed it. Liu Xu felt a tightness in his chest. Back when he was searching everywhere for someone to replace Xu Ying, the various princes had all been too afraid of being attacked by others to step forward. If Prince Yong had desired the throne all along, why hadn’t he sought an alliance? All Liu Xu’s efforts had been wasted.

Now Xu Ying’s power was firmly establishedseizing her position wouldn’t be easy.

Moreover, if Prince Yong killed Xu Ying, not only would other imperial clans oppose it, but most terrifying would be the boiling public outrage. If the people rose up in rebellion and the empire changed hands, the Great Jin would likely descend into chaos.

Xu Ying must not die!

Unfortunately, Shen Zhengshi was wary of him, so he could only continue to feign illness and was unable to send a message to Xu Ying.

Liu Xu let out a long sigh and closed his eyes.

Shen Zhengshi visited other mansions as well, and without exception, all those he contacted were people whose interests had been harmed and who harbored resentment toward Xu Ying.

Not only were various surveillance measures monitoring every move outside, but even at home, they had to watch their words and actions carefullythey couldn’t even take a concubine freely. Xu Ying’s intention to suppress them had already been made clear through the incidents involving the Cui and Wang families. At this point, as long as someone promised to restore the old order, they would support them without hesitation.