Elder Liu is the only one who has the highest rank among the governing officials, and there won’t be room for the situation to take a turn that day if it wasn’t for him who bowed down first which finally led everyone else to acknowledge Zhu Yunxuan as the new emperor. So, it’s reasonable to say that it will be his turn after the fall of Zhang Nianling, and not to mention that he also committed a meritorious deed of providing support for the new emperor, but....”

Zhu Yunxuan decided in an unperturbed manner: “Let’s follow the old custom in the previous dynasty, the ministry of rites will take on the responsibility, and Secretary Yan can be in charge of this matter instead.”

Scholar Yan was stunned as he suppressed his excitement and skeptically asked: “But such a case did not occur during our dynasty, since it has always been the responsibility of the governing officials, so will it be against the rulers if it was done by me?”

“It’s all good, you can take up the job.”

Scholar Yan not longer denied it and emphatically responded: “Your humble servant has received your highness’s order.”

Liang Zhen narrowed his eye slightly, a glimpse of speculation flash before his gaze as he subtly curl up the corner of his lip.

Once all the officials withdrew, Liang Zhen glance towards Zhu Yunxuan and lightly smiled: “Is your highness planning to raise the rank of Mister Yan?”

Zhu Yunxuan spoke with an unperturbed tone: “The inner parliament is desolated and urgently requires newcomers to fill it up. Scholar Yan is the director of the boards of rites, and him joining the inner parliament is a logical matter of course.”

Liang Zhen smiled meaningfully: “Is that so? How come your highness didn’t mention that he will also be the father of your future fiancée as well as the elder statesman?”

An arranged marriage has already been set for Zhu Yunxuan four years ago when he was granted the title of King Rui, and the one who Emperor Zhaoyang has arranged for him is the illegitimate daughter of Scholar Yan. During that time, Scholar Yan is still a vice official in the ministry of rites, and he only raised to the rank of a governing minister two years later. Originally, Zhu Yunxuan should’ve gotten engaged a long time ago, but it’s merely because the mother of that young lady has pass away as well as the demise of Emperor Zhaoyang’s birth mother empress dowager Qingren which caused Emperor Zhaoyang to be no longer interested in this matter of his anymore, thus it was delayed back and forth.

Zhu Yunxuan deepen his gaze: “So what if it is?”

“It doesn’t matter,” The smile at the corner of Liang Zhen’s lip faded away as he directed glance towards him, “I am merely reminding your highness that you shouldn’t place too much trust onto relatives for the sake of preventing mishaps from occurring in the future.”

“Zhaowang is overly apprehensive,” Zhu Yunxuan frigidly spoke, “these shouldn’t be matters that Zhaowang needs to contemplate about.”

How could it be unknown to him those influential relatives couldn’t be consider a good thing. Xie clan is precisely a clear example from the previous year of how much Xie Guogong caused havoc due to his bold and recklessness, but what is he able to do. Nowadays, the ones remaining in the imperial court are all involved with the person in front of him, so how could he able trust them? Does he even have the guts to? If you take in a broad view of the imperial court, how many people does he have available?

Their gazes locked, as there’s no need to conceal the suspicion and temptation in each of other’s eyes, and after a brief stalemate, Liang Zhen shook his head slightly: “Is this truly how your highness thinks of me?”

“Where have you been just now?”

Liang Zhen unperturbedly replied: “Huaqing Palace.”

Zhu Yunxuan’s pupils shrink slightly: “How is Imperial Consort Chen?”

“Madam missed the late emperor overly much and she thus lost all interest in life and asked to be a sacrificial offering out of her own will.”

“What about ninth brother?”

“The ninth prince is currently staying in his bedchamber of course. It’s just that the kid is too young and received quite a fright, but there’s no big deal.”

Zhu Yunxuan suppress the overwhelming anger that raised in his heart, and questioned him: “What thoughts will others have of you who has such a conduct of doing things?”

Liang Zhen let out a “tsk”: “What conduct? Can it be that your highness is intending to commit infanticide? How come I haven’t notice that your highness is such a vicious person?

“There’s no need for you to put on an act for me! You only kept Zhu Yunqiong for the purpose of threatening me, why do you even bother making it sounds nicer than it is?!”

Liang Zhen took a step forward, and suddenly extend his hand to pull Zhu Yunxuan in front of himself by wrap around his waist.

Zhu Yunxuan was alarmed for a moment before glared at him with indignation as he enunciates each word: “Let, me, go.”

Liang Zhen glued himself beside Zhu Yunxuan’s ear and murmured in a deep voice: “Is your highness planning to cast me aside when I’ve served my purpose after merely ascended to the throne?”

[1] 过河拆桥: The literal translation is supposed to be ‘Demolish the bridge after crossing it” and this idiom is used for describing someone who is ungrateful to their own benefactor

There are no more standbys within the palace anymore since Gao-An has already taken a great number of people to withdraw when they’ve just started arguing. Zhu Yunxuan sneered with his eyes red: “Liang Zhen, are you assuming that you’re still able to coerce me? I never am able to satisfy your nasty inclinations anymore!”

“What intentions does your highness think I have?”

The light laughter penetrated Zhu Yunxuan’s ears, along with an exhaling hot breath that made his hair stand on end. After a pause, Liang Zhen added: “Who else does your highness want except for me? The daughter of the Yan clan? Can your highness even satisfy that young maiden with the current state of yours?”

“Behave yourself!”

Zhu Yunxuan is restrained between the desk from behind and Liang Zhen embrace, he is unable to advance forward nor retreat, which caused him to quiver due to anger. Liang Zhen’s body pressed forward a little further, as the hand on his waist gradually starts caressing in an ambiguous and erotic way.

Zhu Yunxuan closed his eyes and indifferently spoke: “There are still clansmen as well as courtiers who came to pay their respects within the palace, if you insist on doing as such, I’ll immediately request them to come and take a look at how you’re committing such a treacherous thing to me in broad daylight during the funeral of the emperor.”

“Can your highness really disregard your dignity to do as such?”

“Then you could give it a try if you don’t believe me!”

Liang Zhen’s laughter intensified: “Now that your highness has ascended to the throne, this temper of yours has grown as well ah.”

Zhu Yunxuan repeats himself once again: “Let go of me.”

Liang Zhen tilted his head sideways to plant a kiss that is light as a feather beside Zhu Yunxuan’s temple, then he back away without waiting for him to get angry and stood to the side in a solemn manner: “There’s no need for your highness to be flustered, the ninth prince must be kept safe at a time like this or else the rumors out there would be much more difficult to be silenced.”

Zhu Yunxuan direct a cold glance towards him: “It couldn’t be that you are afraid of those rumors right?”

“I am merely taking your highness’s needs into consideration.”

“Heh.”

Liang Zhen heaves out a sigh with a smile: “Your highness, is it worth the trouble to regard me as a great threat to you. Since I’ve already mentioned that I’ll assist you, then I’ll naturally do as such, so how come you are unable to trust me?”

Zhu Yunxuan blanked out as he averted his gaze: “I am tired, Zhaowang should take your leave.”