Only after the rebellion succeeded did they realize that this place was...

Watching Gu Tingyu's departing figure, Liu Hong continued to make plans in his mind.

After entering the capital city of Tokyo, he made corresponding arrangements for all the various factions in the court, including the royal family, nobles, and civil officials, in just half a day.

Even if there are still those who secretly stir up trouble, they will never easily cause any more trouble.

This would free him up to expedite the takeover of Tokyo and the surrounding prefectures.

A new dynasty should have new laws.

Only by serving the new dynasty can one be considered a minister of the new dynasty; this is what is meant by having a legitimate reason for war.

The tasks Liu Hong assigned to the Gu family, as well as the affairs of the harem, were supported by the three assistant wives, who either courted them or issued warnings.

The various factions within Tokyo should surely understand his intentions.

This small example demonstrates that the current Xin Han dynasty is not determined to exterminate them, but rather will show them leniency.

If they can serve the new dynasty, they can set aside past grievances, be promoted again without being bound by convention, and their career advancement will not be hindered.

……

The Ningyuan Marquis's family was considered one of the most valiant and powerful families among military nobles.

Especially before the death of the old Marquis Gu Yankai, the real power he held in his Marquis's mansion was among the top in the entire capital city.

Even after the old Marquis passed away, the glory of the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion was still remarkable in comparison to Gu Tingyu, who did not lose the original grandeur of the Xun Gui faction.

In particular, the Gu family also has the Bai family, with whom they have a marriage alliance, and three generations of them have been rooted in the military.

This marriage alliance alone is enough to gain the trust of many soldiers from the outset.

In the original story, Gu Tingye was able to mobilize soldiers and get those generals and officers to risk their lives to save the emperor because of his good looks and his family's status.

The accumulated wealth and power of the Gu family over three generations has become an excellent asset for Liu Hong to quickly win back the hearts of the former dynasty's nobles and gain more military power.

With the ruler and his ministers of one mind, this matter will surely succeed.

Today, the Ningyuan Marquis's residence is unusually bustling with activity.

All the members of the Gu family were seated in the front hall.

Looking from afar, sitting to the right of the head of the table was none other than the old Marquis's second wife, Madam Qin.

Inside the Ningyuan Marquis's residence.

She is of a higher generation and has a son and a daughter.

The boy's name is Gu Tingwei, and the girl's name is Gu Tingcan.

Especially within the inner quarters of the Gu family, even Shao Shi, the wife of Gu Tingyu who inherited the title and could be called the Marquis's wife, was no match for her.

Madam Qin, in managing the household, was shrewd and experienced, truly deserving the title of "extraordinary."

"It's already past noon. Even if the eldest son and the officials went to welcome the new emperor, they should have returned by now. Why are they still nowhere to be seen?"

Madam Qin craned her neck, her voice anxious, and kept peering out of the arched gate of the mansion.

Aside from her, the other two masters of the Gu family, the fourth and fifth branches, who held some power in the mansion, also exuded an air of authority in their dark blue robes and jackets, but their composure was not as good as that of Madam Qin.

He was now like an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth, occasionally instructing the servant beside him, "Go quickly, go outside and inquire again, see where the Marquis is!"

Before long, the servant hurriedly returned and informed him of the situation.

Most of the court officials had already returned to their respective residences, but the Marquis of Ningyuan's mansion... was still nowhere to be seen.

Immediately, the Gu family members felt a mix of emotions.

The new dynasty has just been established, and the situation is extremely tense. If something were to happen to Gu Tingyu, how could anyone escape unscathed when the whole nest is overturned?

It's likely that even members of the Gu family who are dependent on the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion will be implicated.

"The eldest son is the most composed and steady person; he would never easily offend the new emperor. No, he wouldn't..."

As if waking from a dream, Madam Qin shook her head repeatedly, trying to comfort everyone and managing to calm the Gu family members in the mansion down.

"Yes, yes, yes. Dalang usually plans things out carefully before acting. If it weren't for his illness, he probably would have already seized real power."

The eldest sons of the fourth and fifth families also quickly echoed this sentiment, nodding frantically.

Just then, as everyone was on the verge of panic and their minds began to break down, a cough that would normally sound jarring but now felt strangely comforting, a cough that sounded like a symptom of illness, began to slowly and continuously.

"Cough, cough~"

The Gu family members immediately looked in the direction of the sound.

In a short while, Gu Tingyu, supported by his close servant, slowly walked step by step to the front of the group.

"Young Master, how are you? Have you offended the new emperor?"

Madam Qin was the first to stand up, her face full of worry as she asked.

Although the others remained silent, their expressions clearly revealed their thoughts.

Where is the real concern for Gu Tingyu?

They were just worried that something might happen to him, and that it would affect their whole family.

Gu Tingyu sneered inwardly, but showed no sign on his face, still looking sickly.

He broke free from the servant's support and steadily walked to the main seat in the front hall, where he sat down. His calm gaze, like a bottomless pool, slowly swept over the faces of the Gu family members.

Whoever's gaze falls upon them will feel a knot in their heart, as if they have done something to wrong them, and their face will show more or less guilt.

Fortunately, this oppressive atmosphere did not last too long.

Gu Tingyu also knew that the Gu family must not be thrown into chaos, otherwise how could they serve the new emperor?

"Your Majesty is merciful. After the court session, you allowed me to stay in the Wende Hall for a heart-to-heart talk with Your Majesty, which took a little longer than expected. What is wrong with that?"

As Gu Tingyu spoke, he slowly took out the imperial edict that was hidden inside his sleeve.

Since the imperial decree was to send the Gu family to the border to pay homage to the Duke of England, the foremost military figure of the former dynasty, it should be carried out with great solemnity, far surpassing any verbal order or other token.

"Not only that, His Majesty also assigned me a task."

Gu Tingyu's gaze swept over everyone again, his tone heavy, "If this matter is handled well, my Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion may still be the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion of the new dynasty; if not..."

"Before long, even my nominal position as Commander of the Palace Guard will be taken away."

Then, Gu Tingyu recounted the various imperial edicts issued by the new dynasty in the Chuigong Hall.

First, redundant officials below the sixth rank were dismissed, then the titles of the former nobles were stripped, and then news of the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Yong fleeing the capital city of Tokyo emerged.

One by one, the items fell like heavy hammers into the small front hall of the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion, startling the two masters of the fourth and fifth branches, as well as the women of the inner quarters, including Madam Qin.

Fortunately, the group was still able to manage to keep things under control.

Suddenly realizing the gravity of the situation, Madam Qin's expression tightened, and she urgently asked, "Eldest Brother, who from the Gu family should go to deliver this task to the other side of the pass to pay respects to the Duke of Ying?"

At that moment, Madam Qin immediately had someone in mind.

However, it's really not easy to say this out loud in the current Ningyuan Marquis's residence.

The two masters of the fourth and fifth branches of the family seemed to have realized this as well.

They looked at each other, their eyes filled with apprehension.

For a moment, neither of them was willing to speak first.

Gu Tingyu took in everyone's expressions and felt that none of them were any good, so he said bluntly, "With my health, I'm afraid I'll die halfway there."

"Tingwei in the manor is still too young to shoulder such a heavy responsibility; as for Fourth Uncle and Fifth Uncle..."

Gu Tingyu mentioned this.

The two masters from the fourth and fifth branches of the family immediately shook their heads rapidly, like cats whose tails had been stepped on, repeatedly refusing: "No, no! Eldest brother, this is a life-threatening task."

Heaven knows whether the Duke of Ying is still loyal to the Song Dynasty. If he is loyal to the old dynasty, then their trip would be nothing short of sending their heads to their deaths.

Life can end in an instant.

"hehe!"

Seeing this, Gu Tingyu's lips curled into a cold smile, and his eyes became even more indifferent.

He spoke slowly, each word firm and resolute: "Who else could it be right now? Only by finding that damned bastard from the marketplace can we establish the foundation of my Ningyuan Marquis's mansion."

"In these chaotic times, only those who can fight on the battlefield can continue the glorious lineage of the Ningyuan Marquis's family. Otherwise... this title may not be able to be passed down."

"I am the last generation of the Gu family."

At this moment, Gu Tingyu used his title as a marquis to intimidate everyone.

As expected, everyone readily agreed, and even Madam Qin dared not be presumptuous.

If the vast Ningyuan Marquis's mansion lost its title, what kind of high-ranking and noble family would it still be? For a time, it might not even be able to compare with ordinary officials' families. How could that be acceptable?

That would be absolutely impossible.

……

Inside the palace, Liu Hong finished his lunch and then rested for a while.

In just half an hour, Liu Hong was full of energy again.

He got up from the couch, went to the imperial table, and was about to bend down to see which memorials still needed to be dealt with.

The chief eunuch, who had left early that morning to go to the Sheng family, has now returned.

And look at the entrance of the Wende Hall, there are also several more figures.

"His Majesty."

The chief eunuch bowed respectfully. "The three assistant wives have arrived. May His Majesty grant them an audience?"

Since the three assistant wives were women, Liu Hong, being a man, had to meet them in public and could not act recklessly.

Otherwise, it would cause unnecessary trouble and tarnish his reputation as emperor.

They also need to be served by palace maids and eunuchs, the more the better, in order to establish the authority of the Inner Court Affairs Department in the palace, and to better demonstrate the laws of the dynasty and the authority of the emperor.

Liu Hong waved his hand.

The chief eunuch understood his superior's intention and quickly went to the outside of the Wende Hall, looking at the three women in front of him.

Although they were not as pleasing to the eye as the young girls of sixteen or seventeen, they were people of the highest status in the inner quarters.

"Ladies, His Majesty requests your presence."

The chief eunuch tried to sound as gentle as possible.

The three women—the Duchess of Yingguo, Princess Pingning, and Wang Ruofu—bowed respectfully and then, following the chief eunuch, slowly walked to Liu Hong's side.

"Your Majesty, I have come to pay my respects."

The three spoke in unison, their eyes lowered, not daring to look directly at the emperor's face.

Liu Hong didn't have any important matters to discuss with the three women. He simply instructed them to cooperate well within the palace, avoid any discord, and work together to manage the affairs of the harem.

The three of them nodded in agreement.

With Liu Hong's tacit approval, they quickly took their leave and disappeared.

However, the three of them dared not look directly at Liu Hong, and thus did not see the emperor's full face. Liu Hong, on the other hand, took in all three of their faces and expressions.

The Duchess of England, being the most composed, must have had frequent interactions within the palace during the former Song Dynasty, and she was always at ease and knew how to conduct herself with propriety.

Princess Pingning, with her elegant and noble bearing and royal lineage, was apprehensive but managed to suppress her feelings, though she had a rather assertive demeanor.

Last in line was Liu Hong's future mother-in-law, Wang Ruofu, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Sheng family.

Needless to say, she is kind-hearted, especially soft-hearted. She always considers others without saying a word, making her much better than the wives of ordinary officials.

Liu Hong saw this woman's kindness and nodded in approval.

With such a mother, such a daughter was raised. When Hua Lan arrives in the palace, she will not only fulfill his personal feelings but also bring stability to the affairs of the harem.

Liu Hong was quite satisfied with his mother-in-law, and even felt a sense of gratitude towards her.

So today!

Of these three assistant wives, the first choice was the old lady of the Duke of Yingguo, while the choice of Princess Pingning was a matter of weighing the pros and cons. Only Wang Ruofu was someone Liu Hong was truly willing to accept as one of his own.

Coming to his senses, Liu Hong turned his gaze to the memorials on the jade table.

Only a dozen or so copies remain.

The guidelines for reviewing memorials he established back in Nanjing are still very useful; otherwise, he probably wouldn't have finished reviewing them all today.

In addition, Liu Hong was willing to delegate authority, so what came to him were all major matters from various places, not even the meager expenses of a few dozen taels of silver.

For Liu Hong, the approach of doing everything himself was absolutely unacceptable, as it would be too exhausting.

Even he, the new Han emperor, couldn't accomplish that.

……

The palace is quite large, with very strict rules, and one cannot move around freely.

However, now that the Duke of England's wife, Wang Ruofu, and Princess Pingning have convenient statuses, many things must be handled by them, and they naturally have this convenient power.

In the Kunning Palace, the former Song Empress was long gone; and in the other Rouyi Palace, Qinming Palace, and so on, the concubines, royal offspring, and clansmen were all gone without a trace.

Now all that remains are the palace maids and eunuchs, who are waiting to be dealt with.

These matters concerning the women and servants of the imperial harem were difficult for even the Left Chancellor Gongsun Bai, the Grand Commander Geng Jie, and even the former officials of the old Song Dynasty, now the Right Chancellor Han Zhang, to handle.

Previously, these people had been gathered together by the Imperial Guards residing in the palace and imprisoned in the Cold Palace until now.

"Everyone, stand at attention. The ladies have something to say."

The Imperial Guard leader shouted, his cold and stern voice immediately silencing all the women and servants released from the Cold Palace, who dared not continue their noisy chatter.

Surrounded by rows of Imperial Guards, they were trapped here, their cold gazes filled with a chilling aura, as if they were the only ones who dared to break the rules.

They will be severely punished immediately.

After doing all this, the leader of the Imperial Guards came before Wang Ruofu, the old lady of the Duke of Yingguo, and Princess Pingning, and bowed to show his respect.

"Thank you for your help, General."

The British Duchess nodded in agreement.

The commander of the Imperial Guards added, "Since the ladies have accepted His Majesty's orders, I will do my utmost to fulfill any requests they may have in this palace."

After saying this, the leader of the Imperial Guards turned and left.

However, the remaining Imperial Guards naturally obeyed the orders of the three women.

Although Wang Ruofu did not speak at this moment, he couldn't help but feel a sensation he had never experienced before.

These fierce and valiant imperial guards were now obeying the words of this woman, which was an unprecedented event for a woman like Wang Ruofu who lived in the inner quarters.

This was something she had never dared to imagine while she was still in the Sheng family mansion.

Even now, it feels like a dream.

While Wang Ruofu was still in a daze, the Duchess of Yingguo called out loudly: "Before the Emperor, in the Imperial Study, in the Storehouse, and in all the important places within the palace, all the former palace maids and eunuchs should line up and come out."

The Duchess of England waved her hand, and her maids, who had come from the Duke of England's mansion, stepped forward to take the palace account books.

The above contains all relevant records.

"Check everything carefully, and don't harbor any侥幸 (侥幸 means taking chances). If any deception, fraud, or smuggling is discovered, the palace rules are strict, and the offender will be beaten to death on the spot, and their family members outside the palace will also be implicated. It's definitely not a good thing."

At the same time, Princess Pingning was not at a disadvantage.

She knew all too well how crucial this position of assistant wife was to her and the Duke of Qi's mansion.

Then she spoke in a clear voice: "Those who previously served as ladies-in-waiting in this palace, as well as those in charge of various departments, also lined up in order. People from the Imperial Food Bureau, the Imperial Pharmacy Bureau, the Imperial Clothing Bureau, the Imperial Soil Bureau..."

The two assistant managers' wives then gave their orders in turn.

Meanwhile, Wang Ruofu, also the wife of the chief minister, had clear eyes as she looked at the many people waiting to be dealt with. For a moment, all the methods she had thought of within the Sheng family vanished, and she couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

Fortunately, although the three of them had not spent much time together, Princess Pingning and the old lady of the Duke of Yingguo could see Wang Ruofu's kind nature. In addition, the Sheng family was now deeply favored by His Majesty and was happy to lend her a hand.

"Madam Sheng, would it be alright if we two left this matter of punishment to them?"

The Duchess of England spoke gently, then continued, "The decision of how to select and fill the positions of ladies-in-waiting, scribes, and assistants in the palace is entirely entrusted to you. I wonder what the Madam Sheng thinks?"

"Okay, then...that would be excellent."

Faced with the kind offers from the Duchess of England and Princess Pingning, Wang Ruofu was eager to accept them immediately.

They were given specific tasks.

Only then did her empty heart feel a little more at ease.

But looking like this, she really resembled a husky that had infiltrated a wolf pack.

But they are really harmless and quite interesting.

And now that her emotions have calmed down...

"I, Wang Ruofu, have actually reached this point!!!"