On the eighth day of the first lunar month, the various matters that had been delayed by the New Year’s celebrations finally settled.

Firstly, with the increased trade at the market, overseas trade, and interactions with Tianshuang Kingdom, discerning individuals recognized that the functions of the mere Protocol Office (Zhuke Si) were no longer sufficient. The establishment of a Foreign Trade Office (Waimao Si) was imperative.

There was a consensus across the court and the public to establish the Foreign Trade Office. Qi Tuizhi, the former director of the Protocol Office, was recommended by Dingyuan Hou Lu Xingzhou to be the Grand Minister (Langzhong) of the Foreign Trade Office, achieving a rapid promotion in official rank similar to his former superior, Lu Xingzhou.

The reason given was for his accomplishments, but everyone knew that Qi Tuizhi’s minor contributions, such as inspecting the market, were insignificant. His true great achievement was his father Qi Zijiu’s participation in the Battle of the Altar.

Qi Zijiu had only been involved in besieging Huo Liancheng, but anyone who stood against Gu Zhanting in that battle was clearly considered to have assisted the new Emperor in his ascent.

However, Qi Tuizhi was indeed the most knowledgeable and suitable candidate to lead the Foreign Trade Office, and there was no objection from the court or the public.

Lu Xingzhou himself no longer managed the Protocol Office. His successor as Grand Minister was Zhang Xingguo, an old director who had previously guided Lu Xingzhou in familiarizing himself with the affairs. Although he was mediocre and had not even left an impression on Lu Xingzhou, he was proficient in his duties and an experienced official, making him suitable for foreign liaison matters. He was now considered a former subordinate of Lu Xingzhou, having been personally promoted by him.

The position reserved for Lu Xingzhou was naturally the Vice Minister of Revenue (Hubu Shilang) left vacant by the death of Huo Qi, the eldest son of the Huo family. Gu Zhanting had once promised this position. However, Lu Xingzhou did not want the Ministry of Revenue (Hubu). Gu Yiheng then transferred the former Left Vice Minister of Rites (Libu Zuoshilang) to the Ministry of Revenue and gave the position of Left Vice Minister of Rites to Lu Xingzhou, assigning him responsibility for all foreign affairs.

The position of Left Vice Minister of Rites truly elevated him into the ranks of high court officials, holding a high second-rank position with substantial power. Only then did he acquire the capital to act as a “treacherous minister,” as his former humble position as a Grand Minister was quite laughable.

His superior, the Minister of Rites (Libu Shangshu), was one of the main figures of the former Grand Tutor’s faction. This was why Lu Xingzhou, despite serving as Grand Minister of the Protocol Office for so long, had met the Minister of Rites only twice and couldn’t even bring himself to ask for his help in arranging a marriage. Now, to avoid being purged, the Minister of Rites clung to Lu Xingzhou’s leg, willingly becoming his underling.

The Vice Minister was effectively the boss of the Minister, meaning that almost the entire Ministry of Rites now belonged to Lu.

The real power of the Ministry of Rites might not seem that important, at least not on the same level as the Ministry of Personnel (Libu). Lu Xingzhou’s reason for controlling the Ministry of Rites was not just for the needs of foreign connections, but more importantly, the matter of “sacrifice” (ji) fell under the Ministry of Rites.

Whatever Gu Zhanting or Gu Yiheng wished to do was strongly related to the sacrifices to the mountains and rivers (shanhe zhi ji). By controlling the Ministry of Rites, he could at least grasp the pulse of the nation’s energy flow.

Even core figures of the Grand Tutor’s faction like the Minister of Rites were not purged. The actual number of people purged in this round of rewards and punishments was not large; only those who had truly committed heinous acts while associated with the Huo family were listed. Compared to the bloody purges of other coups, this could be considered a remarkably stable transition.

However, even a small number of purges would create a batch of vacancies, and combined with officials who died from demonization across various regions, the number of open positions was substantial.

Pei Qingyan and Lu Xingzhou, father-in-law and son-in-law, divided the spoils, extensively placing their own people and filling up all the positions. The new Emperor did not secure a single position, seemingly solidifying his reputation as a puppet.

Lu Xingzhou seldom promoted people from the former Grand Tutor’s faction; after all, it was good enough that they were spared from being purged. He mainly promoted censors like Xiao Ting from the former Princess’s faction, and people like Xiang An and Zhao Jiayong, who had good relations during the northern border wars. Additionally, his own wife, Pei Chuyun, became a censor, and Sheng Yuanyao was promoted to General of the Western Expedition (Zhenxi Jiangjun).

There was also a new group of forces: his classmates from the Dan Academy and their elders and relatives.

Although these classmates’ relationships were limited to acquaintances, classmates were still classmates, inherently carrying a shared identity. This was evident in the fact that if Lu Xingzhou lost power and was purged, his classmates would likely suffer negative consequences. Others would not know the true extent of their private friendship with Lu Xingzhou, and a lifetime in obscurity would be foreseeable, making them naturally suitable for forming a faction.

This calculation had been made early on when he asked Meng Li for a list of his classmates’ families. Initially, he sought to gild his network, but now it served as a means to gather allies.

Coupled with various marital alliances, overnight, Dingyuan Hou Lu Xingzhou wielded immense power at court, and the new Emperor’s situation became obscure and difficult to decipher.

However, Lu Xingzhou had no intention of working a single day. He entrusted the affairs of the Ministry of Rites to the old Minister and, after proposing it in court, volunteered for a temporary assignment.

This was the Imperial Inspector of Demons (Yaomo Xuncha Qinshi), specifically tasked with investigating previous incidents of officials becoming demonized.

All armies in the realm and the Demon Suppression Bureau (Zhenmo Si) were at his command, and the major sects had an obligation to cooperate.

“Isn’t Xingzhou’s move too drastic this time?”

At the Pei Residence, Pei Qingyan hosted Lu Xingzhou, who had brought Pei Chuyun for a visit to her parents, personally brewing tea. “I’ve been Prime Minister for over a decade, with deep roots and widespread influence. Yet, fearing the censure of the world, I only dared to ask for a few crucial positions. You, on the other hand, act as if you are the Emperor. Being too sharp is not a good thing. By all accounts, you usually understand this principle well, so why are you so ostentatious this time?”

Old Pei was genuinely a little frightened by Lu Xingzhou. If something major like a “Nine Clans Eradication Game” were to happen, he would be firmly in Lu Xingzhou’s wife’s family.

Fortunately, even with “wife’s family clause two,” at most only his own family, Pei Qingyan, would be implicated; the entire Hedong Pei clan would not be affected. This was one of the reasons why aristocratic families dared to invest widely. When he agreed to the marriage between Lu Xingzhou and his daughter in front of Gu Zhanting, Pei Qingyan had already gambled with his own head.

Which family was referred to in “wife’s family clause two”? The Xuannü family. Go find them, and have a chat with Feng Ziliu while you’re at it.

“Didn’t I discuss this list with father-in-law?”

“But I advised you to be discreet then, and you said you understood. I trusted you, but who knew you’d leave it entirely unchanged?” Pei Qingyan looked at his daughter, who sat obediently by the side. “Is this how your husband sweet-talked you?”

Pei Chuyun said, “Usually, I’m the one who tricks him.”

“Go on, your little tricks might fool others, but with him, you can only be tricked.”

“Even then, I’m willing to be tricked by him; otherwise, would it just be him?”

Pei Qingyan was momentarily at a loss for words, but seeing Lu Xingzhou smiling at her words, he could tell the young couple had a good relationship and there was no unhappiness due to him marrying three wives. And their radiant, well-nourished appearance… Hmm…

“Alright, alright.” Pei Qingyan waved his hand. “Let’s not talk about these family matters. Tell me what you’re really thinking?”

Lu Xingzhou smiled slightly, “His Majesty wants to establish a persona of being a bullied puppet; I’m just helping him with that.”

“What, is the new Emperor problematic again?” Pei Qingyan sounded somewhat annoyed. “If Princess Chaohuang wanted to ascend back then, she would have done so directly. Why go through such a roundabout way only to oppose the new Emperor again?”

“But father-in-law also knows that while it seemed suitable for Tangtang to ascend then, there was actually a trap; she would likely bear the reputation of regicide and usurpation for life.” Lu Xingzhou paused, then smiled, “Moreover, that would put us in the open and the Prince of Qi in the dark. With a Qianyuan hiding behind pulling strings, nothing would be done well.”

Pei Qingyan’s hand trembled slightly as he poured tea, “Qianyuan?”

“Yes, Qianyuan. We couldn’t ascertain his true nature at the time, but this was discovered through later investigation. Furthermore, his regicide is indeed confirmed.”

Pei Qingyan took a deep breath, his brows furrowed, silent for a moment.

Although Gu Zhanting’s actions were also dark, they were traceable. This one was truly hidden deep.

“Actually, he probably also wished for Tangtang to ascend initially, but we didn’t take the bait. Now that he’s been placed on the throne, and we’re acting outside, he is in the open, and we have moved into the shadows.” Lu Xingzhou smiled. “It is said he propagates the hexagram of Di Huo Ming Yi (Brightness Hiding). It’s quite interesting to see who is host and who is guest in this hexagram.”

Pei Qingyan finally nodded. “So, you are doing all the necessary arrangements before you leave, with no time to take it step by step slowly.”

“Yes, this departure from the capital might be for a long time.”

“That’s good. Take Chuyun away from this place of trouble.”

Lu Xingzhou said, “I came to see father-in-law primarily hoping that both my fathers-in-law can cooperate with the Imperial Advisor (Guoshi) in monitoring the new Emperor.”

“Both fathers-in-law” – why did that sound so jarring? Would you say that in front of Sheng Qingfeng? Wouldn’t the Sheng family hack you to pieces?

Pei Qingyan stifled his reaction and chose to address the serious matter. “If he is a Qianyuan, the disparity in our strength is too great, which could lead to other problems. For example, the Imperial Advisor cannot always protect me, and my sudden demise at any time is a possibility.”

“Don’t worry, he dares not reveal his Qianyuan strength too much, just like the Imperial Advisor, only using it at critical, necessary moments.” Lu Xingzhou handed him a jade bottle. “Here are two Super-grade Breakthrough Elixirs (Chaopin Pojing Dan). I hope they help with father-in-law’s breakthrough. This way, at least when he only uses his Huiyang strength, he won’t be able to easily harm you.”

Pei Qingyan’s eyes widened. “What elixirs? And two of them?”

“Father-in-law should know we acquired the Huo family’s hidden alchemy furnace and used it to refine these. Old Sheng also has two, and he has an additional bottle for his first-rank cultivation.”

Pei Qingyan tugged at his beard, his hands trembling.

The Hedong Pei clan, despite their immense wealth, could not produce Super-grade Breakthrough Elixirs.

This was because, among all known alchemists in the world, the strongest were only first-rank. Even Ye Tinglan was merely first-rank, at most described as close to Super-grade. After all, her duties were complex and her interests broad, so she hadn’t focused her primary efforts on alchemy.

First-rank alchemists could indeed refine Super-grade elixirs, but the success rate was pitiful, and the materials for Super-grade elixirs were extremely valuable and rare, not conducive to numerous failures. Therefore, whenever Super-grade elixirs appeared, they were priceless.

Moreover, among Super-grade elixirs, Breakthrough Elixirs were clearly the most expensive and difficult type, taking years to produce even one, otherwise Huo Liancheng would not have had to wait so many years.

Lu Xingzhou pulled out two for each of his two fathers-in-law, looking as if he wouldn’t stop until both were pushed to Super-grade. Both named Huo, both had alchemy furnaces, how are you so formidable?

However, Lu Xingzhou’s meaning was clear: this stuff required risking one’s life, and it was another confrontation with the Emperor, never a good thing.

Pei Qingyan no longer needed to ask, nodding as he accepted them. “Then I won’t be polite.”

Lu Xingzhou smiled, “They are simply a token of respect for father-in-law.”

“If you dare to let Yun’er suffer the slightest grievance, I won’t acknowledge any of your elixirs. Scram, scram! It’s always bad news with you.”

Pei Chuyun said, “I think father is annoyed because he originally thought he could be a powerful minister wielding immense power, but then discovered that the seemingly easily bullied Emperor is actually a Qianyuan, and he’s become a clown out of exasperation…”

“You scram too.”

On the tenth day of the first lunar month, many new local officials took office. Xia Wang Shen Tang also left the capital to take up her fiefdom on this day. General of the Western Expedition Sheng Yuanyao rushed to the western frontier. Pei Chuyun, as the Imperial Inspector of Demons for the western route, traveled with them, a grand procession, inspecting demonic affairs along the way.

Meanwhile, Lu Xingzhou, the Imperial Inspector of Demons for the whole realm, departed the capital on the same day, but not with them. With A’nuo on his left and Bai Mao on his right, he traveled alone, his destination unknown.

In the palace, Gu Yiheng rubbed his forehead, a rare headache plaguing him. “No wonder Imperial Father couldn’t handle him… Lu Xingzhou truly acts unpredictably. He just gained immense power over the entire court, and then in a blink, his whole family is gone, and I’m left trapped in the capital.”