Is it Abnormal to Want to Marry an Empress?

Chapter 6: Enlightenment at the Dragon Field – Lu Cheng’an

[Your strategy has greatly pleased His Majesty the Emperor.]

[You have been appointed as the top scholar for eight years, entered the Hanlin Academy as an editor, and became an official in the capital city.]

Lu Cheng’an breathed a sigh of relief.

When he was playing before, being the top scholar gave him an unprecedented advantage. Among a hundred saves, being able to achieve the top scholar status even once was already considered a remarkable start.

In the third round, becoming the top scholar was possible, indicating that luck was on his side, unstoppable.

However, the systems of the capital city and the local regions were two different types of gameplay. In the capital, the core of the entire game was the struggle between political factions for central power, unlike local officials who only needed to govern internal affairs.

In simpler terms, as a capital official, your task was to find ways to place your own people in important positions or ensure that important positions were filled by your political allies.

As a top scholar, Lu Cheng’an’s basic value already existed, making him a figure worth wooing.

In the normal system, supporting the Han Princess’s ascension to the throne was extremely difficult given the limited maneuverability and challenging conditions.

You had to ensure not only your own development but also the survival of your monarch.

It was akin to rescuing hostages; if the hostages died, the game would end automatically, and if the Han Princess died recklessly, Lu Cheng’an would be unable to salvage the situation.

In the first round, he followed the path of a local bureaucrat, controlling the operation of a province to establish a foundation for the Han Princess. However, he was framed with false charges after being summoned back to the capital by imperial decree, leading to his demise.

In the second round, he pursued the path of real power and military positions, attempting to compete through armed conflict, but once again, the Han Princess was sent back to the capital and died for unknown reasons.

For this third round, Lu Cheng’an decided to change his approach, initially trying to gain favor through his father-in-law’s connections while secretly aligning himself with the Han Princess’s faction. He would follow his father-in-law for now, gradually improving his own situation, and when he had sufficient power, he would directly support the Han Princess.

It’s worth mentioning that in the previous two rounds, Lu Cheng’an deliberately memorized the appearances of certain historical figures. This kind of task couldn’t be accomplished alone; Lu Cheng’an needed allies.

With years of gaming experience, Lu Cheng’an’s third round progressed much smoother and faster than the previous two.

The greatest support for the Qin Princess was his uncle by marriage, Chang Sunming, who served as the prime minister.

Lu Cheng’an’s early strategy was to elevate his position in his father-in-law’s eyes and then find ways to oppose Chang Sunming.

The most effective way to weaken the prime minister was to abolish the position altogether and propose a cabinet system. This would likely force Chang Sunming to exit the stage of history, significantly reducing his influence.

However, Lu Cheng’an was currently only a top scholar leading an editor’s position in the Hanlin Academy, so he could only whisper suggestions to his father-in-law without being able to propose real reforms. Therefore, biding his time and ensuring his father-in-law’s longevity were crucial to this game.

In essence, he was racing against time with the Qin Princess, delaying their development.

In the previous two rounds, Lu Cheng’an allowed the Qin Princess’s faction to develop naturally without opposition, while the Han Princess’s side struggled with limited resources. It was impossible for one individual’s development speed to match that of a group.

With his father-in-law’s support, who was truly the elder brother of imperial authority, Lu Cheng’an could effectively suppress the development of these treacherous officials and gain a chance for the Han Princess to survive, while also attempting to form alliances with historical figures he had interacted with in the previous rounds.

One cannot exist without their own circle of interests.

[In the spring of the ninth year of Zhengying, you secretly sabotaged Chang Sunming’s numerous court operations, prompting him to search for the hidden hand within the court.]

[In the summer of the ninth year of Zhengying, Prime Minister Chang Sunming attempted to win you over but was politely declined.]

[In the autumn of the ninth year of Zhengying, you began compiling your works.]

[In the winter of the ninth year of Zhengying, when discussing national affairs with Emperor Zhengying, you subtly mentioned the entirely new political system of the cabinet.]

[In the spring of the tenth year of Zhengying, Emperor Zhengying began considering the feasibility of the cabinet system. He noticed your diligence, but due to your lack of seniority, he did not promote you. Nevertheless, he paid closer attention to your actions.]

The greatest benefit of being an editor in the Hanlin Academy is being constantly by the Emperor’s side. Once Lu Cheng’an had his core strategy in place, the development of the Qin Princess’s faction was bound to be suppressed by him. Even if his moves seemed dirty, they would surely be nauseating for the Qin Princess’s faction.

[In the summer of the eleventh year of Zhengying, with the commencement of the new year’s imperial examination, you began to win over some literati and scholars. Due to your limited fame, many people looked down on you.]

[In the autumn of the eleventh year of Zhengying, Emperor Zhengying introduced the cabinet system, causing a stir in the court. Courtiers submitted memorials advising against it, claiming that such a move not only violated ancestral teachings but also endangered the state. Emperor Zhengying felt that many in the court supported the prime minister and believed that promoting the cabinet system was imperative.]

[In the winter of the eleventh year of Zhengying, Emperor Zhengying officially implemented the cabinet system. After careful selection, five civilian officials were appointed to the cabinet, with Chang Sunming chosen as the chief minister.]

[In the spring of the eleventh year of Zhengying, there was a significant inflation due to the proliferation of counterfeit treasury notes. After investigation by the Jinlin Guards, it was confirmed that someone had been counterfeiting treasury notes. Emperor Zhengying was furious and used this opportunity to remove many of Chang Sunming’s supporters from the court.]

“In the summer of the eleventh year of Zhengying, you were demoted and sent away.]

Lu Cheng’an was immediately dumbfounded. He realized that after his father-in-law began to move against Chang Sunming, he too had quietly mobilized his forces. But unexpectedly, he ended up being demoted.

Being demoted was just that.

Even though he was sent elsewhere, he had always stayed in the capital and hadn’t established any new factions. Lu Cheng’an had been restricted by Chang Sunming all along. His influence was too great, and Lu Cheng’an couldn’t win over many people.

[Triggered special opportunity!]

[In the autumn of the eleventh year of Zhengying, you returned to your hometown, feeling hopeless about your career, having been demoted and exiled. In such a quiet and difficult environment, reflecting on your experiences over the years, you finally gained enlightenment.]

[Enlightenment at the Dragon Field – Lu Cheng’an]

A golden character panel appeared.

A slight twitch appeared at the corner of Lu Cheng’an’s mouth. “How come my character can even have skins now? The skin from before, ‘Sweeping Bandits and Clearing the Seas,’ doesn’t even look like me anymore. Now there’s a new skin called ‘Enlightenment at the Dragon Field.’ I thought this game couldn’t milk money anymore. Who would buy skins?”

[Your political foresight has greatly improved, and your prestige has soared. You will have the ability to establish a new doctrine.]

Lu Cheng’an’s ‘Enlightenment at the Dragon Field’ skin had a golden border, while the previous ‘Sweeping Bandits and Clearing the Seas’ skin had a purple border. It seemed that the golden skin was one tier higher than the purple one.

In other words, this special opportunity for enlightenment at the Dragon Field was definitely a burst of luck for him.

“After struggling through two rounds, I’ve finally found my footing in the third round.”

“This round, I’ve finally gotten a power-up.” Lu Cheng’an took a deep breath. “As for my new doctrine, let’s call it ‘Meritocracy.'”

[In the winter of the eleventh year of Zhengying, your Meritocracy doctrine gained popularity in the Zhejiang region, and your local prestige reached its peak.]

[Due to the increase in prestige, you found it easier to associate with literati and scholars.]

[In the spring of the twelfth year of Zhengying, nearly half of the scholars in Zhejiang had begun to study the Meritocracy doctrine. When they entered the court as officials, they automatically regarded you as their mentor.]

[In the summer of the twelfth year of Zhengying, Emperor Zhengying reinstated you to your former position and called you back to the capital. On your way back, you encountered attacks by pirates and Japanese invaders. You quelled the Japanese invaders and, in the process, befriended several generals from the Southern Garrison who had come to suppress the rebellion. You had a lively discussion with them and explained how to defeat the Japanese invaders.]

[In the autumn of the twelfth year of Zhengying, your Meritocracy doctrine allowed you to gather a group of students, further increasing your influence in the court.]

[In the winter of the twelfth year of Zhengying, Emperor Zhengying fell seriously ill and stopped attending court. You were highly favored and allowed to assist Emperor Zhengying in handling state affairs within the inner city.]

[In the spring of the thirteenth year of Zhengying, someone initiated contact through letters, secretly forming a political alliance with you. After careful consideration, you gladly accepted.]

Lu Cheng’an heaved a long sigh of relief. After so long, he finally had significant influence in the court.

“It’s time to prepare some gifts for the Han Princess and improve our relationship.” Lu Cheng’an thought to himself, “For the sake of early development, I haven’t contacted the Han Princess for a long time. If I can’t improve her favorability, how can I cozy up to Her Royal Highness the Han Princess?”