Dressed As a Consort in Ancient Times - Chapter 86

As the imperial physicians dedicated themselves to treating Emperor Yu, time slipped away unnoticed. In the blink of an eye, several more days passed. Just as the Third Prince grew increasingly adept at handling state affairs, an earth-shattering piece of news spread like wildfire across the capital.

According to the panicked report from the guards, the procession escorting Princess Jiayi to Yun Kingdom for her marriage alliance was ambushed by bandits during the night. Since it was late at night, most of the guards were asleep. By the time the sentries discovered the attack, many had already been slaughtered.

As the escorting guards were utterly routed, Princess Jiayi, in order to preserve her chastity, set fire to her own tent, reducing herself to nothing but a pile of bones…

When this news broke, numerous officials submitted memorials requesting that troops be dispatched to eradicate the bandits, to bring comfort to the spirit of Princess Jiayi in the afterlife.

Beyond that, the memorials reviewed by the Third Prince also contained discussions on selecting another person for the marriage alliance.

After all, what concerned these officials more was whether the marriage alliance should proceed and whether the border conflict could be resolved swiftly.

Far away in Yun Kingdom, the Yun Emperor also received the news. Although Yu Kingdom’s official explanation was that bandits had caused the princess’s demise, he strongly suspected that Yu Nation had staged this event deliberately, merely to avoid sending a legitimate princess to Yun Kingdom.

With this thought in mind, he became indignant, publicly condemning the bandits in righteous fury, yet at the same time, he inquired whether Yu Kingdom still intended to proceed with the marriage alliance.

If Yu Kingdom outright refused, Yun Kingdom would use their breach of contract as a pretext to demand compensation.

If Yu Kingdom begrudgingly conceded and decided to proceed, all the better—it would work in Yun Kingdom’s favor.

Either way, Yun Kingdom would not suffer a loss.

The Third Prince, glancing at the letter from Yun Kingdom, clicked his tongue twice and casually sent a reply without consulting the other ministers.

Before long, the name of Jiang Ling, who had previously been demoted to a commoner, was reinstated in the imperial registry, restoring her title as a princess.

She was then forcibly dressed in a phoenix coronet and ceremonial robes, replacing the deceased Princess Jiayi to fulfill the marriage alliance and secure peace between the two nations.

With Yun Kingdom placated, the border war came to a complete halt.

General Zhao, who had been sent to support Jinzhou, withdrew his troops stationed on the outskirts of the capital and led his forces back to Minzhou.

With external threats eliminated, the people of Yu Kingdom felt as though the oppressive cloud looming over them had finally lifted. The sunlight, absent for so long, finally graced the land in the early spring.

But before long, the sunlight was once again obscured by dark clouds.

To everyone’s astonishment, Princess Jiayi—presumed dead—had returned to the imperial palace without a sound.

It wasn’t until the morning court session that a series of arriving officials noticed that the person seated beside the dragon throne did not appear to be the Third Prince. The drowsiness of the early morning was instantly dispelled, replaced by utter bewilderment, then by shock and fury.

“Princess Jiayi?!” An official in the front row recognized her face.

Soon, others also identified Jiang Ying.

At the lower end of the court, the Third Prince lightly coughed into his fist before stepping forward, formally introducing Jiang Ying. “I trust all of you have seen clearly—after enduring countless hardships, Princess Jiayi has finally returned to the capital.”

“As for myself, though I have acted as regent in recent days, I fear I lack the ability to properly manage affairs. I cannot bear the thought of Yu Kingdoms foundation crumbling in my hands, and so I have decided to relinquish the regency to Princess Jiayi…”

The moment these words fell, the entire court erupted into chaos.

Some officials assumed that the Third Prince was testing their loyalty and immediately knelt, pleading for him to retract his decision.

Others outright denounced Princess Jiayi’s audacity, accusing her of attempting to interfere in governance despite being a woman.

Judging by the situation, if the Emperor remained unconscious for another month, Princess Jiayi might attempt to seize the throne for herself!

They could not allow such a disruption to the ancestral order of the state!

The court descended into utter disorder.

Jiang Ying smoothed out the ceremonial robes embroidered with python motifs, leaned lazily against the back of her chair, and raised her gaze slightly. A cold, imperious expression filled her eyes.

“Is anyone dissatisfied?” Her voice was not sharp or severe, but rather, it carried a soft, almost gentle tone.

Yet, as it echoed through the hall, the officials below couldn’t help but shudder.

None of them could believe that this once-overlooked princess had suddenly revealed such power and presence.

The contrast was too stark—they were at a complete loss.

Jiang Ying curled her lips into a slight smirk, appearing quite satisfied with their submissiveness. “No objections?”

No sooner had she asked than one of the more traditional senior officials, his aged hands trembling, pointed at her and roared in fury, “Does the princess even understand what she is doing?! The Emperor has not yet passed, and both the Third and Fifth Princes are alive and well! How can you, a mere woman, presume to take control of the court?!”

“This is heresy! An inversion of the natural order! A calamity upon the governance of the realm!”

Some of the more timid officials murmured their agreement.

Observing the turmoil below, Jiang Ying suddenly laughed, but the words she spoke were utterly indifferent. “Minister Yu, is it?”

“Guards.” She did not spare another glance at the shouting minister and instead gave a direct order to the armed guards. “Minister Yu has conducted himself disgracefully in the imperial court. Out of consideration for his advanced age, I shall not hold him accountable. However, he is to be confined for a year. Without an official summons, he is forbidden from stepping foot inside the palace.”

The moment this decree was issued, the remaining officials promptly shut their mouths, unwilling to make themselves the next target.

The sheer decisiveness with which Princess Jiayi removed an official from court left them shaken—she was clearly not one to be trifled with!

Not to mention the presence of armed guards outside the hall, poised for action. It was likely that these guards had long since pledged allegiance to her.

The more they thought about it, the more they realized that this sudden shift in power had not been achieved overnight.

Who knew how many people within the palace were already under her influence? Who knew if she had loyal forces stationed outside the capital?

But these were not the most pressing concerns.

What mattered most was that the Emperor remained unconscious, and all the troops stationed near the capital had been sent away.

Some had been deployed to support Jinzhou, while others had been sent by the Third Prince to eliminate the bandits…

This meant that the only forces remaining in the capital were the Imperial Guards and the Five City Battalion.

Yet, given the current situation, it seemed highly likely that the Imperial Guards had already sworn allegiance to Princess Jiayi.

Upon realizing this, the ministers no longer dared to glare at her with hostility.

Exchanging glances, they gradually knelt, one after another. “Since His Majesty remains unwell, we have no objections to Princess Jiayi serving as regent.”

For now, they could only bow their heads. Once outside the palace, they would discuss with other influential ministers who still held military power and determine how to deal with this unprecedented coup.

Meanwhile, seated on her high chair, Jiang Ying gazed down at the sea of kneeling officials. Not a ripple of emotion stirred within her heart—she did not even bother to lift her eyelids.

“Rise. From now on, I shall handle state affairs. I trust that you will all do your utmost to assist me.”

With the entire court echoing a collective “Yes, Your Highness,” what might have been seen as a coup, yet did not quite feel like one, came to an end.

As some officials stepped out of the palace, one couldn’t help but glance back at the still-glorious imperial complex, feeling as if something had quietly changed in the shadows…

But for now, they had no choice but to submit to her authority. Soon, however, they would convene with those still in possession of military power and decide how to address this blatant usurpation of power!