Chapter 152: Talent

Zhu Yu's sudden outburst startled everyone present. The elite guards of the West Depot sprang to their feet in tension, staring at Zhu Yu in utter bewilderment.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yuyan, Wang Yuyan, and Yu Huatian—who had been distracted the entire time—flurriedly crowded around him. Seeing Zhu Yu coughing incessantly, they fluttered about in panic, completely at a loss as to what to do.

After coughing for a long while, Zhu Yu finally began to feel some relief. Regaining his composure, he looked up at the tense crowd and waved his hand dismissively.

"I am fine. Pay no mind to me."

Hearing Zhu Yu's words, regardless of what they might be thinking inwardly, everyone returned to their original seats. However, the clinking of bowls and chopsticks and the sound of chewing became much quieter, and all eyes frequently drifted toward Zhu Yu.

Once he had fully recovered, Zhu Yu stared intently at the still-perplexed Wei Zhongxian, his voice hoarse as he spoke.

"Wei Zhongxian? You truly live up to your name as Wei Zhongxian. This grand gift of yours is somewhat more than I can bear."

At these words, a trace of panic gradually crept onto Wei Zhongxian’s bewildered face. Although he had no idea what Zhu Yu was talking about, he could tell by the tone that it was certainly nothing good.

"Your Majesty, this—this slave... Your humble servant truly does not understand what Your Majesty is saying."

When he had first heard the name Wu Meiniang, it would be a lie to say Zhu Yu was not panicked. But upon seeing Wei Zhongxian’s face, which was frozen in extreme fear, Zhu Yu suddenly had a sudden change of perspective.

So what if it was Wu Zetian? So what if he was the Nine-Thousand-Year-Old? Wasn't he just a nobody right now? No matter how formidable she might become in the future, wasn't she currently just an ordinary person struggling to survive?

Now that he knew their ultimate trajectories, how could he possibly allow them to develop as they did in history? Besides, this world was no longer the ancient realm of his memories.

Having thought it through, as he looked at Wei Zhongxian’s face—not quite old yet weathered—all his previous suspicions vanished. At this moment, only a single thought filled Zhu Yu's mind: what an absolute talent!

Not only him, but that Wu Zetian as well—leaving aside her martial arts prowess for the moment, both of these individuals were top-tier political geniuses who could perfectly make up for his own shortcomings.

Although Zhu Yu had been an emperor for some time now, he had relied solely on his unconventional, post-modern mindset simply to ensure that the decrees he issued did not commit catastrophic errors.

As for pioneering innovations? It sounded easy enough to say, but who could possibly fathom how difficult it was to issue a brand-new decree or reform an existing one?

Let alone the obstruction from the ministers at court—even if one managed to persuade those officials, the countless layers of bureaucracy required to push a single decree down to the local levels was enough to give Zhu Yu a massive headache just thinking about it.

And it was no use simply talking about executing people. Executing one or two was fine, but if you killed too many, who was going to fill those official posts? After dealing with Prime Minister Cai’s accomplices and that massive batch of corrupt officials earlier, the court was already devoid of available talent; he had had to hastily promote numerous minor officials just to barely patch up the vacancies.

Furthermore, this world was neither restricted to the single nation of the Jing Dynasty, nor was it an ordinary world. How could an empire governing hundreds of millions of ordinary citizens be managed simply by the word "kill"?

Besides, in his past life, Zhu Yu had merely been an ordinary petty clerk. If you asked him to manage a few dozen or a hundred people, he would have some confidence in his ability to handle it, but such a vast and sprawling empire?

To be honest, Zhu Yu had no confidence! The fact that the Jing Dynasty was currently developing steadily was already enough to make him satisfied with his own capabilities.

In truth, Zhu Yu had sometimes considered simply abandoning the emperor's life and wandering off to enjoy his freedom in leisure. But once one had tasted the lifestyle of an emperor, who could ever let it go? At least Zhu Yu, a man who had struck it rich overnight, certainly could not.

Zhu Yu also deeply admired the transmigrators in his past life. Clearly just ordinary people before transmigration, yet the moment they crossed over, they seemed to undergo a complete transformation, executing all sorts of grand schemes with effortless ease as if they had rehearsed them countless times, completely devoid of any fear of failure or anxiety about the consequences.

Zhu Yu, however, was different. He had been terrified the entire time, which was why he was a coward.

There was one saying that Zhu Yu did agree with: people are always driven by circumstance. Zhu Yu felt that if he were truly plunged into a desperate crisis, he might actually manage to become a wise monarch whose name would be recorded in history.

Unfortunately, no such crisis existed. As for intentionally creating hardships for himself? Zhu Yu did not consider himself a masochist. Of course, the whole affair with Prime Minister Cai didn't count; knowing the plot, Zhu Yu knew that even if he did nothing at all, Prime Minister Cai was destined to fall anyway.

Now, heaven had suddenly dropped two SSR-grade political talents right into his lap. He felt that as long as he nurtured these two properly, wouldn't he be able to just kick back and enjoy life to the fullest?

As long as he could guarantee their loyalty, paired with their political acumen and statecraft, alongside his own whimsical ideas from the modern era, there seemed to be nothing they couldn't accomplish!

In an instant, the way Zhu Yu looked at Wei Zhongxian was akin to looking at a priceless treasure. Not only that, he also found himself intensely longing for Wu Zetian, who was far away in the imperial palace, even though Zhu Yu had not yet laid eyes on her even once.

"It's fine, do not be afraid. That Wu Ze—bah, Wu Meiniang you spoke of—I am quite curious. Once we return to the palace, summon her so I may have a look. You are not bad either, keep up the good work."

With everything figured out, Zhu Yu instantly shifted his mindset and spoke in a gentle tone.

As soon as Zhu Yu uttered these words, the expressions of several people nearby shifted subtly. Wang Yuyan's complexion darkened slightly; a trace of sour jealousy could not help but bubble up on Jiang Yuyan's face; and at the neighboring table, Yu Huatian’s features stiffened as he periodically glanced toward Wei Zhongxian, deep in unreadable thoughts.

As for Wei Zhongxian, who was standing to the side, a look of wild, unrestrained joy involuntarily surfaced on his face—he had a way out!

In the distance, Wang Zhi, who had been observing the commotion all along, looked at Wei Zhongxian with a flicker of unconcealed envy.

He knew that as long as the person Wei Zhongxian had recommended—this Wu Zhao—truly possessed some genuine skill, Wei Zhongxian would have a powerful backer within the inner court. If he failed to seize the opportunity of the peerless chess game today, the next time they met, Wang Zhi would have to respectfully address Wei Zhongxian as "Grandpa."

The only one whose expression remained completely unchanged was Hua Wuque, sitting at the same table with his usual icy mask, while Tie Xinlan beside him curled her lips in a subtle sneer, though it was unclear what she was mocking.

An ordinary meal, due to this sudden episode, had left the high-ranking members of the entourage harboring vastly different thoughts.

After the meal, Jiang Yuyan pulled Wang Yuyan aside and whispered something close to her ear, causing a flush so deep to spread across Wang Yuyan’s pretty face that it looked as though it might bleed.

From this, it was evident that Zhu Yu was once again destined for a tiring night.

Meanwhile, regarding the small faction of Wei Zhongxian and Wang Zhi, the dynamic between their previous positions had completely inverted. Young Wang Zhi was clumsily imitating the demeanor Wei Zhongxian had displayed days prior; though his imitation was a clumsy farce that resembled neither fish nor fowl, a trace of a smile still uncontrollably curved the corners of Wei Zhongxian’s mouth.

This smile was not for Wu Zhao, but for himself. Although today's episode had been fraught with extreme danger, having safely weathered it, he knew that this brat Wang Zhi would never dare to play any underhanded tricks concerning the solution of the peerless chess game.

Indeed, Wei Zhongxian, who had vaguely secured his footing and influence, had not given up on the peerless chess game. As the ancient saying went, to forge iron one must be strong oneself; he was by no means going to let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rise straight to the heavens.