“These eight—Shen Yu, Pei Wanning, Chen Zhi, Feng Chunya, Fang Yingqiu, Cheng Ji, Shen Jue, and Lu Sui—are all outstanding in virtue and talent. Having them enter the Cabinet is what everyone hopes for,” Yun Shu said, a hint of regret in her tone. “It is only a pity for Cui He. Because she is young and also Shen Yu’s student, she will likely have no chance of entering the Cabinet before Shen Yu steps down.”
The little fox tilted its head, the snowy-white tip of its tail swaying gently, its eyes filled with confusion. “Cui He’s abilities and character are both outstanding. Why can't she enter the Cabinet? Even if her current age isn't suitable, she could just wait until she's of age. Why does she have to wait for Shen Yu to step down?”
Hearing this, Yun Shu took an extra look at Shen Yu. It seemed she had not paid attention to him for a long time.
Looking at him now, she realized that compared to when they had first met in Creek Valley right after she transmigrated to this world, Shen Yu had thinned down significantly. A faint, dark-gray shadow hung beneath his eyes, and his complexion no longer held its former warm, jade-like luster. Instead, he carried a distinct air of illness.
Although she could tell that Shen Yu was likely sick, she was not a doctor after all and could not diagnose his illness. As for the little fox, now that it had lost its system functions, asking it would probably be pointless.
“Host, what are you thinking about?” The little fox patted Yun Shu's shoulder with its paw, eagerly pressing for an answer. “You still haven't told me why Cui He can't enter the Cabinet.”
Yun Shu's train of thought was interrupted.
She looked down at the little fox. Knowing that it had always been quite fond of Cui He, she explained the reason to it.
“Shen Jue is Shen Yu's elder brother, and Lu Sui is a close friend he has known for over twenty years. If his student were to also enter the Cabinet, don't you think others would start to have second thoughts?”
The more the little fox listened, the more confused it became.
“Isn't that a good thing? Since they have a good relationship, they won't have conflicts when discussing matters in the future.”
Yun Shu looked at the overly naive little fox.
“Tongzi, in the imperial court, everything is about balance. Forming cliques for private gain is the absolute ultimate taboo. Shen Yu has not married or had children, so Cui He, as a student he personally acknowledged, is the successor who will inherit his legacy in the future. Their relationship couldn't be any closer.”
She put it simply, “Even if Shen Yu has no selfish motives, with teacher and student both holding key positions in the core of government, others will inevitably overthink things. Over time, those doubts will turn into cracks.”
“So it is not that Cui He lacks ability, nor is it that others cannot tolerate her. Rather, it concerns the state, and no one dares to ignore potential risks solely based on trust.”
The little fox understood the gist of it this time.
It couldn't help but sigh. “Host, you humans really have so many thoughts.”
“We have many thoughts because we humans have many things we care about. Those who walk ahead must not only ponder the path beneath their own feet but also tread the ground solid for those who follow.”
“Cui He is still young, and one must take a long-term view. The doors of the Cabinet will open for her one day.”
After saying this, Yun Shu looked back at the round table.
Just now, in the brief moment she was speaking with the little fox, Shen Yu and the others had already settled many urgent regulations for the early stages of the new dynasty—the structure of the Six Ministries, proposals for the era name, candidates for city governors...
Right now, their topic had turned to the most important and agonizing matter of all.
The state name of the new dynasty.
Facing the many seniors at the table, Chen Zhi showed no stage fright.
“How about we choose ‘Zhao’? It carries the meaning of the sun and moon shining brightly, and of brilliant virtue bringing renewal. What does everyone think?”
“That is inappropriate,” Fang Yingqiu murmured after a long silence. “I believe using ‘Jing’ as the state name would present a more grand and far-reaching vision.”
Cheng Ji stroked his beard, pondering for a moment as a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes. “I actually feel that the word ‘Qi’ is more stable—the heavens and earth in perfect alignment, and the four seas turning their hearts toward us.”
The remaining people also spoke up one after another, sharing their own opinions.
Everyone held to their own views, and no one would yield to another.
Only Pei Wanning and Shen Yu remained silent throughout.
Pei Wanning sat quietly the entire time, holding a fine-tipped brush in her hand as she listened to the debate.
From time to time, she would sketch a few strokes on the paper.
Shen Yu leaned back in his chair, his face pale, looking as if he did not even have the strength to speak. He coughed softly once in a while, his gaze resting on the map on the table that encompassed both the north and the south.
They argued for nearly an hour, yet they still could not reach a conclusion.
Suddenly, Pei Wanning set down her brush and gently pushed the paper in front of her to the center of the table.
Only three words were written on the paper, in a clear and elegant hand.
Kingdom of the Divine Lady.
The room instantly fell silent.
Feng Chunya was the first to react. She slapped her thigh hard and praised, “Miss Pei, you are so clever! The Divine Lady descended to this world to protect all living beings. We mortals wouldn't have been able to take this step today without Her. Using ‘Divine Lady’ as our state name not only gives us a proper title but also shows our deepest respect!”
Hesitating for a moment, Shen Jue also nodded. “With the Divine Lady as our monarch, we are naturally Her subjects. The Kingdom of the Divine Lady is truly a marvelous choice!”
The others exchanged looks, and surprisingly, none of them objected.
Out of the eight, seven had no further objections.
Everyone looked at Shen Yu, who had remained silent all along.
“I have no objections,” he said, his voice somewhat raspy.
Thus, the eight reached a consensus.
The little fox spun in a circle in excitement and said to Yun Shu, “Host! They plan to call it the Kingdom of the Divine Lady! That's wonderful, this way you will be remembered forever!”
Looking at the words “Kingdom of the Divine Lady” on the paper, Yun Shu could not bring herself to smile. Once the state was named after the Divine Lady, the authority of the divine faith would become an unshakable force in this country.
She could not allow them to act so recklessly.
Just as everyone was about to formally transcribe the decision onto the official records, Yun Shu suddenly walked quickly to the round table.
She pressed her finger against the paper on the table.
Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, the words “Kingdom of the Divine Lady” dissolved like smoke and mist.
“Host, what are you doing?” The little fox watched with regret as the words vanished from the paper.
Yun Shu ignored it and picked up Pei Wanning's brush.
Before long, the words “State of Xia” appeared neat and square in place of the “Kingdom of the Divine Lady.”
The strokes were powerful and flowed like water.
The entire room was shocked.
Yun Shu and the little fox were invisible, so in the eyes of everyone else, the words on the paper had suddenly vanished, and then the brush moved on its own to write the words “State of Xia.”
“Could this be the intent of the Divine Lady?” Pei Wanning looked at the paper on the table, then at the others.
Cheng Ji was the oldest person present. Staring at the two words on the paper, he spoke deliberately, “That the Divine Lady would bestow the word ‘Xia’ as our state name is indeed unexpected.”
Lu Sui lowered his gaze in thought. “Do you all think the Divine Lady's action is a warning to us that although divine grace is profound, it must never tower over the state and the nation?”
“Young Master Lu makes a valid point,” Pei Wanning said. “Since the Divine Lady wishes for mortals to learn to constantly strive for self-improvement, my earlier proposal of the ‘Kingdom of the Divine Lady’ was indeed poorly considered.”
Noticing that Pei Wanning was a bit downcast, Fang Yingqiu spoke up to comfort her, “Miss Pei, there is no need to underestimate yourself. We are all crossing the river by feeling the stones right now, so making mistakes is inevitable.”
These words had been spoken to her by an old man she met in the other world when the Divine Lady had sent her there.
Seeing that the matter had settled, Yun Shu bent down, picked up the little fox from the ground, and silently walked out of the Governor's estate.
With this world about to turn the unreal into reality, she still had to find a way to lure the Great God to this world. Otherwise, all the preparatory work she had done over the past two years would be in vain.
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