Yu Mingyue had initially wanted Li Fu to inquire if Lu Jingxing was in the capital, but she feared that her interference might alert them and jeopardize the larger plan, so she abandoned the idea.
The capital was aware of Empress Dowager's favor towards Yu Mingyue, and now, the Empress Dowager's blatant partiality was even more pronounced.
Not long after the palace banquet began, Yu Mingyue was summoned by the Empress Dowager, and her dishes were also replaced.
Yu Mingyue had just complained that the palace cuisine was mediocre, but she was mistaken. She retracted her words; the Empress Dowager's private kitchen was indeed exquisite, befitting someone from a noble lineage.
Wang Siniang noticed Yu Mingyue's expression and couldn't help but smile. She was intelligent yet unpretentious, worldly yet not worldly. She lived the life that women of the Great Wei envied most.
Yu Mingyue noticed Wang Siniang's expression and winked at her. The Ministry of Revenue was not far from the Grand Court of Revision, and various government offices had dealings with the Ministry of Revenue. The two women often met, sometimes even having tea together at a nearby teahouse during lunch.
Wang Siniang was indeed a meticulously trained head of the Wang family. Setting aside her knowledge and vision, her speed in accounting surpassed that of twenty accountants working together.
She had entered the Ministry of Revenue through her own merit, but being the Empress Dowager's niece, she inevitably drew criticism. Since she demonstrated her extraordinary calculation skills, she became renowned within the ministry.
Although still a clerk, she had been transferred to Minister Qin's direct supervision. A clerk by the minister's side was naturally different.
It was rumored that a deputy director at the Ministry of Revenue was being sent to an external post. Minister Qin intended to promote Wang Siniang. If this were to happen, she would become the highest-ranking female official in the history of the Great Wei.
The more Empress Wang looked at Yu Mingyue, the more she liked her. When Yan'er returned to the capital at the end of the year, she would find a way to arrange a marriage.
He had suffered too much over the years. It was rare for him to find a woman he liked. With her by his side in the future, she could finally rest assured.
The Emperor glanced at the three people chatting happily beside him, then his gaze shifted, and he mused for a moment. Her inability to hide her thoughts was just as it was back then.
...
Taiji Hall
Yu Mingyue did not expect that after the palace banquet, it would be the Emperor, not the Empress, who summoned her.
"Your subject pays her respects to Your Majesty," Yu Mingyue knelt and bowed respectfully.
She was no longer a young lady from a boudoir but an official of the court, and thus could not be casual.
"Rise. Is everything well at the Grand Court of Revision?" the Emperor asked casually.
"Thank you for Your Majesty's concern. The esteemed officials have taken good care of me. I am doing well," Yu Mingyue replied truthfully.
The Emperor shifted his posture, leaning back on the dragon throne somewhat languidly, fiddling with the jade tablet on his thumb. "I heard you have solved several notable cases. Even Di Yiming speaks highly of you and has taken you as his disciple."
Di Yiming was very strict with his subordinates, and praise from him was rare.
"I have learned a great deal from my master. My achievements today are thanks to his guidance. It was I who begged him to take me as his disciple," Yu Mingyue was very cautious, unsure of what the Emperor truly wanted to ask.
The Emperor nodded, sat up straight, and looked at Yu Mingyue. "It is rare for someone your age to be so diligent. If I were to ask you to take your master's position, would you dare to do so?"
Yu Mingyue was stunned at first, then immediately knelt down. In the blink of an eye, she broke out in a cold sweat. "Your subject is a novice. Although I have solved a few cases, my abilities are far inferior to my master's."
The Emperor raised an eyebrow. "I only said for you to take your master's position, not to dismiss your master. Why are you so frightened?"
"Your subject... is terrified!" Yu Mingyue dared not look up, trembling.
"The Prefect of Yangzhou retired half a month ago. I intend to appoint your master as the Prefect of Yangzhou. It was he who recommended you to take his place."