When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds

This purge of the noble clans inevitably provoked a backlash. Since these clans monopolized all paths to advancement, the great purge in the capital drew vicious condemnation from the city’s scholars.

Tan You, Chen Xi, and their allies were completely unfazed. In their eyes, the noble clans were nothing more than chickens waiting for the slaughter. It was a question of when they would strike, not if.

After Yue Shu and his men left the capital, and in the wake of the purge, the noble clans’ counterattack began in earnest. Beyond the verbal assaults led by scholars and literati, a new problem arose: whenever Chen Xi issued a decree, there was no one left to carry it out.

Before, court officials would at least show up at the front hall to go through the motions. Now, there wasn’t a single person left. Tan You and Chen Xi faced a completely empty hall. The entire internal system of the imperial court was paralyzed.

Chen Yue fiddled with her string of Buddha Beads, suppressing a surge of violent anger. "So they’re going with non-violent non-cooperation, are they?"

The Buddha Beads were a gift from Tan You. She had told Chen Yue to fiddle with them whenever her temper flared, to calm herself down first. After all, it’s easy to make mistakes when emotions run high.

Chen Yue had grown accustomed to this over the years. She was a thinking vanguard, not just some hothead who only knew how to charge into a fight.

Chen Xi continued to flip through documents without looking up. "This was to be expected. Those officials all come from the noble clans. Given what we’re doing, how could they possibly benefit? This tactic of theirs is so childish. Where are our people?"

A smile suddenly broke across Chen Yue’s face. "They’ll be here tomorrow. That kid Da Zhuang already took a team out of the city to meet them."

The "they" she referred to were, of course, Chen Xi’s most trusted aides from over the years—the advisors from the former Youzhou government office. In addition, there was Liuu Daoru, along with other great scholars and their students.

Now that Tan You had taken the capital, everyone knew the outcome was a foregone conclusion. The possibility of losing to Prince Yong was so remote that no one even considered it.

Chen Xi nodded slightly. "Alright, come over and help me. Stop fiddling with that string of beads."

Chen Yue gave a wry smile. "I’m not patient enough to look at those. What if I get angry?"

Chen Xi wasn’t about to coddle her. "Then that’s all the more reason to work on your temper, Pan..."

"Eldest Sister, which documents need processing?" Chen Yue shot to her feet, quick as lightning. She could only curse her younger, more naive self for falling into their mother’s trap. Now, both her mother and her eldest sister used every opportunity to hold it over her head.

Chen Xi immediately put Chen Yue to work. They were busy until dusk, and by the time they returned to the rear palace chambers, Chen Yue’s eyes were completely glazed over.

Tan You had just returned as well. Although the noble clans had managed a small comeback, it was ultimately not enough. The empire they now held was a broken mess, and the hardest part would be breathing life back into it.

When Tan You entered, Chen Xi and Chen Yue rose in unison. "Mother, you’re back."

"You must be tired."

"Come, sit and rest, Mother. Let me give you a massage." Chen Yue nudged Chen Xi aside and began kneading Tan You’s shoulders and back.

Tan You sighed in relief. "I am a little. A bit more on the left. I’m not getting any younger, that’s for sure. A little bit of work and I feel like I can’t take it anymore."

Chen Xi’s hands stilled. "Mother, you’re not even forty. How are you old? You’ve toiled so hard these past few years. We can share your burdens now, so why don’t you take some time to rest properly?"

Tan You waved her hand dismissively. "How can I rest? On our journey here, you saw the devastation and suffering. How could you have the heart to rest? We’ve governed our own territory well, but what about everyone outside of Youzhou?"

Chen Xi nodded. "Mother, I will work hard. I’ll strive to make it so that everyone, like the people of Youzhou, has enough to eat and warm clothes to wear."

Tan You was very pleased. "That’s a lofty goal. You might not be able to achieve it in your entire lifetime."

Chen Xi pressed her lips together. "It doesn’t matter. If I can’t do it, then my daughters and my granddaughters will. They will carry on my will, generation after generation. One day, everyone will live the good life you speak of, Mother."

Tan You teased her deliberately, "What if you have a son?"

Chen Xi pouted. "What’s so great about sons? Other than having slightly higher Combat Power than girls, they usually lack a girl’s meticulous and thoughtful nature."

Tan You smiled. "We’ll worry about that later. For now, the workshops have just been moved over. Your team is about to arrive, isn’t it?"

Chen Xi served Tan You a bowl of rice. "Yes, Da Zhuang has already gone to meet them. Once they arrive, I’ll be able to delegate much of my work. These noble clans... do they really think we can’t function without them?"

At the thought, Chen Xi couldn’t help but clench her jaw. It was one thing to predict this would happen, but seeing it firsthand was still infuriating.

Tan You said, "Relax. They’ll soon find out that the real blow is yet to come."

Standing behind Tan You, Liu Fu couldn’t help but shudder. ’These noble clans are in for some real trouble now,’ he thought. He had no idea what Tan You was planning this time, but he knew that compared to the preternaturally mature Chen Xi, Tan You was the truly terrifying one.

Even though Chen Xi was the one managing affairs, Liu Fu understood that Tan You was the real boss.

After finishing a bowl of soup, Tan You set it down. "Yue Shu will be back soon. Prince Yong has been captured alive."

Liu Fu found himself bowing even deeper. The capture of Prince Yong meant the previous dynasty was well and truly finished. From now on, this entire great land would bear the Chen name.

The few palace maids standing nearby exchanged glances. ’So, these women are our legitimate masters now?’

"Oh, right. Let’s start preparing for a special imperial examination. We can hold it as soon as your team of advisors arrives. You’re familiar with the process—it’s how we’ve always selected talent in Youzhou and Yunzhou State, isn’t it?"

"There will be a huge number of candidates then," Chen Yue said after swallowing a mouthful of rice, clearly intrigued by the upcoming grand event.

Tan You nodded. "That’s right. There are plenty of scholars in this world. The noble clans may have monopolized the opportunities, but if you give commoners a chance, they won’t be any less capable than the children of the aristocracy."

Chen Xi also nodded. "I understand, Mother. As soon as Jiang Zu and his team arrive, we’ll announce the special examination. We’re already accustomed to the process from our time in Youzhou; now we’re just expanding it to the entire nation."

"Also, make sure to reimburse the travel expenses for the scholars who come to take the examination. Life isn’t easy for them. We may be poor, but this is one area where we can’t afford to be cheap. Many people miss out on opportunities simply because they lack the funds to travel."

Tan You added a few more instructions, and both Chen Xi and Chen Yue nodded. "We understand," Chen Xi said. "I’ll make the arrangements."

"Also, the spring planting is just around the corner, so these matters can’t be delayed. Once Yue Shu returns, it will be time to settle all our accounts. What do these petty squabbles even amount to?"

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