Chapter 1242 - 1152: Lady Minister 90
Although in the end, Yin Shuangshuang only let her father take on the title of Imperial Merchant, responsible for selling in a small area, and she only asked for 20% of the profits, such a unique business even made that 20% a fortune that was hard to describe as a mere gold mine.
General An thought Yin Shuangshuang was really impressive. Even in the face of such immense wealth, she remained rational and calm, unmoved in the slightest, clearly calculating gains and losses. Today, Yin Shuangshuang only asked for such a small share, leaving the major portion for the Emperor, and the Emperor appeared so touched.
General An confirmed that as long as Yin Shuangshuang didn’t suddenly become foolish and rebellious in the future, no one would be able to touch her. With this sacrifice of profit, she won over the Emperor’s heart completely. In fact, not to mention the Emperor, wasn’t he also the same?
General An touched his chest, which was still excitedly pounding. In recent years, because of the Emperor and political enemies’ suppression, life had been tough, and there wasn’t much money back home. Today, Yin Shuangshuang even gave him a half-share profit, only asking him to send some old and disabled soldiers to work in the factory.
This was essentially helping him arrange those soldiers who could no longer fight, and he still received money in return. Truly, General An felt that whoever opposed Yin Shuangshuang in the future would be opposing him as well.
And having won over the Emperor and General An, Yin Shuangshuang was packing up, ready to set off home. After seeing her parents, Yin Shuangshuang would travel alone to Qinglin County to take her post.
This is where the plan couldn’t keep up with changes. Initially, Yin Shuangshuang only intended to visit the Capital City without getting involved in the muddled waters, but she eventually had to mix in with the struggle between the Eldest Prince and the Second Prince. Later, she was forced to return to the Capital City by the Fifth Prince.
As the saying goes, fortune depends on misfortune and vice versa. This time, misfortune turned into fortune in the Capital City by meeting the Emperor, which advanced her plans by several steps and unexpectedly got her involved in the Emperor’s reform. Even the originally heavily obstructed entry into officialdom was resolved.
Originally, she thought about having her parents travel with her to take the post. Now that her father gained the title of Imperial Merchant, it was inappropriate for him to follow her around. Even her maternal grandfather, Wang Zhongxuan, was now busy with Mr. Nameless, helping the Emperor cultivate talent, so she was left to struggle alone.
Initially, Yin Shuangshuang planned to stay in the Capital City until spring when flowers bloomed before returning home, but now that she became a County Magistrate, naturally she needed to depart for her post as soon as possible.
The Emperor, considerate of Yin Shuangshuang’s poor health, gave her ample time to take up the post, and even dispatched thirty Hidden Guards to protect her before setting off.
Although called Hidden Guards, they were merely stronger than ordinary guards and didn’t actually hide in the shadows daily. Thus, like Yan Yi and others, these Hidden Guards openly protected Yin Shuangshuang in the guise of guards.
Because the Emperor had ordered, these Hidden Guards could only be commanded by the Emperor and Yin Shuangshuang.
Yan Yi and the others were initially curious about these Hidden Guards, but training had turned them into faceless human ice sculptures when lined up, which dampened Yan Yi’s interest. Initially, they wanted to test martial arts against the Hidden Guards.
Yin Shuangshuang didn’t use the original names of the Hidden Guards. She directly renamed them as the Eagle Team, with the leader called Ying Yi, followed by Ying Er, Ying San, and so forth.
Yin Shuangshuang didn’t plan to merely keep these Hidden Guards. She wasn’t shy in using them when necessary. After all, they were sent by the Emperor for her to command and protect her, not to be revered as ancestors.
Fortunately, these Hidden Guards were easy to command, efficient in their tasks, and didn’t talk too much. Truly elite talents cultivated by the Royal Family.
Leaving the Capital City this time, it was not only General An who came to see Yin Shuangshuang off, but the Emperor also made a grand display in sending Yin Shuangshuang off and brought Wei Yingnan, who had been staying in the Imperial Palace.
Due to the carriage’s style, a regular County Magistrate’s carriage was too narrow. Hence, the Emperor specifically awarded Yin Shuangshuang a luxurious carriage far exceeding regulations, with an exquisite exterior and a very spacious interior.
It could light a heating stove for warmth, boil tea, and make porridge. There was also a small couch for resting, with hidden compartments on either side for storing clothes and food. Two tall horses pulled the carriage — a style truly reserved for the Royal Family.
Just like that, the Emperor extravagantly granted this carriage to Yin Shuangshuang, ensuring she used it often and didn’t treat it as a relic. The carriage was a clear sign of the Emperor’s immense favor towards Yin Shuangshuang.
Yin Shuangshuang bowed deeply, her face showing gratitude: "Your Majesty’s deep affection, I am immensely grateful, and I shall not disappoint Your Majesty’s painstaking efforts."
The Emperor extended a hand to help Yin Shuangshuang up: "The mountain is high and the road is long, dear minister, take great care. I will await the day of your return in the Capital City and will personally greet you then."
"Your Majesty must also take good care. I am leaving now." While speaking, Yin Shuangshuang seized the opportunity as the Emperor extended his hand to transfer a trace of her internal power into the Emperor’s body.
This trace of power was naturally the power of Main God Shuangshuang. In every lifetime, to ensure her safety, Shuangshuang could extract a trace of the Main God’s power.
Naturally, Yin Shuangshuang had also extracted the Main God’s power, but her body was exceptionally weak in this life. Any contact with this power would cause her body to overload and die instantly.
Therefore, Yin Shuangshuang could only use spiritual strength to contain this power in her Spiritual Sea, not daring to let it enter her body, using only the little spiritual power communicated through her spiritual strength to heal her body.
However, although the Emperor’s health wasn’t great either, it was nowhere near as severe as Yin Shuangshuang’s and could bear a trace of the Main God’s power.
Thus, Yin Shuangshuang transferred a minute amount of power into the Emperor’s body, ensuring his health would improve and he would live a long life.
This Emperor was quite good; Yin Shuangshuang didn’t want him passing away shortly after she left the Capital City, forcing her to devise new plans.
Most importantly, she didn’t favor any of the Emperor’s adult sons as the next King; that would be a disaster for her.
It wasn’t until she parted ways with the Emperor and General An that Wei Yingnan, seated in the carriage, finally heaved a sigh of relief and complained to Yin Shuangshuang: "Sister Shuangshuang, you have no idea how stifled I felt in the Imperial Palace during this time. Although the palace is quite large, after staying there for a while, it all feels the same.
Also, there are so many restrictions on where you can and cannot go. I felt as though I would suffocate. I feel sorry for my Empress Aunt, who spent her whole life there, it really feels so confining."
Yin Shuangshuang held the heating stove in her hands, her body swaying gently with the carriage: "If even the Empress feels stifled, what about those women living in parts of the harem much smaller than the Empress’s palace?
It’s an indefinite sentence, which is why Yin Shuangshuang didn’t want to be like the women of this era, spending a lifetime just to find a man and then being confined to his harem, having to endure a group of legal concubines and a swarm of legitimate illegitimate children."