Chapter 61: That is something only possessed after being steeped in power…

**Chapter 61: That is something only power can cultivate...**

Huo Ling would never underestimate the court officials.

From Emperor Jingyuan’s account alone, she could tell that the equine administration was rife with corruption—and now was the perfect moment to strike.

With so many people in the court, could no one else have noticed this?

She didn’t believe it.

Nor did Emperor Jingyuan.

It was simply that the interests tied to the horse governance were too vast. Those who had realized the truth chose self-preservation and kept silent. Some may have even profited from it themselves.

"Rectifying corruption in horse governance"—six simple words, but behind them lay complex political maneuvering.

Unfamiliar with court politics, Huo Ling couldn't directly help, but she kept a close watch while using her spare time to study the horse administration systems of past dynasties.

Emperor Jingyuan had become swamped lately.

Before, he would occasionally drop by Fengyi Palace in the afternoon for a game or two of chess with her; now, he only showed up at dusk.

Still, during their evening walks after dinner, he always updated her on the state of horse governance across the regions.

Using the He Tai case as leverage, he vented his anger publicly during a grand court assembly and pushed for reforms. No one dared oppose him openly, but once the decree reached local authorities, it faced considerable resistance—both overt and covert.

Huo Ling sneered, "They're pretending to obey."

Emperor Jingyuan smirked at her candor.

Nowadays, she was the only one who would dare call out courtiers and expose their hidden agendas.

Even his own sister, Ning Xin, bound by her family's interests, couldn't speak to him so freely on every matter.

"I expected this wouldn’t go smoothly," the emperor said.

Huo Ling replied, "Then I assume Your Majesty has backup plans."

Emperor Jingyuan said, "I've sent envoys from the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Justice to act openly, while secretly deploying personnel from the Censorate. With this dual approach—one public, one covert—we should get results."

Huo Ling suddenly asked, "Are those sent from the Censorate trustworthy?"

The emperor paused, then understood her concern.

"Most are low-ranking, unconnected officials. That way, there's little risk they'll collude with local officers."

"Of course, if they give in to bribes and join forces with local officials, we can't prevent that entirely."

Huo Ling remarked, "That's why the Ministry of Personnel leads the Six Ministries."

Emperor Jingyuan nodded. "Exactly. The quality of horse governance affects military strength, but the integrity of governance decides the Empire’s fate."

"This is also a chance to test their mettle. If we find capable ones, we can promote them once they return after proving themselves."

Noticing the emperor’s weariness, Huo Ling changed the subject. "Lately, I’ve been going through the materials from the Hanlin Academy—I've learned a lot."

He asked how far she'd read.

"Almost done."

Emperor Jingyuan was surprised: "So quickly?"

Huo Ling then took the opportunity to discuss the situation in the inner palace with Emperor Jingyuan.

It had already been half a year since she entered the palace.

These six months were more than enough for Huo Ling to establish control over all palace affairs.

On normal days, with the assistance of Nanny Zuo and others in handling affairs across the various palaces, as long as there were no banquets or celebrations, Huo Ling only needed to set aside an hour daily to manage the inner palace matters.

Both princesses were busy with their studies, and their daily lives were overseen by their biological mothers, so Empress Huo Ling didn’t need to devote much attention to them.

She had plenty of free time to spend on her interests.

Emperor Jingyuan asked: "Enjoy? Don’t you find it tedious?"

Huo Ling didn’t hide her feelings: "Even the things one enjoys can become tedious over time. So I only spend two hours a day on them. The rest of the time, I practice calligraphy, review chess strategies, or if I need fresh air, I go for a few laps at the riding grounds."

Emperor Jingyuan: "That kind of freedom sounds enviable."

Huo Ling smiled at Emperor Jingyuan: "Is Your Majesty praising yourself?"

Emperor Jingyuan was puzzled: "How so?"

Huo Ling: "When Your Majesty was at the summer palace, you spent mornings reviewing memorials and meeting court officials, and afternoons reading and practicing calligraphy. You showed no trace of haste or frustration. I’ve barely achieved a third of your composure."

Emperor Jingyuan recalled that time—it was when she had spooked her horse and had to rest in bed. He had visited Changxin Palace daily to accompany her, leaving only after she fell asleep.

"Returning to this palace, it’s hard to be so carefree again."

"Speaking of which, your birthday is approaching. I promised you earlier that this year I’d accompany you to the summer palace again. It’s time to have the Board of Rites prepare for it."

Huo Ling was somewhat surprised: "Your Majesty did promise me, but with urgent court matters at hand, wouldn't it be inappropriate for you to leave the capital at this time?"

Emperor Jingyuan shook his head with a smile: "I've already dispatched all necessary personnel. The matter of equine administration is complex, and provincial investigations will take time. Getting results within six months would be quick. I can't devote all my attention to this alone."

"Moreover—"

"If I go to the summer palace, the court officials must accompany us."

Huo Ling pondered for a while before finally understanding Emperor Jingyuan's intention.

Local officials and the court were always connected—many provincial officials had backers in the capital.

By moving the court to the summer palace, Emperor Jingyuan could take all officials, big and small, away from the capital. This would make it much harder for provincial officials to contact their patrons.

The extra time this would take might just give investigators an advantage.

Realizing this, Huo Ling smiled: "For this trip to the summer palace, aside from essential officials left behind, everyone else should accompany us."

"Especially the high-ranking court officials of the third rank and above—it's best not to leave a single one out."

***

Emperor Jingyuan’s birthday and Huo Ling’s were less than a month apart. After discussing, they decided to celebrate both at the summer palace, allowing them to stay there longer.

This time, instead of selecting imperial clan members to remain in the capital, Emperor Jingyuan directly appointed Minister of Personnel Wen Shengan, Minister of Justice Cui Ming, and the Left Chief Censor.

Others, unaware of Emperor Jingyuan’s plans, didn’t question his selections, but when Huo Ling saw the list of officials staying behind, she quietly approved.

The Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate—these three offices, overtly or covertly, were conducting thorough investigations into the equine administration matter.

Emperor Jingyuan kept the heads of these three departments behind, clearly intending for them to continue monitoring regional horse administration. If any disturbances arose locally, they could act immediately.

After reviewing the list of those remaining in the capital, Huo Ling glanced at the names accompanying the emperor.

As expected, she saw Prince Duan and his consort’s names.

Last year, Prince Duan had remained in the capital while his consort stayed behind to care for their second son, Ji Yuankang. This year, however, Prince Duan was free to travel, and since Ji Yuankang had turned three, he could now accompany them to the summer palace. Thus, the princess consort no longer had a reason to remain in the capital either.

Huo Ling scanned further down the list and expressed surprise: “Prince Su is going this time?”

Emperor Jingyuan nodded. “The Prince Su household somehow found a new physician. Over the past two months, my uncle’s health has taken a turn for the better, and he personally asked to go to the summer palace for a change of scenery.”

In addition to Prince Su, Duke Liu was also joining the trip.

He had suffered a leg injury during earlier battles. It didn’t affect daily movement, but he could no longer ride horses. Last year, Emperor Jingyuan had excused him from the journey, but this year, he sent the head of the Imperial Medical Bureau directly to treat the duke.

When the imperial physician arrived at his home, Duke Liu immediately understood the emperor’s intentions and knew better than to protest with excuses.

Once all preparations were complete, the day came to depart.

Xu Shidu was a much better rider now. As soon as the procession left the city, she rode up beside the phoenix carriage and waved at Huo Ling with a smile.

Inside the carriage, Huo Ling chatted casually with Xu Shidu, asking what she’d been doing lately: “I haven’t seen you at court in the past two months.”

Xu Shidu’s face fell with worry. “It’s because my mother insists on arranging a marriage for me. She loves hosting banquets, and over the last few months, she’s combed through so many suitors. I’ve had to stay home helping her—no time to visit the palace.”

Huo Ling’s interest perked up. “Who has Lady Ningxin set her sights on?”

Xu Shidu sighed. “She went through countless candidates until finally choosing one and asking if I approved. I recognized the name—he’s well-respected, comes from a good family, and is quite accomplished, but let’s just say he’s not much to look at.”

“I told her how I felt and got lectured sternly for it. But what can I do? If I don’t fancy him, I can’t force myself.”

Huo Ling couldn’t help but laugh—it sounded exactly like something Xu Shidu would say. “Then keep looking. There’s no need to rush.”

Xu Shidu perked up, as if hearing her own thoughts echoed. “That’s exactly what I told her. She wasn’t in a hurry when choosing her own consort back then, so why the rush now?”

They chatted a little longer before Xu Shidu rode back to her family’s carriage.

Princess Ningxin asked, “Back from Her Majesty?”

Xu Shidu nodded and whispered to her mother, “Last year when we went to the summer palace, Her Majesty rode alongside me.”

Princess Ningxin nodded in agreement. Their own circumstances hadn’t changed, but the empress’s life had undergone a complete upheaval in the past year.

“Still, Her Majesty looks even more beautiful than last year,” Xu Shidu added, clasping her cheeks, sighing happily.

Recalling her brief glimpse earlier, Princess Ningxin remarked objectively, “Her features haven’t changed much, but her aura has transformed.”

It was an air that only power could bestow—regal, commanding, and untouchable.

Her imperial sister-in-law had grown seamlessly into her role as empress.

Many shared Princess Ningxin’s sentiment. Those who’d seen her last year still remembered clearly, and upon seeing her again this year, the difference was striking.