A Prime Minister's Disguise Episode 7 Recap
> A Prime Minister's Disguise Recap
Yue Chi diverted the imperial guards, allowing Ling'er and Jiang Yunqing to leave first. He then left a letter for Huo Jingheng, offering him guidance on how to govern the country. In truth, Yue Chi was hesitant deep down—he wasn't sure if leaving was truly what he wanted. On the road, he even saved a child and saw that the person riding through the street on horseback was none other than the Barbarian King.
The Barbarian King had entered the capital without an imperial edict, and Yue Chi sensed something was about to happen. The Barbarian King barged into the palace, ignored Huo Jingheng, and grabbed Lord Wei by the neck when he tried to attack him. The imperial guards drew their swords against the Barbarian King. Huo Jingheng reminded him that the guards were only loyal to the emperor, not the vassal kings. Hearing this, the Barbarian King restrained himself a bit.
Just as he was questioning who had advised Huo Jingheng to allow the princes to study in the capital, Yue Chi walked in and stated outright that the idea was his. Yue Chi had changed his mind—he decided to stay and help Huo Jingheng stabilize the court. With turmoil looming, peace could be shattered in an instant. He sent a letter to Jiang Yunqing, saying that the road ahead was uncertain and he couldn't risk her safety.
Though he must disappoint her for now, if he safely left the capital one day, he would seek her out and protect her for the rest of her life. In the grand hall, Yue Chi openly supported Huo Jingheng. When the Barbarian King made a move, Yue Chi suspected him of harboring rebellious intentions. His words made the Barbarian King uneasy.
The Barbarian King claimed he had merely brought rare fruits for the emperor to taste and thus hadn’t had time to report his arrival. Given the tense situation, he quickly left. Huo Jingheng decided to make Yue Chi the Prime Minister, but knowing this would spark opposition, he advised Yue Chi to be prepared for a war of words with the ministers—just enough to hold them off.
Minister Zhang claimed that Yue Chi, being from the former dynasty, had ambitions to restore it by entering court affairs. Yue Chi remained composed, accusing Minister Zhang of baseless slander. Huo Jingheng reminded Zhang that, by current law, he should be executed on the spot. Seeing this, Zhang fell silent. Yue Chi stated that he had served the people in the former dynasty and continued to do so in the present one.
Since the people are the foundation of the nation, the ministers' concerns were unnecessary. Though they had temporarily appeased the ministers in court, constant opposition was not sustainable. They now needed to shift their stance. Huo Jingheng had an idea—he found the weaknesses in the opposing ministers’ private lives and had Yue Chi confront them one by one. Eventually, Yue Chi naturally assumed the position of Right Prime Minister.
Although Lord Ouyang and Lord Wei supported Yue Chi’s appointment, they set conditions: the title "Lord of Qilin" must not be reinstated, or it would be considered treason, and no member of the Yue family could hold court office. Lord Wei, ill and bedridden, had Lord Ouyang submit the petition and even staged a melodramatic act to “force” Huo Jingheng into agreement. Furious, Huo Jingheng decided to grant Lord Ouyang’s request.
The ministers urged Huo Jingheng to reconsider, and Yue Chi volunteered to comply with Lord Ouyang’s terms. Seeing this, Huo Jingheng had no words left. Knowing her brother was being targeted, Ling'er decided to enter the palace to help him. Yue Chi couldn't manage both the court and the inner palace, but once Ling'er entered, the Empress Dowager granted her authority over the six palaces.
This displeased Consort Hui greatly, so she immediately sent a letter to her sworn brother to await his instructions. Consort Hui went to see Ling'er, curious to see how she would wield her new power, but Ling'er avoided her. Ling'er then approached Huo Jingheng, asking him to have the Empress Dowager rescind the decree. Huo Jingheng told her to follow the Empress Dowager’s orders for now and learn how to survive in the harem, while being mindful that others were watching her too.
Related Posts
