Yin Shuangshuang sat beside the stone table, pouring water from the teapot into the cup with movements as fluid as flowing clouds, pleasing to the eye.

The Sixth Prince, already treated and wearing a dark blue outfit, walked over slowly and sat across from Yin Shuangshuang.

Yin Shuangshuang placed the cup of tea before the Sixth Prince: "Rest assured, Prince, I have already sent people to eliminate the aristocratic family’s Death Warriors pursuing you. I will ensure your safety."

The Sixth Prince’s expression was somewhat astonished: "Thank you, Mr. Yin. It seems I’ll be troubling you once more on my journey to the Capital City."

Twice in danger, thanks to Mr. Yin’s rescue, I never imagined the aristocratic family would be so brazen, daring to send assassins this close to the Capital City.

Yin Shuangshuang smiled faintly: "It is merely a desperate struggle, a final thrash in the face of defeat. The aristocratic families are now frequently losing, like the sun setting over West Mountain, the more they face death, the more frenzied their retaliations."

The Sixth Prince toyed with the cup in his hand, slightly tilting his head to look at Yin Shuangshuang: "I heard that Mr. Yin isn’t well, yet in this cold night, you’ve tirelessly worried on my behalf, which truly bothers me."

"Despite my weak health, it’s not to the point where one sleepless night will topple me. There’s no need for concern, Prince." Yin Shuangshuang smiled gently, sipping the tea, sensing the aroma without tasting its sweetness, the flavor rather bland.

The Sixth Prince drank his tea, watching as Yin Shuangshuang continued to prepare tea, her face calm, yet he couldn’t help but be curious about this trusted advisor of his father, who appeared so composed and showed no sign of the frailty often seen in women.

The Sixth Prince’s curiosity about Yin Shuangshuang wasn’t recent, for this legendary woman, who had stepped into the court as a female, outshone men across the world with her intellect, leaving many curious about this extraordinary woman.

Before meeting Yin Shuangshuang, all impressions the Sixth Prince had of her stemmed from a childhood memory that was not quite clear and hearsay of a frail, yet brilliant advisor.

Yin Shuangshuang’s feeble health worried the Emperor, who allocated the best Imperial Physician to monitor and treat her daily alongside his favor, a fact known to all in the Capital City.

Thus, just like her renowned talent, Yin Shuangshuang’s reputation as a sickly person was well-known, with numerous aristocratic families openly cursing her, wishing for her early demise.

Previously, without having seen Yin Shuangshuang, the Sixth Prince assumed she must be the kind of person who panted every few steps, possibly requiring assistance to walk due to severe frailty.

Having witnessed many ill individuals, both men and women appeared similarly, especially women, whose frailty often rendered them unable to walk without help.

But after truly encountering Yin Shuangshuang, the Sixth Prince’s imagined image entirely shattered.

If not for her distinctly pale complexion, one would never guess from her straight posture and composed demeanor at any time that she was a sickly, frail person.

Though slim and weak, she is akin to a towering tree, upright, resilient, indomitable, and with no apparent weaknesses.

Such a perfect minister instills constant pressure before her, incompatible with a typical emperor, for her mere presence evokes feelings of inadequacy.

A minister who makes an Emperor feel inadequate is never good, as it may provoke thoughts of erasure in the King.

Luckily, his father, albeit powerful and ruthless, is also a wise Emperor, tolerating such a perfect minister. Regarding the next ruler,

The Sixth Prince’s heart quietly ignited with ambition; if he sat upon that throne, he would naturally desire such a talented minister to strategize and govern the realm.

However, while aiming unerringly for that position, the Sixth Prince couldn’t confidently claim he could ascend to it flawlessly, as none of his brothers were mediocre.

If he could secure Mr. Yin’s support, he would feel more assured, not needing her to overtly favor him, but just a slight inclination would suffice.

Yin Shuangshuang is the most valued confidante of his father; he dared not actually recruit her, as even if she were inclined, his father would not let him off easily.

Yet, while recruitment isn’t feasible, openly fostering goodwill is permissible, so the Sixth Prince began proactively engaging Yin Shuangshuang in casual conversation about far-flung places.

Yin Shuangshuang realized that this Sixth Prince was exceptionally articulate and astute, conversing with depth and keen insight, providing smooth responses to her questions, albeit with some youthful naivety.

But considering the Sixth Prince had just turned twenty, he was already remarkable. Yin Shuangshuang understood he was building goodwill yet managed the distance well, causing her no discomfort.

Yin Shuangshuang waited until midnight before Yan Yi and Ying Yi returned to report. All Death Warriors had been thoroughly cleared, albeit without capturing anyone alive, as anticipated.

Assured of safety, Yin Shuangshuang finally rested. Initially intending to sleep soundly, she found herself awake until midnight, tossing and turning for a long time before falling asleep.

Due to inadequate rest, Yin Shuangshuang felt mentally unwell the next day but had to muster the energy to deal with the Sixth Prince, who wisely avoided disturbing her upon realizing her discomfort.

After a seven-day journey on the ship, they finally arrived in the Capital City. On the first day in the Capital City, Yin Shuangshuang sought an audience with the Emperor, as instructed, to report upon arriving in the Capital City.

The Emperor was delighted to see Yin Shuangshuang, for the aristocratic families’ grave menace was about to be eradicated. Though still troubling now, it wouldn’t last much longer.

"I haven’t seen Your Majesty for years, and I truly missed you. Seeing that despite growing older, your spirit is even better than before brings me great joy." Yin Shuangshuang began with subtle flattery.

The Emperor was in high spirits: "You’ve achieved notable political accomplishments over the years, which pleases me greatly. This time, I’ve summoned you to the Capital City because the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel is of advanced age and will soon retire.

I’ve summoned you to the Capital City to break convention and promote you to serve as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Do you have confidence in fulfilling this role well?"

Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Yin Shuangshuang’s heart discreetly leaped, realizing it would be a significant position with vast influence.

The Ministry of Personnel leads the Six Ministries and manages the assessment and appointment of officials, easily appointing and dismissing fourth-rank officials and below, making it an exceptionally impactful position.

As a mere Magistrate, albeit with outstanding achievements, being suddenly promoted to Assistant Minister in such an essential ministry would definitely spark considerable dissent; this role would undoubtedly be challenging.

Yet, Yin Shuangshuang couldn’t refuse, as the Emperor was at a critical juncture in dealing with the aristocratic families; the Ministry of Personnel was crucial and had to be entrusted to loyal hands.

It’s understandable why the Emperor urgently summoned her back to the Capital City, likely having contemplated this for a while.