After this discussion, the emotions of the people in the group were quite complex, filled with entanglement and panic, and also a hint of suspicion towards most other group members, making them view everyone with a degree of doubt.
Then there were the Nine-Tailed Demon Empress and the Dark Night Empress.
Initially, everyone was wary and guarded against them.
Among them, the Nine-Tailed Demon Empress had remained silent, and her current situation was unknown. The Dark Night Empress, on the other hand, had been constantly defending herself, and most importantly, she had never dared to claim that she hadn't received any red envelopes from the Nine-Tailed Demon Empress.
Therefore, her defense was not believed by many.
As for the true events of the previous incident and how many people were involved in the planning, Ding Yun was still unaware.
She could only deduce through speculation.
However, speculation could not serve as substantial evidence.
Thus, after a period of discussion and investigation in the group, everyone grew tired. Coupled with the late hour, many people went to rest. Ding Yun naturally bid farewell and slept.
...
While Ding Yun slept.
In the capital, many people remained sleepless throughout the night.
What differed from yesterday was that yesterday most people were worried about what would happen if Duke An invaded the capital.
Today, some were concerned about whether their cooperation with Duke An would be exposed and if they would be held accountable later. Others were pondering how these martial arts worked and why they were so powerful.
And with the advent of martial arts, were their roles as military generals no longer significant? After all, even the most formidable general could hardly take an enemy commander's head amidst thousands of soldiers.
If they couldn't quickly adapt to the times and find a way to learn martial arts, their future would likely be difficult.
Therefore, starting from the second day.
Few people were still focused on Duke An's matters. The core focus of everyone's attention shifted entirely to martial arts. They were desperately trying every possible means, seeking connections, asking for favors, some inquiring at Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries, others at the maternal uncle's mansion.
Some even resorted to bribery.
They tried to get information from eunuchs and palace maids within the imperial palace.
Such a formidable tool, about which they knew nothing and were not even involved, who could be happy, and who wouldn't want to investigate thoroughly?
Most importantly, who wouldn't want to learn it?
Regarding this, Ding Yun was largely aware but paid it no mind. Let them inquire if they wished.
Even if they managed to find out everything, and even learned all the technical terms within martial arts and understood them, without the aid of Congenital Pills and Adamantine Pills, even reaching the initial stages would be as difficult as climbing to heaven. Therefore, Ding Yun was unconcerned. As long as she controlled the Congenital Pills and Adamantine Pills,
No one could escape her grasp.
Thus, during the subsequent period, Ding Yun could be said to have sat back and enjoyed the show, watching the officials struggle.
Of course, this was just a minor aspect. Genuine state affairs, under Ding Yun's regency, were also proceeding smoothly. For example, the hundreds of thousands of troops that Duke An had ordered to be mobilized towards the capital had all obediently and orderly retreated due to Duke An's arrest and the imperial decree from the capital.
Another example was the plan to conquer the remaining few small neighboring countries, which was proceeding smoothly. Compared to the past, this plan seemed a bit too eager for success.
Ding Yun did not simply dispatch a single army to attack a small country; instead, she divided her forces into four routes.
She intended to capture them all in one swoop.
To achieve this, Ding Yun specifically assigned forty experts to accompany them, with ten assigned to each team, dedicated to executing decapitation strikes and protecting the generals, with absolutely stellar results.
What followed.
It could be said that everything unfolded as Ding Yun had anticipated.
The conquering armies took nearly a month to march, but it only took seven or eight days to annihilate the nations.
However, regardless, Ding Yu had managed to fulfill the dying wish of her late husband, the former emperor, by completely unifying the realm. The armies also swiftly returned in triumph.
Since the primary credit for this endeavor was largely earned by the eunuchs and palace maids who accompanied the armies, and these eunuchs and palace maids were a result of Ding Yun's efforts, Ding Yun only symbolically rewarded the eunuchs and palace maids with some gold, silver, jewels, and nominal titles.
These included titles like County Princess and County Lord.
As for the commanding generals, they had not contributed significantly in the first place, so it was naturally impossible for them to be promoted further in rank. Therefore, Ding Yun, as they wished, granted them the Congenital Technique and the Adamantine Unbreakable Divine Skill, allowing them to choose freely. She also distributed some powdered Congenital Pills and Adamantine Pills to each of them to help them get started, serving as a form of acknowledgment.
This gave everyone a glimmer of hope for obtaining martial arts.
What followed was a period of relatively stable governance.
Although, in theory, there were many areas that could be reformed during the process of governance, Ding Yun was too lazy to make any drastic changes. Having gone through such turmoil in so many worlds, it was simply too exhausting. Therefore, Ding Yun ultimately only abolished and updated policies that would clearly bring significant hidden dangers to future generations, and she established a foundation that encouraged invention and creation, and elevated the status of artisans.
As for the rest, it remained as it had always been.
She was too lazy to change it, so it would remain as it was.
After all, it was the beginning of a new dynasty, with a small population and abundant land. Moreover, they could easily overpower surrounding nations. As long as they didn't make any foolish mistakes, it would be easy to usher in an era of prosperity.
Why bother painstakingly reforming everything?
As for where the saved energy would be directed, some of it would be spent in the red envelope group, and some would be dedicated to cooperating with civil and military officials in teaching the child. Ding Yun no longer wished to be an emperor casually, shouldering such immense responsibility. For the sake of a more relaxed and comfortable life in the coming decades, she had to diligently educate her child now, so that he could ascend to the throne earlier and she could have an easier time.
And this aspect could not be taken too lightly. After all, if she raised an incompetent or tyrannical ruler, wouldn't that be a grave sin? Therefore, Ding Yun, who was indifferent to many matters, was extremely conscientious in educating the young emperor, even personally compiling the teaching materials.
She did not aspire to turn him into a sage emperor for all time.
But at least he should be able to maintain the legacy and be sensible.
He shouldn't be easily deceived by civil and military officials.
However, in this regard, Ding Yun encountered an unprecedented setback, because her biological son was a complete academic slacker who detested learning.
When he was younger and before she started teaching him, there were no issues. The child seemed quite well-behaved. But ever since she began tutoring him, life had truly become chaotic. He was constantly troublesome.
Either he would sleep in and refuse to get up in the morning, or he would doze off during lessons and fidget, or even feign illness to ask for leave. Before he had even learned a few characters, he had already learned how to insert things into his armpits to make it difficult for the imperial physicians to feel his pulse. Only when listening to stories could he concentrate even a little.
If the former emperor hadn't been dead for many years,
Ding Yun would have wanted to have a second child.