Chapter 228

In a way, this matter can be considered a lawsuit.

The matter dates back to the ninth year of Zhaoyang. Qin Su felt that the time was right and decided to formally allow Qingmei to enter the court and be appointed to an official position.

The court officials vehemently opposed it.

In their view, Qin Su is an empress, so it is acceptable for her to employ female officials. Qingmei, as a female official with power but no official title, is also acceptable to help Qin Su. However, Qingmei must never actually enter the court and cannot become a true official of the Great Yu Dynasty.

In the past, the system of female officials was placed in the inner palace, belonging to the palace system, not the system of court officials.

Qin Su's current actions are tantamount to introducing female officials into the official system of the previous dynasty. This is outrageous! Once this door is opened, wouldn't more and more female officials infiltrate the system?

Immediately, someone loudly remonstrated, saying, "The laws of our ancestors cannot be changed!"

Someone prostrated himself on the ground, weeping and pleading: "How can a court full of talented officials, the best in the land, serve in the same hall as women? This is a sign of the collapse of propriety and the disorder of the social order!"

Someone pretended to smash his head against a pillar: "This old minister is willing to die to prove his loyalty, and earnestly hopes that Your Majesty will change your mind."

Of course, there were also some members of the emperor's faction who firmly supported all of Qin Su's decisions and refuted them one by one, saying that even if the ancestral laws could not be changed, we had already changed quite a bit. When you were enjoying the benefits, you didn't say that. You even said something like, "How can one serve as an official in the same palace as a woman?" Look up at His Majesty on the dragon throne and have the guts to say that again.

As for the one who wanted to ram his head into the pillar, well, you've got to be serious. You hit your arm before your head did, right? Even the pillar will accuse you of trying to scam someone.

The court was in complete chaos, like a marketplace—a common sight in recent years, as Qin Su always had some controversial new measures that made the civil and military officials both love and hate them. They often had to abandon etiquette and debate with each other, and in the heat of the moment, they might even come to blows.

Standing at the center of the storm, even though Qingmei was somewhat prepared and knew things wouldn't go so smoothly, she couldn't help but feel heavy-hearted.

She pursed her lips and looked at Qin Su.

Qin Su rested one hand on the armrest of the dragon throne, propped his chin on his hand, and watched the chaotic scene for a while before calling a halt just before the courtiers were about to fight each other.

She didn't shout for violence, nor did she forcefully say "you must listen to me." Instead, she asked with a sigh, "So many people disagree?"

The officials immediately fell silent.

Everyone silently pondered His Majesty's tone.

He doesn't seem very angry or resolute. Does this mean that he never intended for this matter to pass and that there's still room for negotiation?

But their past experience made them realize that things weren't so simple.

It should be noted that since Qin Su ascended the throne, there has been nothing she couldn't do if she truly wanted to; she always had countless ways to make the court officials agree willingly.

However, facts will eventually prove that Qin Su was indeed right.

Over time, the court officials realized that Empress Zhaoyang was not like Emperor Jingxi, who liked to use iron-fisted methods to intimidate the court officials in order to consolidate imperial power. However, she was far-sighted and always planned ahead, often leading people into traps without their knowledge, which they would later find terrifying.

Some court officials are now on high alert, wondering if His Majesty is about to set a trap for them again.

To their surprise, Qin Su sighed and said simply, "Alright then, I'll listen to you this time, so you won't always say that I don't like to listen to advice."

What? !

His Majesty is surprisingly accommodating this time!

The courtiers were overjoyed, but also felt a little incredulous and uneasy.

The dull-witted knelt down and shouted that His Majesty was wise, while the clever ones pricked up their ears, waiting to hear if His Majesty would say anything more.

“If you disagree with formally appointing Qingmei to an official position, I cannot force you to change your mind. However, Qingmei has been with me for so many years, and her performance as an official is no worse than some of yours.”

Qin Su calmly dropped a bombshell, "How about this, after I pass away, let Qingmei accompany me to the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

The courtiers: "..."

The courtiers: "!!!"

The courtiers were utterly terrified by these words, their screams nearly lifting the entire hall off its feet.

"No! Absolutely not!"

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

"Your Majesty, you are in the prime of your life, it is too early to think about what will happen a hundred years from now!"

"Your Majesty, I feel that it is unfair to make arrangements for Lady Qingmei's funeral too early. It would be better to let Lady Qingmei enter the court for a few years to gain experience before discussing this matter."

Someone was so anxious that they accidentally blurted out their true feelings: "What will I do if she goes in!"

If the noise just now was the sound of ocean waves, then the opposition to Qin Su bringing Qingmei into the Imperial Ancestral Temple is the sound of a tsunami.

Even the emperor's supporters couldn't agree to it.

Just kidding, what is the Imperial Ancestral Temple anyway?

That is a place where important ministers of the state and confidants of His Majesty will leave a strong mark in history and will be worshipped and revered for hundreds or thousands of years to come.

Whether a civil official or a military general, the pinnacle achievement and highest honor in their life is undoubtedly being enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

What's more, this is accompanying Qin Su to the Imperial Ancestral Temple!

Don't be fooled by the constant advice these ministers give; they are actually very clear-headed. They know the current state of the world, the praise Qin Su will receive in the future, and how history will write this chapter of history. Qin Su's team will surely be remembered for eternity.

Many people are determined to live longer, hoping to one day be among those honored in the Imperial Ancestral Temple of Emperor Zhaoyang.

For example, Hou Dongrui has made contributions to the development of sweet potatoes and has also devoted himself to cultivating new rice varieties. With all his achievements, big and small, his entry into the Imperial Ancestral Temple is a sure thing. His biggest concern right now is his own lifespan, which may affect whether he enters the Imperial Ancestral Temple with Emperor Jingxi or with Qin Su.

He privately confided his struggles to his colleagues, but they all rolled their eyes and ignored him.

As a result, before the court officials could even decide who was right, Qingmei had already secured a spot.

The officials would rather die than agree.

The person who was pretending to run into the pillar is actually going to do it now.

Everyone solemnly declared, "This won't do, this is unacceptable, Your Majesty, you must retract this idea."

They were anxious, but Qin Su wasn't.

She said calmly, "If this won't work and that won't work, then you should come up with a plan for me."

Seeing that His Majesty was about to become displeased, the officials also became timid, fearing that if His Majesty got angry, he would want both, allowing the female officials to enter the court and Qingmei to enter the Imperial Ancestral Temple, which would make them want to vomit blood on the spot.

The court officials no longer tried to test the limits of this matter; compared to being honored in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, these were things that could be compromised.

They quickly came up with an idea.

Qingmei could be granted official positions, and female officials could be brought into the imperial court, but important positions such as the Ministers of the Six Ministries could not be appointed to them casually.

Qin Su asked with great interest, "You can't appoint people casually? What if I don't appoint them casually?"

The courtiers argued amongst themselves for a while, then offered a compromise, saying that without rules there can be no order, and that they could discuss a new promotion and assessment system for female officials.

Qin Su nodded, agreeing with their statement.

Just as the officials breathed a sigh of relief, Qin Su called Qingmei forward and said, "What a coincidence, Qingmei has prepared a set. Let's finalize it today."

The officials: "..."

I joined the discussion in a daze.

When the court session ended and the officials walked out of the main hall, facing the glaring sunlight, they all felt that something was not quite right.

Huh, how did things get to this point?

...

After that, Qingmei was promoted from a female official to a high-ranking official, and rumors began to circulate in the palace that His Majesty intended to have her enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

But Qingmei knew that Qin Su said that mainly to scare the officials and divert their attention.

She is still a long way from being honored with a place in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Qingmei spoke a few more words with the palace maids, and when she heard them calling her "Lord Qing" before they took their leave, she suddenly smiled meaningfully.

Most people have forgotten that her surname is not Qing.

Qingmei couldn't really remember her original surname and name before entering the palace; she figured it was something like Zhaodi Pan'er Xiaocao.

She only remembered that when Emperor Jingxi transferred her to Qin Su's side when she was still a princess, he casually picked two characters from the poetry collection on the table as her new name.

Later, she followed Qin Su to learn to read and write, and learned that poem. Qin Su told her that it was the origin of her name, and she memorized it.

—"Waiting only for the new clear plum blossom valley, I am not afraid to tread the spring mud in my green shoes."

At first, Qingmei didn't understand the carefree and joyful spirit in this poem, until one morning in the twenty-ninth year of Jingxi, Qin Su asked her: "Do you want to be a head maid in this deep palace, or go out and work hard as a female official?"

In her surprise and confusion, this line of poetry suddenly came to mind.

"I am not afraid to tread the spring mud in my green shoes."

The road ahead is long and uncertain, but spring is coming and flowers will bloom, so what is there to fear?

—"The servants are selected as female officials."