Chapter 175: Minister's Advice

According to convention, after being crowned emperor, Quan Minghe can enjoy three days of rest and does not need to attend the morning court.

So, this morning Quan Minghe and Shen Yuning had breakfast together in the bedroom of Weiyang Palace.

After breakfast, the two did not separate, but spent the morning together.

It was not until after lunch that Quan Minghe got up and went to the front hall of Weiyang Palace to handle affairs.

When he came over, several court ministers were already waiting there.

When I see Your Majesty, I bow respectfully.

When Quan Minghe saw Taishi Ling here, his eyes darkened and he had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, the Grand Historian, Lord Li, was the first to step forward.

He looked solemn, with a hint of worry in his tone: "Your Majesty, I heard that there was an accidental fire in one of the palaces in the imperial palace yesterday!"

The Grand Historian was in charge of astronomy and the calendar, and it was his duty to calculate the country's destiny and changes in celestial phenomena.

Quan Minghe did not respond.

But as an emperor, family affairs are state affairs, and his every move is under close scrutiny, not to mention that the entire Lingxi Palace was ablaze last night, and it was impossible to conceal it even if he wanted to.

Lord Li paused for a moment, as if he was gathering his emotions.

Then he continued, "Your Majesty, I observed the stars last night and found that recently in the Purple Palace, there seemed to be a dark shadow quietly covering the light of the main star. This is an ominous sign!"

He frowned slightly. "It just so happened that yesterday's important enthronement ceremony took place, and the palace suddenly caught fire. These two things are definitely not accidental."

"The movement of the fire sign has always indicated that the country's fortune may encounter twists and turns. This concerns the safety of our country and the rise and fall of the royal family!"

When Concubine Zuo made those provocative remarks yesterday, Quan Minghe had already anticipated that the Grand Historian would use this as an opportunity to cause trouble today.

Listening to Taishi Ling's remarks at this moment, his eyes instantly turned cold.

"I remember that the day of the enthronement ceremony was a very auspicious day that the historian ordered you to personally calculate. Now that something like this has happened, I haven't yet gone to you to question you, but you came to me on your own."

Lord Li shuddered slightly, but still said, "Your Majesty, the celestial phenomena are unpredictable. Yesterday was indeed a good day for you to enthrone the empress. However, why did such a change occur? It must be the influence of the person being enthroned."

"It has long been rumored among the people that if a woman's fate conflicts with the royal family, it will lead to all kinds of disasters. After this canonization, an ominous sign appeared. I'm afraid..."

“Bold!”

There was anger in Quan Minghe's eyes.

"Are you saying that my emperor and empress are not well-known? In my opinion, it is clearly your incompetence and the date you calculated is wrong! My emperor and empress are virtuous and kind, and they care about the world. Since entering the palace, they have always put the royal family and the country first. How can you slander them at will!"

Lord Li was so frightened that he quickly knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me! Your Majesty, please forgive me! Everything I said was out of my sincere heart for our dynasty, for the sake of our country! The change in the celestial phenomena is related to the fate of the country. I dare not hide it. I hope Your Majesty will understand it!"

At this moment, the prime minister also stood up, bowed, and looked serious.

"Your Majesty, major days such as sacrifices, enthronement, and solar terms have always been extremely important. If something unlucky happens on such a day, it must be taken seriously and not taken lightly!"

"Although I also believe that the Empress Dowager is of noble character, this celestial phenomenon and the water flow are related to the fate of the country. Your Majesty, please think twice about whether you should thoroughly investigate this matter to reassure the people."

Quan Minghe's eyes were as sharp as torches as he glanced at the prime minister and the chief historian in front of him.

A thorough investigation of this mysterious matter would be fine if there was really someone behind it. But if it was really just an accident, wouldn't it prove that the emperor and empress were in bad luck?

He stood up, put his hands behind his back, and said in a cold tone: "Prime Minister, Grand Historian, I understand your concerns about the country. But it is ridiculous to suspect the emperor and empress based on a flood and so-called celestial changes!"

"Since I have appointed Shen as my queen, I believe that she can be the mother of the country and assist me in governing the country. As important officials in the court, you don't think about how to share my worries, but instead make groundless speculations here and disturb people's hearts. What crime should you be punished for!"

Upon hearing this, the Prime Minister and the Grand Historian knelt down again in fear and trepidation.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. I did not mean to do that. I am just worried about state affairs. I hope your Majesty will forgive me for my inappropriate words. However, this matter concerns the fate of the country. If it is not handled properly, I am afraid that the people will talk about it, which will be detrimental to the country."

Quan Minghe snorted coldly: "The people are talking about this because you ministers are making groundless accusations and misleading people! I will announce to the world that this is an unexpected incident and has nothing to do with the emperor and empress."

"If you dare to speak nonsense again and shake the foundation of the country, I will never forgive you!"

Seeing that Your Majesty was so determined, the Prime Minister dared not persuade him any further.

The Grand Historian, however, had cold sweat on his forehead and continued, "Your Majesty, I am ignorant and should not have made random guesses. I hope Your Majesty will show mercy. But I did see the changes in the celestial phenomena with my own eyes. Perhaps you can ask other officials of the Imperial Observatory to observe together to verify the truth."

Quan Minghe glared at her: "Don't say any more! The matter of celestial phenomena is mysterious to begin with. How can it be an excuse for you to arbitrarily frame the emperor and empress! I have made up my mind. Let's drop this matter. If anyone dares to mention this matter again and slander the emperor and empress, I will execute them without mercy!"

Quan Minghe walked away, leaving the prime minister and the historian kneeling there, looking at each other in bewilderment.

They never imagined that the usually wise emperor would be so resolute.

You know, Your Majesty has always been a wise monarch. No matter what advice or suggestions your ministers make, you will at least listen patiently and accept them with an open mind.

The Imperial Censor, who had been outspoken and courageous in his criticism, pointed out to Your Majesty's mistakes in person. Although Your Majesty looked solemn, he did not get angry. Instead, he reflected seriously and corrected his mistakes.

But today, His Majesty seemed like a different person. He completely ignored their advice and did not care about the pros and cons in the eyes of everyone. He was only focused on protecting the Emperor and Empress.

After His Majesty left, the Prime Minister and the Grand Historian stood up.

The Prime Minister looked unhappy and asked the Imperial Censor: "The Imperial Censor came with us to advise Your Majesty, but he said nothing. What's the meaning of this?"

The Imperial Censor's expression revealed a deep meaning: "At the beginning, when Your Majesty had not yet appointed the Emperor and Empress, you all enthusiastically advised Your Majesty to appoint the Empress as soon as possible. But now that Your Majesty has made the decision and appointed the Emperor and Empress, the Prime Minister and the Grand Historian came and said that the Emperor and Empress are ominous people."

"Is it true that the Emperor and Empress are unlucky, or do you have other candidates in mind for the Emperor and Empress?"

Shen Yuan had made great military achievements. Although he was stationed outside the capital for many years, he had a high status and great power in the court.

The prime minister did this simply because he was unwilling to be inferior to Shen Yuan. After all, Shen Yuan was just a military general, which made the prime minister unwilling.

Furthermore, Concubine Liu had been in control of the harem for many years and had given birth to two princes. The prime minister had long secretly supported the eldest prince.

However, the situation has suddenly changed. Shen Yuning was enthroned as the empress. As a result, all the prime minister's previous careful planning has gone to waste.

The prime minister's face was as dark as ink.

He slightly turned sideways, moved closer to the Imperial Censor, and deliberately lowered his voice.

"You seem to be standing aside and watching the situation with a smile. The Empress is deeply loved by His Majesty, and is in her prime of youth, charming and attractive. She also has the support of the Shen family, which has a deep foundation."

There was a sinister glint in his eyes.

"Your Majesty is completely defenseless against her. If this continues, aren't you afraid that there will be troubles caused by relatives interfering in government affairs in the future?"

The Imperial Censor was also filled with worries.

but......

"Since you unified the country, your majesty has been thinking about the country and the people, and you have never taken matters of love too seriously."

"Even if you have some affection for the Empress, with your majesty's wisdom, you will never let her get involved in government affairs."

"Besides, His Majesty has not allowed the Shen family to return to the capital so far, and has been sending his confidants to the northwest to closely monitor the Shen family. Now that the empress has married into the royal family, there is still a difference between the empress and the Shen family."

After saying this, the Imperial Censor paused for a moment, and looked at the Prime Minister with sharp eyes, as if he was trying to see through every thought in his heart.

He advised slowly, "Now that the world has just begun to settle, the forces of all parties are surging undercurrents, and the situation in the harem is even more unpredictable and treacherous. Prime Minister, don't choose sides too early. It would be prudent to observe for a while and make a decision after the situation becomes clear."

The Prime Minister snorted coldly, but did not give up. "Your Majesty, in order to ensure that the enthronement of the Emperor and Empress goes smoothly and does not give people any reason to criticize the Emperor and Empress, has registered Liu Zhaoyi's third prince under the Emperor and Empress' name."

"This kind of favor is unprecedented. If the emperor and empress really have any bad intentions, it will be too late for you to regret it by then."

In the prime minister's mind, Liu Zhaoyi's identity is the most satisfactory.

If the eldest prince ascends the throne in the future, relying on his secret dealings with Liu Zhaoyi, he may even be able to become a powerful official who holds the imperial power.

By then, the Shen family would be like an ant.