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◎In the winter of the eighteenth year of Xingwu, Princess Qingyang was made the Crown Princess!◎

The night falls early in December. After the family dinner, the three Qin Hong brothers were the first to leave.

The Imperial Concubine was about to leave, and Concubine Li, who had always wanted to go back to the West Palace with her but was always forced to stay by Emperor Xingwu, threw a "flirtatious look" at Emperor Xingwu for the first time tonight. She followed the Imperial Concubine in small steps, staring at Emperor Xingwu with her eyes filled with longing, worry, and expectation.

Emperor Xingwu closed his eyes and turned sideways to pick up the tea bowl. He had been enduring for more than a month, so one night wouldn't make a difference.

The emperor's refusal was so obvious that Concubine Li shed two lines of tears and followed the imperial concubine away completely.

Emperor Xingwu, pretending to be cruel, did not see those two lines of tears, but Qingyang saw them. Even though he had already decided on the candidate for the new crown prince with the important officials in the court and his three elder brothers, on the eve of the decree, his father still did not want his mother to have any handle that would arouse suspicion from outsiders. So his father should be the same with her. He could be as close to her as he wanted in the future, but not tonight.

After seeing his mother and the Imperial Concubine off, Qingyang returned, stopping at the door to the side room. He peeked inside and whispered to his father, who was sitting on the couch, "Father, for all these years, I've always believed that you snatched my mother from the people. So no matter how kind you are to her, she still gets nervous and cowers in your presence."

Emperor Xingwu thought his daughter would talk to him about the Crown Princess: "..."

Seeing his father's stunned expression, devoid of the effortless casualness he'd feigned tonight, and the heaviness and complexity she could discern, Qingyang finally smiled and continued with something his father would surely love to hear: "But just now, when Mother left, I witnessed with my own eyes how much she loves you."

Emperor Xingwu had returned to normal and said nonchalantly, "You don't even understand love, so what can you see?"

Qingyang: "I saw my mother crying because my father didn't want her to stay. She shed two lines of tears, and they suddenly fell like rain."

Emperor Xingwu: “…”

"It's getting late, Father, please go to bed early. I will take my leave."

When Emperor Xingwu raised his eyes again, his daughter was no longer in front of the door, only the sound of brisk footsteps leaving.

Emperor Xingwu lay on his back on the couch. For more than a month, his mind, which had been completely occupied by the issue of appointing a crown prince, finally only the familiar face of a beautiful woman remained in his mind.

No one knew what he was thinking about, but the founding emperor, whose brows showed a look of fatigue, suddenly smiled, and he smiled for a very long time.

Outside the palace, the three Qin Hong brothers returned to their respective palaces one after another.

Although Qin Hong knew that it would not cause any trouble if he revealed something to his wife tonight, he had promised his father on the sixth day that he would keep it secret until his father officially issued an order, so he continued to hide it from Lu Wenrong and found a pretext to reveal the inside story of tonight's family dinner.

Qin Bing and Qin Ren were only told by their father not to make any noise before the morning court, so as soon as they returned home, they couldn't wait to tell their princesses about the Crown Princess.

At Prince Jing's Mansion, Meng Yao was so frightened that her hair stood on end in front of the dressing table. She stared in amazement at her husband who brought an embroidered stool and sat down next to her.

Qin Bing looked at the princess's silly expression and felt inexplicably relieved. "Is that so? I felt the same way when I first heard what father said. I almost thought my ears were failing, or that father was just joking and teasing us."

Meng Yao was still stunned, but her eyes were always on Qin Bing's face.

Qin Bing thought about how he had speculated with the princess two nights ago that the crown prince might fall to him. Although the princess rolled her eyes and laughed at his wishful thinking at that time, Qin Bing was still a little worried that the princess would be disappointed and annoyed with him for not living up to his expectations. After all, he was the crown prince, and the princess would be the crown princess, and in the future she would be the queen, second only to the emperor.

Before the princess could lose her temper, Qin Bingxian hugged her and coaxed her, "It's not that I don't want to argue with Lin'er, but it's mainly because my eldest brother and third brother have agreed. If I object, wouldn't I be the one who cares least about our siblings?"

Meng Yao took a deep breath, reached out and twisted Qin Bing's ear, gritted her teeth and said, "You really want to fight? Then divorce me first, and then give me Ying'er. If you want to die, don't bring trouble to us mother and daughter, let alone our Meng family!"

Meng Yao hadn't practiced martial arts much, but her temper and strength were worthy of the title of "a daughter of a general." Qin Bing was so hurt that he quickly pulled the princess's hand away: "I don't want to fight, I'm just worried that you'll be thinking about becoming the queen..."

Meng Yao covered his mouth with her hand: "Bah, I didn't think about it. If you dare to say such words again and harm me and our Meng family, I, I..."

This time it was Qin Bing who covered her mouth: "Okay, okay, okay, we both don't worry about it, okay, from now on we can continue to be our prince and princess, and let my sister worry about state affairs."

Thinking of the little princess she had grown up with, Meng Yao's eyes lit up. She excitedly clutched Qin Bing's collar and said, "I admire my father so much. I admire him even more than when I knew he defeated the tyrant and became emperor himself! Think about it, there were so many founding emperors in previous dynasties, but our father was the first one to have the courage to establish a crown princess!"

Of course, it was impressive that the little princess was able to defeat the three princes and win the qualification to be the crown prince, but Meng Yao was too familiar with the little princess. The little princess had always been the most dazzling one among the princes and princesses since she was a child. She was so dazzling that when Meng Yao heard that the little princess was going to be the crown princess, he thought it was natural and did not question why a princess had such qualifications.

What's more, Meng Yao had this thought popped up in his mind several times: If such a powerful little princess were a prince, she would have been named the crown prince long ago.

As for the men, they might be more surprised as to why the emperor wanted to establish a princess, but for Meng Yao, what surprised her the most was that the emperor could actually abandon three princes, abandon those precious sons that men and even some mothers and mothers-in-law loved so much!

Meng Yao had been married to Qin Bing for five years, and they had been apart for nearly two of those years. But because she had only given birth to a daughter, Ying'er, there had been some gossip. Meng Yao didn't bother to dwell on it, but that didn't mean she wasn't angry when she heard about it just now. Why were daughters considered cheap goods, while sons were treasured?

The little princess personally proved that she was better than the three princes, and the emperor also personally proved that the so-called ancestral foundation was not only inherited by sons!

Meng Yao was so excited that she lay in bed for over an hour and still didn't want to sleep.

Qin Bing was not sleepy at all, but he was not excited. He still had a sense of loss.

He was also puzzled and asked the princess, "Are you so happy that your sister is the Crown Princess? Don't you expect me to be the Crown Princess at all?"

Even if the princess and his sister have always been good sisters, he and the princess are a family tied in the same boat. How could the princess be so selfless?

Meng Yao: "...If you had the talent to be the crown prince, I'd certainly be tempted. But besides your martial arts prowess, what else do you have? You lose your temper at the slightest offense, and you're ready to go to any lengths for your friends if they compliment you. If you were to sit in that position, I'm afraid the court would only be filled with sycophants and treacherous officials. There might even be a few who try to sow discord between you and me. By then, you'd have three harems and six courtyards, and with my straightforward temper, I'd definitely have to take Ying'er and move her to the cold palace."

Qin Bing got anxious and sat up, saying, "Impossible! I am impatient, but I know the difference between good and bad. I will never have three palaces and six courtyards!"

Meng Yao lay on her side, looking at the handsome prince who was only 25 years old, with a little more tenderness in her eyes: "People change. You are the prince, and I still dare to pinch you and twist you. If you sit in that position, I will never dare to do that again, and you will no longer be afraid of me. Because when I quarrel with you, countless women will do everything they can to climb into your bed. Qin Bing, tell me honestly, have you really never been lustful?"

Qin Bing immediately remembered that he had two concubines when he first started his family.

Meng Yao lowered her eyes and lay facing outward.

Qin Bing quickly chased after her, turned her over and hugged her tightly: "Don't let your imagination run wild. I was only sixteen at that time, and you were still a little girl who hadn't even grown up yet. I didn't understand anything at all. Later, when the emperor granted the marriage, I sent her away and waited wholeheartedly for you to marry me..."

Meng Yao took his hand and placed it against her face. "Don't say it. I know, but I still feel uncomfortable. The more uncomfortable I feel, the more I don't want you to fight. I would rather stay with you and be your princess for the rest of my life."

Qin Bing felt the princess's tears and immediately said, "Don't fight, don't fight. I don't want to fight either. Stop crying..."

While His Royal Highness Prince Jing was coaxing the princess here, Qin Ren and Yan Zhenzhen had already fallen asleep in Prince Xian's mansion.

Qin Ren had been worrying about himself, his mother, and his sister lately. Tonight, a candidate for the crown prince had been chosen, and it was his sister, a man of both civil and military talents. Qin Ren finally put his worries to rest, and naturally, he could eat and sleep well. Yan Zhenzhen thought the same as Meng Yao: the little princess deserved the position, and her wise and powerful father could help her secure it. Why should she worry about it?

After a comfortable and peaceful sleep, Yan Zhenzhen was awakened by the maid's voice at the hour of Yin the next day. Thinking that the emperor would issue an edict to appoint the Crown Princess at the court this morning, Yan Zhenzhen sat up and pushed Qin Ren's shoulder, urging him to get up quickly.

Qin Ren didn't dare to stay in bed during the morning meeting. Today was a special day, so he would not stay in bed anymore. He just chuckled while changing his clothes.

Yan Zhenzhen: "What are you laughing at?"

Qin Ren: "I'm thinking that when my sister takes over the government in the future, I will just quit my job with her."

He didn't dare to say goodbye to his father, and his father would not agree, but it would be easier for his sister to talk to him.

Yan Zhenzhen: "How dare you! You are a prince after all. If your sister gets into trouble, even if you don't understand, as long as you stand up and support your sister, your sister will have more helpers around her. Otherwise, you will be lazy and eat at home, leaving your sister to rely on the eldest brother and the second brother for everything?"

Brothers from the same mother are always brothers, and brothers are always brothers!

Qin Ren nodded repeatedly when he heard this: "You are right, then I'd better go to court honestly."

.

Before the hour of Mao, all the civil and military officials outside the Qianyuan Hall had arrived. Even Princess Qingyang, Prince Jing, and other generals who had made contributions in the Northern Expedition, including Deng Kun, Zhang Su, Fu Kui, who had also been given five days off, had arrived. As for why Prince Yong and Hou Wanzhong, who had also gone to the Northern Expedition, did not get leave, it was probably because they had to accompany the emperor to discuss the selection of the new crown prince.

Qingyang and his eldest and third brothers stood on the side of the civil officials, while Prince Yong and Qin Bing stood in front of the military officials. The night blurred each other's faces.

The important officials standing behind them, such as Yan Xizheng, remained silent, unlike usual when they would chat for a while.

As soon as the hour of Mao arrived, the five royal uncles and nephews led the civil and military officials into the hall one after another.

After Emperor Xingwu sat on the dragon throne, he looked at his ministers and said with a smile, "The New Year is approaching, and the people are busy bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new. It is time for me to choose a new crown prince for the Great Qi. Therefore, the first important matter of today's court meeting is to appoint a crown prince."

The ministers were cheered up and their eyes darted to the three princes in front.

Emperor Xingwu asked He Yuanjing to read out the imperial edict.

He Yuanjing unfolded the bright yellow scroll of the imperial edict, glanced at the ministers who were all staring at him, and then read aloud: "Emperor Xingwu of the Great Qi declares: It has been eighteen years since I, following the will of Heaven, founded the Great Qi. I have worked day and night without slacking off..."

King Yong understood what his elder brother was saying. He was praising himself for being a good emperor and for putting in a lot of effort to make the people live a good life.

"Although I come from a poor family, I have the ambition to help the world. Heaven is moved by my sincerity and has granted me help..."

Qin Liang also understood. His uncle was saying that although there were many powerful people who started a rebellion in the last years of the previous dynasty, only his uncle truly cared about the people, so the destiny only helped his uncle to establish the country and become emperor. Since his uncle was favored by the destiny, he must be a wise ruler who is wholeheartedly dedicated to the people. Previously, his uncle was concerned about the old system of imperial succession and did not examine the eldest son's talents and directly appointed him as the crown prince. As a result, the destiny punished him and made the eldest son, who was unworthy of the throne, contracted a lifelong headache!

Even Qin Liang, who was gloating over other people's misfortune, couldn't help but feel sad for Qin Hong, who had already knelt down in shame.

"Heaven's Mandate favors only wise rulers. A wise ruler is one who is intelligent and wise, knows how to appoint the right people, governs diligently, loves his people, and has a far-sighted vision. I have counted my descendants: Yongkang is greedy, Prince An is forgetful, Prince Jing is incompetent, and Prince Xian is lazy. Only Qingyang is gifted with intelligence and wisdom... Now that Heaven's Mandate has been bestowed upon Qingyang, she will surely inherit the throne. I will immediately appoint her as the Crown Princess and announce this to the entire nation, so that all may know."

All the civil and military officials in the court: "..."

The ministers were still stiff. He Yuanjing put away the imperial edict. This was to be handed over to the Secretariat to be sent to the world, not to the princess.

Qingyang didn't need to receive an imperial edict, but she resolutely walked past her eldest and third brothers, ignoring the flushed face and complicated gaze of her uncle across from her. She stopped in the center of the hall, knelt, and bowed deeply to her father, who sat on the throne. "Your Highness, I bow to you and thank you for your grace. From now on, I will emulate you, your father, and strive to serve the people. I will never betray Heaven's will!"

Emperor Xingwu nodded approvingly and said, "Stand up."

Qingyang stood up and turned around. At the same time, Prince An and Yan Xizheng took the lead and knelt down: "Your Highness and I pay our respects to the Crown Princess!"

As Yan Xizheng's voice spread, Prince Xian, Dai Lun, Nie Ao, the six ministers, and the military officials, including Prince Jing, Lü Zan, Zhang Jie, and other important officials, including Zhang Su, Cheng Zhixu, Meng Changhe, and a group of young military officers in the middle and back, all knelt down and loudly greeted the Crown Princess. As more people knelt, and they were all important officials, more clever and sensible civil and military officials immediately followed suit.

Prince Yong first glanced back and saw that only a 30-something imperial censor remained standing among the civil officials. He knelt without even glancing at the military officers. Of the military officers behind him, only the brothers Deng Kun and Deng Tai remained standing. Even Qin Liang knelt earlier than his own father, Prince Yong. Deng Tai nearly followed suit, but seeing his elder brother standing there with a frown, he straightened his legs.

Emperor Xingwu looked at the three remaining people and first asked the censor why he did not pay homage to the Crown Princess.

The Imperial Censor bluntly stated, "For thousands of years, there has never been a precedent for the throne being passed to a princess..."

Before he could finish, Nie Ao turned around and refuted him. The reasons were all in the imperial edict of Emperor Xingwu. The kings of the previous dynasties who lost their country had lost the mandate of heaven, so only the heir chosen by heaven could be the crown prince. Princess Qingyang's great victory in the Northern Expedition proved that she was the one chosen by heaven. Who dared not obey the will of heaven?

The censor's words slipped up temporarily, and Deng Kun's temper flared up. He shouted at Emperor Xingwu, "Your Majesty has made the princess the Crown Princess. When the princess ascends the throne, won't the new crown prince become a member of the Zhang family?"

Qin Bing turned his head and refuted Deng Kun in a louder voice, using the same reasons as what his father had said last night.

After Qin Bing finished speaking, King Yong scolded the brothers Deng Kun and Deng Tai again, and finally made them kneel down.

The only remaining censor still had something to say, but no matter what he said, Yan Xizheng, Dai Lun, Nie Ao, and even Prince An, Prince Xian, and Prince Jing could refute him. In the end, the censor knelt down in resignation.

Everyone knelt, and all the ministers bowed to the Crown Princess in unison once again.

Qingyang looked down at the rows of civil and military officials and said with a faint smile, "No need to be polite."

On the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month in the eighteenth year of Xingwu, the emperor appointed Princess Qingyang as the Crown Princess, and the entire court submitted to her.

【Author’s words】

Here I come, I will update tonight, 100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow!

P.S.: My literary talent is limited, and I cannot write down the entire content of the imperial edict. I hope you will understand me. [Three-colored cat head]