While it's true that we should tell the truth, isn't this going a bit too far?

Qin Minghuang narrowed his eyes, suddenly feeling that the throne beneath him was no longer so appealing.

That's all?

"It's pretty much done. Anyway, I'm neither talented nor virtuous, so I'm fine as I am now."

"Elder sister, if you inherit the throne in the future and your younger sister runs out of money and asks you for some, will you give it to her?"

Princess Eldest: ...

What a terrible question! The Queen Mother, however, remained silent, her gaze fixed intently on her.

The sixth brother has already spoken the truth from the bottom of his heart, so how can she speak in a bureaucratic tone now?

"Give."

Qin Zhaoyue nodded, "Next."

"Third sister, if you inherit the throne in the future, and I take a fancy to a man, would you agree to grant me a marriage?"

Third Princess: ...

"Bestowed."

"Fourth sister, if you inherit the throne in the future, and I want to eat some tribute food and wine, will you send it to me?"

Fourth Princess: ...

"deliver."

"Ninth Sister, if you were to become a future... never mind, your brain isn't even as good as mine, I can't do it."

Ninth Princess: ? ? ?

Qin Zhaoyue shrugged. "Well, I'll be a good girl and not covet the throne or cause trouble for my older sisters."

In the future, no matter which of them becomes the heir apparent or succeeds the Empress, I don't think they will treat me unfairly.

I have food and drink, money to spend, and men to rely on, plus I don't have to attend court or review memorials... Why would I bother?

That makes so much sense, you bastard!

The empress was speechless, gritting her teeth.

The key is that she could sense that these were all Xiao Liu's true feelings, more genuine than gold!

Everyone was thinking about that position, but on this ordinary afternoon, a strange wind suddenly blew into the Imperial Study, and everything seemed to be going wrong.

The Empress's chest heaved violently, and it took her a while to catch her breath.

"Don't you want to think about assisting the heir apparent?"

"I am neither talented nor virtuous, and cannot assist you in any way."

What are you so proud of, you piece of trash?!

Huff... huff... huff...

Don't be angry, don't be angry. Even makeup can't cover up my crow's feet. Don't be angry, don't be angry...

Qin Minghuang was in a very bad mood; a wicked thought was rapidly growing deep within her heart.

"Then tell me, who is qualified to be the heir apparent?"

Qin Zhaoyue was now somewhat reckless, thinking that since things had come to this point, she might as well stop hiding anything and just get it over with once and for all.

Today, let's solidify the mascot's persona!

"My eldest sister is good. She is skilled in military affairs and is not reckless. She just needs to learn some domestic affairs, as her skills in managing subordinates are a bit rough."

"Third sister is also fine. She has the temperament of a scholar and a reputation for virtue, but her vision is a little lacking. She's good at intrigue but not so good at open strategies. She could get some experience."

"Fourth Sister is also capable enough. She is skilled in both literature and martial arts, but lacks in both. However, she is well-rounded and can help establish a wise ruler."

"Ninth Sister... never mind, let's not talk about it."

Ninth Brother: ...

Gotta cry! If you bully me again, I'll cry right now!

The Empress remained silent.

Xiao Liu's words were too blunt, but they really hit the nail on the head.

His understanding of his three older sisters and one younger sister was very accurate, to sum it up in a single sentence.

Qin Minghuang suddenly realized that she seemed to have paid too little attention to her mischievous daughter.

"And what about yourself?"

"Me?" Qin Zhaoyue quickly shook her head. "I can't come. I can't get out of bed. If I were the empress, I probably wouldn't be able to hold court every morning."

Empress: ...

Honestly, she felt that what Xiao Liu said was true, and she was... really angry!

"I hope Mother isn't angry. We agreed not to hold a grudge later."

"I don't need you to remind me!"

Oh no, did I speak too freely and blurt out the truth in my excitement? Will Mother Queen punish me for this?

No way, Her Majesty the Empress is a woman of her word, so magnanimous, she wouldn't...

The Empress almost rolled her eyes.

Now you're scared? What were you doing just now!

Sending him to the frontier was a joke; the real intention was to hold Xiao Liu accountable and give him a stern warning.

Poisoning a court official, especially the prime minister's eldest son, has crossed a line.

The outcome was completely unexpected.

She drugged the eldest son of the Pei family in order to investigate the person behind it all, but in her heart she had no intention of becoming the heir apparent and just wanted to live a life of leisure and wait to die!

Considering her past eccentricities and unruly behavior, it really does fit.

He acted as he pleased, disregarded his reputation, and used his foolish reputation to avoid the struggle for succession.

If it weren't for someone plotting against her and her own coercion, she probably wouldn't have revealed her true intentions.

Excellent! Even she, the empress, misjudged him.

Whether it was hearing her innermost thoughts or seeing a side of Xiao Liu that she had never shown before, the shock Qin Minghuang experienced today was immense.

She could only temporarily suppress the turbulent emotions in her heart and get down to business.

Originally, Xiao Liu was only summoned to reprimand her, with no intention of involving her in politics, but now the plan has changed.

"The floods in the three prefectures are urgent. These are the reports submitted by the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Please take a look at them."

The eldest princess immediately stepped forward, took the stack of documents, and distributed them to her younger sisters.

Qin Zhaoyue was completely stunned when she saw the memorial she had been assigned.

"What? I've made myself so clear, why am I still being asked to participate in political discussions?"

A memorial presented in the Imperial Study—what does that have to do with a good-for-nothing like me who just loafs around and waits to die?

He looked up, only to meet the Queen Mother's gaze.

Qin Zhaoyue silently lowered her head, thinking, "Never mind, there's no harm in taking a look."

She inherited the original owner's memories and was aware of the floods; the report in the memorial described the disaster.

The Great Gan Dynasty had twelve circuits throughout the land, using a circuit-prefecture-county structure. This flood covered three prefectures and sixteen counties.

The record Qin Zhaoyue currently holds describes the disaster situation in Qingyao Prefecture of Zhuque South Road.

The area comprises five counties: Qingyao County, Mingyan County, Chiyan County, Cuiping County, and Luochuan County.

Cuiping County was assessed by the Wanmin Division as having suffered a minor disaster because the county has many bamboo forests, which buffered the force of the flood.

However, there is a special type of disaster, namely the bamboo viper in the bamboo forest. According to the memorial, more than 300 people have been poisoned.

Apart from that, all other disasters were severe or extremely severe.

Taking Mingyan County as an example, the "mud dragon" formed by the collapse of the tea mountain swallowed the downstream villages, and the large amount of rocks and tree roots it carried caused great casualties.

Furthermore, the flood victims drank floodwater mixed with theophylline, causing widespread poisoning and other problems.

For example, in Chiyan County, iron ore slag formed a "blood sandstorm" with the flood, causing the wounds of those who were scratched to fester and become infested with maggots, resulting in heavy casualties.

Qin Zhaoyue's expression darkened.

The sheer scale of the disaster and the dire suffering of the victims can be felt from the written descriptions and the cold, hard numbers of casualties.

The five princesses passed the document around, and Qin Zhaoyue got a general idea of ​​the entire flood situation.

In addition to the disaster report, there was also a list compiled by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, detailing the silver and supplies needed for disaster relief.

Seeing that everyone had put down their memorials, the Empress finally spoke: "Disaster relief is of utmost urgency, but the national treasury is empty. What is the solution?"