"The locust plague in the south has been dragging on for so long, it must be related to the little princess!" Lin Biaolian raised his voice again.

He's determined to drag the little princess down with him today; he can't let that little brat see the sun tomorrow.

If he doesn't handle this matter well, his future will likely be difficult.

This is a task assigned from above.

"Your Majesty, I dare to say that if we can offer the little princess as a sacrifice to appease the heavens and quell their wrath, the locust plague will surely be resolved." After saying this, Lin Biaolian knelt angrily on the ground, supporting himself with his hands and banging his head against the cold ground.

Listening to Lin Biaolian's words, Yun Duoduo knew that he was determined to make things difficult for her today.

Holy crap, Lin really is shameless!

[Last time, the deaths of cattle and sheep in Wusun were blamed on her, and this time, the locust plague in the south is also her fault. How does she have such power that she can incur the wrath of Heaven?!]

"You're lying!" Yun Duoduo angrily tried to defend herself, but in her haste, she stammered and started to slur her words.

She straightened her tongue and shouted again, "You're talking nonsense!"

A child's sweet voice suddenly rang out in the main hall, and all the ministers present looked at Yun Duoduo.

"Little princess, she's angry!"

"The little princess is truly extraordinary. She's so young, yet she seems to understand everything Lord Lin is saying?"

"Could it be that the little princess is indeed acting strangely?" a minister said in a low voice, stroking his beard.

Yun Duoduo's face was flushed red, her eyes wide open, glaring angrily at Lin Biaolian.

[When she gets a little older, she definitely won't let you off the hook!]

Yun Duoduo counted on her fingers, letting out a long sigh in her heart. She had more and more enemies. It seemed that when she grew up, she would be busy with revenge alone.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Lord Lin, it's probably not appropriate to push such a big matter onto the little princess!" Left Prime Minister Xue Guangjin said, smacking his lips.

He was born a military general and never believed in such superstitious practices, cats, dogs, or ghosts.

"Yes, Lord Lin, could it be that you've been reading too many storybooks and have developed hysteria?!"

"Locust plagues happen almost every year, so why is it that this year it's the little princess who has angered the heavens?!"

The ministers in the room whispered among themselves. Some looked at Yun Duoduo and thought she really looked like a witch, while others thought that how could a baby possibly affect the fate of the country?

"The locust plague is even more severe today. In my opinion, this is not unrelated to the little princess!" Lin Biaolian said with unwavering certainty.

"Oh? Does Minister Lin mean that by offering sacrifices to the heavens, the wrath of heaven can be appeased, and the locust plague in the south can be resolved internally?" Yun Beiye said sarcastically, looking at Lin Biaolian as if he were a fool.

How was this person recruited in the first place?

Yun Beiye narrowed his eyes slightly. "Ah, this Lin Biaolian must have had some merit in his ancestors, getting his official position through donation."

It seems the Ministry of Works' screening standards need to be adjusted.

"This is utterly absurd!" Yun Beiye snorted coldly.

"Your Majesty, I believe the little princess is a reincarnation of a demon. Regardless of whether this sacrificial ceremony can truly solve the locust plague in the south, I think it is worth a try."

Yun Duoduo's little face was full of anger. She heard the ministers talking and no longer dared to argue for herself.

As long as she plays the role of a cute, innocent, and naive little princess well, that's enough.

This Lin is shameless, he's like a cucumber, he deserves a slap!

Looking at Lin Biaolian's round head, she really wanted to slap him!

"After all, it is worth it to exchange one person's life for the lives of all the people in the world." Lin Biaolian raised his head and looked at Yun Beiye.

"Lin Biaolian, how dare you?!"

Yun Beiye slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger." All the ministers knelt on the ground.

"As the Vice Minister of Works, in charge of agricultural affairs, instead of offering advice and going south to investigate the people's conditions, you're here pushing all the responsibility onto the little princess. Do you think that's appropriate?!"

"Today they say the little princess is a vixen who brought ruin to the country, will they tomorrow say I'm a tyrant and want to sacrifice me to the heavens?!"

"Your Majesty, I dare not! I am filled with trepidation!" Lin Biaolian was so frightened that his face turned green.

"That's not what I meant..." Lin Biaolian's lips trembled slightly, and for a moment, he didn't know how to refute it.

Lord Lin, this is too hasty!

[Father, that's excellent at applying what you've learned to other situations!]

Yun Duoduo looked coldly at Lin Biaolian.

"Lord Lin, this is a matter for the court, and I dare not say more," Empress Zhaoyuan said, seeing the tense atmosphere and the awkwardness in the room.

"However, the little princess was raised by me. I would like to ask, how did Lord Lin know that the little princess could recite poems?" Empress Zhaoyuan looked directly at Lin Biaolian.

"The little princess has never recited poetry in public. Even I didn't know she could recite poetry. Could it be that Lord Lin has planted spies in the harem? Or is he secretly colluding with someone to plot against the imperial heir?!"

"Or is it a disrespect for royal dignity, an attempt to slander the little princess?!" After saying this, Empress Zhaoyuan slammed her hand on the table, her anger palpable.

"Your Majesty, I implore you to thoroughly investigate the Lin family and restore peace to the harem!" Empress Zhaoyuan pleaded earnestly. The ministers whispered among themselves, for this was a family matter of the emperor, and they, as his subjects, should not interfere or meddle in such matters.

Lin Biaolian slumped to the ground, unable to speak.

"Lord Lin, is there anything else you want to say?" Yun Beiye looked down at the person kneeling on the ground.

What are you even saying, you old duck!

"This..." Lin Biaolian, who had just been so aggressive, was now speechless.

He broke out in a cold sweat.

[Wasn't Empress Zhaoyuan supposed to be a short-tempered, foolish woman? Why is she being so aggressive?]

It seems I won't be able to complete today's task.

Lin Biaolian looked worried; what should he do?

Why bother with this little girl? It's so difficult!

"The Empress Dowager has arrived!"

A eunuch's shrill voice announced something from the entrance of Anqing Palace.

Upon hearing that it was the Empress Dowager, everyone knelt on the ground in unison, saying, "May Your Majesty the Empress Dowager enjoy boundless blessings and peace!"

The Empress Dowager waved her hand, and the ministers rose and returned to their seats.

"I have heard about what happened in the main hall just now."

"You've ruined a perfectly good first birthday celebration! How many first birthday celebrations will my granddaughter have in her lifetime?!" The Empress Dowager's voice was filled with dissatisfaction and anger as she glared at Lin Biaolian.

The ministers present sensed the Empress Dowager's anger and lowered their heads, tactically avoiding her thunderous wrath.

"Where is the Minister of Personnel?" Granny Zhang helped the Empress Dowager to the head seat. The Empress Dowager, seated in the main seat, glanced at everyone.