Fan Jie raised his head, a hint of surprise and respect flashing in his eyes.
In this Taimiao, Hong Yingrong did not use her noble status to argue with him, but calmly made wise suggestions.
Fan Jie felt ashamed, lowering his head and responding calmly, "Old Madam, you are very understanding and righteous. I admire you. Please forgive my rude words just now."
"Censor Fan, I have long heard that you are a man of integrity and honesty, and that your outspokenness stems from your unwavering loyalty to His Majesty and the court."
"Although I am a woman in the inner palace, I am not someone who does not know the importance of things." Hong Yingrong said slowly.
Fan Jie nodded, feeling deeply moved.
"What the old lady said is absolutely right. From now on, I will continue to perform my duties as an imperial censor and never forget my original intention."
When Emperor Li Longze heard this, he also expressed his agreement.
"The Xingyuan Marquis's Mansion is truly full of loyal and brave people. What the old lady said makes me admire her very much."
However, Empress Dowager Lu Fengqing had concerns. Frowning, she pointed out in a low voice, "But if we do this... there's a chance some powerful and insignificant individuals might mistakenly believe that the Marquisate's loyalty is no longer what it once was, and they might use this as an excuse to look down on us."
Li Longze saw that Lu Fengqing still had concerns and asked, "What do you think, mother?"
Lu Fengqing pondered for a moment, a firm look flashing in his eyes, and he ordered in an unquestionable tone, "Come, fetch my dragon-patterned staff."
As soon as these words were spoken, all the officials below the altar were in an uproar.
Lu Fengqing turned a deaf ear to it. She wanted to use this dragon-patterned royal staff, which symbolized imperial power, to support the Marquis' Mansion and let the court know that the Marquis' Mansion's status was still as solid as a rock and should not be underestimated.
At the same time, this move is also a stern warning to those with evil intentions: as long as she, Lu Fengqing, is here, the dignity of the Xingyuan Marquis Mansion will never be despised.
"Mother, this dragon-patterned staff was specially made by me at the Ministry of Internal Affairs for your 50th birthday last year..." Li Longze said in embarrassment.
Lu Fengqing smiled slightly and said casually: "It's okay, it comes in handy today."
Seeing this, Li Longze stopped talking and just nodded silently to show his respect and support for his mother.
After a while, the chief eunuch hurried over, holding the golden dragon-patterned staff in both hands and carefully presented it to the empress dowager.
Lu Fengqing took the dragon-patterned staff, slowly stood up on the phoenix throne, and scanned every minister present with a sharp gaze.
"Today, I will bestow upon Lady Hong, the Marquis of Xingyuan, the dragon-patterned staff to help her manage the household."
Her voice was not loud, but every word was sonorous and powerful, echoing above the altar of the Taimiao.
Faced with the changes in front of her, Hong Yingrong was in disbelief for a moment. She could only calm herself down first. In full view of everyone, she walked steadily to the Phoenix Throne and knelt down, respectfully taking the dragon-patterned imperial staff handed to her by Empress Dowager Lu Fengqing with both hands.
This dragon-patterned royal staff shone with golden light, as if embodying the royal dignity and majesty.
The staff is made of pure gold and is carved with exquisite dragon patterns. The dragon scales are clearly visible, as if it will take off into the air at any time.
The top of the cane is inlaid with a dazzling gem, sparkling with dazzling light, looking majestic.
The end of the staff is carefully carved with auspicious cloud patterns, symbolizing the emperor's great grace and lasting blessings.
She felt the heavy weight of the imperial staff, which was a symbol of imperial power and a glory to her and the entire Xingyuan Marquisate.
Hong Yingrong held high the dragon-patterned staff, without turning around, and slowly backed down the steps before turning to face the officials.
The dragon-patterned staff drew a powerful arc in the air, and finally landed heavily on the ground with a loud "bang".
The ministers in the court were shocked by this action. They lowered their heads and did not dare to look at Hong Yingrong.
Li Longze watched Hong Yingrong's every subtle movement in the Taimiao with deep eyes, and a sense of amusement arose in his heart.
He had met the old lady of Xingyuan Marquis several times in the festive banquets held in the inner palace. In his impression, Mrs. Hong always appeared amiable and gentle, and handled various occasions appropriately. But in Li Longze's eyes, there was no significant difference between her and those cookie-cutter women of noble families.
However, today in the solemn and dignified Taimiao, Hong Yingrong's words and actions greatly changed his mind.
Faced with the aggressiveness of the Imperial Censor, her actions not only cleared the name of the Xingyuan Marquisate, but also gave her the opportunity to crack down on those ministers with ill intentions, truly killing two birds with one stone.
All the ceremonies finally came to an end. Hong Yingrong walked out of the Taimiao solemnly, leaning on the majestic dragon-patterned royal staff in her left hand and with the steady support of Xue Yuanchu in her right hand.
In the carriage, Xue Yuanchu talked incessantly all the way, praising Hong Yingrong's witty response in the Taimiao just now.
"Mother, that old fellow Fan Jie just now actually had the audacity to openly accuse the Queen Mother of interfering in state affairs in front of all the ministers."
"I see that His Majesty has a complicated expression and seems a little hesitant. Perhaps he will accept Fan Jie's advice at that time."
"It's you, mother, who took the initiative. It shows that our Xue family is not greedy for the merits and wealth of our ancestors, and we have also obtained this imperially bestowed dragon-patterned staff."
"It seems that my cousin aunt still supports mother," Xue Yuanchu said as he reached out and gently touched the dragon-patterned staff in Hong Yingrong's hand. A proud look flashed in his eyes as he carefully examined the dragon pattern on the staff. He was so proud that he even lost his manners in addressing the empress dowager.
Hong Yingrong stared at her son, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes: "Chu'er, aren't you worried about inheriting the title in three years?"
Xue Yuanchu smiled complacently and waved his sleeves lightly, appearing to be indifferent.
"Mother, you're worrying too much. I was a little worried at first when I saw that His Majesty didn't refute Fan Jie, but I didn't expect the Queen Mother to bestow this dragon-patterned royal staff. This is truly an honor that surpasses any other title."
"In this capital, there are many titles of duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron. Even if we count from the previous emperors, there are probably only a few who can receive such an imperial gift."
"As for the succession to the title, that's three years from now anyway. When the time comes, mother will go to the palace to pay her respects to my cousin's mother and ask the Queen Mother to speak well of her to His Majesty. Perhaps it will become a smooth process. At worst, I can just demote her by one level."
Hong Yingrong looked at her eldest son, whom she relied on the most, and suddenly felt that he had become a stranger.
How is Xue Yuanchu's mentality different from those unruly young men in the capital who are trying to curry favor with the rich and powerful?
At this moment, her thoughts drifted back to her previous life, and the imperial edict issued by Emperor Li Longze to the Marquis' Mansion seemed to echo in her ears.
…Xue Yuanchu, who favored his concubine and killed his wife, and had affairs with prostitutes and injured others…was stripped of his title of Marquis of Xingyuan…
At first, she thought someone had deliberately framed Xue Yuanchu, but now it seems that all this might have been caused by him.
Hong Yingrong had asked Madam Zhao to check for her whether Xue Yuanchu frequented brothels.
As for the concubine favored by Xue Yuanchu, has she appeared?
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