After the common people finished speaking, the court officials also began to discuss the matter.
Instead of kneeling down with the common people, they frowned slightly and looked at the unconscious emperor.
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager took a deep breath. She first glanced at the assembled officials before her without leaving a trace, then pretended to be extremely reluctant.
"Song Xizhi is the guardian of the dragon vein and the foundation of Daqian's stability. She is Princess Tong'an and the vice president of the Imperial Medical Academy. She has not only saved countless people, but I also regard her as my adopted daughter."
“You all say that the Crown Prince was lustful and not only seized other men’s wives, but also raped and plundered, shaking the foundation of the entire Daqian. You say he is a spy of the Western Rong, but I really don’t want to believe it.”
Upon hearing the Empress Dowager's words, the people present couldn't help but sob.
Some people went even further, saying, "Pei Yunyi raped and murdered a high-ranking official! That's an undeniable fact! Empress Dowager, you must give an explanation!"
"Yes! Yes! Empress Dowager, you must give an explanation!"
The Empress Dowager's expression shifted slightly upon hearing this. She stared at the hesitant faces of the assembled officials before her, then continued:
"The women of the inner palace must not interfere in politics. I am but a woman, and I should not be on this altar with Your Majesty, but the five-day period has come to an end."
"When I went to bed last night, Buddha suddenly appeared in my dream. Buddha told me about the Crown Prince's crimes, saying that the Crown Prince's actions were abhorrent to both gods and men. Buddha asked me to depose the Crown Prince for the sake of the foundation of the dynasty, to have mercy on him and temporarily assume the duties of the emperor, and to wait for the emperor to wake up so that I could give an explanation to everyone in the world."
Depose the crown prince and rule from behind the curtain?
Upon hearing this, all the ministers widened their eyes and knelt down in unison.
"Temporarily assume His Majesty's duties? Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
Another minister hurriedly spoke up: "If His Majesty remains unconscious, then the important affairs of the court should be entrusted to Prince Xiu. His Majesty has always valued Prince Xiu, so it is not unreasonable to let him take over!"
Another adult hurriedly argued, "Prince Su has been raised by His Majesty's side since childhood and is deeply loved by His Majesty. It would be better to let Prince Su temporarily take charge of the affairs of the court than Prince Xiu!"
But He Jingyan spoke up at this moment: "Buddha entered the Empress Dowager's dream, the Empress Dowager ruled from behind the curtain, deposed the Crown Prince, and upheld justice for my wife. This is the best outcome!"
Some officials echoed He Jingyan's words.
And all the people in the world were greatly encouraged.
They were talking about it.
"Buddha appeared in my dream? Sure enough, the things the prince did were outrageous enough to offend both gods and men, and even Buddha couldn't sit still!"
"The Empress Dowager has been well-versed in Buddhist scriptures since childhood and has received praise from Master Yuanhui on several occasions. In the past, even the Buddha himself attended her birthday banquets. Given the Buddha's insistence on having the Empress Dowager temporarily manage state affairs, could it be that the Empress Dowager is the Buddha's true incarnation on earth?!"
The Empress Dowager spoke in a loud voice, looking at the hesitant faces of her ministers, and once again exuding an air of profound understanding:
“In my dream, I said that Prince Xiu and Prince Su were more suitable to preside over the affairs of the court than I was. But Buddha said in my dream that only if I temporarily take over the affairs of the court would I be in accordance with the will of Heaven, and the disasters that have been occurring recently would subside again.”
"I was skeptical, but the Buddha said that at noon today, He would send down auspicious omens and entrust me with the important affairs of the court. If, as the Buddha said, He could send down auspicious omens at noon, I would obey the will of Heaven and rule from behind the curtain. If not, I would remain silent and no longer manage the affairs of the court."
The courtiers looked at each other, unsure of what to say.
The Empress Dowager then turned around, lit three more incense sticks, and solemnly knelt on the altar, bowing gracefully to the heavens once more.
"Buddha above, the court is now unstable and its foundation is in turmoil. The crown prince has committed many evils and the emperor is unconscious."
"You appeared to me in my dream last night, instructing me to rule from behind the curtain. If this is the will of Heaven, please send down auspicious omens and instruct me to deal with the Crown Prince! Bless the land with favorable weather and abundant harvests, and may the country be prosperous and the people at peace!"
As soon as the Empress Dowager finished speaking, flames instantly burst forth from all around the altar.
The crowd gasped in surprise, then looked up somewhat timidly, only to see a giant Buddha statue appear behind the enormous curtain.
The Buddha statue appeared for a moment, then vanished in an instant.
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
The people of the world were incredibly excited at this moment. Their eyes widened, and they could hardly believe what they were seeing. Their eyes shone with a hint of fanaticism: "Buddha has manifested!"
"Buddha has appeared!"
"The Empress Dowager is truly the Buddha himself! It was the Buddha who instructed her to rule from behind the curtain! The Buddha has truly manifested his power!"
The entire audience erupted in cheers. The people stared intently at the miracle before them, their faces flushed with rage: "Buddha has instructed the Empress Dowager to deal with the Crown Prince! Once he is dealt with, the world will be at peace, the weather will be favorable, and there will be no more disasters!"
The courtiers stared intently at the miracle before them, and everyone's eyes widened in astonishment.
The Empress Dowager then said, "Buddha above, I have received your instructions. If you allow me to rule from behind the curtain, you will bless the region with favorable weather and abundant harvests, and there will be no more disasters."
"Then what about the Crown Prince? Is the Crown Prince the true culprit who killed the guardian deity of the Great Dragon Vein?"
"Do you wish to believe me, depose the Crown Prince, and have General He lead troops to capture the Crown Prince nationwide and execute him without exception?"
As the Empress Dowager spoke, she held three incense sticks in her hand, knelt on the ground, and gave a graceful bow.
At that very moment, a huge fire burst forth from the altar, and the true form of Buddha reappeared before everyone's eyes in the flames!
This time, the true form of Buddha remained for a long time, flickering between light and darkness, and seemed to emit a faint glow.
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