With such a major event, Mu Wanqing's entry into the cabinet became insignificant.
Everyone's minds were on the matter of enthroning the crown prince, and the Ministry of Rites was extremely busy preparing for the enthronement ceremony.
Mu Wanqing breathed a sigh of relief, rested peacefully at home for a few days, and appeared in the court again, full of energy.
She habitually walked to her usual position, but was led to the front by the eunuch in charge of ceremonies, "Stand here."
Her position was originally very forward, and now it was even forward, standing in front of the six ministers, and the last of the cabinet ministers.
When she stood there, she was looked at by countless strange eyes with complicated expressions.
One of the members of the cabinet, the power center of the Great Qi Empire and also the highest think tank. All decisions of the court are made after discussions and consultations between the emperor and the cabinet.
Mu Wanqing was very calm, with her back straight and head held high. She was beautiful and cool, and her whole body was glowing.
The left and right assistant ministers of the Ministry of Revenue came over first and bowed, "Princess Qingping, congratulations."
No matter what position she was promoted to, everyone called her Princess Qingping. Firstly, it was because of her special status, and secondly, it was because of the late emperor’s decree that she did not have to kneel when meeting an official. This was more glorious than anything else.
"Thank you." Mu Wanqing smiled in return, "Today I will treat the officials of the Ministry of Revenue to chicken legs as a celebration."
An official came over and said, "This is too shabby, isn't it? We should at least have a three-day banquet and treat everyone to a meal."
During all these years in the capital, Mu Wanqing never held a banquet, never attended any banquets, and disappeared from social circles.
The emperor was pleased to see it happen, and she was also happy and at ease.
Who did she socialize with? The ladies? They were not on the same wavelength. One of them was making a killing in the court, while the other was the boss in the backyard. They had no common topics.
She was also not happy to drink and brag with officials.
"The emperor advocates simplicity, so I will convert the money from the banquet into rice and flour and donate it to Renjitang."
The other person's mouth twitched. Doesn't she have any vanity at all? Normal people would show off.
"If the emperor knew you were so obedient, he would be very happy."
Mu Wanqing just pretended not to hear the sting in his words and said, "That's right, if you listen to the emperor, you will have food to eat."
She was calm and composed, which was in stark contrast to the other party's sarcasm.
Everyone watched and sighed silently. No matter how much they couldn't accept a woman ruling over them, they had to face reality.
Not only was she highly valued by the emperor, but she also shared the joys and sorrows with the prince this time and won his love and trust.
Oh, she is so lucky.
…
Changmen Hall, located in the most remote part of the imperial palace, is commonly known as the cold palace.
The courtyard is deep, locking up countless palace grievances.
Concubine Xi sat by the window in a daze, absent-minded.
Seeing this, her personal maid sighed softly in her heart.
Her master had been living a life of luxury since childhood, so how could he have ever suffered such hardship?
It’s scary to think about being trapped in this small world and waiting to die.
In fact, they were not bullied. Although they were imperial concubines, all supplies were given to them as concubines.
She was also given a small kitchen, with a cook and a fire-making maid, so it can be said that she was not treated unfairly.
However, it is nothing compared to the days when he dominated the harem, took the lead in everything, and was the first to supply the harem, enjoying unlimited glory.
A hurried sound of footsteps was heard, and a maid rushed in quickly, "Master, the eldest prince has left the East Palace safely, and has been canonized as the crown prince."
Xi Jieyu stood up suddenly, extremely surprised, "Really? Who said that?"
"The guards outside asked me to congratulate the queen." The maid was delighted. "You are the prince's biological mother, and everyone has started to worry about you."
The wind direction in this palace has changed.
Concubine Xi was overjoyed and turned around in the room excitedly. "I knew my son was blessed with great fortune. Quickly, find someone to tell the prince that I am suffering in the cold palace and ask him to teach me."
Even if the prince is named after Concubine Shu, no matter what, she is the prince's biological mother, and this will never change.
As long as the prince is there, she can turn things around at any time.
"Yes." The maid ran out happily. It was very difficult to ask people to pass on a message in the past, but now, everyone is rushing to come forward.
"Congratulations, Madam, congratulations, you have finally gotten your reward after all the hardship you've endured." The maid bowed and said with a smile on her face, "When the prince comes, he will definitely feel sorry for your suffering and treat you twice as well."
Concubine Xi was grinning from ear to ear, but then she paused and walked to the mirror to look at herself.
"No, put some makeup on me quickly so that I look sick and haggard." This is a torture trick.
"yes."
Concubine Xi thought she would be able to see her son soon, but she waited and waited until late at night and no one came.
This made Concubine Xi very angry, and she smashed everything in the house to pieces.
"I must have failed to convey my message. I knew these bastards who flatter the powerful and bully the weak are unreliable. If they dare not do things for me, I will show you how I will punish them when I get out."
The maids didn't dare to approach, and cautiously advised, "Your Majesty, please calm down. It's not worth it to ruin your health. It's better to bribe the guards with some money."
She persuaded and persuaded Xi Jieyu again and again, and finally persuaded her to stop, "Okay, go ahead and do it."
But the money was of no use, the prince never came. Concubine Xi went from being angry, suspicious, and unbelievable to resentful.
Was this son raised in vain?
On this day, the sound of firecrackers was deafening.
Even though she was far away in Changmen Palace, she could hear it clearly. Concubine Xi was so angry that she smashed another cup. "What's that sound?"
"It's a good day for the crown prince to be enthroned." The maid saw that her mouth was covered with bubbles. "My queen, don't be anxious. The crown prince has been very busy these days. He will definitely come to you when he is free. Mother and son are connected by heart."
Concubine Xi frowned, "The people around him are all arranged by the emperor. Without the emperor's permission, this word will not reach the prince's ears."
The maid was stunned. She had not expected this to happen.
Concubine Xi's eyes flashed, "You said, I am dying of illness and want to see the prince. Will the emperor grant me mercy?"
"Of course."
The ceremony of enthroning the crown prince was long and grand, and all officials witnessed this grand event.
The atmosphere was very solemn. Mu Wanqing stood in her official uniform for a whole day and felt extremely tired.
There were also fireworks celebrations in the evening. Everyone looked at the bright and beautiful fireworks in the sky and cheered excitedly.
After the crown prince was appointed, everyone felt relieved.
Hall of Mental Cultivation
The emperor looked at the prince, then at Mu Wanqing, "Princess Qingping, how about letting you be the prince's tutor?"
The prince's teacher is the future imperial teacher. Mu Wanqing pursed her lips and politely declined. "My fame is already strong enough. I'll suppress it for now. It doesn't matter whether I have this title or not."
The emperor did not insist, "Well, wait a little longer."
The chief eunuch came in and reported softly, "Your Majesty, the one in Changqiu Palace has passed away."
Mu Wanqing was stunned for a moment. Changqiu Palace? Isn't that where the deposed queen lives? When the Cheng'en Mansion got into trouble, the queen was also involved, but the emperor didn't kill her. He just deposed her and made her a concubine.
The emperor looked extremely cold and said, "Buy a thin coffin and bury him somewhere casually."
Mu Wanqing was stunned. This was a bit harsh and not like the emperor's style.
The emperor was heartless to women, but he valued his children very much. He did not execute the deposed queen because of the third princess and did not want to embarrass her.
A thought flashed through Mu Wanqing's mind, "Your Majesty, could it be that the deposed queen caused the prince to contract smallpox?"
If so, then the queen definitely did not die of natural causes.
"Yes, she has been the queen for many years and has cultivated many people in the palace. We cleared out a group of them at that time, but we didn't expect that there would still be some that slipped through the net." The emperor did not hide anything and looked at his son. "You are grown up now, and I will not hide it from you, but this matter has nothing to do with the third princess."
The people around the crown prince have changed recently, and he expressed his understanding, "Don't worry, father, the third sister is still young and doesn't know anything. I treat the three sisters with the same heart."
His sister had no vested interest in his matter, so he was happy to be generous.
The emperor nodded comfortingly, "You have always been kind and filial, I am relieved."
Another wave of i news came, "Your Majesty, Concubine Xi is very ill and we can't find a doctor. They say she is dying."
The prince's face changed and he stood up involuntarily. After all, she was his biological mother.
The emperor frowned slightly and said, "Let Doctor Hu go over and take a look."
The prince hesitated for a while, "Father, I'll go take a look."
The emperor suspected that Concubine Xi was faking illness, but it was a good thing that the prince was filial.
If it really doesn't work, then let's go see each other for the last time.
If it is fake, then let the prince see her more clearly.
No matter what tricks you use, they can only be used once. They will not work next time. The more you do it, the less affection there will be.
"Princess Qingping, please accompany him."
"Yes." Mu Wanqing understood his thoughts. Okay, let's escort the prince.
The prince was silent all the way. After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly asked, "Is she really... unwilling to enter the East Palace to accompany me?"
His father had told him everything, and there was no need to lie to him, but he still felt uncomfortable.
"Not all parents love their children. Some treat their children as tools." Mu Wanqing did not comment on their mother-son relationship. People have different degrees of closeness and distance. She is the prince's biological mother. No matter how close she is, she is still closer to him than her.
"Look at those little eunuchs who were sold into the palace by their parents. Do you think they are very happy?"
The prince was originally in a heavy mood, but when she said this, he suddenly felt that he was a little hypocritical, "Sister."
"Happiness is achieved through comparison. You are loved by your father and grandmother, and have been clothed in fine clothes and fed with delicious food since birth. You have no worries about food and drink. You are much happier than many people." Mu Wanqing said calmly, "There is nothing perfect in this world. Life is full of imperfections. Even your father, who is an emperor, has poor health." And he has few offspring.
If even the emperor cannot be perfect, it is even more impossible for others.
The eldest prince thought, "But your life is perfect."
"You only see it as perfect." Mu Wanqing also has many regrets. "I am in a high position, but I am thousands of miles away from my family and cannot enjoy the joy of family life. My lover is also far away and is never by my side when I need him."
If you want to get something, you have to give up something first.
"My parents and brother all love me, but my grandmother sees me as a thorn in her side and even wants to sell me to the jailer..."
The eldest prince couldn't believe it, "How could she do this? You are so nice."
"I'm not made of gold, so I can't be loved by everyone." Mu Wanqing said calmly, "We are illegitimate children. The old lady relied on her seniority to torture us in every way she could. She locked us up in a small courtyard, not allowing us to go out, not giving us food to eat, and wanted to keep us under her feet for the rest of our lives. When I was a child, I was bullied by the children of the eldest wife. It was useless to beat them, and I had no one to complain to."
She raised an eyebrow, half smiling, "But where are they now?"
The eldest prince felt balanced. No one's life is perfect. "So, you endured hardships and secretly became stronger to avenge them?"
"It's true that I'm getting stronger secretly. Revenge? Are they worthy of it?" Mu Wanqing thought he was silly and cute. "The process of growing up won't be smooth sailing. Don't let unimportant people affect your character. As long as you become stronger, the whole world will smile at you."
The eldest prince liked her open-mindedness, tenacity and gentleness. "No wonder everyone wants to be like you."
As soon as the two of them walked into Changmen Palace, they heard a burst of crying and shouting. The eldest prince's heart skipped a beat. Did they arrive too late?
"Prince, you are finally here. The Queen is being bullied to death. You must stand up for her..." A maid came out crying and screaming, but she was stunned the moment she saw Mu Wanqing, and then she became furious.
"What are you doing here? Get out, you are not welcome here."
Mu Wanqing raised her eyebrows, turned around and left. She was still in the mood to shout, which meant there was nothing wrong. The master was not smart and the maid was not clever either.
The prince followed without saying anything. Was he going to be bullied to death? It was a familiar formula again.
The maid was stunned, "Prince, I didn't tell you to leave, stop now."
Another sharp voice sounded, "The queen is so angry that she vomited blood."
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