Chapter 770 The Will of the People?
"Wen Jue, Wen Jue, I thought you were a wise man. I never imagined you could be so foolish!"
A murderous intent flashed in Emperor Xiaozhao's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.
He narrowed his eyes, his sharp and cold gaze sweeping over everyone present.
"Who else shares Wenjue's sentiment and wants me to make Li Sanqi the Crown Princess? Step forward now!"
Everyone couldn't help but shiver. The officials from the three departments almost buried their heads in their chests, but their darting eyes betrayed their thoughts.
Despite the tension and fear, the curiosity in my heart could not be suppressed!
Besides Wen Jue, who else was quietly supporting Princess Huaiyang?
In any case, Wen Jue alone is simply not enough to support Li Sanqi's rise to power!
Qiao Qinghe was also very curious about the answer to this question.
But then I thought about it again...
Goodness, isn't she the one who represents the largest force among those who silently support Li Sanqi?
Sure enough, Madam Zheng was also looking at her.
Qiao Qinghe subconsciously looked to the side and saw that Marquis Enping and Marquis Yongning were also looking at her.
She could understand how the Marquis of Enping viewed herself.
What does it mean that Marquis Yongning is also looking at her?
Just then, Qiao Qinghe suddenly felt a chilling gaze.
That was the gaze and scrutiny of Emperor Xiaozhao.
Cold, sharp, inquisitive, scrutinizing, and with a hint of urging?
What the heck?
In that instant, Qiao Qinghe seemed to have grasped something, yet also seemed to have grasped nothing at all.
But soon, she gritted her teeth, stepped out of the line, and knelt down.
"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you appoint Princess Huaiyang as Crown Princess."
As she spoke, Qiao Qinghe kept her head tilted back, so she clearly saw the fleeting satisfaction in Emperor Xiaozhao's eyes.
Qiao Qinghe secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed she had guessed correctly.
Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, Marquis Enping and Marquis Yongning stepped forward one after another, earnestly requesting Emperor Xiaozhao to appoint Li Sanqi as the Crown Princess.
Seeing this, although Madam Zheng was puzzled and displeased, she still knelt down beside Qiao Qinghe with a sullen face.
"Good! Good! My trusted ministers and my beloved generals have all defected to my daughter without my knowledge!"
Emperor Xiaozhao laughed with a sorrowful and desolate expression, yet he remained seated with his back straight.
Is there anything else?
His gaze swept over the officials of the three ministries, finally landing on Zhong Hao, Liu Wenyan, the Minister of Rites, and the Minister of Revenue...
After a long while, Zhong Hao slowly stepped forward.
Immediately afterwards, the Minister of Rites, the Minister of Revenue, and others stepped forward.
Liu Wenyan was the last to step forward. It seemed he wasn't doing it voluntarily, but rather because everyone else had stepped forward, and he was forced to follow suit.
Everyone in the row to Emperor Xiaozhao's left, except for Li Jingyue, who remained at the head of the line without moving an inch, stepped out of the row.
This includes the most outstanding group of people in the entire Dayan!
The four families of Enping Marquis, Yongning Marquis, Wenjue, and Duke of Jin control 70% of the military power in Dayan!
Zhong Hao, Liu Wenyan, the Minister of Rites, the Minister of Revenue... these were all high-ranking and powerful civil officials with disciples all over Dayan, who could command a large following with a single call!
When these people collectively stood up to support Li Sanqi, it could be said that the position of Crown Princess was already in Li Sanqi's grasp.
Seeing so many powerful officials stepping forward to support Li Sanqi, the officials of the Three Departments all gasped in surprise.
Some of the more quick-witted ones had already begun to consider whether they should join the ranks and ride on Princess Huaiyang's coattails.
Emperor Xiaozhao shook his head with a wry smile, his gaze sweeping over everyone.
After a long while, he looked at Li Sanqi with a complicated expression and said in a tone full of mockery, "Li Sanqi, Li Sanqi, I have underestimated you all these years!"
From the moment Li Sanqi entered the imperial study, apart from answering Emperor Xiaozhao's questions twice, he remained kneeling quietly without making any unnecessary movements.
Only then did she finally raise her head, looking proudly at Emperor Xiaozhao.
At that moment, her already straight back straightened even more.
“Father, I am also your son, and I believe I am no less than my brothers.”
"But why is it that they can vie for the position of crown prince? They can even seize the throne and rule the country? In contrast, I can only become a sacrifice for power?"
"Everyone says that I am the most beloved princess of the Emperor."
"However, my marriage was decided by the deposed crown prince with a single word!"
"Everyone says that I am the most noble princess."
"However, your son, of noble birth, was easily sent by Father Emperor to Daxi for a political marriage!"
"Father, tell me, why is this happening?"
"Is it simply because I am a woman?"
"Because I am a woman, am I destined to be nothing more than a plaything to be used at any time? A pet to be discarded at any time? Or even an insignificant, dispensable expendable child?"
Li Sanqi stared intently at the dragon throne beneath Emperor Xiaozhao, and said in a firm and resolute tone, "Father, I refuse to accept my fate!"
"Your son will show you with his actions that your sons are not as good as this little woman!"
"Your subject will become the Crown Princess, and in the future, your subject will inherit the throne and become the Empress of Dayan!"
"Your subject desires to make the Great Yan Kingdom prosperous and strong, to make the Great Yan Kingdom a powerful force throughout the world, and to unify the world!"
Everyone was stunned by what Li Sanqi said.
No one could have imagined that Li Sanqi would have such lofty ambitions!
Even those in the know, such as Qiao Qinghe and Madam Zheng, were shocked by the intense confidence emanating from Li Sanqi.
However, Emperor Xiaozhao remained unmoved, as if Li Sanqi's words had no effect on him whatsoever. Yet, the words he spoke grew increasingly cold.
He said, "So, because of your unwillingness to accept your fate, your ambition and grand plans, you're willing to use any means necessary?"
"In order to eliminate obstacles and bring down Consort Liu and Prince Qi, you were willing to poison the Empress Dowager?"
"In order to get rid of the King of Chu and the deposed crown prince, you can use someone else to do the dirty work, killing two birds with one stone, by using the Queen Consort of Chu and the Yongchang Marquis's mansion to poison the deposed crown prince?"
Everyone looked at Li Sanqi, their eyes filled with shock.
Did Li Sanqi poison the Empress Dowager? Wasn't it said that the Empress Dowager's death was an accident, a coincidence?
Did Li Sanqi use someone else to do his dirty work? He used the Princess of Chu and the Yongchang Marquis's mansion to poison the deposed crown prince, and then used the crown prince's death to eliminate the Prince of Chu and the Yongchang Marquis's mansion?
Was all of this actually orchestrated by Li Sanqi?
No! King Qi has also been stripped of his princely title and reduced to a commoner!
Considering the shocked and incredulous expression on King Qi's face, were those people from the Wu family really killed by King Qi?
If it weren't for King Qi...
The spoiled princess who was pampered by the emperor, empress, and empress dowager, the pitiful princess who was sent to marry a foreign ruler by the deposed crown prince and Emperor Xiaozhao, the stupid princess who humbled herself and cleaned up messes everywhere for her husband, when did she become such a scheming, resourceful, and unassuming princess?
Everyone was stunned.
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