Fearless
The princes and ministers were all somewhat stunned as they looked at Ping An, who sat at the head of the table with a rosy complexion.
Seeing this, Ping An chuckled and, instead of sitting upright like Cui Shenzhi, called Qi Kang over to bring a cushion, then leaned against it in a very relaxed posture.
"Why do you all look so pale? Have you done something wrong and are you seeing a ghost?"
As soon as those familiar words of equality and attack on everyone were uttered, the officials in the hall snapped back to their senses.
"Your Majesty, this..."
Cui Shenzhi cleared his throat and said, "I missed Ping An so much that I found a reclusive master who promised to put the well-being of the people first in everything he said and did. Only then did he take action and link Ping An's fate with mine, so that we could live and die together. That's how Ping An came back to life."
Ping An was somewhat surprised.
—This was the first time she had heard these words.
She intended to say that it was all a misunderstanding and that she was just seriously ill, not dead. However, she did not expect Cui Shenzhi to say such a thing. Although this would solidify her position, Cui Shenzhi's reputation would not be as good as before. At best, he would be labeled as obsessed with ghosts and gods.
Thinking of this, Ping An couldn't help but feel a little worried, but the corners of her mouth and eyes couldn't help but turn up slightly.
The princes and ministers, however, were not so happy.
Previously, Cui Shenzhi's involvement in politics with Ping An had caused them considerable trouble, leaving them speechless with bitterness. Meanwhile, Ping An gained a good reputation, so much so that when Ping An 'passed away,' these high-ranking officials and nobles suffered a lot of ridicule and disdain.
Now that Ping An has 'come back from the dead' and is making a comeback, and Choi Shin-ji's attitude is becoming increasingly biased, will they have any good days ahead? Not to mention, doesn't Choi Shin-ji's statement mean that although the dynasty has changed, Ping An's position remains unshakable? So what is the point of all this trouble?
“Your Majesty,” said a minister who appeared to be middle-aged, “Confucius did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits. Those who have passed away will not come back to life. This…”
Before Cui Shenzhi could speak, Ping An scoffed.
"Lord Zhao, are you doubting my identity? Then I'll have someone drag Cui Sugong over here and conduct a blood test in front of you to put an end to your doubts?"
Lord Zhao was stunned by Ping An's blatant disregard for Cui Sugong, and it took him a while to speak.
"The Emperor Emeritus is, after all, His Majesty's elder, how could he..."
"Lord Zhao is confused. The former emperor who lost his country is not worthy of being called an emperor emeritus, let alone an 'elder'. Or is it that Lord Zhao is serving as an official of this dynasty, but his heart is still with the former dynasty? How about I send you to keep Cui Sugong company?"
Lord Zhao dared not speak.
Lord He, who was standing nearby, quickly stepped forward.
"Even if Your Highness has been miraculously brought back to life, the dynasty has changed, and you are no longer a princess of noble status, but merely one of the emperor's consorts. How can you participate in court affairs? You should not treat a serious court assembly with such a casual attitude."
"Are you deaf?" Ping An said without any courtesy. "Shen Zhi said that my fate is intertwined with his and that we will live and die together. He is the emperor, and so am I. He can participate in court affairs, and so can I. As for the solemn court assembly... who asked you to be solemn? You can be as casual as I am. As long as things can be handled well, I have no objection even if you hold a court assembly while enjoying the flowing water."
Upon hearing these words, Lord He was so angry that he pointed at Ping An and shouted, "A hen crowing at dawn brings ruin to the family!"
Ping An's eyes instantly sharpened.
She stopped Cui Shenzhi from speaking up for her, and walked straight up to Lord He. Her imposing manner forced Lord He to unconsciously take a few steps back.
"Since Lord Lü puts it that way, how about we make a bet? If I sit in the court and the country prospers, then you will be executed along with your entire clan for disrespect. Conversely, if my 'hen crowing at dawn' leads to the country's demise, then you can also execute my entire clan, whether it's the Cui family or the Fu family, I have no objection."
Ping An glanced around, his voice full of mockery, yet also carrying a hint of danger.
"Any other ministers who want to participate? Come on, I want to see if the people will choose to uphold these meaningless rules and drive me out of the court just because I am a woman, instead of choosing to eat better, dress better, and live a better life."
After saying that, Ping An lifted his robe and returned to the throne, leaning against Cui Shenzhi's chest in a defiant manner, sticking out his tongue at the ministers who were still in shock.
Lord He was speechless, his face turning pale.
Their entire clan was exterminated.
This is no joke.
Most importantly, Cui Shenzhi listened to the whole thing but did not deny Ping An's statement. This means that Cui Shenzhi was truly willing to share everything with Ping An, including power and status, and supported Ping An in exercising the emperor's power in the court. In that case, Ping An would have the power of his promotion and life and death. How could he dare to say anything?
The two officials who stepped forward were both silenced by Ping An, and the remaining ministers who wanted to say something hesitated, none of them daring to step forward.
As for the others…
With the change of dynasties, the imperial family and relatives naturally disappeared.
The situation of the nobles was slightly better than that of the imperial relatives, but only to a limited extent. Cui Shenzhi did not strip them of their titles, but strictly followed the rules previously set by Ping An. In addition, since they were nobles from the previous dynasty, they naturally dared not speak up. After all, they could enjoy wealth and honor for one or two generations if they did not speak, but speaking up might not be so.
Huang Yuandao felt that Ping An's words were too blunt and unpleasant, but he did not think that Ping An was wrong. Moreover, he trusted the disciple he had taught and believed that Cui Shenzhi would not let Ping An act recklessly. Therefore, he ignored everyone's expectant gazes and stood calmly, showing no intention of stepping forward.
Ping An raised an eyebrow smugly as he looked at the ministers' frustrated expressions.
*****
Although Ping An caused such a commotion at the beginning, she surprisingly quieted down during the rest of the morning assembly.
When discussing the law, she remained silent except for a few points that interested her; when discussing troop deployment, she yawned and ate two snacks; when it came to reinforcing the river, she asked how much money the Ministry of Revenue had left in the national treasury, how much money would be needed for the reinforcement, and how many laborers would be conscripted, then exclaimed "Wow!" and stopped talking about it.
Even though Ping An seemed calm, her fierce entrance and past 'achievements' still intimidated everyone. As a result, the ministers' meetings were exceptionally efficient, without any delays. Consequently, after all the matters were dealt with, the court session ended half an hour earlier than usual.
Seeing this, the ministers, remembering what Ping An had said earlier, felt embarrassed and their faces turned red. As soon as Cui Shenzhi announced the end of the court session, he couldn't wait to run away, as if a ghost was chasing him.
Seeing this, Ping An let out a heavy snort: "A bunch of hypocrites and cowards. They are clearly court officials who can decide the affairs of the world, yet they are so afraid of a little woman like me. It's really shameful."
"Ping An, the ministers aren't like that, they're just..."
“But what do you mean, ‘but’?” Ping An interrupted Cui Shenzhi, saying, “If they’re not hypocrites and cowards, then what are they afraid of? When they heard that I could decide their lives, they all became like quails and dared not speak. They didn’t even have the courage to bang their heads against a pillar for Fu Yunjin. And they still want to accuse me of being a hen crowing at dawn? I’m already being lenient by not accusing them of being incompetent!”
After saying that, before Cui Shenzhi could speak, he turned around and instructed, "Qi Kang."
"Your servant is here."
"Spread the news about what happened in the court, especially about my 'resurrection,' and find a few eloquent storytellers to fill in all sorts of touching and melodramatic plots, such as Shen Zhi kneeling and begging all the way to the hermit's residence for my sake. People love to hear that."
"However, remember to be mindful of the limits and don't give people the impression that someone is obsessed with love and romance and only cares about ghosts and gods instead of the common people."
Qi Kang glanced at Cui Shenzhi, whose face was somewhat embarrassed, and then smiled broadly, agreeing.
*****
Another half month passed, and Cui Lingxian found Qiao Siyu.
“Princess Qiao, how long can this fake pregnancy last? Fengping told me that we can’t keep up the lie any longer. He can stop Ping’an’s menstrual flow, but he can’t make her belly swell up.”
Qiao Siyu said calmly, "Your Highness, rest assured, I know what I'm doing and won't delay for too long."
That's what she said, but after returning to the manor, she cried out and threw herself into Lin Yimo's arms.
"Lin Yimo, what should I do? I can't think of a way to cover up this fake pregnancy. This is a crime of deceiving the emperor. If His Highness and the Emperor investigate, I'm finished!"
After a moment of silence, Lin Yimo said decisively, "To tell the truth."
"It's boring," Qiao Siyu turned around and leaned against Lin Yimo's chest, pulling his hand around her waist. "How did you know I was faking it?"
“I didn’t see it,” Lin Yimo paused, “but I know you don’t tell the truth.”
"So when I say I like you, you think it's a lie?"
Lin Yimo didn't answer, her ears turning red as she turned her head to ask an irrelevant question: "What do you plan to do next?"
Qiao Siyu reached out and pinched his cheek, saying with a smile, "Why should I do anything? It wasn't me who said Her Highness was pregnant, it was Doctor Lu. Her Highness returned to the capital because she wanted to, not because Dingxiang tricked her. It was Princess Shen's idea to bring the Emperor and Her Highness together, not my idea. None of this has anything to do with me. Just like you said, why should I get involved?"
"...How many people do you think would believe that if you said that?"
"So what if nobody believes me?" Qiao Siyu grabbed Lin Yimo's hair, forcing him to look her in the eye. "Anyway, you'll find a way to protect me."
Lin Yimo's eyelashes trembled. He wanted to turn his head away but couldn't. He could only suppress his shyness and look into Qiao Siyu's eyes to give a soft reply.
Qiao Siyu then released his hair, saying with a smile, "Just kidding. But I really don't need to do anything. I can just tell the truth to His Majesty and His Highness. Knowing His Majesty's character, he won't say anything. As for His Highness..."
"She wasn't exactly a good person, but that was just how she survived in the Cold Palace. Deep down, she was still somewhat like the late Empress. Even though she knew I was keeping things from both sides, she only gave me a cold shoulder. Even if she knew I had planned to fake a pregnancy, she wouldn't do anything to me."
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