"This isn't quite in accordance with the rules!"
The prime ministers standing at the front exchanged glances.
Wang Yu was the first to voice his protest.
"Yes, that is the imperial carriage, the throne of the king. How could a mere woman like Xie overstep her bounds?"
Prime Minister Jeong Hyun also expressed his dissatisfaction.
Although they were supposed to be "husband and wife as one," Helian Jue and Xie were not an ordinary couple.
They were not only husband and wife, but also ruler and subject.
There is a distinction between ruler and subject, and the throne is not something that just anyone can touch.
Empress Xie, on the other hand, not only sat next to Helian Jue, but also calmly accepted the kneeling obeisance of the officials!
This, this—
It looks familiar.
During the grand court assembly on New Year's Day, Lady Xie swaggered into the main hall and sat next to the emperor.
But that time was an "exception" after all—it was the coronation ceremony, a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Perhaps the sage simply wanted to express his deep respect for his wife, which is why he bestowed upon her the greatest honor on the most important day of her life.
Today is neither New Year's Day nor the coronation ceremony, so why is the Sage—
Advice!
We must advise against it!
No matter how noble a saint is, he cannot violate the rules of propriety!
And Empress Xie, the emperor is willful and domineering. As his wife, you should be virtuous and reasonable, and should offer him wise advice. How could you—
ha!
Wang Yu and Zheng Xian had just thought of these things when they shook their heads.
Is an "empress" who dares to oversee the country and promotes female attendants truly virtuous and kind?
She's been a "femme fatale" for a long time, hasn't she?
It is estimated that the reason why the sage would be so lenient was because Xie himself actively fought for it.
This woman was never a virtuous wife, but an ambitious and power-hungry person.
Unfortunately, the sage failed to see the true nature of the Xie family and indulged them in every way.
"Lord Gu, you are the Grand Secretary, the head of all the ministers."
Wang Yu and Zheng Xian exchanged glances, then Wang Yu turned around and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Gu Heng.
Their meaning was clear: Gu Heng, as the Grand Secretary and the Prime Minister, you should set an example.
If the sage's words and actions violate the rules of propriety, and the empress has committed transgressions and great disrespect, Gu Heng, as the most important person in the court, should speak frankly and offer his advice, thus becoming a loyal and upright minister.
Gu Heng: ...Heh, we're all old foxes who've been in the court for years, why bother with this "borrowing a knife to kill" tactic?
The capital had just experienced a period of turmoil, and the Cui family had collapsed.
The social hierarchy of aristocratic families was once again disrupted by the emperor and empress, who were far away in the Central Plains.
Gu Heng wasn't sure if the rumors circulating about "the emperor being seriously ill and the empress committing suicide for love" were reliable, but he was certain that the emperor and empress were behind everything that happened in the capital.
What's more, this whole affair was a scheme set up by the couple Helian Jue and Xie Yuan.
Sigh, how many times has this happened, including this time?
It has only been a year since the emperor and empress returned to the capital. How much have the powerful families, nobles, and court officials suffered?
Of the three prime ministers from the late emperor's time, only two remain. Dugu Xiong's 200,000-strong Northwest Army was surrendered directly, and Mu Jialan and other guards in the capital region were all sent to Chang'an to carry bricks...
Even if it doesn't amount to a complete upheaval, it's still a major change in the political landscape.
Haven't these people deeply understood the power of the sage and the competence of the empress?
Now that the Emperor and Empress have returned, Wang and Zheng are still arguing about the trivial matter of the Empress's "overstepping of bounds"!
That's ridiculous.
What's even more ridiculous is that they themselves didn't dare to be the first to take the lead, so they encouraged him to be the one to carry the gun!
Tsk, do you really think I'm stupid?!
Have Wang Yu and Zheng Xian forgotten that this Grand Secretary was brought back from Lingnan by the Emperor and personally appointed by the Empress?
To some extent, he was a confidant of the emperor and empress.
Would he publicly humiliate the emperor and empress?
"Yes, Prime Minister Gu, His Majesty's actions are truly inappropriate. As his subjects, we have a duty to offer our advice!"
Following the prime ministers were the heads of the three provinces and six ministries.
Among them were Wang and Zheng's cronies, who, upon hearing the two prime ministers speak, quietly echoed their sentiments.
Gu Heng smiled slightly, as if he hadn't heard him.
Advice?
I, an old man, am not going to offer any advice!
Didn't you see the sage was in a very good mood?
To run into bad luck at this time is absolutely asking for trouble.
There's also the mistake of the Empress sitting on equal footing with the Emperor. Tsk, she even took on the heavy responsibility of overseeing the country, so what's more, she was just sitting next to the Emperor.
Most importantly, this is the will of the sage, an imperial edict!
The Empress was merely "obeying the imperial decree"!
Gu Heng stood calmly at the front of the line with his hands folded in front of him, completely ignoring the instigation of certain people.
Wang Yu & Zheng Xian: ...What a cunning old scoundrel!
They wanted to stand up and offer advice, but they didn't dare.
The Cui family is now surrounded by the Silver Armor Legion. Whether they will be exiled or exterminated is still pending the Sage's decision.
The Wang, Zheng, and other clans were not only allies but also related by marriage.
We can't say that we all prosper together or suffer together; there's also the sorrow of "the rabbit mourns the fox's death."
They were also thinking that when the emperor and empress returned, they would try to plead for the Cui family—the main culprit was Cui Erlang, and Cui Hong was at most just a bad father and a bad manager.
That's not a crime punishable by death!
It's even more unacceptable to implicate the entire family!
Think of the Mu family next door. Mu Jialan colluded with the Turkic prince and did nothing, letting the capital fall. The emperor only transferred him to Chang'an.
Chang'an?
right!
If exile is absolutely necessary, one could follow the example of Mu Jialan's branch and be exiled to Chang'an.
The emperor's intention to move the capital was not a big secret in the court.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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