Will the large-scale operation in Chapter 110 cause chaos?
Jiang Yu had anticipated that either the Earl of Qingshan or Consort Su would obstruct her from entering the court as an official, given their mortal enmity. However, she hadn't expected Consort Su to intervene so soon and so quickly. It could only be said that the Emperor had given Consort Su too much confidence, making her believe she could do anything.
The memorial recommending her for an official position was sent to the Ministry of Justice, not directly to the emperor. Therefore, it's likely that many people already knew about it before it reached the emperor. There were many people at odds with the Duke of Chu, and those with differing political views were not just one or two families. Why didn't others act, but only Consort Su did?
As the saying goes, if you are treated specially for too long, even a smart person will lose their way, fail to see their true position, and not know what caution is.
Meanwhile, the Duke of Chu's sedan chair entered the palace as before, stopping only outside the Imperial Study. The Duke of Chu was helped out of the sedan chair by a young eunuch, and after being announced, he entered the Imperial Study.
After the ceremony, the emperor offered a seat to the Duke of Chu and then asked, "My dear minister, what is the meaning of this memorial you submitted?"
The Duke of Chu sighed deeply, "Your Majesty, are you aware of the trouble that has befallen my family? I am ashamed and have no face to see anyone!"
The emperor had naturally heard about the fact that the legitimate son of the Duke of Chu's family had been replaced by a son born of a concubine and then poisoned. Seeing the Duke of Chu's trembling and sickly appearance, the emperor's heart softened and he said, "Every family has its own problems, and everyone has times when they fail to manage their households properly."
"But I have no successor!" The Duke of Chu understood the Emperor, and the Emperor understood the Duke of Chu, so the Duke of Chu felt it was best to speak frankly.
Then he said, "Your Majesty, you know the character of my unfilial son. Let alone bringing glory to the family, it would be good enough if he didn't cause me any trouble. As for that... grandson who was replaced by the legitimate son, I once carefully taught him, but he is even more useless than his father."
"I had originally planned to apologize to my ancestors after my death, but my granddaughter Jiang Yu gave me hope. I want to take a gamble; I don't want the Duke of Chu's mansion to fall in my hands."
The emperor couldn't help but sigh. His crown prince was young and promising but was poisoned to death. Although he was secretly relieved at the time, he was, after all, his own son and such an outstanding one. How could a father not feel heartbroken?
"But my dear minister, Jiang Yu is a woman. You know how difficult it will be for her after she enters the court as an official," the emperor said.
The current emperor is often quite tolerant of his veteran ministers, and he is willing to reason with them. From this perspective, he can be considered a wise ruler.
“Your Majesty,” the Duke of Chu kowtowed, “I know her future is fraught with difficulty, but I do not wish to die with regrets.”
He raised his head after speaking, two lines of tears already streaming down his face. The Emperor frowned. Actually, it wasn't a big deal for Jiang Yu to enter the court as an official; she wasn't going to enter the harem. Based on his understanding of Jiang Yu in the Imperial Study last time, the Emperor thought that a woman like Jiang Yu might be a disaster if she entered the harem.
With courage, resourcefulness, and family backing, she is bound to be a major threat in the future. However, if she were to serve as an official in the previous dynasty, it wouldn't be such a big problem. After all, she would have to start from a minor official position, and being a woman, she might be driven home by a court struggle.
However, since that empress, the Great Qian Dynasty has never had a female official. If this precedent is set, perhaps more women will enter the court as officials, which might affect the harem and the succession to the throne. What if a princess also wants to vie for the throne...?
Will this large-scale effort lead to chaos?
The emperor's thoughts raced, and as he looked at the kneeling Duke of Chu, his face grew cold. However, he didn't directly refuse. The Empress Dowager and the deceased Duchess of Chu were close friends; without that connection, the Duke of Chu wouldn't have supported him, and his throne would have been far more difficult to hold.
"My dear minister, let me think about it." The emperor stood up and walked to the Duke of Chu, bent down to help him up, and said, "Your granddaughter, the Empress Dowager has been praising her ever since she saw her last time. If possible, I can bestow a marriage upon her."
In other words, even if Jiang Yu is divorced, you can still find her a good husband; there is no need for her to become an official in the court.
Did the Duke of Chu want Jiang Yu to marry a good husband? Of course not. What he wanted was an heir to the Duke of Chu's mansion, and for the mansion to continue to prosper. He believed the Emperor understood him, but the Emperor's words still indicated that the Emperor intended to reject his memorial.
The Duke of Chu naturally knew that this matter wouldn't be so simple, and it was understandable that the Emperor would consider it from multiple perspectives. He forced a smile and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
The Emperor grunted in acknowledgment, ordered the Duke of Chu to be escorted out, and then returned to his desk. He knew the Duke of Chu well and knew he wouldn't let this matter rest; he might go to the Empress Dowager. What would the Empress Dowager decide? The Emperor was unsure.
After returning to his residence, the Duke of Chu showed no disappointment; this outcome was within his and Jiang Yu's expectations. Back in his study, he summoned Jiang Yu, recounted the events of their journey to the palace, and then said, "Let your maternal grandmother go to the palace to see the Empress Dowager."
Jiang Yu was not disappointed. She nodded calmly and the Duke of Chu sent a message to the Marquis of Anyuan's residence.
When Lady Anyuan received the letter, she sighed and said to Marquis Anyuan, "Is it really necessary to take this step? Wouldn't it be better to find a good family for Zhu'er to marry into?"
Marquis Anyuan glanced at her. "The Duke of Chu's mansion needs her to step forward now, and she wants to as well. Don't think too much about it, just submit your petition to the palace."
Lady Anyuan sighed deeply. She couldn't understand Jiang Yu. Why choose the thorny path when there was an easy and smooth life available? But as Marquis Anyuan said, the Duke of Chu's mansion needed Jiang Yu to step forward, and Jiang Yu wanted to do the same. How could she, as her in-law and maternal grandmother, not help?
She sent a token to the palace, and soon received a reply from the Empress Dowager saying that she wanted to summon her to the palace for a chat. Lady Anyuan thought that the Empress Dowager might have heard about the matter of the Duke of Chu's illegitimate son being replaced by the legitimate son, and wanted to know the details.
Sure enough, when the Empress Dowager saw her the next day, she asked, "The capital was in chaos these past few days, so I didn't summon you to the palace. If you hadn't presented your nameplate, I would have summoned you anyway. How is the Duke of Chu's mansion doing now? Is your daughter alright?"
Lady Anyuan wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, first recounting in detail the matter of the Chu State Duke's mansion replacing its illegitimate son with a legitimate one, and then said, "Now that everything is over, the Chu State Duke's mansion is doing well. My daughter..."
Lady Anyuan's voice choked with sobs, "Empress Dowager, you have no idea how much my heart ached after learning about this..."
Because of the relationship between the Duchess of Chu and the Empress Dowager, and because the Marquis of Anyuan was also close to the Empress Dowager, she dared to weep so bitterly. The Empress Dowager, also a mother, patted the Marquis of Anyuan's hand and said:
“Back then, Jingrong was in poor health and couldn’t do many things properly, so it was understandable that she made mistakes.”
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