The Purple Palace was where the emperor held court.
The new emperor returned to court to rule the country. Most of the officials in the court were members of the Cui family, and few of them were taken seriously by the young emperor.
The crown and robes worn by the emperor when he attended court were not bright yellow.
But it was a majestic black and scarlet robe.
The emperor, wearing a crown, a black robe and a purple skirt, and holding a white jade sceptre, strode into the Purple Palace.
The emperor has the appearance of a dragon and the grace of a phoenix, and is majestic without even being angry.
From the first moment I saw him, I couldn't help but feel a sense of fear of submission.
Zhao Xin climbed up the steps, flicked his wide sleeves, and sat upright on the dragon throne.
All the civil and military officials knelt down and kowtowed, their resounding voices echoing throughout the magnificent hall.
"Long live our emperor!"
Zhao Xin's face was serious, but his heart was filled with passion.
One day, he will truly sit firmly on the supreme position in the world!
Now, it’s just the beginning!
Zhao Xin glanced at the ministers in the hall with his discerning eyes, and his expression suddenly turned cold.
The average loyalty of all the civil and military officials in the court to him was less than 30, and Cui Cen, who stood at the top, had a negative number!
Nan Cang on the side was a little better, but still not 50.
Nan Cang is a man who is only loyal to the country. In his eyes, the emperor is just a partner.
Loyalty to partners is naturally not as much as that to superiors and subordinates.
In comparison, the person Zhao Xin dislikes the most is Cui Cen!
Zhao Xin said calmly, "Everyone, please stand."
All officials stood according to their ranks, with civil officials on the left and military officials on the right.
The first person on the left is Prime Minister Cui Cen, and the first person on the right is Grand Marshal Nan Cang.
Zhao Xin's gaze swept over the officials in the hall. "What do you have to report?"
"Your servants have nothing to report." The answer was neat and respectful, and there was no fault to be found.
Zhao Xin's expression was slightly cold. Haha, nothing to report?
Zhao Xin said coldly, "How is the war on the front lines? Has the civilian population been affected? How will they be resettled? Don't we need to submit a report on this?"
Do you really think he is a tyrant who knows nothing about the outside world?
Today, the people of Daqin are living in dire straits, and he, who has read the original novel, knows this best.
Although before going to court, Zhao Xin had already anticipated that this group of ministers headed by Cui Cen would definitely cause some trouble.
But seeing this situation now, Zhao Xin still felt angry.
"Your Majesty," a minister stepped forward, holding a scepter, and replied, "The Grand Marshal has sent troops to suppress the rebellion. Your Majesty has nothing to worry about."
"This is just a minor war, and its impact is minimal. The people of Great Qin continue to live and work in peace, and all is peaceful."
Several ministers came out one after another to respond, but Zhao Xin became more and more annoyed.
Everyone told him that the world was peaceful and prosperous, as if it was a peaceful and prosperous era.
"Your Majesty is concerned about state affairs, and we are relieved. With a pillar of the nation like the Prime Minister, the government is stable."
Zhao Xin suddenly clenched the armrest, almost unable to suppress the anger in his heart.
These officials didn't just disregard him as the emperor?
Even though he was sitting on the throne, they still praised Cui Cen without hesitation! They made no secret of their focus on Cui Cen!
Cui Cen stood calmly at the first seat on the left, with a peaceful expression, elegant temperament, and neither humble nor arrogant.
When someone mentioned him, Cui Cen bowed slightly with a smile on his face and said:
"With the protection of His Majesty, the Son of Heaven's dragon energy, our Great Qin will surely enjoy peace and prosperity."
Nan Cang on the right stood aside. Although he could see that Cui's party was deliberately trying to make things difficult for the emperor, he had no intention of helping the emperor.
This kind of situation will only become more frequent in the future. If the emperor wants to fight Cui Cen, he must adapt to the current situation.
Zhao Xin's face was cold and he almost couldn't control himself from cursing.
The wars of the seven kings are getting worse and worse. Floods are frequent in the southern provinces, droughts continue in the north, and the people of the world are living in dire straits... Are these ministers telling him that there is nothing wrong to report?
The rage in Zhao Xin's eyes grew stronger.
But there is anger and nowhere to vent.
Although he controlled the palace and had the opportunity to rule the country.
But it was just "listening" on the surface, not much different from before.
Among all the civil and military officials in the court, almost no one was loyal to him.
These... each and every one of them is a member of Cui Cen's party.
Zhao Xin stared at Cui Cen, whose loyalty was negative, with a cold and murderous look in his eyes.
Cui Cen could feel the gaze from above, but the emperor was sitting high on the dragon throne, and the twelve jade banners hanging from his crown blocked his eyes, so he could not see his expression clearly.
He still stood there calmly, even feeling a bit relaxed.
The emperor has done some things these days while he wasn't paying attention.
He even persuaded Nan Cang to marry him and won over the old man.
But agreeing to the conditions of Nan Cang would not cause much harm to him, just a drop in the bucket.
Even if the emperor was in charge of government affairs, he was still under his control.
Besides, he was young and energetic after all, and his desire for power was too strong.
Cui Cen now looked at the emperor like a powerful hunter teasing his released prey.
Let him tease you and have fun with you, but don't even think about turning it over from your palm.
Zhao Xin suppressed his anger. Getting angry at this group of people would just be a waste of his energy.
"Since I have decided on a marriage with the Grand Marshal, I will appoint him as Grand Tutor today."
Now, as the emperor, I am restricted in what I do.
As long as Cui Cen remained in power, he could not promote or demote officials at will.
But if he is given some honorary titles, Zhao Xin still has the ability to do so.
Although he has no real power, this can be regarded as Zhao Xin's move to show goodwill to his future father-in-law.
Of course, I'd also like to take the opportunity to poke a poke at that old bastard Cui Cen.
Zhao Xin added, "General Zhenbei fought on the front lines against the rebels. As a reward, I hereby confer upon him the title of Marquis Wu of Wei."
General Zhenbei is Nan Cang’s eldest son Nan Wu Ju.
These Nan Cang people naturally knew the reason why the emperor bestowed the title, so they thanked him calmly.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."
The emperor married into the Nan family, and everyone knew that they were now in the same boat.
However, seeing that the young emperor was openly showing his closeness to the Nan family and completely ignoring Prime Minister Cui Cen, some ministers became suspicious.
Moreover, they would not miss any opportunity to advise and criticize the emperor.
"Your Majesty, this is inappropriate," said a minister. "In terms of achievements, no one in the court, civil or military, can compare to Prime Minister Cui.
The Prime Minister has always devoted himself to the Qin Dynasty and worked diligently.
Now, Your Majesty has generously conferred titles on the Nan family, yet has ignored the Prime Minister. This move truly chills the Prime Minister and chills the hearts of us all."
Zhao Xin smiled faintly, "Your Excellency, you have worked hard these past few years. Under your governance, the Great Qin State has been able to withstand the rebellions of seven kings and the continuous disasters that have plagued the country. Repeated efforts to provide disaster relief have been fruitless.
But from what you said, my dear minister, the Prime Minister has indeed worked hard for this.
My mother, who is worried about the affairs of the world, came to see me yesterday and said that she would devote herself to worshipping Buddha in Yong'an Palace and praying for the Qin Kingdom.
Whenever I think about how much the Prime Minister and my mother have worked so hard on state affairs since I ascended the throne, I feel truly guilty."
The expression on Prime Minister Cui's face cracked for a moment.
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