This scene left all the court officials dumbfounded.
The Empress Dowager remained calm: "Does any of my ministers have any objections to my decision?"
The ministers felt a slight tremor in their hearts. If the Empress Dowager hadn't said these words, they wouldn't have thought much of it. However, once these words were spoken, it was as if the Empress Dowager herself had done what had just happened.
The Empress Dowager had no intention of hiding anything; she was simply trying to intimidate these ministers!
Before anyone could figure out what was going on, a stubborn, fearless individual stepped forward and said, "We hope the Empress Dowager will retract her decision..."
"The Empress Dowager cares deeply for Prince Gong, and it is only natural that she would send troops to Fucheng to investigate. Your humble servant fully supports her!" Before the previous minister could finish speaking, he was abruptly interrupted by a loud voice.
He is Dai Jin'an, the eldest son of the Duke of Changguo's family.
The two old dukes of Changguo and Shunguo have not attended court for a long time. Now, the eldest son of the Duke of Changguo and the second son of the Duke of Shunguo are inheriting the mansions of the two dukes.
Based on the prestige of the Duke of Changguo's mansion, Dai Jin'an's words immediately silenced the somewhat noisy court.
The minister who hoped the Empress Dowager would retract her decision looked at Dai Jin'an's retreating figure with a puzzled expression.
"I second that proposal." Xu Nianhe, the second young master of the Duke of Shun's mansion, stepped forward with his head held high and respectfully seconded the proposal.
Thanks to their timely alignment with the Empress Dowager during her power struggle, the Chang and Shun families were given important positions in her eyes. Even though the two families had been close to Prince Gong's mansion, the Empress Dowager never had any ill feelings towards them.
This was not only because the Chang and Shun families severed ties with Prince Gong's Mansion at the moment they took sides, but also because their actions made the Empress Dowager understand that their alliance with Prince Gong's Mansion was merely to prevent their family from declining.
The Empress Dowager was not entirely unaware of the previous state of the Shun and Chang families.
Therefore, the Empress Dowager always believed that the Changshun family's close relationship with Yu Nanqing was merely a stepping stone for them to climb the social ladder. Now, the glory and power they desired could only be given to them by her, and she was not worried at all that the Changshun family would betray her.
As soon as Xu Nianhe finished speaking, Su Shiyan, who had already been promoted to Left Chancellor, stepped forward from the ranks: "The disappearance of Prince Gong Fucheng is a serious matter. The Empress Dowager has mobilized troops to go to Fucheng. Like Lord Dai, I will give my full support! The Empress Dowager is wise!"
Seeing that the three top officials in the court had agreed, the remaining ministers looked at each other, and even though they didn't understand why, no one dared to object.
Needless to say, the other treacherous officials who curried favor with the Empress Dowager also stepped forward to second the motion, showing off their own abilities.
The Empress Dowager was very satisfied with the results of today's morning court session.
She knew that some ministers would inevitably object, and Xiao Chensheng's role was to deal with those ministers one by one.
If one doesn't work, then two; if two don't work, then three. As long as the court officials are intimidated, they will eventually compromise.
She just didn't expect things to go so smoothly; she had thought there would be a tough battle ahead.
After the court session, Dai Jin'an and Xu Nianhe walked very fast. Some ministers wanted to catch up with them to ask about the events in court, but they couldn't catch up at all.
"Please wait, gentlemen." The minister behind them was still panting as Su Shiyan blocked their path.
Su Shiyan, dressed in a vermilion official robe, looked radiant. Xu Nianhe bowed slightly to Dai Jin'an and said, "Lord Su."
Su Shiyan returned the bow slightly before smiling and saying, "Would you two gentlemen mind traveling together?"
Dai Jin'an returned the smile: "Please, Lord Su."
The three walked together, their pace much slower than before. The ministers behind them caught up, but seeing the Left Chancellor walking with them, they knew they couldn't get in, so they followed behind the three step by step.
"What do you two think about the Empress Dowager sending troops to Fucheng?" Su Shiyan spoke first.
Dai Jin'an's smile remained unchanged, and he said politely, "Why does Lord Su ask such a question? The Empress Dowager is wise, and she must have her reasons for doing so. My Changguo Duke's Mansion will follow her to the death."
"No wonder the Empress Dowager trusts Lord Dai so much."
"Lord Su, you are mistaken. All the officials in the court are pillars of the nation."
"I know that Lord Dai and Lord Xu's sister has a very close relationship with Princess Gong. If Lord Dai and Lord Xu know anything about Fucheng, I wonder if they could tell me a thing or two? I am really worried about my sister."
Upon hearing this, Dai Jin'an and Xu Nianhe's eyes flickered simultaneously, but they quickly returned to normal. They smiled and said, "My sister's household affairs are very busy, and I haven't been able to inquire about her for a long time. If Lord Su is worried about Princess Gong, why not write a letter and send it to Fucheng? In any case, Lord Su and Princess Gong are of the same lineage, and Princess Gong will not ignore you, her brother. The Empress Dowager will also understand Lord Su's good intentions."
As they spoke, the group arrived at the palace gate.
Dai Jin'an didn't give Su Shiyan a time to reply, and bowed respectfully: "Farewell."
Xu Nianhe also bowed respectfully to Su Shiyan, and his words were gentler than Dai Jin'an's: "Lord Su, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now. I'll visit your residence again when I have time."
The reason why Xu Nianhe was so polite to Su Shiyan was because Xu Yixuan's husband, Young Master Qiu, was now serving as an Inner Vice Minister in the palace.
The previous Grand Chancellor was Su Shiyan. Before Su Shiyan was promoted to Left Chancellor, he had the power to recommend the next Grand Chancellor.
Although the Qiu family held a high position of prestige in the court, it was during a period of imperial power change, and the important officials and aristocratic families who had been in contact with Yu Nanqing were all marked by the Empress Dowager.
Everyone in the capital knew about the relationship between Xu Yixuan and Su Wanyan, and the Empress Dowager naturally had reservations about it.
At home, one obeys one's father; after marriage, one obeys one's husband. Xu Yixuan married into the Imperial Academy. Even if the Duke of Shunguo's family had great power, their ability to interfere was extremely limited. Moreover, at that time, the Duke's family was also a faction marked by the Empress Dowager.
Su Shiyan had followed Emperor Taichu from the very beginning, and after the change of imperial power, he firmly stood on the side of the Empress Dowager. The status of the Marquis of Yuanning in the court had never been shaken from beginning to end. Therefore, Su Shiyan's recommendation of Young Master Qiu was particularly important at that time.
Only when Young Master Qiu achieves success and fame can Xu Yixuan live well in her husband's family.
On this floor, Xu Nianhe was still very grateful that Su Shiyan did not deliberately make things difficult for the Scholar's family because of their close relationship with Su Wanyan.
"You're too kind, Lord Xu. I will definitely pay you a visit when I have time."
Xu Nianhe smiled back and left.
As Su Shiyan watched the two figures disappear, an inexplicable intuition welled up in her heart.
The young emperor was too young to consolidate power, and the Empress Dowager held power, which he never thought would work out.
He climbed to the position of Left Chancellor simply to take away the Empress Dowager's power.
He and Su Shiyan, one a scholar and the other a warrior, were bound to wield great power sooner or later. However, he never expected that Xiao Chensheng would suddenly appear out of nowhere in his carefully constructed scheme.
The Empress Dowager's trust in Xiao Chensheng is simply outrageous. The scene in court today was witnessed by all the officials. If he had stood up to oppose it at that time, would the Empress Dowager have also had Xiao Chensheng deal with him in the same way?
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