The retired emperor had come to discuss the reconstruction of Taiji Palace, but he was so angry when he heard these words outside the hall that he almost fainted.
"You unfilial sons, do you even respect me?"
Jiang Jin looked at him calmly and said, "Father, from now on you can just focus on your cultivation. Mother and the others will not affect you in any way."
"Outrageous! They are my concubines, how can they be with other men..."
“Father, I did not stop you from finding women. Aren’t the few noble ladies and beauties you previously appointed enough to serve you? Your fate with the concubines is over.”
"No matter what, they are all my women, and they should all keep their chastity for me."
"Chastity?" Consort Zhuang and the others walked in. "What is that? Don't worry, we won't make you lose face. Soon the law on divorce between men and women will be promulgated, and even the royal family will be no exception. If you are afraid of losing face, we can divorce you."
"Absurd!" The retired emperor pointed at Jiang Jin. "Is this how you act as an absurd emperor? This will disrupt the order of the court!"
"No, Father. Only with open minds can the people give us more miracles. Women should not be oppressed forever."
"You're all lunatics! You'll regret this sooner or later!"
The Emperor Emeritus left in a huff without mentioning the reconstruction of Taiji Palace. However, even if he had, Jiang Jin would not have agreed. Taiji Palace was already extremely magnificent back then, and there was really no need to rebuild it. After he ascended the throne, there were still many places where money was needed. How could he spend money on such trivial matters?
Song Xia gestured for everyone to sit down: "Now the dust has finally settled."
"Yes," Consort Zhuang said with emotion. "Back then, I could never have imagined that we would get along like this. Your Majesty, to be honest, I hated you back then."
“Who isn’t the same?” Consort Li sighed softly. “Back then, I was the most favored, but who would have thought that after that, I wouldn’t receive even one more time. At the time, people even mocked Your Majesty for being unlucky. Now that I think about it, that kind of thinking is utterly ridiculous. I actually treated the charity I received as if it were a precious treasure.”
Everyone shared their feelings, and no one dared to laugh at anyone else. Perhaps only Consort Shu and Consort Zhen were a little more insightful, but they were also trapped in the situation. If they weren't the former Empress and now the Empress Dowager, no one would have been able to escape.
What good is the throne? Even if their sons ascended the throne, would they be as free and happy as they are now? They would probably fall into another round of scheming and manipulation, and might not even make it to the end, dying halfway through.
"What are Your Highness's plans for the future?"
Seeing everyone's gazes directed at her, Song Xia smiled slowly and said, "I wish to travel to various places."
Consort Li came from Cui Di, still feeling lingering fear from the bumpy journey to the capital: "Whether by boat or carriage, it was very uncomfortable, and the places are not completely stable. Your Majesty, I'm afraid things are not as good as you imagine outside."
Song Xia winked at Jiang Jin: "This isn't my problem, it's Jin'er's problem. If the road is difficult to travel, we build a road; if the ship is rocking, we invent a more stable vessel. Jin'er, don't you think so?"
Jiang Jin stood up and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is right. Your son will certainly live up to your expectations in the future."
"To be honest, I'm also very curious about the different skin colors and races you mentioned, Your Majesty, as well as those strange crops."
"Haven't some merchants brought them back over the past two years? I never imagined the world was so vast. Before, we were all confined to the four corners of this imperial city."
Looking at everyone's emotions and expectations, Song Xia felt incredibly proud. She had never imagined that changing everyone would be so smooth, perhaps because she was not a traditional person at heart!
They were all exceptionally talented individuals; it's truly regrettable that they went to such extremes!
...
After Jiang Jin ascended the throne, he changed the country's name to Qin. In the fifth year of Emperor Qin's reign, the Gui Kingdom suffered a drought, and the people of Gui were destitute. The disaster victims of Gui broke through the border between Xuan and Gui and claimed to be subjects of Xuan. In the sixth year of Emperor Qin's reign, under the encroachment of Yan, Gui, in order to protect itself, submitted to Xuan. From then on, the tripartite balance of power was broken, and Xuan and Yan began to vie for hegemony.
In the imperial court, the officials reached a consensus on the concept of unification, but they held two different attitudes on how to conquer the Yan state.
"If you ask me, we should attack. The Yan Kingdom is no match for us now."
"But this would inevitably deplete the nation's resources and cause unnecessary losses to the soldiers. It would be best to take it over without losing a single soldier, just like the Gui Kingdom."
"The Yan Kingdom is stronger than the Gui Kingdom. If we wait for internal conflicts to arise, when will that be? The soldiers under my command are not cowards and are willing to serve the court."
"General Li, although Yan is strong, it is far behind the development speed of our Xuan. If it doesn't work in five years, then ten. If it doesn't work in ten years, then twenty years. I guarantee that Yan will surrender without a fight."
"Twenty years? You civil officials are really patient. Twenty years is enough for several princes to conquer the whole world. By then, we won't even have taken down the Yan Kingdom. Aren't you ashamed?"
The civil official was embarrassed by the retort. The five princes were indeed capable. In just a few years, they had expanded the territory of Xuan Kingdom by more than double. They had never imagined that there was such a vast world outside, and such abundant resources beyond the ocean and desert!
But they were thinking of the people. Although Yan was far inferior to Xuan, it was still a tough nut to crack if war broke out, and it would inevitably cause considerable casualties. Since there was a safer way, why be so extreme?
Seeing that the civil officials still advocated a slow and gradual erosion, the military general petitioned Jiang Jin: "Your Majesty, I am willing to lead troops to fight against the Yan Kingdom. I promise Your Majesty with my life that I will conquer the Yan Kingdom for Your Majesty. I humbly request Your Majesty to issue an order."
Jiang Jin's head was buzzing from their noise, but seeing the court officials all passionately offering advice for the country, he was still very gratified. In this prosperous situation, he had finally kept his word and had not become as suspicious and fearful as his father.
"Let me think about this some more." Jiang Jin was also hesitant. He wanted to quickly achieve unification and establish the largest empire in history, but he also did not want large-scale casualties.
In fact, most people in the court still advocate war, because their Xuan Kingdom is now very powerful, and if they go to war, it is only a matter of time before they take down the Yan Kingdom.
Back in the palace, looking at the warm scene of his wife and children, he couldn't help but think of his mother. If his mother were here, he wouldn't be so conflicted.
"I wonder where Mother is now. I wonder if that troublesome sixth son can take good care of her."
The Empress found his self-talk amusing. Although His Majesty was praised as a wise ruler by everyone, he acted like a child whenever he talked about his mother. However, his mother was indeed a role model for women all over the world, a legendary figure.
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