Chapter 295 A Battle of Wits with the Censor!
Suppressing his joy, Emperor Renxiao instructed Wang Bao to place two precious pearls on the throne in the Golden Palace and four in his bedchamber. After making these arrangements, he subtly gave Shen Lanxi a warning.
"The origin of these six precious pearls is too mysterious; it's best not to tell outsiders."
Shen Lanxi immediately replied earnestly, "Uncle, I understand. All I brought today were leather goods, spices, and glass beads."
Emperor Renxiao nodded in satisfaction, but also felt a little regretful. If Shen Lanxi were a man, she would definitely be his most beloved general.
Wang Bao urged, "Your Majesty, it's time for the morning court session."
Emperor Renxiao's smile vanished, and he said sternly, "Lanxi, come with me to court!"
"yes!"
Apart from a few important ministers, no other officials knew that Shen Lanxi was going to court today.
Seeing Shen Lanxi dressed in official robes following Emperor Renxiao, everyone instinctively put on a stern face.
How could a woman be allowed to set foot in the solemn imperial court?
It's one thing to make an exception and let Shen Lanxi lead the troops, but does she also want to interfere in politics?
His eyes pierced Shen Congwen like a barrage of swords.
Shen Congwen himself was stunned. How could this be? Wasn't she supposed to be going to the palace to deliver gifts? How did she end up in the imperial court?
This is utterly ridiculous! Even if His Majesty favors her greatly, he shouldn't indulge her like this!
Emperor Renxiao sat on the dragon throne with his eyes lowered, taking in the expressions of all his ministers.
"Lanxi, you should stand with your father!"
Shen Lanxi said yes, and then calmly walked to her father's side.
Shen Congwen's face darkened. What did His Majesty mean by this? Was he implying something?
"Minister Shen's recovery of the Northwest is a meritorious deed that will last for generations. I hereby make an exception and allow her to enter the court to participate in political affairs."
The censor immediately stood up to resist.
"Your Majesty, this is unacceptable. There is no precedent for women attending court. What kind of decorum would it be for a woman to enter the court!"
One after another, the censors stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, women entering the court is tantamount to disrupting the very foundation of our Great Zhou Dynasty. If Your Majesty insists on doing so, this old minister will risk his life to stop you!"
"Your Majesty, we, the Censors, all disagree. Women entering the court and interfering in politics is to disrupt the foundation of our Great Zhou Dynasty. We beg Your Majesty to reconsider!"
Emperor Renxiao, his face dark with anger, rebuked: "You say women bring chaos to the country, but when the northwest was in dire need of help, why didn't you say that?"
"When the Northwest was in dire need, why didn't you submit a memorial to the emperor to quell the rebellion in the Northwest?"
Shen Lanxi stepped forward: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. I returned in haste, and there are still many matters in the Northwest that have not been settled. Since the censors are all so eloquent, why not send them to discuss the restoration of trade routes with the Turks? Their words are so sharp; they certainly won't let the Turks gain any advantage!"
The censors: "..."
Emperor Renxiao: "..."
“Shen Lanxi, you are so petty! We are censors, not officials of the Ministry of Rites. We are just speaking out for justice, and you are so malicious as to send us to the harsh northwest.”
Shen Lanxi sneered, "How could the Northwest be a bad place? It has now restored stability and unity there, all thanks to His Majesty's skillful use of people. Only then was the Zhenbei Army able to sign a peace treaty with the Turks. Are you saying this because you don't want to go there and don't want to contribute to the Great Zhou?"
The censors were all furious with Shen Lanxi.
This woman is far more narrow-minded and malicious than most women, and she is definitely plotting revenge. If such a woman were allowed to hold a position in the court, would there be any place for people like them?
We must drive Shen Lanxi away; we absolutely cannot let her continue to run rampant.
A gasp suddenly rang out.
"Oh my god..."
The censor ran into a pillar, but fortunately, the surrounding officials intervened in time, preventing blood from splattering on the spot.
"Lord Cai, why are you doing this to yourself!"
Censor Cai Heng struggled and cried out to Shen Lanxi, "I must uphold the integrity of our Great Zhou court..."
Shen Lanxi, fearing that Cai Heng would be furious, said coldly, "So what if you're being sent to the Northwest? If you don't want to go, don't try to kill yourself. If foreign tribes find out about Lord Cai's actions, won't they think that our Great Zhou is afraid of them?"
Cai Heng was filled with shame and indignation. He had only pretended to hit the pillar earlier, but now he wished he could actually do it to clear his name.
Emperor Renxiao's face was ashen. The world was at peace, and he had just received a rare treasure; he should have been in high spirits. But these troublesome people were deliberately making things difficult for him. Even if he drank ginseng tea every day and was constantly accompanied by the treasure, it wouldn't extend his lifespan.
These ministers are becoming increasingly inflexible and out of touch with the old ways.
"All of you, shut up!" Emperor Renxiao's thunderous rage descended, and the hall fell silent in an instant.
"Now that the Great Zhou Dynasty is in dire need of reconstruction, instead of wasting your time arguing, you should go to the Northwest or Dongchuan and do something for the people!"
Good heavens, this is truly a demotion!
The court officials, not wanting to be sent to remote and impoverished areas, began to ponder Emperor Renxiao's words in small groups.
"Your Majesty is wise. Now is a time when everything needs to be rebuilt. We should break with convention and let the capable take the lead!"
"His Majesty is wise and mighty. His summoning of General Shen to court must have been for a reason!"
"Your Majesty is a wise ruler who knows how to recognize and appoint capable people..."
Seeing that the wind had shifted, the censors quickly retreated to their positions and ceased their impeachment.
Emperor Renxiao, however, began to ponder Shen Lanxi's words.
"My esteemed ministers, what are your views on the restoration of trade routes?"
Because of the emperor's thunderous aura just now, none of the court officials dared to speak rashly.
Emperor Renxiao glanced around with annoyance, finally fixing his gaze on Shen Lanxi.
"Lanxi, what do you think?"
Shen Lanxi's eyes flashed, and she said, "We can let the imperial merchants conduct some trade first, and after a year or two, if there is no unrest, we can then open up trade routes more widely!"
This move was exactly what Emperor Renxiao wanted. He actually preferred to open the trade route a year or two later, but the court was short of money. The Ministry of Revenue kept asking for money and complaining about being poor. The treasury had long been emptied, and his private treasury had been mostly filled with it. The court needed money.
Emperor Renxiao nodded slightly, and the court officials, seeing the spring breeze, immediately changed their tune.
"I also believe this method is feasible!"
"I also believe that it is feasible to open trade routes..."
As the morning court session was drawing to a close, Grand Tutor Mei Nanhua submitted a memorial.
"Your Majesty, after six years of war, the imperial examinations were suspended. Now that the world is at peace and everyone is celebrating, should we take advantage of this time of celebration to reopen the imperial examinations and recruit more talented people for the court?"
Emperor Renxiao raised the corners of his mouth slightly; this was exactly what he intended.
"allow!"
"Your Majesty's grace is boundless..."
When the court session ended, most people no longer cared about the women entering the court; they were more concerned about the upcoming imperial examinations.
"Shen Lanxi is, after all, a woman. She will eventually have to marry and have children. Does she really want to bring her child to court in the future?"
A series of disdainful chuckles rang out.
"What kind of decorum is it for a woman to enter the court? Didn't you all see how dark Lord Shen Congwen's face was during the morning court session?"
"It's all because he failed to discipline his daughter properly. She hasn't learned any of the traditional virtues of obedience and chastity. Instead, she's become more and more arrogant and domineering. The way he acts, it's obvious that he's afraid of both his wife and daughter. Tell me, at home, does his daughter bow to him, or does he bow to his daughter?"
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