In the cabinet, there was a long table, large enough for thirteen people to sit around.
Qin Yuwei, dressed in gorgeous clothes, sat at the head of the table, listening to the ministers' discussions without saying a word.
Xiao Wan and Zhao Sicheng were also among them.
Minister of Rites Zhou Xianqing looked solemn and said to everyone:
"As for your Majesty's situation... you all know that the Queen Mother has no choice but to choose a new ruler for the sake of the country.
However, the royal family of Daliang has few descendants, with only two princes. Apart from Your Majesty, there is only the little prince born to Concubine Rong.
In this case, only the young prince can succeed to the throne in accordance with etiquette and rules. "
The Minister of Personnel, Tan Xiao, said:
"But the little prince is only two years old, how can he inherit the throne?"
As he said this, he couldn't help but glance at Qin Yuwei and said with a cupped hand:
"Empress Dowager, I am worried that if the new emperor is too young, there may be gossip about you among the government and the people..."
Qin Yuwei understood his concerns. If she supported a two-year-old child to succeed to the throne, it would mean that she would be ruling the country behind the scenes for more than a decade.
Yan Tiao was only two years old. He could not even recognize a few words, let alone read memorials.
If he succeeded to the throne, it would seem to others that the entire government was completely in his hands. How could they not think too much?
The most important thing is that Yan Tiao’s mother, Li Yao, was a real enemy of himself back then.
If another Ma Yan appears by then...
She didn't want such a risk to happen to her and Jing'er again.
What Tan Xiao said made sense. Zhou Xianqing spread his hands.
"But apart from the little prince taking the throne, is there any other solution?
The late emperor only had these two bloodlines..."
"The late emperor has more than two bloodlines." Zhao Sicheng suddenly spoke.
The eyes of several people present were cast on him at the same time, all of them were a little stunned.
Zhou Xianqing was stunned:
"Could it be that the late emperor has someone else outside the palace..."
Halfway through his words, he also felt that something was wrong.
Even if the late emperor really had a illegitimate child outside the palace, he or she would not be qualified to inherit the throne.
But apart from His Majesty Dangxue and the little prince Yan Tiao, who else is there?
It can't be——
"Princess Zhaoyang?" Lord Tan blurted out, and his expression turned strange after he said it.
Zhou Xianqing's eyes widened immediately, his face full of disbelief:
"How can this... woman..."
Xiao Wan suddenly coughed lightly, looked up at Zhou Xianqing, and said nothing.
Zhou Xianqing suddenly felt a little embarrassed, but he couldn't help but whisper:
"This is not in accordance with etiquette..."
Several other cabinet ministers also looked at each other in confusion.
After all, Queen Mother Xu was Princess Zhaoyang's mother, and in front of her, no one dared to be the first to stand up and vote against it.
Someone bravely said:
"But...since ancient times, there has never been a precedent of a princess succeeding to the throne..."
Xiao Wan spoke seriously:
"But since ancient times, there has never been a precedent for women to take the imperial examination and enter the government."
She stopped talking at the point she had made and did not continue, and the people present understood immediately.
Indeed, the fact that women could go to school and even enter officialdom was a precedent set by Emperor Gaozu. It was a great feat and had been a long-standing national policy.
If we deny women's abilities, we are denying our national policy and denying the late Emperor and Emperor Gaozu.
What's more... when it comes to women entering officialdom, who would not think of Zhu Zhongcheng of the Censorate?
At a young age, he won six top places in the imperial examinations, was listed on the list of successful candidates, and rose to the top of the Censorate, making many men in the world feel ashamed of themselves.
Although this answer made them somewhat disappointed, they had to admit that women could indeed be as good as men in governing the country.
Women are kings... logically speaking...
It doesn't seem to be completely impossible...
But when His Majesty was ten years old, his performance in state affairs was only mediocre, and he even caused such a big mess in Qiushan.
Princess Zhaoyang was even two years younger than him. Although she was known for her intelligence, few court officials had truly seen her intelligence.
I don’t know whether the rumor is true or not.
What if His Majesty gets confused again...
Several cabinet ministers avoided Qin Yuwei's gaze and exchanged glances with each other quietly. They had roughly reached a consensus on their thoughts.
The Queen Mother is a fairly tolerant person, but she is by no means a weak person.
During the Qiushan Tour, the Queen Mother's greatest enemy, the Li family, was completely defeated. Li Mao and Li Zhengqing had been escorted to the Dali Temple. It was said that Li Zhengqing had confessed to hiring someone to murder Grand Tutor Xu.
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