Chapter 12 Morning Morning
The emperor had just been beaten by his father and grandfather in his dream. Now that he was hit by Li Yueyao, he didn't react much.
After a moment's deliberation, he said, "It's hard to tell whether this man is good or evil. If my aunt wants to win him over, it might be difficult."
Li Yueyao nodded after hearing this. She had traveled through time and space, and she was not immortal. If she approached someone she didn't know what was going on, and got hit, she would be doomed.
The two chatted for a while, and the emperor said, "Then Aunt, will you stay in Yaoguang Palace first?"
Li Yueyao shook her head and said, "No, it's better for you to stay in the side hall of Taiji Palace. It will be convenient for me to see you and review memorials.
If I move out, I still haven't found out who poisoned me or how they did it, so I'm really worried.
Stay here for a few days, and when my mansion is repaired, I will move out of the palace."
The emperor nodded and said, "I'm sorry to trouble you, aunt."
Li Yueyao sighed deeply, looked at the emperor and said, "I'm not wronged. I just hope you can get better soon, handle state affairs seriously, and stabilize the court.
I can continue to live my life as a hermit in Spring Mountain, thank God."
Li Yueyao took out another pill and asked the emperor to take it. After seeing that the emperor fell asleep again, she got up and left quietly.
The next day at three quarters past three in the morning, His Majesty the Emperor woke up on time, but still felt a little dizzy.
Sun Fu helped the emperor get up and dressed. The emperor thought for a moment and said, "Go and ask the eldest princess to get up and accompany me to court."
"Yes."
Li Yueyao was sleeping soundly when Cuiwei woke her up: "Your Highness, Your Highness, His Majesty asked you to accompany him to the morning court."
Li Yueyao turned over and covered her head with the quilt.
Cuiwei knew that her prince would not get up until he woke up naturally every day.
So he continued to shout, "Your Highness, Your Highness... You can't stay in bed today. His Majesty wants you to accompany him to the morning court."
Li Yueyao was dazed when she heard the words that she was going to attend the morning court. She suddenly opened her eyes and looked at the pomegranate red curtains on the bed. She suddenly realized that she was in the palace.
Then he asked Cuiwei, "What did you just say?"
"His Majesty sent for Your Highness, saying that he would have you accompany him to court today."
Li Yueyao stretched and stood up reluctantly, thinking: What's wrong with this silly nephew again? He insists on making me accompany him to court.
Suddenly, I became alert again. Something was wrong. Could it be that the emperor was not feeling well again?
She immediately perked up and turned to Cuiwei, "Did the visitor explain why I had to accompany him? How is His Majesty doing?"
As he spoke, he stood up and motioned Cuiwei to help him dress and wash.
"The messenger only said that His Majesty asked you to accompany him to court, but he didn't say anything else. Furthermore, the main hall was very quiet, and no imperial physician was summoned."
After hearing this, Li Yueyao felt relieved. She urged everyone to get themselves ready quickly and then hurried into the main hall of Taiji Palace.
The emperor was having breakfast, and when he saw Li Yueyao come in, he called out, "Aunt, come and have breakfast together.
The morning court session is too long, so we need to wait for a while."
Li Yueyao heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing this, walked over slowly, sat down beside the emperor, and said, "Your Majesty, let me take your pulse first."
The emperor readily extended his left hand after hearing this. Li Yueyao took his pulse for a long time and then asked the emperor to change to the other hand.
I felt relieved when I found that my pulse was better today than yesterday.
"Your Majesty, why did you ask me to accompany you to court? I am most afraid of listening to the nagging of those old ministers in the court." Li Yueyao complained.
The emperor listened and said nonchalantly, "It's not like you haven't attended the morning court before, why bother with those old stubborn people?"
Li Yueyao listened without saying anything and sighed.
"Besides, I'm afraid I won't be able to attend court in this state.
It's just right that my aunt can go with me to take a look, maybe we can find some problems."
The two of them had a simple meal and then went to the Chuigong Hall together for the morning court session.
The first person to stand in the court today is the old Grand Tutor Zong Ying. Due to his advanced age, he stands in front like a mascot every day during court sessions.
The disputes, factions, and struggles in the court seemed to have nothing to do with him.
Under the Grand Tutor was the Left Prime Minister Gao Hongchen, while the Right Prime Minister Feng Shenyu took leave and did not attend court today.
After the court officials had bowed three times and nine times as per custom, they looked up and saw a single chair under the emperor's throne, on which sat the eldest princess of Jinyang.
The Left Prime Minister immediately said, "Your Majesty, this..."
"I am not feeling well, so I have asked my aunt to accompany me to court. All the ministers may proceed as usual."
As soon as the emperor finished speaking, an imperial censor stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this is against etiquette."
"What etiquette is not in compliance with?" asked the emperor.
"It's against our ancestral rituals. Since Emperor Gaozu, there has been no precedent for princesses attending court."
The emperor sneered and said, "Humph! You are too young. Let Master Zong speak."
After hearing this, Zong Ying looked up at Li Yueyao and said with a smile, "I haven't seen the Grand Princess for seven years. The princess hasn't changed much."
Li Yueyao also smiled and said, "Grand Master Zong, you are still strong despite your old age."
"Your Highness, thank you for your kind words. I have submitted petitions three times requesting to retire and return home, but Your Majesty, out of pity for me, has refused to let me go."
"The old Grand Tutor is the cornerstone of the country. How could Your Majesty let him leave the court so easily?" Li Yueyao said politely.
Zong Ying laughed and said, "I'm old, old, and useless.
I remember that the first time Her Royal Highness the Grand Princess attended the morning court was when His Majesty Taizong was present.
At that time, Empress Taimu passed away, and the princess suddenly lost her mother and cried day and night. When Emperor Taizong attended the morning court, he took the princess with him to sit on the throne.
The second time His Highness attended the morning court was after Emperor Taizong's death. The princess cried so hard that she fainted several times.
The late emperor was worried about Your Highness, so he took Your Highness to court for three consecutive days during the morning court session."
Li Yueyao laughed and said, "Who says the Grand Tutor is old? I think he can stay in the court for another twenty years without any problem."
Zong Ying humbly replied, "I'm really old now. I can only remember things from the past. I forget things that happened right before my eyes the moment I turn my head."
After saying that, he laughed twice.
After this conversation between the two, none of the court officials in the hall dared to speak anymore.
This person has even sat on the emperor's throne. What else can he say or dare to say?
The emperor had been in poor health for a long time, and now he was holding his head on the throne, looking even more uncomfortable.
The emperor frowned and said, "Let's discuss the matter according to the procedure."
Left Prime Minister Gao Hongchen spoke first and said, "Your Majesty, the Lingnan flood issue has been pending for five days. This matter cannot be delayed any longer. We must decide on a candidate today."
The emperor listened without saying anything.
Li Yueyao said, "Your Majesty discussed the Lingnan flood issue with me yesterday.
I want to know why this has remained unresolved."
The Left Prime Minister then said, "First, the Ministry of Revenue cannot allocate funds, and second, it is difficult to select disaster relief personnel."
Li Yueyao followed up with a follow-up question: "Let's talk about the Ministry of Revenue funding first. Why hasn't the disaster relief personnel been selected yet?"
"Princess, there are three people recommended now: Minister Cui of the Ministry of Works, Censor Zhang of the Imperial Censorate, and Doctor Wang of the Ministry of Rites.
Each of the three had his own merits, and the court had their own nominations, so the dispute continued."
Li Yueyao was confused. Does this mean that the three parties nominated three people, but the emperor has not decided which one to use?
There are many people in the Ministry of Works who are good at flood control, and the Censors in the Censorate also have experience in disaster relief, but why are people from the Ministry of Rites being nominated?
Li Yueyao thought for a moment and then asked, "The three people who were nominated should step out."
The three of them stood in the middle of the hall.
Li Yueyao asked, "Have you three ever led a disaster relief effort before?"
The Minister of Works replied, "Your Highness, I have twice been in charge of flood relief efforts in Jiangnan."
Censor Zhang of the Imperial Censorate also replied, "I once presided over the relief work for the drought in the northwest."
Finally, it was the turn of the official from the Ministry of Rites. He said, "Your Highness, I once saw the Left Prime Minister in my hometown some time ago when he went there to relieve a disaster."
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