Chapter 145: My humble son has no wife yet, so why force him to marry? Can we be together to form a bond?
Deep inside the imperial palace, in Chengming Hall, on the desk, memorials floated automatically in the air without wind and were being flipped through.
On the soft couch, Emperor Xia was wearing a red and black imperial robe with gold edges. He was half-supporting his head in a very casual posture.
As his eyes swept over the memorials, the gilded brush placed aside would automatically float up, and then he would quickly correct the memorials.
Things that used to take her half a day to review and process can now be completed in just a few thoughts.
The improvement of the cultivation level also brings changes in many aspects such as soul, thinking, and wisdom, making it easy to do many things at the same time.
She can now devote part of her mind to spiritual practice, leaving only some thoughts to deal with state affairs.
"Haha, it seems that there are still many ministers who are dissatisfied with me. Their words are full of persuasion and admonition. But I just want to keep the throne secure..."
"Since ancient times, there has never been a female emperor, so why can't I become the first female emperor since the beginning of the world?"
As he glanced at some of the contents in the memorial, Emperor Xia couldn't help but reveal a mocking arc at the corner of his mouth.
Even though she used iron-blooded means to deal with the ministers who impeached her, it was still difficult to suppress the many voices of opposition in the court.
Including some of the ministers he had promoted before, they also expressed their advice in an implicit way.
But if she doesn't sit on the throne, who will sit on it, or give it up? Those old guys in the clan house are still thinking about this position.
It was a pity that after she took Jiang Ruxian on the trip in person, the old guys could only keep their opposition deep in their hearts and dared not show it easily.
On that day, Emperor Xia watched with his own eyes as an old man of very high generation, who had long ceased to be involved in royal affairs, appeared and wanted to restrain and punish her with royal rules. As a result, Jiang Ruxian just slapped him with her hand and seriously injured him, so that he dared not say another word.
The other elders of the clan house remained silent.
Although the clan affairs office was frightened temporarily, Emperor Xia was also aware that those old guys still refused to give up.
However, she already had a plan. After all the current issues were resolved, she would start to revise the royal rules and regulations so that women could become emperors. Not only would she change the country's name, she would also set a precedent.
Now that she owes Jiang Ruxian a favor, she says that she will consider it and will agree to the official position she offers.
But Emperor Xia knew very well that Jiang Ruxian just wanted a chance to work with Jiang Lan. How could a strong person like her be bound by these red tapes?
Jiang Ruxian is not stupid. If there is no benefit, he will not keep helping her.
"This is really a difficult situation for me. Although Jiang Lan has made great contributions in protecting the emperor during this southern hunting exercise, he will not be awarded any official position."
"He himself is very likely not to care about this, and may even feel disgusted, thinking that I am trying to tie him to himself."
After dealing with the memorials, Emperor Xia changed to a reclining position, and Chunlan, who was standing beside her, brought the peeled spiritual fruit to her.
"Chunlan, you have been with me for a long time. What do you think of Jiang Lan? What do you think he lacks now?"
She did not take the spiritual fruit, but glanced at the maid beside her and asked.
Chunlan didn't expect that Emperor Xia would suddenly ask her this, and she was stunned for a moment.
She thought of the scene she saw outside the Hualong Pond that day, and her face suddenly turned red.
"I don't know what Master Jiang lacks. He is the son of the Prime Minister, of noble status and distinguished family. He has almost everything, including skills, resources, beauties, and status. He should not lack anything..." she whispered.
Emperor Xia nodded in agreement, and seemed to be feeling a little overwhelmed and helpless, and said, "I have nothing to give you."
In an emergency, in order to get Jiang Ruxian to help her, she boasted that she would help her and Jiang Lan reconcile and create a so-called opportunity for the two to work together.
But when it came to actually implementing it, she felt it was troublesome.
Emperor Xia still remembered the teasing look on Jiang Ruxian's face when she left that day, "I have helped you now. If you cannot satisfy me, you must consider the consequences carefully."
That woman looks otherworldly, ethereal and detached from the world, but that doesn't mean she is simple-minded, kind and gentle.
"Your Majesty, Prince Chong'an requests to see you outside the palace."
At this time, a eunuch outside the hall suddenly came to report.
"Prince Chong'an?"
There was no change in the Emperor Xia's reclining posture. Now, in front of the desk, there was a very high screen, like a curtain. Even if the ministers looked up at her, they could only see a hazy figure and the surging and rich dragon energy.
"Announce." Emperor Xia had no idea why his uncle wanted to see him.
Could it be because of the incident with Zhenbei Prince Xiao He? In the past few days, because the plan of Changsheng Palace was leaked, the Prince of Chong'an sent invitations many times, requesting that Zhenbei Prince Xiao He be held accountable and that the military token in his hands be taken back, otherwise it would be difficult to appease the public anger.
Many ministers also believed that Emperor Xia was too partial to Prince Zhenbei.
Although his son Xiao Teng did not leak the plan intentionally, it was Prince Zhenbei who was at fault first. How could he let it go so easily?
Queen Xia was well aware that this move would hardly calm the anger of the court, but no matter what, the King of Zhenbei was promoted by her personally and was loyal to her. Now was the time to employ someone else, and if she demoted or punished him, it would be like cutting off one's own arm at a critical moment.
Her condition will be much worse.
"Your humble servant, I pay my respects to Your Majesty."
Soon, Chong'an County Prince Chongzheng, led by the eunuch, came to the hall, bowed and saluted, and then said bluntly, "Your Majesty, I think your treatment of Zhenbei Prince Xiaohe is inappropriate..."
"Whether his son Xiao Teng's words in the hall that day were true or false has yet to be verified. We can't just let it go. The remnants of the Blood Immortal Sect have been dormant for a long time. Before his son Xiao Teng was killed, he had a secret meeting with someone, but he deliberately concealed this matter in the hall that day."
"Whether Zhenbei King Xiao He is colluding with the remnants of the Blood Immortal Cult remains to be discussed and verified, but if you let him go, it will be difficult to appease the ministers in the court, and it will also be unfair. Various rumors have spread in the imperial capital in the past few days."
"I have ordered the capable people in the palace to investigate, and they have noticed that the dragon energy in the imperial capital seems to have been infected, and it contains blood-red and black colors. This is indeed an ominous sign."
"I hope Your Majesty will not lose the support of the people for your own selfish reasons. As a woman, you have done something wrong, which has already given many people something to talk about..."
He had a handsome face, was wearing a five-clawed dragon robe, had a square face, a broad forehead, thick eyebrows and big eyes, and looked extremely heroic. His tone of voice was stern and powerful, as if he was not afraid of Emperor Xia's punishment or anger at all.
Upon hearing this, Queen Xia frowned slightly, but soon relaxed her brows. After all, he was her uncle in name only, and she was able to hold this position securely thanks to the support of Prince Chong'an over the years.
Although the truth may be unpleasant to hear, it is indeed for her own good.
"Uncle, there is no need to say more. I am fully aware of your concerns, but I have already made up my mind about this matter." Emperor Xia did not call him Prince Chong'an, but uncle, in order to bring the two closer.
Xiao Teng had indeed concealed something in the hall that day. She could see it, but she did not pursue it because Xie Jianjia was kidnapped outside the palace, which was something that could not be made public.
The reason why she chose to forgive King Zhenbei and Xiao Teng easily was that she didn't want to make too big a fuss about the matter, because the loss of the Zhenlong Seal would be exposed sooner or later, and the more angry she was now, the more likely it would make people doubt the authenticity of what happened later.
On the contrary, the calmer and more natural she behaves now, the more likely it is that when news spreads later that the Dragon Seal has been taken away by the Blood Immortal Cult, she can use the excuse that the Blood Immortal Cult is misleading the people to delay time, stabilize people's hearts, and have a chance to respond, so as not to be trapped in a desperate situation right away.
Chongzheng's face was heavy, he had said so much, but Emperor Xia still planned to favor Prince Zhenbei. He thought that after the Southern Hunting Exercise, Xiao He would lose his respect and his military power would be gradually taken back. Now he would take over again, control the million heavily armored cavalry, plan to attack the northern border, and prepare for war, hoping to compete for the world in the future.
"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister outside the palace suddenly requested to see you..."
At this moment, the eunuch who had just reported back suddenly ran over, his face full of panic.
Prime Minister Jiang Lintian rarely came to the palace except during the morning court sessions, let alone requesting a private audience with Emperor Xia.
Chongzheng also didn't expect that at this critical juncture, Prime Minister Jiang Lintian would come to ask for an audience with Emperor Xia?
Could it be that, as the court speculated, some kind of agreement was reached between the Prime Minister and Emperor Xia?
During this Southern Hunting Exercise, if the Prime Minister had not meddled in other people's affairs, how could Emperor Xia have been distracted and left the Qianyuan Cave Realm and successfully broken through to the Eight Realms?
His face darkened, he glanced at Emperor Xia behind the curtain screen, bowed, and chose to leave.
Emperor Xia did not expect that the Prime Minister would suddenly ask for a meeting.
She was stunned for a moment, her brows furrowed tightly, and she sat up from the reclining couch, her face regained its dignity, and said, "Xuan."
She wanted to see what this old fox was up to.
As Prince Chongzheng of Chong'an retreated to the outside of the palace, he saw Prime Minister Jiang Lintian, who was wearing a tall hat and a wide belt and looked elegant, slowly walking up the stairs.
"Prime Minister..."
He forced a smile and tried to say hello politely, but Jiang Lintian seemed not to have seen him. Or perhaps he didn't care even if he saw him. He just walked past him and ignored him completely.
This immediately froze Chongzheng's smile on his face, and the moment they passed each other, his smile became ugly and gloomy.
At this moment, in the hall, Emperor Xia looked over the screen, his eyes showing no disinterest and coldness.
When she was young and had just ascended the throne, Jiang Lintian held all the power and all the ministers in the court treated her as an air puppet and completely ignored her.
Even for major matters, they had to be approved by Jiang Lintian before they could be submitted to her for approval and stamping.
"I wonder why the Prime Minister has come here suddenly?" Emperor Xia said indifferently.
Jiang Lintian had no habit of etiquette. When he came into the hall, he just waved his hand, and the palace maids and eunuchs around him retreated with golden lanterns in their hands, as if he was the master of the country.
Seeing this scene, Emperor Xia's eyes became even colder.
"I received a secret letter today, which is related to you, Emperor Xia. After all, this matter concerns the country and people of Great Xia. After much consideration, I decided to present this secret letter." Jiang Lintian said lightly without any nonsense.
As soon as he finished speaking, in front of Emperor Xia's astonished and puzzled gaze, he casually tossed a secret letter that had long been torn open onto the desk in front of Emperor Xia.
"The aura of the Blood Immortal Sect's skills?"
Emperor Xia has now reached the eighth realm of cultivation. He instantly recognized the remaining aura on the secret letter. His eyes narrowed immediately, with a bit of scrutiny and speculation.
Chunlan, who was standing by, wanted to open the secret letter for her, fearing that there might be some unknown poison left in it. However, Emperor Xia just waved his hand. She didn't believe that the Prime Minister would do such a thing to poison her.
She picked up the secret letter, opened it, and then spread out the paper inside it that looked like cloth. In an instant, a familiar breath rushed towards her, even causing the dragon energy around her to fluctuate violently.
"The aura of a national weapon..."
Emperor Xia was shocked and quickly scanned the contents with a frown on his face.
This turned out to be a secret letter that was like a manifesto, in which the Blood Immortal Cult tried to contact the Prime Minister and let him take advantage of this opportunity to make a big fuss, wreak havoc on the country of Daxia, and disrupt the government.
Of course, what shocked and frightened her the most was that the Blood Immortal Sect told Prime Minister Jiang Lintian the truth that the Great Xia national artifact, the Dragon Seal, had been lost and was in their hands.
When seeing this, Emperor Xia's jade hand holding the secret letter could not help but tremble slightly.
She never expected that the Blood Fairy Cult was so vicious and cruel, and wanted to use the Prime Minister to deal with her in order to achieve the goal of causing chaos in the world.
Once this secret is made public, the consequences will be unpredictable.
Emperor Xia took a few deep breaths and understood the Blood Immortal Cult's many calculations and malicious intentions.
If she wanted to quibble, it would be impossible. The aura of the Dragon-Suppressing Seal in the secret letter could not be faked. If she wanted to prove herself, she had to sacrifice the real national treasure, the Dragon-Suppressing Seal.
"What does the Prime Minister mean by this?"
Emperor Xia looked at Jiang Lintian, his deep eyes flashing with thought. Perhaps the Prime Minister took the initiative to find him to discuss how to deal with this matter. He also didn't want Da Xia to be in chaos and the country to be in turmoil.
"Your Majesty, what do you think about the contents of the secret letter?" Jiang Lintian asked instead of answering.
"Who are you talking about, Prime Minister?" Emperor Xia pretended not to understand.
"What about the national treasure, the Dragon Seal, being lost and falling into the hands of the Blood Immortal Cult?" Jiang Lintian said calmly.
Emperor Xia was silent for a moment before he said, "Whether it is true or false, can't the Prime Minister tell it now?"
"Your Majesty has kept this matter secret. If it weren't for this secret letter, I would have been kept in the dark." Jiang Lintian laughed.
Emperor Xia took a deep breath and said, "When it comes to matters involving state weapons, I am naturally cautious. If we are not careful, the country will be in turmoil and the people will suffer. Every step should be taken with caution and caution."
"The Prime Minister probably doesn't want to see such a situation. The Blood Immortal Sect is taking advantage of the situation, and the other major states are eyeing it covetously..."
Hearing this, Jiang Lintian interrupted her and said calmly, "Your Majesty is taking the matter too seriously. As long as I am here, Daxia will not be in chaos, and the major states will not dare to invade."
Emperor Xia was suddenly speechless.
"Then why did the Prime Minister come to see me?" she asked.
"The national treasure has been lost and the rules of the royal family have been violated. Your Majesty, do you think you can still sit firmly on the throne?" Jiang Lintian asked back.
Emperor Xia instantly understood his intention, a sneer appeared on his face, and he said, "Prime Minister, do you think that I am still the young and ignorant little girl who you can manipulate at will?"
"Your Majesty, do you think that you can do whatever you want after entering the Eighth Realm? Even the Eighth Realm is as different as heaven and earth..."
Jiang Lintian looked at her indifferently, and suddenly a terrifying aura as vast as the deep ocean and as towering as mountains emerged from his body.
The entire palace suddenly shook and the countless array patterns engraved on it burst out with brilliant light, but under the suppression of Jiang Lintian's aura, they all subsided in an instant.
Emperor Xia had a cold face, his forehead was glowing, his cheekbones were translucent, his black hair was fluttering, and dragon energy surrounded him. He mobilized all his magical powers in an attempt to resist.
But under the pressure that seemed like the will of heaven and earth, it was useless. He was almost thrown away and fell, his face turning pale.
"There are nine steps in the Eight Realms. Your Majesty has only taken the first step. You still have a long way to go. In my eyes, you are still the little girl who could only hold on to the dragon throne tightly out of fear." Jiang Lintian said lightly, restraining all his aura.
Queen Xia's eyes were cold. In front of Jiang Lintian, the dragon energy she had cultivated was of no use at all.
Daxia's Huangji Zhenshi Sutra, Huangji Sheji Sutra, Huangji Common People Sutra... have all been obtained by the Prime Minister's Mansion.
"Your Majesty..." Chunlan hurried forward to support Emperor Xia, her face also very pale.
Under the pressure of the powerful will just now, she felt like a dead leaf in the wind, which would be torn into pieces if the force was a little stronger.
"Your Majesty ascended the throne as a woman, and I have nothing to say. The national treasure was lost in the hands of the Blood Immortal Cult, and I will not interfere. But Your Majesty has reached the prime of life, but now he has not yet got married and has no children. This is a violation of morality."
"I, your humble son, am now over 20 years old and unmarried. Your Majesty and I can be considered a good match. We can be in the same boat and tie the knot..." Jiang Lintian had his hands behind his back, and his elegant face now had a sense of oppression and strength, as if he was looking at you with a fierce look.
When Emperor Xia heard this, he was stunned at first, then he reacted and almost doubted whether he had heard it wrong.
"What do you mean, Prime Minister?" Her eyes were cold and angry.
Is this a plan to have a marriage contract between me and his son? In this way, if a child is born in the future, Daxia can be directly changed to Jiang, and it will be legitimate.
Even when their children grow up, the throne will be inherited naturally, and she will still be a puppet tool?
Before, she acted as a man and there would not be any problem in this regard. But now that she has revealed her female identity, the Prime Minister began to take advantage of the situation and showed his wolfish ambitions.
This is the real thief of the country! "If your majesty doesn't understand, then after you go down, think about it more and consider it again."
"I am waiting for your Majesty's reply."
Jiang Lintian had no intention of continuing to talk nonsense with Emperor Xia. He casually bowed and without waiting for Emperor Xia's reply, he turned around to say goodbye and left, looking as if he didn't take Emperor Xia seriously at all.
Emperor Xia's eyes were icy cold and he was extremely angry. After Jiang Lintian left, he slapped the document in front of him, causing it to break into pieces instantly.
"What a ginger thief..."
"What a good Prime Minister! You really want to force me and your Prime Minister's Mansion to perish together, right?" She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands, making a creaking sound.
"Your Majesty, calm down."
"Please calm down..."
Chunlan's face turned pale with fear. She had also not expected that the Prime Minister had such a big plan in his request for a meeting.
Once this gets out, it will definitely cause a huge storm. This is simply forcing the current emperor to get married. This kind of courage has never been recorded in any historical books.
Queen Xia took several deep breaths, and waves of clear and pure energy came from her soul in her sea of consciousness, which made her calm down quickly.
Jiang Lintian first took out the evidence of the loss of the Dragon Seal, and then used his great strength to intimidate her. Once she refused, Jiang Lintian would definitely use the loss of the Dragon Seal as an excuse to attack her in the court. The current situation was already unfavorable to her.
Those old guys in the clan house will definitely take the opportunity to jump out...
Jiang Lintian took the opportunity to support one of them and forced her to abdicate in the name of justice.
Even if she breaks through the eighth realm, she has no national weapon and is a woman, so she has almost no advantage and she will definitely lose.
"Do you know where Jiang Lan is now?" Emperor Xia asked Chunlan beside him.
Chunlan was stunned when she heard this, and subconsciously asked, "Yuxianfang?"
Emperor Xia snorted coldly and became upset. How could he not know anything about such a big thing? And he still had the leisure to visit Yuxianfang?
"Leave the palace."
At this moment, she just wanted to find Jiang Lan and ask him to think of a solution. She no longer had the mind to deal with other things.
Yuxianfang is extremely lively even during the day, with palaces like clouds, towers in clusters, green lakes dotted around, streams flowing, and pleasure boats floating in the air, filled with mist and hazy clouds.
A thin mist rises on the surface of the river, like a fairyland on earth.
There are golden lamps and incense burners in the small pavilion. Looking down, the scenery is superb, the stringed instruments are pleasant, and the music of the piano is crisp and melodious.
Through the screen, you can see several women in white, playing the piano slowly, their fingers skimming across the air in a beautiful way.
"My slave Miaoyin, could it be that Master Jiang has forgotten me?"
"At the tea-making party in Anyang City that day, Master Jiang personally promised that he owed me a favor."
At this time, in this small palace, a woman in palace dress has charming eyes and eyebrows, rippling water waves, breath like orchid, and red lips are radiant. Although she is sitting there, her posture reveals laziness and seductiveness. She has a slender snow-white neck, black hair tied up, and a bun, revealing a large area of snow-white and delicate skin, which makes people imagine.
Opposite the woman in palace dress, Jiang Lan was drinking leisurely, without looking around.
"I owe so many favors to others that I really can't remember when I owed one to the fairy." He replied casually.
Originally, he came to Yuxianfang to wait for something to happen, but the Fairy Miaoyin from the Goddess Palace somehow found out about his whereabouts and came to visit him on her own initiative.
Since Jiang Lan had no impression of this character in the original plot, he naturally planned to deal with it casually.
He also doesn't like doing things that are difficult, troublesome and have no benefits. If the other party takes the initiative to visit him, he must have something to ask for.
"Alas, Master Jiang, it's fine if you don't remember. I guess it's because I'm too ordinary. I couldn't leave a deep impression on Master Jiang like Saint Ling Zhuyun of Yao Chi Sect did."
Fairy Miaoyin had a sad and resentful expression on her face, as if she was about to cry. Most men who saw her would want to immediately hold her in their arms and comfort her.
"In fact, there is no need to be so mean to the fairy. I didn't leave an impression in Anyang City at that time, but it's not too late now..."
Although Jiang Lan was not an ordinary man, when he saw the other party's attitude, he immediately laughed and reached out to embrace him.
Fairy Miaoyin did not expect that Jiang Lan would suddenly start to make moves on her. She froze, and her face became slightly unnatural. She subconsciously stood up and hid behind her.
People in the imperial capital all say that Jiang Lan is hiding his incompetence and keeping a low profile, but they cannot let him take advantage of them for nothing.
"What do you mean, fairy?" Jiang Lan seemed to lose interest when he saw that she was trying to hide.
On that day in Anyang City, the Fairy Miaoyin drank his tea and then said frankly that she would not go to the secret realm of Master Zixia to compete for the opportunity, which was considered to be giving him face.
Just because of this, she wanted him to owe her a favor? She came to him for help and wanted to get something for nothing. Jiang Lan didn't think as well as she did.
"Mr. Jiang..." Fairy Miaoyin bit her lower lip lightly, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him with some embarrassment.
(End of this chapter)
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