Chapter 72 Power
Without the emperor's permission, palace servants dare not get up if they have made a mistake.
When Xiao Yu returned to Funing Palace, she found that one of the eunuchs was missing. After asking, she learned that Fu Shun was still kneeling. She then sent a young eunuch to call him back.
In the hall, Song Luoning sat upright on the couch reading a book. When she saw Xiao Yu return, she rose to greet her, but Xiao Yu stopped her first. She was still angry, but now she was just helpless: "Didn't I tell you not to greet me? How could you forget?"
Song Luoning curved her lips into a gentle smile, placing her hand on the jade belt of the court dress as she helped her change.
Xiao Yu naturally raised her arm: "Not yet..." She suddenly stopped talking.
Having finally convinced the young lady to live with him, Xiao Yu immediately shook his head if she found out about what happened in court today: "Actually, it's nothing. It's just that those ministers don't respect me at all." His tone revealed a hint of unease.
Today was her first day in court, and the ministers had effectively sidelined her. If it weren't for her quick thinking, not only would the male lead have been allowed to return to Qingzhou, but he would also have been rewarded. Wouldn't that have been like planting a time bomb for herself?
Song Luoning raised her eyes and keenly caught a hint of dissatisfaction in her expression. She comforted her, "Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, and the foundation is not yet stable. Don't be impatient." As she spoke, she gently placed the jade belt in her hand on the bronze tray and began to untie the sash on the front of her robe. The gold nine-clawed dragon on the wide and heavy court robe extended all the way to the hem. In this sweltering weather, her inner garment was already somewhat damp with sweat.
Song Luoning called the palace maids to help her remove her court robes and hang them on the clothes rack.
"It's so hot! Couldn't this dress be made thinner and lighter? Luckily, I don't have to go to court every day, or I would die of heatstroke." Xiao Yu breathed a sigh of relief, fanned his cheeks with his hand, took the water that Song Luoning handed him, drank it all in one gulp, and waved to the palace servants.
The palace servants bowed and left the sleeping quarters.
Xiao Yu sat down on the couch, tugged at the close-fitting strip of cloth binding her chest, and loosened it a little: "Those old men are too hateful, they actually made me release Xiao Chengze."
Song Luoning paused, her brows furrowing slightly: "What did Father say?"
How did you say it?
Xiao Yu was furious when this was mentioned. It was one thing for others to say it, but the key point was that it was his own father-in-law who started it.
"What else can I say?" She knew how many times her father-in-law's family had helped her. Although her father-in-law was the one who initiated today's events, they were still family, and she wouldn't really blame him. Besides, she didn't want to put the young lady in a difficult position.
"Never mind," Xiao Yu waved her hand, her tone calm, "but it's nothing serious." Indeed, it was nothing serious; she had already resolved it, and Xiao Chengze had been effectively placed under house arrest by her.
Thinking she had concealed it well, Song Luoning, being a perceptive person, immediately understood that the matter must have been suggested by her father. Her father had always been concerned about the country, and this matter was indeed a difficult choice. On the one hand, it involved the new emperor's ascension to the throne. Forgiving the rebels would not only give the new emperor a good reputation, but also let the world know that their new emperor was kind and benevolent, so that those princes who were still watching would give up completely. On the other hand, there were still 100,000 rebels outside the city. What if it caused panic?
On the other hand, Xiao Chengze is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Letting him go is like releasing a tiger back into the mountains. He had previously wanted to kill her, so it's no wonder that Deng Tu Zi is unhappy now that she has let him go.
Song Luoning sat down beside her, hesitated for a moment, and said softly, "Your Majesty is wronged, and Father is only thinking of the country."
Is it because she can't stand it anymore?
Xiao Yu raised her eyes, sighed softly. Nothing could be hidden from her. Her lingering gloom vanished, and she took her hand and held it in her palm: "Actually, it's not that I felt wronged. In any case, I didn't let them succeed. I wonder if my father-in-law will blame me for this?"
"Hmm?" Song Luoning was surprised. She knew that this lecherous man, though seemingly not shrewd, was actually rebellious and capable of anything if things didn't go her way.
Did he order the killing?
Song Luoning was startled. If that were the case, it would give them ammunition and provide them with leverage against her.
"His Majesty......"
Xiao Yu smiled and interrupted her: "I sent Xiao Chengze to guard the imperial tomb. I originally wanted to just kill him on charges of treason, but then I thought, we finally don't have to fight anymore. If we cause panic among the rebels outside the city and another battle breaks out, it would be a loss. It's worth it to let him go in exchange for peace in the world."
Upon hearing this, Song Luoning breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. Sure enough, this person would never suffer a loss. It was all thanks to her for coming up with this idea.
Then, Xiao Yu grinned and recounted the events of the morning court session in detail.
After listening, Song Luoning frowned slightly. Although she had resolved the issue, Qingzhou had become a no-man's land, and she couldn't help but feel a little worried: "How will Qingzhou be governed in this way? Has Your Majesty thought it through?"
Although Gyeongju is not a wealthy region, it has an iron mine that has always been managed by the local government. If not handled properly, it may fall into the hands of those with ulterior motives.
take over?
She hadn't thought of that, and the ministers hadn't mentioned it either. If what the young lady said was true, they had to hold onto this iron mine tightly. After all, weapons used in ancient warfare were all made of iron, so this iron mine was a treasure.
Xiao Yu pondered for a moment, staring intently at her, and asked in a questioning tone, "Should we find a reliable person to take over Qingzhou, or does my wife have any other ideas?"
Song Luoning couldn't help but smile: "There's no need for such trouble. Why not just take back Qingzhou and let the imperial court take over? As for..."
"I understand!" Xiao Yu's eyes lit up, and he excitedly slapped his thigh: "As for the iron mine, the imperial court must take over. Moreover, all iron mines, coal mines, and salt mines must be managed by the imperial court, and local officials have no right to participate."
Song Luoning nodded, surprised that she was so intelligent.
Xiao Yu stood up, looking somewhat excited, and paced back and forth: "I'll go now."
"Wait a minute," Song Luoning called out to her, "Has His Majesty decided what to do?"
“Yes, Qingzhou definitely needs to send a reliable person, and the iron mines also need to be brought under the control of the imperial court, in order to abolish the feudal domains in the future,” Xiao Yu said.
She had seen the rebellions of the feudal lords on television more than once, and now she had experienced it firsthand. The abolition of the feudal lords was imperative, so let's start from Gyeongju.
Abolish the feudal domains?
Song Luoning was startled. How did the topic of abolishing the feudal lords come up again? This was no small matter. If not handled properly, it could force the feudal lords to rebel. How could this lecherous man be so impatient?
“Your Majesty, some things should not be rushed. The various forces are intertwined, and moving one will have far-reaching consequences. If we really implement it, it will inevitably harm the interests of some people, and we will probably face a lot of resistance,” Song Luoning said.
Xiao Yu was taken aback. Indeed, there were too many reforms in history that failed because they touched the interests of certain people. If you don’t have enough power in your hands, it’s impossible to succeed just by having passion.
Xiao Yu calmed down: "I understand. The matter of abolishing the feudal lords can wait, but the matter of Qingzhou must be resolved."
Song Luoning nodded.
Who in the court can be of use?
Is it your wife's family?
Xiao Yu quickly rejected the idea. Judging from her father-in-law's attitude today, he might not necessarily side with her. Besides, half of the people in the court were her father-in-law's protégés. Who could say for sure whether her reforms would infringe on their interests?
Grand Princess?
Her suggestion today was indeed from her own perspective, but without distinguishing friend from foe, she dared not rashly believe it. Besides, she and Xiao Chengze were rivals in love, so it was normal for her to hope that her rival would die. Just thinking about the tragic love story between the young lady and the male lead in the original plot made her want to kill Xiao Chengze.
Perhaps she could find another opportunity to test the Grand Princess.
However, the most important thing is to cultivate one's own strength. The imperial examination was the most direct way in all dynasties, but the spring examination would not be held until next year, and I don't have that much time to wait right now.
Xiao Yu couldn't help but sigh deeply, wondering how she had become so alone.
Even a lonely person above thousands wouldn't be like this now.
Sitting back down on the couch, the young man's eyes drooped as he slowly lay down, resting his head on Song Luoning's lap: "It seems like I can't even find anyone I can use."
Is there anyone suitable?
Song Luoning lowered her eyes, looking at the girl's delicate features, not missing the confusion in the boy's eyes. She was slightly stunned. Wasn't her father someone she trusted?
After a moment of silence, he asked in return, "Does Your Majesty have a suitable candidate?"
A suitable candidate?
She was all alone and had no suitable candidates. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh, shake her head, and say truthfully, "I want to cultivate some of my own people so that I won't be hindered when things happen."
Song Luoning pursed her lips and looked at her, her eyes unreadable. She wanted to ask, "Isn't my father one of our own?" In the end, she just sighed and didn't ask anything.
The emperor's heart is unfathomable. Although I knew that she might not have meant it that way, I still felt a little sad.
When Song Luoning remained silent, Xiao Yu looked up and asked, "Does my wife have any ideas?"
Song Luoning paused, concealing her emotions, and said with a smile, "The best way to select talents is through the imperial examination, but there is still some time before the imperial examination, and I'm afraid the matter of Qingzhou will not be resolved by then."
This coincided with her thoughts.
"Your Majesty might as well issue an imperial edict to recruit talents widely. In order to show Your Majesty's emphasis on talents, you can also personally select them," Song Luoning said.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu immediately perked up, sat up straight, and looked at her expectantly: "Who do you think should do this, my wife?"
Song Luoning pursed her lips. From the conversation just now, she hadn't heard a single word about her father or brothers, so she made a decision: "Your Majesty, why not entrust this matter to the Grand Princess? The Grand Princess is known for her fairness; I've heard of her since I was still a young woman. Besides..."
She glanced at Xiao Yu and didn't continue.
How much did this man truly understand about the art of imperial power?
She remained silent, and Xiao Yu, without hesitation, smiled and said, "Then I'll listen to my wife, but we can't completely trust this Grand Princess." As for who one can truly trust...
Several figures flashed through Xiao Yu's mind, and a smile appeared on his lips: "Wife, why don't we go back to see Mother today? I haven't been back to see her since I entered the palace, and I wonder if she's worried?"
Song Luoning nodded and took a casual robe from the clothes rack. Unlike court robes, casual robes were not heavy and difficult to put on. Xiao Yu took it with a smile and said affectionately, "I can do this myself." Even after becoming emperor, he had not gotten used to having his clothes done for him.
After getting ready, the two left the palace in plain clothes, accompanied only by two personal guards. By the time they arrived at the villa, it was already noon.
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