Chapter 411: Empress, are you serious? Ascend the throne today and abdicate tomorrow?
The queen widened her eyes, her face full of disbelief, and shouted in a trembling voice: "The emperor died suddenly? No, no, it was you! You killed the emperor! Mo Liyuan, you are a traitor, how dare you kill the emperor?" Her voice was sharp and desperate, as if to tear the entire palace apart.
The guards heard the sound and quickly surrounded them.
The Queen, however, seemed to have lost her mind, shouting like a madman, "How dare you! Get out of here! Mo Liyuan murdered the emperor, and you didn't arrest him, but you dared to arrest me?"
The Queen swept her glare fiercely across the courtiers present. She shouted at the top of her lungs, "Mo Liyuan murdered the emperor and yet allowed his princess to wear the dragon robe! Are you all speechless? Where is my brother, the Prime Minister? Where is he?"
The court officials all lowered their heads and dared not breathe.
Some concubines burst into tears, sobbing one after another.
"Why did the emperor leave so suddenly... Woo..." Their cries were like fallen leaves in the cold wind, desolate and helpless.
The queen was still struggling, she shouted: "I want to see the emperor! I want to see the emperor!"
The guards dragged her away without mercy, and the queen's figure gradually walked away and finally disappeared from sight.
Mo Liyuan slowly waved his arms, and the concubines were taken away one by one by the guards.
He held Lan Xiyue's hand and walked towards Fengtian Hall step by step.
The court officials looked at each other, their eyes filled with helplessness and astonishment.
Several old ministers, unable to contain their anger and loyalty, rushed forward, determined to die to prove their loyalty.
Tian Yi and other secret guards followed them like shadows, knocked them out quickly, and then dragged them to a palace nearby to keep them under guard.
When the other court officials saw this, they did not dare to say anything even though they felt uncomfortable.
Tianyi stood outside the Fengtian Hall, looking at the court officials with a sharp gaze.
He said loudly: "Ministers, please."
The court officials walked into the Fengtian Hall reluctantly with heavy steps.
Lan Xiyue sat on the dragon throne, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
She stroked the carvings on the dragon throne. Damn, this is a dragon throne! Today she finally experienced what it meant to look down from a high position.
Inside the hall, the court officials were silent, and the atmosphere was so heavy that water could almost turn into ice.
Tianyi spoke again, his voice echoing in the hall like thunder: "Why don't you kneel down and worship the Empress?"
The court officials turned their faces away, their hearts filled with struggle and resistance.
In the history of Dongyao Kingdom, there has never been an example of a woman becoming emperor.
They could not accept a woman sitting on the dragon throne, which symbolized supreme power, and becoming their monarch.
Mo Liyuan stood quietly by, his eyes cold and deep. He spoke slowly, his voice icy, "Why? Do you want me to have you all forced to kneel down and worship the Empress?"
At this time, Mu Lao, a veteran of two dynasties, stood up tremblingly.
His voice was filled with sorrow. "Isn't your Highness the Regent worried that this action will unsettle the people of Dongyao and destabilize the country? What merits and abilities does Lan Xiyue possess to sit on the throne? Our Dongyao Kingdom has never had a woman become emperor. Isn't your Highness the Regent worried that even the late emperor would be disturbed in his grave?"
Mo Liyuan simply waved his hand, and the guards came forward and dragged Mu Lao out.
His voice was still cold: "You must worship today. If you don't, I don't mind if rivers of blood are shed today."
There was a sudden gasp in the hall, and expressions of fear and uneasiness appeared on the faces of the court officials.
Under Mo Liyuan's pressure, a court official finally knelt down, and his voice sounded lowly: "Greetings to the Empress." This voice was like a sound breaking the ice, breaking the silence and deadlock in the hall.
Then, like a domino effect, one courtier after another knelt down.
"Meet the Empress."
Lan Xiyue looked at the kneeling figures, a helpless smile curling her lips. "You don't have to look so sad. I..." She shook her head gently. "Actually, you can choose your successor. As for me, I'll only be on the throne for one day and abdicate tomorrow. Of course, if you think this is a joke, then on the day I ascend the throne, I promise to replenish the national treasury. So, even if it's a joke, it won't be a loss for you or the Dongyao Kingdom. On the contrary, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages."
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell into silence, and the faces of the ministers were filled with astonishment and confusion.
A moment later, an old official with white hair and beard stepped forward, his voice trembling with uncertainty. "She... Empress, are you serious? You ascend the throne today and abdicate tomorrow?"
Lan Xiyue smiled and nodded. "Yes, so please carefully consider who is the most suitable candidate for the emperor of Dongyao Kingdom. However, the regent has recommended the third prince, but I wonder what your opinions are?"
Lan Xiyue complained in her heart: If it weren’t for completing the mission, I wouldn’t care about being an empress.
As soon as these words came out, the hall suddenly exploded.
The ministers were whispering to each other and discussing in low voices. The atmosphere was heated and complicated.
Some people frowned, as if weighing the pros and cons; some had flickering eyes, as if looking for allies; and some looked confused, obviously unprepared for this sudden change.
Mo Liyuan's lips curled into a meaningful smile, his gaze gently falling on Lan Xiyue. "Yue'er, even if you didn't mention filling the treasury, with me here, they must recognize you as emperor today."
Upon hearing this, Lan Xiyue glared at Mo Liyuan coquettishly and whispered, "I was the one who took the money from the national treasury in the first place. Besides, it's snowing heavily right now. If there's a natural disaster or man-made disaster, the court will have an emergency plan and provide disaster relief. This will not only alleviate the people's suffering, but also silence those who are complaining. Why not do it?"
Inside the hall, after a heated discussion, silence finally fell.
The eldest prince's rebellion, the crown prince's death, and the young age of the other princes made everything seem to have been decided.
The adult third prince, like a bright light in the dark night, became the most suitable candidate, at least much better than the emergence of a female emperor in Dongyao Kingdom.
An old minister stood up tremblingly, his voice filled with determination: "We all support the Third Prince as the heir."
Lan Xiyue raised her eyebrows slightly. "Okay, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory will immediately select an auspicious date, and the Master of Rites will prepare to sew a dragon robe for the Third Prince. As for the Emperor's funeral, we will handle it after the Third Prince ascends the throne. That's it, we adjourn this meeting."
The court officials looked at each other in bewilderment. Disband the meeting? Regardless, as long as Lan Xiyue didn't continue to rule as empress, they would accept it.
So this time, all the ministers bowed willingly, and Lan Xiyue stood up, took Mo Liyuan beside her, and slowly left.
The two came to the treasury.
The door of the national treasury slowly opened, and it was empty inside. Lan Xiyue just had a thought, and in an instant, the national treasury property that she had previously taken away appeared before her eyes like a phantom.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
