The conversation between the prime minister and the empress was so smooth and natural that none of the officials could get a word in edgewise.
It's understandable that the eldest princess was appointed as the deputy envoy, as she is skilled in military affairs.
The five thousand imperial guards could only protect along the way. If there was a riot by the disaster victims, the princess could mobilize the garrison troops nearby.
But the Fifth Prince... even though the Second Prince was the most outstanding, His Majesty chose the one who was not well-known.
Since the matter involved the imperial heir, none of the officials dared to speak out easily; to rashly express their stance at this time would only make them targets.
Besides, one thing can't determine anything; they're more concerned about whether it means His Majesty intends to establish an heir.
The three chief and deputy envoys have been appointed, but the members of the other three departments have not yet been appointed, and the power is in the hands of the prime minister.
Many people have started to consider competing for it, especially those who have quietly contributed to disaster relief.
Qin Minghuang's move was also a way of returning the favor; if Pei Xuanyun hadn't cooperated fully, the fundraising wouldn't have been so smooth.
Just when everyone thought everything was settled, she spoke again, "The Sixth Princess will accompany us."
Qin Zhaoyue: !!
What the heck? She's coming along?
Suddenly I jolted awake, and all my drowsiness vanished.
"Your Majesty, I can't do it!"
Qin Minghuang glanced at her casually, "Cure your lazy and sleepy habits."
Before Xiao Liu could say anything more, she stood up and left.
"Dismiss the court."
Qin Zhaoyue darted out, but was firmly blocked by the imperial guards and could not advance an inch.
"Your Majesty! Let's discuss this further, let's talk about it some more!"
The civil and military officials watched this scene and silently turned and left.
Serves her right, she dares to fall asleep during court sessions, is she the only one who's sleepy?
Sleeping is fine, but why are you snoring?
If it weren't for her status as a princess, she would have been punished for disrespect in front of the palace long ago.
Qin Zhaoyue was unaware of one thing: she had clearly fallen asleep during the morning court session, yet not a single censor had impeached her...
No one considered the Sixth Princess a threat, and seeing Pei Xuanyun walk out of the Phoenix Palace, they all rushed out.
"I refuse to accept this. Why should I go?"
"They've already fined me ten thousand taels! I want to see His Majesty!"
"I can't go, Your Majesty! I can't get out of bed!"
...
The third, fourth, and ninth princes gathered around the eldest princess, watching the sixth prince struggling wildly, speechless for a moment.
"Elder sister, what is Mother Empress doing...?"
The eldest princess sighed, she hadn't expected her mother to send the sixth princess along.
Although the matter of establishing an heir had not been explicitly stated before, the power struggle among the imperial heirs had already begun.
If there is only one empress, then the reforms that Qin Minghuang has painstakingly implemented could very well collapse in an instant.
The period of women taking the imperial examinations and serving as officials was too short, and now very few women are able to stand in the imperial court.
The highest rank is only the fourth rank. Not to mention the chief officials, there is not a single woman among the junior officials of the six departments.
To truly implement the concept of gender equality, the second generation can only be an empress, so Qin Minghuang's favoritism towards the princesses is blatant.
The Princess Group and the Prince Group are inherently two opposing camps, and internal competition within the Princess Group has never ceased...
Okay, it's mainly a competition between the eldest, third, and fourth sons; the sixth and ninth sons have nothing to do with it.
However, after the audience was presented in the Imperial Study, this internal competition suddenly melted away like ice and snow.
The Empress's throne... doesn't seem so appealing after all...
At this time, the Princess Group was in a very strange state.
The open and covert struggles have subsided, but they cannot give up entirely, otherwise the throne will fall into the hands of a prince, which is absolutely unacceptable.
At the very least, a smooth transition to the second generation is necessary, ensuring the stability of women's examinations and giving women a place in the imperial court.
Although the eldest, third, and fourth brothers did not explicitly address each other, internal strife decreased.
The four princesses exchanged glances, and three of them already understood.
He simply fell asleep in the imperial court. I don't know why they think it's "just" or "nothing," but it doesn't seem like such a big crime for Xiao Liu.
The reason she was forced to go with the disaster relief team was definitely not because of punishment; it was very likely that Xiao Liu had once again caught the eye of the Empress.
"No, eldest sister, third sister, fourth sister, what are you all looking at each other for? What do you mean? Say something!"
The eldest princess reached out and patted her little head. "It's alright, you don't need to know."
Xiao Jiu: ? ? ?
"I'm crying, I'm going to cry!"
Outside the imperial study, Qin Zhaoyue was almost in tears.
"Your Majesty! Mother! Mother! Please see me, Mother!"
"I can't go! I really can't go!"
The heart-wrenching wails continued unabated, and all the guards and bodyguards around fell silent, wishing they could gouge out their own ears.
Calling His Majesty "Mother"... While that's true... the Sixth Princess is being far too bold.
Two Azure Phoenix Guards blocked her from the left and right. No matter how she dodged, dodged, jogged, or looked at the plane, she tried every trick in the book, but she couldn't close the distance at all.
The repeated calls of "Mother" still echoed in her ears. Qin Minghuang tilted her head slightly, held the plum juice with its floating ice, and took a small sip.
Crow's feet? An aging mother?
"ha……"
So refreshing!
The chief eunuch, Su Quan, couldn't help but shudder. His Majesty's laughter... was terrifying...
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