With the travel permit prepared by the Xuanji Guard, there were naturally no flaws, and the carriage smoothly entered the majestic Fengjing city gate.
Having been away for just over a month, Qin Zhaoyue was suddenly overcome with a sense of loss and disillusionment as she looked at the familiar streets bustling with traffic and people again.
Upon arriving at a bustling area of the city, vehicles arranged by the Xuanji Guard were already waiting.
Qin Minghuang didn't say much, only gave Xiao Liu a deep look, and then quietly changed vehicles under strict guard, heading straight towards the palace.
The remaining three, Qin Zhaoyue, Jiang Wuyai, and Chu Xinglan, rode in the original carriage and headed straight for the Sixth Princess's residence.
Yes, in addition to Senior Brother Jiang Wuyai, who will definitely be accompanying them, even Chu Xinglan, the official of Ziwei Terrace, will be going along.
She was born and entered the palace specifically for the purpose of spiritual cultivation.
Now that the holder of the Heavenly Plate has been identified, it is natural to follow him.
Qin Minghuang did not try to persuade him to stay, knowing full well that Xiao Liu would not be able to leave Fengjing anytime soon.
For a Grandmaster at the second rank, there is not much difference between living in the Sixth Princess's residence and living in the deep gardens of the Imperial Palace; it is only a matter of a moment's distance.
Under the meticulous arrangements of the Xuanji Guard, Qin Minghuang returned to the Forbidden Palace without anyone noticing.
The Imperial Study still felt somewhat crowded.
The three younger children had just finished breakfast and were preparing to go to the temporary school set up on the right wing so as not to disturb their elder sisters in handling state affairs.
The three eldest imperial heirs, who had just finished the morning court session, were gathered around the imperial desk, buried in a mountain of official documents, a routine they had recently maintained without fail.
Pei Xuanyun will now select a portion of the most important memorials and send them directly to the Imperial Study.
After the Third Princess gave him a preliminary review and comments, he took it back to examine it more closely.
If there are differing opinions, the matter will be sent to the Imperial Study for further discussion.
This hands-on experience, almost like that of a master and apprentice, allowed the Third Princess, the Fourth Princess, and even the Fifth Prince to quickly shed their naivety and mature in handling political affairs.
At this moment, they are having a heated discussion about the disposal of the vast lands originally occupied by the four great families.
"Returning land to the people" is not just empty talk; the primary challenge is to establish fair and reasonable distribution standards.
Knowing full well that the problem lies not in scarcity but in inequality, and understanding that absolute equality is impossible, they initially formulated two principles:
First, priority is given to farmers who have no land or very little land per capita, based on their needs.
Secondly, incentives are given, such as those who pay taxes on time over the years, perform excellent service in corvée labor, and have no criminal record, with higher scores awarded at the discretion of the authorities.
But this raises a deeper issue: the need for accurate verification of population and farmland at the local level.
Even without practical experience at the grassroots level, they could foresee the long-standing problem of "policies from above, countermeasures from below".
In matters of great importance concerning the lives and livelihoods of ordinary people, such as land redistribution, local officials and village heads could easily falsify records to ensure that benefits flowed to themselves or their families.
Ultimately, it simply passed from the hands of powerful clans to countless local tyrants and landlords, a mere change in name only.
Therefore, the first step in dividing the land must be a comprehensive consideration.
How to allocate funds, what standards to use, and who should supervise and implement the process all require careful planning.
This was the core problem they had been pondering after gaining a basic understanding of the court's politics.
Just as the discussion was getting into a good mood, the door to the Imperial Study was silently pushed open, and a figure slowly stepped in.
Almost simultaneously, all six people in the room sensed something and turned their gazes in that direction.
Qin Zhaowan was the first to be stunned, her eyes somewhat dazed.
Is it the Queen Mother? The resemblance is striking, but... she seems a bit too young?
"Mother Queen...?" she called softly, her voice trembling with uncertainty.
Upon seeing this, Qin Minghuang's lips curled up slightly, revealing a gentle smile:
"What? It hasn't been that long since we last met, and you don't even recognize the Empress?"
It really is the Queen Mother!
In an instant, the imperial study fell silent; you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was so shocked by the scene before them that they were speechless.
Xiao Jiu reacted the fastest, leaping up from her seat like a swallow returning to its nest.
The small figure rushed over and hugged Qin Minghuang tightly around the waist.
He buried his face in front of her, his voice choked with sobs, "Mother!" His voice was filled with grievance and lingering fear.
Qin Minghuang hugged her youngest daughter back, gently stroking the top of her head with tender and loving movements.
The other imperial heirs also realized what was happening and immediately gathered around.
My heart was filled with mixed emotions, and a thousand words were stuck in my throat.
Qin Minghuang's gaze was kind as she swept over their faces and patted each of their heads.
"Alright, alright, Mother Queen is back, everything is alright."
Actually, after so much time has passed, they already had their suspicions.
If something truly happened to the Empress, things wouldn't remain calm on Zhaoyue's side forever; only the Xuanji Guards would send back some vague and ambiguous messages.
But only now, seeing his mother not only safe and sound but also radiant, did his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settle down completely.
"Thank you for your hard work these past few days," Qin Minghuang said softly, looking at the older children.
Just from those words, Qin Zhaowan felt a lump in her throat and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
Even Qin Zhaoshu, who was usually aloof, couldn't help but have his eyes well up with tears.
Meanwhile, a certain naive and emotionally expressive adult prince had long been unable to resist.
Tears streamed down her face, soaking her clothes.
"The Queen Mother is back, and... she's better than ever before."
Qin Minghuang spoke with a tone of satisfaction, looking at her three older children with a hint of protectiveness, and asked,
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