Chapter 273 Your subject, Meng Qing, pays his respects...
Emerging from the main hall, Du Min moved swiftly, leaving the other prime ministers far behind in the blink of an eye.
Du Min took the lead and walked out of the palace, eager to return and report the good news. As soon as he stepped out of Yingtian Gate, he saw several familiar figures.
"Third Brother!" Meng Qing also saw Du Min. She quickly stepped forward and, seeing Du Min's expression, was overjoyed. "It's done?"
Du Min bowed with his hands clasped, saying, "Du Min greets Minister Meng."
Meng Qing smiled broadly and returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "This humble official greets Prime Minister Du."
Yin Caiwei and Du Li also came over. Yin Caiwei said excitedly, "Congratulations, Second Sister-in-law! More than 20 years of hard work have finally paid off, making you a precedent in history for female officials attending court."
"That's incredible!" Du Li exclaimed. The girl who chose to marry him back then only to change her household registration and secure a future for her descendants had actually become the first female official to enter the imperial court and was in charge of the channels for scholars across the country to enter officialdom.
Meng Qingchong smiled smugly at his family members behind him and pressed, "Third brother, which ministry do I work for? The Ministry of Personnel or the Ministry of Revenue?"
“Ministry of Personnel, this was personally appointed by the Holy Mother Goddess, not recommended by us,” Du Min stated clearly.
Meng Qing was delighted again, only then noticing that Du Min's sleeve was torn. "A fight broke out in front of the palace?"
Du Min raised his arms and shook them, proudly displaying his achievements, "Without the use of force, how could we have reached a conclusion so quickly?"
This fight was Du Min's open scheme. He indiscriminately cursed the civil and military officials, deliberately provoking them and drawing their hatred onto himself. Then, he would find a pretext to fight, completely shattering the court officials' arguments against Meng Qing's entry into the court as an official, and perfectly diverting the fire.
"Thank you very much, Third Brother," Meng Qing said gratefully.
Du Min waved his hand, "It's because you're capable, Second Sister-in-law. Your achievements are impeccable and flawless. The officials in the court have no reason to object. The only issue is gender, but the one sitting on the dragon throne is an empress, so this prejudice has been weakened. However, you should thank me. I'm much more useful than Prime Minister Zheng and Prime Minister Yin."
"Yes, yes, yes," Meng Qing admitted with a smile.
After a while, officials emerged from the palace gates, glaring angrily at Du Min and Meng Qing.
Du Min was afraid that the stubborn old man would cause trouble, and if a fight broke out, he wouldn't be able to handle it. He hurriedly said, "Let's go quickly and talk about it when we get home."
Just as the group was about to board the carriage, two eunuchs came out of the palace gate. The head eunuch called out loudly, "Is that Lady Wu ahead? Lady Wu, please wait. The Holy Mother Empress invites you."
Meng Qing immediately abandoned the carriage and followed the eunuch into the palace, arriving at the Imperial Garden.
"Your subject Meng Qing pays respects to the Holy Mother Divine Emperor."
"My dear minister, you may dispense with the formalities."
Meng Qing did not listen. She knelt on the stone slab, bowed, and said, "Your subject kowtows to thank the Holy Mother Goddess for her appreciation."
The Holy Mother Goddess withdrew her hand from the female official's and waved to Meng Qing.
The female official stepped aside, and Meng Qing got up and took her place. She raised her hand to support the Holy Mother Goddess as they walked in the Imperial Garden.
"I was very pleased to hear the recommendations from Chancellor Zheng, Chancellor Yin, and Chancellor Du at the morning court session today. Meng Qing, please do not thank me. I am delighted to have you join me in the court." The Holy Mother Divine Emperor clenched her palm and affirmed, "I have seen all of Meng Qing's achievements. Today, you were able to suppress hundreds of dissenting voices. This is the result of your past political achievements, which you deserve."
Meng Qing looked up and smiled.
The Holy Mother Goddess also smiled, "It is a pleasant surprise that Minister Meng has stepped into the court."
"I have long harbored ambitions, but I never expected it to go so smoothly," Meng Qing confessed.
"Prime Minister Du performed a great service this morning. He disregarded his dignity and reputation, fervently listing your achievements, wildly hurling insults at the court officials, and even brawling with them without fear of being accused of disrespectful behavior in court, drawing all the court's hostility upon himself." The Holy Mother Divine Emperor understood this clearly. When she saw Du Min fight for Meng Qing without any scruples at the morning court, she felt a sense of satisfaction. Meng Qing was another version of herself, always plotting to be reborn through a shell. She said with mutual appreciation, "Meng Qing, you have won. All your past schemes and efforts have paid off today."
Meng Qing stepped forward and knelt before the Emperor. “Your subject is sincerely grateful to you. It is thanks to the path you have paved that I have been able to display my talents and stand before you once again today.”
The Holy Mother Goddess smiled gently, "Now that you've made it up, don't fall down again. Accompany me on this journey."
"I obey the decree."
"Rise, and tell me what you have gained from bestowing books over the past three years," said the Holy Mother Divine Emperor.
Meng Qing stood up and recounted the events of the past three years, then handed over a list of people she had discovered over those three years who possessed various skills.
After reviewing the list, the Holy Mother Emperor returned it to her, saying, "I appointed you as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel for this very reason. You are to run the library well for me and recruit talented people to serve me."
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will certainly live up to your trust."
"Your Majesty, the Minister of Rites requests an audience," a female official announced.
"I will not disturb you any longer. I will come to pay my respects to the Divine Emperor another day." Meng Qing took his leave.
The Holy Mother Goddess nodded and instructed, "Take Minister Meng to the Imperial Wardrobe to have her measured and tailored. Make a well-fitting official robe for her before the Double Ninth Festival. Minister Meng, you will attend court again after I ascend the throne. A new dynasty brings a new atmosphere."
"Your subject obeys the decree." Meng Qing happily followed the female official away.
An hour later, Meng Qing left the Shangyi Bureau and went straight to Quanshanfang after leaving the palace. She went to thank Prime Minister Zheng and Prime Minister Yin.
*
Five days later, a female official from the Imperial Clothing Bureau brought two sets of official robes to Meng Qing's door for her to try on: a crimson robe, a black official hat, a white jade belt, a leather belt, and thirteen gold and jade waist buckles.
“Gong Fengyu, the number of waist plaques…” Meng Qing recalled the official system she was familiar with, and that a fourth-rank official could only use nine plaques.
“Minister Meng, this was specially ordered by the Emperor. You are to use thirteen plaques,” the Imperial Wardrobe explained. “Your official rank in the outer court is fourth grade, but the Lady of the State is above second grade, so she can afford thirteen plaques.”
Meng Qing bowed to the north with her hands clasped. Looking at herself in the bronze mirror, she was dressed in a crimson robe, a black gauze hat, and black boots. A belt with thirteen buckles was tied around her waist. She looked very imposing.
Gong Fengyu looked around and found that the robe fit perfectly and needed no alterations. She then took her leave, saying, "Minister Meng, the official robe suits you very well and does not need any further alterations. I am returning to the palace."
"Thank you for making the trip, Your Excellency." Meng Qing stood up to see him off and presented him with a thank-you gift.
After seeing the palace staff off, Meng Qing, dressed in her official robes, swaggered over to her family to show off. With the day of the Holy Mother Goddess's coronation approaching, Meng's parents and Meng Chun's family also came to watch the spectacle. She received a ton of praise from her family before finally taking off her official robes, completely satisfied.
But the official robe was hanging in front of the bed, and Meng Qing would take it down and try it on every day until the morning of the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, when he could put on the official robe without having to take it off again.
Before dawn, Meng Qing, Du Min, and Wang Zhou, all dressed in the crimson official robes designated for the day, boarded a carriage and set off. Upon arriving at Yingtian Gate, the three dismounted and walked into the palace.
Before dawn, the palace was brightly lit, and the Imperial Guards stood in formation with halberds. Bright yellow and crimson banners mingled against the gray sky, while embroidered patterns of the character "曌" and phoenixes, like the Great Luo Sutra, shrouded the majestic palace.
It changed the world, it changed Li and Wu.
Upon arriving at Zetian Gate, the master of ceremonies came out to greet them, "Prime Minister Du, Vice Minister Meng, and Supervisor Du, the auspicious time is approaching. Please enter the venue quickly."
Meng Qing looked towards the Temple of Earth inside the gate, where there were many figures, including civil and military officials and foreign vassal envoys, all dressed in red official robes.
"Second sister-in-law, please." Du Min took a step back and extended his arm. "You helped me rise in the past, and today I will guide you."
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhou stepped back behind the two of them.
Meng Qing raised his hand and placed it on Du Min's arm. Under the watchful eyes of the officials in charge of ceremonies and the Imperial Guards, he stepped into the Zetian Gate.
Du Min helped Meng Qing to the ranks of officials. He escorted her to a position behind the Minister of Personnel, and Wang Zhou also found his place. He walked forward with his hands behind his back and went to the head of the officials.
Golden light appeared on the horizon, and the loud and majestic sound of drums rose. The rosy clouds on the horizon emerged in layers like fish scales, and the earth regained its splendor.
The music and drums grew louder and more exciting, and a figure dressed in the emperor's robes appeared on the city wall; the phoenix throne had found its master.
The drums and music stopped, and the eunuch raised the imperial edict and read out the "Imperial Edict on Changing the Era Name to Zaichu," which established the state name as Zhou, the capital as Luoyang Shendu, changed the era name to Tianshou, and granted a general amnesty.
The bells and drums rang out in unison, their sound resounding throughout the capital.
Meng Qing looked up at the figure on the city wall. As the official in charge of ceremonies announced the ceremony, she knelt down along with the civil and military officials, shouting, "Long live the Holy Emperor!"
Long live the Empress!
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Author's Note: After thinking about it for two days, I've decided to mark this as the end of the main story. There are only a few extra chapters about the children, and I won't write anything more.
With the Empress's ascension to the throne and Meng Qing's entry into the court as an official, both storylines—one overt and one covert, one real and one fictional—should come to an end.
As for whether the imperial power will return to the Li Tang dynasty or change and fall into the hands of Princess Taiping (in fact, Taiping also represents the Li Tang dynasty, and she is also inclined towards the Li Tang dynasty, and Empress Wu was also wary of her), it is possible, after all, the timeline in the text has changed.
This is Meng Qing's story, not the story of the Tang Dynasty. Ultimately, which side she leans towards depends on which side benefits her. I've given her conditions that could shake the foundations of the nation; she will make the decision that best satisfies her.
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