Chapter 116 [VIP]
The fifth day of the eighth lunar month is the day of the grand court ceremony.
Inside the Golden Palace, the court officials waited and waited, until dawn, but they still did not hear the sound of the whip.
In the past, even if there was an occasional suspension of court, Li Deshun would come and issue an edict or something, but this time even Li Deshun did not appear.
The room was quiet at first, but later there was a constant rustling sound.
The Duke of Wei cleared his throat and asked, "Grand Secretary, will the Emperor actually come?"
Chief Minister Song: "I don't know."
Upon learning of the earth dragon's reversal in Qingzhou, the Grand Secretary of the Song Dynasty went to the palace to request an audience that very day, but to this day he has not yet seen the Emperor.
He said, "I have already sent someone to invite Supervisor Shen."
"The earthquake in Qingzhou has affected at least four provinces." Minister Mo's mustache was bristling with anxiety. "And we still don't have a plan!"
During the reign of Emperor Taizu, post stations in various prefectures were equipped with carrier pigeons. After an earthquake occurred in Qingzhou, the carrier pigeons from the local administration office reached the capital immediately.
For three consecutive days, more than a dozen letters arrived; the Ministry of Revenue was practically turning into a pigeon farm.
"Houses are collapsing one after another. Hundreds of thousands have been killed or injured by the falling debris alone. If disaster relief isn't provided in time, who knows how many more will die. Does the Emperor even care?"
"It's been three days, and there's still no sign of them!"
Minister Mo grew angrier as he spoke. Even if he were to pass away, at least a bell should be rung.
Prince Jin said expressionlessly, "Where the Emperor went is none of your business, Minister Mo."
“Prince Jin,” Minister Mo said sarcastically, “the Emperor didn’t tell you where he went, did he? Don’t act like you’re a favored minister. Talking, talking, I spit on you.”
"Minister Mo, how dare you!"
"So be it! It's none of my business how you behave. If you're so capable, go ahead and summon the Emperor. If you can't, then shut up."
"you!"
It's a mess facing upwards.
They had been waiting for two hours.
Even if the cabinet could discuss and set out a plan first, for such an important matter as the disaster in Qingzhou, the emperor should at least show his face to reassure the people.
"Lord Shen has arrived."
Someone reminded them, and suddenly everyone fell silent, turning to look in the same direction.
Shen Xu stepped into the Golden Palace with the sunlight behind him. He walked past the assembled officials and onto the vermilion platform, saying impatiently, "The Emperor is not in the palace."
Minister Mo hurriedly asked, "Where did His Majesty go?"
"That's none of your business," Shen Xu said condescendingly, his tone full of disdain as he looked down at everyone with an air of equality.
"His Majesty is traveling incognito, accompanied by the Third Prince. All is well."
His meaning was that the emperor should be well, and everyone else should mind their own business.
After Shen Xu finished speaking, he flicked his sleeves and left, the bright red open sleeves seeming to boil like flames with his movements.
He glanced at Xie Yingchen. This wasn't what they had originally agreed upon in their deal. They had inexplicably done more than they were supposed to, which made him extremely unhappy.
Xie Yingchen smiled, and with the tips of his right thumb and forefinger together at his side, he made a drinking gesture.
"Hmph. Someone who can't even drink a drop wants to be invited to drink? Do you think he's that easy to fool?" Shen Xu snorted coldly.
No one noticed the subtle movements between the two.
The fact that the emperor was not in the palace made the court even more chaotic, especially since no one knew where he was, so how could people not speculate?
"Quiet."
Chief Minister Song lightly clapped his hands three times.
Ignoring whether anyone else was speaking, he said directly, "Since the Emperor is not here, according to the decree of the Taizu Emperor, the cabinet shall select one person to oversee the country and govern until the Emperor returns to court."
Regent?!
Some people gasped, while others nodded silently.
Indeed, if the emperor suddenly falls ill and becomes unconscious without leaving an imperial edict, or is unable to attend court for various reasons, then according to the law, the cabinet will select a suitable person from the imperial clan to oversee the country and act as regent.
But who should be the regent?
Upon hearing this, the eldest prince was eager to try. As the eldest prince, he was the only one qualified to attend court sessions as an observer, making him the most suitable candidate.
His father didn't know what had happened. If he were to act as regent in place of his father now, and his father didn't return, he might be able to take advantage of the situation. With this thought in mind, the eldest prince suppressed his excitement and took half a step forward, wanting all the court officials to see him.
The chief minister's gaze swept across the Golden Palace, and unsurprisingly lingered on the eldest prince for a moment.
"It can be..."
First Prince: Tell me quickly, tell me quickly!
"Prince Chen will oversee the kingdom."
Grand Secretary Song bowed deeply in the direction of Xie Yingchen.
These words caused an uproar in the court. The eldest prince stood frozen in place, his lips parted slightly.
Prince Jin immediately said, "No, even if the choice of regent is made by the cabinet, it is not something that you, the chief minister, can decide alone. What qualifications does Prince Chen have to act as regent?"
"During the reign of the late emperor, Prince Chen was only fourteen years old when he served as regent for half a year. Is he qualified?!"
The chief minister's rhetorical question left the Prince of Jin speechless.
"Prince Chen was personally appointed as the Crown Prince by the late Emperor, and he was not deposed until the late Emperor passed away." Chief Minister Song said proudly, "The late Emperor decreed that if the monarch is unable to manage state affairs, the Crown Prince should oversee the country. If there is no Crown Prince, the Crown Prince should oversee the country. If there is no Crown Prince, the Grandson should oversee the country. If there is no Grandson, the Cabinet should recommend one."
"The cabinet unanimously recommends that Prince Chen serve as regent."
"Chief Minister Song!" Prince Jin's eyes widened. Had Chief Minister Song completely sided with Xie Yingchen?!
Looking at the other cabinet members, none of them voiced their opposition, which means that Xie Yingchen had managed to win over the entire cabinet?
Duke Wei was equally astonished. Not long ago, he had tried to win over Chief Minister Song for the sake of the Third Prince, but Chief Minister Song didn't have a clear intention at the time, did he? He thought Chief Minister Song wouldn't easily take sides.
Chief Minister Song: "Gentlemen, does anyone have any objections?"
The Duke of Wei and the Prince of Jin exchanged bewildered glances. The princes were still young and had not yet participated in politics; they probably didn't even know how many provinces and counties were in Qingzhou. As for the late emperor's sons, most of them had become idle and uninvolved in state affairs after the current emperor ascended the throne.
For a moment, they couldn't think of anyone other than Xie Yingchen who was qualified to be regent.
This move by Prime Minister Song caught them completely off guard.
In a flash, Xie Yingchen found himself standing beside the dragon throne on the vermilion platform, a faint smile playing on his lips, his superior posture inspiring a sense of submission in everyone.
"The earthquake in Qingzhou is of utmost importance."
His voice was clear and melodious, with a calming charm that brought a quiet down to the imperial palace.
"Minister Mo, how much grain and silver can the Ministry of Revenue allocate?"
Minister Mo's spirits lifted. In the past few days, he had reviewed the national treasury again for the sake of Qingzhou. Without thinking, he said, "Two hundred thousand shi of grain and one hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver can be mobilized immediately. If we transfer grain from the Ever-Normal Granary now, we can transfer an additional one hundred thousand shi."
This amount is not large, in fact, it is quite small, not even enough for a province.
"The Chief Minister of Song activated the Almshouse, first transferring grain from the Ever-Normal Granary, and then mobilizing local garrisons such as Pingjiawei and Liyangwei to escort the grain."
"Admiral Wu, order Liu Guangming to lead 50,000 Imperial Guards to Qingzhou for rescue."
Commander Wu was the Right Commander of the Five Armies Commandery. In the past, with Gong Hai around, he would just wait his days until retirement and rarely cause trouble. Upon hearing this, he mumbled, "Mobilizing the Imperial Guards requires the Tiger Tally of the Left Commander or an imperial edict. I do not have that authority."
That was just a perfunctory remark.
If the Left Admiral is present, the Right Admiral naturally cannot abuse his power. However, if the Left Admiral is absent, the Right Admiral must fill the vacancy. Even if the Emperor is absent, the law allows someone else to oversee the country, let alone a mere Five Military Commands.
The Prince of Jin disagreed, saying, "Your Highness, you have no military tally, how can you mobilize the Imperial Guards?"
Now that Xie Yingchen's regency is a foregone conclusion, he must at least keep Xie Yingchen in check and prevent him from becoming too powerful. If Xie Yingchen is allowed to seize military power again, things will get out of control in the future.
"Uncle of the Prince of Jin," Xie Yingchen asked calmly, "Has the Crown Prince not arrived in the capital yet?"
What's the meaning?
"The court is currently in dire need of capable officials, and it is very inconvenient that the Crown Prince has not yet taken office. In my opinion, the position of Left Commander should be filled by another official."
Xie Yingchen has gentle features and a refined, scholarly demeanor.
He has no military tally and cannot mobilize the imperial guards, but as he is now overseeing the country, he has the authority to dispatch officials.
Xie Yingchen had Xie Qiyun firmly under his control; with just one sentence, he made the Prince of Jin suffer a setback.
Prince Jin's face turned pale and then red. He chuckled twice and compromised, saying, "Young Master, you are overthinking it. Since the Left Admiral is not here, the Right Admiral should temporarily take over his duties. There is no need to appoint someone else. Admiral Wu, the affairs of Qingzhou are of utmost importance now. You should listen to the Young Master and not be negligent just because the Young Master is young. Otherwise, I will not let you off lightly."
Admiral Wu was caught in a dilemma. If he refused again, he would not only offend Prince Chen, but also Prince Jin.
He said with a pained expression, "Yes."
"Lord Xun, I hereby appoint you as Imperial Inspector. You are to depart immediately for Qingzhou to oversee disaster relief efforts."
"The Imperial Medical Academy is ordered to recruit doctors within three days..."
Xie Yingchen calmly surveyed his ministers, arranging each matter in an orderly manner.
At first, many people adopted a wait-and-see attitude, but soon, as he called out names one by one, they unconsciously became serious and nervous. In recent years, the court has often argued for days over a small matter before making a decision. It has been a long time since there has been such a situation, with only deliberation and no quarreling. Everyone is focused on how to provide disaster relief and help the people, rather than fighting for power and profit.
The court assembly did not end until 1 p.m.
When Xie Yingchen came out of the Golden Palace, he was still discussing with Minister Mo how to quickly allocate grain.
"Chief Minister Song".
Xie Jing arrived panting from the direction of Shuntian Gate. He had originally gone to Wenyuan Pavilion first, but upon hearing that the court assembly had not yet ended, he hurriedly came looking for him.
"My cousin Jing?" Xie Yingchen's attention was briefly diverted. "Where is the Emperor?"
The prime minister and others also subconsciously looked at him.
Shen Xu said that the Third Prince accompanied the Emperor out of the palace. He's back, but has the Emperor returned? Even Chief Minister Song doesn't want the Emperor to be back now and get in the way.
"Father..."
Feeling a little intimidated by so many eyes staring at him, Xie Jing blurted out, "Father is at the estate, with..."
He quickly stopped himself from speaking.
The emperor and Lady Ji, the former wife of the Duke of Zhenguo, were together on the estate, their affection as deep as that of a married couple. He simply couldn't bring himself to say such a thing.
He had already persuaded his father to return to the palace, but when Lady Ji cried, his father immediately changed his mind.
Xie Jing simply couldn't understand how his father could still be so affectionate towards someone with such a disfigured face. Unless Lady Ji had used some underhanded means. Later, it was Lady Ji who said that the court could not be without a ruler for a day, and that his father should let him return to take charge of state affairs.
Xie Jing said, "My father ordered me to..."
"Who the Emperor was with at the estate, what's so taboo about that?" Xie Yingchen interrupted him, tearing away the veil of pretense. "Could it be that he's keeping a mistress in a golden house, enjoying himself to the point of forgetting his homeland, and you just can't bring yourself to say it?"
He still had a slight smile on his face, as if it were just a casual remark.
Xie Jing had never experienced the treacherous nature of the court before. Knowing he had said the wrong thing, he did not respond to Xie Yingchen, but hesitated and said, "I will persuade my father to return to the palace as soon as possible."
It would have been better if he hadn't said it, because his words were a direct admission that the emperor was neglecting all matters of state because he was keeping a beautiful woman in his arms.
This...this...The Prime Minister Song's face was extremely grim. The earthquake in Qingzhou involved the lives of millions, yet all of this was concerning a mere beauty in the Emperor's arms? And all this time, they've ignored it completely!?
Even the officials who came out from not far away stopped to watch.
“Cousin Jing,” Xie Yingchen said casually, “then I’ll trouble you to persuade the Emperor to return to the palace as soon as possible.”
After saying that, he ignored them and said, "Prime Minister Song, it's getting late. The first batch of grain supplies needs to be sent out today. Let's go to Wenyuan Pavilion first."
Yes, yes.
Chief Minister Song and others readily agreed.
If they don't want to come back, they don't have to. If the emperor were here, they would argue for half a month just about how to provide disaster relief.
The affairs of Qingzhou are important.
The earth's movement caused three or four minor earthquakes in the capital region, creating widespread panic and various discussions. Some people even took advantage of the chaos to loot and fight.
After the court session ended, the Five City Garrison Command was ordered to strengthen patrols in the capital, and the Jingzhao Prefecture arranged for yamen runners to patrol the streets and alleys to appease the people.
"Thump!"
"Those who break into homes and rob during the chaos shall be killed without mercy."
"Those who harm human lives shall be killed without mercy."
"Rumor-mongers..."
The sound of the gong could be heard clearly even inside the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
Gu Zhizhuo glanced back outside, then ignored it and continued listening to the head steward's report.
The head steward had previously followed her instructions to store the summer grain in several granaries near Qingzhou, so it could be used at any time. In addition to grain, he also stored some necessary medicinal herbs. However, he couldn't store too much, lest it drive up grain prices excessively, causing the people to sell off all their stored grain.
"Steward of the Criminal Investigation Department, I'd like to trouble you to make the trip yourself." Gu Zhizhuo said to a steward in his forties, "Saving lives is the priority, so act as expediently as possible."
"Young lady, please rest assured." Xing Zhong cupped his hands in greeting and respectfully left.
What needed to be done has been done.
Gu Zhizhuo tapped the coffee table lightly with his fingertips.
If disaster relief is timely and there are no outbreaks or epidemics like in the previous life, at least hundreds of thousands more people can survive.
"Huh."
Gu Zhizhuo was about to return to the courtyard when his eyes suddenly lit up: "You came to play with me!"
A small, dark head peeked out from the doorway, revealing one ear.
"come over.
Gu Zhizhu waved.
The cat twitched its ears and disappeared.
Gu Zhizhu smiled and strolled slowly to the door. Just as she stepped one foot out of the threshold, Shen Mao suddenly pounced and jumped in front of her.
"Meow~"
"Oh dear," Gu Zhizhuo exclaimed dramatically, "I was startled."
The cat was delighted and darted away. When it turned around and didn't see her, it stood there looking suspicious. Then it cautiously walked back to check what was going on.
Gu Zhizhuo hid by the door, just like it did. As soon as it got close, he scooped it up.
"We've caught them."
Meow~
The tabby cat's whiskers twitched with excitement.
"If you get caught, you'll have to come with me."
Gu Zhizhu put it on his shoulder, carried it back to the courtyard, and took out a gold necklace from the jewelry box.
This gold necklace was specially made not long ago. It is inlaid with a golden cat's eye stone and has a silent gold bell hanging from it. On the inside of the necklace, she also personally engraved the words "Chen Mao" (沉猫, meaning "Sinking Cat").
Gu Zhizhuo placed it on the chaise longue and gave it a new collar.
"Step back a little, let me see."
The cat rolled around on its soft belly on the chaise lounge, pawing at the little bell with its two paws.
"Young lady."
Qiongfang came in from outside, stroked the cat's head, and reported, "Young Miss, the Ji family patriarch and others have arrived in the capital. They were not allowed to see Ji Huacheng."
The journey to Jiangnan was long, and these people were all old. In order to avoid dying on the road, they had to slow down their journey, which took more than two months.
Gu Zhizhuo picked up a peacock feather to tease the cat, then asked thoughtfully, "Is the emperor still on the estate?"
"yes."
Qiongfang said, "Since he went to Lotus Manor three days ago, he has not left. Today at 9:00 AM, the Third Prince left the manor and should be returning to the capital."
Gu Zhizhuo casually flicked the peacock feathers.
Ji Nanke's luck must have turned bad; that's why she saw it when she bought the marriage charm.
Gu Zhizhuo has been thinking about how much to use the marriage charm these past few days.
She had two divinations performed; one was ominous, and the other was unknown.
However, this matter is deeply involved with Ji Nanke, and the outcome is not very predictable, which is why she has not yet taken any action.
"That's right!"
Gu Zhizhuo snapped his fingers as he watched the tabby cat kicking its limbs while clutching the peacock feather.
She tossed the peacock feather aside, bent down, and picked up the cat.
cat:? ?
The little paws waved in mid-air, then awkwardly licked themselves.
"Little kitty~ help me tell my fortune."
Qilin cats love ominous omens.
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