On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Li Ting got up early.
All civil and military officials were to attend court, pay their respects to the emperor, and discuss plans for the new year.
Li Ting still holds the title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, a high official position, but he has no real power.
Li Ting didn't care.
Xiao Sheng asked him if he still wanted to go to the battlefield.
Li Ting refused.
Xiao Sheng wanted to appoint Li Ting as prime minister again, but Li Ting refused.
He only said that once Xiao Sheng's empire was more secure, he would take Xu Ningyou to travel all over the Cangxuan Continent.
Moreover, the generals on all sides are now showing talents no less than Li Ting did back then; it's time to let the younger generation grow up.
The Li family had experienced both the emperor's favor and his wrath, and they really didn't want to tie their entire family to the court any longer.
Having no other option, Xiao Sheng went to see Consort Chen.
He made it clear that he wanted to keep Li Ting in the government, but Li Ting himself was unwilling.
Consort Chen was also in a dilemma and couldn't think of a solution for the time being.
In the end, all they said was that if they didn't want the official position, then they should be given more gold and silver!
But Xiao Sheng knew that the Li family was not short of money.
At the court meeting, Prime Minister Wan Nian summarized the events of the year, followed by the distribution of rewards based on merit.
The court officials who had been won over by Zhao Yunwan and those who had used opium have all been eliminated by Xiao Sheng, both openly and secretly.
The rest were officials who had passed the imperial examinations, as well as local officials who were honest, upright, and had outstanding achievements, and remained in the capital.
She also transferred those scholars who had been prevented from being granted official positions by Zhao Yunwan to various prefectures and counties.
After the Lantern Festival, everyone went to their posts.
Xiao Sheng only said one sentence: "My beloved ministers, this country does not only belong to the Xiao family, but also to the people. I urge you all to consider the people before you act."
"A hundred or a thousand things that benefit the people are not too many; but even one thing that harms the people is too much."
All the civil and military officials were deeply moved when they heard the young emperor say these words.
An emperor who thinks of the people first is unlikely to be a bad emperor.
In addition, Xiao Sheng read out the "Edict of Self-Reproach" on behalf of Emperor Hui in the imperial court.
The Xiao family acknowledged Emperor Hui's inaction over the years, his listening to slander, and his promotion of sycophants, which nearly led to the extermination of the Li family, a family of meritorious officials.
Furthermore, the Great Yue Kingdom has spent generations plotting to overthrow the Southern Chen Kingdom, and their influence has even infiltrated the imperial palace. Emperor Hui was wrong, but the previous emperors of the Xiao family were also guilty of negligence.
The old ministers were all moved to tears when they heard the young emperor read the "Edict of Self-Reproach".
Historically, there have been very few emperors who dared to admit their mistakes.
Xiao Sheng exposed the royal family's mistakes to the world at the very beginning of the year, which required not only courage but also boldness.
Based on this alone, Xiao Sheng's approval rating among civil and military officials rose significantly.
Seeing Xiao Sheng presiding over the "Grand Assembly" in an orderly manner, Li Ting felt gratified.
Xiao Sheng no longer needs to be under anyone's wing.
After arranging the year's work, before the court session adjourned, Xiao Sheng said a few final words.
"My lords, the Great Yue Kingdom has dared to bully us, so we must teach them a lesson. From now on, I urge you all to work hard. When our nation is prosperous and strong, I will prepare to conquer the Great Yue Kingdom!"
These words ignited the passion of the court officials!
Is the tripartite balance of power between the Nan Chen Kingdom, the Dayue Kingdom, and the Daliang Kingdom finally about to change?
"In addition, I am preparing to vigorously develop agriculture, handicrafts and education. I hope that you ministers who are about to take up your posts in the provinces will be able to recognize talents and discover more talents for the court."
"My beloved ministers, if you discover anyone with special talent in a certain area, you may recommend them to the relevant departments."
"We do not value a person's background or social status; we only value their character and abilities."
"We hope that through our efforts, we can achieve national prosperity and strength as soon as possible!"
"I will reward all meritorious officials."
"To all my beloved ministers who have been sent to distant posts, I will have people take good care of your families. If necessary, you may bring your families with you to your posts."
"My beloved ministers, today is the start of the new year. I have prepared a small gift for each of you. When you leave the main hall, the servants will distribute it to you."
The courtiers looked at each other, wondering what this was all about.
There has never been a case of an emperor preparing gifts for his court officials.
When the ministers received their gifts and opened them, they found that each gift was prepared according to the circumstances of their respective families.
In households with many women, the items were mostly jewelry, cosmetics, and hand warmers.
Families with many children often have exquisitely crafted small mechanisms for connecting doors.
For families with elderly members, it's about providing supplements that promote longevity.
Each minister received a gold ingot.
These gifts, including women's items, all came from Li Xingran and Fan Zuan's workshop.
Before the Lunar New Year, Fan Zuan said he received a large order, and the workshop worked overtime to produce the goods.
This must have been Xiao Sheng's doing.
When the civil and military officials returned home, they took out the gifts given to them by the emperor, including gifts for their wives, children, and elderly relatives, and the whole family was filled with joy.
Many officials treasured that gold ingot.
During a casual conversation, the Minister of Revenue revealed that the money used by the emperor to prepare gifts came from the emperor's private account and did not involve the national treasury.
The officials were deeply moved.
Li Ting looked at the gift in his hand, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
His was the only one available, and Little Ma arranged for it to be distributed last.
Finally, everyone in the imperial city watched as Li Ting walked out of the palace carrying a strangely shaped, fluffy doll.
Back home, Li Xingran saw her father holding a large rag doll and jumped up excitedly!
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