Chapter 436: Discussion between the Emperor and His Ministers
Before he could organize his words and start using his eloquence, he saw Jiang Wan gently pat Li Chengxiu's hand and spoke first.
"Don't be impatient. Matters between nations are never trivial. It's impossible for us to establish rules based on just a few words.
Why don't you go take a rest, wash off your tired body, change into some decent clothes, and then we can talk later?"
"Empress Jiang..."
"Go ahead. Although we sympathize with your situation, this matter requires long-term consideration. We must have our own considerations, right? So let's discuss this later!"
Although Duan Shaoyan was a little anxious, he also knew that he was in need of help, so how could he really dare to force or urge others?
He could only agree with great reluctance, then raised his hand to bow and take his leave, then turned around and went out with the palace maid to change into a proper outfit first.
After he left, Li Chengxiu couldn't help but frown and mutter.
"Wife, why did you agree to do this? Why should I help him when it's obvious that we can't gain any advantage?"
Jiang Wan shook his head slightly, frowning in thought.
"Husband, please don't be anxious. Let me think about this carefully. This person inexplicably came to Dayu to take advantage of the situation. I'm afraid his intentions are more than what he said on the surface.
However, if this is handled well, we can still benefit from it. We still need to send someone to investigate thoroughly first."
"…What's up?"
"State affairs!"
Jiang Wan looked up and instructed the followers outside the door.
"Li Jinzhong, send for the Prime Minister, the Duke of Guo, the six ministers, and several princes to come to the palace to discuss matters immediately. Oh, and summon the Minister of Rites as well."
"Yes, I'll do it right away!"
The chief steward was used to working quickly, and the eunuchs under him were even more diligent. In less than half an hour, the emperor and his ministers of Dayu had gathered together.
The emperor briefly explained the causes and consequences he knew, and as expected, the court officials started a very heated discussion.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I feel that Dayu should not rashly interfere in the internal affairs of another country. First, this is not legitimate and is against etiquette. Second, why should we work for nothing to help Duan Shaoyan?"
The Minister of Personnel, Lord Zhao, was a hot-headed person and was the first to object. His point was that he hadn't even finished his own numerous chores, so why would he bother worrying about whether there was ash at the bottom of someone else's pot?
"Master Zhao, I do not agree with what you said."
Minister Liu, a wise minister throughout history, stood up with a frown.
"What do you mean by unjustifiable? As long as Duan Shaoyan can successfully ascend the throne, then we are in perfect harmony!
After all, he was the legitimate son of the Empress and the eldest son of the Empress. No matter which theory was used, he was the heir apparent. It was just that the old Emperor of Dali was getting older and his behavior was becoming less and less refined.
But then again, how come we haven't heard anything about the dethronement of the Crown Prince of Dali? Colleagues, have any of you heard anything? Is this true?"
The few people standing in the front shook their heads, indicating that they had never heard of it.
At this time, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites stood up.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I have a few words to say. Many years ago, I was once a diplomatic envoy to Dali. Their customs and national conditions are somewhat different from ours.
The people of Dali don't care that much about legitimacy; they prioritize the means; whoever can grab it gets it. And this former Crown Prince of Dali probably didn't tell the truth, or perhaps he didn't tell much truth.
"How do you say it? Please explain it more clearly, my dear Xiao, so that we won't be confused. Only by knowing ourselves and the enemy can we decide on the next countermeasure."
Jiang Wan signaled the Minister of the Ministry of Rites to speak freely, and sure enough, he saw the old man speaking passionately with his eyes shining, head held high and chest puffed out.
Hey, they say you can only get ahead by working under the Queen, right? Look, Old Xiao, I finally have a place to show my skills!
"Your Majesty, you may not know that the royal family of Dali is actually extremely powerful, as they basically hold the real power.
They attached great importance to the bloodline system. Basically, people in the royal family were married to each other so that power would be firmly in the hands of the Duan family to ensure the stability of imperial power.
If Duan Shaoyan really has no help in Dali Kingdom as he said, then there is no way he can successfully sneak here.
So, there are flaws in his words.
Firstly, how could there be no news about such a major event as the dethronement of the Crown Prince of Dali?
Secondly, Duan Shaoyan came here to take advantage of the situation. If what he said is not true, has he dug some trap for us?
Therefore, I also agree with the Minister of Personnel. If we can't figure out what's going on, then there's really no need for Dayu to get involved in other countries' disputes."
Jiang Wan was good at listening to advice, so he nodded slightly.
"What the Minister of Rites says makes sense. I also feel that the most urgent task is to send someone to secretly infiltrate Dali to investigate the truth. What do you think?"
Many important officials below exchanged glances, realizing that the Queen was reluctant to miss this opportunity. If Dali were to fall into chaos, it might be a good thing for Dayu.
Everyone understood the logic, so the Minister of Revenue, Lord Chu, gritted his teeth and stood up.
"Your Majesty, I think I've heard a few rumors about this matter."
Chu Hong's ancestral home is in Cangnan, not far from Dali. Their Chu family is the largest family in Cangnan, and they must have some unspoken and unmentionable connections with Dali over the years.
If the person sitting there was not the wise and intelligent queen with a heart for the world, Chu Hong might have turned a blind eye and pretended not to hear anything.
However, the Empress now seems to have the ambition and ability to create a prosperous scene. If Lord Chu wants to follow behind and be a wise minister and be remembered forever, he has to step forward and provide some gossip obtained from private channels.
"I, the old minister, don't know whether those rumors are true or not. After all, I'm not a professional spy.
It was said that someone had set him up. At the birthday banquet of Emperor Li, he became lustful and raped the Emperor Li's newly favored concubine, resulting in one death and two lives.
This really angered the old emperor of the Kingdom of Li, who had him taken to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and beaten him, accusing him of being disloyal to the emperor and unfilial to his father, and saying he was unfit to be the crown prince. However, whether he was actually deposed or not is unknown.
Of course, I can't be sure of the authenticity of this news. After all, as I said earlier, I'm not a professional spy. I just heard some gossip."
Master Chu spread his hands and pushed the matter aside. What he said today was just gossip, and he wasn't going to admit it tomorrow. This way, no one could catch him, the Chu family.
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