The kings of the vassal states were on pins and needles, and they all remained silent. They could only watch as the palace servants cleaned up the blood-stained ground quickly and efficiently.
The Empress remained relaxed, as if the bloody scene had nothing to do with her. Jin Yue bowed respectfully, brought a basin of water, and placed it before the Empress.
The empress slowly put her hand into the water and washed it carefully, as if she wanted to completely wash away the remaining smell of blood.
After washing her hands, the empress picked up the handkerchief next to her and gently wiped her hands, then suddenly threw the handkerchief heavily on the ground, as if the handkerchief was also stained with something dirty.
"Send a message to Mo Ren and Jin Nian, King Jingguo actually dared to send people to assassinate me!" The empress's voice was cold and majestic.
"I want to see Jingguo become the territory of Shangjin Kingdom within a month! Also, order Mo Yi to lead his troops and arrest all the people of Jingguo in Cangwu City!"
When King Jingguo heard this, he was struck by lightning, his whole body trembled, and he fell to his knees with a plop, begging in a trembling voice:
"Your Majesty, please calm down! This must be caused by a villain who is trying to sow discord. This is definitely not my intention!"
A sneer appeared on the corner of the empress's mouth. Her eyes were as cold as the stars, staring at King Jingguo.
"At this point, you still dare to quibble? I saw it with my own eyes, how could I possibly wrongly accuse you?"
King Jingguo's forehead was covered with cold sweat, and he kowtowed repeatedly, making the ground pound. Seeing this, the other kings of the vassal states all pretended to be quails.
The empress glanced at everyone:
"I am a magnanimous person, but this King Jingguo actually sent someone to assassinate me at this banquet. This is such a heinous act. If I don't punish them, how can I win the support of the people?"
After saying this, she flicked her sleeves and said, "There is no need to discuss this matter any further. I have made up my mind."
King Jingguo's face turned pale as death, and he collapsed to the ground. The empress waved her hand, signaling the guards to take him away. Then, she resumed her casual demeanor, as if nothing had happened.
After the banquet, the kings returned to their respective inns, trembling like frightened birds, thinking to themselves.
No wonder the empress suddenly sent two capable generals, Mo Ren and Jin Nian, to the border some time ago. It turns out that she had planned it all along!
Especially King Jingguo, who stumbled all the way under the escort of a group of guards and even accidentally bumped into a rock.
His heart was filled with despair and fear, and he was afraid that his country was about to face a catastrophe.
On the other side, Jiang Zhixu and the couple Cao Jiao and Jiang Shuyan sat quietly on the armchairs, and no one spoke.
It was not until this moment that they truly and deeply felt that the gentle, graceful and weak wife of the past had now transformed into a ruthless and decisive emperor.
After a long silence, Jiang Zhixu finally broke the silence:
"Now that she has the majesty and means of an emperor, I feel much more at ease."
His voice revealed a complex emotion, including recognition of his wife's abilities and emotion about her change of identity.
Cao Jiao nodded in agreement:
"Yes, she is intelligent and courageous, but she has always been trapped in that small house, unable to display her talents and ambitions. Now that she finally reigns over the world, she will surely be able to show her talents and realize her dreams."
However, Jiang Shuyan seemed a little worried. He frowned and said:
"However, I wonder how much of a stir this matter of pacifying the country will stir up among the various nations. She is acting so decisively, and the other vassal states may become wary of her, which is probably not a good thing for her."
Jiang Zhixu frowned slightly and thought for a moment:
"While her actions will cause other countries to be wary, they also demonstrate her authority, making them afraid to offend easily. Furthermore, the assassination attempt by Yasukuni Shō was proven, and if she doesn't punish him, other countries will think she is weak and can be bullied."
Cao Jiao also followed up with the analysis:
"If Jingguo is destroyed, the other vassal states may feel grief, but as long as Linlin handles the situation properly, using both kindness and force, she can make them behave themselves."
Jiang Shuyan agreed with her approach and explained:
"Considering her position, she has done a very good job. For an emperor, the most taboo thing is indecision."
Imperial Palace
Imperial Study
Jin Linlin sat upright behind the desk, and in front of her, several important officials, headed by the two prime ministers, were standing respectfully.
Jialiu was the first to step forward and said earnestly:
"Your Majesty, regarding the matter of King Jingguo, now that the order has been issued, we must act swiftly. It would be best if we could annex Jingguo before the husband selection banquet is over."
Xinan also immediately expressed his agreement:
“Your Majesty, while deterring the other nations, we also need to make full preparations before they return home to prevent neighboring nations from uniting to attack our country.
After all, our country is the most powerful in terms of both military and financial resources. As long as we are well prepared, we will surely make them unable to return."
Jin Linlin deeply agreed with their opinions. She nodded slightly, and after a moment of silence, she said:
"Well, let's do as you say. For this husband-selection banquet, we might as well select a few more candidates from neighboring countries to stabilize them and prevent them from uniting. At the same time, order Jin Yue and Jin Ri to recruit soldiers, and the Ministry of Revenue will be responsible for allocating funds."
Jin Linlin continued:
"The Ministry of Works must produce more weapons and also stockpile sufficient food and fodder. Also, have the Ministry of Rites prepare a husband-selection banquet to show the wealth and majesty of our Shangjin Kingdom."
All the ministers accepted the order. At this time, Prime Minister Jialiu, who had been silent until then, spoke:
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