Chapter 357 Palace Affairs 2
"House arrest? I guess the news will get out in two days. I don't know what the Marquis of Nan'an will do then! The sea is the main source of money for the Ming Dynasty and my palace. If he cuts off the sea trade routes, what will the court use to pay the soldiers?" Princess Kunxing would not give face to the young queen mother Lu Ling.
"She needs to be punished, otherwise where is the Empress Dowager's authority?" Concubine Huang said. She was ostensibly defending Lu Ling's authority, but in reality, she was defending her own. Princess Kunxing was an outsider, after all. How she fought against Lu Ling and Concubine He was their business.
"Okay! But we have to interrogate Concubine Qin first. If it weren't for her, how could the emperor die at such a young age!" After Lu Ling said this, she glanced at Princess Kunxing, meaning that it was you who sent this woman into the palace.
Princess Kunxing regrets sending Qin Xiaomi to the palace, but is she entirely to blame? Isn't it her own brother's lust that's to blame? And you, the Queen, are also responsible. It was you who pushed Concubine Qin towards the Emperor. Don't I understand what you're thinking?
"Why are you still interrogating her? Just giving her a white silk is already a great favor." Princess Kunxing said.
"Liu Quan, what about Qin?" Lu Ling asked.
"Your Majesty, Qin is now haggard, can't eat, and vomits frequently!" Liu Quan said.
"What? When did it happen?" Lu Ling asked anxiously.
"Your Majesty, it happened in the past two days. I plan to tell you tonight!" Liu Quan was so frightened by the look in Lu Ling's eyes that he trembled all over.
"I didn't expect she had such great luck! Let the imperial physician go and take a look. If she is really pregnant, please spare her life." Princess Kunxing said.
"Why should we spare her life? She is the culprit who killed the emperor!" said Concubine Huang.
"So what? The late emperor's flesh and blood is the most important. Can you and Concubine He guarantee that you will give birth to a son?" Kunxing asked back.
Concubine Huang was speechless. She really couldn't guarantee that she and Concubine He would definitely have a son. Qin Shi was an extra insurance policy, so Lu Ling and Concubine Huang had no choice but to accept it.
Liu Quan brought the imperial physician to the cold palace where Qin Xiaomi was imprisoned. Qin Xiaomi had been suffering recently. Every day was spent in confusion and fear, knowing that she was doomed. She had seduced the emperor and demanded too much, which led to his death.
If she didn't die, it would be unjust. But luckily, she was surprised to find that she hadn't had her period in the past few days, and she even retched from time to time. The baby in her belly was her only chance of survival.
So she acted hard when someone came over, and even if she didn't have morning sickness, she would pretend that she had a strong reaction.
Liu Quan saw this and reported it to these three people today.
After taking Qin's pulse, the imperial physician said, "Eunuch Liu, Qin's pulse is definitely pregnant!"
"I understand, go down!" Liu Quan said.
"Yes, eunuch!" The prince bowed and went down.
Liu Quan smiled and said, "Congratulations, Lady Qin. You would have been dead, but the baby in your belly saved your life. Your life will be better from now on!"
"Thank you, Eunuch Liu!" Qin Xiaomi bowed.
"Okay, let's go back and report! The Queen Mother and the Princess said that if you are really pregnant, they will ensure your life is safe!" Liu Quan said and left.
Qin Xiaomi sat on the bed, glanced at her belly, and suddenly burst into tears. She had never imagined her fate could be so bad. She had finally gotten married to a powerful man, but the emperor died. All the fault fell on her. If she hadn't been pregnant, she would have died tragically. These days, she had lived in fear every day, but now she could finally relax.
At the court meeting the next day, three seats were set up at the original location of the Qianqing Palace, with a pearl curtain in front to cover them.
Lu Ling is now the Empress Dowager, Concubine Huang Shu is the Dowager Concubine, and Princess Kunxing is also known as the Princess Regent.
The civil and military officials below stood in two rows, east and west, and performed the ritual of three kneelings and nine kowtows to the three of them.
Eunuch Liu Quan shouted loudly: "All officials, please stand up!"
All the civil and military officials rose. Ni Yuanlu, the Prime Minister, was the first to speak. He said, "Your Majesty, the north has been largely pacified, with the exception of Shaanxi. However, the north is severely damaged, the population is dwindling, and people's livelihood is in dire straits. Therefore, I would like to transfer the landless people from the south to the north, so that people's livelihood can be restored as soon as possible."
Lu Ling knew nothing about politics. She was only good at fortune-telling Kunxing and Concubine Huang Shufei.
Princess Kunxing coughed lightly and said, "The cabinet has drawn up a plan. How much silver is needed? How many ships and carriages do we need to mobilize? Submit the memorial!"
"Yes! This is the regulation drafted by me and several cabinet ministers. Please have a look at it, Empress Dowager and Princess Regent!" said Ni Yuanlu.
"Present it!" said Lu Ling.
Liu Quan went down to present the memorial to them and asked them to read it after the morning court was over.
"Your servant, Minister of Works Fang Xing, would like to report to the Empress Dowager that the late emperor's mausoleum still requires 200,000 taels of silver. I request the court to add more silver!" Fang Xing said.
"Didn't you approve 400,000 taels before? Why do you want to add more?" asked Princess Kunxing.
"The previous expenses were only for the construction of the main underground palace, but the ground buildings of the imperial mausoleum must be built according to regulations. Stone men and stone horses, and palaces on the imperial mausoleum must all be there." Fang Xing said.
"I'll hand this over to the cabinet later, Lord Ni. I'll be taking care of these matters, you ministers. But be frugal with your money. Save what you can and what you need to," Princess Kunxing said. She knew the court's monies hadn't been collected yet, and even if they were, they wouldn't cover their expenses. Because so many expenses were needed, the court even borrowed from her family to make ends meet! It's just that they've been borrowing less lately.
"I advocate rebuilding the Five Military Commandery!" said Ni Yuanlu.
"Really? Is now the right time? And if there are truly capable people at court, I ask Prince Li to abdicate!" Princess Kunxing said unhappily. Rebuilding the Five Military Commandery would be an attempt to seize power from her husband, and Princess Kunxing certainly wouldn't allow it. While she didn't understand the principle of power growing out of the barrel of a gun, without the Ke Nan Army, these sanctimonious courtiers would devour their family without a scrap.
"I suggest that after Shaanxi is recovered, the position of Grand Commander should be taken by Prince Li. Huang Degong should concurrently serve as the Sima, and Gao Jie should also participate in military affairs!" said Ni Yuanlu.
After hearing this, Princess Kunxing understood clearly that they wanted her husband to return to the central government to command the army, which was actually an attempt to sideline him.
"It is said that if you don't have the skills, don't take on the job. What does Lord Ni want to do? Let's wait until the world is settled before discussing the Five Military Commandery!" Princess Kunxing said.
"Your servants believe that we should start preparing for the Five Military Commandery first. As for when it will be opened, we have to wait and see!" said Cabinet Minister Yang Tianhe.
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