The new emperor had clearly compromised, saying he could spare the lives of the eight tigers and transfer them to Nanjing to hold sinecure positions.
Victory is in sight.
From then on, the new emperor could only obediently act as a puppet, sidelined by the cabinet.
It was Su Jian, that stubborn old man, who insisted on killing the "Eight Tigers".
So much so that the eunuchs and the emperor decided to band together and launch a desperate counterattack, which actually forced their cabinet to resign en masse.
In the end, Lee Dong-kyeom, the least senior official, remained to serve as the new chief minister.
The elderly Su Jian and the vigorous Xie Qian, only sixty years old, were both forced to retire.
Now, more than a year has passed, and the Xie family's influence in the imperial court has been completely eradicated.
The Su family is going to produce a new empress!
How can the Xie family possibly quell their resentment?!
They suspect that the Su family used a "secret maneuver".
Ostensibly, they were working with the cabinet to force the emperor to abdicate and execute the "Eight Tigers," but in reality, they had secretly pledged allegiance to the emperor and their true purpose was to expel the Xie family from the court.
Anyway, Su Jian is already over seventy years old, and he won't be able to work for many more years before he has to retire.
The Xie family came to propose marriage yesterday, but it was actually just a test of the Su family's intentions.
If they still wanted their descendants to enter officialdom through the imperial examinations, they would seize the "hope branch" offered by their children, quickly arrange a marriage, and cut off their daughter's path to becoming empress.
At least this way we won't offend the Xie family.
If you refuse their marriage proposal, it means you have already pledged allegiance to the emperor and are waiting for his decree to appoint an empress.
Xie Di was somewhat surprised by the current situation.
Su Nan really has a lot of nerve, putting on a sour face in front of the eunuch.
They weren't afraid of offending the person on the dragon throne.
Whether it was an act or they genuinely didn't want their daughter to become empress, they at least still held some respect for the Xie family.
Chief Steward Li read out the two imperial edicts with measured intonation.
"Ren Su Nan was appointed as the Deputy Commander of the Central Military Commission..."
Su Nan was not happy to hear the appointment; in fact, his face darkened even more.
The Five Military Commissions were essentially sinecure positions, where employees received salaries but did nothing.
The position of Deputy Commander of the Central Military Commission is a first-rank official position, and the father of the former Empress Xia Xueyi also held this position.
Chief Steward Li handed the imperial edict to Su Nan and began reading another imperial edict:
"I observe that the way of Heaven and Earth must be based on Yin and Yang, and that the ancestral lineage must be upheld before the succession. Thus, I regard the foundation of human relations as the origin of social order..."
"Your daughter from Sunan is endowed with exceptional qualities, born into a virtuous family, calm and dignified, gentle and respectful, faithfully following her mother's teachings and upholding the family rules..."
"A special envoy will be dispatched with imperial credentials to select an auspicious date and establish you as Empress... This will ensure the enjoyment of the two palaces and promote good customs throughout the land. May your virtuous reputation endure forever, and your auspicious destiny shine ever brighter..."
Su Nan showed no joy on his face; instead, he knelt there for a long time, his face ashen, refusing to accept the imperial decree.
It seems they are unwilling to accept this situation.
Xie Di, who was watching from the sidelines, sneered repeatedly.
Serves them right.
Who told your Su family not to know when to quit while you were ahead? Instead, you caused our Xie family's decades of hard work to vanish in an instant.
Chief Steward Li didn't indulge Su Nan. After handing him the imperial edict, he smiled at Xie Di and Xie Pi and said:
"I heard the Xie family is going to form a marriage alliance with the Su family? Then they'll be related to royalty."
Xie Di and Xie Pi's expressions both darkened.
If you were truly classified as a member of the imperial family, it would be a huge problem, as it would effectively cut off your path to officialdom through the imperial examinations.
Xie Pi's third-place ranking in the imperial examination was for nothing.
Xie Di, a scholar who passed the imperial examinations twice, can only remain unemployed at home as he is now, with no possibility of being reinstated.
Xie Di smiled obsequiously, "What are you saying, Steward Li? Our Xie family has fallen on hard times; how could we dare to associate with the Su family?"
Steward Li looked at the sky with a serious expression: "I remember, it seems that Grand Secretary Xie is from Yuyao?"
He beckoned over a young eunuch, who seemed to have forgotten the details:
"However, I seem to recall that when we left the palace today, Lord Liu of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs was going to demote officials from Yuyao?"
"They said that scholars from Yuyao could only serve as county magistrates in the future."
Xie Di and Xie Pi's expressions changed drastically.
Mutual support and assistance among scholars has always been very important.
In recent years, scholars from Yuyao, led by the Xie family, have formed a force to be reckoned with.
Is the emperor planning to wipe out the Xie family's entire faction as well?
That's too ruthless!
Without the help and support of these fellow villagers, how easy would it be for them to return to the court as officials in the future?
Xie Di and Xie Pi, their faces ashen, hurriedly said goodbye and left to find a way to remedy the situation.
Manager Li calmly watched them leave before turning to Su Wanwan, who had remained silent, and giving her some instructions:
"Miss Su, please wait patiently. The Ministry of Rites will handle everything else."
Su Wanwan glanced at Su Nan, whose expression was displeased, and asked timidly:
"Father?"
Su Nan then slowly stood up, his face cold, and gave a perfunctory bow:
"Take care and don't bother seeing me off."
Steward Li raised an eyebrow.
In other families, they would have been overjoyed to receive the imperial decree and worship their ancestors.
How can a daughter be so unwilling to become empress?
That's quite unusual.
Just as Steward Li was about to leave, he heard Su Nan's cold question behind him:
"Is it something to be happy about when your personal glory comes at the cost of ruining the careers of your entire family and in-laws?"
Looking at her father's cold and ruthless face, Su Wanwan felt as if her blood had frozen.
After a long silence, she asked in a trembling voice:
"Since Father refused, why didn't he defy the imperial decree just now?"
Su Nan was too lazy to argue with her and went into the house with a flick of her sleeve.
Steward Li listened intently outside, but finding nothing else, he could only frown and return to report.
Oh dear.
The Emperor is forcing Miss Su into marriage this time!
The Su family actually disagreed!
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