Chapter 288 The Nine-Tailed Kingdom Must Not Take the First Step into the Heaven of Ten Thousand Laws (4000 words)
"Your Majesty, it's time for the morning court session."
Inside Lingquan Palace, Wei Xun walked to Xiao Mo's bedside and called out softly.
Xiao Mo yawned and slowly opened his eyes: "Morning court? What morning court?"
Since his rebirth, he has never attended a single morning court session.
After all, their power has been hollowed out, so what's the point of holding court?
"Your Majesty, you've forgotten."
Yesterday, the Prime Minister asked me to submit a memorial to Your Majesty, requesting that you attend court once, as if there is something important to discuss.
"Oh, I remember now." Xiao Mo waved his hand. "Help me change my clothes."
"It is Your Majesty."
Wei Xun bowed and nodded, then quickly beckoned a palace maid to come in and help Xiao Mo change his clothes.
There were two types of dragon robes in the Zhou Dynasty: one was formal attire for attending court, and the other was casual wear for everyday occasions.
Wei Xun stood on the other side, watching His Majesty put on his dragon robe and court attire, and couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
He couldn't remember the last time he had seen his emperor in his imperial robes; he felt that this was the way his emperor should wear them.
His Majesty, standing there, looked like a wise and benevolent ruler.
If I could live to see His Majesty regain power, that would be wonderful; then I would have done right by the late Emperor.
"You old codger, why do you look like you're about to cry all of a sudden?"
After changing into his imperial robes, Xiao Mo turned around and looked at Wei Xun.
"This old servant was just thinking that His Majesty will be getting married soon, and then the Empress and Imperial Concubines will serve His Majesty," Wei Xun said, wiping away tears from the corners of his eyes and making up an excuse.
"Hehehe, I still don't know if they're on my side." Xiao Mo chuckled and patted his sleeves. "Let's go, time for court."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Wei Xun quickly followed behind Xiao Mo.
As Xiao Mo rode in the imperial carriage on his way to the imperial court, he couldn't help but recall the words Qin Mujiu had spoken to him the previous night.
Last night, in the Firefly Garden, Qin Mujiu told me that he could help me regain power, and there were no conditions involved.
It was all because of the friendship between the ancestors of the Qin and Zhou states.
Xiao Mo neither accepted nor rejected what Qin Mujiu said.
After all, there's no such thing as a free lunch.
We're all adults, and we're all concerned with our own interests. He didn't believe the Qin state would be so kind.
In Xiao Mo's opinion, it's best to take it one step at a time and act according to his original plan.
As for attending court this time, Xiao Mo guessed it was probably for his marriage.
Emperors have no family affairs.
Ever since the news spread that the King of Qin was going to marry his sister to the King of Zhou, the ministers in the Zhou court all had their own thoughts.
This court session is likely to determine the outcome.
"His Majesty has arrived!"
After an incense stick had burned, Xiao Mo arrived at the imperial court.
As Wei Xun's shrill, hoarse voice rang out, all the civil and military officials below the court fell silent, then shouted in unison:
"Your Majesty, we respectfully welcome you!"
Amid the shouts of the courtiers, Xiao Mo walked up to the high platform and bowed to Empress Dowager Yan beside him: "Empress Dowager."
Empress Dowager Yan nodded and said, "Your Majesty has not attended court for a long time. I have come here to help Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will not mind."
"Your Majesty, you are too kind. We still need Your Majesty's help with matters of state."
Xiao Mo smiled slightly, sat on the dragon throne, and glanced at the assembled officials. His voice was not loud, but it carried an air of authority throughout the hall: "Let the court meeting begin."
"The court session begins. If you have anything to report, please do so. Otherwise, the court is adjourned!"
Wei Xun straightened his chest, raised his head, and shouted, then stood beside His Majesty.
Soon, one minister after another stepped forward to present their memorials.
Xiao Mo basically just sat there, and all the decisions were made by Empress Dowager Yan and Yan Shan'ao.
However, after Empress Dowager Yan makes a decision, she will ask Xiao Mo for his opinion, but can Xiao Mo say that he disagrees?
Xiao Mo didn't care about this at all.
An hour later, as the court meeting drew to a close, Xiao Mo knew they were about to discuss the most important matter of the day.
Shen Wen, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, stepped forward.
Everyone else was looking at Shen Wen, as if they all knew what he was going to say.
Moreover, before he could even speak, some officials were eager to step forward and argue.
Shen Wen bowed to Xiao Mo and said, "Your Majesty, in the past two days, the people of the entire capital have come to know that the Qin Kingdom has sought marriage with our Great Zhou, and the news is spreading wider and wider."
Although our ancestors of the Great Zhou Dynasty were on good terms with the ancestors of the Qin State, and had even made a marriage agreement.
However, Your Majesty's marriage to the daughter of the Yan family had already been arranged long ago. If it were changed now, wouldn't you be ridiculed by the world?
Your Majesty, I humbly request that the wedding ceremony remain unchanged, and the daughter of Lady Yan shall still be Empress!
"Hahaha, ridiculous!"
Just then, Censor-in-Chief Wang stepped forward, bowed to Xiao Mo, and spoke.
"Your Majesty, the Qin Kingdom is currently very powerful. If we can form a marriage alliance with the Qin Kingdom, it will definitely bring countless benefits to our Great Zhou. Moreover, as for the order of arrival, the ancestors of the Qin Kingdom have already made a marriage agreement. So who came first and who came later?"
"What do you mean, Lord Wang? Qin is powerful, so does that mean our Great Zhou is weak? Why should our Great Zhou need to rely on other countries?" Minister of Justice Leng stepped forward and asked.
"Hehehe, what you say is quite good, Lord Leng, but don't fool yourself, Lord Leng." Vice Minister Fang of the Ministry of War stepped forward and said, "If our Great Zhou refuses this rightful marriage, how is that any different from annulment? When the two countries go to war, will you, Lord Leng, go to the battlefield?"
"If we merely submit to the power of other countries but dare not even establish our own empress, wouldn't that make us even more a laughingstock among our ancestors?"
"I find you even more laughable! Does Princess Qinyang not have a title? The marriage was arranged by the late emperor, a decree of our ancestors. What else do you want to say?"
For a time, the court was in complete disarray, with everyone talking at once.
Empress Dowager Yan frowned, her expression showing extreme displeasure.
Yan Shan'ao, on the other hand, closed his eyes, pretending to be profound.
As for Xiao Mo...
Xiao Mo remained even calmer, almost like he was watching a show, wanting to see what outcome their argument would produce.
"quiet!"
Just then, Empress Dowager Yan took a deep breath and spoke.
Her voice wasn't loud, but everyone could hear it.
The crowd gradually quieted down, lowered their heads, and returned to their seats.
"In the imperial court, under His Majesty's very eyes, how can you behave so rudely?!" Empress Dowager Yan scolded, her chest heaving violently with anger.
She turned to her younger brother, who had remained silent throughout the court, and asked, "Your Excellency the Prime Minister has remained silent. Do you have any insightful opinions on this matter?"
As the Empress Dowager finished speaking, all the civil and military officials looked at Yan Shan'ao.
Yan Shan'ao opened his eyes, stepped forward, bowed, and slowly began to speak:
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I believe that what the civil and military officials have said is all reasonable."
Princess Qinyang's marriage to His Majesty is an agreement made by the former emperors of both countries. Moreover, many years later, Qin still remembers the friendship with Zhou. Marrying the princess to Zhou further demonstrates Qin's respect for Zhou. If Zhou were to refuse, it would surely cause displeasure.
However, Yan Ruxue, the daughter of the Yan family, has already been chosen as the Empress of our Great Zhou Dynasty, a fact known to all under heaven. If we were to change her now, it would likely provoke even greater resentment from the people.
However, this is not a matter of choosing between the two.
Emperor Xiaozong faced a similar situation when two women were both eligible to become empress, leading to a heated debate in the court.
Finally, Empress Lü took both women into her harem and evaluated their virtues.
A year later, His Majesty Emperor Xiaozong and Empress Lü will choose one of them to be the empress.
Therefore, I propose that we bring Yan Ruxue, the daughter of the Yan family, and Princess Qinyang of Qin State into the palace together to observe their words and actions.
One year later, Your Majesty can choose one person as Empress, according to your own will. This would be the most appropriate course of action!
“.”
After Yan Shan'ao finished speaking, the court officials looked at each other, thinking that Yan Shan'ao was indeed a cunning old fox.
There is indeed precedent for this, and it is indeed a compromise.
However, in the harem, the true mistress was still Empress Dowager Yan.
Your Majesty is choosing a concubine; shouldn't you consider Empress Dowager Yan's opinion?
Therefore, it is more likely that Yan Ruxue will become empress a year later.
Of course, the most important thing is that Zhou State can't afford to offend Qin State right now, and Elder Huang of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect seems to be keeping his distance from the Yan family.
Therefore, Yan Shan'ao decided to postpone the issue and observe the situation first.
Then, during this year, he will definitely want to find a new backer.
Empress Dowager Yan, who had already discussed this with Yan Shan'ao, lowered her head, pretending to ponder for a moment, and then looked at Xiao Mo beside her:
"Your Majesty, I also believe that the Prime Minister's words make some sense."
Although the matter of bestowing an empress is a matter of state, it is also His Majesty's private affair.
Since we are now in a dilemma, and Your Majesty has not yet met Ruxue and Princess Qinyang, it would be better to let them enter the palace first and spend some time with them.
A year later, His Majesty chose a woman as his empress according to his own wishes, which was also an explanation to His Majesty and the world.
What is Your Majesty's opinion?
"Since Mother has said so, then we will follow Mother's arrangements."
Xiao Mo nodded and said.
How could I possibly refuse?
However, Xiao Mo felt that this was indeed beneficial to him.
In a year, he was able to understand the personality of the talented Yan family woman and to see whether Princess Qinyang really wanted to help him.
Then I'll choose a path, whether to rely on the power of Qin or to follow the old plan and get rid of Yan Shan'ao.
"Do any of you ministers have any objections?" Empress Dowager Yan asked the assembled officials.
"We have no objection."
"Okay, then it's settled."
Empress Dowager Yan smiled, her eyes crinkling.
"Today I will write a letter to the King of Qin, and kindly ask that if the King of Qin agrees, we will choose an auspicious day to invite Ruxue and Princess Qinyang to the palace."
But whether it is Ruxue or Princess Qinyang, they will both be His Majesty's wives. His Majesty must treat them well, showing mutual respect and courtesy, and adding offspring to our Zhou Kingdom.
Towards the end, Empress Dowager Yan's tone became quite sincere, sounding like a true mother giving instructions to her son.
"Your Majesty is right, I remember," Xiao Mo replied.
Empress Dowager Yan nodded: "Do any of you ministers have anything else to report? If not, the court may adjourn."
"We are all well!" the ministers shouted in unison.
"Then let the court adjourn," Xiao Mo said calmly.
"Dismiss the court!!!"
As Wei Xun's hoarse voice resounded throughout the court, all the ministers shouted, "Respectfully seeing off Your Majesty!"
Xiao Mo stood up and helped Empress Dowager Yan slowly walk out of the main hall.
"Miss, Miss, something terrible has happened!"
An hour later, Xiaochun ran into the yard, panting and shouting.
"You," Yan Ruxue looked at Xiaochun and sighed softly, "you must change this tendency to make a fuss after you enter the palace, or you will be scolded by His Majesty."
"Please forgive me, Miss." Xiaochun quickly bowed.
"Tell me, what happened today?" Yan Ruxue asked.
“Miss, the master has just returned home and was discussing court affairs with the madam. In the end, the Empress Dowager decided that you and Princess Qinyang would enter the palace together. A year later, His Majesty will choose one of you, Miss and Princess Qinyang, to be the empress.”
"Oh, I see." Yan Ruxue continued turning the pages of the book in her hands.
"But Miss, you were the one who arrived first! Princess Qinyang was the one who came later!"
Xiaochun spoke up for her young mistress, her tone tinged with resentment.
"Honestly, is Heaven deliberately working against Miss? Why is her marriage so full of twists and turns?"
"Alright, alright, since it's already happened, let's just take it one step at a time. Why think so much?" Yan Ruxue smiled. "Go get me some pastries, I'm a little hungry."
"All right."
Even though the young lady accepted it so readily, Xiaochun was still very uncomfortable. But she didn't know what to say, so she could only mutter to herself as she walked out of the courtyard to get the young lady some osmanthus cake.
After Xiaochun left, a gentle breeze swept by, and a graceful figure in green appeared beside Yan Ruxue: "Sister, would you like your younger sister to come to the palace with you?"
“There’s no need.” Yan Ruxue shook her head. “They’re just two little girls. What trouble can they cause? In comparison, I want you to go somewhere.”
"Sister, please speak."
“Recently, the Nine-Tailed Kingdom has been making some moves. You will take this letter with you as an envoy to the Nine-Tailed Kingdom on behalf of the Four Seas, and personally deliver it to the King of the Nine-Tailed Kingdom.”
Yan Ruxue's golden vertical pupils gazed at the sky.
"If the ruler of the Nine-Tailed Kingdom does not agree, then go to He Yeye and do whatever it takes to prevent the Nine-Tailed Kingdom from taking the next step into the Myriad Laws Heaven."
The world of demons, the land of the fire-hating demons.
This country, situated at the intersection of the world of myriad laws and the world of demons, is located in a natural stronghold and serves as an important barrier for the world of demons to resist the world of myriad laws.
It is also a vital passage for the demon race to send troops to the world of myriad laws, and an important granary during wartime, making it both offensive and defensive.
And today.
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers from the Nine-Tailed Kingdom have already breached the capital of the Fire-Stained Kingdom and stormed into the royal palace.
A woman in a light blue dress stood on the city wall, gazing into the distance.
"Your Majesty, the King of Yanhuo Kingdom has been executed."
The fox-clan maidservant held the black dog head of the King of Yanhuo Kingdom in her hands and knelt on one knee behind the woman.
"Um."
The woman nodded, still gazing into the distance.
The woman's gaze fell upon the Great Wall.
On the Great Wall, a petite girl holding a giant scythe sat on a giant's shoulder, spitting and muttering something under her breath.
(End of this chapter)
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