Within a single day, all the gossip-loving ministers in the entire court were shocked.
They simply couldn't believe that the usually rigid and stubborn old prime minister would actually go and fight with Lin Weiming, a guy who slept during court sessions, for the little princess!
But there's nothing I can do!
This is what they saw with their own eyes.
Even if they were crushed by rolling thunder and bombarded until their bodies were charred black, they still refused to believe it was real.
Is that still their old prime minister?
The image of the old Prime Minister Lin Yanping in their minds was quite complex, neither good nor bad, but he was indeed an upright, rigid, and patriarchal old minister.
And now!
Not only did she not discriminate against girls, but her stubborn and rigid image was also completely shattered in one fell swoop.
Whether they believe it or not, there's no shortage of gossip about it behind their backs.
The civil officials all felt that the old prime minister Lin Yanping must be possessed by a demon, otherwise why would he be so eager to hug the little princess?
The military officers, however, did not think so. They all felt that since Lin Yanping was the little princess's biological grandfather, it was only natural for a grandfather to dote on his granddaughter.
And the little princess is so cute, so soft, like a little glutinous rice ball, who wouldn't want to hold her in their arms and hug her?
Many strong and tough men think it would be so cute to have a little princess sit on their shoulders.
The civil and military officials of the previous dynasty were quite noisy and quarrelsome, not to mention the harem, who loved to gossip the most.
When Xiao Yuehan woke up in the morning, she felt a headache and was not feeling well, so she did not go to chat with the other concubines.
But she didn't go; instead, those people came one by one under the guise of visiting her.
One by one, they took handkerchiefs and melon seeds, and sat down by her bedside to chat.
"Sister Xiao, have you heard? I heard that all the ministers outside are talking about it. They don't know what kind of ability that little princess has, that makes the Prime Minister treat her so well."
"When we usually see the Prime Minister, he's always so rigid and old-fashioned. This time, he actually smiled at that little girl. I wonder if it's true or not," someone said while cracking sunflower seeds.
These imperial concubines were usually kept deep within the palace, but they were not completely cut off from communication with the outside world.
Most people had heard about it and gathered together to chat: "It must be true, don't you think? It's all over the place. I just don't know why the old prime minister is acting so strangely this time? Our prime minister is notoriously biased towards sons!"
"I heard that when other families have a son, they'll have their wives prepare gifts. But if someone has a daughter, they just pretend they didn't hear anything. He even mentioned it when someone asked."
"Huh?" Everyone stared at her, wide-eyed. "What did you say?"
"Our old prime minister said that people say a son brings good fortune and a daughter brings bad fortune. Do they really want a piece of tile? If they really want one, they can just take one from their roof. There's no need to waste manpower."
The man laughed as he spoke, “Tell me, how could such a patriarchal prime minister be a grandfather who dotes on his granddaughter?”
"That's right! If he truly loved his granddaughter, how could he have let that little brat search for her in the countryside for so many years before finally finding her? And if it weren't for the Regent, he probably wouldn't have wanted that little brat to lie to him." Someone muttered, "Could it be that he really did this for the Regent's sake?"
Otherwise, Lin Yanping's transformation would be completely inexplicable to them.
No one wanted to believe that the old prime minister, who had always favored sons over daughters, had suddenly changed his ways and was now so fond of Lin Wanyue.
In these people's mouths, Lin Wanyue is no good. Although she is young, she must be able to write magic.
Especially spells that seduce men.
To these palace intrigue experts, such magic was nothing short of a thorn in their side, the worst thing in the world.
Xiao Yuehan already had a headache, and hearing them chatter on and on about these things made her frown even more.
"Fool! If our Prime Minister could really bow down to the Regent and even fawn over him like this, would he still be our old Prime Minister? Then why would the Regent go to such lengths to cultivate his power in the court?" Xiao Yuehan couldn't help but scold.
The others' expressions darkened upon hearing her words.
The person who had just spoken felt as if Xiao Yuehan was pointing her finger at them and cursing them, and their face immediately fell.
Back when Xiao Yuehan was still a concubine in the palace, she spoke so harshly, and everyone tolerated it.
But now everyone is a concubine, and none of their sons have become emperors. Only the empress got the benefit but didn't live long.
The saying goes, "He who has no desires is invincible," so they have no reason to beg Xiao Yuehan now.
Apart from Consort Su and Consort Liu, whose families were of low status and had no one to rely on, everyone else stood up abruptly.
"Since Sister Xiao isn't feeling well, we won't stay any longer!" They all said their goodbyes.
Consort Su and Consort Liu exchanged a glance, and seeing that Xiao Yuehan's expression was not good, they followed behind the group and said to her, "Since you are not feeling well, we will go with them first. We will come back to keep you company when you are feeling better."
Xiao Yuehan didn't care whether they stayed with her or not. She rolled up in the blanket and went to sleep.
Not long after, a eunuch came to report.
The eldest prince, Qi Xiao, has arrived.
Xiao Yuehan disregarded her headache and quickly summoned her personal maid to help her change clothes and comb her hair. After carefully tidying herself up and making sure her complexion was alright, she went out to meet people.
The eldest prince, Qi Xiao, is Xiao Yuehan's only son. He is now twenty-two years old and has been living in his own residence for the past two years.
However, the prince's residence has not yet been built because the regent keeps saying that the court's finances are insufficient, and the amount of money allocated is getting less and less each time.
Xiao Yuehan was furious, so she could only take the money herself to subsidize him. She also felt sorry for her silly son, who was too kind and naive and too honest, and was always bullied.
"Xiao'er, what brings you here today?" Xiao Yuehan was happy to see her son's tall and handsome appearance. Even the throbbing headache seemed to have disappeared.
Qi Xiao happily came over and bowed to Xiao Yuehan, saying to her, "Mother, I wanted to come and discuss something with you."
"What is it?" Xiao Yuehan asked quickly.
"His Majesty's birthday is in a few days. I was thinking that His Majesty is nine years old now, and I don't know what to give him. If it's just some little trinket, he probably won't like it."
"After all, he's a big kid now." Qi Xiao treated Qi Yuan like a younger brother, and his tone was full of affection for his younger brother.
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