That day, the newly appointed prime minister entered the palace to request an audience regarding urgent military matters. After the meeting, the old prime minister, seeing the emperor's beaming face and radiating a gentle aura, couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty's delight must mean you already have a comprehensive plan for the education of the future prince?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Che raised an eyebrow, a hint of Versailles-like "worry" appearing on his face. He waved his hand casually and sighed, "Alas, if it were a prince, it would be simple; just teach him according to ancestral rules. What I'm worried about now is... what if it's a princess?"
The old prime minister was taken aback and quickly said, "The princess is of noble birth, so naturally..."
"Of course I want to be the freest and most favored woman in the world!" Xiao Che interrupted him without thinking, repeating almost verbatim the words he had spoken to Lin Wanwan in the Imperial Garden a few days ago, with a hint of boasting, to his prime minister.
He spoke with great enthusiasm, especially when he mentioned that "one could choose not to marry and could become a female official," which filled him with pride as an "enlightened monarch."
The old prime minister stood there, completely dumbfounded, listening to His Majesty's "earth-shattering words," words that were enough to warrant three days and three nights of impeachment by the censors. His mouth was agape, unable to close for a long time, his mind blank, utterly unable to process this far-fetched information.
After successfully demonstrating his "unconventional" parenting philosophy at Versailles, Xiao Che waved his hand with satisfaction, dismissing the prime minister.
He had no idea that his "unintentional words" would unleash such a tremendous storm.
The prime minister walked out of the imperial study in a daze, his mind still echoing with the emperor's bold statement, "My princess can also be a queen." He returned to his residence in a daze, and while discussing matters with some colleagues, he couldn't help but recount the emperor's "brilliant insight" as a remarkable anecdote.
One stone stirs up a thousand waves!
The emperor...prefers princesses more?!
This news was like a depth charge dropped into a calm lake, instantly triggering a massive earthquake of magnitude 12 in the upper echelons of Beijing!
Within just one day, the news spread from the high palace walls to ordinary people's homes at an unimaginable speed.
In the most popular teahouse in Beijing, Yuelai, the storyteller's tales were updated overnight.
The once-fierce emperor's furious execution of corrupt officials has transformed into a tender-hearted emperor yearning for a daughter. The storyteller, with fervor, recounts how His Majesty "risked everything for a beauty" and "arrived with lychees in a cloud of dust," making the tale truly epic. And the latest grand finale is that elaborately embellished dialogue before the emperor concerning the "gender of the child."
"...His Majesty waved his dragon sleeve and addressed the assembled officials, proclaiming: 'Having a son merely adds another guardian to the empire; having a daughter, however, adds a bright moonlight to my heart! My princesses should read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles, unburdened by marriage, untroubled by worldly affairs!' What a magnificent phrase, 'untroubled by worldly affairs'! Ladies and gentlemen, what emperor throughout history could match such magnanimity and spirit?!"
A thunderous roar of applause erupted from the audience! The women, especially those who had brought their daughters to listen to the storytelling, were so moved that tears welled up in their eyes.
Immediately afterward, bookstores across the capital launched countless versions of "storybooks" overnight. "The Domineering Emperor and His Beloved Daughter," "The Royal Daughter Has Grown Up," "My Princess Father"... a series of stories swept through the entire capital's cultural market at an astonishing speed, selling out completely.
If this was merely a spontaneous entertainment extravaganza among the people, then the reaction of the major gambling dens in the capital city completely propelled this carnival to its peak of nationwide participation.
On the third day after the incident, the largest gambling den in the capital, "Sihaitong," openly hung a huge signboard at its entrance with four large characters written in gold paint: "Dragon Heir Betting"!
On the left is the "Crown Prince," with odds of 1 to 1.1.
On the right is "Princess," with odds as high as 1 to 5!
The moment this betting odds opened, the entire capital city went completely crazy!
From royalty and nobility to commoners, countless people flocked to the gambling dens, investing their money, however small, into this high-stakes gamble that concerned the very foundation of the nation.
Initially, based on the traditional idea of "establishing the eldest son as heir and prioritizing the foundation of the state," those who bet on the "crown prince" held an absolute advantage.
However, as those folk tales circulated and as the emperor's claim that he "loved the princess more" was exaggerated to an almost mythical degree, the tide began to turn.
"Have you heard? His Majesty has started allocating funds from the imperial treasury to build an academy for his future little princess!"
"That's not all! I heard that His Majesty has even decided on a title for the princess: 'Anle,' meaning he wishes her a peaceful and joyful life!"
These rumors, some true and some false, acted as a catalyst, causing the "Princess Party's" support rate to soar!
The odds at the gambling den changed daily. From an initial 5 to 1, they dropped to 3 to 1, then to 2 to 1... their popularity even surpassed the ongoing border war at one point!
This nationwide carnival, in the end, inevitably flowed back to its original source—the imperial court.
During the morning court session, the ministers quietly split into two major camps.
Led by the Minister of Rites, the "Crown Prince Party" quoted classical texts daily, emphasizing the importance of "establishing an heir" and stressing the irreplaceable role of princes in stabilizing the foundation of the country. Every issue they submitted to the throne unconsciously veered towards the idea of "how one should behave if one becomes the Crown Prince."
"Your Majesty, I believe that the reconstruction of the Eastern Palace Academy should be put on the agenda immediately. This is a long-term plan to cultivate a culture of diligence for the future crown prince!"
Meanwhile, a group of enlightened individuals, led by the newly appointed prime minister and "brainwashed" by the emperor, quietly formed the "Princess Party." They raised the banner of "His Majesty is wise and open-minded," and countered everything with the argument that "if one were a princess, one could do this or that."
"Your Excellency is mistaken! Her Majesty the Empress is exceptionally talented, demonstrating that women can indeed govern a nation. I believe that instead of rebuilding the academy, we should recruit female tutors from across the land to prepare for the future princess's education!"
Thus, the most peculiar scene in history unfolded in the Golden Palace.
The Minister of War and the Minister of Works argued heatedly over the budget for the armory. In the end, the argument devolved into a debate on whether "if the Crown Prince is in charge of the army, the black armor should be recast; if the princess is in charge of the army, the light crossbows should be refined."
The Minister of Revenue and the Minister of Personnel argued fiercely over the reform of officials' salaries, which eventually devolved into a discussion on whether "the Crown Prince should receive a generous salary when overseeing the country, and the Princess should receive more generous rewards when participating in government."
The entire imperial court has completely gone astray.
National affairs seem to have become unimportant. What matters is whether the future ruler will be male or female!
...
Inside the Imperial Study.
Xiao Che looked at the detailed report on the "Capital Dragon Heir Gambling Game" presented by the Prefect of Jingzhao with a mournful face, and was so angry that he blew his beard and glared.
"Outrageous! Utterly outrageous!" He slammed his fist on the dragon table and roared, "My family affairs are the foundation of the nation! How dare these gamblers and merchants use them as a game?! Issue my decree to thoroughly investigate! Shut down all gambling dens that are operating betting operations! Exile the people in charge to three thousand li!"
The Prefect of Jingzhao, kneeling below, trembled with fear and hurriedly kowtowed, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger, but... but now the entire city's people are involved. If we forcibly seal it off, I'm afraid... I'm afraid it will incite public resentment..."
"Public resentment?" Xiao Che laughed angrily. "Is he not even able to control these unruly people?"
Just as he was about to erupt, his gaze inadvertently fell on the last part of the report—a detailed statistical analysis of the current odds and betting ratios.
It clearly says on it:
"...As of yesterday, the total amount bet by the 'Princess Party' has exceeded that of the 'Crown Prince Party' by more than three times. The odds have dropped from an initial 1 to 5 to 1 to 1 to 1.3. Public opinion also largely hopes for the birth of a princess to inherit the Empress's talents and virtues..."
Xiao Che's anger came to an abrupt halt upon seeing these lines.
His handsome face, which had been clouded with gloom, suddenly became serious.
He picked up the report and read it carefully again to make sure he wasn't seeing things.
The "Princess Party" has a much higher approval rating than the "Prince Party"?
What does this tell us?
This shows that my people, like him, have good judgment! They all see how outstanding my Empress is, and they also hope that there will be a little princess who inherits the Empress's talent, virtue, and wisdom!
Xiao Che's "severe punishment order" that was about to come out was swallowed back down his throat.
He put down the report, sat back on the dragon throne, and the tense lines on his face caused by anger unconsciously softened.
He tried his best to maintain his imperial dignity, keeping a straight face and coughing lightly.
However, the wildly upturned corners of his mouth, almost reaching his ears, completely betrayed his true inner thoughts.
He looked at the trembling Prefect of Jingzhao below, forced a calm wave of his hand, and said in a deliberately serious tone, "Ahem! Forget it! Considering... considering that the people are also worried about the foundation of the country and have a sincere heart, this matter... will be temporarily dropped. However, officials must be strictly prohibited from participating; what kind of behavior is this!"
The Prefect of Jingzhao felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He hurriedly kowtowed to express his gratitude and scrambled out of the city.
Only Xiao Che remained in the imperial study.
He could no longer contain himself. He picked up the report, looked at the data showing that the "Princess Party" was far ahead, and his lips curled up wildly, letting out a triumphant laugh that only he could hear.
Above his head, in his designated emoji area, a chibi-style little emperor wearing sunglasses crossed his arms and smirked smugly.
[Hmph! You guys have good taste! .gif]
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