That night's wondrous interaction was like a flash of inspiration, completely waking Xiao Che from his immersion in "hardcore prenatal education."
He finally understood.
The best education is love and companionship.
From then on, Kunning Palace finally bid farewell to those ridiculous "course schedules". "The Art of War" was put away again, the score of "Guangling San" was covered with a thin layer of dust, and the stunning "Landscape" mural was covered with a layer of elegant wallpaper overnight at Lin Wanwan's strong request.
Xiao Che's "parenting anxiety" seemed to have been greatly relieved. He stopped causing trouble and, after finishing his official duties each day, would return to Kunning Palace, either to accompany Lin Wanwan for a walk or to softly read her stories, enjoying the last moments of peace and warmth before the storm.
Within the palace walls, life is peaceful and serene.
However, outside the palace walls, the storm triggered by His Majesty the Emperor's "unintentional words" intensified among the people, eventually turning into a super typhoon of category twelve.
The "Dragon Heir Contest" gambling game had long since spread from its initial focus on the capital to every prefecture and state of the Great Liang Dynasty. Countless people poured their hard-earned money into this century-long gamble concerning the very foundation of the nation.
As time went on, fueled by countless stories and folk tales, the "Princess Party" gained momentum and completely overwhelmed the traditional "Prince Party".
The public sentiment has completely shifted towards "hoping for the birth of a little princess who will inherit the Empress's talents and virtues."
After brewing for several days, this fervent undercurrent finally broke through the palace walls in a dramatic and unexpected way, surging back into the solemn and majestic Golden Palace.
The atmosphere in the court was as calm and composed as ever during the morning court session that day.
The civil and military officials stood in neat rows, methodically reporting on various state affairs. Xiao Che sat on the high dragon throne, his expression focused, occasionally nodding and occasionally asking questions, displaying his imperial majesty.
Lin Wanwan, following her recent habit, sat behind the beaded curtain behind the dragon throne to listen in. She was pregnant and didn't really need to, but Xiao Che said that with her there, he felt at ease. This became an unspoken understanding between the two.
Everything seemed so normal.
However, just as the Minister of Revenue finished reporting on the canal transport matters and was about to leave, someone no one expected suddenly walked out shakily from the ranks of civil officials.
He was Wang Xiude, a Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy.
This Grand Secretary Wang, nearing seventy, was a veteran of three reigns, a man of profound learning, and highly respected among scholars. However, he spent his entire life immersed in ancient texts, a typical old scholar who "deaf to worldly affairs and devoted himself solely to studying the classics." During court sessions, he was practically invisible, only offering opinions on compiling historical records or imperial archives; otherwise, he never participated in any political discussions.
His sudden appearance today surprised everyone.
Xiao Che was also somewhat surprised, and said gently, "What can I do for you, Minister Wang?"
The old man, Wang Xiude, was flushed, his lips trembling, and he exuded an unusual excitement. Instead of his usual slow and deliberate quotations, he suddenly knelt down with a thud!
This action instantly created a tense atmosphere in the entire Golden Palace.
Immediately afterwards, he raised both hands high, holding not an ordinary memorial, but a roll of white silk. On that white silk, several shocking characters were written in blood!
A letter written in blood!
The entire court was in an uproar!
What earth-shattering event could have prompted an old scholar who never concerned himself with politics to present a letter written in blood in court? Had a major error been made in the compilation of history, shaking the foundations of the nation? Or had some shocking secret from the previous dynasty been discovered?
Everyone's heart was in their throat.
Xiao Che's expression instantly turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "Bring it here!"
The eunuch hurriedly ran over to retrieve the blood-written letter and respectfully presented it to Xiao Che.
Xiao Che unfolded the white silk, his gaze falling on the few words on it that were slightly blackened due to blood loss. Immediately, his solemn face froze.
On that terrifying letter written in blood, several large characters were scribbled in a flamboyant and elegant style—
"Your Majesty, I implore you! You must give birth to a princess!"
"..."
The Golden Palace was deathly silent.
Holding the blood-written letter, Xiao Che looked at the old scholar kneeling below, so devout as if he were pleading for the people, and felt his brain stop working for a moment.
What...what did he just see?
Please...you must...give birth to a princess?
What is all this nonsense?!
Lin Wanwan, behind the beaded curtain, also glimpsed the words on the blood-written letter through the gap. She almost couldn't help but burst out laughing. She never imagined that this folk celebration would reach the imperial court in such a "hardcore" way.
"Wang...Wang Xiude!" Xiao Che's voice carried a hint of absurdity and amusement that he himself was unaware of. "Do you...do you know what you're doing?!"
"Your Majesty! I understand!" At this moment, the venerable Lord Wang Xiude seemed to have transformed into a messenger of justice, filled with the tragic grandeur of sacrificing himself for his ideals. He raised his head, tears streaming down his face, and said with heartbreaking grief, "Your Majesty! It is not that this old minister is being absurd, but rather... it is truly a matter of national destiny!"
As he spoke, he pulled out another stack of... thick... gambling den receipts from his pocket!
"Your Majesty, please look!" He held the receipts high. "This is my life savings! I have lived a life of poverty, with only a few thousand gold pieces. However, upon hearing Your Majesty's grand vision that 'even princesses can be kings,' I... I am deeply moved and cannot sleep at night! This is a golden age unprecedented in the thousand-year history of our Great Liang, and a blessing for all women in the land!"
"Therefore," he cried, "I have staked my entire fortune on the 'Princess Party' to show my support for Your Majesty's wise decision!"
These words struck like a thunderbolt, leaving the entire court of officials stunned and bewildered.
Everyone stared in disbelief at the highly respected old scholar and the dazzling stack of gambling tickets in his hand.
They finally understood.
After all that, it turns out this old man wasn't trying to die for his cause; he was... he lost his bet and was desperate, trying to forcefully influence "divine will" and change the course of the game through "death plea"!
"But! But!" Old Master Wang Xiude's tone suddenly changed, his voice filled with grief and indignation, "Recently, for some unknown reason, there have been rumors circulating among the people, saying that 'the foundation of the nation is of utmost importance, and ultimately it is the princes'! This has caused the 'princelings' to regain momentum, and the odds on the betting market are fluctuating every day! This old minister... this old minister's life and fortune are already... already in danger!"
He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, and then burst into tears, sobbing, "Your Majesty! You can't ignore this! Your bold words still ring in our ears! How can you... how can you let your loyal ministers who support you go bankrupt! We beg Your Majesty to stand firm and give the millions of people of the 'Princess Party' peace of mind! We beg Your Majesty, you must... you must give birth to a princess!"
After he finished speaking, he started banging his head on the ground, as if he would splatter blood on the Golden Palace if Xiao Che didn't agree.
The entire imperial court was in complete chaos.
The officials looked at each other, wanting to laugh but not daring to, their expressions twisted as if they had opened a dye shop.
They had never seen such an absurd and ridiculous morning court session.
Xiao Che sat on the dragon throne, holding the blood-written letter in his hand. Looking down at the old minister who had "died for his bet," he felt both angry and amused.
He felt his imperial majesty being utterly crushed and repeatedly rubbed into the ground at this moment.
He looked up, both amused and exasperated, and glanced instinctively at the direction of the beaded curtain, as if seeking help from Lin Wanwan.
Above his head, in his designated emoji area, a huge, hastily drawn character for "fuck" slowly appeared. Below it, a line of smaller text scrolled helplessly.
[I'm impressed! My people are really going all out for gambling! .jpg]
However, this farce, which was started by the old scholar, did not end there.
It was like a fuse thrown into a powder keg, instantly igniting a real, serious political debate.
Just as the entire court was immersed in this absurd comedy, an untimely, serious voice suddenly rang out.
"Your Majesty! Your subject has something to report!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Zhang Chengzhi, the Minister of Rites, a notoriously pedantic old official who placed great importance on ancestral rites, walking out of the queue with a stern face.
He didn't even glance at Wang Xiude kneeling on the ground, but instead bowed deeply to Xiao Che, his voice booming like a bell.
"Your Majesty! Although Grand Secretary Wang's actions are absurd and outrageous, they have brought to light a matter of paramount importance concerning the very foundation of the nation!"
He raised his head, his gaze intense, his voice filled with an undeniable seriousness:
"The foundation of the nation is paramount, and the heir apparent is of utmost importance! Since ancient times, only by establishing a crown prince can the country be at peace and the people's hearts be settled! Although the princess is of noble birth, she is ultimately a member of a different family! Your Majesty's previous statement that 'a princess can also be a queen' has already caused much controversy among the people, and now it has turned into a game of chance in the court. This is a sign that the foundation of the nation is being shaken!"
He abruptly threw off his court robes, knelt down, and cried out in a sorrowful voice:
"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you rescind your decree to set things right! And proclaim to the world that only the Crown Prince can inherit the throne of our Great Liang, so as to reassure the hearts of all the people!"
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