The grand assembly of the six palaces in Kunning Palace swept through the entire harem like a storm. The Empress's sweeping reforms, with unprecedented force, challenged the old order that had been in place for hundreds of years.
The news quickly reached the previous dynasty.
For the civil and military officials who had just undergone a major reshuffle and were still reeling from the bloodshed of the palace coup, this was undoubtedly another shocking revelation.
The Empress wants to establish a system of female officials? And abolish the old rules of the Empress Dowager? This... isn't this ridiculous! The inner palace is a place for rest and recuperation, where women should simply be good wives and mothers. What kind of decorum is this, with all these elaborate schemes? Especially since this completely oversteps the bounds of ancestral rules!
Immediately, the court and the public were abuzz with discussion. Many pedantic old officials who considered it their duty to uphold traditional etiquette and law were heartbroken, feeling that this was tantamount to a hen crowing at dawn, and that the country was doomed!
They dared not directly criticize the emperor, so they directed all their anger at the "restless" empress.
Finally, during one of the morning court sessions, someone couldn't hold back any longer.
In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the atmosphere had just eased from the discussion about the construction of water conservancy projects in the south when a censor known for his integrity and conservatism mustered his courage, took his tablet, and stepped forward.
"Your subject has something to report!"
Xiao Che sat on the dragon throne, his expression indifferent. After this period of recuperation, his complexion had returned to normal, but the majesty in his phoenix eyes was more profound than ever before.
"Granted." He uttered two words calmly.
The censor took a deep breath, as if he were prepared to die, and said loudly, "Your subject, Liu Zhen, censor of the Censorate, impeaches Her Majesty the Empress!"
"Whoosh—"
The entire Golden Palace erupted in an uproar!
Impeaching the Empress! What utter audacity!
All the officials stared at Liu Zhen in shock. Some admired his audacity, while others cursed him inwardly for being reckless. Who didn't know the Empress's position in His Majesty's heart? This Imperial Censor Liu must have a death wish!
The newly appointed officials looked nervous. They had all been recommended by the Empress to enter the court, and now they were bound to share the Empress's glory and misfortune.
On the dragon throne, Xiao Che's expression remained unchanged, only his eyes narrowed slightly, flashing a chilling glint.
"Oh? Tell me, what crime has my Empress committed?" His voice was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.
But the more this is the case, the more oppressive a sense of impending doom arises.
Liu Zhen, however, seemed oblivious. He stiffened his neck and said with an air of righteous indignation, "Her Majesty the Empress has recently abolished the old ancestral rules in the palace and established a new system of female officials! This action violates ancestral rules and shakes the foundation of the nation! The palace is Your Majesty's inner court, and should be quiet and inactive, with the primary task of assisting Your Majesty and ensuring the continuation of the imperial line. Now, Her Majesty the Empress is carrying out reforms, allowing women to interfere in politics, which is a sign of a hen crowing at dawn! If this continues, the social order will be in chaos, and the nation will cease to exist! I implore Your Majesty to think twice before acting and rescind your decree!"
His words were powerful and impassioned, representing the sentiments of all conservative officials in the court.
In an instant, all eyes were focused on the emperor on the dragon throne. They were all waiting, waiting for the emperor's thunderous wrath. According to past practice, even the most wise monarch would never easily let go of such an impeachment that directly targeted the harem and challenged ancestral rules.
However, everyone was wrong.
After listening to Liu Zhen's "loyal" speech, Xiao Che was not angry at all; instead, he... smiled.
He first chuckled softly, then his laughter grew louder and louder until finally he was overjoyed and burst into loud laughter, which echoed in the empty Golden Palace, filled with a sense of merriment.
Everyone was stunned.
Liu Zhen was stunned, his face flushed, and he was at a loss for words. He was prepared to be dismissed from office, imprisoned, or even beheaded, but he was not prepared for the emperor to react this way.
Your Majesty... has it gone mad with anger?
Finally, Xiao Che stopped laughing. He leaned forward slightly from the dragon throne, looking down at Liu Zhen, who was staring in astonishment, his eyes filled with admiration. His first words made everyone doubt their ears.
"Well said, Minister Liu!"
Well said?
The entire court, including Liu Zhen himself, was completely petrified.
Xiao Che seemed oblivious to their horrified expressions. He stood up with great interest, took a half-step across the hall, and began his "fancy wife-praising" performance in front of everyone in an almost boastful tone.
"Minister Liu's accusation that the Empress has transgressed ancestral rules is quite correct. But do you know that my Empress has never followed the usual path since the first day she entered the palace?"
His voice carried a hint of pride and doting as he began to recount the details.
"She entered the palace to bring me good fortune! At the time, everyone thought I was about to die, but she, with her own body, brought me a chance to live! Doesn't this achievement exceed the duties of an ordinary concubine?"
Before anyone could answer, he continued:
"In the palace, treacherous concubines held sway, and the Empress Dowager was biased. It was she who, as a woman, outwitted these treacherous concubines, defied power, and cleansed the harem for me! Doesn't this courage exceed the ancestral requirement of 'gentleness and obedience'?"
"When I was assassinated and fell into a coma, the court was in turmoil. It was she who took on the responsibility in the face of danger, stabilized the country both inside and outside, managed the government with one hand, and comforted the court officials with the other, thus preserving the country and the nation! Doesn't this courage exceed the ironclad rule that 'women should not interfere in politics'?"
"With the national treasury empty and natural disasters strike, it was she who offered up the ancient divine strategies of 'work relief' and 'issuing bonds,' rescuing the people from dire straits and saving the empire from peril! Doesn't this wisdom surpass that of you well-read men?"
Xiao Che's voice grew louder and louder, his momentum growing stronger. He asked questions and praised Lin Wanwan one by one, recounting all of her achievements since entering the palace as if they were his own treasures, in front of the entire court of officials, one by one!
With each statement he made, the heads of the officials in the hall lowered slightly. The newly promoted officials from humble backgrounds, however, were all filled with pride, their chests ramrod straight. The censor Liu Zhen, on the other hand, was already flushed red, drenched in cold sweat, and wished he could disappear into the ground.
The charges he brought against the Empress were, in the Emperor's mouth, transformed into irrefutable evidence of her contributions to the nation!
This isn't an impeachment; it's clearly a superb memorial praising the Empress!
Finally, Xiao Che walked back to the dragon throne, put his hands behind his back, looked around at the silent assembled officials, and made his final summary. His voice was loud and clear, full of undeniable domineering power and pride.
"My Empress, Lady Lin Wanwan, possesses extraordinary talent and has rendered meritorious service in stabilizing the country and ensuring peace!"
"The harem is nothing more than a small test for her! It's not worth mentioning. I wish I could hand over the entire empire to her to manage. What right do you have to criticize me here!"
"boom!"
This sentence is more impactful than any of the previous ones!
He wished he could hand over the entire empire to her to manage!
What trust this is! What favor this is! This is no longer just pampering a wife; this is elevating the Empress to a position comparable to that of the Emperor!
Everyone was stunned by Xiao Che's shocking declaration and dared not have any further thoughts of rebuttal.
Just kidding! If you argue back, it won't just be criticizing the Empress, it will be questioning the Emperor's decision on who he wants to hand over the throne to!
Xiao Che looked at the assembled officials below, who were completely stunned, and nodded in satisfaction. He knew that praise alone was not enough; he needed to give his empress the strongest possible "official endorsement."
He slowly sat down and issued a decree to the eunuch beside him that would be recorded in history.
"Issue my decree!"
"From this day forward, all imperial edicts issued by the Empress shall be treated as imperial decrees!"
"The entire government and the public must comply!"
He paused, his icy gaze sweeping over Liu Zhen and all the officials who had once harbored ulterior motives, his voice as cold as a knife:
"Anyone who criticizes the Empress again will be punished as if they were criticizing the Emperor!"
To be punished for criticizing the emperor!
This decree, like a golden token, an insurmountable barrier, completely blocked any avenues for criticism!
Liu Zhen collapsed to the ground with a thud, his face ashen. He knew he was finished. Not because of impeaching the Empress, but because he had given the Emperor an opportunity to legitimize and formalize the practice of "favoring one's wife" into policy.
Xiao Che's earth-shattering actions were like a double whammy, delivering a resounding slap to the face of anyone trying to invoke "ancestral rules." He declared to the world in the most direct and domineering way: My Empress, I will protect her! Her decision is my decision! Anyone who dares to oppose her is going against me!
From then on, "Whatever the Empress says is right" was no longer a joke, but became an unquestionable new "political correctness" in the Liang court.
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