"This is a rebellion!"
The Empress Dowager stood up and pointed at the court officials in front of her, shouting angrily.
"How dare you still come to discuss!"
"Have you all forgotten your duties?"
"Allowing a young woman to rashly discuss matters of the crown prince and royal succession?"
"Are you crazy or just muddleheaded?"
The court officials, facing the Empress Dowager's rebuke, seemed to wake up.
Indeed, such a thing was truly absurd.
At the time, outside the Imperial Mausoleum, they were shocked first by the sudden words of this woman and then by the emperor's reaction, leaving them dazed and at a loss.
"The emperor considers himself guilty, modest and magnanimous, and to calm the people's hearts, he refrained from rebuking this woman's aggressive demands."
The Empress Dowager's face turned red with anger as she continued to scold the court officials.
"And you? What are you all doing?"
The court officials knelt down one after another.
"We are guilty." They said.
"This matter is too absurd." One court official also raised his head and said, "It must be rejected."
"This is disrupting the political order." Another court official also spoke, "It is intolerable."
"Overstepping bounds and manipulating through merit, this is the trait of treacherous evildoers."
The officials in the court denounced vehemently.
The Empress Dowager's expression slightly softened, showing some satisfaction, but as her gaze swept, she noticed a few officials maintaining silence, looking pensive.
Most were young officials, standing at the back of the line.
Feeling the Empress Dowager's gaze, one of the young officials couldn't help shrinking his head.
"Shouldn't we say something at this time?" He slightly moved his lips, squeezed out a sentence to the official beside him.
"Ning Yunzhao is by the emperor's side." The official beside him kept a proper posture without looking sideways, only slightly moving his lips, "The emperor's intention must be Yunzhao's intention."
The officials were well aware that the emperor must disagree in his heart, but since the emperor did not openly oppose, it was evident he wanted the matter to be discussed.
Since it was a discussion, naturally not everyone could oppose, or else there'd be nothing to debate.
However, truly stepping forward to agree wasn't something they could do, so it was better to remain silent.
After all, in the court, silence sometimes equates to a stance.
These newly appointed young officials were most prone to harboring ulterior motives, the Empress Dowager coldly observed them, her gaze landing on another person, her brows could not help but furrow.
This person was not young, though he hadn't appeared in court for a long time.
"Lord Ning." The Empress Dowager said, "What do you think?"
Everyone's gaze fell on Ning Yan, only then realizing Ning Yan had kept quiet all along.
Could he have a different intention?
The Empress Dowager's expression grew heavy.
"I remember, back then Lord Ning made a declaration about orthodoxy to the first emperor." She said, "Has Lord Ning changed his view now that the first emperor is no longer?"
At the time, unlike those insisting on establishing the imperial crown prince's son, he supported making Prince Qi the Crown Prince.
The reason was to choose the elder not the younger.
After the prince died, the imperial crown prince's son was too young and incapable of bearing the great responsibilities of the nation, making Prince Qi the most suitable.
It was also because of this that Ning Yan gained the favor of the first emperor and Prince Qi, advancing his position, eventually becoming an important cabinet minister.
But now, was he about to contradict himself?
Could his former stance for the elder over the younger have merely been a means to curry favor for advancement?
What kind of loyal and virtuous minister could such a person be regarded as?
Ning Yan's expression was solemn.
"I still do not agree with the notion of safeguarding orthodoxy." He stated, "Miss Jun's actions are indeed rebellious and absurd."
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager's expression slightly eased.
The other court officials also nodded in agreement.
"Therefore, I hope His Majesty comes forth to rebuke this matter." Ning Yan continued, "Miss Jun has great merits, but rewards and punishments must be clear. Her merits should be rewarded, but attempting to manipulate politics through her merits should be sternly rebuked and fallacies rectified, affirming orthodoxy."
The Empress Dowager slightly frowned.
"The emperor values her great contributions, intending to comfort her." She stated, "His Majesty is of a generous and benevolent nature, as you all know."
"Sensible consolation requires discernment." Ning Yan said, "His Majesty is the Emperor, the Father Jun. As an emperor and father, commend when due, rebuke when necessary. Blanket indulgence leads to pampering to death, which is not genuine comfort or appreciation."
Indeed, this was the reasoning.
The emperor should step forward to scold and punish Miss Jun, also demonstrating to the populace his rightful orthodoxy beyond question.
"Miss Jun is wrong this time, she must be rebuked."
"Indeed, she should be openly rebuked."
"His Majesty needs not evade this."
The officials present nodded and spoke.
The Empress Dowager clenched her hands tightly on her knees, the reasoning made sense, yet the emperor this useless...
She looked at Ning Yan, unsure whether to be annoyed with him or to praise him.
Yet the court officials were mostly in agreement that Miss Jun's proposal to establish Prince Huai as the prince was incorrect, and the Empress Dowager was comforted by this.
It was uncertain whether this Miss Jun's fortune or misfortune, every time she achieved great merit and caused unease, she would do something to ruin her own reputation.
This self-destructive behavior wasn't to be blamed on the dynasty's ruthlessness.
The Empress Dowager adjusted her posture.
Then let the people know what Miss Jun said and did, let them see how arrogant and rebellious this woman was, daring to interfere in major political matters.
This would also allow the worthless emperor to take advantage of public opinion to deal with Miss Jun and then hurry back.
She still had grievances to settle with him.
Miss Jun's words, spoken outside the Imperial Mausoleum and tacitly allowed by the Empress Dowager, quickly spread, causing a sensation in the capital.
For the people, establishing heirs was a major court affair, Miss Jun proposing it this way was indeed terrifying.
"Such affairs happened before, those maternal relatives supporting their favored princes, forcing the emperor to make them the prince, causing so much familial discord."
"Establishing the elder, not the younger, is a well-known principle."
"Even the Grand Scholar of the Cabinet would surely handle the matter of establishing heirs with caution, how can Miss Jun, being a woman, brazenly behave this way?"
"How can she? Isn't it because of her great merit?"
"Just because of great merit, can she manipulate the political affairs? What has she become then?"
"Become what? Aren't those treacherous power envoys like this?"
"I never imagined, Miss Jun would also be someone lusting after power."
Various discussions spread through the streets and alleys, Jiuling Hall became even quieter than before, and those aristocrats and wealthy people no longer came here for medicine.
They came to Jiuling Hall to obtain medicine to save their lives, but Miss Jun's actions now undoubtedly were a capital crime worthy of execution, they were unwilling to be implicated and lose their lives.
"Miss Jun, why, why would you do this?" Seventh Chen paced around several times and said.
Such a good thing turns out.....
"Miss Jun, I know you are kind to Prince Huai." Manager Liu, silent for a moment, also spoke up, "But this matter should not have been spoken out."
Miss Jun smiled slightly.
"No, this matter should be spoken out." She said, "Criticize me, it doesn't matter, the more criticism the better."
Better?
What good is there?
Manager Liu and Seventh Chen looked at her.
This Miss Jun had been acting oddly from the start.
"Criticize me, and people will say why they criticize me." Miss Jun said, looking outside the door, through the open door panel, at the crowd gathered pointing at this place, "When said enough, more will speak and remember that person, and eventually someone will start thinking whether my words make sense."
........
...….
"Indeed, talking about making Prince Huai the prince, doesn't His Majesty have sons?"
A member of the public sneered.
"It's simply laughable."
Laughter erupted around, but one person did not laugh, instead, pinched his chin.
"However, if you put it that way, there should have been no need to make Prince Qi the emperor in the first place." He said, "The prince also wasn't without a son."
With these words, the surrounding laughter abruptly ceased.