Chapter 143: Shifting Blame
ight. We'll make it seem like we can no longer attend to you, that we've diverted more personnel to protect high-ranking officers, making it easier for you to move."That's not enough, I need to earn t...The Grand Princess, after all, is only a regent and hasn't become the actual ruler. It's probably not appropriate to overstep the Empress and make decisions herself.
Someone immediately raised objections.
Because she doesn't hold power, she wants to seize the opportunity to gain it. She needs to win over officials, and that requires capital – not just gold and silver, but achievements as well. If this matter is handled well, it will be a great accomplishment. But I'm afraid we may have to shed some blood for it.
Zhang Zhang said with a smile.
“”
"First, we need to figure out if the fifth brother is still alive. If he is..."
Pan Long Xindi's words were not finished, but all the courtiers below bowed their heads, and no one dared to speak.
It goes without saying that this new emperor, who climbed to power on the bones of his brothers, is not a kind person. Now, because of an emotionless younger brother, he's being threatened by the Phoenix Nest Kingdom. There's no way he could swallow this humiliation. He probably wishes the other side would die in the Phoenix Nest Kingdom, so that the crisis would be resolved.
"If the Fifth Emperor, Prince Ming, were to act as an envoy and go to Fengqi Country to forge a peace treaty, and he were to be killed in the process, it would not be the fault of our Panlong Country. It would be Fengqi Country showing blatant disregard for others."
Zhang Zhang also sighed.
All the court officials: “Shameless! You're twisting black into white!”
"Indeed, my fifth brother went to forge a peace treaty. How could he have gone to assassinate the Empress without reason There must be some misunderstanding here."
The new emperor immediately understood, and following Zhang Aiqing's words he said.
All the courtiers: “ ”
"Zhang Aiqing, draft an imperial edict to explain this misunderstanding to the Crown Princess of Fengqi."
With no one agreeing with him, he started talking to himself and then ordered the valiant general to immediately mobilize the troops and assemble them quickly. Don't wait until they reach our doorstep before taking action!
A noisy court session ended just like that. After the meeting, the new emperor summoned his personal guards and gritted his teeth, saying:
"Send someone to kill Fifth Brother. This time, we can't afford to fail."
"Yes!"
A man in black replied with a sound and vanished into the hall.
Phoenix Residence, Zhuoxiu Garden
After moving into this royal garden, Lian Yi had no political affairs to worry about. With Mei Yuanzheng's meticulous care and her persistent practice of qigong, she finally succeeded in guiding qi into her body after three months.
After washing away the thick layer of black impurities, Lianri felt her body much lighter. The toxins in her body were completely eliminated.
Because this body possesses spiritual roots, she is able to successfully draw in qi. Furthermore, it's a lightning spiritual root, which explains why the millstone helped her select this mission. First and foremost, the compatibility of her body is higher, preventing rejection by the original body.
Since she successfully drew in qi, her next step was to prioritize cultivation. The spiritual energy in Zhu Xiu Yuan was much better than that in the palace. She could now perform a set of body refining martial arts continuously. Although she was drenched in sweat after each session, the results were excellent.
Even Mei Yuanzheng was very surprised. He hadn't expected the Empress to recover so well. Not only had the poison been completely cleared, but all of her internal organs had even regained their vitality.
"Your Majesty, your body is now developing in a good direction. You just need to take care of yourself, and there's no major problem."
Mei Yuan was smiling as he said.
"All this is due to Mei Yuanzheng's efforts."
"The Empress' praise is well-deserved. It is because you were willing to step down from your duties and cooperate with this old servant in using the medicine that you recovered so quickly."
Mei Yuan said modestly.
To sum up, thank you for your hard work, Mei Yuanzheng. Now that the weather is getting hotter, don't rush back to the mansion for now. Just stay here in Zhu Xiu Yuan to escape the heat and take care of Xian Shijun's health by the way. My little daughter is ignorant and caused Xian Shijun to get angry.
Ringlets smiled and said.
"Yes, this old minister understands."
Mei Yuanzheng didn't want to go back home right now. The house was stifling, and those court officials would definitely try to find out about the Empress's health through various means. She didn't want to go back and deal with those old foxes, making the whole household restless.
Mei Yuan returned to his solitary small courtyard and immediately asked the martial artist to deliver a message to the mansion, stating that he wouldn't be returning for the time being. He told them to just do whatever they needed to do.
Mei Yuanzheng's family was also perceptive. They immediately gave the messenger officer some travel expenses and then shut their doors, leaving the old ministers uncertain about the empress's health.
Here, the Grand Princess also received the official letter from the Panlong Kingdom. Looking at the full page of sophistry, she was almost furious. Then, she read the other party's letter aloud before speaking:
"Is Panlong Nation planning to deny everything and refuse to take responsibility What do you think we should do about this"
"These old geezers from Panlong Nation, their faces are thicker than city walls. They're spitting out blatant lies and still have the audacity to put it in writing."
"What a load of bull about a peace treaty! No ambassador would sneak around like that, and to even offer himself up to the princess... what a despicable lowlife!"
The ill-tempered martial artist had already started cursing, but he did hit the mark.
"Indeed, since he is an envoy, according to normal procedure, the visiting state letter should be delivered to the Ministry of Rites. We would naturally receive him according to protocol. How could we possibly not see the Empress It's just a veil they have cast over themselves."
The statement from the Minister of Rites is more elegant in wording, but conveys the same meaning.
"My suggestion is to strip them bare, give them an ultimatum: five days to give Phoenix Nation a satisfactory answer. If they fail, we'll go to war and show these shameless scoundrels that Phoenix Nation isn't just good at talk."
General Feng Di marched directly out of the ranks and presented himself to the emperor.
"I agree!"
"I agree!"
"
Those who stand out are mostly warriors. Their thoughts are the most straightforward; there's no point in wasting saliva and engaging in verbal sparring with the opponent. Just fight them until they submit.
"War is not the best way to solve problems, and once war begins there will be casualties. Supplies are a major issue."
The Minister of Household Affairs, Li Shangshu, immediately stepped forward.
Once war breaks out, the Ministry of Finance is the most agonizing, because waging war is like piling up silver. They certainly don't want the hard-earned, plump treasury to shrink again.
Even the Great Princess knows this is not a decision she can make. Although she tends to favor engaging in battle, and this time they have a just cause, there couldn't be a better opportunity. She could also gain merit from it; all things considered, it seems very advantageous.
Those in the court were also whispering amongst themselves, and those who supported the second princess were becoming anxious. After all, this was a great opportunity to make contributions, but somehow the eldest princess had seized it. If only the second princess were regent now.
The early court session ended amidst much discussion, and the Grand Princess was left alone. She instructed them to write petitions, outlining the most effective methods. After the session, she directly took her daughter to Zhu Xiu Yuan to see the Empress.
To deploy troops, one would still need the Empress's Eagle Seal; otherwise, she alone wouldn't be able to mobilize the thirty thousand border troops at her command.
And this time, their cooperation was due to the fact that they learned that the Panlong Kingdom dared to insert spies to assassinate the Queen. In addition, they needed to train troops, and this was a perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. They only gathered their forces and did not launch an attack, mainly to intimidate.
Lin ripples was currently eating fresh fruit in the cool room, while beside her stood a wise attendant in purple robes. He was talking about his experience visiting the Third Princess.r greed, plotted to destroy the Su Nü Palace. This led to Lian'i's intervention to eliminate the enemy, causing the pressure on her heart meridian to become unbearable and finally erupt. Forget a year...