"Your Majesty... It’s ti for the morning court session... Your Majesty..."
Inside Spiritual Spring Palace, Wei Xun walked to Xiao Mo’s bedside and called out softly.
Xiao Mo yawned and slowly opened his eyes. "Morning court? What morning court?"
He hadn’t attended a single morning court session since his rebirth.
’After all, my power has been completely usurped. What’s the point of attending court?’
"Your Majesty, have you forgotten?"
Yesterday, the Pri Minister asked this old servant to petition Your Majesty. He hoped you would attend court, as it seems there is sothing important to discuss.
"Oh... I rember now." Xiao Mo waved his hand. "Help dress."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Wei Xun bowed, nodded, and quickly summoned the Palace Maids to help Xiao Mo change.
The Dragon Robe of the Zhou Kingdom ca in two styles: the formal Court Attire and casual daily wear.
Wei Xun stood to the side, watching His Majesty don the Dragon Robe and Court Attire, and couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.
He couldn’t rember how long it had been since he had last seen his master in a Dragon Robe and Court Attire. He felt this was how His Majesty was always ant to look.
Just standing there, His Majesty looked every bit the enlightened sovereign.
’If only I could live to see Your Majesty reclaim your power, that would be wonderful. Then I could face the late Emperor without sha...’
"You old fellow, why do you look like you’re about to cry?"
Having changed into his Dragon Robe and Court Attire, Xiao Mo turned to look at Wei Xun.
"This old servant was just thinking that Your Majesty will be getting married soon. Then you will have the Empress and Imperial Consorts to serve you." Wei Xun wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and offered an excuse.
"Heh heh, who knows if they’ll even be on my side." Xiao Mo chuckled and brushed his sleeves. "Let’s go. To court."
"Yes, Your Majesty..."
Wei Xun hurried to follow behind Xiao Mo.
As Xiao Mo sat in the Dragon Chariot on the way to the audience hall, he couldn’t help but recall what Qin Mujiu had said to him last night.
Last night, in the Firefly Garden, Qin Mujiu had told him that she could help him seize back his power, and she hadn’t even nad any conditions.
It was all supposedly because of the friendship between the ancestors of the Qin Kingdom and the Zhou Kingdom.
Xiao Mo had neither accepted nor rejected Qin Mujiu’s offer.
’After all, there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.’
’Everyone involved is an adult, and everything cos down to personal interest. He refused to believe the Qin Kingdom could be so benevolent.’
In Xiao Mo’s view, it was best to just take things one step at a ti and stick to his original plan.
As for this court session, Xiao Mo guessed it was about his marriage.
An Emperor has no personal matters, only affairs of state.
Ever since word spread that the Sovereign of Qin intended to marry his sister into the Zhou Kingdom, the ministers of the Great Zhou’s Imperial Court had all begun to harbor their own ideas.
This court session was likely ant to produce a final decision.
...
"His Majesty has arrived!"
An incense stick’s ti later, Xiao Mo arrived at the audience hall.
As Wei Xun’s sharp, grating voice rang out, all the civil and military officials in the Imperial Court below fell silent, then shouted in unison:
"Your subjects respectfully welco Your Majesty!"
Amidst the shouts of the court officials, Xiao Mo walked to the high platform and bowed to Empress Dowager Yan, who was beside him. "Mother Empress."
Empress Dowager Yan nodded and said, "Your Majesty has not attended court for a long ti. I have co to assist you today. I hope Your Majesty does not mind."
"How could I, Mother Empress? When it cos to the affairs of the Imperial Court, I still need your considerable guidance."
Xiao Mo smiled faintly, sat upon the dragon throne, and swept his gaze over the officials. His voice was not loud, yet it carried with authority throughout the great hall. "Let the court session begin."
"The court session begins! Present your morials if you have business! If not, court is dismissed!"
Wei Xun puffed out his chest, lifted his head, and shouted before taking his place by His Majesty’s side.
Soon, one minister after another stepped forward to present their morials.
Xiao Mo mostly just sat there while all matters were decided by Empress Dowager Yan and Yan Shanao.
The only thing was, after Empress Dowager Yan made a decision, she would ask for Xiao Mo’s opinion. But could he really say he disagreed?
Not that Xiao Mo cared, anyway.
Two hours later, the court session was drawing to a close, and Xiao Mo knew they were about to bring up the most important matter of the day.
Shen Wen, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, stepped forward.
Everyone else also looked at Shen Wen, seemingly aware of what he was about to say.
And even before he could speak, so officials were already eager to step forward and argue.
Shen Wen bowed to Xiao Mo. "Reporting to Your Majesty, for the past two days, all the common people in the Imperial City have learned of the Qin Kingdom’s marriage proposal to our Great Zhou, and the news continues to spread farther and wider.
While it is true that the ancestors of our Great Zhou were on good terms with the ancestors of the Qin Kingdom and even made a marriage pact...
...regardless, Your Majesty’s engagent to the daughter of the Yan Clan was decided long ago. If we were to change it now, wouldn’t we beco a laughingstock to the world?
This subject boldly implores Your Majesty—let the originally planned wedding ceremony proceed unchanged, and let the daughter of the Yan Clan still be the Empress!"
"Hahaha, ridiculous!"
At that mont, Lord Wang, the Imperial Censor, stepped forward, bowed to Xiao Mo, and spoke.
"Your Majesty, the Qin Kingdom is currently powerful and prosperous. A marriage alliance with them would bring countless benefits to our Great Zhou. Besides, if we’re talking about who ca first, the ancestors of the Qin Kingdom already established a marriage pact. So who, exactly, was first, and who was second?"
"What is the aning of this, Lord Wang? The Qin Kingdom is powerful and prosperous, but does that an our Great Zhou is weak? Since when does Great Zhou need to rely on another kingdom?" Lord Leng, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, stepped forward to speak.
"Heh heh, well said, Lord Leng, but you mustn’t deceive yourself." Lord Fang, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, stepped forward. "If our Great Zhou were to refuse this perfectly reasonable marriage, how would that be any different from breaking an engagent? When our two kingdoms go to war over it, will you be the one taking to the battlefield, Lord Leng?"
"If we simply yield to the might of another kingdom, to the point we dare not even install our own Empress, wouldn’t that make us an even greater laughingstock to our ancestors?"
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