Chapter 4 Princess (3)
When Pei Shiyu changed into the emperor's robes and stepped into the Golden Palace, everyone who should have come had already arrived.
The chief eunuch beside him shouted at the right moment: "The emperor has arrived."
Yan Qing glanced at Pei Shiyu who was sitting high on the dragon throne, stood up and smoothed the wrinkles on his sleeves, slowly knelt down, leaned over and kowtowed. Seeing this, the ministers at the back also knelt down and saluted, shouting "Long live the king".
Pei Shiyu pressed the corners of his lips straight, and wanted someone to help Yan Qing sit up again. His aunt had the power to meet the emperor without kneeling, and this was decided when his father was in power.
Yan Qing noticed Pei Shiyu's intention. When she saluted, she raised her eyes slightly, met his gaze through the imperial crown, and shook her head at him.
Yan Qing believed that the little emperor could understand what she meant. She had been sick at home for a month, and it was inevitable that people in the court were uneasy.
Before the arrival of the King of Zhenbei, she must first make it clear that she stands on the side of the little emperor. In this way, even if the King of Zhenbei comes, these ministers will consider it carefully and will not choose a side so quickly.
Pei Shiyu naturally understood Yan Qing's intention, and he tightened his fingertips to stop him.
The last time his aunt knelt down to greet him was during his coronation ceremony.
At that time, his father passed away suddenly, and the Prince of Zhenbei was outside suppressing a rebellion and did not have time to return. Only a group of imperial uncles were left standing by, eyeing him covetously with the intention of rebelling.
He was still young, and in their eyes, his aunt was just a step-sister who had been raised in the deep palace and was slightly favored by their father.
No one in the court took them seriously. They were all waiting for the princes to fight and emerge as the final winner to sit on the supreme position.
And even if such a weak princess and child obtained the throne and the power to rule the country from behind the scenes, what chance would they have of keeping the throne in this treacherous struggle?
I'm afraid that by then even my life might be lost.
However, no one expected that my father would hand over the half of the tiger talisman and the Shangfang sword in his hand to my aunt.
They never imagined that the weak princess in their impression would appear in public for the first time leading a group of soldiers to suppress the so-called ultimate winner with blood and death.
This made people suddenly remember that she was also from a military family, and the people behind the half tiger talisman were her father's old subordinates.
That day, the entire palace was dyed red with blood, and the survivors were trembling with fear for fear of being implicated.
However, some people are worried. The princess holds the military power and is behind the government. The Prince of Zhenbei cannot return to the capital due to the war. It is likely that the princess will have the final say in the court.
As for the little emperor, he was probably just a puppet emperor.
However, things once again turned out to be beyond everyone's expectations. His aunt did not give them time to think about it and held a coronation ceremony for him on the same day that she suppressed the rebels.
The aunt held a sword in one hand and held his hand at the other. The tip of the sword was shining coldly, and the blood on it had not yet dried and was dripping down.
The hand holding his was unusually warm. His aunt led him over the corpses and blood on the ground, and sent him step by step to the dragon throne in the Golden Palace, which represented the supreme power.
Then she took a step back and led the generals who had followed her to quell the rebellion to kneel before him, shouting, "Long live the emperor."
That time, my aunt acknowledged his status with her actions, telling those people with impure intentions that she was loyal to the royal family and that if there were anyone with evil intentions, she had the ability to kill them.
Later, his aunt helped him gradually consolidate his throne and carefully taught him how to be a king.
This time, it is also paving the way for him.
Pei Shiyu clenched his hands tighter in his sleeves and could only speak at the fastest speed in his life: "My dear ministers, please stand up."
After Yan Qing sat down, he continued, "The reason why I summoned all the ministers here today is because of the recent war and the great victory in Mobei. It's time to welcome the King of Zhenbei."
A minister who was confused stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, is it too early to prepare now?"
Pei Shiyu did not answer. He looked out of the hall as if he had a premonition and sighed in his heart: Here it comes.
The eunuch guarding the palace gate came in, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, the King of Zhenbei wants to see you."
Pei Shiyu motioned the ministers who had stepped out to return to their original positions, and then calmly said, "Announce."
The man who came in had handsome sword-like eyebrows and deep eyes. He seemed to still carry the murderous aura of the war. His ink-black eyes just glanced around lightly and made the ministers present feel cold all over.
But that cold and sharp gaze suddenly softened the moment it touched Yan Qing.
Jiang Huaixu's eyes wandered over her and he frowned slightly; compared to the last time he met her in Beijing, Ah Qing had lost a lot of weight.
He received a letter from the capital while in Mobei, saying that Aqing was ill and had not appeared in public for a long time.
Now he still looks not very well. Are the imperial doctors in the palace useless? How does the little emperor take care of people?
Jiang Huaixu's gaze stayed on her for so long that Yan Qing was not unaware of it. She paused and asked the system to turn off the scan that had been turned on when Jiang Huaixu came in.
She should know why this person rushed back to the capital earlier than the plot...
Yan Qing raised her eyes and met his gaze, which had not yet been withdrawn. She asked coldly, "Why didn't the King of Zhenbei kneel when he met His Majesty?"
There was silence in the hall. None of the ministers dared to speak, and even their breathing was light.
Jiang Huaixu touched his upper palate with the tip of his tongue, hiding the worry in his eyes. He felt a little irritated. He had forgotten that to Aqing, even his own body was not as important as establishing the authority of the little emperor.
After the atmosphere in the hall was tense for a few seconds, Jiang Huaixu took a step forward, knelt on one knee, and straightened his back: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
Yan Qing was also a little surprised to see this. She had already prepared for Jiang Huaixu's rejection and never thought that he would actually kneel, even if it was just on one knee.
Jiang Huaixu also had a special pardon that allowed him to meet the emperor without having to kneel and kowtow. He earned that by using his military merits. For a moment, Yan Qing was a little unsure of his thoughts.
Jiang Huaixu's thoughts were not that complicated. He didn't want to offend A Qing in public.
And even if he knelt, could the little emperor bear it?
Pei Shiyu's expression was obscured by the lowered curtain. He did not shout but asked, "The army has not yet returned to the capital. Uncle Wang has returned early. Is there anything important?"
Hearing the little emperor's attack, Jiang Huaixu's eyes couldn't help but darken. Only A Qing would treat this wolf cub like a little white rabbit and protect him in everything.
However, he had already made preparations. "The Xiongnu sent a letter of surrender. I believe that this matter cannot be delayed, so I hurried back to the capital as fast as I could. I hope Your Majesty will review it."
After he finished speaking, Jiang Huaixu took out a sealed letter from his arms.
Pei Shiyu winked at the chief eunuch standing beside him, who immediately understood and went down to take the letter with both hands and presented it again.
Pei Shiyu just said in annoyance as if he had discovered that Jiang Huaixu was still kneeling: "It was my negligence. I was so anxious about government affairs that I forgot that Uncle Wang was still kneeling. Uncle Wang, please get up quickly. I hope Uncle Wang will not take it to heart."
Jiang Huaixu stood up, glanced at the pretentious little emperor with a half-smile, and replied: "I dare not."
Hearing this, Yan Qing, who had been watching the two people fighting quietly, couldn't help but reflect. Compared with the original novel, the little emperor's methods were still too immature. She also raised the cub according to the plot, so what went wrong?