wear it lord god

The Empress continued her leisurely life, taking advantage of her weakened state after giving birth to recuperate.

The children have wet nurses, palace maids, eunuchs... As the empress, she can have as many people as she wants to serve them. In addition, with five children, as imperial heirs, there are more than enough people to serve them.

No need for morning greetings; I can sleep until I naturally wake up.

Otherwise, I'd have to get up before dawn to wash and dress, waiting for the concubines to pay their respects. Those concubines are tired, and so am I; it's not worth it.

If the emperor had favored someone the night before, whether they came in the morning or not, early or late, the entire Qianqiu Palace would be filled with jealousy, everyone speaking with barbs and veiled sarcasm.

If you want to be jealous now, go ahead and make a scene; I don't want to see it.

Breakfast is served when you wake up. It's simple in the morning, usually just millet or rice porridge (as in the south), some pickles, sesame flatbread, or lamb sandwiches.

After use, if the managers of each department have anything to report, they should come over to report.

Too lazy to change into palace attire, she simply grabbed a screen and used it to block the view from the front. Whatever was happening behind her, she couldn't see from the front.

Palace attire is too cumbersome, and the phoenix crown is too heavy; this simple blue cloth dress is just right.

In fact, most of the matters had already been handled by the various chief stewards. If they had really reached the Empress, it would have been a major incident that could no longer be concealed.

Deception and cover-ups are rampant in the palace. But it's like managing a planet; things still need to be managed. Even a god couldn't handle doing everything himself.

After finishing my business in an hour, before lunch started, I went to check on the body's children.

The crown prince is intelligent and mature, but we should also teach him to be more shrewd.

The Crown Prince was studying with the Grand Tutor when he saw her enter, and the two of them immediately stood up and bowed.

After inviting them to sit down, Xi Ning asked with a smile, "Ji'er, your mother has a story to tell. Please give your comments after you hear it."

"I dare not, please speak, Mother." Liu Ji replied, bowing respectfully, not minding the effort involved.

"An official committed a crime and was sentenced to death. The crown prince pleaded for the official, which angered the emperor. The emperor sent the crown prince to the border, where there was a garrison of 400,000 troops, two commanders, and several fierce generals..."

The history of this world is slightly different from the well-known history, and it is unknown whether Fusu actually existed.

A plane can be copied verbatim, or it can become diverse, or it can form its own system. But in most cases, there is an unseen hand guiding the process in a more reasonable and correct direction.

This hand could be the main god, the first god, or a part of the divine system.

After speaking, Liu Ji thought for about half an incense stick's time before replying.

"This crown prince, he was able to plead for his subjects, he must be kind-hearted. After receiving the imperial edict, even though the guards tried to dissuade him, he still obeyed the emperor's order and committed suicide. It is such a pity that such a loyal and righteous person died."

I rolled my eyes. What a load of rubbish! They really didn't get to the point.

Then let's use drastic measures: "Do you know what happened to this country afterwards?"

"Your Majesty, I do not know. Please enlighten me." He then bowed again.

"After the Crown Prince committed suicide, all the border guards who had doubts were imprisoned, tortured, and eventually poisoned or beheaded. Because the new emperor feared that his position was illegitimate and was afraid that someone would denounce him, he killed all of his dozen or so brothers and sisters. Apart from a few who committed suicide, the vast majority of them were run over and killed by carts at the execution ground."

"The country was destroyed in a few years because the new emperor was greedy for life and afraid of death, indulged in pleasure, and was cruel and immoral."

Liu Ji stared in astonishment, his mouth agape, speechless: "This...this..."

Xining then asked the Grand Tutor, "Grand Tutor, what do you think the Crown Prince should do upon receiving the imperial edict?" The Grand Tutor stroked his white beard, squinted, and thought for a long time.

Please answer properly, and don't spout any nonsense about loyalty to the emperor being a capital offense. If you dare to say anything like that, I'll immediately replace you.

The Grand Tutor finally replied: "Although this Crown Prince has angered the Emperor, the Emperor sent him to the frontier, and with so many soldiers by his side, it seems like a demotion, but there's more to it than meets the eye. With 400,000 troops and renowned generals by his side, the Crown Prince is safe and secure, and can even retain military power. This Crown Prince shouldn't commit suicide; he should accept the general's suggestion to lead a portion of the army back to the capital, ostensibly to plead guilty, but in reality to ascertain the truth. If someone is plotting to usurp the throne, the wrongs should be rectified. If it's true, he should seek leniency; even if the Emperor truly intends to kill him, this will still offer him a chance at survival."

"Hmm~," Xi Ning nodded. This Grand Tutor isn't confused; he has sound values. Judging from the previous events, Liu Ji was murdered, not committed suicide.

Therefore, I must never let anything happen to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion in my life. If nothing happens, Liu Ji will not be falsely accused of treason.

However, the most important thing is to avoid being caught red-handed. As long as the empress does not lose her virtue, she can stabilize the court and have some deterrent effect on all sorts of evil spirits.

Xi Ning thought for a moment: "It seems that the Grand Tutor has several granddaughters. The eldest is already married, and there are several younger ones. One of them is already thirteen years old, right?"

The Grand Tutor seemed to understand something, and his eyes lit up: "That's right, it's fortunate that Her Majesty the Empress still remembers."

He has three legitimate sons and seven legitimate granddaughters, and if they are born out of wedlock, there are more than twenty. Heaven knows which one the Empress is referring to.

Xi Ning said casually, "I think I saw you once when I was a child. I wonder what you look like now. The lotus flowers will be in full bloom at the beginning of next month. We should hold a flower viewing banquet. In previous years, we invited the families of important officials. This year, I'm thinking of changing the way we do it. We will invite all the unmarried eligible sons and daughters of the principal wife in the capital to visit the garden and enjoy the flowers. Then we will bring them to me so that I can see them."

The Grand Tutor was overjoyed and immediately bowed in agreement.

That old fox should understand what he means. If his eldest granddaughter isn't too unattractive, she's practically guaranteed the position of Crown Princess. Even if she isn't, he can have his illegitimate granddaughter raised under his wife's name, and she'll still be considered legitimate.

If she becomes the Crown Princess and gives birth to the eldest grandson of the Emperor, becoming Empress in the future is practically guaranteed.

I'll go back and select a few granddaughters, make some good preparations, and then present them all to the Empress. Surely one of them will be acceptable.

After the Empress left, Liu Ji noticed that the Grand Tutor was different from usual; he kept smiling at him and spoke to him more politely.

Xi Ning also had her own thoughts. In the previous storyline, Liu Ji married too late, only having his wedding when he was on his deathbed. Moreover, what kind of women did he marry? At that time, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion was already on the verge of collapse, fearing the emperor's suspicion. The wife was the principal wife of the Ministry of Works and the concubine of the Ministry of Rites.

The emperor will still be suspicious this time, but he doesn't intend to consider the Ministry of War or the Ministry of Revenue; he doesn't want anyone who controls military power.

Besides military power, who else in the imperial court is the most powerful?

Those are powerful clans, but they all intermarry within their own families. They either look down on the position of Crown Princess or are afraid of being hindered.

If this path is blocked, then the next best option is to become a censor.

The censors were as formidable as generals, and even generals gave them a wide berth. If the emperor refused to listen to their advice, there was an ultimate weapon: striking one's head against a pillar to demonstrate one's resolve.

If the emperor wanted to be a wise ruler, he had no choice but to listen.

The Three Dukes: Grand Tutor, Grand Preceptor, and Grand Protector. These positions were typically held by members of long-standing scholarly families, those with profound knowledge and high moral character.

He taught the crown prince when he was young. He assisted the crown prince when he ascended the throne.

Although they are currently just teachers with no military power or real authority, their influence in the court is considerable. The Grand Tutor is also a great Confucian scholar with disciples and students throughout the entire dynasty.

Marrying the Grand Tutor's granddaughter would be tantamount to marrying the moral high ground, and it would also demonstrate that the Crown Prince was not greedy for power. Besides, there was still the original owner's maternal family, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

So forget about the Grand Tutor's granddaughter; this time, I'm going to take all three dukes. Perfect: one Crown Prince's principal wife and two Crown Prince's concubines!
If there are too many granddaughters, there's also a twelve-year-old second son. (End of Chapter)