The First Auxiliary Road from the Imperial Examination

In the Qingyuan Palace, Sheng Ran, dressed in plain clothes, sat on the main seat.

Looking closely, all the bright jewelry had been taken off, leaving only a few white jade hairpins sparsely pinned on the bun.

The more the two groups of people standing in front of the case looked at it quietly, the more frightened they became.

Especially after hearing the queen's slightly hoarse voice and the faint sobbing coming from both sides of the palace, this uneasiness almost reached its peak.

Standing on the left side of the main desk were the cabinet officials represented by the Prime Minister Yan Yuan, but on the right side stood only one person, and this person was none other than the Queen's uncle, Duke Sheng Xiangya.

"The Queen."

Yan Yuan originally wanted to let the arrogant Duke Sheng speak first, but he never expected that after Duke Sheng entered the hall, he became a gourd with a sawed mouth, just standing there with full of momentum and a look as if he was not someone who could be messed with.

There was no other way. As the Prime Minister, Yan Yuan had to speak first.

"Please forgive us for our shameless crime." Yan Yuan bowed and saluted towards the main seat, then asked in a low voice, "I heard the big bell of the Announcement Pavilion ring just now, but I didn't know..."

The unspoken words at the end really made Yan Yuan feel troubled.

The emperor's condition is unknown at the moment. If he speaks directly, and if the emperor is fine, his concern at this moment will be seen as having ulterior motives; but if he speaks indirectly, and if the emperor really becomes the late emperor, he, as the prime minister, will probably be accused of being disrespectful to his master again.

After thinking about it, Yan Yuan sighed silently, lowered his head and bowed to Empress Sheng Ran, then hesitantly said: "Although we know that our emperor is blessed by heaven, the bell sound of Baosheng Pavilion is of great significance. We are deeply favored by the emperor and shoulder the important responsibilities of the court. We should be concerned about the country, so we can't help but feel a little worried! That's why I come here with trepidation, and I hope the queen will give me instructions."

"Instructions? I wonder which instructions Prime Minister Yan wants to hear?" Sheng Ran tapped the corner of his eye with a handkerchief, his gaze wandering among the crowd several times, and then he said hoarsely, "If you really care about the country, you should be more loyal to your duties at this moment. As long as you manage the government step by step, no matter what the emperor's situation is, the Great Chu will not be in chaos!"

When she said this, the ministers in front of the case felt their heads buzzing. If they didn't remember the hierarchy in the palace, the ministers would have surrounded Sheng Ran and asked her what she meant by "No matter what the emperor's situation is"!

Could it be that the Emperor...really went?

Thinking of this, sweat broke out on everyone's forehead.

"This..." But the Queen refused to speak directly, and no important news came out of the palace. It was impossible for the ministers to directly inquire whether the Emperor was still alive. In the end, they could only follow Yan Yuan's suggestion and turn their attention to Sheng Xiangya, who was calm and composed.

Facing the urging gazes of the crowd, Sheng Xiangya gritted his teeth and took two steps forward.

"Empress, the most urgent task right now is to appoint a successor to the throne..."

"Sheng! Guo! Duke!" Before he could finish, Queen Sheng Ran interrupted him with a harsh voice.

"The court has already appointed a crown prince, so why are you bringing up the old matter again? Could it be that you want to depose the crown prince on behalf of the emperor?"

Although she said this to Duke Sheng, her eyes swept across the faces of the people in front of the table.

"The Crown Princess was personally appointed by the Emperor. As long as she is found, the country will depend on her for inheritance... But before that, the country cannot be without a ruler for a day. We should also temporarily appoint an acting Crown Prince to take over the responsibilities of the Crown Prince."

"Temporarily? Once you have inherited the throne, how can you give it back?!" After Sheng Ran finished speaking, she saw everyone looking back at her in horror. She immediately acted as if she had said something wrong. She hurriedly covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief and subconsciously changed her words.

"You all must have important matters to attend to. If it is for the Emperor, I and the Emperor will accept it. But if it is for something else, please do not speak!" (End of this chapter)