The wicked imperial concubine is courting death again; the comments section teaches her how to win w

On the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The throne at the top was empty, while Princess Anping and Xie Changqing sat on either side of the central steps.

Below, the Grand Secretaries and ministers stood in rows, initially conversing in hushed tones, but soon their conversations escalated into arguments.

"Since Princess Anping assumed regency, her administration has been efficient and her rewards and punishments appropriate. In my opinion, she should continue to rule as regent until the imperial heir is born—"

Before one minister could finish speaking, he was interrupted by someone next to him, "Absurd! How can a woman hold all the reins of government? Temporary appointment is merely a stopgap measure!"

"What's wrong with being a woman? Isn't your mother a woman? Without women, where would you be?"

"We're discussing national affairs right now, why are you rambling on about other things?"

Another person stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "The Empress has not yet given birth, and the imperial heir's suitability is uncertain. With a young ruler, the country is in turmoil. However, the Prince of Jin is Your Majesty's younger brother, the closest in blood. I believe that the Prince of Jin should inherit the throne—"

Xie Changqing almost choked on his own saliva. What the hell?

He's a complete idiot, what a load of crap he's inherited!

Another person chimed in, "In that case, Prince Xian, being the late Empress Dowager's eldest son, has an even higher status and should be the rightful heir to the throne!"

As the conversation progressed, the debate gradually shifted from "assisting" to "recommending a new emperor."

Some even lamented that if Prince Gong were still alive, he might have been able to shoulder the heavy responsibility...

Xie Changqing felt his head throbbing. He had previously thought that the death of his elder brother was the end of the world, but now he realized that the real collapse was yet to come.

Prince Gong?

My elder brother despises that grandson the most. If he knew that he would benefit from this after his death, he would probably be so angry that he would lift the coffin lid.

The crowd was still arguing when Xie Changqing was about to slam his fist on the table and shout for everyone to shut up when a voice came from outside the hall.

"Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!"

The cacophony in the hall seemed to be abruptly cut off, and the ministers all turned to look at the hall entrance.

Xie Changqing and Princess Anping also stood up. Why did she come?

"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress." The crowd bowed.

Qi Yitang was dressed in plain white today, with a white jade hairpin in her hair. She had no extra ornaments on her body. Compared to her usual elegant attire, she looked more calm and composed.

With her belly almost eight months along, she slowly stepped into the hall.

Li Degui followed behind, holding a tray covered with a red cloth neatly in his hands.

"My lords, rise."

Qi Yitang slowly walked to the head of the table. "His Majesty has passed away suddenly, and the throne is now vacant. I have come to relieve the difficulties of you gentlemen."

An elderly minister bowed and asked, "What advice does Your Majesty have for me?"

Qi Yitang said, "His Majesty left a will before his departure. Today, all the court officials are present, so it is a good opportunity to read it aloud in public."

A will?

Before anyone could react, Li Degui unfurled a bright yellow scroll and announced loudly—

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Since ascending the throne, I have been vigilant day and night, never daring to forget the weight of the nation and the people. Now, the enemy is rampant and has repeatedly invaded the borders... Therefore, I will personally lead an expedition to the northern frontier. The battlefield is treacherous, and there may be unforeseen dangers."

The Empress is pregnant with the Emperor's child, and the heir in her womb is my only bloodline. If I am unable to return for an extended period, all important matters of state will be decided by the Empress.

All officials must assist the Empress and each fulfill their duties. Anyone who spreads rumors, misleads the public, or acts rebelliously and disrespectfully shall have their entire family executed.

So be it.

The hall was completely silent.

The imperial edict's meaning was clear: the throne would be left to the unborn heir; the prince was too young, so the empress would act as regent until the new emperor came of age and power would be returned to the emperor.

Doesn't this mean the country has fallen into Qi Yitang's hands?

Some remained silent, some frowned, and some couldn't help but question, "Your Majesty, the Xianjue are merely a small nomadic tribe. This battle is one of certain victory. How could His Majesty have foreseen this and left a will?"

Qi Yitang retorted directly, "Is this gentleman questioning whether I have forged an imperial edict?"

"...Your subject dares not."

Li Degui was the chief eunuch of the imperial court, serving the emperor for decades. The fact that he read the text aloud in public carried significant weight.

Given that the emperor was already in a state of extreme romantic infatuation, no one questioned the authenticity of the imperial edict.

But the question is—can the country really be secure if it is handed over to an empress who is all beauty and no brains?

Besides, the baby hasn't even been born yet; what if something unexpected happens during childbirth...?

What should we do?

"I know you gentlemen have your doubts, but Prince Xian is lustful, and Prince Jin is young and incompetent; neither is fit to shoulder this heavy responsibility. My womb is His Majesty's only heir; how can I abandon my own flesh and blood and choose someone else?"

The red cloth covering the tray was lifted, and Qi Yitang immediately revealed her trump card, "Gentlemen, please look, what is this?"

Someone gasped, "The Imperial Seal!"

Another person exclaimed in shock, "The Tiger Tally!"

Indeed, these are the two most precious treasures for commanding the army and controlling imperial power.

A commotion immediately broke out in the hall. The imperial seal was used by the emperor to issue decrees, while the tiger tally was a token for mobilizing troops. Together, the two represented the entirety of imperial power.

His Majesty actually left both of these to the Empress?

What they didn't know was that the imperial edict was fabricated by Qi Yitang.

In any case, the imperial edicts were usually drafted by Li Degui or the Hanlin Academy, so the emperor did not need to do it himself.

She gave a general idea and asked Li Degui to draft it, which looked quite decent.

However, the jade seal and tiger tally were personally handed to her by Xie Ling before he went to the northern frontier.

He said that if Princess Anping had any ulterior motives, or if the Empress Dowager still harbored evil intentions and wanted to support Xie Changqing, then they should produce the tiger tally.

Although Qi Yitang trusted Princess Anping and thought Xie Changqing wouldn't go that far, she still accepted it since Xie Ling had said so.

After all, the allure of the throne is too great; many people never even get a glimpse of it in their entire lives.

If she had the intelligence of Princess Anping and was a prince's grandson, she might very well want to sit on the throne.

Just in case.

With both the imperial seal and the tiger tally in Qi Yitang's hands, no matter how much the others had objections, they could only keep quiet.

Finally, it was Grand Secretary Xu who spoke, "Since His Majesty has already given his will, then... Your subject will obey."

Seeing that someone was taking the lead, the crowd responded sparsely, "Your subject obeys the decree."

Qi Yitang was quite surprised. Although her father had taught Xie Ling for a period of time, Xu Ru was Xie Ling's mentor in the end. He taught him knowledge, assisted him in ascending the throne, and was honored as Grand Secretary.

Whenever Xie Ling discussed politics, he would always be present, and sometimes Xie Ling would even ask for his opinion.

However, he is extremely stubborn and inflexible. Because he cannot adapt, his family is dirt poor. It is said that when it rains heavily outside, it drizzles inside.

Xie Ling suggested several times that his mentor move, but Xu Ru refused each time.

She thought he would be the first to oppose women's power, but unexpectedly...

Qi Yitang had never staged such a big charade before. Feeling uneasy, she still braced herself and walked up step by step to sit on the dragon throne.

The crowd below chanted in unison, "Long live the Empress! Long live the Empress! Long live the Empress!"

Although the throne was desirable, Qi Yitang always felt that it was too hot to sit on.

After court, Princess Anping found her and her first words were, "The imperial edict was fake, wasn't it?"

Qi Yitang's heart skipped a beat, but she remained calm and said, "What are you saying, Your Majesty... How could an imperial edict be fake? The seal is already affixed; it couldn't be more real."

Princess Anping pinched the bridge of her nose. "Is he not dead?"