After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

The Ning Jiexiao seen by literary figures and the Ning Jiexiao seen by high-ranking officials in the imperial court are naturally not the same Ning Jiexiao.

Gao Congzhe stood up, Luan Zongyuan stood up, and Yang Zhiyu also stood up.

Even the usually calm and collected Chief Minister Qin turned his head at this moment, his face showing disbelief, doubting the truth of what Yan Yuqing had said.

Yan Yuqing also knew that what the people in the literary world were saying was not the same as what Luan Zongyuan and others were saying.

In the eyes of He Weng and the others, Ning Jiexiao was a gentle and refined scholar.

But in the eyes of Luan Zongyuan and the others, and even in her own eyes, Ning Jiexiao was a troublesome devil who stirred up the Northern Dynasty!

And the son-in-law...

Yan Yuqing's two white eyebrows trembled.

My heart was filled with disbelief.

In terms of poetry, the son-in-law's name is known throughout the north and south.

In terms of academic achievements, the son-in-law is a top scholar, achieving the highest honors in all three categories!

No matter how you look at it, such a person should be considered a talented individual.

But if we look at what the son-in-law has done...

Yan Yuqing felt a tremor in her heart, and her mind went blank.

Her son-in-law's military prowess, demonstrated during the pacification of Black Tiger Mountain, had already greatly surprised her.

Lu Chongxin was amazed by her son-in-law's decisive actions and the fact that he had devised a plan overnight to safely send the Liang delegation away from Beijing. She felt ashamed of her own inferiority in the matter.

But the son-in-law... could it be... could it be that Ning Jiexiao?

Would it be that he led the people of the Heavenly Principles Sect to swear an oath at Miaofeng Mountain, defeated Huang Zhongcai at Huangyang Mountain, and killed Ning Jiexiao, the general of the Shanxi Green Standard Army, in battle at Yangyuan?

Leading 4,000 men, he maneuvered through the encirclement of 40,000 Northern Dynasty troops. In the end, he not only escaped but also launched the Seven Villages Uprising, killing the enemy's Green Standard Army general. Later, he attacked the enemy's supply lines in Shanxi, turning the entire province upside down.

Most importantly, the enemy's military acumen was astonishing, to the point that even Huang Zhongcai and Ortai seemed like fools, being led by the nose.

Such a talented general, or even a commander, is actually their son-in-law?

The old woman's emotions became extremely complex.

It took Wang Bing several breaths before he mechanically turned his head:

"Lord Yan...you just said..."

"good."

Yan Yuqing suppressed her shock and responded. She knew that at this moment, she had to make sure that the Empress and the court officials knew this matter clearly.

The son-in-law is not in Beijing.

Instead, they are helping the Great Liang to stir up trouble in the Northern Dynasty, and are even instigating a rebellion by the Northern Emperor within the territory of the Northern Dynasty.

Even in Shandong, Lin Zhang and Yue Li, two of the four generals of the Heavenly Principle Sect arranged by the son-in-law, were helping the Great Liang attack the Northern Dynasty's grain supply routes.

I heard that in Shaanxi, Xiang Qi, the leader of the four generals, has also started a rebellion.

It's unclear whether Nian Gengyao went to quell the rebellion personally or sent someone else to do so.

…………

Surprised and doubtful.

Surprised.

Faced with some truths,

A sense of bewilderment and loss even crept into everyone's minds.

The group of literary luminaries who came to help Her Majesty the Empress appreciate the calligraphy gradually recovered from their stunned silence.

The three calligraphy samples... were written by the same person.

There is no question of one imitating the other.

Upon hearing this truth, everyone could only manage a bitter smile, some finding it hard to believe.

But Her Majesty the Queen said:

"This poem, 'Butterfly Loves Flowers,' was written by my husband, and I saw it myself. I did not see him copy anyone else. I also saw that Ning Jiexiao's work is similar to my husband's, so I invited you all to come and take a look... I just didn't expect..."

A smile of utter helplessness and humility appeared on Her Majesty's slightly flushed face:

"It turns out that Ning Jiexiao's work was indeed written by me. As for why his calligraphy ended up in the Northern Dynasty, and why he has such a reputation there, I can only investigate that after he returns to the South. Thank you all very much today..."

Everyone naturally bowed in apprehension.

"No, no..."

"Your Majesty is too kind to us."

"Ning Hanlin's poetry is unparalleled, so how could his calligraphy be copied from others? We should have realized this long ago."

"I have thought of that, but I dare not say it."

"Mr. Chen's hindsight analysis was quite insightful."

Amidst laughter and conversation, everyone jokingly asked the Empress for their leave.

The Empress smiled and asked Wang Bingxiang to see her off.

With martial law in the capital, the presence of eunuchs to arrange carriages ensured the smooth passage of these renowned figures home safely.

Zhu Cuiwei escorted Madam Jia to the Qianqing Gate alone and ordered a sedan chair to be prepared.

"His Majesty,"

Lady Jia's heart had been in turmoil all day, rising and falling repeatedly. Now, her eyes were slightly red, and she curtsied, saying:

"I thank the Prince Consort for his kindness in saving my younger brother and my two unworthy sons."

Zhu Cuiwei quickly supported the other person with both hands and said gently:

"Madam, you're too kind. You treat him like a son or nephew; how could he not be devoted to you?"

Madam Jia raised her sleeve to wipe her eyes and said:

"When my younger brother and his two unfilial sons return south, I will come with them to kowtow and thank the Grand Prince Consort once again for saving my life."

Zhu Cuiwei, holding Madam Jia's hand, smiled and said:

"Shangguan Zhao and Shangguan Xiu are both outstanding talents of the Great Liang. They have made great contributions to our Great Liang this time. Minister Jia is a pillar of the country. When they return to the capital, I will reward them handsomely. At that time, I'm afraid they won't be able to return to the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion first."

Lady Jia smiled gently and said, "On their behalf, I thank His Majesty for the reward."

After exchanging a few jokes, Madam Jia took the painting "Green Jade Table" and formally bid farewell.

Two palace maids, carrying lanterns, escorted Lady Jia to her sedan chair.

A group of eunuchs lifted the sedan chair with their shoulders, and the vermilion sedan chair swayed and drifted away from the palace.

a long time.

Zhu Cuiwei withdrew her gaze from the sedan chair, and Chunyu and a group of palace maids accompanied her back to Qianqing Palace.

The ministers who had been arguing in the Qianqing Palace had now reached a consensus.

The previous letter of state needs to be significantly revised.

In the official letter, it is mandatory to mention that "King Jing of our dynasty has passed away."

First, they should establish that King Jing was already dead and had been forced to his death by the Northern Dynasty. Given that the Northern Dynasty was unable to bring King Jing to Huainan, this would allow the Great Liang to firmly occupy the moral high ground.

in this way,

Only then will people's hearts not be scattered.

Originally, Luan Zongyuan proposed that the Northern Dynasty should return the Southern Dynasty's delegation, and that the Southern Dynasty should exchange it for the Northern Dynasty's delegation. He argued that the Northern Dynasty would not be able to provide the delegation, which would in turn shake the morale of the Northern Dynasty's officials.

The Prime Minister Qin directly rejected the proposal, saying that the Northern Dynasty could propose that our dynasty cede the two northern cities. If not, they would behead our Southern envoys. If they were to take a death row inmate, dress him in our Great Liang official robes, and execute him on the battlefield to shake our morale, what could we do?

Everyone was stunned.

The Prime Minister Qin slammed his hand on the table and said calmly:

"It's not advisable to make a fuss about the Northern Dynasty's mission now. As long as we keep quiet about the mission, the Northern Dynasty, feeling guilty, won't actually use it to threaten us. After all, all we need to do is ask for a letter from one of our colleagues, and the Northern Dynasty will be powerless to do anything about it."

Finally, the letter merely declared that King Jing had died, and severely rebuked the Northern Dynasty, accusing it of breaking its promises and causing immense suffering to the people of both the North and South, and ordering it to withdraw its troops immediately...

It was getting late.

The officials, without anyone noticing, also took their leave.

The tea that Chunyu brought was a little cold.

The tea leaves swirled in the cup.

After this small court meeting to discuss state affairs, Zhu Cuiwei, unusually, did not continue reviewing memorials tonight.

Instead, he went back to the East Warm Pavilion to sleep.

He removed the sandalwood hairpin and, with the help of Chunyu and the others, took off his dragon robe.

She lay down on the bed, using the young doctor's old clothes as a pillow, and asked Chunyu to help her blow out the lamp.

Wrapped in a warm and comfortable blanket.

The pregnant Empress of Liang slept her last good night's sleep of the year.