I play the role of Jiajing in Zongwu: What crime have I committed?

"His Majesty!"

Yan Song, standing beside him, carefully adjusted Zhu Houcong's dragon robe.

"The Ministry of Rites has submitted another memorial..."

"dont see!"

Zhu Houcong then waved his hand.

"Attend court."

"Yes!"

Yan Song bowed and quickly stepped forward, respectfully leading Zhu Houcong toward the Fengtian Hall.

After turning through the last corridor and entering the main hall, civil and military officials were already lined up on both sides.

Upon the emperor's arrival, everyone knelt down and shouted "Long live the emperor!"

Zhu Houcong steadily ascended the jade steps, sat down on the dragon throne, and swept his piercing gaze over the assembled officials below.

"Rise."

"Recently, the Ministry of Rites has submitted six memorials urging me to establish an empress. Do any of you ministers have someone in mind?"

Minister of Rites Tian Dezhi was the first to step forward.

"Your Majesty, I believe that Consort Hui, born into a distinguished family in Jiangnan, is virtuous and kind..."

No sooner had he finished speaking than He Jingzhong, the Minister of Personnel, eagerly chimed in.

"I believe Minister Tian is absolutely right. Consort Hui is gentle and virtuous, truly the only suitable candidate for Empress!"

Immediately afterward, Qi Min, the Minister of Justice, also stepped forward.

"I second that proposal!"

Immediately, a group of important officials, including Xu Anmo, Vice Minister of War, and Zhu Yue, Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, submitted memorials requesting that Consort Hui be made Empress.

A chorus of agreement immediately filled the hall.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Houcong narrowed his eyes instantly.

He suddenly realized a terrible truth.

Unbeknownst to many, Prince Yu's power had expanded to such an extent.

Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Rites, Court of Judicial Review, Censorate, Ministry of War…

There are so many people supporting Prince Yu.

Their strong push to make Consort Hui empress was simply to obstruct their plan to make Lady Yue empress.

After all, it was common knowledge that Emperor Liang favored the Yue family.

If she were made empress, the crown prince would naturally become the legitimate heir, which would naturally make Prince Yu's faction uneasy.

Therefore, they simply chose to support Consort Hui.

Zhu Houcong originally intended to confer the title of Empress upon Consort Hui at the morning court session today.

But at this moment, their eagerness made him change his mind.

If they hadn't brought it up, it wouldn't have been impossible for Consort Hui to be made Empress.

But now that these people have all spoken out, Consort Hui must not easily establish an empress.

If we were to comply with these people's wishes now, wouldn't all the officials in the court think that Prince Yu's faction had successfully swayed the emperor's will?

At that time, those who were hesitant and wavering will probably all rush to pledge allegiance to Prince Yu.

This only emboldened them further.

Chapter 91: Saved Twenty Years of Detours

Thinking of this, Zhu Houcong slowly swept his gaze across the assembled officials in the hall, finally settling on Lou Zhijing, who had remained silent all along.

"My esteemed ministers, do you have any other insightful suggestions?"

Upon hearing this, Lou Zhijing immediately straightened his clothes, stepped forward, and bowed respectfully.

"Your Majesty, I believe that Consort Yue should be made Empress."

"Consort Yue is the Crown Prince's birth mother. If she were to be made Empress, it would not only demonstrate His Majesty's high regard for the Crown Prince but also quell the unfounded rumors circulating in the public, thus solidifying the Crown Prince's position."

These words caused a great stir.

Officials from the Crown Prince's faction stepped forward one after another.

"Lord Lou is absolutely right!"

"The Crown Prince is the foundation of the nation; establishing Consort Yue as heir will ensure the stability of the country!"

"I second that opinion. Consort Yue is virtuous and kind, and has given birth to a crown prince. She is truly the best candidate for Empress."

For a time, the two factions in the hall were locked in a fierce battle, arguing endlessly.

Zhu Houcong looked at the officials arguing heatedly with their faces flushed, and a satisfied smile finally appeared on his lips.

He slowly raised his hand to signal, and Yan Song immediately stepped forward: "Silence!"

The next second, the hall fell completely silent.

"My esteemed ministers each hold their own opinions, making it difficult for me to make a decision."

Zhu Houcong said slowly.

"The appointment of an empress is a matter of great importance to the nation and cannot be decided hastily. I need to consider it carefully."

The officials had no choice but to give up.

In that brief silence, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"Your Majesty, the Southern Chu peace delegation has been in Jinling for some time and is currently waiting outside the palace for an audience."

"Announce."

As the eunuch's high-pitched voice announced the arrival of guests, the palace doors slowly opened.

A man and a woman entered side by side. The man was dressed in a python robe of the Southern Chu royal family prince standard, while the woman wore a red palace dress and covered her face with a veil.

"Yuwen Xuan of Southern Chu, accompanied by Princess Xian Dai of Southern Chu, pays his respects to His Majesty the Emperor of Great Liang."

The young man at the head of the group bowed respectfully, his voice clear and resonant, befitting royalty.

The girl beside him also bowed gracefully, her beautiful features faintly visible as her veil fluttered.

Zhu Houcong looked down at the brother and sister, his gaze lingering on Yuwen Nian for a moment longer.

He couldn't help but laugh at the thought of what he was going to do later.

"No need for formalities."

He spoke softly, his voice echoing in the hall.

"So you are the renowned Prince Ling, Yuwen Xuan, of Southern Chu."

"I've heard many people in Jinling mention that a man of extraordinary talent has emerged in the Southern Chu court. Seeing him today, I can confirm his remarkable bearing."

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Xuan bowed respectfully without being humble or arrogant.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your praise."

"Your letter states that you have come to choose a prince for a marriage alliance. You have been lingering in Jinling for many days; have you yet selected a suitable candidate?"

"Your Majesty, we do indeed have limited knowledge of the princes of Great Liang. We humbly request Your Majesty's wise decision on this matter."

"Hmm..."

Zhu Houcong feigned hesitation and said, "My princes are either already married or engaged."

"If we were to make your princess a concubine, wouldn't that be disrespectful to Southern Chu?"

Before Yuwen Xuan could respond, Zhu Houcong revealed his true intentions.

"Alright then, to demonstrate the sincerity of our alliance, I have decided to personally take Princess Xiandai as my concubine and bestow upon her the title of Imperial Noble Consort."

Upon hearing this, the entire Fengtian Hall fell silent.

All the civil and military officials stared wide-eyed, speechless.

What... what kind of logic is this?

It's clearly a marriage alliance between princes of two countries, so why does the emperor suddenly ask to take a concubine himself?

An emperor who disregards military ethics and directly intercepts a princess for a marriage alliance is an unprecedented act!

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Nian, who was standing in the hall, turned pale instantly, her pretty face hidden behind her veil.

She frantically tugged at her brother's sleeve, her slender fingers trembling slightly.

Yuwen Xuan finally snapped out of his shock and quickly stepped forward, raising his voice eight octaves.

"Your Majesty! My Southern Chu has come here to establish a marriage alliance with the prince, not..."

"Look, you're in such a hurry again."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Houcong lazily interrupted him, saying in a serious tone.

"What's the difference? The prince will become emperor someday too."

"If I directly take Princess Xiandai as my concubine, her status will change directly from a princess to an imperial concubine. Wouldn't that save the princess from taking twenty years of detours?"

This twisted logic was presented with such conviction that even Yan Song, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but lower his head and suppress a laugh.

Yuwen Xuan opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to refute it.

He looked to the Liang court officials for help, but found that they were either looking up at the sky or counting ants, and not one of them made a sound.

What the hell!

What kind of people are these?!

Yuwen Xuan immediately cursed Zhu Houcong's ancestors for eighteen generations in his mind.

Shameless!

You're already so old, you're afraid of hurting your back just by walking, what's the point of taking a concubine?

Aren't you afraid of dying in bed?

These officials are all petty men; the emperor is acting so absurdly, yet not a single one dares to speak up and offer advice!

He suppressed his anger and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, I have never seen anything like this in my entire life. Aren't you afraid...?"

Zhu Houcong waved his hand and smiled slightly: "Hey~ you've met him today."

Yuwen Xuan was about to say something when Lou Zhijing suddenly snorted coldly and strode out of the ranks.

He pointed at Yuwen Xuan and shouted sternly, "Is Southern Chu going back on its word?"

"You were the ones who proactively presented your official letter requesting a marriage alliance. Now, the Emperor of Great Liang is offering this marriage with the highest honors, wishing to be as close as family to Southern Chu. Yet you are making such excuses and delays. What are your true intentions?"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Zheng Bichang, the top vocalist of the Liang Dynasty, stepped forward.

"Our Emperor of Great Liang has condescended to take a mere princess from Southern Chu as his concubine. You are not only ungrateful, but you dare to bark and argue so unreasonably!"

He flicked his sleeve, his eyes wide with anger, "I have never seen such a shameless person!"

"Exactly!"

"You're the ones who want this marriage alliance, and yet you're the ones who hesitate!"

"Such mockery of the imperial carriage—does the Liang dynasty truly believe itself to be easily bullied?"

Do you think that the military strength of my Great Liang is at a disadvantage?

For a time, the entire court was filled with indignation.

The high-ranking officials of the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers stepped forward to denounce Yuwen Xuan and his sister, their spittle nearly drowning them.

Startled by the sudden attack, Yuwen Xuan took a half step back, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

He looked around and saw that all the officials of the Great Liang were filled with righteous indignation, as if they were the ones who had suffered a great injustice.