Chapter 26: Questioning Your Father

Chapter 26 Questioning Your Old Man

Seven days later, Emperor Rong'ai's funeral procession departed for the imperial mausoleum.

According to historical records, on the twenty-third day of the eighth month in the 164th year of the Da Rong Dynasty, Crown Prince Zhao Chun ascended the throne, proclaiming the new era name Anlong. He honored his adoptive mother, Empress Chi, as the Celestial Empress Dowager, granting her authority to administer state affairs, instruct officials, and reward the military.

From that day forward, the decade-long regency of the Celestial Empress Dowager in the Da Rong Dynasty officially began.

————

Inside the Tianji Hall, Golden Crow Guards stood in solemn attention on both sides of the great hall.

This was the first court session since the new emperor’s accession, yet standing before the imperial throne was not the new emperor, Zhao Chun, but the Celestial Empress Dowager, Chi Jing.

She wore a flat-topped imperial crown and a dark, Xuan-colored ceremonial robe embroidered with phoenixes at the shoulders. Apart from the absence of dragon patterns, her attire was nearly identical to an emperor’s, exuding an imposing aura.

In contrast, the newly enthroned Zhao Chun sat slumped in a wheelchair beside the throne, his head bowed low. The white jade beads hanging from his crown obscured much of his face, and his overly large robes made him appear frail and weak.

Civil and military officials knelt in rows below the vermilion steps, performing the grand prostration and chanting in unison, "Long live the Emperor! Ten thousand years! Ten thousand thousand years! Long live the Empress Dowager! A thousand years! A thousand thousand years!"

Their voices were loud and unified, resonating through the hall with a palpable tremor.

Zhao Chun—or rather, Zhao Mingyue wearing the lifelike mask—secretly glanced downward, seeing only a sea of heads bowed to the ground.

The thought of these nobles and ministers, who had never deigned to look at her before, now kneeling at her feet with their backsides in the air, filled her with delight. It took considerable effort to suppress the smile threatening to break across her face.

No wonder so many throughout history had craved the throne—being emperor felt incredibly satisfying.

Just then, several gazes, both overt and covert, turned toward her. Zhao Mingyue hurriedly composed her expression, lowering her head and resuming a blank, wooden look.

Her mother had instructed her to sit in the wheelchair both to feign illness and to conceal the height difference between her and Zhao Chun.

She must not become overconfident and risk alerting the officials to any discrepancies.

Yet her worries were unnecessary.

The lifelike mask Chi Jing had purchased with points possessed a certain persuasive illusion, making anyone who saw it firmly believe she was Zhao Chun.

The ministers below had no doubts about her identity. Their surreptitious glances were solely due to her pathetic display.

Her pale complexion, trembling lips, and the way she cowered in the chair like a quail—there was not a trace of imperial dignity to be seen!

The officials frowned deeply, their faces etched with dissatisfaction.

How had the new emperor become such a spineless coward? No wonder it was said that a strong mother inevitably produced a weak son. The new emperor, raised all these years by Empress Dowager Chi, had truly been broken of all spirit!

At the forefront of the kneeling officials, Li Mian, the head of the court ministers, wore an expression of knowing resignation.

Ever since Zhao Chun had publicly humiliated him in Mingde Hall, he had known this man was hopeless and had given up on him entirely.

A spineless coward like him owed his throne solely to the luck of being born into the imperial family.

When the late emperor struggled to produce an heir, Zhao Chun had been named crown prince at birth. It was Li Mian who had suggested disposing of the mother to secure the son's succession, ensuring power would not fall into the hands of maternal relatives.

But who could have predicted that after Empress Li was gone, Empress Chi would rise to power?

Even more infuriating, this Chi Zhenyi was ruthless and cunning—not only had she caused the death of his dear grandson, but she also relentlessly undermined his authority in court. It was utterly unforgivable!

Fuming inwardly, he knew he must find a way to overthrow her.

The Minister of Rites, Liu Yu, was equally angry, though for a different reason: Chi Jing’s attire.

How dare an empress dowager wear imperial robes to receive court officials? Had she no regard for ancestral rites and laws or the distinctions between men and women? It was an insult to their forebears!

Yet he did not dare voice this aloud to Chi Jing. Instead, he resolved to find a fearless censor willing to risk death in admonition, ensuring she would never again dare overstep the bounds of ritual decorum.

Chi Jing sat calmly on the throne, allowing them to kneel until she was satisfied before raising her hand. "You may rise, esteemed ministers."

The officials stood up, their legs shaky. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Chi Jing observed their expressions, not missing the anger simmering in the eyes and brows of Li Mian and others.

She allowed herself a small, pleased smile. Their resentment, coupled with their inability to act against her, was a delightful sight.

Compared to playing the malicious stepmother, the role of a tyrannical ruler was far more exhilarating.

Yet, though her mind seethed with wicked ideas, her words were noble and virtuous.

"From now on, I will govern on behalf of the new emperor. I pledge to encourage open dialogue, accept advice with an open heart, and bring peace and prosperity to the people!"

The ministers exchanged glances, turning almost in unison to Li Mian, waiting for his reaction before following suit.

Sensing the collective attention, Li Mian felt a surge of pride and was about to speak when Song Guangyi broke rank, knelt, and exclaimed with fervor, "Your Majesty is wise! By your grace, the Da Rong Dynasty will surely achieve economic prosperity, cultural brilliance, and restore the golden age of its founding!"

Hearing Song Guangyi’s sycophantic praise, Li Mian turned livid with rage. He could not help but shoot a cold glare back at him, his eyes filled with undisguised murderous intent.

Song Guangyi showed no fear, returning the glare with a sidelong glance. Now that Empress Dowager Chi held power, what did Prime Minister Li amount to now? He could be ousted any day!

Chi Jing noted their clash of glances with a faint smile. "Minister Song, please rise. I can't accomplish this alone. I must rely on Prime Minister Li and all ministers to work together to govern the nation."

At this, Li Mian had no choice but to suppress his anger and speak solemnly, "I will devote myself wholeheartedly to assisting Your Majesty."

The other ministers echoed, "We will devote ourselves wholeheartedly to assisting Your Majesty."

Chi Jing nodded in satisfaction. "Very well."

She cared little what these officials truly thought. At least on the surface, and by law, they had to obey her.

She had Li Mian to thank for that. Had he not been so eager to jump out and establish her authority, she might not have solidified her position so quickly.

The thought brought a genuine smile to Chi Jing’s face.

Today was her first court assembly. As the saying goes, a new official lights three fires—she was no exception.

With a smile, she addressed the ministers. "For today’s court discussion, I have three decrees I wish to entrust to you for drafting, execution, and proclamation throughout the land. Secretary Wu, announce the decrees."

"Yes." Wu Wenxiu, who had been waiting nearby, straightened her posture, unrolled the edict in her hands, and read aloud in a clear, carrying voice.

Her words, calm and distinct, reached every ear in the hall. The ministers listened attentively, their brows gradually furrowing.

The three decrees were as follows:

First, a general amnesty is granted to all under heaven. Those guilty of the Ten Abominations are exempt, except for the crime of discord, and shall not be pardoned.

Second, the land allocation law is revised. Unmarried women and middle-aged women are to be granted one qing of land [about 15 acres], with an additional twenty mu for households headed by women.

Third, the Town Pacification Office is renamed the Yiluan Department, and the Golden Crow Guard is merged into it. Henceforth, all major cases will bypass the Ministry of Justice and be handled directly by the Yiluan Department.

Before Wu Wenxiu could finish rolling up the edict, Zhu Fangfang, the Minister of Justice, stepped forward. "Your Majesty, I must object!"

"Among the ten unpardonable crimes, the eighth is 'breach of familial harmony,' which refers to the murder or assault of relatives. This includes wives merely accusing their husbands or wives killing their husbands. If we pardon them, wouldn't women everywhere start doing the same? This crime should not be pardoned!"

Wu Wenxiu was furious upon hearing this, but before she could refute, Li Xiaoci also stepped forward. "I support this!"

The moment Li Xiaoci heard Chi Jing intended to grant a special pardon to those guilty of "breach of familial harmony," he immediately thought of his daughter Li Jiying, and his heart sank straight to the bottom.

Last time in prison, that unfilial daughter was already shouting about accusing him of murdering his wives and concubines. If she were released, it would be disastrous—she would likely take her case directly to Empress Dowager Chi.

Empress Dowager Chi was just looking for leverage against him and his father; this would be handing her a knife!

Thinking this, Li Xiaoci declared with moral outrage, "Your Majesty, if women who commit the grave crime of breach of familial harmony are not executed, won't all the men of the world have to fear the women they sleep beside, unable to even sleep peacefully? If households are unsettled, how can the state be secure?!"

Li Mian nodded approvingly, and the court officials deeply agreed, nodding in agreement one after another, "Yes! Exactly!"

Seeing how worked up they were, getting so worked up, spitting as they talked, Chi Jing couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

If they knew she was the woman who had committed the crime of "breach of familial harmony" by murdering the late emperor, wouldn't they die of rage right here?

However, she had anticipated this scene. Each of these three decrees stepped on these men's interests, and they were bound to oppose them fiercely.

She just hadn’t expected their reasons to be so laughable.

If they thought women had such power to shake the foundations of the state, then why not let women be in charge?

That way, she wouldn’t have to face these idiots every day and could directly put Zhao Mingyue in power.

Just as Chi Jing was about to speak, Wu Wenxiu suddenly burst out angrily, "Bullshit! You’re twisting right and wrong, confusing black and white!"

"I’ve reviewed 108 case files from the Ministry of Justice. Every single case of wives killing husbands occurred because the woman had endured long-term beatings and abuse from her husband until she could take no more and was forced to fight back and kill!"

"You let rapists and wife-killers get away with a slap on the wrist, so how dare you say these women shouldn’t be pardoned!"

"If this crime is as heinous as you claim, why isn’t a husband killing his wife listed among the ten unpardonable crimes? It’s not even a criminal offense—only punishable by a fine!"

"You court officials show no empathy for the people, no compassion, not even humanity, and yet you talk about bringing peace and order to the nation? What a joke!"

Wu Wenxiu’s face was flushed, her expression fervent. She delivered this speech without taking a breath, growing louder and more forceful with each word.

Every word landed like a hammer, dressing them down and leaving the whole court speechless.

Li Mian was so angry his beard trembled. He had never been insulted like this by a woman, especially not in court.

Though he wanted to retort, he thought it was beneath him. Women were unreasonable; arguing with them would only invite ridicule even if he won.

So he merely said four words: "Total nonsense," in a tone full of disdain.

The Minister of Justice, Zhu Fangfang, had no such reservations. He snorted dismissively, completely ignoring the facts Wu Wenxiu had presented, and directly accused her, "These are the laws of our ancestors, established since the founding of the dynasty. Is Secretary Wu questioning Emperor Taizu?"

Wu Wenxiu then knew reasoning with them was useless.

These three decrees weren’t entirely Empress Dowager Chi’s ideas; she had contributed many suggestions herself.

The first decree was the result of her reviewing countless case files, working tirelessly through countless days and nights.

She had once thought that being disgraced, reduced to a convict slave, and forced to work day and night in the penal servitude meant no one in the world was more miserable than her.

But after reading those files and seeing the horrifying descriptions—beatings, gouged eyes, severed noses, rape—she realized there were women suffering hundreds, thousands of times worse than her.

In comparison, she was incredibly fortunate: taught and enlightened by her mother in her youth, appreciated by the Empress Dowager as she grew up—her life had been smooth sailing.

She once told Chi Jing she wanted power to take revenge on those who had bullied her; now, she still wanted power, but to take revenge on those who bully women.

Seeing Zhu Fangfang and Li Mian’s arrogant, disdainful expressions, she could no longer hold back. She closed her memorial with a snap and threw it at them.

"Screw your ancestors! You weren’t even born of humans—a bunch of beasts!"

With a smack, the memorial hit Li Mian in the face before falling to the ground.

The physical harm was minimal, but the humiliation was extreme.

—Hiss!

The whole court let out a shocked gasp.