Chapter 301 Tracking
The flash of emotion in the Minister of Rites' eyes made Rong Que satisfied.
Just know that you are weak!
After the morning court was over, the Minister of Rites rushed to Duke Xue's house first.
Xue Guogong, who was always known as a rich and idle man, was really suffering from waiting in the study. When the Minister of Rites arrived, his face looked extremely ugly.
"How is it? Your Majesty, are you willing to release them?"
Before the Minister of Rites could explain in detail what happened in the court, Duke Xue could not wait to ask. When the Minister of Rites finished describing what happened in the court, Duke Xue was so angry that he picked up the cups and plates at hand and smashed them out.
"That brat really takes himself too seriously! He thinks he is much better than that five-year-old! He is overestimating himself by going against me!"
Duke Xue gnashed his teeth, and the flames in his eyes could almost devour someone alive.
The Minister of Rites sighed, "What should we do about this matter now? Huang Zhaozhong frightened those court officials with a few threats. Who among these people doesn't have some cases in their hands? Huang Zhaozhong will investigate them seriously. None of them is clean. The Duke also knows Huang Zhaozhong's temper. They dare not offend him seriously."
Duke Xue sneered, "Why offend Huang Zhaozhong? Everyone in the capital knows that Huang Zhaozhong is an honest official. If we attack Huang Zhaozhong, it will easily arouse public anger."
The Minister of Rites said, "What about taking action against He Chao? He Chao is easier. He does not have any party, and the few people who follow him are only close to him because they admire Your Majesty. Apart from other things, their Ministry of War is in a mess right now, so there are indeed many opportunities to take action."
A dark murderous aura flashed in Duke Xue's eyes.
"Why use anyone else! Since the emperor won't give me this face, I will just teach him the way of an emperor, so that he won't be disrespectful in the future!"
The Minister of Rites was stunned. "You want to attack His Majesty directly? How...how can this..."
Duke Xue raised his eyebrows, "You think it's difficult? It's not difficult! Don't forget that the Hundred Flowers Festival is hosted by the Queen, but the Queen hasn't held the canonization ceremony yet. Shouldn't your Ministry of Rites ask the Imperial Observatory if there is a suitable day recently?"
The Minister of Rites reacted in an instant, "You want to deal with the Empress directly? That's even more inappropriate. Not to mention that the Empress herself is very skilled in martial arts, the maidservant in front of her will never leave her more than three steps. The Emperor values the Empress so much that even if he is holding the canonization ceremony, he will definitely send people to secretly protect her and will never give us a chance."
Duke Xue said, "You are so stupid! Why do we need to do it ourselves? Have you forgotten that Concubine Qi has spread the news that the Empress is pregnant? The Emperor and Empress have been keeping this news a secret. Aren't they just trying to prevent something?
Can she defend herself against people, can she defend herself against a dog that suddenly goes mad, can she defend herself against a snake that suddenly swims, can she defend herself against a bird that suddenly goes mad? There are too many things that can be used to attack her."
The Minister of Rites said, "But we just had an argument with His Majesty about Concubine Qi. If we cause trouble with the Queen again, His Majesty will definitely suspect us first."
Duke Xue said, "That's great. I'm afraid he doesn't suspect it. I want him to know that this is the result of opposing me. Isn't he unwilling to agree to release Concubine Qi? Then he can forget about protecting his woman and children! If I don't teach him what it means to respect the elderly and love the young, he won't know how to be an emperor!"
Duke Xue spoke with great confidence, as if he was determined to win.
The Minister of Rites clasped his fists and said, "Okay, I will follow the Duke's arrangements. When the Duke says a suitable date, I will go to the Imperial Observatory to negotiate."
Duke Xue tapped his fingers on the tabletop, his eyes narrowed slightly, his face was gloomy and cold, his thick lips trembled slightly, and he smiled a terrifying smile, "Three days later, an auspicious day."
Imperial study.
Liu Fuan, the director of the Imperial Observatory, stood there and said to Rong Que respectfully, "Your Majesty, the Hundred Flowers Festival is approaching, and the ceremony of conferring the title to the Empress should also be completed before the Hundred Flowers Festival. We have observed the celestial phenomena at night and calculated the auspicious time. The hour of Chen three days from now is the best day in recent days, and it is also very compatible with the birth dates of the Empress and Your Majesty."
Liu Fuan could be considered an old official who had served in the court for many years, and Rongque respected him very much.
"Since Lord Liu has already chosen a date, then the enthronement ceremony will be held three days later. I will have the Ministry of Rites contact you on the details."
Liu Fuan bowed and saluted. "The Ministry of Rites is one thing, and we also need someone to guide the Queen on the rules of the day of the enthronement ceremony."
Rong Que frowned slightly, "Rules?"
When he was young, Rong Que had heard the old nanny in his mother's bedroom holding him and telling him about the grand occasion when his mother was canonized. On the day of the canonization, there would be a special nanny to give instructions, and the queen only needed to follow the nanny's guidance.
The so-called rules are nothing more than being dignified and elegant and not making any jokes.
Liu Fuan lowered his head, "Your Majesty, because the queen was born a military general, it is not good for her to have too much murderous aura when she enters the palace. Therefore, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory has calculated that the queen's canonization ceremony should be held at the Sun and Moon Altar. First, it is to worship the heaven and the earth, and second, it is also to worship the dead souls below . This can also be regarded as a way for the queen, as a military general, to comfort those soldiers who sacrificed in the battles for the Great Yan Dynasty, and it is also a kind of psychological comfort for the soldiers who are alive now. It will benefit many birds with one stone."
If Su Qingqing was not pregnant, Rong Que would have agreed to such a consecration ceremony without hesitation.
In Su Qingqing's mind, those soldiers were as close as brothers and they deserved to be commemorated.
The enthronement ceremony is a time to worship ancestors, heaven and earth, and also to worship the heroes who shed blood for the Great Yan Dynasty.
It should be.
But now that Su Qingqing is pregnant, especially with the slight movement of the fetus, Rong Que has to be more cautious. He did not agree directly, but said: "I will discuss this matter with the Queen, and the details will be decided in the morning court tomorrow."
As soon as the director of the Imperial Observatory left, Rong Que went to Su Qingqing immediately after reviewing the memorials.
Rong Que walked in first, and Jixiang followed closely behind.
"Your Majesty, Madam." Jixiang replied, "After the morning court session, Madam asked me to follow the Minister of Rites. I didn't dare to follow her myself, fearing that I would be exposed, so I asked General Wang to select a scout to follow her."
Rong Que had not expected that Su Qingqing would actually send Jixiang to follow the Minister of Rites. He sat down on the chair opposite Su Qingqing, poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip and asked, "What was the result?"
Jixiang said, "After leaving the palace, Lord Xu, the Minister of Rites, rode a sedan chair around Kyoto for a long time before arriving at Duke Xue's residence. After staying there for about half an hour, he came out and went directly to the residence of Lord Liu, the director of the Imperial Observatory. He stayed there for about a quarter of an hour before leaving and returning to his own residence. He has not come out since then."
