"Why did I dream of a celestial maiden?"
"The celestial maiden even gave me directions, saying that the heavenly secrets concerning my family's prosperity or decline lie beneath the third apricot tree to the left of the Prime Minister's residence?"
"Hmm..."
"I haven't even been reading any ghost stories lately."
Several officials attended the morning court session absentmindedly, their thoughts wandering. They spent the entire morning court staring at the figure of Prime Minister Shangguan Ming standing in front, but couldn't make sense of it.
What was this dream about?
Could it be that their daytime thoughts had influenced their dreams? Were they coveting the Prime Minister's apricot trees, or his position?
The more they pondered, the more terrifying it seemed!
The officials who had the dream didn't dare speak of it, yet they couldn't understand its meaning.
Some tried to suppress and ignore it, while others, driven by curiosity, ventured to the apricot trees by the Prime Minister's door under the cover of darkness.
Those who dug beneath the trees and found something were astounded.
Those who didn't dig or dismissed the dream found themselves dreaming the same dream again on the second night.
The same celestial maiden, with the same instructions to go to the apricot tree.
Things come in threes.
On the first day, few people went to the tree. But by the morning of the second day, more had gone, and even more visited under the cover of darkness on the second night...
By the third day's morning court session, Shangguan Ming felt a bit uneasy. Looking at the officials waiting outside the hall, he saw knowing glances and eyes eager for confirmation.
In an instant, Shangguan Ming understood - the celestial child had indeed delivered his message!
"Your Majesty, I have a matter to report!" Everything went according to plan as the Minister of War stepped forward and declared loudly and indignantly before the weary-looking Yuan King.
"I humbly request Your Majesty to open the Empress's coffin for examination!"
As soon as the Minister of War said this, the Yuan King's eyelid twitched violently.
But before the Yuan King could calm the Minister of War, all the civil and military officials suddenly knelt down.
"I second the motion!"
"I second the motion!"
The celestial maiden had conveyed her message in their dreams.
Beneath the apricot tree, there was also a brocade box, revealing heavenly secrets—the Empress's tragic death, the Yuan King's selfish rebellion, and his usurpation of the throne by harming his royal brother.
One by one, the officials thought of the celestial maiden in their dreams and the contents of the brocade box. Hearing the Minister of War indeed mention this matter, they couldn't help but kneel and second the motion, conforming to heaven's will!
"You... you're all rebelling?!" The Yuan King raged from his throne.
The officials below remained silent.
But soon, another group of officials fell to their knees.
It wasn't that they wanted to rebel, but that heaven wanted to punish the Yuan King!
"Your Majesty—turn back before it's too late!" The Old Imperial Censor knelt, his entire body trembling. "The celestial maiden entered our dreams and enumerated Your Majesty's seven sins. Your Majesty should give justice to the fallen soldiers, the Empress, and the people of Yuan Mu!"
The Yuan King stared in disbelief. "What... what celestial maiden entering dreams?"
Only after the Old Imperial Censor spoke did the Yuan King notice that the entire hall was kneeling in fear, except for a few of his loyal ministers who remained standing.
In an instant, the Yuan King thought of his dream predicting the great defeat of the Yuan Army, the terrifying woman he saw in the mirror, and the woman in his dream warning to punish him... The next moment, the Yuan King's fingers began to tremble.
"How dare you! Come... come here! Drag him away—" The Yuan King, furious and embarrassed, stood up red-faced and pointed at the Old Imperial Censor.
But the next moment, he fell backwards.
"Your Majesty—"
"Your Majesty!"
[Oh my goodness, the Yuan King's mental state has already dropped to 29? A red warning state, no wonder he had a cerebral hemorrhage.]
Xiao Chuchu watched the remote live broadcast in the Jing Country palace, eating melon seeds as she observed.
[I didn't expect the Yuan King to be so guilty.]
[Well, with all the civil and military officials opposing him and wanting to list his crimes, he can't exactly kill all the officials in the court. Yuan King, is this the end for you?]
Xiao Chuchu anticipated, yet worried that the pressure might not be enough.
Xiao Yunzhou should have gone to the morning court session, but hearing this at the crucial moment, he felt very uncomfortable.
"Chaniang, hold our little princess and come with me to the Hall of Humble Administration, just like before."
Liu Chaniang found it amusing but didn't point it out. She shook her head, "The little princess has grown up and has her own ideas. If Your Majesty wants her to go, she needs to be willing."
Xiao Yunzhou then slapped his forehead and personally took his daughter to coax her, "Chuchu, would you like to attend the morning court with Father?"
[No, Jing Country is peaceful now, how could our morning court be as exciting as Yuan Mu Country's today?]
[Multiple parties are pressuring the Yuan King, directly causing him to have a cerebral hemorrhage from anger.]
Xiao Chuchu was now addicted to watching the live broadcast from the Yuan King's side and wasn't very interested in the ministers of Jing Country's morning court.
She pushed Xiao Yunzhou with her little hands, indicating that she didn't want to go with him.
Then she stretched out her two little arms towards Liu Chaniang, wanting her to hold her.
The corner of Xiao Yunzhou's mouth twitched. He also wanted to hear the latest news about the Yuan King as soon as possible!
This melon... ahem, this information from Yuan Mu's morning court was indeed more exciting today.
"Well, Chaniang, look at our little princess, she wants you to hold her and go to the morning court."
"..."
Liu Chaniang rolled her eyes but still followed behind Xiao Yunzhou to the Hall of Humble Administration.
Knowing the situation in Yuan Mu, Jing Country could also prepare early responses.
Sure enough, shortly after Xiao Yunzhou sat down on the imperial throne in the Hall of Humble Administration, he heard his daughter's real-time broadcast.
[Holy crap, the Yuan King had a cerebral hemorrhage, the Imperial Academy of Medicine is performing emergency acupuncture, the Yuan King woke up, but his mouth is crooked and he can't speak!]
Xiao Chuchu's inner voice was excited.
Even Xiao Yunzhou was stimulated by what he heard, his hands immediately gripping the dragon throne.
Good!
[Karma always comes, it's just a matter of time! The Ring's vengeful ghost scared the Yuan King badly, and today the officials' uprising became the catalyst for his illness.]
[Well, well, this Yuan King, who threatened our Jing Country's male protagonist, should be finished now, right?]
[Come to think of it, this setting of him being impotent must have been intentionally done by the author. As the male lead in a romance novel, how could he have a harem before meeting the female lead?]
[The female lead must be his first woman.]
Xiao Chuchu felt a chill run down her spine as she pondered this.
Xiao Yunzhou was bewildered by what he heard.
[The imperial physician said that if the Yuan King rests well and receives daily acupuncture, he might still recover.]
Xiao Chuchu's words made Xiao Yunzhou and Liu Chaniang tense up again.
[Pfft, Shangguan Ming, this Prime Minister is incredible. He acted as if he hadn't heard the imperial physician's words and discussed with the six ministers around him that the Crown Prince is too young to shoulder such a heavy responsibility.]
[They should invite the King of Shu from his fief to enter the capital immediately.]
[The King of Shu is the Yuan King's younger brother, accomplished in both civil and military affairs, eight years younger than the Yuan King, and in his prime. When the Former Emperor was alive, he greatly favored the King of Shu.]
Xiao Chuchu's inner voice rattled on.
Xiao Yunzhou immediately recalled the information about Yuan Mu Country's King of Shu.
If this person really ascends to the throne, as long as he maintains peaceful coexistence with Jing Country, it wouldn't be bad.
But before he could finish his thought, he was shocked by Xiao Chuchu's subsequent inner voice.
[Holy crap, the Duke of National Defense has arrived! He's secretly in love with the current Empress, one of the main characters in Princess Ronghua's favorite couple. He actually came!]
[Goodness, five days ago I entered his dream to tell him about the Yuan King's evil deeds and his impotence secret. He seemed completely unaffected and didn't take any action. I thought this person was impervious to influence.]
[But he actually rushed here today, and even brought the King of Shu with him!]
[He proposed to let the King of Shu temporarily take the position of the new Emperor of Yuan Mu until the Yuan King can speak again.]
[The King of Shu immediately ordered a thorough investigation into the deaths of the past three Empresses, as well as the origin of the decision for the Yuan Army to attack Jing.]
[The Yuan King had a stroke and is drooling in bed, making "ah ah" sounds in opposition...]
This development was too rapid.
Xiao Yunzhou listened with wide eyes, then heard his daughter's sigh.
[It seems this Duke of National Defense was well-prepared. He's not a simple character.]
[Oh my, Princess Ronghua, he's indeed worthy of being the man you ship. So fierce, so decisive.]
[It's really worth shipping.]
[I'm in love.]
Even Liu Chaniang's eyes sparkled, unable to resist shipping along with her daughter.