Novel Full Chapter 395: Has Your Majesty Truly Decided?
After Xiao Mo returned to the Qin Kingdom’s imperial capital, ten days had unknowingly passed.
During this time, quite a few court officials and great families wanted to visit the Xiao Manor and Frost Prince Manor. However, both Xiao Mo and Xiao Shi closed their doors to guests and refused to see anyone.
Xiao Mo would also frequently take the jade token to the palace to visit Qin Siyao and Empress Shi.
Empress Shi’s health grew worse day by day.
Although Qin Siyao prepared and fed medicine to Empress Shi every day, and Empress Shi also took various medicinal pills,
When one’s time was nearly up, even immortal medicine was useless. However, Empress Shi cooperated very well each day in taking medicine, and often walked around the courtyard together with Qin Siyao.
Xiao Mo understood Empress Shi’s thoughts very well.
Empress Shi also knew the medicine was useless, but she knew even better that the more Siyao tried desperately to heal her now, the less guilt Siyao would feel after she departed.
Besides entering the palace, Xiao Mo would accompany his mother, or discuss military affairs together with Xiao Shi.
The border conflicts had not yet ended.
Every day, message-carrying flying swords would arrive from the borders, delivered to the Xiao Prince Manor.
The two of them often deduced together the development of future battles to prepare their responses.
And during this time when Xiao Mo was back in the capital, the entire imperial capital began to grow restless.
“Who will ascend to the crown prince position” became everyone’s concern.
As things stood, the eldest and second princes had already departed, and His Majesty had no other princes.
The current solution was perhaps to select one from the legitimate branch families and adopt him.
It was precisely because of this matter that the court was now extremely lively.
Quite a few officials neglected their proper duties and instead jointly petitioned the Qin Kingdom’s ruler with suggestions about which noble heirs were outstanding and needed to be adopted quickly to stabilize the foundation of the state.
If these officials were this excited, then the Qin Kingdom royal family’s branch members needed no mention.
Who didn’t want their son adopted into the palace?
Even if after adoption, legally speaking, they would have no relationship with their son, no matter what, this was still their own flesh and blood, and there would surely be benefits for them in the future.
For a time, throughout the Qin Kingdom, everyone was stirring with ambition.
One day, Zhang Yi, Baili Xi, and Jian Shu visited the Frost Prince Manor, wanting to ask what Xiao Mo’s thoughts were.
The three expressed that they only supported whoever Xiao Mo supported.
In reality, within the court, quite a few people were indeed concerned about the thoughts of Frost Prince Xiao Mo and Northern Pacification Prince Xiao Shi.
After all, this father and son pair had such great merit that they could truly influence the future crown prince selection. However, Xiao Mo only shook his head, stating that he had no thoughts of his own and only followed His Majesty’s decision. Whoever His Majesty chose in the future, he would assist but it was impossible for Xiao Mo not to worry.
The Qin Kingdom was currently at a critical period and needed the court to work together in unity. Yet now, because of the crown prince matter, people’s hearts were restless, with many officials thinking about placing their bets to establish merit as early supporters.
Xiao Mo returned to the Xiao Manor, planning to ask his father what views he had regarding the future crown prince selection.
Regarding court matters, Xiao Mo felt his father definitely understood much more than he did.
“I know what you’re worried about, Xiao Mo. But you don’t need to think about this matter. His Majesty naturally has his own plans. If I’m not mistaken, His Majesty already has a candidate in mind,” Xiao Shi said with a smile.
“His Majesty already has a candidate?” Xiao Mo said in surprise.
“I’m only guessing. As for whether it’s correct, we’ll see when the time comes. But people, when facing death, are generally very clear-headed.”
Xiao Shi stood up and patted Xiao Mo’s shoulder.
“Comparatively speaking, you should go prepare. I’m afraid the day after tomorrow, you’ll need to go with me to the Northern Frontier.”
“I need to go this time too?”
Xiao Mo knew that after his father returned to the capital, he would go to the Northern Frontier as soon as possible. Staying in the Qin Kingdom’s imperial capital for this long was already quite rare.
The corner of Xiao Shi’s mouth curved up as he smiled, “This time, you truly must go.”
…
“Father Emperor, you summoned your daughter?”
After receiving the summons, Qin Siyao came to the imperial study.
At this moment, the Qin Kingdom’s ruler was reviewing memorials.
“Siyao has arrived.” Seeing his daughter enter, he raised his head and smiled, patting the memorials beside him, “Siyao, come help your father emperor with some tasks.”
Qin Siyao walked to her father emperor’s side and asked puzzledly, “What can your daughter help Father Emperor with?”
“These memorials and documents, of course,” the Qin Kingdom’s ruler personally poured his daughter a cup of tea, “In the past, when I handled these governmental affairs, your eldest and second brothers would help. Now, only I remain, so I want you to help me as an assistant.”
“But Father Emperor… Siyao is a woman…” Qin Siyao looked at her father, “How can a woman participate in governance? Isn’t this somewhat against propriety?”
“In my Great Qin, I am propriety,” the Qin Kingdom’s ruler smiled, “First read through these memorials, then use the vermillion brush to review them directly. I’ll see how you do.”
“…”
Qin Siyao still felt some hesitation in her heart but seeing her father emperor’s insistent appearance, Qin Siyao could only curtsy, “Yes, Father Emperor.”
Sitting beside her father, Qin Siyao began reviewing the memorials.
These memorials involved military affairs, agriculture, official promotions and mutual impeachments, among other things.
Qin Siyao had been exposed to these matters since childhood, and her learning was not low to begin with. When reviewing these memorials, she wasn’t completely at a loss.
After finishing the reviews, Qin Siyao gave these memorials to her father for inspection.
The Qin Kingdom’s ruler reviewed them again, then explained to Qin Siyao which aspects she hadn’t considered, what the personalities of certain officials were like, which memorials only needed a glance before being set aside without wasting time.
Until evening, as the setting sun gradually fell, the Qin Kingdom’s ruler threw another stack of memorials to his daughter, “Siyao, take these and review them. Show them to me tomorrow.”
“Yes, Father Emperor…”
Although Qin Siyao did indeed feel somewhat tired, in order to help her father emperor relax a bit, Qin Siyao had no complaints whatsoever.
After Qin Siyao left the imperial study, the Qin Kingdom’s ruler couldn’t help but sigh, as if speaking to someone, “This girl hates reading and writing the most. If it were before, being given this much ‘homework’ by me, she would have been jumping up and down long ago. Yet now, she hasn’t said a single word.”
From behind the screen, Prime Minister Li, who had been concealing his presence all along, walked out and looked toward the window.
On the plaza outside the imperial study, dressed in palace attire, she was holding a large stack of memorials, walking toward her bedchamber.
Prime Minister Li withdrew his gaze and looked at the Qin Kingdom’s ruler, “Has Your Majesty truly decided?”
The Qin Kingdom’s ruler gathered his sleeves, the corner of his mouth curving up, “Why not?”