After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Yan Yuqing, with her full head of white hair, froze, and the wrinkles on her face deepened even more.

The old woman pondered for a few breaths, then glanced at the old minister in a blue official robe on the other side.

The Empress smiled and said, "Minister Sun is my right-hand man, Minister Yan, there is no need for you to be so formal."

The Empress's voice was clear and melodious, her smile warm, and her tone conveyed trust in her old minister.

Strictly speaking, Sun Chengshan was not yet a Vice Minister at this time; the other party had not yet been granted an official position and was still the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince.

However, the memorial requesting an official position for Sun Chengshan has already been submitted to the Emperor. Once the Emperor affixes the Imperial Seal, Sun Chengshan will be the newly appointed Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and can begin to work on the reforms.

Sun Chengshan hurriedly rose and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your trust."

The old man's eyes were filled with gratitude, and his heart was pounding with emotion. He felt that after twenty years of dormancy, his day of reckoning had finally come.

Yan Yuqing nodded slightly and said carefully:

"Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, the Heavenly Principle Sect is, after all, a group of disloyal traitors. If used properly, it can certainly help our dynasty restrain the Northern Dynasty."

"However, if the sect does not give up its evil intentions, I'm afraid Young Master Ning will suffer the consequences."

The old woman bowed sincerely and said:

"We are still unclear as to why they suddenly venerate Young Master Ning as their leader."

"It is wrong to teach them to be treacherous and ambitious. In my humble opinion, it is not advisable to let Young Master Ning get too involved with them."

Zhu Cuiwei frowned slightly and thought for a moment.

Not to mention her, even the young doctor himself was completely baffled as to why he had inexplicably become some kind of cult leader. Yan Yuqing's words did make some sense, and after a while, he nodded.

"Then let's leave it at that for now."

She sighed, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

"First, we will determine the crimes of the King of Wu, strip him of his royal title, demote him to a commoner, and confine him to his palace. The King of Qi will be confined to his quarters for now; I will discuss this further with the Emperor Emeritus."

The old woman must be.

Zhu Cuiwei glanced at the stack of memorials on the imperial desk, which was more than a foot high and contained about ten volumes.

Her face fell and her eyes darkened, but she quickly composed herself and returned to the demeanor of a "wise ruler".

I glanced outside subconsciously and suddenly realized that it was already dark outside. I wondered what the young doctor was doing.

"Yan Qingjia,"

After a few breaths, she came to her senses and smiled.

"After reviewing these memorials, I must go and pay my respects to the Emperor Emeritus and the Empress Dowager. Is there anything else important?"

The dim light cast a shadow on the old woman's face, making it appear half-lit and half-shadowed.

The old woman hesitated for a moment, then said sincerely:

"Your Majesty, there is indeed another piece of good news."

"According to reports from the Imperial Medical Academy and the Chief Physician, the miraculous medicine that the Chief Physician and his top disciple, Doctor Jiang, found is indeed remarkably effective!"

brush!

Zhu Cuiwei suddenly stood up, her eyes lighting up: "Really?" she asked in a short voice.

The old woman nodded: "It's absolutely true. According to the Imperial Medical Academy, the Emperor's health improved after taking this medicine two days ago, and his hemoptysis has greatly subsided!"

Zhu Cuiwei trembled slightly, feeling a mixture of joy and worry.

The emperor was naturally delighted because the physician was highly skilled. After spending several months collecting herbs, he actually found a miraculous medicine that improved his brother's health.

What worries me is that this is just a flash in the pan, and that my brother's health will not improve.

She secretly blamed herself, realizing that she had been busy preparing for the prince's enthronement ceremony and hadn't been able to visit her brother.

Even in the morning, it was Wang Daban who read the abdication edict, while the emperor himself stayed in Jingren Palace and did not come out.

Zhu Cuiwei said happily, "Great! I will go to visit my brother right away."

Jingren Palace is located on the west side of the palace. The palace is not large. When the eunuchs carry lanterns, they sing "His Majesty has arrived" and shout.

Dozens of palace maids and eunuchs from Jingren Palace came out to kneel and greet them.

Zhu Cui smiled and pulled up a woman in palace attire with her hair styled in a bun.

"Cuiwei greets the Empress Dowager," she teased.

Lychee, who had recently become a concubine and had her hair styled in a bun, blushed and stammered:

"Your Majesty is joking."

Zhu Cuiwei smiled as she watched. When her sister-in-law, Lizhi, was a maid, she wasn't so reserved. But after her brother, the emperor, selected her as a concubine and bestowed many honors upon her before his abdication, she became unusually reserved.

The Jingren Palace was brightly lit, with a bronze incense burner in the center, burning red charcoal.

The charcoal fire emitted light and heat without smoke or odor, and the ash was silvery-white. It would not break for a long time and also emitted a faint fragrance, which perfectly masked the herbal smell in the first and second halls.

Zhu Boqing, dressed in a white casual robe, leaned against the couch. Although his face was still pale, he seemed to have regained some energy. When he saw his sister arrive, he smiled and said, "I won't bow to His Majesty."

Zhu Cuiwei was greatly embarrassed and, in accordance with the custom of paying respects to the Emperor morning and evening, bowed to him.

Lychee ordered someone to bring over a rosewood chair, and Zhu Cui smiled and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty," before sitting down next to her brother.

Zhu Boqing leaned against a brocade quilt, glanced at his sister's expression, and felt relieved. He ordered Lizhi to bring out the Imperial Seal of the State, saying, "Your Majesty should take this. It's not proper for me to keep it."

Zhu Cuiwei refused solemnly, saying, "Your Majesty, the abdication edict clearly states this. You must still vouch for your sister."

Her elder brother originally intended to hand over both the imperial seal and the military tally to her, but the cabinet disagreed.

Chief Minister Qin repeatedly advised the emperor, saying that the retired emperor was a man of great talent and had ruled the country for many years. Without the retired emperor's help and support, if the new emperor were to misjudge people, the country would be in turmoil due to the young emperor's incompetence and be deceived by treacherous people.

The abdication edict clearly stated that the imperial seal would still be in the hands of the emperor's elder brother, and the appointment of officials of the third rank and above would require the emperor's approval. She would also be required to pay her respects to the retired emperor and the empress dowager every morning and evening.

Her elder brother even joked with her, saying, "Chief Minister Qin is so slippery, trying to sow discord between us siblings. You mustn't take it seriously."

Zhu Cuiwei felt that the cabinet had considered things very thoroughly. With her elder brother, the emperor, overseeing important matters, she would not feel so anxious. And it was only right that she pay her respects to him every morning and evening.

Zhu Cuiwei glanced at her elder brother and saw that his eyes had indeed regained some of their sparkle. She was even happier and said that she should reward the physician handsomely.

Zhu Boqing laughed and said, "The physician said it wasn't necessary, only that he wasn't sure about the medicine. He said as long as he didn't hold me accountable if I died, I would grant him a pardon. You'll have to take responsibility for that in the future."

When he referred to himself as "朕" (Zhen, meaning "I, the Imperial Emperor"), he glanced at his sister a few times and saw that she did not show any dissatisfaction on her face, which made him even more relieved.

Once a person holds great power, they often become arrogant and unruly, refusing to listen to others. Seeing that his sister did not have that domineering look on her face, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Upon hearing the other party's words, Zhu Cuiwei felt a pang of sadness, but smiled and said, "What do you mean by 'death'... It's just that Doctor Gong is a living omens, so it doesn't count."

Zhu Boqing smiled and said, "Leave it to fate."

Zhu Cuiwei lost both her father and mother at a young age and always regarded her elder brother as her father. Seeing that her brother had indeed shown some hope of recovery, her eyes welled up with tears. At this moment, she spat a few times and said, "You are the true Son of Heaven, and destiny is definitely on your side."

She had intended to discuss the handling of Prince Qi with her elder brother, but it was already late, and her brother's health had finally improved a bit, so she decided not to disturb him any longer. She smiled and took her leave, saying that she was going to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager morning and evening.

Zhu Boqing smiled and nodded.

After his sister's figure disappeared from Jingren Palace, Zhu Boqing withdrew his gaze, his eyes filled with a mixture of relief and anticipation.

After seeing the new emperor off, Lychee hurried back, her face flushed, and said, "Your Majesty, would you please allow me to attend to you in bed? The physician said Your Majesty needs more rest..."

Zhu Boqing shook his head, pointed to some memorials the new emperor had handed him, his face contorted with worry, and said with a headache, "Read those memorials to me... um... sigh..."

He sighed softly, "Cuiwei... is still too young. I should take another look at her while I'm feeling a bit better..."