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

Zhu Cuiwei frowned slightly as she stood at the entrance of the palace. Looking around, she could see that the scene was quite grand.

These dozen or so people were all imperial relatives from the Zhu family clan. The first person on the left was very old. Zhu Cuiwei glanced at him and found that he was the head of the Zhu family clan, with the title of Prince Anfeng. Most of the people standing on the left were also old imperial relatives.

Standing next to the Prince of Anfeng was an old man with white hair and beard and an arrogant look in his eyes. He was the Prince of Weinan, who was a generation older than Emperor Longchang. The others were the Prince of Tancheng, the Prince of Fuping, and the husband of her aunt, Princess Yongguo.

The Empress's eyes narrowed as she looked at these people.

His gaze swept to the right.

The first person on the right appeared to be around thirty years old, dressed in a white python robe. He was bowing while looking at her with a somewhat helpless expression. Zhu Cuiwei's eyes were somewhat indifferent. Prince Jing... her father's ninth brother.

Prince Jing's uncle had always lived the life of a wealthy and idle prince, spending his days either traveling and sightseeing or going to the theater. He neither befriended civil officials nor military generals. When she was young, Prince Jing's uncle, seeing that her parents had passed away and that she was taciturn, would often bring her trinkets and food, and take her to the opera. Her eyes darkened, and she silently hoped that Prince Jing's uncle would not go astray.

The second person on the right was extremely young, only two years older than her. He was none other than Zhu Bohan, the second son of the Prince of Qi. Zhu Bohan's face was pale, and he was bowing to her timidly.

Zhu Bohan had an elder brother who inherited the title. Three years ago, the emperor appointed him as a General of the State and he moved out of the Qi Prince's residence. She had shown leniency by not confining her cousin, but unexpectedly, she saw him here today. She snorted inwardly.

The others were all relatives of the emperor.

From the moment she stepped inside, her keen senses naturally detected the unusual atmosphere.

He slowly walked in and told everyone to rise.

The crowd chorused, "Thank you, Your Majesty..."

Zhu Cuiwei walked to the center of the main hall and bowed to the Empress Dowager at the head of the table, saying, "Cuiwei greets the Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager, a devout Buddhist for many years, held prayer beads in her hand, her face bearing a Buddhist expression. With a slight smile, she said in a gentle tone, "Your Majesty is too polite. Please rise."

Zhu Cuiwei gracefully rose, a faint smile playing on her lips, and looked up at her grandmother at the head of the table with her bright, clear eyes, saying:

"May I ask, Your Majesty, what brings you here?"

"well……"

The Empress Dowager sighed, her face filled with helplessness. After a moment, she raised her hand and pointed to both sides.

"Look... I'm helpless too. These... well... your uncles, aunts, and brothers... they went to Jingren Palace to look for your elder brother. But the Emperor Emeritus kept the gates closed and wouldn't see anyone... They had no choice but to come to me... After hearing this, I was naturally very unhappy to see them going to look for your elder brother over such trivial matters, so I gave them a good scolding..."

These are all your relatives. I have already reprimanded them, so you need not reprimand them anymore… Zhu Cuiwei naturally understood her grandmother's meaning. She smiled slightly, glanced at everyone, and said:

"Grandmother is absolutely right. The Emperor Emeritus is unwell. If any of you have any business, please come directly to me. After that, please do not disturb my elder brother, or Cuiwei will not tolerate it."

Everyone agreed.

The Empress Dowager smiled broadly and nodded repeatedly, then turned to Prince Anfeng on her left and said, "Come, Prince Anfeng, you are the Imperial Clan Court Master, so tell me, what trivial matters do you, His Majesty's relatives, wish to discuss with His Majesty?"

The elderly Prince Anfeng stepped forward and said in a weary voice, "May I ask Your Majesty if you are aware of the Northern Dynasty's intention to form an alliance through marriage with our dynasty?"

Zhu Cuiwei glanced at him and said, "There is only the matter of the Northern Dynasty wanting to form an alliance, not a marriage alliance."

Prince Anfeng paused, a vein throbbing on his forehead. As the Grand Master of the Imperial Clan of Liang, he was in charge of the marriages and succession of the imperial clan. Let alone royal marriages, even ordinary people's marriages were arranged by their parents and matchmakers; a private engagement was a great disgrace. How much more so royal marriages!

But the woman before him not only secretly pledged her life to a country farmer, but also came to him with a marriage certificate from a commoner on the day she returned to the capital, shamelessly saying that she wanted to register her and her husband in the imperial family register. He was immediately enraged. If it weren't for the fact that this woman was the crown prince, he would have carried out the imperial family law on the spot.

If such a dubious country farmer were recorded in the imperial register, the Zhu family would likely have another scandalous affair to be recorded in history! As the head of the imperial clan, he naturally could not allow such a thing to happen, and the two remained deadlocked for a long time. It wasn't until the Emperor Emeritus sent someone to plead for her that the woman was persuaded to leave.

Prince Anfeng stared intently into the eyes of the newly crowned empress. He had already asked, "What does Your Majesty think of the marriage alliance with the Northern Dynasty's prince?" but he didn't say it. He was afraid that she would blurt out, "I already have a husband," in front of so many people, making the rumor true and ruining the Zhu family's reputation.

He omitted this part, only saying, "Your Majesty, forming an alliance with the Northern Dynasty is a matter of great importance to the nation. As the ruler of the state, Your Majesty should consider this matter carefully."

Zhu Cuiwei replied without hesitation, "Such important military and national affairs are not the responsibility of the Imperial Clan Court."

Without mentioning the marriage alliance, it naturally falls outside the jurisdiction of the Imperial Clan Court. Prince Anfeng was momentarily speechless, his anger rising, but since the other party was now the emperor, he dared not be disrespectful and could only offer words of advice, bowing his head and saying, "Your Majesty, it is not that this old minister is overstepping his bounds, but the Northern Dynasty's desire to form an alliance is evident. Great Liang has waited for so many years and finally has the opportunity to recover the area south of the Huai River, which we cannot afford to miss."

Zhu Cuiwei shook her head: "The Imperial Clan Court's decree... the Northern Dynasty harbors wolfish ambitions..."

She hadn't finished speaking.

The old man next to the King of Anfeng, the King of Weinan, said, "Your Majesty, it's one thing if Your Majesty doesn't think of an old man like me who is about to die, but you should at least think of the descendants of the Zhu family!" This old man was very old and of a very high generation.

"Anyone can see that the Northern Dynasty's intention to form an alliance this time is sincere. Otherwise, why would the three major camps of the Northern Dynasty have broken away? When has the Northern Dynasty ever bowed its head like this?" the old man said.

Zhu Cuiwei narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly, and the others also spoke up one after another, saying, "The King of Weinan is right," "Although the Northern Dynasty has ill intentions, the land is real," and "If the arrangements are made properly, we can take over the area south of the Huai River first, and then hold the wedding..." As soon as the King of Fuping, who was over sixty years old, uttered the word "wedding," a pair of cold and sharp eyes suddenly swept over him, and the King of Fuping immediately shut his mouth.

With that glance, everyone who had spoken fell silent again... For the past sixty years, the threat of the Northern Dynasty's military might has been hanging over everyone's heads. Everyone's nerves were already stretched to the limit. With Xiaoling Mausoleum here, and the Zhu family not being able to move the capital, if the court could really take back the area south of the Huai River... Only then would everyone's nerves finally relax, and they would no longer feel that the wealth and status they had before them were just a mirage, and that once the Northern Dynasty came, it would shatter in an instant, just like during the Ming Dynasty's Kai era.

Seeing that the Empress was about to erupt, the Empress Dowager immediately smiled and smoothed things over, saying, "Heh...it's all trivial matters...trivial matters...His Majesty's head is already throbbing...your little monkeys always bring these things to annoy His Majesty, don't make His Majesty stop coming to my Yongshou Palace...heh...Your Majesty, I'll take care of these people for you. You're busy with state affairs, you should go back to Qianqing Palace first..."

Zhu Cuiwei took a slight breath. Although these people dared not argue with her, they all looked at her with a strange gaze. The veins on Zhu Cuiwei's temples throbbed slightly. She was about to say, "Prince Fuping, the Censorate is investigating your son for embezzling funds during the repair of the city wall..." when she was interrupted by the Empress Dowager. She didn't intend to say anything more to these people anyway. She bowed to the Empress Dowager and left the main hall.

……

Starting from September 6th, apart from a few members of the imperial clan including Prince Jing, members of the imperial clan kept submitting memorials to her. These people didn't mention any marriage alliances, but only told her to "consider the country and the soldiers guarding the two northern cities"... Zhu Cuiwei was extremely annoyed and finally ordered the cabinet to return all the memorials submitted by the imperial clan...

Buried in his desk every day, he arranged for the Five Military Commissions, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of War, and even the Embroidered Uniform Guard to submit a daily report, silently preparing for either a northern expedition or the defense of the territory...

This busy period continued until September 20th.

When the results of the county examination were released, the Imperial Guards reported that Young Master Ning had come in last place.

Her heart skipped a beat, her phoenix eyes narrowed, and she immediately ordered someone to summon Lou Jizuo to the palace.

"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty!"

Lou Jizuo, who was originally just a minor county magistrate, was suddenly summoned by the new emperor. He was excited, but he did not show it on his face. After entering the Qianqing Palace, he immediately knelt down and kowtowed to express his gratitude.

"Your humble servant is ashamed. I am honored to be summoned by Your Majesty and to have the opportunity to see Your Majesty's countenance. I am filled with trepidation and fear..."