The Empress remarried, and I retaliated by wiping out the court.

"Your Majesty! The position of Minister of Rites should not be appointed so hastily."

Li Juzheng finally couldn't hold back any longer and took action.

"Rites are the foundation of a nation! The laws, sacrifices, imperial examinations, investitures, and court ceremonies of the entire country all originate from the Ministry of Rites. How can this position be entrusted to a young man who has just entered the field?"

This statement, both openly and subtly, denigrated Zhao Wenqian, the newly appointed Minister of Rites by Ye Wudao, making him utterly worthless!

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Linyuan slowly walked out.

"The Grand Secretary is absolutely right. The Ministry of Rites is the head of all officials. Among the six ministries, it places the greatest emphasis on etiquette and seniority. How can the scholars of the land accept that a student who was studying at the Imperial Academy yesterday has become the Minister of Rites today?"

Ye Wudao narrowed his eyes slightly.

He knew that Li Juzheng and Xiao Linyuan, those two old foxes, had joined forces.

Ye Wudao could handle either of them individually, but when the two of them joined forces, their power became far more terrifying, almost representing the entire court's strength!

Seemingly sensing Ye Wudao's gaze, Xiao Linyuan slightly raised his head to look at Ye Wudao, then smiled humbly and continued to lower his head, pretending to be very respectful.

Do you have the qualifications to become the Minister of Rites?

An emperor without the support of his courtiers is nothing more than a clown jumping around on a slightly higher beam.

With Li Juzheng on his side, he was certain that Ye Wudao's appointment and removal this time would be a complete waste of time and effort!

Xiao Linyuan smiled faintly.

"In that case, I also have someone to recommend: Cheng Wangxian, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. He is well-versed in ancestral rules and has served in the Ministry of Rites for more than 20 years."

Li Juzheng, not to be outdone, immediately replied:

"This old minister recommends Chen Kangsheng, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. He is well-versed in etiquette and law, and excels in both classics and history. He is respected by both the court and the public."

The two men spoke almost simultaneously, each wanting to recommend their own person for the position of Minister of Rites.

Both of them subconsciously ignored Ye Wudao's appointment, as if they were the emperors.

Ye Wudao's gaze fell on Zhao Wenqian, and he said, "My only choice is Zhao Wenqian!"

Zhao Wenqian took a deep breath and stepped forward: "Thank you for your appreciation, Your Majesty!"

Li Juzheng slowly looked at him and sneered, "Lord Zhao, since His Majesty trusts you so much, I will ask you a few questions. If you cannot answer them, how can you convince the masses?"

Zhao Wenqian cupped his hands in greeting: "Please enlighten me, Grand Secretary."

Li Juzheng slowly began, "In the seventh volume of the Great Yan's 'Rites Code,' regarding grand sacrifices at the ancestral temple, if the emperor himself performs the sacrifice but the bells and chimes of the ancestral temple are out of tune, what system should be followed to rectify the situation?"

Zhao Wenqian paused, pondering for a few moments: "Should...should we request a halt to the ceremony and choose another auspicious day?"

Li Juzheng shook his head: "No, according to ancestral rules, the chime bells should be played first, and then the Court of Imperial Sacrifices should make up for it later."

He didn't stop, and continued to ask:

"If a foreign envoy comes to pay tribute and there is a conflict between his/her seat and that of the prince, which provision in the 'Collected Statutes' should be followed?"

Zhao Wenqian's forehead began to sweat.

"minister……"

"minister……"

I couldn't answer that either.

Li Juzheng continued to press for answers.

"During the three reigns of the Great Yan Dynasty, how many times were the rites and regulations revised?"

"When an empress is conferred her title, which department should transcribe the imperial edict?"

Are the rituals and music different for the spring and autumn sacrifices?

One question after another bombarded Zhao Wenqian like thunderbolts and rolling stones, leaving him feeling as if he had been struck by a heavy blow!

Zhao Wenqian was, after all, just a student at the Imperial Academy. He could talk about poetry and prose to some extent, but the administrative details accumulated by the Ministry of Rites over a century could not be learned in a short time.

After only a dozen or so questions, Zhao Wenqian was already sweating profusely.

The entire hall fell silent, and everyone looked at Zhao Wenqian and Ye Wudao with mocking eyes, as if to say that the person on the dragon throne had terrible taste!

Xiao Linyuan smiled slightly: "Your Majesty, this old minister has long said that studying and being an official are two different things. Being able to write articles does not mean one can govern the Ministry of Rites. Now it seems that Minister Zhao is far from being competent!"

Li Juzheng also said, "Your Majesty! This old minister is not against this young man, but the Minister of Rites bears the responsibility of upholding the rites and laws of the realm, and should be a position held by someone capable. This young man is not yet worthy of it!"

"Both of you ministers are right. The position should be filled by the most capable person. It was my oversight that led to this."

Ye Wudao's words left the entire court of officials somewhat astonished.

No one expected Ye Wudao to back down so easily.

But after thinking about it for a moment, I felt relieved.

Indeed, with Xiao Linyuan and Li Juzheng joining forces, and the entire court standing on their side, what waves could Ye Wudao possibly stir up?

But then Ye Wudao uttered a sentence that caused a huge uproar in the court:

"Since both of you ministers believe that the position of Minister of Rites should be filled by a capable person... then I grant your permission!"

"By imperial decree, the Second Empress, Li Yanran, has been well-versed in classical texts since childhood, is proficient in etiquette and music, and has extensive knowledge of history and classics. She is renowned for her virtue. Effective immediately, Li Yanran is hereby promoted to Minister of Rites!"

"The Ministry of Rites oversees all departments and is in charge of all rites and administrations, including those related to sacrifices, the imperial examinations, court ceremonies, and investitures. All affairs, large and small, within the Ministry of Rites are under its overall jurisdiction!"

The moment this decree was issued, the entire Golden Palace erupted in chaos!

All the officials, both new and old, looked up at each other, their faces filled with disbelief.

Female officer?

Minister of Rites?

They even wondered if there was something wrong with their ears!

It should be noted that at the beginning of the Great Yan Dynasty, female officials were appointed to assist in managing the harem etiquette and court ceremonies.

However, as the political situation stabilized, emperors of all dynasties believed that "women should not interfere in politics," and the system of female officials was completely abolished long ago.

It has been more than two hundred years since then!

Now, Ye Wudao has directly appointed a woman to take charge of one of the six departments!

This isn't breaking the rules, this is breaking ancestral traditions!

Even the ancestors would crawl out of their graves and curse him if they heard that!

"Your Majesty! Absolutely not!"

Xiao Linyuan stepped forward: "Since ancient times, the empress has been forbidden from interfering in politics, and women have been forbidden from entering the court! The Minister of Rites is in charge of all the rites and laws of the country, and is related to the foundation of the nation. How can this be entrusted to a mere woman?"

He sneered, "Moreover, the Second Empress has never handled state affairs, never governed a single prefecture or county. She is utterly incompetent and lacks virtue, only good at theoretical discussions. Does she think she can rise above all the civil and military officials just because she is the Empress? Does she deserve it? If Your Majesty insists on this, the scholars of the world will surely be disheartened!"

After he finished speaking, he glanced at Li Juzheng and found that the old man was not saying a word and was pretending to be asleep!

Good grief, so this is supposed to be an alliance, but you're turning a deaf ear when it comes to your granddaughter, huh?

Upon hearing this, the officials of Li Juzheng's faction in the court immediately felt a sense of unease.

Prime Minister Lee has always doted on his granddaughter. Once, a lecherous man harassed his granddaughter in the street, and Prime Minister Lee used his power to have the man imprisoned!

Li Yanran is the chief minister's Achilles' heel; she's someone you can't even touch!

Sure enough, Li Juzheng's deep gaze fell upon him:

"I cannot agree with what the Regent has said. I will not argue with you if you say that women cannot hold office. But I must ask you a question if you say that the Second Empress is incompetent and lacks the ability to govern."

"During the severe drought in Shandong, who went to provide disaster relief? Who procured sufficient food and supplies, worked tirelessly, and comforted the displaced people? Who ensured the survival of hundreds of thousands of disaster victims?"

He looked at the assembled officials and said, "If you all think this is just empty talk, then I'd like to ask you, what have you accomplished with your so-called talent for governing the country?"

Seeing this, Ye Wudao's smile was harder to suppress than an AK.

Political maneuvering is a game of balancing.

He may not be able to withstand the combined forces of the two in a short period of time, but can't he adapt?

He had long known that Li Yanran was Li Juzheng's Achilles' heel. As long as Li Yanran was brought forward, Li Juzheng himself would not object, but if Xiao Linyuan objected, the alliance between the two would collapse!

Xiao Linyuan, unaware that he had fallen into Ye Wudao's trap, was still striving for the position of Minister of Rites.

"That's not what I meant. It's just that since ancient times, high-ranking positions and generous salaries have always been held by the capable..."

Ye Wudao laughed loudly, "Since Minister Xiao says that high-ranking positions and generous salaries should be held by the capable, I wholeheartedly agree!"

He slowly sat up straight, his sharp gaze sweeping over the entire court of civil and military officials.

"In that case, summon the Second Empress, Li Yanran, to the palace!"

"Today, I will show you all whether she is truly qualified to head the Ministry of Rites!"