Chapter 498: I am the Empress Dowager

"My poor son! He lived honestly for most of his life, finally gained the court's recognition, and was about to shoulder the heavy burden of the dynasty, only to be calculated against in the dark. It's bad enough that he gets no justice and has nowhere to voice his grievances, but now he is to be stripped of his right to inherit the throne. You bully people too much!

The murderer is clearly right next door; why don't you go and arrest them? It is obvious that Prince Jin did all of this. Prince Jin is the murderer; he first harmed Prince Zhong, and now he has come to harm my son. Why don't you arrest him? Prince Jin, if anything happens to my son, I will make you pay with your life!"

Imperial Consort Gao went mad in front of the ministers.

The palace maids supported her, crying and trying to persuade her.

Prince Yan's several sons, big and small, lined up in a row, shedding tears as they accused the ministers.

The eldest son represented the Prince Yan Prefecture and questioned Li Liangcheng, "Minister Li, I often heard my father say that you are the most just person. My father is in such a miserable state; why don't you preside over justice for him? Why do you want to strip him of the throne? Even if my father has fallen, I am still here in the Prince Yan Prefecture. Please, Minister Li, give my father justice!"

"Please, Minister Li, give my father justice!"

Li Liangcheng was instantly placed on a hot stove, feeling extremely uncomfortable all over.

"The throne cannot remain vacant, and the court cannot continue in such chaos. If we drag this out, I fear the world will face another great upheaval. Imperial Consort, it is not that the court wants to contend with Prince Yan; it is truly because time waits for no one. Prince Yan cannot remain in a coma for a day, and the court cannot wait day after day."

"How do you know my son won't wake up? Did the imperial physicians say so? Perhaps in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he will wake up. What are you trying to do by stripping him of the throne? Are you trying to rebel?"

"How about this: before this time tomorrow, if Prince Yan wakes up, everything remains as it was. The throne will still be Prince Yan's, and preparations for the enthronement ceremony will continue. If this time passes tomorrow and Prince Yan has not woken up, then we must hold a new vote to elect an heir. I ask for the Imperial Consort's understanding!"

"I absolutely do not allow you to hold a new vote to elect an emperor; I do not agree. The throne is Prince Yan's; this is what you chose yourselves. He is your emperor, your Majesty; you cannot just abandon him like this. The enthronement ceremony continues; my son must sit on the throne. If he cannot, then let this child inherit it!"

Imperial Consort Gao pushed her eldest grandson forward, "If Prince Yan has any mishap, according to ancestral law, he is the next emperor."

Prince Yan's eldest son looked bewildered. He was a half-grown boy, thirteen or fourteen years old, tall enough—taller than Imperial Consort Gao by half a head. But his face was full of childishness, and the courage he had when questioning Li Liangcheng had vanished. There was only the confusion and panic appropriate for his age.

But he knew to keep his mouth shut, cooperating with Imperial Consort Gao as a tool.

The ministers looked at the half-grown eldest son of Prince Yan and frowned one after another. For a child of this age to be emperor, it might be appropriate if his status were legitimate. But to say it was inappropriate—it was truly inappropriate; he couldn't do anything.

"Absurd! Prince Yan is still just a Prince; as long as he has not ascended the throne, he is not the Son of Heaven. Since he is not the Son of Heaven, how can he appoint an heir to the throne?"

"That is a valid point!"

"Rules are rules; the Crown Prince must be appointed by the Son of Heaven. Prince Yan has not yet inherited the throne, so his child has even less qualification to inherit it."

"If Prince Yan has any mishap, according to the rules, it should be inherited by other imperial princes."

"This is the imperial court; I ask the Imperial Consort to withdraw."

"Imperial Consort, do not be unreasonable. This is not a place you should be."

"All of you, shut up! As a consort of the late Emperor, as the birth mother of Prince Yan, and as the future Empress Dowager, do I not have the qualification to appear here? Do I not have the qualification to stop you from making an absurd decision? Since Prince Yan has already been elected to inherit the throne, regardless of whether he is in a coma or dead, he is the emperor. Whoever comes, the rule is the same. The throne must also be inherited by Prince Yan's son. Other imperial princes have no qualifications whatsoever!"

"Absurd!"

"As an inner palace consort, according to ancestral law, you cannot interfere in state affairs."

"Seeing that state affairs are showing signs of spiraling out of control under your manipulation, as the Empress Dowager, I must intervene. Li Liangcheng, Yu Zhaoan, you two are the prime ministers; do you submit? Does the dynasty have a precedent for an Empress Dowager participating in government? Does it?"

Imperial Consort Gao was firing on all cylinders.

This was a struggle for the throne, and also a struggle for life; there was no room for any timidity or fear. There was no room for the slightest weakness or retreat. Before coming, Imperial Consort Gao had prepared for a hard fight, vowing not to stop until her goal was reached.

She would do everything in her power to protect her own son's throne; no one was to take it away. Whoever dared to snatch the throne was her mortal enemy and must be destroyed to prevent future trouble.

"There is, actually," Yu Zhaoan muttered in a low voice.

"If there is, then good! I am now intervening in court affairs in the capacity of Empress Dowager; this concerns the safety of His Majesty, and I absolutely cannot leave." Imperial Consort Gao held her head high, assuming the posture of an Empress Dowager, and leaning on the eunuch's hand, walked slowly toward the highest position.

"But..." Yu Zhaoan gave a bitter smile.

"There are no 'buts'!" Imperial Consort Gao glared, "Prince Jin harmed the current Majesty; his crime is unpardonable. Minister Yu, I ask you to be mindful of your status and draw a clear line with Prince Jin as soon as possible."

"Absurd! You are the Empress Dowager—who conferred that title? Is there an imperial edict? Is there an Empress Dowager's seal? Prince Yan is still just a Prince, yet you are so impatient to confer the title of Empress Dowager upon yourself. Did you ask us ministers if we agree? The late Emperor is gone, but the court is still running. As long as we ministers do not recognize it, you will never be the Empress Dowager!"

A bold minister stood up and sternly rebuked Imperial Consort Gao, who was addicted to acting. His words were sharp, giving her no face at all. He wished he could tear off Imperial Consort Gao's elegant and noble mask, throw it on the ground, and stomp on it twice.

Imperial Consort Gao gritted her teeth, hating it to the core, "I want to see who dares to drive me away today. As Prince Yan's birth mother, and with Prince Yan elected as emperor, I am naturally the Empress Dowager. You dare not recognize it! What are you? You are just a dog of the imperial family! Someone, drive this person out."

"Presumptuous! Let me see who dares to make a move. I am a court official; except for the Emperor, no one has the right to drive me out. Whoever dares to touch me, I will have their entire family thrown into the dungeon!"

"Mad, mad! Li Liangcheng, are you going to do something?" Seeing the situation at a stalemate and the official's fearless attitude, Imperial Consort Gao decisively kicked the ball to Li Liangcheng.

Li Liangcheng's head was spinning. In three hundred years of the dynasty, there was probably no prime minister as miserable as him, encountering so many bizarre events.

Life is hard!

"Imperial Consort, I still hold the same opinion as before: before this time tomorrow, if Prince Yan wakes up, everything remains as it was. After this time, the court will have to elect a new heir. This is a decision made by everyone together; it is not to bully anyone, but to be responsible to the court and to the world. Both the north and south are at war; we truly cannot drag this out any longer. I ask for the Imperial Consort's understanding."

"Virtue not matching the position will surely bring disaster!" a minister muttered fearlessly. ===== CHAPTER 499 =====