Everyone present was stunned upon hearing that Princess Zhaoning was to manage state affairs.
They couldn't fathom, even with all their might, that a woman would ultimately be chosen.
Shen You was the first to speak, "Marquis, for hundreds of years our Great Cang kingdom has never had a woman in power. This might be a bit hasty, don't you think?"
Qiu Chen, standing nearby, also bowed and said, "Indeed, Your Majesty. There are still several princes of the Xiao surname. Selecting an heir from among them..." Su Dan Novel Network
But Qiu Chen promptly silenced himself mid-sentence. It was evident that even he lacked conviction in his own suggestion.
Liu Xiangnan observed the two of them, his expression calm. He stroked his beard and nodded slightly, "Your points are both valid. However, when it comes to the princes of the Xiao surname, one would have to trace back four or five generations to find a common ancestor with the late emperor, making the lineage quite distant. My proposal is this: let the princess temporarily manage state affairs, and once the princess gives birth to a son, that son can inherit the throne."
Upon hearing this, the military officials present instantly understood. The princess would have a son, and the throne would pass to him. Although this would be the emperor's grandson, the issue of succession could be resolved by a change of surname. In essence, the princess, who carried the emperor's bloodline, would give birth to a son who was naturally a descendant of the emperor.
With this reasoning, everyone found the proposal to be feasible.
"If that's the case, then I, Shen You, have no objections. I agree to the princess temporarily assuming power."
"Yes, I, Qiu Chen, also agree."
"I agree as well."
"I agree too."
The crowd chimed in with a chorus of agreements, and Liu Xiangnan's heart finally settled.
At this moment, at the residence of the old Prime Minister Fang Zheng, including the current Prime Minister Chen Junyu and others, had also gathered.
Similar to Liu Xiangnan's experience, everyone initially opposed the idea but eventually supported it. They all understood that in the current circumstances, this was a choice born out of necessity, a situation with no other viable options.
After securing the support of the civil and military officials, Liu Xiangnan and Fang Zheng jointly went to see the Emperor Xiao An.
After respectfully kowtowing, Liu Xiangnan got straight to the point, "Your Majesty, last time I visited, you asked me about the Crown Prince. I went back and consulted the Old State Preceptor, who said he had a method."
Upon hearing that Fang Zheng had a method, Xiao An's eyes lit up. He looked at Fang Zheng and eagerly asked, "My dear minister, tell me quickly what method you have!"
Fang Zheng cupped his fist and said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this old minister believes that regarding the matter of the Crown Prince, Your Majesty could order the Princess to act as regent. Once the princess gives birth to a son, he can then inherit the throne."
Hearing this, Xiao An was taken aback. He had clearly not expected Fang Zheng to offer such a suggestion.
But upon further consideration, he wondered if there was any better alternative. Princess Zhaoning's son would, at the very least, be his grandson, Xiao An.
As for the other princes of the Xiao surname, one would have to go back four or five generations to share a common ancestor with him. Frankly, they were now distant collateral branches.
If the throne were to be passed to these members of the Xiao family, it would have very little to do with him.
"But my dear old minister, our Great Cang kingdom has never had a precedent of a woman in power. This might violate the ancestral edicts!"
Fang Zheng, unhurried, bowed again and said, "Your Majesty, you could convene all the officials and ask them if they support this. If everyone finds this matter reasonable, then there would be no violation of ancestral edicts!"
Xiao An nodded and turned to the eunuch Xiao Shunzi beside him.
"Go, ring the bell. Summon all the officials to a council immediately."
The sound of the bell from the Bell and Drum Tower signaled an urgent summons for a meeting. The civil and military officials donned their court attire and hurried to the Hall of Diligent Governance.
Xiao An was already seated on the dragon throne, waiting.
Meanwhile, Fang Zheng and Liu Xiangnan met with the civil and military officials outside the hall.
The two, one leading the civil officials and the other the military generals, entered the hall in an orderly fashion, knelt, and paid their respects to Xiao An.
After thrice shouting "Long live," they took their positions on either side.
Xiao An raised his hand, gesturing for Fang Zheng to present the matter.
Fang Zheng nodded, turned halfway, and addressed the civil and military officials behind him, "Esteemed colleagues, His Majesty has urgently summoned you here to discuss a matter of great importance."
"The Crown Prince has unfortunately met his demise, and the position of Crown Prince is now vacant. His Majesty wishes to appoint Princess Zhaoning as the heir apparent. After the princess gives birth to a son, he will inherit the throne. Do any of you have any opinions?"
The civil and military officials present understood. Even if they had objections, they could not be the first to voice them. Moreover, Fang Zheng and Liu Xiangnan had already coordinated their efforts.
Seeing that no one spoke, Fang Zheng became anxious. The absence of any opposition felt wrong. With this thought, he cast a few meaningful glances at Feng Pengju nearby.
Feng Pengju, understanding the signal, stepped forward and loudly declared, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this humble minister believes this matter is inappropriate."
Seeing Feng Pengju voice his opposition, Xiao An raised his hand, signaling him to continue.
Feng Pengju cupped his fists again and said, "Your Majesty, for hundreds of years, our Great Cang kingdom has never had a precedent of a woman in power. This humble minister believes that such a move might violate ancestral edicts."
Xiao An did not speak. Fang Zheng immediately interjected, "Sima Feng, you haven't fully grasped His Majesty's intention. The princess will only temporarily manage state affairs. After she gives birth to a son, the princess will naturally abdicate, and our Great Cang kingdom will continue to be governed by men."
Feng Pengju bowed again and continued, "Your Majesty, please forgive this old minister's bluntness. There are still several royal families of the Xiao surname, and they all have heirs. Why not choose an intelligent individual from among them to inherit the throne?"
Feng Pengju voiced the common question in many people's minds. Once this issue was raised, the staged play felt as real as genuine deliberation.
This question could not be answered by Xiao An himself. Liu Xiangnan knew it was his turn to step forward. He cleared his throat, stood up, and bowed, "Your Majesty, this old minister believes that the princess temporarily managing state affairs is feasible."
"Your Highness the Princess has studied diligently since childhood and has learned martial arts from renowned masters. She can be said to be proficient in both civil and military arts."
After praising the princess, Liu Xiangnan turned to Feng Pengju with a calm expression and asked, "Minister Feng, may I ask if the Princess is Your Majesty's flesh and blood?"
Feng Pengju, of course, knew the play had to continue. He bowed and replied, "That is natural. The Princess, like the Crown Prince, is Your Majesty's blood."
"Then, is the Princess's child a continuation of Your Majesty's bloodline?"
Feng Pengju knew that at this point, he had to concede, otherwise the play could not proceed. He feigned a look of sudden realization, bowed to Liu Xiangnan, then quickly rose, swept his robe, and knelt to kowtow to Xiao An.
"Marquis Liu speaks with reason. It is Feng Pengju's ignorance. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."
With this development, Xiao An also let out a long sigh of relief. All the legal reasoning was now sound, and the remaining matters would be simple.
"All my esteemed ministers, since you all agree, then I shall obey the will of the people and appoint Jing Feng as the heir apparent. I will have her manage state affairs first. Once Jing Feng is familiar with the duties, I shall abdicate and retire."