The Emperor decreed, "I have decided to reinstate the positions of Left and Right Ministers of the Court. Gu Shaoyan, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, shall concurrently serve as Left Minister. Mu Hong, Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, shall concurrently serve as Right Minister. Zhang Yang shall be promoted to Grand Master of Splendor and concurrently serve as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works. They will assist my esteemed minister Liang and my esteemed minister Zhuo, who will soon arrive in the capital, in handling the affairs of the Six Ministries."
The officials below looked at the three men with complex expressions.
They were envious, but this came with the high risk of contracting leprosy!
The positions of Left and Right Ministers of the Court, both of the third rank, were privy to the affairs of the Six Ministries and held status no lower than the Vice Ministers. These positions had not been filled for many years.
Grand Master of Splendor, of the second rank, was a nominal title formerly held by Liang Xiao.
Xiao Qing immediately arranged for Wang Canghai to lead a group, including Zhuo Zifang, Gu Hong, He Jingyun, Huang Xing, Mu Lingming, Zhang Yang, and Gu Shaoyan, Mu Hong, to assist Wang Canghai. They were to enter the palace daily to submit memorials for the Emperor's perusal, which would then take effect.
Zhuo Zifang was still en route to the capital. As for Zhuo Wulüe, he happened to be away on a mission to comfort new recruits in Zhongzhou. It would not be too late to inform him of the truth when his father arrived in the capital.
"As for my esteemed minister Liang, I intend for him to depart for Yanzhou within three months to continue training troops for the nation. What do you all think?" Xiao Qing asked.
"This minister will certainly dedicate his utmost loyalty and wisdom to ensure the peace of the border!"
He Wanli and Dugu Qun were overjoyed and immediately declared, "Our Emperor is wise!"
Liang Xiao already held a preeminent position. The longer he remained in the capital, the more uneasy they felt!
Xiao Qing's desire to transfer Liang Xiao away, did it perhaps stem from a fear that Liang Xiao would amass too much power while the Emperor was ill?
Currently, Liang Xiao held a lofty status, being the Grand General of Cavalry, concurrently the Grand Marshal, and enfeoffed as Grand Tutor. However, in reality, Liang Xiao's control over civil and military officials was extremely limited. True power had always rested with Xiao Qing.
From the perspective of these political adversaries, if the Emperor could not attend court, or even be seen, it was indeed unreasonable to keep Liang Xiao in the capital…
Seeing Liang Xiao sitting calmly beside Xiao Qing, Dugu Qun and the others could not help but curse him inwardly.
They hoped he would contract leprosy as well and die as quickly as possible!
"Reporting to Your Majesty! Li Shunping, envoy from Taiji Kingdom, has arrived outside the hall!"
The urgent report from the eunuch outside broke the brief silence in the hall. Only then did everyone remember that Li Shunping had traveled a long distance.
Upon entering the hall, Taiji Kingdom's envoy, Li Shunping, upon hearing that Xiao Qing had contracted smallpox, recoiled in fright and covered his nose.
Xiao Qing seized the opportunity and waved his hand impatiently, "I shall go for treatment first. My esteemed minister Liang and the Prime Minister will lead the reception."
Liang Xiao also descended the steps and returned to the front of the military officials. Xiao Qing retreated to the imperial sleeping quarters.
Li Shunping, witnessing this unprecedented situation, appeared bewildered and looked at Wang Canghai and Liang Xiao.
"Taiji Kingdom has not paid tribute for eleven years. Do you intend to resume it now?" Wang Canghai asked.
Li Shunping sneered, "Our country is poor and truly cannot afford more tribute, only a small amount of local produce!"
"Then what is the meaning of your visit to Daqian?" Liang Xiao frowned.
"We wish to resume trade with you and purchase your armaments. Have you not confiscated armaments from hundreds of thousands of barbarians? And we'd prefer some warhorses!" Li Shunping replied.
"And what can you provide in return? Iron ore?" Liang Xiao inquired.
"We are in great need of iron ore ourselves now! Daqian is vast and rich, surely you don't lack iron ore and compete with our small nation for mineral resources? We can pay for your armaments, and each can get what they need, isn't that good?" Li Shunping said impatiently.
"Your Excellency, knowing that you are from a small country, why do you not watch your words?" He Jingyun, the newly appointed Minister of Rites, said unhappily, unable to refrain from reminding him.
Li Shunping scoffed, "Your Daqian Kingdom governs with virtue, how can you make things difficult for a small nation? Moreover, we are separated by tens of thousands of miles, and you cannot possibly dispatch troops to conquer our Taiji Kingdom, can you?"
Liang Xiao's face darkened immediately. "A nation that is small but does not act humbly, that has little power but does not fear the strong, that is impolite and insults its great neighbor, that is greedy and clumsy in its diplomacy, such a nation is doomed."
Li Shunping nervously glanced at Liang Xiao, his face ashen. "Even if you, Liang Xiao, could slaughter over five hundred thousand barbarian cavalry, it would be a losing proposition to march on our country. You wouldn't be so foolish, would you?"
This time, even Wang Canghai frowned. "Is everyone in Taiji Kingdom like this?"
Mu Hong replied, "Not entirely. According to intelligence from Liaodong, there are many ministers in Taiji Kingdom who wish to resume tribute, such as General Li Shunchen. Unfortunately, their voices are drowned out by the likes of Li Shunping."
Li Shunping said sternly, "Our country has no intention of confronting Daqian. When the barbarians invaded, we did not take advantage of the situation, which should be enough!"
Liang Xiao feigned anger. "This general will go to Yanzhou to train troops, and if necessary, proceed to Liaodong to conquer Taiji Kingdom!"
Li Shunping was startled and, before he could retort, was escorted out by the palace guards.
"With His Majesty absent, we cannot even subdue a small country." He Wanli feigned sadness and repeatedly sighed.
The officials were silent, only Liang Xiao smiled without speaking.
This Li Shunping had indeed provided him with an opportunity, a feint to the east while attacking in the west!
On the surface, he would go to Yanzhou to train troops and ostensibly conquer Taiji Kingdom, but in reality, he would lead troops into Sichuan to destroy the Helian family and pacify western Sichuan!
Liang Xiao returned to the West Palace Villa, where Xiao Qing had been waiting for a long time. She had already removed the artificial blemishes from her face.
The leprosy was, of course, a fabrication. This illness was the most effective excuse for delaying meetings and avoiding public appearances, and it also served to frighten off Dugu Qun and his ilk.
In this way, even if Dugu Qun and his faction were suspicious, they would have to consider the risk of infection before attempting to seek an audience with the Emperor.
This opportunity also provided promotions for Gu Shaoyan and the other two, as a reward for upholding imperial authority and supporting the secrecy.
"Brother Xiao and Prime Minister Grandpa's plan is truly brilliant~" Xiao Qing said with delight.
Liang Xiao and Wang Canghai had devised this contingency plan as early as the year she got married, to minimize the crisis brought about by her pregnancy.
Mu Xueqin, as the Medical Saint, personally came to the capital to care for Liang Xiao's wife and child's health, further enhancing the credibility of the deception!
"But those rebels might seize this opportunity to cause trouble. Regardless, we must firmly control the military power of the capital and prevent any possibility of widespread chaos," Liang Xiao warned.
Xiao Qing happily replied, "Perfect timing, Minister Zhuo is still in Zhongzhou. Let him bring some new recruits to train in the capital area, and that will ensure complete safety!"
That day, Liang Xiao personally bathed Xiao Qing.
Xiao Qing sat in the steaming wooden tub, her face flushed, as Liang Xiao scrubbed her back.
As a husband and the father of their child, unable to bear the ten months of pregnancy for her, this was the only thing he could do.
"Brother Xiao, Shuang'er finally has it, our child..." Xiao Qing said happily, tears finally welling up.
Liang Xiao quickly comforted her, "He will surely be a wise ruler in the future, perhaps even an emperor of all time! But first and foremost, he will be safe and sound, because his parents are here!"
He understood Xiao Qing's deep longing for an heir all too well. Now that her dream had come true, he felt deeply gratified.
At least when he was away from the capital, Xiao Qing would not feel so empty.
As the female emperor of a nation and sharing the position of empress with others, Liang Xiao knew he owed her too much and could not fail her.
Xiao Qing was then overjoyed.
At night, core members of the three major aristocratic families gathered in a secret chamber in the Dugu residence, plotting great deeds while Xiao Qing was ill.