Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Taking actual imperial power and shaking the court (Part 1)

The grandeur of that day is still fondly reminisced by people long after.

On April 14, the 26th year of the Qingfeng era, the Crown Prince's coming-of-age ceremony and the grand 

sacrificial rites were held simultaneously at the Temple of Heaven. All the officials in the court were present to 

witness the ceremony, and the demeanor of the new crown prince left an indelible and profound impression on 

the hearts of the ministers.

On the dozens of steps, Si Cang Qing, dressed in the prince's dragon robe and wearing a crown, walked slowly 

past the officials with steady steps, heading towards the Altar of Heaven.

At the Altar of Heaven, the current emperor was already waiting there.

When Si Cang Qing walked up to him; the emperor, following the royal sacrificial rites, lifted the jade tassel and 

lightly scattered incense ash and heavenly water on his forehead. Afterward, he lit the incense and worshiped the 

heavens.

At this moment, all the officials knelt down in unison to pay their respects, chanting, "Heaven bless the realm, 

may the prosperous era last forever! Long live our Emperor, long live, long live! Long live the Crown Prince, 

long live, long live!"

After the ceremony, Si Cang JueTian, accompanied by Si Cang Qing, stood atop the towering altar, looking 

down at the ministers kneeling on both sides. With a passionate voice, he declared, "Today, I, the Crown Prince 

of the Canghuan Kingdom, Si Cang Qing, am here to offer sacrifices to the heavens and pray for blessings. From 

now on, he shall be the supreme Crown Prince of the Canghuan Kingdom.” Si Cang Juetian spoke more. “Seizing 

this auspicious moment, I hereby announce to the world that due to my current illness and lack of strength, the 

Crown Prince, having achieved great success in his studies, with a resilient character and diligence in state 

affairs, will henceforth govern on behalf of the heavens. All matters of the court will be handled by the Crown 

Prince! The Ministry of Revenue has drafted this decree, proclaiming it to the world!”

With the imperial decree issued, all the ministers were stunned. Although ever since His Highness the Crown 

Prince broke the ancestral system and conferred the Scarlet Lotus Heavenly Seal, everyone knew of the Emperor's 

favor and reliance on the Crown Prince, such a situation where the Crown Prince would oversee the country and 

wield imperial power while the Emperor was still alive had never happened since the founding of the nation. For 

a moment, the officials didn't know how to respond, and they all cast complex eyes on Si Cang Qing, who was 

standing tall.

That man was as tall as a pine tree, and his beads that moved gently in the wind blocked everyone's sight, making 

it difficult to see his expression.

The huge Temple of Heaven was silent.

Si Cang Juetian frowned slightly, a little dissatisfied with the reaction of the officials. Just when he was about 

to speak again, he suddenly heard a cold voice beside him: "This son will live up to Father Emperor's 

expectations.”

Si Cang Juetian slightly tilted his head to look at Si Cang Qing, only to see him already turned around to face 

the ministers below, "Today, this prince, under the decree of Heaven, will act as regent, and my heart is filled 

with trepidation. This palace is the crown prince at the beginning, and unwilling to offend the heavens above or 

neglect the people's welfare below. You are important ministers of the court, serving our emperor above and 

caring for the people below. I hope that you will pay close attention to the affairs of the court from now on, abide 

by your duties, use both civil and military affairs for your own purposes, repay loyalty to my lord, care for the 

people's livelihood, repay kindness, and support us together. A move for the prosperous age of Canghuan! "

Although Si Cang Qing's words expressed fear, his demeanor remained neither humble nor overbearing 

throughout, his tone cold and his voice clear and authoritative. Despite not being loud, it resonated throughout 

the entire venue, lingering for a long time.

Upon hearing Si Cang Qing's words, the officials were taken aback, gazing up at the white figure on the Altar of 

Heaven. An invisible aura emanated from him, making them involuntarily feel a sense of submission.

Suddenly, the ministers shouted in unison: "Our Emperor is wise, and His Highness the Crown Prince is brilliant. 

We will fully assist His Highness the Crown Prince, showing loyalty to our Emperor and benevolence to the 

people, jointly contributing to the prosperity of our realm!"

Even those who originally intended to oppose, at this moment under such overwhelming power, dare not take 

any action.

Looking at the scene before him with satisfaction, Si Cang JueTian couldn't help but sigh inwardly: This child 

is truly a born emperor! Feeling immensely relieved, Si Cang JueTian, with a pleasant expression, said to the 

ministers, "Please rise, everyone. From tomorrow onwards, unless there are special circumstances, I will no 

longer personally attend the morning court. All state affairs will be reported directly to the Crown Prince."

While speaking, he handed the jade seal representing the throne to Si Cang Qing right in front of the ministers. 

Everyone present saw and remembered this, fully understanding that this action was almost equivalent to 

abdicating. The appointment of the crown prince was merely a temporary measure; it wouldn't be long before 

the ownership of Canghuan would change hands!

The Prince Sacrifice Ceremony of the Holy Emperor of the Canghuan Kingdom, in its history, was unprecedented 

and unmatched, deeply lamented and discussed by future generations.

……

Eastern Palace, in the study.

Si Cang Qing, dressed in casual clothes, was lazily leaning on the soft chair, with Feng Lan shadowing him 

closely behind. Both of them were looking at the young man kneeling on one knee. The man was about 

twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with delicate features and a gentle demeanor. At this moment, his 

expression was serious, and he heard him speak in a low voice with his head bowed:

"The fourteenth personal guard, the current Deputy Minister of Justice, Mo Zhiyan, is here to see the master."

"Get up," Si Cang Qing took the teacup that Feng Lan handed over, took a light sip of the tea, and then asked, 

"Has the Minister of Justice been thoroughly investigated?"

The Minister of Justice is an important position; how could it be controlled by a pawn of the Qin family?

Mo Zhiyan stood respectfully to the side and replied in a low voice, "Reporting to the master, everything has 

been thoroughly investigated." While speaking, he took out a sealed document from his sleeve, "We have 

gathered both eyewitness and physical evidence, all recorded here."

Si Cang Qing gestured for Feng Lan to take the secret letter and didn't rush to read it. He simply said, "Hmm, 

the Qin family's influence, I won't move against it for now. You all keep a close watch and don't act rashly."

"Yes, Master."

From the understanding gained over the past few days, Si Cang Qing has already realized that the Qin family 

is mainly controlled by Qin Guozhang (The State Father-in-Law) and State Maternal Uncle Qin Gaoli. Both of 

these individuals are cunning and difficult to manage. As for the Minister of War, Qin Nandong, who holds 

significant military power, he is unlikely to achieve great things, only knowing how to act tough and rely on the 

authority of others.

He summoned the personal guards this time mainly for another matter. Si Cang Qing then said: "It is said that 

you have a good relationship with Liu Yi, the Minister of Household Affairs?"

"Indeed," Mo Zhiyan replied, "Liu Yi has always been distant from the ministers in the court. My subordinates 

have also spent a lot of time trying to establish a casual acquaintance outside of official duties." However, this 

process of building connections is very difficult. Fortunately, all the ministers know that the Deputy Minister 

of Justice has a gentle temperament and enjoys making friends, and his relationships with everyone are quite 

good. Therefore, no one particularly noticed the actions of this nominal Deputy Minister of Justice.

Si Cang Qing nodded thoughtfully. After returning to the capital, he realized that Liu Yi, who was highly 

esteemed among young officials, was very different from what he had expected. Unlike his father, who was 

skilled in political maneuvering, Liu Yi was straightforward and just in his official duties. Although he was 

highly sought after, he acted cautiously and avoided close associations with others to prevent forming factions. 

For this reason, Liu Yi was even more favored by those reformist officials.

After thinking for a moment, Si Cang Qing said to Mo Zhiyan, "Fourteen, find an opportunity for me to meet 

Liu Yi alone."

"Yes, master."

"Dismissed!" Si Cang Qing waved his hand, and Mo Zhiyan quietly left.

◇Cang Huan◇Seven Palaces◇

"What's wrong?" Seeing Feng Lan's somewhat strange expression, Si Cang Qing asked with a hint of concern 

in his voice.

Feng Lan, who quickly regained composure, smiled slightly, gazed into Si Cang Qing's cold eyes, and slowly 

said, "Feng Lan just saw Fourteen, and felt a bit moved."

Si Cang Qing raised an eyebrow, waiting for the other person to continue speaking. Sure enough, Feng Lan 

sighed slightly and said, "Back when Feng Lan was training with the Shadow Guards, the personal guards rarely 

interacted with each other. Only the Fourteenth and Feng Lan were close, and our relationship was very good."

The training of the shadow guards is extremely dangerous and terrifying. Perhaps because Feng Lan was the 

youngest among the guards, the Fourteenth always took care of him like an older brother. Several times, he was 

saved by the Fourteenth, which deepened their bond.

Hearing this, Si Cang Qing thought for a moment and said, "If you want to meet him, you can arrange it 

yourself." As for keeping it a secret, he believed Feng Lan could handle it well.

Si Cang Qing's subtle concern made Feng Lan feel delighted. "Thank you, Master. But there's no need. As long 

as Feng Lan knows he's doing well now, that's enough." The Fourteenth is now an official in the court, so he is 

much safer, better than the average shadow guard.

"Mm." Si Cang Qing didn't say much more, casually picking up the secret document left by Fourteen and flipping 

through it.

Feng Lan stood beside Si Cang Qing, gently gazing at him with a slight smile on his lips. Ever since leaving 

Jiangdong Zhaoyang City, his original sorrow had diminished significantly. The once silent and cautious him 

had grown to enjoy smiling more, and he could clearly feel that ever since then, Si Cang Qing had always shown 

him subtle care, making his mood feel full every day.

In the tranquil study, a warm feeling began to spread.

"Master," Feng Lan said softly, looking at Si Cang Qing who had been engrossed in work for a long time, "You 

should take a break. Ever since the Emperor appointed you as regent, you have hardly rested."

Lifting his head from the memorial, Si Cang Qing looked at Feng Lan, then stood up and said, "Walk with me!"

"Alright."

The spring sun shone gently on the two people walking side by side, their shadows on the ground appearing 

intimate and close.

"This Slave pays respects to His Royal Highness, may Your Highness have ten thousand blessings."

Suddenly blocked, Si Cang Qing felt slightly displeased; he had just instructed the servants not to disturb him.

"What's the matter?" Si Cang Qing asked calmly.

"In response to Your Highness, This slave is De Lian, the chief steward of the Empress Dowager's Tianyou Hall. 

The Empress Dowager has sent me to inform Your Highness that she wishes to meet with you!"

Si Cang Qing fell silent upon hearing this. The Empress Dowager? Over the past few days, the Empress had sent 

people several times to summon him, and now the Empress Dowager was also getting involved.

"Your Highness..." After waiting for a long time without any response from Si Cang Qing, De Lian, feeling 

somewhat anxious, urged him.

Feng Lan observed the situation for a moment and then reprimanded De Lian, "Presumptuous! How dare you be 

so audacious in front of the Crown Prince?"

Startled, De Lian quickly knelt down and exclaimed, "Your Highness, spare my life! Your Highness, spare my 

life!"

"Noisy!" After being coldly reprimanded, De Lian quickly fell silent and knelt on the ground in fear.

Si Cang Qing withdrew his gaze and looked at the arriving young eunuch, Qing Xu, who was panting and said, 

"Your Highness, this sla.. This slave couldn't stop Chief Steward De, please forgive this slave."

Upon hearing this, Si Cang Qing looked coldly at De Lian again, his voice filled with displeasure: "De Lian, you 

have such audacity, relying on your status as a person of the Empress Dowager, you dare to disregard my orders 

and intrude into My, the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace without permission."

"Come here," Si Cang Qing said coldly, "Take this slave who is relying on his power away and give him thirty 

strokes of the cane!"

"Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness..." De Lian, who had been somewhat dismissive earlier, now 

disregarded his dignity and cried out in agony, "Your Highness, slave is acting on the Empress Dowager's 

orders..."

"Go back and tell the Empress Dowager and the others," Si Cang Qing interrupted the other person's wailing 

coldly and said lightly, "If they want to see this palace, they can come themselves." He was not Si Cang JueTian; 

he couldn't care less about unrelated people! Moreover, that Empress Dowager was from the Qin family.

The wails gradually faded away. Si Cang Qing glanced at Qing Xu, who was clearly frightened beside him, and 

said, "You don't need to be here anymore."

"Yes, Your Highness, this slave will take their leave!"

After everyone retreated, Feng Lan said softly: "Master, is this... killing a chicken to scare the monkey?"

Si Cang Qing nodded in affirmation, his face showing indifference as he continued his stroll.

"But..." Feng Lan said with slight concern, "the other party is the Empress Dowager, could it be..."

"Lan," Si Cang Qing spoke softly, "there's no need to worry."

What the Empress Dowager relies on is merely the influence of the State Maternal Uncle Qin, and both the Elder 

Uncle Qin and Qin Gaoli are cunning and shrewd individuals. They would never act rashly without being certain 

of their success.

Even if there really is some action... that would be just what he wants. The reason he hasn't moved against the 

Qin family yet is simply because he lacks an opportunity!

"Let's go take a look over there!" Si Cang Qing interrupted Feng Lan's thoughts and walked towards the rockery 

pavilion ahead—since moving into the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, he hadn't had a good look around yet!

"Mm." Feng Lan smiled with relief and quickly followed Si Cang Qing.

In the cool yet not desolate Eastern Palace garden, the two slowly walked away.

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