flstandardbreds Chapter 216 Canonization Ceremony
Chapter 216 Canonization Ceremony
"The Queen Mother has decreed that a date be chosen to confer the title of Crown Princess!"
The moment this decree was announced, the entire imperial city erupted in excitement. Although the Third Young Lady had long been the Crown Princess, she had never been officially canonized. Now that the grand ceremony was finally taking place, it meant the Crown Prince's position was even more secure.
"Are you nervous?" Mo Yunchen looked at the busy Third Miss.
"A little bit," the third young lady stopped what she was doing, "after all, this is a big deal."
Indeed, the enthronement ceremony was not only related to her personal fate, but also to the stability of the entire court. Especially after the pacification of the Tianji Pavilion, this timing was particularly important.
"Don't be nervous," Mo Yunchen comforted, "You have already been my Crown Princess."
"But..." The third young lady hesitated to speak.
At this moment, my niece came rushing over: "Third sister, guess what we found?"
She brought a shocking news: when sorting out the documents of Tianji Pavilion, she discovered that they also had plans for the enthronement ceremony!
"What?" Miss Three was surprised. "Weren't they already destroyed?"
"It was destroyed," said the niece, "but they left a backup plan."
According to documents, the Tianji Pavilion had planted numerous spies in the Imperial City, waiting to disrupt the enthronement ceremony. Although the organization was destroyed, these spies still existed.
"Investigate!" Mo Yunchen immediately ordered, "Bring out all these people for me!"
Soon, the first list of names was delivered. After reading the list, the third lady gasped: Among these people, there are actually important officials in the palace!
“These people…” she sighed, “are really well hidden.”
"It doesn't matter," Mo Yunchen sneered, "Since we've discovered them, we'll catch them all in one fell swoop."
So, over the next few days, the court began to make secret arrangements. Although those spies were well hidden, they were still exposed under the strict investigation.
"Report to the Crown Princess," the spy reported, "They seem to be planning some action."
As expected, as the enthronement ceremony approached, these people began to stir. Some were secretly communicating, while others were preparing weapons. They wanted to cause chaos at the ceremony!
"They really don't know how to live or die," Mo Yunchen sneered, "Let them jump around for a few days."
The third young lady understood what he meant: this was to catch the enemy off guard.
On the eve of the enthronement ceremony, the imperial court suddenly took action! The imperial guards who had been lying in ambush all took action at the same time, catching all the spies in one fell swoop.
"Your Highness is very calculating," the Third Lady exclaimed, "even his timing is so precise."
"This is just a case of giving someone a taste of their own medicine," Mo Yunchen said, "Don't they like ambushes? I'll let them experience what it's like to be ambushed."
After a night of clearing and suppression, all threats were eliminated. The next morning, the enthronement ceremony was held as scheduled.
In the Golden Palace, all civil and military officials gathered. The Third Miss, wearing a phoenix coronet and a red robe, accepted the title under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
"Today I appoint the Crown Princess," the Queen Mother's majestic voice sounded, "I hope you will assist the Crown Prince and serve the country and the people, and live up to my expectations."
"I will keep the Queen Mother's teachings in mind." The third lady replied solemnly.
After the enthronement ceremony, the court meeting was held as usual. Everyone thought it would be a formality, but unexpectedly, Mo Yunchen suddenly said: "My dear ministers, I have something to announce."
All civil and military officials immediately stood at attention, waiting for the prince to speak.
"From today on," Mo Yunchen looked around at the ministers, "the court will carry out a large-scale reform."
This news left everyone stunned: Reform? At this time?
"That's right," Mo Yunchen continued, "The fall of Tianji Pavilion has given us an important lesson: any system has loopholes, and the key is to discover and correct them in a timely manner."
The third young lady immediately understood his intention: he wanted to take the opportunity to clean up the bureaucracy!
Sure enough, Mo Yunchen then announced a series of measures: reforms were to be carried out everywhere, from official selection to assessment system, from local governance to military organization.
"This..." a minister couldn't help but say, "Isn't this too hasty?"
"No rush," Mo Yunchen said decisively, "If we delay any longer, it will give the scoundrels an opportunity to take advantage. As you all have seen, the Tianji Pavilion is taking advantage of the loopholes in our system."
Everyone fell silent after these words were spoken. Indeed, if there weren't problems with the system, the Tianji Pavilion wouldn't have been able to infiltrate so deeply.
“Then…” someone else asked, “where do we start?”
"Let's start with the administration of officials," the Third Miss suddenly said, "I believe that the selection and assessment of officials is the most important."
Mo Yunchen glanced at her approvingly and said, "Tell me about it."
"The current official selection system is too rigid," the Third Miss analyzed. "It only looks at the results of the imperial examinations, but ignores actual ability. This prevents many talented people from displaying their talents."
"Well said!" Mo Yunchen nodded, "Then according to the Crown Princess's opinion, how should it be changed?"
"I think we can add a practical assessment," said the Third Young Lady, "not only to examine academic knowledge, but also to examine their ability to govern."
This proposal immediately gained considerable support. Indeed, the drawbacks of relying solely on the imperial examination system to select officials had long been apparent, and it was time for reform.
"Okay," Mo Yunchen agreed, "Let's do as the Crown Princess says. In addition..." He looked at the ministers, "Each department must also formulate new assessment standards."
Thus began a massive reform, with everyone from the central government to the local governments, from civil officials to military commanders, undergoing a reassessment.
"This move is quite big," the Third Miss said to Mo Yunchen privately.
"It has to be big," Mo Yunchen said, "Although the Tianji Pavilion was destroyed, the problems they exposed cannot be ignored."
Indeed, this incident sounded a wake-up call to the court: if thorough reforms are not carried out, similar disasters will occur sooner or later.
"But there's one thing I don't understand," the Third Young Lady asked, "Why does it have to be announced on the day of the enthronement ceremony?"
Mo Yunchen showed an unfathomable smile: "What do you think?"
The third lady thought for a moment and suddenly understood: "Is this an opportunity to establish your authority?"
"It's not just about establishing authority," Mo Yunchen said, "it's also about letting everyone in the government and the country know that a new era has begun."
The third young lady felt warm in her heart: This is her husband, a wise ruler with both courage and foresight.
"By the way," Mo Yunchen suddenly said, "I think your idea of governing the place is good."
"Your Highness is saying..."
"It's a suggestion about the assessment of grassroots officials," Mo Yunchen said. "I think it can be promoted."
The third young lady's eyes lit up: "Really?"
"Well," Mo Yunchen nodded, "Didn't you always say that you should pay attention to people's livelihood? This is a good opportunity."
Seeing the prince's serious look, the third lady was deeply moved: this seemingly indifferent person was actually thinking about the country and the people all the time.
"I understand," she said solemnly, "I will definitely live up to your trust."
Mo Yunchen looked at her gently: "I believe you."
Thus, at this important moment of the enthronement ceremony, the imperial court opened a new chapter. Although the road to reform will not be smooth, with such a united heart between the emperor and his subjects, I believe all difficulties can be overcome.