My System Is Three Thousand Years Early

Great Zhou Imperial Palace.

Inside the resplendent Council Hall.

Opulent and solemn.

The court officials had just received news: Great Yuan was attacking, had breached the border, and was sweeping towards the direction of the Great Zhou Capital.

At this moment, the air inside the Council Hall felt so heavy it seemed to have solidified.

The atmosphere was tense.

Court ministers gathered to discuss strategies, but the veteran court officials, sitting in their chairs with furrowed brows, felt utterly powerless.

"Great Yuan dares to kick us when we're down. At this critical junction, they employ their troops against our Great Zhou."

"With His Majesty absent, and possibly… With no new sovereign on the throne, what should we do to stop Great Yuan?"

"It's a difficult situation, I propose we let the Crown Prince temporarily take charge and decide on his enthronement at a later date."

The court officials discussed among themselves.

When one old minister suggested letting the Crown Prince temporarily take charge, the air once again fell into silence.

Empress Wang, sitting at the highest seat, heard the old minister's suggestion. Her usually noble beauty took on a gloomy shade as she let out a light laugh, then said,

"Sir Liu jests."

"That child Wu Ling has not received a proper royal education, how could she possibly grow into the role in such a short time? If we let her take charge, I fear it would be greatly disadvantageous for our Great Zhou."

"For now, we can let my son Wu Ming take power to repel the aggressive advance of Great Yuan and discuss the matter further afterward."

Once Empress Wang had spoken, the court officials exchanged glances.

All of them were seasoned veterans of the court, cunning and shrewd. How could they not perceive the hidden intentions of Empress Wang at this moment?

Considering that the court's discussion of the attack by Great Yuan didn't include Wu Ling, nor was she even notified...

The conclusion was evident.

If Wu Ming were indeed allowed to take power, the title of Crown Prince for Wu Ling would likely become nominal, with both name and authority lost. After Wu Ming repelled Great Yuan, with his reputation, influence, and power secured, he could easily ignore Wu Ling and ascend to the throne himself.

Empress Wang observed the ministers' expressions, uncaring of their thoughts, and simply waited a while, but their responses were slow in coming.

No minister wished to be the first to make a stand.

Silence.

Impatient, Empress Wang parted her lips again and said, "Honored ministers, do you have any opinions?"

"Now that Great Yuan is attacking and His Majesty's whereabouts are unknown, our court's safety is at stake. If you still wish to adhere to ancient practices, I'm afraid it will push our Great Zhou into an abyss."

The crowd fell into silence once more.

Just as Empress Wang was about to decide the matter outright,

An old minister stepped forward.

This minister was the court's Left Chancellor, Zhuge Wansheng, a senior official with a dignified appearance, a commanding presence, and silver hair that did not betray any semblance of frailty.

First, he bowed slightly to Empress Wang, then spoke out, "Your Majesty, I believe that instead of allowing Prince Wu Ming to wield power alone, it would be better to let a few other capable princes manage it together."

The words of Zhuge Wansheng attracted the attention of the surrounding court officials.

In their eyes, surprise was evident as they looked at Zhuge Wansheng.

No one had expected him to say such a thing.

However, after pondering for a moment, they soon understood.

The old fox Zhuge Wansheng clearly wanted to carve out an opportunity for his own grandson.

Zhuge Wansheng's daughter was also married to Emperor Zhou, and her son Wu Xing was the Third Prince.

Whether according to ancient tradition or the succession of the Crown Prince, Wu Xing had no chance whatsoever.

Only by displaying his capabilities and gaining the recognition of the court's ministers could he have a chance at succession.

The court officials grasped this point.

Empress Wang listened to Zhuge Wansheng's words and immediately understood his intentions.

She let out a cold laugh.

She had known all along that without the Emperor present, the competition for the throne would undoubtedly spark a struggle among various factions.

What she hadn't expected,

Was for Zhuge Wansheng to dare rebuke her in front of so many ministers.

Empress Wang fixed her gaze on Zhuge Wansheng, eyes challenging.

Under Empress Wang's scrutiny, Zhuge Wansheng maintained a smile, completely composed, without a hint of nervousness.

Empress Wang was the first to look away, turning her gaze towards the Noble Consorts seated nearby, feeling the onset of a headache.

If it hadn't been for Zhuge Wansheng's intervention, things would have remained quiet.

Even if these Noble Consorts wanted to promote their own children to vie for the throne, they would be powerless and dare not say anything against her.

But now Zhuge Wansheng had broached the topic.

The Noble Consorts likely wouldn't remain as quiet as before. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire

As Empress Wang had anticipated,

The Noble Consorts, who had not yet spoken up, promptly began to say,

"I think what the Chancellor has said is reasonable."

"Merely letting Wu Ming take charge alone is indeed inappropriate. After all, Wu Ming isn't that old and doesn't have much life experience. It's better for our other princes to work together, consulting one another."

After a burst of chattering,

Empress Wang, quite bothered, massaged her forehead, then uttered softly,

"Quiet down, all of you."

Following Empress Wang's command,

All the Noble Consorts timely fell silent.

Empress Wang was still the Empress, after all; even if Emperor Zhou had truly perished,

Her authority remained substantial.

Empress Wang looked at Zhuge Wansheng and the throng of senior officials behind him, her brow furrowed slightly. Then, she turned to the Palace Maid Xue'e at her side.