Princess Promotion

The news of the empress of Qi ascending the throne quickly spread throughout the continent, causing responses from all sides.

In the eyes of some old-fashioned and conservative ministers and nobles, they naturally could not accept a woman ruling the country, and they all shouted that the State of Qi was doomed.

But more people find it novel. In fact, except for some nobles with vested interests, ordinary people basically don’t care who becomes the emperor.

Anyway, everyone has to pay taxes, so it's almost the same no matter who comes.

Yan State border

An Tian held a secret letter tightly in her hand, her face filled with excitement and joy. She hurried into the house, looking for Liu Rushi.

Liu Rushi was reading a book in the study. When she saw An Tian's expression, she knew that something important must have happened.

"Liu Rushi, look!"

An Tian handed the secret letter in his hand to Liu Rushi and said excitedly, "This is the secret letter we just received from Yao Chuguang!"

Liu Rushi took the secret letter and read it carefully.

The letter said that after some efforts, Yao Chuguang successfully seized the power of Qi and became the new empress.

This news shocked and relieved Liu Rushi.

Liu Rushi put down the letter and said with emotion, "That's great!"

Over the past year, An Tian and her friends have been keeping in touch with Yao Chuguang through correspondence.

Now An Tian and Liu Rushi's business is getting bigger and bigger. With their keen business sense and unremitting efforts, they have developed the original small workshop into a famous wealthy businessman in Yan State.

It was different from the harmonious atmosphere here at An Tian's place.

In the court of the Western Zhou Dynasty, rumors about the Queen of Qi spread like wildfire.

The ministers were whispering to each other, with expressions of surprise, curiosity, or worry on their faces.

Some people said, "I heard that the empress was just a puppet, and the one who truly held the power was Duke Li. She was able to ascend the throne entirely because of Duke Li's support."

Someone else whispered, "Not only that, but it's said that those ministers who opposed the empress have mysteriously disappeared one after another. The Qi court is now destitute of talent and desolate."

Finally, a minister stood up. His eyes were firm and his voice was resounding. "Your Majesty, Qi is currently experiencing internal turmoil. This is a good opportunity for the Western Zhou to attack. If we can seize this opportunity to occupy Qi, we will not only weaken its power but also bring greater benefits to the Western Zhou."

This statement was immediately echoed by the other ministers, who all nodded in agreement, believing that this was a rare opportunity.

However, some ministers disagreed, believing that although Qi was experiencing internal turmoil, it still had a strong foundation and should not be underestimated.

The Western Zhou Emperor sat upright on the dragon throne, his gaze deep and sharp. He glanced at the ministers in the court, and finally stopped his gaze on the silent Fu Hongxuan.

"Mr. Fu, what do you think about this matter?" The Western Zhou Emperor spoke slowly, with a hint of expectation in his tone.

Fu Hongxuan raised his head slightly, met the emperor's gaze, and after a moment's silence, replied, "Your Majesty, I believe it is not appropriate to send troops to attack Qi at this time."

As soon as these words came out, the court fell silent. The ministers looked at Fu Hongxuan in surprise, as if they had not expected him to say such a thing.

The Western Zhou Emperor raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why?"

Fu Hongxuan took a deep breath and said slowly, "From what I understand, although the Empress of Qi appears to be in a difficult situation, she is by no means an ordinary person. To be able to ascend the throne in such a complex situation, she must have extraordinary courage and means."

"Also, while Duke Li is ambitious, I've observed that the relationship between him and the Empress isn't as strained as rumored. On the contrary, there seems to be some kind of tacit understanding and cooperation between them. If we rashly send troops, we'll likely provoke a united resistance from the entire Qi State, and we'll likely suffer heavy losses."

Fu Hongxuan's words made the atmosphere in the court even more solemn. The ministers began to whisper among themselves, some agreeing with his point of view, while others disagreed.

The Western Zhou Emperor was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Mr. Fu's words make sense. We can't act rashly based on a few rumors. This matter requires further consideration."

Thus, the debate in the Western Zhou court came to a temporary end. Although the ministers were still divided on whether to send troops to attack Qi, they all understood that Fu Hongxuan's reminder was not without purpose.