Accidentally dressed as an empress

Li Xian finished his shift at the Neishi Mansion and returned home. As soon as he walked into the main house, he saw his aunt and mother sitting opposite each other in silence. Both of them looked depressed.

Li Ying's hair was disheveled with many silver strands, and his eyes were a little dull.

Li Min sighed and said to Li Xian, "Your Majesty has dismissed both of us from our positions. This time, Your Majesty is serious."

Li Xian fell silent. Thunder, lightning, rain, and dew—all grace belongs to the emperor. As a subject, there's no way to say no.

The Li family was in a bleak state.

The system had given Yunxiu a melon. After reading it, Yunxiu couldn't help but feel a little amused.

Burning down the Imperial Court was a brilliant move. It was a pure blunder. The Li family would definitely be exiled from Lingyun City.

His Majesty wanted to bring down the Li family, and he also wanted to weaken the power of other aristocratic families. However, this time, only the Li family and some small civil servant families suffered, and the impact on other aristocratic families was not significant.

The Lin family and the Zhong family, these two noble families, are powerful and imposing, and are still two giants.

If the Li family falls, the Xu, Yu, and Gu families, which are civil servant families, will take the opportunity to reap the benefits.

However, on this matter, she will no longer go against His Majesty. The only person Yunxiu wants to protect is Li Xian.

Yun Xiu said to Su Da, "Su Da, go to the Li Mansion and find Li Xian. Tell her to apologize to His Majesty and request to be exiled. I will go to my fiefdom, Yunyin City."

Su Da took the order and went out.

Su Er came to report that Envoy Gu had arrived at the mansion. Yun Xiu was in the study and hurried to the yard to greet him.

Gu Zezhi, dressed in a scarlet robe, raised his sleeves in greeting, "Your Highness, are you all right?"

Yunxiu also returned the greeting, smiling brightly, "All good. I bet Envoy Gu must be here for the silk paper."

"Your Highness is truly prophetic." Gu Zezhi smiled. "Your Majesty was delighted to receive this paper phoenix. When he heard that it was provided by Your Highness, his smile faded."

Yun Xiu sighed, "Alas, if I could please His Majesty, why didn't I present the paper to His Majesty myself, but instead asked Envoy Gu to do it for me?"

This mother and daughter had a conflict, so they asked Yunxiu to pass messages and things. What a strange way to get along. The same thing happened when my eldest sister Gu Xiuzhi and niece Gu Yun had a quarrel. Gu Zezhi didn't know how to comment, so he asked Yunxiu, "Where did Your Highness get this paper?"

Yun Xiu said, "Don't worry, Envoy Gu. I have sent Ren Li to open a workshop on the outskirts of the city. He has already started making new paper, using more readily available ramie instead of silk, and improving the existing process.

When the new paper is made, Ren Li will contact Envoy Gu. When I leave Lingyun City, she will also transfer the workshop to Envoy Gu.

Gu Zezhi smiled, "Thank you, Your Highness. But...if Your Highness leaves Lingyun City, will you take the craftsmen with you?"

Gu Zezhi was quite frank. Yun Xiu said, "Please rest assured, Envoy Gu. The papermaking workshop's craftsmen will wait until they have taught the craftsmen sent by Envoy Gu before moving to their fiefdom. This technology, which benefits both the country and the people, should naturally be promoted."

Gu Zezhi got the news he wanted to hear and said with a smile: "I will stay here first. Thank you, Your Highness."

"Easy to say, easy to say."

"Then I will not bother you any more."

...........................

October 5th

The sky was clear blue and the sun was shining brightly. This day was the Bathing God Festival.

The Bathing Goddess Festival is a day to bathe in the blessings of the Mother Goddess of Fertility. On this day, everyone bathes, changes clothes, and goes to the various Mother Goddess temples in Lingyun City to worship.

Palace

The Imperial Hospital was already busy. The female doctors carefully selected various herbs and brewed medicinal soups to be distributed during the Bathing God Festival.

When Fang Ru walked outside the Imperial Hospital, he heard the sound of medicine being pounded by a stone pestle from afar, and a faint smell of medicine wafted out.

I saw female doctors in white clothes busy moving between the medicine shelves, selecting herbs, and some of them were grinding herbs.

There was a busy scene inside the Imperial Hospital.

Fang Ru walked to a huge medicine pot and saw steam rising from the pot. The herbs were rolling in the boiling water, emitting a strong medicinal aroma.

"Aunt Fang, the medicine soup is ready." An imperial physician respectfully presented a bowl of steaming medicine soup.

Fang Ru leaned in closer and smelled it, and a strong medicinal smell hit his nose.

"This medicinal soup smells really strong." Fang Ru said.

Zhou Jin explained, "Aunt Fang, this is a medicinal soup to prevent epidemics. After a great war or disaster, there will inevitably be a great epidemic. Your Majesty, out of a heart of compassion for the people, has taken the opportunity of the Bathing God Festival to prepare this medicinal soup for the people of Lingyun City."

After Zhou Jin returned to the palace, he was reinstated. After the former Imperial Physician retired, Zhou Jin was promoted to a higher rank and is now the youngest Imperial Physician in the history of Yun State.

Just as the female doctors were packing the boiled medicine into various wooden barrels, a figure suddenly appeared at the door of the Imperial Hospital.

Yun Se, dressed in a gorgeous dress embroidered with gold and red brocade, walked in leisurely, like a ball of fire.

"Your Majesty, why have you come here in person?" Fang Ru stepped forward.

"Aunt Fang, you have worked hard to prepare for the Bathing God Festival. I just came to take a look." Yun Se said with a smile.

Yun Se waved to Zhou Jin, asking her to come closer. "How are the preparations going? Do we have enough herbs?"

Merchant ships at the dock brought back a lot of medicinal herbs to supply the palace.

Zhou Jin knelt down with tears in her eyes, "It's enough, it's enough, Your Majesty, thank you for the expense." Your Majesty is lenient and strict, and uses both kindness and power. She is worthy of her lifelong following.

The female doctor and the garrison soldiers left the palace together. The garrison soldiers pulled the carriages and transported buckets of medicinal soup to the various Mother Goddess temples in Lingyun City.

The common people had already gathered here, their faces filled with anticipation, waiting for the medicinal soup, and discussing, "Is this the magic medicine that Your Majesty has given you?"

"If I drink it, will I be able to give birth to a daughter?"

"Aunt Liu, you've given birth to four sons, right? You're already old, and you're still trying to get a daughter?"

"Go away... what nonsense are you talking about? The doctor said this medicine can strengthen the body, dispel evil spirits, and protect against all diseases."

"Yes, yes, the doctor said it can cure all diseases."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the medicine."

"Your Majesty, be merciful."

As the story spread, the efficacy of this decoction became known as miraculous.

The common people came over and lined up, scrambling to drink the medicine. One bowl was not enough, and they asked for another. The sergeant beside them said, "One bowl per person, don't be greedy."

As Aunt Liu drank the medicine, she was still chanting, "Please, Mother Goddess, bless me to have a daughter at once. I must have a daughter. I only want a daughter, not a waste."

Palace, ancestral temple

Yun Se did not go to the altar to offer sacrifices to heaven, but simply held a simple sacrificial ceremony in the open space above the steps of the ancestral temple. This year's Bathing God Festival was kept simple.

Sacrifices, which rely heavily on rituals, are indeed very costly and yield little benefit. It would be better to offer small favors to win the hearts of the people and achieve significant results.

Yun Se finally listened to some of Yun Xiu's words.