The wives of the concubines are empresses

The next day, Shangguan Wanjun faced her first major challenge in the court.

"Your Majesty, now that you have inherited the throne, how will you arrange matters concerning the Empress Dowager?"

Shangguan Wanjun saw the ministers looking at her and said calmly, "My dear ministers, please feel free to speak. I am listening."

"Your Majesty, the Queen is your mother. According to ancestral rules, the Queen should be the Empress Dowager."

……

After listening to the words of more than a dozen ministers, Shangguan Wanjun thought quietly.

One was her adoptive mother, and she was also the mother of a country, so it was natural for her to be the empress dowager. But the other was her biological mother, and when her child became emperor, it was natural for her to be the empress dowager as well.

Master Yun did not say anything, but just watched the young emperor in deep thought.

"Every one of you is right. One is my mother, my adoptive mother, and the other is my biological mother, my consort. Both should be queen dowagers. Let me give you a rule. Please listen to it."

Grand Tutor Yun bowed and said, "Your Highness would like to hear the details."

Shangguan Wanjun felt tired after sitting for a long time, so she stood up and walked around more actively.

"My mother follows the ancestral system and is the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Palace. My mother, the Concubine, also follows the ancestral system and is the Empress Dowager, so she is the Empress Dowager of the Western Palace. Since my mother is still alive, we cannot skip the rank, so we will still address the Empress Dowager of the Western Palace as Mother Concubine. Furthermore, the Empress Dowager of the Western Palace must visit the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Palace on the first, fifteenth, and thirtieth days of every month, paying her respects according to the order of seniority and rank!"

There was another round of discussion below, and finally Master Yun bowed.

"I second the proposal."

"I second the proposal."

……

Thinking of the class hierarchy between her mother and her mother's concubines, and to reflect her mother's dignity, Shangguan Wanjun spoke again, "The Empress Dowager of the Eastern Palace receives more monthly silver, while the Empress Dowager of the Western Palace receives fifty taels of silver each month. The rest remain the same."

The former queen has not moved out of Fengyi Palace yet because Fushou Palace is still being renovated and decorated.

Shangguan Wanjun was afraid that her mother would think too much, so she sent Eunuch Lin to deliver the message first.

"Empress Dowager, this is the imperial decree. As the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Palace, you receive fifty taels more in monthly silver than the Empress Dowager of the Western Palace. This is what the Emperor fought for you. You have raised and cared for the Emperor for so long, and she still misses you."

Eunuch Lin was a man who knew how to handle things. He was able to coax the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Palace into smiling with just a few words.

"I understand, it's hard for the emperor. Eunuch Lin, I'll have to ask you to help me during this period. The emperor grew up under your care."

After hearing what the Empress Dowager Donggong said, Eunuch Lin was moved.

"You are too polite, Your Majesty. This is what a servant should do."

The Eastern Palace Empress Dowager looked at him and said, "You should go to the Western Palace Empress Dowager to announce the decree. Go quickly and don't delay the Emperor's business. Also, tell the Emperor to rest assured that his mother understands everything and that she should also pay attention to the balance between work and rest."

My daughter is only fourteen years old and has always been raised in pampering. Now she suddenly becomes an emperor. It is really difficult for her.

Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Palace was filled with heartache. Eunuch Lin saw it clearly, but it was difficult to expose it.

"Empress Dowager, the Emperor has said he will accompany you for lunch tomorrow. He has matters to attend to today."

The Empress Dowager Donggong was delighted to hear this. "Okay, reply to the Emperor. I will wait for her to have dinner together."

After listening to the psychological torture for several hours, Shangguan Wanjun felt like she was about to collapse.

"Muxiang, ask the imperial kitchen to prepare some noodles. I need to take a nap after eating so that I can have enough energy to attend classes in the afternoon."

Lianhua Muxiang felt distressed when she heard this. Her master was so busy, yet he only gave her a bowl of noodles.

After the matters concerning the Empress Dowagers of the East and West Palaces were settled, Shangguan Wanjun ate a bowl of noodles and went to sleep on the dragon couch. She fell into a deep sleep as soon as she got on the bed.

Shangguan Wanjun, who was awakened by Lianhua, felt extremely sleepy.

"Lianhua, has the tutor arrived?" She was so sleepy.

Lianhua replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, the Grand Tutor has been here for a quarter of an hour. Are you ready to go now?"

Shangguan Wanjun nodded sleepily, "Well, dress me plainly, like a student."

Taifu Yun in the study was visibly stunned when he saw the emperor approaching in a plain dress.

"I see you, Your Majesty."

"Teacher, please sit down!"

Tutor Yun was stunned: The emperor actually called him teacher?

Seeing him dumbfounded, Shangguan Wanjun saluted like a student.

"You are teaching me now, so you are my teacher. I should respect my teacher and do my best to be polite. If there is anything wrong, you are always welcome to correct me."

Taifu Yun was surprised to hear these words coming from a fourteen-year-old girl. He suppressed his surprise and became more respectful.

"Your Majesty, let's start the class."

Shangguan Wanjun wrote the "Three Character Classic" carefully. Why was it the "Three Character Classic"? It was because she didn't understand ancient Chinese very well, so she asked for it herself. Tutor Yun was also very happy that the emperor had a solid foundation in basic knowledge.

Master Yun looked at the handwriting, which was a little better than yesterday's, and nodded slightly.

"Your Majesty, your handwriting has improved today. Keep up the good work."

Shangguan Wanjun nodded seriously.

When she was reviewing the memorials, she got a headache.

"Hey……"

Hearing her master's sigh, Lianhua Muxiang became anxious.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

"I don't quite understand. I'm anxious."

Eunuch Lin walked in and sighed in his heart when he heard these words.

When the emperor was still a princess, she didn't like reading and writing. Now it's really difficult for her.

"Your Majesty, I am back."

Shangguan Wanjun smiled at Eunuch Lin and said, "You've worked hard. Have some tea and take a break."

Eunuch Lin smiled respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, you are joking. It is not hard for me to serve you."

Shangguan Wanjun pursed her lips and smiled: This eunuch Lin speaks in a way that makes people happy to listen.

Shangguan Wanjun tapped the table, her chin supported by her hand as she thought.

How can she quickly improve her reading speed? Otherwise, how will she deal with so many memorials?

She looked up at Lianhua Muxiang and the others, and had some thoughts in her mind.

Now Shangguan Wanjun sleeps soundly every day and has to be woken up in the morning.

In Fushou Palace, mother and daughter sat at the dining table and had lunch.

"Mother, I want to discuss a few things with you."

The Empress Dowager Donggong was stunned. "Oh, my son, just say it."

Shangguan Wanjun pondered for a moment and said, "Let's reduce the food supply in the palace by half from now on. The national treasury is extremely poor because of the past... and now, all the departments are asking for money. This is giving me a headache."

When the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Palace heard about this, she agreed immediately.

"That's fine. Your Highness is doing the right thing. May I ask, Mother, how much silver is in the treasury now?"

Hearing this, Shangguan Wanjun smiled bitterly and said, "After the funeral and coronation ceremony, the Ministry of Revenue said that there was only 10,000 taels of silver available."

The Empress Dowager Donggong was shocked. "Why is it so little?"

"I'm already thinking of a way to collect an extra penny from the city. I'll set up a stall and collect one penny a day. A lump sum of twenty pennies will cover a month, which will help the Ministry of Revenue get some money in. Also, I'll have the Ministry of Works sell off their unused inventory, which will help alleviate some of the Ministry's subsidies."

The Empress Dowager Donggong felt sad when she heard this. "My son, you have suffered so much. I have left you with such a mess. Your mother is truly heartbroken."

After all, this was the child she had raised for many years. She felt really distressed at the moment and even a little regretful.

Shangguan Wanjun felt relieved when she saw that her mother was truly distressed.

"Don't worry, mother. I still have tens of thousands of taels of silver, which can at least help with the expenses. As for the rest, I and the ministers will think of a way."

When the Empress Dowager heard this, she quickly said, "Take the money from my mother as well. State affairs and the people are the most important."

Shangguan Wanjun was really touched.