The emperor faked his death? Never mind, I will ascend the throne directly!

Song Zelin coughed violently several times, as if he was going to cough out his lungs.

"Your Majesty, I am afraid that with my weak body, I am unable to share your worries any longer..."

He said, his eyes filled with guilt and self-blame, "I was unable to personally witness the successful implementation of the tax reform. This is my dereliction of duty."

Li Chengfeng gently patted the back of Song Zelin's hand and said comfortingly, "My dear Song, don't blame yourself. I understand your feelings."

"You have worked hard for Daqian for most of your life, now it's time to have a good rest.

"I will handle this reform properly."

When Song Zelin heard this, his eyes became moist.

Song Yuwei's heart was in turmoil at this moment, as if she was holding a restless little rabbit.

My father is seriously ill, and His Majesty is so caring towards me. Could it be that my father has just entrusted me to His Majesty, and I want to enter the palace as a concubine?

Although she felt some resistance in her heart, she had no choice but to accept her fate for the sake of her father and her family.

She secretly looked up at Li Chengfeng. There was a barely perceptible trace of fatigue on the handsome face of the young emperor, yet he still maintained his majesty.

Unexpectedly, Li Chengfeng's next words surprised her.

"Don't worry, my dear Song. I will issue an edict today, appointing Song Yuwei as acting prime minister. She will temporarily handle state affairs on your behalf. I will hand over the reins after you recover."

Song Yuwei's head was buzzing, as if a hundred bees were buzzing around in it.

Acting Prime Minister? Himself? A woman?

She widened her eyes in disbelief, looked at Li Chengfeng, then looked at her father lying on the sickbed, and for a moment she didn't know how to react.

It's not that she had never thought about becoming an official. She had been well-versed in poetry and books since childhood, had great ambitions, and believed that women were as good as men. However, the position of prime minister... came too suddenly, catching her off guard.

Song Zelin was so frightened that he almost jumped up from his sickbed, his old body shaking violently.

This news was so shocking that his mind almost instantly went through the dissatisfaction of the ministers in the court and the obstruction of the right prime minister and his cronies.

"Your Majesty! Isn't that too radical..."

"It's unprecedented for a woman to be an official. The ministers in the court will definitely not accept it."

He was so anxious that he almost couldn't breathe, and the violent coughing sound started again. Song Yuwei hurriedly patted his back to help him breathe.

Song Zelin recovered and struggled to express his concerns: "This is not only against the Right Prime Minister, but also a challenge to the ancestral system!"

"The ministers will certainly object, and I'm worried that the Right Prime Minister will exploit this issue!"

Li Chengfeng just smiled faintly, as if he had expected it.

"Don't worry, my dear Song. I know."

"Yuwei is extremely talented and knowledgeable. I believe she can handle the task. As for the ministers... I have my own ways to deal with them."

Song Zelin understood His Majesty's determination, but also knew that he was powerless to stop it.

He sighed and thought to himself: Never mind, since His Majesty trusts Yu Wei so much, perhaps this is also an opportunity to overthrow the Right Prime Minister...

Li Chengfeng looked at Song Zelin and softened his tone a little: "My dear Song, you can rest assured and recuperate. I and Yu Wei are here to take care of the affairs of the court. You don't need to worry about it.

"I know you're worried about Right Prime Minister Qi Daokun, but as long as you're still here, your students and former officials, your forces, will never dare to side with Qi Daokun. Am I right?"

Song Zelin was stunned for a moment, then he understood what Li Chengfeng meant.

It turns out that Your Majesty did not act on impulse, but rather after careful consideration.

A warm feeling welled up in his heart, and he said gratefully, "Your Majesty, I understand. I and my forces will give you our full support!"

Li Chengfeng nodded and stood up.

"Okay, then I'm relieved. Have a good rest, my dear Song. I'll come to see you another day."

After saying this, he turned and left the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Song Yuwei looked at Li Chengfeng's departing back, with a lot of thoughts in her mind.

She originally thought that she would be forced to become His Majesty's concubine, but she did not expect that His Majesty would let her temporarily take over the position of Prime Minister.

This sudden change made her both excited and nervous.

I am excited because I finally have the opportunity to realize my ambitions and serve my country.

What worried him was that he had never been involved in government affairs, so could he be competent for such an important task?

In the Golden Palace, the dragon throne was empty and Li Chengfeng arrived late.

He casually glanced at the crowd of court officials below and did not see Qi Daokun.

Claiming to be sick and not coming? Ha, Li Chengfeng already knew all about his little tricks.

"When there is something going on, we will start, and when there is nothing going on, we will retreat."

Li Chengfeng spoke lazily, with a hint of impatience in his tone.

Just as he finished speaking, a soldier covered in dust stumbled in, shouting, "Report—great victory in Hexi! The Five Pecks of Rice Bandit leader Zhao Jun has been captured alive by the King of Pingxi!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the court was in an uproar, with waves of congratulations and flattery pouring in.

"What? That bastard Zhao Jun was caught?"

"The King of Pingxi is mighty! It only took him so long to put down the rebellion!"

"Your Majesty is wise and wise! You are a master of military strategy!"

All kinds of sounds mixed together, buzzing like a group of flies flying around my ears.

Li Chengfeng listened calmly.

These fence-sitters were sneering at Liu Feng a few days ago, but now that they see he has won the battle, they immediately changed their attitude.

Wang Lu made some calculations in his mind, then stood up excitedly, clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty! I request your permission to escort Zhao Jun to the capital so that the people of the world can see the fate of those who plot treason!"

Li Chengfeng just glanced at him indifferently.

Escorted to Beijing?

I'm afraid Zhao Jun's "accident" happened before he even arrived in the capital.

He didn't want to give Qi Daokun the opportunity to silence him.

"No need,"

Li Chengfeng waved his hand. "I have issued an order, ordering Liu Feng to strictly interrogate Zhao Jun in Hexi and make sure to find out the truth behind this matter."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Although Wang Lu was a little disappointed, he didn't dare to say much and had to retreat.

Li Chengfeng cleared his throat and said slowly, "As all the nobles know, Left Prime Minister Song Zelin is seriously ill and bedridden."

"The position of Prime Minister is of great importance and cannot be left without a leader for even a day. After much deliberation, I have decided..."

He paused deliberately, observing everyone's reactions.

The hall immediately fell into silence. It was obvious that all the ministers had their candidates in mind. Qian Youliang, Xu Zeyou and other members of the Right Prime Minister's faction were even more eager to try, and were just waiting for Li Chengfeng to speak.

"Song Yuwei, the daughter of Lord Song, will temporarily take over the position of Left Prime Minister and handle state affairs."

These words were like throwing a huge rock into a calm lake, instantly causing a thousand waves.

"What? A woman? Acting Prime Minister?"

"This...this is outrageous!"

"If women interfere in government, wouldn't that disrupt the government?"

Many ministers showed expressions of shock and dissatisfaction, especially the followers of Right Prime Minister Qi Daokun, who were the most excited.

Qian Youliang was the first to speak out: "Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable! It's unprecedented for a woman to be an official. This... this is simply absurd!"

Xu Zeyou was next to speak: "Yes, Your Majesty, although Miss Song is talented, she is a woman after all. How can she take on such an important task? Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

Li Chengfeng had no intention of giving them any time to refute. He stood up suddenly and the ministers shut up tactfully.

"My mind is made up, no need to say more."

Li Chengfeng's tone was cold and left no room for doubt.

"Retreat!"

After saying this, Li Chengfeng turned away, leaving the ministers looking at each other in bewilderment.

……

Qi Mansion, back garden.

Qi Daokun leaned back in the recliner, listening to his confidant's report, his face terribly gloomy.

"That loser Zhao Jun was caught so quickly! What a bunch of good-for-nothings!"

He slammed the table and roared.

"Master, calm down."

The confidant said cautiously, "Now that Zhao Jun has been captured, I'm afraid..."

"Humph."

Qi Daokun snorted coldly, "If he dares to speak nonsense, I will make him live a life worse than death!"

The confidant continued, "Your Majesty actually let Song Yuwei serve as the acting Prime Minister. This... this is truly unexpected."

"This brat Li Chengfeng is getting bolder and bolder!"

Qi Daokun gritted his teeth and said, "He is clearly trying to go against me!"

He stood up suddenly and paced back and forth in the garden, with a sinister gleam in his eyes.

"Since Li Chengfeng is unkind, don't blame me for being unjust!"

"Come here, prepare the sedan chair! Go to Prince Gong's mansion!"

……

As night fell, Prince Gong's Mansion was brightly lit.

Qi Daokun and Prince Gong Cheng Qitian sat opposite each other, and the atmosphere between them was solemn.

"Your Majesty."

Qi Daokun lowered his voice and said, "Li Chengfeng is becoming more and more arrogant. He supports Song Yuwei, clearly hoping to sideline me and seize power alone!"

Cheng Qitian was not in a hurry. He picked up the teacup and took a sip. "Prime Minister Qi, if you and I join forces, we may not have no chance..."