The empress disliked my achievements for overshadowing her own, so she turned her attention to the N

After the civil official finished speaking, Qin Qingmin, who had been kneeling on the ground, collapsed and sat down on the ground.

Those people seemed to be speaking up for him, but their words were actually a sharp blade that pushed him into the abyss.

Speaking like that in front of the Empress Dowager is tantamount to forcing someone to abdicate.

Sure enough, the Empress Dowager's already unpleasant face turned even more ashen: "Which civil official spoke those words just now? Step forward and say them in front of me."

However, when the Empress Dowager's gaze swept over the civil officials, the heads of the group of officials almost shrank into their necks.

The Empress Dowager didn't remember, but Chen Nan observed carefully.

Most of the civil officials were just egging each other on.

The most important ones were none other than Sun Cheng, Minister of Personnel; Miao Chen, Grand Tutor; and He Wei, Attendant Gentleman of the Palace.

Strangely enough, the Minister of Personnel was mainly responsible for the promotion and appointment of officials.

The Grand Tutor is mainly responsible for imparting knowledge to the young emperor, but since the young emperor has not yet grown up, this position is somewhat vacant.

One person, the Attendant Gentleman of the Palace, could be responsible for a series of state affairs, including submitting remonstrances, participating in discussions, and drafting imperial edicts.

It can be said that as long as one gains the support of these three people, one can control most of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

The rest of the people are just a bunch of opportunists; they'll sway whichever way the wind blows.

Chen Nan silently made a mental note of these three people.

He then walked to the center of the main hall, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, I have a report to make!"

Seeing Chen Nan step forward, the Empress Dowager's expression softened, and her voice became gentle: "What does the Prince of Zhennan have to report?"

Chen Nan glanced at Qin Qingmin on the ground and said softly, "Your Majesty, I believe that Qin Qingmin's good intentions backfired."

"What do you mean by that, Prince Zhennan?" The Empress Dowager snorted coldly, her voice turning even colder.

Chen Nan could naturally see that the Empress Dowager's act was merely for show, intended for the court officials.

Completely disregarding the other party's attitude, he sneered and began to flatter her, saying, "Empress Dowager, looking at the dozens of military generals of our Northern Wei, not a single one of them discovered the banditry in Lecheng. The most crucial point is that it has even aroused public anger."

"The fact that Qin Academy was able to discover this problem at a critical moment is undoubtedly a great thing for our Northern Wei."

For a moment, Qin Qingmin was stunned. He couldn't remember when his relationship with Chen Nan had reached the point where he could plead for the other.

Admittedly, he also knew that as long as Chen Nan intervened, the Empress Dowager would definitely let him off this time.

She cautiously raised her head and looked at Chen Nan with grateful eyes.

Chen Nan responded with the same look.

After turning his head back, he said in a low voice, "But Empress Dowager, in our Northern Wei, the civil and military are divided into different roles."

"If everyone were as enthusiastic and diligent as Qin Xueyuan, would the Northern Wei Dynasty still need the position of military general?"

"I believe that in the next war with other countries, we will not need to send military generals to lead the army."

"Qin Xueyuan is so diligent in his duties that he can discover problems that military generals have not noticed. He must also have unique insights into military affairs."

"Therefore, I suggest that in the next war with another country, only one person from the Qin Academy should be sent to the front line."

"I think Qin Academy will definitely bring a different kind of surprise to Northern Wei."

Everything was fine before, but upon hearing this, Qin Qingmin realized something was wrong.

Chen Nan wasn't speaking up for him at all; he was pushing him to the brink of despair.

They even gave him the honor of leading his army into battle, and claimed that he had unique insights.

He has no real insight, at most he's got a dick, and it's pretty useless.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to defend himself...

He looked up and was met with the Empress Dowager's surprised and delighted gaze.

Instantly, he knew things had gone wrong.

He knew very well that whenever the Empress Dowager gave him that look, the ministers' suggestions would most likely be adopted.

However, Chen Nan's suggestion was to let him, a civil official, lead troops into battle!

No, Chen Nan said he was to go to the front line alone, but he didn't mention leading troops.

The Empress Dowager smiled and nodded repeatedly: "The Prince of Zhennan's suggestion is good. I will consider it carefully."

Chen Nan glanced at the group of military officers with a wicked smile, then said, "If I may be so bold as to ask, doesn't Your Majesty think that the military officers of Northern Wei are a bit too numerous?"

The Empress Dowager frowned: "What does the Prince of Zhennan mean by this?"

"Your Majesty, the matter of Lecheng is like a trigger. Something that even the military generals didn't discover was discovered by Qin Academy."

"Doesn't this prove that there are serious problems within the Northern Wei military group?"

Upon hearing this, the anger in the eyes of those military officers almost burst forth, and they all glared at Qin Qingmin, panting heavily.

Although what Chen Nan said was unpleasant, there was some truth to it.

Most importantly, all the people present combined couldn't defeat Chen Nan, so they didn't dare to be too presumptuous in front of him.

Chen Nan then shifted the conflict between the military officers onto Qin Qingmin, who had no choice but to follow suit and direct their anger at Qin Qingmin.

For a moment, Qin Qingmin closed his eyes and lowered his head, his face already drained of color, and he could feel the intense anger around him without even looking up.

If he dared to raise his head and refute, those military officers would probably tear him to pieces on the spot.

Chen Nan not only did not restrain himself, but continued to speak with a cold smile: "Your Majesty, I believe that not only does the civil service system of our Northern Wei need reform, but the military system also needs reform."

That's right, from the very beginning, Chen Nan's idea was to thoroughly reform the entire system of the imperial court.

Last time, he only had the opportunity to propose reforms for civil officials.

Chen Nan did not raise the issue of military officers because of the numerous interests involved and the chaotic internal situation.

However, he never expected that Qin Qingmin would bring up the matter of the banditry in Lecheng during this morning court session.

This gave him a perfect opportunity, which is why he took the chance to propose reforming the military generals as well.

At that moment, the group of military officers spoke up in unison: "Your Majesty, you mustn't! The system of military officers was established based on the late Emperor."

"This change is tantamount to shaking the very foundation of my Northern Wei!"

Could a bunch of roughnecks really utter such elegant words?

However, the Empress Dowager had no intention of giving them any face at all.

"Is that so? I'm afraid you've all inherited the late emperor's love of comfort and pleasure?"

"The matter of Lecheng falls within the scope of your military generals, yet it was the civil officials who first reported it to me."

"I really don't know how you have the nerve to say that it's based on the system left by the late emperor."

"Did the late emperor teach you to appease me?"

"In my opinion, what the Prince of Zhennan said makes a lot of sense."

"Our Northern Wei has been stagnant for many years, and it is time for a major transformation to take place."

"This matter is settled. Does anyone among you have any objections?"

The Empress Dowager acted decisively, giving the ministers no chance to discuss it, and finalized the reform in just a few words.

Unfortunately, long after the Empress Dowager finished speaking, the civil and military officials in the hall seemed to have their mouths sewn shut.

No one spoke up in agreement, nor did anyone dare to utter a word of refusal.