Quick Transmigration: Why did you provoke him? He's love-struck!

Yan Zhen did not refuse.

Xiahou Che stepped aside, and she sat on the dragon throne, picking up a vermilion brush to begin reviewing memorials.

At the same time, Liu Su entered the palace to meet the emperor.

Upon arriving at the Imperial Study, they found the gate tightly closed, with several imperial eunuchs guarding the entrance.

Upon his arrival, the chief eunuch Yang Pei hurriedly stepped forward with a smile and bowed, saying, "Greetings, General Liu."

Liu Su waved his hand, glancing past him at the door of the imperial study: "His Majesty is not here?"

Yang Pei hesitated for a moment, then immediately said, "Yes, he's reviewing memorials."

Liu Su noticed his momentary unease and immediately became suspicious: "Who else is in the Imperial Study?"

"...Her Majesty the Empress is also here."

Liu Su frowned deeply: "What are you doing in the Imperial Study instead of staying in the inner palace? Is this a place for women?"

Yang Pei gave an awkward smile and bowed even deeper.

"Please inform me, Eunuch Yang, that this old minister has something to report."

Knowing Liu Su's identity, Yang Pei dared not delay. He responded and turned to gently knock on the door of the imperial study: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"

Only after receiving a response did he push open the door and slip inside.

Liu Su stood outside the hall. The moment Yang Pei opened the door, he saw through the crack in the door that a woman was sitting behind the imperial desk, holding a vermilion brush and reviewing memorials.

This scene was so visually striking that it almost overturned Liu Su's understanding. His first reaction was that he must have seen it wrong.

woman?

Empress Xiao?

Reviewing memorials?

When Yang Pei came out and told him that he could go in, Liu Su put aside his chaotic thoughts and stepped into the imperial study.

Upon entering the imperial study, his eyes immediately searched around, but only Xiahou Che was present.

It was normal for Empress Xiao to hide in the inner palace, as women in the inner palace were not allowed to see men outside the palace. However, after witnessing such a shocking scene, Liu Su was now suspicious.

"General Liu," Xiahou Che said, somewhat displeased with his glances around, "You've come to the palace to see me. Is there something you need?"

Liu Su then looked away and told what he wanted to report.

After the matter was discussed, Liu Su walked out of the imperial study. The palace door closed behind him, and he paused for a moment.

Did he see it wrong?

With doubts in his mind, Liu Su made a point of submitting a memorial the next day.

When the memorial with annotations was returned on the third day, he opened it and saw that the crooked and ugly characters on it did indeed look like those written by Xiahou Che.

However, upon closer inspection, one can discern from the subtle details that the person who made the annotations possessed considerable calligraphic skill; the ugly, dog-scratching handwriting appears to have been deliberately imitated.

A strong sense of crisis rose in Liu Su's heart. After a moment's thought, he went to visit the Vice Minister of Revenue.

The next day, at the morning court session, the Vice Minister of Revenue brought up a matter—the harem was empty, and it was time to put the selection of concubines on the agenda.

Xiahou Che's expression darkened upon hearing this: "The late emperor has only been gone for a short time, and I am still in mourning. If I hold a selection of consorts at this time, how will the people of the world view me?"

The Vice Minister of Revenue gave a good reason: "Your Majesty, this selection of candidates is not something that can be done overnight. From selection to entering the palace, it will take at least a year. After a year, Your Majesty's mourning period will be over, and these candidates will be ready to enter the palace."

Xiahou Che remained unmoved and directly rejected the proposal: "I have no interest in the selection of candidates right now. This matter will be discussed later."

Liu Su narrowed his eyes as he watched this scene. He was almost certain that Xiahou Che was being manipulated by the Xiao family woman and didn't even dare to make a decision about taking a concubine.

The thought that Empress Xiao was the one who reviewed all the memorials submitted to him every day, and that she was the one who made all the decisions behind the scenes in the court and in the country, while he had risked the reputation and lives of his entire family to put the emperor on the throne, made Liu Su's blood boil.

It's unclear whether Xiahou Che was forced into it or did so willingly.

In either case, he must stop the Xiao family women from interfering in politics as soon as possible, otherwise the world will sooner or later fall under the Xiao family's control.

On this day, after Liu Su and several cabinet ministers met with Xiahou Che in the imperial study, he stayed behind while the others turned to leave.

"Your Majesty," Liu Su stepped forward, "I recently acquired a fine steed and wished to present it to Your Majesty. I have already sent it to the horse farm. Would Your Majesty like to take a look?"

Xiahou Che became interested: "Okay, let's go."

Accompanied by palace servants and guards, the two arrived at the horse farm, where a guard led out a chestnut-colored thoroughbred.

The horse was strong and healthy, with a glossy coat. Xiahou Che mounted the horse, held the reins, and rode around a few times. He said happily, "Not bad. This horse is gentle and can be ridden by women. It would be perfect to give to the Empress. She will definitely like it."

Liu Su paused for a moment, and as Xiahou Che dismounted, he stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, may I have a word with you in private?"

He first had to determine whether Xiahou Che was forced into it or willingly obeyed Xiao Lingyi's orders.

Xiahou Che frowned, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart, but he still followed Liu Su a few steps to the side, avoiding the group of followers.

Liu Su took out a memorial from his robes and asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, did you personally review this memorial?"

Xiahou Che's heart skipped a beat.

The old fox discovered it.

His face remained impassive: "Of course, so what?"

"That day, this old minister saw Empress Xiao sitting on the dragon throne reviewing memorials outside the Imperial Study," Liu Su bluntly stated. "Your Majesty, did Empress Xiao coerce you?"

"You've mistaken me," Xiahou Che said. "That's not true."

Liu Su's eyes turned cold.

He had already made his stance clear, but Xiahou Che still refused to admit it, which could only prove that he was willingly being driven by Empress Xiao.

"This old minister is just old, not blind!" Liu Su said angrily. "Your Majesty, you are confused! Xiao Dingfang has 600,000 troops under his command, which is a great threat to the court. When the late emperor issued the decree to bring Xiao's daughter into the palace, it was not to make her the crown princess, but to use her as a hostage to restrain Xiao Dingfang so that he would not dare to act rashly!"

"You're already not neglecting the Xiao family's daughter, but you're even letting a woman from the inner palace interfere in politics. If the Xiao family develops ambitions, isn't this just handing the empire over to them!"

Having said that, Xiahou Che simply stopped arguing: "Don't worry, the Xiao family has been loyal for generations, and the Empress is wholeheartedly devoted to the people. She would never do anything to usurp the throne. I trust her."

"This old minister does not believe it!" Liu Su's chest heaved with anger. "If she had no ambition, knowing that the empress dowager should not interfere in politics, why would she still meddle in government affairs?"

"It was I who asked her to review the memorials," Xiahou Che said. "Those words hurt my eyes, and the Empress felt sorry for me, so she did it for me..."

"Your Majesty!" Liu Su interrupted him, his expression full of disappointment. "A woman who should be managing the six palaces and raising children instead sits in the imperial study reviewing memorials. This is an overstepping of bounds! Have you forgotten the rules of our ancestors? Empress Xiao's actions are not only against propriety but also violate ancestral precepts. She should be punished!"

Xiahou Che was taken aback, then immediately became angry: "As long as the country can be governed well and the people can live a good life, what difference does it make who is the emperor? The Empress's efforts for the well-being of the Great Jin over the years are obvious to all. If she wants to be the empress, what harm is there in me giving her the throne!"