Chaos reigned in the imperial palace.
That day, the two expressions heard most often in Jing Kingdom, and even across the entire Saint Origin Continent, were "forcing the sovereign's hand" and "purging the sovereign's entourage."
Almost everyone believed that if the Jing Kingdom Imperial House refused to agree, the officials of Mi Prefecture and Xiang Prefecture would take even more drastic action.
No one believed those officials truly intended to resign. If the imperial house actually dared accept their resignations, Xiang Prefecture and Mi Prefecture would dare announce a purge of the sovereign's entourage, or even independence, the very next day.
Inside Jing Kingdom's imperial palace.
Sheng Boyuan, Minister of Rites, sat facing the empress dowager across a thin curtain.
Sheng Boyuan was tall, with a broad face and a straight nose. Though already seventy, he showed no signs of decrepitude and instead looked exceptionally robust.
Since the previous Minister of Rites, Mao Enzheng, had retired to his hometown, Sheng Boyuan had overseen the Ministry of Rites. He acted with the force of thunder and the swiftness of the wind, and possessed considerable courage. Last year, he had become a Hanlin Academician and finally ascended to the minister's seat.
At this moment, helplessness filled the eyes of this newly appointed minister whom the Ministry of Rites officials revered.
"My dear Minister Sheng... in this entire court, you alone are truly dependable." The empress dowager's sorrowful voice came from behind the curtain.
Sheng Boyuan sighed softly and remained silent for a long time.
The imperial house's main strength lay in the military. At court, before the Left Prime Minister's downfall, it had enjoyed the wholehearted support of Jiang Hechuan and Cao Dean, so even when at a disadvantage, it could keep the situation stable.
But now Cao Dean had actually sided