In early March, Emperor Kangping passed away and was given the posthumous title Emperor Ling.
At the time, Crown Prince Jin had just turned one. Following the late emperor's edict, the assembled ministers enthroned him as the infant emperor, adopting Chongdao as his reign title and appointing Hu Ze, Yue Dongyang, and Lu Yuan as the three members of the Regency, responsible for overseeing the affairs of state.
Hu Meiniang also rose in rank once more, becoming the Grand Empress Dowager.
She seized the opportunity to propose ruling from behind the curtain, only to be rejected by the ministers once again on the grounds that it violated ritual propriety. Furious, she smashed things all over her palace.
Hu Meiniang summoned Hu Ze to the palace. The moment they met, she seethed with murderous intent. "Brother Ze, I want to kill Yue Dongyang and Lu Yuan! Those two old bastards keep standing in my way. Their motives are sinister, and I've put up with them long enough!"
The corner of Hu Ze's Avatar's eye twitched. "Your Majesty, the infant emperor has only just ascended the throne, and his foundations are not yet secure. This is still no time for rash action!"
Hu Meiniang refused to listen. "I've heard that far too many times already. It was the same when Emperor Yang was alive, and again when Emperor Ling was alive. Now that my son has elevated my standing, what is there that I cannot do?"
Does this fool really think that the infant emperor's accession means she gets to rule all of Great Qian? Or did I perform too well before, making her think she had someone to back her up and emboldening her? Learning of Hu Meiniang's intentions from behind the scenes, Li Chen felt a headache coming on.
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