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Uncle Qi stopped and rubbed his face. "You really dare to hit me? In my whole life, this is the first time someone has hit me." His expression darkened. "But this will also be the last time. You will be my Queen, and from now on, you cannot act so recklessly towards me."
San Chun was furious. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
He reached out and grabbed her shoulders. "I have always liked you, always admired you. Can't you feel it at all?"
"This is madness..."
"I know, I know everything. I didn't care before, and I certainly don't care now. You have already died once, so you are no longer my sister. How can there be any barriers between us? There are no barriers left."
"Crazy, truly crazy." She didn't know what to say, but his current demeanor made her feel utterly insane. This was a completely different him, entirely unlike before, leaving her both shocked and a little fearful.
She finally understood why she had felt so uneasy lately, why she always wanted to avoid him. It turned out her heart had already sensed it, but she had been unwilling to admit it—unwilling to acknowledge that her beloved younger brother had feelings for her. This left her feeling utterly ashamed and at a loss for what to do.
She pointed outside the hall coldly and said, "You should leave now. Let me calm down; I need time to think."
Uncle Qi nodded. "I can leave, but this time there is no turning back for you. I have already decreed that you will be made Queen, and Ju Rong has agreed."
San Chun understood why Ju Rong would agree; he was doing it for her sake. As a discarded woman who had been divorced, it would be very difficult for her to remarry. Now the king actually wanted to make her his Queen—this was something that was hard to find even with a lantern. Naturally, he was pleased and would probably laugh in his dreams.
But that was because he didn't know—they were siblings! How could siblings possibly marry? Even though she currently bore Ju Dan's body, her heart did not belong to him.
It was impossible for her to serve Ju Rong; even if she did, he could not influence Uncle Qi. The urgent matter was still to convince Uncle Qi not to harbor such twisted feelings for her. His actions would harm not only her but also the Yan Kingdom. If Zhong Xue found out about this, she would probably immediately turn the troops against Yan.
After much pleading from her, Uncle Qi finally left, leaving her alone in the hall.
Uncle Qi disliked having anyone around him, so every time he came, he would send all the palace maids and attendants away. However, he came so frequently that eventually she simply stopped allowing them into the hall altogether.
But this was fine; at least now no one could see her awkwardness.
She sat dejectedly on the floor, unsure of what to do next. If only Ji Xun were here; with him around, she wouldn't feel so lost and helpless—she didn't even have anyone to talk to.
The matter of establishing Queen did not proceed as smoothly as Uncle Qi had hoped. As soon as his decree was issued, it stirred up a storm in the court, not because Daughter of Ju Rong lacked status as the daughter of a Senior Official, but due to some rumors surrounding her in the Zhao Kingdom.
The fact that Spring Princess was Daughter of Ju Rong had long been revealed; even the servants knew she had married Crown Prince Ji Xun of Zhao and was later divorced. How could such a woman possibly become the Queen of Yan?
Once the news spread, chaos erupted in the court.
Doctor Chen submitted a memorial stating, "Your Majesty, this matter absolutely cannot proceed. A woman who has lost her virtue is unfit to enter the great Queen palace, let alone become Your Majesty's Queen."
Uncle Qi sneered, "I hear that Doctor Chen has taken several wives, one of whom was taken from someone else. Did you not consider her past before marrying her?"
Doctor Chen was left speechless, constantly exchanging glances with the other officials in the hall; surely he could not be the only one opposing this?
Wu Daifu, who had the best relationship with him, stepped forward to speak, "Your Majesty, I also agree with this. I believe this matter is unacceptable. Doctor Chen has personal flaws that are still criticized today; do you wish to attract similar criticism?"
In his heart, Doctor Chen thought, you can advise all you want, but why drag me into this?
Uncle Qi smiled slightly, "What if I am willing to be criticized?"
This statement left everyone at a loss for words. A king should not invite such backbiting; what else could others say?
However, no one was willing to accept such a situation.
The officials submitted memorials one after another, declaring this matter unacceptable. Although their king often acted unpredictably, this was an unprecedented level of recklessness. With so many beautiful flowers available, why would he choose to hang himself on a single tree?
Even Ju Dan's uncle, Chen Xiong, was greatly dissatisfied with this matter. He had been the matchmaker for the marriage of the Ju family back then, but that was then; at that time, Ju Dan was still an unmarried girl—how could it be compared to now?
He stood up and submitted a memorial saying, "Your Majesty, I would like to offer you an analogy."
Uncle Qi responded with interest, "Oh? Does Master Chen have such an interest?"
"Yes." Chen Xiong coughed lightly and said, "Your Majesty, have you put on your pants?"
"Of course."
"Then did you wash them before putting them on?"
Uncle Qi was taken aback, unsure of what he meant.
Chen Xiong continued, "If Your Majesty is to marry a discarded woman, it’s like putting on pants that someone else has soiled. Would you feel comfortable wearing them?"
Upon hearing this, Uncle Qi's anger surged. He could tolerate many things, but to insult San Chun like this was simply unacceptable.
Ju Rong also shot a glance at Chen Xiong, thinking that after all, she was your niece; there was no need to humiliate her like this.
After a moment of thought, Uncle Qi beckoned two Eunuchs over and whispered a few words in their ears.
"Understood." The two Eunuchs went out, each grabbing one of Chen Xiong's arms and escorting him away.
Chen Xiong was startled and had no idea what was happening. He shouted loudly, "Your Majesty, what crime have I committed?"
Uncle Qi ignored him and ordered them to take him away quickly.
All the ministers in the court widened their eyes in confusion, not understanding what was going on.
After a while, a series of agonizing screams came from the side hall, shocking the ministers. They all thought someone had been killed. In the years of the king's reign, while he wasn't known for being particularly diligent or benevolent, this would be the first time he had indiscriminately killed an innocent person. The ministers were already rolling up their sleeves, ready to scold the tyrant.
Before they could start their tirade, a Eunuch rushed in holding a pair of snow-white pants and loudly announced, "Reporting to Your Majesty, it has been taken care of."
Uncle Qi nodded. "Does he agree to wear them?"
"Lord Chen would rather die than wear our pants; it took a lot of effort to get them on him." He presented the undergarment.
Uncle Qi waved his hand, signaling someone to bring it over. He glanced at it and couldn't help but fan his hand in front of his nose, showing a clear expression of disdain.
The pants were taken down again, and seeing them being brought to the back hall, he then said to the Eunuch, "Go down and receive your reward."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." The Eunuch happily went down.
The ministers exchanged glances, unsure of what had just happened. After a while, Chen Xiong was helped in, his face pale as if he had just been beaten. Yet there were no visible injuries on him.
Uncle Qi looked at him and smiled, "How does Lord Chen feel? Is it comfortable wearing someone else's pants?"
Chen Xiong took out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat, unsure if it was from the heat or fear. He forced a smile and said, "Your Majesty humiliating your subordinate like this would be better than killing me."
Uncle Qi snorted coldly, "I only ask if you are comfortable or not. Who wants to kill you? If you really want to die, you can just go ahead and crash into something yourself; don't say I forced you to do it."
If it were any other minister, they would surely offer their life in protest and leave their name in history. But this Lord Chen was different; he had no flesh on him except for his skin. How could he possibly die over this matter?
He tugged at his belt and replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, it's really uncomfortable. Mainly because it's too dirty. Can you ask that Eunuch not to wash his pants for a month?"
The ministers then realized that Chen Xiong had been taken down earlier to change into someone else's pants. Presumably, the scream they heard earlier was from him after putting them on. But was it really necessary to scream so loudly over just a pair of pants?
Uncle Qi scanned the ministers in the hall with cold eyes and asked sternly, "Is there anyone else who wants to try wearing someone else's pants? I have plenty of Eunuchs in this palace, and there are also guards outside who are drenched in sweat; they can provide for you."
The ministers hurriedly shook their heads. A gentleman can be killed but cannot be humiliated; if they wore someone else's pants, how would they face others afterward?
Seeing no one respond, Uncle Qi waved his hand. "If that's the case, then let's disperse the court. Those who don't want to leave can follow me to the rear palace."
Who would dare follow him? Each one ran away faster than a rabbit, fearing that if they were slow, they might end up having their own pants stripped off by the king.
After dispersing the court and returning to the rear palace, Uncle Qi's first task was to recount what had happened during the court session.
San Chun couldn't help but laugh when he heard about it later. He never expected that Chen Xiong, who usually had a stern face, could be so amusing. And Uncle Qi actually thought of using such a method to play tricks on people; he was quite mischievous.
However, most importantly, she felt a sense of comfort; it turned out that there were still many clear-headed people in this world.
With so many ministers to stop him, Uncle Qi wouldn't dare to act recklessly, right? Unfortunately, she misjudged Uncle Qi's boldness; once he made up his mind, even ten oxen couldn't pull him back.
After the court session, those ministers dispersed, and many did not return to the palace. Instead, they went to see Empress Dowager Hua, crying and complaining about the king's absurdity, claiming that if this continued, the Yan Kingdom would perish.
Even if these ministers did not oppose it, Empress Dowager Hua would not agree to San Chun becoming Queen; she was still hoping her own niece would enter the palace. How could she allow someone else to take that opportunity?
Empress Dowager Hua immediately led the ministers toward the Crown Prince. Ju Rong followed behind; he wasn't there to support anyone but was worried that his daughter might suffer.
Uncle Qi sat here for a while before returning to his own chamber. As soon as he left, this grand procession arrived.
Empress Dowager Hua took the lead and pointed at San Chun as soon as she entered, saying, "Come on, tie her up."
A few guards came over to bind San Chun. She stepped back angrily and said, "What does Empress Dowager Hua mean by this? What crime have I committed?"
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