Xu Zhenguan wants to be an enlightened sovereign, doesn't she?
There was no doubt about it, even if one didn't consider it from her own perspective but merely from a practical standpoint, she needed to acquire such an image.
In Zhao Douan's past life, when he read through history, he found the Tang Dynasty's Li Shimin quite interesting. This Emperor strove all his life to be seen as a good ruler in the eyes of the people. The reason, nothing more than the four words "illegitimate claim to the throne."
Just like when launching a war, one must "march with a justified cause" to stand firm.
Xu Zhenguan needed to solidify her position as Empress, she needed to address those criticisms.
"Illegitimate claim to the throne"... this was the rhetoric constantly spread by the Kuangfu Society, widely circulated, and the stories about her killing her brothers and father for power were, of course, fabricated rumors.
But even if these rumors were torn apart, as a woman who ascended to the throne without a decree from the late Emperor or Crown Prince, in the eyes of the world, these actions already spelled "illegitimacy."
If the name is not justified, people's responses will not follow.
Therefore, Xu Zhenguan paid extra attention to her words and deeds.
When faced with numerous restraints, she didn't choose to rely on imperial power or act rashly on her cultivation, but rather, somewhat frustrated, restricted herself and did everything by the "rules."
Interestingly, as the person most entitled to disregard the rules in all the world, the Empress was instead the one who cared the most about "rules."
However, tonight, certain people had broken these rules, forcing the Empress to make a choice.
"I'm actually quite surprised."
Inside the carriage, Zhao Douan stared intently at the candleholder on the table and spoke softly,
"Your Majesty really sent you here after all."
Mo Chou watched him quietly, as if understanding something:
"So you were worried that Your Majesty couldn't make this decision, or you didn't want her to choose, and decided to take action?
As long as Gao Lian is dead, then this struggle is still a loss for the scholarly families of the south. Your secret intervention resolves Your Majesty's urgent problem.
But did you consider, how would outsiders think? How would the scholarly families of the south and the officials from the Li Party think? They won't distinguish who was the actor; they'll only think it was Your Majesty who acted."
Zhao Douan remained calm and met her gaze silently, smiling and saying,
"But it's better than you having to do it. Many things, once done, right or not, are ultimately different."
"Even if outsiders can't differentiate? Can't discern?" Mo Chou argued.
Zhao Douan replied indifferently,
"With time, the truth will always surface. At least if I do it, even if Your Majesty is temporarily misunderstood, over time, there will be a day for clarification. But if it were truly done by Your Majesty, she would never be able to cleanse herself of it."
Mo Chou remained silent.
At that moment, she felt slightly dazed, "So, what you did tonight, was it all to protect Your Majesty's reputation as an enlightened ruler?"
Zhao Douan smiled, "Otherwise?"
Mo Chou quietly looked at him for a while, then shook her head, "I don't believe it, you definitely have other motives."
Her expression suddenly turned peculiar, "You couldn't possibly be acting as a hero for the people, could you?"
Zhao Douan, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, bristled and glared, "Don't defame a bad person! Do I look like the kind of foolish hero who stands up for justice?"
"Don't defame a bad person..."
"..." Mo Chou was momentarily at a loss for words, as if an old grievance was stuck in her throat.
So, for you, are fairness and justice something tainted and shameful?
Oh, right, for scum like you... indeed...
The four words "hero for the people" really shouldn't be associated with your name.
Well, coming over here to deliberately break the ice, to show off your contributions in alleviating Your Majesty's worries, the ultimate goal is still to curry favor with Her Majesty, perhaps even to gain personal favor... that sort of makes sense... Mo Chou nodded, believing she had found a logical explanation for Mr. Zhao's behavior this evening.
But she still felt that this guy was a bit insincere...
"You shouldn't have gotten involved in this matter," Mo Chou exhaled, speaking brusquely,
"Your Majesty already told you not to worry about charging Gao Lian with crimes."
Zhao Douan grinned shamelessly, "No problem, the capable should labor more."
Mo Chou, annoyed to a headache, raised her hand to the small table in front of her as if bolstering her authority with the gesture,
"Her Majesty is protecting you, not wanting you to get involved in more complex whirlpools too soon. Don't you understand?!"
Zhao Douan blinked his innocent eyes, showing pure curiosity, "How's that?"
Mo Chou, irked, said,
"Do you really think that Your Majesty only relies on you? That only you can solve cases? In fact, for the Taicang Prefecture case, Your Majesty had long discovered that the shadow of the Prince Jing Mansion looms behind it. That Mr. Song who submitted the whistleblower letter and later disappeared, do you think he belongs to whom?"
Zhao Douan furrowed his brows, growing more serious, "Are you saying, he's a subordinate to Prince Jing?"
Mo Chou nodded and let out a sigh,
"According to the clues currently in Her Majesty's possession, there's a big chance that Mr. Song was taken in by Prince Jing Mansion's spies after sending the whistleblower letter and fled to Jiancheng Road. His purpose for making accusations at this critical moment and stirring up this storm was to set the fire on Li Yanfu, as well as on the scholarly families of the south."
No wonder Mr. Song left behind such abundant evidence; I was wondering how a mere official could investigate so stealthily... If it's Prince Jing Mansion's doing, then it all makes sense...
Zhao Douan's expression became grave, "Continue!"
His mind was already piecing together the situation, but he still needed the exact details confirmed.
Seeing that he had involved himself, Mo Chou decided not to withhold information and spoke,
"Your new policy's first step was opening the market at the Huai River border, followed by the land tax reform... these news items drew the greatest attention from the centuries-old families of the south.