Everyone in my harem is talented

Chapter 343 Dilemma

Time flies, and it is the first day of the first lunar month of the twenty-fifth year of Jingzheng.

"Meet my father."

The eighteen-year-old Princess Qin Mingyue of Hengshan was wearing a red dress and still had her hair done up like an unmarried woman. She bowed respectfully to Qin Zhi.

Today is her birthday. In the early morning, before other court officials came to wish her father a happy new year, she came to her father early to make a wish.

Since Qin Mingyue started to deal with palace affairs at the age of twelve, she has gradually become the right-hand man of her mother, Queen Shen Ningyue.

After six years of training, not only did she become more mature and stable, but Qin Mingyue's authority also grew stronger. Through intentional or unintentional learning and imitation, her behavior and temperament became more and more like Qin Zhi.

The concubines who entered the palace later were much more respectful to her than to some princes.

But to her now, all these powers seemed like castles in the air, which would collapse at the slightest breeze.

This year, the sixth prince Qin Mingjun born to Concubine Zhen, the seventh prince Qin Mingrui born to Concubine Yi, the eighth prince Qin Mingyan born to Concubine Min, and the ninth prince Qin Mingxuan born to the legitimate wife are all getting married.

The system of the prince's marriage is similar to the ceremony of capping for ordinary men. There is a difference in age, but both symbolize that the man has reached adulthood and is qualified to participate in council affairs.

Men come of age at the age of 20, but there is no strict regulation on the age at which princes can get married. It ranges from seven or eight to twenty-two years old, depending on the circumstances at the time and mainly on the emperor's mood.

Only the princes who have married have the formal qualification to participate in the discussion of state affairs. Only then can they speak and discuss state affairs with court officials other than their maternal relatives. Otherwise, it would be regarded as making irresponsible comments about the emperor and father, which would be considered as unfilial behavior.

In this dynasty, His Majesty has issued a decree stipulating that the princes must marry at the age of sixteen. Once they marry, they must move out of the Qilin Hall and set up their own residences outside the palace.

Two years ago, when the fifth prince Qin Mingzhang, who was the same age as Qin Mingyue, got married, Qin Mingyue had just been a marriageable one year, and the officials and ladies inside and outside the court had already started to criticize her before she even got married.

Especially the fact that she, as a daughter, actually holds some power in the palace makes people even more jealous.

Qin Mingyue's younger brothers, including her biological brother, the ninth prince Qin Mingxuan, are about to get married. At the end of last year, impeachment cases against Princess Hengshan were already pouring onto Qin Zhi's desk like snowflakes.

Qin Mingyue was secretly anxious.

If she surrendered, she would have no right to participate in state affairs and would lose her power in the palace.

Although she could be promoted from Princess Wuyang to Princess Wei by her father just like her elder sister Qin Ronglu was promoted to Princess Wei when she surrendered, with her father's love for her, she could definitely be named Princess Chu.

But apart from the fact that her father had no intention of depriving her of her power, this was no different from the apparent promotion and concealed demotion of officials in the outer court.

She has been born into a vortex of power. If she loses power, what is the meaning of life?

Qin Mingyue couldn't help but secretly envy and despise her own younger brother, the Ninth Prince Qin Mingxuan.

She didn't know if it was because her father gave her brother a name that was too big, and he couldn't suppress the word "Xuan", which made him so stupid and mediocre. She was so angry that she wanted to die.

"Xuan" is the great jade used by the emperor to offer sacrifices to heaven, and her "Yue" is also the divine pearl in the palm of the Holy Emperor!

Useless stuff!

Not at all disappointing.

Forget it. No matter how much I envy or despise my younger brother Qin Mingxuan, it will be of no use. The most important thing right now is to solve the dilemma I am facing now.

Although the court has not officially opened in this first month of the year, she can already imagine how heated the discussions about her will be in the court next month.

Although she has mainly been developing her power around the palace in recent years, Qin Mingyue is still able to access information related to court affairs in the outer court because of the Xuxue Academy established for her by her father and through the teachers who taught her civil and martial arts.

There was only one way for her to resolve this dilemma.

Qin Mingyue raised her head, and her pair of auspicious phoenix eyes, similar to Shen Ningyue's, looked at Qin Zhi firmly.