sbdcsierra Chapter 254: This petition convinced me
Chapter 254: This petition convinced me
The closer she got to the number of people, the faster Yu Jiuer's heart beat. It was just like playing "Pinduoduo Funds Received" in modern times. It would always block you at the last moment, making people nervous and unwilling, with their hearts hanging in the air!
"Enter the palace!" The eldest princess shouted, and rolled up the petition herself in a swift and decisive manner. "I have received a message from the eighth princess before. If there is still a shortage of people, go to the palace to find her!"
Yu Jiuer couldn't help but shed tears, and she bowed and choked up, "Thank you, Princess! Thank you, Madam Wei!"
The princess snorted coldly, "No need! If you can't pass the palace examination, it will be in vain. If my daughter is demoted to a slave, I will never forgive you!"
Madam Wei also brought up the topic: "If Yutao's family members were slaves, we would not allow her to enter General Wei's mansion and embarrass herself."
"I, Yu Jiuer, promise you that if the emperor agrees to open a special examination for women, I will definitely help you pass the palace examination!"
Yu Jiuer's beautiful face is full of confidence, which makes people excited.
"Okay! With your words, I will ask the emperor to open a special examination for women on your behalf, even if it costs me my life!" The eldest princess said with obvious excitement, "Let's go to the palace!"
Yu Jiuer's heart was beating like a drum. At this moment, she had only one thought in her mind, and that was to collect 100,000 signatures.
The group rushed to the palace. As soon as they entered the palace gate, they saw the eighth princess waiting there anxiously.
"Why are you here just now? The palace gates will be locked in less than an hour. Have you not collected 100,000 signatures yet?"
"Yes! Eighth Princess! How many people do you have here? I am still short of nine hundred and eighty people!" Yu Jiuer answered while panting.
The Eighth Princess hurriedly said to them, "Quick, go to the Imperial Garden!"
Yu Jiuer was so anxious that her palms were sweating. She knew that although there were many palace maids in the palace, not all of them would support her!
When she ran to the Imperial Garden, Yu Jiuer was dumbfounded: What was going on? Why did the concubines and princesses seem to be waiting for her in the Imperial Garden?
Just as the princess helped Yu Jiuer put the petition in place, the queen came up first and whispered to Yu Jiuer, "I admire women like you the most in my life. I'll sign first!"
"Thank you, Queen!" Yu Jiuer bowed, but couldn't help asking, "Aren't you afraid of the Emperor's blame?"
The Empress covered her mouth and chuckled: "The Emperor didn't order us not to sign your petition! The Emperor won't blame us for doing what we want!"
Concubine Duan also stepped forward and said: "There are so many women in the palace. Fortunately, you still thought of coming to the palace. Otherwise, we would not be able to help you even if we tried our best!"
As soon as Concubine Duan put down her brush, Concubine Gui came over, twisting her willow waist and saying, "No wonder Concubine Duan wanted to hold a flower-viewing banquet at this time, bringing out her precious peonies for us to ravage. It turns out that she did it to support you!"
After the imperial concubine finished speaking, she turned around and said to Concubine Duan with a proud look on her face: "However, even if I want to sign it, it is not because I am giving you face, so don't be complacent! It is because this petition has convinced me!"
After saying this, she picked up the pen and signed her name in a very elegant manner.
Concubine Duan picked up the teacup, a smile spread across her lips, and said, "As long as you sign, you can say whatever you want. I won't lose a piece of meat."
Next, the pregnant Concubine Yu also came up to sign her name and silently gave Yu Jiuer a thumbs up.
Soon after, other concubines, noble ladies, maids-in-waiting, and maids all came forward to sign their names.
At this point, they rarely spoke in unison and showed temporary harmony.
After they signed, the Eighth Princess immediately called on the other princesses to come up and sign as well.
The masters had all signed, and naturally all the palace ladies-in-waiting, maids, and palace servants had nothing to say, and they all stepped forward to sign their names.
Some palace maids were so excited that their hands and feet were shaking at the thought of having their names appear on the petition along with their masters'.
Finally, Yu Jiuer counted them, her voice trembling with excitement, and she shouted, "Enough, enough, finally enough! One thousand and twelve! We succeeded!"
The eighth princess was happy for her and hugged her excitedly.
Everyone couldn't help but applaud her.
They were all women, Jun Mo avoided getting close to them to avoid suspicion. He stood far away and heard the noise. He curled his lips and smiled. He had never been so happy even after winning a great victory.
At this time, the Queen Mother's voice rang out from the crowd: "Is that enough? I, an old woman, haven't signed yet! Even if it's enough, I'll sign one more!"
Yu Jiuer hurried over to help her up: "Thank you, Queen Mother! I'm sorry for worrying you!"
At this time, Jun Mo had to remind loudly from a distance: "Jiu'er, the palace gate will be locked soon!"
"Take it to the Imperial Study quickly! The Emperor is in the Imperial Study right now. Go and have a good talk with him and don't make him angry again!" The Empress Dowager patted Yu Jiuer's hand.
Yu Jiuer agreed with sobs, knelt down and kowtowed to the ladies, then picked up the petition and rushed to the imperial study with Jun Mo!
In the imperial study, besides the emperor, there were the eldest prince, the fifth prince, the chief minister, Prime Minister Rong, Censor Fang, Censor Lin, the Jingzhao prefect who stood on the side of the third prince, and several other ministers.
This group of people figured that today was the day to submit petitions, so they must be waiting here specifically for her, right?
After Yu Jiuer and Jun Mo went in to pay their respects, the emperor asked directly, "You rushed here at this hour. Did you not collect 100,000 names and were afraid to enter the palace?"
Rong Cheng saw that they were late and guessed that they must not have completed the task, so he immediately bowed and asked the emperor:
"Your Majesty, it is not easy to collect 100,000 signatures in 10 days. In the past, petitions only collected 20,000 to 30,000 signatures. This time it is really too difficult for the children. Could Your Majesty please not be too strict with the number of signatures?"
The eldest prince sneered, "Prime Minister Rong, are you getting old and confused? How can the decree issued by the emperor be changed? If she can't collect 100,000 signatures, she should give up the idea of obstructing the emperor from fulfilling the Yinshan Contract!"
Jingzhao Yin chimed in, "Yes! Since you failed to fulfill the emperor's request, you should accept your fate and obey the emperor's orders!"
Yu Jiuer looked at the eldest prince, the fifth prince and Jun Mo's political enemies. They all thought that she had not collected 100,000 signatures, and were smugly drooling, ready to add insult to injury, waiting to see her make a fool of herself.
She sneered and asked the emperor, "Your Majesty, if I really can't collect 100,000 signatures, will you still give Yinshan County a hope?"
Before the emperor could speak, the fifth prince stepped forward and said aggressively, "Sir, don't joke. Do you think your father is joking with you?"
The eldest prince continued, "Yu Wushuang has been missing for ten days. Father did not immediately deal with the people of Yinshan County according to the Yinshan Contract. He was already giving you a chance. It's your own fault that you couldn't even gather the 100,000 quota. Who can you blame?"
Jun Mo cleverly began to set a trap for them, saying in a cold voice: "You mean, if there are 100,000 signatures, you will no longer oppose the emperor's benevolent rule, giving Yinshan County a chance to wait for the birth of a new county magistrate, right?"
The emperor gave Jun Mo a cold look. He actually set a trap for me just for a woman?
White-eyed wolf?
Once the brat said this, he couldn't refute him. Refuting him would be like admitting that he was not lenient and merciful enough to give Yinshan County a chance!
Did they really collect 100,000 signatures?
The Fifth Prince was also a smart man. He had already guessed that they might have collected 100,000 signatures, and Jun Mo was trying to trick the Emperor.
Only the idiot eldest brother is still complacent, thinking he can suppress them in this way.
The fifth prince spoke up before the eldest prince fell into the trap, "Fourth brother, it seems that the emperor only promised to hold the women's special examination if 100,000 signatures were collected. What does this have to do with Yinshan County? Don't confuse us and talk nonsense!"
"Fifth brother, if father agrees to open the imperial examination for women, doesn't it mean that he agrees to give Jiuer the opportunity to take the imperial examination and succeed the Yinshan County Magistrate?" Jun Mo said roguely, "Anyway, I think that's what father means!"
Yu Jiuer and Jun Mo were in sync, and they quickly echoed each other, "I also thought that the emperor meant this! Fifth Prince, please don't misinterpret the emperor's intentions and hinder the emperor from implementing his benevolent policies!"