What happened behind the scenes?

New Emperor announced that funeral will be held for 27 days and mourning period will be observed for a year.

Then we were shooed away. Thankfully.

People were disgruntled, but nobody made any moves for now.

Edict was already read.

Officials who were in Prime minister's cohort would support him, so it was better for them to go away and plan for the latter.

Because Emperor's death was really sudden and caught everyone unprepared.

I looked a few more times at young Emperor and then stuck close to my aunt. We went back hurriedly to her courtyard.

"Auntie, who was that? I never saw him before" I asked my aunt with a sweet voice.

She frowned.

I saw this also struck her unprepared.

"Ah, he's tenth prince, Jiang Qingyuan. He is only seventeen years old this year. His mother was Xiuyi Su, but she died when he was five. He was put under Consort De, but she didn't really care about him because she had a son and daughter already" she started narrating.

Oh no, an info dump~

This is the worst.

I really didn't care that much about him. I was more interested why Empress was looking like girl in love when she was staring at him.

All I could remember was that young Empress was barely eighteen years old. She directly married in two years ago after last Empress died. She comes from ducal family. Yang family. They were in powerful positions across all six ministries.

And empress's father was Prime minister.

So no wonder why she could become new empress.

But why would they choose to support tenth prince?

You can't lie to me that deceased emperor really choose him. I ain't stupid.

He barely has any accomplishments.

Past emperor would probably choose third prince, fifth prince or ninth prince.

Third prince was working in Ministry of Revenue. He also successfully finished his task in Min province when flood happened there. Also, he is son of the former empress.

Fifth prince works in Ministry of Justice. He is very good at solving cases. Common people love him. His mother is Consort Xian.

Ninth prince went to the battlefield when he was fifteen. He's now accomplished general. His mother is Consort De.

Yes, the one under whom was our new emperor put in care as a child.

Even if we exclude those three, there also more prominent princes.

Yes, there are few wastrels, but most them are unparalleled jade gentlemen.

Maybe because new emperor is unmarried and young empress had an eye on him?

Even though she basically became Empress Dowager now. Ah, a scandal!

"Anyway, even though emperor passed away, I can still stay in palace and be titled as Dowager Consort, but what will we do with you? I hope you won't be sent to guard deceased emperor's tomb" my aunt's voice snapped me away from scouring my memories.

What?

Me, guard the tomb?

No way.

What a garbage luck.

Can someone spirit me away from here?

Waiting for the brave heroes~