These words stunned everyone present.
The Crown Princess wanted to pray for rain.
Praying for rain was not unfamiliar to the people of Great Zhou.
In Great Zhou, the imperial family or local officials held rain-praying activities every year.
Local officials presided over rain prayers in their areas, common people organized spontaneous prayers, and the court dispatched officials to pray for rain on imperial orders.
Praying for bountiful rain for all crops was one of the important duties of local officials, tied to their performance evaluations. Numerous officials had lost their lives due to rain prayers, such as those who died from heatstroke under the scorching sun, those who worked themselves to death, and those who died from worry after failing to bring rain… The list went on and on.
The central court’s rain prayers were even more solemn.
There were routine rain prayers organized by the Ministry of Rites, temporary prayers led by high-ranking officials, and the Yu Sacrifice held by the imperial family every spring and summer.
In times of severe drought, it was common for the Emperor himself to pray for rain, or for the heir apparent to do so.
However, Emperor Jingming had rarely done this in recent years.
The reason was simple: failing to bring rain would be embarrassing.
He usually delegated this glorious yet arduous task to court officials. After all, if a minister failed, he could reprimand them and choose another.
As for when the rain would fall, well… With enough people praying, someone was bound to get lucky. When that happened, promotions and rewards would naturally follow…
But regardless, it was unheard of for a Crown Princess to step forward to pray for rain!
The Minister of Rites, having regained his senses, jumped up even more excitedly than the kicked Minister of Personnel: “Your Majesty, for the Crown Princess, as a woman, to pray for rain is disrespectful to the spirits. This absolutely cannot be allowed!”
The Ministry of Rites had just held a rain prayer ceremony, and Zhang Langzhong from the Sacrificial Office was still resting at home after suffering from heatstroke. Was the Crown Princess trying to steal the Ministry’s job?
No, he wasn’t being narrow-minded about the Crown Princess stealing their job. It was about preventing Great Zhou from becoming the laughingstock of the world!
The more the Minister of Rites thought about it, the straighter his back became, his face full of righteous indignation.
The other ministers chimed in: “Minister Chang speaks wisely. Your Majesty, please consider!”
Emperor Jingming looked at Jiang Si, his eyes flickering.
The ministers didn’t know, but he did—his seventh son’s wife was no ordinary woman. She had never made a mistake before. What if she really could bring rain?
Jiang Si knelt, her tone calm: “Father Emperor, your daughter-in-law believes that successfully praying for rain is most important, not whether the person praying is a woman or not.”
“But there has never been a precedent for a woman to represent the court in praying for rain!” the Minister of Rites exclaimed, his beard quivering.
“I represent the imperial family, not the court,” Jiang Si replied.
Minister Gu shouted, “With the Crown Prince present, how can the Crown Princess step forward?”
Yu Jin coolly interjected, “I am not skilled at praying for rain.”
Reason doesn’t lie in a loud voice. Why was this old man shouting? For mystical matters like praying for rain, of course, whoever was skilled should do it.
Minister Gu was left speechless by Yu Jin, glaring at him with bulging eyes and trembling lips.
“Extreme drought brings locusts, extreme drought brings floods. If other disasters follow this long drought, the people will suffer unbearably, unable to sustain their lives. Father Emperor, your daughter-in-law has heard that both the court and local officials have failed multiple times in praying for rain. Why not let your daughter-in-law try? Isn’t favorable weather and the people’s well-being more important than whether your daughter-in-law is a woman or not?”
Emperor Jingming felt a slight stirring in his heart and asked, “Are you confident?”
Yu Jin couldn’t help but cough once.
Although he believed that A Si wouldn’t have proposed this without confidence, one shouldn’t speak too boldly.
Emperor Jingming glared at Yu Jin: “Silence!”
Yu Jin secretly rolled his eyes.
A Si had said so much without issue, yet he couldn’t even cough once?
“Praying for rain depends on sincerity of heart. Your daughter-in-law can only pray with all her might. As for whether rain falls, that depends on whether Heaven takes pity on the suffering people,” Jiang Si replied.
Emperor Jingming couldn’t help but stroke his beard.
His seventh son’s wife had found an excellent reason.
He had punished a string of officials who failed to bring rain because their hearts were not sincere.
He didn’t want to, but emperors throughout history had done so. Did they expect him to come up with new charges?
After a moment’s thought, Emperor Jingming slowly spoke: “If that’s the case, let the Crown Princess represent the imperial family in performing the Great Yu Sacrifice.”
The Yu Sacrifice was divided into Yu and Great Yu. The Great Yu was a grand ceremony of worshipping Heaven, only performed during severe droughts, and was extremely solemn and grand.
In other words, if Jiang Si represented the imperial family and the Emperor in presiding over the Great Yu Sacrifice, and successfully prayed for rain, the Crown Princess’s position would be unshakeable.
Who would dare question a Crown Princess acknowledged by the Heavenly Emperor?
The ministers were shocked: “Your Majesty, this absolutely cannot be allowed!”
Emperor Jingming looked around at the group of ministers and said calmly, “We have made our decision.”
“Your Majesty—”
Emperor Jingming waved his hand: “If the Crown Princess succeeds in praying for rain, it will be an act of virtue benefiting all people. If she fails—”
Emperor Jingming’s gaze shifted to Jiang Si, and he said coolly, “Then as Minister Gu suggested, we will demote the Crown Princess to a secondary consort and appoint a new Crown Princess!”
Everything has its limits. If his seventh son’s wife barged in like this and made such bold claims, he certainly couldn’t protect her if she failed.