The curtain rises (II)

On the fifth day after the body of the Prince of Zhenbei was transported back to the capital, at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), the sky was pitch black.

Outside the Meridian Gate, candles flickered with orange light from stone lanterns, their glow mingling with the torches held by two rows of imperial guards.

The officials gathered at the Meridian Gate in the cool breeze, silently awaiting the morning court session. Occasionally, familiar officials would whisper and talk amongst themselves, but overall, the atmosphere remained solemn.

The officials seemed to be holding back a surge of anger, swelling yet restrained, waiting for the opportunity to explode.

"Knock knock knock"

As dawn broke, drums sounded from the Meridian Gate tower.

The civil and military officials lined up in unison and entered the palace one by one through the slowly opening gates.

The Golden Palace!

Officials of the fourth rank and above entered the main hall and waited silently for a quarter of an hour before Emperor Yuanjing, dressed in a Daoist robe, finally arrived.

After not seeing him for many days, the emperor, whose hair had turned from white to black, looked somewhat haggard, with puffy eye bags and bloodshot eyes. He fully displayed the image of an elder brother who had lost his younger brother.

The civil officials were taken aback, for they knew that His Majesty valued health and well-being above all else, and since he began practicing Daoism, he had enjoyed good health and a rosy complexion.

I've never seen anyone look so haggard before.

Many people exchanged silent glances, a chill running down their spines.

The old eunuch glanced at Emperor Yuanjing and announced loudly, "If you have something to say, speak now; otherwise, the court is adjourned."

Zheng Xinghuai, the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Chuzhou, strode forward, approached the assembled officials, bowed, and said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, the Prince of Huai, the General of Chuzhou, colluded with the leaders of the Witch God Cult and the Earth Sect to gain a promotion to the second rank for his own selfish gain, and slaughtered 380,000 people in Chuzhou City. Since the Great Feng Dynasty, this atrocity is unprecedented and has aroused the wrath of both Celestial Person and man. We beseech Your Majesty to demote the Prince of Huai to a commoner, and to hang his head on the city wall for three days to mourn the 380,000 wronged souls and proclaim this to the world."

Emperor Yuanjing stared intently at him, his face expressionless.

Surprisingly, facing the emperor, whose silence concealed his anger, Zheng Xinghuai, the provincial governor of Chuzhou, showed no fear and met his gaze head-on.

At this moment, Chief Minister Wang stepped forward and respectfully said:

"The Prince of Huai's actions have angered both Heaven and the people, and the capital is already in an uproar. The people of Chuzhou are known for their fierce and unruly nature. If we cannot give the people an explanation, we fear it will lead to a popular uprising. We beseech Your Majesty to demote the Prince of Huai to a commoner and hang his head on the city wall for three days as a sacrifice to the 380,000 wronged souls of Chuzhou."

In the imperial court, all the officials bowed deeply, their voices booming. "We beg Your Majesty to demote the Prince of Huai to a commoner, and to hang his head on the city wall for three days as a sacrifice to the 380,000 wronged souls of Chuzhou City."

Emperor Yuanjing slowly rose, his face cold, and looked down at the officials in the court.

The muscles in his face twitched slowly, and the veins on his forehead bulged. Suddenly, he violently overturned the large table in front of him.

Clang

The major case tumbled down the steps and crashed heavily before the assembled officials.

Immediately afterwards, the old emperor's heart-wrenching roar echoed through the hall:

"The Prince of Huai is my own brother. What are your intentions in wanting to demote him to a commoner? Do you want me to issue an edict of self-reproach? Do you even respect me? I am grieving the loss of my brother, as if I have lost an arm. You show no compassion, and have been gathering at the palace gates for days on end. Do you intend to force me to my death?!"

The old emperor's face was contorted with rage, his eyes bloodshot, resembling a grief-stricken and helpless old beast.

This left the assembled officials stunned.

Emperor Yuanjing reigned for thirty-seven years. His image as a shrewd and cunning ruler with superb political skills was deeply ingrained in the minds of his officials.

They never imagined that one day this profound emperor would be so grief-stricken.

This demeanor, displayed before the assembled officials, contrasted sharply with their preconceived notions, involuntarily evoked a sense of sorrow.

The arrogance of the courtiers was momentarily dampened.

Before the officials could recover from their shock, Emperor Yuanjing slumped down, his face filled with undisguised sorrow.

"When I was still the Crown Prince, the late Emperor was wary and suspicious of me, and my position was unstable. I was always trembling with fear. It was Prince Huai who silently supported me. This is because we are brothers from the same mother and share a deep bond."

"Back then, Prince Huai wielded the sword of national defense, killing enemies and protecting the territory for the empire. If it weren't for his fearless courage in the Battle of Shanhai Pass, how could the Great Feng prosperous today? You should all be grateful to him."

"After the Battle of Shanhai Pass, Prince Huai was ordered to go north to guard the border for me. In the past ten years, he has returned to the capital very few times. Prince Huai did indeed commit a serious crime, but he has already been brought to justice. Are you all going to condemn even his posthumous name?"

Interrupted so abruptly by Emperor Yuanjing, the courtiers were momentarily at a loss for words, and no one spoke for a long while.

But that's okay, there will always be someone in the hall who is willing to be the vanguard and charge into battle.

The Provincial Governor Zheng loudly proclaimed, "Your Majesty, merits and demerits cannot offset each other. It is a fact that the Prince of Huai has rendered meritorious service over the years, and the court has already rewarded him accordingly. The people love and respect him greatly. Now that he has committed an unforgivable crime, he should naturally be severely punished. Otherwise, it would be Your Majesty bending the law for personal gain."

Emperor Yuanjing roared, "You scoundrel! These past few days you've been jumping around in the capital, slandering the royal family and the princes. I've tolerated you all this time because I remember how diligent you've been all these years, even if you haven't achieved anything great."

"The case of Prince Huai is still pending. As long as it remains unresolved, he is innocent. Your slander of a prince is a capital offense!"

"His Majesty!"

Wang Zhenwen suddenly spoke up, interrupting Emperor Yuanjing's rhythm, and said loudly, "We can discuss the matter of Provincial Governor Zheng later; let's discuss the matter of Prince Huai first."

Emperor Yuanjing gave him a deep look, his gaze sweeping over Wang Zhenwen before pausing for a moment at a certain spot.

As if in response to Emperor Yuanjing, someone immediately stepped forward and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I also have something to report."

The officials looked in the direction of the voice and saw Yao Lin, the Ministry of Rites.

As everyone knows, the Censors are professional trolls, the mad dogs of the court, biting anyone they can get their hands on. At the same time, they are also the instigators of court infighting.

Sure enough, this time it didn't disappoint.

Yao Lin bowed slightly and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I wish to impeach Grand Secretary Wang Zhenwen for instructing the former Ministry of Rites to collude with the Demon Race and destroy Sangbo."

A slight commotion arose inside the hall.

The officials looked at each other with strange expressions. In the past few days, Wang Zhenwen had led his ministers to besiege the palace gates, making him famous and considered the vanguard of "forcing the emperor to his death".

It seems only natural that he would be impeached at this time.

However, objectively speaking, the former Ministry of Rites was indeed a member of Wang's faction, and it's hard to say whether he was acting on the orders of Grand Secretary Wang.

The inside story of the Sangbo case was that the former Ministry of Rites colluded with the Demon Race to blow up Sangbo. The Demon Race's bargaining chip was the corpses of Heng Hui and Princess Pingyang.

Through this tragic couple, the crimes of Liang's faction are exposed.

Essentially, it's a power struggle between factions, with the Demon Race acting as external allies.

Did the Grand Secretary Wang truly know nothing about this? Whether the officials held this question in their hearts or simply accepted it, only they themselves knew.

Next, Yao Lin announced several of Wang Zhenwen's major crimes, such as condoning his subordinates' embezzlement and bribery, and accepting bribes from his subordinates.

Leaving aside the Sangbo case, the subsequent charges against him are indeed undeniable.

Can someone who is incorruptible become the prime minister?

Who would want to work for you?

His Majesty intends to make an example of someone. The officials felt a chill. Although Confucian School has the Dragon-Slaying Technique, there is still an insurmountable chasm between the ruler and his subjects.

Emperor Yuanjing was not a young emperor; on the contrary, he had been overseeing the court for half a century.

The Grand Secretary raised his head and saw Emperor Yuanjing staring at him coldly. Without further hesitation, he said in a deep voice, "Your subject begs to retire."

A fierce glint flashed in Emperor Yuanjing's eyes. Just as he was about to speak, Imperial Censor Zhang Xingying stepped forward, bowed, and said:

"Your Majesty, Chief Minister Wang is corrupt and accepts bribes, bringing disaster to the country and its people. He must not be allowed to live."

Imperial Censor Zhang was one of Wei Yuan's men.

Emperor Yuanjing remained silent for a long time, then glanced at Wei Yuan, who seemed to be in deep meditation, and said calmly, "Prime Minister Wang, you flatter me. Your Excellency has worked diligently and made great contributions to the empire. I trust you."

The balance that Emperor Yuanjing created has now become his greatest constraint.

Anyone else would have been dismissed without a second thought, but not Chief Minister Wang. He is currently the only person in the court who can check and balance Wei Yuan.

Without him, even if Emperor Yuanjing supported another faction to come to power, it wouldn't be enough for Wei Yuan to defeat them all with one hand.

In just a quarter of an hour, the three powerful figures in the imperial court—Emperor Yuanjing, Wei Yuan, and Chief Minister Wang—had already clashed.

Emperor Yuanjing gained a small advantage, suppressing the arrogance of his ministers and intimidating them. Chief Minister Wang and Wei Yuan also benefited, as the topic was brought back to the case of the Prince of Huai's massacre of the city.

"Your Majesty, we beg you to severely punish the Prince of Zhenbei, convict him, and give the people of the world an explanation."

Finally, Wei Yuan stepped forward.

The officials immediately echoed this sentiment, but this time, Emperor Yuanjing glanced around and noticed that a small group of people remained motionless.

A subtle smirk played on his lips. In the imperial court, self-interest ultimately reigned supreme, with personal gain taking precedence over everything else. The earlier act of making an example of someone had already proven worthwhile, as it had only frightened a handful of people.

"Your Majesty, I believe the case of Chuzhou should be carefully considered; we must not hastily convict the Prince of Huai."

The first dissenting voice emerged.

The speaker was Yuan Xiong, the Left Censor-in-Chief.

Emperor Yuanjing frowned, feigning ignorance as he asked, "Why do you say that, Minister Yuan?"

Yuan Xiong suddenly became agitated and shouted, "The Prince of Huai is His Majesty's younger brother and a prince of the Great Feng. This matter concerns the face of the royal family and His Majesty. How can we make a hasty judgment?"

Shameless!

The civil officials cursed inwardly.

This scoundrel previously used the imperial examination fraud case to subtly implicate Wei Yuan, offending the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion and others. After the examination, the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion joined forces with Wei Yuan to impeach Yuan Xiong.

In the end, His Majesty spared this villain, only punishing him with a three-month salary deduction.

Now, he has indeed become His Majesty's weapon, used to retaliate against the entire civil service.

"Your Majesty, Censor Yuan is right."

At this moment, an elderly man, very old and frail, leaning on a cane, stepped forward, his steps faltering.

The old man's hair was silver-white, without a trace of black, and he wore a bright red crown and robe embroidered with a golden five-clawed dragon.

King Li!

The younger brother of the late emperor, and the uncle of Emperor Yuanjing and the Prince of Huai.

"Uncle, what brings you here? Didn't I tell you you didn't need to attend court?" Emperor Yuanjing seemed surprised and ordered, "Quickly, prepare a seat for your uncle."

"If I hadn't come, the reputation of the Great Feng royal family, which has lasted for six hundred years, would have been ruined by you, this unworthy descendant," the old man sneered.

Emperor Yuanjing lowered his head and remained silent, appearing to admit his mistake.

The chair was brought over, and the old man turned it around to face the assembled officials and sat down, letting out another cold snort, "The Great Feng is the Great Feng of all the people under heaven, and even more so the Great Feng of my royal family."

"Emperor Gaozu faced great difficulties in establishing his dynasty, sweeping away the corruption of the previous dynasty and establishing a new one. Emperor Wuzong executed treacherous officials and cleansed the court of corrupt ministers, paying a heavy price in blood and sweat."

"Prince Huai has committed a grave error and deserves to die, but as long as I live, I will not allow you to tarnish the reputation of my royal family."

Zheng Xinghuai's face flushed red, and he said in a deep voice, "Your Old Wang, in the six hundred years Great Feng Dynasty, there have been quite a few monarchs who have issued edicts of self-reproach."

Before he could finish speaking, Prince Li forcefully interrupted him, shouting, "A ruler is a ruler, and a subject is a subject! You are all well-versed in the classics, graduates of the Imperial Academy, have you forgotten the teachings of Sage Cheng?"

The men suddenly felt a chill run down their spines.

If Emperor Yuanjing had said these words, the officials would have been overjoyed and would have all risked their lives to remonstrate with him. To gain fame by stepping on the emperor was the most satisfying thing in the minds of scholars throughout the land.

It was Prince Li who said these words. In his youth, Prince Li was exceptionally talented and a renowned scholar in the capital. In his presence, the other gentlemen could only be considered juniors.

With his status as a prince and a senior scholar overshadowing him, he relied on his seniority, and no one could do anything about it.

The radicals' arrogance has once again been suppressed.

"Alas, Prince Li, please think twice."

Wei Yuan sighed.

King Li straightened his back, his old face etched with deep wrinkles, and looked at Wei Yuan with a sidelong glance:

"Hmph, this eunuch should have been a slave in the palace. If His Majesty hadn't recognized his talent and given him this opportunity, would he have the glory he has today?"

Wei Yuan lowered his head, feigning weakness, and then said:

"If Prince Li were concerned about the reputation of the royal family, he should not have covered up this matter for Prince Huai. Yesterday, three great scholars from the Cloud Deer Academy wanted to come to the capital to denounce His Majesty, but I stopped them from leaving."

"The three great Confucian scholars said that the imperial court can alter history books, but the history books of the Cloud Deer Academy are not under its jurisdiction. Today, the Prince of Zhenbei massacred 380,000 people in Chuzhou City, and in the future, the scholars of the Cloud Deer Academy will remember this event and pass it down to posterity. As for Your Majesty, protecting your younger brother and being guilty of the same crime will also be recorded in the history books in detail."

Emperor Yuanjing's expression changed drastically.

The radicals looked at each other in bewilderment.

This is exactly the kind of thing that scholars from the Cloud Deer Academy would do. Those scholars who follow the Confucian School system are arrogant, conceited, and disdainful of others, but... it's so satisfying!

Prince Li said calmly, "Future generations will only recognize official history; who cares what a little academy's unofficial history says?"

He said this to Emperor Yuanjing, to warn his nephew, who wanted to cultivate Daoism but also loved fame, not to be threatened by Wei Yuan.

Wei Yuan said quietly, "Prince Li has never committed any misdeeds in his life, and he is also extremely learned. He is a model member of the royal family and an exemplar of scholars. He must not let this matter be recorded against him by the Cloud Deer Academy, lest his reputation be tarnished in his later years."

Prince Li's expression changed drastically. He raised his finger, trembling, and pointed it at Wei Yuan, shouting sternly, "Wei Yuan, how dare you threaten me? Do you intend to rebel?!"

The Grand Secretary Wang said calmly, "Since when has offering advice become a threat?"

"You, you all."

King Li trembled with rage, his chest heaving.

Prince Li studied from a young age. Although he was a prince, he always considered himself a scholar. He cared more about "being remembered in history" than ordinary nobles and military generals.

A common flaw among scholars.

Wei Yuan's words indeed made Prince Li deeply wary. The official and unofficial histories he had just mentioned were merely meant to comfort Emperor Yuanjing. Scholars, on the other hand, were more aware of the authority of the Cloud Deer Academy.

The power struggles in the imperial court were a back-and-forth affair, with each side countering the other's moves.

When Emperor Yuanjing saw that Prince Li was no longer speaking, he knew that this move had been neutralized by the "enemy." But it didn't matter; the next move would be the key to securing his victory.

Thinking of this, he glanced at the Duke of Cao in the noble entourage.

The Duke of Cao understood immediately, stepped forward, and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I have something to say."

P. S.: I'd like to ask for monthly votes, but I don't think I've asked for them this month.

Also, the next chapter will be released after midnight today, so I don't recommend waiting. But the regular updates will still be available.