The Trouble with a Loyal Minister

To be honest, the new emperor felt that his ideal court should be like that of the Great Qin Dynasty, with civil and military officials standing on the left and right sides, and then selecting someone to step forward and complete any task.

Ideals and reality are clearly two different things.

Compared to the iron-fisted rule of the Qin Dynasty, the new emperor felt that his court was like a pigsty, with two pigs grunting on the ground at this very moment.

Of course, compared to the infighting between the emperor and his ministers during the reign of Emperor Gaozu, his era had not yet deteriorated to that extent.

But the new emperor was indeed very dissatisfied with this situation.

If it weren't for his recent satisfactory results, he would have slammed his fist on the table and stormed off.

At this moment, he calmly sat on his high seat and waited to see how these two would handle things today.

Did Dou Ying bring fresh pig's blood? Why is she vomiting nonstop?

The new emperor first noticed his own uncle, and seeing that the blood Tian Fen vomited was thin and watery, the new emperor knew that the blood Tian Fen vomited was fake.

Dou Ying vomited blood repeatedly, as if his chest had been constricted for a long time, before he vomited a large amount of blood.

When Dou Ying vomited up all the filth in his stomach, the new emperor realized that the former prime minister wasn't just vomiting pig's blood as a pretense, but was actually vomiting large amounts of blood.

"Save him! Remove the Tongtian from Marquis of Weiqi's body and summon the imperial physician!"

The fact that Tian Fen, whose Technique Method were so poor, could suppress Marquis of Weiqi was even more unbelievable than the new emperor killing the Dao Lord with his sword.

No matter what, Dou Ying was a genuine great cultivator who had experienced the years of war and possessed real achievements.

The new emperor couldn't understand the logic behind how such a true master cultivator could be suppressed to the point of vomiting blood by Tian Fen.

If it were that Tian Fen suppressed a cultivator with Divine Ability with his True Self Realm cultivation, that would be one thing. Dou Ying was Sole Self Realm cultivator, and Tian Fen's realm could not possibly pose a threat to him, Tian Fen could not use much of his strength after being injured.

The new emperor was puzzled, but saving lives was still his top priority.

"Tian... Tian Fen, you traitor, you... you..."

When the Tongtian pressing down on Dou Ying was removed, Dou Ying spoke with some difficulty.

He vehemently criticized Tian Fen, while also striving to learn from his own experience.

"Traitor, you traitor... The late emperor's edict clearly states your origins, you... you are a member of the Immortal Court, Your Majesty... I have the edict to prove it!"

A single family genealogy was not enough to bring down Tian Fen. When Dou Ying coughed up blood, his face was ashen, and he felt that his days were numbered. In his eyes, he saw the possible collapse of the Great Han Dynasty. He then revealed the late emperor's edict that he had hidden in his sleeve.

Upon breaking open the tightly sealed fire clay, a secret report containing various names and backgrounds was revealed.

The new emperor's eyelids twitched suddenly, and he was momentarily puzzled as to why Emperor Jing had entrusted such a secret edict, which should not be circulated, to Dou Ying.

The fact that Emperor Jing entrusted Dou Ying with a secret edict speaks volumes about his loyalty.

But this was a secret edict that should not have been taken out, much less brought out at a court assembly.

Even if we communicate privately, things are easy to discuss.

If the new emperor investigates according to the will, the investigation will lead to the Empress Dowager, which will then implicate his own illegitimate status. If the new emperor does not investigate according to the will, he will be disobeying the late emperor, negating the late emperor's judgment over decades, and thus failing to distinguish between loyalty and treachery.

His previously composed expression, which had been calmly awaiting the end of the farce, turned serious, as he felt caught in a dilemma by Dou Ying's secret edict.

"Read!"

The secret edict was presented in the hall. The new emperor glanced at it and noticed that Dou Ying's copy was almost identical to the one he had received, except for the beginning.

Upon confirming the authenticity of the edict, the new emperor could only have it read aloud by a eunuch.

"I am deeply concerned about the court. Its officials are foolish and ignorant, failing to grasp the faults. Therefore, I hereby appoint Dou Ying as Chancellor to assist in maintaining order and clarity. He must be extremely careful in all matters concerning important issues..."

The eunuch read the beginning, then his eyelids twitched and his lips moved slightly, but he dared not continue. Instead, he secretly glanced at the new emperor.

"Read!"

"There is a woman named Wang Zhi..."

The eunuch reading the text reluctantly read it aloud, reciting it one by one from the many civil and military officials and palace staff during Emperor Jing's reign, causing all the court officials to turn pale.

This secret edict not only involved the Empress Dowager, but also implicated almost all the former high-ranking officials, and even the scandals of the princes, including the Marquis of Pingyang, who rarely appeared in public.

The once mighty court was decimated, with high-ranking officials being wiped out, and many trusted and favored ministers were also implicated. The list of those implicated accounted for nearly 80% of the original court.

"The court must purge the court of corrupt officials, recruit new ministers, and eliminate these double-dealers. They eat the food of our Great Han, yet they betray us and turn against us. This is absolutely unforgivable!" Dou Ying coughed up blood and said, "I am ill and my days are numbered. I do not covet the position of Prime Minister. I only hope that the court is clean and just, so that our Great Han Dynasty can last for a thousand years!"

"This... this... I myself didn't know I had such a background, Marquis of Weiqi, you're slandering me!"

Tian Fen cried out, suddenly realizing that his past friendship with Dou Ying had been strained in recent years.

He originally thought that Dou Ying was jealous because of his promotion to prime minister, but he did not expect that he was involved in Emperor Jing's edict, which made Dou Ying hostile.

But Tian Fen had no idea that he had such a powerful backer. If he did, why would he have had to rely on others and fawn over them so many years ago?

"You Immortal Court people are masters of disguise. You deceived us with your diligent efforts. If His Majesty hadn't pointed it out, I wouldn't have known your true colors!"

Dou Ying made a firm decision, feeling that now was a good opportunity to strike at these traitors.

Although he was ill, he was well aware that the Empress Dowager had suffered a severe blow, and Tian Fen was also seriously ill.

The two leaders were removed, and many senior officials either died or grew old.

Dou Ying believed that if the killings were swift and decisive, the court could be effectively reformed.

He loudly advised the new emperor to act swiftly and decisively, and insisted that these people not be allowed to feign innocence and get away with it.

"What Marquis of Weiqi said may not be unreasonable. I am about to announce to the world that the court needs to recruit officials, and anyone with ability will surely be given an important position!"

The new emperor nodded in agreement, but he avoided mentioning Dou Ying's suggestion to purge the remaining rebels.

This purge will eventually reach the Empress Dowager; if the Empress Dowager falls, Tian Fen will fall too.

In the matter of the Empress Dowager, Emperor Jing undoubtedly made a misjudgment. His judgment of her identity was correct, but Emperor Jing did not expect that the Empress Dowager was also being controlled, and then breaking free from that control.

The Empress Dowager had also been tested in the Battle of Mayi, and the new emperor had no doubts about her.

An even bigger problem is that the Empress Dowager's status is illegitimate, which could lead to controversy over the new emperor's legitimacy.

If any feudal lord, relying on his legitimacy, stirs up trouble and causes division among those who uphold the orthodox faction, it will lead to problems that are difficult to manage.

The new emperor nearly ground his teeth to powder, feeling that his loyal minister Dou Ying had created a huge problem for him.

Loyalty from a subject is a good thing, but the new emperor realized that too much loyalty is not necessarily a good thing. The destruction caused by Dou Ying, who had remained loyal for more than ten years, was unbearable for him.