I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1098 The Great Ceremony Begins!
Prince Fu's honest advice left the square in a deathly silence; everyone had lost the will to watch His Majesty ascend to heaven.

In the end, it was Grand Tutor Lu Zhi who stepped forward to offer some reassurance, but Prince Zifu was determined and roared to the sky.

"Good good!"

"Grand Tutor Lu, you are the Imperial Tutor and a prime minister, a renowned scholar of the realm, yet you fear Su Yao like a tiger! Is the entire court now filled with his private retainers from the Tang Prince's mansion?!"

His words were a scathing critique, practically labeling the entire court as Su Yao's vassals. Many officials' faces immediately darkened, and even some who had previously harbored doubts about Su Yao's rapid rise to power felt that Wang Zifu's words were too extreme and impolite, and they repeatedly voiced their criticism.

Even Wang Ling, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, had already ordered his men to step forward and capture him.

"let me go!"

"You may be afraid of him, but I, Prince Zifu, am not!"

"So what if it's death?!"

"Today I will die to remonstrate with my blood, so that the world may see that there are still people in this court who dare to speak the truth!"

Wang Zifu struggled fiercely, and Wang Ling's face turned ashen with anger. He never expected there to be such a stubborn person.

It should be noted that over the years, due to Su Yao's hands-off approach, the Empress has been in real power. Many ministers, such as Lu Zhi, Zhu Jun, Wang Yun, and Xun Yu, although worried about Su Yao's power, have never been interfered with in government affairs and have benefited greatly from the reforms of the court. Therefore, the chaos that occurred in the early days has not reappeared among high-ranking officials, and the government is in good order and the people are harmonious.

Therefore, the work of the Embroidered Uniform Guard became much easier.

However, as the saying goes, "If the name is not correct, the words will not be proper." Although high-ranking officials had a deep understanding, many mid- and lower-level bureaucrats were either conservative, resentful for not receiving the benefits of Su Yao's western expedition, or simply had ideological differences, and privately harbored complaints about Su Yao's power and the Empress's "indulgence." Prince Fu's roar today, though extremely rude, unexpectedly voiced the unspoken sentiments of these people, causing the situation to reach a stalemate for a moment.

Although Wang Ling enjoyed the trust of Su Yao and the Empress and held command of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he was still faced with the prospect of publicly splattering blood in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple on the behalf of a court official who had vowed to die for his principles and professed loyalty. Regardless of the reason, this would undoubtedly cause a huge uproar and bring unpredictable public pressure to the Tang King and His Majesty. He was hesitant to act rashly, and his subordinates dared not use excessive force for the time being.

The result was that the Empress, who was initially in a great mood and full of joy, flew into a rage.
Empress Wu Zetian was still immersed in the joy of reuniting with her lover after a long separation and the awe of overlooking the country from the clouds. Her ears were filled with the happy blueprint that Su Yao had drawn for her and the pride of the people who shouted "Long live the Emperor!" to her and the Tang King.

But she never expected that when she stepped down from the clouds and landed on the ground, she would hear not the congratulations of the officials, but Wang Zifu’s desperate and desperate remonstrance!

"You are presumptuous!"

On the back of the griffin, the Empress's voice seemed to come from the deepest hell, chilling to the bone, and the blush and smile on her face suddenly disappeared.

"You audacious Prince Fu! On this joyous day, before the Imperial Ancestral Temple, under the clear blue sky, how dare you be so arrogant and disrespectful, slandering my imperial consort and sowing discord between me and the Prince of Tang! Do you still regard me as the emperor? Do you still respect the rites and moral principles of my Great Han Dynasty?!"

Almost immediately, without giving the prince any chance to explain, the empress decisively issued the order:

"Guards, seize this traitor immediately and throw him into the death row. He will be publicly executed in the East Market of Luoyang at noon tomorrow as a warning to others!"

The moment the words "to be executed in accordance with the law" were uttered, the entire audience was horrified! This was the first time the Empress had been so enraged, directly sentencing someone to death without any trial. Without a doubt, this Empress, who had always been known for her benevolence and wisdom, was truly furious.
Wang Ling's spirits lifted, and without further hesitation, he clasped his hands and said sternly, "Your subject obeys the decree!"

Now his henchmen had no more scruples and pounced forward like wolves and tigers, completely subduing the prince and dragging him away.

Prince Fu was forcibly dragged through the crowd. He struggled desperately, his neck turning red from being pressed down, yet he still shouted at the top of his lungs, "Your Majesty, wake up! Killing me won't stop the gossip of the people! As long as Su Yao is not eliminated, the Han Dynasty will remain in turmoil—"

"Sew his mouth shut for me!" Wan Nian clenched his fists, his face turning a frighteningly pale. Wang Ling immediately drew his sword, cut off a section of his sleeve, crumpled it into a ball, and was about to stuff it into Prince Fu's mouth.

Just then, suddenly.
"Wait a minute."

A calm and clear voice rang out, like a spring extinguishing a raging fire.

Su Yao, carrying Wan Nian, leaped down from the griffin's back and stood in front of Wang Ling. He gently patted Wan Nian's hand, his gaze sweeping over the silent officials outside the hall, finally settling on Prince Fu:

"Although this person spoke inappropriately and offended the emperor, he should be severely punished, but executing him directly would be too harsh."

"King Tang?" Wan Nian suddenly turned to look at him, his eyes filled with astonishment. "He publicly slandered you and questioned our marital harmony. If we don't kill him, won't everyone dare to defy their superiors like this in the future?"

"Killing a prince is easy, but silencing public opinion is difficult."

Su Yao smiled slightly, squeezed Wan Nian's hand, stopping her from continuing, and said:
“Today we are presenting prisoners to the ancestral temple and celebrating with the whole world. It is inauspicious to shed blood on such a joyous day. Moreover, since that scoundrel Wang Zifu dared to attack us today, he must have already been prepared to die. If we kill him so easily, wouldn’t that be exactly what he wanted? And it would only make me look bad for not being able to accept advice.”

Wan Nian frowned, still unwilling: "But if he is not severely punished for his insubordination, it is inevitable that some unscrupulous people will follow suit in the future to seek fame and fortune. Where is the dignity of the court then?"

That's right. Su Yao's gaze towards Wan Nian held even more appreciation and tenderness.

This empress is no longer the naive girl she once was. Although she is known for her benevolence in politics, she is by no means indecisive or unaware of the consequences.

“Severe punishment is necessary, but it shouldn’t be just a matter of killing him.”

Su Yao suddenly laughed, turned to look at the assembled civil and military officials, and raised his voice sharply so that everyone could hear him clearly:

"I spent a year on my western campaign, from the Western Regions to the Kushan Empire, and then from the Kushan Empire to Parthia. I beheaded enemy chieftains and accepted surrendered generals, but I never wanted to kill my own people—especially those who considered themselves 'loyal and righteous.' He wanted to 'speak the truth'? Fine, I gave everyone the opportunity to 'speak the truth'; he wanted to 'discuss etiquette and law'? Fine, I let everyone in the world discuss the etiquette and law of the Han Dynasty!"

"The whole world is discussing etiquette and law?" Wang Yun stepped forward, his face full of confusion. "What does the Tang Emperor mean..."

He raised his hand and pointed to Prince Fu, who was being held down on the ground by the imperial guards and was still struggling. His tone was calm but his words were clear: "This man dares to roar in public today. It's not that he's the only one who's bold. There are 'doubts' hidden in the court and among the people. They feel that his achievements overshadow the emperor, that the nine bestowals from the Tang king are not enough, that my command of the western expeditionary army will threaten the imperial power, and that sooner or later the emperor will be deposed and the Han dynasty will be changed. These doubts are like seeds buried in the soil. If they don't sprout today, they will grow from somewhere else tomorrow."

These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples. The officials looked at each other, none daring to respond, but many' eyes betrayed their true thoughts—the Tang Emperor's words were indeed incisive.

Wan Nian hurriedly grabbed Su Yao's arm and said, "Husband! I never meant that! You and I are husband and wife, ruling the world together. Why should we distinguish between each other? I trust you more than anyone else!"

“I know.” Su Yao smiled slightly at her, giving her a reassuring look, then turned to the assembled officials, his tone becoming serious: “That is precisely why we must not kill ministers on a whim. Killing someone is easy, but destroying their hearts is difficult. Killing Prince Fu today may seem like establishing authority, but in reality, it will only bury suspicions deep in people's hearts and cause even greater disasters. This is not the behavior of a wise ruler, nor is it what I, Su Yao, desire.”

He released Wan Nian's hand, took two steps forward, and said with piercing eyes, "Since the problem lies in the word 'status,' then let's discuss this matter of 'status' openly and honestly in broad daylight, and have it clearly discussed and resolved!"

"Discuss?" Wan Nian was puzzled. "How can this matter be discussed?"

"It's very simple," Su Yao said loudly. "From this day forward, set up a 'Discussion Platform' outside the Zhuque Gate in Luoyang. Summon the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, governors of all prefectures and counties, and even respected scholars, merchants, and veterans from the common people to participate. Even the *Great Han Monthly* can publish a special issue with a column, allowing all officials and even scholars and commoners throughout the land to submit their opinions on the topic of 'How should the Tang King's merits be rewarded? How should the Tang King's position be determined?' Should we follow the old system or create new rules? Should we maintain the highest position of the ministers or find another way... Let the people of the world discuss this 'great ceremony'!"

(End of this chapter)