I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1099 Public Sensation
"what?!"

"Grand meeting ceremony?!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhi, Wang Yun, and the others' pupils constricted sharply. They instantly understood Su Yao's intention—he was going to completely expose and publicize the power struggle that might have been hidden beneath the surface! This move was extremely risky and could easily trigger turmoil in the court, but if handled properly, it could also be an excellent opportunity to completely resolve the issue of legitimacy and lay the foundation for an everlasting dynasty!

Seeing the astonished expressions on everyone's faces, Su Yao's lips curled into a meaningful smile: "Of course, there must be boundaries to discussion. We can discuss rewards and honors, we can discuss etiquette and law, but if anyone takes this opportunity to incite rebellion, slander His Majesty, or sow discord between my husband and me, the ruler and his subjects..." His tone suddenly turned cold, and his gaze swept over the restrained Prince Fu, "then the law of the land will be merciless!"

This demonstrates both tolerance and sets a red line.

Then, his tone softened, filled with unwavering confidence: "As for my intentions? I might as well tell you in advance. I have no intention of overthrowing the Han and replacing it; Your Majesty will always be the Emperor of the Great Han. However, the merits I have made in pacifying the four seas and pacifying the eight wastelands are beyond what ordinary ministerial titles can reward. Parthia, Kushan and other places regard me as the 'King of Kings,' which is also due to the circumstances of the times."

"As for those who wish to eliminate me, I advise you to abandon that idea as soon as possible, because..."

Then, Su Yao paused for a moment, took Wan Nian's hand with one hand, and gently stuck the golden pestle into the ground with the other. Lightning flashed, and golden light surrounded the two of them: "You don't have that ability!"

Before he finished speaking, Su Yao had already transformed into lightning, and in the blink of an eye, he carried the Empress onto the griffin. Golden light pierced the clear sky and disappeared without a trace.

"Miracle, miracle!"

"What should I do?"

"Where did he take His Majesty?"

After Su Yao left, chaos erupted in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Everyone was stunned by this earth-shattering turn of events. The assembled officials gazed up at the empty blue sky, remaining silent for a long while.

Wang Yun was the first to react, staggering a few steps, his voice trembling: "Quick! Send people to search! If anything happens to His Majesty..."

"Your Highness, please calm down." Although Lu Zhi's expression was solemn, he remained calm. "Although the Tang King's actions are unpredictable, he would never harm His Majesty. His lightning-fast escape just now was beyond human capability. I'm afraid the Tang King has once again obtained some kind of divine favor."

These words reminded everyone of the terrifying scene of Su Yao summoning heavenly lightning and transforming into bolts of lightning, filling them with both awe and fear.

Zhou Zhong wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and muttered, "This...this is no longer a matter of merit overshadowing the master. The Tang King's methods are simply divine..."

The once impassioned Prince Fu now collapsed to the ground, his face ashen. He finally understood that he was facing no ordinary power, but a being akin to a myth. His insistence on "death to prove his innocence" seemed utterly laughable in the face of absolute power.

Wang Ling looked at the distraught Prince Fu and snorted coldly: "Take him away and imprison him temporarily as ordered by the Tang King."

Thus, the storm has temporarily subsided, but an even bigger wave is brewing.

After Su Yao and the Empress of Ten Thousand Years escaped in Griffin, the commotion in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple subsided temporarily, but the three words "Great Rites Controversy" ignited the entire city of Luoyang like sparks thrown into a pot of oil.

The following morning, a three-zhang-high white marble platform for deliberation had been erected outside the Zhuque Gate. Two brocades, each about ten zhang long, hung on either side of the platform. The left inscription read "On the Merits of the Tang Emperor's Western Expedition," and the right inscription read "Establishing the Position of Ruler of All Nations." Imperial guards stood on both sides with writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Anyone who had a suggestion, regardless of rank or social status, could step forward and write down their opinions. These opinions were then copied by scholars of the Hanlin Academy and posted on the "Suggestion Wall" behind the platform.

In less than half a day, the white wall, which was ten feet wide and three feet long, was covered with dense writing, and even the corners of the wall were squeezed with the four characters "Long Live the Tang Emperor" written by children in charcoal.

As for the newsroom of the "Great Han Monthly," it was so crowded with people seeking the news that the staff were constantly on the go.

"Oh my God!"

"Editor-in-chief, that was a full three thousand copies! They were all snapped up in less than a morning!"

The editor-in-chief wiped the sweat from his brow and yelled at the staff, "Quick! Print another five thousand copies! Use the fastest movable type!" "Five thousand copies?!"

The man was startled when he heard this.

It should be noted that the Han Dynasty now has more than 1,200 counties and cities. In the past, they printed 3,000 copies of their monthly magazine. Apart from distributing them to various departments of the court and to the prefectures and counties throughout the country for posting notices, this was more than enough to meet the needs of the capital.

In fact, aside from the initial printings due to novelty, when there were no major issues, they would often leave a hundred or so copies left over for people to give away.

Today's scene has truly surprised everyone.

Early in the morning, as soon as the three thousand copies of the newspaper were set up, they were snatched up by merchants from the Western Regions, scholars, and even eunuchs from the palace. A Sogdian merchant from the Western Regions threw down ten gold coins to grab the last copy, which startled the newspaper shop assistant so much that his hands trembled.

"What do you know?!"

The editor-in-chief slammed his hand on the table, his face beaming with excitement:

"This is a once-in-a-millennium event! His Highness the Tang King has personally promised to allow the people of the world to discuss his merits and rewards, and to determine his rank and position! What a grand gesture! What an unprecedented event! Let alone five thousand copies, I think even printing ten thousand copies might not be enough to sell! Hurry, hurry!"

"This"

The shop assistant said with a bitter face, "We're already doing our best, but even if we have enough movable type, we're afraid we won't have enough paper."

This was also thanks to Su Yao's promotion and popularization of printing and papermaking over the past two years, which allowed the Da Han Monthly to receive a special allocation of resources and the best printing workshops to publish the newspaper.

Su Yao knew very well that only the development of the news and publishing industry could drive the demand for higher-level printing. Otherwise, for printing ordinary textbooks and regular books and periodicals, woodblock printing would obviously be more cost-effective.

This time, starting with the "Great Rites Controversy," the publishing industry, which had stagnated due to low demand, suddenly experienced an explosive growth. The staff frantically searched for their remaining paper, only to find it was already empty.

"Go! Contact all government-run and private paper mills in Luoyang and issue an emergency requisition request!" The editor-in-chief was stamping his feet in frustration. "Tell them we want as much paper as we have, and double the price!"

Just then, an unexpected figure appeared at the door of the newsroom—Wang Ling, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, led a team of imperial guards, escorting more than a dozen carriages loaded with papers.

"By imperial decree of the Tang Emperor," Wang Ling announced loudly, "three thousand reams of imperial Xuan paper from the official granary are hereby allocated to aid the publication of the special issue on etiquette in the *Great Han Monthly*!"

Upon hearing this, the editor-in-chief was so moved he almost knelt down: "This humble official kowtows to thank the Emperor for his grace!"

Wang Ling added meaningfully, "The Tang Emperor also said that every suggestion must be published truthfully, regardless of praise or criticism. But if anyone uses this opportunity to slander the court or incite rebellion..." He patted the embroidered spring knife at his waist, "The Embroidered Uniform Guard will handle it."

The editor-in-chief nodded repeatedly: "Understood! Understood! I will certainly keep a strict eye on it!"

With the arrival of the new paper, the printing presses in the newspaper office roared to life once more. The crisp sound of movable type striking against each other filled the air, and the scent of ink permeated the entire courtyard. Workers worked in three shifts, day and night, to print this special issue that was destined to be recorded in history, which would then be transported to all parts of the country via the newly renovated road.

Every three days, a special issue of "Great Etiquette Discussion" would be reprinted, containing advice from high-ranking officials, celebrities, and eccentric figures from the streets.

In the latest special issue, besides the summary of suggestions from the Council of Rites, the most eye-catching piece is the second major article, "On the King of Kings and the Legitimacy of the Han Dynasty," written by Yuan Benchu, the head of the Yuan family, who had served as high-ranking officials for four generations.

(End of this chapter)