The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 350 Regent (End)

Shi Yao was unable to refute after all. She seemed to finally understand that Xiao Yan might have never thought of compromising with the Marshal from the beginning to the end. It was like this back then and it was even more so now.

Moreover, Shi Yao had to admit that Xiao Yan was no longer the young man who needed to borrow the name of Tian'an Star to dispatch the bad guys a few years ago. Now, he has grown into a fully-fledged person and has completely gotten rid of the shackles that the Marshal has always wanted to put on him.

Even if Xiao Yan didn't have the identity of Tian Anxing, there would still be countless Bad People willing to serve him and fight for him. Just like the Great Marshal to the Bad People, Xiao Yan today is enough to split the Bad People in half with his personal charm and reputation.

Just as Xiao Yan said that day, he wanted to let all the bad people in the world see what would be different about them in his hands.

For three hundred years, when Xiao Yan overthrew the Liang Dynasty, there was a mountain higher than the Marshal.

After a hundred years of ups and downs, several generations of silent waiting, thirty years of perseverance and dormancy, the depression that had accumulated for nearly a hundred years in The Bad People was finally cleared away by Xiao Yan in one day.

Regardless of whether Shi Yao is willing to admit it or not, after today, all the bad guys in the world will focus their attention on Xiao Yan again.

"I will give the Bad People a new choice and a brand new way forward."

Before Xiao Yan left, he only left her this sentence: "If possible, I hope to meet the bad guys hiding in Xuanming Sect before letting Tianyouxing leave.

For me, now that it has come to this, no matter if you say I killed someone by mistake or if you say I am cold-blooded, I will not give you the opportunity to continue to infiltrate the Xuanming Sect. From now on, the Xuanming Sect will no longer exist."

Shi Yao was stunned for a long time, watching Xiao Yan's figure disappear in the distance. He was clearly accompanied by bad guys and armored cavalry, but he was alone in front, as if he was the only one.

------

The sun finally rose slowly in the east and fully revealed itself. The blazing morning sun spread over the imperial city, creating a sense of tranquil beauty.

This incident involved tens of thousands of people. It was inevitable that smoke and fire were everywhere outside the imperial city, and the streets were filled with corpses of the chaotic army. However, because Xiao Yan first controlled the Suzaku Gate of the imperial city, it did not cause the palace maids to be scattered and countless royal families to be crushed into dust.

In the imperial city, both the buildings and the people were generally safe, so they stayed at home to avoid the chaos at night. At this time, the ministers who were summoned slowly entered through the Suzaku Gate one after another, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.

If it weren't for the so-called Royalist Army, which was said to be composed of corvée laborers, temporarily stationed at the foot of Suzaku Gate, just looking at this imperial city, it seemed to still be the same as before, peaceful and prosperous, and still inhabited by the increasingly tyrannical Emperor Zhu Wen.

But if you look closely, you can still see what kind of changes the riot last night that swept across almost all the generals has brought to the central imperial city of Daliang.

Outside the Daxiangguo Temple, which was once bustling with activity, there was now a desolate scene. All shops were closed and no pedestrians were allowed on the streets. Not to mention the various government offices that usually kept busy in the imperial city, there was not even a ghost in sight. Except for teams of powerful armored cavalry roaming around for patrols, this imperial city, which housed all the central administrative agencies of Daliang, was as quiet as a ghost town.

There were crowds of people in front, behind, left and right of Anle Pavilion. They were countless eunuchs and palace maids busy at work. Such a large entertainment venue had an eerie atmosphere today. Many of Prince Bo's old party members who had been captured here a long time ago were gathered together waiting with dusty faces. However, they were all wearing official robes and did not look like prisoners.

At this moment, the only people who could move around freely in the imperial city were rows of armored cavalrymen speaking with a Hebei accent. However, unlike at night, the soldiers patrolling the imperial city were no longer those soldiers covered in heavy armor. Wearing hundreds of kilograms of armor all night would tire the horses to death, so they were all wearing light armor and riding light horses.

Everyone was envious, and no one knew where Xiao Yan got so many cavalrymen.

Every general and soldier of Dingba was equipped with a war horse. Although they had not rested for a night and were exhausted as if they were about to fall apart, everyone was extremely excited. Even every general and soldier from Hebei seemed to be somewhat excited.

This is the richest place in the Central Plains. This is the imperial city of Daliang. When I lived in Hebei and worked for Liu's father and son, how could I have imagined that I would be where I am today? It is even more impossible for me to have the extravagant idea of ​​riding a horse freely in this imperial city.

But all of this happened right before their eyes today. The ruler and his ministers of Daliang all bowed down at General Xiao's feet. The entire country trembled because of General Xiao and became silent and docile like a sheep.

This is Xiao Shuai, and only Xiao Shuai, only the invincible Xiao Shuai can lead them to win all this.

Although the status of military men was already extremely high nowadays, seeing countless high-ranking officials lining up in the corner and being respectful to their Commander Xiao, how could these Hebei officers and soldiers, who had rushed thousands of miles from Hebei to Bianliang, not be proud and stand up straighter?

The strongest army in the world is the one under General Xiao!

Precisely because of this belief, Ding Badu and Guide's army fought even more bravely, obeyed the orders very strictly, and had already issued military orders that prohibited them from harassing the civilians, killing people without authorization, robbing people by trickery, or destroying property. Both armies strictly followed these orders.

It's not that no one has greed, but the superiors have already told the troops that Xiao Shuai has the final say in the entire Daliang. What does this little money mean? In the future, I will follow Xiao Shuai to conquer Jin State and take over Jiangnan. Are you afraid of not being rich?
If we don't obey military orders now, how can we, the Hebei people, intimidate the millions of elite soldiers under General Xiao's command in the future? And how can we continue to let General Xiao rely on us?

If the world saw that the Hebei generals under Xiao Shuai were just bandits who disobeyed military orders and bullied the people, where would Xiao Shuai put his face? Where would we put our Hebei faces? If that was the case, we should pack up and go back to Hebei to deal with the grassland people.

Of course, the premise of all this is that Xiao Yan has always kept his promise, and the rewards and military supplies have never been lacking, which is why the Second Army has maintained strict military discipline.

Only by making the soldiers under his command abide by military discipline can he talk about controlling the court.

Fortunately, the Hebei Second Army did not disappoint Xiao Yan, and the money spent in the past two years was worth it after all.

Anle Pavilion had long been heavily guarded, with a sentry every five steps and a guard post every three steps. After Xiao Yan returned here, messengers began to run in and out continuously, announcing to the whole city that Zhu Wen was going to abdicate the throne to Zhu Youzhen in Anle Pavilion. This way, it could be considered legitimate.

In a study room in the backyard, Xiao Yan was stretching out his arms and legs, and Miao Chengtian was helping him change his armor, put on a large purple official robe, and a black gauze hat. He stood in front of the bronze mirror, looking at the handsome face of the young man in it. Although the figure in the mirror still had the same jade-like demeanor, there seemed to be something different.

"The General has really changed."

Beside him, Xuan Jingtian tightened Xiao Yan's belt, took two steps back, and said with emotion.

Xiao Yan stroked his clean chin, looked at Miao Chengtian with amusement, who was also dignified and laughing beside him, and said, "Does Saint Miao Cheng also think that I am different from the past?"

Miao Chengtian covered her mouth and chuckled, then shook her head: "At this time and in this situation, I would like to see some of the childishness on the face of the young man in Caozhou on that snowy night in the general, but no matter how hard I try, I can't find it."

Xiao Yan laughed, then thought for a moment and said, "I remember that I had some intrigues with the two ladies in Caozhou."

Miao Chengtian and Xuan Jingtian could not hide their smiles, especially Xuan Jingtian. Her personality was not as restrained as Miao Chengtian, and she was simply laughing out loud at the moment. When talking about these things, she no longer had the anger she had felt when Xiao Yan schemed against her, but only nostalgia.

"You two have helped me all these years, and I have benefited a lot." Xiao Yan was silent for a moment, as if thinking about many past events, but soon walked to the table, took out a token from a small box inside, handed it to Miao Chengtian, and said to the two: "I will give the Daliang financial affairs to someone I can trust."

The two sisters were somewhat moved. Miao Chengtian wanted to say something, but Xiao Yan had already smiled and waved his hand, walked out of the room, and said, "I just hope the two ladies won't complain."

The two girls fell silent and smiled as they watched Xiao Yan walk towards the front hall surrounded by Han Yanhui and others.

"How many men like Xiao Lang are there in the world?" Xuan Jingtian said foolishly.

Miao Chengtian suddenly found it funny, holding the token tightly, and said mockingly: "You are not going to call me general now?"

Xuan Jingtian rolled his eyes and said angrily: "If you hadn't hesitated back then, you and I would have climbed into Xiao Lang's bed a long time ago, okay? How dare you laugh at me now?"

As she said this, she became a little angry and gritted her teeth to grab Miao Chengtian. Of course, the latter would not let her do as she wished and dodged away with a smile. The two sisters laughed together, and the depression they had felt for the past few days finally eased at this moment.

------

The lobby in the front building of Anle Pavilion had long been emptied of its furnishings, making it less of an entertainment venue. However, the ministers were now lined up on the left and right according to their shifts, which still felt a little weird.

Zhu Wen was dressed neatly and had his beard trimmed. Ding Zhaopu had given him some elixir beforehand, so he was not as listless as he had been at night. Now, seeing his ministers treating him respectfully, he seemed to have returned to the time when he held all the power in his hands, and he was still a king who ruled half of the country and controlled the lives and deaths of millions of people.

But when he looked more closely, he saw that many faces were missing among the ministers. His adopted son Zhu Youwen, who had been standing in the forefront all these years, was nowhere to be seen anymore. The one who replaced him was Xiao Yan, whose figure was as handsome as a sword.

The man had an indifferent expression on his face, with his back to the ministers. He stood alone below Zhu Wen, and no one knew what he was thinking. Behind him, the ministers were even more silent, without a sound.

Zhu Wen suddenly withdrew his gaze as if he was pricked by a needle, and finally came back to reality. He felt angry and cold in his heart. He glanced behind Xiao Yan and fell on Jing Xiang who had a wooden face. However, he found that Jing Xiang, the person he trusted the most and who understood his thoughts the best, was just looking at the floor, also at a loss as to what to think.

Zhu Wen finally became discouraged. Ever since Liu Xun was taken away by Xiao Yan, he had no one around him to discuss things with. This made him think of Tang Zhaozong Li Ye.

At that time in Luoyang, he made Tang Zhaozong have no confidants around him. Even the palace maids were arranged by Zhu Wen. But even before his death, Tang Zhaozong still had two concubines to protect him. But he, the great Zhu Wen, didn't even have a woman to talk to for several hours!

Xiao Yan is such a vicious villain!

Zhu Wen was furious and wanted to say something to the ministers, but when he saw the soldiers in armor all around the hall and thought about his burning face, he swallowed and said silently: "My lords, are you all right?"

All the ministers were silent, and no one was the first to speak. The Minister of Revenue Zhang Wenwei shrank behind Jing Xiang, and just stared carefully at Xiao Yan's back who was standing alone in the front, and he didn't even react in his heart.

How come the Marquis of Guanjun, who was chatting and laughing with him not long ago and was ostracized by the Ghost King a few days ago, became a powerful official who no one dared to disobey in the court overnight?
He stayed in the yard with his children and grandchildren last night. When he received the news of the summons this morning, he was shocked to pieces.

In fact, almost all the officials who had not personally experienced the turmoil at night did not dare to accept this fact. However, seeing that the huge Bo Wang party was just afraid of Xiao Yan, and the so-called ghost king didn't even know where his body was, they dared not show it even if they had big ideas. Xiao Yan was a warrior after all...

There was silence in the hall for a moment, and many people turned their eyes secretly to Jing Xiang.

It was Zhu Wen, and the first person to see him was Jing Xiang.

But Jing Xiang just stared at the ground from beginning to end, remaining silent.

"How dare we, your Majesty, worry about you." Xiao Yan walked out slowly in front and said calmly, "During the turmoil at night, we were unable to protect you in time. It is a great sin to let the chaotic army disturb your Majesty. I am ashamed to have the face to meet your Majesty today. I just hope your Majesty is in good health."

Xiao Yan spoke at the right time, and Jing Xiang stepped out to pay his respects: "I just hope Your Majesty is in good health."

The ministers were stunned for a moment, and then looking at Xiao Yan's back, they dared not hesitate any more, and immediately bowed and recited again.

Zhu Wen couldn't help but tremble as he stared at Jing Xiang who was bowing his head. He couldn't believe that Jing Xiang would actually betray him.

According to what he thought, Jing Xiang was temporarily unable to resist Xiao Yan, so he should keep his distance and reject Xiao Yan. However, the reality gave Zhu Wen a hard slap in the face.

This slap was even more excessive than the one Xiao Yan had given him before!

Zhu Wen felt his breath was heavy and he really wanted to stand up and shout, asking people to drag Xiao Yan and Jing Xiang, the two bastards, out and hack them to death. But when he saw Xiao Yan bowing and refusing to stand up, and the ministers also refused to stand up, he immediately returned to reality. He froze for a while before he uttered a dry voice.

"What crime have you committed? The chaos last night was caused by my two rebellious sons, Prince Bo and Prince Ying. I have not investigated them over the years and have caused such chaos. The people are guilty, but the fault lies with me..."

Zhu Wen had great difficulty in saying this. Many officials secretly looked up at Zhu Wen, who was choking a little. But after seeing Xiao Yan's sword-like figure remained unmoved, they lowered their heads again.

Jing Xiang looked like a wooden sculpture from beginning to end, with a wooden face as if he was lifeless.

Zhu Wen was completely desperate, but he continued to speak with sobs: "Last night in front of the army, I knew that I was not virtuous, so I issued an edict to abdicate to Prince Jun Zhu Youzhen, and let him govern the country on my behalf to calm the people of the world. From now on, you should treat the new emperor as you treat me, and do your best for our country... I will concentrate on practicing immortal arts and pray for the blessing of Daliang, and this is my remorse."

Damn it, as soon as he finished saying this, Zhu Wen felt his mind go blank and he had an urge to cry bitterly. The hatred in his heart was more than just resentment.

But even if I don't tell anyone, what can I do? Xiao Yan, this thief, might really want me to die on the spot today, and Zhu Youzhen, that rebellious son, is the biggest beneficiary, and might even help Xiao Yan, this thief, to cover up a little!
God have mercy on me, what crime have I committed to deserve raising such an ungrateful person like Xiao Yan!

On the other side of the hall, Zhu Youzhen, who was separated by a curtain, heard this and his breathing suddenly became heavier. The crown and robes on his body were pressed down, and he felt the blood rushing straight to his brain with excitement. As for his mind, there was only one thought.

I really am the emperor!

Now that his father had personally announced the abdication in front of all the ministers, it was completely confirmed. He then issued an edict to the country and abroad, announcing to the world that the only thing missing was a change of the reign title, and then he would be the upright and true emperor of Daliang!

All the ministers were silent for a moment, and all looked at Xiao Yan quietly.

Some old officials who had followed Zhu Wen since he started his rebellion seemed to be reluctant and were ready to make a move, but when they looked around, they saw that even several generals of the imperial guards and even Zhu Wen's nephew Yuan Xiangxian did not make any moves, so they calmed down again.

In this era, no one seeks fame. Such things are very rare. Even the mutual switching of allegiance between two countries is extremely common, let alone the change of a new dynasty?
As long as the throne is still inherited within the Zhu family, Xiao Yan wants to maintain the dignity of the central government. In this case, why would he go and seek death?

Zhu Wen sat at the top and choked for a long time, but seeing that no one paid attention to him, he clenched his fists immediately, but stared and looked around, but no one dared to look at him.

In his early years, Zhu Wen was eager to seek talented people and cherished them very much. However, as his throne became more stable and he grew older, he became very harsh to his ministers, especially to the meritorious officials who held military power. He was very suspicious of them. He persecuted many people in recent years and indeed lost some people's hearts. Now he wants to ask for help from his ministers to keep his throne, but he is afraid that it will be difficult.

As countless people quietly watched, Xiao Yan finally walked out again slowly, crossed his arms and bowed, saying: "The Emperor Taishang founded Daliang in the past under the mandate of heaven. He was a holy monarch to the country. During the Liang Dynasty, the monarch and his subjects worked together and conquered the world. This was all the work of the Emperor Taishang. However, since the Emperor Taishang wants to abdicate because of guilt, we, the ministers, should understand the Emperor's heart and assist the new emperor in stabilizing the country, so that the Emperor Taishang can live in peace for the rest of his life."

Zhu Wen looked ashen and said nothing, while Zhu Youzhen behind the curtain was extremely excited and wanted to jump up from his seat and cheer loudly.

"Yes..." Xiao Yan suddenly changed his mind and continued slowly, "The reason why the Supreme Lord feels guilty is that the treacherous party has brought disaster to the government, and the foreign enemies such as Qi and Jin have not been pacified. I think that after the court and the people have eliminated the treacherous party and pacified the foreign enemies, the Supreme Lord can still return to the throne, and the new emperor can also be the crown prince. Only then can the foundation of the country be stabilized."

Zhu Youzhen was stunned for a moment.

All the ministers were also shocked, but after being stunned, Zhu Wen suddenly became overjoyed.

This villain Xiao Yan really wanted to consolidate the majesty of the central government. He was so bold that he actually wanted to control both the father and son generations of emperors, use Zhu Wen to hold Zhu Youzhen hostage, and force the so-called new emperor to behave himself.

Even if it was just this, Zhu Wen was already very happy. In this way, at least his life was not in danger.

Well, it's fine for the Emperor Emeritus, but can Zhu Youzhen, this rebellious son, be more popular than me?
At this time, no one would care about how Zhu Youzhen felt. Xiao Yan just held his belt and looked around at the ministers, and said in a calm voice: "Do you think this is right?"

Jing Xiang breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Xiao Yan was really willing to maintain this superficial royal dignity. He immediately agreed, "What the general said makes sense."

All the ministers immediately agreed.

Although Zhu Wen still felt a little uncomfortable, he was relieved at least and said with a straight face: "Xiao Qing is really thoughtful."

Xiao Yan smiled, then bowed to Zhu Wen and said, "I request the Highness to issue an edict to pass the throne to King Jun, and then issue a clear edict to the world to show that Daliang's destiny has been restored."

At this point it was no longer something that Zhu Wen and his son could decide. The edict had already been written, and Ding Zhaopu immediately held the seal and pressed it. Then Jing Xiang and other envoys and deputy envoys of the Chongzheng Yuan read it and signed and sealed it one by one.

After this, the curtain blocking Zhu Youzhen was lifted by several eunuchs. Led by Xiao Yan and Jing Xiang, all the ministers immediately turned around and shouted "Long live Zhu Youzhen" three times.

Although Zhu Youzhen had not yet reacted to Xiao Yan's words, his face immediately flushed and his hands and feet trembled a little. After accepting the congratulations with satisfaction, he glanced at Zhu Wen, who had an unhappy expression on his face, and stood up with confidence.

"Please excuse me, my talents are limited and my virtues are shallow. I am really terrified to receive the great order from the Supreme Lord. However, as the saying goes, destiny has its own destiny. From now on, I will rule the world with you. But for all major matters, I will follow the Supreme Lord's example..."

Zhu Youzhen was obviously well prepared, and he spoke a lot eloquently, as if he was showing off his knowledge. Xiao Yan did not interrupt him, but just listened calmly.

The ministers would not react at all, as they all knew that Zhu Youzhen was a puppet emperor and he could only vent his anger. So what was the harm in letting him have fun this time?

After the conversation, Xiao Yan led all the ministers in cheering "Long live the emperor". Zhu Wen seemed to be sitting alone in the distance, with a cold face, and in his heart he wished he could tear Zhu Youzhen's smug face apart.

After this, Zhu Youzhen certainly did not dare to forget the most important thing.

He immediately forced a smile, looked at Xiao Yan, and said, "Xiao Qing's great achievements are known to the court and the public. The shocking incident last night could not have been settled without Xiao Qing. You should be transferred to the Grand Secretary of the Jinluan Palace, the Grand Master of Imperial Households, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Cavalry and Infantry of all armies, controlling the troops of the whole country and commanding all military forces at home and abroad. You should be promoted to King of Song with the title of Marquis of Guanjun, and be given the fief of Songzhou. You should also be promoted to the position of Inspecting Taiwei and the position of Co-Prime Minister, and be granted the title of Jiedushi of Youzhou, Yichang, and Yiwu, and be in charge of recruiting troops for the whole country..."

Zhu Youzhen recited for a very long time in one breath, as if he was reciting a recipe, and he was a little out of breath.

At the side, Ding Zhaopu took advantage of this opportunity to suddenly bow and walk over, and whispered something to Zhu Youzhen in front of all the ministers.

Zhu Youzhen's face changed, and he looked at Xiao Yan, gritted his teeth, and continued: "In addition, Xiao Qing will be promoted to the position of Shangshu Ling of the Grand Secretariat of Hebei Province, the General of Jinwu Guard, and the General of Tiance. He will be allowed to open a government in Youzhou and appoint his own officials. He will be promoted to the position of Prince and Three Dukes!"

Not to mention the officials who knew about Xiao Yan's forged imperial edict last night, even they felt dizzy as if they were struck by thunder when they heard this series of things.

He is truly the General of Tiance!
It’s not enough for Xiao Yan to ask for the King of Song, he also wants the General of Tiance!

Is such a powerful minister really still a human minister?!
Not to mention that Zhu Youzhen himself was full of bitterness and did not mention it, even the fact that Jing Xiang was later made a prince, and Han Yanhui, Yu Zhong, Wang Yanzhang and others were all made marquises, all made it hard to hear clearly.

Finally, Xiao Yan was silent for a moment, facing the gazes of countless people, and took a step forward: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace."

Zhu Youzhen slumped in his seat, looked up, but saw only Zhu Wen smiling coldly.

On April 16, the fourth year of Kaiping in Daliang, there was chaos overnight and Emperor Zhu Wen of Liang abdicated to Zhu Youzhen.

Among them, Guanjun Hou Xiao Yan was the King of Song, stationed in Hebei, in control of all the troops in the world, and served as the General of Tiance.

The announcement was made at home and abroad, and the envoys heard about it.

The world was shocked.

(End of this chapter)