Thief Emperor

Chapter 952 Kings
This military meeting lasted until the evening. When it was almost dark, Emperor Li stood up, looked at Su Sheng, and said with a smile: "What you said today is all good."

"In the next few days, the Privy Council, together with the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Nine Departments, will work together to come up with a specific set of rules and submit them within ten days."

Su Sheng bowed his head slightly, clasped his fists and saluted, "Yes!"

His Majesty the Emperor had already announced the adjournment of the meeting, so everyone naturally left one after another. However, after the people from the Ministry of War stood up, Su Sheng did not rush to leave, but stayed in Ganlu Palace. Seeing his expression, Li Yun knew that he had something to say, so he waited for him.

After everyone from the Ministry of War had left, Li Yun looked at Su Sheng and said with a smile, "Brother, do you have anything else to say?"

Su Sheng took a deep breath and bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, I have thought about this seriously recently and I want to resign from this position of Privy Councilor."

He bowed his head deeply and said, "I would like to lower myself to the position of deputy envoy."

The Privy Council is in charge of important military affairs and can even control the imperial guards to a certain extent.

Theoretically speaking, the power in the former period is greater. After all, theoretically, the Privy Council can be involved in all military affairs.

However, the current emperor is a cavalry emperor who is well versed in military affairs, so wars are not fought according to the instructions of the Privy Council. The Privy Council is more like a staff agency that provides combat plans to His Majesty the Emperor.

Therefore, during the reign of Emperor Zhangwu, the most important power was the power to control the imperial guards.

Li Yun looked at Su Sheng in surprise, walked up to him, helped him up, and said with a smile: "Did someone gossip in your ear?"

Su Sheng bowed his head and smiled bitterly, "Your Majesty, I was a deputy privy councilor in the early years, and I was doing a pretty solid job. But since Your Majesty promoted me to privy councilor last year, I have been feeling uneasy."

He looked up at Li Yun, then lowered his head and said, "I know that your Majesty is an upright person and will not have any other thoughts. I am not suspicious of your Majesty."

He took a deep breath and whispered, "I think that in the future, the Privy Council should not have a Privy Envoy."

"Only two deputy envoys should be appointed, and the position of Privy Councilor should be left vacant."

Li Yun stroked his chin and thought for a while, then looked at Su Sheng and shook his head slightly, saying, "The emperor of the future generations can do as Senior Brother said, leaving the position of Privy Councilor vacant, or appointing a civil official to the position, but in my Zhangwu Dynasty, there is no need to be so troublesome."

He looked at Su Sheng and said with a smile: "Let's calculate the time. We have known each other for more than ten or twenty years. I have never doubted you, brother. Why would you doubt me?"

Su Sheng stammered and became speechless after hearing this.

After a long while, he blushed and said, "Your Majesty, I... I have a retainer who writes documents for me..."

He lowered his head, knelt in front of Li Yun, and kowtowed, saying: "I was confused for a moment and listened to his words wrongly."

Li Yun helped him up and said with a smile: "Let me guess, he probably told Senior Brother to deliberately make some mistakes so that I can have an excuse to demote him to Deputy Envoy, right?"

Su Sheng suddenly looked up at Li Yun with his eyes wide open, a look of disbelief on his face.

Li Yun smiled dumbly: "Why are you looking at me like this? I haven't placed anyone in your house."

"My guess."

Li Yun pulled him to sit down, and asked with a smile: "His suggestion is good, why didn't you do as he said?"

Su Sheng took a deep breath and lowered his head and said, "I think in my heart that I should not play any tricks on Your Majesty and should be honest with Your Majesty."

"So, just say it straight out."

Li Yun patted his shoulder and sighed: "Brother, you used to be such a straightforward person. Now that we are in the imperial court, how come you have become so thoughtful in just a few years?"

Upon hearing this, Su Sheng's face turned red, and he lowered his head without saying a word.

Li Yun looked at his face and suddenly smiled: "Okay, okay, now our respective positions are very different from those in the past. It's not surprising that you think too much. I have a way to make you work as the Privy Councilor in a down-to-earth manner."

Su Sheng let out a long breath, then immediately bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, please teach me."

"Under the Privy Council, there is the Audit Department."

Emperor Li looked at him and said sternly, "In recent years, some people in the army have become restless. Brother, as the Privy Councilor, you might as well catch and beat them during this period. Be ruthless and don't be afraid of offending people."

"Or, it's better to offend more people."

Li Yun looked at him and said, "Don't worry about your background, whether you are from the Anti-Theft Team, the Yuezhou Army, or the Jiangdong Army. As long as you have evidence of a crime, we will handle it together."

"I won't cover up for anyone here."

Emperor Li said sternly: "The atmosphere in the army needs to be corrected in time."

Su Sheng was serious when he heard this, then he looked at Li Yun and asked, "Your Majesty, if we find the old man from the anti-theft team?"

"I said, as long as there is evidence of guilt, I will never cover up for anyone."

He smiled and said, "Brother, my court has not treated our brothers unfairly. I don't have the energy to investigate them. Brother, please investigate them for me."

Su Sheng heard this, his face solemn, and he clasped his fists towards Li Yun and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will treat everyone equally and investigate the crimes in the army strictly!"

Checking discipline means offending people.

But Su Sheng now has too much fame, too much power, and too high a position.

Because of this, he felt uneasy. But as long as he could severely offend a group of people, he would feel at ease.

Li Yun patted his shoulder again and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Senior Brother."

Su Sheng bowed his head and was about to say goodbye and leave when Li Yun smiled and said, "Brother, wait for me a moment. I'll change my clothes and we'll leave the palace together later."

Su Sheng was a little surprised: "It's so late, Your Majesty is going to leave the palace?"

"I'm going out to visit relatives."

…………

After it became completely dark, Li Yun, who had changed into casual clothes, left the palace accompanied by Su Sheng.

At the gate of the palace, Jin Wang Li Zheng was already waiting. He was a little surprised to see Li Yun and Su Sheng coming out together, and he quickly bowed and saluted: "Your Majesty, General."

Li Yun just smiled, but Su Sheng quickly bowed his head and said, "Prince Jin."

Li Yun looked at Su Sheng and said with a smile, "Okay, Senior Brother, please go home. I have an appointment with Li Zheng."

Su Sheng then bowed his head, said goodbye and left.

After Su Sheng left, Li Yun got on a carriage with Li Zheng. In the carriage, Li Yun looked at Li Zheng and sighed slightly: "Zhou Xu is dead."

Li Zheng was startled. After a long while, he sighed and said, "He is sixty years old, right?"

Li Yun remained silent and did not answer.

Li Zheng thought for a moment and said, "With his departure, it seems that all the Jiedushi of the old Zhou Dynasty are gone."

Li Yun hummed, and said slowly: "There are still a few inconspicuous ones left."

As he spoke, he looked at Li Zheng and continued, "Wu Yuancheng's health has been very bad in the past two years. The imperial physician reported that it might happen this year."

Li Zheng shook his head and said, "For a person like him to have a good ending, he is lucky."

Li Yun looked up outside the carriage and said nothing.

After a while, the carriage stopped at the gate of a large house, and the driver, Lord Yang Xi, whispered, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, we have arrived."

Li Yun then got off the carriage and looked up at the mansion.

A moment later, the two were already sitting in the mansion. Li Feng, dressed in cloth, personally poured tea for the two brothers.

After taking a sip, Jin Wang Li Zheng said to Li Feng, "Brother, you have become more and more like a scholar in recent years."

Hearing this, Li Feng smiled and said, "I am a teacher, and I am considered a scholar."

Li Yun also put down his teacup and said to Li Feng, "I came here at midnight today because I wanted to tell you something."

"My two nephews are both in their twenties."

Li Yun said, "I want the clan to enroll them into the clan and officially recognize these two nephews."

Li Feng's hands trembled when he heard this, but he held it back. After taking a deep breath, he managed to calm down and forced a smile at Li Yun: "That's their blessing."

"I'd like to thank Jilang on their behalf."

Li Zheng, who was standing by, smiled and said, "The emperor's nephew should at least be granted the title of a prince. Your family will be royal descendants in the future."

Li Feng took a deep breath and looked at Li Yun.

Li Yun was also looking at him. After a while, he asked, "Brother, do you want to record the clan certificate?"

"You and I recognize each other as brothers. You will be crowned a king just like Li Zheng. In the future, you will help me manage the Li family's ancestral hall and be the head of the Li family."

Li Feng looked at Li Yun, then at Li Zheng. After a while, he said, "If Erlang needs me to do something, then I will be thick-skinned enough to be the Zongzheng."

"However, I, the prince."

He smiled bitterly and said, "It's a little too heavy."

Li Zheng smiled and said, "Brother is the emperor's brother, this is as it should be."

"Our Li family needs people."

At this point, he said seriously: "To consolidate the position."

Li Feng lowered his head, took a sip of tea, and looked at Li Yun.

"Then I will..."

"I agreed with audacity."

(End of this chapter)