Fu Shanhe

Chapter 573 Changes in People's Hearts
"Add fuel to the fire and try to spread the news of the nine emperors standing side by side throughout the world in the shortest possible time, so that everyone knows about this farce."

"I will use the momentum I've created to put the Nanjing court in a difficult position, forcing them to order the execution of all those false emperors."

Li Mu said without changing his expression.

The coexistence of nine emperors was only the first step in shaking the foundation of the Great Yu Dynasty. The real killing move was to force the court to order the execution of the false emperor.

Treason is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family.

Although the punishment for a rebellion by members of the imperial clan is not as severe as the punishment of collective execution, close relatives by blood will certainly be implicated.

When the imperial court orders the execution of one person, it can turn into the execution of a whole group when it is carried out at the local level.

With a slight push, the imperial edict issued by the Nanjing court to suppress the rebellion could be turned into a purge targeting members of the imperial family.

They don't even need to actually take action; just a hint of it is enough to force members of the same branch of the imperial family to change their names and surnames.

After all, the Great Yu Dynasty did not provide salaries, and the imperial family members saw no real benefits other than the title.

Every time the rebels attacked, the first to be killed were members of the royal family.

Apart from a few stubborn individuals, most members of the imperial clan will make the right choice after weighing the pros and cons.

While weakening the imperial clan, they could also use the plot to implicate local gentry.

Throughout history, there has never been a change of dynasties without bloodshed.

It has nothing to do with right or wrong; it's entirely driven by self-interest.

Without breaking the existing local power structures, the accumulated problems left by the previous dynasty cannot be solved.

If this dirty work that incites hatred can be done through the Great Yu court, then there's no need to get involved personally.

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, I will make the arrangements immediately."

"We will definitely spread the imperial edict to execute the false emperor far and wide before the fall of Nanjing."

Lan Linjie immediately assured him.

Once you've started something, you have to go all the way.

The Great Yu Empire is on the verge of collapse, and we must take advantage of their last breath to maximize our profits.

……

Nanjing City.

In order to demoralize the defending troops, the Northern barbarians not only adopted the tactic of surrounding three sides but also deliberately allowed the post station soldiers to come and go freely.

The effect was very obvious; as memorials from officials across the country arrived in the capital, the atmosphere in Nanjing became increasingly tense.

Instead of the loyalist army arriving, they were greeted by emperors flying everywhere.

With the addition of the puppet emperor installed by the northern barbarians outside the city, the Great Yu Empire suddenly had ten emperors.

"Chaos has broken out! The world is in complete chaos!"

Bai Jinwen couldn't help but complain.

Nothing could be more devastating than this collapse of ritual and music.

With emperors flying everywhere, the already meager prestige of the Great Yu Dynasty vanished completely.

A glance at the memorials submitted by officials from various regions reveals that, while ostensibly requests for instructions from the imperial court, they were in reality a manifestation of the decline of imperial power.

Under normal circumstances, if someone dares to declare themselves emperor, the first people held accountable are the local officials.

In order to reduce their own responsibility, local governments would suppress such activities immediately.

On this issue, no matter who you are, you will not receive any preferential treatment.

The more prestigious one's status, the more severe the political consequences of declaring oneself emperor.

The local officials did not take action this time simply because they were worried that Nanjing could not be defended and that a new emperor would have to be chosen from among the imperial clan.

Aside from a few supporting characters, the people currently proclaiming themselves emperors are all the most formidable contenders for the throne.

Even if they don't rise to power, it's possible that a member of their lineage will.

From the perspective of local officials, it's true that every new emperor brings a new court.

If one is too proactive in suppressing the rebellion at this time, and is labeled as a die-hard loyalist to the Nanjing court, and is targeted by the new emperor in the future, then it would be a huge loss.

"When chaos descends, false emperors spring up everywhere, and the legitimate dynasty faces a serious challenge."

When people's hearts are in turmoil, the world is in trouble!

He Zhengze echoed this sentiment.

None of the cabinet members who rose through the ranks of officials were fools.

They may lack the ability to govern a country, but their political acumen is certainly not low.

The sudden emergence of so many emperors in such a short period of time suggests that someone must have orchestrated this.

Without needing to think deeply, it's clear that the only person in the court and among the people capable of orchestrating this was the Marquis of Hanshui.

Among other political groups, members of the Qingliu Party were also scattered throughout the country, but they lacked the ability to implement policies effectively.

In theory, local governors and viceroys also had the motivation to take action in order to control the emperor and command the other lords.

However, the governors and viceroys in various regions were far apart, making it virtually impossible for them to secretly coordinate and enthrone a new emperor at almost the same time.

The identity of the mastermind has been confirmed, but the cabinet is still afraid to lift the lid on it.

To this day, Marquis Hanshui remains a loyal subject of the Great Yu Dynasty, and the court is still waiting for his army to come to the rescue.

Now we can only hope that this was a plan devised by someone under Li Mu's command, without his knowledge or consent.

"Alright, let's quickly reach a consensus, the officials are still waiting over there!"

"No matter what, the court must severely punish these treacherous officials who have declared themselves emperors."

Given that the imperial family is involved, extra caution must be exercised in the specific implementation.

Besides the parties involved and their families, it is essential to minimize any involvement.

You may not have noticed, but the number of members of the Great Yu imperial family has plummeted from over 800,000 at its peak to less than 50,000 now.

If we were to implicate these other branches of the imperial family, how could we face our ancestors in the afterlife?

Wan Huaijin was the first to state his position.

It is true that people die in war, but the rate at which the royal family is losing its members is still too alarming.

At this rate, it won't be long before the Great Yu imperial family is driven to extinction.

This kind of thing has happened before the regime has even changed. Isn't this a slap in the face to the cabinet?
Even though he knew the decrease in the number of imperial relatives was abnormal, he still didn't intend to uncover the truth.

The Great Yu Empire is on its last legs, and its rule could be overthrown at any moment. At this point, the imperial family members should also look for a way out.

Changing one's name may bring shame to one's ancestors, but at least it allows the royal bloodline to continue.

If someone were to stand there dumbfounded in the open, no matter which emperor were to ascend the throne and hear that there were hundreds of thousands of members of the previous dynasty's imperial family, they would lose sleep.

"The Grand Secretary is right; this matter certainly requires careful consideration."

In official letters to local government offices, these issues must be clearly addressed so that everyone can treat them with utmost care.

Besides cracking down on the false emperor, the most important thing for the imperial court at the moment is to defend Nanjing.

So many false emperors have suddenly appeared, and among them, there are bound to be some who don't care about the consequences of selling their ancestral lands.

Since the local government did not take the initiative to send troops to suppress the rebellion, it is likely that the rewards they promised to local officials were very generous.

Everyone else has been promoted and ennobled, so what will be the conditions for the Marquis of Hanshui?

He Zhengze feigned confusion and asked in return.

Pretending to be confused in officialdom is also an art.

Knowing full well that Li Mu was behind this, yet still steer the conversation in that direction, it's clear they weren't trying to uncover the truth.

On the contrary, he did this precisely to cover it up.

Regardless of whether the army that came to the aid of the emperor can arrive, the court must now inform the soldiers and civilians in the city that the army led by the Marquis of Hanshui is on its way.

This is everyone's hope for keeping going.

If people were to discover that the widespread imperial ambitions were orchestrated by Li Mu, many would lose their faith. With public morale in turmoil, Nanjing would fall in less than three days.

When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. After the fall of Nanjing, the positions of these powerful officials in the court will cease to exist.

They may be treated with courtesy in the short term for political reasons, but they will inevitably be purged in the long run.

Every dynasty needs to cultivate its own people; no emperor can tolerate a large number of former officials remaining in the court.

Other officials may have room to maneuver, but their cabinet is not.

It has nothing to do with loyalty; the main reason is that they had already reached the pinnacle of power and status during the Great Yu period.

The Tatars wanted to win people's hearts, but they had no more titles or rewards to bestow.

Once the situation stabilizes, these people will be the first to be dealt with.

If the Northern barbarians fail in the struggle for power in this chaotic world, and the Marquis of Hanshui seizes the throne in the future, those who led the surrender will not have a good end either.

Surrender is destined to be a tragedy, so it's impossible to be a "traitor".

Even if Nanjing cannot be defended, we must try our best to hold it; every extra day we hold on brings more hope.

"What's there to guess? It's nothing more than bestowing titles of duke or king and granting them a bunch of privileges."

However, their efforts would be in vain. If the Marquis of Hanshui were greedy for fame and fortune, he would not have refused the imperial court's reward.

If he hadn't refused, he would have been granted the title of Duke years ago.

Wan Huaijin said calmly.

If it weren't for the worry in his eyes that revealed his true thoughts, people might have labeled him as a member of the Marquis of Hanshui's faction.

The situation is so clear, yet he still shamelessly praises it; he's a master of flattery.

However, these words were not meant for Li Mu, but for the soldiers and civilians in the city.

Whether it's true or false doesn't matter; the key is to give everyone hope.

……

The cabinet is working tirelessly for Da Yu, and the situation in the city has changed dramatically.

Officials and powerful families who had initially looked down on the envoys sent by the Northern Barbarians have now reversed their stance.

Even the officials who had the most confidence in the court lost their confidence in the face of the current complex situation.

With emperors flying everywhere, the last fig leaf of the Great Yu Empire has been torn away.

The worst part is that the person who tore off the cloth was a member of the Great Yu imperial family.

The impact of such a change on people's hearts is unparalleled.

Sensing that the building was about to collapse, everyone started making their own little schemes.

Left Censor-in-Chief's Office.

Looking at the assembled officials, Shu Jinglun couldn't help but want to curse.

There are so many places we can meet, why choose his mansion!

You should know that what we're discussing tonight is a matter of life and death.

Even the slightest leak of information could lead to the extermination of the entire family.

As the venue provider, we naturally bear the brunt of the responsibility.

They couldn't even defend themselves; the traitors had been invited to their home. Who would believe they had nothing to do with the Shu family?

Unfortunately, the invitations were sent out by his nephew, and the spendthrift wife in the family even lent out his name cards.

So much so that, without even realizing it, he became the commander-in-chief of the operation to cooperate with the northern barbarians in capturing Nanjing.

Ordinary people might think that once a bet has been placed, one should go all out.

Only by taking the lead can one maximize their achievements.

As a seasoned official, Shu Jinglun knew very well that greater merit was never necessarily better.

Especially when playing a traitor, hiding in the background and acting as a backdrop is the safest persona.

No one likes a "traitor," and the more proactive one is, the less favored they will be in the future.

On the contrary, those loyal and righteous people who fight to the death are more likely to gain respect.

If it were up to him, he would rather wait for the city to fall and be forced to surrender than stand up and stop this conspiracy.

"Uncle, everyone's here. Where would you like to begin?"

Upon hearing his nephew's words, Shu Jinglun slowly put down his teacup.

Deep down, I keep reminding myself not to get angry, not to get angry.

"The main reason for inviting you gentlemen here tonight is to discuss an important matter."

When Yu lost his deer, the whole world chased after it.

Hugjil, the current Great Chanyu, is highly respected and deeply loved by people of all ethnic groups. He is truly a divinely appointed and powerful ruler.

All those present were learned scholars, and they naturally knew that the world should belong to the virtuous.

"Now is the time for us to obey Heaven's will. I urge you all to exert all your strength and, at the crucial moment, escort the royal army into the city!"

The Northern barbarians had done too many bad things to praise, so Shu Jinglun could only keep it brief in an attempt to cover up his embarrassment.

Unfortunately, everyone present was intelligent and immediately saw through his predicament.

No matter how you try to explain it, the grassland coalition has absolutely no connection with the "royal army".

The Capital Massacre, the Xuzhou Massacre, the Yangzhou Massacre...

Their series of heinous acts are too numerous to recount.

If it weren't for the army besieging the city, Hugjil would still be seen as a great demon and would be cursed by everyone.

"Lord Shu, what you say makes sense."

We, as scholars, should obey the will of Heaven, support the true Son of Heaven, and end this chaotic world as soon as possible.

Of all the heroes under heaven, only Hugjiltu, the Great Chanyu, truly deserves to be called a peerless hero!

Lu Haizhi echoed.

There's really nothing to praise about the grassland coalition; the only thing they can do is forcibly invoke destiny to give their acts of betrayal a veneer of legitimacy.

Whether the world believes it or not is not important; the key is that they themselves must believe it.

Without a convincing reason, to run to the Northern barbarians would be unbearable for the last vestiges of one's conscience.

Seeing that someone was agreeing, the others immediately followed suit.

In the blink of an eye, they had cobbled together a complete theory of surrender.

The attitude shown by everyone greatly satisfied the Tatar representative in charge of the operation.

"I have appreciated the kindness of you gentlemen."

However, loyalty still needs to be proven with concrete actions.

Speed ​​is of the essence on the battlefield, so let's choose tomorrow night to capture the city.

I hope everyone can organize their manpower in advance and leverage your influence within the defending forces to launch a surprise attack on the enemy.

To ensure everything went smoothly, before the operation began, they also sent out assassins to kill and set fires in the city to attract the attention of the defending soldiers.

You can rest assured, my Tatar Kingdom is not as stingy as the emperor of the Yu Dynasty.

The Great Chanyu declared that after successfully capturing Nanjing, all participants would be promoted three ranks.

Those who perform great deeds will be rewarded with the titles of dukes and marquises!

Borchu immediately promised.

He was completely taken aback by being able to fool so many people who were trying to guide him.

He had prepared himself for setbacks before taking action, but he never expected that the Yu Dynasty officials would be so spineless.

(End of this chapter)