Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 318 Breaking Dawn
Emperor Chongzhao's cough has recently worsened. Several imperial physicians have taken turns to diagnose him, prescribe medicine, and prepare herbal remedies, but there has been no improvement.

"Cough...cough..."

Upon hearing the sound, the eunuch hurriedly brought over warm water, his voice filled with fear.

"His Majesty……"

Emperor Chongzhao had just taken a sip of warm water when he suddenly arched his back, felt a sweet taste in his throat, and vomited a small mouthful of dark red blood foam.

Wang Chengxi was so frightened that he fell to his knees and presented the golden bowl to the emperor.

"Quickly! Summon the imperial physician..."

"roll!"

Emperor Chongzhao had a hunched back.

He knocked the golden bowl that Wang Chengxi had presented to the ground.

"Get out of here, all of you! What use are those useless idiots? They can't cure my illness, so what use are they?"

The eunuchs were terrified and scrambled to clean up the mess, practically crawling out of the warm pavilion.

Inside the hall, only Emperor Chongzhao's suppressed coughing could be heard.

He leaned back on the brocade pillow, his face ashen, his cloudy eyes filled with an overwhelming weariness and...fear.

a long time--

From outside the hall came Wang Chengxi's cautious announcement, his voice barely audible through the door.

"Your Majesty, Lord Lu requests an audience."

Emperor Chongzhao clutched his aching chest, his brows furrowed deeply.

If this stubborn old mule enters the palace now, he'll probably start arguing again...

He closed his eyes, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a single word through his teeth.

"Xuan."

A moment later, the palace doors opened slightly.

Lord Lu, with his silver hair and beard, was not dressed in court attire, but in a worn dark blue brocade robe. His back was as straight as a pine tree in the snow. He stepped into the hall with steady steps and bowed deeply to the throne.

"Your humble servant Lu Jing pays his respects to Your Majesty—"

The emperor barely managed to suppress the urge to cough rising in his throat.

He raised his hand, his voice heavy with illness.

"Old General, it has been a long time since you came to the palace to see me. How have you been lately?"

He didn't ask why Lu Gong had come; he only asked if he was alright.

Lord Lu lowered his head, his voice aged and hoarse, yet each word was like metal and stone falling to the ground.

"Your Majesty, I am grateful for your inquiry. However, I have come to see you today at the risk of my life, not for my own safety, but for the sake of the sons who shed blood at Chishui Pass. I have come to ask for your judgment."

Emperor Chongzhao's gaze narrowed slightly.

"Oh? Chishui Pass... what happened again? The report from the Western Frontier said that the situation was stable and the barbarians dared not invade?"

"His Majesty."

Lord Lu raised his head, his gaze burning, staring directly at the emperor without any hesitation.

"This old minister is incompetent, incapable of managing his household, and negligent in his upbringing. As a result, my grandson You'an is impulsive and straightforward, lacking in flexibility and tact, inept at flattery and networking, and utterly ignorant of the ways of a minister. He has repeatedly offended powerful figures in the western frontier and has made many enemies..."

Emperor Chongzhao's gaze was slightly cold, and his brows were furrowed.

"Why beat around the bush, old general? Speak frankly before me."

"Your Majesty..." Lord Lu bowed forward.

"The court of Xiz is embroiled in internal strife and its people are restless. This is a golden opportunity for us to advance... However, our soldiers on the border are suffering from food shortages and low morale..."

"Military governor Xiao Yan, stationed in Longxi, has not considered increasing revenue and reducing expenditure, nor has he improved military preparedness. Instead, he has focused on suppressing the soldiers, embezzling their rations, and even condoning his nephew Xiao Yan's collusion with local powerful figures. He has fostered nepotism within the army, installing his cronies, setting up private accounts, framing loyal and brave soldiers, and eliminating dissidents. Your Majesty, if this continues, the morale of the army will collapse, and even before a powerful enemy attacks again, Chishui Pass will mutinied..."

He stepped forward and presented an old sandalwood box with both hands.

Inside is the jade belt with two lions that was personally bestowed by Emperor Chongzhao.

"You'an topped the imperial examination that year, personally selected by His Majesty as the top scholar. He was also fortunate enough to be chosen by the princess, who then arranged for him to marry him, making him the Imperial Son-in-Law. Although he faced much criticism after his divorce from the princess, he still volunteered to go to Chishui Pass when the country was in crisis... He fought in thirty-seven battles, never letting the Xizi barbarian cavalry set foot on the border. Even if he didn't achieve great merit, he certainly deserves credit for his hard work..."

Emperor Chongzhao slowly raised his eyes and looked at the elder in front of him, his brows furrowing even more tightly.

"I am aware of the Lu family's sincere and devoted hearts. I have also ordered the Ministry of Justice to thoroughly investigate the military supplies case, and the truth will come to light."

Lu Jingdao said, "After investigating for several months, apart from a few sycophants who sacrificed themselves to save the king, have the real corrupt officials been harmed in the slightest? Have any of the embezzled grain, wages, and winter clothing been recovered and delivered to Chishui Pass?"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his voice suddenly rising in pitch, filled with sorrow.

"This old minister, despite my failing health, dares to ask Your Majesty: Is the fate of the Great Liang dynasty and the lives of the soldiers on the frontier more important, or is the power and wealth of certain individuals more worthy of Your Majesty's protection?"

"Is the old General questioning me?" Emperor Chongzhao coughed violently, his chest heaving, his eyes filled with dark clouds, staring intently at the old General Lu, his face flushed from coughing. His imperial dignity was pushed to the edge of a precipice.

"His Majesty!"

Lord Lu remained unmoved, facing the emperor's wrath with a sorrowful yet sharp gaze.

"This old minister had three sons and two brothers. The two brothers fought alongside the founding emperor and died on the battlefield, their remains never found. All three sons perished in the Battle of Lingzhao. Only the eldest son, You'an, survived, and he too is fighting valiantly at Chishui Pass, his body likely to be wrapped in a horse's hide at any moment. This old minister enters the palace today not for the Lu family's personal gain, but because I cannot bear to see… the tragedy of Lingzhao repeated today at Chishui Pass—"

"Outrageous!" Emperor Chongzhao reacted strongly to the words "Old Mausoleum Marsh".

As if his sore spot had been exposed, he slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly, his body swaying.

"Lu Jing, how dare you! You actually use old matters to blackmail me?"

Lord Lu has clearly gone all out.

Facing the emperor's overwhelming rage, he suddenly lifted his robe and knelt down, his forehead slamming heavily against the gold brick floor with a dull thud.

"Your Majesty, can you bear to let my only grandson, and the tens of thousands of loyal souls at Chishui Pass, follow in the footsteps of the two hundred thousand who perished at Jiuling Marsh?"

The hall was deathly silent.

More than thirty years ago, that earth-shattering upheaval, with its mountains of corpses and seas of blood, uncontrollably and violently assaulted Emperor Chongzhao's mind...

Those vivid faces included his childhood playmates, his respected uncles and elders, and even that person deep in his heart... someone he dared not touch.

They were either deceived and surrounded, shot to death by a hail of arrows, or buried forever beneath the cold, floating mud of the old mausoleum...

A wave of panic washed over him, and Emperor Chongzhao slumped back onto his throne, feeling a splitting headache and an unbearable tightness in his chest.

"What happened back then was not my intention. Lord Lu, you know better than anyone how much I had no choice..."

Lu Jing raised his head, cupped his hands, and said, "This old minister will not dwell on the past, but speak only of today. I humbly beseech Your Majesty to make a decisive judgment, to rectify the laws and regulations, and to save the soldiers on the border..."

Emperor Chongzhao closed his eyes and dug his fingers deep into his temples.

Time seemed to stand still—

Lord Lu bowed his head, maintaining the kowtow posture, like a silent stone statue.

"Wang Chengxi, draft the imperial edict."

After a long while, Emperor Chongzhao finally spoke with great difficulty, as if he had used up all his strength.

"This servant is here." Wang Chengxi hurriedly stepped forward and bowed to receive the order.

The emperor reached out and brushed his hand across the imperial desk.

There were many memorials from the western frontier piled up there.

Among them were petitions from Lu Youan and other generals.

He sighed, his voice filled with a sense of utter exhaustion.

"The Ministry of Justice is hereby ordered to thoroughly investigate the case concerning military supplies. All those involved, regardless of rank or honor, shall be executed without exception. Relevant personnel in the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue shall be immediately arrested. All embezzled money, grain, clothing, and armor shall be handed over within ten days for inspection and sealing. Anyone who delays, conceals, or disobeys orders shall be severely punished without leniency."

He paused, each word carrying immense weight.

"Xiao Yan, the military governor of Longxi... failed to manage his subordinates strictly, allowing corruption to flourish and the border to become unstable. His negligence is a grave offense that cannot be lightly forgiven... He is hereby stripped of his title as military governor, demoted but retained in his post, and fined three years' salary..."

"His nephew, Xiao Yan, relying on the power of his relatives, colluded with local powerful figures, formed cliques for personal gain, and lined his own pockets. He is hereby dismissed from his military post, his family property is confiscated, and he is exiled three thousand li away, never to be pardoned..."

"The Ministry of War shall dispatch another supervising censor to the western frontier to work with the Longxi and Longyou military commands to rectify military discipline and submit a detailed report on the rectification within three months..."

Each word, accompanied by suppressed coughs, still resonated deeply.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Wang Chengxi was shocked and immediately bowed.

As Lu Lao Linggong's tense nerves relaxed, his back was already soaked with cold sweat.

"Your Majesty is wise! This old minister... on behalf of the soldiers of Chishui Pass, kowtows to express his gratitude for Your Majesty's great favor."

Emperor Chongzhao waved his hand wearily, as if he didn't even have the strength to look at the old ministers below him, his voice barely audible.

"You may leave. I am...tired."

"Old minister, please retire."

Lord Lu slowly rose and left the suffocating palace.

The emperor sat alone on the empty dragon throne, gazing at the flickering candlelight, remaining motionless for a long time.

A profound sense of loneliness and coldness overwhelmed him completely.

The wisps of smoke from the incense burner rose in a winding path, slowly dissipating into nothingness...

He stared at it for a long time before his hands trembled as he groped to open the old wooden box in the hidden compartment of the imperial desk, took out the copper coins and arrowheads inside, and caressed them over and over again.

"They're all pressuring me. I'm not old yet..."

(End of this chapter)