Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 465 Zhao Xuesi

The air in the Zichen Palace seemed to freeze.

Emperor Chongzhao, supported by Wang Chengxi, had his chest heaving violently, his eyes filled with shock, anger, and despair.

He valued his reputation above all else and hated it most when people mentioned the old mausoleum, but now he was forced into a corner by his own son and the people of the city.

"How should I deal with the Crown Prince's actions?"

Li Zhao did not loosen his grip on the sword; the tip pointed diagonally at the ground, reflecting in his dark eyes with a startled gleam.

"Please, Father Emperor, open the Imperial Ancestral Temple and issue an edict of self-reproach. Proclaim to the world that the injustices of the fallen soldiers in the Old Mausoleum Swamp case have been redressed, and that they be posthumously honored and their families honored. Their families shall receive pensions from the Ministry of Revenue and be exempt from taxes for three years."

Everyone in the hall was startled.

Opening the Imperial Ancestral Temple and issuing an edict of self-reproach were the most shameful things for an imperial family.

The emperor was always concerned about his reputation, so how could he easily agree?

As expected, Emperor Chongzhao's expression was extremely unpleasant.

He pointed at Li Zhao, his finger trembling violently.

"Fine...fine...you...you really are my good son. Are you trying to force me to my death before you're satisfied?"

"Your Majesty!" Lu Jing stepped forward, bowed to Emperor Chongzhao, his white beard trembling slightly.

"This old minister dares to speak frankly: the case of the Old Mausoleum Marsh has been covered up for over thirty years, accumulating deep resentment. The truth can no longer be concealed. Today, the people are gathered at Chengtian Gate not for Your Majesty, but for justice!"

"Fairness?" Emperor Chongzhao sneered, coughing heavily until his chest ached. "In the years since I ascended the throne, I have quelled internal rebellions, reduced taxes, and given them peaceful days. Isn't that enough? Why do you insist on dredging up old grievances? What else could it be but an attempt to destroy the foundation of the Great Liang?"

Xue Sui stood beside Li Zhao, blood still seeping from the wound on his arm.

Upon hearing this, she looked at Emperor Chongzhao and spoke clearly, word by word.

“Your Majesty, peace cannot be achieved by concealing it. The soldiers who died unjustly in the Old Mausoleum Swamp still bear the stigma of being traitors. Their parents wait for their sons' memorial tablets, their wives wait for their husbands' remains, and their children can't even remember what their fathers look like, yet they dare not openly offer sacrifices to their relatives, or even mention them publicly—these cannot be erased by a simple statement of peace.”

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the ministers in the hall, and her voice grew louder.

"The will of the people is like water; it can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. Does Your Majesty wish for the Liang court to lose its virtue in the eyes of the world?"

When Emperor Chongzhao looked at her, he felt his blood rush to his head.

He wanted to curse her as a witch, but the words caught in his throat and he couldn't speak.

Instead, he stared intently at Li Zhao.

"If I refuse, what will the Crown Prince do?"

Li Zhao's expression remained unchanged. "Then I will have to do it for you."

A flash of fury crossed Emperor Chongzhao's eyes.

Before he could react, Li Zhaochao gave Yuan Cang a wink.

Yuan Cang immediately waved his hand, and a group of Eastern Palace guards quickly stepped forward, formed a formation to block and forcefully suppress the Imperial Guards inside the hall.

"Capture the evil Taoist Xuanjizi. The rest of you are not to make any rash moves."

"Disarm and you will not be killed."

"Anyone who obstructs this shall be considered an accomplice."

Their movements were clean and efficient, without any hesitation.

Just as the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards was about to make a move, two guards from the Eastern Palace grabbed his arms and disarmed him.

The imperial guards inside and outside the palace were already hesitant, but seeing the Eastern Palace Guards act swiftly and hearing that it was to capture Xuanji Zi, many of them quietly let go.

That sorcerer, relying on the emperor's favor, has often acted arrogantly and domineeringly, causing widespread resentment among his subordinates...

Yuan Cang personally stepped forward and took Xuanjizi and the several Daoist disciples he brought away.

Xuanji Zi tried to struggle, shouting "Your Majesty, save me!" but Yuan Cang kicked him in the back of the knee, making him wince in pain.

Upon seeing this, the guards immediately gagged him with a cloth and dragged him away.

"What are you all doing? Are you planning a rebellion?"

Emperor Chongzhao was shocked and suddenly pushed Wang Chengxi away, shouting towards the outside of the palace.

"Guards! Where are my personal guards? Where are the Imperial Guards on duty? Enter the palace and protect me! Seize these treacherous officials!"

The area outside the hall was quiet; not a single person entered.

Only Yu Qianshan's voice came from outside the hall, steady and powerful.

"Your Highness, the guards of all palaces in the imperial city have been rotated, and the Zichen Palace is safe and secure..."

"General Qi has already deployed the Beijing garrison to take over the defense of the imperial city, stationing them at all major city gates, and they will be at the command of His Highness the Crown Prince."

The emperor's face changed drastically, he staggered back a step, and slumped onto the dragon throne.

The veteran officials, led by Lu Jing, first looked at each other in bewilderment, and then bowed one after another.

"Now that things have come to this, does Your Majesty still care about saving face? If this drags on any longer, public resentment will boil over, and a major upheaval may ensue!"

Several senior officials echoed his sentiments. "Your Majesty, what Chancellor Lu said is absolutely right. At present, only by clearing the name of the old case and stabilizing the people's hearts can we resolve the crisis."

"His Highness the Crown Prince is also trying to stabilize the people's hearts and preserve the foundation of the Great Liang... Your Majesty, please issue the decree..."

"Your Majesty, things have come to this point, please consider the overall situation."

“They’ve rebelled, they’ve rebelled…” Emperor Chongzhao looked at the ministers who had once bowed down to him, but now they were all standing on the side of the Crown Prince. He felt a chill in his heart and his whole body went cold.

"Your Highness, this is a coup!"

"And you—" he pointed at several ministers, his anger barely contained, "Today you aided and abetted the wicked, but tomorrow the historian's pen will be like a knife, and you will be infamous for eternity..."

The emperor spoke sternly, but no one responded.

Only Wang Chengxi stood trembling beside him, whispering words of comfort.

Ignoring his hysteria, Li Zhao stepped forward steadily, stood respectfully, and bowed.

"Father, I have another request."

Emperor Chongzhao trembled with rage, panting heavily: "You disobedient and unfilial wretch, how dare you make requests of me?"

Ignoring his angry glare, Li Zhao spoke calmly, "Your Majesty, I am deeply in love with Lady Xue, and our hearts are already in sync. I humbly request Your Majesty to issue an edict to bestow the title of Crown Princess Xue of Xizmayila. Let us choose an auspicious day... no, the wedding will take place in ten days."

Ten days?

Not only was Emperor Chongzhao stunned into silence, but everyone else also turned to look at him, their faces filled with astonishment...

Are you out of your mind? Ten days?

Even ordinary families spend more than ten days preparing for a wedding.

"You're dreaming..." Emperor Chongzhao raised his voice, "Making a woman who committed murder and disobedience the Crown Princess? And you want me to issue an edict of self-reproach? Li Zhao, you rebellious son, don't even think about it!"

"Father..." Li Zhao's voice was even colder, "It seems you have been bewitched by the evil sorcerer and are somewhat out of your mind. From today onwards, Father, please rest and recuperate in the Zichen Palace. I will handle all matters of state on your behalf."

"You bastard, how dare you imprison me?" Emperor Chongzhao was so angry that he was incoherent. Seeing that Li Zhao was unmoved, he pointed at his nose and cursed him.

"You unfilial son! You utterly rebellious wretch—I should never have made you the crown prince in the first place..."

Li Zhao did not argue with him further, but simply gestured for two guards of the Eastern Palace to step forward.

"Help His Majesty to the inner palace to rest. Assign several reliable eunuchs and palace maids to attend to him, and forbid anyone from disturbing him."

Emperor Chongzhao struggled and cursed incessantly, but ultimately could not overcome the strength of the guards and was half-supported and half-carried away.

Wang Chengxi watched this scene, his face turning pale, but he dared not say a word. He glanced silently at Li Zhao and followed behind to serve him...
-
The Zichen Palace was eerily quiet for a moment.

The echoes of Emperor Chongzhao's anger still seemed to linger among the beams and pillars, but at this moment he had been "invited" by the Eastern Palace Guards to rest in the inner palace.

The senior officials looked at each other, but ultimately no one dared to voice their opposition.

Li Zhao sheathed his sword, turned to look at Xue Sui, and immediately frowned.

Why is the wound on your arm still bleeding?

Xue Sui glanced down at it, then smiled nonchalantly: "It's just a minor injury, nothing serious."

"How can it not be a problem?" Li Zhao pulled her arm over and saw that the cloth was soaked with blood. His face immediately darkened.

"Physician Liu, come in and re-bandage!"

Physician Liu immediately came over with his medicine box and skillfully treated Xue Sui's wounds.

Xue Sui remained calm, but Li Zhao pursed his lips, staring intently at her wound, unable to hide his worry.

Lu Jing, observing the interaction between the two, coughed lightly: "Your Highness, there is an urgent matter to attend to... The people outside Chengtian Gate are still waiting for news from the court."

Li Zhao nodded, stood in the center of the hall, and glanced at the several important officials inside.

He stood tall and his face was calm, but a hint of weariness in his eyes betrayed the intense confrontation between father and son that had just taken place.

"Prime Minister Lu," he said, his voice steady.

Lu Jing bowed and said, "This old minister is here."

Li Zhaodao said, "You will take the lead in selecting upright officials to establish the 'Zhaoxue Division' to exonerate the soldiers who were wronged in the old imperial tombs. Remember, all case files must be made public, and the people are allowed to attend the hearings—the court must admit its mistakes and provide the full compensation it deserves."

"This old minister obeys." Lu Jing's voice trembled slightly as he solemnly accepted the order.

Lu Kefu, Zhou Zhengping and others also bowed in greeting.

"We, your humble servants, will do our utmost to clear the name of the deceased and bring peace to the hearts of the people."

Li Zhao nodded and turned to face the outside of the hall.

The morning light shone through the window lattice, casting a soft halo around him.

The cries of the people outside Chengtianmen continued unabated, surging in like a tide.

Li Zhao straightened his robes. "Prime Minister Lu, you will all come with me to Chengtian Gate."

Lu Jing: "Yes."

(End of this chapter)