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Chapter 72 Rebellion is a Technical Skill (Please Subscribe)
Rebellion is a skill.

To succeed, the right timing, the right location, and the right people are all indispensable.

Especially in a world where imperial power is deeply ingrained.

Although the previous emperor of Dayong was suspicious of him, he never made any mistakes on major issues. He focused on domestic recuperation and development and resisted powerful enemies, thus enjoying high prestige among the people and the army.

Therefore, if he were to rashly start a rebellion, he would easily be branded as a traitor.

Although Chen Ye didn't care.

But don't forget, if the name is not correct, the words will not be proper.

If this were an absolutely chaotic world, with morality and order completely broken down, then it wouldn't be a big deal. But the problem is that the Great Yong Dynasty is not like that now. Although the lives of the common people at the bottom are not very good, at least they can barely eat their fill, which is already an absolute golden age.

Therefore, in this situation, without a good reputation, rashly stepping forward will only make one a target and be attacked by the crowd.

However, this is still not what Chen Ye cares about most.

The reason he cares so much about these things is because he wants to give it a try.

In his previous life, he seized the throne by virtue of his ability as the Thousand-Faced Thief Saint, ultimately reversing the fate of the nation and earning a decent reputation, but he only brought back the profession of Night Stalker.

Therefore, in this life, Chen Ye plans to become a sage ruler whose name will be remembered for all time, to see if this will enhance his achievements and thus bring him greater rewards.

Not only that, Chen Ye also plans to unify the martial arts world and bring these sects under his management.

Thinking of this, Chen Ye turned around and went to his desk, picked up his pen and wrote a memorial to the throne.

The memorial was filled with the utmost humility. It first expressed the author's grief over the sudden death of the late emperor, then congratulated the new emperor on his ascension to the throne, and finally declared the author's loyalty to guard the borders of the Great Yong Dynasty and remain forever stationed in Daliang.

Between the lines, one can sense the unwavering loyalty of a devoted minister to the new emperor; an outsider reading this would likely be moved to tears.

The commendation from the capital arrived just half a month after the memorial was sent out.

This was a warm and enthusiastic reply, in which Chen Ye was highly praised, even being called a pillar of the nation and the emperor's right-hand man.

Along with the letter came 100,000 taels of silver, a thousand bolts of brocade, and countless rare treasures.

Both sides presented a harmonious picture of mutual respect between ruler and subject, but both Chen Ye and the new emperor knew that this was just the first round of probing, a tacit understanding between them.

The new emperor needs time to cleanse the court and consolidate his throne.

Chen Ye, on the other hand, was waiting for him to reveal a weakness.

Both are extremely patient hunters; it remains to be seen who will lose their composure first and reveal a fatal flaw.

In the following period, Chen Ye kept a low profile, rarely appearing in public.

In private, Chen Ye ordered people to spread public opinion among the people, especially in the capital of Dayong.

Soon, the legendary story of Marquis Chen Ye of Zhenxi began to circulate everywhere.

In the story, he loved the people like his own children, led by example, and was willing to sacrifice himself for the people.

He was portrayed as a near-perfect loyal minister and general, a just and upright official that all the people longed for.

The seeds of public opinion were sown quietly and silently, slowly taking root and sprouting among the people.

Meanwhile, things were also going on in the capital of Dayong.

The new emperor Cao Xun's methods were even more ruthless than Chen Ye had anticipated.

In just three months, he swiftly purged the court, dismissing dozens of high-ranking officials of the third rank or above under the pretext of investigating corruption, and replacing them with his own trusted confidants.

Even the Meng family, a powerful military clan with unparalleled prestige in the Dayong army, was stripped of its real power for various reasons and gradually excluded from the core of power. Moreover, Cao Xun reinstated members of the Bai family.

Although Bai Yuege died, the Bai family did not completely fall.

A member of the Bai family named Bai Jing was promoted to the position of Grand Commander of the Imperial City Guard, responsible for the defense of the entire Imperial City.

Although this person lacks Bai Yuege's military leadership skills, he is ruthless and vicious. More importantly, the Bai family is an isolated force with no other option but to rely on the imperial power, making him the most reliable person to employ.

Having done all this, the new emperor finally turned his sword against his own brothers.

He first imprisoned several threatening princes under various pretexts, and then, less than a month later, the seventh prince, who had the highest chance of winning the throne, died suddenly from an illness.

Upon seeing the message, Chen Ye remained silent for a moment, then placed the secret report in his hand on the candle flame and quietly watched it turn to ashes.

Once the overall situation in the court was settled, Cao Xun finally turned his attention to Daliang, a thousand miles away.

How could Cao Xun allow someone else to snore beside his bed, especially a king of a different surname who held considerable military power and was deeply loved by the people? This made it even more difficult for Cao Xun to sleep peacefully.

However, how to eliminate him is an extremely important question. After all, Chen Ye has now become very powerful and deeply entrenched, and the slightest carelessness could lead to serious consequences. Therefore, we must be extremely cautious.

A month later, just as the Empress Dowager's birthday was approaching, a large procession arrived in Luoyang.

The leader was an imperial envoy personally sent by the new emperor Cao Xun, who was said to be there to reward the three armies, but no one knew exactly what he was going to do.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense, but Chen Ye remained very calm and personally greeted the imperial envoy outside the city gate.

After the elaborate rituals, the imperial envoy unfolded the bright yellow edict in his hand and read it aloud.

"On the occasion of the Empress Dowager's 80th birthday, I wish the whole nation to celebrate. Marquis Zhenxi has rendered great service and meritorious service in guarding the frontier for many years, yet he has not returned to the capital to see me. I miss him dearly, and hereby summon him back to the capital to participate in the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration, and to report on his duties and renew our bond as ruler and subject. So be it!"

After the voice faded, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

All the officials kept their heads down, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Everyone knows this is a trap, but the reason given is so plausible.

Go, for there is no return.

If they don't go, they will be put on the defensive morally, giving Cao Xun a legitimate reason to launch an attack.

Therefore, this move can be described as extremely vicious.

The imperial envoy looked at Chen Ye with a half-smile, wanting to see how this powerful Prince of Liang would respond.

Under everyone's gaze, Chen Ye remained calm, showing no signs of emotional fluctuation.

As he fell silent, the atmosphere in the hall grew tense, with many officers glaring menacingly, some even placing their hands on their sword hilts.

Those who can appear here are all Chen Ye's confidants. Therefore, let alone an imperial envoy, even if the emperor himself were standing here, they would dare to draw their swords and attack if Chen Ye gave the order.

The imperial envoy also sensed that something was wrong, and the smile on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by a hint of unease.

"Lord...Lord, aren't you going to accept the imperial decree?"

Chen Ye suddenly laughed, then reached out and took the imperial envoy's hand, saying in a gentle tone, "Imperial envoy, you must be exhausted from your long journey. Please rest for a while, and I will personally welcome you tonight."

"My lord, the imperial edict..."

"Someone, escort the imperial envoy to rest."

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)