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墨書 Inktalez
The Chief Eunuch above is responsible for conveying the Emperor's message. At the beginning, the Emperor's words are only spoken once, but he is tasked with repeating them several times so that the civil and military officials below can hear.
This can be considered a form of etiquette in the palace. Although he is a eunuch, his power may surpass that of a High Official.
The Qin Emperor is dressed in a yellow robe adorned with golden dragons, sitting majestically as he overlooks the civil and military officials below, exuding an imperial aura.
Surrounding him are several tall palace maids dressed in pink robes, each possessing beauty that could make the moon hide and flowers blush, gentle and elegant.
There are also a few eunuchs present, but they appear neither overly masculine nor feminine, creating a rather unique atmosphere!
Additionally, there are dozens of Imperial Guards wearing black armor and carrying Broadswords, emanating an air of menace; they are indeed elite Imperial Guards.
Everything above is well-prepared; no incidents are likely to occur. Their eyes resemble those of hawks observing their prey.
After the Chief Eunuch repeats the message several times, these Civil Officials and Generals stand up, creating a rustling sound that is quite impressive.
Qin Feng also stands up. Performing this gesture requires him to kneel down completely, which feels somewhat awkward! The formality is excessive.
As a modern person, he finds it difficult to adapt to the bowing and kneeling etiquette of monarchs and ministers, feeling it undermines his dignity, yet he has no choice but to comply in the imposing palace.
Soon, hundreds of Civil Officials and Generals rise from the luxurious carpet, each one tall in stature.
The Qin Emperor, clad in a Golden Dragon Robe, indeed possesses an extraordinary presence. His right hand rests on the Pure Gold dragon throne as he gazes down at them.
However, his expression reveals some tension as he begins to speak.
"Your Excellencies, the Jin Kingdom has launched another attack, bringing along over a hundred thousand troops southward. Do you have any good ideas to persuade the Jin Army to retreat?"
The voice was loud and clear, even Qin Feng, who stood several positions back, could hear it distinctly. The officials behind him must have heard it as well.
Soon, the Civil Officials and Generals began to murmur among themselves, their discussions growing quite heated.
He noticed that many people's gazes were directed at him, clearly with a mocking smile, indicating that the problem lay with him.
Their eyes were filled with greed and more contemptuous laughter, leaving him unsure of their thoughts.
In front of these Civil Officials stood two individuals at the forefront, arranged in two rows: Bai Shizhong and Li Bangyan.
They were the Left Chancellor and Right Chancellor of the Ministry of Personnel, the two most powerful figures among the Civil Officials in the court.
The Song Dynasty implemented a system of power distribution to prevent the chancellor from wielding too much power. As a result, the authority of the chancellor was diminished and divided among three provinces: Zhongshu Province, Ministry of Rites, and Ministry of Personnel.
While the powers of the chancellor changed, several Chancellors emerged. The heads of these Three Provinces could all be referred to as Chancellors.
The Ministry of Personnel had its Left Chancellor and Right Chancellor; Zhongshu Province was led by the Zhongshu Shilang, who was also considered a top official. The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Rites could also be regarded as a Chancellor.
Thus, there were at least four Chancellors in the Song Dynasty, with power distributed so that no single official could monopolize governance.
Bai Shizhong was in his fifties, with quite a bit of white hair. He was somewhat overweight but stood over 170 centimeters tall and appeared to be in good spirits.
Suddenly speaking up, he wore a smile on his face, though it was a sinister one.
"The Minister of Personnel, Left Chancellor Bai Shizhong said, 'I have thought of a scheme that will definitely satisfy the Jin people and make their army retreat back to the Jin Kingdom, no longer invading our Great Song territory, ensuring our Great Song's safety.'
Many civil officials and generals around him looked on in surprise. Could it be that there really is a clever plan that could appease the arrogant Jin people?
Even Qin Feng and many other civil officials who were listening felt astonished that such a brilliant scheme could exist to subdue the Jin and make them withdraw their troops!
The emperor, Qin Emperor, was of course very pleased and laughed heartily, showing great appreciation.
'Your Excellency, what is your clever plan? Speak quickly! If you can drive off the Jin soldiers, you will surely receive great rewards!'
Bai Shizhong also smiled happily, like a great villain.
In fact, he was indeed such a villain, a greedy and profit-seeking person. What good ideas could such a mediocre person come up with?
'Wang Xiang's memorial has made it very clear that this Peace Envoy Qin Feng has come up with a scheme that killed tens of thousands of Jin soldiers. That is why the Jin soldiers are marching south in full force. Wang Bin is just a common man who knows only how to fight. As long as we behead these two men and present their heads to the Jin Kingdom...'
'Then the general of the Jin Kingdom will surely calm his anger and negotiate with our country again. Especially this Qin Feng; beheading him would be too lenient. He deserves to be torn apart by five horses. Clearly a Peace Envoy, yet he offers strategies for war. What use is such a useless person if he does not die?'
With a hint of anger on his face, he had already received Wang Xiang's generous gift to help eliminate this Qin Feng, but it had harmed his two brothers.
It was just right to take his head to negotiate peace with the Jin Kingdom; it would still be a great achievement—wonderful indeed!
Li Bangyan, standing next to Bai Shizhong, also stepped forward with a smile on his face, harboring ill intentions.
'What Chancellor Bai said makes perfect sense. It is all this mediocre Qin Feng's own cleverness that has led to the Jin soldiers marching south in full force. Presenting his head to the Jin people will surely quell their anger and turn hostility into peace, allowing for renewed negotiations!'"
“Sovereign, when it comes to the survival of the nation, we cannot be soft-hearted. Just send Qin Feng out to be executed; if we use a fast horse, it can reach Jin Kingdom in two days.”
Qin Feng heard this from behind and felt cold sweat break out all over his body. His head became very dizzy, and he almost fainted.
They actually wanted to use his life to negotiate with Jin Kingdom. This was truly despicable and shameless! He was a meritorious minister; how could they treat him like this?
Bai Shizhong and Li Bangyan had always been treacherous ministers, inciting Sovereign and Predecessor Emperor. They should be executed for being harmful to the country and the people.
He noticed that many Civil Officials and Generals were looking at him with murderous intent, especially some of the Generals, who seemed eager to rush over and capture him.
What did they want? Did they really intend to kill him? He was a loyal minister, dedicated to the country; how could they treat him this way? he thought.
Of course, under the leadership of those two Chancellors, many Civil Officials and Generals also stepped forward to speak.
They were merely parasites of the court, suggesting that Qin Feng’s head should be chopped off and presented in a box to the Jin people for negotiation. This would surely quell their anger and turn conflict into peace!
Clearly a Civil Official, yet engaging in matters of a Military Official. What were they trying to do? Such people must be eliminated.
Qin Feng felt like an outsider! Many of the Civil Officials and Generals present at this Morning Court were just mediocre individuals. How could such people be worthy of being high officials in the court, standing here discussing matters in the Morning Court?
Faced with the invasion from the northern Hu Kou, they not only failed to take up arms against the enemy but also engaged in infighting, swallowing their anger like a defeated dog—so pathetic.
There were also some Civil Officials and Generals who belonged to the War Faction. Unlike most of the Peace Faction, they were loyal to the country and dared to fight fiercely without fearing Hu Kou.
They spoke to the emperor, but their voices were few, drowned out by the louder voices advocating for peace, which suppressed them as well.
The Qin Emperor began to listen to Bai Shizhong's words, his expression showing little change, with a hint of a smile that could be interpreted as either appreciation or tacit agreement.
Hearing that so many people below wanted to kill Qin Feng and present his head to the Jin Kingdom for peace talks, he became furious, his face filled with anger.
Is this still my Great Song court? Each one of them is so cowardly and submissive; when faced with the Jin Kingdom, they act as if they are confronting a master, full of trepidation.
As an emperor of a court, who would want to see the civil officials and generals below him behaving like cowards? Yet, in my Great Song Dynasty, they are all siding with the Jin Kingdom! A whole group of useless individuals; it truly feels like I have wasted resources on them.
He thought of his father and sighed helplessly.
His father loved poetry and painting, was infatuated with beauty, and had lived in luxury for decades without caring for state affairs. This allowed the officials below to become so incompetent, filling positions without merit; such people could even attain high official status.
The inept ministers still suggested killing the court's high official, Qin Feng. He is a meritorious minister, one of the few civil officials capable of eliminating many Jin people.
Although he did not openly praise Qin Feng's contributions—since many in the court's Peace Faction disapproved—he felt some admiration in his heart.
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