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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 211: Self-Destruction
In terms of both emotion and reason, Li Jian Cheng could not easily go against his mother's wishes; this was the essence of filial piety.
Moreover, his intention to denounce the Dugu Family was merely a façade. He did not wish to implicate the entire clan for the foolishness of Dugu Huai'en.
His actions were meant to gauge how easily influenced his relatives and acquaintances were.
Furthermore, the principle of "once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, but three times is a pattern" applied here. Each time they used their connections to influence the emperor, it drained the family's power. When Li Jian Cheng truly wanted to take action against someone in the future, he doubted they would have the face to come begging for mercy.
After listening, Li Jian Cheng said, "In that case, I will pardon them and only hold Dugu Huai'en accountable."
Just as the mother and son were speaking, Li Wei hurried in to pay his respects. He did not say anything, but his meaning was clear. Li Jian Cheng stood up to bid farewell to the Empress.
The Dou Family sensed that something significant was happening but did not press for details. She simply reminded him, "Be sure to take care of your health."
"Understood."
Once outside Funing Palace, Li Wei immediately reported, "Hua Rong Monk Gao Tansheng took advantage of the Official Government's order to hold a religious ceremony for the common people. During this gathering, over five thousand monks revolted, killing the county magistrate and the military officers stationed there.
They declared themselves as the reincarnation of Maitreya and established a new dynasty called Buddha Kingdom, with the era name Law Wheel. They appointed nun Jing Xuan as Yelun Empress and granted high positions to Monastic Daoism as Civil and Military Officials.
Additionally, Lu Chongmao from Xia County, Governor Li Zhongwen from Ruyin, Prefect Yang Shilin from Xianzhou, Prefect Meng Dan Gui from Daizhou, County Magistrate Cheng Mingzhen from Pule County, and County Magistrate Jiang Shan from Yucheng openly supported Dugu Huai'en's false edict.
Officials from Lingling, Nankang, Guiyang, Shian, Hengshan, Xiping, and other regions have raised troops in support of Dugu Huai'en."
Listening to this report seemed alarming; however, Li Jian Cheng's expression remained unchanged as he continued forward with steady steps. Li Wei took a breath and said, "Your Majesty, the Left Minister has summoned Civil and Military Officials to Council Hall and is awaiting your decree for Suppression of Rebellion."
"Mm."
After changing into Court Robes, Li Jian Cheng arrived at Council Hall. The courtiers stopped their discussions and bowed in greeting. They only straightened up once the emperor was seated and heard him say to rise.
The Left Minister Pei Ji spoke first: "Your Majesty, I believe we should immediately dispatch troops for Suppression of Rebellion."
Qin Shubao and Zhang Hutan stepped forward to request battle: "We volunteer to lead the charge and will eliminate these bandits for Your Majesty."
Li Mi and Xue Ju were equally unwilling to back down, as such opportunities were becoming increasingly rare. All of them had experienced the chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty, and this level of rebellion hardly qualified as a major upheaval.
The officials of the prefecture involved in the rebellion were not part of the foundational support for the establishment of the Tang Dynasty. Their response to Dugu Huai'en was not out of genuine belief in that false edict, but rather because they had already committed grave offenses.
They sought to showcase their strength, and with just a hint of appeasement from the court, they would quickly resolve the rebellion themselves and capture Dugu Huai'en to send him back to Chang'an.
However, those individuals clearly did not understand the emperor. Only those who had truly faced off against him knew what it felt like to have every step meticulously arranged.
The emperor did not issue an order for a certain general to lead troops in the suppression of the rebellion; he merely decreed that local provincial troops gather for this purpose, which surprised the courtiers.
At that moment, Dugu Huai'en finally arrived in the region and smoothly met with the prefects of various counties and representatives from prominent families. Due to prior dealings, he successfully became their leader, amassing nearly one hundred thousand troops.
Dugu Huai'en loudly proclaimed that the emperor was morally deficient and weak in external matters, unworthy of being called a wise ruler. The Retired Emperor was kind-hearted but imprisoned in the palace, while King Qi, who was exceptionally virtuous, had been driven out of Chang'an.
He had abandoned his prominent position as Minister of Works for the sake of the Tang Dynasty, fleeing here to gather troops in preparation to return to Guanzhong and restore the Retired Emperor to power.
Dugu Huai'en's influence in the south was considerable, and with no significant movements from Chang'an, ambitious figures began to emerge across the land, eager to follow in their predecessors' footsteps and raise armies to claim authority over the prefectures.
Strangely enough, no matter how much they stirred things up, they could hardly gather any troops; instead, they would quickly be suppressed by local provincial forces.
After several months of turmoil, Dugu Huai'en found that fewer and fewer people were responding to his call. His troops remained stagnant despite having several counties at his disposal with ample supplies.
At this point, Dugu Huai'en began to awaken slightly from his ambitions. He hurriedly summoned his subordinates and ordered them to forcibly conscript soldiers before following him on a northern expedition.
However, he was met with outright refusal. Furious, Dugu Huai'en considered executing a few individuals as an example, but after giving the order, silence fell over the hall.
In that heavy silence, Lingling Prefect Zhao Dan sighed: "The Retired Emperor went on an outing in Hongnong County a few days ago. After King Li Shimin finished dealing with the rebels in Henan, he has been closed off at home receiving no visitors. King Qi has also made no moves in Jinyang."
As one of those pointed out as potential sacrifices, Deputy Commander Feng Xiao glared fiercely at Dugu Huai'en before saying: "The court shows no intention of appeasing us. What should we do? Are we really going to follow this fool on a northern expedition?"
"A northern expedition is a dead end. It's not just him who is foolish; we are too. We originally thought that if we joined forces, we could easily gather two hundred thousand troops and force the court to make concessions. But it turns out that the chaotic times have truly passed.
Now we can't even muster one hundred thousand; with this ragtag group, what can we accomplish?"
Nankang Biejia whispered, "There are at least two hundred thousand troops stationed in Chang'an, and they are the elite forces like the Valiant Fruit Army and the Yan Yun Iron Cavalry."
As he spoke, everyone's expressions grew increasingly grim. The court had clearly not taken any action to suppress them, allowing their development to continue, yet they were on the brink of collapse.
Finally, someone couldn't hold back and rushed forward to drag the person at the head, Dugu Huai'en, and threw him to the ground. "Did you not say that His Majesty is unpopular in Chang'an, that the Li Clan and the Noble Families of Guanlong are filled with grievances? You claimed that as long as we raised our banners, Guanzhong would naturally fall into chaos, and both Qin Wang and King Qi would also take up arms?"
"Weren't you the one who said your Dugu Clan is immensely influential, with relatives and connections everywhere? Many of your sons and nephews hold local positions. Why is it that now not a single person is responding?"
Dugu Huai'en, a Royal Relative for two dynasties, had never been treated this way in his life. As he fell to the ground, he thought he was dreaming.
Once he realized what was happening, he felt an overwhelming sense of humiliation. He sprang up in anger, ready to kill that person. As a standard member of the Noble Families of Guanlong, his archery skills were quite good.
However, this was their territory after all, and he was quickly pressed down onto the table. Dugu Huai'en shouted to his confidants, "What are you waiting for? Kill them! Kill them!"
Yuan Junbao and the others turned a blind eye. If anyone harbored hatred, it was them who hated Dugu Huai'en the most. It was because of this guy's instigation that they had abandoned the wealth of Chang'an to come to this place where life and death were uncertain and there was no future in sight.
Zhao Dan closed his eyes in pain. Yuwen Gong, where is your successor?
……………
(End of Chapter)
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