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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 239: Contradiction
The Golden Cup was shared among them, and the White Blade showed no mercy; the Emperor truly lived up to this.
These individuals, who had become high-ranking officials after the founding of the nation, held key positions in the court, wielding significant power in assisting the Emperor in governance. They had indeed shared the Golden Cup with him.
At this moment, it was time to verify the latter part of that statement. King Li Shimin, Prince Jin, and Li Xuanba appeared together, clearly intending to send the officials in the hall on their way.
Both princes wore expressionless faces. Qin Wang walked with some difficulty, while Prince Jin had fallen ill earlier in the year and was still coughing. Yet they dared not defy the Emperor's orders.
In the past, although their elder brother had been somewhat indifferent, there had still been a sense of brotherly affection, and he had shown them care and consideration.
However, after this incident, it seemed things had changed. The dirtiest of tasks were now directly handed over to them, and both brothers silently resented Li Yan.
Li Jian Cheng sat back at his desk, quietly observing the courtiers in the hall—some were still pleading desperately, others were weeping profusely, some stood frozen in shock, while others began to drink heavily.
Half an hour later, Qin Wang ordered, "Take them out!"
The Imperial Guard entered and dragged people out. Many clung desperately to tables and pillars of the hall, but faced with the unyielding Imperial Guard, they were soon pulled away with cries of pain.
Li Jian Cheng watched as the empty hall brought a slight smile to his lips; problems that had once troubled him suddenly seemed very easy to resolve.
Soon after, Qin Wang and Prince Jin returned to report. Both looked rather grim, but Li Jian Cheng was unconcerned.
"Prince Jin, go back to your residence to rest. Qin Wang, you will handle these Royal Family members; their old and young will be exiled to Wuchuan."
"Understood."
The courtiers and Royal Family members kneeling outside looked at Qin Wang with disappointment. Prince Jin was frail and rarely involved in state affairs, but Qin Wang had achieved great military success; how could he not even offer a word of advice?
Li Shimin naturally sensed their intentions and indeed had the heart to offer counsel, but he was also acutely aware of how awkward his position was at that moment.
As the legitimate second son of the Retired Emperor, saying even one more word could provoke deadly suspicion from his elder brother. At that point, the death toll would only rise.
After Li Shimin led his troops out of the palace, the Courtiers knelt under the sun for over half an hour before the Emperor slowly emerged from the Martial Virtue Hall.
He continued to stand above, looking down, with the slanting sunlight casting a large shadow of the Emperor over the Courtiers.
"I act for the State and for all under heaven; I must endure this pain. You all should understand how difficult it is for me and remember the great principle of Ruler and Minister, to assist me in governing our lands."
"We humbly obey Your Majesty's teachings."
Li Jian Cheng nodded. The palace maids and eunuchs filed in, quickly clearing away the remnants of food and setting up a new banquet, still filled with fine wines and delicacies.
Li Jian Cheng smiled and said, "Since today is an exception, I invite you all to enjoy a good meal. Starting tomorrow, we shall still adhere to the Prohibition of Slaughter and Wine."
The Courtiers naturally had no appetite, but who would dare to say no to His Majesty at that moment?
Thus, they sat down to eat and drink, though each one felt stiff; despite the exquisite food and wine, they chewed as if it were tasteless wax.
While they lacked appetite, Li Jian Cheng did not. He had enjoyed such lavish banquets every meal during his youth, but since ascending to the throne, he had not partaken in such feasts.
He had always adhered to the principle of governing oneself before governing others, believing that as an emperor, he should set an example for his subjects.
It was Xiao Cong who stepped forward: "Your Majesty, there are now vacancies in critical positions within the Court, and matters across the realm cannot afford even a day's delay. We implore Your Majesty to appoint officials and manage state affairs."
Councilor Liu Wenjing added: "Especially in the Ministry of Civil Affairs and Ministry of War; the Turkic forces have yet to retreat, and supplies of grain and materials must continue."
This matter was originally quite difficult, as for such a high-ranking official position, Li Jian Cheng had to consider many aspects and also gauge Guanlong's attitude. If they opposed it, then the administration would likely face significant issues.
However, it had now become simpler. Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and other confidants were already vice ministers of the Six Ministries, just waiting for this group to step down so they could take their places.
Now it was just a matter of promoting them directly. Although they were not currently in the Capital City, among the Six Ministries, there were vice ministers who could temporarily oversee affairs. With no vice ministers left, there would still be someone lower down who could step up.
Zhongshu Shilang was temporarily replaced by Xiao Cong, King Li Shimin was promoted to Minister of Rites as the Left Deputy Minister, and Councilor Liu Wenjing took on the role of Minister of Personnel as well.
After the courtiers received their orders and left the palace, news of the Martial Virtue Hall incident quickly spread outside Chang'an. Officials and commoners alike fell silent in fear, with some even fleeing Chang'an with their families to avoid disaster.
Such matters were certainly not resolved by the deaths of just a few dozen people; the ensuing purges were far more terrifying, as everyone feared being implicated.
As expected, within just a few days, the Ministry of Justice's prison was filled to capacity. The rarely seen Imperial Guards, under Qin Wang's leadership, began raiding homes and executing individuals one after another.
Rumors spread throughout Chang'an that anyone who found themselves at their doorstep faced imminent disaster; it was said that Qin Wang's name alone could silence crying children.
With so many high-ranking officials suddenly gone and public sentiment in turmoil, mistakes in governance naturally became rampant. However, the emperor displayed his usual leniency in this regard and did not impose harsh penalties.
As anticipated, chaos began to erupt in various regions—rebellions broke out, officials fled their posts, some publicly insulted the emperor, while others took their own lives in despair.
Among the scholars and gentry, comparisons began to be drawn between the emperor and Emperor Yang. Apart from Guanlong's faction, other noble families did not defend the emperor; instead, they fanned the flames of discontent.
The prevailing sentiment across the land demanded that the emperor issue a self-criticism edict.
This fear stemmed from witnessing how easily the emperor could execute even members of Guanlong's royal family without hesitation—what would stop him from doing worse to them?
The noble families often found themselves at odds with each other, believing that there were only so many official positions available in the court. Everyone wanted to gain more power and influence; if they couldn't secure it for themselves, they wished to do so for their relatives.
However, there are times when interests align, as in this matter.
For a moment, it seemed that there were signs of difficulty in issuing edicts from Chang'an.
Xiao Cong, Liu Wenjing, and Wang Gui entered the palace to meet the Emperor. The most impatient among them, Liu Wenjing, said, "Your Majesty, regarding your recent decree commanding the gathering of five hundred thousand troops from various regions, should we not consider postponing it? Given the current situation, it could very likely lead to great turmoil."
The newly appointed Minister of Civil Affairs, Wang Gui, added, "Your Majesty, Goguryeo has heard of your orders to the Duke of Xiangyang and the Rongping Duke to mobilize troops towards Pyongyang. They are so frightened that they have repeatedly sought forgiveness and wish to send envoys to pay their respects in hopes of appeasing your anger."
At this moment, Li Jian Cheng's face also appeared somewhat haggard. With so many officials proving ineffective, it fell upon him to bear the burden.
In response to his confidants' concerns, Li Jian Cheng shook his head and said, "The more critical the situation, the less we can change our orders hastily. I have already commanded Hejian Wang and Qin Wang to go personally. As for Goguryeo, that was already part of our plan."
Since internal conflicts were difficult to ease, going to war with the Turkic was now a necessity. Only through a great victory could they gain the prestige needed to truly resolve the issues at hand.
With an army of seven hundred thousand alongside renowned figures such as Li Jing, Li Shimin, Li Xiaogong, Xu Shijie, Li Mi, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Xue Ju, along with the foundation he had built over many years, he believed they could surely overcome the challenges posed by the conflicted Turkic forces.
…………
(End of Chapter)
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