bookrandom Chapter 242: A famous teacher
Chapter 242: A famous teacher
Beijing.
Having been on the throne for nearly a year, Emperor Qianyuan was increasingly losing interest in court affairs.
When he was the crown prince, Emperor Qianyuan rarely had the opportunity to handle major military and political affairs on his own, and Emperor Jian'an was not comfortable entrusting these matters to him.
Having reigned for a long time, and having lost the initial excitement of wielding absolute power, Emperor Qianyuan, a man of peaceful temperament who loved poetry, calligraphy, and painting, was overwhelmed by the continuous natural disasters and ambitious ministers. After court, he ordered his attendants to refuse any ministers who came to see him.
A eunuch trotted in: "Your Majesty, Lord Gao requests an audience."
Emperor Qianyuan raised his hand to his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. He didn't hear who it was, so he waved his hand and said, "I said I wouldn't see anyone."
The eunuch got up and was about to run out when Emperor Qianyuan stopped him, saying, "Let Minister Gao in."
The eunuch acknowledged and left. A moment later, Gao Yuan entered the imperial study.
Gao Yuan bowed, but Emperor Qian Yuan raised his hand to waive the formalities: "Do you see the ministers gathered outside, constantly requesting an audience with me?"
Gao Yuan paused for a moment, then nodded slightly: "I wonder what business Lord Zhen and the others have with His Majesty?"
Emperor Qianyuan sighed softly and did not hide anything from him: "It's just the same old story, exactly the same as what was said in the morning court. They tell me where there is a drought, where there is a flood, and where there is an outbreak of plague, and ask me to send people to provide disaster relief."
"Does the Emperor not know that we should send people to handle these matters?" Emperor Qianyuan frowned. "It's easy to find officials to provide disaster relief, but where will the money come from? Disaster relief doesn't require money or food; it can be done with just people."
With these two rhetorical questions, Gao Yuan sensed Emperor Qian Yuan's deep helplessness and annoyance.
Emperor Qianyuan sighed again: "When the late emperor was alive, he often told me that the world was difficult to govern. At that time, I was ignorant and did not understand, but now..."
He gave a slight, wry smile.
When he was the crown prince, he worried every day about losing his position and hoped to ascend to the throne as the supreme ruler. Only after he was truly above all others did Emperor Qianyuan realize how difficult it was to be an emperor.
Gao Yuan lowered his eyes and said softly, "All the court officials here serve Your Majesty. Your Majesty's worries are due to our incompetence as your subjects."
He knelt down as he spoke.
Emperor Qianyuan shook his head slightly to let him get up, without blaming him. His gaze shifted downwards, and suddenly, it fell on Gao Yuan. If we were to talk about who in the entire capital was most loyal to him, it would be none other than the Minister Gao in front of him.
The other party is not from Beijing; their roots are in the local area. If they want to establish themselves in Beijing, they must rely on him.
Emperor Qianyuan spoke, his tone ambiguous: "Minister Gao, are you willing to share my burdens?"
Gao Yuan respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, I am willing to go through fire and water for you."
Emperor Qian Yuan smiled slightly: "It's not that serious."
Summer of the second year of the Qianyuan era.
The emperor reinstated Gao Yuan as Grand General, entrusting him with military and political affairs, and requiring him to report important matters to the emperor. Gao Yuan's cronies were respectful and cautious when meeting the emperor, but they were arrogant and domineering in front of the court officials, and none of the ministers dared to offend them.
In autumn, Yuanzi rode his horse through the marketplace and argued with the younger brother of Consort Shu over the right of way, ultimately killing him on the road. The Consort Shu wept and complained to the Emperor, who was enraged and summoned Yuanzi for questioning. Yuanzi then bound his son and confessed, baring his chest and carrying thorns, admitting his failure to properly educate his son and begging to resign his post. The Emperor punished him, but was moved by his honesty, only stripping him of his salary for three years and ordering him to reflect on his transgressions for ten days and five days. Such was his favor; officials who encountered him would either give way to him or dismount and prostrate themselves in homage.
The grand court assembly ended once again, and Emperor Qianyuan immediately rode back to his study in his imperial carriage. At the same time, he ordered someone to summon General Gao Yuan.
As Emperor Qianyuan stepped into the Imperial Study, he recalled the remonstrances made by the court officials in court. He turned to look at Gao Yuan with a stern expression: "The southern prefectures are becoming increasingly rampant, especially the cities of Chengdu Prefecture. They completely disregard the officials sent by the court. If this drags on any longer, it may lead to a rebellion."
Speaking of this, Emperor Qianyuan had a headache. He had only been on the throne for a short time when the Great Qian Dynasty was in constant turmoil, and there had not been a moment of peace since.
Faced with this situation, Emperor Qianyuan was uneasy. No emperor wants to lose his country in his hands.
Gao Yuan lowered his eyebrows slightly, his arrogance barely concealed between his brows. His gaze swept over the dragon robe worn by Emperor Qian Yuan, and an unreadable emotion flashed in his eyes: "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the earth, all people are subjects of the king. Your Majesty is the ruler of all under heaven. If local officials harbor disloyal thoughts, Your Majesty need not tolerate them any longer. Issue an edict to strip them of their official positions."
Emperor Qianyuan looked troubled: "Last time, when I led them to assist you in quelling the rebellion in Chengdu, they all made excuses and refused. I issued an edict to dismiss them from their posts. Will they listen?"
Gao Yuan: "They are His Majesty's subjects, subjects of the Great Qian Dynasty. Anyone who dares to disobey His Majesty's orders is a traitor, and traitors will be punished by all under Heaven."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Qianyuan pondered deeply. After a moment, he raised his eyes and said, "That's right, you're correct."
Emperor Qianyuan: "As long as I am on this throne, anyone who dares to disobey my orders is a traitor, and the people of the world will not let them go."
"Someone come here," Emperor Qianyuan ordered. "Summon a scholar from the Hanlin Academy to the Imperial Study to copy the imperial edict."
"Fengtian Chengyun Emperor, the imperial edict said:
Since I ascended the throne, I have worked diligently day and night to secure the nation. However, Zhang Yang, the prefect of Fujian, and Yang Hui, the commander-in-chief of Linhui, though entrusted with important responsibilities, have dared to defy the imperial authority. First, they disobeyed imperial orders and concealed the extent of the disaster; then, they illegally intercepted tribute and arbitrarily mobilized garrison troops; recently, they have even colluded with foreign vassals and presumptuously discussed state affairs. Such rebellious acts have betrayed the heavy trust placed in them by the late emperor and failed in their duty as loyal subjects. Therefore:
First, strip him of all official titles and honors, and confiscate all gifts bestowed by the emperor.
Second, all family property will be confiscated and turned over to the public; the entire family (three generations) will be permanently barred from holding official positions.
Third, those exiled to the border regions and enslaved by armored men will not be pardoned.
All my officials should take this as a warning and strictly adhere to their duties. Anyone who disregards the law will be severely punished without exception. So be it.
Emperor Qianyuan was furious and issued an edict to punish the prefects and generals of the southern prefectures, which spread throughout the entire Great Qian Dynasty. Now everyone knew that the court was going to take real action to deal with the ministers who harbored disloyal intentions.
When Gu Lin heard the news, he was in his study. Zheng Hao showed him the imperial decree, and after a long silence, Gu Lin finally spoke, his voice choked with emotion: "Has the emperor gone mad...?"
The imperial court was already weak, and the local governments were eyeing the capital covetously. If it weren't for the fear of not being able to silence public opinion, the southern prefectures would have already declared independence and even attacked the capital. Now, Emperor Qianyuan is completely unprepared and wants to use the name of legitimacy to confiscate the property of the top two officials in the southern prefectures. If he doesn't have local support, Emperor Qianyuan will surely be completely defeated.
Gu Lin looked up at the young prefect: "What are your plans for this matter?"
Taking the decree from Uncle Gu, Zheng Hao placed it on the table. Then, looking at the young man beside him, he said slowly, "The time has come, Uncle Gu. We can enter the game now."
Understanding the other party's meaning, Youzhou Prefecture would not openly defy the imperial court and defy the world. On the contrary, they would readily comply with the imperial court's order to send troops.
If the Zhenbei Army, a transformed and formidable force, wants to step out of Youzhou Prefecture and enter the Central Plains, it must first have a legitimate reason for its actions so as not to arouse fear and suspicion from the court officials and local officials. What could be more just and legitimate than an imperial edict issued by the emperor himself?
[The remaining 2000 words will be added tomorrow!]