"..."
In her opinion, the Great Zhao is beyond salvation.
Destroy it, quickly.
Xi Heng pressed his temples, looked at the three imperial edicts on the table again and again, and finally said indifferently: "I'll do it."
The old imperial teacher showed joy on his face: "Your Majesty is wise!"
……
After agreeing to fulfill the imperial edict and dealing with the various memorials piled on the desk, Xi Heng was busy until nightfall before finishing his work and returning to his residence as the emperor - Fuqing Palace.
Many guards in red robes and red armor stood guard at night, surrounding the Fuqing Palace. They seemed to know that the new emperor was in an unsafe situation.
Xi Heng found the new emperor's bedroom that had been redecorated. He didn't bother to look closely at its gorgeous and magnificent appearance, so he asked the palace maid to bring him a dinner.
Puff pastry, deer antler soup, lobster and sea cucumber, steamed donkey meat, crispy fire-baked bread, cherry meat... more than a dozen plates were brought to him one by one, but Xi Heng only touched one or two pieces of chopsticks for each dish. Even the emperor felt it was too wasteful.
After eating and drinking, Xi Heng waved his hand to let the beautiful palace maid who was playing music leave. He hung the sacrificial fur coat on a wooden frame beside him and finally felt a little relieved.
The new imperial bedroom was located high up in the Fuqing Hall, which itself was located high up in the center of the palace.
Looking out from here, you can see the solid walls of the imperial city, and the well-arranged palaces, government offices and temples inside. There are new palaces with green tiles and red beams that are unique and elegant, and old palaces with glazed tiles that reflect the shimmering light under the moonlight.
Further out, in the far south, you can see a group of long pavilions illuminated by lights.
Xi Heng recognized that the light in the distance was the Qinxie Changxiang where he used to live.
After leaving Hua Manlou, she became emperor in just two days.
When he came here, Xi Heng had also thought about this kind of development, but he thought it was too unrealistic at the time.
Now that I have become the emperor, I always feel like I am in a dream.
"But I won't be able to do that for long." She looked at the window through which the cold night air seeped in, then returned to her bed, took off her dress and went to sleep.
Silent all night.
At the hour of Mao the next day, a palace maid called her to get up.
"Why do I have to get up early even though I'm the emperor?" Xi Heng rubbed his eyes while lying on the bed, complaining softly.
"It turns out that the emperor is not free at all..."
"I am increasingly tempted to be a tyrant who indulges in alcohol and sex and neglects government affairs. At least a tyrant doesn't have to get up early."
The girl sighed softly, listened to the palace maid outside urging her softly, and finally slowly lifted the quilt.
"Your Majesty, would you allow me to come in? Please help Your Majesty dress and put on a crown." Another soft voice came from outside.
But Xi Heng didn't know how to wear the imperial robe, so he had to invite the other party in.
This master of ceremonies palace maid was extremely beautiful and charming. Her every glance and smile was vivid and beautiful. The word "alluring" was probably used to describe such a beauty.
It’s just that Xi Heng learned a lot of ritual and daily etiquette from the other party yesterday, and now he only looks at her as a teacher.
"How do you wear it?" Xi Heng grabbed the spacious dragon robe and looked at it from left to right.
"Your Majesty, please don't move..." The master of ceremonies took the dragon robe and carefully put it on Xi Heng, adjusting the collar and waist.
First, she combed the inner garment and the wide skirt below, then straightened the outer dragon robe, and finally put on the crown and adjusted her appearance.
After repeating this for two quarters of an hour, Xi Heng finally left Fuqing Palace, surrounded by palace maids, and boarded the dragon and phoenix chariot carried by the palace guards to go to Taixiao Palace for the morning court.
Arriving at the palace, Xi Heng sat on the dragon throne. After a moment, the eunuch called out in a shrill operatic voice, "Go to court." The civil and military officials who had been waiting for a long time outside in the cold wind came in one after another.
"Long live my emperor, long live, long live!"
"Everyone, please stand up." Xi Heng waved his hand: "If you have something to say, please report it. If not, please leave the court."
The ministers below stood with their heads bowed. One of the high-ranking officials, wearing bright red court robes, stepped to the side and bowed his head respectfully, saying, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
"speak."
"Last night, I received a letter from the northern border saying that Yan Meng had gathered a large number of troops and horses and was heading south. I'm afraid that the new king of Yan Meng knew about the war in our Great Zhao and wanted to take the opportunity to go south to get a share of the pie."
"If this is true, what should we do?" Xi Heng looked around at the officials.
And the senior official in red clothes said:
"I think that the order given by the late emperor yesterday to the 30,000-strong Ever-Victorious Army in the north to march south should be rescinded. The Ever-Victorious Army should not march south, but should march north instead. Yan Meng's army is already exhausted from the previous battle for the throne and has not yet been able to repair and reorganize. We can take this opportunity to break through."
"But if we order them to withdraw to the north, what about Jinshi City which has been occupied by the Tianliang bandits?" Xi Heng asked casually.
She actually didn't care about these political affairs. After all, it seemed that she was about to reload the game, so there was no need to worry about them.
"The Tianliang bandits are just a mob. Fang Tiande only cared about pleasure after taking over Jinshi City. In just a few months, the Tianliang army has become corrupt. Fang Tiande is gradually losing the support of the army. Perhaps they will soon collapse and split into several small forces. We in the Great Zhao can win over one and attack the other." The senior official in red clothes said:
"Jinshi City can be put aside for now, but Yan Meng in the north is a formidable enemy. Yan Meng and our Great Zhao have been enemies for a hundred years, and we have both won and lost. It is hard to say who is stronger and who is weaker. Now the enemy is going to attack from the south again. We must take advantage of the fact that they have not yet recovered from the war and strike first!"
Xi Heng thought it made sense and nodded, "What do you think?"
"I think so!" another senior official in blue uniform said loudly:
"Han Tianxing must have had some secret dealings with the Tianliang bandits. What he meant today was to buy time for the Tianliang bandits to recuperate, so that they can continue to attack the city in the north tomorrow! Your Majesty, you must not trust them! The Liang bandits have already broken through Jinshi. If you ignore them, they will capture Xiuzhou and Gui'an in the future! To the north is Suzhou, and further north are Changzhou and Jiangning, and after that are Taihe and our capital!"
"This is slander!" The red-robed official glared at him, then raised the jade scepter in his hand and bowed to him:
"Your Majesty, I was clearly speaking out to make a remonstrance, but this Cao said that I was in league with Tianliang. In my opinion, it was not that Tianliang and I were having an affair, but that he had a connection with the Yanmeng Kingdom in the north because of his several diplomatic missions to foreign countries!"
"You are slandering me!" the official in blue clothes shouted loudly, and many scholars in blue clothes beside him also began to speak for him.
On the other side, many of the officials surrounding the red-robed official also shouted at the blue-robed official. In just a few seconds, the meeting of the highest power and political center of the Great Zhao turned into a common scene of civilians cursing at each other in the vegetable market.
"What the hell is going on..." Xi Heng felt that the future of Da Zhao was bleak.
…………
Chapter 42: Execution with the Embroidered Axe
There was constant turmoil in the court, with officials shouting at each other. It was obvious that the officials were divided into two major factions, opposing each other and accusing the enemy officials of treason one after another.
Obviously, the conflict between the two factions has intensified to a certain extent. Both sides have stopped playing tricks behind the scenes and have put things on the table. They are even ready to fight, and there is a sense that they are about to turn from shouting and yelling to fighting.
Xi Heng held her forehead as she sat on the dragon throne, not sure whether the chaotic scene before her was the ministers testing her ability to govern or whether they were really attacking each other in a factional struggle.
She looked at the Zhao court below, which was as busy as a market, and just wanted to clear out this group of people and replace them with a group of more normal ministers...
"That's all..."
Xi Heng glanced at the old eunuch standing on the side, and the other party nodded in understanding.
A moment later, the hissing sound of burning fireworks suddenly came from outside.
Then a sharp whooshing sound rose from outside the court and landed in the sky with a bang.
bang——
Immediately, a group of palace guards wearing red armor and carrying official swords on their waists rushed into the hall with the sound of orderly clanging footsteps and the trembling of armor on their bodies.
Amid the commotion, an unknown minister shouted at the warriors who had come forward:
"You daring warrior! Taixiao Palace is where ministers discuss state affairs with the emperor. How can we allow barbarians like you to come in and out with knives at will?"
The next moment, the imperial guards surrounded the ministers, drew their swords and shouted angrily at the civil officials.
It has to be said that the military men far outweighed the civil officials in the court in terms of momentum and courage.
After a moment of shouting, the originally chaotic civil officials saw the weapons and heard the angry roars, and their hearts trembled, and they gradually stopped their disturbances.
There was a moment of silence in the court, and Xi Heng finally had the chance to speak:
"The court is a place for discussing state affairs. All ministers should be reserved and serious. They should think twice before speaking. Their words should be solemn and clear. Only then can they be called great. Today, I see that you are all pillars of the court, but you are yelling and cursing at each other like old men in the vegetable market outside the city. It is really a shame for the Great Zhao."
"If this happens again, those who instigated it will be given twenty lashes of the cane." Xi Heng said it was a punishment that was neither too light nor too heavy.
The civil officials below finally obeyed and said that Your Majesty's teachings were correct.
However, the purple-robed civil official who had just rebuked the warriors stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, the Great Zhao has a rule since ancient times that only generals and military leaders can enter the court. How can these little warriors enter the emperor's place? Moreover, they brought swords into the palace. I am worried that it will damage your majesty's dignity. Please drive the warriors out of the court! The leader should be beheaded immediately!"
"Your humble servant and Censor Wang make a joint remonstrance!" After this man finished speaking, several civil servants followed him and stepped forward.
When Xi Heng was handling government affairs yesterday, he listened to the old eunuch's explanation and learned that in Da Zhao, ordinary warriors who had no official position or noble identity and had not reached the level of dark energy had a lower status.
Even the generals who fought bravely in battle could not compare to these civil officials in terms of the right to speak in the court.
Moreover, since the founding of the Great Zhao, the founding emperor has set a rule that civil officials who speak out should not be killed.
Therefore, the court officials below are fearless.
"Imperial Censor Wang? What's your full name?" Xi Heng narrowed his eyes.
"I am Wang Xiangfu, your humble servant." The purple-robed civil official bowed respectfully.
"That's easy." The girl chuckled and clapped her hands.
After two short snaps, the old eunuch beside him took out a golden scroll of imperial edict from behind, unrolled it, and shouted loudly:
"I am the one who has been entrusted with the destiny of Heaven and reigns supreme over the four seas. Now the people are in decline and suffering, but the officials in the court are fighting for power and profit for their own selfish desires, and I have no choice but to kill these treacherous officials and villains—"
"Wang Xiangfu, as the Chief Censor and the Minister of the Secretariat, is in charge of the state's criminal law, laws and regulations, and performs judicial duties, but he neglects his duties, is absent from work, and serves the country in vain, leaving the people with no one to complain. Instead, he has seized power and accepted bribes, and used his power to extort money and money from the people. He has also joined forces to attack dissidents and framed loyal officials! He has disgraced the foundation of the Great Zhao State, and he is dismissed from his position as Censor and Minister, and will be executed immediately. I decree this!"
"..."
Before he finished speaking, the stunned ministers below felt a chill in their hearts.
Since the founding of the Great Zhao, the most severe crime committed by civil officials was exile to the border, their official documents destroyed, and they were never recalled to the Central Plains - at least that was the case on the surface.
Not to mention that at this moment, the decree was being publicly announced in the court, and the person to be killed was the Secretary of the Central Secretariat who had once served as prime minister.
Today the rules were suddenly changed, and the target was directly aimed at their court officials, so that most of the officials were unable to react.
"You, you." After hearing this, Wang Xiangfu pointed his trembling finger at Xi Heng: "How dare you do this? Aren't you afraid of what will happen in the future..."
Before he could finish his anxious voice, another person beside him stepped forward and interrupted loudly: "Your Majesty, this is absolutely not allowed!"
Among the terrified officials, another scholar in purple and gold official uniform hurried forward, raised his jade scepter, leaned forward and shouted:
"Since Taizu founded the country, there has been a precept in the palace: no punishment shall be imposed on officials! Your Majesty, please do not set this precedent - because this is the foundation of the country! And your Majesty has just inherited the throne, so you should respect the wise and the teachings of the ancestors, so that you can firmly rule the Great Zhao!"
This person seemed to have something else to say. Although his tone appeared respectful, there was a hint of threat in his words.
Xi Heng stared at the other person's eyes carefully and saw a flash of malice in his eyes.
So she looked up and asked:
"and who are you?"
She felt that this person was somewhat familiar, as if she had met him before, but she couldn't remember his name.
The other party was a little unwilling to believe that Xi Heng didn't know him. He was stunned for a few seconds before saying:
"I, your humble servant Li Shimei, am the Prime Minister of the Great Zhao."
"So this is the person who came to Huamanlou yesterday. No wonder he looks familiar." Xi Heng hadn't noticed this person before, but now he recognizes him.
She waved her hand again, asking the eunuch beside her to continue reading.
The old eunuch then took out another imperial edict, unfolded it and said loudly:
"I have inherited the great order and am the guardian of the country. In the eleventh year of Qianzhi, the Southern Tianliang rebelled, but the prime minister Li Shimei whitewashed the situation and concealed the truth, which led to the growth of the rebel army. Seven cities were captured one after another, and now they have even captured Jinshi! Li Shimei does not care about the country's affairs, is jealous of talents, and has a loose and unrestrained personal conduct. He has made no achievements in the position of prime minister for many years. He is just flattering and obedient, and does not care about the government. He turns a deaf ear to the suffering of the people and uses the power of prime minister for his own amusement. He is truly a thief of the Great Zhao! Execute him immediately, I decree!"
Li Shimei, who was so proud just now, turned pale in an instant and pointed at the old eunuch surnamed Gao: "You, you eunuch, are talking nonsense! Slander! This is absolutely not what was written in the decree!"
The ministers behind him were dumbfounded and panic-stricken for a moment, and they subconsciously kept a distance from the prime minister.
Li Shimei immediately knelt down, and without pleading for the Secretary Wang Xiangfu, he kowtowed directly to Xi Heng and said:
"Your Majesty, I am wronged! I have a close relationship with the late emperor. If I were a traitor, how could the late emperor admire and love me so much? Your Majesty is the daughter of the late emperor. If you do such a tyrannical thing, it will chill the hearts of scholars all over the world. You must not do this!"
"These imperial edicts were written by the late emperor as you said, but I am the one who executes them." Xi Heng said calmly.
"Impossible! There is no such reason!"
"I'll kill you if I want to. Why would I go to the trouble of deceiving you again? Old eunuch, throw the imperial edict to him and let him identify it himself!"
“Hmm——”
Li Shimei hurriedly took the imperial edict. The more he looked at it, the more pale his face became. Finally, it was as if all his strength was drained away in an instant, and he collapsed to the ground.
Xi Heng didn't want to waste time talking to him, so he ordered Ma Yi, the commander of the imperial guards, to "Go ahead."
Ma Yi raised his official sword and walked forward towards the two treacherous ministers who were kneeling on the ground.
