Chapter 983: Traitor
....
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Eunuch He ordered someone to open the palace door.
The Empress was the first to enter the palace, and the court officials quickly followed.
The group walked into the inner hall unhindered. They saw the emperor lying on the dragon bed with an ashen expression. His mouth was crooked and his eyes were slanted, and his mouth was drooling.
Ah, this…
The few people present hurriedly lowered their heads, not daring to look at him anymore. They finally understood why Eunuch He wanted to stop them.
The emperor had a stroke. Looking at him now, his heavenly might had been damaged. Even if they saw the emperor, everything they had seen in the hall today would rot in their stomachs.
To the public, they could only say that the emperor was seriously ill and could not come to court.
Before entering the palace to see the emperor, the court officials had already prepared for the worst. Although they were a little disappointed, at least they knew the emperor’s exact situation and knew what to do.
Next, it was naturally time for Yu Zongshen, who they had asked for help from and returned to the court, to manage the court.
However, after this incident, the news that the emperor was seriously ill and could not come to court could no longer be covered up.
There was no time to delay.
However, was it that easy to become the heir?
Due to the matter of the heir apparent, a new round of disputes had arisen in the royal court. The matter of the heir apparent fell into a stalemate and could not be decided for a moment.
Under Yu Zongshen’s orders, the capital began to be under full martial law.
His actions could not be said to be fast. However, before the Imperial Court could make a decision, Prince Liang died.
Far away in Liangzhou, the King of Liang, who had lost his beloved son in pain, angrily issued a denunciation of the Imperial Court. “The Imperial Court’s expenditure is inexhaustible. The officials are greedy and rampant, and the incompetent ruler has usurped the throne. He’s shameless and emotionless. He’s tarnished the truth of history and has no virtue for the country. He’s harmed the people. The people are not living well. The heavens are angry and the people are resentful, so a calamity descended from the sky. The floods are torrential, and droughts have occurred…’
A scattered denunciation angrily stated that the current throne had not been earned rightfully. Instead, it had been usurped. It also counted all the immoral actions that had been taken since the emperor ascended to the throne.
He insisted on doing things his own way and mobilized his troops to attack the North, causing the tragic death of 800,000 troops.
In order to cover up his crime, he attributed the tragic defeat in the north to
Duke Nine, who had died tragically on the battlefield because of his contribution to the rescue.
There was the calamity of the eldest son of the emperor dying prematurely.
There was the ruthlessness of killing his master and annihilating his family.
He abused his authority and falsely accused those who were loyal.
He didn’t care about or sympathize with the people.
He protected villains and harmed his brothers.
There were too many crimes to be recorded.
It was impossible to stop the waves of the East Sea!
“Today, the hearts of the people have already left. We will calm the anger of the heavens and appease the resentment of the people. We will raise a righteous army and eliminate the disciples who have brought disaster to the country. By the might of the world, we will take tiger-like steps. We want to show kindness to the world. I have a duty of loyalty. This is just the right time for loyal ministers to report to the country. When the martyrs make contributions, the entire country will mobilize its troops to fight against the rebellion.”
After Yu Zongshen regained his emotions and returned to court, Ning Yuanbo’s case was raised again. In the end, it forced the King of Liang to panic and he couldn’t hold back at all.
It was already June 24th.
Historically, it was known as the Chaos of Zhou Liang!
It had been less than a month since the heir of the King of Liang had died and the King of Liang had angrily issued an order to mobilize his troops.
King Liang used the death of his heir to make a big fuss. He used dignified excuses like “eliminating usurpation and rebellion”, “ridding the emperor of evil ministers”, and “revenge for his child” to conspire and shock the world.
The “usurpation” in “eliminating usurpation and rebellion” referred to illegally taking the throne.
“Rebellion” referred to acting perversely. It referred to the current emperor. He had even taken out evidence that the emperor had joined forces with Duke Duan’s relatives to launch a palace riot and steal the country’s power to spread throughout the world.
There was no mention of the Empress Dowager in the evidence.
No matter what, the dead were the most important.
The rules of the court also pointed out that the three current princes did not want to a.s.sist the court and fight for the throne.
Meanwhile, “ridding the emperor of evil ministers” referred to eunuchs stealing power and dictatorship.
These three excuses were completely valid on the surface. They were even reasonable. However, no matter what, they could not hide the ambition of the King of Liang.
But so what? As long as there was a reason, history was written by the victors.
Although she had long guessed this situation, Yu Youyao still felt a little uncomfortable at the end of the day. “When the King of Liang mobilizes his troops, the world will be in chaos. From now on, there will be no more rules of the Imperial Court. Do you think the King of Liang can reach the capital?”
Liangzhou was very far from the capital. They had to pa.s.s through many cities and experience many battles. The Imperial Court would also send troops to quell the rebellion. No matter how one looked at it, this was a tough battle.
“Of course,” said Yin Huaixi calmly. “Before the King of Liang infiltrates the capital, the King of Dongning and the King of Zhenxi will not move. After the Great Zhou Dynasty exists only in name, they will mobilize troops to suppress him in the name of killing the rebels. At that time, we’ll see who can enter the capital first and kill the rebels.”
Yu Youyao understood immediately. The King of Liang wanted to rebel, but he might not be willing to be the first to rebel.
There was a saying that the hunter would shoot the bird that stuck out. The first to rise would stand out. Without the proper Imperial Court, as a rebel minister, anyone, including the King of Liang, could use the excuse of a crusade.
The King of Liang might understand this logic.
However, he was schemed against by Yin Huaixi step by step, forcing him to take the lead. The King of Liang had staked everything this time and led a suicide army.
Success or failure depended on this.
“The North will take in all the refugees who have fled.” Yin Huaixi looked down at her. The Empress Dowager had pa.s.sed away, and the entire country mourned. Yu Youyao had changed into a plain robe and had a light belt around her waist, making her look even more delicate and beautiful.
Yin Huaixi suddenly thought of something.
“Others cannot personally witness her. Only the king can enjoy her beauty.” “Her figure is solemn and n.o.ble. How can it be described with words?”
This poem revealed her beauty.
It wasn’t unreasonable for her to be beautiful and filial.
Only then did Yu Youyao feel a little comforted. “King of Liang is rebelling, and the Great Zhou Dynasty is in flames. The Empress Dowager’s funeral date has never been set.”
Yin Huaixi suddenly lowered his head and played with the jade tablet in his hand. He couldn’t help but feel a little distracted. “It’s not appropriate to hold a state funeral now. At the very least, we have to wait until the world is at peace and the new emperor takes over.”
Back then, the Empress Dowager had launched a palace riot and helped the current emperor ascend the throne. This was a secret history of the palace. It would not be recorded in the official history, nor would it be written randomly in the unofficial history.
Therefore, the Empress Dowager did not lose her virtue on the surface.
In addition, she had been balancing the court for many years and empathized with the people. No matter who became the emperor, they had to bury the Empress Dowager with the highest standards to show their respect and the benevolence of the new ruler.
“Will it take that long?” The King of Liang had 100,000 troops under him. They had traveled all the way north from Liangzhou and nurtured themselves with the resources of the territories they occupied. They kept gathering the local troops, plundering the local resources, and strengthening themselves. The army’s eyes were red from killing, and they were filled with bloodl.u.s.t. The army that the Imperial Court had mobilized might not be a match for the King of Liang.
To put it bluntly, the army of the Imperial Court was sending themselves to death.
The army of the Imperial Court, whose purpose was to quell the rebellion, had the best weapons and equipment. All of this would become a way for the King of Liang to further arm the Liang army and increase his strength.
The King of Liang would become stronger and stronger.
The Imperial Court would become weaker and weaker.
Even if the King of Liang fought his way to the capital, the other va.s.sal lords probably wouldn’t be able to sit still. There was still a chance to fight this battle.
Yu Youyao couldn’t help but ask, “How long will this battle last?”