Chapter 180 How else can the imperial edict be used?

Meanwhile, outside the study, Emperor Kangxi was quietly pulling his son Erhe aside and asking him in a low voice.

"Did your husband really say those things to you privately yesterday?"

Erhe nodded vigorously and whispered.

"Yes, Father Emperor, the teacher praised my intelligence, saying that I will be like you in the future..."

Kangxi looked into his son's clear eyes.

He also began to have doubts about Shumulu's motives.

He saw that Jiang Nan was still exchanging words with the other party and had not yet resorted to drastic measures.

After at least a few years, Nan Nan seemed to have matured a bit? Feeling relieved for the time being, I didn't go into the study.

He even harbored a secret desire to see Nan Nan make a fool of herself.

He was well aware of the eloquence of these Confucian scholars.

Sometimes, even he, the emperor, was rendered helpless by their quotations from classical texts.

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Inside the study, Jiang Nan looked at Shumulu, who was kneeling on the ground, looking like a loyal minister ready to die for his country, and laughed in anger.

She slowly stood up, looking down at him with an overbearing and domineering tone.

It completely tore away all the pretense and politeness.

"Resign? To prove your innocence? Do you think your 'loyal minister' act will work on me?"

She had lost all interest in arguing further, and a mocking sneer escaped her lips.

"Fine, since you want to reason with me, then I'll show you what my reasoning is!"

She stopped looking at Shumulu and turned her gaze to Zhao Deyi, who was standing by with his hands at his sides.

His voice was clear and cold, carrying an unquestionable authority.

"Zhao is triumphant."

"Your servant is here!"

Zhao Deyi immediately stepped forward, bowed deeply, and dared not utter a sound.

"Issue the imperial decree."

Jiang Nan's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a thunderclap that suddenly exploded in the quiet study.

All the masters in the hall shuddered, and even Shumulu, who was kneeling on the ground, subconsciously held his breath.

Kneeling with his back bent even lower, only his eyes were filled with surprise and uncertainty.

Jiang Nan spoke slowly, emphasizing each word.

"Effective immediately, the Imperial Study hereby establishes new rules: Anyone who, outside of class, privately contacts a prince in an attempt to seduce him with words; anyone who, within the scope of lessons, uses flattery and obsequiousness to win over a prince; anyone whose teachings exceed the scope of Confucian classics, archery, and martial arts, or who mixes in personal opinions and makes unwarranted comments on the state of the court and the people's hearts—"

She paused, her emotionless gaze sweeping over the crowd, before her tone suddenly became harsher, carrying the force of thunder.

"All of them harbor treacherous intentions, form cliques for personal gain, and intend to overthrow the foundation of our Great Qing Dynasty. This is a grave crime of disrespect, equivalent to treason. Once verified, they will be severely punished without exception!"

After saying that, she looked at Zhao Deyi and gave him instructions.

"Make those words more formal for me, every word like a knife, so that people will tremble with fear and dare not cross the line!"

"Yes, Your Majesty! Your servant obeys!"

Zhao Deyi understood immediately, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

The workers were stunned, their mouths agape, and they broke out in a cold sweat.

This imperial edict, with its rules and regulations, seems to have been tailor-made for Shumulu Yuanmeng today!

No, this is simply putting a tight rein on everyone who might have similar thoughts!

The Empress is being completely unreasonable, using her imperial power to crush everyone!

Regardless of what they thought, Jiang Nan continued to give orders.

"After this imperial edict was drafted, it was handed over to the Imperial Household Department for careful verification of the document format. Once confirmed to be correct, it was submitted to the Palace and stamped with the Empress's golden seal. Then..."

She pointed towards the direction of the study's courtyard gate.

"Hang this imperial edict high above the entrance to the Imperial Study, so that everyone who comes in to teach can see it when they look up!"

"Yes, Your Majesty! This servant understands!"

Zhao De appeared respectful, but his heart was in turmoil.

Your Majesty's move was absolutely brilliant!

This is to completely eliminate all attempts to win over and infiltrate the princes' minds.

Establish the rules of the Imperial Study in the most domineering way!

Jiang Nan nodded, her eyes devoid of warmth, her tone icy.

“Very good. Now that the rules have been established, anyone who knowingly violates them will be punished even more severely.”

She abruptly changed the subject, her gaze suddenly becoming serious as she returned to Shumulu Yuanmeng, who remained kneeling.

"By the way, there is a perfect example of someone openly defying the imperial decree. I must punish him severely to serve as a warning to others."

When Shumulu heard the Empress say this, she turned her anger towards him, leaving him completely stunned and his mind blank.

He had lived most of his life, read countless classic texts, and prided himself on his mastery of officialdom's rules and witty remarks, yet he had never seen...

I have never seen such an unreasonable and shameless act!

This is hardly an imperial decree.

This is clearly fabricating legal provisions on the spot, then turning around and targeting him, and even demanding immediate execution?

Where would you find something like this?

This is all for him alone!

What merit or ability does a schoolteacher possess to warrant the Empress's special decree to punish him?

The absurdity and fear intertwined, making him tremble all over, and he even forgot to utter any excuses.

Li Guangdi, Zhang Ying, and the others looked at each other in disbelief and astonishment.

They also noticed that Shumulu was making constant underhanded moves in private.

But to everyone's surprise, the Empress's response was so simple and brutal, yet so effective it was suffocating.

As the rumors in the palace were true, this empress was arrogant and domineering, and never played by the rules!

They felt a sense of shared sorrow for the fate of the rabbit and a sense of relief that they weren't the first to step forward.

From then on, in this study, they could only teach honestly and dared not have any wicked thoughts.

The way the group looked at Shumulushi was inevitably tinged with pity.

"Someone come here!"

Jiang Nan gave Shumulu no chance to recover and explain, and directly gave the order.

Imperial guards outside the palace responded and entered.

The armor clanged and clashed, instantly filling the air with a chilling aura.

Shumulu then seemed to awaken from a dream, her soul nearly leaving her body, and she struggled and cried out.

"Your Majesty! I am innocent! I did not disobey the imperial decree. The decree was issued just now, and I acted yesterday. How can this be considered disobeying the imperial decree, Your Majesty!"

He clung desperately to this last straw, his voice cracking.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan merely chuckled softly, her tone calm yet carrying the air of final judgment.

"If I say you are guilty, then you are guilty. If I say you are disobeying my decree, then you are disobeying my decree. Yesterday's events have run into today's rules; it's just bad luck for you, and you should serve as a warning to others. Do I need any other reason to punish you?"

She waved her hand, as if brushing away a speck of dust.

"Drag him away. Strip him of his official robes and hat, and send him directly to the imperial prison to await the Emperor's judgment."

"Yes, sir!"

The guards responded with a roar and stepped forward without any hesitation.

He quickly covered Shumulu's mouth, who was still trying to protest her innocence.

He swiftly stripped away the official robes and hat that symbolized his status.

They dragged him roughly out of the study like a dead dog.

Outside the palace, Emperor Kangxi was holding Erhe's hand, silently listening to this dramatic turn of events.

The guards dragged the disheveled and pale-faced Shumulushi to him and stopped to ask for instructions.

Kangxi glanced at the limp and powerless Shumulu.

My heart was filled with mixed feelings.

He had witnessed the undercurrents of power struggles in the imperial court, and the strict adherence to the law in punishing crimes.

I have never seen such an on-site legislative and immediate implementation operation before – it is simply outrageously arrogant!

But for some reason, I felt a sense of relief.

They even felt a sense of novelty and pondered it to themselves.

So this is how imperial edicts can be used?

Nan Nan... she did teach me a lesson.

He shook his head, dismissing these absurd and dangerous thoughts, and waved his hand dismissively at the guard.

"Since we have openly defied the Empress's decree, let's do as she says."

He was too lazy to plead with Nan Nan for such a self-righteous and malicious person.

Upon receiving the order, the guards immediately dragged the man away.

Kangxi squatted down, looked at his son's slightly frightened face, and said gently.

"Alright, it's nothing. Your Empress Mother is just cleaning up the palace and rectifying the atmosphere. Go back and study hard. Remember, only learn knowledge and don't ask about anything else. Your Father is going back to the Qianqing Palace to review memorials."

After saying that, he stood up and took one last deep look in the direction of the study.

With a lingering sense of novelty and amusement in his eyes, he turned and left with Liang Jiugong and the others.

Erkh nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

Guided by Fang Ruo, they re-entered the Imperial Study, which had just experienced a thunderous storm.

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This imperial edict is fresh off the press, tailor-made for you all. Are you satisfied, my darlings? It's unique; you won't find it anywhere else.