Chapter 209 Wei Zhao Kills
Several people watched the stars for most of the night.
It was too late, so I just went to sleep in the room upstairs.
Yu Youning hasn't even turned six yet, and the others aren't that old either, so there's no need to be so particular.
There is no need to attend court on the first day of the New Year.
But we still have to worship our ancestors.
So not only Wei Zhao had to get up early, but Princess Yu Youning also had to get up early.
When Yu Youning was being helped by the palace maids to dress and put on makeup, she couldn't open her eyes and her little head was nodding.
After being dressed neatly, Yu Youning walked out yawning.
After seeing Wei Zhao waiting outside, Yu Youning's first words almost made Wei Zhao fall to the ground.
"Being a princess isn't fun at all. You guys have tricked me! Can I stop being a princess?"
Wei Zhao felt heartbroken, helpless, and a little panicked.
Taking a deep breath, Wei Zhao tried to slow down his voice and coax Yu Youning, "No, Youning, have you forgotten? Zhu Xuezheng said that when doing something, you must see it through to the end, be persistent, and never give up halfway."
When Yu Youning heard this, he frowned subconsciously.
Why does this sound so familiar?
Come to think of it, no wonder it sounds familiar!
It turned out that she had just said the same thing to Chu Huaixu a few days ago!
Yu Youning pursed her lips and said nothing more.
The time for ancestor worship was earlier than the time for court attendance, so it was still dark when the two arrived.
But the royal family and civil and military officials have already arrived.
Ancestor worship is a big event, and no one dares to make trouble during the worship ceremony.
But just as the ancestor worship was over and Wei Zhao was about to leave with Yu Youning, Zheng Yunliang fell to his knees again.
"Your Majesty, now in front of the ancestors of the Wei family, I, this old minister, once again implore Your Majesty to prioritize the overall situation and appoint a queen to preside over the imperial palace as soon as possible, so as to ensure the stability of both the court and the harem!"
It is obvious that all civil and military officials have reached a cooperation with Zheng Yunliang and all follow his lead.
Seeing Zheng Yunliang kneeling down, all the officials also knelt down.
Looking at the people kneeling on the ground, Wei Zhao smiled silently.
"Who do you think is the most suitable candidate for queen, Lord Zheng?"
Zheng Yunliang didn't feel strange at all when he heard Wei Zhao ask this.
Faced with the pressure from civil and military officials, how could Wei Zhao, a young emperor who had not even grown all his hair, be a match?
If he could turn around and leave last night, can he do the same today?
You just have to submit obediently!
Zheng Yunliang looked up at Wei Zhao and answered loudly, "When the late emperor was still alive, he told me that my granddaughter is of similar age to the emperor, and possesses both talent and virtue, making her the perfect candidate for empress. When the emperor and my granddaughter marry, I will be able to assist the emperor with even greater dedication."
"Lord Zheng, what you mean is that if I don't agree, you won't assist me wholeheartedly, right?"
"Of course not. It's just that I'm getting older, and sometimes, I can't help but feel powerless—"
"Since Zheng Aiqing is willing but unable to do so, I will not force you to do anything. From now on, you will be relieved of all official duties and allowed to return home to enjoy your retirement!"
"What?"
Zheng Yunliang looked at Wei Zhao in disbelief. He could never have imagined that Wei Zhao would dare to say that!
Is Wei Zhao crazy?
Did Wei Zhao know that one-third of the court were his disciples, and all of them followed him?
Another one-third have already reached a cooperation agreement with him and also want to send their daughters to the palace.
Wei Zhaozhi dismissed him from office. Wasn’t he afraid of turmoil in the court?
Being stared at like this by Zheng Yunliang, Wei Zhao sighed with regret, "Just now, Zheng Aiqing said that he was old and his health was not good sometimes. I didn't believe it, but now it seems that it is indeed the truth! Zheng Aiqing can't even hear what I say. It must be because he is too old and there is something wrong with his ears."
"Lord Zheng, you have dedicated most of your life to the country. Now that you are old and have developed this health problem, I naturally cannot take it lightly! Lord Zheng, rest assured, I will have the imperial physician treat you well and will definitely allow you to enjoy the rest of your life without suffering too much."
"As for your nephews and nieces, since your grandfather is in poor health, why should they continue to serve as officials? It is more important for them to return home and take care of Lord Zheng! I will dismiss all of them from their official positions and have them return home to accompany Lord Zheng!"
Wei Zhao even changed his address, which showed that he had made up his mind.
Zheng Yunliang's breathing stopped for a moment.
This little emperor!
This brat!
He actually dared!
Before Zheng Yunliang could say anything, an official who was his disciple and confidant jumped out.
"Your Majesty, please reconsider and revoke your order. Lord Zheng has worked hard and made great contributions. He is the pillar of the court. If Lord Zheng were to resign and return home, who knows what chaos would break out in the court. We are uneasy and afraid that we will not be able to do our job properly!"
He had just finished speaking when two more officials stood up and said the same thing.
Wei Zhao wasn't angry, and his expression remained calm. He simply looked at the three of them curiously, "Are you really unable to continue your duties?"
The three of them stiffened their necks and said in unison, "I'm afraid I'm not up to the task!"
When Zheng Yunliang heard this, his back straightened a little.
Now, the little emperor should know how important his position in the court is, right?
I guess the little emperor will issue an order soon to revoke his previous order!
With this incident, Wei Zhao's power will be greatly reduced!
And his status will rise even higher, and then...
Zheng Yunliang was thinking happily in his heart when he heard Wei Zhao's voice.
"You three, you eat the emperor's salary, but you can't share his worries. You are the local officials, but you can't do anything for the people. What's the point of keeping such incompetent officials like you? Come, drag these three down and chop them off!"
When these words were spoken, everyone present was shocked again.
Seeing that no one moved, Wei Zhao directly drew the sword of the guard beside him and walked towards the three people.
Seeing Wei Zhao approaching step by step, the three did not hide.
One reason is that Wei Zhao is the emperor and they are his subjects, so they cannot hide at this time.
Secondly, they didn't believe Wei Zhao would really dare to take action.
Wei Zhao quickly walked over to them.
Then, in front of everyone's shocked eyes, he raised the knife in both hands and chopped it hard on a man's neck.
Wei Zhao had never practiced martial arts seriously, but he had practiced with Yu Youning for a period of time.
Although there is no skill involved, there is still some strength.
What’s more, the knife is very good and it was used to cut the neck.
The man who was chopped started bleeding profusely and fell to the ground.
He didn't die immediately, but after struggling for a while, he became completely motionless.
Wei Zhao threw the knife in his hand to the ground and ordered coldly, "What are you still standing there for? Didn't you hear what I said? Drag them down and chop them up! Are you still waiting for me to do it myself?"
The guards no longer dared to hesitate and immediately stepped forward to pull the other two people who were still in shock away.
As death approached, the two men no longer dared to be arrogant and began to cry and beg for mercy.
But the guards reacted quickly this time and immediately covered their mouths.
Apart from the whimpering that was getting farther and farther away, no other sound could be heard.
Wei Zhao then walked back to the front and looked down at Zheng Yunliang, who was kneeling on the ground. "Why is Lord Zheng still kneeling here? You are old, and it is time for you to go back and have a good rest. Lord Zheng, just rest assured. Even without you, Nanzhao will not be destroyed. Come, send Lord Zheng and his sons and nephews back."
No one dared to question Wei Zhao's order anymore. Someone immediately stepped forward and helped Zheng Yunliang up from the ground.
Zheng Yunliang shook his sleeves and shook off the guards. "No need for your help, I can walk by myself."
The guard looked at Wei Zhao hesitantly.
Wei Zhao smiled and said, "Since Duke Zheng says he can leave, then go ahead! But Duke Zheng, you'd better not try to be too stubborn. Doing so will only end up hurting yourself."
Zheng Yunliang looked at Wei Zhao deeply, turned around and walked away with big strides.
"Why don't you leave yet? Do you have anything else to say?" Wei Zhao looked at the other officials.
Naturally, the others did not dare to say anything more at this time, and they immediately kowtowed and left.
Wei Zhao left behind several of his brothers and some princes from the royal family, and took them and Yu Youning back to the imperial study.
As soon as he arrived at the imperial study, Wei Zhao said directly, "I have decided that after my death, the throne will be passed to the descendants of my brothers. Who will be the next in line will depend on who is the most outstanding."
Wei Shi was originally not interested, but when he heard this, he looked at Wei Zhao in surprise.
Wei Zhao had said before that he didn't want to be emperor, but he didn't care at the time.
Now, Wei Zhao had just ascended the throne not long ago, and he actually said such words. Did he really mean it?
Several princes of the clan were also shocked, "Your Majesty, this..."
"I called you here not to discuss anything with you, but to inform you. But I also have a request.
You must agree to and help implement the policy I previously implemented that allows women to remarry. If anyone obstructs it again, find out who is behind it and execute them directly!
This must be done!
If one person opposes, I will kill him.
If ten people oppose me, I will kill them!
There are countless scholars in this world who want to become officials.
Even if all the civil and military officials are killed, there is no need to worry about having no one to use!
Until the end, there will always be someone willing to support my decision."
When Yu Youning heard Wei Zhao's words, his eyes lit up when he looked at Wei Zhao.
Wei Zhao is so awesome!
He looked just like the emperor she had seen in the storybooks before!
Wei Zhao felt Yu Youning's gaze.
He also wanted to smile at Yu Youning, but now was not a good time.
The imperial study was very quiet. Everyone was weighing the pros and cons and making the choice they thought was most correct.
Wei Shi was the first to make the decision.
He knelt on the ground respectfully, "I will help the emperor complete this task!"
It was not for any other reason, but because his mother had once lamented that by doing this, Wei Zhao could save many women from danger.
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