Chapter 12: The Imperial Edict of Confession
The next day, Emperor Yan of Zhou issued an edict in the Golden Palace:
"When I was young, I behaved recklessly. The late emperor reprimanded me several times, and I deserve to be punished. I am now going to the eastern suburbs to bathe, fast, and reflect on myself for several days, and then I will tell the world."
The whole court was in uproar.
Throughout the Zhou Dynasty, emperors rarely issued edicts of repentance. Most of them were issued after strange phenomena from the sky, collapsed buildings, or natural disasters.
And now, Emperor Yan of Zhou, who had just ascended the throne, unexpectedly issued an edict of remorse for his past and decided to leave the palace to go to the villa in the eastern suburbs for meditation.
It is not known how many of them were sincere, but the officials in the Golden Palace knelt down and asked Emperor Yan of Zhou to retract his edict of apology.
But Emperor Yan of Zhou had made up his mind.
Some of them wondered what the new emperor was going to do. They had heard that he ignored state affairs at first when he ascended the throne, but made many changes to the imperial palace and renovated palaces and pavilions. Later, he asked Han Yuan to leave the palace with the title of Duke and established a cabinet to gather important officials of the court to assist in government affairs.
Such actions made some people in the court who had rebellious intentions dare not act rashly, and they just watched and waited quietly.
This is what they mean when they say a random punch can kill a master.
"Since I ascended the throne, I have been deeply moved by the late emperor's will and have often pondered how to govern the country. Now, after a court official reported a matter to the capital, I suddenly realized that without self-cultivation, how can I govern the country? Therefore, I have asked the Duke of Han to govern the country."
Today, Han Yuan was also in the Golden Palace. Yan Xuanyu, wearing imperial robes and a crown, bowed to Han Yuan regardless of his status.
The case of Wang Jun letting his horse run wild also came to a conclusion. Wang Jun was arrested and imprisoned in the Dali Temple and dealt with according to Zhou law. The family of the commoner was also compensated.
Because of the previous edict of repentance, the case of Wang Jun letting his horse run ended without any objection, leaving no room for Lu Pengju and others to maneuver.
Yan Xuanyu even used this incident to give the rich and powerful people in the capital a warning.
...
Lu Mansion.
"Cry, cry, cry, why are you crying?!" Lu Pengju swung his sleeves in annoyance, and Lu Pengju's step-wife Lu Wang collapsed to the ground.
Lu Wangshi cried, "Master, Jun'er is my only nephew!"
Wang Jun is the son of Lu Wang's eldest brother and also the most beloved grandson of Old Lady Wang. This incident is a disaster for Lu Wang's family.
Lu Wangshi's eldest brother also held an official position, but it was only a minor one obtained through Lu Pengju's connections. Therefore, the family's hopes were pinned on Wang Jun. However, Wang Jun was a useless man who spent his days drinking and riding horses. With the help of his family, he became more and more lawless.
Lu Wangshi's family background was not very good. It was originally just a branch of a noble family. Later, Lu Wangshi became Lu Pengju's concubine. Because she was favored in the mansion, her family background also became powerful. Later, Lu Pengju's wife died of illness, so Lu Pengju raised her as his wife.
"I heard that the emperor rode horses several times when he was still the fourth prince. Many young masters from noble families in the capital also rode horses in the market. My nephew was just frightened by the horse..."
No one dares to sue, no one will sue.
Lu Yanning sat down on the chair, feeling exhausted.
"I used to think so too, thinking that the emperor would make light of a big matter, or a small matter, after all..." Lu Pengju paused, "But who would have thought that the emperor would actually issue an edict of remorse and also punish the aristocratic families in the capital."
Mrs. Lu Wang was so stunned that she even forgot to cry.
She couldn't understand why her nephew's actions were so trivial, and she could have used her master's name to suppress the Jingzhao Yin. Yes...it would have been fine if he had just suppressed her. But why was it brought to the court? What was the reason?
Would the noble families in the capital bear grudges against her family because of this incident? If her family didn't have the protection of the Lu family, they would be completely wiped out.
Thinking of this, Lu Wangshi carefully looked at Lu Pengju's expression. Seeing Lu Wangshi's middle-aged and delicate appearance, Lu Pengju's heart softened and he helped Lu Wangshi up.
He sighed, "This matter is no longer under my control. Wang Jun can only save his life."
He knew that Mrs. Lu Wang was just a woman and there was no point in saying more, so he just said a few words of comfort. After letting the servants take her away, Lu Pengju slumped in the chair.
He thought about it carefully and found that he had fallen into a trap when he was in the cabinet. Zuo Qiucheng was obviously trying to provoke him, and he actually did as Zuo Qiucheng wished. Lu Pengju thought about everything that happened that day and felt like he was being bewitched. How could he allow that memorial to be brought to Chengtian Palace?
What was he thinking? Yes, he was careless, thinking that the emperor wouldn't ask too much about such a small matter. The emperor had to consider the noble families in the capital and the face of the court officials. Wasn't it like this before? How could the emperor blame the ministers and the noble families for the common people? Moreover, the emperor's foundation was unstable, and there were few people around him who could be used!
Lu Pengju felt a chill all over his body as if he had thought of something. The person sitting in Chengtian Palace had so easily issued a self-criticism edict. This was a disregard for the emperor's face. How could he care about anything else?
Many ministers shared the same idea as Lu Pengju. They would rather the new emperor be a tyrant, because at least he would be easy to control and his ideas would be simple. What they feared was the current situation, where they could not understand the emperor's actions and had no idea what would happen.
Just when many people in the court were in panic, Lin Fu entered Han's mansion at night.
...
"Many years ago, I met my senior brother, your uncle-in-law, Long Yi. He divined that the Great Zhou would perish within two generations."
Han Yuan was frugal and only lit one candle in the study. The candlelight flickered at this moment. Lin Fu knelt at the bottom, his heart hanging in his throat.
"Teacher..." Lin Fu's mouth was dry.
"I don't believe it." Han Yuan closed his eyes. "I watched the late emperor grow up since he was young. Although he was mediocre in his administration, he was quite good at balancing checks and balances. It wasn't until he showed no mercy to the princes that I suddenly realized that the late emperor had changed. He was now an emperor."
"In the end, there was nothing left to kill, leaving only the most ridiculous one to ascend the throne."
"Long Yi and I both learned from Gui Shanzi, but we have different aspirations. I'm devoted to the world, while he's devoted to seclusion. He's mocked me many times for my greed for worldly power, but he doesn't know that my goal is to help a wise and benevolent ruler achieve universal peace. My time is running out..."
"Teacher!" Lin Fu, who was originally listening to the teachings, suddenly raised his eyes.
Han Yuan waved his hand to signal him not to interrupt. He sighed, "I don't think the new emperor is as dissolute as the previous one was. I hope this is just a way for him to protect himself, and not something that will harm the people of the world..."
"You had a hand in the edict of repentance." Han Yuan's question was not a question, but an affirmative one.
"I'm tired, you go ahead."
...
No matter how much commotion the imperial edict caused in the court, the emperor's procession really marched out of the palace and headed towards the eastern suburbs.
The common people in the capital seldom saw the imperial procession except for major events such as sacrifices, so they craned their necks to watch from afar, and knelt down at the command of the officers and soldiers when the imperial procession passed by.
The common people were all frightened by the guards who were wearing official uniforms and holding shining swords, but they didn't know that Yan Xuanyu on the dragon chariot was also looking at these groups of guards with a look of disgust.
Looking at the unsteady steps of many of them, and some even having beer bellies, can these imperial guards protect the emperor in a critical moment?
The palace guards of the Great Zhou also have ranks, so most of the current palace guards are "second-generation officials" who come here to get by. The truly useful ones are the guards stationed outside the palace. However, in this generation, there are more good-for-nothings in the guards.
Yan Xuanyu's mind turned, and he thought of the Jinyiwei in TV dramas who wore flying fish uniforms and looked majestic.
There was an instant contrast between this and some of the guards in front of him...
As for why Yan Xuanyu dared to leave the palace so safely, it was because every generation of the Great Zhou emperor had a "secret guard army" that only recognized the emperor and was only loyal to the emperor.
The weather was gradually getting warmer. Yan Xuanyu was still wearing thick court robes when he left the palace today. Even though he was weak and afraid of the cold, he could still feel the heat. The more he sat still, the more restless he became. So he called Li Zhongxian, who was standing beside the dragon chariot, and asked him, "Is everything ready over there?"
"Your Majesty, everything is ready." Li Zhongxian, who had served Yan Xuanyu for many days, understood immediately and answered in a low voice.
Only then did Yan Xuanyu sit back down.
Emperor Yan of Zhou said he was going to the eastern suburbs to bathe and fast. What does it have to do with Yan Xuanyu?
What he really wanted to go to was the manor that Li Zhongxian had prepared long ago. Everyone around the manor only knew that it was bought by a nobleman in Beijing and that a group of people had entered the manor, but no one knew what the manor was used for.
After staying in the palace for so many days, Yan Xuanyu finally remembered to go out of the palace to show his "Su" side as a time traveler -
Doing business and adding a few new vests to myself.
This was also something he had thought carefully about. Everything he was going to do in the future would require silver. A lot of money was spent during the time of the previous emperor. The money left for Yan Xuanyu in the national treasury was definitely not enough to support what he was going to do in the future.
Many aspects of the Zhou Dynasty currently need to be changed. He originally thought that he could do whatever he wanted as an emperor, but the fact is that the identity of an emperor also restricts him in some aspects.
The taxes in the Great Zhou Dynasty were relatively high considering the current harvests from the people's fields. In addition, local officials withheld and collected more taxes, which led to the people's poverty. They worked diligently in the fields every day but still had trouble getting enough food and clothing.
Farm tools in the Great Zhou were still relatively backward, and ox-drawn plows were practically impossible. Cattle, as livestock, were still quite rare for ordinary people. In the north of the Great Zhou, spring wheat was the primary crop, and with spring planting approaching, the busy farming season was approaching. Yan Xuanyu felt he had much to do. First, he had to promote improved farm tools and land improvements, otherwise the planting season would be over. He first needed to establish a reputation among the general public, and then, as emperor, he could promote them nationwide.
Yan Xuanyu knew that with Han Yuan around, even if the court was full of mixed people, there would not be any chaos for the time being.
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