In the seventh year of the Yuan Dynasty, on the second day of the second month, the dragon raises its head.
Weiyang Palace.
The hall was silent and as cold as an ice cellar.
The candlelight flickered as Emperor Fengdi flipped through the documents.
The more I look at his face, the uglier it becomes.
His eyes were filled with immense anger.
Bang!
The emperor wrote heavily.
The jade-handled wolf-hair brushes were all broken.
The deafening sound echoed in the hall.
Sima Changqing watched calmly.
He served as an official for many years and became prime minister in his later years.
As an old minister of two dynasties, he worked diligently.
Sima Changqing was a pillar of the country and assisted in the administration for many years.
Command the six ministries and govern all officials.
When Emperor Feng first ascended the throne, Sima Changqing helped him formulate a grand plan: to reduce the power of the feudal lords, centralize power, expand the territory, and create a great achievement that will last for generations!
I never expected that...
In the end, he used the same trick on himself!
Emperor Feng had begun dismantling the six ministries the previous year, forcing the ministers of the six ministries to bypass the prime minister and report directly to him, rendering his position as prime minister virtually insignificant. Simultaneously, he planted personnel within the six ministries, quickly gaining effective control of them.
Although Sima Changqing felt somewhat dissatisfied, he regained his composure. In his view, this was a crucial step in centralizing power. The first step for the emperor to centralize power was to weaken the power of the prime minister. Emperor Fengdi's actions were perfectly reasonable, and Sima Changqing had anticipated this.
The six ministers of government are all here at this moment.
There were also many assistant ministers standing behind.
"Why is Your Majesty so angry?"
"See for yourself."
Emperor Feng didn't even want to say anything.
He threw all the documents away.
They each picked up the paperwork.
These are all expedited documents from Qi.
They were all written by the county governor and the county magistrate.
The contents of the documents are similar.
To put it bluntly, it's all about impeaching Ning Que.
They thought Ning Que was overreaching.
As a prince, he is indeed extremely noble.
But the three counties of Linzi and Zibo were not his fiefdom.
He has no management authority.
But recently he has frequently interfered in local government affairs.
Under the pretext of suppressing the rebellion and the Eastern Expedition, he even imprisoned three county magistrates.
"Look at this!"
"Prince Ning is becoming more and more daring!"
"Relying on your military achievements, you even dare to touch my people."
"Just because Zuo Ankang handled his duties impartially, he dared to use this as an excuse to claim he suspected collusion between him and Tian Zhongxun? County Magistrate Zuo has always been my man, serving as a minister in the palace for many years. Later, he became the Minister of Personnel, loyal and capable. I trusted him, so I appointed him as the magistrate of Anping County, thinking that I could help him in the rear. Could it be that he suspected that I was also in collusion with Tian Zhongxun?"
Jiang Quan's heart skipped a beat.
Looking at the furious Emperor Feng.
In all these years, this was the first time he'd seen Emperor Feng openly express his dissatisfaction with Ning Que. Back when he was a general under the old Prince Ning, he'd trained soldiers at the Jingyang military camp. He'd watched Ning Que and Emperor Feng grow up, and knew how close they'd been since childhood.
Later, the old Prince Ning recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun and even saved the life of Emperor Feng. When the previous Crown Prince was deposed, the old Prince Ning fully supported Emperor Feng's succession, which led to his being made Crown Prince. Later, when the previous Emperor passed away, it was the old Prince Ning who personally led 30,000 Wolf Troops to escort Emperor Feng back to Chang'an to ascend the throne. Facing the rebels, the old Prince Ning personally fought his way through with his gun!
But now...
Jiang Quan also thought of what Yu Ji had said before.
Things are really going to change in Dafeng!
Emperor Feng is very likely to want to take action against Ning Que!
"Your Majesty, Prince Ning certainly has no such intention."
"Perhaps, this is all a false accusation."
"Prince Ning is loyal and compassionate to the people."
"He must have a reason for doing this."
"Yes..." Jiang Quan quickly took over the conversation, raising his hand and saying, "Your Majesty must be well aware of the kind of person Prince Ning is. He loves his people like his own children, and sometimes acts impulsively, but never with disrespect. Furthermore, with the Eastern Expedition imminent, it's only natural for Prince Ning to be harsh on the county magistrate for the sake of peace in the rear."
"I think it's wrong." The Minister of Personnel, Wang Wu, stepped out slowly and spoke righteously, "Right is right, wrong is wrong. Ruler rules, ministers minister, fathers father, sons sons—this is the fundamental principle of human relations. Prince Ning has made meritorious contributions, but he shouldn't be so arrogant as to rely on his favor. Although he's a prince, he's also a minister. How can he act so presumptuously? I think he's holding a grudge because of your Majesty's placement of someone. He's deliberately finding an excuse to appoint his own trusted confidant as an official."
"Take the Left County Magistrate, for example. He was doing his job impartially. Yet, Prince Ning detained him on trumped-up grounds. By doing this, Prince Ning won the hearts and minds of the people of Linzi, but at the same time, he made them resent the government. Linzi only knows Prince Ning, not Your Majesty. Over time, I'm afraid the Tian family will usurp the throne of Qi!"
"You fart!"
Jiang Quan was instantly enraged. He hurriedly stepped out and said, "Prince Ning is a loyal and devoted man. How could he do such a thing? With the Eastern Expedition imminent, yet Minister Wang is here spouting nonsense and framing Prince Ning. I wonder what Minister Wang's intentions are?"
"Heh, is Minister Jiang speaking out for justice, or is he trying to help Prince Ning?" Cao Du walked out slowly and said calmly, "Just because you're close to Prince Ning, you can disregard the law and exonerate him?"
"You fart!"
"Shut up!" Emperor Feng frowned, his eagle-like eyes fixed on Jiang Quan. He said coldly, "How dare you, a dignified minister, speak foul language in front of me? Among all the officials in my great Feng Dynasty, is Ning Que the only loyal minister? Minister Jiang, are you working for me, or for Prince Ning?"
"I... am on duty for the Great Feng!"
Jiang Quan was originally a military general, known for his hot temper and straightforward approach to everything he did. He looked up at Emperor Feng, refusing to give in. He didn't think Ning Que had done anything wrong...
Zuo Ankang, citing legal regulations as an excuse, deliberately delayed the payment of compensation, causing the local people to suffer. Ning Que used his own methods to punish him, which may be a bit extreme, but it is not a big problem.
"Since you are serving Dafeng, Prince Ning imprisoned the magistrate Zuo Ankang for no reason. I want to ask how you will sentence him."
"Prince Ning did nothing wrong."
"presumptuous!"
Bang!
Emperor Feng suddenly raised his hand and slammed it on the table.
He glared at Jiang Quan fiercely.
My breathing became rapid.
After all, Jiang Quan was once a general under the old King Ning.
It was also the old Prince Ning who recommended him to become the Minister of War.
Become the head of the Jiang family.
Over the years, he and Ning Que have become very close.
The two of them can be considered friends regardless of age.
He is also Ning Que's die-hard supporter.
"So, Minister Jiang thinks I'm wrong?"
"I absolutely dare not!"
"You wouldn't dare?" Emperor Feng stood up and angrily shouted, "Prince Ning has taken advantage of his favor and become arrogant, targeting local county officials. I haven't said anything yet, yet you've repeatedly defended him. I'd like to ask you, what are your intentions?"
"minister……"
Just as Jiang Quan was about to speak, Sima Changqing desperately winked at him, then hurried forward to stop him, raising his hand and saying, "Your Majesty, calm down. Minister Jiang did not mean that."
Emperor Feng suddenly raised his hand and waved his sleeves.
"The Prime Minister does not need to speak for him."
"Since Minister Jiang is confused about the situation, he should stay in the mansion and think carefully for the next few days. If he still can't figure it out, he's not allowed to leave."
"Withdraw from the court!"
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