Chapter 114 The Coronation Ceremony Begins
Situ Wei snapped out of his reverie and nodded slightly to the group of ministers on his side.
Then a minister stepped forward and said, "What we are willing to hand over are the royal seals for matters such as the management of the national treasury, salaries and rewards, selection of military officers, foreign exchanges, and textile manufacturing."
"Only this much? You're being far too stingy!" The ministers from the Empress Dowager's faction immediately expressed their dissatisfaction.
"We're willing to hand over seven! And you've only handed over five?"
"This is not fair, Your Excellency!"
"If this is all you're going to submit, then we'll have to reconsider!"
Situ Wei listened to their complaints and pretended to ponder for a moment.
Then, unhurriedly, he said to his ministers, "Then you should also hand over the provisions for horse feed, food, and taxes..."
"Feeding horses and providing food are acceptable, but taxes are not!" A minister from the Prime Minister's faction immediately spoke up.
The ministers on the Empress Dowager's side were furious. "Horse feed? Food? Are these two things even worth mentioning? Only taxes are somewhat decent!"
"Since taxes are no good anyway, we can just add a couple more things!"
"Add something else? What?"
"What about the royal physicians and the royal pharmacy?"
"not enough!"
"Isn't that enough? Then try and recruit a few more!"
"No, you're clearly not being sincere! Are you trying to make a fool of us? We'll run out of money after paying a few more! But you guys are still holding onto a huge amount!"
"..."
Seeing the argument escalating, Situ Wei shouted, "Is this any way to behave? All of you, shut up!"
Dozens of ministers immediately fell silent.
Situ Wei said in a deep voice, "These royal seals were entrusted to you by the late king because he trusted you and wanted you to govern the Great Xuan well for the sovereign who is not yet in power! And yet, you are all reluctant to part with this and that. Should we let you be the sovereigns instead?!"
Upon hearing this, the ministers turned pale with fright and immediately knelt on the ground.
“In my opinion, it’s a good thing to let the monarch be crowned and assume personal rule ahead of schedule!” Situ Wei continued coldly. “If we wait another two years, I’m afraid you’ll be even more reluctant to hand over the royal power entrusted to you by the late king! Wouldn’t you be tempted to rebel!”
"Your humble servant dares not!" all the ministers replied in unison.
"Alright!" Situ Wei waved his hand. "I don't want to waste any more words. You are not allowed to bargain any further. All royal seals are to be handed over!"
The ministers on Situ Wei's side immediately responded, "Yes, we will obey Your Majesty the Prime Minister and hand everything over!"
"Are you satisfied now?" Situ Wei looked at the group of ministers from the Empress Dowager's faction.
The ministers looked at each other but did not answer immediately.
Situ Wei glared and bristled, "What do you mean? My men have all agreed to hand over everything, and you still refuse? Does the Empress Dowager know how greedy you are?! Let's stop here today and go back to discuss it again!"
"Your Excellency the Prime Minister!" The eldest among the ministers stepped forward, his face solemn. "Our colleagues have all done this much, how could we refuse to hand it all over? But... Your Excellency seems to have forgotten one person."
Situ Wei frowned and said, "All the important officials of the Great Xuan Royal City are clearly here. Who have I forgotten? Oh... could you be referring to Marquis Le'an? He entered the palace after the late king passed away. He was appreciated by the Empress Dowager and was granted the title of Marquis. Like other royal nobles, he has no official title and no royal seal. You should know this better than I do."
"No, no!" The older minister pointed at Situ Wei, "Prime Minister, you've forgotten yourself!"
Situ Wei was stunned for a moment.
The other party said loudly, "As everyone knows, Prime Minister, you are the person most trusted and relied upon by the late king! Therefore, you were entrusted by the late king with two crucial items in the power of the monarch: the Jade Seal of the Xuan King and the Military Tally of the Xuan King."
"The Xuan King's Jade Seal can be used to issue royal edicts and decrees, and the Xuan King's Military Tally can mobilize all the troops of the Great Xuan!"
"The Prime Minister has held the Imperial Seal and Military Tally for so many years, could it be... that he doesn't even remember himself?"
"If we don't bring it up, you won't say anything, Prime Minister. You keep accusing us of being greedy, but are you actually the greediest one? Do you intend to replace the Emperor and sit on the throne yourself?!"
A barrage of questions left Situ Wei pale-faced.
"How dare you!" he roared, slamming his fist on the table. "How dare you slander me like this! When I rescued the late king and assisted him, you were nowhere to be found! Heaven and earth bear witness, if I harbored any intention to usurp the throne, may I be struck dead by lightning and die without a burial place!"
"If that's the case, why doesn't the Prime Minister also hand over the Xuan King's Jade Seal and the Xuan King's Military Tally?"
"Who said the truth won't be handed over?"
"Very well! Since the Prime Minister has agreed to return the royal power entrusted to him by the late King to His Majesty, then we have nothing more to say. We will also return all the royal seals here to His Majesty! Prime Minister, when it comes time to hand them over at the coronation ceremony, please don't go back on your word!"
Upon hearing this, Situ Wei's expression grew even more unpleasant.
In a fit of anger, he raised his hand and smashed the teacup on the table next to him.
Blood gushed out instantly from the cut on his palm.
"How could I, the Prime Minister, be a man who goes back on his word!" Situ Wei gritted his teeth and said, "Anyone present here, including myself, who goes against the outcome of this discussion, is committing treason and disobedience, deserving of divine and human punishment! Guards, escort the guests out!"
“The Prime Minister’s word was law back then, otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to gain a foothold in the Great Xuan court.” The older minister cupped his hands and said, “We will not trouble the Prime Minister any further and will leave on our own.”
After he finished speaking, more than a dozen ministers from the Empress Dowager's faction, led by him, bowed and took their leave.
Until these ministers left.
The remaining twenty or so ministers from the prime minister's faction all gathered around.
"Prime Minister, please don't get angry, or you'll ruin your health!"
"The Empress Dowager's people are really something else. They've forced you to hand over the Xuan King's Jade Seal and the Xuan King's Military Tally. How... how are we supposed to fight against them now?"
"Your Excellency, you don't really intend to hand it over on the day of the Emperor's coronation, do you?"
Faced with everyone's concern and worry, Situ Wei suddenly changed his angry expression and laughed loudly.
"Oh no! The Prime Minister has gone mad with anger!"
"Prime Minister, please don't scare us!"
"Oh no, oh no... Quick, go get a doctor!"
The ministers were stunned, panicked, and as anxious as ants on a hot pan.
Situ Wei laughed so hard he bent over, picked up the teapot, poured water to wash the wound on his palm, and said, “Don’t panic, everyone. I’m not crazy. My actions just now were just for show. If I didn’t do that, they would definitely think it was abnormal. I wanted the Empress Dowager to think that she could use the coronation to strip me of my power, so that she would lower her guard.”
Everyone then realized what was happening and breathed a sigh of relief.
Then he didn't forget to flatter Situ Wei, saying that he was incredibly clever.
However, some ministers looked worried. "Prime Minister, our original plan was to at least keep the Xuanwang Jade Seal and Xuanwang Military Tally in your hands, but now... you are going to hand over even these two items."
"Although the people on the Empress Dowager's side are the same as us ministers, they can no longer exercise any royal power after the emperor is crowned. But they still have the Empress Dowager. The emperor is the Empress Dowager's own son... From now on, we will probably be inferior to them and be suppressed by them in every way."
"Please forgive my bluntness, Prime Minister, but it seems that you have killed eight hundred enemies but lost a thousand of your own this time."
Upon hearing this, the other ministers also fell silent, their expressions becoming worried.
Situ Wei both craved absolute power and didn't want to be infamous, so he couldn't reveal his puppet replacement plan. Otherwise, even if he didn't usurp the throne himself, he would become a sinner for all time.
“It is true that His Majesty is the Empress Dowager’s biological son,” Situ Wei said calmly. “But don’t forget that His Majesty and the Empress Dowager do not have a harmonious relationship. And don’t forget that I am His Majesty’s uncle.”
"No matter how noble the Empress Dowager is, she is still a woman, and her ability to interfere in court affairs is always limited. As the prime minister who has served two emperors, I have made invaluable contributions to the Great Xuan. Moreover, even without the Xuan King's jade seal and military tally, I still hold a high position and great power. The emperor naturally knows who he should rely on and trust the most."
"Therefore, this is not a case of killing eight hundred enemies while losing a thousand of our own; in fact, it is most beneficial to me and you."
"After Your Majesty's coronation, I will be more powerful than ever before. My colleagues, please wait and see. I hope you will continue to assist me in the future."
These words reassured his ministers.
One by one, smiles appeared on their faces as they respectfully replied, "We are ready to go through fire and water for the Prime Minister!"
A cold smile appeared in Situ Wei's eyes. "I also want to remind you all one more thing: don't forget that no matter what, I have many of your secrets. Even if something unexpected happens in the future, you must not betray me, otherwise..."
The smiles that had just appeared on everyone's faces instantly froze, and a chill ran down their spines.
To this day, they still don't know how Situ Wei found out about some of their shady dealings.
It was as if pairs of eyes were watching their every move from the shadows.
Rumors circulated within their ranks that Situ Wei had trained a group of spies who acted like ghosts, a thousand times more capable than ordinary informants.
They tried sending their men to investigate secretly.
The next day, their men's heads were placed in their bedroom.
After that, they never dared to do it again, and they never even mentioned the rumors.
"Fellow colleagues, please take care and don't see me off," Situ Wei said with a smile, his hands behind his back.
The group forced smiles, bowed, and left, their foreheads covered in cold sweat and their hearts pounding with fear.
Since Situ Wei was so eager to stabilize the puppet, he ordered people to complete the preparations for the coronation ceremony within the next three days.
The reason it was so fast was entirely due to the simplification of everything, with only one goal—to save time.
The day of the coronation.
The civil and military officials in the royal city entered the palace early in the morning and lined up outside the main hall according to their official rank.
Almost all the officials stood upright with their heads slightly bowed.
At the very end of the line, a fat man with big ears looked around with a disdainful expression.
Beside him stood a tall, upright, and dignified gentleman.
Both men were in their forties and wore similar low-ranking official robes, but their appearances and demeanors were worlds apart.
"I almost missed it! Make way!" An official, adjusting his official hat, rushed over and shouted at the two people blocking his way.
The fat, middle-aged man not only didn't move aside, but turned around and blocked his way, casually asking, "Who are you?"
"Huh? How dare you!" the official who was stopped glared and said, "I am the Director of the Royal City's Textile and Dyeing Bureau! How dare you, a mere petty official from the market, be so rude?"
The fat, middle-aged man sneered, "Don't even mention a lowly official like you. I don't even care about those standing in the first few rows. I am—"
"Sir, please mind the occasion and be careful with your words." The refined middle-aged man whispered a warning, then bowed slightly, apologized to the official who had been stopped, and politely let him pass.
The fat, middle-aged man was about to explode.
The refined middle-aged man said in a low voice, "Lord Wang, although you and I are the captain and deputy captain of Qingyou Terrace, these are secret positions given by the Prime Minister. Even though we have the secrets of many ministers and nobles in the court and can easily help the Prime Minister control them, our official positions in the open are still the lowest in the royal city. It is better for us to keep a low profile."
Lord Wang scoffed, "Ning Shan, mind your own business. I don't need you to remind me."
"Yes, sir." Ning Shan wore a calm smile, but in his heart, he had thought of killing this guy countless times.
Unfortunately, this guy has connections; his backer is the current Prime Minister, Situ Wei, so we can't touch him yet.
The sun had risen high, and its rays bathed the palace in a magnificent light.
At the entrance of the main hall, the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven before the coronation had begun.
At the eunuch's command, all the civil and military officials knelt down, and the priest lit incense and candles and began to recite prayers.
Inside the palace hall, Xiao Qidi sat on the throne, surrounded by a group of eunuchs and palace maids who quietly prostrated themselves on either side.
As Xiao Qidi gazed out at the gate, Ning Jinli's image involuntarily came to mind.
It has been quite some time since I last saw her.
The longing grows stronger with each passing day.
Especially now.
He wished she could be here too, to see him crowned, to see him reclaim his royal power and officially take control of the court.
Such a meaningful day, but unfortunately... she wasn't there.
at the same time.
Ning Jinli, who had just finished a morning meeting with the factory's senior management in the conference room, suddenly felt her heart pounding.
An uncontrollable surge of longing welled up like a burst dam.
The thought came to her and she immediately headed straight for the warehouse.
"At least other long-distance couples can still call and text," Ning Jinli complained as she walked. "But me, in this cross-world relationship, we've completely lost contact. I don't even know how he's doing. Never mind! I have to go check on him today!"
Arriving at the back door of the small warehouse, she moved the entrance and exit at the other end of the time-space tunnel based on her intuition.
Then, after changing into clothes from the Xuan Kingdom era, he strode into the time portal...
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