Zhao Huan only drank a few sips of tea and ate a little snack for breakfast before hurrying to the Imperial City Guard.
Today, his killing of four prime ministers in the court will surely cause a huge uproar. To protect themselves, the former officials of Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji, are probably already on their way to Zhao Ji's palace. To put it in the worst case, if he does not take action now, he may really only be able to hold the throne for one more day.
Doing whatever you want comes at a price.
The establishment of the Imperial City Guard was deliberate, much like how the Ming Dynasty established the Embroidered Uniform Guard and then the Eastern Depot, which served to counter the bureaucratic system while also providing internal checks and balances.
The Imperial City Bureau was divided into the Investigation Bureau and the Ice Well Office. The Investigation Bureau had seven officials in charge, leading a total of 10,000 people. The Ice Well Office had one supervisor, who was a eunuch. The Ice Well Office had a much smaller number of people, about 2,000.
At this time, the official in charge of the ice well was not with Zhao Huan, presumably he had already gone to Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji.
After enjoying a good meal and drinks, Xie Dahai accompanied Zhao Huan all the way to the Imperial City Detective Division. The other six officials of the Detective Division came out to greet him, and the rest of the relatives also came out to kneel and pay their respects.
Upon hearing that Xie Dahai had killed the prime minister in the imperial court today, the Investigation Bureau was in an uproar, as this was the first time such an event had ever occurred in the history of the dynasty.
"Long live the Holy Emperor! Long live the Holy Emperor!"
"Please, everyone, no need for formalities!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Everyone lined up neatly.
The emperor paced back and forth in front of the troops twice, his booming voice rang out: "You are my personal guard! My right and left arms! My glory! You are all outstanding!"
I need you to kill people now, so I'm here to appease you.
No one expected the emperor to praise them so highly upon his arrival, and everyone was excited and elated.
Official Qiu Xueming said, "It is my duty to share the Emperor's burdens. I am willing to go through fire and water without hesitation!"
Upon hearing this, the others also shouted, "We are willing to go through fire and water to share the Emperor's burdens!"
Zhao Huan also said loudly, "Good! Thank you, Dahai! Bring the wine!"
"Your Majesty, we are but lowly commoners. Your Majesty is a true dragon, and we dare not drink with you!"
"Nonsense! You are all my good sons, you are not worthy to drink with me, who is! Xie Dahai, bring the wine."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
It was cold, windy, and snowflakes were falling.
Zhao Huan stood outside, dressed in a dragon robe and draped in a brocade cloak.
Xie Dahai and the eunuch Wang Kuishan brought wine and poured it for everyone.
The crowd became even more excited. This was the emperor's wine, and only the two high-ranking officials were qualified to taste it. These soldiers and warriors, in the era when scholars held power in the Song Dynasty, would never dare to dream of drinking imperial wine.
"Come! My men, I'll drink this cup of wine first!"
"Long live the Holy Emperor! Long live the Holy Emperor! Long live the Holy Emperor!" The crowd shouted excitedly again, then drank it all in one gulp, saying that this wine was no worse than jade dew or ambrosia.
After finishing his drink, Zhao Huan said to Wang Kui'an, "From now on, provide the Investigation Department with monthly wine on a regular basis, without fail!"
Upon hearing that they would be drinking imperial wine every month from now on, everyone was overjoyed and almost jumped for joy, but they remained extremely respectful in front of the emperor.
The seven officials, along with a group of personal attendants and guards, all knelt on the ground, once again expressing their loyalty to the emperor.
In fact, for an emperor, winning people's hearts is a very simple matter. If the emperor approves of these people or personally rewards them, they will be devoted to him.
The Imperial City Guards had already been instilled with the idea that everything was for the emperor's benefit. Now, the emperor was drinking imperial wine with them and bestowing imperial wine upon them. What a great honor this was!
After comforting his personal guards, Zhao Huan felt even more confident.
To act with impunity requires strength; the emperor holds many cards, it's all about how he plays them.
He returned to the inner palace and said to Wang Kui'an, "Bring He Ye here!"
Not long after, the Imperial Censor He also arrived.
"Your Majesty, I, your humble servant, pay my respects. May Your Majesty be well."
Zhao Huan angrily said, "Minister He, how could you be a Censor-in-Chief!"
He was greatly alarmed and prostrated himself on the ground, trembling: "This sinful subject deserves to die ten thousand times! Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
Needless to say, based on the emperor's performance at the morning court session, He already knew what the emperor was talking about.
Four prime ministers were executed in succession, including three with the most serious blemishes: Liang Shicheng, Zhu Mian, and Li Yan. The emperor was blaming him for not impeaching these three.
The emperor naturally already knew who was to be executed; it was clear to him.
Six people from the previous dynasty were closest to the late emperor: Cai Jing, Li Yan, Liang Shicheng, Zhu Mian, Tong Guan, and Wang Fu. Excluding Li Bangyan, the current emperor has executed three of them in one fell swoop, while the other three remain unscathed.
On the surface, He Ye impeached Li Bangyan, Wang Fu, and others, but in reality, he completely offended Emperor Huizong's faction. He was now considered to be on Zhao Huan's side; otherwise, he would have been doomed.
"What crime have you committed?"
"Your Majesty, Zhu Mian, Li Yan, and Liang Shicheng have wreaked havoc on the court and deserve death. I was negligent!"
Zhao Huan didn't say anything more. Although He Ye was an imperial censor, he was very quick-witted. Zhao Huan dismissed He Ye with a few words, and He Ye immediately went down to draft a memorial, which was a memorial impeaching Liang Shicheng, Li Yan and Zhu Mian.
After He Ye left, the emperor did not sleep peacefully. There was still a major hidden danger within the court, namely Emperor Huizong of Song. He could not sleep at all, and Zhao Ji had to die as soon as possible.
However, killing Zhao Ji cannot be done in the same way as killing Li Bangyan and the others.
Li Bangyan, Cai Jing, and others had long been discredited by the common people. The reason Zhao Huan dared to do this was that he believed that killing Li Bangyan and the others would only make the people think he was a sage ruler. As for the scholars and officials in the court, let them curse first.
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