Chapter 14 Why is Your Majesty plotting a rebellion?
In typical treason cases, there are detailed procedures from reporting to investigation, conviction, confiscation of property, imprisonment, and beheading.
But the Zhou family's case was different. While they were arresting people inside the mansion, they were being taken directly to the market. Before everyone had even arrived, a group of people were killed.
"Gao Yang! You are the one plotting rebellion! You killed me without His Majesty's approval!"
The old patriarch of the Zhou family was like a fish on a chopping board, firmly pressed down, his head falling to the ground.
The second son of the Zhou family, whom I had met once before, was quite principled. His disheveled hair was blown by the wind, and his face was serious as he said loudly, "Kill the Han family first, then kill my Zhou family. Grand Commandant Gao, can you kill all the officials of the court?"
The executioner raised his cold-looking knife; after all, his head was about to fall.
This family had more than twenty members, and the blood that flowed out was like a small lake, which could not be washed away with water, and the land was stained red.
Someone in the crowd whispered, "Something bad is going to happen."
Guan Zhiwei looked back in a daze, not quite seeing who said it, but it seemed like everyone had the same thought in their mind.
To kill without investigation—what immense power that is! It seems to have surpassed even that of the emperor.
There's a poem that goes, "The parting of husband and wife in Shihao Village, their tears more numerous than those shed at the Palace of Eternal Life." The love of the poor is the most pathetic; the slightest disturbance can crush them. In these turbulent times, you shouldn't be mingling with ordinary people; you should be enjoying your privileged rights.
“I just watched the heads of those who were entitled to ‘superiority’ roll.”
That only means they're not tall enough. They're not qualified to be the male lead yet.
"Who's tall enough? Grand Commandant Gao?" Guan Zhiwei looked up at the sky. Dark clouds gathered, pressing down on the city as if the sky were about to collapse.
She reached out her hand as if she could reach it.
I still remember that at the very beginning, Grand Commandant Gao was a hero who quelled the rebels.
Before being hanged, the rebel Wang Yong, his face covered in blood and tears, said to the young emperor, word by word:
"Your Majesty, Grand Tutor Yuwen has absolutely no intention of disloyalty, but Gaoyang is sure to have the idea of taking over the throne."
“Gao Yang is in Yingzhou, with 30,000 elite troops and the Prince of Hengdong in his hands, eyeing the throne with covetous intent. Grand Tutor Yuwen fears that the imperial bloodline in the capital will be cut off. He first put the Prince of Hengdong on the throne, and then seized your Yang family's empire. He has been on deep guard ever since.”
"I refused to die under suspicion, and instead allowed him to enter the city legitimately. There is no turning back now."
“Your Majesty kills me today, but I will wait for you in the underworld to atone for my mistake today.”
After saying these words, he raised his sword and committed suicide, his blood splattering onto His Majesty's dragon robe.
"Your Majesty, please do not listen to such nonsense." Gao Yang knelt on one knee.
The young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty was slightly pale, but remained calm. He stepped down from the dragon throne, helped the man up, and said, "The general's heart is clear to all, and I have no doubts about it."
Gao Yang said steadily, "Your Majesty is wise."
If life were always like the first time we met, that would be pretty good.
But there was more to come.
Later, Gao Yang had a disagreement with the Emperor. Or rather, Gao Yang had a disagreement with the court officials. He wanted to become the Grand Commandant, a position with even more power than the Emperor, but the court officials would not allow a boorish man to rise above their clan.
There are rules for going to the capital. It is absolutely impossible for an outsider to challenge these rules and try to overthrow the politics of the Central Plains gentry that have lasted for hundreds of years with the barbarity of the frontier.
Their differences escalated into conflict, and the conflict turned into bloodshed.
Those elite soldiers disguised themselves as thieves, stormed into the Han family's house, and chopped the entire family to pieces.
This was Gao Yang's warning to them.
However, the clans ignored his warnings, and Imperial Censor Zhou even fiercely criticized him and bought weapons and equipment for his servants to mock the absurd notion of bandits.
Gao Yang's patience was limited; he changed from covering up the killing to dragging the victims out and killing them directly.
They'd accuse the Zhou family of treason and kill them all. Anyone who spoke up for the Zhou family would be considered an accomplice.
Even the emperor himself told him that the Zhou family could not possibly be plotting a rebellion.
Gao Yang simply looked at His Majesty with a strange expression, then smiled softly.
Why is Your Majesty plotting a rebellion?
This statement is utterly ridiculous.
No emperor in history has ever used the term "treason".
The little emperor is numb.
The ruthless and merciless killing methods of Gao Yang have left even the scholar-official families bewildered.
Yuwen Huai had also held great power and had disagreements with His Majesty, but never like this.
Only now did they realize that Yuwen Huai was dead, taking away the last vestige of dignity from the Great Zhou Kingdom.
He once said that they all thought he was old, but they would miss his old age.
At least for this moment, the young emperor missed him a little, so he brought out his manuscript.
The emperor of the South Sea was Shu, the emperor of the North Sea was Hu, and the emperor of the Central Region was Hundun. Shu and Hu often met in the land of Hundun, and Hundun treated them very well. Shu and Hu plotted to repay Hundun's kindness, saying, "Everyone has seven orifices for seeing, hearing, eating, and breathing, but this one alone has none. Let's try to carve them out." They carved one orifice each day, and after seven days, Hundun died.
This was written by Zhuangzi, and its general meaning is:
The emperor of the South Sea was named Shu, the emperor of the North Sea was named Hu, and the emperor of the Central Region was named Hundun. Shu and Hu often met within Hundun's territory, and Hundun treated them very well. Shu and Hu discussed how to repay Hundun's deep kindness, saying, "Humans all have seven orifices for seeing, hearing, eating, and breathing, but he alone has none. Let's try to carve them out for him." So they carved out one orifice each day, and on the seventh day, Hundun died.
When Grand Tutor Yuwen showed this story to the young emperor, the emperor was filled with his suppressed political views and a violent conflict erupted, causing the manuscript to be thrown aside.
Today, when he picked it up and looked at it, he had a different understanding.
The essence of the text can be summarized in just four words: "governing by doing nothing".
The trend is inevitable and cannot be changed by human intervention; otherwise, it will backfire.
He wanted to seize power and get rid of powerful ministers, but instead suffered the consequences.
"Ha ha ha ha."
The young emperor burst into laughter in anger, which alarmed the servants around him, who quickly sent someone to report to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager arrived in a hurry, "My son."
The young emperor sat on the ground, utterly dejected. He clutched the manuscript tightly and uttered a question that brought tears to his eyes.
"Mother, did I do something wrong? I didn't learn what Grand Tutor Yuwen taught me well."
Empress Dowager Wei composed herself, stepped forward, and had her maids help the Emperor to his feet.
She took His Majesty's hand and said softly, "Sages have no fixed teachers. Your Majesty, you had Grand Tutor Yuwen to teach you before, and you can learn from Grand Commandant Gao now. There is no need to rush."
The young emperor said in a panic, "My mother told me to tolerate Grand Tutor Yuwen. If I tolerate Grand Tutor Yuwen, I must tolerate Grand Commandant Gao. After tolerating Grand Commandant Gao, who will I tolerate next? There are three limits. If there is a third person, can I protect this Great Zhou Dynasty?"
"Your Majesty! I dare not speak before you!"
"I'm afraid that while I'm willing to endure it, Grand Commandant Gao won't."
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