Chapter 26: Rebuke the Emperor
The rulers of the Luo family were princes outside and ministers inside.
The Grand Master of the Imperial Clan was in charge of all affairs concerning the princesses of the Zhou dynasty and was responsible for all sacrifices.
In the palace, Luo Cheng met the current emperor Ji Nie for the first time as the emperor's minister.
He was the eldest son of King Xuan, and his mother was the legitimate daughter of the King of Qi. In the past, King Huang boiled and killed Duke Ai of Qi, and the princes despised him, and he finally died in the Nanshan Mountains.
King Huang had no son, so according to the clan order, King Xuan was made his heir and inherited the throne.
In order to repair the relationship with Qi State, King Xuan married the legitimate daughter of Qi State with the mediation of Luo State.
However, the State of Qi hated King Huang so much that they not only demanded a bad posthumous title for him, but also demanded that his title of king be removed. Marquis Luo prevented the move.
In the end, King Huang was not buried in the royal mausoleum, but his body was left exposed on the rooftop.
This was to let God punish him with wind, rain, snow and lightning to atone for the sins he had committed.
Luo Cheng and the current Ji Nie have a very close relationship. Queen Mother Qi Jiang is the elder sister of Luo Cheng's wife, and the current Prince Luo and Emperor Ji Nie are cousins.
Among the current princes and ministers of Bang Zhou, probably only Jine’s brothers can reach this level of closeness.
Over the past hundred years, the Luo family's status in the royal capital has been slowly declining, gradually falling from the undisputed first noble family to the current top noble family.
Although the Luo family was no longer an irreplaceable clan in the royal capital, emperors of all dynasties could not ignore the Luo State.
Because Luo State was still one of the most important states of the Ji clan in the East.
Over the past hundred years, the four states of Jin, Song, Luo and Qi became increasingly powerful. The State of Luo forced the State of Wei to migrate eastward, and the Marquis of Handan and the Marquis of Xing to the north were both vassals of the State of Luo.
The marriage between Luo and Qi was no longer just between royal families, but also between noble families, which was an unbreakable alliance.
Otherwise, when King Huang cooked and killed Duke Ai of Qi, how could it be possible that Marquis Luo could just say a few words and let it go so easily?
In view of this, the royal family always maintained sufficient respect for Luo Hou.
This was considered a family banquet. Queen Mother Qi Jiang, Emperor Ji Nie, and Queen Shen Jiang, the three most distinguished people in the royal family, were all present. This was a sign of respect for Luo Cheng.
Luo Cheng brought his wife Luo Jiang to attend the family dinner.
The graceful maids were dancing and the musicians were singing beautiful music.
"Great king, you will always enjoy the favor of heaven, your generations will enjoy happiness and wealth, and you will shine like the sun."
Amid the sacred ritual music, the five people's moods were different.
Especially Queen Shen Jiang, she is the daughter of Lord Shen and now the queen. Her status is second only to Queen Mother Qi Jiang, but she is not happy.
Because Jine didn't like her, she even exiled the prince to the State of Shen.
Ji Nie favored his concubine Bao Si even more, and even said in private that he wanted to depose her from the position of queen.
This made her feel a sense of crisis.
If her position as queen was abolished, then her son's position as crown prince would inevitably be abolished.
By that time, in such a vast kingdom, where would they find a place to stay?
Her father was a vassal lord outside the capital, and it was impossible for him to rebel just because of these private rumors, so she needed to find a strong ally within the capital.
Luo Cheng is her goal!
Moreover, she was very confident. The Luo family had always been the defender of the patriarchal system, and successive Luo marquises were famous for upholding the Zhou rituals.
She didn't even need to do anything. Her son was the eldest son, and Luo Cheng would naturally protect his status.
But she is a wise woman. Just because Luo Cheng doesn't need it doesn't mean she will do nothing. Showing kindness appropriately is essential.
Queen Mother Qi Jiang had not seen her sister for a long time, and now they were having a cordial conversation. She was very welcoming to Luo Cheng's coming to the royal capital.
Because she thought Luo Cheng was one of her true friends, and was much closer to her than the favorites of the current Emperor Ji Nie.
The royal family has had a hard time in recent years. The Queen Mother Qi Jiang placed her hopes on Luo Cheng to accomplish the reform plan that the previous Marquis of Luo had failed to complete.
"My dear, my sister thinks highly of you. It seems that this trip to the royal capital will help you fulfill your long-cherished wish."
Luo Jiang looked at her husband with tenderness in her eyes. She had always known that the men of the Luo family all regarded King Su as a god and hoped to revive the Zhou Dynasty.
Now if his sister, who is the Queen Mother, is willing to give her husband more power, then reviving the Zhou Dynasty would surely be much easier.
As for her husband's ability, she had never doubted it. Since they got married as teenagers, nothing had been difficult for him.
Luo Cheng gently held his wife's hand and smiled softly, "The Queen Mother doesn't value him enough. The emperor is already an adult and does not have the title of regent. The Queen Mother can't do much."
Luo Cheng's gaze fell on Emperor Ji Nie. He could feel that this emperor, who was no longer a teenager, really didn't like him very much.
Emperor Ji Nie did not like Luo Cheng for the same reason as Queen Shen Jiang. Luo Cheng was a defender of the clan system and attached great importance to Zhou rituals.
He believed that Zhou Li was a constraint on him and that as a monarch he should be supreme, instead of being like he was now, where he had to take many things into consideration when treating a subject.
In all generations, the Marquis of Luo was the Grand Master of the Clan. When Luo Lin was in power, he taught Ji Nie etiquette and music. Ji Nie was unruly, so Luo Lin was naturally strict with him.
Now when he saw Luo Cheng being so serious, he thought of Luo Lin. Naturally, he didn't like such a minister.
Thinking of this, Jine decided to show off some cool moves.
"Lord Luo, you are a strong member of the Ji clan.
You have come from the far east to assist me in Haojing. According to etiquette, I should grant you the high position of one of the Three Dukes.
However, two of the three dukes had already been given to his maternal father, Duke Qi, and his father-in-law, Duke Shen.
Although neither of you is on duty in the royal capital, how can I deprive you of your official titles?
It’s not in accordance with etiquette.”
As soon as Ji Nie opened his mouth, Luo Cheng knew what he wanted to do. He was secretly angry in his heart, but with a warm smile on his face, he replied: "Your Majesty, I really agree with your words. Duke Qi and Duke Shen are both your elders. It is advocated by Zhou Li to honor them with noble status.
I am the Grand Master of the Clan, and I will spread your kindness among the Ji clan."
Luo Cheng thought to himself that after he said this, even if Ji Nie originally had some bad intentions, she would at least restrain herself.
But he doesn't know that the scary thing about a fool is that he can't understand anything you say in a roundabout way.
So after hearing Luo Cheng's words, Jinie not only did not stop, but also laughed at Luo Cheng in her heart for not knowing what he wanted to say.
"During the reign of King Xuan, Duke Wu of Guo was courageous in his duties, and all the nobles praised him as the next prime minister after Duke Wen.
After Duke Wu passed away, I appointed his eldest son Guo Shifu to succeed him as one of the Three Dukes.
Guo Shifu is diligent in government affairs, has noble character and is not interested in fame or wealth. He is truly my Luo Wengong.
How could I have the heart to deprive him of his honorable position?
The positions in the Ministry of Officials are all filled, and none of these positions are worthy of your status.
I hope you can serve as the head of the Imperial History Bureau and hand over the country's history to Marquis Luo, so that I can feel at ease."
Luo Cheng's hand, which was holding the glass, paused, his face expressionless, but a hint of anger flashed in his eyes.
He didn't care that Jine used his official position to suppress him. It was just a way of talking and would not have much impact on what he was going to do next.
But Guo Shifu was a treacherous and eccentric person who was good at flattery and greedy for profit. He was indeed a mediocre minister.
Ji Nie actually used Duke Wen of Luo as a comparison.
This is the ancestor of the Luo family who is second only to the founding ancestor King Su.
Ji Nie herself may not be aware that due to the existence of Ji Zhao, the Luo family is extremely sensitive to the reputation of their ancestors.
So what he said today was something Luo Cheng could not tolerate!
Queen Mother Qi Jiang and Queen Shen Jiang felt something was wrong the moment Ji Nie mentioned Duke Wen of Luo.
The Qi State had been intermarrying with the Luo State for generations, and they were well aware of how much Luo State valued their ancestors, so they knew that Ji Nie had violated a taboo.
"My dear."
Luo Jiang held Luo Cheng's hand with some concern. From the tense flesh and bulging veins on the back of his hand, she knew that Luo Cheng would definitely not be able to tolerate this.
Sure enough, Luo Cheng gently held her hand, let go and stood up.
As if he had no anger in his heart, he still had that perfect, graceful manner that no one could find fault with. He bowed to Jine and said, "Your Majesty, the previous king once said that we should treat saints with the same respect as we would our own father.
My ancestor, Duke Wen of Luo, was an important official during the reign of King Zhao. He made great contributions throughout his life. King Zhao bestowed upon him the posthumous title of "Wen" for his ability to govern the world. He was the only one after King Su to be honored with this title.
You compare me to Duke Wu of Guo. Although I feel unhappy about this, Duke Wu of Guo was, after all, a very famous and powerful man who made great contributions to the state of Zhou, so I will not say any more.
But Guo Shifu was a flatterer of his lord, a despicable man.
My ancestor is a flawless piece of jade, and Guo Shifu is the gravel that can be seen everywhere on the roadside.
Duke Wen of Luo was like the bright and beautiful moon. Guo Shifu was just a shallow bay in the wilderness. It was a blessing from heaven that it had the honor of reflecting Duke Wen's shadow.
I am far inferior to my ancestor Duke Wen, and I am unwilling to live under the same blue sky with such people, let alone Duke Wen?
Your Majesty, comparing a man like Guo Shifu to Duke Wen is an insult to a meritorious official. Is this the behavior of a sage king?
How sacred are your words?
Every word will be recorded in history books, so please be careful with your words, Your Majesty!"
Although the Queen Mother felt that something was not good, she never expected that Marquis Luo would be so tough.
Suddenly she remembered that the previous Luo Hou was like this, as well as the Luo Hou of previous generations that she had heard of in stories but had never met.
Jine was completely stunned. He didn't expect Luo Cheng to point at his nose and scold him.
People who flatter the master of evil and are despicable people.
On the surface, this seems to be talking about Guo Shifu, but in fact it is saying that you are the one being flattered, and you are still praising him, which is really laughable.
Holy King?
You are just a tyrant!
Ji Nie reacted and jumped up from her seat instantly, pointing at Luo Cheng and angrily said: "Luo Cheng, I am the Son of Heaven, how dare you be so presumptuous!"
Luo Cheng stood tall, unafraid, and said loudly: "Your Majesty!
I am the chief minister of the Ji clan and a minister of the Zhou state. It is my duty to advise the emperor and maintain the etiquette of the chief of the clan.
Eradicating evildoers and upholding the kingly way are the ancestral precepts passed down by the Su King.
Do I want to abandon the rules of my ancestors?"
Jinie's nose was about to be crooked by Luo Cheng's anger. She drew out her sharp sword and pointed it at Luo Cheng, shouting, "How arrogant! How arrogant! Do you think I dare not kill you?"
Luo Cheng, on the other hand, calmed down and said, "King Xianhuang cooked and killed Duke Ai of Qi, King Xianxuan wrongly killed the minister Du Bo for no reason, and also killed Sikong and Zhu Bo.
Your Majesty is the Son of God, so what is there for you to be afraid of?
Your Majesty, are you going to kill me now?
It seems that I will be the first of the nine generations of Luohou to die in the emperor's palace."
According to Luo Cheng's words, King Huang and King Xuan both had bad endings.
Especially the matter of Duke Ai of Qi made Queen Mother Qi Jiang feel a little embarrassed, because that was her ancestor.
Not to mention Jine, whose face froze immediately.
Queen Mother Qi Jiang quickly grabbed Ji Nie's sleeve and advised, "My son, Luo Hou is an important official of the State of Zhou, you can't be so rude.
Back then, you were considered a bad omen by the late king, and it was only because Luo Houlin pleaded with the late king that you were not abandoned.
You two were a relationship where the king and his subject respected each other like guests, and you only had a dispute because of Guo Shifu.
In my opinion, let Guo Shifu apologize to Luo Hou, and the monarch and his subjects can reconcile."
The sword in Ji Nie's hand trembled slightly. Even if he was stupid, he knew from the lessons of the Yin Dynasty that there were some princes who could not be killed.
Back then, King Huang cooked and killed Duke Ai of Qi, which made the princes feel disheartened. Eventually, he was driven to the Nanshan Mountains by the princes in the capital to fend for himself, and no one came to save him.
When King Xuan revived the Zhou Dynasty and his prestige was at its peak, he indiscriminately killed the minister Du Bo. Du Bo's son fled to the State of Jin, but the Duke of Jin protected him, so King Xuan did not interfere.
This is the lesson learned from King Huang.
Even the Duke of Qi and the Duke of Jin could not kill people indiscriminately, let alone the Duke of Luo!
Among all the nations in the Xia Dynasty, Luo Hou is a special existence, and there are too many miraculous things happening in this family.
There is even a legend that King Su has always been keeping an eye on the Luo family!
To some extent, the Luo family represented the destiny of the Zhou Dynasty, and the reputation cultivated by the nine generations of Luo Hou for their loyalty to the king was too high.
If he dares to kill Luo Cheng in the palace today, the princes will attack him tomorrow, and he will end up like King Li and King Huang.
So, he backed off.
At this time, Queen Shen Jiang also came to persuade Ji Nie, saying in a gentle voice: "Your Majesty, Luo Hou is also loyal, and his angry words are all from the Ji clan, so let it go."
While persuading Ji Nie, he kept staring at the gentle Luo Cheng with a look of surprise in his eyes, "Sure enough, only someone like Luo Hou can be the backer of the prince."
Luo Cheng's actions made Queen Shen Jiang value him even more. How many important ministers can stand up to the emperor?
Luo Ben originally didn't want to conflict with Ji Nie so soon, but after a brief contact tonight, he was greatly disappointed with Ji Nie. He felt that Ji Nie was even worse than King Xuan in his later foolish period and did not look like a monarch.
Jine's face turned blue and black. He threw the sword heavily down, snorted coldly, and left the palace directly.
Luo Cheng bowed to Qi Jiang and Shen Jiang calmly as if nothing had happened, and said, "Queen Mother, Queen, since the King has left, I will not stay any longer, so I will return to the palace now."
Qi Jiang said apologetically: "Lord Luo, please don't worry about what happened today. Your son was just temporarily deceived by Guo Shifu. I believe that with loyal and capable ministers like Lord Luo, your son will definitely become a wise king."
Luo Cheng bowed again and said, "I am ashamed that the Queen Mother trusts me so much.
My ancestral teaching is to be loyal to the king. Even if the Queen Mother and the Queen do not say anything, I will advise the emperor as much as possible. "
"Then I'll leave it to Luo Hou."
Queen Mother Qi Jiang and Queen Shen Jiang returned the gift to Luo Cheng.
Luo Cheng and his wife left the palace.
A banquet that ended unhappily...
(End of this chapter)
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