The World is Shocked 173. The Response to the Imperial Edict
"I, Liu Congyun, the Minister of Personnel, have met His Royal Highness Prince Ding."
This time, the messenger who came to deliver the imperial edict was obviously different from the unlucky lord last time. At least the pomp alone showed that the two were completely different. A minister of the Ministry of Personnel from the Liu family was accompanied by several military generals. Not to mention the three thousand elite soldiers and hundreds of guards who came with him but were blocked outside the city. Feng Zhiyao, who was standing aside, pulled the corner of his mouth, and a mocking smile flashed in his eyes. What does Mo Jingqi mean? Sitting on the seat, Mo Xiuyao's face was still a little pale, but there was no sign that he was lying on the bed unconscious before today. The white hair that was previously white also returned to black again under the potion provided by Shen Yang. Coupled with the faint smile on his handsome face, Mo Xiuyao was indeed a good man, not like a man whose beloved wife had just fallen off a cliff and disappeared. Liu Congyun looked at Prince Ding on the throne, frowned slightly, and felt a little more uneasy in his heart because of Prince Ding's completely unexpected look. Therefore, even though he came with the intention of reprimanding Mo Xiuyao, he still respectfully stepped forward to greet him.
"Master Liu, please don't be polite." Mo Xiuyao smiled calmly, waved his hand and pointed to the seat next to him and said with a smile: "Master Liu, please take a seat."
Liu Congyun looked at Mo Xiuyao with some timidity, but found in vain that he could not see any emotion in his calm and deep eyes. He could only stand up to thank him and sit down below Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao glanced at Feng Zhiyao next to him, Feng Zhiyao smiled and sat down opposite Liu Congyun. Not long after, several generals stationed in Hongzhou City also arrived and sat down at the bottom. Liu Congyun looked at the situation in front of him and his smile became a little stiff. Mo Xiuyao leisurely put down his teacup and smiled at Liu Congyun, "Lord Liu, I have been feeling a little unwell recently and was unable to personally go to the city gate to welcome the Holy Envoy. Please forgive me." Seeing Mo Xiuyao smiling so amiably, Liu Congyun felt terrified. He quickly smiled and said, "Your Highness, you are joking. The princess's matter... The princess is a unique and extraordinary woman in the world. Good people are blessed by heaven. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
Mo Xiuyao paused for a moment, then smiled again, nodding his head and saying, "Lord Liu is right. My A'li is indeed a unique and extraordinary woman in the world." Feng Zhiyao also praised the princess for her virtue, talent and beauty, and for her wisdom and strategy in leading the Mo family army to annihilate the Xiling army. Liu Congyun could only smile and praise Ye Li's merits, not knowing how to start talking about business. Fortunately, Mo Xiuyao was not sitting here to have people praise his princess constantly. Before Liu Congyun could continue the conversation, he calmly changed the subject, "I remember the eldest grandson of Prime Minister Liu of Lord Liu? Would Prime Minister Liu come in?"
Liu Congyun answered cautiously, "Grandfather is in good health, and I am always concerned about the hard work you have to endure while fighting outside."
Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly and said, "When I was young, I also received a lot of teachings from Prime Minister Liu. I am also very pleased that the old Prime Minister is in good health. By the way, the emperor must have something important to send Lord Liu, the future head of the Liu family. I hope I don't have any official business to send Lord Liu alone?"
Liu Congyun said he didn't dare, and he just felt a slight bitterness in his mouth. The atmosphere at this time was so good that he didn't know how to get the emperor's order. He was afraid that if Mo Xiuyao hadn't asked him, he might not find a chance to announce the order until the end. Of course, he could have announced the order openly when he arrived, but Liu Congyun was the eldest grandson of the Liu family after all. He was trained as the future head of the family since he was a child. He was not comparable to ordinary mediocre people. Liu Congyun would never believe that Wang Jingchuan's death was not caused by something bad. He also understood Wang Jingchuan's character and personality, so he was even more cautious about this task that he didn't want to do at all, and didn't dare to show any complacency in front of Prince Ding.
Standing up, Liu Congyun bowed to Mo Xiuyao and said, "I have indeed brought the Emperor's order. Your Highness Prince Ding, please accept it?"
Mo Xiuyao smiled in response, but he didn't show any intention to move from his chair. Not to mention standing up and kneeling to greet him, he didn't even move to sit up straight to show respect. Not only Mo Xiuyao, but also the generals sitting below didn't show any expression. Liu Congyun twitched his lips and pretended not to see it. He came to announce the decree, not to maintain the majesty of the emperor. As long as he could return to the capital alive, he could complain to Yu any way he wanted, but the prerequisite was that he could return alive after reading the imperial decree. Turning back, he took the bright yellow cloth from the brocade box from the servant beside him and unfolded it. He then read aloud, "By the will of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Prince Ding Mo Xiuyao has arbitrarily carried out private executions and murdered innocent people, which is truly deceiving the emperor. I recall the merits of my ancestors and pardon his death penalty. He will inherit the title of Prince Ding and be made a county prince, but will be fined for three years!"
The hall was quiet. Liu Congyun could clearly feel the unfriendly eyes of the people around him, and there was a faint trace of sweat in the palm of his hand holding the imperial edict. Trying to look calm and composed on the surface, Liu Congyun closed the bright yellow silk and stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, please accept the edict." Mo Xiuyao waved his sleeves lightly, and in an instant, the bright yellow imperial edict fell into his hands. Mo Xiuyao opened it and looked at the familiar handwriting on it, and his handsome eyes narrowed slightly. He seemed to be in deep thought for a long time, and the smile on his lips became more and more obvious and colder. Feng Zhiyao, who was closest to him, squeezed himself into the chair, and the other generals looked at him and pretended that they saw nothing.
"Demote... to a prince, and deprive him of salary for three years?" Mo Xiuyao's voice echoed quietly in the hall, and there seemed to be some strange smile in it. "Is this what the emperor wants to say? Hmm?"
Liu Congyun was sweating in his heart and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, the emperor has no other intentions. It's just that... the emperor must give an explanation to the people of the world for this matter."
Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows and smiled: "Didn't the emperor mention things like the military power of the Mo family army... Prince Dingguo's Mansion, no... Prince Dingjun's Mansion obviously has more subordinates than Prince Dingjun's Mansion?" Liu Congyun's heart skipped a beat. The emperor did mention these things and hinted that it would be best for him to take them back from Prince Ding, and even promised that he would definitely promote him to the position of Minister of Personnel. But Liu Congyun had no intention of mentioning this issue to Prince Ding from beginning to end. Compared to the position of Minister that he would get sooner or later, it was obviously more important not to anger Prince Ding and go back alive. Although the Liu family has always been loyal to the emperor, in Liu Congyun's mind, it is much easier to apologize to the emperor for doing things poorly than to anger Prince Ding. Forcefully smiling, Liu Congyun said, "This... the emperor did not mention it in his decree, so I dare not speculate on his intentions. I believe the emperor has his own decision in mind."
Mo Xiuyao nodded and agreed, "What Lord Liu said is very reasonable. Logically... the emperor has already issued an edict to demote my title, and we as his subjects should be sensible and hand over those things ourselves. It's just that... the things in my hands are really... not convenient to hand them over casually. However... the title of Prince Ding can be returned to the emperor. Can Lord Liu go back and tell the emperor that I don't care whether it's a prince or a duke. In exchange for retaining the Mo family army and the Mo family's ancestral heritage, all my titles can be eliminated. How about it?" Liu Congyun's face changed, and he naturally understood what Mo Xiuyao meant. Mo Xiuyao didn't care whether he was the Ding Wang or not. Even if he was a commoner, the Mo family army still only listened to Mo Xiuyao, and the Ding Wang Mansion's industry was still only managed by Mo Xiuyao. The so-called Ding Wang position was just an empty title. If Mo Xiuyao wanted, he could make himself any king he wanted.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. The Emperor has no such intention..."
Mo Xiuyao sneered, "No, I don't mean that. Then may I ask what's going on with the 600,000 troops that were secretly mobilized at Feihong Pass, 60 miles outside Ruyang City? And what's going on with the armies of Mo Jingli, Nanzhao, and Xiling in the south approaching the northwest without any hindrance?"
"This... this... I beg your pardon, Your Highness." Liu Congyun was shocked. He didn't expect that Prince Ding knew all about these secret military movements. He even knew the exact number of people. Looking at his pale face, Mo Xiuyao comforted him with some guilt: "Don't worry, Lord Liu. This time I will definitely let you go back safely. By the way, please go back and tell Marquis Muyang... He has two good sons, but unfortunately he is too good at ruining them. Because Mu Yang is a filial son, I will take Mu Yang back with you. As for Marquis Muyang... let him wait in Ruyang City. His life is decided by me!"
"Prince..." Liu Congyun didn't know what else to say. Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "Of course... The premise is that Marquis Muyang is still alive when Lord Liu rushes back."
"What does your Highness mean?" Liu Congyun asked stiffly.
Mo Xiuyao tilted his head and smiled, "The entire Mo family army is united in wanting to capture the culprit who caused the disappearance of my beloved concubine and their mistress to avenge her. I am very moved and it is difficult to refuse the loyalty of the soldiers. Lord Liu, don't you think so?" Liu Congyun's face changed drastically, and he secretly took a breath of cool air in his heart and felt heartbroken. When he entered the city just now, he did see some troop movements, but he thought it was to guard against the reinforcements from Xiling and the three-party coalition forces that were approaching from the interior. He didn't expect that Prince Ding was going to capture Ruyang, "Your Majesty, think twice! Now that the army of Great Chu is in chaos, please put the country of Great Chu first."
Mo Xiuyao raised his eyes slightly, looked at him mockingly and puzzledly, and said, "The country is the most important? What is that?"
Liu Congyun almost burst into blood. Coming from the mouth of Prince Dingguo, who has been protecting the Great Chu for generations, such words really make people bleed. Feng Zhiyao beside him couldn't help but twitch his mouth, but quickly held it back. Prince, did you learn this from the princess? This is obviously the princess's occasional speaking style. Thinking of someone whose life or death is unknown at this time, the corners of his lips that were originally raised gradually sank. Liu Congyun said in a deep voice: "Prince, the Dingguo Palace has protected the Great Chu for generations. You must not destroy the Dingguo Palace and the Great Chu because of a momentary anger."
Mo Xiuyao said indifferently while holding the tea: "Oh? Great Chu? Isn't that Mo Jingqi's business? As for the Dingguo Palace that has protected Great Chu for generations... I am no longer the Dingguo Prince but the Dingjun Prince. Maybe in two days I will be an ordinary commoner." Liu Congyun tried hard to persuade him earnestly, but the one being persuaded didn't care at all. In the end, Liu Congyun could only take his people away helplessly. He must return to the capital immediately to report this news to the emperor.
Seeing Liu Congyun hurried away, Mo Xiuyao did not stop him. He looked down at the imperial edict in his hand, snorted, and threw the bright yellow silk into a corner of the hall. Feng Zhiyao stood up and said with a smile: "Even if your Highness doesn't like it, there is no need to throw it away. The cloth with the imperial edict written on it is made of the finest silk, the best dyers and the best weavers. Ordinary people can never hope to touch a piece of it in their lifetime." Mo Xiuyao nodded and agreed: "That makes sense. Why don't we hang it on the city gate outside the city so that passers-by can feast their eyes on it?" Feng Zhiyao picked up the silk on the ground, looked at Mo Xiuyao and asked: "Your Highness, are you really going to let Liu Congyun and Mu Yang leave like this?" The generals present also looked at Mo Xiuyao, and it was obvious that they also had doubts about this decision. Mo Xiuyao said with a smile, "Let him go, why not? Liu Congyun is smarter than his father and grandfather. He has been so submissive. If I still take action against him, wouldn't it make people think that I am narrow-minded?" Of course, Liu Congyun is more ambitious than his father and grandfather. Mo Jingqi, you have such a flexible minister who has such a big family behind him. I want to see, even if there is no Dingguo Palace, how can you achieve a harmonious relationship between the monarch and the ministers and make it a legend for all ages?
"Then Mu Yang..." Feng Zhiyao couldn't help but grit his teeth when he mentioned Mu Yang. It wasn't that he had any opinion on Mu Yang himself, but Mu Yang's father, Marquis Mu Yang. Although Marquis Mu Yang didn't lead the troops to kill the princess this time, he was in charge. Similarly, they knew the full content of the decree that Marquis Mu Yang received from Mo Jingqi. In this case, even if Mu Yang was killed, it would be a very logical thing. So Feng Zhiyao didn't understand why the prince wanted to release Mu Yang back to Marquis Mu Yang.
A hint of coldness flashed across Mo Xiuyao's eyes, and he said calmly, "I still have use for Mu Yang, as well as Marquis Mu Yang... Tell his men to be careful and don't let him die on the battlefield."
Seeing that Mo Xiuyao obviously had his own plan, Feng Zhiyao did not ask any more questions, although he did not know what it was. He only happened to look up and saw a flash of red light on Mo Xiuyao's face, which made Feng Zhiyao sigh for Marquis Muyang in his heart. Being targeted by the prince, dying on the battlefield was actually the best fate for Marquis Muyang, right?
Mo Xiuyao stood up, and the faint smile on his face turned into a solemn expression. The generals who were originally sitting immediately stood up at the same time and listened respectfully to the prince's instructions.
Mo Xiuyao looked at the blue sky outside the hall with a distant look in his eyes, his voice was hollow and solemn, "Order the entire army... all the troops currently fighting with Nanzhao Xiling, all evacuate. Head for Ruyang City. With Feihong Pass as the boundary, I want to see all the Mo family troops gathered within ten days!"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Everyone answered in unison, without questioning the decision. Feng Zhiyao stepped out and asked, "Your Majesty... the imperial troops stationed in Ruyang and other places..."
"Drive them all out. Those who refuse to obey will be killed!"