What does this imperial edict say?
It is said that now is a time of peace and prosperity, and the emperor does not want the Zhou family to continue to toil for the country. Therefore, he bestows upon them the imperial surname, enfeoffs them as Marquis of Zhenguo, rewards them with a thousand taels of silver, and orders the Zhou family to relinquish their military power and enjoy eternal happiness!
In this era dominated by power.
Everyone knows what losing military power means!
This day has finally come!
"General Zhou, this is wonderful news! You will enjoy the nation's fortunes forever, and the young master can be directly appointed as the heir apparent! This old servant congratulates you, General."
"........"
General Zhou held the imperial edict, his heart churning with a myriad of emotions.
Finally, they had to put on a grateful expression and smile as they saw Eunuch Ma off.
Only when the Zhou family was left alone did the second sister dare to voice her thoughts: "Father! What does the Emperor... what does he mean by this? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?"
"Bestow upon him the imperial surname and grant him the title of Marquis." General Zhou sighed and shook his head repeatedly, as if all his energy had been drained away in that instant.
He read the imperial edict several times before accepting the fact.
He gave a wry smile and said, "Great news! Great news indeed!"
“If I were to be granted a title of nobility, my son would be a noble heir. So be it. We live in a peaceful and prosperous era. It would be more reassuring to hand over military power.”
"Since ancient times, emperors have been suspicious. Those who achieve great merit and threaten the emperor's authority are not suitable for their position. I understand this. Tomorrow, I will hand over military power to the emperor."
But I'm disappointed.
I felt somewhat disheartened.
General Zhou knew this day would come sooner or later, but he never expected it to come so soon!
How long has it been since the western Xiongnu were defeated?
The Xiongnu in the east were still stirring up trouble. At this time, instead of thinking about how to make the country more peaceful, the emperor was eyeing the military power in his hands!
Well, handing it over isn't a bad thing.
The Zhou family, from top to bottom, are all loyal subjects. The imperial decree cannot be disobeyed. Now that the imperial edict has been issued, how dare the subjects disobey?
"no!!!"
Zhou Cheng, who had been silent, suddenly looked up: "Father."
"I disagree!"
Zhou Cheng spoke with unprecedented determination.
General Zhou was clearly surprised: "What do you mean you disagree?"
"Father, we absolutely cannot hand over this military power. If we do, there will only be one fate for our entire Zhou family: execution of the whole clan, a miserable death on the executioner's block!"
boom--
What? !
These shocking words terrified General Zhou, turning his face pale.
He jumped up, his first instinct being to scold his son for talking nonsense. How could he say such rebellious things?
Can.......
But when he met Zhou Cheng's serious eyes, General Zhou suddenly sat back down.
General Zhou had a very high opinion of his son, and outsiders thought Zhou Cheng was an incompetent good-for-nothing who only knew how to fawn over women.
But he didn't think so.
He believed his son would one day achieve great success: "Cheng'er, do you know what you're saying? If this gets out, it's a capital offense!"
"Moreover, the imperial edict clearly states that the Zhou family only needs to relinquish their military power in order to be granted titles and ranks. How could handing it over result in the entire family being brutally murdered?"
"The emperor of my Great Yan Kingdom is a wise ruler of the world!"
"Don't say those words again in the future."
Zhou Cheng felt a deep sadness when he saw that his father did not believe him.
That's the original storyline the system gave me.
Once the imperial edict arrived and military power was handed over, the emperor had no more scruples.
The next day, troops were sent to search the Zhou family's home, where they discovered that the family had letters of treason and collusion with the enemy.
The emperor didn't even bother to investigate; he simply ordered the entire Zhou family to be executed and all nine generations of their descendants exiled, thus ending the case!
“Father.” Zhou Cheng stood up, looking fearlessly at his father, and said, “Emperors are ruthless, serving a ruler is like walking on thin ice. How many military generals in the past have met a good end?”
"Believe it or not, you'll hand over your military power tomorrow."
"The day after tomorrow, the Embroidered Uniform Guard will be able to find letters of treason and collusion with the enemy in the General's Mansion!"
"I know you probably think I'm overthinking it, but do you know who I heard this from? The Fourth Prince! The Fourth Prince let it slip today!"
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