Chapter 317 Beating the King with the Golden Whip
After Wang Changyang finished speaking, there was silence all around, and everyone was so shocked that they forgot to breathe.
There were censors in the Dayu Dynasty, such as the Grand Censor, who were specifically responsible for giving advice to the emperor.
Most of those who can serve as censors are eloquent and upright.
The censors would also speak out their opinions in the court, but there was no one else except Wang Changyang who would directly scold the emperor for being incompetent and failing to judge people in front of so many ministers like today!
Mr. Wang Changyang is truly one-of-a-kind, the first and the only one of his kind!
"Bold Wang Changyang!" Du Rulin shouted, "Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're the imperial tutor for three dynasties! Heaven, Earth, the Emperor, Parents, and Teachers, the Emperor comes first, the Teacher comes second! The Emperor governs the world with benevolence and filial piety, and calling you Teacher is already giving you enough respect! You're taking advantage of your seniority to insult the Emperor. As the Emperor's uncle, I must teach you a lesson today!"
"Bah!" Wang Changyang spat at Du Rulin. "You despicable villain! Do you think the world can't see your evil ambitions? Do you still know that the emperor is the ruler of a country? I thought Dayu already had the surname Du!"
"Wang Changyang, what nonsense are you talking about!" Du Rulin shouted, "Someone, come here! Wang Changyang is talking nonsense and insulting the emperor. How can he be called a saint? He is clearly crazy! Imprison him in the Heavenly Prison!"
"Let's see who dares!"
Wang Changyang shouted and took out a long whip shining with golden light from his arms.
The ministers were surprised, and the answer was about to come out in their hearts.
This golden whip...
Crack!
As the golden whip was swung, it swept towards Du Rulin like golden lightning, accompanied by the faint sound of wind and thunder.
"This is the 'Golden Whip' bestowed upon me by the late Emperor. It is used to strike down the emperor above and punish treacherous ministers below. Today, I will use you as a sacrifice to the whip!"
Du Rulin was unable to dodge and was whipped, screaming in pain.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please save me!" He said and hid behind the emperor.
The emperor smiled broadly, "Prime Minister, guess why I have never dared to speak harshly to him?"
Du Rulin's expression froze.
"Because I'm afraid of being whipped! I'm afraid it would hurt a lot!"
As he spoke, the long whip came again with the force of thunder.
Du Rulin shrank behind the emperor.
Unexpectedly, the emperor was nimble and leaped out a long distance. "Why did the Prime Minister try to trick me? The teacher didn't say he would beat me! You can enjoy it all by yourself!"
"Ouch!"
Du Rulin was caught off guard and hit again, and he trembled all over with pain.
Seeing that the golden whip was about to come again, Du Rulin ran away in a panic.
Damn it, why did no one ever tell him that this old bastard Wang Changyang actually had such a precious sword in his hand?
Before Du Rulin ran far, he heard the emperor burst into laughter.
"Great! That's great!"
Du Rulin's face turned pale. The emperor actually said that he deserved the beating?
For a moment, Du Rulin's eyes became gloomy, as if there was a flame burning in them.
"Teacher is right! I am indeed a mediocre, incompetent, and useless person!"
The emperor looked calm, as if he had not just been scolded in public.
"If the Regent were still alive, he would definitely scold me like this!"
Wang Changyang retracted the whip, sighed, closed his eyes and stopped talking.
"My dear ministers, please stand up! If you kneel down again, you will really die. Without you all, who will help this incompetent king govern the country?"
"Your Majesty, we are terrified." The ministers lay on the ground, sweating profusely, but did not stand up. "Your Majesty, please revoke your order!"
"My dear ministers, Concubine Shu is my beloved woman, and Mingzhu is my most beloved princess. Is it too much for me to build a summer palace for my favorite daughter?
"And on the day Mingzhu was born, Zen Master Huineng was overjoyed and led the monks to the top of the Hundred-Storied Pagoda to light the sky lanterns, congratulating our dynasty on finding this lucky star and wishing us the protection of heaven from now on. Have you all forgotten?"
"Your Majesty, please forgive me for speaking frankly!" said the Imperial Censor, "Because of Zen Master Huineng's actions, since the princess' birth, everyone in our court has believed that Princess Mingzhu was a lucky star. I once believed this without a doubt! But as the princess has grown up, doubts have begun to arise in my heart..."
"What do you mean by that, Censor?" the emperor's expression changed. "Could Zen Master Huineng's words be false?"
The Imperial Censor took a deep breath, his face as if ready to die. "I know that making irresponsible remarks about Princess Mingzhu is a capital offense! But there are some things stuck in my throat that I can't get out of my mouth! I think..."
"Lord Wei, I'm here, it's not your turn to speak!" Wang Changyang interrupted him.
"Your Majesty, Princess Mingzhu is over two years old this year. I have been bedridden for a long time. Although I have never seen the princess, I have heard many rumors about her! Although the princess is young, she is extremely extravagant and has insatiable desires. This is truly rare.
I've heard that officials from all over the country have racked their brains to collect special items just for her, just to make the princess smile. Is Your Majesty certain that this action was done by a lucky star who will bring blessings to the world?
The emperor's Adam's apple twitched. "Teacher, you also know that Princess Mingzhu's mother, Concubine Shu, comes from the aristocratic Fan family. Her family is incredibly wealthy, and that's why they've been a bit spoiled towards Mingzhu. I believe this is harmless to a little girl. As long as Mingzhu can bring prosperity to Dayu, I'm willing to worship her like a deity."
"Prosperity of the nation?" Wang Changyang asked, "Princess Mingzhu, do you have any explanation for the drought in the capital and the unprecedented heatwave?"
"These have nothing to do with Mingzhu. Without Mingzhu, the disaster would be much more serious." The emperor said firmly.
Wang Changyang shook his head. The emperor's incompetence was an unchangeable fact, but he didn't expect that he would place all his hopes on Princess Mingzhu.
"I heard that Zen Master Huineng took the initiative to enter the palace three days after Princess Mingzhu was born to pray for the princess's three-day ceremony. After leaving the palace, Zen Master Huineng remained silent. After returning to the temple, he shut himself in and went out to travel. He did not return to the capital when the princess was one month old and one year old, and his whereabouts are still unknown. Doesn't your Majesty find this matter somewhat strange?"
"Teacher, please stop talking." The emperor's face was gloomy. "I won't be wrong. Mingzhu has been different since she was a child. I believe in her! She is undoubtedly a blessing!"
"Is the emperor sure?" Wang Changyang asked.
"Yes!" the emperor said firmly. "Furthermore, regardless of whether Mingzhu is a blessing or not, she is my most beloved little princess. I will have the Fan family build Mingzhu's summer palace. I believe the ministers will not obstruct her anymore, right?"
The ministers looked at each other in confusion. If the emperor insisted on building it, letting the Fan family provide funding and manpower would indeed be the best outcome.
Wang Changyang said, "People now have different opinions about Princess Mingzhu. If this continues, it will be detrimental to the stability of the court. The emperor must do something."
"Teacher, please explain!"
"The day after tomorrow, Lingji Temple will set up an altar at the Temple of Heaven to pray for rain. Why not take this opportunity to let the world see Princess Mingzhu's extraordinary qualities as a lucky star and silence the people's complaints?"
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