Chapter 246 When the Emperor is enraged, millions will die!
Li San Niang's side is thriving and prosperous.
However, Emperor Wu's face darkened, and he looked like he wanted to keep his distance.
Even Wang Da Dang, who was standing to the side, was a little scared at this moment.
It should be noted that Wang Da Dang had been by Emperor Wu's side since he became Empress, making her a long-time confidante of the emperor.
He followed Emperor Wu through wind and rain, and had seen all sorts of things and scenes.
But now, beside Xue Yao, who was kneeling on both knees, were the generals who had come from the camp outside the capital to accompany Emperor Wu on his birthday celebration a few days ago, as well as the Jinwu Guard generals who were responsible for Emperor Wu's safety in the imperial city. They were all kneeling on the warm floor.
Lou Shide, Di Renjie, and Mr. Bu Ke did not kneel, but judging from their expressions, it was clear that they were under a lot of pressure.
Empress Wu was not one of those weak emperors who couldn't even win a verbal battle with their courtiers. She was an emperor who sent off Emperor Gaozong, imprisoned her two sons, killed a thousand or eight hundred people, and commanded hundreds of thousands of soldiers!
"Ha, in just a few years, has my Great Tang become so weak and sickly?"
Emperor Wu's sarcastic remark made the two generals kneeling on the ground feel extremely uncomfortable. How could his hundreds of thousands of soldiers make such a big mistake on the Emperor Wu's birthday?
Two loud "bangs" were the sounds of two generals kowtowing and begging for forgiveness.
"Haha, now you remember you want to kowtow to me and beg for forgiveness?"
What were you doing before that?
My face!
You've all disgraced us!
Emperor Wu was so angry that he stood up abruptly, stepped down from the head of the table, and looked at Lou Shide and Di Renjie.
"Come here, Xue Yao, tell me the story again, let the Prime Minister hear what these people under my command who only eat and do no work have found out?"
Then Xue Yao's cold, emotionless voice rang out in the hall, where the underfloor heating had been turned on and the air was filled with warmth.
It turns out that on the day of the Emperor's birthday, there was an assassination attempt on Emperor Wu in the palace, and that night there were acts of kidnapping children and setting fire to houses in Chang'an to divert attention, as well as the large-scale stampede that occurred in Pingkangfang that night.
Besides the Temple Gate, there are other forces behind these events.
It turns out that several officials from the imperial court were involved, and according to the results of Xue Yao and the Bad People's investigation over the past few days, the Prince of Xiang was also involved.
Furthermore, Xue Yao also mentioned that there was another force involved, whose identity the Imperial Guards couldn't even be identified.
However, Xue Yao knew in his heart who was hiding behind the scenes and stabbing him in the back.
Emperor Wu also guessed it.
It's Du Qinghui!
However, it was not convenient to talk about Du Qinghui's matter, since only Xue Yao and Emperor Wu knew about the Record of Extraordinary People.
Lou Shide stood by and listened to these events, and was particularly shocked when he heard that the Prince of Xiang was also involved in some scheme.
You should know that in Lou Shide's eyes, Prince Xiang was still that gentle, elegant, and smiling young man.
He never imagined that the Prince of Xiang would also reach the point where he would want to seize power and do such despicable things.
Well, it's only natural for someone born into an imperial family to yearn for power.
But how can one negotiate with a tiger for its skin?
That temple gate has no good intentions; it doesn't care about the people of the Tang Dynasty at all. What does it mean that everything is for the sake of future generations?
These are just high-sounding reasons; they are all just excuses to cover up their own sordid lust for power.
Regardless of whether Emperor Wu was a good emperor or not, he at least cared about the millions of people under the rule of the Tang Dynasty. He reduced taxes for the people, supervised agriculture, and encouraged commerce, all for the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.
Therefore, Emperor Wu can be considered a good emperor.
And what did Prince Xiang do?
Regardless of whether he wanted to overthrow Emperor Wu and become emperor himself, or wanted to support someone else, or was just seeking revenge for Emperor Wu's ruthlessness, he should not disregard the safety of the people and treat them merely as tools. He would not be a good emperor if he did so.
Lou Shide put aside these thoughts, bowed to Emperor Wu, and asked, "Your Majesty, how do you intend to deal with this?"
Sure enough, he's a prime minister; that question really hit the nail on the head.
As for the Temple Gate, we will definitely continue the investigation and follow the clues. We also need to clean up the Western Regions. Disobedient underlings should be killed, and obedient ones should be supported to follow the Tang Dynasty. We will make progress together, and I will eat the meat while you drink the soup.
Just like Japan, Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla, and Annam today, if you obediently listen to us, then you are our good little brothers, and we will protect you. But if you don't listen, then we will kill you. There will always be those who listen.
Those officials in the court who were involved behind the scenes were easy to deal with; they were just doing the work, and they were judged according to the law.
Suzaku Square is not the place where they haven't killed hundreds of people in a row.
The question is, what will Prince Xiang do?
"Your Majesty, what should be done with that Prince Xiang?"
Emperor Wu sat back on his throne, feeling annoyed as he listened to Lou Shide's questions.
What's wrong with these kids of the original owner? Why are they all so disobedient?
If we're talking about the original owner's feelings for her four sons and two daughters, then she definitely had feelings for them. Apart from Princess An Ding Si, who died young, she never said she disliked or hated any of the remaining children.
However, it must be said that the original owner also loved power.
It wasn't just love; the original owner of this body was also quite capable, and with the right timing, location, and people, she managed to seize a considerable amount of power for herself.
When she transmigrated, she really had a winning hand; no matter how she played it, she could attack or defend.
So she attacked.
Then, she became Emperor Wu.
"Prince Xiang, let him reflect on his mistakes in his residence for now."
Those of his subordinates who participated in the Emperor's birthday celebration incident were all sentenced according to the law.
After Emperor Wu finished explaining the punishment for Prince Xiang, he looked up at the three people still kneeling on the ground.
"Alright, you three, get up."
Each person will be fined one year's salary, and once this matter is settled, each person will be given ten strokes of the military rod.
Get up and get to work. I don't want to hear about the Temple Gate again.
I don't want to one day have to personally take up a sword and kill people.
"Yes." x3
In Chang'an, thousands of soldiers dispersed to arrest people from the homes of more than a dozen officials in the inner city who were involved in the Temple Gate rebellion.
The crime of treason is punishable by death for both the ringleader and his accomplices.
The Prince Xiang's residence was surrounded by the Imperial Guards. He sat alone in his study, listening to the sounds of soldiers moving around outside arresting people. Finally, the heavy weight in his heart was lifted.
Earlier, when he agreed to let his subordinates make contact with the Temple Gate, he knew that this day would eventually come.
The question is whether he will be killed like his eldest brother, or imprisoned like his third brother.
After hearing the eunuch's instructions, Prince Xiang realized, "Oh, it's about reflecting on one's mistakes behind closed doors."
The next day, on her way to her shift, Li Sanniang overheard the people on the roadside talking about how, at noon, on the high platform set up in Zhuque Square, more than a hundred people accused of treason were to be beheaded.
For the next three days, on Zhuque Street, more than a hundred people were beheaded every day at noon for three consecutive days. The smell of blood wafted around the area with the increasingly cold wind.
On the contrary, apart from the black bloodstains on the ground, there was no smell in Suzaku Square anymore.
Pingkangfang welcomed a group of people who were implicated in the collective punishment; there were men and women, young and old.
Others had already left Chang'an City, where they were chained by soldiers and exiled three thousand miles away.
Thinking about what she had heard on the street these past few days, Li Sanniang thought to herself, "Emperor Wu is a qualified emperor, but he is truly ruthless."
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