Chapter 288 Mission Reward: Return to the mortal world after death...
"later……"
Grand Tutor Wu was somewhat dazed upon hearing this, his memories drifting back to the distant past.
Having been reborn for so long, the powerful situation that is different from his previous life in every way cannot make him forget how different that life was.
The retired emperor's willful actions and the resulting corruption within the officialdom—with officials lining their own pockets and abusing their power—led to a bloody power struggle among the princes. Ambitious scholars who wanted to intervene and awaken the emperor only lost their lives, powerless to do anything. The more they followed the second prince, whom they believed to be a wise ruler, the more they were drawn into this bloody vortex, where the fighting would continue until everyone was torn apart.
In the end, only scattered debris remained.
The new ruler was deposed and ascended the throne. He led the remaining people to tidy up the situation and barely managed to rebuild Dading into a semblance of peace. However, before the situation had stabilized for more than a few years, he fell ill and passed away.
How many novel ideas can actually be implemented?
The complete form of those things probably only existed in the new emperor's mind, allowing his followers to sketch a rough outline in their previous life. Even after his death and his rebirth, Grand Tutor Wu constantly pondered the new emperor's ingenious ideas, trying to understand those obscure and difficult concepts. Only in this completely different life did those things have the opportunity to gradually come to fruition.
Rather, it's more like—
This life was mostly smooth sailing, which made Grand Tutor Wu often feel unreal, and he would often wake up in a fright, as if he had just had a beautiful dream.
Grand Tutor Wu came to his senses and heard that it was the last group of ministers in the hall who had spoken, recounting the state of Dading after the new emperor's death:
"As soon as His Majesty left, the capital was thrown into chaos... His Majesty's designated heir from the imperial clan died unexpectedly, and several princes who had been demoted to commoners returned, claiming to be investigating the conspiracy for His Majesty... They fought fiercely with the Emperor Emeritus. The Emperor Emeritus then intended to adopt the second son of Prince Dun as his heir to succeed the young emperor."
A minor official covered his face and wept bitterly: "That barbarian country took advantage of the situation to send a large army to invade our borders, broke through the border gates, and burned, killed, and looted all the way. My poor mother and my family..."
He choked up and couldn't continue.
The one who followed his words was another official who seemed dazed. Qi Chengming recognized him somewhat; he appeared to be a capable vice minister of the Ministry of Works, known for his exceptional diligence. The vice minister of the Ministry of Works murmured:
"Luoyang is surrounded by mountains on all sides, with a strategic location that is easy to defend and difficult to attack, so it won't be in any major trouble for the time being. After hearing the urgent report, the court didn't panic at first and sent the Marquis of Weiyong—His Majesty's cousin—to lead the campaign, and he even won several battles. But those small countries...! They took advantage of Da Ding's weakness and swarmed in, tearing at its flesh. How could Da Ding possibly wage a full-scale war at that time? Besides..."
The Vice Minister of Works' voice trailed off at this point.
Grand Secretary Mu was not afraid of anything. His tone was flat and unwavering, yet it was as ethereal as a withered old tree: "...Moreover, the court is not wholeheartedly engaged in the war. With internal troubles and chaos, how can we subdue external threats? No matter how capable we are, in this chaotic world, we are like weeds and duckweed, doomed to perish!"
Everyone knows that amidst internal and external troubles, only by working together to repel the enemy can one seize the throne. But if one contender gains momentum, can the others simply stand by and watch him get closer to the throne? There will always be those who can't see things clearly and drag the team down…
After the barbarians invaded the capital and Grand Scholar Mu died on his escape route, the Great Ding Dynasty was probably finished.
"...This is outrageous!"
Qi Chengming blurted out, his heart sinking even further, and he couldn't help but slam his hand on the table.
There were so many things that made him angry that he didn't know where to begin.
...After his death, the retired emperor wanted Prince Dun's second son to be his heir. Wouldn't that be the eldest prince's future child? It seems that the eldest prince did not die young in the previous life. His eldest son was still not an adult ten years later, let alone the second son, who was still unknown how old he was.
The heir chosen by Qi Chengming died unexpectedly; it's obvious what happened. The princes seized the opportunity to rebel and rise to power, and the retired emperor also wanted to seize the throne… The country was on the verge of collapse, and countless lives were lost! Were they so busy vying for fame and fortune?
Qi Chengming felt as if his heart was being boiled with oil. He closed his eyes to catch his breath, his brows still furrowed.
What puzzled him most was actually his own behavior.
But he had no time to think about it now; he could only suppress his anger and inquire about the past events: "What about the Imperial Clan Court? Did the Imperial Clan Court not restrain the Emperor Emeritus and the princes in the slightest when they acted like this?"
The imperial clan had been wiped out by the Qi family for two generations. They seemed to have become obedient, but the remaining members were no pushovers; they possessed considerable power. With the capital on the verge of collapse, Uncle would certainly not stand idly by. Surely, he and his remaining relatives, the last vestiges on this sinking ship, could at least offer some resistance? How did the situation spiral out of control like this…?
Qi Chengming wondered, if he were to die, would he not entrust his heir to his uncle's care?
Qi Chengming's urgent question caused the hall to fall silent again. The ministers who had lived to the later stages of their lives all showed hesitant expressions, as if they had something to say but could not.
Shen Shuzhi steeled himself and stiffly bowed, saying, "Your Majesty... the heir you intend to have is the great-grandson of the Imperial Clan Court Official. Therefore, at the beginning of the turmoil, the Imperial Clan Court Official could not bear the tragedy of his children and grandchildren, collapsed, and died of illness."
He emphasized the word "died of illness," clearly suspecting that this was not a simple death from illness.
"..." Qi Chengming paused for a moment, then exclaimed in astonishment, "The great-grandson of the Imperial Clan Court Master? What is the relationship between that adopted son and Qi Jiyun...?"
His study companion, Qi Jiyun, was the grandson of the Imperial Clan Court Official.
"He is indeed Lord Qi's son." Grand Tutor Wu nodded sadly when he realized he could no longer hide the truth. "Lord Qi was seriously injured when he was hit by a runaway horse while trying to save his son. He can no longer hold a gun and enter the camp."
Upon hearing this, Qi Chengming calmed down, and his chaotic thoughts gradually cleared up.
That makes sense.
He chose Qi Jiyun's child as his heir, either because the child was intelligent and shared his ideals, or because he had actually entrusted the stability of the country to Qi Jiyun and his uncle, the head of the clan.
When an emperor adopts a son, priority is given to his own brothers, but Qi Chengming would never choose them. He would have to look to distant collateral branches. Qi Jiyun's martial prowess is commendable, but if he were chosen as his successor, he would be allowed to rise from a minor branch to a major branch. Once Qi Chengming passes away, those princes might rebel, and legally speaking, Qi Jiyun would have a hard time controlling them. It would be better to choose his child as the heir, with Qi Jiyun and his uncle, the Imperial Clan Head, providing protection…
"And yet it was still completely eradicated," Qi Chengming sighed.
Since the adopted son had met with an accident, it was only a matter of time before his patron Qi Jiyun fell from grace, and the death of the Imperial Clan Leader was inevitable.
"Why didn't I take the Emperor Emeritus with me before I died?" Qi Chengming couldn't help but utter these chilling words.
This was another point of confusion for him.
But it doesn't matter anymore, the retired emperor in this life doesn't have many days left to live.
"Your Majesty, please calm down!" A large group of ministers knelt down in disarray.
Instead of speaking in official jargon and platitudes, when they said this, they looked up and glanced at Qi Chengming from time to time, their expressions filled with concern and worry.
Song Gu raised his head and added, "His Majesty once entrusted me with an important task: to find out about the old stories concerning my birth mother in the palace… In His Majesty's final days, the Emperor Emeritus initially strongly agreed and promised to uphold justice for His Majesty after finding the truth. This must be related to this…"
Seeing the behavior of his ministers, Qi Chengming felt a momentary warmth in his burning heart, but after hearing Song Gu's words, his doubts only deepened.
In my past life...
Is the king in the eyes of these ministers really himself?
Woodblock printing, financial system, Arabic numerals, Pinyin, reluctance to marry, three major grain crops, cement, fertilizer...
These sounds not only to him, but also to him who brought the infrastructure system with him.
But why did he do so many things that he doesn't understand now?
Qi Chengming waved his hand, letting his ministers continue to compare and supplement the details, while he listened attentively for half of the time and was immersed in thought for the other half.
The biggest difference is—
It is absolutely impossible for Qi Chengming to have died of illness.
His early death was likely his own choice.
Qi Chengming lowered his eyes as the infrastructure system slowly unfolded before him. The high-tech, deep blue pages shimmered with a soft glow, as if offering a silent answer. He recalled his recent inquiries about the infrastructure system.
Could it be that...
Will the system ultimately reward him with the ability to return to the modern world?
Qi Chengming's heart began to pound rapidly, and his breathing became slightly rapid.
That's not right either.
Qi Chengming calmed down a bit. He asked himself honestly, even if he received the reward now, would he be in such a rush to go back? Even if he wanted to go back, he would only leave after everything was settled. Couldn't he see the hidden dangers and sloppy arrangements from his previous life?
Qi Chengming thought it over and over, but he was unwilling to admit that he could be that stupid.
Unless there's a time constraint preventing his return and he has to settle down urgently, either he's blinded by the hope of going home and left without considering the consequences, or he knows the arrangements aren't perfect but still insists on leaving regardless of what happens afterward…
That's enough!
Qi Chengming couldn't think straight anymore and slammed his hand on the table.
There are loopholes no matter how you look at it. No matter what he is like, he shouldn't be so irresponsible, right?
"Your Majesty?" Qin Liusong's worried voice rang out. The hall was silent until Qi Chengming slammed his hand on the table. Everyone looked over in fear, worried that he had heard so many secrets and was too angry to handle it.
"I'm fine." Qi Chengming rubbed his temples, which were throbbing from overthinking, and roused himself to dismiss the officials. He had said enough. "We've been delayed for so long, this banquet is getting cold. Mr. Qin, go outside the palace and summon the Imperial Guards to have the Imperial Kitchen serve the dishes. My dear ministers, let's have our meal first."
They've been plotting here for a long time; if they stay any longer, even the Empress Dowager might become restless.
Qin Liusong responded and went out.
Before long, palace maids filed in carrying plates and cups, and the air was filled with the aroma of food. However, the ministers were all in a heavy mood and had little appetite, still immersed in the conversation they had just had.
Having been reborn for several years, due to the confidentiality of the topic, they only dared to discuss it briefly with close friends and family, or in private meetings, exchanging information. They had never before sat down together and spoken freely, especially with the new emperor present. They chatted enthusiastically, even piecing together the ins and outs of their previous life…
"Your Majesty..." Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi had just seen the previous group of officials off to their meal and left the palace. Now they were in the main hall, acting rather reservedly. They were unsure if they could enter, and looked on expectantly.
"You all stay outside the hall. When the ministers have finished eating, call Mr. Qin, Mr. He... and others to come to the side hall for an audience." Qi Chengming did not explain, nor did he intend to sit down and eat with them. Instead, he called out several names.
He had no appetite and planned to return to the side hall to wait. After the main meeting, there would be a private meeting of his confidants. Perhaps they could get the answers to Qi Chengming's questions from them.
As for what Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi might have overheard outside the hall...
I'll just listen to it.
"yes!"
As Qi Chengming walked, he glanced at the infrastructure system and saw that a task had been silently completed on the taskbar:
[Emperor's Long-Term Mission: The Strange Behavior of His Ministers (Completed)]
Reward: Return to the present world after death.
These six short words carry the weight of Mount Tai.
Qi Chengming's steps came to an abrupt halt. He never dreamed that what he had just been hoping for would suddenly appear:
"………………!!"
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