Chapter 69 Tyrant
It has been a long time since it rained in the capital.
The sun shone brightly every day, and the wheat and millet in the capital and nearby counties died of drought. Fortunately, the people still had some food stored, so they could still get by.
However, Yang and Long states were not as prosperous as the capital. When famine was imminent, the imperial court had to impose additional taxes to supply the army, which caused public resentment.
As a result, endless rumors spread among the government and the people.
"The Queen Mother is to blame for the severe drought!"
"Establishing the Golden Crow female army, defiling the military, appointing ignorant female officials, and harming the government are abhorrent to both humans and gods, and cannot be tolerated by heaven and earth!"
Lingqiong's ears were so callused from hearing words like these.
These days, she has been investigating who is spreading these remarks and shaking public morale, and has arrested a number of people for this purpose.
It was eventually discovered that these words were spread by a man named Mei Laoliu. This man not only openly insulted Queen Mother Chi, but also gathered a group of people to provoke trouble and violate the law with force.
After interrogation, Mei Laoliu confessed that because his daughter, whom he had raised with great effort and intended to find a son-in-law, was recruited by the Jinwu Guard, he joined the army on his own and stopped associating with him, making him a widower. For this, he held a grudge against Empress Dowager Chi.
When he first entered the Imperial Prison, he still argued confidently, "If she hadn't stirred up trouble and recruited female soldiers out of the blue, how could my daughter have been deceived and taken away!"
After being tortured, he burst into tears, "I am guilty... I know I am wrong... Your Majesty the Queen Mother, may you be blessed with great fortune... Please forgive me... I will never dare to do it again!"
Lingqiong compiled the confessions of these people into a file and came to Xihua Palace to present it.
The court meeting on this day was the same as usual. The Sujisi, headed by Wu Wenxiu, sat on the right side of the hall, the officials of the six ministries and nine departments sat on the left side of the hall, and Princess Fuguang knelt beside the desk to listen to the government affairs.
The domestic and international situation has been turbulent recently, so the atmosphere in the hall is very depressing. All the officials lowered their heads and stared quietly at their toes.
Although summer is almost here, there is a chilly wind blowing in the hall, as if the cold of last winter still lingers.
Empress Dowager Chi also had a cold expression today, as if covered with a layer of frost. Her eyes slowly swept over the court officials, and the hint of coldness that flashed across her eyes was piercing.
When Lingqiong felt this gaze, her scalp tingled. She had already anticipated how angry Empress Dowager Chi would be when she saw what Mei Laoliu and the others said.
But as the Queen Mother's eyes and ears, she must report truthfully, and any concealment is unacceptable.
Therefore, she could only watch Chi Yan pick up the case file and look at it slowly, waiting for her anger to erupt.
Chi Qiong finished reading it quietly, then threw the table to the ground. There was a slight "pa" sound, but it stirred up a wave of shock in Lingqiong's heart.
Chi Li's eyes were cold, and her voice was even colder. "Anyone who slanders me will be put to death."
Ling Qiong swallowed nervously, "Yes."
Upon hearing Chi Lun's extremely cold order, the officials lowered their heads even lower.
Prime Minister Li fell from power the year before last, and Zhen Rui was killed last year. Countless officials involved in the incident died. Now Empress Dowager Chi just wants to execute some rebellious people. They have no reason and no courage to object.
If you want to keep your head, the best way is to talk less. Anyway, the guillotine has not fallen on their heads yet, so why bother yourself with trouble?
But some people just want to cause trouble for themselves.
Censor Sun Nanjian stepped out of the line and spoke passionately, "Your Majesty, guarding against the people's mouths is more important than guarding against a river. Even if you kill them, you won't be able to stop the people's gossip, and you will lose their support. The people's words may be rebellious, but they are not entirely unreasonable. Your Majesty, please listen to their wishes and act in accordance with them. Only in this way can the country maintain long-term stability!"
Chi Lu's cold gaze suddenly pierced Sun Nanjian, "Then according to your opinion, what should we do?"
All the officials in the hall looked at Sun Nanjian in surprise. How dare he speak out against the emperor?
You should know that Sun Nanjian was appointed as the Censor-in-Chief, which was only a sixth-rank official position. Before that, he had been an official in the local area and was only promoted and transferred to the capital in March.
It is such a person who has no backing, but when all the ministers are silent, he jumps out to sing against Queen Mother Chi. Isn't he really seeking death?
Did he think that by doing so he could appear upright and honest, thus making Empress Dowager Chi convinced and giving him a promotion and a higher rank?
Although the ancestral precepts forbid the killing of censors, don't you think Empress Dowager Chi is someone who would follow the ancestral precepts?
The ministers secretly murmured in their hearts and looked at Sun Nanjian coldly, waiting to see how he would answer.
Sun Nanjian dared to speak out against the emperor, not because he wanted to be conspicuous, but because he was a true emperor supporter who believed in the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues the most. He was disgusted by the fact that Empress Dowager Chi, a woman, was in power.
When he was an official in the local area, he was righteous, honest and upright, and offended all his superiors and subordinates. No one thought that such a person could be promoted.
But in fact, he was just a pawn of the anti-Chi party. These officials did not dare to confront Queen Mother Chi head-on, so they pulled him out and used his uprightness to deal with Queen Mother Chi.
Sure enough, as soon as Sun Nanjian saw the opportunity, he gave Chi Qi a piece of advice.
"The Emperor governs external affairs, while the Empress governs internal affairs. This is the way of Heaven. I believe that only when the Emperor personally rules can the court be stabilized. I implore Your Majesty to comply with Heaven's will and return power to His Majesty to reassure the people. In this way, I believe the people's grievances will naturally subside."
After Sun Nanjian finished speaking, he straightened his back a little more and looked at Chi Qie neither humbly nor arrogantly, with a sense of calmness in his heart.
He has said so much. If Empress Dowager Chi still has any humanity left, she will naturally feel extremely ashamed and apologize to the people.
At that time, he will be a hero who saves the people. No, it doesn’t matter whether he is a hero or not. What matters is that he can save the lives of innocent people.
His courage to speak out directly will surely be praised by the world and passed down through the ages!
When the ministers in the hall heard his words, they subconsciously held their breath. He was really not afraid of death.
However, since he spoke so frankly, perhaps Empress Dowager Chi would not dare to take action against him easily.
Otherwise, before the people's anger over the natural disaster has subsided, rumors will arise that the emperor has been imprisoned and his loyal ministers have been killed.
Queen Mother Chi wouldn't want to be called cruel and inhumane, right?
Unfortunately, what Chi Qi wants to do is to be a cruel and inhumane tyrant.
Anyway, she will always be scolded if she sits in this position, so she might as well act like a tyrant and show you guys.
She saw through Sun Nanjian at a glance. He wanted fame, but she refused to give him that name.
Chi Qi narrowed her eyes and looked at Sun Nanjian. "This is an offense that is condemned by both humans and gods, and cannot be tolerated by heaven and earth. How could Mei Laoliu, an ordinary citizen, have said such neat words without anyone's instructions? I think this is a man-made disaster."
The last sentence was spoken with a solemn and murderous tone.
Ling Qiong immediately shouted, "Your Majesty, this must be someone's doing! Everyone knows that the Emperor is young and ill, unable to manage affairs. Now that we are facing internal and external troubles, Lord Sun is proposing to return power to the Emperor. This is clearly an attempt to disrupt our Darong Dynasty!"
Chi Li smiled, but it was a bit cold. She asked Sun Nanjian softly, "Tell me, were you the one who ordered these people to do this?"
Sun Nanjian was stunned for a moment, then realized that Chi Lan was trying to frame him, and anger and fear suddenly surged in his heart.
How could the empress dowager act so shamelessly?
He knelt down in front of Chi Lu with a thud, his voice trembling, "I didn't order anyone to do anything!"
Ling Qiong looked at him and sneered, "You've done such a heinous thing, and you still don't dare to admit it? Master, hand him over to me. I will teach him to tell the truth."
Now that he has entered the Yiluansi, does he still want to come out alive?
Sun Nanjian's limbs felt weak, but he still managed to hold on. "What I just said was entirely out of loyalty. Heaven and earth can bear witness to that."
These words should have been spoken with great force, but his voice was trembling and weak due to panic, and he even seemed a little guilty.
It’s his fault that he only prepared for success in his advice, but not for death.
He looked around, but everyone avoided his gaze, and some even looked at him with suspicion.
It was like they really thought he had ulterior motives.
Sun Nanjian's hands, which were supporting the ground, began to tremble and he could hardly hold on.
At this moment, Queen Mother Chi's cold voice rang out overhead, "There's no need to interrogate Sun Nanjian. He's committing treason. Take him away and execute him along with those rebellious people."
These words were like the last straw that broke the camel's back, instantly crushing him to the ground.
Sun Nanjian was in disbelief. He suddenly jumped up from the ground and shouted, "No! You can't kill me! I am a loyal minister. I didn't order anyone to do anything!"
Ling Qiong looked at him coldly and waved her hand. The Jinwu Guards immediately swarmed over, grabbed Sun Nanjian's arms, and blocked his mouth to prevent him from uttering any more obscene words.
They dragged Sun Nanjian out of the hall with force. His heels made a clattering sound on the ground, which made the ministers in the hall shudder.
The consequences of going against Empress Dowager Chi are truly tragic.
The male officials were even more afraid and indignant, and felt desperate when they thought that they, the civil servants, could do nothing.
Zhao Mingyue observed their expressions and caught the turbulent undercurrent beneath the calm surface. It seemed that these people were very dissatisfied with A Niang.
A Niang decisively dealt with Sun Nanjian and killed those who opposed her, but would this arouse greater public resentment? She thought anxiously.
No matter what, Zhao Chun must not be released, and the officials must not be made aware that he can no longer be emperor.
Once this news gets out, the locals and royal family will definitely rebel.
Right now, we need something to divert the people's dissatisfaction with A Niang because of the drought. Praying for rain may not work, and disaster relief is a drop in the bucket.
A victory in war would be best.
It would be great if we could repel the Xiqi people, so that the court can free up its energy to appease the people.
Zhao Mingyue was just thinking when she heard footsteps approaching the palace gate. "Report! Urgent military information!"
The assistant minister rushed into the hall, knelt in the hall, and held up his hands to present the Shangtang report. Wu Wenxiu stepped forward to take it and handed it to Chi Qi.
Chi Qi took it, opened it, and took a quick look.
Zhao Mingyue looked at her face, but found that her expression was calm, and she didn't know whether the military situation was happy or sad.
Hoping for good news, she prayed silently in her heart.
However, the next moment, Chi Li pierced her delusion, "The war was lost. General Qian Qian of the Left Eagle Guard led an army of 50,000 men deep into the enemy's territory. He was besieged by Xi Qi and was captured. The entire Left Eagle Guard was annihilated."
"completely annihilated?!"
All the officials in the court gasped, and the blood instantly disappeared from the face of the Minister of War.
Zhao Mingyue stood up immediately and said in disbelief, "The Left Eagle Guard is Darong's most elite unit. How did Qian Qian command it?"
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