"Whatever Your Majesty gives is a reward, and I will gladly accept it."
The Emperor chuckled, dismissed the servants in the palace, and then spoke to Zhao Shi'an about the handling of the rebels.
“Princess Wu’an is deeply loved by the people. If she is executed easily, it may cause unrest among the people.”
To eliminate any future troubles, he really wanted to get rid of Princess Wu'an directly.
"What good is being loved by the people? He committed the heinous crime of plotting rebellion and even attempted to kill the emperor and his father. According to the laws of Dali, being cut in half at the waist would not be an exaggeration."
"However, since His Majesty has just ascended the throne, it is indeed not appropriate to carry out a large-scale prison. Why not announce to the world that, in consideration of his brotherly and sisterly relationship with Princess Wu'an, he should be spared the death penalty, the Buddhist temple should be suppressed, and prayers should be offered for the late Emperor and the people of Dali."
The emperor looked at him calmly, clearly dissatisfied with the answer.
"Your Majesty, rest assured. It is ostensibly a prayer for blessings, but after a cup of poisoned wine, the procession can be arranged to go to the Buddhist temple at will. There are special people guarding her, so who will know whether Princess Wu'an is alive or dead?"
The Emperor chuckled softly.
"Well, then let's do as Lord Zhao says. As for the Third Prince... Hmph, I've only just ascended the throne, and his people are already asking for titles and fiefdoms for him in court. They really don't take me seriously."
"In my opinion, the third prince is Wu'an's own brother. Wu'an committed treason and he deserves to die. Yet those people in the court actually want to grant him land. They are truly delusional!"
The emperor was furious when he heard about this.
"It is indeed wishful thinking, but among those who advocate granting the Third Prince a fiefdom is Her Highness the Grand Princess. When the late Emperor wrote the edict of succession, did he ask His Majesty to promise to treat his brothers well?"
The emperor's eyes darkened.
Not only that, the late emperor also forbade him from investigating the Zhong family's affairs from back then.
He promised not to investigate, but if others investigate the cattle, it has nothing to do with him.
"It seems I guessed correctly. Your Majesty should treat your brother well."
The Emperor's eyes flickered.
"So, Lord Zhao, do you have any good ideas?"
"The reason those people in the court wanted to bestow a title upon the Third Prince was undoubtedly because he was the late emperor's most beloved prince. Since the late emperor liked him so much, the Third Prince should naturally show his filial piety. After the late emperor was buried in the imperial mausoleum, the Third Prince might as well go and accompany him for three years. By the time the three-year mourning period is over, the court will have been purged, and who will still remember the Third Prince?"
The emperor thought it made sense, and his expression relaxed.
"But what if those people in the court are not satisfied with my arrangements?"
"You are now the Emperor, and you have already done the best for the Third Prince. They will not make a fuss. Moreover, once I leave the capital, they will not have the courage to oppose Your Majesty."
The Emperor looked at Zhao Shi'an with a hint of inquiry in his eyes.
He knew from the beginning that Zhao Shi'an was a smart man, and it would be good to have such a person at his disposal.
But what if Zhao Shi'an had other ideas...?
Zhao Shi'an looked up and met the Emperor's gaze.
"Your Majesty need not be wary of me. I have no interest in this empire or your throne."
"How dare you!"
The emperor gently reprimanded him.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me."
The emperor snorted.
"Can you wait until after my coronation ceremony to take your leave?"
"No, my belongings have been packed at home. I will depart tomorrow, which will also serve as a deterrent to those unruly individuals in the court."
What should I say to you?
The emperor was so angry he didn't know what to say.
"However, I must remind Your Majesty that all the officials will be present at your enthronement ceremony. With so many people in the palace, there will inevitably be oversights. If Princess Wu'an or the Third Prince's men were to take advantage of this opportunity to assassinate you, it would be an easy task."
In his previous life, this new emperor had suffered an assassination attempt that damaged his health, causing him to pass away a few years later. This gave Zhao Shi'an the opportunity to become a treacherous and wicked official who brought disaster to the country.
The emperor almost dropped the teacup in his hand.
"You mean... I understand, and I will be careful on the day of the ceremony."
"Let's keep General Fan Li by our side at all times."
*
Zhao Shi'an and his men left the capital early the next morning.
He also told Zhao Fen, who had been promoted to the cabinet, about his purpose in leaving the capital.
At this critical juncture, given Zhao Shi'an's merit in supporting the emperor's ascension to the throne, he should have been present at the enthronement ceremony, yet he left the capital.
If he hadn't committed some serious mistake, why would the Emperor have allowed him to leave?
It can only be said that Zhao Shi'an really committed a crime, or that the current emperor cannot tolerate this Lord Zhao.
Everyone who learned of this was terrified, especially those from the Third Prince's faction.
Zhao Shi'an devised plans for the emperor and even nearly died at the hands of the enemy, but the emperor could not tolerate him.
What about them?
These confidants of the Third Prince are still pressuring the Emperor in court to give the Third Prince a peaceful end. Do they think they will have a good life in the future?
They were trembling with fear for several days, and afterwards they didn't dare to say a word for the Third Prince in the court.
The Third Prince was anxious, and that day he spoke of the arrangements for him in the court.
The Emperor had just finished announcing the suppression of Princess Wu'an in a Buddhist temple, and now everyone in the court was pondering his intentions, with no one daring to provoke him.
But then the third prince stepped forward.
Sure enough, there was a moment of silence in the court, and then they heard the emperor chuckle softly.
"Naturally, now that I have ascended the throne, I should bestow titles upon my brothers. My third brother has repeatedly said that Father Emperor dotes on you, so I imagine that you are also very reluctant to part with Father Emperor. Therefore, my third brother shall go to the imperial mausoleum to guard Father Emperor's spirit from this day forward. After the three-year mourning period, I will naturally bestow honors upon my third brother."
The Third Prince's face turned pale, and he stepped forward to retort, but the Emperor stood up.
"Is there something you're unhappy about, Third Brother? Or is it that you and Wu'an, as siblings, are reluctant to part and want to go to the Buddhist temple with Wu'an?"
How dare you treat me like this!
"Third Prince, how dare you! This is the imperial court, and the person before us is His Majesty the Emperor."
The officials from the Censorate came out and reprimanded the Third Prince, and his men didn't dare to utter a sound.
The third prince was unconvinced and shouted loudly in the court. Fan Li ordered the imperial guards to come in and take the third prince away.
In this way, the emperor's biggest obstacle in the court was eliminated.
The emperor was looking forward to his coronation ceremony and didn't have to worry about anything else, which was a very comfortable time. But then a major incident suddenly occurred.
The convoy escorting Gao Wancheng back to Beijing was hijacked, but Gao Wancheng was rescued.
The emperor flew into a rage in the court and subconsciously called out Zhao Shi'an's name.
But Zhao Shi'an had already returned to An County.
He became even angrier, and the court was filled with trepidation once again.
Zhao Shi'an has already entered An County's territory regarding this matter.
Everything was still familiar, though it lacked the bustling prosperity of Kyoto, but it held comforting memories for him.
It was already late. Xiao Liu rode up to Zhao Shi'an and asked, "Master, it's dark and the road is difficult to travel. Shall we stay in the county town for the night and return to Fangjia Village tomorrow morning?"
"No, we'll go back tonight."
With that, Zhao Shi'an cracked his whip and rode ahead of Xiao Liu towards the city gates. Xiao Liu and the others could only hurry to catch up.
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