Chapter 489 Risking his life to make a suggestion and clear Zhao Yi's suspicion
The situation was serious, so the Emperor of Northern Qi immediately asked the virtuous king to go to the inner hall and meet several ministers.
The Prime Minister performed the rituals of monarch and subject, then reported, "Your Majesty, the crimes committed by the virtuous prince in collusion with Feng Zhihuan were initially protested only by the people of Yongqing County, but word quickly spread to the capital, causing an uproar throughout the nation. The court has offered no response, and the situation has only intensified."
"Especially with the rumors circulating that you favor the virtuous prince as crown prince, the people fear that the virtuous prince's rule will lead to misery for the people. They oppose your enthroning of the virtuous prince as crown prince, threatening to rise up and overthrow your dynasty."
At this point, the silver-haired Prime Minister knelt on the ground and continued his exhortation: "As the saying goes, the people are the most important, the country is second, and the emperor is the least important. The people are the foundation of the country. When the foundation is stable, the country will be peaceful."
"Your Majesty, the situation is critical. Please punish the virtuous king severely."
The Chief Censor immediately said, "Your Majesty, according to Northern Qi law, if a subordinate official is corrupt, the superior official will be punished as well. If a father is corrupt, his descendants will be punished as well. Although the virtuous prince is the heir to the throne, if the emperor breaks the law, he will be punished just like the common people."
"I understand your fatherly kindness, but as a king, you should prioritize the greater good and punish the virtuous king first to appease the people's grievances."
They had known about the virtuous king's crimes before, but because the Northern Qi emperor wanted to protect him, they pretended to be deaf and dumb.
Now that the people are rising up, they have no choice but to intervene.
"Northern Qi is my world, and I have the final say." The Northern Qi emperor looked coldly at the ministers who were forcing him, and sneered: "You keep asking me to be punished for my words. Why don't you dismiss me as well? You can take this position!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down." All the ministers knelt down in unison. "We dare not."
"I think you're quite daring." The Northern Qi Emperor pointed his finger at them. "Each of you has been flipping through Northern Qi laws, listing the crimes of the virtuous king, and demanding I punish him severely. Let me ask you, are your hearts purer than his?"
"Think about it with your own heads. Haven't there been many princes who committed crimes throughout the dynasties? Has there ever been an uprising by the people?"
"In just a few days, rumors spread throughout Northern Qi and sparked uprisings among the people in many places. It's clear that someone is secretly targeting the virtuous king."
The ministers fell silent.
"I handed the Yongqing County case over to the Prince of Guangling so that he could deal with the aftermath of the Xian Prince. Under his supervision, the Tongpan died, my secret guards also died, and the Xian Prince was roasted on the fire."
"I've been thinking over and over these days, and I realize that Prince Guangling is the one who benefits most from Prince Xian's misfortune." The Northern Qi Emperor directly put the blame on Zhao Yi. "I defended Prince Guangling at the morning court some time ago, but I didn't expect that this would encourage his ambitions. He didn't hesitate to incite civil strife in order to persecute his own brothers."
Several ministers were stunned and looked surprised. They obviously did not expect that the Emperor of Northern Qi would put all the blame on Prince Guangling.
Although the virtuous king has pure blood and is the only choice for the crown prince, it is not necessary to push the prince of Guangling to take the blame in order to protect the virtuous king, right?
They looked at each other and were all dissatisfied with the actions of the Northern Qi Emperor.
"Your Majesty, Prince Guangling is extremely cautious and methodical in his actions. He has never made a mistake or been caught in any way. If he is behind all this, it would be too directive and is truly not his style."
"Your Majesty, there's no such thing as an impenetrable wall in this world. Prince Guangling probably understood this truth. He braved the criticism and condemnation of all the civil and military officials and decisively executed several important officials in the court in order to eliminate potential risks."
"So that when the Tongpan betrayed the virtuous king, he did not destroy your reputation as a wise and virtuous person in the hearts of the people. Otherwise, the people would certainly suspect that you abandoned them in order to protect the virtuous king."
"What's more, the Xianwang's crimes are true, so there is really no need for the Guangling King to kill the Tongpan."
This was also something the Northern Qi emperor couldn't understand. The judge hated the virtuous king to the core, and since he dared to testify against him at the execution ground, it meant he had evidence. Retrialing him would only serve to pin the blame on the virtuous king.
Why did Zhao Yi do this?
The Prime Minister looked at the Northern Qi Emperor, who seemed to be thinking seriously, and it was obvious that he had taken their words to heart.
He said, "Your Majesty, given his status as a virtuous prince, how could Prince Guangling not know that handling the Yongqing County case could lead to disaster? He could have used his injuries as an excuse to refuse, but to relieve you of your worries, he took on the case despite the pressure."
"Think carefully. This incident may seem to benefit Prince Guangling, but in reality, it has made you suspicious of him and disgusted with him, and you haven't gained anything at all."
"If he and the virtuous king both suffer losses and Northern Qi becomes a country in chaos, who will ultimately benefit?"
Although they preferred a prince of pure blood to be the crown prince, the virtuous king was not up to the task. If they handed the country over to him, Northern Qi would be destroyed.
"Prince Guangling truly doesn't have the ability to incite the people of various regions to revolt. They must be remnants of the previous dynasty, intent on taking advantage of the civil unrest to overthrow my throne." The Northern Qi Emperor panicked and issued an order: "Pass on my decree. Divide the Northern Qi soldiers into two halves: one to guard the borders, the other to garrison the various regions. Any troublemakers will be killed on the spot."
"His Majesty……"
"The most urgent task is how to wipe out the remnants of the previous dynasty and quell the civil unrest. As for how to deal with the wise king, let me think about it." The Emperor of Northern Qi waved his hand, signaling everyone to leave.
The Prime Minister and the Chief Censor shook their heads and saw disappointment in each other's eyes.
They said nothing more and stood up to leave.
Only one old minister remained.
The Northern Qi Emperor had a splitting headache. He suppressed the anger surging in his chest and asked impatiently, "What else do you want?"
Lord Wang advised, "Your Majesty, a ruler must prioritize the people. Harming the people to support oneself is like cutting your own flesh and blood to feed yourself. While your stomach may be full, your body will die. If you wish to stabilize the world, you must first correct yourself. Otherwise, civil unrest will ensue."
"A wise king has neither the people in his heart nor self-discipline. He is truly unfit for this great responsibility."
"Prince Guangling has a broad mind and the talent to govern the country. Unfortunately, his bloodline is not pure, making it difficult for his ministers to trust him."
At this point, Lord Wang knelt on the ground and said, "I, your humble servant, boldly ask Your Majesty to select a concubine and give birth to a long line of heirs."
The Emperor of Northern Qi looked sinisterly at Lord Wang, who was kneeling in the center of the hall.
This person was an old minister of the previous dynasty. He supported the late emperor in establishing the new dynasty and was highly regarded by the late emperor.
Now the conspiracy has come back to haunt him.
If he took in many concubines, gave birth to a prince, and established him as the new emperor, with this group of old ministers assisting in the administration, would the Northern Qi Dynasty still be under the control of the Chu state?
Not to mention, his health was poor and he had long been unable to conceive children.
The Northern Qi Emperor angrily retorted, "At my age, I am participating in the imperial selection. Do you want the world to laugh at me and call me incompetent?"
"I dare not." Lord Wang risked his life to advise: "If you do not wish to select a concubine, why not choose a suitable candidate from the royal family and adopt him in your name?"
"I have sons and daughters, so I'm not extinct." The Northern Qi Emperor flew into a rage and slammed his palm on the table. "What are you trying to do by persuading me to adopt a child?"
Lord Wang was horrified: "Your Majesty, I am loyal to you forever, only for the sake of our country and our people."
"If I hear you say anything again today, I will chop off your head." The Northern Qi Emperor was too lazy to deal with it anymore and pointed at the palace door: "Get out!"
Lord Wang didn't dare to say anything more and left tremblingly.
The Emperor of Northern Qi looked at Lord Wang's trembling back and suddenly had an idea in his mind. It would not only consolidate the position of the wise king in the hearts of the court officials, but also lure out the remnants of the previous dynasty.
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