Chapter 557 Urgently Summoning the Imperial Teacher
The sword hanging over the head of the Right Pillar State finally came down, shattering his heart and fear.
He knelt beside the bed with a thud and said anxiously, "Your Majesty, Prince Guangling has rebelled and has led his troops to the foot of the imperial city. Please issue an order quickly to charge him with treason and have him arrested."
The Emperor of Northern Qi woke up slowly, he was still confused, his mind was blank and stiff, then he heard the Right Pillar State speaking a lot of words in his ear in a hurry.
He slowly turned his head, his neck cracking from not moving for so long. He frowned uncomfortably, only to see the Right Pillar State with a look of anxiety, as if the sky was falling. He asked doubtfully, "Who are you going to capture?"
The Emperor of Northern Qi only remembered that before he fell into a coma, the people of Northern Qi were dissatisfied with the conscription and increase in taxes, and they were fighting against the government.
He had been unconscious for too long, and when he woke up, he was too weak to speak much, and could only speak incoherently: "Didn't I issue an order... why... hasn't the riot subsided yet?"
The Right General grasped the Emperor's intention and hurriedly explained the entire situation to him: "Your Majesty, your decree was carried out, but the people no longer trust the court and are deeply hostile to it. Later...sometimes, rumors spread that I, an old minister, was secretly disobeying your orders and forcibly collecting taxes from the people, causing them unbearable suffering. Seeing my crimes exposed, I feared you would chop off my head, so I drugged you, took control of the court, and plotted rebellion."
"This...isn't this nonsense? I am loyal to Your Majesty, and this sincerity is witnessed by heaven and earth. Even if I were given the courage of heaven, I would not dare to have second thoughts about you."
"But the people don't believe it, and neither do the officials. They all kneel down and plead with Prince Guangling to raise an army to attack this old minister and rescue you. Prince Guangling... Prince Guangling has actually followed the people's wishes and united with that group of unruly people to rebel. Now, he has led his troops to attack the outside of the imperial city."
At this point, the Right State Secretary complained bitterly, "Your Majesty, you clearly trusted me so much that you specifically ordered me to stay by your side while the imperial physician treated you. You refused to see any other court officials besides me. Furthermore, you personally appointed me as your Minister of State, allowing me to handle state affairs for you daily."
"But these things, in the eyes of the court officials, only confirmed the rumors that the old minister was planning a rebellion."
"Fortunately, you have woken up and can clear this old minister's name."
When the Emperor of Northern Qi heard what the Right Pillar State said, he felt as if he was struck by lightning. If Gu Changsheng had not given him another injection on the head, he would have fainted from the shock again.
His face was gloomy, and his breath was unsteady as he asked, "When did I...when did I...appoint you as my Minister of State? And when did I...let you stay...stay by my side while the imperial physician was treating...me?"
The Right State General was dumbfounded. "No... not you?" He asked anxiously, "Your Majesty, you were unconscious for so long, could it be that you forgot?"
The Northern Qi Emperor, filled with a fury of having been fooled, pointed at the Right General and, with all his might, forced out a sentence: "You are hypocritical... arrogant and selfish... you are exploiting the people behind my back. Even if I were a tyrant... I would not appoint you as... a minister of state."
After comparing accounts with the Emperor of Northern Qi, You Zhuguo immediately realized that he had been tricked.
Suddenly, he remembered something and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, Prince Guangling must be unwilling to attack the Great Zhou. So, while you were unconscious, he spread rumors and framed me. He wanted to make me a traitor so that he could justify raising an army under the pretext of 'clearing the imperial court.' On the surface, he was clearing out the old ministers, but secretly, he was trying to overthrow your regime."
The Northern Qi Emperor naturally believed that the Right Pillar State had no intention of usurping the throne, otherwise how would he have the chance to wake up? Therefore, the Northern Qi Emperor believed the Right Pillar State's words without a doubt.
Prince Guangling was so bold that he actually dared to rebel against his father.
The Northern Qi Emperor was filled with rage, and a crucial question came to his mind: "Where did this... this rebellious son... where did... where did he get his troops?"
His first thought was that Zhao Yi had asked the Great Zhou to borrow soldiers.
The Right State General faltered, "The commander-in-chief you personally appointed, Wang Qiaoxin, has surrendered to the Prince of Guangling with the troops you secretly stationed in Yuncheng to attack the Great Zhou."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor of Northern Qi felt his blood surging and rushing to his head.
He had planned everything, but he had never expected that he would be making things easier for Zhao Yi.
Seeing this, Gu Changsheng hurriedly took out a porcelain bottle, pulled out the stopper, and placed it under the nose of the Northern Qi Emperor.
The Emperor of Northern Qi smelled a cool breeze, and his mind gradually became clear and his emotions gradually calmed down.
He raised his hand slightly, pointed at You Zhuguo, and moved his lips as if he wanted to give some orders.
But his strength was exhausted and no sound came out of his mouth.
The Northern Qi emperor was utterly distraught. Zhao Yi was plotting to murder his father and usurp the throne. He was likely supported by many in the court, otherwise his attack on the capital would have been impossible. The situation was urgent; if he didn't come up with a plan, his kingdom would be lost.
But the more anxious he became, the more speechless he became, and he could only stare blankly.
When the Right Pillar State saw the current physical condition of the Northern Qi Emperor, his heart instantly sank.
If he delays any longer, Zhao Yi's troops will probably break through the gates of the imperial city and he will be beheaded.
So, the Right Pillar State tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Preceptor has awakened. Would you like to summon him to the palace? With him in charge, we will surely be able to defeat the rebels."
The Northern Qi Emperor's cloudy eyes lit up instantly, as if he saw hope, and he squeezed out a few words: "Summon... the... Imperial... Master..."
The Imperial Master must have a way to capture that rebellious son!
After receiving the order, the Right Pillar of the State immediately went to the outer hall and sent a eunuch to invite the imperial tutor into the palace.
While waiting for the imperial tutor, the Emperor of Northern Qi first took a bowl of medicine and then drank a bowl of porridge, which helped him regain some strength.
At this time, the eunuch came in and announced: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Tutor has arrived."
The Emperor of Northern Qi nodded slightly and signaled the eunuch to call the imperial teacher in.
After a while, the imperial teacher sat in a wheelchair and was pushed slowly into the inner hall by Yan Yi.
The Imperial Tutor apologized to the Emperor of Northern Qi: "Your Majesty, I am weak and cannot perform the rituals of a monarch and a subject."
How could the Emperor of Northern Qi care about these empty formalities?
The imperial teacher is a life-saving straw to him.
He tried his best to keep his tone calm, "Heqing, there's no need to be so polite between you and me." After saying this, he paused and continued, "Have you heard...about my rebellious son...invading the capital?"
The Imperial Preceptor did not respond to the words of the Northern Qi Emperor, but looked at the Right Pillar State standing beside him.
The Emperor of Northern Qi instantly understood what the Imperial Preceptor meant and dismissed all the people in the hall.
In an instant, only the Emperor of Northern Qi and his imperial tutor were left in the hall.
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