Chapter 268 Heavenly Might
The Emperor sighed deeply, a look of pain on his face.
"Let them in."
These officials are the most difficult to deal with. If you refuse to meet them, they will definitely not give up and may even persuade more officials to come and pester you.
We can only brace ourselves and deal with them.
Seeing that the Emperor did not order him to leave, Eunuch Chu obediently stood behind the Emperor. He knew that the Emperor was about to engage in a debate with the assembled heroes, and if he could lend a word or two in support of the Emperor at the crucial moment, he could make amends for his past mistakes.
After the young eunuch withdrew, several officials, led by Grand Secretary Zhang, rushed in. After bowing, Grand Secretary Zhang couldn't wait to speak.
"Your Majesty, we have heard that Prime Minister Meng was murdered by bandits, and his head is still hanging at the entrance of their den. We are filled with righteous indignation and burning with rage. If these bandits are not eliminated, everyone in the court will live in fear. We humbly request Your Majesty to immediately dispatch military generals and elite troops to wipe out the bandits, avenge Prime Minister Meng, and restore peace to the court."
The other officials said in unison, "To avenge Lord Meng and restore peace to the court."
The Emperor was deeply displeased, but outwardly he said with a heavy heart, "I grieve more than any of you for the tragic death of Minister Meng. Minister Meng was utterly loyal to me and devoted himself to the court. Upon hearing of the bandits, he volunteered to fight, knowing full well that it was futile, yet he did it anyway. Even in death, he was honored. Losing Minister Meng is no less than losing an arm; my body and soul are aching..."
Whenever officials questioned the Emperor's decision to send Meng Xingyuan to suppress bandits, the Emperor would claim that Meng Xingyuan had volunteered for the task. Now that Meng Xingyuan was dead, the Emperor was determined to shirk responsibility and make this a fact.
The officials were puzzled as to why the emperor did not respond to their requests, and instead felt pity and heartache for Meng Xingyuan.
If the Emperor truly cared about Prime Minister Meng, even if Meng Xingyuan volunteered, he wouldn't have allowed him to go, or he would have summoned him back long ago. Now that he's dead, what's the use of feeling sorry for him?
But they could only think these words in their hearts; they absolutely could not say them aloud.
Moreover, they had been colleagues with Meng Xingyuan for many years, and in the spirit of shared grief, they felt deep sympathy for him. Now that the Emperor had brought it up, they hoped to secure some benefits for Meng Xingyuan after his death, which would be a way of honoring their past as colleagues.
Sun Taichang and Meng Xingyuan had the best relationship, so he was the first to speak.
"Prime Minister Meng was loyal to the emperor and loved his country with unwavering devotion. Now, he has lost his head in the fight against the bandits. Although the fight against the bandits was unsuccessful, his loyalty is evident. I believe that Prime Minister Meng should be posthumously granted the title of Marquis Protector of the Nation, his daughter, Consort Xi, should be promoted one rank, and his son, Meng Qingyu, should be granted admission to the Imperial Academy."
The other officials all thought that Grand Master Sun was simply delusional. The latter two points were still somewhat hopeful, but posthumously conferring the title of Marquis Protector of the State on Prime Minister Meng was obviously impossible.
The Marquis of Protectorate is supposed to make great contributions to the court. Meng Xingyuan only went to suppress bandits, and he did not succeed in eliminating the bandits. How could he possibly receive such an honor?
But the Emperor's grief seemed genuine, and upon hearing this, he looked gently at the other ministers: "What do you other ministers think?"
The Emperor's attitude suggests he is not angry. Could it be that the Emperor also has this intention?
The other officials looked around, unable to fathom the emperor's thoughts.
Anyway, it was Grand Master Sun who brought it up first, and Meng Xingyuan usually had a decent relationship with them. Out of respect for the dead, let's try our best to secure some benefits for him.
Thinking of this, Grand Secretary Zhang boldly said, "I second that proposal."
The remaining officials, gritting their teeth, echoed, "We second that proposal."
"Ha, Marquis of Protectorate?" The Emperor chuckled dryly, his eyes icy cold. "Should I just bestow the throne upon him as well? Prime Minister Meng is indeed loyal, but he failed in his mission. I've already shown him mercy by not pursuing the matter out of consideration for his loyalty. And you dare to ask me to posthumously confer the title of Marquis of Protectorate? Grand Master Sun is so resourceful, how about I hand over my seat to you?"
One moment he was all smiles and pleasantries, the next he was furious.
The temperature inside the hall suddenly dropped, and several officials trembled, not daring to look up.
"Your Majesty, I am filled with fear and know my guilt."
After a few words were spoken, all the officials except for Grand Master Sun knelt down and held their breath. The two ministers standing to the left and right of Grand Master Sun even directly advised him to kowtow and beg for forgiveness.
These past few days they have frequently come to see the Emperor, expressing their opinions freely. The Emperor has always explained things to them in a kind and gentle manner, which has made them forget the Emperor's past temperament and methods.
These few questions were uttered with an awe-inspiring force.
Their prepared advice vanished in fear, leaving them with no choice but to kneel down and admit their mistakes.
However, Grand Master Sun was a stubborn man. Despite being persuaded by several officials, he knelt down and kowtowed, but he didn't utter a word, and his eyes showed great dissatisfaction.
The Emperor's gaze was sharp as he coldly watched Consort Sun kowtow forcefully until his forehead bled profusely. Only then did the Emperor give Eunuch Chu a meaningful look.
He was utterly fed up with Sun Taichang's reckless attitude, but with Meng Xingyuan dead and the Northern Frontier King invading, now was not the time to deal with Sun Taichang.
Eunuch Chu stepped forward and personally helped Grand Master Sun up, and then told the other ministers to rise.
"You ministers are all pillars of the Golden Moon Kingdom and should share the Emperor's burdens. Now, the traitorous Northern Frontier King is heading towards the capital and will arrive in about five or six days. You should be thinking about how to help the Emperor eliminate this traitor, rather than arguing and getting entangled in disputes over a small bandit hundreds of miles away, which would anger the Emperor. It is not too late to discuss this matter after the traitor is eliminated."
Everyone understood what Eunuch Chu meant.
The Emperor has to focus all his efforts on dealing with the King of the Northern Frontier, so the bandit suppression can only be delayed. If the matter of bandits is dragged on any longer, the Emperor will become angry and punish the bandits.
The officials had anticipated that the Northern Frontier King would arrive in the capital. Although it came earlier than expected, they were not too worried. After all, there were still more than 200,000 soldiers in the capital. Moreover, the Northern Frontier King had a good reputation, and even if he destroyed the court, he probably wouldn't kill them, the officials.
But bandits are different. This group of bandits only kills government officials and soldiers. If they are not wiped out soon, they will grow stronger over time, and all the civil and military officials in the capital will be in danger.
Moreover, the capital city has more than 200,000 soldiers, and only 20,000 to 30,000 are needed to suppress the bandits. There are still nearly 200,000 left, which is enough to deal with the 130,000 soldiers under the Northern Frontier King.
Therefore, in their view, dealing with the Northern Frontier King was just as important as suppressing bandits, and suppressing bandits was even more urgent.
The emperor is currently furious, and they should indeed avoid his sharp edge. However, thinking of the five thousand old, weak, and disabled soldiers still remaining in Guandu Prefecture, thinking of Meng Xingyuan's head still hanging on a tree exposed to the wind and sun, and thinking of the ambitions of the few who came to meet the emperor, they are ultimately unwilling to leave.
Sun Taichang's stubborn temper flared up again, and with his forehead covered in blood, he wept bitterly.
"We proposed the bandit suppression campaign precisely to share Your Majesty's burdens. Your Majesty knows that Prime Minister Meng is loyal and devoted, but now that this loyal minister has died while suppressing the bandits, and his body cannot even be recovered, if Your Majesty ignores this matter, it will chill the hearts of the court officials and the people, which is not the behavior of a wise ruler!"
"Insolence!" The Emperor stood up, his sharp gaze fixed on Grand Master Sun: "I wanted to spare your life, but you have repeatedly defied me, your crimes are unforgivable! Guards, take him away and give him fifty lashes!"
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