Chapter 049 Traitorous Minister 49
There have been many major events that have happened in the capital recently. The first is that the top two candidates in this year's imperial examination are both from the same family. The Murong family has lost the support of the people since it became notorious. However, Murong Yu has done quite well and won the title of third place. The second is the discord within the royal family.
Rumor has it that the Fifth Prince, for reasons unknown, angered Emperor Xiaozhi and was imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court. All those involved with the Fifth Prince's faction were implicated, resulting in a bloodbath. The circumstances remain unknown, but it is known that Emperor Xiaozhi, the Empress Dowager, and even the three powerful figures within the Empress's harem were furious. The other princes, in turn, remained subservient and obedient, seemingly terrified, remaining extremely quiet and well-behaved.
Emperor Xiaozhi was bedridden because of this, but even so, no one dared to step forward. The atmosphere in the capital was terribly depressing, as if there was a kind of calm before a storm.
It was at this time that Xiao Yan and Xiao Chen, after visiting their parents, were appointed as Hanlin officials, serving as compilers of the sixth rank, while Xiao Chen was appointed as editor of the seventh rank.
To put it simply, Xiao Yan was mainly responsible for recording the emperor's words and deeds, compiling the Veritable Records, lecturing on historical classics, and drafting ceremonies, imperial edicts and other related documents.
However, the Hanlin Academy has never lacked top scholars, second place winners and third place winners. There is almost a second place winner every three steps and a top scholar every five steps. Therefore, the top scholar who is highly praised outside is not very noticeable in the Hanlin Academy.
Without extraordinary abilities to be remembered by His Majesty, or without connections and background to operate in this situation, I am afraid that until death I will only be a small sixth-rank official, and waste my whole life here.
Fortunately, Xiao Yan had planned ahead and had already caught the attention of Emperor Xiaozhi before he even entered the officialdom, becoming a member of Emperor Xiaozhi's faction, not to mention that he had secretly revealed matters about the previous dynasty to Emperor Xiaozhi.
Although, although what happened later had nothing to do with him, he still had a contribution. Even though Emperor Xiaozhi was angry with him, he had to admit that if it were not for Xiao Yan, the evil plot of the remnants of the previous dynasty would probably succeed!
The problem now was that Emperor Xiaozhi suspected the Fifth Prince was not his own, but there was no evidence to prove he was not of royal blood. After all, there was no such thing as a paternity test in those days. As for the blood-mixing and bone-dripping methods, what a joke! He had people practice it before. The idea that unrelated people could actually fuse their blood was unreliable to Emperor Xiaozhi.
Due to his pride, even if he had doubts in his heart, Emperor Xiaozhi could not admit that the white moonlight in his heart had cheated on him. This would undermine the dignity of the royal family. Therefore, he could only detain the fifth prince in the clan house. However, it seems that the fifth prince has reached his end.
Emperor Xiaozhi, who had suffered various blows, fell seriously ill and had finally digested the information that "the woman I like is approaching me with ulterior motives and may even cheat on me". Subsequently, riots broke out in the border towns of neighboring countries in southern Xinjiang and the border towns within the country.
There was much controversy among court officials, and each had different opinions.
"It's just a tiny piece of land, why be so timid? In my humble opinion, it's better to just attack directly! Beat them into submission, and who knows, maybe we can even expand our territory!"
"What a fool! The people of the border towns of the two countries have been intermarrying for a long time, it has been a constant since ancient times! If we go to war now, what will happen to the people of the border towns?"
"I think you've become stupid from reading so much. You're so pedantic and stubborn! A country comes before a family. Don't you understand this? When the time comes, we'll all be one family. How can there be so many problems?"
Inside the hall, the officials chattered like hundreds of ducks, which gave Emperor Xiaozhi, who was already physically and mentally exhausted, even more headaches.
Officials have always been good at observing people's words and expressions, not to mention that the court had been purged and the emperor's power was still there. The smart ones saw that Emperor Xiaozhi looked unhappy and kept silent, while the stubborn ones still expressed their opinions without hesitation.
"Your Majesty, riots are frequent in southern Xinjiang. We must act swiftly. Please make a decision this morning!"
Emperor Xiaozhi prided himself on being a wise ruler. As long as the crimes were not too serious and he noticed them, he would not care too much about general party disputes. What's more, the officials' concerns were reasonable.
The people of southern Xinjiang are mixed and the terrain is dangerous. The various ethnic groups have always been united and xenophobic and difficult to tame. It was only incorporated into the country today. They are not without resentment towards the court. After all, no one wants to have an extra boss for no reason.
The first founding emperor, under coercion and inducement, finally managed to incorporate southern Xinjiang into the territory. In order to prevent any ethnic group from dominating, he established chieftains and made the position hereditary to facilitate governance.
If we start a war at this time, the local chieftains of various ethnic groups will certainly be in chaos, but if we don't start a war, wouldn't we be taking advantage of the neighboring country? And that would be too cowardly!
It seems that there must be someone who wants to disrupt southern Xinjiang!
Looking at all the countries, the possibility of it being the neighboring country of Mitu in southern Xinjiang is greater!
After a moment of contemplation, Emperor Xiaozhi asked, "What caused the unrest in the first place? Have you sent anyone to investigate?"
As the official responsible for the nation's military intelligence, the Minister of War naturally bore the brunt of the investigation. He stepped forward and replied, "Your Majesty, the perpetrators of the rebellion have been found, but..."
Emperor Xiaozhi saw him hesitating and was a little impatient. "If it is inconvenient for you to speak, my dear Min, why don't you return home and recuperate?"
Hearing this, the Minister of War dared not delay any longer. He was afraid that Emperor Xiaozhi would dislike him and send him home to recuperate. Who knew that after he recovered, the Ministry of War would still be his territory?
He gritted his teeth and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your magnanimity. I am fine. However, the one who caused the unrest was the eldest son of the Ning clan chieftain—Yeluke Tan."
The Ning clan is the most powerful force in southern Xinjiang, and its strength is evident. Yale Ketan is the next chieftain successor, and Emperor Xiaozhi has also heard of him a little.
It is said that this boy was born tall and mighty, and had the great skill of training wolves for his own use. During every festival, the chieftain of the Ning tribe would always write letters to praise him highly, and at the same time flatter Emperor Xiaozhi to show his loyalty.
No matter what the chieftains of the Ning tribe had in mind, they always behaved themselves. After all, they were all family. If they really angered the imperial court and sent out military orders, even if they suffered heavy losses and internal friction was easier, there would be no possibility of complete recovery. Therefore, the Ning tribe and other ethnic groups always stayed put and never caused chaos.
Now that the eldest son is involved, what is the Ning clan chieftain thinking? Is he up to some other purpose, or something else?
In order to make the chieftains of various ethnic groups in southern Xinjiang behave themselves, Emperor Xiaozhi has always adopted the tactic of restraining them from all sides. If the Ning people really had rebellious intentions, it would not be impossible to deal with it.
Emperor Xiaozhi was just pondering this when he heard the Minister of War continue, "As well as the eldest and youngest sons of the He chieftain, the second son of the Linxi chieftain, the eighth son of the Gong chieftain, and the Yao chieftain..."
Emperor Xiaozhi: "..."
Officials: "..."
Emperor Xiaozhi was furious. "What exactly are they up to? What do the chieftains of the various ethnic groups involved have to say?"
The Minister of War paused, hesitant to speak, and said, "Your Majesty, please listen to what I have to say."
"The sons of various chieftains are said to have caused trouble over a woman. This woman is called Yao Niang, the daughter of a commoner from the border town of Mi Tu. It is said that she is as beautiful as a flower, comparable to a fairy, and her nature is extremely kind, praised by everyone."
"The sons of various chieftains happened to meet her while hunting and fell in love with her at first sight, determined to marry her. They abducted her, causing outrage among the people of the border town of Mi Tu, leading to unrest."
Emperor Xiaozhi: "..."
Emperor Xiaozhi had a thousand dirty words he wanted to say.
If the chieftains of various factions were present, he would want to ask, are these people who only care about love affairs and disregard the law really the 'young talents' they claim to be?
How many layers of filters does one have to use to say such shameless words?!
If you like a woman, you can marry her with three matchmakers and six betrothals, but they just kidnap her! Is their mind full of filth?!
Furthermore, if he could do such a thing as forcibly snatching a woman he loved, wouldn't he have to kill someone to vent his anger if he had a dispute with them? This shows just how much he used his power to bully others!
The Minister of War wondered if the minds of these chieftains' sons were filled with straw, and continued, "This matter involves many people. The chieftains on all sides believe that this woman is a treacherous plot of the Mi Tu Kingdom. But before the chieftains could report this to the court, the people in the border towns of the Mi Tu Kingdom had already used this as an excuse to cause trouble. And... and more..."
Emperor Xiaozhi took a deep breath, narrowed his eyes, and looked somewhat dangerous.
The Minister wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "What's even more incredible is that after this, during the interrogation, the chieftains from all sides fell in love with this girl at first sight and were vying to marry her..."
Emperor Xiaozhi: "???"
Officials: “???”
"Could this woman be holding some evil magic?" Emperor Xiaozhi was so angry that he laughed.
War between the two nations is imminent, all because of a romantic relationship... Are their minds filled with straw? Even more outrageous, the chieftains, who had previously been hostile, have suddenly changed their tune!
Emperor Xiaozhi never believed in ghosts and gods. After all, in his view, ghosts and gods were just one of the means to rule and tame the people of the world. In his eyes, any evil magic was just a means used by people with ulterior motives!
There's a saying that goes, "Money makes the world go round." But you're just using profit to drive people, and you dare call it witchcraft? Aren't you afraid of making everyone laugh?
Emperor Xiaozhi had just finished his sneer when the Minister of War quickly echoed him, "Your Majesty is wise! This woman possesses a certain evil magic!"
Emperor Xiaozhi: "???"
Emperor Xiaozhi looked at the Minister of War with a complicated expression, his eyes showing some pity, and said earnestly: "Min Aiqing, if you are ill, please ask the imperial physician to treat you. Don't be afraid to seek medical treatment!"
If he hadn't been ill, how could he not have seen that he was being sarcastic? And he actually agreed with him, so he must be ill!
The Minister of War had a lot of grievances to express, feeling deeply wronged. He knew what Emperor Xiaozhi meant, and he knew this was a bit too outrageous, but...
He defended himself: "I dare not say a single word that is false!"
"Not only the chieftains from all sides, but even the local garrisons are like this. It's as if this woman has a rather evil nature. No matter how much prejudice or resentment one may have before, once they see her, they will feel a liking for her, regardless of whether they are men or women!"
"Therefore, this old minister believes that this woman possesses evil magic!"
Emperor Xiaozhi looked at the others and asked, "Do you think so too, my dear ministers?"
The officials looked at each other in bewilderment, their voices blaming conspiracy theories and their hearts filled with suspicion. If this woman didn't possess some sorcery, how could she be so beloved by everyone? Even a fairy couldn't do that, let alone a mere mortal woman.
"In my humble opinion, we need to send people to investigate the matter immediately. No matter what the criminals' intentions are, the most important thing is to quell the rebellion in southern Xinjiang and prevent Mi Tu from taking the opportunity to invade our dynasty!" said a minister.
Emperor Xiaozhi also thought so. After all, Southern Xinjiang belonged to them. Even if it could be completely recovered and returned to the imperial power, the price would be too high, not to mention that Mi Tu and other Zhou countries were eyeing it covetously.
Internal friction is not a wise option at this time, so the best strategy is to quell the rebellion at a small cost.
So the question came. Emperor Xiaozhi looked at everyone and asked, "My dear ministers, are there any who would like to recommend themselves?"
A certain general, impatient with the court's long-winded instructions, immediately patted his chest and said proudly, "Your Majesty, I am willing to go!"
This man has always been warlike, so Emperor Xiaozhi certainly didn't want him to go.
"My dear Lord Jin, you have done so much for me. You are my right-hand man. How could you bear to leave me?"
A certain general, completely unaware of the Emperor Xiaozhi's underlying meaning, laughed heartily upon hearing this, "That's all right! As the saying goes, people have joys and sorrows, separations and reunions, and the moon waxes and wanes. As long as Your Majesty has me in your heart, I'll always be thinking of you wherever I am! Besides, serving Your Majesty with all my heart is a minister's duty. Your Majesty, there's no need to grieve so much!"
Emperor Xiaozhi: "..."
Ah this, ah this...
Emperor Xiaozhi looked at others speechlessly, but fortunately other officials also understood what he meant.
"Your Majesty, I believe that Lord Hua is not the best choice. Please reconsider!"
"I second the motion!"
"I second this motion."
The general was also annoyed. "It's already this late, and you, a bunch of pedantic people, are still arguing about interests?"
This general is a royalist. Other factions fear the woman with sorcery, but they also don't want to see him benefit from it. You know, if this is over, the reward will be huge. And... and besides selfish motives, this general is indeed not the best choice.
As for war, they were convinced by him, but the problem was that the truth of the matter had not yet been ascertained, and war was only the worst option. If this general were really sent, the two countries would probably be forced to go to war, and the losses on both sides would be huge!
They all knew in their hearts that internal fighting was one thing, but it couldn't harm the country's strength!
Emperor Xiaozhi also had a headache. He had been discussing state affairs for the entire morning, and as noon was approaching, he still hadn't chosen a candidate. His body, which had not yet recovered from his illness, could not bear the strain, so he had to adjourn the court for the time being.
This is true for all state affairs. Sometimes following procedures is necessary, but there are also conflicts of interest between various parties involved, which always takes a lot of time.
Xiao Yan didn't have any problems. He was lucky because he was a royalist and the emperor's party didn't make things difficult for him. He also had a neutral party member who valued his talent - Lord Pang, who taught him carefully.
He was only a sixth-rank official now and had no right to attend court and observe government affairs, but with the presence of Pang Da, he had heard something about what was happening in southern Xinjiang.
only……
Does that Yao Niang really possess some kind of sorcery? Or is she... from another world?
Xiao Yan found that this world seemed a bit chaotic. There were all kinds of people who were reborn and time-traveled, including himself, who was from another world. If another person from another world appeared at this time, it didn't seem so strange.
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