Chapter 1254 Has the King of Qin really admitted defeat?
The next day, the emperor, who had not attended court for a long time, finally held his morning court session again.
Although there were no morning court sessions for several days, the political landscape in the court never stopped changing. In less than half a month, there was infighting between the Thousand Bull Guards and the Valiant Guards, the retention of Shen Tu Tai and Pei Xing Yuan in Chang'an who were originally to be transferred to Luoyang, the open and covert struggles at the Prince of Qi's birthday banquet, and a "melee" surrounding the life and death of the defeated general Xiao Yuan Sui.
Those involved in this chaotic battle were not only the soldiers incorporated into the Twelve Guards, but also the Crown Prince and the two princes. Even the civil and military officials in the court were not uninvolved. Some were in favor, and some were against. Their memorials were sent to the Liangyi Hall like snowflakes, almost piling up into a small mountain.
Now that the emperor has finally attended court, this matter should finally have a resolution.
Early in the morning, the officials, dressed in their finest clothes and holding their tablets, walked step by step into the Taiji Hall as the sun rose high in the sky. They then lined up neatly in two rows. As soon as Yuwen Yuan ascended the throne, everyone kowtowed and shouted, "Long live the Emperor!"
Amidst the unified shouts, Yuwen Yuan walked step by step to the top of the main hall, sat steadily on the dragon throne, and placed his hands on the armrests on both sides. This sense of security made him feel more at ease.
Then he said in a deep voice, "Rise."
The civil and military officials then kowtowed to express their gratitude for the emperor's grace and stood up.
His gaze swept over the various expressions on the faces below, and then he glanced at his three children, especially the tallest and most agile Yuwen Ye. Yuwen Yuan's eyes dimmed slightly. He coughed lightly and then said, "Do any of you ministers have important matters to report?"
The people in the hall looked at each other, but no one spoke.
Yuwen Yuan turned his head and gave a wink. Upon seeing this, Eunuch Yu immediately stepped forward: "If you have something to report, please do so. If not, the court is adjourned."
Just then, the most agile and upright figure in the crowd stepped forward. Yuwen Ye bowed his head and said in a deep voice, "I have heard that Your Majesty intends to execute the defeated general Xiao Yuansui. Although he is the leader of the rebel army, he is skilled in both literature and martial arts and is capable of great use. I beg Your Majesty to forgive him."
Yuwen Yuan listened to his words expressionlessly, his flickering gaze hidden by the slightly swaying jade tassels. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "Of course I know he is both a scholar and a warrior, and is capable of great things. After all, if it weren't for him, the Battle of Luoyang wouldn't have been so difficult."
Yuwen Ye frowned: "Father..."
Yuwen Yuan raised his head slightly and said in a loud voice, "Speaking of Luoyang, I just remembered the list of the Luoyang treasury that was presented to me before. I didn't expect that a rough man like Liang Shide, who has occupied Luoyang for many years, has managed it quite well. I just don't know if this is his achievement or Xiao Yuansui's achievement."
"..."
"But no matter what, when I send someone to govern Luoyang next, they can't be worse than them."
"..."
"It's just that I don't know who can shoulder this great responsibility."
Upon hearing Yuwen Yuan's words, the hall fell silent once again. This time, however, everyone focused their attention on Prince Qin, Yuwen Ye, instead of looking around.
Even if the emperor did not issue an edict on that matter, everyone in the court had all the ears and eyes, and they already knew that the emperor intended to transfer the Prince of Qin to Luoyang.
Yuwen Ye was originally the Grand Chancellor of Shaanxi East Circuit, and it was reasonable for him to govern Luoyang, which was his territory. However, people in the court also knew that the most important thing about this move was to remove the Prince of Qin from the struggle with the Crown Prince and send him to Luoyang. This would not only restore peace to the court, but more importantly, it would also avoid some unpleasant consequences.
only--
Under the intense gaze of everyone, Yuwen Ye remained motionless, offering neither response nor any other indication.
He seemed not to have heard those words.
In the imperial court, even a short silence feels longer than usual, let alone this moment. Yuwen Ye's continued silence and the focus of everyone's attention only amplified the length and awkwardness of the moment. Gradually, those around him began to show unease, and the atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly tense.
"Um?"
Even with the jade tassels obscuring his face, everyone could clearly see that Yuwen Yuan had frowned.
His words were clearly meant to force the King of Qin to obey. If the King of Qin did not obey, Xiao Yuansui would become the first person to be punished for disobeying his orders, the first person to die by his blade.
The atmosphere in the hall was so tense it was almost suffocating. Pei Xingyuan, who had been relatively calm, gradually felt uneasy as the increasingly long and suffocating wait dragged on. They had already discussed a plan for this matter at the Prince of Qin's residence that day, and now that the emperor had spoken as they had predicted, the Prince of Qin should respond as they had envisioned.
But why did Yuwen Ye remain silent and not utter a single word?
Does he have other plans?
Thinking about it this way, Pei Xingyuan broke out in a cold sweat. He knew that this matter was no ordinary one. They had all discussed and agreed on a plan that was almost the most comprehensive. If Yuwen Ye suddenly changed the plan, it could affect everyone!
Thinking of this, he cautiously glanced at Shen Wuzheng, who was standing not far away beside him. His brows were furrowed and his eyes were flashing, as if he was asking him how to deal with it. However, Shen Wuzheng was very calm and simply shook his head at him.
Pei Xingyuan could only lower his head again.
His movements were very small, and since almost everyone around him was focused on Yuwen Ye, no one saw the two of them exchange glances. However, this scene was still seen by Yuwen Yuan, who was looking down on everything from the main hall.
However, he was not in a hurry.
Yuwen Ye's silence, and the anxiety of Qin Wang's confidants, only made him feel more and more that everything was under his control.
He wanted to make them anxious and fearful, to leave them helpless—after all, not long ago, Yuwen Ye had just tricked him in this very hall. He wanted him and his men to know who the real emperor of this dynasty truly was.
Who can control people's life and death, and even more so, their lives?
Just before the excessively long silence was about to suffocate everyone in the hall, Yuwen Ye finally spoke. He slowly stepped forward and said in a loud voice, "Your subject is willing to share the burdens of Your Majesty."
"...!"
As soon as he said that, gasps of astonishment filled the hall.
Immediately following, sighs rose from the crowd, some of them sighing with emotion, some with joy, and some with hesitation. But all the sighs contained a hint of disbelief. Even the Crown Prince Yuwen Qian, who had been silent as if he were completely detached from the court, turned his head and glanced at Yuwen Ye, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.
Everyone was amazed by the same thing—
Yuwen Ye... admitted defeat.
He really lost?!
By agreeing to go to Luoyang for Yuwen Yuan, Yuwen Yuan was essentially giving up everything he had in Chang'an and withdrawing from the struggle with the Crown Prince. This was practically a declaration of defeat without a fight.
But did the invincible King of Qin really admit defeat?
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