Xiao Shuo smiled slightly. Perhaps because everything was settled, he felt more relaxed and his features became gentler and softer.
The others looked at each other and almost cried. It had come to this point, and the King of Zhenbei still came to ask them what they thought? They had never experienced abdication in their lives...
Everyone looked at Xiao Shuo.
Chu Yuanchen seemed to be in a very good temper and said, "The Zhenbei Palace was forced to rebel, and everyone in the world knows it. Now, it is impossible for me to return the entire world to the Qin royal family."
Prince Li said hesitantly, "It was Zheng Zhongming... who falsely conveyed the imperial edict. Your Majesty, he, he has always respected the Zhenbei Palace..."
There are some things that he cannot say even if he puts aside right and wrong and talks with his eyes closed.
"Oh?" Chu Yuanchen asked with a light tone, "Then where is the emperor?"
emperor……
Your Majesty.
Wasn't the emperor taken away by Zheng Zhongming?
Now even Zheng Zhongming has escaped. Maybe he is hiding in the dark, waiting to capture the emperor and command the other princes.
Prince Li secretly groaned in his heart, and he knew in his heart that if he told Chu Yuanchen now that forcing him to abdicate would not count, it would definitely not work.
That's right. After all, he is the clan leader. He can't just sit there and watch the change of ownership of Darong and the fate of the Qin family in the hands of others.
He gritted his teeth and asked, "Prince, there are several children in the royal family who are quite talented."
Prince Li spoke very cautiously and tactfully, meaning that Chu Yuanchen could choose anyone to succeed him.
As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Yuanchen laughed, pointed at himself, and asked, "Do you think I'm stupid enough to suffer a loss a second time after suffering one?"
Prince Li's heart skipped a beat. He wanted to explain again, but Chu Yuanchen leaned back on the armchair and said as a matter of course, "The Chu family doesn't trust the Qin family."
Many sensitive people noticed that Chu Yuanchen had changed his name.
He put the Chu family and the Qin family on a completely equal footing. The Zhenbei Palace no longer regarded the Qin family as the master, and he also made his meaning clear: he didn't believe it.
"When Taizu ascended the throne, he promised that the princes would be able to enjoy the fiefdom for generations. The princes have defended the country with their blood and lives for generations, but the result is that the whole family is in danger. It's because the Qin family can't tolerate us."
Chu Yuanchen leaned forward slightly, his peach blossom eyes gleaming with sharpness: "My Lord, why do you think that I will still trust the Qin family and their promises, and then let my descendants fall into the same danger again?"
Chu Yuanchen held his chin with one hand and asked again: "Am I stupid?"
Prince Li: “…”
Yeah. Who would be so stupid?
Even if Chu Yuanchen is promised to be the regent now, what about the future? Even the youngest emperor will eventually grow up, and Chu Yuanchen will also grow old. It is hard to say whether his descendants can survive in the future.
Anyone who has suffered losses will not be so naive.
But what else can Darong do?
Imperial Guards?
In fact, the Zhenbei Army only has more than 10,000 men in total. If the imperial guards come to the rescue, they can still recapture the capital.
However, if they want to rescue the king, there must be an emperor to let them rescue.
Now even the emperor has fallen into the hands of Zheng Zhongming, who himself is also a man with ulterior motives and deceives the emperor. Letting Zheng Zhongming lead the imperial army to attack the city is not to change the dynasty!
So, what else can they do?
The emperor's whereabouts are unknown, the imperial guards are unreliable, the capital has been controlled by the Zhenbei Army, and the Twelve Guards are probably also submissive.
And the people’s hearts…
Prince Li felt heavy in his heart.
When they arrived at the palace just now, he saw that some people along the streets had started hanging red lanterns and setting off firecrackers, which meant they were waiting for a change of dynasty.
This is too easy to force abdication! Don't you even resist a little?
Prince Li wanted to cry but had no tears.
Chu Yuanchen was able to stabilize the Northern Frontier and conquer Northern Yan and the small countries around the Northern Frontier on his own after the death of the King of the Old Town in the Northern Frontier War. He was definitely not an incompetent person. He had ambitions and was not blindly loyal.
So, is it too late?
Prince Li suddenly felt as if all the strength in his body was drained away by something, and he felt helpless and frustrated.
He is different from others, his surname is Qin and he is Zong Ling, but now, he can only watch the Darong kingdom change hands and cease to exist from now on.
"Master..."
Prince Li held on to the last glimmer of hope and looked at Xiao Shuo with a pleading look in his eyes.
Xiao Shuo brushed his sleeves and said slowly, "How about calling Zheng Zhongming back?"
Prince Li: “…”
Chu Yuanchen chuckled and said, "I have always been protecting myself. It was Qin Ke who pushed me to this point. Prince Li, I want this great kingdom. Do you accept it or not?"
Chu Yuanchen changed his negotiating look just now, and narrowed his peach blossom eyes slightly, emitting a cold and sharp light that pierced people's hearts.
It's like a lazy big cat turns into a ferocious tiger, baring its sharp claws.
Chu Yuanchen's lips curved slightly, and he smiled faintly: "You may not know what I said to the royal family of Northern Yan when I conquered Northern Yan."
Everyone's body was tense. Some people had relaxed at first because he was easy to talk to, but they immediately tensed up again after hearing his words, with the hair on the back of their neck standing up.
Chu Yuanchen said: "I told them to either kneel or die."
He leaned back on the armrest of the armchair and said with a smile, "You guys can choose one too."
Dozens of northern troops poured in from outside the palace, their hands on the swords at their waists, their movements in unison.
Many people broke out in cold sweat on their backs.
It is only early spring now, but some people are already sweating profusely, with cold sweat dripping down their foreheads, and they dare not wipe it off.
Everyone was waiting for Xiao Shuo. Seeing his calm and composed attitude, they knew that he was on Chu Yuanchen's side.
That's right. Princess Zhenbei is Xiao Shuo's sister, and Xiao Shuo even accompanied Chu Yuanchen to pick up the bride. Now that things have come to this, there's no turning back, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong in standing on his side.
In the final analysis, it was all the emperor's fault. He had no reason to raid the Zhenbei Prince's mansion, which led to the Zhenbei Prince forcing him to abdicate.
Chu Yuanchen did not urge him, his fingers tapping lightly on the tea table beside him.
Click! Click! Click!
Each of these crisp sounds seemed to strike at their hearts, making their hearts thump.
It became even quieter inside the Zhanghua Palace, so quiet that even the beating of one's heart seemed to be audible.
Shi An and other generals were the first to step forward and kneel on the ground. Shi An said, "We are willing to surrender!"
They no longer called themselves "last generals" to indicate that they had nothing to do with the Darong Dynasty anymore.
All of them had served in the armies of several princes in the past, and were later transferred back to the capital early, so they were not implicated in the disaster. All sorts of things had happened in recent days, which had made them quite dissatisfied with the emperor. Now, what the King of Zhenbei had done was in line with their wishes.
When the first person knelt down, the hearts of others also relaxed.
Should he remain loyal to Darong and die in battle, or should he protect himself for the sake of his family's lives?
Starting with Shi An, the military generals, and Lin Shoufu, the civil officials, more and more people knelt down and lowered their heads to show their submission.
There were only a few people standing in the hall, they looked at each other, their expressions becoming increasingly ugly.
Most of them are nobles and clan members.
The new dynasty might employ officials from the old dynasty for the sake of maintaining stability, but it is hard to say whether the new dynasty will still recognize these nobles of the old dynasty. As for the royal family, no matter how thick-skinned they are, they will not think that they will still be the royal family of the new dynasty.
Duke Cheng'en winked at a historian who was his son-in-law, gritted his teeth, and said, "King Zhenbei, you are rebellious and unfaithful to your superiors. As a subject, you are disloyal to your monarch and you are seeking power and usurping the throne. Even if I die here today, I will not yield to you."
This was a test, just to make Chu Yuanchen promise not to strip him of his title.
Xiao Shuo chuckled.
Xiao Shuo clearly didn't say a word, but this laugh alone was enough to make people feel terrified. Yu Shi's legs went weak and he fell to his knees with a thud.
Chu Yuanchen and Xiao Shuo looked at each other and clapped their hands, saying, "The rest of you should be loyal to Darong to the end. I will satisfy your loyalty."
He raised the corners of his peach blossom eyes and said word by word: "Those who don't obey will die."
The soldiers of the Zhenbei Army drew their swords, and with a single blow, Duke Cheng'en's head fell to the ground.
The blinding blood gushed out, and the warm blood splashed on the bodies and heads of the people closest to him. His head rolled twice on the ground and rolled all the way to the feet of Marquis Jingwei.
"ah!"
A scream was heard in the hall. Marquis Jingwei's legs were shaking, he was trembling, and his face was pale.
He never thought that Chu Yuanchen would actually force the emperor to abdicate, and he would probably take that position soon. Han Qianzhi was Chu Yuanchen's confidant, and would be a new noble and important official in the future, so it was no wonder that he didn't care about the title of Marquis of Jingwei.
Han Qian said last time that he gave all the money he got from the division of the family to Chu Yuanchen as military pay. Now that Chu Yuanchen has obtained the throne, he will certainly give him rewards. But as for them, these nobles of the previous dynasty, they may not even be able to keep their titles.
He fought hard for the title, gave all the money in the mansion to Han Qianzhi, and sold his belongings to buy an official position for his son. But now, he is destined to be left with nothing.
Marquis Jingwei’s eyes went dark and he just turned away.
As soon as Marquis Jingwei fell down, the legs of the others began to tremble even more violently. They looked at the head on the ground with pale faces, which had not even had time to close its eyes.
They finally realized clearly that this was not a bargain.
They are now prisoners of the lower class. If the King of Zhenbei wants them to live, they will live; if he wants them to die, they will die.
The royal family members all looked at Prince Li with anxious eyes. Prince Li sighed softly and knelt down silently.
Soon, all the people in the Zhanghua Palace knelt on the ground. It was a dark pressure. They all lowered their heads and prostrated themselves on the ground to show their submission.
Chu Yuanchen stood up and said calmly: "From today on, the Great Rong Dynasty is dead!"
The emphasis on the word "die" was like a heavy hammer hitting the hearts of everyone in the Zhanghua Palace.
With these words, he announced the end of a dynasty.
A new dynasty is coming!
The first ray of morning sun appeared in the sky, and the wisps of sunlight gradually took away the darkness.
There was peace in the imperial city. It didn't feel like the time after the abdication at all, but more like any quiet morning.
All the guards in the imperial city were replaced by the Zhenbei Army, and the inner palace had been in Xiao Shuo's hands since very early on. No matter if they were eunuchs, palace maids, maids, or even the twelve guards including the Jinyi Guards, they all behaved honestly, going where they were supposed to go and doing what they were supposed to do.
Everyone was temporarily kept in the Zhanghua Palace to allow them to calm down. Chu Yuanchen first met with Prince Li Qin Jun alone, for the sake of the Qin clan.
Of course, from then on, the Qin family was no longer a clan member.
"Qin Jun," Chu Yuanchen no longer called him Prince Li. Prince was a royal title, so it was obviously no longer appropriate. "You are responsible for taking care of Qin Ke's wives, concubines, and children."
Qin Ke has only one daughter, but there are many concubines in the three palaces and six courtyards. Now all of them have been driven to the Empress Dowager's Cining Palace by the Zhenbei Army. Chu Yuanchen's intention is to let Prince Li deal with them on his own.
Qin Jun was a little confused. They thought that these former royal family members, especially Qin Ke's concubines, would most likely have a bad ending. But Chu Yuanchen didn't seem to have the intention to kill them all. Moreover, he actually assigned him a task? He was the former royal family leader. Did he still remember that?
"As for the Qin clan members," Chu Yuanchen said as a matter of course, "their titles are gone, and the court will no longer spend money to support them. As for their lives, it depends on whether the Qin clan members are obedient or not."
"All the Yelu clan members of Northern Yan who behaved well are still alive today. As for the restless ones, there is no shortage of people in the mass graves."
Chu Yuanchen asked with a smile: "Qin Jun, can you control them?"
Qin Jun's heart was pounding so hard that it almost jumped out of his throat.
The Yelu clan is the royal family of Northern Yan, and Chu Yuanchen doesn't want them all to be killed, so the lives of the Qin family can still be saved, right?
This was a big trouble, but Qin Jun had no choice but to accept it.
He is the head of the clan. Even though the Great Rong Dynasty no longer exists, he is still the head of the Qin clan. The Qin clan has many members, more than 10,000 in total. He cannot just watch them die. The clan has enjoyed so much happiness for so many years, but now they have nothing in one night. I am afraid it will be hard for them to accept it for a while, but it is better than losing their lives.
Qin Jun felt a heavy burden on his shoulders.
Chu Yuanchen raised his hand and said, "I will only give the Qin clan three chances. Your Majesty, take care of yourself."
Of course Qin Jun understood that these three chances did not mean pardon, but that Chu Yuanchen could only tolerate Qin making three mistakes. If there was a fourth time, the Manchu clan would suffer.
Qin Jun's heart sank, and he bowed and said, "Yes."
Chu Yuanchen's soft and hard attitude made Qin Jun dare not take it lightly. He knew deeply that the life and death of the Qin family now rested on his shoulders.
"Oh, right." Chu Yuanchen remembered something else. "Go tell the Qin family that every family should give 70% of their property to the national treasury as payment for the Qin family's life."
Qin Jun: “…”
He seemed to understand, but also seemed not to understand.
Chu Yuanchen asked: "Why? Do you think it's too little?"
"No, not a few!" Qin Jun shook his head quickly.
Chu Yuanchen said: "Then go find Lin Shoufu and talk to him about this matter."
The national treasury had been almost completely emptied by Qin Ke. Although Xiao Shuo had added a lot of money to the national treasury in recent days, it was still a drop in the bucket for this dynasty that was already riddled with problems.
The Qin family has been a royal family for so many years, and the Manchu clan should be able to come up with tens of millions of taels.
Qin Jun retreated with his head down in dismay. Recently, Prime Minister Lin had been obsessed with money. If Prime Minister Lin were to take charge, the Qin family would probably suffer a lot.
However, it is a blessing not to die.
After Qin Jun left, Zhou Jianli came in and reported cheerfully, "My Lord...Master, Earl Wu'an has brought Zheng Zhongming back."
Chu Yuanchen nodded and asked, "Where's my eldest brother?"
"The Governor is right in front. He asked me to call you." Zhou Jianli said with admiration, "The Governor is simply a god. Master, please let the Governor fight with us next time."
Chu Yuanchen glanced at him and asked, "Are you sure?"
Zhou Jianli nodded frequently.
After the battle in the garden and the capital, he was completely in awe of Xiao Shuo.
What does it mean to leave no plans in place?
What does it mean to be as smart as a god?
That's it!
Chu Yuanchen responded readily: "Okay!"
Zhou Jianli was delighted and said cheerfully, "Master, I will be waiting for your good news."
Having said that, Chu Yuanchen walked out.
Earlier, Chu Yuanchen had mentioned Qin Jun to speak, while Xiao Shuo stayed in the Zhanghua Palace, "keeping the civil and military officials "calm". Only after knowing that Zheng Zhongming had been brought back did he come out to wait for him, allowing them to continue to "calm down" on their own.
Chu Yuanchen walked over with a playful smile, skillfully put his arm on his shoulder, and said, "Brother, let's go see Zheng Zhongming together."
They let Zheng Zhongming go on purpose.
For the Imperial Guards.
If Zheng Zhongming was captured in the capital, then for royal family members like Prince Li, they still have the imperial guards to rely on and will not surrender so easily.
After all, there are only more than 10,000 Zhenbei troops in the capital now, so it is best not to fight if possible.
Therefore, Chu Yuanchen needed to secure victory overnight.
Letting Zheng Zhongming go means that the "Imperial Guards are still in Zheng Zhongming's hands. Those people witnessed Zheng Zhongming's movements in the garden with their own eyes. So, for them, there is no difference between relying on the Imperial Guards and handing Darong over to Zheng Zhongming.
The purpose of hiding the emperor's death was to make them think that the emperor was in Zheng Zhongming's hands.
Since they couldn't rely on the imperial guards, they had no choice but to surrender.
After taking the capital, there are still various states that need to be pacified, and all of this will take time.
Therefore, the political situation must be stabilized as soon as possible to prevent any further disturbances.
Xiao Shuo said: "Wu Anbo said that Zheng Zhongming refused to surrender, and the remnants of his army that he took with him have all been killed."
Wu Anbo was a little confused when it came to family affairs, but when it came to leading troops, he was still able to make prompt decisions. If the enemy did not surrender, they would be killed, without a second thought.
"Master."
The Dongchang guards standing in front of the prison bowed respectfully to Xiao Shuo.
Xiao Shuo nodded slightly, walked in, and Chu Yuanchen followed closely behind.
This was Chu Yuanchen's first time in the Imperial Prison. The prison was brightly lit with lights on both sides. Each cell was clean and tidy without any strange smell.
Wu Ning walked in front, holding a palace lantern in her hand, carefully lighting the stairs for Xiao Shuo.
After walking down the stairs, the surroundings became dark. There was only one light on, as if they wanted to keep it dark on purpose.
There weren't many people imprisoned on this floor, so Zheng Zhongming was imprisoned in the innermost cell.
Zheng Zhongming's hair was disheveled and disheveled, his arms and legs were covered with wounds, his clothes were stained with blood, and there was a smell of blood.
He sat there, completely absorbed in the darkness.
He heard footsteps and moved slightly, causing the chains and shackles on his body to clatter against each other.
He raised his head. The palace lantern in Wu Ning's hand made the view in front of his eyes much brighter. He saw Xiao Shuo and Chu Yuanchen standing on the other side of the iron fence at a glance, and his eyes became gloomy.
Zheng Zhongming did not want to admit defeat, he fought to the end, his personal soldiers were all killed or wounded, and he himself was knocked unconscious by Wu Anbo and brought back here.
As soon as he saw the two men, all his old and new hatreds suddenly surged up. He subconsciously wanted to rush over, but the iron chain pulled his hands and feet, making a dull metallic collision sound.
Xiao Shuo's eyes remained calm, with a faint smile on his lips, and he greeted indifferently, "Master Zheng."
"Xue Yao!"
"Chu Yuanchen!"
Zheng Zhongming stared at Xiao Shuo intently, like a poisonous snake, wishing he could bite him with his fangs.
Compared with Chu Yuanchen, the person Zheng Zhongming hated more was obviously Xiao Shuo.
He was defeated by Xiao Shuo time and time again, and was plotted against by Xiao Shuo time and time again.
Xiao Shuo was simply his nemesis.
Zheng Zhongming couldn't help but think once again of how Xiao Shuo tricked him out of the capital by telling him about his background.
Xiao Shuo had just risen to prominence at that time, but how could he be so bold as to even use his own life experience!
This person is too cruel. He is cruel to others and even crueler to himself.
Dongchang Fanzi brought two chairs for them to sit on, then quietly retreated. From beginning to end, he ignored Zheng Zhongming's words "Xue Yao".
Their loyalty is not to a name, but to a person.
Wu Ning stayed aside to serve. He put the palace lamp in his hand on the lamp stand. The candlelight swayed slightly with his movements, and the figure of Xiao Shuo flickered.
“Haha…hahahahaha!”
Zheng Zhongming suddenly burst into laughter, but his laughter was not filled with joy, but extreme sorrow and self-pity, and even more with ridicule.
As he laughed, the messy hair that was draped over his shoulders flew up and almost covered his face.
"Think about what a heroic figure King Lingnan was back then. What would he think if he knew his only son had become like you?!"
"I'm afraid he won't be able to raise his head, and he won't be able to rest in peace in his grave."
"Xue Yao, Xue Yao, you have lived in hiding until today. How dare you tell others that your last name is Xue?"
"I lost, and you didn't win either."
Zheng Zhongming raised his head slightly and stared at Xiao Shuo.
A strong murderous aura burst out from Chu Yuanchen's body.
And Xiao Shuo's smile didn't even change in the slightest. He was still so calm, elegant, and indifferent.
"No. I win."
"The moment I crawled out of the fire, I won."
Xiao Shuo's expression remained calm as always.
From beginning to end, Xiao Shuo never regretted any choice he made.
He does not allow regrets in his life, whether in the past, present, or future.
He did it, and that was his decision, his life.
Xiao Shuo's eyes were calm, and what was revealed in his eyes was determination.
"Master Zheng." Chu Yuanchen sneered, "Why don't you worry about your Zheng family instead of worrying about others. The entire Zheng family will come here to accompany you. By then, even if everyone in the family dies, there will be no one to collect the bodies."
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