As Liu Wei walked out of the palace, he looked back at the majestic city walls, his heart filled with disdain.
I managed to make it through without any major incidents.
The trap set by Empress He is strikingly similar to Lin Chong's mistaken intrusion into the White Tiger Hall.
However, Lin Chong is not comparable to him.
Liu Hong now possesses the body of an emperor, holding the Imperial Seal of the State, but has little real power.
Empress He wanted him dead, but she didn't want him to die so young; at least the matter of the heir to the throne needed to be settled.
Some may ask, why doesn't Liu Wei, who already commands a large army and can continuously amass troops, directly seize power?
Why didn't Empress He and He Jin's faction, who already controlled most of the power in the court and local areas, simply overthrow Liu Hong and let Liu Bian take the throne?
Why did they insist on forcing Liu Hong to establish a crown prince before they would feel at ease letting Liu Hong die?
This involves the legitimacy of the succession to imperial power.
Since the First Emperor unified the six kingdoms and established a unified feudal dynasty, he standardized the width of carts and the written language, and used the He Shi Bi jade to make the Imperial Seal of the State, with the inscription: "By the mandate of Heaven, may your reign be long and prosperous."
It is evident that emperors all claimed to be divinely ordained, possessing a sacred and inviolable status, and were the rightful rulers.
All people under heaven should obey the mandate of heaven and submit to the rule of the emperor.
Based on the Mandate of Heaven, emperors used it to legitimize their rule and seek cultural recognition throughout the land.
In the process of dynastic change, the ascension of a new emperor, and the defense of the country, military force is of course the foundation for acquiring and protecting imperial power.
However, consolidating the imperial throne cannot rely solely on military force; it also requires the support of a legitimate name.
Thus, destiny and the sword became the two great treasures in the hands of the emperor, supporting his throne together.
Especially during the Qin and Han dynasties, people attached great importance to this, as the legitimacy of the succession of imperial power was of utmost importance.
Even after Li Shimin seized the throne by killing his brother, he was still criticized for his brilliant achievements.
Cao Pi usurped the Han throne only after his ministers urged him to do so three times, and then Emperor Xian of Han abdicated, making his ascension to the throne legitimate.
However, the Sima family was an exception.
They broke their oath at Luoshui, killed the emperor in the street, and disrupted the rules.
Although the Jin Dynasty lasted for a hundred years, it was despised by the people!
Any emperor who desires lasting peace and stability is extremely concerned about the legitimacy of his imperial power.
With great power comes great responsibility. For most emperors, except for a few incompetent rulers, being an emperor is actually a very arduous job. In addition to worrying about state affairs, they also have to carefully maintain their legitimacy.
Emperor Taizong of Tang is often discussed alongside Emperor Yongle of Ming.
They all seized the throne through palace coups and were all great emperors with brilliant political achievements.
The reason these two emperors worked diligently and strived for excellence was not only because they possessed outstanding talents, but also because they intended to cover up or whitewash the stain of their actions in seizing the throne.
After all, emperors all want to be remembered for their good deeds, not for their bad deeds.
They want to prove themselves and win the hearts of the people through their political achievements.
The Mandate of Heaven and the sword were the two great weapons for emperors to consolidate their rule.
Although from later generations, they believed that political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.
However, Liu Wei lived in an era that believed in the divine right of kings, so he needed legitimacy to seize the throne.
He does not have the necessary skills to handle the current situation.
This is also why he had been secretly developing his strength, nurturing Dong Zhuo, and waiting for Dong Zhuo to enter the capital.
Princess Liu Hua supported his attempt to seize the throne, but she still chose the path of peaceful evolution.
In other words, they concentrated the power of the imperial family to obtain the imperial edict and the right of succession from Liu Hong.
Liu Hua also knew that Liu Hong favored Liu Xie and intended to make Liu Xie the crown prince.
This would provoke opposition from Empress He's faction.
Once the two factions start fighting, the royal family faction, as bystanders, will have an opportunity to reap the benefits.
This is also the best opportunity for Liu Hua to support Liu Wei's rise to power!
"Today we've already tested Empress He's bottom line; we're practically riding on her back!"
"If she can remain patient and refrain from making a move during this period, then she is indeed shrewd and we must be careful to guard against her."
"If she were to attack me before the grand court assembly at the end of the year, then she would be no threat to me."
"I am not afraid of war, I am ready to fight at any time!"
Liu Wei took one last deep look at the seemingly enormous palace before turning and leaving.
At this moment, Chen Lian, who had been waiting outside the palace, also possessed him:
"My lord, just now, we also found out Zhao Zhong's whereabouts and we can make our move at any time!"
"Well, before the end of the year, you Embroidered Uniform Guards can act boldly. I think that no matter how much trouble we cause between the two palaces, they will focus their attention on the court."
"We are very safe until the successor is revealed."
Liu Wei pondered for a moment and said, "Let's go back to Beiman Mountain first!"
After leaving the imperial city, the two rode their horses along the Vermilion Bird Avenue and saw Liu Hua and Liu Yu's carriages waiting by the roadside.
"We are very worried to hear that the Emperor's nephew has been summoned to the palace by the Empress!"
The two men breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Liu Wei riding out on horseback and quickly went to greet him.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, I'm alright!"
Liu Wei chuckled, "Empress He is quite a nice person. She invited me to the palace, which gave me the opportunity to close a big deal with my father!"
"Your Majesty is being ridiculous, why are you joining in?"
After hearing that Liu Wei had bought the title of General of the North from Liu Hong, both men shook their heads.
[The title "King of the Clouds" is a noble title, while "General Who Guards the North" is a military rank; this is how Little Shark has set it up. Please correct me if there are any inaccuracies.]
"What's wrong with that? The General Who Guards the North is a genuine fourth-rank official! And I can rightfully command more troops and lead a large army to attack the Xianbei in the northern desert!"
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
