Chapter 251: Clearing the Court
King Wu and King Wen walked out of the restaurant, their carriages passing side by side on the street. Suddenly, King Wen lifted the curtain of his carriage and shouted to the carriage next to him, "Brother, what do you think of the meaning of the fifth and sixth brothers? Who is the master and who is the follower?"
King Wen's voice was not loud, but it could be clearly heard through the window and into King Wu's carriage. King Wu was silent for a moment, then he drew aside the curtains and snorted impatiently:
"What else could it mean? The sixth brother has grown up and can put on an act to win people's hearts! The fifth brother is also a fool, he loses his mind after being praised a few times! Don't you see what the sixth brother is like? He's a lame man. Is it worth it?"
King Wen chuckled a few times. "Let's not talk about whether this leg will heal in the future. Does that mean the fifth brother must obey? The fifth brother has returned from the border defense, commanding an army. He is full of vigor and ambition. It's hard to say what will happen between these two people."
Perhaps the King of England was pretending to be obedient, but in fact he was secretly waiting for an opportunity to steal the fruits.
King Wu obviously thought of this as well, but… "No matter who is the master and who is the servant, the two are now colluding with each other. Instead of thinking about the relationship between them, you might as well think about what you should do!"
King Wu lowered the curtain and ordered the coachman to speed up. King Wen, who was left behind, did not show any anger on his face. Instead, a smile appeared at the corner of his lips, and then he lowered the curtain with satisfaction.
This behavior shows that they are irritable and angry. It is better this way. They confront each other first so that I can take advantage of the situation.
The two carriages parted ways in the deepening dusk, each heading in a different direction, carrying their own different plans and ambitions.
The capital city fell into an eerie calm for a while. However, beneath this calm surface, perceptive people had already noticed something unusual—Xi Jianan, who was supposed to return to Jingzhou after the Wanshou Festival, was still lingering in the capital.
At the morning court that day, the censor, with his keen sense of smell and accustomed to hearing rumors, made a report criticizing the situation. "Your Highness! I have a report! Jingzhou Governor Xi Jian'an came to the capital to celebrate a birthday, but a month has passed since the birthday banquet, and he has yet to return to his post in Jingzhou. His prolonged stay in the capital raises suspicions of dereliction of duty and forming a clique for personal gain! I implore Your Highness to investigate and issue an order urging his swift return to Jingzhou to restore order at court!"
These words were like a stone dropped into water, instantly attracting the attention of all the ministers. Xi Jianan stood in the crowd with composure, showing no sign of panic.
Xiao Yuluan, standing beside the throne, responded calmly, but she did not answer the censor. Instead, she turned her gaze to the Minister of Revenue and calmly started a completely different topic:
"I have reviewed the report just sent by the Ministry of Justice. The embezzlement and corruption involved in the Ning Wang case are shocking! How could a mere Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue be able to embezzle so much military pay and fodder? Were the Ministry members completely unaware? Or... were they already in cahoots with the corrupt?"
Her voice suddenly turned harsh, and her eyes swept over several officials from the Ministry of Revenue like cold lightning. Those people immediately stepped out and said, "We have failed to supervise properly."
The atmosphere in the hall instantly shifted from impeachment of Xi Jianan to a fury over the Ministry of Revenue's corruption. The censor who had originally impeached Xi Jianan froze in place, unsure how to proceed.
Xiao Yuluan didn't give him a chance and continued in a cold voice, "The Ministry of Revenue manages the national treasury and grain, and is the lifeblood of the country! Now that corruption is rampant and discipline is broken, how can we tolerate it any longer? We must immediately select an honest and capable official to reorganize the Ministry of Revenue and eliminate the accumulated abuses!"
At this point, she seemed to finally remember the topic that had been interrupted just now, and her eyes seemed to inadvertently fall back on the censor who was still standing aside:
"You reminded me..."
"Lord Xi served as Chief Censor for many years. He was known for his integrity and ability to conduct investigations, and his performance evaluations were also excellent. The Ministry of Revenue is in need of such an official..."
Then, her gaze suddenly became sharp, and her voice clearly spread throughout the hall: "Xi Jianan, listen to my orders!"
Xi Jianan then stepped out slowly and said, "I'm here!"
"I will assign another agent to take over the affairs of Jingzhou. You will be appointed the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue immediately and will be in charge of the Ministry's investigation!"
The impeaching censor was stunned. How come Xi Jianan was promoted?
"Your Highness! Xi Jianan, I accept your command and thank you for your grace! I will do my utmost to live up to your highness's trust!"
This series of instructions flowed smoothly, from ignoring the impeachment, to shifting to the Ministry of Revenue issue, and finally to the appointment, all in one go! Not only did it perfectly resolve Xi Jianan's crisis of being stranded in the capital, but it also placed him directly in a key position!
It’s not that there were no officials who wanted to speak out against it. As soon as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel moved his legs, he was grabbed by the hand by an elderly minister next to him. The elderly minister shook his head at the young man.
Later, I don’t know what kind of character the Princess Zhenguo has. Doesn’t he know it yet? The things the princess wants to do, she always succeeds.
King Wu, King Wen and others gritted their teeth secretly. Everyone knew that Xi Jianan was Xiao Ji's father-in-law, and the Princess Zhenguo really did favor Xiao Ji secretly.
King Wu Xiao Jingyan, standing at the front of the military officers' formation, took in the entire scene. The muscles on his rugged face twitched slightly, veins on his forehead bulged, and his tiger eyes seemed to be spitting fire!
How could this be considered handling state affairs? This was clearly a blatant attempt to pave the way for that brat Xiao Ji!
First, Xiao Ji bewitched the newly returned Old Five, and now, under the pretext of rectifying the Ministry of Revenue, this old woman has directly dragged Xiao Ji's father-in-law into such a crucial position! How is this any different from directly handing the Ministry of Revenue over to Xiao Ji?!
Money and food! That's money and food! With the Ministry of Revenue's support, wouldn't that kid Xiao Ji be even more powerful? Add to that the army that idiot Lao Wu has under his command...it's only been a few days? Their power has expanded so quickly!
The more King Wu thought about it, the more frightened he became, and the angrier he became. He could already see Xiao Ji's power snowballing under Xiao Yuluan's support, while he himself remained stagnant, even earning the Emperor's dislike for his previous rashness.
I can’t wait any longer! I absolutely can’t wait any longer!
This old woman Xiao Yuluan is so partial to him that she doesn't even take him, her nephew, seriously! His father is seriously ill and confused, yet he lets this woman do whatever she wants!
If he waited any longer, until Xiao Ji had fully grown up and that old woman had replaced everyone in the court with her people, where would he be left? By then, he might not even know how he died!
We must act! We must act soon!
While Lao Liu's power is not yet completely consolidated, while that old woman has not yet taken control of the capital's defense, and while the "special force" that he secretly mobilized is still near the capital!
A crazy idea quickly formed in King Wu's mind - to purge the court!
Yes, it's to purge the imperial court! Under the banner of eliminating the enchantress Xiao Yuluan and her followers who have deceived the emperor and manipulated the government, he launched a mutiny! He took control of the palace and forced his father to pass the throne to him!
While the risks are immense, the rewards are equally huge! Once successful, you can eliminate all competitors in one fell swoop and ascend to the coveted supreme position!
As the bell rang to signal the end of court, King Wu's face darkened to the point of dripping water. He had only one thought in mind: Return immediately! Gather all his trusted generals and staff! The plan must be advanced! Within these few days, the outcome will be revealed!
However, he did not notice that Xiao Yuluan, who was sitting high up on the throne and acting as regent, glanced at him several times and saw his ferocious look full of dissatisfaction.
The corners of Xiao Yuluan's lips curled up slightly in a cold arc, almost imperceptibly.
"Huh..." A very light sound, almost inaudible, dissipated in the empty hall.
The fish finally couldn't help but bite the hook.
The appointment of Xi Jianan in the court today was like adding fuel to the boiling oil pot.
Since he was supporting Xiao Ji so obviously, those who wanted to compete for the throne would be unable to restrain themselves. If they really restrained themselves, then it would be unlikely that he would have a chance.
King Wu's reaction at this moment was exactly what she expected, and she could even say it was what she was happy to see. The angrier and more impatient he was, the more likely he was to make mistakes and the more flaws he would have.
Xiao Yuluan walked down the steps with the female official and walked out of the hall surrounded by a group of eunuchs and palace maids. Listening to the voice of "Long Live the Lord" echoing in the towering palace from behind, and feeling the invisible passage formed by the important officials on both sides bowing respectfully, Xiao Yuluan's steps were still steady, but deep in her heart, a long-lost, almost trembling excitement quietly spread.
This is the feeling of being at the pinnacle of power, an intoxicating feeling of being in control of everything, which no one who has experienced it will ever forget.
However, this throbbing only lasted for a very short moment.
"Your Highness," the trusted female official asked in a low voice, "Are you going back to Minghua Palace?"
Xiao Yuluan's eyes became calm again, even with a hint of imperceptible vigilance.
She took a deep breath, calming the turmoil in her heart. "Send a message to Marquis Xue, Minister Shen, and the prince. They said... 'The storm is coming. Everyone should perform their duties and act according to the plan.'"
"Yes." The female official understood and bowed and retreated.
Xiao Yuluan walked forward steadily, no longer lingering on the roar of the mountains behind her, and her eyes were cast towards the vast world outside the palace.
Upon receiving the news, Xiao Ji took a deep breath and quickly made arrangements back home. The city and palace gates needed to be manned and monitored, and Xiao Yuluan deliberately kept the 10,000 border troops under the King of Ying's command...
Qing Wu stood quietly beside Xiao Ji, his eyes following his calm demeanor as he arranged everything in perfect order. Though he looked a bit thin, he was like a stabilizing force, giving people an incomparable sense of peace.
As she watched, Qing Wu's heart moved. Xiao Ji was planning the overall situation outside, and she couldn't just sit there and wait for death. She quietly called her confidant and whispered:
"Immediately send people to secretly visit pharmacies in various counties in the capital to purchase medicines for stopping bleeding and healing wounds. Grind the medicines immediately into powder, package them, and seal them tightly. Also, prepare sufficient clean cotton, silk, and gauze, and store them securely."
The struggle for power has always been accompanied by clashes of weapons and bloodshed.
She couldn't prevent the conflict, but she could prepare for the pain that might come. These silent powders and gauze might, at a critical moment, save a life and alleviate a little pain.
This is the only thing she can do as a doctor.
On the night of July 23rd, the 23rd year of Deyou's reign.
The heavy toll of the capital's curfew bell was violently ripped apart by the rapid, chaotic clatter of horses' hooves and the clashing of weapons and armor. King Wu finally tore off all pretense and brazenly launched a mutiny!
The troops he secretly mobilized, together with some bribed capital defenders and low-ranking officers, rushed towards the gates of the imperial city like a tide surging in the dark night.
Fire suddenly lit up in the night, and the sounds of shouting, clashing weapons, and screams instantly broke the tranquility of the capital.
"Clear the emperor's court! Save my father! Kill this evil woman!"
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