Liu Xinwu was genuinely angry.
He never expected that these rebellious words would come from the mouth of his adopted son, Liu Xinwu, on whom he had placed so much hope.
If someone with ulterior motives were to overhear these words and then impeach Liu Ziyu before the Emperor, Liu Ziyu, who already had a reputation for "evil deeds" in the Emperor's eyes, would likely suffer an even greater decline in his standing.
Moreover, Liu Ziyu was a general who held military power over the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun and guarded a border for the Tang Dynasty. These treasonous words could easily be interpreted as Liu Ziyu being disloyal to the emperor and suspected of plotting a rebellion.
Liu Xinwu, exasperated, rebuked Liu Ziyu: "Liu Ziyu, do you even know what you're saying?"
"Or do you think you're more capable than the top three martial arts champions of the previous dynasty, or more cunning and shrewd than the treacherous minister Qin Ruhui who manipulated the government of the previous dynasty?"
"Let me tell you, if it weren't for the Emperor's mercy, you and I, father and son, would probably be an unknown, withered grave outside the mass graves of Wuzhou City and Changshan County!"
"If you do not repent and dare to utter any more arrogant words that contradict the Emperor, I will sever our father-son relationship. As for Liu Ziyu, the adopted son who shielded me from an arrow on the battlefield, he would have died on the battlefield long ago!"
snort!
Liu Xinwu coldly scrutinized Liu Ziyu, who was kneeling on the ground, his eyes icy and ruthless.
He was trying to awaken Liu Ziyu's conscience in this way.
Sure enough, after being slapped and then threatened by his adoptive father with severing their father-son relationship, Liu Ziyu finally "came to his senses" and immediately knelt down beside Liu Xinwu to kowtow and admit his mistake.
"Father, I know I was wrong!"
"Your subject... Your subject was momentarily confused and acted rashly, which led you to utter such treasonous words. Your subject will never dare to do it again;"
"I beg Father, I beg Father to consider that this is my first offense and forgive me this time. I would rather give up any title and remain by Father's side as a commoner to care for you in your old age and see you off in your final days!"
As Liu Ziyu spoke earnestly, he began to slap his own face, repeatedly admitting his mistake: "Father, I know I was wrong, I'll slap myself—"
Snap!
Snap!
Snap!
Liu Ziyu was ruthless to himself; each slap to the face was louder than the last, making Liu Xinwu, who was standing to the side, feel a little sorry for him.
"alright!"
Finally, Liu Xinwu couldn't stand it anymore and stopped Liu Ziyu from continuing his self-harming behavior.
Seeing that he had achieved his goal, Liu Ziyu stopped slapping Liu Xinwu, but remained kneeling before him, looking as if he had repented for his past mistakes.
However, the ruthless glint that flashed unintentionally in his eyes seemed so out of place with Liu Ziyu's repentance and remorse.
On the other side, Liu Xinwu, who was pacing back and forth in the room with his back to Liu Ziyu, said earnestly, "Ziyu, your father really hopes that you can mature!"
"You're almost forty years old. You need to be careful with your words and actions. Do I really need to teach you such a simple lesson as 'trouble comes from the mouth'?"
"I had planned to come find you after court yesterday, but alas—"
After a long sigh, Liu Xinwu continued, "It's also my fault. If I had come to find you after court yesterday, this tragedy probably wouldn't have happened, and Hu Dalin and the others might not be in this state now."
"You roughnecks are great at charging into battle, killing enemies, and capturing flags, but you're all stubborn and inflexible; you can't think outside the box."
"If you had listened to my advice to read more books and cultivate your minds in the past, even just one sentence, you wouldn't have ended up like this today."
Liu Xinwu said, "Anyone with a discerning eye could see from yesterday's investiture ceremony that the Emperor deliberately bestowed upon you the title of Earl, placing you last among the thirty-six Earls of the founding of the Tang Dynasty."
"Clearly, the Emperor is using this opportunity to warn you arrogant and fierce generals of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun!"
"Otherwise, given your military achievements, my position in the court, and your sworn sister Shujun's status as empress, how could I have only granted you the title of earl?"
As he spoke, Liu Xinwu suddenly turned around, his two sharp, eagle-like eyes staring straight at Liu Ziyu kneeling before him. He asked, word by word, "Ziyu, tell your father honestly what you did and who you contacted during your time in Jinling City."
After a pause, Liu Xinwu added, "At this point, I don't want you to have anything to hide from me!"
Faced with his adoptive father Liu Xinwu's aggressive questioning, Liu Ziyu immediately reported to Liu Xinwu about his time in Nanjing, during which he had been drinking and making merry with the governors of Liangjiang and Lianghu on the banks of the Qinhuai River.
However, he only said that he was invited to have drinks, and he did not mention at all that the two sides had formed a defensive alliance and were preparing to "smuggle".
Of course, in order to gain Liu Xinwu's trust, Liu Ziyu also told Liu Xinwu the flattering words spoken by a group of southern regional officials at the dinner table.
Liu Ziyu said, "Father, the rumors circulating before the investiture ceremony that I would be granted the title of Duke of the Great Tang and ranked first among the six dukes are truly not my intention."
"It all happened at the dinner table; those southern civil and military officials were just stirring up trouble to liven up the atmosphere."
"Your subject has no choice but to make contact with them because of face-saving concerns!"
Liu Ziyu continued with a wronged expression, "These civil and military officials from the south, seeing that Father is gaining power in the new dynasty, want to curry favor with him, but they dare not directly invite him to a banquet because of the difference in their status."
"Therefore, they shifted their focus to me;"
"Your Majesty, I meant well. I hoped that Father would gain the support of the civil and military officials from the South in court, so I made brief contact with them."
"Who would have thought, who would have thought that this matter would enrage the Emperor!"
Hearing Liu Ziyu's answer, Liu Xinwu nodded repeatedly with a solemn expression.
That's right!
Liu Xinwu was puzzled at the time as to why Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an had only granted Liu Ziyu the title of Earl. Now he realized it was because Liu Ziyu, as a representative of the northern military group, had privately contacted the southern civil officials, which was a major taboo for the emperor!
Liu Xinwu said, "I knew it! The Emperor wouldn't have reprimanded you for no reason. It turns out it was because of your private contact with the Governors-General of Liangjiang and Lianghu."
"Throughout history, collusion between civil and military officials has been a grave taboo for the imperial court, especially given that the emperor's spies are undoubtedly everywhere in Nanjing."
"It must be because of this incident that the Emperor deliberately demoted your title during the investiture ceremony, as a warning to you!"
Then, Liu Xinwu turned to Liu Ziyu and began to reprimand him: "You too, didn't I warn you before, to keep a low profile while in the capital and never be ostentatious?"
"And you actually dare to openly go drinking and carousing with guys like Su Chen and Jiang Ning by the Qinhuai River? Aren't you just walking into the Emperor's clutches?"
Liu Ziyu protested, "Father, I only wish to share your burdens—"
"never mind!"
Liu Xinwu waved his hand, rudely interrupting Liu Ziyu's explanation, and said, "The matter has come to this point, and what's done is done. It's no longer important to investigate whose fault or gain!"
After thinking for a moment, Liu Xinwu instructed, "Ziyu, after leaving the capital, you must not act recklessly. After returning to Wuzhou, lead the troops well and guard the border for the Emperor."
"As your father, I will also find an opportunity to sound out the Emperor's opinion. When the time is right, I will naturally put in a good word for you and clear up the misunderstanding!"
"Don't cause your father any more trouble!"
"As long as you serve the Emperor diligently, this title can be changed later!"
After saying that, Liu Xinwu waved his hand and said, "Alright, according to the regulations of the Ministry of Rites, you must set off from the capital today. I won't delay you any longer!"
"I am leaving. Remember every word I said to you today!"
"Father, I understand!"
As they were talking, Liu Ziyu personally saw off his adoptive father, Prince Zhao, Liu Xinwu.
Standing at the entrance of the inn, watching the departing carriage of the King of Zhao, Liu Ziyu's face finally regained its fierce expression. He muttered to himself, "Hmph, an adopted son is never a biological son!"
"What are we waiting for? I, Liu Ziyu, don't have that much time to wait!"
"He's heartless, don't blame me for being unjust!"
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