Chapter 456: Palace Banquet Incident
The next day was New Year’s Eve.
This year's New Year falls less than a month after Emperor Defeng passed away, which is a time of deep mourning.
However, the new emperor, out of compassion for the people, issued a special decree: "The people have worked hard all year long, and it is time to enjoy the family reunion at the end of the year. All officials shall enter the palace to attend the banquet as usual. The late emperor was benevolent, and if he knew from the afterlife, he would not bear to see the people abandon a festive occasion to observe the festival."
Officials had mixed opinions on this imperial edict. Some praised the new emperor for his filial piety and benevolence, while others opposed it, believing that it was disrespectful and unfilial to the previous emperor.
Queen Mother Zhao also advised him to withdraw his favor, but Xiao Yanlin did not accept her advice.
The promulgation of this decree was the first test of the power in his hands by the new emperor.
The joy of this can only be experienced by being in it.
This was also a form of contempt and oppression towards Emperor Defeng. He just wanted to tell the world that he was now the master of the world, and Emperor Defeng had already turned into a handful of yellow earth. If he didn't want to give him dignity, he would be nothing.
The voices of opposition were quickly suppressed by the new emperor's supporters, and the decree was issued.
Thanks to the new emperor's special order, the atmosphere in the capital was completely renewed, and the festive and lively atmosphere returned.
Officials entered the palace one after another, preparing to attend this year's New Year's Eve banquet.
Xiao Yanlin also changed into a tailor-made dragon robe. The crown was resplendent and majestic, and everyone who saw him was in awe.
A faint smile appeared on Xiao Yanlin's face.
During this period of time, he increasingly realized the beauty of being an emperor.
Everyone bowed to him and he had the power of life and death, and no one dared to disobey him in the slightest.
Today, the palace is still in mourning, but the new emperor has graciously allowed everyone to celebrate the New Year with normal rites.
On New Year's Eve, the lights in the Purple Palace were bright, and although the music had faded, the majesty of the royal family remained unchanged.
All the ministers lined up at the bottom of the stairs, and when they came to pay their respects, they first faced north and kowtowed to the spirit tablet of the late emperor, and then turned to the throne to perform a grand ceremony, in order to show the solemnity of the succession to the throne.
At the imperial banquet, delicacies were listed but not excessive, and the jars were filled with fine wine but not to the point of being too drunk. This expressed both mourning and the spirit of the new dynasty.
Xiao Yanlin sat high on the throne, his young face full of vigor and vitality.
"Today is New Year's Eve, a day of reunion and celebration. However, the late emperor passed away not long ago, and I still feel grief in my heart, and I am sure you feel the same."
"A country cannot be without a ruler for a single day, and the people cannot be without joy for a whole year. The late emperor spent his life diligently governing and loving his people. If he saw the people abandoning the New Year's festivals because of mourning, he would certainly not be able to bear it."
"Therefore, I have specially authorized a banquet in the palace today to celebrate New Year's Eve with you all. This is not only to comfort you for your hard work this year, but also to express my hope that in the coming year, the emperor and his subjects will work together to govern the country and live up to the trust of the late emperor."
After saying this, he raised his glass in gesture, his eyes steady.
"May the new year be blessed with good weather and prosperity, and may our country enjoy peace and prosperity. This cup is a toast to the late emperor, and to all of you."
All the ministers were in awe, and they all stood up, raised their glasses, and responded in unison.
Gradually, the atmosphere in the hall became relaxed and returned to its former bustling and lively state.
The second prince and the third prince were both silent, and the white wine in front of them was replaced by tea.
They had no right to object to the new emperor's decree, but they still felt resentful and thought that the emperor's behavior was inappropriate.
They could only show their filial piety by observing filial piety for their father.
Prince Rui also changed to tea.
He sipped his tea, his gaze fixed on the dragon throne with an inexplicable expression.
On the female side, there is a person with a special identity, Zhao Shuning.
She still had her face covered and sat below Queen Mother Zhao, making her very conspicuous.
Queen Mother Zhao loved her niece dearly. In the past, she was forced by circumstances to not keep her by her side, but now that she had become the queen mother, she naturally didn't have to worry about anything anymore.
Next time, when we find a suitable opportunity, we can make her identity public and legitimately crown her a princess.
Xiao Wanzhen looked at Zhao Shuning who was sitting in the seat, with anger hidden in her eyes, but she could only swallow her anger.
The atmosphere in the hall was very good.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, a guard came hurriedly reporting, his face panicked, "Urgent! Rebels have been spotted thirty miles outside the city, numbering over ten thousand, and are approaching the capital!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the harmonious atmosphere in the hall disappeared instantly, and the faces of all the court officials and female relatives changed.
The intoxicated look in Xiao Yanlin's eyes instantly cleared up, replaced by a sinister and ruthless look.
A court official said in a trembling voice, "It must be the rebels from southern Yunnan!"
"Hasn't the imperial court already dispatched an additional 30,000 troops to suppress the rebels? How was it possible for this rebel army to bypass the imperial army and march straight to the capital?"
The ministers were discussing the matter and making various speculations about the war on the front line.
Xiao Yanlin's face was gloomy, he was also thinking about this question.
Were those 30,000 elite imperial troops vegetarians? Were the patrols from southern Yunnan to the capital also blind? They hadn't even relayed a single word of information to the capital beforehand.
For some reason, he felt an inexplicable sense of unease, as if things were out of control.
The Imperial Guard who delivered the message shouted, "I boldly request your permission—quickly dispatch elite troops from the Beijing camp to provide assistance, and order the surrounding garrisons to join forces to suppress the bandits and protect the Imperial City!"
The court officials immediately stopped talking and began to echo, "Your Majesty, please send troops to help us immediately!"
"Tonight is New Year's Eve, the day when families reunite. We must not let this be ruined by the traitors."
Xiao Yanlin sat at the top of the table, listening to the buzzing discussions in the hall, and felt a buzzing in his ears.
He suppressed his chaotic thoughts and spoke in a deep voice, "Pass on my order. Deploy 8,000 elite cavalry from the Beijing Camp, 6,000 musketeers from the Xishan Camp, and 6,000 elite infantry from the Tongzhou garrison. The three armies will unite to encircle and annihilate the rebels! Any delay will be punished by military law!"
After Xiao Yanlin's order was passed down, all parties began to work together to resist the enemy, and naturally no one had the mind to feast anymore.
Xiao Yanlin was about to dismiss everyone when someone else came to report, "Your Majesty, this is terrible. Fires have broken out in many places throughout the city, and many homes and businesses have been harassed and looted."
"Just now, the home of Lord Qin, the Minister of Justice, was set on fire and looted by bandits. These thieves acted surreptitiously, coming and going without a trace. I'm afraid they are not ordinary bandits—they are most likely rebel spies who have infiltrated the city, intending to create chaos and coordinate internal and external forces!"
Qin Zhongju's face changed instantly when he heard this.
The crowd was in an uproar, and everyone felt threatened. At the same time, they also began to worry whether their families were also harassed by the bandits.
Xiao Yanlin was furious. "Didn't I order martial law at the city gates? How could they allow bandits to sneak into the city? How is the patrol battalion supposed to function? Are they all just sitting there doing nothing?"
All the ministers remained silent and did not dare to speak.
The city is not peaceful right now, and it is difficult for them to return home. Otherwise, if they encounter bandits on the road, they might even lose their lives.
After being angry, Xiao Yanlin had to find a way to resolve the matter.
"How dare you, a mere rebel, cause chaos at the foot of the Imperial City? You are truly overestimating yourselves! Come, pass on my command. The Nine Gates Commander-in-Chief is to immediately close the inner and outer city gates, leaving only the Donghua Gate for the troops. Civilians may enter, but not leave! All members of the Five Cities Military Commission are mobilized to impose a curfew! The Imperial Guards, in conjunction with the Jingzhao Yin's yamen runners, are to conduct a house-to-house search, block by block."
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