Inside the Golden Palace, a deathly silence continued to spread.
That blood-written report from Jiangnan was like a black hole, swallowing up all the sound, light, and even the air in the hall. All the civil and military officials, no matter how eloquent or partisan they usually were, were now like quails with their throats choked, their faces pale and silent as if trembling with fear.
The nation is no more!
The impact of those four words was so immense that they plunged all of them into a state of shock and fear that caused their minds to freeze.
Hundreds of thousands of refugees and several states turned into swamps—what does this mean?
This means a disaster relief fund so large that it could drive the Minister of Revenue to commit suicide on the spot; it means a large-scale popular uprising that could shake the foundations of the country could break out at any time; and it means that the comfortable days of these pampered high-ranking officials in the court are coming to an end!
Xiao Che sat on the dragon throne, feeling icy cold all over. The blood-written letter was still spread out on his desk, each dark red character seeming to burn his eyes. The dark cloud above his head continued to roll and expand, almost engulfing his entire being.
He knew that at this moment, countless eyes were watching him, waiting for him, the emperor, to take decisive action and turn the tide.
But what can he offer?
Money? The national treasury is so empty it could run a horse.
Grain? Jiangnan is the granary of the nation, but now that the granaries are flooded, where will we get grain from?
People? Most of the officials in the court were deeply entrenched with the regent, and he couldn't tell who was truly in the best interest of the country and who was just taking advantage of the situation.
An unprecedented sense of powerlessness overwhelmed him like a tidal wave. For the first time, he deeply understood the profound sorrow of being an emperor whose power had been stripped away.
In the midst of this suffocating silence, a calm and compassionate voice broke the deadlock.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report."
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Regent Xiao Yuan, who had been claiming to be ill at home and had only just resumed attending court today, slowly walked out from the ranks of officials.
Today, he was not wearing the magnificent python robe symbolizing his princely status, but rather a simple blue official robe, which made him appear exceptionally composed and dignified. His face, which usually carried a hint of laziness and arrogance, was now filled with deep sorrow and concern for the country and its people.
He walked to the center of the hall, gave Xiao Che a proper salute on the dragon throne, then straightened up, looked around at his colleagues who looked terrified, and spoke in a passionate and infectious voice.
"When the nation is in peril, every citizen has a responsibility! The people of Jiangnan are also Your Majesty's subjects, the foundation of our Great Liang! Now that the foundation is shaken, how can we, who eat the emperor's food, sit idly by and do nothing?"
His words were like a thunderclap, instantly snapping many of the officials present out of their shock. Many looked ashamed and nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, a barely perceptible smugness flashed deep in Xiao Yuan's eyes, but the sorrow on his face deepened. He turned to Xiao Che again, his tone utterly sincere, and said through tears:
"Your Majesty! The disaster in Jiangnan is an urgent matter! Disaster relief is like putting out a fire, and there is no time to lose! As a prince of the imperial family, I receive the highest salary from the court. At this critical moment, it is my duty to take the lead, share the emperor's burdens, and relieve the people's suffering!"
As he spoke, he suddenly lifted his robe and knelt down on the ground in front of Xiao Che!
"Your Majesty, I humbly request permission to personally lead all officials to depart immediately for Jiangnan to oversee disaster relief efforts! I hereby swear that I will not return to the capital until the disaster is resolved! If anything goes wrong, I am willing to offer my head in retribution!"
This kneeling and these words were truly powerful and deeply moving!
Inside the Golden Palace, a collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the room.
No one expected that when everyone was stunned by this shocking news, the first person to step forward would be the regent, who had always been at odds with the emperor!
Moreover, he not only stepped forward, but also volunteered to go to the most dangerous and chaotic disaster area!
What a noble character this is! What a selfless and benevolent heart this is!
Immediately, led by officials from the Regent's faction, dozens of courtiers stepped forward, knelt on the ground, and shouted in unison:
"We, your humble servants, are willing to follow Your Highness in times of national crisis and share Your Majesty's burdens!"
The scene was truly magnificent. Those centrist officials who were unaware of the truth looked at Xiao Yuan's tall and straight back with genuine praise and admiration in their eyes.
In an instant, the Regent firmly controlled the direction of public opinion throughout the court. He had become a model of a "wise king" who disregarded personal grievances and cared for the common people.
Behind the screen, Lin Wanwan heard all this, and her heart sank suddenly.
She understands this kind of political grandstanding all too well!
Regent Xiao Yuan's move, seemingly a selfless act of "sharing the country's burdens," was in fact an extremely ruthless "retreat to advance" tactic!
He is trying to use the moral banner of "disaster relief" that no one can refute to openly and legitimately seize power from Xiao Che!
As expected, Xiao Che's face on the dragon throne was extremely grim.
Looking at the kneeling officials below him, and at Xiao Yuan's face filled with "loyalty and righteousness," he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
He knew that Xiao Yuan's next words would be the real killer move.
Regent Xiao Yuan remained kneeling on the ground, raised his head, and continued speaking in an extremely "sincere" tone:
"Your Majesty, disaster relief is a complex and multifaceted matter that cannot be accomplished without decisive action. In order to quell the disaster as quickly as possible and appease the victims, I have a few more requests that Your Majesty may grant."
It's here!
Xiao Che's heart sank to the bottom.
Xiao Yuan's voice could be heard clearly echoing in every corner of the Golden Palace.
"Firstly, I request Your Majesty to issue an edict to immediately open the national treasury, and let your younger brother centrally allocate all funds and grain to alleviate this urgent crisis!"
"Secondly, there are hundreds of thousands of disaster victims in Jiangnan, and there is a fear of riots. In order to suppress the local rebellion and stabilize the situation, I request Your Majesty to grant my younger brother the authority to command all the garrison troops in several prefectures in Jiangnan! Anyone who rebels may be executed first and reported later!"
"Thirdly, there are concerns that some local officials in the disaster area may be ineffective or even corrupt in their duties regarding disaster relief funds and supplies. In order to rectify official corruption and ensure efficient disaster relief, I request Your Majesty to grant my younger brother the authority to make arbitrary decisions on an ad hoc basis, and to dismiss or appoint all officials below the third rank in the disaster area at any time!"
As soon as these three requirements were announced, the entire Golden Palace fell into complete silence; you could hear a pin drop!
If the people were moved by the Regent's "benevolence and virtue" before, now even the most obtuse official could hear the chilling true intention behind these words!
This is hardly a disaster relief effort.
This is clearly using the guise of disaster relief to take over the entire Jiangnan region!
Opening the national treasury meant handing over the empire's financial power to him!
Controlling the garrison meant handing over military power in Jiangnan to him!
Appointing and dismissing officials meant that he had also handed over personnel power in Jiangnan to his hands!
Financial power, military power, and personnel power!
Once these three imperial edicts are issued, Regent Xiao Yuan will become the rightful "Emperor Emeritus" of the entire Jiangnan region! At that time, he only needs to raise his arm and call to arms to easily sweep across Jiangnan and march north. What difference is there between this and directly handing over half of the country?
What a brilliant move to take advantage of someone's misfortune! What a brilliant move to undermine their cause!
Xiao Che sat on the dragon throne, trembling with rage. He stared intently at Xiao Yuan kneeling below, wishing he could immediately order this treacherous and wicked minister to be dragged out and executed!
But he couldn't.
He glanced at the assembled officials and saw the complex expressions in their eyes. There was shock, there was fear, but more than anything, there was a helpless resignation.
Because all of Xiao Yuan's requests sounded so "reasonable".
If the national treasury is empty, how can we provide disaster relief if we don't open up the treasury?
Disaster victims may riot; how can the situation be stabilized without granting them military power?
Local officials may be corrupt; how can we rectify official conduct if we don't give them the power to appoint officials?
He perfectly packaged himself as a lone hero "for the country and the people," wrapping all his demands under the sugar coating of "efficient disaster relief."
Xiao Che knew that he had been completely outmaneuvered.
If he agrees, it will be like letting a wolf into the house, and the country and its people will be in imminent danger.
If he refuses...
Out of the corner of his eye, he could already catch glimpses of the eager eyes of the censors and officials.
He could almost imagine how the court, and indeed the entire nation, would judge him, the emperor, should he refuse.
"When the nation was in peril, the wise prince volunteered to lead the troops, but the emperor, out of personal selfishness and suspicion of his relatives, disregarded the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Jiangnan!"
At that time, he will become a tyrannical ruler who disregards the lives of his people! He will lose the hearts of the people and be abandoned by the world!
Xiao Yuan's move was truly vicious!
He took advantage of the natural disaster, the public opinion, and the panic of the court officials to set up a scheme for Xiao Che—a political trap that he knew was a trap, yet he simply could not refuse!
Xiao Che's fists clenched so tightly beneath the wide sleeves of his dragon robe that they cracked. His nails dug deep into his palms, causing a sharp pain, but this was nothing compared to the humiliation and anger he felt at that moment.
Looking down at the regent, who was still kneeling with an "obligated" expression, he felt a surge of blood rush to his head.
He was cornered on the edge of a cliff, with no way out.
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