knife

Chapter 512 Establishing a New Emperor
This is a huge problem.

What was Linghu Ye's slogan when he entered the pass?
Punish the treacherous officials and cleanse the court of corrupt ministers.

These treacherous officials were naturally Wei Zhengdao, Kou Zhong, and others who controlled the court.

They fought for several years, leaving the Qin Dynasty riddled with holes and in ruins. Finally, they captured Luoyang and Chang'an, forcing the treacherous officials to flee in disarray. But in the end, they killed the emperor they were trying to protect.

Countless envoys traveled from Hanzhong and Shu to various parts of the Qin Dynasty. They even sent a notice of death to Danyang in the Chu Kingdom, announcing that the Qin emperor had passed away in Hanzhong.

How did you die?

Of course, he was killed by Linghu Shili.

The process and timeline are crystal clear.

On the eighth day of the seventh month, on the eve of the fall of Chang'an, Wei Zhengdao, the chief minister of Qin, fled south with the emperor. Linghu Shili, a general under Linghu Ye, led a large army in hot pursuit.

On August 15th, Linghu Shili's army engaged in a fierce battle with the imperial troops in Hanzhong Commandery and stormed into the city.

While the Grand Secretary Wei Zhengdao and his son Wei Yi fought bravely, they sent a letter to Zhang Songlin, the governor of Shu, requesting assistance.

At the end of August, the Wei family father and son, who had resisted for more than ten days in Hanzhong County, were finally defeated by Linghu Shili and died in battle. Linghu Shili captured Hanzhong County and committed a heinous crime, killing Emperor Li Ping of the Great Qin Dynasty. He then set fire to the city in an attempt to destroy the evidence.

On September 1, Wu De, the military commander of Shu, led the Shu army through the Jinniu Road to Hanzhong County and launched a counterattack against Linghu Shili.

After a series of fierce battles, Linghu Shili was no match for Wu De, and his entire army was annihilated in Hanzhong County. Linghu Shili refused to surrender and was killed by the chaotic army.

With Li Ping killed, the Qin state officially entered an era of rulerlessness.

The political correctness of Linghuye's entry into the pass was utterly shattered by this announcement.

Although it was just a facade, a banner, now that the facade is gone, its harmfulness has become apparent.

Spies from Zhiqiu Academy and Black Ice Platform were mobilized one after another, and so-called announcements revealing the truth were posted everywhere in the entire Qin Dynasty.

Are you, Linghu Ye, trying to purge the court of corrupt officials or the emperor himself?
Now it's crystal clear.

Their rebellious intentions were plain to see.

The world was in turmoil, and public sentiment was agitated.

Even though no one dared to speak out loudly under the threat of violence, public opinion was raging behind the scenes.

The Taiji Palace was deathly silent.

The opponent's scheme is almost impossible to solve.

This left Linghu Ye speechless. He was the one who attacked Chang'an, the one who sent troops to pursue him, and the one who attacked Hanzhong. Therefore, it was only natural that the emperor would die at his hands, forming a perfect logical loop.

You, Linghu Ye, just want to emulate the Li family ancestors from three hundred years ago!

You were just a little too hasty.

“The only thing we can do now is to immediately support a new emperor,” Li Guohua said. “In this way, we can effectively refute the claim that the commander-in-chief’s entry into the pass was originally for the purpose of rebellion.”

"This is pointless and unnecessary!" Wang De objected loudly. "Li Ping is dead, so be it. The commander-in-chief can take this opportunity to ascend the throne. Didn't Li Qing, the ancestor of the Li family, also declare himself emperor after conquering Chang'an? If they could do it, why can't the commander-in-chief do it?"

"Times have changed!" Li Guohua retorted. "Back then, there was no Li Dachui stationed troops outside the pass, and no He Zudao entrenched himself in the eight towns of Jiangnan. Although there were resistance forces in various places, they were insignificant and fought independently. Now, Li Dachui and his men have created this situation, clearly trying to compete with the Grand Marshal for the hearts of the people. If the Grand Marshal were to ascend the throne now, wouldn't that be exactly what they've planned, announcing to the world that we were the ones who did the Hanzhong incident?"

"What nonsense about popular support! The emperor's throne belongs to whoever has the strongest army!" Wang De glared, his beard bristling. "The commander-in-chief now has a strong and well-equipped army. Anyone who dares to disobey will be wiped out!"

Li Guohua was so angry that he felt like he was about to ascend to heaven and be reborn. This bastard Wang De was now determined to be the first person to support Linghu Ye's ascension to the throne. No matter the circumstances, his first words were to support Linghu Ye's ascension to the throne. As for other objective conditions, they were completely irrelevant to him.

If things were really that simple, why would Li Dachui frame Linghuye?

The will of the people is something that cannot be seen or touched, but it truly exists. The concept of destiny largely represents the will of the people.

When fortune smiles, heaven and earth lend a hand; when luck turns, even heroes are powerless.

"General!" Li Guohua looked at Linghu Ye at the head of the table. He believed that Linghu Ye was not so short-sighted. Ascending the throne could be done sooner or later, but if things went wrong, it could lead to the downfall of the dynasty.

"When the Wei family fled west, they took almost all of the imperial family with them. Now, in Chang'an, can we still find any Li family descendant who is qualified to succeed to the throne?" Linghu Ye said, "Emperor Ying had three sons: Li Jimin, Li Anmin, and Li Huimin. Now, all of Li Anmin's direct descendants are dead, and Li Huimin's family in Shu was also wiped out by Li Dachui. If we count carefully, only Li Jimin, the son of the former deposed crown prince, Li Dachui, is truly the most legitimate successor."

"This is why Li Dachui set such a trap for us in Hanzhong County!" Li Guohua sighed. "This man is shrewd and far-sighted; every move he makes is full of profound meaning. But we are now trapped, and we have no other choice but to settle for second best. General, it doesn't matter whether he is a direct descendant of the British Emperor or not. As long as he is a member of the Li imperial family, that's enough. By establishing such a person as emperor in Chang'an, we can silence the gossips of the world and give those who were wavering an excuse to stand on our side."

Linghu Ye nodded: "Then let's go find them immediately. The Li family has been established for three hundred years, and the royal family has spread far and wide. In such a large city as Chang'an, surely we can't find a single member of the Li family? Wang De, you handle this matter! The sooner the better!"

Wang De bowed and said, "Yes, Commander-in-Chief. Within three days, I will bring such a person to you. As long as you approve, he will be the new emperor of Qin!"

Linghu Ye laughed heartily, looked around at everyone, and said, "Wang De was right when he said that the emperor is the one with the strongest army. As long as we keep winning on the battlefield and beat the opponents into a sorry state, then the rest will be no problem. Guohua, you will continue to be stationed in Luoyang. As for He Zudao, we should focus on negotiations, but at the same time, we should use force to promote negotiations. We need to make He Zudao understand that he is still a bit short of the qualifications to contend for the throne, and that joining us is the most worthwhile path for him. If Li Dachui really gains power, I'm afraid he will be taken to the execution ground and cut into a thousand pieces!"

"Yes!"

"Chang Lei!"

"Your subordinate is here!" Chang Lei stepped forward.

"Although the Guanzhong Plain, Gansu, Qinghai and Ningxia have been largely pacified, there are still resistance forces that have been repeatedly suppressed. I will give you a year to completely pacify these areas. Do you have the confidence?"

"The last general takes command!"

(End of this chapter)