Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 310 You are crowned king, I am crowned king, we are all kings

Jinyang Palace.

The gate of the palace was filled with armored soldiers, all of them were tall and strong, and they were obviously the elite among the elite.

There were more than a hundred people walking up the stairs.

Gao Wei looked curiously at the soldiers standing on the left and right. He stood between the two of them, looked to the left, then to the right, and was amazed in his heart that the two men were standing in a straight line!
He looked at the second group of soldiers in the distance and started counting from his own position.

"One step, two steps, three steps, four steps"

He muttered a number in his mouth, walked past several groups of soldiers, and suddenly stopped.

He looked at the officer following him in surprise, "Han Qing! Ten steps! The distance between them is actually ten steps! How amazing!"

The officer calmly reminded, "It's because there are markings on the steps. That's how they were built in the past. They just need to stand in the marked areas."

Gao Wei was shocked and hurriedly walked to the side, looking at where the soldier was standing, and indeed found a decoration that was different from other places.

He looked up, very angry.

"How can you deceive the king?!"

The elite soldiers from Jinyang were all a little confused at this moment, with expressions of astonishment.

Gao Wei waved his hand and said, "Have them build a new stage. No cheating allowed. Let them line up based on their abilities! How can the warriors of the Great Qi deceive the emperor through such means?"

"If I hadn't been smart, I would have been fooled!"

Luo Deva on the other side had a complicated expression on his face. He had no idea what was wrong with the stairs.

I also have no idea what the emperor is thinking at this moment.

He had no choice but to step forward again and whispered, "The Emperor is still waiting for Your Majesty."

Gao Wei snorted twice, ignored the soldiers on both sides, and walked quickly towards the hall in the distance.

The soldiers at the entrance of the hall knelt down hurriedly to greet them. Gao Wei hurried over to check their positions. Sure enough, there were marks where these people were standing. Gao Wei was furious, "This place must also be rebuilt! Rebuilt!!"

"They are all deceiving the emperor!"

Gao Wei scolded them and then walked into the hall under the persuasion of Luo Deva.

As soon as I walked in, I smelled the stench in the air.

The hall was dim and dark. In the distance, soldiers were holding up torches. The hall, which should have been magnificent, became eerie and dark. For a moment, it seemed as if we had returned to the Tenpo period.

Gao Wei covered his mouth and nose, looked around, and had a look of disgust on his face.

They slowly walked to the innermost part.

On the bed lay a body, still breathing.

There were many eunuchs and doctors standing on both sides, all kneeling to welcome the emperor's arrival.

Gao Wei walked forward gently, put down his hands that were covering his mouth and nose, frowned, and looked at his father on the bed.

Gao Zhan had become completely unrecognizable.

He was curled up completely, his body seemed to have shrunk, becoming small and dry, with layers of skin covering his skeleton. He was breathing weakly, his chest rising and falling. This was the only proof that he was still alive.

The imperial physician at the side came over and saluted Gao Wei again, "Your Majesty."

Gao Wei looked at Gao Zhan again, "How is he doing?"

"not good."

"He is unable to get up, his speech is unclear, his mind is unclear, and he needs us to take care of everything. I am afraid..."

The doctor said sadly.

"hey-hey."

Gao Wei couldn't help laughing, and everyone raised their heads and looked at him.

Gao Wei lowered his voice and asked the doctor, "If he wants to play with women now, will you serve him? By the way, is he still able to do it now?"

Gao Wei pushed the doctor with a beaming smile on his face.

The imperial physician was stunned.

He looked at Gao Wei blankly, his mouth wide open, not knowing what to say.

Luo Depo gently pushed Gao Wei's arm. Gao Wei glanced at him unhappily, snorted coldly, and turned away.

Gao Zhan lay motionless on the bed, breathing heavily.

Gao Wei walked out of the hall quickly and took a deep breath.

“It stinks.”

"If I have to live like this, I'd rather die than live like this."

Luo Deva looked at the little emperor with a frown. At this moment, many thoughts came into his mind.

Gao Wei had a lot of important things to do today, which delayed his fun, which made him very unhappy. However, thinking that he could have fun again after this period of time, the emperor didn't care.

Apart from paying homage to the retired emperor, there is another very important matter, the court meeting.

This was the first time that Gao Wei participated in a court meeting with ministers to decide important matters.

Gao Wei was extremely excited.

After coming out from the retired emperor, Gao Wei went to pick out some ornaments for himself, dressed himself up beautifully, and then went to participate in the meeting.

The court meetings in Jinyang Palace were somewhat different from those in Yecheng.

Especially after experiencing such a huge change.

The composition of the court officials was quite chaotic. There were those who stayed in Jinyang, members of the royal family, people left behind by Hu Changren, and old ministers who followed him.

Faced with such chaotic and disorderly government, Gao Wei was not afraid at all.

He sat in the upper seat and looked at the generals standing with Duan Shao.

Zhao Yanshen sent someone to formally start the conversation, but Gao Wei did not give him the opportunity. He cleared his throat and said loudly, "Many of the orders in the past were not from my original intention!"

As soon as he said this, Zhao Yanshen's cloudy old eyes instantly cleared up.

Luo Deva, who was standing not far away, was even more panicked.

Gao Wei then looked at the generals and said, "Generals, you have made many contributions in the past. I wanted to reward you, but I couldn't do it because the imperial edict could not leave the palace!"

"Today, I will reward all the generals for their contributions!"

After hearing these words, Zhao Yanshen's heart gradually returned to its original place.

Gao Wei started with a critical attack, and Old Zhao almost thought that he was going to settle the score.

Gao Wei looked at the officer not far away and waved at him, "Bring it here."

The officer walked up quickly and placed the document next to Gao Wei.

Gao Wei picked up the document and looked at the generals in the distance.

"Shedi Luo!"

"Chen is here!"

"Appoint you as the King of Linji!"

She Diluo's eyes widened, and he bowed to Gao Wei, "Your Majesty, grace!"

Duan Shao's eyebrows jumped and he was about to say something.

"Wei Shilin!"

"Chen is here!"

"Confer the title of King Jiande upon you!"

"Kneel down and thank your majesty!!"

"But Zhu Hun is very powerful!"

"I'm here."

"Appoint you as the King of Leling!"

"Name you as"

"Block you."

"His Majesty!!"

At this moment, Gao Yan stood up suddenly, and the look he gave Gao Wei was simply indescribable. He looked at the people kneeling in front of Gao Wei, there were more than ten people. Gao Wei spoke very quickly, calling him "king" every time.

Gao Wei was very displeased by this interruption. He looked at Gao Yan while holding the thick document.

"Why doesn't Prince Pingyang know etiquette?"

"Your Majesty, the title of king is of great importance. How can it be awarded so arbitrarily? Until now, the only people who can be crowned kings are those who are relatives of the royal family or have made great contributions. What contributions have these people made to deserve the title of king?"

The hall was quiet at this moment.

Gao Wei just opened his mouth and appointed more than ten kings at once. The reactions of the ministers were the same as Luo Deva's just now. They didn't understand what the emperor was doing and couldn't understand the emperor's behavior.

why???

Hearing Gao Yan's words, Gao Wei became even angrier. He asked coldly, "Does the King of Pingyang think that the generals of Jinyang are not worthy of such a reward? Do you think they don't have the talent to be crowned king?"

Those generals who were rewarded slowly looked at Gao Yan.

Gao Yan was not afraid at all. He said loudly: "Your Majesty, I am not saying that they are not talented. Great Qi has many talented people. I also think that they will definitely make great achievements and go down in history. It's just that they have not made any corresponding contributions yet and have received such rewards. I am worried that it will be disadvantageous to them."

"What's the downside?"

"They have received the reward, and they will repay the country even more diligently in the future!"

"They made great contributions before, but it is because of you that they did not receive the corresponding rewards!"

Gao Wei ignored Gao Yan and picked up the document again, ready to continue reading it.

Gao Yan's expression became extremely solemn.

"I think it is not possible."

"You think it's impossible?"

"Who do you think you are? Is this Great Qi yours or mine?!" Gao Wei was furious and immediately looked around, "Someone come here!!"

"His Majesty!!"

At this moment, a person suddenly walked out, and the angry expression on Gao Wei's face gradually solidified and turned into aggrieved expression.

The person who stood up was Duan Shao.

He was standing in front of Gao Yan at this moment, looking up and looking at the emperor sitting on the throne.

"Your Majesty is still young and not yet old enough to rule the country. You should discuss state affairs with the court officials before proceeding."

"Prince Pingyang is a virtuous prince of the royal family. You must not be rude to him."

Hearing Duan Shao's words, Gao Wei was extremely disappointed. "Grand Marshal, I want to reward your subordinates, even you..."

Facing Duan Shao, Gao Wei never dared to be as tough as he was with Gao Yan. He shook his head and said, "I have already issued an order and will not change it. The rest of the matter will be discussed by you court officials. I will pretend that I am unaware of it!!"

Gao Wei didn't care what his ministers thought. He just called his attendants and took him away.

Duan Shao calmly watched Gao Wei leave.

When he looked at the generals, he found that the looks they gave him were also quite complicated. He looked at the other ministers again. There was a dead silence in the court and no one spoke.

The court meeting seemed to have ended, and several generals took the lead in leaving, but their destination did not seem to be outside, they were going to see the emperor.

This is the emperor.

Even if he has nothing, the young and naive emperor can gain a group of people to work for him just by opening his mouth.

Duan Shao stayed where he was, feeling mixed emotions, and Gao Yan walked forward.

"Grand Sima"

"Dazai-kun."

Gao Yan looked off into the distance with a heavy heart, "Your Majesty has changed so much."

"At the beginning, Your Majesty was still so well-behaved and polite."

Duan Shao suddenly looked at him and said, "The King of Pengcheng is in the north, why doesn't Lord Taizai go and seek refuge with him?"

Gao Yan shook his head slightly. "Someone has to watch over this place. Right now it's just a reward decree. What will it be like in the future?"

The two men stood in silence in the hall, watching the ministers discussing and dispersing in different places, but they did not say another word.

At the same time, Lok Deva hurried to his mother's side.

In the harem, Empress Dowager Hu sat on the upper seat with a smile on her face, while Lu Lingxuan sat beside her. The two of them were talking and laughing, discussing some rough topics without any etiquette.

Luo Deva suddenly appeared and interrupted their conversation.

Empress Dowager Hu smiled and sent Lu Lingxuan to the door.

"How dare I trouble the Queen Mother to see you off?"

"No problem! What kind of relationship do we have? What's wrong with letting you walk a few more steps?"

Empress Dowager Hu had a smile on her face. After Hu Changren's tragic death, the empress dowager no longer had her former arrogance and complacency. She lowered her attitude and began to cater to Lu Lingxuan, even giving gifts to her son and flattering him.

This is truly unheard of.

Seeing Lu Lingxuan was about to leave, Empress Dowager Hu grabbed her hand again and whispered, "You must let the emperor know about my niece's matter."

Lu Lingxuan laughed, "I know, I know."

Empress Dowager Hu watched Lu Lingxuan leave, and the smile on her face slowly disappeared.

At first, she looked down on her elder brother, but after his death, her situation became increasingly unfavorable. She found that she could not even command the people around her. She had not seen the monks outside the palace for a long time.

During these days, she began to try hard to please her son. She wanted her son to marry Hu Changren's daughter.

If the emperor had a queen of his own to accompany him, at least he wouldn't have to worry about anything happening in the future.

Lu Lingxuan's attitude towards her has not changed, and he still respects her. If she comes to help, perhaps he can succeed?

When Lu Lingxuan walked out of the harem, he saw his son with a pale face.

"What happened?"

"Why are you so flustered?"

"Today, His Majesty conferred titles on more than ten people in succession during the court meeting. Almost all the generals in Jinyang were conferred titles of king. Gao Yan tried to stop them and was nearly captured. The Grand Marshal stepped in to protect him."

"Mother, His Majesty is losing control!"

"We must find a way!"

Luo Deva's face was pale and his eyes were filled with fear. He told the retired emperor what had happened today.

"Mother, the emperor is changing more and more. If this continues, something big will happen sooner or later."

Lu Lingxuan listened to his son's story as he walked, without a trace of emotion on his face.

"A few days ago, when he asked his officers to search for generals and empty counties in various places, I knew he was going to do this."

"what?"

"Why didn't mother stop it?"

“Why stop it?”

Luo Depo was stunned for a moment. "How can he confer the title of king so indiscriminately? Are we just going to watch him do this?"

Lu Lingxuan finally stopped at this moment. She looked coldly at her son beside her and said, "I am asking, what harm will it bring to us if Your Majesty does this?"

Luo Depo thought for a while and shook his head, "I don't know."

"Da Qi is going to perish."

Lu Lingxuan said solemnly: "Do you think that when you come to Jinyang, you can rely on the local elite troops to carry Liu Taozi?"

"At the beginning, we needed half the world's food to feed Jinyang's elite troops."

"Now only Bingzhou is still under our control. People from the south cannot come in without Liu Taozi's approval."

"Jinyang has stored a lot of food, but how long will it last for the army?"

"What would happen if Jinyang started to run out of food and the soldiers had nothing to eat?"

Luo Depo wiped his sweat and said, "They will surrender to the enemy."

"Then why didn't you go to the south, but came to the north?"

"It's the same wherever you go."

"Once Emperor Xiao Zhao dies, no one will be able to suppress Liu Taozi, and his demise is only a matter of time."

Luo Deva looked at his mother in despair, "Then what are we still doing here? It will all be in vain in the end?"

Lu Lingxuan smiled and touched his son's face. "Everyone is going to die. Do we just have to eat and wait for death?"

Her eyes gradually became solemn.

"The situation is hopeless and there is nothing that can be changed. But for us, it may not be a bad thing. Your uncle was captured by Liu Taozi's men. I sent someone to inquire about it. His life is safe."

"The provincial governors and other officials from other places were not executed. Even Gao Yuanhai was not killed directly."

"I don't think Liu Taozi will be like Erzhu Rong in the past, killing all the court officials indiscriminately without any reason. There is still hope in his hands."

"You should restrain your subordinates more and avoid doing things that would anger Liu Taozi."

"Live well now and make some preparations for the future. Even if you can't be an official, you can still be a rich man."

Luo Depo took a deep breath, and the fear in his heart not only did not weaken, but continued to intensify.

When he returned to the emperor again, the emperor was still busy conferring a title of king.

"Han Feng!"

The officer knelt before Gao Wei, who said solemnly, "Today I confer upon you the title of Prince of Changli!"

"In the future, you must repay me well, understand?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!!"

Han Feng was very excited and kowtowed to Gao Wei again and again.

Several eunuchs around him came forward to flatter him, and Gao Wei was overjoyed, "You all will be made dukes!"

"And the maid who served me a few days ago!"

"That's the quick-tongued maid. She's good. She'll be made Shangshulang!"

"And my rooster, make him a king!"

Gao Wei raised his head and laughed, "Everyone has a reward, everyone has a reward!"

“Not one will be left behind!!”

Everyone knelt down.

Luo Deva, who had just arrived, looked at this scene in amazement. A general was given a title of king, a palace maid was given an official title, and even a rooster could be given a title of king? ?

Looking at the bewildered Luo Deva, Gao Wei burst into laughter and pointed at him, "I know why you are unhappy!"

"You and I have been with me the longest. How can I neglect you?"

"Lotva!"

"Chen is here!"

"I'll make you the King of Chengyang!"

Luo Deva lowered his head in a daze, "Thank you, Your Majesty!!"

"And my eldest sister, let her be an official as well, and let her be a minister!"

Looking at the people kneeling around him, Gao Wei laughed.

How easy is it to change one's mind?
All I have to do is give them generous rewards. With such rewards, the people of Jinyang will surely follow me till death, even to the death!
If the world is peaceful like this, I can become the worry-free emperor!

ps: There are tens of thousands of palace slaves, eunuchs, merchants, Hu households, miscellaneous households, singers and dancers, and ghost seers who have become rich and noble, and there are hundreds of common people who have been crowned kings, and it is impossible to count them. There are more than a thousand government offices, and countless ceremonial officials. Twenty soldiers are in command at a time, and they are even sentenced to documents, each with a character, without a name, so no one knows who they are.

He also built a poor village in Hualin Garden, and the emperor dressed in rags and pretended to be a beggar. He also set up a market for poor children and traded personally. He once built cities in the western border areas, and sent people dressed in black to act as Qiang soldiers, and beat drums to bully them. He personally led the internal forces to resist, and sometimes actually shot people with bows. When he went on an eastern tour from Jinyang, he rode alone, and returned with his clothes untied and his hair loose. ——"Book of Northern Qi·Biography of the Later Lord"

(End of this chapter)