Fu Shanhe

Chapter 425 The Melee at the Court Assembly
"Lord Duke, General Yuan, General Wei, General Zhu... are outside requesting an audience."

When high-ranking military officials came to him, Jing Guoliang knew the news had spread.

We're all in the same boat, and now that a fellow soldier has been framed and killed, we naturally have to stand up and demand justice.

If you don't stand up today, when something similar happens to you tomorrow, no one will speak up either.

"Bring them in."

Jing Guoliang said expressionlessly.

Let him make a scene; he was seething with anger too.

……

"Lord Duke, treacherous officials are in power at court, which has led to the dispatch of 50,000 troops to come to the aid of the emperor..."

Before everyone could finish speaking, Jing Guoliang waved his hand to interrupt.

"Alright, I understand everything you're saying."

Not only do you harbor resentment, but I am also feeling very heavy-hearted.

But no matter how angry he was, he had to wait until he returned to the capital to deal with it.

The northern barbarian cavalry wreaked havoc, and Tongzhou and the capital were effectively separated.

We can't just ignore the enemy's threat and force our way towards the capital!
"If you have any ideas, submit them to the court yourself; I will not stop you."

While seemingly advising everyone to exercise restraint, it actually adds fuel to the fire.

Having said all that, no one could refuse to submit a memorial.

At the critical moment when the northern barbarians besieged the city, a group of generals in the loyalist army submitted memorials demanding justice.

Even if it wasn't a forced abdication, it was no different from one.

Neither the emperor nor the officials in the court could ignore the generals' attitude.

"Lord Duke, simply submitting memorials to impeach him will probably not be very effective."

"What should we do to seek justice for our fallen comrades? Can you give us a plan?"

Yuan Zefu stepped forward and said.

Political struggles involve many issues that need to be considered.

A disorganized group can't amount to anything.

Even if you're going to make a scene, you need a plan and a clear objective.

If we let everyone do their own thing and make a mess of things, it will only disrupt the court and have no real effect.

"Articles of association? What articles of association are there!"

"The court is now controlled by those treacherous officials; whatever they say goes."

His Majesty has been deceived and refuses to listen to advice; I am powerless to help him.

Everyone, please go and rest for now. We'll let you know once we have a plan.

Jing Guoliang said, feigning anger.

Ordinary people can speak harshly and express their personal stance without any scruples, but the big shots can't.

If we really want to take action, we need to communicate with the other two bigwigs in the noble faction before we can make a decision.

The performance in front of us is mainly to put pressure on the emperor.

To survive in officialdom, one must abide by the rules of the game.

It's acceptable to retaliate against civil officials, but it's unacceptable for them to personally take up arms and kill them.

Political purges must be presided over by the emperor.

It's unrealistic to completely crush the civil service, but their real goal is to seize more power and influence.

……

Tatar camp.

"Great Chanyu, the second batch of loyalist troops from the Yu Dynasty arrived in Tongzhou yesterday, and the commander-in-chief is Jing Guoliang, the most meritorious noble."

This man was also a veteran of the Yu Dynasty. Although he did not have any outstanding military achievements, he was highly respected in the army.

After landing in Tongzhou, they chose to set up camp there.

Tongzhou is adjacent to the capital, and the armies of the two cities could coordinate with each other, leaving no opportunity for attack.

Erd explained calmly.

After the Battle of Changping, no one dared to underestimate the fighting power of Yu's elite troops.

People went south to plunder for wealth, not to fight the Yu people. Nobody wanted to take on a tough opponent.

The myth that "one is invincible once one reaches 10,000 men" was shattered in the last Battle of Jinan.

The idea that a single commander could defeat tens of thousands of Yu's elite troops is just wishful thinking. In reality, encountering the main force of Yu's army would inevitably result in heavy losses.

"Pity!"

"If we can lure out this loyalist army and defeat them, our chances of conquering the Central Plains will be even greater."

After glancing at the map, Hugjil couldn't help but sigh.

In fact, deep down he had been planning a decisive battle with the main force of Yu's army, but he had been unable to make up his mind.

The last time the forces of Marquis Wuyang were wiped out, the Guifang allies suffered heavy losses.

If it happens again, the Guifang people will definitely give up.

Even if the Tatar army wins militarily, it will still be a strategic defeat if it sends troops into battle.

What was he after, suffering tens of thousands of casualties and wiping out an elite force of the Yu army?

Even if they were to manage to destroy the Great Yu by sheer luck, they would not be able to secure their rule over the world with only tens of thousands of troops.

From the perspective of the Tatar royal court, gradually weakening the Great Yu and sucking blood from this giant to nourish themselves is the only way forward.

By the time the giants fell, they had accumulated enough strength.

They could advance to contend for control of the Central Plains, or retreat to establish a separatist regime in Liaodong.

"Great Chanyu, opportunities are created."

The last time the Yu army marched north was the result of internal strife within the Yu dynasty.

The internal strife in the Yu Dynasty is now even more intense. If we add fuel to the fire, an opportunity might just come knocking on our door.

If the nobles of the Yu Dynasty wanted to hold the civil officials accountable, those officials certainly wouldn't sit idly by and wait to be punished.

Those officials of the Yu Dynasty would do anything for their own benefit.

Sarina stepped forward and offered her advice.

Since the rise of the Tatar people, the most crucial battles have all been won with the help of Yu Dynasty officials.

However, the officials and scholars of the Yu Dynasty would certainly not admit these facts.

They have a million reasons to shirk responsibility for their own dragging-down behavior.

"You're right, the Yu people are best at internal strife."

Just because there is no opportunity now doesn't mean there won't be one in the future.

Maybe one day they'll hand the opportunity to us themselves.

The order is to cancel the attack on the capital of the Great Yu, and instead contain the Yu army in the capital and Tongzhou.

The rest of the people went all out to loot. This time, they not only wanted to rob, but also to burn down the houses of the Yu people, causing more Yu people to be displaced.

If necessary, some of the captured Yu soldiers can be released and allowed to lead these refugees in a rebellion against the Emperor of Great Yu.

Hugjil laughed and said.

The Yu Dynasty rebels had always been their strategic allies.

Now that most of these allies are dead, the remaining Central Plains rebels are no match for them.

Then you'll have no allies and have to build it yourself.

To create millions, or even more, refugees.

Such a large group, having lost its resources for survival, could cause a huge uproar, enough to give the Great Yu Dynasty a real headache.

……

The capital city, the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The atmosphere in the main hall became solemn as soon as the morning court session began.

Emperor Yongning, who had spent the night reading memorials, was still drooping his eyelids and was only able to attend court by sheer willpower.

The situation in Beijing has been constantly changing in recent days.

The news was initially kept strictly confidential, but it was leaked to the Empress Dowager by a relative of the Empress Dowager.

During the three days in the palace, a standoff between a mother and son took place, and the situation briefly spiraled out of control.

If the Empress Dowager hadn't fainted, Emperor Yongning would almost have been forced to kneel in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

While it may seem like they escaped a disaster, in reality, they suffered a greater loss than they gained.

Just three days after his falling out with the Empress Dowager, news spread throughout the capital the day before yesterday that the Emperor had been unfilial and had angered the Empress Dowager to the point of fainting.

The fact that the news could spread so quickly shows that there are only a handful of organizations with the power to do this.

In an attempt to quell public opinion, the Imperial Guards launched a large-scale arrest operation yesterday to track down the mastermind behind the operation. However, the operation was met with resistance from several government offices in the capital.

The public opinion did not subside; instead, it caused a great uproar.

The army that came from Fujian and Zhejiang to support the emperor politically echoed the nobles and relatives of the emperor in the capital, demanding that the court execute the treacherous officials.

Judging from their posture, it seemed as if they would purge the court of corrupt officials if the imperial court didn't take action. Seeing that the fire had spread to him, Emperor Yongning, after his initial anger, backed down.

In order to alleviate his own pressure, Emperor Yongning hinted to the high-ranking officials to resign voluntarily and take responsibility for the previous events.

However, he overestimated his influence, and the high-ranking civil officials did not buy into it.

In politics, some blame can be taken, but some blame must never be touched.

The nobles and relatives of the emperor were outraged. If they stepped forward to take the blame now, they would surely be torn apart by these people.

Those in high positions still have a fighting chance, but once they lose their posts, their entire clan might be dragged down to hell.

Judging from Emperor Yongning's past practices, it would be difficult for them to receive protection if they lost their value.

Without the emperor's protection, those nobles who lost their sons would absolutely be capable of wiping out their enemies' entire families.

The civil officials did not believe that the Battle of Changping was their responsibility, which is why the atmosphere at the start of today's court assembly was particularly unpleasant.

"My esteemed ministers, is there nothing you wish to say?"

Emperor Yongning couldn't help but remind him.

With the matter escalating to such a degree, someone must step forward and take responsibility in order to quell the anger of the victim's family.

If no one else is responsible, then it becomes the responsibility of the emperor.

After all, it was he who issued the imperial edict to send troops, and he issued several of them in succession.

The nobles immediately took sides, with the Marquis of Wuyang becoming the Dayu version of Yue Fei, and him becoming the incompetent emperor Zhao Gou.

The only names missing are "Qin Hui", "Wan Qixie", "Zhang Jun", "Luo Ruji", and "Wang Shi".

Emperor Yongning felt like crying when he recalled the folk tales about him.

In all honesty, he never intended to harm Marquis Wuyang.

Even if he feared the power of the nobles and wanted to weaken them, he would not target his own uncle.

Explanation is meaningless; the family members of the deceased initially only harbored resentment towards the civil official who caused all of this.

His shady dealings successfully drew hatred from many nobles, who even resented the emperor himself.

With no leader among the noble families in the capital, each family, apart from banding together to seek justice, went their own way in private.

Not everyone understands Gu Qun's overall perspective; a few individuals, blinded by anger, acted on impulse, leading to the current awkward situation.

With the situation having developed to this point, the emperor, nobles, and civil officials were all in a bind and had no choice but to bite the bullet and proceed.

"Your Majesty, the northern barbarians have besieged the capital. We should strengthen the defenses of the capital to prevent the enemy from attacking the city."

Xu Wenyue responded without changing his expression.

He chose to ignore the emperor's gaze.

For other things, if you make him take the blame, he will.

The regent has a solid foundation, and minor issues cannot shake his power, but this time it won't be the case.

The nobles didn't name names, so he couldn't admit it either.

The emperor wanted him to take the lead in resigning and taking responsibility for the matter, but that was impossible.

Even if one were to resign from office, it could only be for other reasons, and absolutely could not be associated with "treacherous officials".

Otherwise, one's reputation, both before and after death, would be completely ruined.

"Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Xu is right. The defenses of the capital must be strengthened."

Besides military matters, we must also be wary of northern spies spreading rumors and gossip within the city.

Gu Jiaxi added.

As if receiving a signal, the civil officials sprang into action and began exchanging magical attacks with the nobles.

The nobles accused them of colluding with the northern barbarians and betraying the loyalist army.

They subtly accused the nobles of colluding with the northern barbarians and spreading rumors in the city.

During the exchange of insults, all sorts of past scandals were exposed.

Corruption along the Great Wall defense line, empty salaries in the Beijing garrison, the extermination of families of southern gentry, the dissolution of the Six Ministries... a series of problems were brought to the forefront.

Everything about it is detailed and plausible, making it very easy to trace; it doesn't seem fabricated at all.

"Zheng Yingyi, is what they said true?"

Emperor Yongning coldly questioned the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

If they could openly discuss it in the imperial court, many people must know about it; it's impossible that the secret police hadn't heard a thing.

"Your Majesty, while the ministers' impeachments may have been exaggerated to some extent, most of them are true."

Zheng Yingyi answered with a nervous expression.

Deep down, he couldn't help but curse.

The emperor is completely unable to distinguish between primary and secondary matters; at a time like this, how can he possibly investigate the truth?

Even if it's all true, it still has to be false.

Asking him for answers? Does he expect us to drag the entire court out and behead them?

If officials cannot be dealt with according to the law, the lid is lifted, and the last fig leaf of the court is torn off.

All sorts of dirty deeds that used to have to be hidden and concealed are now suddenly exposed, which makes people wonder how they will view the court.

"Truly a good subject of mine!"

"The court is full of corrupt officials; no wonder the country is in such a mess!"

As soon as Emperor Yongning uttered his words, the expressions of the assembled officials changed drastically.

I knew the emperor was unreliable, but I didn't expect him to be this unreliable.

If everyone has become corrupt officials, then what about the emperor who employs everyone?
A strategy that kills eight hundred enemies but loses a thousand of your own is something no one knows how to comment on.

"Your Majesty, there are no corrupt officials in the court. These are all hearsay and should not be taken seriously!"

Xu Wenyue hurriedly reminded him.

Unless we can replace everyone today, it's best not to label people.

Even if most of the things are true, they must still be false.

"Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Xu is right. All the officials in the court are virtuous ministers, and these are mostly slanders by petty people."

If one insists on naming corrupt officials, those rebellious warlords barely qualify.

Lai Yaohua's words sent a chill down everyone's spines.

Before Emperor Yongning could express his opinion, the enraged nobles rushed forward and began punching and kicking Lai Yaohua.

Anyone who's been involved in politics knows that once you start proving your innocence, you've already lost ninety percent of the time.

The fact that both sides preferred to expose each other's shortcomings rather than stand up to explain themselves during the previous struggles is the final proof of this.

Lai Yaohua's words were undoubtedly an attempt to steer the nobles toward a debate style he was familiar with.

Unfortunately, he overlooked the anger that had been building up in the other party, which led to the court debate turning into a physical fight.

Seeing that the nobles had started fighting, the civil officials, who had a numerical advantage, were not to be outdone and joined the melee.

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Emperor Yongning not only failed to issue an order to stop it, but instead watched the show from the sidelines.

When conflicts cannot be resolved, a fight may not be a bad solution.

Although this will exacerbate the conflict between the civil and military officials, at least it can absolve him of his imperial responsibilities.

As it turns out, numbers are not the main factor in determining victory in a brawl.

In the blink of an eye, the civil officials were at a disadvantage in the melee.

The elderly Xu Wenyue was pushed by someone and crashed headfirst into a pillar in the main hall, causing blood to splatter everywhere.

"It's fatal!"

The exclamation startled Emperor Yongning from his anger.

"Guards, quickly separate them!"

It wasn't the first time officials had engaged in a full-blown brawl in the Great Yu Dynasty, but killing someone in court was a different story altogether.

As a group of guards entered, the situation for the civil officials became increasingly dire.

The attempt to break up the situation was indeed an attempt to break up the situation, but it was a case of breaking up the side of the situation.

In inconspicuous places, they even secretly help to carry out underhanded attacks.

There was no other way; the emperor's personal guards were either selected from among the nobles or from the maternal relatives, or at the very least, from respectable families within the military.

Their background determined their stance.

Compared to the previous chaos, their underhanded tactics caused even greater damage.

When the crowd was separated, few of the civil officials were able to stand up on their own, and wails of agony filled the air.

The nobles who won the war, after their initial triumph, quickly realized the seriousness of the problem.

It seems they've really messed things up this time; even if they were in the right, they've become in the wrong.

"Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Xu, Grand Secretary Lü, Grand Secretary Gu, Lord Lai... have passed away."

Xu Zhongen reported nervously.

Besides Lai Yaohua, who instigated the conflict, more than a dozen civil officials also died in the chaos.

The number of wounded is in the hundreds.

The battle was the most brutal of any court assembly brawl in the history of the Great Yu Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)