Fu Shanhe

Chapter 460 Edict of Self-Reproach and Edict of Abdication

The atmosphere had built up to this point, leaving no room for maneuver for any party.

No matter what Emperor Yongning said, the officials would refute him with the "plan for the stability of the country."

In order to justify their actions, the civil officials listed numerous crimes committed by Emperor Yongning.

If it were fabricated out of thin air, Emperor Yongning could refute it, but what the other party said was all true.

At most, there was artistic embellishment, which distorted his personal image; in essence, he did indeed mess things up.

During the reign of the late emperor, people were still chanting "Tian Yuan Restoration," although that was a bit of an exaggeration, at least the Great Yu Dynasty was in a relatively prosperous era.

Aside from a lack of martial arts skills, the economy, society, and people's livelihoods have generally remained stable.

During the Yongning Dynasty, things went to the other extreme. While martial prowess was not lacking, the economy and people's livelihoods were in complete disarray.

Peasant uprisings never ceased during his reign.

Many of these problems could have been easily resolved, but under the emperor's misguided command, minor disturbances escalated into major upheavals.

In particular, this time the emperor personally led an expedition and suffered an epic defeat, endangering the country and its people.

As for the ministers' responsibilities, they were naturally glossed over.

The reason everyone is so eager to launch a coup is essentially to shift the blame.

The defeat on the northern frontier was too devastating. Jing and Li, the two officials in the court who were qualified to take the blame, both died of illness in the army, and their remains have not yet been buried.

The Jing and Li families are not all dead; they still have a lot of relatives and friends. If they want to shift the blame, they need to ask the living for their consent.

Emperor Yongning was in a hurry to convene a court meeting, actually wanting to cut the Gordian knot quickly, define the nature of the defeat in advance, and share the responsibility with the officials.

The idea is good, but the court is full of old foxes.

Everyone knows perfectly well what kind of blame can be taken and what kind cannot.

At a time like this, taking the initiative to assume responsibility would not only cost the lives of the entire family, but also bring eternal infamy upon the clan.

The nobles were unwilling to take the blame, and the civil officials were even less willing to shoulder the responsibility.

After discussing it privately, the two groups concluded that it was most appropriate to have the emperor take responsibility and give the people an explanation.

Based on past experience with coups, such actions to depose an emperor usually involve a great deal of killing.

However, the current situation is special, as the imperial court does not have any truly powerful ministers.

The bigwigs in the court were all just leaders of their own small factions, far from having absolute power over the entire government.

No one wanted to take the lead and do the dirty work of regicide.

No one was willing to express their opinion on the matter of the emperor.

After weighing the pros and cons, everyone decided to let the emperor abdicate on his own.

In any case, Emperor Yongning was unpopular; there were few people in the court and among the people who didn't hate him.

After abdicating, he confined people to the inner palace, so they couldn't cause any trouble.

As long as they weren't stained with the emperor's blood, they could continue to be "loyal ministers of the Great Yu" with a clear conscience.

With the power of discourse in their own hands, future history books will only record that "Yongning was incompetent and tyrannical, and was overthrown by the people."

The crown prince is too young to rule in the short term.

Whether the new emperor will remember his father when he takes over the reins of power is an unknown.

After all, the struggle for imperial power is bloody, and there are many instances of fathers and sons turning against each other.

Being the crown prince is a high-risk job, so being able to ascend the throne ahead of time is something to be desired.

To deny the legitimacy of a coup is tantamount to denying the legitimacy of one's own throne.

When the retired emperor becomes a threat to imperial power, even the deepest father-son bond will be exhausted.

For the sake of his own throne, the new emperor must also stand on the side of the officials and solidify the historical conclusion that Emperor Yongning was incompetent and tyrannical.

"Bastard!"

"You have no respect for your sovereign and father, and you have presumptuously instigated the deposition of the emperor. How can this be the behavior of a subject!"

Xu Zhongen mustered his courage and reprimanded him.

Political struggles are always a matter of life and death.

If the emperor is deposed, those around him will be the first to suffer.

With a foolish ruler, treacherous officials are naturally required.

Throughout history, there has never been a more suitable scapegoat than eunuchs.

The reprimand was reasonable and well-founded, but unfortunately it was meaningless.

The officials still maintained the most basic respect for the emperor.

People didn't treat eunuchs well.

"A treacherous minister has emerged!"

Minister of Revenue Lü Lingfeng was the first to shout.

When the emperor was deposed just now, they were momentarily stunned and reacted a step too slowly.

Now is the time to eliminate traitors for the country; we cannot afford to lag behind.

Upon receiving the signal, a group of upright officials rushed out and dragged Xu Zhongen away from Emperor Yongning, beating him severely.

The violent scene, witnessed by Emperor Yongning, instantly terrified him.

This was not a beating of a eunuch; it was clearly a warning to him.

By taking the initiative to "maintain dignity," everyone supports the crown prince's succession, allowing him to remain an emperor emeritus, and enabling officials to maintain their reputation as "loyal ministers."

If he wanted everyone to help him "respect his dignity," then even if the officials didn't want to commit regicide, they would have no choice but to kill him.

If your hands are stained with blood, it won't just be one or two people who die.

To avoid retaliation, the throne would certainly not remain in his lineage.

The new emperor is from another member of the royal family, and in order to legitimize his own throne, he also wants to exterminate all of the emperor's descendants.

"stop!"

"I agree to abdicate in favor of the Crown Prince!"

Emperor Yongning hurriedly shouted.

Having received the answer they wanted, the officials who had been punching and kicking Xu Zhongen immediately stopped.

Much work remains to be done to legitimize this coup.

One of the most important aspects was the abdication of the throne.

Without bloodshed, the emperor voluntarily passing the throne to the crown prince is undoubtedly the optimal solution.

When this history is recorded in the future, it can be embellished as follows:

"The emperor's personal expedition failed, and he was filled with shame and had no face to face the people of the world."

Under the persuasion of his officials, he realized that he had limited abilities and was powerless to shoulder the responsibility of governing the country.

He then issued an edict of self-reproach, abdicated the throne to the crown prince, instructed his officials to assist him, and retired to the palace to cultivate his character.

As for the issue of purging the emperor's remaining supporters, that can be left until the formalities are completed.

Emperor Yongning still has value, so we must give him some face.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The praise from the officials made Emperor Yongning blush with anger.

If he were truly wise, he wouldn't have been forced into this situation today.

Since the establishment of the Great Yu Dynasty, spanning three hundred years, there has never been an emperor forced to abdicate by his ministers.

Throughout history, very few emperors have enjoyed such treatment.

These unfortunate predecessors were all infamous tyrants and incompetent rulers in history.

The thought of his future, of being ranked alongside these people and suffering the scorn of the world, made him feel terrible.

If it were up to his nature, he would have loved to smash his head against the Hall of Supreme Harmony and die, dragging all the civil and military officials down with him and leaving a lasting stain on their reputation for a thousand years.

However, he had concerns. The officials were now forcing him to abdicate and support the crown prince's succession, which was a matter of protecting his reputation.

If people lose their reputation, they will also lose their constraints.

At that time, let alone the crown prince succeeding to the throne, the country might even have to be replaced.

"That's enough. I'm tired now and need to go back and rest."

You may write the edict of self-reproach and the edict of abdication however you wish.

After the Crown Prince ascends the throne, you should patiently assist him.

"I have seen through the illusions of the world and intend to retire to the inner palace to study the teachings of the sages, and from now on I will not concern myself with politics." In order for the Crown Prince to succeed to the throne smoothly, and also for his own life, Emperor Yongning suppressed his anger and made this promise to his officials.

……

The Zhenyuan Marquis's Residence.

"Sir, did you leave any last words?"

Looking at the coffin before her, the Marquis asked, forcing back her grief.

"Before my father died, he instructed that the Marquis's mansion should remain silent for twenty years after his death, and that we should consider entering the court only after my younger brother comes of age and inherits the title."

Some members of the clan should step aside appropriately to reduce the presence of the Marquis's mansion.

If something important happens, consult with your cousin Mu first before making a decision.

If the world changes, we will lead our people south to escape disaster.

Li Sen replied, sounding somewhat reluctant.

The front lines suffered a crushing defeat, with the noble faction suffering heavy casualties, and almost every household had to lower their sails.

Many prominent and wealthy families have fallen from grace overnight, and the Zhenyuan Marquis's Mansion is one of them.

The eldest son is too young to support the family business.

Others lacked prestige and were unable to consolidate the clan's power, resulting in a significant reduction in their influence in the court.

Powerful families are accustomed to distributing benefits based on their strength. When their strength and benefits are mismatched, a redistribution is necessary.

Giving it up voluntarily can earn you some goodwill; if you wait for someone else to come and take it, the scene will be bloody.

Of course, compared to other declining noble families, the Li family was considered to be doing well.

Even though many of their people were lost on the battlefield, their foundation in the army was not completely lost, and some of them held high positions in the court.

Even if outsiders were watching them, no one dared to make any rash moves.

By voluntarily withdrawing from the center of power, they essentially have nothing to do with the subsequent turmoil.

The Jing family, also a prominent and wealthy clan, is the biggest loser.

Not only did their clan chief die, but their foundation in the army was also destroyed in one battle.

Over a century of business, all gone in a single day.

How much of a role the remaining network of connections can still play is now unknown.

"The properties in the mansion are easy to deal with. No one will dare to make a move against us for the time being, so we can handle it slowly."

It's difficult to resolve among the difficult tribes.

There are some things we want to compromise on, but our people may not be willing to.

The subsequent allocation of political resources within the clan is an even more troublesome matter.

You three brothers need to take responsibility.

The Marquis said slowly.

Since the son was too young to handle affairs, the illegitimate son had to take charge.

Fortunately, she, as the legal mother, only disliked the illegitimate son and took the measure of out of sight, out of mind, and did not mistreat the three of them in their daily lives.

Now that we need people, it's not too awkward to order them around.

"Don't worry, madam, we will do our best to coordinate clan affairs."

If anyone ignores our advice and gets involved in political disputes, we will certainly seek help from Brother Mu.

The three of them hurriedly assured him.

In feudal dynasties, the status of the legal wife was extraordinary.

In this era where filial piety was the foundation of governance, patriarchal clan law took precedence over the laws of the imperial court.

If they have a conflict with their stepmother and are labeled as unfilial, their reputation and future will be ruined.

"Ok!"

“The atmosphere in the capital is not right. You should write to Mu’er immediately and tell him to be prepared.”

If the situation gets out of control, let him…

The Marquise suddenly stopped talking halfway through her sentence.

Some things you can think about, but you can't say them out loud, much less write them down.

She never doubted Li Mu's political acumen.

He was able to rise from a collateral branch of a noble family to become a core figure in the noble faction, and then retreat to the southeast at a crucial moment.

It's not something you can achieve simply by being good at fighting.

Essentially, Li Mu's current position is half earned on the battlefield and half won through his keen political acumen.

If any step is misstepped, one will not be able to become a core figure among the nobility.

"Don't worry, Madam. We sent a letter to Brother Mu as soon as the army began to withdraw."

He estimated that it wouldn't be long before he received the message.

With the changing situation in the capital, the noble faction will have to make a decision, and they will likely consult with their cousin Mu first.

They might even plot to bring my cousin back from Annam.

Li Sen calmly accepted the topic.

Compared to his influence in the imperial court, Li Mu's greatest influence was in the military.

After the fall of several powerful figures in the aristocratic faction, he became the only leader who could command respect from all sides.

"Stop fantasizing, nobody wants someone to be on top of them."

If the Marquis were alive, he could naturally plan this matter slowly, but now there is absolutely no possibility of it.

The aristocratic faction was also rife with power struggles.

Those noble families, second only to us, are all eager to rise to power. How could they let Mu'er come back and block their way?

Besides, my Li family has already produced a Marquis who has served as both a general and a prime minister; such illustrious power cannot be seamlessly transferred!

The Marchioness immediately shattered the three's illusions.

When it comes to family interests, alliances are meaningless.

The succession of power in the imperial court also has its own inherent operating logic.

One of the unspoken rules is that there must be a time interval between the succession of political power.

Neither the royal family nor the officials need any single entity to dominate the court.

If someone doesn't understand the rules and insists on challenging them, they will quickly become the target of public criticism and a thorn in the side of the emperor and all the officials.

……

"Madam, young masters, something terrible has happened!"

"We just received news that the Emperor has issued an edict of self-reproach."

He took the blame for the defeat upon himself and prepared to abdicate in favor of the crown prince!

The old butler said in a panic.

An edict of self-reproach is one thing, but after personally leading an expedition and suffering such a defeat, the emperor certainly has to give the people an explanation.

Abdication is no ordinary event.

As top nobles in the capital, they should normally be the first to receive news of such a thing.

Even before the emperor made the decision to abdicate, he would consult them first.

They know nothing at the moment; the news comes from the imperial court's announcement, which speaks volumes.

"Their speed of action is really fast; they don't want to give us any buffer time at all."

It seems we didn't need to leave on our own; they had already asked us to come out.

Those guys in the clan might have gotten involved too, keeping it from us orphans and widows.”

"That's it!"

"Let them do whatever they want. I want to see what kind of good end they'll get after all this trouble!"

The Marquis said indignantly.

Voluntarily withdrawing from the center of power and being removed from the center of power are two completely different feelings.

With the power of the Li clan, it was impossible for any upheaval in the capital to go unnoticed by them.

The current situation could only have arisen either because their influence in the court had been purged, or because their clansmen had deliberately concealed information from them.

(End of this chapter)