Fu Shanhe

Chapter 506: Ridiculous Farce
The Six Ministries of Nanjing.

Looking at the imperial edict in their hands, everyone's faces turned terribly grim.

The rebellion in Liaodong Town was clearly unexpected by everyone.

This is the first time in the history of the Great Yu Dynasty that a border town has collectively rebelled.

In the past, border troops would at most complain about their pay.

Distributing money and supplies can calm the morale of the troops.

In the eyes of the civil officials, Liaodong Town was merely a bit arrogant and domineering, and certainly wouldn't dare to rebel.

In previous years, many people in the court advocated supporting the Liaodong Garrison to counterbalance the powerful noble faction.

"The Liaodong garrison is plotting a rebellion, and the capital is in imminent danger."

The imperial court has issued an edict ordering reinforcements; a strategy for responding must be devised as soon as possible.

Wan Huaijin spoke first.

Among the six ministers, the Minister of Revenue was ranked second, but he was still an imperial envoy appointed by the court.

According to the custom of the Great Yu Dynasty, when an imperial envoy went to a local area, he represented the emperor and was considered to be one level above other officials.

Given his highest status, it was only natural for him to step forward and preside over the meeting of the six ministries.

"Due to the rebellion in Xuzhou, the couriers had to take a detour to deliver the message from the capital."

If you calculate the time, more than half a month has passed since the Liaodong Town rebellion.

The situation in the capital is unclear, and we can only mobilize about 20,000 to 30,000 elite troops, mainly infantry.

If this small force were to encounter the Liaodong cavalry in the open field, it would likely suffer heavy losses.

Moreover, the current situation in Jiangnan is not suitable for withdrawing a large army.

The Ministry of War's opinion is to first ascertain the situation in the capital, and then unite with the southern provinces to jointly form an army to defend the emperor.

Minister of War Shi Qingchen spoke slowly.

Military force is a vital instrument of the state, and its use must be approached with utmost care.

The military management system of the Great Yu Dynasty mainly consisted of two lines: the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions.

Nominally, the Ministry of War was in charge of the national military officer assessment, troop deployment, and border defense planning, but in practice, its power was constrained by the Five Military Commissions.

It is true that the order to mobilize troops was issued by the Ministry of War, but before the order was issued, the emperor had to convene the cabinet and the military governor's office to discuss it.

Most of the time, the Ministry of War was responsible for military and political logistics management, while the Five Military Commissions controlled the power to deploy troops.

The power of the Minister of War in the capital was limited, and the power of the Minister of War in Nanjing was even smaller.

According to the provisions of the Great Yu Law, the Nanjing Ministry of War was responsible for managing the Nanjing garrison, military garrisons, and military defenses in the Jiangnan region.

It nominally commanded an army of over 200,000, and its functions covered both land and naval forces, including horse administration, ship administration, and post station affairs.

Unfortunately, these troops are all just data on paper.

The garrisons have been corrupt for a long time; expecting them to come to the emperor's aid is clearly wishful thinking.

The truly capable fighting force was the Northern Frontier Corps sent by the imperial court, plus at most a few thousand recruits left to guard the south of the Yangtze River.

The total force did not exceed 30,000, and was mainly composed of infantry.

Sending troops north rashly would be irresponsible towards the situation in Jiangnan.

The local gentry might betray us no sooner or later than the army leaves.

"We can afford to wait, but the imperial court probably can't!"

Bai Jinwen, the Minister of Rites, immediately objected.

Once the situation is clear, forming a coalition with the southern provinces will take at least several months.

Given the current situation in the capital, no one can say for sure whether it can hold out for that long.

Before they can even make preparations, the Great Yu Dynasty might be gone.

"The Liaodong army plotted a rebellion, but the border troops did not react. This is most likely because something happened in the northern border region."

The military forces currently loyal to the imperial court have fallen to an all-time low, even more dangerous than during the White Lotus Rebellion.

To quell the Liaodong army rebellion, the only option is to invite the Marquis of Hanshui to come out of seclusion and integrate the military forces of the southern provinces, so that they can have the strength to fight.

Otherwise, the only option is to take advantage of the food shortage in the north and wear down the rebels with time!

Minister of Justice An Jingzhi shook his head and said.

The issue now is not whether or not to rescue the capital, but that the military forces that the Nanjing Ministry of War can mobilize are simply no match for the rebels.

The number of troops to be dispatched by the other provinces to support the emperor could only be determined based on the actual situation after the local government received the imperial edict.

Overall, it's still a drop in the ocean.

The only one capable of cleaning up this mess is the Marquis of Hanshui, who lives thousands of miles away.

Considering the distance, even if Li Mu immediately raised an army to defend the emperor after receiving the imperial edict, it would still take several months for the army to arrive.

"The Marquis of Hanshui certainly played a crucial role in this battle to defend the emperor."

To expedite the integration of the loyalist army, we should send representatives to Annam and discuss matters with the Marquis of Hanshui.

After thinking for a moment, Shi Qingchen made the suggestion.

Whether Li Mu can be relied upon is anyone's guess.

But given the current situation, they have no better choice.

Large-scale military operations are not something that just anyone can command.

Apart from this top military figure who has the ability to integrate troops from various regions in the shortest amount of time, no one else can handle it.

"Master Shi, what you said makes sense.

On the battlefield, speed is of the essence; every day saved is a day gained.

However, the choice of this envoy probably needs careful consideration.

Wan Huaijin nodded and said.

When the sky falls, the tall ones hold it up first; right now, Li Mu holds the highest position in the army.

As a "loyal subject" of the Great Yu Dynasty, I certainly cannot be absent from this battle to defend the king.

……

Capital.

"idiot!"

"Who gave you the right to kill all the cabinet ministers?"

Seeing his cousin come to report the victory, Shi Jingfeng couldn't help but roar.

After Liaodong garrison captured the capital, killing several high-ranking officials to establish their authority was a basic maneuver.

There are techniques to killing; it's not about indiscriminate killing. You have to follow the basic rules of the game.

The cabinet ministers were all leaders of various factions in the court, and even if they were to die, they had to die honorably.

Shi Jingfeng's plan was to reinstate Emperor Yongning, then label these people as traitors and rebels, and finally kill them in the emperor's name to establish his authority.

Afterwards, the people were furious and condemned him, and Emperor Yongning was blamed.

Before Emperor Yongning has even ascended the throne, the cabinet ministers have already died on the battlefield, undoubtedly drawing a huge wave of hatred towards the Shi family.

Given this turn of events, the various political forces led by them will certainly not support the Shi family.

"Brother, the soldiers were in a frenzy at the time, and before they knew it, they had killed all the rebels who were holding the young emperor hostage."

Shi Jinghai explained, forcing himself to be brave.

He gave the order to kill without mercy, but now things are clearly very serious, so he certainly can't admit it.

Since the man died in the chaos of battle, as long as he doesn't admit to ordering the killing, it's considered an accidental death.

"Humph!"

After letting out a cold shout to express his dissatisfaction, Shi Jingfeng fell into deep thought.

"Brother, let's put the plan to kill and establish authority on hold for now!"

Without the cabinet members, using other people's heads just doesn't carry enough weight.

We do have partners in the city right now, so we can restore the imperial court's structure first.

We should wait until the situation in Beijing stabilizes before making further plans.

Shi Jinglin offered his advice in a tactful manner.

Killing the cabinet members to establish authority was not only to intimidate officials, but also to legitimize the rebellion.

To gain legitimacy, the other party must first be convicted, and then executed after trial by the Three Judicial Offices.

Only after going through a series of procedures could the world believe that what they had launched was a coup, not a rebellion.

Now that people have died prematurely in the chaos of war, the procedures naturally cannot proceed.

Forcibly labeling a dead person may seem to achieve the same result, but it inevitably diminishes the credibility of the claim.

"Hmm!" "Summon all civil and military officials for a meeting tomorrow. I intend to depose and reinstate the retired emperor."

Shi Jingfeng coldly gave the order.

The arrow is on the string and must be fired.

The uprising in Liaodong was launched under the banner of the retired emperor, and now it is natural for them to fulfill their political promises.

No matter how incompetent Emperor Yongning is, the priority is to get people into positions first.

"Brother, the Emperor Emeritus only has one living son, who was made Crown Prince a long time ago."

The emperor was deposed and enthroned in this way. According to the succession law in the Great Yu Law, the young emperor would still be named the crown prince.

It wouldn't sound good if word got out that a father was usurping his son's throne.

The most crucial issue was that the brothers below were uneasy, fearing that the young emperor, upon inheriting the throne, would carry out political purges.

Shi Jinglin offered a subtle reminder.

Political struggles are always brutal.

Especially when it comes to imperial power, it becomes a life-or-death struggle.

These high-ranking members knew that the Shi family had taken this step with the aim of seizing control of the world.

Whether it's the retired emperor or the young emperor, they are all just pawns in their hands.

But the people below don't know.

In the eyes of many rank-and-file soldiers, they were still soldiers of the Great Yu Dynasty and still held a sense of awe for imperial power.

"It doesn't matter!"

"Tell the people below to rest assured that I will handle this matter myself."

"These days, the infant mortality rate is extremely high."

None of the late emperor's children survived.

In recent years, the retired emperor also lost two princes and a princess.

Even if he is made crown prince again, whether he will live to adulthood is uncertain.

Shi Jingfeng said with a disdainful look.

The soldiers' worries only apply to times of peace and prosperity.

In chaotic times, whether a young emperor can come of age depends on the whims of others.

It is true that the infant mortality rate is high, but that is mostly due to a lack of resources and poor medical conditions.

Princes and princesses have the best material support and the best medical care, so the probability of them dying young should be very low under normal circumstances.

The frequent deaths of the children of the late emperor and the retired emperor were essentially a continuation of the political struggles within the court.

If the core interests of a vested interest group are touched, they will definitely launch a counterattack.

With the emperor heavily guarded, assassinating him directly carries an extremely high risk.

In comparison, targeting princes and princesses is much easier.

Even if the attempt to ambush failed, the child would not know what had happened.

Upon further investigation, it was initially thought to be an internal power struggle among the concubines in the palace.

Throughout history, powerful emperors, such as the founding emperors, have had a very low rate of infant mortality among their descendants.

Once the dynasty reached its later stages, court infighting intensified and factional struggles escalated, causing a sudden increase in the mortality rate of princes and princesses.

Poisoning and assassination are low-level methods; the real mastermind may have laid a trap beforehand during a palace renovation.

It could be a piece of wood, or it could be a special stone.

Even individual materials are fine, but when multiple materials are mixed together, they become a deadly poison that kills without drawing blood.

Children are more likely to be infected because they lack willpower, often reach out to touch objects around them, and like to put their fingers in their mouths.

The Song Dynasty suffered the most, with each emperor struggling to produce offspring, especially during the Southern Song Dynasty, when the extinction of the imperial line became commonplace.

Besides the emperor's fondness for alchemy, the extensive use of poisonous substances such as lead, mercury, and cinnabar as building materials in the palace was also a major cause of the disaster.

"Don't worry, brother, we know what to do!"

Shi Jinglin answered calmly.

Having a plan is enough; what everyone wants is peace of mind. What we fear most is the leader's womanly compassion.

……

The next morning, the Hall of Supreme Harmony became lively as soon as the morning court session began.

Upon hearing that the Shi family was planning to depose and install a new emperor, not only did all the civil and military officials of the capital appear in the court, but even members of the imperial family, nobles, and relatives of the emperor all rushed over.

“Since the first year of Emperor Fulin’s reign, our Great Yu has taken a sharp turn for the worse.”

The decline of the nation and the constant natural and man-made disasters are all warnings from Heaven.

The root of everything lies in the coup that took place in the tenth year of the Yongning era.

Now that the treacherous officials have been eliminated, it is time to restore order and restore the retired emperor to his rightful place!

Lü Lingfeng fired the first shot.

There were no lengthy quotations or allusions; the speaker got straight to the point in just a few words, without uttering a single word of praise for Emperor Yongning.

It's clear that supporting Emperor Yongning's restoration was not his true feeling.

After all, although Emperor Yongning was easy to fool, he couldn't withstand the many outrageous things he did during his reign, and even the Qingliu Party members were afraid of this spendthrift emperor.

But there was nothing he could do; the national treasury was empty, and his position as Minister of Revenue was far too awkward.

Since the Qingliu Party chose to cooperate with the Shi family, they naturally had to show sincerity.

Leading the charge to ask the young emperor to abdicate and then supporting the restoration of Emperor Yongning was his way of offering his pledge of allegiance.

"absurd!"

"You claim to be well-versed in the classics, yet you can't even remember etiquette. You might as well just slit your own throat and commit suicide!"

The absurd drama of sons inheriting their fathers' jobs and fathers succeeding their sons has only occurred once in the entire history of China.

As for the fate of that Queen Zhuang of Wei, who violated human ethics and forcibly seized the throne, I don't need to elaborate, do I?

Li Heng was the first to retort.

After waiting for so long, the opportunity has finally arrived.

There is a complete set of rituals and laws governing the succession of imperial power. Once the throne is passed down, it cannot be taken back at will.

The Shi family's insistence on "father succeeding son" is a complete violation of traditional etiquette and law.

Standing up to uphold etiquette and oppose the Shi family's plan is entirely justified.

"You old fool, how could you possibly understand fate..."

Before he could finish speaking, a loud slap rang out, leaving Lü Lingfeng completely stunned.

Now the Shi family rules the capital, and these nobles and scoundrels still dare to be so presumptuous.

"Bastard!"

"The imperial court is a sacred place; how dare you act so recklessly!"

Shi Jingfeng rebuked him sternly.

After settling in the capital, he treated the nobles with great courtesy, even overlooking their serious crime of resisting the imperial army.

I thought I could win people's hearts, but I never expected that someone would still jump out and court death.

"Ha ha……"

"My Zhenyuan Marquis family has received imperial favor for generations; how could we possibly associate with a traitor like you!"

Li Heng said dismissively.

From the moment he introduced himself, he was unafraid of Shi Jingfeng's sudden murder.

Dying in a dark corner is nothing compared to dying for one's country in the public eye, under the watchful eyes of all the officials.

As soon as the words were spoken, the court officials quickly split into two groups.

Seeing that nearly one-fifth of the people appeared behind Li Heng, Shi Jingfeng instantly lost his composure.

The Great Yu Dynasty lasted for nearly three hundred years, so it's not surprising that some loyal ministers were willing to die with the empire.

I never expected there would be so many.

"You old scoundrel, are you taking advantage of my knife's poor quality?"

He regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth.

The scene before me was strikingly similar to one that unfolded in the imperial court at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

"It's alright, our swords are just as sharp!"

Li Xi's reply made the tense atmosphere in the hall even more solemn.

(End of this chapter)