Fu Shanhe

Chapter 534 The end of the road

The more scandals are exposed, the harder it is to gain public approval.

Before a new emperor has even been chosen, the candidate princes have already become infamous.

This prematurely casts a shadow over the yet-to-be-started new era of emperors.

"Lord Bai, this is difficult!"

Wan Huaijin shook his head and said.

When it comes to the succession of imperial power, it's not something that a mere second-ranking official like him can decide on his own.

With the situation having developed to this point, none of the parties involved in the competition have a way out.

Whoever makes concessions for the sake of the overall situation will be the first unlucky one to be eliminated in the new era.

No matter how magnanimous the new emperor is, he will not let those who spread rumors about him and ruin his reputation get away with it.

The emperor only needed to give a signal, and his men would rush to launch an attack.

Everyone risked their lives to gain merit in the process of joining the emperor, all for the sake of promotion and wealth.

There are only so many positions in the imperial court; if someone wants to move up, someone else has to step down first.

Regardless of who comes to power, political purges will occur.

If possible, Wan Huaijin also wanted to push the prince he supported to the throne.

Unfortunately, such things easily provoke public outrage.

The court is now basically divided into three factions. If he dares to show any sign of forcibly installing a new emperor, the other two factions will unite to remove him first.

"No matter how difficult it is, we must do it. The long-term vacancy of the throne has led many people to have inappropriate thoughts."

If this continues, the country may cease to exist!

Bai Jinwen offered a subtle reminder.

Compared to the ambitions of the regional princes and noble families, he was more worried that Li Mu would develop inappropriate ideas.

The loyalist army's great victory over the Liaodong rebels coincided with the peak of Li Mu's prestige.

If nothing unexpected happens, it won't be long before they can march north and recapture the capital.

For the civilian government, the war has already gone on long enough.

Continuing the Northern Expedition would only result in inheriting a mess and increasing the burden on the imperial court, which would be of no benefit whatsoever.

Unfortunately, the Northern Expedition to the capital was politically correct, and unless the emperor issued an edict to stop it, no one could bear the blame.

Now that a new emperor has not yet been established, and Li Mu wants to lead his troops on a northern expedition, they don't even dare to say "no".

After Li Mu recaptures the capital, his prestige among the court and the public will rise even further.

If the situation develops to that point, even if Li Mu has no ideas, his generals will.

Neither the remaining troops of the Beijing Garrison nor the northern border troops would oppose his ascension to the throne.

If Li Mu succumbs to temptation and becomes a powerful figure in the northern capital, their southern court will be in an awkward position.

"Let's discuss it at the morning meeting. If that doesn't work, then we can all vote to resolve it."

Wan Huaijin sighed and said.

Passing the buck to the imperial court is undoubtedly a way to shirk responsibility.

The more officials involved, the less efficient the decision-making process becomes.

The idea of ​​resolving the issue through a vote by all officials seems like a perfect solution, but in reality, it is simply not feasible.

Since it's a vote, the issue of weighting comes into play.

Cabinet officials and lower-ranking, idle officials of the fifth or sixth rank should not have the same voting rights.

If officials in the capital participated in the vote, should local officials also be given the right to vote?
The civil officials have been given the right to vote, so the military officers can't just ignore it, can they?

If power is granted equally, it will undoubtedly greatly erode the power held by the people.

However, if these people are not given power, the new ruler elected by vote will not gain the approval of the people.

If the military or local governors have their own ideas and do not recognize the new emperor they have chosen, then all the previous actions will become a joke.

“The matter of bringing it up for discussion in the court is by no means something that can be accomplished overnight.

We're in a hurry, so let's draw lots to decide.

Shi Qingchen said with a helpless expression.

To outsiders, politics is a lofty and prestigious thing, but for those directly involved, it's just that—nothing special.

Decisions made by drawing lots may seem very hasty, but they happen quite often in real life.

When faced with a difficult decision that requires immediate action, sometimes drawing lots can be an efficient way to make a choice.

"Nonsense!"

"Lord Shi, I am choosing a ruler for a country, who must possess both virtue and talent."

How can we decide this so hastily by drawing lots?

If a mediocre ruler is chosen and the country is thrown into chaos, we will all be remembered with infamy for eternity in history!

Bai Jinwen was the first to object.

Doing this normally is fine, but not now.

The outside world is watching them, and no matter how discreetly they try to hide it, it's inevitable that word will leak out.

He could concurrently serve as Minister of Rites, but if any rumors were to circulate, he would be the one who would be most criticized in the future.

"Since Lord Bai strongly opposes this, then I have no choice."

There is no specific standard for what constitutes both moral integrity and professional competence.

If things continue like this, before a new emperor even takes the throne, the reputation of the Great Yu imperial family will be ruined.

At that point, we'll probably have no choice but to abandon all the vassal kings and select someone of impeccable lineage from among the imperial family.

Shi Qingchen said irritably.

His words, spoken in a fit of pique, caused quite a stir among the crowd.

A prolonged stalemate is not good for anyone.

Rather than continuing the conflict, it would be better to choose a new ruler who has no connection with any of the parties involved.

Although this way the credit for establishing someone is shared by everyone, meaning no one actually gets anything, no one is at a disadvantage.

After a new emperor ascends the throne, there is no need to lavishly reward meritorious officials, nor is it necessary for anyone to vacate their positions, thus maintaining the stability of the court.

The only problem is that this newly enthroned emperor lacks a solid foundation in the court.

For a long time to come, they will be weak emperors.

For the Great Yu court, this was a disadvantage; but for the cabinet ministers, it was their greatest advantage.

Imperial power and the power of the prime minister have always been a seesaw.

Almost instantly, everyone made the same choice: to support the "young ruler".

They were all old foxes who had been navigating the court for a long time, and even though they had their own plans, no one dared to bring them up first.

……

Capital.

"Grand Commander, the enemy is advancing with overwhelming force; the situation is likely dire!"

Tian Jingren said with a worried expression.

Since ancient times, elite troops have often been stationed on the frontier, and the Great Yu Dynasty was no exception.

The Liaodong Army was one of them, and now they are being attacked by their fellow border troops.

They initially didn't take the enemy seriously, after all, the border troops heading south looked like a bunch of beggars.

Due to a long-term lack of supplies of money, food, and materials, many of the muskets and cannons in the hands of the border troops have become mere firewood.

However, a few days ago, the Southern Court sent them supplies.

After receiving the money and supplies, the border troops, whose morale had been low, were instantly revitalized.

To make matters worse, the main force of their own army had just suffered a major defeat at the front.

Despite the repeated claims that it was just a minor setback and that they were temporarily withdrawing to regroup, such deceptive nonsense can only fool idiots.

From the worried eyes of the Shi family generals who remained behind, he sensed a dangerous opportunity.

"Stop talking nonsense!"

"A bunch of starving ghosts, what's there to be afraid of!" Shi Jingbo rebuked righteously.

Some things are best kept to yourself; you must never tell anyone.

As the Grand Commander left behind, he was filled with bitterness!

The Northern barbarians promised to help them contain the border troops, but in the end, a large number of border troops still went south to seek revenge on the Shi family.

Because these guys blocked the door, he was unable to send troops to provide support after receiving news of the major defeat at the front.

Now we can only hope that the main force can survive as much as possible, otherwise the Shi family will be in danger.

"Grand Commander, the capital city is heavily fortified, and it will certainly not be easy to attack it from the outside."

However, there were still a large number of unstable elements in the city.

Once the enemy launches an attack, the local bullies in the city will surely respond, and then we'll be attacked from both sides."

Tian Jingren calmly explained.

He hadn't forgotten the massacre of his entire clan by the nobles over there.

Given the enemy's overwhelming strength, he had no choice but to endure.

After the Liaodong army rebelled, he saw an opportunity and immediately chose to join them.

Unfortunately, the Shi family had reservations, and apart from the massacre when they first entered the city, they mainly tried to win over the nobles afterwards.

Fortunately, all these efforts were wasted on the blind; the nobles simply didn't buy it.

Apart from a very few nobles who responded to their goodwill, most of the nobles accepted the gifts and rewards without question, but evaded any political issues.

It seems they've made up their minds to remain neutral in this round of power reshuffling.

As an opposing force, the noble faction's neutrality was itself a form of support for the Liaodong Army, so the Shi family did nothing further.

Unfortunately, the honeymoon period was short-lived. As Li Mu raised the banner of loyalty to the emperor in the south, the troops of the nobility in various places quickly responded.

By taking concrete actions, they declared to the outside world that the nobles were the most steadfast royalists and were determined to fight the rebels to the death.

Even with hostages in their hands, the Shi family couldn't force the generals from the noble families to back down.

Coercion and enticement had no effect; when it came to actual combat, the enemy showed no mercy.

This clear-cut stance of taking the opposite side is continuously wearing down the patience of the Liaodong army's high command.

Seeing that the opportunity was ripe, Tian Jingren decisively chose to step forward and add fuel to the fire.

The noble faction slaughtered his entire Tian family, so naturally he wanted to retaliate, and the Shi family was undoubtedly the best target.

"You mean to preemptively purge the city's nobles, civil officials, and aristocratic families?"

"inappropriate!"

"Don't underestimate these people just because they are mostly useless; they wield considerable political influence."

If we kill them, the reputation of the Shi family will be utterly ruined!

After a moment's thought, Shi Jingbo immediately refused.

From a personal perspective, he also wanted to eradicate these unstable elements completely.

But if you really do that, you'll make a lot of enemies.

Not only would the nobles fight them to the death, but the gentry of the land would also not let the Shi family off the hook.

From now on, no matter where Dayu is, it will face resistance from local forces.

In terms of political impact, it is only slightly less serious than "regicide".

"Grand Commander, things are different now than they used to be; the situation has changed."

Whether we take action against these people or not will not affect the development of the situation.

Lan Qingfeng, standing to the side, added insult to injury in a subtle way.

Other forces didn't bother slaughtering nobles and officials because they were afraid that taking extreme measures would ruin their reputations.

For the Shi family, these are no big deal.

His reputation was already notorious, to the point that everyone hated him, and his reputation was so stable that there was no room for it to decline.

Whether there is one more blood debt or one less blood debt, it will not affect the development of the situation.

"Hey!"

Having finally broken through the last barrier, Shi Jingbo was left speechless with despair.

When they first arrived in the capital, many people in the city welcomed them. But in just over six months, the Shi family became the enemy of the world.

Looking around, there wasn't a single ally that could be considered a force to be reckoned with.

Even the peasant armies active in the northern lands despised their behavior.

They sent people to form an alliance, but were all refused.

There was no other way; the Liaodong army had been too ruthless in suppressing the peasant armies a few years ago.

Other troops that quelled rebellions would capture a large number of prisoners of war, who would then be exiled to Lingnan by the imperial court.

The Liaodong army was the most bloodthirsty, and the peasant soldiers who fell into their hands eventually became their spoils.

According to the military merit system of the Great Yu Dynasty, the merit of killing heads was greater than that of capturing prisoners, and the Liaodong Army really benefited a lot from this.

The more comfortable things were before, the heavier the backlash will be now.

"This matter is of great importance and cannot be decided in a single sentence."

Send people to investigate secretly and see who is so audacious as to collude with the enemy forces outside the city.

Any misconduct discovered will be met with immediate and swift execution!

After steeling his resolve, Shi Jingbo gave the order.

The plan was to make an example of someone, but unexpectedly, this delegation of power triggered a massacre that shocked the world.

To entrust such a task to the remnants of a prominent family in Jiangnan is clearly an attempt to let them settle personal scores.

However, Shi Jingbo was clearly not thinking that far ahead at the moment; he only wanted to quickly stabilize the situation in the city.

If these people were to launch a coordinated attack from within and without when the border troops besiege the city, losing the capital would be a huge problem.

It is true that the border troops outside come from the frontier regions, but the core generals inside are all sons of noble families. For these people, returning to the capital is like returning home.

Once the capital falls into the hands of these local tyrants, Beizhili will soon become an impregnable fortress.

Border troops blocked their way ahead, while loyalist armies pursued them from behind.

Having suffered a defeat, the Liaodong army had virtually no chance of safely retreating back to its stronghold.

"Rest assured, Grand Commander, your student will certainly live up to your expectations!"

Tian Jingren answered, barely suppressing his excitement.

The opportunity for revenge has arrived.

Regardless of whether the nobles in the city were colluding with the enemy outside the city, he had to make them collude with the enemy.

Only by confirming that the noble families had rebelled could he reasonably mobilize the city's troops to suppress them.

……

"Brother, the situation is not good."

All the boats at the ferry crossing were moved to the other side.

The enemy has occupied the opposite bank and set up artillery along the Yellow River, making it unlikely that crossing from here will be easy.

Shi Jingzhong said in a flustered manner.

They fled all the way and finally reached the banks of the Yellow River.

They had hoped that once they crossed the Yellow River, they could return to their own territory and get a chance to catch their breath.

Unfortunately, plans can't keep up with changes. The enemy took the initiative and deployed a defensive line on the opposite bank of the Yellow River.

"The army that came to the aid of the emperor could not possibly be moving that fast. The enemy forces on the other side are mostly the Beijing garrison stationed in Shandong."

A bunch of stray dogs, they'll never amount to anything.

"Immediately arrange for people to build rafts and prepare to forcibly cross the Yellow River!"

In the critical moment, Shi Jingfeng showed his decisiveness.

The Shi family has been driven to the brink of destruction; they either face certain death and extermination or fight their way out on the battlefield.

(End of this chapter)