The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 255: Jiade Ten Thousand Years (Part )

"The Yiwu Army must respond to any imperial edict, and their loyalty is beyond words. I am now asking Gao to be appointed as the military governor. If it is not granted, will the court complain?"

It's not easy to talk at a court meeting. He is asking questions indirectly.

Li Chuo, the person involved, knew the essence of the problem and immediately understood what he meant: "The story of Heshuo is limited to Heshuo. This is a precedent established in the Yuanhe period. How come the 48 Jiedu, Guancha, and Defense are precedents that should be followed by both China and foreign countries, but the story of Heshuo is not?"

"A word of criticism?"

"If Wang Gao is not allowed to maintain his integrity, how can he betray Yiwu and his lords? He will destroy the system and undermine its foundation. I have never seen a loyal and upright person act in this way."

Li Chuo knew that the Yiwu army had done nothing wrong and had no choice in this matter. After all, if Li Keyong went to that station, he had no choice but to recommend Wang Gao. So after criticizing him, he softened his tone and characterized him as stupid: "Yiwu, as a hero in the Jingnan Campaign, should not be so confused."

But public opinion is still uneasy.

"If we talk about precedents, the Yuanhe precedent is a precedent, and so are Ke and Shifan. They were able to succeed each other as father and son, so why can't Wang Gao? If this word gets out to other provinces, won't it make them suspicious and angry?" The Minister of Rites Xiao Kuan objected, "The country is still in a difficult situation, and the imperial palace is not yet strong. We should follow the Zhenyuan era and appease the vassal states."

"Humph." Li Chuo glared at Xiao Kuan and said, "The world is ruined by the hands of cowards like you."

"Our generation?" Xiao Kuan sneered with a gloomy face, "Emperor Wenzong was influenced by the evil teachings of his left and right, and was eager to revive the country. The treacherous people took advantage of his determination, so they used his training and notes. In a few years, the country was almost in danger. Lingzi's party moved the three towns without authorization, causing the previous dynasty to spread again. You are rash and radical-"

Soon, Shangshu Zuocheng Zhao Chong, Jieshizhong Yang Yi and others all blamed Li Chao.

"Traitor!"

How could Li Chuo bear being compared to Li Xun and Tian Lingzi?
"What kind of things are these villains doing all day long? If they tolerated everything, how could we see the light today? Is it true that the only thing that officials seek is to live in peace and comfort? It's so funny that people who don't know me would think I was an official in the Southern Dynasty."

"Li Chuo!" Zhao Chong seemed to have been touched by the words. He rolled up his sleeves, leaned halfway out from behind the desk, and cursed: "Sheng Tang is under the Zhongshumen and ruled by the Shangshu. It is not your turn to dictate the affairs of the world in the Taichang Temple."

"How ridiculous!" Li Chuo refused to give in and raised his fist at Zhao Chongliang: "The imperial court is yours? In terms of origin, I am from the eastern ancestral branch of the Zhaojun Li family, a family of nobles for six hundred years, and have made great contributions to the Holy Tang Dynasty. In terms of official position, I am one of the nine ministers. Since I took office, I have done my best. I am qualified to speak on the military and political affairs of the imperial country."

"The sage sits in the Dragon Palace, judging my rewards and punishments. The ministers sit in the court and argue with me, while the eunuchs kneel in the corner and keep silent."

“Why can’t I give instructions?”

He glanced at Zhao Chong and the seats on the floor behind him and asked, "Are you the only one among the Secretariat and the twenty-four ministers who are loyal, good, and wise?"

Zhao Chong immediately seized on the opportunity and sneered, "He was so arrogant even in the palace meeting. I can't even imagine how arrogant he is in everyday life. Clenching your fist? So you're planning to fight in the Taiji Palace?"

"You think I don't dare?!" Li Chuo yelled, "What are you barking like a dog?"

There was laughter and whispers in the Taiji Hall.

Lu Yanrang, Gao Yu, Yuan Heng, Li Juchuan and other newcomers to the court were also surprised. They did not expect that the imperial court was as ugly as the vassal states, but it had a bottom line.

In the chaos, a sharp cry suddenly sounded: "Qi Tianla!!"

But the saint who was high above slapped his thighs with both hands.

The officials were shocked and stopped their buzzing. Song Ya couldn't help laughing, but she immediately stopped laughing and glared at Zhuge Yifu. Zhuge Yifu wanted to kick them out, but considering that the topic was not over yet, he pointed at Yu Gui and said, "Those who dare to make noise, get out!"

Zhao Chong sat down with his sleeves rolled up, and Li Chao also unclenched his fists with an expressionless face.

"Your Majesty, I again request that Wang Gao be given the title." Xiao Kuan, who had caused the dispute, cleaned up the mess: "Otherwise, who else can be given the title today?"

Yiwu is far from Chang'an but close to Taiyuan.

Who do you think the Yiwu Army fears more, Li Keyong or you? Do they support Wang Gao or Wang Chuzhi?
In short, you cannot provide Wang Chuzhi with enough power and security. The court's authority, strength and current situation are not enough to support the court's independent appointment of the Jiedushi of Yiwu Army. If you insist on appointing Wang Chuzhi, you have to find him a backer.

The saint was annoyed.

Granting it to Wang Gao would encourage the son to succeed the father. If not, he would have to face the suspicion of people like Zhao Kuangning and Wang Shifan, the dissatisfaction of Li Keyong and Wang Gao, and the risk of Wang Gao claiming to be a military governor and being humiliated.

As expected, among people, you scheme against me and I scheme against you.

Just when the saint was in a dilemma and wanted to skip this matter, Xiao Xiu, who had been observing the situation, said loudly: "Left Commander Zuo Zhonghou, the commander of the left army, and the envoy Xiumei, who is in front of the palace, will die!"

The Zuo Lingjun Zuo Zhonghou, whose full name is Zuo Lingjun Wei Zuo Zhonghou, has no actual official title.

The Palace Army was founded by Emperor Suzong, and was nicknamed Gongfeng Sheshengguan and Palace Shesheng. After that, it changed several times and was annexed by the Shen Ce Army during the reign of Emperor Xianzong.

The sage rebuilt this unit, but it has changed a lot from before. The rank has been raised from military to division. The chief officer has been cleared from the third-rank general to the lower-rank officers - the inspector general, the military officer general, the supervisor general, the commander general, and the instructor general. The system is in a perfect state, so I won't say much.

It currently has four armies under its jurisdiction.

The first was the Chengde Yamen troops that accompanied Consort De Liang Xiaoyao to the court. With Wang Zimei's mediation, the Zhao government dispatched a thousand households of guards to accompany Consort Liang's marriage and her family. Together with the several hundred men who stayed behind with Xiao Xiu, the total number of soldiers was 4,000, under the name Miaoyan Jinghua, commanded by Zhang Chengfa.

More than 2,000 Cangzhou soldiers were given the title of Congzhen. The commander was Yang Wanli, and Gao Xin was transferred to another position.

There were also people from Wei Bo who stayed in the court.

Under the rule of the Yajun, it was difficult for new warriors to rise to prominence. Zhu Wen was able to recruit tens of thousands of soldiers in Zibo and Qingzhou in just a few days, and the same was true for Weizhou. The fact that the three brothers Zhang Guiba, as Wei natives, specifically crossed the river to rebel against Chao also reflects this. After the Luoyang Alliance, over 3,000 Wei soldiers refused to return to their garrison with Wu Yiji.

They were mainly provincial soldiers, with only a small number of yamen soldiers.

The commander was a Taoist priest named Zhong, who was granted the title of Longqiang.

Finally, there was the Morichi Heaven. Li Renmei invited some relatives and noble sons from Ganzhou, and asked Li Renqi to select a group of strong men from the tribe and send them to the capital. The sage established it as Morichi Heaven, and at the same time ordered the northwestern counties to recruit brave men from the Han and Tibetan areas to prepare to replenish it to 10,000 people.

The current commander of Morichi is Xiao Xiu.

When they heard him speak, everyone seemed to have had their itch tickled, their expressions became excited, and they had a feeling of not minding the fun.

"Report it." The sage did not ask Zhuge Yifu to inquire on his behalf, but spoke in person.

"I accuse the Yiwu Army of being arrogant and disregarding the laws of the country!" Xiao Xiu knew that Li Keyong wanted to keep this ally in order to maintain his dominance in the north. As the representative of the interests of the Zhao family in the court, he naturally did not forget his mission and could not let Li Keyong succeed. So he raised his tablet and replied as a matter of course and without politeness: "Since the difficult times, even if Yan and Wei changed their leaders, they were generally nominated by the army, presented to the court, and then appointed Wang Yao to lead, with the governor as deputy. After observing their performance, they were appointed as ambassadors."

At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the princes remotely led the Grand Commander, Grand Protector, and Provincial Governor. For example, the Governor of Yongzhou, the Governor of Taiyuan, the Grand Protector of Anxi, and the Grand Commander of Yangzhou. In the 15th year of Kaiyuan, the title was expanded to Jiedushi - "The emperor ordered Qing, Ying, Shou, Yan... 11 princes to lead the Jiedushi of the whole country."

This practice continued after the mid-Tang Dynasty. For example, Prince Tong Chen served in Xuanwu and Hedong, Prince Qian Liang served in Shuofang, Huaixi, Henghai, and Xuzhou, Crown Prince Wenjing served in Yiwu and Zhaoyi, Prince Fu Wan served as Jiedushi of Weizhou, and the emperor also commanded Youzhou during his stay in the capital.

"How can one be appointed Jiedushi as soon as he arrives?" Xiao Xiu quoted classics and spoke eloquently: "The system of Zhengyaoling does not say that Wang Gao should immediately inherit the throne. According to the Yuanhe precedent, Yiwu is not included in the Heshuo case. Therefore, it should be rejected outright, and the prince should be made the commander-in-chief, and the deputy commander-in-chief should be appointed directly. Wang Gao can be given a third-rank official or a marquisate."

Zhao Chong immediately retorted, "Zhang Chengfeng, Wang Shifan, Zhao Kuangning, and Wang Ke all inherited their father's throne. What can we do if the Yiwu Army uses this as an excuse? The treacherous ones are wearing gold and purple, the domineering ones are crowned kings, while the loyal and good ones are being oppressed? How can the world accept this?" Zhao Chong snorted coldly and waved his sleeves heavily, "Not to mention the Yiwu Army, I don't accept it either!"

"Not convinced?" Xiao Xiu had already made up his mind. He shouted, "This is ridiculous! Just as Li Shaoqing said, if Wang Gao is not allowed to be the governor and replaced by Wang Chuzhi, then it would be a betrayal to Yiwu and the Wang family. If Wang Chuzhi is replaced, it is still the Wang family that governs Yi, and Wang Gao still has to be granted an official title as a consolation. May I ask Prime Minister Zhao, where is he sorry?"

"Does not meeting the minister's request mean being mean to him?"

"I've read all the classics and never heard of such a theory."

"This room is filled with talented people. Who can give me an example?"

"If Wang Gao demands to be allowed to enter the palace with a sword and shoes, to enter the court without bowing, and to be in charge of all the ministers, does the Sage have to agree to it? If he doesn't agree, he will be doing him an injustice."

"Li Maozhen was a loyal and meritorious official. According to Lord Zhao, when he was denied Shannan, he led his troops to the capital to plot the execution of the Grand Commandant and the dethronement of the Sage. Is that what you're saying? The court didn't agree to his request, so he should rebel."

"Zhao Zuocheng receives a stipend from a saint, yet he fights for justice for the feudal lords. Could he have accepted money from Wang Gao?"

Xiao Xiu pressed on step by step, and finally shouted: "Have you forgotten whose official hat you are wearing?"

Don't be fooled by Xiao Xiu's handsome appearance, which makes him look like a weak and yandere. In fact, he has great strength and a loud voice. When he speaks, his voice shakes the whole building and his momentum is terrifying. When this call was made, there was a dead silence in the hall, and everyone was shocked, as if their ears were hit by a loudspeaker.

color!
The saint secretly applauded. Zhao Chong, this old bastard, has always been a representative of the appeasement faction. Before the war with Zhu Wen, he had been clung to his thigh and acted like a spoiled child. After several attempts to persuade him, this guy refused to listen, so he simply let Xiao Xiu embarrass him.

Zhao Chong was speechless, his face was purple, and he could only stammer and defend himself: "I never wavered when the country was in the most difficult times. I just have different political views from the saint, so don't put a accusation on me."

Looking at Zhao Chong who was frozen in place, Xiao Xiu took advantage of the situation and said, "Now that the country has been revived, it's time to strengthen the laws and regulations. How can we let people do everything? I can't help but ask, is it the vassal states and counties that rule the court, or is it the court that controls the vassal states and counties? Well, if we keep retreating like this, in a few years, I'm afraid that the military and civilians will submit petitions to grant the nine gifts, confer titles of kingship on certain people, or abdicate the throne!"

Seeing this, Li Chao followed suit and said, "I cannot bear to see you suffer so much, please retire!"

You can hear a pin drop in the hall.

Yang Yi, Xiao Kuan and others were speechless.

Zhao Chong's face turned pale and blue, and he sat there with his head lowered, like a defeated rooster. After a long moment, he pounded his thigh and looked up at Xiao Xiu. "What if Wang Gao claims to be the governor, or even joins forces with some arrogant vassal states to cause rebellion? We have to prepare for the worst."

"I am the Left Commander of the Left Army and the Left Lieutenant Marquis, and my position is only to command the commander." Xiao Xiu said a few perfunctory words and stopped talking. If the army were to go to war, the court would definitely ask Zhao to send troops. But he could not make decisions or express his views on behalf of the Zhao family, so he did not dare to get involved in this topic in the palace meeting.

"Alright." The sage, who had been watching the show with a cold eye, finally spoke: "What you said makes sense. So, how should this matter be concluded?"

Li Chao immediately took the lead and said, "It is just as Zhonghou said. We must not sink deeper and deeper. I request that the King of Dai lead the Yiwu Army from afar, and Chu Zhi be his deputy. Wang Gao will be appointed as a certain general and the governor of a certain army, and be granted the title of Marquis of Beiping. In this way, the descendants of loyal and good people will receive the highest preferential treatment, and the country's system will also be improved. If there are still people who rebel in this way, they will be treated as Zhu thieves and meet them with force!"

"I object!" A resounding voice sounded, Wu Xiong raised his tablet and said, "I, Xiong, will report this to you at the risk of my life! Only important officials can be appointed as a general and military governor of a certain army. Who is Wang Gao? He has no achievements at all!"

Since he was granted the title of General of Chariots and Cavalry and the Military Governor of Shuofang Army, he has been extremely successful and his reputation has been extremely impressive. He doesn't like to be called Wu Qing or Wu Jiangjun by the saints and others, but only likes to be called Da Jiangjun, Wu Shuai, and Wu Gong. He thinks that he has gained all these after working in the slaughterhouse for more than ten years, so how can he share the honor with someone who doesn't have enough experience?
After saying this, he stared at Li Chao fiercely and cursed: "You want to fight with force? You guys are not fighting with your hair awls, yet you dare to speak so arrogantly!" Seeing that there were warriors opposing him, Li Chao was afraid that Wang Congxun and Zhao Fu would also sing a different tune, so he said anxiously: "The ten generals are important officials, and Wang Gao is also an important official, just one is inside and the other is outside. Why can't they be appointed? If Wang Gao can obey the imperial edict, it will be a great achievement. Is the merit established in the court the only merit?"

Someone immediately agreed: "That's right."

"I impeach Marshal Wu for using his public office for personal gain."

"..."

The crowd soon drowned out Wu Xiong's voice. Wu Xiong felt as if his mouth was covered and felt very passive. He had no choice but to seek the support of the saint and shouted behind the curtain: "Your Majesty, please say something!"

Naturally, the saint would not be willing to discuss this matter with him in person as it would easily offend him.

Glancing at the ministers in the hall, he reported the matter to the imperial court and looked at the chief of the incense table: "What do you think?"

Zheng Yanchang had seen many people killed, and he wouldn't indulge Wu Xiong. Furthermore, he was already unhappy with the sage's appointment of Wu Xiong and others as generals and military governors, believing it would embolden the military. So, he immediately responded, "The imperial court respects the vassal states, yet some people don't know how to behave. Li Chao's suggestion is sound, and I second it."

The Secretary of the Central Secretariat Lu Jian followed up angrily: "The laws of our ancestors cannot be abolished!"

Zhongshu Sheren Wei Shuo, Zhao Jia, and Li Yan raised their hands together: "We second the motion!"

Grand Minister of Agriculture Li Qun raised his hand and said, "I second the motion!"

Huaixi Jiedushi, Daocheng General Zhao Fu raised his hand and said, "I second the motion!"

Li Renmei, the military governor of Tian'an Army; Wang Congxun, the military governor of Shaanxi; Zhu Jin, the chief eunuch of the imperial court; Zhang Chengfa, the master of the dharma-sacrifice; Xiao Xiu, the left lieutenant general and the left commander; the Taoist priest Chang Qiang, and Lun Hongyi, the chief inspector, all said in unison, "We second the motion."

Zhao Chong, Yang Yi, and Xiao Kuan, eager to avoid being labeled traitors, were also forced to follow suit: "We second the motion."

Zhazhu was worried that this matter would really lead to hostility with Hedong and Yiwu, and he would be caught in the middle. On one side was his former master who had raised him. On the other side was the monarch who loved him deeply and was very kind to him. So he was extremely tormented, but with this one-sided situation, he had no choice but to raise his hand, as if he was forced to do something he couldn't do but had to do: "I second the motion."

My lord, my commander, my virtuous concubine, I am sorry. Between family and country, I must put country first.

Wu Xiong was so angry that his lips twitched and he couldn't speak.

The saint overlooked the basilica.

He didn't need to say anything. At this point, he and the court had reached the limit of what they could compromise. If his uncle continued to push his nose and face, then he would have to fight.

He collected his thoughts, already extremely disgusted with this kind of court meeting where he danced in shackles, and was eager to end it. He talked about his own affairs: "Now I have a few matters to be handled by the court."

He said this in a firm tone, so it was not a discussion but an order.

Therefore, all the ministers bowed their hands together and said, "I have heard it!"

The sage sorted out his thoughts and spoke on the Dragon Court: "To govern the people, we should control the world. We should set up well fields and assign duties and tributes, and divide counties and roads to control the Chinese and the barbarians."

"Qin unified the country and divided the country into 49 counties. Each county had a governor and a lieutenant, and the censor supervised it. Han Dynasty, because Qin's laws were not good, coexisted with counties and kingdoms. The counties were governed by 13 governors of Sili, Bing, Jing, and You. Although there were some deviations in the later Han Dynasty, it was roughly the same as before."

"After the Wei and Jin dynasties, the north and south were divided. For three hundred years, the system was abolished and replaced. When the Sui Dynasty conquered the Chen Dynasty, China was unified. Prefectures were changed into counties, just like the Han system."

"When Emperor Gaozu received the order, he changed counties into prefectures and appointed generals to border towns and border areas. He later changed the generals to governors. When Emperor Taizong ascended the throne, he divided the country into ten regions based on the terrain. Emperor Xuanzong abolished prefectures and made them counties, and Emperor Suzong restored prefectures. By the Yuanhe period, 48 regions were established, including military governorships, observation posts, and defense posts. These were called fangzhen."

"Very good."

"However, there are 400 military prefectures throughout the country, and prefectures are divided into eight ranks: prefecture, auxiliary, heroic, prominent, tight, upper, middle, and lower. Even counties are divided into nine ranks: red, second red, capital, second capital, prominent, tight, upper, middle, and middle-lower! There are also several prefectures with the word jimi."

"Some counties were upgraded to prefectures, and some were established from the population of a township. The divisions of Henan Prefecture were changed dozens of times. I consulted the records of the Jiaku Lingshi, but I couldn't figure out what land Henan Prefecture controlled and where its borders were."

"There are many such examples, I won't list them all."

"And in more than half of the states, I don't know if the door faces east or west."

"Is this something a human being could do?"

"Ok?"

The saint stared at a group of ministers in the Shangshu Province with his small eyes, his beard trembling slightly, and he was furious: "How cruel!"

"We have not changed our ways, and most of our mistakes were caused by the previous dynasty," Wang Bin, a doctor in the Ministry of Revenue, protested. It was not us who did it, and it is unreasonable for them to vent their anger on us.

"Shut up!" The saint slapped the armrest.

"Your Majesty..." Wang Bin was also very angry and raised his head to prepare for a quarrel. However, his dissatisfaction disappeared instantly after seeing the expressionless face of the saint. He lowered his head in a meek voice: "Yes."

"An eighth-rate provincial governor can also be called an envoy, a governor, or a governor."

"The governor holds all the power, whether it is the assistant, the middle or lower one. He handles the criminal justice, the imperial examination, the sending of scholars, the military, the taxation, the corvée, the culture and education, the administration of officials, and the care of the people... all in one person. Isn't this just a small-time Jiedushi? No wonder such a person dares to claim to have a great reputation after becoming a governor."

"I don't understand what the court is thinking when the prefectures and counties are governed like this."

The expressions of the ministers changed. These words were too harsh... Song Ya glanced at the saint. How could you curse someone like that?

"No prefecture or county has ever been more chaotic than the one in my dynasty."

"I can no longer bear it."

"I am angry."

"Refer to the local systems of the Han, Wei and Six Dynasties, and comprehensively rectify prefectures and counties. Abolish all provincial governors, and restore prefectures to counties. From now on, anyone who dares to advocate the establishment of provincial governors will be put to death. This is the general requirement, and the court will make the rest on its own. I will issue royal orders to assist in succession."

Wang Tuan and his ministers were listening attentively when they suddenly heard the sage calling him, "Wang Tuan?"

Wang Tuan quickly responded, "I am here."

"You are the descendant of Wang Dao. You have been taught classics for generations and have a rich family history. You are well-versed in history and current affairs. I will leave this matter to you. If anyone does not cooperate or obstructs you, please report it to me and I will show no mercy."

"I accept your order."

The sage continued, "The rituals of suburban temples are of great importance. In the Han, Wei and Jin dynasties, no virtue was without a ancestor, and no ancestor was without a temple. Good was called good, and no false praise was given. Mistakes were called mistakes, and no mistakes were concealed. Crimes were committed, and no one avoided them. As for our dynasty, it is extremely absurd."

"Before, Zhongzong was deposed by his mother and murdered by his wife, so he was given the temple name Zhongzong."

"What are the achievements of the Great Sage Xuanzhen? Who is better than Emperor Jing of Han? His temple name is Ruizong."

"The Great Sage of the Supreme Dao defied Heaven and abused the people, poisoned people and ghosts, reduced the population of the country by half, and almost destroyed the Holy Tang Dynasty, but he was also called Xuanzong."

"Emperor Dezong spent his days in a muddle and nearly destroyed his country."

"Shunzong reigned for less than a year."

"Muzong was in a daze, devoted to pleasure, and caused Xianzong to lose all his energy."

"Jingzong is unscrupulous and loves nothing more than games."

"Emperor Wenzong had no way of governing, and was exploited by others, almost leading to his downfall."

"The Emperor is arrogant, cruel, lazy and brutal."

"The ancient sages first played the music of the country's demise, and the joke of the champion in Cuju spread all over the world."

"But they all have temple names and are enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

"The emperor has three Zhaos and three Mus, and the Taizu temple has seven. Our dynasty established the nine temples, with Gaozu and Taizong as ancestors, who would remain unchanged for a hundred generations. However, those who should be moved were not, and those who should not have been included were. Now, there are over a dozen emperors in the Taimiao. This is absurd and ugly. Prime Minister Li Xi will be appointed as the envoy of rites. Starting today, we will discuss the achievements of the various emperors. Those who should have their temple names stripped, will have their names revoked, and those who should be moved out of the temple to Jiashi and Dushe will be allowed to have their posthumous titles changed. The numbering system will remain nine temples. The temple names of Taizu, Gaozu, and Taizong will remain unchanged; they will remain the ancestors who will not be moved. This must be completed before the winter solstice, without any mistakes."

Hiss... The ministers felt their scalps tingling.

After getting the eye's permission, Zheng Yanchang walked to the bottom of the throne and whispered, "It's not that I'm unfilial or anything. According to the etiquette, it's beyond reproach. What I'm worried about is that it will damage the dignity and legal system. Take Xuanzong for example. If he is really given an evil or ugly posthumous title according to the posthumous title law, wouldn't the people think that the two traitors An Lushan were right to purge the emperor's side?"

"Does it make a difference?" The saint leaned over from his seat and looked at Zheng Yanchang. "Giving him the beautiful posthumous title of the Great Sage of the Way, will it affect future generations to scold him? The emperor's beautiful posthumous title of Emperor Yizong, will it affect me and the court to be unhappy with him? The crimes of these two tyrants cannot be covered up by any temple name or posthumous title. If you give them a beautiful title, people will still scold them and hate them the same. If you take away their temple name and give them an ugly posthumous title, people will still scold them the same."

Zheng Yanchang smiled helplessly: "Not necessarily. At least more people will curse them, and over time, it may shake the destiny."

The sage shook his head. "The Mandate of Heaven was obtained by the Second Ancestor and the First Clan. They were merely emperors who inherited the Mandate of Heaven. How could they possibly waver? I secured the throne with the military might of the Five Imperial Guards and the soldiers. Times have changed. The Holy Tang was founded on warriors. This came first, then the Mandate of Heaven."

"Be at ease." The saint lowered the curtain: "My position, my power, and the mandate of the Holy Tang are more secure than Duke Zheng and the court imagine."

Otherwise, I wouldn’t dare to do these things.

Zheng Yanchang was stunned.

(End of this chapter)