As an official, what's wrong with raising a few monsters?

Chapter 130 The new king ascends the throne and the dust settles

After the rainstorm, the court.

The vermilion lacquered threshold was covered with muddy footprints, and the morning boots kicked up undried rain stains.

The ministers came in exhausted and stood in the hall one by one.

The emperor summoned me urgently today, it seems something big has happened.

However, when everyone arrived, the Holy One sitting on the Supreme Throne was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, it was the prince, dressed in mourning, who walked in from the side door, surrounded by several important officials of his own party.

His face was pale and filled with sorrow. He said to the court officials, "Everyone, yesterday there was a heavy rainstorm, and the late emperor suddenly fell seriously ill in Xiuxin Palace..."

He pursed his lips and said sadly, "He will die!"

For a moment, even the dripping sound of the copper water clock on the eaves could be heard clearly, and the ministers held their breath like clay statues.

The news was so shocking that no one could react in time.

what?
what?
The late emperor...passed away?

Why so suddenly?

Wasn't the late emperor still fine a few months ago? He was in good health and spirits, and he could have been emperor for a few more years without any problems.

what happened?

What disease do you have?

This is too fast!
It was so fast that they had no imagination and no plan at all.

What should I do next?
Someone secretly glanced at the prince.

The people present were well versed in the art of power calculation. Xiao Yu's death was full of strangeness, and it was hard not to associate it with the prince.

However, no one spoke.

"His Majesty!!!!"

"Woooooo~"

Some who reacted quickly knelt down on the ground, their faces filled with sorrow, as if their parents had died, and they kept crying.

They are ministers, and Xiao Yu is the emperor.

Xiao Yu's death meant that their master was dead, so even if they were pretending, they had to show some sadness.

One by one... a sad atmosphere instantly swept the entire court.

Looking at the court that looked like a vegetable market and the hypocritical ministers, Xiao Zhengyang lowered his eyes, his eyes were gloomy, and he clenched his fists slightly.

He glanced to the side, and an attendant, holding a brocade letter, came before the ministers and read out, "The late emperor's will: The country cannot be without a ruler for a single day. Crown Prince Xiao Zhengyang is intelligent and astute, benevolent and caring for the people, diligent and conscientious, and a true emulation of me. He will surely inherit the throne. He is ordered to succeed me as emperor..."

The waiter's voice was clear and echoed throughout the hall, reaching everyone's ears accurately.

For a moment, everyone was shocked.

In one day, the sun and the moon have changed into a new sky.

Everyone had a different expression on their face, and their minds were filled with thoughts.

Everything is as it should be. A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. When the emperor passes away, the crown prince should ascend the throne.

A new emperor appoints new ministers, and succession means a change from top to bottom, which naturally makes some people happy and some people sad.

But all this happened so suddenly that no one was mentally prepared.

After all, not everyone is on the prince's side.

For example, the chief minister of the cabinet, Dong Zhenghong, and his cronies.

Xiao Yu practices the art of checks and balances. He cannot let Xiao Zhengyang take charge of the overall situation. There must be someone to check and balance him.

And the Dong Zhenghong lineage was the one he raised to fight against the prince.

Dong Zhenghong was basically certain that Xiao Yu definitely did not die of illness. It was most likely that Xiao Zhengyang assassinated the king and seized the throne.

This harmless prince will never show mercy when it is time to take ruthless action.

But the problem is that Xiao Yu fell too quickly and was kicked to death by Xiao Zhengyang like a stray dog on the roadside.

No news came out and no clues were left.

Xiao Zhengyang went to court to read the imperial edict, taking the initiative. Everything went smoothly. Dong Zhenghong didn't even have any information about it, and he couldn't react at all, and he was not prepared at all.

If Xiao Zhengyang successfully ascends the throne, his life will definitely be difficult in the future.

He glanced at the pale-faced prince, lowered his head, counted with his fingers in his sleeve, the jade ring left a red mark on his palm, his face was gloomy and uncertain, and no one knew what he was thinking.

Wait until the attendant finishes reading the will.

Xiao Zhengyang walked up to the crowd and said in a deep voice, "This edict is the will of the late emperor. I will obey the late emperor's will and inherit the throne. Do you have any objections?"

The ministers were silent for a while, and Xiao Zhengyang's words were waiting for them to express their opinions.

Someone unconsciously turned their eyes to Dong Zhenghong, and Dong Zhenghong also glanced to the side.

"Your Highness... Your Highness, may I ask what illness Your Majesty has?"

"Why so sudden? We are unaware of this?"

A minister stepped forward, glanced at the haggard-looking Crown Prince, then bowed his head and said loudly, "I think this matter is suspicious. Could you please have the Inspectorate conduct a thorough investigation..."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Xiao Zhengyang.

His expression was calm, neither happy nor angry, he just looked at him calmly: "Strange? What does Lord Shao mean?"

Shao Lang, the Minister of Personnel, belonged to Dong Zhenghong's faction.

Dong Zhenghong served as Minister of Personnel, Grand Secretary of Zhongji Palace, and Chief Minister of the Cabinet...

The Ministry of Personnel has been working there for a long time, and basically all of them are his people.

"Master Shao is saying that I was the one who plotted to murder the late emperor and tampered with the imperial edict?"

He knew that his father's death was so sudden that some people would be suspicious.

That's exactly what he did.

People are complex and multifaceted, and cannot be described simply as good or bad. He just wants to have a clear conscience.

Some stains are destined to be indelible.

Since someone came forward, he didn't want to try to cover up anything. He just made the matter clear and then got rid of this minister.

He used the simplest and most brutal method to shut everyone's mouths. His time was very tight and he had to do what he should do.

As for how others evaluate him, let's wait ten or a hundred years and let future generations judge him.

"This..." Xiao Zhengyang actually didn't need to do this.

He is the crown prince, and his status is undisputed. As long as the late emperor dies of natural causes, it is only natural for him to ascend the throne.

But the problem now is that the late emperor's death was too sudden and too strange. Naturally, someone will jump out and make a fuss about it.

The prince, who was usually gentle, virtuous and peaceful, seemed to have changed at this moment.

Facing Xiao Zhengyang's calm gaze, Shao Lang, who had stepped forward, felt as if a huge mountain was pressing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe.

A king cannot just be gentle and virtuous, he must also be majestic and domineering.

Beads of sweat ran down Shao Lang's face. His heart trembled, and he didn't dare to look the new king in the eye. He just stammered, "I dare not... That's not what I meant!"

"Then what do you mean?"

"Are you questioning the late king's will?"

"Do you question the successive emperors of our dynasty?"

"No... not..."

Shao Lang shook his head, somewhat unable to adapt to the sudden change of the prince.

The prince has always been a humble gentleman and rarely speaks in such a harsh tone.

Xiao Zhengyang's expression remained unchanged as he continued to stare at the man. He said in a cold voice, "Master Shao doesn't dare? Master Shao dares to question me, the Crown Prince, and dares to accept bribes from the Northern Lie envoys. What else would he not dare to do?"

Xiao Zhengyang's voice was not loud, but it sounded like thunder in Shao Lang's ears.

This sentence hit the nail on the head, it was fatal!
He trembled all over and fell to his knees.

Last year, when Liu Zhonggu came to the court, he gave gifts to this person, and it was this person who first spoke out in support of sending Mingchen to Beilie in the court.

Xiao Zhengyang knew a lot of things, but he never said anything. Now the court situation was already corrupt. Killing one person and replacing him was a waste. It was difficult for virtuous ministers to survive in this environment, so he had to find something to hold against him again.

It would be better to just keep these people with stains and deal with them when the time comes.

"This...this is pure slander!"

"That's not the case... That's not the case..."

His face was pale, his mind was blank, the wings of his official hat swayed like a candle in the wind, cold sweat soaked the front of his scarlet robe, and he mumbled, unable to utter a complete sentence: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am innocent! Your Majesty!"

"Your case is the result of a thorough investigation by the Inspectorate. Why are you still trying to argue? Do I need to slap all the evidence in your face?"

Are you clean?
Do you still dare to mention the Inspectorate?

Xiao Zhengyang's eyes gradually turned colder and his voice gradually became higher.

As he was speaking, the guards had already walked into the lobby from outside and supported the limp Shao Lang.

"Unjust... Your Highness, it's unfair..."

Shao Lang's voice gradually faded away, and the court became eerily quiet for a moment.

The new king comes to power and kills the chicken to scare the monkeys.

The new king is using this person to demonstrate the power and authority he holds to those below him.

For a moment, the court was eerily quiet.

The officials only felt a chill on their necks and exchanged glances with each other without saying a word. Everyone gradually saw the fangs exposed by the usually gentle prince.

There are few clean people here. If anyone stands up and says something disobedient, Shao Lang, who was just dragged out, will end up like this.

The prince looked extremely weak, with a deathly look on his face, but no one dared to underestimate him.

He walked step by step to the lonely throne and slowly sat down.

The throne was padded with tiger skin, soft and comfortable.

Xiao Zhengyang had imagined this moment for more than ten years, and he had imagined what expression he would have.

Excited? Delighted? Thrilled?
But now when he really sat in this position, he felt nothing.

What I do feel is an indescribable loneliness, as the pressure of the entire country falls completely on my shoulders.

Does he really like sitting in this seat?
He just felt a little dizzy and about to fall.

He bit his tongue, forced himself to stay alert, and looked down at the ministers below: "Five days later, I intend to hold a coronation ceremony and announce it to the world."

"Do you still have any objections?"

But what he said was powerful and unquestionable.

Dong Zhenghong was the first to bow and said respectfully, "I have no objection."

As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a switch was turned on.

"I have no objection!"

"I have no objection either!"

"My lord, pay homage to Your Majesty!"

Others also expressed their opinions one after another.

The new king ascended the throne and the dust settled.

At least this is the general trend on the surface, and the undercurrents behind it will happen later.

Xiao Zhengyang let out a sigh and glanced at the ministers, but he did not see the young and flamboyant man.

He shook his head and couldn't help but sigh helplessly.

Sir, on a day like today, you should at least come and take a look...

……

On the other hand, who is the person the new king is talking about?
After the heavy rain, everything returned to calm.

The yard was a mess, and Shushu looked at the withered food with a distressed look on his face.

The little paws fiddled with the charred ears of wheat, and the withered vegetable patch was reflected in Heidou's eyes as he continued to dig the soil diligently.

Inside the house, after the joke, the princess stepped forward and looked at the man in front of her with burning eyes.

"Mingchen, what time is it now?"

"What happened that day?"

Xiao Xinyue felt that she seemed to have changed a little, but she didn't know where the change was.

What happened in the rainstorm was too shocking.

If possible, she wanted this playboy in front of her to talk to her.

(End of this chapter)