Love Lock

Chapter 14 Beijing's Reaction
Meanwhile, on the other side, in the imperial palace of the capital.

Inside the imperial study, Emperor Jing paced anxiously back and forth. His gaze seemed to pierce through the many palace gates, as if trying to penetrate thousands of mountains and rivers, reaching the distant northern pass.

There, Zhao Zun, who held military power, had not yet been replaced. Zhao Zun had become a huge burden on the court, causing the emperor to lose sleep at night.

Emperor Jing was thirty-one or thirty-two years old. He was not particularly handsome, had an ordinary temperament, and lacked any sense of majesty. It was hard to see the extraordinary demeanor beneath his dragon robe.

"Judging by the pace of their journey, news should have arrived by now. Why is there still no movement?"

Emperor Jing asked the Prime Minister Wei, who was sitting in a chair like an old man, his voice tinged with weariness and dissatisfaction.

The reason why Prime Minister Wei could sit so casually in the Imperial Study was that he was the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince before Emperor Jing ascended the throne, and only took on the position of Prime Minister after Emperor Jing ascended the throne.

The saying goes, "A teacher for a day is a father for life." It can be said that Prime Minister Wei watched Emperor Jing grow up and was the emperor's most trusted person.

It could even be said that Chancellor Wei could sometimes influence Emperor Jing's decisions.

"Your Majesty, please don't be anxious. Regardless of whether the Turks' second invasion after winter is true, we should just delay raising supplies. The supplies regularly distributed by the Ministry of War are not enough to support the war, and Prince Xiaoyao won't last long. If he doesn't cooperate, we can wait until he runs out of supplies and is exhausted, then have Cao Xiong take him down with an imperial edict."

Prime Minister Wei spoke calmly and slowly, picked up the teacup beside him, took a sip, and put it down again.

"Hmph! The Turks are already short of food and clothing, and I absolutely do not believe they will invade again after winter. It must be that Zhao Zun is making excuses to delay and is unwilling to hand over power back to the capital."

The Zhao family, father and son, have been guarding and managing the northern pass for two generations. The current Zhao family army only knows Zhao Zun and not the imperial court, which is suspected of being abusing their power.

The title of "King of Leisure" was a stopgap measure devised by Emperor Jing after much painstaking effort.

He hoped to exchange this carefree and unrestrained title for Zhao Zun's military power, allowing this highly decorated general to return to the capital and enjoy wealth and honor.

However, two months had passed since the imperial edict conferring the title of prince was sent to the border, yet Zhao Zun had not responded. Instead, he sent urgent messages to the court requesting provisions. This infuriated Emperor Jing.

Prime Minister Wei was well aware of Emperor Jing's feelings at this moment, and he also understood Zhao Zun's situation at the border.

Prime Minister Wei stroked his beard and shook his head slightly.

"Your Majesty, although Zhao Zun holds great military power and commands respect from all sides, he must also be well aware of the principle that great merit can overshadow the emperor. If he easily relinquishes his military power, he may find it difficult to protect himself upon returning to the capital. Furthermore, the situation on the border is complex. If he leaves, who will guard it? These are all issues that Zhao Zun needs to consider. Give him more time! This old minister believes he will think things through."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jing's expression softened slightly, but he still asked with some reluctance, "Then, in the Prime Minister's opinion, what should I do? We can't just keep waiting like this, can we?"

The Prime Minister pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Your Majesty, I believe it would be wise to send another minister with substantial gifts to the border to demonstrate Your Majesty's sincerity and determination to Zhao Zun. At the same time, this opportunity can also be used to understand the actual situation at the border and provide a reference for future decisions."

Do they expect an emperor to show his sincerity?
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jing frowned, feeling a sense of being controlled. He was clearly the emperor, so why should his soldiers obey Zhao Zun?
"No, that would make it seem like I need his help." Emperor Jing clenched his fist angrily and continued, "The two passes in the southeast have been successfully taken over, which shows that the garrison commanders at the two passes have no ulterior motives. What is Zhao Zun trying to do by dragging this out? Does he really intend to rebel?"

"Your Majesty, now that you are the emperor, you should always reflect on yourself. Impatience and rashness are the greatest taboos for an emperor!" Prime Minister Wei, as Emperor Jing's teacher, did not forget to give him this advice at any time.

"But this is obvious," Emperor Jing said indignantly, panting heavily. "We are both military generals of the Great Jing Dynasty, so why can others relinquish power to the court, but Zhao Zun cannot? It's clear he's not of one mind with the court." "Sigh!"

Prime Minister Wei sighed softly, feeling a sense of helplessness, like playing the lute to a cow.

He couldn't help but mutter to himself: So impatient, he has no bearing of an emperor at all. I don't know why the late emperor chose him as the crown prince in the first place.

"Your Majesty, the garrison commanders of the two southeastern passes are both advanced in years. Your Majesty has offered them high-ranking positions and generous salaries in exchange for their return to the capital to enjoy a comfortable life. The border is a tough place, and the two commanders are naturally happy to go along with it." Prime Minister Wei patiently advised, "However, Zhao Zun is in his prime, and Your Majesty suspects that his achievements are too great and that he is becoming too powerful. He should consider things more broadly."

"Can you blame me for being suspicious?" Emperor Jing glared at Prime Minister Wei with displeasure and coldly reminded him, "As the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, or rather, the Imperial Tutor now, you should always be on my side."

Emperor Jing rarely spoke to Prime Minister Wei in this tone. These words made Prime Minister Wei feel uneasy. He straightened up and opened his mouth as if to say something, but after thinking about it, he finally closed his mouth.

Emperor Jing continued pacing back and forth, venting his anxiety.

"Don't think I don't know. The entire court is secretly spreading rumors that Zhao Zun is brave and skilled in battle, and that with him guarding the northern pass, foreign enemies dare not invade. They also say that if it weren't for Zhao Zun and his son, our Great Jing Dynasty would have ceased to exist long ago."

Prime Minister Wei remained silent, calmly watching Emperor Jing sway back and forth in front of him.

"It's one thing for his merits to be too great and threaten the emperor's position, after all, Zhao Zun's illustrious military achievements are there for all to see. But he was rewarded for his great victory over the Turks in the autumn, and I have bestowed upon him the title of Prince of Xiaoyao, along with a large amount of gold and silver treasures, and ordered him to return to the capital to enjoy his newfound wealth. He should be grateful for the emperor's great favor and immediately get back to the capital."

At this point, Emperor Jing was no longer just anxious; he became more and more agitated as he spoke, wishing he could immediately take up his sword and behead the disobedient Zhao Zun.

"But Zhao Zun was not grateful at all. Instead, he lied and said that the Turks had invaded the border again and asked me for the army's provisions."

Emperor Jing had already strolled past Prime Minister Wei, but suddenly turned around and moved closer to him. Like an angry cheetah, he stared intently into Prime Minister Wei's eyes.

"What does he need so much grain for? He commands a large army, yet he uses this as an excuse to hoard grain. Isn't this tantamount to using military power to his advantage and plotting a rebellion?"

Prime Minister Wei was startled when he saw the face that suddenly appeared in front of him, and instinctively leaned back.

"Then what does Your Majesty... what does Your Majesty wish to do?" Prime Minister Wei's lips trembled, and his voice shook slightly.

Emperor Jing withdrew his gaze, straightened up, and clenched his fists tightly with a cold expression.

"No, I can't wait any longer. Didn't you always teach me that an emperor cannot be indecisive? I will immediately issue an edict appointing Cao Xiong as the new marshal of the garrison at Beiguan, leading a contingent of imperial guards to Beiguan to transfer military power. If there is any resistance, he will be punished as a traitor."

After saying this, Emperor Jing turned around and strode to the desk, picked up a pen, and began to draft the imperial edict.

His pen moved swiftly, each stroke revealing his determination and anticipation.

Watching Emperor Jing writing furiously at his desk, Prime Minister Wei knew that further persuasion would be useless. He gently patted his heart, which had almost been terrified, and thought to himself, "Your Majesty, your suspicions are justified."

That's a very valid suspicion!
Happy Winter Solstice to all my book lovers! Time to eat mutton!