Emperor Chongzhen was too extreme.

Chapter 77 The Will of the People Rests on One Person

Especially Huang Liji.

The shrewd and calculating man always harbored a vague unease about this matter.

Given the emperor's extraordinary talent, he must have considered these potential dead ends before going to Shaanxi.

But he went anyway.

Is it an overconfidence before its demise, or is it simply a matter of having enough confidence to resolve these deadlocks?

Huang Liji didn't know.

He only knew that as the Grand Secretary, his position was more conspicuous than others, so he was worried that the emperor might not have died in Shaanxi but instead returned from there.

He's most likely the first one to suffer.

Moreover, Hebei is relatively close to Beijing.

It doesn't matter if he dies alone.

If the emperor were to take advantage of the situation and attack the Huang family behind him, he would become a sinner for all time.

It is our responsibility to carry on the family legacy.

This is a compulsory course for scions of aristocratic families from a young age.

With many concerns, Huang Lijie interrupted everyone: "Simply cutting off the retreat route to Shanxi and stopping the supply of grain may not be enough to guarantee safety."

As soon as he finished speaking, someone jokingly asked, "Has the Grand Secretary been frightened out of his wits by the Emperor's recent actions?"

"Beset by internal and external troubles, how could the emperor escape unscathed? Does the Grand Secretary really regard the emperor as some kind of chosen one?"

Smiles appeared on everyone's faces, but Huang Liji still spoke calmly and steadily:

"Gentlemen, have you ever considered that a new emperor, after only a month on the throne, would be able to suppress all officials and travel outside the palace? Have you ever considered that those members of the imperial faction would still be completely suppressed after the emperor left the capital?"

"So isn't it only natural to worry?"

This statement immediately garnered support from Li Guopu.

Li Guopu was also from Hebei, and compared to the aristocratic families in the south, he was even more afraid that the emperor would really come back to kill them.

Everyone was taken aback.

Then he began to carefully consider Huang Liji's words.

The emperor's many actions were indeed beyond everyone's expectations.

But this time it's different.

This time, the emperor led a mere few thousand men to the turbulent Shaanxi.

With their combined efforts, even the emperor would inevitably meet a tragic end.

However, out of caution, someone still tentatively asked:
"What does that Minister Huang mean? Does he want to add fuel to the fire in Shaanxi?"

Huang Liji nodded and said, "Try to persuade the Shanxi merchants to cooperate with us and let the foreign tribes in northern Shaanxi enter the pass. Only in this way can we truly make that person unable to escape."

This statement came out.

Except for Li Guopu, who did not express a clear opinion, everyone else immediately and firmly opposed it.

"Your Excellency Huang is joking. The Shaanxi region is not a monolithic entity. When the news reaches the Emperor's ears, we might end up losing more than we gain, and all our efforts could be in vain."

"Besides, it's easy to invite a god but hard to send him away. If we really let those barbarians in, things will get out of control."

“The Shanxi merchants still wanted to do business with the Jurchens, but they couldn’t possibly agree to that.”

Faced with a barrage of opposition.

Huang Liji could only sigh helplessly.

There's no way around it; your perspective is determined by your position.

From his perspective, he was terrified that the emperor would successfully return to the capital.

Even if Shaanxi were to be swallowed up by the Mongols or the Jurchens, that remote border region would not affect the capital city thousands of miles away.

But if the emperor successfully returns to the capital, he will truly die.

So no matter how great the cost, he only thought about getting rid of the emperor first, and dealing with the others later.

However, it was clear that everyone was firmly opposed.

Huang Lijie could only sigh and then said, "Since you all disagree, let's proceed as we just decided."

“Write a letter back to Qiao Yingjia and tell him that we will make preparations with the Shanxi merchants in the coming days.”

"Once Shaanxi is in complete chaos, we will fully support him."

"After it's done, I'll guarantee them wealth and prosperity for three generations."

Everyone nodded, agreeing with the method. A secret letter was then sent from the capital, carried by fast horse to Shaanxi.

While the civil officials in the capital were plotting to assassinate the emperor.

The royalists, of course, were not idle either.

Recently.

Before His Majesty departed, the benevolent policies for the well-being of the people were being implemented slowly but steadily in other areas near the capital.

The Beijing garrison is now vastly different from what it used to be.

The old, weak, sick, and disabled were all purged, and in their place came thousands of able-bodied young men from good families who had received favors from His Majesty and had a heart full of patriotism.

During daily drills at the Beijing garrison, Zhang Weixian would always shout the phrase, "May the Celestial Empire prosper and the barbarians be subdued!"

Upon hearing this prophecy that had already spread throughout the capital, the soldiers were so inspired that they trained diligently every day.

While these developments wouldn't transform the Beijing garrison into an elite force in a very short time, they certainly showed some promise.

In conclusion, things are thriving!
Shaanxi.

Inside the city walls of Xi'an Prefecture.

The public sentiment has undergone tremendous changes since the beginning.

The killing of the person who filed a complaint with the emperor has, after several days of fermentation, completely ignited the anger in the hearts of the people.

Not to mention that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was also involved in stirring things up, intentionally directing public opinion towards the Prince of Qin's residence.

The people in the city had already suffered greatly from the evil servants in the Prince's mansion, so the fire in their hearts was easily ignited.

You bully us when the emperor isn't here, but you still dare to bully us so blatantly when the emperor is here.

They even dared to attack and kill those who came to the emperor to file a complaint.

Did the emperor's trip come for nothing?
Even under these circumstances, Zhu Youjian still did not take any further action.

Because he is waiting.

He was waiting for the King of Qin to launch a counterattack, and also waiting for public opinion to continue to ferment.

Zhu Youjian wanted more than just the life of the Prince of Qin.

It's too simple.

What he wanted was to use the King of Qin's life to completely ignite the fire in the hearts of the people.

He then used the embers of this fire to build a new, fanatical army to handle border affairs.

Because Zhu Youjian knew very well that the Shaanxi border defenses were completely unreliable at present.

However, if we want to fully revive Shaanxi, border defense is of paramount importance.

Then the King of Qin will have to suffer.

Ever since.

A new voice has emerged in public opinion:
The emperor did not make a decision because the disaster situation in other parts of Shaanxi was severe.

The emperor has been pondering how to save the people's livelihood in recent days, and at the same time, he is considering the overall situation, which is why he has not taken action.

As soon as the rumor appeared, it spread among the people in an instant.

Amidst their anger, the public couldn't help but feel a sense of grief upon hearing the news.

why? !

Why is it that after finally getting an emperor who treats us like human beings, we have to be treated like this by others?!

What exactly did we do wrong?
What did the Emperor do wrong this time?
Amidst a mix of anger and grief.

Some people have already begun to spontaneously gather outside the Qin Prince's Mansion.

Simultaneously.

These people dared to stare at the gate of the Prince's Mansion with such hatred.

When a group of people becomes a collective, that collective develops a certain consciousness.

Once this consciousness begins to expand from the bottom up, the entire group will be unable to engage in much thought.

This is the fanaticism caused by the collective unconscious.

Just like what the people in Xi'an are experiencing now.

Faced with this series of frantic actions, the King of Qin will surely retaliate in fear.

(End of this chapter)