Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 1005: It was the Emperor who did it!
Strategizing within the command tent, securing victory a thousand miles away.

To be fair, the analysis and countermeasures that King Liang presented in his study were not wrong in themselves.

The strategy of "remaining still and waiting for an opportunity" can be described as an impenetrable defense, responding to all changes with constancy, and prioritizing stability, which in itself is a winning strategy.

Simply because they possessed almost all power within their own fiefdom.

He controlled the military, politics, finance, and personnel.

However, this is only "almost" all.

The Book of Songs, Minor Odes, North Mountain, states:
"Under the vast heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the earth, all people are subjects of the king."

Above the King of Liang, there is another king!

And then there's that emperor who sits in the Luoyang Palace, nominally ruling the four seas and supreme!

Although the current Emperor of Jin no longer possesses the great talent and ambition he had in his youth.

Even if he has been obsessed with immortality and alchemy for decades, as long as he has not become so incompetent as to neglect state affairs, and as long as he remembers that he is the emperor, he can still take back the power that belongs to him when he wants to!

This is especially true for a prince like the Prince of Liang, whose strength is not among the top of the many princes, whose maternal family background is not the most powerful, and whose fiefdom is close to the core area of ​​Luoyang.

If the emperor were truly determined to deal with it, he could handle it almost "at will."

Therefore, as long as one remains within this humanitarian system, one will inevitably be subject to various checks and balances from a higher imperial authority.

Xu Xuan's move was like a sword flying from the sky, with a tricky angle and ruthless force.

Bypassing all surface defenses, this sword strike pierced the supreme imperial power! It struck the Jin Emperor's most sensitive spot!
The White Lotus Demon King displayed his unique special attack attribute against kings.

Of course, most of the damage from this fierce sword strike and the ensuing storm had to be borne by the King of Liang, who had originally intended to "sit back and relax."

It must hurt a lot.

Finally, a quiet breeze began to blow in Luoyang.

Buddhist and Taoist sects, along with unemployed individuals, are working together.

Six hundred li is a considerable distance to walk. But when it comes to spreading news, especially such sensational gossip... the speed is beyond the reach of even the fastest bird.

Of course, the news may be distorted, exaggerated, or even twisted in the process of being passed on by word of mouth, but that doesn't matter. The core message has reached Luoyang, and that has achieved its purpose.

So, almost overnight, the prince from Liang Kingdom instantly became the center of attention in all the mansions of Luoyang City, and even in the inner palace, enjoying unparalleled fame.

Discussing sensational topics is a common "hobby" that transcends social class and gender.

This is especially true when it involves a high-ranking and powerful feudal prince, or even when it involves secrets of the royal family.

In addition, there are countless powerful and influential figures in the capital who have connections to the highest levels of government and are well-informed.

They knew more inside information, their associations were richer, and the more ruthless they spread the word, the more outrageous the versions became. From "attempting to crack the Golden Elixir," they gradually derived more sensational details such as "already refined an evil elixir," "using young boys and girls as a catalyst," and "women's red pills."

When undercurrents were swirling among the people and official channels were also receiving rumors, creating an ambiguous atmosphere, how could the person in the highest position not know?

Although the Great Jin Dynasty did not fully inherit the "Embroidered Robe Direct Detective" system of the Han Dynasty, it did not establish a completely independent intelligence agency.

However, it also has its own oversight system.

For example, the Commandant of the Capital Region, as an important central supervisory official, was responsible for supervising officials and people in the capital and surrounding areas. He could investigate and impeach illegal acts. His power was extremely broad, with no restrictions based on rank. In theory, everyone from the Crown Prince and the Three Dukes to the royal family officials of neighboring prefectures and kingdoms was under his supervision.

Even though Emperor Jin was obsessed with alchemy, he was not completely isolated from the world. He would regularly review the memorials submitted by important officials such as the Commandant of the Capital Region to avoid being deceived or even being "killed" silently in the alchemy room without his knowledge.

However, when dealing with special individuals like princes, there was an even more effective and direct means of monitoring them – the “dianqian” system.

This system involved the emperor dispatching trusted eunuchs or low-ranking officials to serve as "dianqian" (a type of official), accompanying princes or governors of important prefectures. Ostensibly, they were to assist in handling documents, but in reality, they were responsible for monitoring the princes' words and actions.

These officials could directly report the movements of local officials to the emperor or high-ranking officials in the central government, "holding the reins of power" and wielding immense power, which prevented "prefects or princes from monopolizing their duties."

On this day, the Sili Xiaowei Office and the Zongzheng Office, which was in charge of the affairs of the imperial clan, submitted their memorials on the affairs of the Liang Kingdom almost simultaneously.

The news brought the commotion, sparked by the rumors, to its climax.

It has been formally placed on the grand stage.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Liang, who also received news from Luoyang through special channels, had a face that was ashen and so gloomy it could drip water.

The bamboo scroll in his hand, which he usually used to calm his mind, titled "Letter to the Prime Minister," was now trembling slightly.

But this trembling did not stem from fear.

He knew in his heart that even His Majesty could not remove a prince from his fiefdom without any evidence.

Even if some "evidence" is available, unless it is an unforgivable crime such as openly raising the flag to rebel, and it involves princes of the imperial clan, many things still need to be "discussed" under the auspices of the Imperial Clan Court. The process is complicated and involves a wide range of people.

Members of the imperial family are always different from officials outside the capital. At this moment, anger filled my heart!
He was angry because he believed himself to be a man of great literary and military prowess, with profound strategic skills, and to have inherited the style of Emperor Gaozu Xuan. He thought he should be a hidden dragon waiting for the right time to strike.

Now we are being slandered by such despicable rumors and controlled by that foolish emperor in Luoyang who is obsessed with elixirs!

This ambition, stimulated by extreme anger and frustration, surged and boiled uncontrollably, almost bursting out of his chest.

Looking at the Prince of Liang's appearance, Li Gongfeng thought to himself, "What's the big deal? When we decided to do this head-risking thing, weren't we already prepared to be watched by the imperial court?"

"Besides, Your Highness, didn't you analyze yesterday that we shouldn't act rashly against the vassal kings? We should just sit back and wait for the right opportunity to come."

"The bigger problem now is the enemy hiding in the shadows. What is his ultimate goal in making such a big fuss? Why is he resorting to such underhanded methods?"

"Is it possible..." King Liang suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with a cold light, "that there is no 'hidden person' at all, or that we are looking in the wrong direction?"

With eyes closed and mind focused, I quickly went through my mind all the significant enemies and potential competitors I had encountered over the years, and then eliminated them one by one.

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he remembered something from the previous dynasty.

"Seeing his power waning day by day, Cao Mao was filled with resentment. He summoned Wang Shen, the Attendant-in-Ordinary; Wang Jing, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat; and Wang Ye, the Gentleman-in-Attendance, and said to them, 'Sima Zhao's intentions are obvious to everyone. I cannot sit idly by and suffer this humiliation. Today, I will lead you all out to punish him.'"

After the Incident at Gaoping Tombs, the power of the Wei state had completely fallen into the hands of the Sima family.

In order to seize power, Sima Zhao massacred Cao's relatives. Later, he was promoted from Grand General to Chancellor, enfeoffed as Duke of Jin, and granted the Nine Bestowments. He pressed forward step by step, intimidating Emperor Cao Mao of Wei.

At that time... Cao Mao and those officials who were still loyal to the Wei Dynasty, in addition to resisting with force, also used all sorts of means, including using public opinion on 'loyalty and filial piety' to control and attack the Sima clan.

After all, his Sima family ancestor had sworn countless times in public to be loyal to the Cao Wei dynasty.

These oaths, after the Sima clan seized power, became powerful weapons for their opponents to attack them for "betrayal" and "treasonous intentions."

Of course, this tactic had no real effect on the Sima clan, who had already taken control of the situation, and Cao Mao ultimately died in the streets.

"But now... the situation is different."

"If Your Majesty wishes to discipline certain disobedient or overly powerful princes or members of the imperial clan, it may be inconvenient for you to take direct action yourself. However, it would be quite effective to exert pressure on public opinion by having the Commandant of the Capital Region or by spreading rumors of 'loyalty, righteousness, benevolence, and filial piety'."

King Liang was very clear about one thing.

The more something is lacking, the more it is emphasized.

My Sima family has gained the throne, but we still need to find a way to restore this facade of 'loyalty, righteousness, benevolence, and filial piety,' at least on the surface.

So, this method really works when used on oneself.

As everyone knows, the way of the Great Shaman, communicating with heaven, earth, and spirits, has long since faded into oblivion in this era, almost extinct. Only the imperial court, because it needs to hold the "Great Nuo" ceremony at the end of each year to exorcise plague demons, has preserved this ancient professional system, and there must be someone in the palace who has inherited it!
"so……"

The sudden and exquisite Nuo dance performed by Ebotai...

A sudden media storm erupted in Luoyang, directly targeting his core ambitions...

The other party seemed to be able to see through his secret plot and launch a precise attack...

"So it turns out... it wasn't some villain hiding in the shadows causing trouble."

King Liang reached a conclusion that chilled him to the bone, his voice low and cold:
"It was 'the master' who came up with the idea."

After all, there is no such thing as love or hate without a reason in this world.

I have kept a low profile all these years, and even when I'm plotting this conspiracy, I do it secretly, without daring to make a fuss about it in the slightest.

The princes were already at the highest rank of nobility, with no further advancement possible. They governed the four regions on behalf of the emperor, without participating in central government affairs, and therefore avoided irreconcilable conflicts with powerful officials or other factions.

There shouldn't be any real enemies who are destined to fight to the death.

He turned his gaze toward Luoyang:

Thinking of his brother sitting on the dragon throne, King Liang's expression grew increasingly solemn:
"That brother who inherited the throne back then showed his talent in both literature and martial arts from a young age. He was extremely shrewd and not someone to be trifled with."

"Since he stopped personally guarding the alchemy furnace and instead focused his energy on the court, he fought tooth and nail with various forces in Luoyang in order to reclaim power from powerful ministers and relatives of the empress. In the end, through several major events, he gradually and forcefully took power back into his own hands."

"In recent years, the King of Chu, the King of Huainan, the King of Zhao, the King of Qi, and other powerful and restless princes have also stirred up quite a storm in their respective fiefdoms or the court."

A clear logic formed in his mind:

“Everyone is causing trouble and testing the limits. If the emperor wants to make an example of them, he will naturally start with the seemingly weakest and easiest to manipulate ‘small families’ to warn others!”

And he, the Prince of Liang, is very likely the chosen "chicken"!
Upon hearing this analysis, Li Gongfeng, who was standing nearby, panicked completely.

That's the emperor! The Son of Heaven!
He knew that even if cultivators could ascend to heaven and descend to earth, seek immortality, or even become gods, as long as they remained in this mortal realm, they would have no way to deal with this "Son of Heaven"!
That's truly invincible!
Thirty-three years ago, although the White Lotus Sect had lost its Holy Mother, it was still the largest sect in the north, with millions of believers, countless experts, and unparalleled strength.

But even such a powerful force was wiped out by His Majesty, who was still in his prime at the time, who personally led a large army and joined forces with various Buddhist and Taoist sects!

At the time, the cultivation world was in an uproar!
(End of this chapter)