allonlinenovel Chapter 349 Father and son meet
Chapter 349 Father and son meet
Even so, the Northern Qi emperor was still weighing the pros and cons, calculating the gains and losses. Should he reward Zhao Yi or use drastic measures to suppress the people?
Since the matter has escalated, if he is to reward Zhao Yi, he cannot do it perfunctorily; he must give him some real power.
Although he could easily find any reason to punish Zhao Yi and dismiss him from his post, he disliked being forced to do things. If he compromised this time, wouldn't these ministers use the same tactics to force him to compromise again when faced with differing political views in the future?
As an emperor, he held the power of life and death over the subjects of Northern Qi. How could he let these subjects tell him what to do?
That's absolutely outrageous.
However, if he were to use an iron fist to suppress the people and forcefully suppress public opinion, he would probably be seen as a tyrant by the people.
The emperor of Northern Qi was caught in a dilemma.
These people, relying on their positions as key ministers of the court, all wanted to ride roughshod over him.
Suddenly, the Emperor of Northern Qi realized that his imperial tutor was the most loyal subject to him.
I never pressured or made things difficult for him.
They would not be arrogant enough to try to manipulate him.
At this moment, the Emperor of Northern Qi greatly wished that his imperial tutor were present.
With the Imperial Tutor present, he wouldn't be in such a predicament.
Seeing that the Northern Qi emperor was hesitant to make a decision, the imperial censor removed his official hat and suddenly stood up and rammed his head against a pillar in the hall.
With a muffled thud, the censor fell to the ground.
The Emperor of Northern Qi watched as the Imperial Censor's forehead was bruised and bleeding profusely, staining his gray eyebrows red.
Last time, he impeached the imperial tutor for concealing Zhao Yi's infection with the plague; this time, he remonstrated to the death to severely punish the Lin family, hoping that Zhao Yi would be rewarded for his contributions.
If he were a tyrant, he would have chopped their heads off one by one. But he understood the principle that the people can support a boat, but they can also capsize it; only by winning the hearts of the people can he win the world.
The Northern Qi emperor could only swallow his anger and asked, "In your opinion, how should I deal with this?"
"Your Majesty, this matter is of utmost importance. The disgraced official Lin Yi disrespected the imperial authority, and the Prince of Guangling beheaded him on the spot to establish the dignity of the imperial family. Therefore, he must not be punished, and he should be rewarded instead."
"In this way, anyone who harms the imperial heir, regardless of their official rank, can be executed on the spot. Those treacherous and wicked people will not dare to harbor evil intentions towards the imperial heir, much less dare to infringe upon imperial power."
At this point, the ministers backed down: "The Consort Shu has rendered meritorious service in bearing the imperial heir, and the disgraced minister Lin Yi has rendered meritorious service to the country during his lifetime. Your Majesty, considering these two merits, may grant the Lin family special leniency, sparing the Lin family members from the death penalty and dismissing them from their posts, as a warning to others and to show imperial grace."
They understood that the Northern Qi emperor was refraining from harming the Lin family for the sake of maintaining balance.
If pushed too far, they will likely achieve none of their goals.
"The Prince of Guangling's execution of Lin Yi to uphold the dignity of the royal family is understandable. I will reward him for his service and restore the imperial prestige."
The Northern Qi Emperor, unwilling to be led by the nose by his ministers, said coldly, "As for the Lin family, since you ministers have said that Consort Shu has made a contribution in bearing children and Lin Yi has made great contributions to the court, and that the Lin family should be given special favors, then let's give them a small punishment as a warning. They will be fined one year's salary and demoted one rank."
The officials' aim was to reward Zhao Yi; they had no intention of bringing down the Lin family.
Now that their goal has been achieved, they will no longer provoke the Northern Qi emperor.
The ministers kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise."
The Northern Qi emperor angrily shouted, "Get out of my sight!"
The officials helped the censor out.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. These officials are upright and incorruptible, and they always speak frankly and without regard for anyone's feelings."
Eunuch Liu served a cup of tea to the Emperor of Northern Qi: "No matter how persistent they are, you are the one who calls the shots in Northern Qi, and they will ultimately be unable to surpass you."
“One by one they say that imperial power is inviolable, yet one by one they contradict and defy me.” The Northern Qi Emperor’s anger was still not appeased. He tapped his fingers on the table and gestured for Eunuch Liu to put the tea aside: “Go and invite the Imperial Tutor to the palace.”
"Yes, ma'am." Eunuch Liu then remembered something else: "The Prince of Guangling is waiting outside the palace, waiting for you to summon him."
The Emperor of Northern Qi frowned and said indifferently, "Let him in."
"Yes." Eunuch Liu withdrew from the hall and invited Zhao Yi inside.
Zhao Yi stepped into the hall and bowed to the Emperor of Northern Qi: "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty."
The Northern Qi emperor looked up at Zhao Yi, who was dressed in a red python robe. Zhao Yi was handsome and refined, with bright eyes and sparse eyebrows. His elegant appearance was like a jade tree standing in the wind.
He was exceptionally outstanding among his sons, both in terms of demeanor and appearance.
The Northern Qi emperor saw in Zhao Yi's composure his calm demeanor, as if no matter what he experienced, his pride would never be broken.
This alone reveals a hint of Yizhen's character.
The father and son had been separated for over twenty years, and their first meeting was devoid of the warmth and emotion of a family reunion. One was cold and distant, the other wary and guarded; there was no father-son affection whatsoever.
When Zhao Yi was born, the Northern Qi emperor had mixed feelings about him.
After all, she was his eldest son, and he had high hopes for her as a new father. However, these hopes were eroded as his attitude towards Princess Yizhen changed.
Now that Zhao Yi grew up in an enemy country, his heart is probably completely devoted to the Great Zhou, which alone makes it impossible for him to feel like a father.
Not to mention that after Zhao Yi arrived in Northern Qi, he caused a lot of trouble, which led to a group of officials threatening him with suicide.
Thinking of this, the Northern Qi emperor's subtle feelings toward Zhao Yi turned into dissatisfaction.
"Get up." Even though the Northern Qi emperor disliked Zhao Yi, he was still his son. He asked, "How are you feeling?"
Zhao Yi replied, "Your Majesty, everything is fine."
The Northern Qi emperor stared at Zhao Yi's pale face and asked again, "The climate of the Great Zhou and the Northern Qi is different. Is everything alright since this is your first time in the capital?"
Zhao Yi said gently, "Your Majesty has sent people to make proper arrangements for the residence. I am very comfortable here, just like in the Great Zhou."
The Emperor of Northern Qi smiled: "You have suffered because of your efforts in controlling the plague. You have saved the people of several cities and made great contributions. I will definitely reward you handsomely."
The Northern Qi emperor made no mention of Lin Yi's matter.
"Thanks to Your Majesty's great fortune, I was able to successfully control the plague. However, I was incompetent and almost ruined the task," Zhao Yi said humbly. "I dare not take credit for it."
When the Northern Qi emperor saw that Zhao Yi was humble and did not take credit for his achievements, which was very much like Princess Yizhen, his dissatisfaction with him dissipated somewhat.
He acted like a loving father, speaking gently: "You have just recovered from a serious illness, so please rest well at home for the time being. Once you are fully recovered, you can come and share my burdens again."
Zhao Yi expressed his gratitude: "Your humble servant kowtows to thank Heaven for its grace."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the father and son fell silent, having nothing more to say.
The Emperor of Northern Qi broke the silence, waving his hand: "You're still weak, go back to your residence and rest early."
Zhao Yi took his leave.
As the Northern Qi emperor watched Zhao Yi's departing figure, he seemed to see Yi Zhen in a daze, and was slightly lost in thought.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the Imperial Tutor has arrived."
Liu Gonggong's voice seemed to come from afar, and the Emperor of Northern Qi suddenly came to his senses and saw the Imperial Tutor standing in front of the hall, paying his respects.
"Imperial Tutor, I have important matters to discuss with you."
The Emperor of Northern Qi stood up, walked a few steps to the Imperial Tutor's side, and told him in detail about the officials who had died remonstrating against the emperor.
Mentioning this matter, the Northern Qi Emperor was still furious: "As the emperor of a country, how can I allow them to manipulate me? I have my reasons for not punishing the Lin family. They all claim to share my burdens and think about my great cause for the future, but in reality, they are being aggressive towards me. If I were not a wise ruler, I would have cut off their heads today."
After this outburst, the burning anger that had been simmering in the Northern Qi emperor's chest finally subsided.
The Emperor of Northern Qi sighed, "If everyone were like you, I would have much less to worry about."
“Your Majesty, those who speak out are not guilty,” the Imperial Tutor said slowly. “The duty of the censors is to impeach officials and clean up corruption.”
Following his tutor's advice, the Emperor of Northern Qi asked, "In your opinion, how should I arrange things for the Prince of Guangling?"