allonlinenovel Chapter 171 King Li Can Put on an Act
Chapter 171 King Li Can Put on an Act
After the meal, the emperor still had state affairs to attend to, so he went straight to the Imperial Study.
Before leaving, he held He Lingyi's hand and said, "In another half month, Father's coffin will be buried in the imperial mausoleum. You will go with me then. After he is buried with Mother, the imperial mausoleum will be sealed. At that time, I will use the excuse of mourning to abolish the spring selection held once every three years. You can rest assured. Since I promised you, no new women will be admitted to the harem."
These words moved He Lingyi more than ever before.
As an emperor, he had his duties and rights, one of which was to have children. Therefore, He Lingyi was prepared when she married into the Eastern Palace. Although she hoped to be with her husband for life, she knew that it was not realistic.
But now that these words are coming from the emperor's mouth, they are somewhat touching.
Therefore, she slept more soundly than before that night.
With new policies and a fresh atmosphere, the emperor issued a series of new decrees and policies after ascending the throne. Some of these were done to accumulate blessings for the late emperor, such as granting a general amnesty and exempting the country from taxes for three years. As a result, the new dynasty was highly praised by everyone from top to bottom.
However, there was one clause that displeased the royal family members: the Edict of Grace.
Officials who have rendered meritorious service may inherit the position, but only the eldest son of the legitimate wife can inherit it. There will be other candidates unless the eldest son dies unexpectedly. However, it is different for members of the imperial clan.
Over the course of a century, the expansion of the royal family's fiefdoms has reached an unprecedented level.
Although when he was still the Crown Prince, the Emperor's actions against the Prince Jin's residence caused many members of the royal family to become more cautious, a centipede with a hundred legs does not die easily. The only way to completely solve these problems is to implement new policies.
Therefore, once the policy was introduced, the polarization and division within the clan became very serious.
The eldest son's faction was naturally unwilling to relinquish power, but other members of the imperial clan were happy to see it happen. They were all used to enjoying life and didn't care about their descendants. They just wanted to enjoy themselves first, so they all expressed their support for the emperor's decision.
In the imperial court, the princes from all over the country gathered to attend the funeral and the new emperor's enthronement ceremony, and they all expressed their opinions on the matter.
The emperor didn't mind the noise in the court, so he sat quietly on his dragon throne and listened to the princes' "fallacies".
"The Edict of Grace? It sounds nice, but it's nothing more than a plan to divide and rule us. Your Majesty has only just ascended the throne and you're already using such clever methods. Aren't you afraid of alienating your uncles and elders?"
The one who spoke was the emperor's great-uncle, who was quite old but in good spirits.
His fiefdom was Taizhou, which was very wealthy.
However, due to his long-standing philandering, he has a large number of offspring. If the Edict of Grace is truly implemented, Taizhou will be divided into at least a dozen small fiefdoms. In this way, within three generations, Taizhou will no longer be a source of support for their lineage, but rather a burden.
Therefore, he naturally disagreed, jumping up and down in protest.
The emperor, upon hearing his words, was not angry. He looked at the other princes and calmly asked a question.
"I have summoned you all today, my uncles, hoping that you will speak freely. The new policies will certainly be implemented, but I do not wish to put you in a difficult position. So let's get straight to the point today. What do you think, Uncle Li?"
The Prince Li, who was suddenly singled out, was clearly the most inconspicuous of all the princes.
If it weren't for the title he still held, the other princes wouldn't even bother to speak to him. After all, no one from Hengzhou had stood out for decades, so it was normal for him to be ignored.
He looked surprised, then came out, straightened his clothes, and said respectfully.
"Your Majesty's reputation for virtue was already widespread throughout Da Long when you were still the Crown Prince. Therefore, Your Majesty's decision must be reasonable. I will follow Your Majesty's arrangements in everything."
Such a weak performance drew scorn from the other hardline princes.
"Hmph, Prince Li is quite generous. You only have two daughters and one son now, so of course you don't care about this edict of favor, since it won't be applied to you anyway!"
After being strongly refuted like that, King Li showed a slightly embarrassed expression.
She looked a little embarrassed, and hesitated to say something to the prince, but in the end she just sighed and retreated to the corner, continuing to be an "invisible person" as before.
Seeing this, even the emperor had to admire the King of Li's ability to humble himself.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to find fault with his relatives time and time again without them noticing his weakness. He's really something!
The Hai brothers and Qiao Er were also well aware of the situation.
They admired King Le's attitude and performance, but all three knew what would happen to him, so they simply watched his act quietly.
“Uncle, there’s no need to be so aggressive. Let’s just stick to the facts.”
Although the emperor's tone was calm, it was tinged with an unquestionable indifference. The old uncle snorted twice, but did not press the king for more information. Instead, he jumped out and continued to question him.
"Your Majesty has just ascended the throne. Whether you want to establish your authority or accumulate virtue, it will ultimately be your achievement. But you can't just wipe everyone out for the sake of your reputation. I'll say it here: if you insist on implementing this edict of grace, then let it begin with my dead body!"
After saying that, he turned and left.
I've never seen such a firm attitude before.
The emperor's eyes turned cold. In the years he had been regent, he had never seen such an arrogant person. He had given him a great warning right after ascending the throne!
So he sneered and called out to the old prince, then continued.
"Is that so? My great-uncle has really given me a difficult problem. However, my father told me before he died that in order to prevent the princes from causing trouble, some corrupt officials should be dealt with. Coincidentally, I have fourteen memorials here that impeach my great-uncle, which contain one hundred and forty-two charges. I wonder if my great-uncle will accept them?"
"what?"
The old prince had never seen such a scene before. In the past, the late emperor would have taken into consideration that he was the prince's uncle, so even if he was angry, he would not turn against him on the spot. But the new emperor rarely interacted with him. As a result, he had nowhere to put his old face.
So, his fiery temper just moments before turned into a hesitant, stammering speech.
Seeing this opportunity, the censor Zhang Tianyou immediately challenged him, saying, "Your subject has a memorial to present!"
"allow."
This is exactly the result the emperor wanted. Just like how Prince Jin was defeated by Zhang Tianyou, this old prince is now following the same pattern. In fact, Zhang Tianyou only used 70% of his strength, yet he still managed to force the old prince to retreat in defeat.
The political climate in the imperial court changed instantly.
At first, everyone thought the old prince was going to succeed, but now it seems that the new emperor wouldn't take his old bones seriously. So everyone started booing or supporting Zhang Yanguan, turning their anger towards the old prince.