dmims Chapter 263 The Emperor's Personal Expedition
Chapter 263 The Emperor's Personal Expedition
Prime Minister Pei recommended his own men to meet the enemy.
The military faction naturally disagreed. First, the war should be the domain of the military, and no one wanted the civil officials to interfere. Second, the person recommended by Prime Minister Pei did not belong to the core team.
Military merits cannot be given to outsiders.
After arguing for a long time without reaching a conclusion, they all looked to the Emperor for an answer.
Li Yuanke declared, "I intend to personally lead the expedition!"
The courtiers were in uproar!
The ministers all objected.
Li Yuanke said, "I am the Son of Heaven, and I have the responsibility to defend the Great Zhou. It is only natural for the Son of Heaven to guard the territory and for the monarch to die for the state. My mind is made up, and my ministers need not object!"
The military generals knelt and wept, crying, "We are utterly ashamed!"
Most of these people were left over from the time of the late emperor. Some were too old to ride horses or draw bows, while others were too young to draw bows at all. They could only come along this time to practice.
The Duke of Xin is still able to work, but the Emperor does not intend to use him.
Prime Minister Pei asked, "If His Majesty were to personally lead the expedition, how would the affairs of state be handled?"
Li Yuanke exchanged a glance with him and said, "I personally led the expedition, and Imperial Noble Consort Chenyuan ruled as regent. She single-handedly made all decisions regarding matters large and small in the court. You should assist her as you would me!"
Good heavens, they've stopped using the term "regency" and are now calling themselves "rulers of state." This means that Shen Shixi is qualified to sit in this court, discuss state affairs with his ministers, and exercise imperial power in the form of imperial edicts.
At this point, without exception, everyone was against it!
Li Yuanke said, "Then tell me, which minister do you think is more suitable to entrust with state affairs?"
Immediately, someone said, "I believe that all the princes should be invited to jointly oversee the state!"
The emperor ordered his men to drag him out and throw him away.
Someone else said, "Your Majesty, now is the time to establish a Crown Prince!"
This man belonged to the Duke of Xin's faction, and as soon as he spoke, he was met with a barrage of insults from the Prime Minister Pei's faction.
Some people think the Empress Dowager is suitable, but would Li Yuanke dare to trust her?
If half of the country is given to Li Yuanyin, who will he cry to?
Li Yuanke, growing impatient, said, "I trust the Imperial Noble Consort as much as I trust myself. There's no need for further disputes. Imperial Noble Consort Chenyuan has no children; why should you doubt her? You all know her ability to make decisions and govern the country. With me personally leading the campaign, I will leave the affairs of the capital and the court to her. I will have no worries. This matter is settled; there's no need for further discussion!"
What the emperor said in the court quickly reached the inner palace.
The Empress Dowager never intended to oversee the country, nor did she have the ability to do so. However, she never expected that the Emperor would trust Chen Yuan to such an extent.
The Empress was shocked. The Emperor was actually going to lead the army in person. She was pregnant with the eldest son. The Emperor was going to lead the army in person. He was leaving the court and the harem to Chen Yuan. What if Chen Yuan plotted against her? What would happen to her and their child?
Consort De was also caught off guard and asked, "Has His Majesty mentioned the matter of establishing a Crown Prince?"
Yinxing shook her head. "When the Duke's men brought it up, there were protests. Now that the Empress is pregnant, the position of Crown Prince will not be handed over so easily."
After all, no one knew that the legitimate son in the Empress's belly was an unhealthy child.
Consort De was getting anxious. If something were to happen to the Emperor, would the throne and the great cause of the country be handed over to Shen Shixi?
In Qianyuan Palace, Li Yuanke handed two imperial edicts to Shen Shixi. These were two edicts he had personally written when he was vaccinated against smallpox last year. They were stamped with the imperial seal and filed with the three provinces, meaning they were legal and not forged by Shen Shixi.
"If anything were to happen to me, you would use this imperial edict to order the Empress's death. The Pei family's treason is a matter of course, and no one would dare to say anything. With this edict, I hereby appoint you as Empress. I reiterate my previous statement: you shall choose a young emperor to assist you, and you shall rule as regent in your capacity as Empress Dowager."
In my will, I also stated that the mothers of the chosen princes would be buried alive with you, so that the Empress Dowager would not be able to compete with you. These past few years, I have caused you much suffering, and I know I have wronged you…”
Shen Shixi pressed her finger to his lips, smiled, and tears welled up in her eyes, but she forced them back. "Li Yuanke, we are both just ordinary people... There are some things we should be superstitious about. Saying things like this at a time like this is really unlucky, and I don't want to hear it!"
Although I enjoy getting involved in politics, I only like to talk. If you make me sit on those imperial steps every day, arguing with a bunch of idiots, I'm afraid I'll die young. Therefore, you must personally lead the expedition. No matter what happens, no matter how difficult it is, you must come back alive.
Li Yuanke saw the rare redness in her eyes, his heart burned with passion, and he kissed her deeply.
After the kiss, he held her as they sat down in front of the imperial desk and began to discuss state affairs with her. "I have had a chair placed on the dragon throne on the imperial platform. I am not here, so you will sit there. Your decrees are my decrees."
I will issue an edict that you may use anything of mine; if you encounter any indecision, consult with others. I will personally instruct all the trustworthy ministers in the court to assist you well…”
Shen Shixi nodded.
As Li Yuanke thought about it, he felt that there was a lot to explain. "I have already secretly ordered Nie Yunshen to lead the army back to the capital. Once I leave the capital, the Pei family will surely rebel. Qin Zhenye will leave the capital with me, leaving Xue Baicheng behind. I am not at ease with that. With Nie Yunshen there, he will definitely protect you."
His personal campaign this time was actually a ploy to lure and kill the Pei family faction by using imperial power as bait.
The Pei family relied on the 50,000 Xingqing Army and some of the Southern Imperial Guards. Li Yuanke's personal expedition would inevitably take the Northern Imperial Guards with him, leading the Pei family to mistakenly believe that only the Southern Imperial Guards were in the capital.
Nie Yunshen led the Northern Border Army, a force known for its fighting prowess; this was Li Yuanke's true killing move.
Shen Shixi stroked his face. "Don't worry, I will help you protect your throne. Not for you, but for the people of this country! I hope that history will record you as 'Emperor Yongxi,' so that people will remember my contributions!"
Li Yuanke held her tightly, "In the future, your name will be synonymous with mine in the history of the Great Zhou!"
While the people of the capital were still cheering "The Emperor is personally leading the expedition" through the streets and alleys, the scholars were enthusiastically praising the Emperor's words "The Son of Heaven guards the territory, the monarch dies for the state," and the ordinary officials were praising the current emperor without seeing this competition, the Pei family was also making preparations in full swing.
The Prince of Jin was extremely uneasy, pacing back and forth in his residence like a cat on a hot tin roof. He repeatedly asked his advisors, "Could this be a trap set by Li Yuanke?"
Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back; at this point, the Prince of Jin has no choice but to back down.
"Your Highness, Luzhou has already tied down a portion of the imperial forces, and Xiling and Beisha have also entered the country. This is a great help to us. Furthermore, Xie Qingguang, the heir of the Jiaqing Marquis who fled to Japan, will also contribute in the northeast."
The Emperor's personal command of the expedition was a last resort, as there was no one else in the court capable of fulfilling his duties. This is an opportunity bestowed upon you by Heaven, Your Highness. What are you still hesitating for?
Prince Jin's teeth were chattering. "There's also Shen Shixi in the court..."
"Your Highness, she is merely a woman, only good at empty talk. If the enemy is at the gates, she might be too scared to even stand up. As long as Your Highness can stand on the Taiji Hall, the world will belong to you!"
Another aide said, "Yes, Your Highness, you were originally the legitimate son of the late Emperor. If it weren't for the Shen family taking the lead in interfering and the support of the Duke of Xin's mansion, challenging Your Highness, how could that brat Li Yuanke have ascended the throne one day?"
The Duke of Xin's family are newly rich and powerful in the new dynasty, while Prime Minister Pei and others are old nobles from the previous dynasty, and they have always been at odds.
On March 16th, an auspicious day chosen by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, Li Yuanke personally led his army on a military expedition.