Established a millennium family since King Wu defeated Zhou

Chapter 974: The Second King Enters the Capital

The Tang Dynasty court issued an ultimatum to the princes and nobles on the three Penglai Islands.

  Taiping read out the imperial edict word by word at the grand court meeting in front of everyone.

It was a sunny morning. The not-so-hot sunlight shone into the temple, warm and bright.

Taiping was wearing a gilded imperial robe, and large patches of red phoenixes were dancing on her clothes like blazing flames.

She wore an intricate crown, with countless exquisite hair accessories inserted in her long black hair that fell like silk. She looked like a goddess who had been sleeping for a thousand years and had just awakened from the long-lost reality.

Full of majesty.

Taiping stroked the handle of the throne, which was uneven and had a frosted feel.

“You all know why I convened this grand court meeting at this whim. The King of Wei and the King of Qi rejected the court’s request and called the imperial edict a disorderly order.

This matter made me think for a long time.

Just last night, I couldn't sleep the whole night when I thought about summoning you all today.

I know that many of you feel that what I am doing is wrong. The court should not compete with the people for profit. A gold mine is nothing. Doing this is robbery.

My prime minister advised me.

I know everything.

The emperor does not need to explain his actions throughout his life to others, but I admire Emperor Taizong, so I want to take him as a role model.

I am thinking about what to say to you, the ministers, and to the people of the world."

Taiping's words were filled with deep helplessness. Even though she was ready for war, she still wanted to make her point clear.

As soon as the emperor spoke, all the ministers in the court looked straight at the ground in front of them, but they all pricked up their ears, wanting to listen to what the emperor had to say.

There was another brief silence on the throne, and one could hear a pin drop in the hall.

Taiping's voice slowly rang out in the palace, "I have been on the throne for more than ten years, and everything I have done has been righteous and upright.

Some people who are born rebellious say that I am seeking fame and reputation and judging others by my own standards, but I don't care much.

What I do is not for my own reputation, but to take the world as my responsibility.

The power of the world rests with the Emperor.

The emperor's power lies in the imperial court, in the officials, in the military, and in all the people of the world.

Since I ascended the throne.

Tubo is provocative and attempts to establish a separate mandate from the Son of Heaven, so I order Prince Luo to fight against it, cut off its head, exterminate its tribe, cut off its ethnic group, and eliminate all traces of Tubo's existence in the world. Establish prefectures and counties on the vast snow-covered area to spread the power of the Son of Heaven to foreign lands.

The people of the Western Regions had two masters, which I was not prepared for, so I ordered the Xuanmen to submit to them. All the land east of the Pamir Mountains came under the rule of the Tang Dynasty, and military flags pointed and officials were deployed to all directions.

Defend the country.

A vassal state of the Tang Dynasty and a vassal state of the emperor.

We should take the world as our responsibility.

A gold mine is more than just a mine.

All of you should know that Luo's bank issued flying money notes, and the Ministry of Revenue should be the most aware of this. In just five months last year, the annual revenue of the national treasury increased by 3 million strings of cash."

The profits of Luo's Money House were taken by Luo himself, by the royal family's private treasury, and by the Ministry of Revenue's national treasury. In the past five months, the profits from paper money amounted to 10 million strings of cash.

The Minister of Revenue hurried out and nodded his head.

When Qian Xing was mentioned, the expressions of the prime ministers changed a little. This unexpected wealth gave the court more flexibility.

"If the Tang Dynasty is a fierce tiger, Qian Bank is its wings. I'm sure you all know how important this is. The gold mines in Penglai will threaten Qian Bank.

For Penglai, the gold mine is just some money that can allow those nobles to have more money to squander, but for the Tang Dynasty court, it can make the world more prosperous.

Since the Han Dynasty, coinage has been the exclusive right of the imperial court.

In the past, gold and silver were not currencies, so no one managed the gold mines. In the past, there had never been a gold mine as large as Penglai. But now that it has appeared, I cannot sit idly by and watch it threaten the safety of the Tang Dynasty. "

Those who are attentive can feel that the emperor's voice is a little different.

The next moment, Taiping's voice suddenly became sharp, "Although I have always been kind, I also have thunderbolt methods. If anyone thinks that they can make me retreat, they are wrong.

I am a woman, and I know that many of you are waiting to see me make a fool of myself.

But don't forget.

I am not one of those cowardly emperors.

I was chosen by the late Emperor and the Empress Dowager, and was the Crown Princess in charge of the six ministries before I ascended the throne.

I have been on the throne for more than ten years. I have seen all kinds of people and situations. Neither Tubo nor Xuanmen is more powerful than that mere King Wei.

If my nephew thinks he can resist the Heavenly Army with just a piece of sea, he is wrong.

If he thinks that I can be cautious just because of my status as a super-class prince, he is wrong.

If he thought that I would let him go because I was afraid of the other princes, he was wrong.

I am saying all this to you here today and revealing my heart to you so that you know that I am not wrong.

I dare to do anything for the world.

The commander-in-chief of this expedition is still Prince Luo. I will issue the decree here.

If Prince Wei is merely dissatisfied with the imperial court, I will naturally compensate him.

But after the imperial army arrived, if he really dared to resist the Heavenly Army and really wanted to split the Tang Dynasty, even if he was a super-class prince, I would not dare to kill him. "

  boom!

Almost everyone looked at the emperor on the throne in shock, looking up at the intricate and expensive clothes that shone brightly in the sunlight.

"His Majesty!"

Almost instantly, a group of ministers knelt on the ground, "How could your Majesty do this?"

Taiping stood up from the throne and walked in front of the ministers. She looked down at everyone with a stern face, pointed her finger and said, "Do you think I don't know?

  Among you, many are relatives of the princes and grandchildren of the emperor, and many are connected with the princes and grandchildren of the emperor. You have colluded with the court and benefited from the kingdoms of princes and nobles. Don't you think I don't know?

I don’t care about those things. The world belongs to me, to the Tang Dynasty, and to all my subjects.

But if any of you dare to help the princes split the Tang Dynasty, if any of you dare to let me know that you have the intention to set up another court, I will use the sword in my hand to kill all three of your clans, do you understand?"

A biting cold air emanated from Taiping's mouth, and the murderous intent was like the wind whistling from the Far North, blowing across the ice fields and snow-capped mountains, landing in the palace, and on the ministers.

Some people couldn't help but wipe their sweat.

  Taiping continued in a cold voice: "After the death of my elder brother, the King of Wei, the King of Wei and the King of Qi jumped out and wanted to oppose me. I think they have been dissatisfied with the court for a long time. How many people like this are there outside and inside the court? How many people like this are there among you?

I advise you to clean up the bad elements in your family, clean up the inappropriate thoughts in your heart, go back and talk to your fathers and brothers, and your elders who have been granted titles of princes and dukes about it.

Have the feudal divisions over the years given you any illusions?

I tell you, the Tang Dynasty is not the Zhou Dynasty, and the emperor of the Tang Dynasty is not the Zhou emperor. I have a vast territory of 15,000 miles from east to west, from north to south, I have 80 million people, and I have an army of one million.

What I can give, I can take back.

During the Zhou Dynasty, all the princes used the land they were granted as their surnames. Do you want to do the same?"

"His Majesty!"

"Absolutely not!"

"The old way is not acceptable!"

Taiping's words were so heavy that they immediately broke down the defenses of all those who were born in the Li clan in the palace. If they lost even the identity of the Li clan, how long could they maintain their wealth and status?

Soon new people who are closer to the emperor will replace them.

Of course, Taiping's words were just a threat. She couldn't possibly do that. That would be like cutting off her own limbs.

This was possible during the Zhou Dynasty because surnames were very separate at that time. Now that surnames have merged, if she changes her surname, the consequences will be something she cannot bear.

“Since we know that Li’s status is precious, we must cherish it.

The glorious Tang Dynasty will prosper forever, just like the eternal sun in the sky!"

After saying that, Taiping turned around and left the hall. The emperor did not say to adjourn the court, and the ministers did not move. Their eyes followed the emperor's figure until he turned around the back hall and disappeared.

Luo Qianqiu then said in a deep voice: "My fellow ministers, please do not forget the words of His Majesty's earnest teachings today, and never step on His Majesty's reverse scale.

There is only one Tang Dynasty in the world, and only one person can represent the Li family, and that is the emperor. Everyone else should put themselves in their proper place.

Our Tang Dynasty is not the Han Dynasty. All relatives of the Han royal family have the right of inheritance.

Since you have been granted the title of a prince and a fiefdom, you should not have any extra thoughts.

The King of Wei and the King of Qi rebelled and tried to challenge the majesty of the emperor. This is an unforgivable crime. Those who want to plead for mercy should not waste their efforts. Those who want to side with the two kings should stand up here. Those who do not want to stand together, since His Majesty has left, you should also withdraw from the court."

Crash.

The hall was filled with the sound of sleeves waving against each other.

"I'm waiting to retire."

Although the emperor had already left, the ministers still bowed before leaving the hall.

……

The imperial court's army had been preparing for a long time, and a large number of warships were gathering towards the Jiaodong Peninsula from various southern states.

The Andong Protectorate stationed in Liaodong also sent its navy to cooperate with the court's offensive.

But the Duke of Liao did not come.

He led the army of Andong Protectorate and garrisoned in Liaozhou to guard against the State of Yan. At this critical moment against the Penglai countries, the attitude of the State of Yan was crucial.

The Andong Protectorate, which often dealt with the State of Yan, no longer had that much trust in the State of Yan and had to go into full alert. After all, the Andong Protectorate had a relatively good understanding of the State of Yan's strength.

It’s a bit strong, and the Andong Protectorate may not be its match.

However, if the State of Yan had not been fully prepared, it would not have come eastward. After all, the cities in Liaodong were not so easy to capture. Once it was dragged in Liaodong and the imperial court had time to spare, the State of Yan would be in trouble.

Luo Qianqiu is still the commander-in-chief of this Eastern Expedition. As for the Penglai countries, his strategy is to divide the two kings, instigate rebellion against the princes, and then cooperate internally and externally to defeat them.

Penglai Island is relatively divided due to its terrain, and it is impossible for everyone on the island to be thinking of opposing the imperial court. If they were really so united, the matter of the gold mine would not have been revealed.

It was because some people felt that something was going to happen and that Penglai Island was getting further and further away, so they reported the matter to the court and told the court about the gold mine.

Penglai is not easy to attack.

But compared to Tubo, it is not that simple.

Luo Qianqiu looked at the rough sea in front of him, put his hands on the side of the boat, and looked at the island that was getting closer and closer.

He saw the warships from Penglai Island sailing out from the sea surface.

Almost every one of those ships was as huge as a tall attic.

After so many years of development, Penglai's shipbuilding technology has developed extremely rapidly and is one of the three regions with the most advanced shipbuilding technology in the entire Tang Dynasty.

But the warship that Luo Qianqiu was riding on, which was built by the Luo family in Jiangnan, was no less powerful.

Luo Qianqiu slowly drew out his sword and shouted, "Raise the battle flag, prepare to meet the enemy, and defend the Tang Dynasty!"

… It was still the same towering hall, with the slowly rising sandalwood, and the auspicious beasts and gods and ghosts carved in the hall, some with eyes wide open in anger, and some like graceful celestial fairies.

Taiping sat upright on the throne. She was wearing a bright yellow dress inlaid with red lines, which showed off her graceful figure, but her face was full of frost. Some important officials of the court sat on both sides of the hall. Two people were kneeling in the hall, both of them were tied up. They were the King of Qi and the King of Wei. They looked a little embarrassed. The heroic figure wielding swords on the battlefield was no longer seen, and only dejection remained.

"Are you two aware of your guilt?"

Taiping's voice came faintly from above, with a hint of indifference.

"The minister is guilty, the minister is guilty."

The King of Qi kowtowed quickly and said that his relationship with Taiping was not that close. He was a descendant of Li Tai. If he insisted here, the end would definitely be bad.

King Wei snorted coldly, quite unconvinced.

For the line of Prince Wei, they have always felt that the throne of the emperor should belong to them. This jealousy and unwillingness, like a poisonous snake, corrodes their hearts all the time.

When the King of Qi saw the King of Wei's attitude, he felt both panicked and happy. He was panicked because he was worried that the emperor would be angry with him because of the King of Wei, and he was happy because the King of Wei was so arrogant that the emperor might not pay too much attention to him.

The so-called dead Taoist friend is not dead but a poor Taoist.

Now as long as we can save our lives, it would be reasonable even if King Wei dies.

Sure enough, Taiping was angered by King Wei almost instantly.

Although Prince Wei is her nephew, she has no feelings for him. To Taiping, he is now a traitor who is trying to rebel and split the country, and he is still so arrogant here.

"You rebellious person, why are you so rampant here?"

Taiping said angrily.

  King Wei raised his neck and said, "If you want to accuse someone of something, you can always find a pretext.

Your Majesty, you have seized the foundation of my kingdom for no reason. My kingdom of Wei was granted by the previous emperor. My title of King of Wei is a hereditary title granted by the previous emperor. The same is true for the King of Qi. It is obviously your Majesty who made the mistake first, yet you are still blaming your subjects. Is this what a sage monarch should do?"

The King of Qi was shocked when he heard this, and cursed in his heart, then he immediately said in a sad voice: "Your Majesty, the King of Wei's remarks are all his own, and have nothing to do with me."

Prince Wei immediately glanced at Prince Qi with contempt in his eyes. "A mere woman can scare you like this. You will never accomplish anything great. You are all direct descendants of Emperor Taizong. What is there to be afraid of? Does she dare to kill a super-class prince?"

People will suddenly laugh out loud when they are extremely speechless, and they will also laugh out loud when they are extremely angry.

That's what Taiping is.

As the voice of Prince Wei echoed in the hall, the place suddenly became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Almost everyone, including the Prince of Qi, lowered their heads deeply, not daring to look at the emperor's face. Now even Prince Wei felt that something was wrong.

Then a laugh suddenly rang out in the hall.

It was clearly a laugh, but there was not the slightest joy in the laugh. Instead, it was filled with endless chill and murderous intent.

"Stupid as a pig!"

“How much wealth would a gold mine bring to your hands?

For these things, you dare to go against the court.

You dare to openly split the Tang Dynasty.

How dare you disregard the foundation laid by your ancestors?

You dare to plunge the Tang Dynasty into the flames of civil war.

Do you still remember your last name?

Do you still remember the foundation of your country?

Do you know who is protecting your throne when you are isolated overseas?

Do you know what the Tang royal family and I, your aunt, mean to your kingdom?

You know nothing, yet you are speaking so arrogantly and making irresponsible remarks here."

Taiping stood up from the throne, pointed at Prince Wei and said, "How could my brother have such a stupid son like you?

How could the Li family have a super-class prince as stupid as you?

  As a subject, you slander your king and father at will. Is this how King Xianwei taught you?

As a subject, you should not obey the orders of the court but instead resist them. Is this what King Xianwei taught you?

Being deceived by the treacherous people in the country and blinded by petty profits is extremely foolish.

How can a person like you who has no virtue and ability be qualified to be ranked as a super-class sect king?

I tell you, I can bestow upon you a title as high as the mountains, I can bestow upon you a reward that could fill the Yellow River, my wealth is as high as Mount Tai, it comes from all over the world and gathers in the divine capital, but I will never let even a single cent of it fall into your hands.

Your virtue is like the rats and snakes in the sewers, your gaze is like the ants and mice, and your talent is like the humblest horse slave among the forest savages.

I will deprive you of everything, and then make you repent day and night, so that you know what you have done wrong, and when you come to your senses, end your life.

You will know how stupid you are before you die."

When the King of Qi heard this, he felt a chill run down his spine, fearing that he would end up in that situation as well. However, from what the emperor said just now, he knew that he was not included.

The King of Wei was so shocked by the scolding that it was too harsh to hear. These words would be recorded in history books in the future. "I am the king appointed by the late emperor."

"Shut up!"

The King of Qi looked at the King of Wei as if he were a fool. In the past years, he always felt that he was not as smart as the King of Wei, but now it seems that his ability to read people's expressions is much better than the King of Wei.

What about the hereditary princehood? It all depends on the emperor's words.

In the Tang Dynasty, most of the titles were not hereditary, but had to be inherited in a lower rank, unless the emperor specially ordered the crown prince to succeed the throne.

For example, if the Prince of Zhao's crown prince is the heir to the King of Zhao, then the Crown Prince of Zhao will be the King of Zhao in the future. If he does not have the title of heir to the King of Zhao, but is only the Crown Prince of Zhao, then the Crown Prince of Zhao will inherit the title of Prince of a County in the future.

Especially after the six kingdoms system began.

There are several iron-hat kings in the Tang Dynasty now, who are said to be hereditary and will never be demoted. These titles are not limited to princes, but are special titles. They are the King of Qin, the King of Yan, the King of Qi, the King of Chu, the King of Song, the King of Wei, the King of Zhou and the King of Luo.

These eight titles will be inherited regardless of whether the descendants have any merits or not. And if there is no successor in the direct line, someone will be chosen from the collateral line to inherit. In short, these eight titles cannot be interrupted.

This is in sharp contrast to other titles. In the Tang Dynasty, there were some titles that were not inherited in a downgraded manner, such as the Duke of Liao and the Duke of Yong. These titles had been passed down for three generations, but that was because their merits were sufficient to maintain the title, which was completely different from the iron-hat king.

The King of Wei was so proud because of this title. Among the eight iron-hat kings, seven were established during the reign of Emperor Taizong. Although the King of Chu and the King of Song were sons of Li Zhi, these two people already had titles and fiefs. They were just vacant at the beginning.

There was only Prince Wei, and this title was added during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. This special status made Prince Wei and his followers have inappropriate thoughts and think that they were special.

But what people don’t know is that this title cannot be demoted, but the emperor has the final say on who gets the title.

  Seeing the stupidity of Prince Wei, Taiping really couldn't hold back. It's only the fourth generation, and the Li clan is already like this?

"Pass on my decree, strip the title of King Wei, demote him to a commoner, exile him to Yizhou, and confine him. The title of King Wei will be inherited by someone from the Emperor's lineage."

Prince Wei was completely dumbfounded.

Taiping did not kill him, but it would be worse than killing him. He was exiled to Izu and confined in a courtyard for life. Even his meals had to be passed in through a closed hole. This was almost the most severe punishment for him. It would be better for him to die directly.

Moreover, the title of King Wei was about to be lost.

"Your Majesty, you can't do this. That's the prince of my lineage, how can you give it to someone else?"

The lineage of Emperor Rang is the lineage of Prince Xiang of Li Dan. When Li Dan abdicated, he was posthumously named Emperor Rang and was enshrined in the imperial temple, which was considered quite glorious.

However, Prince Xiang is not an iron-hat king. Now Taiping is going to give the title of Prince Wei to this lineage as a reward.

Taiping waved his hand in disgust, "Drag this rebellious man who will never repent away. I don't want to see him again."

The guards came to the hall and dragged Prince Wei away. The atmosphere in the hall finally became a little better. The important ministers finally raised their heads and wiped the sweat from their cheeks. They had no right to speak here today. They just came to see how the emperor dealt with the two princes.

The fate of King Wei proved that the emperor was not exaggerating when he said that she had thunder-like methods. She was kind when she was kind, but once her bottom line was crossed, she would be really ruthless.

Everyone else in the hall gradually breathed a sigh of relief, except the King of Qi, whose body was completely limp and unable to stand up. His heart was beating violently, and fear was bubbling from the top of his heart and spreading to every limb and vein in his body.

The fate of King Wei terrified him to the extreme. If he suffered the same fate, he would die immediately.

"King Qi."

The emperor's voice seemed to have fallen from the sky, chilling to the bone.

The King of Qi was startled and said tremblingly, "I am here."

"You are quite sensible."

As soon as these words came out, the King of Qi heaved a sigh of relief. With these words, at least he wouldn't end up as miserable as the King of Wei. As for wealth and glory, he no longer thought about them.

"But I cannot forgive the crime of treason.

Moreover, I can clearly say that the rebellion of your several kingdoms is not just a rebellion to me, but also a turmoil that may destroy the world.

If there is rebellion in other states, I can put it down overnight, but your kingdoms have too bad an impact. I want to tell the others to stay quiet and serve as the defense of the country.

do you understand? "

The power contained in the emperor's words made King Qi feel that he had really touched bad luck and crossed his bottom line. If King Wei had not helped him, he might have been exiled to Yizhou by now.

"I understand, I understand."

He kept bowing his head.

"Pass on my decree. The King of Qi and all the relatives of the kingdoms below him are expelled from the family tree. The King of Qi is demoted to the governor of Yanzhou."

Upon hearing this, the King of Qi collapsed to the ground with tears of blood in his eyes. He was so unfilial. So unfilial.

The title passed down from his ancestors was lost in his hands.

And not only were they stripped of their titles, they were also expelled from the family tree. From now on, they were no longer members of the royal family. Unless their descendants made great contributions in the future and the emperor was grateful, they might be able to return to the royal family.

"I thank your majesty for your grace. May your majesty live long and be blessed forever."

This cruel punishment is already quite merciful.

After all, he was not directly deprived of everything, and he retained his official position, thus maintaining the last dignity of his branch. This at least sent a signal to the outside world that the emperor's settlement with the King of Qi had ended here.

Soon, the results of the handling of the King of Wei and the King of Qi spread.

The outcome for King Wei was chilling.

The result of King Qi made people feel relieved.

The good and bad results need to be compared. The King of Qi was also very miserable, but compared with the King of Wei, he was much better, which showed the emperor's kindness.

The key is.

This was the first time in the Tang Dynasty that a super-class prince had been punished so severely.

Considering the emperor’s speech at the previous court meeting, any intelligent person would know that the emperor was using this method to tell everyone something.

Being a king with an iron hat is not your chance to split the country.

This is the Tang Dynasty.

No one can escape the control of the imperial court, not even the hereditary king!

This title can't just be passed down among your branch.

Whoever I tell it to, it belongs to him!

----

Emperor Shizong of Tang had a clear governing goal and political bottom line, which was the unification of the empire. She treated all classes of the empire with kindness and fairness, but the premise of all this was that there should not be any signs of division in the Tang Dynasty. Once there was any sign, she would strike hard and uncompromisingly, and would use war without scruples. For separatists, regardless of their identities, her punishment was cruel and chilling. During the Kaiyuan period, the centrifugal tendencies among the vassal states were purged by her strong means, effectively maintaining the unity of the dynasty. ——"The Rise and Fall of the Tang Dynasty"

(End of this chapter)