novelSusiti Chapter 41 The Rakshasa Came from the Northwest
Chapter 41 The Rakshasa Came from the Northwest
"Father, you can stop now. If you continue killing, the entire court will fall into a state of constant fear and anxiety, just like during the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty!"
In the Imperial Study, listening to the Crown Prince's earnest advice and then looking at the cabinet ministers who were requesting an audience, Liu Hu couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.
This kind of thing has happened several times since Emperor Anping raised his sword.
Moreover, the ministers would coincidentally run into him every time. Although the Crown Prince would always return empty-handed and even be scolded by Emperor Anping, his reputation had spread throughout the court and the country during this period.
During this period, everyone in the capital city praised the Crown Prince, giving him a thumbs up and calling him wise and virtuous!
Previously, he stood up to all the court officials to protect his younger brother, and later, in order to stop Emperor Anping from continuing his massacre, he repeatedly advised the enraged Emperor Anping.
What else could this be but a wise ruler? Even the crown prince is still a ruler!
Although most of the Crown Prince's confidants were northern literati, at this moment, even the Jiangnan literati who had been fighting against the royal family had a sliver of hope for the Crown Prince.
If the crown prince can successfully ascend the throne, even if he trusts the literati of the north more, the gentry of the south believe that as long as the Great Zhou does not wage war again, with their resources, the court will eventually fall into their hands.
As for those struggling intellectuals in the North, well...
Since the Song Dynasty, have they ever been taken seriously by the gentry in the south?
Faced with this change in the court, Liu Hu, who had been by Emperor Anping's side during this period, knew very well that Emperor Anping had killed enough people, and the father and son were putting on a show for the ministers without anyone knowing.
This would both give Emperor Anping a way out and improve the Crown Prince's reputation.
As long as the Crown Prince doesn't touch military power, he's a great son of Emperor Anping, and Emperor Anping wouldn't mind giving the Crown Prince a hand.
Besides, if you want the Crown Prince to better control the remaining merchants in Jiangnan afterward, how easy would it be to prevent them from remembering your kindness?
After this charade is over, the Crown Prince will be the savior of the remaining merchants, and they will have no choice but to obey his orders.
Moreover, Emperor Anping wanted more than just that; he also planned to take this opportunity to force the gentry of Jiangnan to agree to establish a maritime trading city in the north.
The profits from maritime trade were too great. Emperor Taizu had wanted to establish a maritime trade city in the north, but because the profits were so high, it was met with collective opposition from the gentry in the south.
At that time, the north was also a blank slate, and in order to win the support of the gentry in the south, Emperor Taizu had no choice but to abandon this plan.
After decades of recovery, the North has regained some vitality and is now able to support a maritime trade city.
Emperor Anping had long had this plan in order to help the north recover more quickly, but he hesitated to make a decision before, considering the attitude of the gentry in Jiangnan.
However, after Liu Hu's explanation, Emperor Anping understood that it was now imperative to launch a slave war against the Jianzhou Jurchens, just like the Red-haired Barbarians had done, and to establish a maritime trading city in the north.
If we don't seize this opportunity, who knows when we'll be able to force those gentry from Jiangnan to bow down again.
Now that most of the people have been killed, it's time to see what the next step is in the negotiations.
"roll!"
As expected, Emperor Anping's furious shouts came from the imperial study.
"Those traitors dared to collude with the Jianzhou Jurchens to rebel, and you, as the Crown Prince, dare to plead for them?"
"Do you know that those thieves want the lives of my father and me? If they succeed, the entire Central Plains will once again fall under the iron hooves of foreign tribes."
"According to the past practices of the Jurchens, all Han people in the world will become their slaves."
"Such ungrateful and treacherous individuals, acting as accomplices to the Jurchens, should we not kill them and instead let them lead the entire Han Chinese population to become slaves to the Jurchens?"
Upon hearing Emperor Anping's rebuke, the ministers who had come to see him exchanged glances and shook their heads helplessly.
They wholeheartedly agreed with Emperor Anping's words. No matter how dissatisfied they were with the Great Zhou royal family, they couldn't become slaves to a foreign race!
Those members of the Donglin Party and the Zhejiang Party deserved to die, but Your Majesty, they have already been arrested or killed by the Eastern Depot agents and the Embroidered Uniform Guard in cooperation with the Jiangnan Grand Camp. There are hardly any left.
If you continue killing, you'll be tearing my heart out.
At first, these traditional gentry from Jiangnan could remain on the sidelines, waiting for the maritime merchants, the Donglin Party, and the Zhejiang Party to fall and feast on their spoils.
But as the Donglin Academy was being razed to the ground by the Eastern Depot's agents, all the Confucian scholars associated with it were stripped of their student status.
The Donglin Party, the Zhejiang Party, and even the yet-to-emerge Chu Party were all wiped out by the imperial army.
But Emperor Anping seemed to have no intention of stopping. If the killing continued, it would be the turn of these traditional Jiangnan gentry.
These civil officials, representing the gentry of Jiangnan, could no longer sit still. They frequently visited the palace to see Emperor Anping, hoping to persuade him to give up.
After this bloody purge, the civil officials of Jiangnan also realized that as long as military power remained in the hands of the imperial family, they should not have any other thoughts.
No matter how many men and money they had, they couldn't withstand the blades of hundreds of thousands of elite troops from the Three Great Camps.
The sheer size of the Jiangnan camp, with its nearly 200,000 troops, was enough to keep them from having any other thoughts.
Before the Great Zhou emperor turned his sword against his own people, they still dared to fantasize about what it would be like to change the dynasty.
But after this incident, the answer they received was not good.
If they dared to rebel, they didn't know what would happen to the Great Zhou royal family, but the entire Jiangnan gentry would be reduced to ashes in an instant by hundreds of thousands of troops.
Isn't it good to be alive?
"But Father, the officials and ministers are already starting to lose their minds, and everyone is feeling insecure. If the killings continue, the court may be paralyzed!"
"Those traitors have been dealt with most of the time. For the sake of the stability of the country, your son begs Your Majesty to let this matter rest!"
"Outrageous! Are you saying I am a tyrannical and incompetent ruler?"
"Your subject wouldn't dare!"
"You unfilial son! You rebellious son!"
Snapped…
Emperor Anping seemed to be furious and smashed something.
"Father!?"
"Father..."
"Help! Father has fainted!"
Upon hearing the Crown Prince's call, Liu Hu hurriedly pushed open the door to the Imperial Study, and several ministers followed him in.
On the floor of the imperial study, fragments of an inkstone lay scattered, and Emperor Anping, pale-faced, collapsed into Dai Quan's arms.
The crown prince stood to the side, looking helpless, wanting to step forward to investigate but seemingly hesitant.
"Quickly summon the imperial physician!"
Upon seeing Liu Hu, Dai Quan immediately gave him a subtle wink, but his face showed a look of fear and unease.
Liu Hu immediately understood his meaning: find someone clever and reliable, not these stubborn old fogies.
Liu Hu's heart, which had been pounding, finally relaxed: Alright, it seems Emperor Anping should be alright.
But he still had to cooperate, so Liu Hu hurriedly accepted the order and left, kicking out the ministers as he went.
They're all seasoned foxes; if these ministers see through the deception, even if they don't dare expose it, Emperor Anping will definitely have a grudge in his heart.
When Liu Hu returned with several imperial physicians, there were several more people at the entrance of the Imperial Study, including Jia Daihua, the commander of the Beijing Garrison, and the commander of the Imperial Guards.
"Guard Liu, how is His Majesty?"
These few individuals essentially controlled the military power of the entire capital and the political affairs of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Upon hearing that Emperor Anping had fainted, they immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed over.
The commander of the Imperial Guards had even sealed off the entire palace to prevent the news from leaking out.
"Lord Jia, I don't know His Majesty's condition either. Let's wait for news from the imperial physician!"
Looking at the door that had been closed again, Liu Hu said with a worried expression.
"His Majesty is in the prime of his life; he will surely be safe and sound!"
Although Jia Daihua was very worried about Emperor Anping's condition, he still comforted everyone in this way.
Although Emperor Anping was wary of the founding lineage, he never suppressed Wu Xun.
However, the Crown Prince gives the impression of valuing civil officials over military ones. If something were to happen to Emperor Anping, it's uncertain how the Crown Prince would treat these military officers after ascending the throne.
Several cabinet ministers from the Jiangnan gentry also did not want anything to happen to Emperor Anping at this time.
After all, this whole thing looks like it was caused by the Crown Prince.
If something were to happen to Emperor Anping at this time, the blame would definitely fall on the Crown Prince.
How can a prince who murdered his father ascend the throne?
If Wu Xun were to use this as an opportunity to launch an attack and support Prince Zhongxin's ascension to the throne, then...
They seem to have just impeached Prince Chung-shin, completely offending him!
The cabinet ministers exchanged glances, their meaning clear.
If Emperor Anping is safe and sound, then everything will be fine.
If something were to happen, then Prince Chung-shin absolutely must not be allowed to ascend to that position.
Seeing the old foxes exchanging glances, Liu Hu almost couldn't help but laugh.
The father and son were just putting on a show; you actually believe Emperor Anping is dead.
But why does this scene look so familiar?
Liu Hu was puzzled.
Pretend to be sick, and then let all those with ulterior motives jump out.
"Could this also be part of Emperor Anping's plan?"
Thinking of this, Liu Hu suddenly understood, and felt a wave of fear wash over him.
If these are also part of Emperor Anping's plans, then he'd better be careful in the future.
As everyone waited anxiously, the door to the Imperial Study opened again.
"It seems that Emperor Anping and the Crown Prince have already agreed on the script for what's to come," Liu Hu thought to himself.
"Imperial Physician Yu, how is His Majesty's health?"
As soon as the imperial physician came out, Jia Daihua couldn't wait to grab him and ask him questions.
Seeing this, Liu Hu chuckled, "With such poor political acumen, it's no wonder the Ningguo Mansion ended up like that."
How could they, as his subjects, possibly inquire about the Emperor's health?
"Lord Jia..."
Fortunately, Physician Yu did not take the opportunity to trip up Jia Daihua. He just looked at him with surprise, then shook his head, gave him a look, and left with the other physicians without saying anything.
"Oh……"
At this moment, Jia Daihua also realized that his behavior just now, to put it nicely, was to show concern for His Majesty's health, but to put it bluntly, it was to show ulterior motives.
Seeing the strange looks from the others, Jia Daihua blushed and opened his mouth slightly.
He immediately knelt down, facing the imperial study, and cried out, "Your Majesty, I deserve to die! Please punish me!"
"It's not entirely without merit!" Seeing Jia Daihua's reaction, Liu Hu's sense of danger in the imperial court intensified.
A person like Jia Daihua would be considered an outstanding individual even among ordinary people.
But in the Great Zhou court, he was far less favored than Jia Daishan. And what about himself...?
"We really shouldn't underestimate the wisdom of our ancestors!"
"His Majesty has decreed that Jia Daihua, Commander of the Capital Garrison, and Li Siyuan, Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, be summoned to the Imperial Study for an audience!"
"The rest of the officials should remain in their posts and not neglect state affairs!"
"Your Majesty, we obey!"
After Jia Daihua and the Grand Secretary went in, everyone else left.
Since Emperor Anping is safe and sound, there's no point in them staying here any longer.
The Grand Secretary has been summoned; surely there should be some improvement in the situation in Jiangnan?
No one knew what Emperor Anping and Grand Secretary Jia Daihua discussed, but both of them had complicated expressions when they came out.
In particular, Jia Daihua's gaze towards Liu Hu as he left was filled with indescribable emotions.
"What's wrong?"
Liu Hu was completely baffled by his gaze and could only curse inwardly.
Although she had received favors from the Rongguo Mansion, she had absolutely no connection with Jia Daihua.
Compared to the Rongguo Mansion, the later Ningguo Mansion was almost entirely populated by villains.
He Pingzhou was filled with Jia Jing, whose affairs were unclear; Jia Zhen, who committed incest; Jia Rong, who was licentious and cowardly; and You Shi, who was ignorant and foolish.
It's truly a pity about Miss Leng Xichun. She was clever and insightful, and had long foreseen the fate of the Ning and Rong families, but she was powerless to escape the situation at the time, and had the idea of becoming a nun at a young age.
He especially loathed the Ningguo Mansion, the place where he was born.
Therefore, Liu Hu was not afraid at all when faced with Jia Daihua's scrutiny; at worst, he would simply cut off all contact with him in the future.
However, speaking of the Ningguo Mansion, Jia She, at a young age, has already become a companion to the emperor, while Jia Jing and Liu Hu, who are much older than Jia She, have never met him.
I only heard that he passed the imperial examination a few years ago and is apparently still working at the Hanlin Academy.
I don't know what he was thinking. Knowing that the Great Zhou Dynasty was wary of civil officials, Jia Daihua still pushed his son into the ranks of civil officials.
It's no wonder that Emperor Anping later only remembered Jia Daishan's good points and never mentioned Jia Daihua at all.
With such a patriarch, the Ningguo Mansion has really suffered a great misfortune!
.........
"Is New Year's Day almost here?"
At this moment, in the Pamir Mountains of the Western Regions, the command tent of the western expeditionary army is stationed here.
Looking at the snow falling all around, Jia Daishan couldn't help but sigh.
"My lord, a report has come from the front! The Torgut tribe and the remnants of the Durbet have crossed the Yibo Sea and are heading west with their people, cattle, and sheep."
"Rakshasa people were also found among their migrating group!"
"Rakshasa people?" Upon hearing Zhang Wannian's report, Jia Daishan turned and asked, "Are you referring to the Rakshasa people who border the Dzungar Khanate to the north?"
"Those are the Rakshasa!"
"According to reports from our spies hidden in the Oirat, those Rakshasa people have long been in contact with the Torghut tribe of the Dzungar Khanate of the Oirat."
"The westward migration of the Torgut tribe was partly influenced by them."
"It is said that the Torgut tribe will move to a place not far from the Rakshasa people and establish a khanate."
"Moreover, our right-wing army encountered resistance from the Dzungar Khanate in the Tianshan Mountains, and they obtained a large number of firearms from the Rakshasa people."
"Those firearms are comparable to those of our Great Zhou Dynasty, and one of them is a self-propelled musket with a rate of fire even faster than ours!"
"Commander Zhao wrote to inquire about how to handle this situation?"