Chapter 295 The Queen Mother and the Emperor

【The Dharma Minister is called "Western King", and he forbids "disloyalty, unfilial piety, unkindness, and unrighteousness". The army is called "Xianzhong Army", and the number of troops is "8,000 sons and daughters". 】

[They defeated the Taoist soldiers who "drank the magic water" and implemented "unity of politics and religion" internally. Their slogan was "support the emperor and destroy the thieves". They also wanted to "appease the emperor". Now they have been given the name "Quanzhong"...]

[It’s full! It’s really full! ]

[Even if you don’t know these jokes, they are starting to seem abstract now! ]

[To be fair, you are certainly not satisfied with your name. After all, it is just a number and has no identity at all. If you have the opportunity to change it, you will definitely change it to a better-sounding one.]

[But the word "full loyalty"...]

[When you say these two words, you feel an inexplicable strange feeling that makes you feel a little bit resistant... But what disgusts you most is the political meaning of this name! ]

[Quanzhong, Quanzhong. The emperor certainly wants you to be loyal to the court and be a good loyal dog for him. If you are really a feudal filial son like Song Yasi, you should be happy to accept it and kneel down to thank him for his grace.]

[But you are not a filial son. Loyalty is just a mask you put on. Your ultimate strategic goal has always been to replace the imperial court and build a beautiful world of your dreams! ]

[So, you are very dissatisfied with this meaningful name and instinctively don’t want to accept it, but...]

[Looking at the emperor with a look of expectation, you can't help but hesitate... It's not that you suddenly become filial, but you consider that people have to bow their heads under the eaves. ]

[The purpose of your coming to the capital this time is to obtain a legal identity from the court, so as to avoid being attacked... If you refuse the name bestowed by the emperor, it would be tantamount to being slapped in the face on the spot, and now there will be a grudge even if there is no grudge.]

[So after careful consideration, you finally suppressed your displeasure and showed a respectful and happy expression on your face...]

[“I, Lin Quanzhong, thank you, Your Majesty, for bestowing this name!”]

[“Okay! From now on, my dear, I will call you Quanzhong!”]

[When the young emperor saw you accept, he immediately showed joy on his face. His joy was even stronger than the one you deliberately pretended to have! ]

[This discovery makes your already suspicious heart even more confused: What exactly does the little emperor mean? ]

[To win you over? Is it necessary to do this for a simple win? This attitude is as if you are his most loyal subject...]

[Just because they captured four rebel kings with less than 100,000 soldiers, is it worth starting a war? Is the imperial court in such a critical situation? ]

[Confusion and curiosity all surged in your heart, and your intuition told you that there must be some important information in it. If you can find out clearly, it may be of great use...]

【…】

[After receiving you solemnly and giving you an unexpected name, the delighted emperor announced the results of the treatment of the four rebel kings in the court.]

[The four rebel kings, who have no intention of being loyal to the emperor and the country, and no intention of pacifying the people, dare to use the people to oppose the court and harm the people. They deserve to be killed! ]

[Disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unjust... You shall be cut into pieces! ]

[So, the four Shinto rebel kings you brought were taken to the execution ground amidst the curses, and the old master of the imperial court personally cut them into pieces, 2,000 to 3,000 pieces each...]

[You didn't care too much about how these four nobles died. Judging from the bad things they did during the uprising, they deserved to be sliced ​​into roast ducks.]

[Moreover, under the professional treatment of the imperial court, the four people could not even escape, their bodies and souls were destroyed, it was really cruel... This surprised you. It seems that although the imperial court made a profit, it actually still has some tricks...]

[After slicing four roast ducks, the imperial court began to officially confer titles on you. Although you didn't understand the specific titles, the imperial court did as you wished and gave you a legal status as a local vassal! ]

[With this status as a vassal, you will be able to recruit soldiers and horses relatively freely in the future, and even enjoy economic power such as coinage. You can even attack other rebels freely without the order of the court. When suppressing the rebels, the government troops will actively cooperate in the attack...]

[The generosity of this reward has greatly surprised you, because it is too generous. It is equivalent to allowing you to establish your own small court. Except that you are not officially crowned as a king, it is no different from being crowned as a king! ]

[Is your stabbing value so high? ]

[An inexplicable fear arises spontaneously...]

[Just when you are feeling terrified, one day in the middle of the night, a palace eunuch suddenly comes to visit you and cautiously invites you to the palace to meet the emperor.]

【Meet the Emperor in the middle of the night? 】

[You were already feeling uneasy, and your instinct told you that something was wrong here, but since the emperor had already sent someone, you couldn't not go, so you could only follow the eunuch and sneak into the palace through the secret passage.]

[Under the light of a solitary lamp, you once again see the young emperor you had just met a few days ago, but now his face is no longer filled with the sunshine and joy he had before, and is filled with only sorrow and sadness...]

[You seem to have triggered some hidden mission...]

……

"Your Highness, I, Lin Quanzhong, pay my respects to your Majesty!"

Late at night in the imperial palace, Lin Liu cautiously saluted the emperor whose intentions were unclear.

He had no choice but to be cautious, because the buffs were almost full:
It was late at night, in the palace, and the eunuchs were talking secretly... The emperor even looked visibly worried. Considering the excessive reward he had given him before, it was obvious that he was asking him to share the emperor's worries...

The emperor's worried eyes focused on Lin Liu. He opened his mouth and said slowly:
"Quanzhong, can I trust you?"

As soon as these words came out, Lin Liu couldn't help but shudder all over. Classic scenes that only appear in storybooks inexplicably emerged in his mind...

Seeing that he seemed to be frightened, the little emperor suddenly sighed:
"I know you are loyal. Not only did you take the initiative to fight against the rebels for the court, but you also personally escorted them to the capital... You are different from others. I don't want to harm you."

"Let me be frank. It was the Queen Mother's idea to invite you to the capital. The Queen Mother invited you here not to commend you, but... to take the opportunity to kill you!" Lin Liu's pupils shrank, but he did not get angry, nor did he beg for mercy. Instead, he said decisively in a deep voice:
"What does Your Majesty need me to do?"

He believed that the young emperor summoned him into the palace in the middle of the night and said these words specifically, not just to kill him... obviously there was another purpose.

"clever!"

The little emperor was surprised and satisfied:

"I like smart people like Quanzhong..."

[After laying the groundwork for so long, the emperor certainly didn’t do this to kill you. In fact, he wanted to use you…]

[As you gazed in deep thought, the little emperor slowly told you a story.]

[“Since I was young, I have seen the decline of the imperial court. There is no relief for natural disasters, refugees are not at peace, corruption is rampant, and evil spirits are rampant... But when the imperial court was clearly on the verge of collapse, my father indulged in sensual pleasures, causing the government to decline further.”]

[“Since I ascended the throne at the age of eight, I have been determined to support the country and return to the prosperous era of Emperor Taizu, so I have repeatedly wanted to implement new policies…”]

[He started with a classic opening line, and then changed the subject: But the Queen Mother has been ruling the country from behind the scenes, interfering with my new policies in various ways, and as a result, I have not been able to revive the country in more than ten years since I ascended the throne...]

[Queen Mother?]

[You are moved and can't help but ask: "Why does the Queen Mother want to interfere with your Majesty's new policy?"]

【“Because of the ancestral system.”】

[The Emperor did not hide this from you: Since the founding of the country by Emperor Taizu, there has been an ancestral rule that the court cannot train people other than members of the imperial clan to practice Shinto. If there is really no one in the imperial clan who can achieve the state of Dharma, then we can only rely on the lives of ordinary people to kill the rebels! ]

[Once you find those wild gods, kill them immediately! ]

[The purpose of this ancestral rule is very clear: it is to prevent Shinto monks from replacing the imperial court by usurping the throne or rebelling, and to prolong the country's fortune as much as possible...]

【But it was precisely because of this ancestral rule that the imperial court never recovered after Taizu abdicated. Without the Shinto priests, the imperial court had difficulty in doing anything. It could not quell rebellions, provide disaster relief, or even deal with corruption, leading to the danger of the country's demise.】

【So, after the young emperor ascended the throne, he always wanted to reform the new policy and recruit Shinto monks from the folk to enter the court in order to revitalize the country. 】

[The "conservatives" represented by the Queen Mother believe that the laws of the ancestors cannot be violated. Even though they know that the country is in decline, they still stubbornly stick to the old ways and cling to the old ways. They are simply waiting for the country to be destroyed...]

[It is precisely because of this that the Queen Mother asked the Emperor to issue an order to summon you to assassinate him! ]

【…】

[After understanding the cause and effect, you can't help but look at the little emperor in shock: Although the ancestral system is not good, rashly implementing new policies is also likely to lead to death, because the only result of Shinto monks entering the court with extraordinary identities is to usurp the throne and change the dynasty! ]

[It is impossible for a supernatural being to be willing to serve a mortal emperor as a dog. Not even you. The Zhaoan has always been just a disguise...]

[For a moment, you don’t know how to evaluate this little emperor: bold? Stupid? ]

[You can't help but ask: "Your Majesty, if the monks are not beneficial to the court in the future...what should we do?"]

[This question hit the nail on the head, and the little emperor's face darkened.]

[But he still said in a deep voice: To move forward is death, to stand still is also death... Rather than waiting for the country to be destroyed, it is better to fight for as long as possible! ]

[“It is better to die after trying hard than to sit and wait for death.”]

【The little emperor took a deep breath and looked at you with sharp eyes.】

[“Quanzhong, do you dare to accept this imperial decree to punish traitors?”]

[You were stunned. Although you had already guessed it in your heart, you still asked: "Who is the traitor?"]

[The little emperor did not say it explicitly, but just said it silently.]

[“The enemy is in Chuxiu Palace!”]

[Chuxiu Palace is the Queen Mother! ]

[You immediately bowed and said nothing, then walked straight out of the palace, walking further and further away under the expectant gaze of the little emperor...]

【Help the emperor to govern the country? 】

【of course not.】

【Report the Emperor to the Empress Dowager? 】

[Not good either.]

[The emperor is destined to be unable to support the court, and the queen mother has ill intentions. You are not interested in intervening in their mother-son dispute, but...]

[This is an opportunity, an opportunity to test the court's background: How many pounds of iron nails are left in a broken ship that has stood for three hundred years? ]

[You decide to try again to find out the truth...]

……

(End of this chapter)