pdf-ebookys Chapter 127 Rebellious Officials of the Former Dynasty (The End)
Chapter 127 Rebellious Officials of the Former Dynasty (The End)
At this moment, the emperor no longer had the decrepit appearance of clinging tightly to power; instead, he seemed somewhat carefree.
"If I have to rack my brains before choosing a crown prince, and I have to rack my brains again after choosing a crown prince, then wouldn't my choice of crown prince be in vain?" He easily decided on the title of crown prince for Xiao Yao.
"Leave the future to the people of the future. What do I care what you do after I die?" The arrogance in his eyes reminded Ling Yi of Xiao Yao in the past: "At that time, they will be cursing the Ninth Prince, not me."
"What I want to know now is whether you are a god or not."
Ling Yi: "Otherwise, let's talk about science."
This question is rather unscientific.
The emperor had never heard of the term "science," but he could barely understand it. A hint of regret flashed across his face: "It really isn't. So there's nothing to be angry about since I ate a fake elixir."
After saying that, he took out a small jade bottle from under his pillow, poured a bright red pill with a spicy aroma into his mouth.
The moment the heavy metal glutinous rice ball entered his mouth, his face flushed red, and he instantly felt much better.
"I secretly fed some of this stuff to the chickens, and then all the chickens died." The emperor shook his head and sighed, "I knew those Taoist priests were unreliable."
Even if it's unreliable, he still has to eat it.
Otherwise, he would be bedridden all day, a frail old man who couldn't even stand up.
The emperor sighed, "If only there were gods in this world."
He readily admitted that he was afraid of death and wanted to live forever!
When all his expectations were dashed, he struggled for a long time and made many mistakes, which resulted in the loss of several sons.
Now that the emperor has finally regained his senses, he finally possesses some of the aura of someone who rules the four corners of the world.
"You're not being honest; you're not answering my questions directly." He coughed a few times, then laughed, "Fine, I won't ask anymore."
"I will ask you only one question: Do you have ambitions to seize the throne?"
Ling Yi shook her head: "Your country is too small."
Such a small place, and they don't even have the thought of taking it over. Artificial intelligence is very picky, you know.
The emperor's already flushed face became even flushed.
He pointed to the doorway: "Get out."
Ling Yi turned to leave, but he said again, "Call them in again."
Ling Yi glanced back at the emperor, who seemed somewhat mentally unstable, and nodded silently.
Outside the warm pavilion at this moment, besides Xiao Yao, there were also the ministers of the six ministries and important cabinet officials.
Summoned by Ling Yi, they filed in, and upon seeing the emperor, who was impeccably dressed and composed, they instantly felt relieved.
The turmoil in the capital ultimately did not reach the palace.
This fig leaf of paternal love and filial piety can still be used for now.
"Read it aloud." After Ling Yi left, the emperor, having taken two more pills, spoke calmly.
The next moment, the imperial edict appointing Xiao Yao as crown prince resounded in the small room.
Without the witness of the officials or the debate among the ministers, the emperor simply selected a few of the most central figures in the country and hastily bestowed the title of Crown Prince upon Xiao Yao, who had just returned to the capital, in a rather informal manner.
As Xiao Yao knelt to express his gratitude, he looked down at his son, a fleeting moment of reverie passing through his eyes. He thought of his son as a child, and also of his own past.
“I was once as free as you.”
If it weren't for the unpaid wages, he would have been nothing more than a flamboyant young master living under his father's thumb, indulging in horse racing and cockfighting, living a carefree life.
He knew how blue the sky was in the northern desert earlier than Xiao Yao, and he also knew how delicious the cattle and sheep raised by the barbarians were earlier than Ling Yi.
Once war broke out, he could never go back to the way things were.
From a general who fought on the battlefield to an emperor who ruled the world, from high spirits to old age, what he missed most on his deathbed was the strong liquor of the northern desert.
The emperor smiled and looked at Xiao Yao, saying, "I am a good emperor. I have left you an empire with twenty million households. I hope you will not disappoint my ambition and will govern the empire well."
Then, he looked at the assembled officials and said loudly, "This is the crown prince I have chosen, the crown prince I chose two years ago!"
"Those who fight to the death in prison will never be the successors I desire, nor will they resemble my children!"
"I know about what happened yesterday, I permit it, I approve of it!" he said coldly. "The Xiao family does not engage in underhanded dealings. It's good that the third son died!"
"I hope that all my ministers will not forget the trust I have placed in you today, and will assist the new emperor so that we may all be remembered in history!"
He had been ill for too long, and had remained silent in this warm pavilion for too long, so long that the court officials had almost forgotten what he used to look like.
The sight of such an emperor brought tears to the eyes of the chief minister.
He was about the same age as the emperor and was his first advisor.
The emperor at that time was just one of the rebels at the end of the previous dynasty, and he was also a disheartened scholar who had retired and returned to his hometown.
Then he was captured by the emperor, who was like a bandit.
The general, riding a tall horse, looked at the scholar who was bound hand and foot, and said loudly, "May I ask, sir, are you willing to join me in a great undertaking?"
Only when he reluctantly agreed did the long sword resting on his shoulder fall.
After decades of ups and downs in his official career, he almost forgot his past.
In recent years, the emperor who hid behind his sons and instigated them to fight with his strange and ruthless methods reminded him of the previous dynasty.
But now, the emperor, who was still old and frail but still full of passion, suddenly reminded him of his own spirited past.
The emperor surveyed his officials, whose expressions varied, and laughed loudly: "In my life, I have had my faults, but no regrets!"
After saying that, he stopped breathing.
That potent medicine, which consumes months of life, only provides a quarter of an hour's worth of energy.
Rather than dying a long and arduous illness, emaciated and emaciated, this emperor preferred a swift and carefree death.
Only in this way can one possess a semblance of imperial demeanor and be worthy of his illustrious reputation.
Amidst the cries of anguish, Ling Yi looked up at the lifeless emperor, whose head was bowed.
This was the most complex person she had ever met in the world.
He regarded power as his life, yet he calmly relinquished it.
He feared death so much that he sought immortality and enlightenment, but after being rejected by her, he faced death with equanimity.
He ruled the country for decades, enjoying immense power, wealth, and honor, yet in his final moments, he longed for the harsh and desolate northern desert.
The complexities of human nature were fully displayed in him, which puzzled Ling Yi and also made her sigh.
This may be why countless non-human beings, like moths to a flame, strive to cultivate into human form.
……
The emperor's funeral was solemn and sorrowful. The new emperor ascended the throne in front of the coffin and then observed a 27-day mourning period before the enthronement ceremony.
The new emperor and empress jointly offered sacrifices to Heaven and their ancestors, sharing the joy of worship.
The main hall was set up with dragon thrones on the left and right, imperial edicts were issued with double dragon seals, and military affairs were handled with double tiger tallies.
The following year, the emperor and empress changed the era name and appointed Xiao An, the grandson of the former crown prince, as the crown prince's grandson.
On the first day of the lunar new year, during the grand court assembly, the emperor and empress, seated on the left and right dragon thrones, looked down upon the officials who were paying homage.
However, after only one year on the throne, Xiao Yao already felt the vicissitudes of life.
Beneath the imperial crown, the figures of the officials seemed infinitely distant; only those close at hand were true companions on the same path.
He suddenly grasped Ling Yi's hand and whispered, "I suddenly miss Mobei."
There are endless cattle and sheep, boundless grasslands, and free winds blowing from the north.
The jade string swayed gently before her eyes. Ling Yi, who had long been disgusted with court politics, said softly, "Let's get An'er promoted as soon as possible, and then we'll go to the northern desert and ride horses, never to return to this wretched place."
Let whoever wants to be emperor, she's had enough of the chaotic court politics.
"it is good."
The emperor and empress, high above each other, suddenly exchanged a knowing glance and smiled knowingly.
The carefree wanderers of the martial world, whom we meet for the first time, are about to embark on their journey through the world of martial arts.
Wanderers of the martial world grow old in the martial world; they will not grow old and sick in this capital city, nor will they describe freedom in their memories.