Book 14: Chapter 11: Locked Down Imperial City
Book 14: Chapter 11: Locked Down Imperial City
Everyone who previously didn’t know Wen Xuanshu would denounce the emperor like this on the Autumn Sacrifice stage all felt their hearts turn cold at this time.
Everyone had a balance in their hearts.
They knew that some things were indeed as Wen Xuanshu said.
Only, there were some things they didn’t even know about, or some things that knew that were inconsistent with what he said. However, when Wen Xuanshu said all of these things at this time, it also made them unable to help but think that if what everything Wen Xuanshu said was true, then his majesty truly has gone too far.
Moreover, all of them understood clearly that today, when his majesty didn’t come to the Autumn Sacrifice, with Wen Xuanshu even daring to act out like this, he most likely already made preparations. Regardless of how things turn out in the future, perhaps if they stood out at this time, there would immediately be a disaster of blood radiance.
That was why when that old Religion Sector official Huang Zhongshi was stirred up, a mouthful of blood gushing out, there actually wasn’t a single official around him who went up to support him.
Liu Xueqing released a light sigh inwardly at this time.
When Wen Xuanshu began the denouncement against the emperor, his eyes already stopped over Trade Sector’s Sector Head Zhou Youjian and Leng Zhennan next to him.
Even though there were many officials here, he understood extremely clearly inwardly that the only ones who could be of some decisive use to this and even the entire Central Continent City situation, were himself, Zhou Youjian and Leng Zhennan, the three of them.
However, Zhou Youjian and Leng Zhennan didn’t give him a look.
They didn’t even seem to have noticed his gaze.
There were no blind people here.
If they wanted to see, they would naturally see. If they didn’t see, then they merely didn’t wish to see.
He shook his head, giving Zhou Youjian and Leng Zhennan a look of disdain as he sighed inwardly. Then, he walked over to the very front, up to the side where that old Religion Sector official Huang Zhongshi was, supporting this old Religion Sector official.
This old Religion Sector official, because of being too stirred up and resentful, was already experiencing a bit of a paralyzing stroke. Half his face was drooping, half his face continuously twitching… However, the calm Liu Xueqing who now supported him to his feet was an exceptionally shocking sight.
Liu Xueqing was a Yunqin upright subject. After several upright subjects carried out death remonstrations towards the southern expedition, he himself already unknowingly became the leader of the righteous faction.
After Inspection Division was established, his authority and prestige were vaguely even higher than that of the sector heads[1].
Right now, he was naturally the one whose words carried the most weight.
“No loyalty, no justice, no benevolence, no etiquette, rebels and traitors are precisely rebels and traitors.” Liu Xueqing raised his head, looking at Wen Xuanshu on the sacrificial stage with contempt. “Regardless of how resplendent the tongue, still a rebel in the end, ought to be punished by death!”
Wen Xuanshu’s brows furrowed slightly. He looked at Liu Xueqing underneath the stage, saying with a sigh, “Sir Liu, you are a subject this entire world knows to be upright and honorable. However, you dare say that what I speak is not the truth?”
“If it is the truth, so what? Even if it is not the truth, so what?” Liu Xueqing said coldly. “Even if the son of heaven sins, he is still the son of heaven. If the subjects wish to carry out remonstrations, how can it be done by a rebel like you through this type of heaven denouncement?”
Wen Xuanshu shook his head. “When a human is wrong, they can learn to change. Would livestock learn from remonstration and change? Not to mention livestock is beneath people. You all carry out remonstrations year after year, month after month, what are the results like? How many Yunqin men have died in Jadefall City? How many Yunqin men died during the southern expedition? You claim to be upright and honorable, but have you listened to the cries of orphans and widows in the alleys at night?”
“Utter rubbish!”
Liu Xueqing was originally calm, but when he heard this, his forehead’s veins instead began to pop. He extended a finger out towards Wen Xuanshu, shouting out, “A rebel like you even dares mention the southern expedition! If you really were asking for an order from the heavens as you state, then during the southern expedition, you should have knelt down and carried out a death remonstration during the southern expedition too! Forcing Grand Secretary Zhou to step down, succeeding the position as Grand Secretary, southern expedition, weren’t all of these things you urged on? If we divide the crimes of southern expedition into three parts, at least one of these parts is on you! Yet you still dare come and denounce the emperor here to the heavens like this?!”
“Through this point alone, you have no footing, your rapacious designs are abundantly clear. Why then is there a need for me to retort your words one by one? They are all utter rubbish! You said his majesty has sinned, that if your words have any error, to let the heavens bring down lightning upon you. Right now, I am saying that you are a rebel! If the words I say are not true, then let the heavens bring down lightning upon me! Will the heavens hack me down or not? If you want to rebel, then rebel! Why is there a need for you to put on this type of appearance like a whore, even about to set up some memorial arch!”
“Putting up all of these appearances and memorial arch, it is naturally to deceive the people of this world.” Liu Xueqing said fiercely with a cold laugh. “However, I naturally will uncover your filthy scandal!”
Utter rubbish, nonsense, putting on an appearance like a whore… these words were extremely vulgar. Normally, the words Liu Xueqing, this type of Yunqin important statesman spoke would definitely make others feel like he was too uncultured, but right now, it instead made the heads of many people who didn’t fear death become boiling hot, their hearts surging with heat.
Officials walked out one after another, walking behind Liu Xueqing.
In just a few breaths of time, there was a clear separation of the officials beneath the Heaven Offering Stage. One group was led by Liu Xueqing, the number comparatively fewer, while the other was led by Leng Zhennan and Zhou Youjian, the number greater.
However, of the group of comparatively less people, everyone had their head high and chest out, but those part of the larger group mostly hung their heads, too ashamed to face the eyes of the other side.
Wen Xuanshu’s eyes gradually became cold. A wave of extremely domineering aura surged from his body. It rippled out from the Heaven Offering Stage along with his voice.
“If you want to kill then kill…”
These unclear words sounded from Liu Xueqing’s side.
This voice actually came from the old Religion Sector official at Liu Xueqing’s side, coming from the old official who was already paralyzed from a stroke.
“Sirs are all the true pillars of Yunqin. I received the will of heaven to denounce the monarch, so how could I trouble sirs? It isn’t important if sirs cannot immediately understand. I ask everyone to fully relax in Fasting Palace for now. Once Central Continent is once again at peace, a time for Yunqin’s people to live in peace and work happily again, I must then ask everyone to exert yourselves then.” Wen Xuanshu shook his head, saying with a bit of an apology.
The sun already rose.
An expanse of silver approached from the plains behind Heaven Offering Stage.
Pah!
A civil official fiercely spat out a mouthful of spittle, spitting on the shining silver armor of a Central Continent Guard approaching him.
…
At sunrise.
Central Continent City’s commoners continued to live like normal.
There was someone washing his face and rinsing his mouth by a well, someone holding a bowl of piping hot noodle soup, slurping away while chatting idly with someone similarly squatting at his side and eating a bowl of noodles.
Most Central Continent City commoners didn’t even feel that today was any different from usual. However, the Yunqin commoners who lived near the various city gates, originally about to enter and exit through the city gates, instead all noticed that this Autumn Sacrifice day was definitely not ordinary.
Chills began to run through their mind. They didn’t know just what kind of thing was happening.
Many city gates that originally allowed commoners and traveling merchants to come and go were completely shut, while the gates that only allowed some palace carriages and military forces to enter and leave through were all opened.
Under the sunlight, they saw large groups of Central Continent Guards passing through these city gates and entering the city.
Rows of Central Continent Guards’ silver armors flickered with radiance, blinding their eyes.
Right at this time, all of Yunqin Imperial City and all of the palace gates were tightly shut. All of Yunqin Imperial Palace became like an airtight jar.
1. Liu Xueqing is the head of Inspection Division B12C19