Chapter 508
~ AREN’T YOU AFRAID? ~
The officials knelt in front of the Palace for three days, and many could not hold on any longer as they unbearably collapsed to the ground.
In the early morning, the Emperor finally ordered the officials to enter the Palace. It seemed that he had the intention of accepting their advice. The gray-faced officials accelerated their steps and staggered into the golden hall.
They discovered that the Emperor was already sitting in the great hall after they entered, and right under the steps of the throne stood a dusty man. Although his clothes weren’t stained with any dirt, he was covered in dust at first glance, his hair was slightly messy, and he was still holding a horsewhip in his hand.
Just when the officials from the Ministry of Rites were thinking about how to participate in the performance later, the man turned around and greeted them with a wide smile. “My lords are all right. I heard that you have been kneeling outside for the past three days. I can see that your countenances are pretty good. You also look so strong and healthy. When we start fighting again at the border, you should be allowed to go to the front line to kill the enemies for the country.”
The pupils of many people constricted. HisRoyal Highness Yu Wang, isn’t he in Jiangnan? Why did he suddenly appear in the great hall?
The corner of Yu Wang’s lips curled up. He seemed full of smiles, but the officials around him felt a chill down their spines as if they were being stared at by something dangerous. Many of the generals could not help but size up Yu Wang. They could not help but sigh in their hearts because the killing intent from the Second Prince was so strong.
“This subject pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor.”
The Emperor did not shout out. His expression was cold as he said, “Didn’t you want to kneel? I presume that you are also unwilling to get up now. I have never forced anyone to do anything, so I’ll let you all kneel for a while longer.”
“Your Majesty, this humble subject and others are doing this for the sake of thousands of citizens. Earlier, this subject suggested that Yishui City be closed down, but the Emperor disagreed, so the epidemic spread from Yishui City to other cities. If this goes on, the citizens of Jiangnan will be in danger!”
“Your Majesty, Lord Sun is right. Please listen to his advice and close Yishui City.”
Yu Wang, who stood on the top of the hall, suddenly looked sad and knelt down in front of the Emperor with a thump. His tears fell down instantly, not caring about the dignity of a prince as he cried bitterly, “Imperial Father, I beg you, please have mercy on the people of Jiangnan. Please drag Lord Sun and Lord Nan, who spoke just now, put them death!”
“Your Royal Highness, you … How can you speak like that?”
Yu Wang’s tears fell even faster, “Imperial Father, according to the records of Yishui City, there are a total of more than forty-three thousand six hundred citizens in the city. After the flood, there will only be less than a thousand people left. Of these thousand people, more than three hundred were infected with diseases. According to the meaning of the two Lord, those people who had finally managed to gain a chance to live were killed once again? It is too cold-blooded and ruthless!”
“Your Majesty, it’s not that tis minister are ruthless, but it’s just that you can’t lose too much because of small matters. If more people are endangered because of these hundreds of people, it won’t be a good thing!”
“Bullshit!” Yu Wang turned around and said, “As officials, you don’t need to think about saving the people after something happens. The first thought you have is to kill them all, and now there are people in Guancheng City who are infected with the plague. Would you close the city gates and trap more than 30,000 of them to death? According to the two Lords, if the epidemic continues to spread along the current water, do you want to destroy most of the Dali Dynasty?”
The faces of the two officials who had spoken earlier turned deathly pale. “Your Majesty is enlightened. This subject definitely does not have such an intention.”
“You are officials, who are always serving the country and the people, are actually destroying the foundation of the Dali Dynasty. The Emperor is the Heavens, and the people are the Earth. Heaven and Earth need to depend on each other. Now that the Earth is in trouble, you plan to destroy it. Dare to ask my Lords, where do you stand without the land under your feet?
Without the land under your feet, how can you feed yourself? In a folk saying, what you are doing now is to eat at the table, scold your mother at the table, and not be grateful. All of you are wolf-hearted and dog-hearted! Closing the gate and killing the citizens is simply a conspiracy!”
A few officials nearly fell to the ground, and before they could refute Yu Wang’s offensive speech, they hurriedly kowtowed to the Emperor. “Your Majesty, this subject definitely does not mean that. It was Your Royal Highness Yu Wang who slandered this subject. Please be clear, Your Majesty.”
The Second Prince, Yu Wang, took two steps forward on his knees, knocked his head against the stairs, and banged. “Imperial Father, this Son is heartbroken. You have never been to Jiangnan, so you don’t know the tragedy of Yishui City. The entire city was in ruins, the corpses could be seen everyplace, and there were wails everywhere! The troopers who entered the city to help clean up the streets were seven-foot-tall men kneeling on the ground and crying bitterly.
There were women holding children, men protecting their families, old people struggling to survive... They are all ordinary citizens and all trying their best to survive. They only want to live a simple life. Why is it so tough!”
The Emperor looked at Yu Wang with downcast eyes, his expression pained. “It was my fault....”
Yu Wang wiped away his tears, knelt straight up, and looked resolute, “Imperial Father, this Son is unfilial today and only makes a scene in the Imperial Court. If anyone dares to shut down Yishui city and kill the people infected with the plague today, this Son will directly drag their families along and throw them into Yishui City. I want them to witness with their eyes how difficult it is for the citizens today and see how difficult it is for them to live! Every day, Yue Wang and Wenxian helped the commoners gather the corpses, and we could even see the smoke from hundreds of miles away. That black smoke was the unsettled souls of the commoners. What were they doing? They’re staring at us, just standing next to us, watching so many officials of our Imperial Court fail to do anything. All they are thinking about is how to destroy the people of the Dali Dynasty...”
Many of the officials could not help but shiver. Previously, they did not feel anything amiss, but after Yu Wang spoke, they felt so cold. It was as if there really was something hidden in the shadows, staring at them unwaveringly.
“Junyu, you’ve lost your composure.”
“Imperial Father, this Son is guilty, and you can punish me whatever you wish. This Son only needs to ask Imperial Father to give me some time and let this Son escort the medicinal materials into Yishui City first, so Yue Wang and Princess Wenxian give the medicine to the people first. The people are suffering, and this Son’s heart hurts....” Yu Wang wailed loudly, and those who heard his cry were heartbroken and were in tears.”
The Emperor couldn’t help but sigh and stepped down from the throne. He then helped him stand personally, “You get up first. Your temperament has always been straightforward. Now that you’ve seen the suffering of the citizens of Yishui City, the sadness in your heart is understandable. Ministers, what do you think?”
“Yes, this subject is understand, understand....”
The Emperor nodded with satisfaction, “Xu Li, Yu Wang has worked hard, so he had bestowed the right to sit at the top in the great hall. Bring a chair for Yu Wang.”
“Yes.”
Xu Li quickly directed the attendant to bring up a chair. Yu Wang cried until he had no strength left in his body. He tried to sit down two times before he could sit down.
The Emperor felt even more heartache when he saw it. “You are a good child. Let’s talk about the specific situation of Yishui City.”
Yu Wang nodded and recounted the situation in the three cities that suffered the most, but he focused his attention on Yishui City. “Imperial Father, Princess Wenxian knelt on the ground and led the troopers and the people to pray for the dead. May their spirits in heaven rest in peace. But many officials in the Imperial Court disregarded human lives and wanted to kill their compatriots who remained in the world. How can the dead rest in peace? Who knows if they will turn into fierce ghosts and come to them to plead for mercy....”
Hearing this, the officials almost jumped up and kicked on the chair where Yu Wang was sitting. What kind of ghost, what kind of plea? Hadn’t we done the same thing to Yucheng City in the past? They just persuaded the Emperor according to the old example before. Thus, why are they scolded by Yu Wang by pointing their nose?