I have Immortality In The Cultivation World

Chapter 597: Chapter 436: The Era of Tianshun
 

The hour of si.

Nine sonorous tolls of the bell spread throughout the capital.

Commoners hid in their homes, shivering with fear, praying for the chaos in the capital to end soon.

Officials had long dressed in their court attire, and upon hearing the bell tolls, under the protection of their family retainers and Protectors, they hurried towards the imperial city.

Along the way, cries and screams were occasionally heard, for the world is never short of thieves who fish in troubled waters, seizing the opportunity to rob amidst the great chaos at the imperial palace.

The eastern gate of the imperial palace.

Experts from the Imperial Household Division on the city walls continuously called for the officials to present themselves individually, forbidding family retainers from getting close.

The palace gate was only slightly ajar, and the officials entered one by one.

The experts from the Imperial Household Division frisked everybody thoroughly to ensure no one carried weapons, especially items like hand cannons.

Since Zhao Mu had relied on gunpowder to blast open the palace gate, he naturally would be on high alert and strictly guarded.

The old eunuch, upon seeing the Ministry of Rites’ Director Cui walk in, made a discreet signal; the frisking eunuch instantly understood, and a dagger slid out from his sleeve, clanging as it fell to the ground.

“Director Cui intends to assassinate His Majesty!”

With a loud shout, the eunuch struck Director Cui’s chest with palms emitting True Qi.

Flung a dozen feet away, before Director Cui could even argue his case, arrows rained down from the palace walls, turning him into a porcupine.

Director Cui’s Protectors scattered and fled, not even bothering with their master’s corpse.

The officials remained silent, as if they had anticipated this. Director Cui was a stalwart supporter of the Empress Dowager’s faction, having been rapidly promoted three ranks in a mere three months.

It was rumored that this year he would rise even further, to oversee all cultural and educational matters in the empire.

Minister Lu watched coldly, feeling no pity for Director Cui’s death. Instead, he sighed, “It’s truly a pity for Sir Qi, just a month short.”

“It is fate.”

Minister He from the Ministry of Revenue spoke, “The Emperor will surely vindicate Director Qi, and perhaps even confer posthumous honors and provide for his descendants.”

But what’s the use of posthumous honors if one is dead?

Minister Lu cast a glance at the palace gate, where he saw the elated Director of the Ministry of Works strutting with an air of arrogance, almost as if about to proudly proclaim his achievements in supporting the new regime.

When Zhao Mu bombarded the palace gate, spies lurking outside the officials’ homes immediately revealed themselves, begging for their assistance.

Most people wisely chose to preserve themselves, ready to pledge allegiance to whoever emerged victorious.

A very few officials, risking the lives of their entire households, sent their retainers to aid Zhao Mu and now obtained the merit of following the victor.

However, Minister Lu did not envy them. Such reckless gambles couldn’t last forever; one might win once, twice, thrice, but a single loss could lead to total ruin.

At the palace gate.

Director Qi of the Ministry of Works stepped forward, and the young eunuch repeated his trick—the very dagger that had just dropped fell once more.

Director Qi collapsed to the ground in fright, crying out loud.

“Your Majesty, I am wronged, I am wronged…”

The old eunuch snorted coldly, as if reprimanding the young eunuch for botching the job.

The frisking eunuch was quick and efficient, pressing Director Qi’s acupoint to silence him, dragging him to the corner, and beating him to death with a flurry of punches; a fate much more tragic than Director Cui’s.

Minister Lu asked in surprise, “Was Director Qi also part of the Empress Dowager’s faction?”

“Perhaps.”

Minister He said hauntingly, “Director Qi indeed was associated closely with Director Cui and others, but not to the extent of collusion. However, he once submitted a memorial impeaching the head of the Eastern Depot!”

After a moment of silence, Minister Lu abruptly asked.

“Between the influence of the empress’s relatives and the eunuchs’ dominance, which is better, which is worse?”

“In a rotten age like this, why talk of good or bad?”

Minister He glanced behind and spotted Minister Zeng from the Ministry of Punishment approaching with a beaming smile. He swiftly quickened his pace to move away from Minister Lu, to avoid any problematic words being overheard.

After all the officials had entered the palace, the great doors closed tightly.

Those officials who hadn’t shown up either hanged themselves at home or fled the capital overnight.

The eunuchs led the officials into the Diligent Administration Hall, and upon seeing Zhao Mu seated on the dragon throne, they showed no surprise but instead prostrated and shouted in unison, “Long live the Emperor!”

Everything seemed as rehearsed, no different from paying respects to Emperor Longqing earlier in the year.

Zhao Mu surveyed the officials in the hall, noting that about a fifth were absent, just as Tang Mingyuan had said—none of the ministers would truly support the empress’s faction.

The same went for support towards himself.

Whoever sat on the dragon throne, whoever granted the officials their power, that was whom they would support!

“Eunuchs indeed remain the most loyal, power and wealth belong to house slaves which I can take back with a single word, but once given to outsiders, it cannot be retracted.”

Zhao Mu’s eyes flashed with a cold light, but his expression remained gentle as he waved his hand to signal.

“My officials, you may rise.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

The officials stood up and took their respective places according to rank, bowed their heads, and quietly awaited recruitment to speak.

At such times, it was crucial not to draw attention; one misspoken word could make you the sacrificial chicken used to warn the monkeys by the new sovereign.

Zhao Mu looked toward the head of the officials and said with a smile, “During my father’s reign, he often praised Yang Aiqing for his literary grace, as the foremost scholar of the National Dynasty. How about Yang Aiqing chooses an era name for me?”

Yang Si, the unprecedented three-time Grand Secretary during the National Dynasty, stepped forward upon hearing this and, after a moment of consideration, said.

“Your ascent to the throne is indeed by divine mandate, and with the people’s will; the era name may be set as Tianshun.”

“Very good.”

Emperor Tianshun clapped his hands in praise, “Yang Aiqing truly is a loyal subject of the National Dynasty. I shall follow my father’s example and rely on you as my right-hand man.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. Your servant will strive to the utmost.”

Yang Si, with tears of gratitude, kowtowed his thanks; yet, he firmly resolved to act only as a mouthpiece for Emperor Tianshun, lest he invite great disaster.

The Orthodox Emperor toiled day and night, and Yang Si became his mouthpiece.

Emperor Longqing, powerless and without influence, Yang Si, in order to survive, became the echo of the Empress Dowager.

Now, at the beginning of a new reign, Yang Si had entirely become a puppet elder, subject to the world’s contempt and ridicule, but a three-time elder would certainly be remembered in the annals of history.

Meanwhile.

Zhou Yi hurriedly entered the grand hall, sliding on his knees to the jade steps, and reported to the emperor.

“Your Majesty, Prince of Pingxi has fled in fear of his crimes; we have only captured dozens of his distant relatives. Your slave has already dispatched orders to the Inspectorate to secretly search for Feng’s whereabouts.”

“Zhou Aiqing, you have worked hard. Please, rise.”

Emperor Tianshun said, “The pursuit of the traitorous rebels will be fully entrusted to Zhou Aiqing. Anyone related to them may be arrested first and questioned later.”

“Once confirmed as true, exterminate their three clans to appease my royal father’s spirit in heaven!”

The scandal of Emperor Longqing harming his father was sealed by Emperor Tianshun’s gag order; those present who dared to talk or spread rumors would share the traitor’s guilt.

And the last words of Emperor Longqing, even more so, were strictly forbidden from spreading, and not even a word would be recorded in the history books.

Even if someone wrote it down privately, it would only be regarded as a wildly fabricated unofficial history.

“Your slave obeys the command!”

How could Zhou Yi not understand Emperor Tianshun’s intent—so-called pursuing traitors was false; monitoring the officials was true—anyone who had a different view from the emperor was a traitor.

With such support, how could the Eastern Depot not flourish!

…

At the same time.

Outside the Capital, atop the Nameless Barren Mountain.

Prince of Pingxi gazed into the distance, the vast expanse of the capital spread before his eyes, his face filled with reluctance and worry.

“If only it were a year later!”

Prince of Pingxi had obtained control of the Capital Garrison from the Orthodox Emperor, commanding tens of thousands of elite soldiers stationed near the capital itself, ready to breach the imperial city at a single command.

However, having only assumed command for half a year, the Capital Garrison was not yet truly the Feng clan’s army.

“Father, we should not delay any longer.”

Feng Ze said, “The distant relatives scattered outside can’t hold off the Inspectorate for long; we must hurry to the three prefectures of the Northern Border.”

Upon thinking of his kinsmen, brutally killed by the Inspectorate’s hand, Prince of Pingxi’s eyes brimmed with tears.

“How did it come to this?”

“Father, it is all due to the pressures of the situation.”

Feng Ze consoled, “Had the Feng family not rebelled earlier, with the Orthodox Emperor’s indifferent nature, we would not have ended up well anyway. This time, going to the Northern Border, joining under the banner of the King of the Northern Defense, perhaps we could secure a real military command!”

Prince of Pingxi, of course, understood the reasoning, which was why he had not stopped Feng Ze initially; he sighed, “Who would have thought that the rumors would come true.”

He who obtains Zhou Supervisor commands the world!

“It’s not about obtaining Zhou Supervisor; it’s about whoever gets the world, Zhou Supervisor will serve him.”

Feng Ze gestured to a guard, who brought over a dark spherical object, its surface forged from refined iron, with a small hole on the side revealing half of an unlit fuse.

“Father, this weapon is called a cannonball. I spent a great deal of money to purchase it from the forbidden army.”

“It was with this device that Zhao Mu effortlessly blasted open the palace gates, truly a mighty weapon of war. With this as our token of allegiance, we can seek a general’s position from the King of the Northern Defense, and then we can fight our way back into the Capital!”