When the countries in the Central Plains suffered from great disasters or even political instability, their kings would choose this method to calm the minds of their ministers and people. However, although this edict was about blaming himself in front of everyone in the world, it was still embarrassing in terms of face. If it could achieve the effect of stabilizing people's hearts and stabilizing the throne, this embarrassment would not be worth mentioning at all. What's more, Emperor Wuxuan of the Northern Wei Dynasty also issued the "Edict of Sin" to gather people's support when the Northern Barbarians invaded the Central Plains and the people were in dire straits and their lives were in ruins. Thinking about it this way, it wasn't anything too embarrassing. Thinking of this, Ying Ping's originally stiff face softened a lot.
Yingping felt that this "Edict of Sin" was not difficult, and even...it was even a little easier for him considering what he had caused. Thinking of this, Yingping whispered -
"My original intention was to rejuvenate the country and enrich the people. I did not want to cause the current situation. This was not my original intention. Today, twenty-four officials and their family members, more than 270 people, have suffered like this because of my fault. It is indeed my fault. I have accepted this proposal—the "Edict on Sin" will be issued in the near future."
Yingping silently accepted this proposal. If this edict could restore the current bad situation to some extent, it would be a 'good thing'. Through this edict, he wanted his subjects to express their original intention to change the new Tang Dynasty. If good intentions can win over people's hearts, so much the better.
"The Holy One cares about the world and is worse than Xia Yu. I feel ashamed to be inferior to—"
Seeing that Yingping accepted his suggestion, Wang Yanqing still had to make a gesture. Seeing this, the officials behind Wang Yanqing repeated the same words in unison -
"The Holy One cares about the world and is worse than Xia Yu. I am ashamed to say that I am not as good as—"
"I am willing to use the "Edict of Sin" to reflect on myself in the world. The remnants of the rebellious party will also be brought to justice. What do you think, Lord Wang?" Yingping stared at Wang Yanqing, becoming more and more alert in his heart.
"I believe that the Holy Emperor's time in power is still short. Although the intention of the new law is good, many factors such as 'the right time, the right place and the right people' must be taken into consideration before it is implemented. If you are not careful, it will lead to disaster." Wang Yanqing paused. After a pause, he suddenly raised his head, with a pair of phoenix eyes shining with light as sharp as a sword. He raised his voice a little and said: "Now the Holy Master Qian Gang is arbitrary, does not listen to good advice, and mistrusts the words of villains. Only then would there be today’s disaster——”
The hall was extremely quiet, Yingping's face turned green and red, and the ministers all held their breath. This sentence can be said to be very disrespectful to Yingping, and it is clearly an attack on Yingping.
"The saint has been among the people for a long time. When he was young, he did not receive the orthodox teachings of the late emperor through words and deeds. He only studied for three years under the pedantic Confucian scholars who were good at writing. This teaching may be able to deceive those scholars who regard themselves as noble and unconventional, but it will not prosper the country. There is no use in establishing a career. These pedantic Confucian scholars study classics and ancient sayings all day long, busy between pens and inkstones, and dream of being famous throughout the ages and benefiting the world. What is the reality? They are just a wise man with a poor scripture, which will not be of any benefit to the government——"
Yingping's face became increasingly ugly. Wang Yanqing blatantly belittled his master in the hall, just pointing at his own nose. Hearing such words, he wanted to rush down and slap the old fox hard, but he still had to put on a humble attitude and accept the teachings of this veteran of two dynasties.
"The late Emperor handed over the foundation of our Tang Dynasty to the hands of the Holy One, but the Holy One turned to nepotism, which led to today's disaster. How could the late Emperor have peace of mind if he knew about it in heaven——"
Wang Yanqing's voice was high-pitched, as if it carried the anger and sorrow of the late emperor. This sound was like thunder that woke up the entire quiet hall.
After a moment of silence, Wang Yanqing almost burst into tears. He was choked with sobs and cried even more sadly than when his husband died. The officials in the palace also sobbed softly along with Wang Yanqing. Except for Yin Jingting, Chang Zhishan, and Gongsun Cuo, all of them lowered their heads and wiped away tears.
This time, it was Wang Yanqing's turn to cry to Yingping.
Yingping clenched his fists tightly, his heart full of anger but without any countermeasures. Seeing Wang Yanqing use the same tactics he used to deal with Baiguan to deal with him, Yingping had no choice -
What can he do? He can do nothing! The mistake was made by him, and people died because of him. Now that Wang Yanqing and his party members have first moved out the common people in the world, and then brought out the great god of the late emperor, at this time, even if he scolded Yingping, he would not dare to do anything. temper.
The crying in the hall was endless. They seemed to want to use their cries to express their gratitude to Emperor Tang's soul in heaven. They wanted to tell Emperor Tang that your son, the heir you chose, did not inherit your wisdom. Not only that, but also the original spirit of Tang Emperor. The promising new Tang Dynasty made a mess, the late emperor! You old man made a mistake.
"Dear ladies - you -"
Yingping's ears felt like they were being pricked by thousands of needles. The louder the cries became, the more painful the pricks became. He resisted the discomfort and tried to stop the sobbing, but to no avail. He looked at Yin Jingting, and then at Chang Zhishan, and saw that both of them had their eyes closed and were silent, as if they were helpless against such a situation.
After a while, Wang Yanqing wiped the tears on his cheeks. He cleared his throat gently, and the hall gradually became quiet. Then, he spoke again -
"Your Majesty, I have served the late Emperor for decades, and then the late Emperor entrusted us with the important affairs of the government and the important task of assisting Your Majesty when he was leaving. Since the late Emperor Yan Jia, I have not dared to forget each other all the time. Even if I die after exhausting myself, I can't. Repay the late emperor's trust! In the past four years, I and the four ministers who have taken care of life, Yin, Chang, and Gongsun, have worked hard, not seeking merit for the country, but just to be worthy of the Tang Dynasty. However, now there is this rebellion, and Wei Chen... Wei Chen died How can I face the late emperor? How can I face the people of the world? How can I face my ancestors?"
The more Wang Yanqing talked, the more excited he became. If there was a pillar in front of him, he would probably hit it on the spot and pledge his loyalty to the death.
"O late Emperor - I can't stand you, Wei Chen - Wei Chen did not teach the Holy Master well according to your will - nor did he stop the rebellion before it started - Wei Chen is guilty -"
Wang Yanqing suddenly knelt down heavily on the ground and cried loudly on his back. First he beat his chest with his hands, and then knocked his head heavily on the ground. He cried sincerely and with regret beyond words. If an uninformed person saw this situation, they would probably think that this was some great tragedy that happened to their family. Otherwise, why would they be so heartbroken?
"O late Emperor—the minor minister is guilty—the minor minister is incompetent—"
This completely ignited the atmosphere in the hall. Seeing Wang Yanqing kneeling in front of the steps, crying and blaming himself, the officials couldn't follow him? For a time, almost all the officials knelt on the ground and cried loudly. Some kept wailing, "We are incompetent," "We are guilty," and so on. Some kept kowtowing to the point where the skin on their foreheads was broken. Some were even more exaggerated and slapped themselves hard with their bows left and right. Even Chang Zhishan and Gongsun Cuo turned their heads and stared at the floor when they saw this. After thinking about it again and again, they finally knelt on the ground and held their hands in front of them, as if they were also feeling the same. Please apologize to Emperor Tang.
This oncoming force can be described as extremely ferocious. Even if Yingping is good at adapting to circumstances, there is nothing he can do at this moment, not to mention that he is really panicked at this time. He looks towards Yin Jingting almost for help, but Yin Jingting still has his eyes closed. But this time, his head was shaking slightly, as if to express his helplessness at the current situation, and as if to hint that Yingping should not act rashly at this moment.
"Your Majesty—" Wang Yanqing's voice resounded through the hall again. At this time, his voice was less remorseful and regretful, and more firm, as if he had made up his mind.
Then, he said something that shocked Yingping, the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty, and even Yin Jingting and Chang Zhishan——
"Please ask the Holy Lord to remove the low-ranking officials from their positions! Relegate the low-ranking officials to common people! To punish the low-ranking officials for their mistakes and to punish the late emperor's spirit——"
Yin Jingting's closed eyes suddenly opened, and Chang Zhishan's lowered head also raised. The two of them stared at Wang Yanqing as if they had discovered some crisis at the same time.
"ah!?"
Yingping was confused by Wang Yanqing's sudden appearance. However, the ministers did not give him much room to think. Before Yingping could fully understand Wang Yanqing's intention, the ministers suddenly knelt on the ground and said in unison with the same firm voice -
"The ministers are incompetent - please ask the Holy One to remove the ministers and other positions as a punishment and to inform the late emperor -"
The voice is neither humble nor arrogant, but it is unusually unified, even unified like a threat.
"Wha-what!?"
Yingping panicked, he panicked completely, this...this...this is forcing me! In such a big country, what's the use of all of you leaving me alone as a bare emperor? Wang Yanqing, Wang Yanqing! I hate this move of yours! First, he punished the party for disrupting the party, and then ordered himself to issue an imperial edict for his crimes as an independent and important minister. At this time, it seemed that everything had been properly explained, and then he took the initiative to resign as a sign of self-punishment. Not only did you, Wang Yanqing, punish the rebellious party and give an explanation to the world, but you also gained a reputation as a critic who was not afraid of offending Tian Yan but also spoke out and remonstrated. You also did it again in the end to show that you never forget the kindness of the late emperor. of loyalty. You have been asked to serve as a wise minister, a hostile minister, and a loyal minister, and now you are forcing me to have no way out! This - this - this is what I should do! ?
Although Yingping was scolding him in his heart, he was helpless on the surface. He quickly advised—
"Why do you all say this!? The success of the Tang Dynasty depends on your loyalty. If it weren't for your loyalty to the king, how could the Tang Dynasty be stable and prosperous?"
Yingping's momentum suddenly dropped, and he was not stingy with his words of praise at this time. No matter whether the people below were Wang Yanqing's gang members or true loyal ministers, at this moment he just wanted to win back these people who seemed to be leaving him. minister. Seeing the officials kneeling on the ground with no intention of getting up, Yingping stood up and rushed to the edge of the steps, shouting urgently: "Master Wang - you are the uncle of the country! You are also a veteran of two dynasties! You are both public and private. Why do you want to resign to set an example?"
"Your Majesty—" Wang Yanqing's eyes were still red, and he said sincerely, "I feel that I am too old and confused to be qualified for this task. Now I have an unshirkable responsibility for the Suzaku Rebellion, and I will eventually live up to the Holy Hope—"
"The ministers are also to blame - they failed to live up to the holy hope -" The attitude of the ministers was surprisingly consistent with Wang Yanqing's. It seems that what they meant today was a disguised form of 'forcing the palace'.
Wang Yanqing refused to let go of the fact that he was old and confused and could no longer hold important positions. No matter how much Yingping tried to persuade him, he refused to give in. For a while, Yingping stood on the steps very embarrassed.
Yin Jingting sat on the chair and let out a long sigh. He had been in the officialdom for many years and was now the chief minister of the dynasty. How could he not see clearly the situation today? His former protégé had drifted further and further away from him many years ago, and the remaining trace of friendship is just enough to maintain a superficial respect, especially since Yingping took over and implemented the new laws. Without his full help, how could he have been able to do so? Walking so smoothly? After Emperor Tang left, Wang Yanqing has been suppressing his growing desire for power, but he has restrained himself because of his "benevolent prime minister". Originally, Wang Yanqing wanted to wait until Enxiang retired with dignity, but because of this incident, the last bond between the two was completely broken. Today, these officials collectively resigned from office, forcing not only Yingping on the throne, but also the original He is the one who chooses to side with Ying Ping! These people are making such a fuss that they are almost merciless. If I don't step forward and find a 'compromise' solution at this time, I am afraid that today's situation will be difficult to end.
Alas - who can blame this? In the end, don’t you blame yourself? Yin Jingting thought helplessly.
When he made the decision, he was actually on opposite sides of Wang Yanqing. He wanted to use his residual heat to weaken Wang Yanqing's group so that the Holy One could be more at ease after he left the court. Unexpectedly …
All disputes in the court are inseparable from the word "power". "Power" can produce profit, wealth, sex...almost everything. Now that Wang Yanqing is taking the lead in dismissing officials, it is nothing more than "power". New As soon as Lu Leiting came out, Wang Yanqing's group cried out loudly. If they don't take this opportunity today to take back what once belonged to them, how long will it take?
Yin Jingting shook his head and supported the crutches hard. At this point, I can only stand up and take charge of the situation and give both parties a step down. As for this 'step', in fact, Wang Yanqing had already thought about it the moment he knelt down to resign...to do evil...to do evil——
"Your Majesty——"
Perhaps yesterday's encounter had damaged his vitality. Yin Jingting's voice sounded much older.
Feeling Yin Jingting's weakness, Yingping was almost crying. He looked at Yin Jingting as if he was seeing a savior, his eyes full of begging.
"Prime Minister Yin——"
Wang Yanqing and Chang Zhishan were both startled, and the originally noisy atmosphere in the hall also came to a halt.
Yin Jingting held his crutches with both hands, and after the noise in the palace gradually subsided, he said: "I am in trouble, and all my colleagues feel ashamed. I feel the same way. I wish I could resign and leave, kneel in front of the ancestral hall and repent." I am relieved of my guilt. But in this way, the guilt in our hearts is relieved. What kind of situation will the Holy Emperor be in? What kind of situation will the people of the Tang Dynasty be in? Seeking peace of mind at the expense of the stability of the Tang Dynasty, this move will ultimately fulfill Xiaode And sacrificing great virtue is not the way to be a minister. Now, as ministers, we should sacrifice small righteousness to protect great righteousness, join hands to assist the Holy One, and protect our Tang Dynasty from this is the right way——"
The hall became even quieter. After Yin Jingting's words, all the civil and military officials were speechless. They looked at Wang Yanqing expectantly. Wang Yanqing was still kneeling on the ground with his head lowered, without any response.
Before Wang Yanqing could say anything, Yin Jingting continued, "The trouble with Chengtianmen is the disaster of our Tang Dynasty, and it is also the shame of our Tang Dynasty. The Holy Emperor's time in power is still short, so it is understandable to suffer this disaster..."
Hearing this, Yingping couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief, yes! How long have I been emperor? It should be okay to make some mistakes. Yingping couldn't help but look at Yin Jingting with gratitude, as if he saw a glimmer of hope - but he was still a little immature after all.
Yin Jingting changed the subject and continued -
"However, the Holy Emperor was put in danger, the court's face was damaged, officials died unexpectedly, and their families were humiliated. These are irreversible facts! It has been nearly three hundred years since the founding of the Tang Dynasty. What kind of storms have we not experienced? Now that I have experienced this difficulty, if I want to give it to the great The Tang Dynasty has told me that the old minister has a way. This method can calm the people's hearts and stabilize the government. I hope the Holy One will make a decision——"
"Oh? Is there really such a way? Prime Minister Yin, please tell me quickly -" Ying Ping said overjoyed.
Yin Jingting's old body knelt down and said solemnly with all his strength -
"I respectfully request the Queen Mother to listen behind the curtain and take control of the overall situation——"
If the voices of hundreds of officials crying when they resigned were like countless fine needles, then Yin Jingting's voice at this time was like a sharp arrow. Yingping couldn't believe his ears. He was stunned at first, and then he became excited and looked at Yin Jingting as if he were a complete stranger. After a moment, he said with an incredible voice and a trembling voice——
"Wha...what!"
