Xiao Dezi's sharp words awakened all the civil and military officials in the palace who were thinking deeply.
Looking at Li Ye who came out of the back of the palace with Xiao Dezi waiting on him, all the officials stood up and saluted one after another holding their imperial huts.
"I see your Majesty, long live my emperor, long live your Majesty."
"My dear friends, please take your seats without courtesy."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Li Ye's face became more and more heroic, with a hint of lingering anxiety. He glanced around at the civil and military officials under the dragon platform, and gently sat on the dragon chair.
"My dear friends, I have heard rumors among the people and among the people, even though I live in the palace.
It is rumored that I sent people to attack and kill my uncle's carriage in Fengyundu. I also know it.
I wonder what you, dear friends, think of these rumors? "
Baiguan, who had just knelt down, looked startled. He looked at Li Ye who was sitting on the dragon chair calmly looking at himself and others in surprise. He looked dazed for a moment.
They thought that they would start discussing the matter after their colleagues reported the matter, but they did not expect that His Majesty would go straight to the topic when he came up and point out the matter himself.
The officials looked at each other subconsciously, and the rhetoric they had prepared before going to court immediately rotted in their stomachs, thinking about how to answer Li Ye's inquiry.
What did we think?
How should I say this?
To say that I believe it is to break up with His Majesty.
Although I don't believe it, I and others have seen with their own eyes the documents sent to the six ministries by more than thirty state capitals north of the capital.
The document contains not only the detailed story of that night at Fengyundu, but also the conclusions drawn by officials from nearby Fengyundu who sent officers and soldiers to Fengyundu to survey the site, and the story of King Bingjian's coffin traveling northward under the escort of his own soldiers. fact.
Saying you don't believe it not only violates your conscience, but also has no way of convincing the public.
It's nothing to be ignorant of one's conscience. Who hasn't done something that violates one's conscience in this life? It's even worse for the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty to gain promotion and promotion.
The key is how to convince the public.
Nowadays, the rumors are getting louder and louder. Everyone in the twenty-seven prefectures of Northern Xinjiang is aware of it. More than a dozen prefectures south of Fengyundu and the capital are also talking about it, and it is still radiating towards the south of the capital with an unstoppable momentum. go.
It can't be covered up at all.
The question now is not whether to believe it or not, but how to deal with what will happen after the people learn about these rumors.
Maybe it won't cause a big problem like a civil uprising, but the court's prestige in the hearts of the people is...
Baiguan felt bitter and really didn't know how to answer Li Ye's question.
Li Ye looked at the officials below who were all in a daze, but no one spoke back with a bitter and complicated heart.
"My lords, weren't you quite eloquent in the past? All of them have the eloquence of Su Qin and Zhang Yi. Why are they all silent now?"
"I will admit my guilt!"
Li Ye frowned tightly as he saw the officials using the same perfunctory rhetoric.
"The day before yesterday was supposed to be my wedding day to Miss Zhaoxue, but it was delayed because of my uncle's assassination.
Following the orders of my mother, Empress Yi, my uncle returned to Beijing to organize the grand event for me to become the queen. If I really wanted to take action against him, there would be countless opportunities along the way. Why should I wait until I was about to leave Northern Xinjiang to Fengyundu to attack and kill him?
The most important thing is why should I get rid of my uncle?
I wanted great power, and my uncle handed it over without hesitation. I wanted the military talisman, and my uncle handed over the tiger talisman without saying a word.
Since I came to the throne, my uncle has never disobeyed me in every word or deed.
The military power is already in the hands of Zhongwu King Yunyang Lao Aiqing, why should I worry about it?
What about attacking and killing my uncle?
That’s all I have to say.
As for how to deal with folk rumors, all ministers will discuss and deal with it themselves.
Ministry of Etiquette! Zongren Mansion! "
"I'm here!"
"It is decreed that the aunt's name is the same as the princess Liu's Qiyun, and the Liu's is Li Yan. After the mourning period of my uncle, the imperial court will welcome my uncle's coffin back to the capital and bury him in Ruizong's mausoleum.
Hundreds of officials mourned, all the people saw him off, the bells rang nine times, and the world was in peace!
A state funeral is held in the same manner as an emperor's funeral to show his favor. "
Qin Ziying, the Minister of Rites, nodded silently: "I obey the order!"
Li Chengbai, the Zongren Mansion's Zongling, hesitated and looked at Li Ye hesitantly, wanting to say something but not daring to say anything.
"Grandpa, if you have anything to say, you may as well say it directly. I will forgive your guilt."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I would like to report back to Your Majesty. It is the standard for a vassal king to be laid to rest in his grave. It is already a great honor to be buried in Ruizong's mausoleum.
It is really against etiquette to hold a state funeral with the same standards as the emperor!
If Your Majesty sets a precedent, future generations will imitate it, and I am afraid that etiquette will collapse! "
"This is a line that future generations must not imitate!"
"This... I obey my order."
"My dear friends, rumors stop with the wise. I don't want to say anything more. I'll leave it to you to deal with the rumors among the people and retreat from the court."
The officials looked at the intact memorial in their hands with complicated eyes, and sighed helplessly as they looked at Li Ye walking towards the back hall.
"I respectfully bid farewell to Your Majesty, long live, long live!"
After Li Ye disappeared from the Qinzheng Hall, all the officials had complicated expressions and gathered together in groups.
"Prime Minister Wei, Your Majesty has left the matter to us, what should we do?"
"Tongxiang, it is obvious that the scholars are avoiding talking about it and leaving the problem to us to solve. However, the news of King Bingjian's death is spreading more and more widely among the people. It is impossible to control it. If we don't give an explanation to all the people, I'm afraid there will be no success. It’s such a good deal.”
"Mr. Xia, what do you mean?"
"Rongwei Hou, what should we do? It is no longer important whether the imperial court did it or not. What is important is how to suppress the impact of this matter.
The prince's influence in the army is too great. If there is no reasonable explanation, I am worried that there will be a mutiny when the army returns from the Northern Expedition.
Why don't you write a letter to Mr. Yun right away and ask him for an idea? "
Song Yu, the Minister of the Ministry of War, Du Chenghao, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Jiang Yuanming, the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, Qin Ziying, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Ye Kaiming, the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, the Minister of Honglu Temple, and the Minister of Dali Temple gathered together, glanced at the discussions in the palace, and looked at each other He glanced at him, sighed and walked towards the outside of Qinzheng Hall.
"Du Shangshu, what should Song Shangshu do? Judging from your majesty's behavior, this matter should not be done by your majesty. Your majesty is right. With the attitude of King Bingjian towards your majesty, there is no reason for your majesty to attack and kill the prince.
Since the prince returned to Beijing a few months ago and handed over the power of auxiliary government, the imperial court and the Northern Xinjiang Palace have been working together to support the army's Northern Expedition without any contradiction at all.
His Majesty sent people to attack and kill King Bingjian for no reason, which is a bit impossible no matter how you look at it! "
"Well, Qin Shangshu, it is no longer important whether His Majesty did it or not. The key is that all the spearheads have been pointed at His Majesty and the court.
Even if this is a secret act between the Turks and the Jin Kingdom, they want to alienate the relationship between the imperial court and the Northern Xinjiang Palace, thus plunging our dynasty into civil strife, and forcing the Northern Expedition army to return to the dynasty to suppress internal troubles.
Where is the evidence? Where is the evidence? What evidence is there to prove that this matter has nothing to do with His Majesty and the imperial court? "
Du Chenghao, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, nodded in agreement: "Shang Shu, Qin Shangshu, Ye Shangshu's words are reasonable. Now, apart from the evidence, it is not easy to just use the prestige of the court to appease the people.
The spearhead of Fengyundu's attack and killing was all pointed at the imperial court.
King Bingjian has passed away. Without him coming forward to clarify, I'm afraid it will be useless to say anything.
The prestige of the imperial court will be greatly affected. "
Lao Jiang, the Minister of Household Affairs, frowned and shook his head.
"I'm afraid it's more than that. The rest of the prefectures in various places are fine, but if one of the twenty-seven prefectures in Northern Xinjiang is not handled well, there will be chaos!
In particular, I don't know if Liu Zhi'an, a member of the Jiangnan Liu family, also knew the news.
If he had a grudge against the court for a while because of the pain of losing his son. As a result, business and travel in twenty prefectures on both sides of the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers and dozens of prefectures in the south of the Yangtze River were blocked.
With full support for the Northern Expedition, the national treasury simply had no spare capacity to deal with such emergencies.
If a civil uprising breaks out, not only the twenty-seven prefectures in Northern Xinjiang but also the whole world will be in chaos! "
After speaking, Lao Jiang subconsciously looked at Song Yu, Minister of the Ministry of War, Liu Zhi'an's sworn brother.
Du Chenghao and others also understood what Lao Jiang meant and looked at Song Yu.
As for Liu Zhi'an, King Bingjian's father, only Song Yu among the civil and military officials of the court came forward to mediate.
Now it is no longer important whether the imperial court was behind the attack on Fengyun Ferry.
The immediate priority is how to control the impact of this matter to prevent civil strife.
Otherwise, the Northern Expedition may be in vain again.
