King Zhennan said,
"Since none of you have spoken, let me tell you that according to unreliable gossip, in recent times, Your Majesty has been very close to the prime ministers and generals on his left and right, and he has often been plotting something.
What do you think your Majesty wants to do? "
However, as soon as this statement came out, the other three kings and Nie Chen did not answer.
King Zhennan sighed helplessly, turned to ask King Anton next to him, and said,
"Brother Qian Wang, as far as you're concerned, they are all boring gourds."
Hearing this, King Anton smiled and said,
"Look at what you said. Your Majesty is your Majesty. How can we and other ministers be able to guess the Holy Will at will? What's more, His Majesty is in the capital, and the three major first-class people are also in the capital. They are the pillars of the country, and His Majesty is close to them. Yes, is it possible that His Majesty went to your Taiyuan County to get close to you?"
"Well, it's now time. Brother Qian, don't worry about the little friction between you and me, okay?
We are all vassal kings, and it is normal for us to have some minor frictions on weekdays, but when it comes to matters involving our fundamentals, the few of us must deal with the outside world in unison.
None of you were willing to say anything. I, Mingxuan, was outspoken, so I spoke first. I felt that His Majesty might be cutting off the vassalage this time. "
Cut off the vassal...
This word is familiar to all dynasties, and it will basically happen. Rebellions among feudal lords are major events that shake the foundation of the country.
The vassal king is a double-edged sword. When the dynasty is weak, they are a sharp sword to the outside world and can ensure peace in the world.
But it is an existence that can threaten the imperial power of the imperial court.
Therefore, in all dynasties, there have been moves to reduce vassal status.
During the reign of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, the Seven Kingdoms were in chaos. Fortunately, Zhou Yafu was around, and the rebellion was suppressed in three months. It was considered the smoothest vassal reduction.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, in order to suppress the Yellow Turban Army, the governor was changed to the governor, and the local supervisory power was changed to the administrative power. The governors in each state supported their own troops, just like the vassal kings. In the end, the emperor became a puppet and the world was divided.
The Rebellion of the Eight Kings of the Western Jin Dynasty directly led to the subjugation of the Western Jin Dynasty, ruined half of the country in the north, and caused chaos in China. The Han people in the north became two-legged sheep.
The Anshi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty directly turned the Tang Dynasty from prosperity to decline, and the prosperous Tang Dynasty when all nations came to dynasty no longer existed.
During the Battle of Jingnan in the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yunwen tried to cut off the feudal vassal with a single punch, and finally forced Zhu Di to rebel. However, he did not have Zhou Yafu, and finally gave up the country to the king of Yan, Zhu Di.
The Qing Dynasty fought for eight years to quell the rebellion of the Three Feudatories, and it took the whole country to put down the rebellion successfully.
It can be seen from this that the harm caused by the feudal king is great.
Nowadays, it is expected that the imperial court will reduce the vassal status.
Regarding the matter of reducing the vassal state, people's behavior is different. The imperial court naturally wants to reduce the vassal state, return all power to the court, and centralize power. If they become superiors, the country will be more stable.
For the vassal kings and Nie Chen, cutting down the vassal vassal? you
Isn’t this just trying to cut me down? Can I just sit still and let you peel it?
But now, the imperial court has no soldiers, no money, and the whole country is in the hands of four kings and one prince. What can the emperor do to reduce the vassal?
After King Zhennan finished speaking, King Jingshan smiled and said,
"Brother Ming Wang, are you worried too much? Cutting off the feudal clan? Huh, why would he cut down the feudal clan? We are all loyal to the court and the emperor, how could the emperor want to cut down the feudal clan?
Even if this is true, it must be because there are sycophants in the court who are spreading slanderous rumors in His Majesty's ears. "
Hearing this, King Zhennan was startled for a moment, then laughed loudly and said,
"Yes, yes, there must be treacherous ministers. We are all great heroes in defending the country and guarding the border, and we are loyal to His Majesty. But since we are not in the capital, there is no guarantee that there are treacherous ministers in the court who want to frame us.
Since there is a treacherous official who wants to frame us, we must not sit back and wait for death.
No matter what grievances we have, we have to unite this time and save our status and military power first.
No matter what, if someone wants to touch our things, we must not let go. "
King Anton smiled and said,
"Brother Prince Mingxuan, you are worrying too much. None of us are fools. No one will be the one who stands out. Who is stupid enough to cut off his own flesh and feed it to others?"
However, King Zhennan did not laugh, but said leisurely,
"I feel relieved for the four of us, but I'm afraid that someone will take the lead and relent.
I heard that just yesterday, some of us entered the palace to meet His Majesty. "
Hearing this, Nie Chen was startled for a moment, and then thought about the information in his mind. Yesterday, he didn't hear that any king came to the palace to meet the saint.
Wait a moment.
What he said...
Could it be me?
Nie Chen turned around and looked, and sure enough, King Zhennan, King Andong and King Jingshan were all looking at him with deep eyes.
Nie Chen chuckled and said,
"Although I am young, I am not a three-year-old child. King Zhennan does not need to worry too much."
"That's good."
King Zhennan nodded.
This time, the Four Kings obviously wanted to bring Nie Chen to the same front.
The five of them are the largest warlords in Dafeng. Although Nie Chen is far inferior to the four kings in terms of military strength, with an army of 300,000, he is not comparable to ordinary county guards.
The five people walked and chatted all the way to the front of the Taihe Palace in the palace.
Eunuch Zeng had been waiting at the door for a long time. When he saw Nie Chen and others coming, he quickly bowed and said,
"I pay my respects to the four princes and the marquis. Please follow me, and I will lead you to your seat."
Eunuch Zeng bent down and walked in with small steps.
At this time, many people were already sitting in the huge hall. Various fruits, dried fruit, wine, and snacks were placed on the long table. Many officials and their wives knelt on futons and followed The acquaintances around me chatted.
In the middle two rows closest to the dragon seats, most of the seats are still empty.
Eunuch Zeng whispered,
"My princes, the position closest to His Majesty is on the left, the left prime minister is on the left, the right prime minister is on the right, and the general is second on the left.
Prince Jingshan, your location is the second one from the right.
Prince Zhennan, your position is the third one from the right.
Prince Anton, your position is the fourth one from the right.
Prince Pingxi, your position is the third one from the left.
Lord Zhengbei, your position is the fourth one from the left.
As for your followers, they can sit behind you and be nearby for protection. "
The wide corridor in the middle of the hall is covered with a bright red carpet. People on both sides sit facing each other. People on the left look to the right, people on the right look to the left, and the emperor sits in the innermost and middle position.
It stands to reason that at the emperor's family banquet, the prince must be the one at the end of the queue, followed by the three great first rank, who are the emperor's right-hand men, and then the vassal princes.
But this time, the prince's position was directly moved to the back, and there was no seat at all.
The one who is closest to the emperor is one of the three great first-class people. It is a sure thing, and relatives do not help to manage the people of the world.
