Spiritual Palace.
After this meeting, the Spirit King felt not only a sense of sadness and loneliness, but also a sense of relief after being exhausted mentally and physically.
Cheng Ping followed him and said nothing the whole way.
When he was about to enter the study, the Spirit King stopped, turned slightly and looked at Cheng Ping: "My dear, the matter has come to this, I have no choice but to rest assured, no matter what, I will protect you."
"Your Majesty." Cheng Ping said with a respectful attitude, "I have long made it clear that I am willing to die with my country and will never live alone!"
"Why did Aiqing say this?" Regarding this loyal minister, King Ling said seriously: "With Aiqing's talent, he can shine no matter where he goes, and he is the mainstay of the eastern gentry."
"Your Majesty." Cheng Ping's eyes were red and he wanted to say something else.
"Okay." The Spirit King raised his hand slightly to interrupt.
At this point in the conversation, Murong Hongye finally couldn't bear it any longer and hurriedly stepped forward and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, my lord, my lord."
Knowing what he meant, King Ling glanced at him and said, "Murong Hongye, don't worry, I have already negotiated terms with King Qin in the Sili Camp, and nothing will happen to you."
"Ah?" Murong Hongye was overjoyed, and immediately knelt down on the ground, kowtowed and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty!"
"Okay, you all go down, I will be alone." The Spirit King waved his hand.
He truly cared about Cheng Ping and wanted to keep this loyal minister alive. At least, it would be helpful to Lingyang's future position as Marquis.
And until now, he had not told Murong Hongye the truth, which showed that the weight of these two people in the heart of the Spirit King was not at the same level.
Murong Hongye was secretly happy that she was able to save her life in the end, while Cheng Ping was already prepared to die long before the country was destroyed.
Lingzhou Prefecture.
This is where Xiao Yuan is staying temporarily. At present, except for some who need to be stationed, some senior generals and civilian advisers have gathered and are discussing things.
The scene was still divided into civil and military groups. Wang Su took the lead and said: "After our army entered Lingzhou, although the military discipline was strict, the people still acted in panic. I asked the minister whether to issue a notice to calm the people immediately."
Su Yi cupped his hands and said: "Nowadays, the people of Lingzhou are staying behind closed doors. This is actually more convenient for our army's current garrison. I think it is better to wait until Lingzhou is completely pacified before appeasing the people." "
"According to Su Yi's words." Xiao Yuan said, and then asked: "What is the current situation of some ministers' mansions in Lingguo."
"They are all under relative house arrest." Su Yi returned.
Xiao Yuan thought for a moment: "Allow them to travel."
"Yes!" Su Yi took the order.
Then, Jiang Yi stood up and said, "Your Majesty, General Tang Yue is still in the Taoshan area. Can he lead the troops to mobilize to the east to put some military pressure on Yu Changzhen?"
Xiao Yuan thought for a while and said: "No need, this meeting is not only to calm down the issue of the nobles, but also to solve the problem of garrison in the east. Give King Ling some time."
Xiao Yuan looked at Lin Chu again: "How is the situation at the Lingguo Secretary's Li Camp?"
"Back to the king, his official office has been occupied by our army, and most of the people inside have been controlled." Lin Chu said.
"Deal with them all." Xiao Yuan said concisely.
"promise!"
After saying this, Xiao Yuan stood directly above and glanced at everyone, and said seriously: "Although the battle of Qin Ling has come to an end, the generals still cannot slack off! In addition, the whole army is ordered that no troops are allowed to disturb the people! There will be burning, killing, raping and rape. If you are the one, kill him immediately!"
"I obey the king's order——" Everyone said in unison and saluted in unison.
Three days later.
The spiritual king set up an altar, bathed and changed clothes, and abdicated.
In the palace, before leaving, his eldest son Ling Yang knelt in front of him and said sadly: "Father, think twice! Father, think again! If you abdicate from the throne, the Ling Kingdom will cease to exist, and the centuries-old foundation of our ancestors will be destroyed. ——”
These words made the Spirit King close his eyes deeply with a painful expression.
After a long sigh, he said: "Yang'er, do you think your father is willing to do this? But the current situation is beyond repair, and we can only do the final preservation."
"Father!" Lingyang cried bitterly, but he said firmly: "My son, I would like to be with the country! I would rather die than surrender!"
"Yang'er!" The Spirit King stared, but he was a little relieved in his heart. After a pause, he said seriously: "Living is more important than anything else. Remember, live well."
As a monarch, King Ling certainly knew the current situation better than Lingyang. He had no choice. Even if he didn't surrender, he couldn't change the outcome at all. He had to seek a way out for his eldest son.
After explaining something, he walked out, while Lingyang knelt in the palace, still shouting from behind: "Father! Don't abdicate—"
The Spirit King ignored him, closed his eyes again, and left the place without stopping.
morning.
In the large square of the Lingwang Palace, all officials from the Ling Kingdom gathered together.
There wasn't much expression on people's faces, or it was a kind of silence.
Not long after, the Spirit King stepped up the steps.
The attendant bent down, holding the tray with his hands raised. On the tray was the abdication edict.
The Spirit King picked it up and subconsciously glanced at the ministers below.
The officials below were all dressed in Lingguo official uniforms. Some people, led by Lingxiang and Cheng Ping, couldn't help but close their eyes, feeling unbearable grief. Some other ministers lowered their heads and did not dare to look at the Spirit King at all.
After retracting his gaze, King Ling unfolded the edict, read it slowly at first, and then read it out in person.
The content of this edict first tells the story of the collapse of the empire due to the Shang family's extravagance, and how to persuade the ministers to usurp the throne as a last resort.
Then he said that he was guilty of proclaiming himself emperor, which was inevitable.
Finally, let's talk about the ceaseless war and the boiling of people's livelihood. In order to unite the sea and the country, it is appropriate to unify the north and the south. This edict is specially used to inform the world and apologize for the crime.
The tone in which King Ling read out the edict was devoid of any emotion, nor did his tone fluctuate at all.
When he was halfway through reading, Old Lingxiang and Cheng Ping had already burst into tears. They were all sobbing and wiping their tears with their sleeves.
Others also bowed their heads tightly.
After reading the edict, King Ling glanced down again expressionlessly.
After a pause, he put the edict back on the tray held by the attendant, staggered down the steps, and walked through the passage among the ministers without saying a word.
Next, is the matter of surrender.
King Ling led hundreds of officials to surrender at the main gate of the palace, presenting their seals.
This is not only the supreme ruler of Dongling, but the officials behind him also represent the political and gentry system.
From this moment on, Lingguo, the eastern hegemon that had been strong for hundreds of years and was separatist in the southeast, declared its demise.
The land of the Central Plains, where countries were vying for hegemony and endless disputes, finally ushered in the dawn of peace and unification.
At this moment, Qin King Xiao Yuan had completely defeated all other countries in a substantial sense.
(End of chapter)
