jdhmnovel Chapter 380 Emperor Wenjing's Purpose
Chapter 380 Emperor Wenjing's Purpose
Emperor Wenjing slowly sat back on the dragon throne, his fingers tapping the armrests absently.
He had his own purpose in indulging Prince Yong to this extent.
Over the years, he has been labeled as "incompetent and ineffective," but in reality, he has been engaged in a thrilling struggle with powerful families.
Those powerful families, relying on their deep-rooted influence, seized power in the court and even attempted to rise above the imperial authority!
At that time, he was still inexperienced, while the powerful officials from aristocratic families held great power. Whether or not he could issue an imperial edict depended on the opinions of these families.
What's the point of being an emperor who's so frustrated?
To destroy a person, one must first destroy their will. He understood this principle well, so he spent decades meticulously planning and playing a grand game.
Looking across the entire court today, how many of those officials from aristocratic families are truly innocent?
He indulged these officials, deliberately condoning their greed and allowing their appetites to grow ever larger.
Once a person loses reverence and self-control, they become a greedy devil.
These officials were the "devils" he had raised.
He had every piece of evidence against them firmly in his hands, waiting for the day when the time was right to bring them all down in one fell swoop!
Yun Shang was the sharpest knife he had chosen.
This person still has justice and the people in his heart. The more arrogant and domineering Prince Yong becomes, the more acute the conflict between the two sides will become, to the point that one day, Yun Shang will dare to disregard his status as a prince and attack Prince Yong.
And he, from beginning to end, only needed to sit high on the dragon throne, watching coldly from the sidelines, acting as the mastermind behind the scenes.
Emperor Wenjing's gaze slowly wandered around the imperial study, finally settling on the landscape painting hanging on the wall, his eyes growing increasingly deep.
Hopefully, Yun Shang and the others won't disappoint him in the future.
"Liu Haifu," Emperor Wenjing suddenly spoke, his voice low, "Issue my decree that at tomorrow's morning court, all ministers must express their opinions on the matter of Prince Yong, and none of them are allowed to be absent."
"This servant...this servant obeys the decree!" Liu Haifu bowed and withdrew.
He knew in his heart that this mission would not be easy, and that the ministers would probably be tossing and turning all night after hearing the news.
The news quickly spread throughout the entire imperial court.
The ministers received imperial edicts one after another, and a sense of panic ensued.
There were many officials in the court who had close ties with Prince Yong, and at this moment they were as anxious as ants on a hot pan, restless and uneasy.
What does the emperor mean? Is he finally going to deal with Prince Yong?
Before entering the palace, these people hurriedly gathered together.
"His Majesty suddenly issued this decree. Could it be that he really intends to target Prince Yong? What are we going to do? We've done Prince Yong a lot of favors in the past. If this investigation happens, won't we all be implicated?"
An official's voice trembled, and his forehead was covered in sweat.
"What's the panic!" Another official in brocade robes tried to remain calm. "His Majesty has always favored Prince Yong. Maybe he's just putting on a show to quell public anger. As long as we stick to our guns and deny it, they can't do anything to us."
"That being said, the evidence is now conclusive, and rumors are rampant outside. Your Majesty may have no choice but to take action."
Someone suddenly spoke up, "More than dealing with Prince Yong, I'm worried that the Emperor might suddenly 'come to his senses'."
Everyone fell silent for a moment, and the atmosphere became strange.
They all knew what the official meant by "sober-minded".
In the first few years after Emperor Wenjing ascended the throne, he worked diligently to govern the country, hoping to create a prosperous era and make the Great Zhao Dynasty flourish.
However, the powerful clans were deeply entrenched and hindered him at every turn. Every new policy he implemented was rejected by ministers from these clans for various reasons before it could even be implemented.
One defeat after another turned this wise ruler into the incompetent one he is today.
Over the years, the aristocratic families have not been without suspicion that Emperor Wenjing was deliberately pretending. But can an emperor really pretend for so many years?
They naturally didn't realize it, so they gradually became more and more unrestrained.
However, they were still wary of Emperor Wenjing, so they would be on guard if he made any unusual moves.
Unlike Prince Xuan and Prince Xiang, Prince Yong's actions were hardly considered a serious crime by the royal family.
As a foolish ruler, he naturally had to wholeheartedly protect Prince Yong.
If he punished the Prince of Yong, it would prove that he was not truly incompetent.
"What's there to be afraid of? So many years have passed. If His Majesty really had such intentions, he would have taken action long ago."
Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances and agreed that it made sense.
How could an emperor possibly endure this for so many years?
After discussing it for a while, the group decided to hold back for now and act according to the circumstances.
Everyone exchanged glances, understanding each other implicitly, and tacitly agreed on one thing.
If the emperor dealt with Prince Yong, they would simply sever ties with him.
The loss of Prince Yong and the other princes—what they want is power and the credit for supporting the emperor. It's better to discard princes who can't even get a chance to become the crown prince!
Emperor Wenjing summoned his court officials to the palace to discuss the matter.
A court official stepped forward, righteously demanding that Prince Yong be punished. Before he could finish speaking, Emperor Wenjing slammed his hand on the armrest of his dragon throne, stood up, and angrily rebuked the man: "You wolf in sheep's clothing, do you want to kill my prince?"
Upon hearing this, most of the court officials fell silent.
Now they understood that Emperor Wenjing had summoned them to the palace so that they could find a way to silence public opinion and protect Prince Yong.
Above the court hall, there was silence.
The reprimanded courtier knelt down with a thud, his face ashen, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, his voice trembling.
"Your Majesty, please understand. I only wish for a clean court and peace for the people. I have absolutely no ulterior motives!"
Emperor Wenjing ignored him, his gaze sweeping over the crowd like a knife.
"You all talk about loyalty to the emperor and love for the country all day long, but now you believe everything you hear. Based on just a few rumors, you want to kill my prince. Do you think I still have the final say in this court?"
What a foolish ruler! He was a complete fool!
Several courtiers who had originally wanted to stand up and support the punishment of Prince Yong swallowed their words, lowered their heads, their eyes filled with disappointment, and sighed inwardly.
Most officials, however, showed a hint of delight in their eyes.
These powerful and influential families naturally hoped that the emperor would be incompetent, because only when the emperor was incompetent could their power be more secure.
Therefore, under Emperor Wenjing's angry gaze, many people hurried forward with fawning expressions, saying:
"Your Majesty is right. These are just rumors circulating in the marketplace and should not be taken seriously."
"Indeed, Su Qingchan may have done something to anger His Highness Prince Yong, which is why the prince punished her so severely. What kind of evidence is this?"
"Your Highness merely punished a lowly servant girl a little too harshly; what's wrong with that?"
"exactly."
"Your Majesty, please do not easily believe rumors and wrong His Highness Prince Yong."
Some officials from humble backgrounds were filled with rage at the sight of this upside-down situation, yet they were powerless to do anything about it.
With an incompetent emperor and powerful families wielding absolute power, it was already difficult for them to protect themselves; as for these other matters, they had no control over them.