readbooksol Chapter 5537 Refusal to Obey the Imperial Edict
Chapter 5537 Refusal to Obey the Imperial Edict
Chapter 5537 Refusal to Obey the Imperial Edict
Li Ji glared angrily at his grandson, wishing he could turn back time to when Li Jingye was born and strangle him...
He thought he knew his grandson quite well, believing him to be loyal to the Tang Dynasty and His Majesty, willing to die for his country. He never imagined this son would be so audacious, actually seizing the opportunity of His Majesty's death to manipulate the imperial regalia.
Is this what a subject should do?
Throughout history, which of those who have acted in this way has ever met a good end?
Thinking even deeper, the timing of His Majesty's sudden death was too coincidental; Li Jingye's involvement might not be uncommon...
Li Ji didn't dare to think any further.
Li Jingye exchanged only one glance with his grandfather before turning away, holding the scroll of the imperial edict in his hand, and loudly proclaimed: "His Majesty's remains are here. He issued an edict before his death. You are all pillars of the court and virtuous officials of the empire. Are you going to turn a blind eye to this and condone the treacherous officials who bring disaster to the country?"
He glanced around but didn't see Pei Huaijie, and his heart sank.
Whether it's a will or a posthumous edict, the key is not its authenticity. The imperial edict on silk and the imperial seal are all genuine. As for whether it was His Majesty's original intention... now that he's dead, there's no way to verify it. Who can refute it?
Therefore, the key lies in whether this will aligns with the interests of the majority.
Among the more than twenty high-ranking officials of the third rank or above in the Taiji Hall, some are loyal to His Majesty and others support the Crown Prince. Now that His Majesty has passed away and there is a will, he has both the right and the legal basis to do so. As long as someone takes the lead and calls to action, there will surely be a large following and the great cause can be accomplished.
Pei Huaijie, who was out of step with the Crown Prince, was originally the most suitable candidate. He was both experienced and a court attendant. All he had to do was step forward and clearly express that he was acting on imperial orders...
But why isn't it there?
Looking at the others, there's Ma Zhou, the Grand Secretary; Liu Rengui, the Minister of War; and Li Yuanjia, the Prince of Han… These are all staunch supporters of Fang Jun and the Crown Prince.
Even his own grandfather clearly didn't support him...
Sure enough, after a moment of silence in the hall, Ma Zhou stepped forward and said loudly, "Whether it is a will or an imperial decree, the most important thing right now is to find out the cause of His Majesty's death and find out the culprit. Otherwise, how can His Majesty rest in peace in the afterlife?"
"The Grand Secretary is mistaken!"
Minister of Rites Yan Qinli stroked his beard, his face stern: "A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. We should first establish a new ruler to bring peace to the country, and then investigate the traitors. This is the principle of the Spring and Autumn Annals."
Ma Zhou shook his head and said in a deep voice, "If the ruler and father are wronged, and we do not first punish the traitor, it is disloyal! In the past, when Duke Huan of Lu died in Qi, Duke Zhuang did not rush to ascend the throne but first investigated the crime, which was highly praised in the Spring and Autumn Annals. If we do not find out the real culprit now, how can we comfort the spirit of the late emperor in heaven?"
Yu Zhining retorted, "The Grand Secretary is mistaken. Duke Xiang of Song failed to establish a successor first, which led to chaos and turmoil. This is a lesson from the past. The state is of paramount importance, and the ruler is less so. The best policy is to secure internal stability before dealing with external threats."
Grand Censor Liu Xiangdao stepped forward, his voice booming: "The Book of Rites says: 'One cannot share the same sky with the enemy of one's father.' Now, the enemy of one's father and sovereign is not yet cleared, yet we hastily discuss succession. Where does this place the great principle of loyalty between ruler and subject? When Duke Xian of Jin died, Li Ke did not first establish Xi Qi to quell the rebellion. A gentleman would consider this to be in accordance with propriety. At this time, it is not enough to appease the ancestral temple without punishing the wicked, nor is it enough to comfort the people without avenging the dead!"
The courtiers in the palace were shaken and each held their own opinion. Outside the palace, a light rain pattered and spring thunder rumbled. The civil and military officials each held their own views, pushing the Tang Empire, which was already on the verge of collapse, to a crossroads in its fate on this rainy night.
Beside Li Chengqian's body, Consort Shen huddled in a corner, trembling, clutching the young prince Li Jun. The crown prince position she had once longed for seemed to be about to fall into her lap. Instead of feeling any joy or elation, she was filled with fear and dread.
Who hid assassins in the palace beforehand to carry out the assassination of the crown prince on a rainy night?
What happened in the Imperial Study that led to His Majesty's sudden death?
Where did this "edict" that first changed the heir apparent and then established a new emperor come from?
She couldn't understand any of these questions, but she understood one thing—she and her son were about to be put on the spot, either becoming puppets or bearing the burden of slander.
The fate of the mother and son was like that of a small boat adrift in a flood, destined to drift with the tide.
……
Li Jingye was somewhat bewildered.
The debate among the ministers in the main hall revolved around whether to apprehend the murderer first or to establish a new emperor, but no one questioned the authenticity of the imperial edict...
This is a will!
Where there is a legitimate reason or justification, shouldn't the truth be verified?
Seeing that the ministers were still arguing, Li Jingye couldn't help but raise the imperial edict and wave it, and said loudly, "His Majesty's edict is here. We shall obey the edict, depose Crown Prince Li Xiang, and enthrone the young prince Li Jun as the heir apparent!"
Before he finished speaking, Yan Qinli glared at him angrily: "In the Taiji Hall, before His Majesty's remains, what right do you, a mere military man, have to speak? Stay quietly to the side and don't say a word!"
Li Jingye was also furious. Didn't you support installing a new emperor first?
We're on the same side!
"Does Minister Yan intend to defy the imperial edict?"
"Humph!"
Yan Qinli snorted, put his hands behind his back, and said with a disdainful look: "What's so important about a so-called will that can't be verified? Even if His Majesty were to come back to life and sit here, he couldn't possibly depose the Crown Prince based on just one person's words."
"I witnessed His Majesty being poisoned by the Crown Prince and Wang De. How can such treacherous villains, who have no loyalty to the emperor or his father, not be deposed?"
Liu Xiangdao couldn't help but say, "Where is His Majesty? Where is the King's virtue? Where is the Crown Prince? The life and death of the monarch is of paramount importance. How can you make a judgment based on your one-sided words? Let alone a decree... General Li, please calm down."
After saying this, he glanced at Li Ji, shook his head, and sighed.
How did you raise your grandson? How could he be so stupid?
Even if the will you have is real, what use is it if it cannot be verified?
If everyone accepts it, even if it's fake, it's real; if everyone doesn't accept it, even if it's real, it's fake!
Li Ji glanced at Li Jingye with disappointment, then closed his eyes, shook his head, and sighed deeply.
Li Jingye: "..."
Doesn't the historical record mention something called "forged imperial edicts"?
At the very least, shouldn't you discuss the authenticity of this will?
How can we disregard both authenticity and truth?
Li Ji said to the assembled ministers, "Let's welcome back the Crown Prince and have him confront Li Jingye here in court to determine right from wrong."
Everyone in the hall looked at Li Ji in surprise.
A confrontation in court would mean revealing the cause of His Majesty's death to the public, utterly crushing and discarding the dignity of the monarch, and exposing everything to the world with no room for maneuver.
If Li Jingye is involved, or even leads the matter and wields the divine weapon, even Li Ji will be swept up in it, and the entire Li family will suffer as a result...
Faced with the astonished gazes of the crowd, Li Ji's face remained ashen: "The life and death of the emperor is of paramount importance. The Li family is involved in this matter after all, and we must give an explanation to His Majesty and to the people of the world."
The king's tragic death involves the principle of "concealing the truth from the powerful," meaning the truth should be hidden and the facts refuted to maintain the sacred and inviolable authority of the emperor. Otherwise, if the truth of His Majesty's poisoning and unresolved death were revealed, and the world knew that even a king could be subjected to such humiliation and cruelty, the people's sense of awe would inevitably diminish greatly.
In this way, even if His Majesty's death was related to Li Jingye, it could be dealt with behind the scenes. While Li Jingye would not escape punishment, Li Ji and the Li family could have their punishment reduced and the impact minimized...
Everyone admired Li Ji.
But Li Jingye didn't see it that way.
He abandoned all his achievements and future prospects as if they were worthless, and was willing to bear eternal infamy to get to this point. How could he give up so easily?
He raised the imperial edict again, scanned it, and said solemnly, "His Majesty's edict is here. I request all ministers to obey it!"
By what imperial edict?
The natural course of action would be to depose the crown prince and establish a new heir apparent.
Then, taking advantage of the situation, they supported the crown prince to ascend the throne and become emperor.
He used His Majesty's life to fulfill His Majesty's obsession; how could he give up halfway?
Even his grandfather couldn't stop him!
Ren Yaxiang, the Prefect of the Capital, rebuked him: "You, a mere military man, failed to fulfill your duty to protect His Majesty's safety, causing His Majesty to suffer a tragic death. You deserve to die a thousand deaths! Yet you still dare to wield the imperial regalia and wreak havoc in the court. Do you truly not know the meaning of death?"
Li Jingye put down the imperial edict and pointed at Ren Yaxiang with his other finger: "Guards, throw this treacherous minister out and leave him outside the Taiji Hall!"
"Here!"
"presumptuous!"
"How dare you be disrespectful to a minister?"
"Outrageous!"
Amid the ministers' rebukes, several imperial guards quickly stepped forward, grabbed Ren Yaxiang's arms, dragged him outside the Taiji Hall despite his struggles, and pushed him down the slippery white marble steps in front of the hall. Ren Yaxiang lost his balance and tumbled all the way down.
The courtiers in the hall grew increasingly alarmed and enraged. Li Jingye knew that time was of the essence and that further delay would inevitably lead to unforeseen consequences. With a swift movement, he drew his sword from his waist, its blade gleaming and cold. He roared, "Silence! Anyone who dares to disturb His Majesty's spirit will be executed without mercy!"
He silenced the assembled ministers, then pointed the knife at Li Yuanjia: "King Han is the Minister of the Imperial Clan Court. Please preside over the ceremony to depose the Crown Prince and establish a new heir!"
Li Yuanjia shook his head: "This is a chaotic order, I dare not accept it."
Li Jingye's eyes widened in fury: "Aren't you afraid of death?"
Li Yuanjia's face turned pale, but he remained calm: "Life is what I desire, and righteousness is also what I desire. If I cannot have both, I will give up life for righteousness."
"Refusing to obey His Majesty's last edict, this is a traitorous minister! Today, I will grant your wish!"
Li Jingye roared in fury: "Guards, drag King Han out of the Taiji Hall, behead him, and display his head to the public as a warning to others!"
The officials all angrily denounced it.
Li Ji also shouted angrily, "Jingye, haven't you made enough of this nonsense? You can't make the same mistake again!"
Seeing that Li Jingye remained unmoved, he angrily shouted, "If you want to kill the King of Han, kill me first!"
The imperial guards hesitated and dared not advance.
Li Jingye's eyes reddened, and he gritted his teeth: "You think I wouldn't dare kill you? I've already disregarded life and death to get to this point, only fearing to implicate my family. Since my grandfather is so stubborn and abets evil, refusing to obey His Majesty's last edict, then we'll kill him too!"
The ministers gasped as they looked at Li Jingye, whose eyes were bloodshot and who exuded a murderous aura. Had this man really gone mad?
Not only did they kill the King of Han, but they also wanted to kill his grandfather?
If they insist on refusing to obey the imperial edict, wouldn't that mean killing everyone in the Taiji Hall?!
Just then, a member of the Imperial Guard rushed over: "Reporting to the Commander, Wang Fangyi has led the Xuanwu Gate garrison into the palace, shouting slogans such as 'Slay the traitors and avenge the emperor,' and has already reached the Divine Dragon Hall!"