I, the prince, only want to be deposed.

Chapter 77 He Wants a House Slave [First Update]

At this time, people in Chang'an were in panic.

All who know the facts are certain of one thing:

This time the emperor must be serious about taking action against Liu Ju. It's more real than real gold!
If not, why did the emperor suddenly order the court to take control of Bowang Garden and specially summon General Wei Qing into the palace, prohibiting him from leaving the palace without an imperial edict?

This was the emperor’s announcement that he was going to depose Liu Ju, an iron-clad sign!

Everyone in the world knows that Wei Qing is Liu Ju's last backer, and may still be his only backer now.

The emperor did this simply to take precautions to prevent Wei Qing from doing something impulsive that the emperor did not want to see when he was deposing Liu Ju.

From this incident, it can be seen that deep down in the emperor's heart, he had already been wary and resentful of Wei Qing.

Some people who knew the inside story knew it more clearly that the emperor's concerns and resentment towards Wei Qing did not start at this time, but had already been manifested when Huo Qubing was still alive.

Thinking back to the time after the Battle of Mobei.

The emperor deliberately supported Huo Qubing, allowing him to share power with Wei Qing, and lavishly rewarded Huo Qubing and his generals.

However, he ignored Wei Qing and the generals under his command and did not reward any of them.

As a result, many of Wei Qing's old friends and retainers turned to Huo Qubing and were rewarded with official positions.

The emperor's action was somewhat like raising a Gu between this uncle and nephew.

However, not long after that, Huo Qubing, who had been ordered to prepare for another expedition against the Huns, unfortunately died young due to illness.

Although Wei Qing was still the Grand Marshal and the Grand General at that time, the emperor would rather give up the opportunity to annihilate the Xiongnu, which was almost ready, and no longer let him lead the troops to fight. Isn't this meaning obvious enough...

"..."

Wei Qing, who was temporarily placed in Shangguanli in Weiyang Palace, had not slept for several days, so that his eyes were full of bloodshot and he looked indescribably tired and old.

"Your Majesty, have you finally made up your mind this time?"

"Ji'er, you are walking on the edge of an abyss again this time. Below you is a sea of ​​fire and a mountain of swords. Can you still escape danger like last time and find a way out?"

From Wei Qing's current state, it can be seen that he is not only uncertain, but is almost in despair.

He knew it.

The last time the dikes collapsed and the fields were flooded, it could be attributed to luck or God's will.

After all, no one knows where the water will flow, everything depends on luck or fate.

But this time.

It was a man-made disaster that neither luck nor God’s will could change, a disaster brought upon the emperor…

……

It turned out that the concerns of the delegation along the way were not unfounded.

The diplomatic convoy had just arrived at the city of Chang'an.

The captain of the Northern Army's Central Fort had already personally led thousands of soldiers and horses to prepare for battle. In a short while, he confiscated the weapons of the envoys, and even Huo Guang and those elite soldiers of the Qimen were not spared.

Then they entered the city under the "escort" of the Northern Army and went to the Weiyang Palace to meet the emperor.

The Grand Executive invited the Qin family and the King of Nanyue, Zhao Xing, to Chang'an as state guests and received them with great hospitality in preparation for the upcoming pilgrimage.

Liu Ju and his followers were picked out separately and "invited" by the Chief Justice Zhao Yu to return to Bowang Garden to await imperial orders.

Faced with this situation.

Liu Ju's heart was already leaping with excitement, and his inner anticipation reached its peak.

Steady!

This time it’s definitely stable!

Not only is it as stable as Mount Tai, it is probably even more stable than Liu Che's throne!
What he had to do next was to go back to Bowang Garden, take a good bath, change into new clothes, light some incense to make himself smell fragrant, and then wait to welcome his full-level human self with a brand new look!

As for the other people in the mission.

Liu Ju was not too worried about their safety.

Needless to say, An Guo Shao Ji, Zhong Jun and Wei Chen stayed in Nanyue for the time being.

Huo Guang, who will be ranked first among the "Eleven Heroes of the Qilin Pavilion" in the future, should be able to handle it. Needless to say, Yi Shuo was just a personal physician and did not participate in the affairs of the delegation at all.

As for the dozen or so scholar-officials headed by Liang Cheng, they were originally invisible people.

What's more, all the things in Nanyue this time were planned and implemented by him alone, so these people can clear themselves of all charges by just telling the truth.

Even if he really was the target of some resentment, I think the crime would not be too serious, at least not a capital crime.

……

Xuanshi Hall.

"You guys don't know anything about what Liu Ju did?"

After listening to Huo Guang's report, Liu Che swept his stern gaze across the faces of everyone present.

"I have failed in my duty and betrayed your majesty's trust. I am willing to accept any punishment."

Huo Guang did not explain much, but knelt down and confessed his guilt.

Liang Cheng and other scholars and officials did not dare to show off their power of words at this time, and they quickly followed him and bowed their heads:
"I have failed in my duty. Your Majesty, please punish me."

"You guys didn't fail in your duty, it was me who failed in my duty!"

Liu Che snorted coldly and said in a deep voice,

"I didn't realize earlier that you were all utilitarians who attached yourself to the rich and powerful. A prince blocked your mouths, tied your hands, and made you let him do whatever he wanted!"

"I, the guilty subject, deserve death!"

Huo Guang immediately slammed his forehead to the ground with a loud thump, but his tone suddenly became stiff at this moment.
"Although I have failed to live up to Your Majesty's grace, I will only have Your Majesty in my heart until I die. I will never be a vassal to anyone else. If Your Majesty does not trust me, I am willing to die to show my determination. Please grant my wish, Your Majesty!"

Over the years, Huo Guang has already figured out Liu Che's temper.

This was also the main reason why he was able to rise step by step and stay by Liu Che's side to keep himself out of trouble.

Among them, the most important thing to understand when serving as an official beside Liu Che is:
Liu Che always preferred obedient and capable household slaves rather than self-righteous ministers.

Therefore, sometimes, attitude is more important than ability.

Just like now, he responded to Liu Che's doubts so bluntly and firmly, and expressed his loyalty straightforwardly. It didn't matter even if it seemed like a confrontation. This was the most correct way to do it.

However, Liang Cheng and others did not understand the secret of the current dynasty.

After hearing Liu Che's words, these people hesitated for a moment, and Liang Cheng, as a representative, raised his head slightly and began to explain:
"Your Majesty, when our delegation arrived at Nanyue, Queen Mother Qin and Lü Jia were already at loggerheads. If we are not careful, there could be a rebellion, and the matter of surrender may change."

"Therefore, I think that although the Crown Prince made mistakes in this trip, he still facilitated the surrender without bloodshed, so his merits outweigh his faults."

"Furthermore, Your Majesty intends to hold a Fengshan ceremony."

"The Crown Prince must have done this out of filial piety. Firstly, he did not want such a grand event to be stained with blood when conquering the Southern Barbarians. Secondly, he was also raising funds for Your Majesty's grand ceremony."

"It's just that I haven't experienced much, so I'm a little biased when I act."

"However, after this incident, the auspicious time for Your Majesty to hold the Fengshan Ceremony must be one step closer..."

This was the statement that Liang Cheng and others discussed privately.

To be honest, they had good intentions. Their intention was to persuade Liu Che while implicitly expressing their intention not to oppose the Fengshan Ceremony anymore.

By making such concessions, he pleaded for Liu Ju and repaid him for saving his life at the court meeting.

But when I heard these words.

"Something bad happened!"

Huo Guang unconsciously clenched his fists and cursed in his heart.

"These idiots...are they so stupid that they say these things now because they are afraid that they can't completely anger His Majesty, that they won't die quickly enough, and that the Crown Prince will be too easy to offend?"

"This will only make His Majesty more determined to depose the Crown Prince, you idiot!!!"

　Thanks to Mr. [Wuyin Guke] for his reward and support.

　　Thanks to Mr. [夜黑訫慌慌] for his reward and support.

　　Thanks to Mr. [情寒我心] for his reward and support.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)