69novels Chapter 205 Ascension to the Throne! His Majesty's charisma remains undiminished!
Chapter 205 Ascension to the Throne! His Majesty's charisma remains undiminished!
Li Chengliang left, taking with him nearly 500,000 imperial guards, as well as firearms specially sent to him by Qi Jiguang. Before leaving, Guo Bujing also gave the imperial guards a warning, fearing that they might not submit to Li Chengliang.
With few of his personal guards dead, Li Chengliang's words carried much less weight. If Guo Bujing hadn't done this, the army might have mutinied halfway through the journey.
As two of the few remaining famous generals of the Ming Dynasty, Li Chengliang and Qi Jiguang showed mutual respect on their faces, even though they only met briefly.
After seeing Li Chengliang off, Qi Jiguang led the remaining Imperial Guards away from the capital by boat. The situation in the south was changing rapidly, and the demon race was watching from across the sea in Dongying. He had no time to attend Chu Yang's enthronement ceremony two days later.
Personally escorting the "Ten Thousand People's Umbrella" into Beijing was already an extremely risky move.
Qi Jiguang deeply regretted this.
Despite their brief meeting, Chu Yang left a very good impression on Qi Jiguang. Putting aside his incredible martial prowess, the future emperor was more approachable and humorous than he had imagined.
And those complicated blueprints...
Qi Jiguang was very excited.
Although he could only understand a portion of it, he could already sense the changes these blueprints would bring to the firearms battalion. He believed that the Qi family army would definitely not be trapped in Wanglong City again when they encountered the demon race on the battlefield next time.
The ship left the port and sailed further and further away on the sea, while Chu Yang and the others stood on the shore gazing at it from afar.
Once the warship was out of sight, Zhuge Zhengwo, Zheng Dongliu, and the others approached Chu Yang.
Zhuge Zhengwo stroked his beard and smiled, "I never expected His Majesty to value General Qi so highly."
"How many military generals are left who truly serve their country and its people these days?" Chu Yang sighed. "With his achievements, he could have easily been promoted further, so why is he still just a general?"
Zheng Dongliu said regretfully, "The late emperor did not allow it, fearing that the military generals would become too powerful. However, it is not surprising that he was overthinking it. His Majesty is also aware of the situation in the south. To put it another way, if Qi Jiguang had even a little ambition, the situation we face would only be more severe."
The late emperor Zheng Dongliu mentioned was not Chu Yang's adoptive father, but his unjustly deceased elder brother.
Chu Yang shook his head and said, "Times have changed. The Qi Family Army has fought against the demon race and Japanese pirates for the Ming Dynasty for many years. If we cannot reward them for their merits, how can the soldiers who have fought bloody battles on the front lines be convinced?"
Ultimately, it comes down to someone's narrow-mindedness; they're always afraid of others taking what's theirs.
After saying this, Zheng Dongliu dared not continue. As a subject, how could he say such irrelevant things as Chu Yang?
Zhuge Zhengwo coughed lightly.
"Last night, this old minister and the gentlemen discussed the current situation all night."
"We believe that the world will be at peace for a while..."
"The demon race traveled by water to the northern border without harassing any coastal towns of the Ming Dynasty along the way, proving that they are still wary of His Majesty's military power. There should be no more than two demon kings heading to the northern border this time."
"Given the capabilities of the Jurchens, they should be able to contend with the demon race for a considerable period of time, enough for Li Chengliang to complete the deployment of the border."
"With the firearms donated by Qi Jiguang's army, Your Majesty need not worry about the northern border for the time being."
"It's the quiet situation in Mongolia that's making this old minister a little worried."
Chu Yang couldn't help but show a hint of surprise. Ever since he appeared in this world, he had never heard of the Mongols. He thought there were no Tatars or Oirats in this world.
Zheng Dongliu glanced at Chu Yang's expression and smiled, "It's not surprising that Your Majesty is unaware of the situation in Mongolia. In fact, since the late Emperor ascended the throne, they have been embroiled in a long period of internal strife, with large and small tribes fighting each other endlessly. They have no time to have conflicts with us."
"Not to mention Your Majesty, even I haven't heard any news from Mongolia for one or two decades."
Chu Yang pursed his lips.
We still can't look at this messy martial arts world from a normal historical perspective; the Mongols didn't even get a chance to appear.
Zhuge Zhengwo said, "It is understandable that Your Majesty sends the Imperial Guards to reinforce the north and south, but we should still plan ahead and not ignore the situation in Mongolia."
Chu Yang said, "Let's take it one step at a time. Let's deal with the situation in the south first, and send the Dragon Guard Manor to gather intelligence on the Mongolian side."
"And we need to find out where the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons is as soon as possible. I want to know why the demon race launched a full-scale invasion of Japan, and what exactly happened there?"
When the topic turned to the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons, Zheng Dongliu and Zhuge Zhengwo looked worried. The source of this chaos must have an astonishing secret.
Two days later.
The capital city, which had been deathly quiet, suddenly became lively.
Today is the day the new emperor ascends the throne.
……
"Hehe, Lu Xiaoji, you're dressed really bright red today! Anyone who didn't know better would think you were getting married!"
Sikong Zhaixing mocked Lu Xiaofeng's attire with ill intent.
"Hey monkey, don't get cocky. If you lose the bet next time, see what I'll do to you!"
Lu Xiaofeng's face turned ashen. He had originally intended to have some fun on the joyous occasion of his friend's ascension to the throne, but he never expected to lose so humiliatingly.
"What a pity, what a pity, I couldn't see Brother Lu get married in person."
Hua Manlou said "what a pity" twice, teasing Lu Xiaofeng with a smile on his lips.
"It doesn't matter if you can't see me get married, as long as you can hear others paying homage to His Majesty," Lu Xiaofeng said with a smile, stroking his beard.
As one of Chu Yang's few friends, Lu Xiaofeng felt that Hua Manlou should come to the capital to congratulate Chu Yang in person, so he wrote a letter and invited him to the capital.
Hua Manlou never expected that the world would change so much in such a short time, with a new master taking over without anyone noticing, and the news of the emperor's death had only just reached Jiangnan.
However, before this, he had a strong premonition that Chu Yang would become emperor in the future, but he did not expect that day to come so soon.
Upon arriving in the capital, Lu Xiaofeng recounted the events that had transpired, making Hua Manlou regret not having witnessed the duel at the Forbidden City.
"It feels like a lifetime ago," Hua Manlou sighed. "When we first met His Majesty, we didn't even know he was a prince. Even now, I still feel that his words and actions are not those of a prince."
"His future actions will likely not resemble those of an emperor as understood by the world."
Just as he finished speaking, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside.
"You're absolutely right. His Majesty announced a major event right after ascending the throne today."
Li Gexiao appeared before them with a strange expression.
"Where did this news come from that spread so fast?" Lu Xiaofeng asked curiously.
Li Ge sighed and said, "My master said so. He just came out of the palace and looked very angry."
Sikong Zhaixing asked impatiently, "What exactly happened?"
Li Ge said with a wry smile, "His Majesty said that starting today, he will no longer attend the morning court session. He said he has a bad temper when he wakes up and can't get out of bed in the morning, so he told the ministers to go home and sleep."
Lu Xiaofeng and Sikong Zhaixing suddenly widened their eyes, while Hua Manlou stood there stunned with a look of astonishment.
Isn't this familiar style still the wise king's?
...........................
The late emperor's funeral was kept simple, and the new emperor's ascension to the throne was also kept simple.
Even the ritual of offering sacrifices to Heaven, Earth, and ancestral temples, and informing oneself that one is ordained by Heaven and one's ancestors, has been cut.
In the end, Chu Yang simply sat in the main hall wearing a dragon robe, receiving the congratulations of the officials. Then everyone played music and danced together, and the event ended hastily.
The newly appointed Grand Secretary Xu Jie reminded Chu Yang to remember the general amnesty, but Chu Yang gave him a thorough dressing-down.
"What amnesty?!"
"Those who deserve to be beheaded, behead them already! Let them live through the New Year!"
"They grant amnesty to the entire nation so easily, but do you know how hard frontline law enforcement officers work every day?"
"All the hard work and achievements of the past year have been wiped out by your general amnesty!"
"Isn't it irresponsible to the people to release those criminals who deserve beheading back into society?"
"Pardon my ass!"
The new emperor had a rather volatile temper and would criticize anyone he encountered. Xu, the Grand Secretary, who had finally risen to power at an advanced age, was nearly berated to the point of having a heart attack and retreated to his position with a livid face.
Seeing the newly appointed Grand Secretary get humiliated, the other civil officials dared not speak up. At this moment, they missed the late emperor; although he was inactive, at least he didn't curse...
At this moment, Zhuge Zhengwo stepped forward and spoke to Chu Yang in a gentle and pleasant manner for a long time. In the end, the two of them each took a step back.
Some criminals with minor offenses may be pardoned, but death row inmates do not receive this treatment; those nearing the end of their sentence must be beheaded immediately, without exception!
The first and last morning court session after the new emperor's ascension to the throne ended hastily amidst the helplessness of the court officials.
The Imperial Study.
Chu Yang felt awkward sitting in that chair, so he asked Cao Zhengchun to leave. He then joined the others around the incense burner in the center of the room, creating a rather eerie scene.
He didn't care, but the others felt terrible, unsure whether to stand or kneel.
Besides Zhuge Zhengwo and others, Zhang Juzheng and Hai Rui were also present in the room. Zhang Juzheng was now the Second Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, while Hai Rui was the newly appointed Minister of Justice.
"Lord Guo intends to return the Six Doors to the control of the Ministry of Justice. I wonder what Lord Hai's opinion is?"
Chu Yang glanced at the absent-minded Guo Bujing.
"inappropriate."
Hai Rui slowly shook his head. Under normal circumstances, it would be a good thing for the Six Doors to return to the Ministry of Justice, but not now. Recently, the security situation in both the Central Plains and other places has been declining.
Most of the prisoners were sorcerers and evil martial artists, which was the perfect time for the Six Doors to exert their power.
"Did you hear that? If people don't want your Six Doors, then stop trying to give them away all day long."
Chu Yang patted Guo Bujing on the shoulder. The former hero Guo had been somewhat depressed lately, as he was now engrossed in "tatak" with the demon race.
Once again, his hopes were dashed, and Guo Bujing sighed deeply, his face full of sorrow.
Zheng Dongliu said softly, "Lord Guo, why are you so upset? The late emperor's death was not your fault, you don't need to be so concerned."
Guo Bujing remained silent.
Chu Yang also found it difficult to persuade him, after all, a person's values will not change because of a few words from others, especially someone as steadfast as Guo Bujing.
Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit dull, Zhuge Zhengwo changed the subject and said, "Yesterday, when I was sorting through the secret prison of the Dragon Guard Manor, I discovered a strange person. He is Gu Santong, the undefeated rascal who defeated the eight major sects in the past."
Yu Huatian reminded him, "Lord Shenhou, His Majesty said that Gu Santong was framed by Zhu Wushi."
Zhuge Zhengwo chuckled and said, "That's why, after Gu Santong learned that His Majesty had defeated Zhu Wushi, he insisted on seeing His Majesty, hoping to repay His Majesty's kindness."
"To repay a debt of gratitude?" Chu Yang's lips curled up, and he shook his head, saying, "I guess he probably wants to trick me into going there to play a trick on me. Playing a trick on an emperor would give him more satisfaction than any of his previous tricks."
Zhuge Zhengwo nodded repeatedly, "That's what I thought too, so I ignored him."
Cao Zhengchun whispered in Chu Yang's ear, "Your Majesty, you have already ascended the throne, you should refer to yourself as '朕' (Zhen)..."
Chu Yang rolled his eyes and said, "I don't even attend the morning court session, so what kind of emperor am I?"
Cao Zhengchun retreated to the side, feeling sullen.
However, thinking of Gu Santong, Chu Yang suddenly became interested in him, wanting to meet this invincible young man from the teleportation, and even more so, to witness the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill.
"Since he's so eager to play a trick on me, then I'll go over and let him do it."
Chu Yang grinned and strode out.
Zhuge Zhengwo's smile froze. He had only said it to lighten the mood, but he didn't expect Chu Yang to actually go to see Gu Santong.
Chu Yang found the emperor's elaborate processions annoying, so he had Cao Zhengchun bring over a few horses, and together with Zhuge Zhengwo and the others, they rode to the Dragon Guard Manor.
He walked out of the palace gate wearing a dragon robe, and the streets immediately became lively.
As the most famous person in Beijing over the past two decades, he was easily recognized by the people. However, nowadays, no one dares to make fun of this number one playboy in Beijing.
Many people were even filled with fear and unease, recalling their past disrespect towards the new emperor, which, in today's terms, would not be an exaggeration to condemn their entire family to death.
The excitement didn't last long; everyone fell silent. Chu Yang and the others took in their expressions, feeling a mix of emotions. This wasn't the scene he wanted to see.
While it is true that emperors must maintain their dignity, some dignity is rooted in the fear of the people, while other dignity comes from entirely different emotions.
Chu Yang remembered the "Umbrella of Ten Thousand People" that Qi Jiguang had given him.
The umbrella carries the most sincere respect and love of the people of Nanjing, and the dignity built on that emotion is perhaps more meaningful.
Unbeknownst to him, Chu Yang rode his horse past the brothel he used to frequent. Heads of all sizes peeked out from the windows and railings, trying to steal a glance at him.
They're all people I know!
A sly smile appeared in Chu Yang's eyes. He suddenly straightened up and whistled in the direction of the brothel, the sound echoing in the quiet street.
The people standing by the roadside looked on incredulously.
Zheng Dongliu and the others following behind Chu Yang were also stunned. They never expected that Chu Yang, who was already sitting on the throne, would make such a frivolous move!
A moment later.
A huge noise erupted in the street!
Someone burst out laughing!
Someone shouted!
Someone started a disturbance!
Some people even imitated Chu Yang's whistling.
Before long, the streets were filled with the sound of whistling.
More people came out of their houses to watch the commotion!
A fierce response also came from the brothel!
"His Majesty's charm remains as undiminished as ever!"
"Well done, Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty, please don't forget me..."
Hearing the cheers of the people, Zhuge Zhengwo shook his head and chuckled, then turned to look at Zheng Dongliu, "Our Emperor has a very special charm."
Zheng Dongliu nodded and smiled, "He's not an ordinary person to begin with, so he shouldn't be judged by ordinary standards."
"I'm truly looking forward to seeing what the Ming Dynasty will be like under His Majesty's rule, hahaha." (End of Chapter)