Xiao Dezi's sharp words awakened all the civil and military officials in the palace who were deep in thought.
Looking at Li Ye coming out of the back of the palace, being served by Xiao Dezi, all the officials stood up and saluted one after another, holding their imperial huts.
"I see your Majesty, long live my emperor, long live the emperor."
"My dear friends, please take your seats without courtesy."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Li Ye's face became more and more heroic, with a hint of lingering anxiety. He glanced around at the civil and military officials under the dragon platform, and gently sat on the dragon chair.
"Dear sirs, I have heard rumors among the people and among the people, even though I live in the palace.
It is rumored that I sent people to attack and kill my uncle's carriage in Fengyundu. I also know it.
I wonder what you all, dear friends, think of these rumors?"
Baiguan, who had just knelt down, looked startled. He looked in surprise at Li Ye, who was sitting on the dragon chair and looking at himself and others calmly. He looked dazed for a moment.
They thought that they would only start discussing the matter after their colleagues reported the matter, but they did not expect that His Majesty would go straight to the topic when he came up and point out the matter himself.
The officials looked at each other subconsciously, and the rhetoric they had prepared before going to court immediately rotted in their stomachs, thinking about how to answer Li Ye's inquiry.
What did we think?
How should I say this?
To say that I believe it is to break up with His Majesty.
He said he didn't believe it, but he and others had seen with their own eyes the documents sent to the six ministries by more than thirty state capitals north of the capital.
The document contains not only the detailed story of that night at Fengyundu, but also the conclusions drawn by officials from nearby Fengyundu who sent officers and soldiers to Fengyundu to survey the scene, and the story of the coffin carriage of King Bingjian heading north under the escort of his own soldiers.
fact.
Saying you don't believe it not only violates your conscience, but also has no way of convincing the public.
It's nothing to be ignorant of one's conscience. Who in this world has never done something that violates one's conscience? It's even worse for civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty to gain promotion and promotion.
The key is how to convince the public.
Nowadays, the rumors are getting louder and louder. Everyone in the twenty-seven prefectures of Northern Xinjiang is aware of it. More than ten prefectures south of Fengyundu and the capital are also talking about it. Moreover, it is still radiating towards the south of the capital with an unstoppable momentum.
go.
It can't be covered up at all.
The question now is not whether to believe it or not, but how to deal with what will happen after the people learn about these rumors.
Maybe it won't cause a big problem like a civil uprising, but the court's prestige in the hearts of the people is...
Baiguan felt bitter and really didn't know how to answer Li Ye's question.
Li Ye looked at the officials below who were all in a daze, but no one spoke back with a bitter and complicated heart.
"My lords, weren't you quite eloquent in the past? All of them have the eloquence of Su Qin and Zhang Yi. Why are they all silent now?"
"I know my guilt!"
Li Ye looked at the officials who were using the same old perfunctory expressions, and frowned tightly together.
"The day before yesterday was supposed to be my wedding day to Miss Zhaoxue, but it was delayed because of my uncle's assassination.
Following the orders of my mother, Empress Yi, my uncle returned to Beijing to organize the grand event for me to establish an empress. If I really wanted to take action against him, there would be countless opportunities along the way. Why wait until I was about to leave Fengyundu in northern Xinjiang before carrying out the attack?
The most important thing is why should I get rid of my uncle?
I wanted great power, and my uncle handed it over without hesitation. I wanted the military talisman, and my uncle handed over the tiger talisman without saying a word.
Since I came to the throne, my uncle has never disobeyed me in anything I say or do.
The military power is already in the hands of Zhongwu King Yunyang Lao Aiqing, why should I worry about it?
What about attacking and killing my uncle?
That’s all I have to say.
As for how to deal with the rumors among the people, you all can discuss and deal with it yourself.
Ministry of Rites! Zongren Mansion!"
"I'm here!"
"It was decreed that the imperial concubine's coffin and casket would be brought back to the capital after my uncle's mourning period, and that he would be buried with him in Ruizong's mausoleum.
Hundreds of officials mourned, all the people saw off, the bells rang nine times, and the world was in peace!
A state funeral is performed in the same manner as an emperor's funeral to show his favor."
Qin Ziying, the Minister of Rites, nodded silently: "I obey the order!"
Li Chengbai, the Zongren Mansion's Zongling, hesitated and looked at Li Ye hesitantly, wanting to say something but not daring to say anything.
"Grandpa, if you have anything to say, you may as well say it directly. I will forgive your guilt."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I would like to report back to Your Majesty. It is the standard for a feudal king to be laid to rest in his grave. It is already a great honor to be buried in Ruizong's mausoleum.
It is really against etiquette to hold a state funeral with the same standards as the emperor!
If Your Majesty sets a precedent, future generations will imitate it, and I am afraid that etiquette will collapse!"
"This is a line that future generations must not imitate!"
"This... I obey the order."
"My dear friends, rumors stop with the wise. I don't want to say anything more. I will leave it to you to deal with the rumors among the people and withdraw from the court."
The officials looked at the untouched memorial in their hands with complex eyes, looked at Li Ye walking towards the back hall, and sighed helplessly.
"I respectfully bid farewell to Your Majesty, long live long live!"
After Li Ye disappeared from the Qinzheng Hall, all the officials had complicated expressions and gathered together in groups.
"Xiang Wei, your Majesty has passed the matter to us, what should we do?"
"Tongxiang, it is obvious that the scholars are avoiding talking about it and leaving the problem to us to solve. However, the news of King Bingjian's death is spreading more and more widely among the people. It is impossible to control it. If we don't give an explanation to all the people, I'm afraid there will be no success.
It’s such a good deal.”
"Mr. Xia, what do you mean?"
"Rongwei Hou, what should we do? It is no longer important whether the imperial court did it or not. What is important is how to suppress the impact of this incident.
The prince's influence in the army is too great. If there is no reasonable explanation, I am worried that there will be a mutiny when the army returns from the Northern Expedition.
Why don't you write a letter to Mr. Yun right away and ask him for an idea?"
Song Yu, the Minister of the Ministry of War, Du Chenghao, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Jiang Yuanming, the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, Qin Ziying, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Ye Kaiming, the Minister of the Ministry of Punishments, the Minister of Honglu Temple, and the Minister of Dali Temple gathered together, glanced at the discussions in the palace, and looked at each other
He glanced at it, sighed and walked towards the outside of Qinzheng Hall.
"Du Shangshu, what should Song Shangshu do? Judging from your majesty's behavior, this matter should not be done by your majesty. What your majesty said is right. With the attitude of King Bingjian towards your majesty, there is no reason for your majesty to attack and kill the prince.
Since the prince returned to Beijing a few months ago and handed over the power of auxiliary government, the imperial court and the Northern Xinjiang Palace have been working together to support the army's Northern Expedition without any contradiction at all.
Your Majesty sent people to attack and kill King Bingjian for no reason, which is a bit impossible no matter how you look at it!"
"Well, Qin Shangshu, it doesn't matter whether His Majesty did it or not. The key point is that all the spearheads have been pointed at His Majesty and the court.
Even if this is a secret act between the Turks and the Jin Kingdom, they want to alienate the relationship between the imperial court and the Northern Xinjiang Palace, thus plunging our dynasty into civil strife, and forcing the Northern Expedition army to return to the dynasty to suppress internal troubles.
Where is the evidence? Where is the evidence? What evidence is there to prove that this matter has nothing to do with His Majesty and the imperial court?"
Du Chenghao, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, nodded in agreement: "Qin Shangshu, Ye Shangshu's words are reasonable. Now, apart from the evidence, it is not easy to just use the prestige of the court to appease the people.
The spearhead of Fengyundu's attack and killing was all pointed at the imperial court.
King Bingjian has passed away, and without him coming forward to clarify, I'm afraid it will be useless to say anything.
The prestige of the imperial court will definitely be greatly affected."
Lao Jiang, the Minister of Household Affairs, frowned and shook his head.
"I'm afraid it's more than that. The rest of the prefectures in various places are fine, but if one of the twenty-seven prefectures in northern Xinjiang is not handled well, there will be chaos!
In particular, I don’t know if Liu Zhi’an, a member of the Jiangnan Liu family, also knew the news.
If because of the pain of losing his son, he held a grudge against the imperial court for a while. As a result, twenty prefectures on both sides of the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River, and dozens of prefectures south of the Yangtze River were blocked for business travel.
With full support for the Northern Expedition, the national treasury simply had no spare capacity to deal with such emergencies.
If a civil uprising breaks out, not only the twenty-seven prefectures in Northern Xinjiang but also the whole world will be in chaos!"
After Lao Jiang finished speaking, he subconsciously looked at Song Yu, Minister of the Ministry of War, Liu Zhi'an's sworn brother.
Du Chenghao and others also understood what Lao Jiang meant and looked at Song Yu.
As for King Bingjian's father, Liu Zhi'an, only Song Yu among the civil and military officials in the dynasty came forward to mediate.
Now it is no longer important whether the imperial court was behind the Fengyun Ferry attack or not.
The immediate priority is how to control the impact of this incident to prevent civil strife.
Otherwise, the Northern Expedition may be in vain again.