novel bin Chapter 76 The Imperial Guards Attack
Chapter 76 The Imperial Guards Attack
The fact that Shi Miyuan, together with Empress Yang, murdered Han Tuozhou in the Forbidden City was an undeniable coup d'état.
There was no joint trial by the three judicial departments, no formal execution, and not even a formal imperial edict.
A prime minister died in such a muddled way in the Yujin Garden of the inner palace. After his death, he was beheaded and sent gold, suffering endless humiliation.
When Zhao Yu exposed this matter in public, no one knew how to respond, as it was not something that could be discussed openly.
Zhao Yu looked at the silent crowd, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "What? Nobody's saying anything? You could assassinate the prime minister back then, so today I can depose and install the emperor. Is it only the magistrate who's allowed to set fires, but the common people aren't allowed to light lamps? There's no such logic in this world."
"As for whether it's treason," Zhao Yu stood up and walked to the imperial steps, "did I come here to play house with you?"
"If my second brother continues to rule, he might recognize the Jin emperor as his uncle today, and tomorrow he might have to recognize him as his father. Although I, Zhao Yu, am not talented, I do not want to have a group of foreign elders appearing on my head for no reason."
"If you cannot defend this empire, then I will!"
As the last word fell, Zhao Yu suddenly exuded an aura of dominance over the world.
He referred to himself as "朕" (Zhen), which was a declaration to the world that he would become the new emperor of the Song Dynasty.
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"
Lei Xiaoyou's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly and earnestly advised, "Your Majesty, please reconsider. Even if Minister Shi has many faults, we now have a formidable enemy outside, the Jin Kingdom is eyeing us covetously, and our Great Song has just suffered a defeat in the Northern Expedition, leaving our national strength depleted and our army's morale unstable."
"If the court is in turmoil at this time, it will inevitably give the Jurchens an opportunity. Once the Jurchen army marches south, the country will be in danger, and the common people will suffer again."
"Yes, Third Brother," Zhao Kuo quickly chimed in, a fawning smile on his face. "Shi Miyuan is guilty, and I will issue an edict immediately to remove him from his position as prime minister. You can take this opportunity to enter the court and assist me in handling state affairs. With us brothers working together, what is there to worry about in defeating the Jin army and bringing prosperity to our Great Song?"
Zhao Kuo had a plan in mind: as long as he could keep Zhao Yu in check and get away, once he was out of the Chuigong Hall, he could mobilize a large army and deal with Zhao Yu.
The common man became angry and blood spattered five steps forward.
Now that Zhao Kuo and Zhao Yu are so close, he naturally has to worry that Zhao Yu might harm him. But once the two are separated, no matter how powerful his martial arts are, can he possibly get past so many imperial guards and reach him?
What good is high martial arts skill?
Moreover, with Zhao Yu's help, he might even be able to bring Shi Miyuan down.
Shi Miyuan killed Han Tuozhou behind his back. Zhao Kuo said it was impossible for him not to have any resentment, and now was the perfect time to consolidate power.
Looking at his face, Zhao Yu found it all laughable.
He sat back on his throne, propped his chin up with one hand, and said slowly, "Second Brother has certainly made a good plan, but after all you've said so much, why hasn't that Minister Shi said anything? After all, it was Minister Shi who brought this peace agreement together, and he deserves the most credit."
"Master Shi, stop hiding, come forward and let everyone hear your insightful opinions."
Shi Miyuan froze, lowered his head even further, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground.
But his inaction doesn't mean Zhao Yu will let him go.
Zhao Yu simply raised his left hand slightly, circulated his internal energy, and an invisible suction force instantly erupted.
The officials around Shi Miyuan felt a strong force coming from him and involuntarily retreated to both sides, making way for him.
Shi Miyuan himself seemed to be grabbed by the back of his collar by an invisible hand, and his whole body flew forward involuntarily.
He thrashed about, screaming in terror, but he couldn't control his body at all.
"ah--!"
Amidst screams, Shi Miyuan fell to the ground with a thud below the imperial steps, his official hat falling to the ground, his hair disheveled, looking utterly pathetic.
He struggled to his feet, covered in sweat, his face ashen, and his eyes filled with fear as he looked at Zhao Yu.
The entire Chuigong Hall fell silent once again.
All the officials stared wide-eyed at Zhao Yu, their faces filled with disbelief.
Even if they didn't practice martial arts, they had met a few people in the martial arts world and knew a little about them.
How can someone pull a living person right in front of them from dozens of feet away using only their internal energy?
Shi Miyuan finally managed to stand up, quickly straightened his disheveled official robes and hair, bowed to Zhao Yu, and said with feigned composure, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty has wronged me."
"Back then, Han Tuozhou acted arbitrarily and hastily launched a northern expedition, resulting in the loss of troops and territory, causing the people of Lianghuai to lose their homes and families. My killing him is to rid the world of a scourge and to plead for the lives of the common people!"
"As for negotiating peace with the Jin Dynasty, it is merely a temporary measure. Our Great Song Dynasty has just suffered a defeat, and the morale of our army is low, our treasury is empty, and we are powerless to continue fighting. Only by negotiating peace with the Jin Dynasty first, allowing us to recuperate, rebuild our forces, and wait until our national strength is restored, can we then plan a northern expedition to recover our lost territories. My sincere intentions are clear to Heaven and Earth, and I hope Your Majesty will understand!"
These words were spoken with heartfelt sincerity and tears streaming down his face, as if he were truly a loyal minister who cared deeply for his country and its people.
"Look, everyone, listen to this." Zhao Yu pointed at Shi Miyuan and laughed at the officials, "This is the eloquence of Minister Shi. In just a few words, he has portrayed himself as a loyal minister who serves the country and the people, while I, Zhao Yu, have become the traitor who brings disaster to the country and the people."
He wiped the smile from his face and stared coldly at Shi Miyuan: "Let me ask you this: during the Longxing Peace Treaty, the Song Emperor addressed the Jin Emperor as his uncle. Now you've gone and changed it to a relationship of uncle and nephew, making my Song Emperor address the Jin Emperor as his uncle. Is this also your expedient measure?"
"this……"
Shi Miyuan's face stiffened, then he said with a bitter expression, "Your Majesty, how could I possibly control this? The Jurchens are adamant about this condition; they won't withdraw their troops unless we agree, and they even intend to march south. I had no choice but to inform Your Majesty and reluctantly agree."
"I know in my heart that this is a great disgrace, but the situation is beyond my control, and I have no choice but to accept it!"
"No choice?" Zhao Yu shook his head, too lazy to waste any more words with him.
Shi Miyuan always had his reasons.
"If that's the case, then it seems that killing the Jin delegation last night was indeed the right thing to do."
"What?!"
Shi Miyuan suddenly looked up. The Jin delegation was dead?
Before he could think it through, a shout of killing suddenly rang out from outside the hall.
"Go to the rescue immediately!"
"Protect the officials! Quick, rush in!"
The shouts of battle grew closer, mixed with the sounds of clashing weapons and screams of agony.
It was only when the other imperial guards within the capital finally reacted that they arrived to quell the unrest.
A look of wild joy flashed in Shi Miyuan's eyes. He didn't care about anything else and turned to run into the crowd.
But after taking only two steps, he felt a tightness at the back of his neck and was pulled back by that invisible suction force, falling into Zhao Yu's hands.
"Run? Where can you run to?" Zhao Yu's voice rang in his ears.
"Grand Commandant! Something terrible has happened! The brothers outside can't hold out any longer!" A blood-covered Imperial Guard soldier stumbled into the hall and shouted at Xia Zhen.
Xia Zhen's expression changed, and he quickly looked at Zhao Yu: "Your Majesty."