first minister

Liangdu, Gongcheng.

Emperor Xue Rui of Liang Dynasty walked slowly in the imperial garden wearing a black imperial robe. The gorgeous and noble dark gold decoration on the imperial robe was a symbol of his supreme status.

One or two steps behind him, he followed the eunuch Hu Quan who flew up to the branch and stood at the top of the beam.

More than ten steps away were the rest of the chamberlains.

A few steps further away are the accompanying guards.

The distance from the center of power often represents the degree of power, and this principle also applies here.

"Your Majesty, after King Dingxi settles the matter this time, it's time for you to put your affairs on the agenda, right?"

In Emperor Liang's mind, Yelu Caiqi's face appeared, and he suddenly felt that the spring day seemed a bit hot.

He immediately suppressed his thoughts and smiled lightly, "The matter has not been finalized yet, and it is too early to talk about this."

"Not early, not early!" Hu Quan, who had followed Xue Rui for so many years, had already understood his master's thoughts and said with a smile: "When His Majesty was still in the dormitory, he was worried about state affairs and did not marry the Crown Princess, which shows his character. It is right, now that Your Majesty is in charge of the great power of the world, it is the right way for an emperor to establish a queen as soon as possible, give birth to a prince, and stabilize the situation of the court."

With the "steps" in hand, Emperor Liang stopped holding them and walked down, smiling and nodding, "There is some truth in this statement. This empress was not established for me alone, but for the sake of the country and the ancestors." It is indeed difficult to delay the establishment of the country."

He walked forward with his hands behind his back, walking through thousands of flowers, just like he had wandered among the orioles and swallows in the past years, "This time King Dingxi has made great achievements, and I married his granddaughter, which can be regarded as a real reward for him." Sorry, we can’t chill the hero’s heart!”

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Emperor Liang shook his head indifferently and walked forward slowly, looking south, "I don't know how the talks outside the city are going."

It was not for Hu Quanneng to interrupt in this kind of matter. He wisely did not take the initiative to answer the conversation and followed him with a low eyebrow.

Just as he said this, there was a sound of footsteps, and a palace guard came quickly, "Your Majesty, there is an urgent report from the city gate. The heads of the seven surnamed families have returned to the city together."

Emperor Liang was stunned for a moment, and then his heart moved, "You mean, they all returned to the city together?"

The guard nodded, "Yes, King Pingbei is also in the team."

Emperor Liang was instantly overjoyed. King Pingbei was willing to enter the city, which meant that they must have reached an agreement.

Now that an agreement has been reached, all these hidden worries have been solved.

I thought this group of people would be arguing for a long time, but I didn't expect that they would come back so soon!

The King of Dingxi is really powerful, and he is worthy of being recognized as a capable minister. His efficiency in doing things is really surprising.

This time he came back, he managed everything in three steps, five divided by two, and it seemed that I, the emperor, was dispensable, haha.

What should I reward him with?

With these little thoughts in mind, he slowly came to the main hall of the court.

Not long after, they saw seven of the top dignitaries in the entire Liang Dynasty, escorted by a thousand Kyoto guards, walking towards the main hall.

Emperor Liang Xue Rui saw Xue Fenghua, the great Zongzheng, walking at the front with a calm expression, and the last worry in his heart disappeared.

Watching them enter and stand in the palace, he smiled and said: "My dear friends, do you think you will gain something from this face-to-face discussion?"

Seeing him not knowing what was about to happen, Xue Fenghua sighed secretly.

Speaking of which, His Majesty is not too bad, but there is no way. In the survival philosophy of the aristocratic family, no one can be sacrificed under the general trend.

He didn't want to embarrass his junior too much and just wanted to end the process as soon as possible.

So, he stroked his chest and saluted, "In reply to Your Majesty, the seven of us have indeed reached a conclusion on the current situation."

Emperor Liang raised his eyebrows, "How was the conclusion made? Is there any explanation?"

Xue Fenghua looked up at him, his eyes filled with compassion, guilt, and finally determination.

"We only have one word to discuss."

He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, please abdicate!"

Liang Emperor Xue Rui frowned slightly at first, but when he heard this, his expression suddenly changed and he slapped the table, "Xue Fenghua! Do you know what you are talking about!"

In the supreme position, when the emperor is angry, he can kill millions of people.

But Xue Fenghua's expression remained calm, and he said slowly: "Your Majesty's murder of the king and father is neither in accordance with the law of the country nor humane. Please abdicate, in order to uphold the principles of the government and to calm the hearts of the people in the world!"

Xue Rui couldn't care less about the shock at this moment, and endless anger surged in his heart. But before he could get angry, the other six family heads standing behind Xue Fenghua also came out and spoke loudly: "Your Majesty, please abdicate the throne in order to uphold the principles of the dynasty." , to calm the hearts of the people in the world!"

In the already quiet hall, the sound of a pindrop could be heard at this moment, as if only the deep shouts of these seven family heads were echoing for a long time.

A group of servants and guards were dumbfounded, and the sound of swallowing rolling in their throats could be heard clearly.

What's happening here?

Please ask Your Majesty to abdicate?

Did the seven surnames of you co-author discuss this?

"Rebellion! Rebellious! You are rebelling!"

Xue Rui roared angrily, "Come here! Capture these rebellious officials and traitors for me!"

Neat and hurried footsteps sounded outside the palace door, but when they rushed to the palace door, no one dared to move.

Standing in front of them were the seven family heads of Daliang. Most of them were inextricably linked to these seven people and the families behind them.

Any one of the seven family heads would be at a disadvantage when facing the imperial power.

But when these seven surnames work together, who is the Emperor of Liang?

It's not that they couldn't arrange this matter more securely, such as leading troops to force the palace directly, but for the sake of historical records and the reputation of future generations, they chose this path.

When they turned their heads and looked at these soldiers calmly, it was as if they had drawn an insurmountable line in front of them with their eyes. No one came forward, no one even dared to move.

"Your Majesty, have you seen this? This is what the people of the world want! Your Majesty is in an unfair position and is unpopular. Please abdicate!"

Xue Fenghua turned around and looked at Xue Rui, and spoke slowly, using people's hearts and righteousness to cover their decision with a cloak of shame.

"Unbridled!" At this time, Hu Quan, the eunuch beside Emperor Liang, tried to fight to the death, and screamed angrily: "Committing rebellion and disobeying the imperial power! What are you doing in a daze? Quickly capture these rebellious officials and traitors! Your Majesty will be heavy-handed There’s a reward!”

King Yelvshi of Dingxi said calmly: "The barking of a defeated dog is annoying, so take it down!"

Several loyal soldiers who had been deployed long ago rushed out quickly, rushed directly to the throne, and dragged Hu Quan down.

"What are you doing! You are rebelling! Our family will kill you."

The sound stopped suddenly, and Hu Quan, who was dragged away like a dead dog, looked down at the knife on his chest in disbelief. He didn't even have time to scream, and fell to the ground like a real dead dog.

The broadsword was pulled out, and a trace of blood dripped down the cold blade and fell to the ground, but it fell on Emperor Liang's heart like a heavy rain.

When he watched his close confidant, the eunuch, being killed just because he said so, he finally understood that there was no room for relaxation in this matter.

Either he retreats or the Seven Surnames die!

But will the Seven Surnames die?

His eyes passed over the soldiers who should have been loyal to him desperately but were silent at the moment, and finally fell on his hardcore direct descendants Yu Wenyun and Murong Zhui.

But the two men who had risked their lives to help him rise to power lowered their heads in shame and avoided his gaze.

He looked at Dingxi King Yelvshi again, and saw his calm face and Gujing Wubo eyes, and he understood many things in his heart.

There is no loyalty, no loyal minister, no pillar of the country, no unmatched righteousness and bravery. Under all kinds of coats, they all cover the same dirty body, and they all hide the same ugly soul!

There was no anger in his heart at this moment, only cold hatred remained.

"You guys are really good at pretending! Killing the king, killing the father, and taking the position improperly. What an excuse! When the late emperor was here, why didn't you say that he took the position improperly? Everyone acted like a dog in front of the late emperor. Now they are pretending in front of me. Already?"

"You people, some of you followed me to kill the king and my father, some of you rushed to congratulate me after I ascended the throne, some of you sacrificed your daughter and pretended to be loyal to me with tears. Even if I am wrong, you are better than anyone else. nausea!"

He smiled crazily and said: "If I don't retreat, what will happen to you? Could it be that you regicides are messengers of justice?"

Xue Fenghua sighed softly, "Your Majesty, now that things have come to this, can't we all be more dignified?"

Decent?

I have endured humiliation, been cautious, and finally made it to this point. When my long-cherished wish comes true, you want to deprive me of everything and still want my dignity?

How could you be so shameless!

"Fuck your mother's decency!"

He spoke angrily, using foul language to vent his anger.

The seven people present looked at him calmly, and then Xue Rui heard a burst of footsteps.

The late emperor and empress, now the queen mother, slowly walked into the hall.

The moment he saw the other person, Xue Rui's heart suddenly fell to the bottom.

The Queen Mother looked at her biological son with pity and helplessness. Although the two had become strangers recently due to the incident of patricide, they were her own flesh and blood after all, and who could really be so cruel to him.

The Tian family is ruthless. She had planned to forgive this traitor, but she didn't expect that something like this would happen again. "My child, there is nothing good about this throne. Live your life in wealth and peace."

Xue Rui didn't respond and fell down on the dragon chair, his eyes empty and numb.

Yelvshi took an edict with the Queen Mother's seal from the men who came with the Queen Mother, opened it and read it.

After accusing Xue Rui of more than 120 crimes, big and small, he looked at Xue Rui, who was deposed as King Anding, and said, "King Anding, follow the Queen Mother's will!"

Xue Rui sat on the dragon chair, his eyes still empty and his expression numb.

Yelvshi winked at the guards on the side, and the guards plucked up the courage to step forward and lift Xue Rui off the dragon chair.

Seeing her son being carried away, the Queen Mother looked at the head of the family with the seventh surname and said, "My lords, what I said before"

Yelvshi said: "Please rest assured, Queen Mother. I will abide by my promise and will not harm King An Ding's life. At the same time, King Jing's biological mother passed away early. As the late emperor's palace, the Queen Mother is still the queen mother."

The Queen Mother calmed down after hearing this, "A woman from the harem of the Ai family doesn't understand all the matters in the court. I'd like to help you, sir."

The seven people all returned the greeting.

After the Queen Mother left, Xue Rui was also taken to a mansion that had been arranged in advance for temporary house arrest. The seven of them looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief.

Although they are fully confident in the appeal and prestige of the seven of them, it is still a bit thrilling and nervous when it involves the replacement of the throne and using this method.

"Without further delay, let's welcome King Lijing as soon as possible!"

An hour later, the dignitaries and common people in Shangjing who had cheered that the crisis was over because they saw King Pingbei entering the city were shocked from ear to ear by a shocking news.

The heads of the families of the seven surnames all entered the palace, and the Queen Mother issued an edict, enumerating more than 120 major and minor crimes committed by Emperor Liang, and then deposed the emperor as King Anding and welcomed King Jing as emperor.

"His Majesty was... deposed?"

"Didn't you say that the seven surnames were discussing some conflict of interests? How come the discussions among the shopkeepers were done at the expense of the boss?"

"You don't understand this. When it comes to our Daliang family, the Seventh surname is the owner, and Your Majesty is just the shopkeeper. It's because Your Majesty is also one of the Seventh surname, and the Seventh surname has different people's hearts, so His Majesty and the Xue family are the only ones in the family. Da, now it seems that there is something else that has made all the seven surnames compromise, and even the Xue family has agreed, this is really extraordinary!"

"Don't worry about his reasons. I just think that His Majesty, oh no, King Anding is so interesting. He has only been in power for more than a month and has listed more than a hundred crimes. He is really a god!"

"Hey, if you fail in the power struggle, then you don't have to let others tell you what the crime is. Do you really believe it?"

There were constant rumors on the streets.

In the Dingxi Palace, Yelude naturally heard the news and breathed a long sigh of relief.

While I have infinite admiration for my father, I am also full of excitement for the future.

Under such circumstances, he finally no longer had to hide his brilliance and could show off his talents freely.

After feeling proud for a while, he suddenly remembered something and quickly called the steward, "Go and tell the eldest lady, Your Majesty has... Forget it, I'll go by myself!"

He walked through many corridors and courtyards and came to the courtyard where his precious daughter Yelucaiqi lived temporarily.

"Nanny, open the door, I'm daddy!"

"Nanny? Open the door!"

"Nanny?"

Yelude's expression changed, he kicked open the door and rushed in.

But found the yard empty.

He was only stunned for a moment, then calmed down, carefully checked the situation in the house, and after confirming that Yelu Caiqi was not forcibly taken away, he muttered wordlessly, "This kid doesn't know how to be patient!"

He immediately called his family's confidants to the house, "Caiqi is missing. You should immediately bring a few groups of people. Remember, if she is a confidant of my family, then carefully go to the city to search for her whereabouts. Remember not to make it public. The situation of our Yelu family is very good now. If she falls into the hands of others, I'm afraid this situation will happen again, so be careful and bring her back as soon as you find her."

Looking at his confidant who followed the order, Yelude rubbed his brows.

Things in this world are really so unreasonable. After a period of work, there will always be another period, so no one can have a good rest.

When Yelu De sent people to secretly search for Yelu Caiqi who had run away from home in the city, the sun slowly moved westward. This day, which was destined to be recorded in history books, finally slowly came to an end.

Xue Yi stood at the entrance of the palace, wearing a black royal robe with dark gold patterns. As the former King Jing and now the Emperor Liang, he was still in a state of trance and disbelief.

He was just an idle prince who only liked reading and was not interested in power. How could he become the emperor?

But King Dingxi told him that the head of the family of the Seven Surnames had already decided, and he had to be the head of the beam.

He even thought, could this be God's compensation for suffering the evil spirit of Baiyunbian in the Southern Dynasties?

No, no, even though that person was completely disgusting, he didn't lose that much merit.

However, with no one to rely on and no direct relatives, I am afraid that I am just a puppet, right?

He said he didn't understand, but actually he still understood.

But what can we do if we understand?

Just as he was deceived by King Dingxi's words back then, will he be able to resist in the future?

Thinking of this, he sighed quietly.

The sigh was carried away by the spring breeze, swirling around the eaves of the house, blowing to a large house in the west of the city, passing over the heads of many guards, and finally brushed against a person's face, causing a cold snort.

Xue Rui was sitting in the room, with messy beard and hair, looking a bit downcast.

The shoulders and eyebrows were drooped together, and together with the curved spine, the posture of a loser was fully revealed.

But deep down in his heart, he did not completely admit defeat.

Don't you just rely on the power of the army? I am not without backup!

Uncle Wang of Zhennan has gone to Lieyang Pass to take charge of the 60,000 Snow Dragon Riders. As long as he leads his troops to serve the king, with 60,000 elites outside and loyal ministers and righteous men included, he may not be able to overturn the overall situation!

I personally released him from prison and restored the king's title and trust. He should be loyal to me, right?

He looked past the high walls and heavy guards, and headed south hesitantly with his ambition and hope.
-

To the south where Xue Rui, the deposed emperor of Northern Liang, was looking, under Lieyang Pass, a handover had just been completed this afternoon.

King Zhennan, who still had the dream of taking over the imperial power of the Xue family and paving the way for the Liang Dynasty, did not know everything that happened in Shangjing City, let alone Xue Rui's hopes for him.

But at this moment, even if he knew, he probably wouldn't have the heart to care about those things.

He just looked at the right hands of his subordinates with only four fingers left, feeling furious and helpless.

He came with endless expectations. These 60,000 elites were his capital and his right to speak in the court.

Without these direct lineages, he, the King of Zhennan, would be like King Zhongjing who had been deprived of his military power, with only face and no dignity left.

Therefore, when he delivered all the goods in the agreement as expected and successfully met his familiar tribesmen, his heart instantly became hot.

But those broken thumbs were like his shattered ambitions, which could no longer be put back together.

With 50,000 snow dragon riders and 10,000 tiger and leopard riders, the most elite core members of the Xue family are left, and now they are just like him, with only face and no dignity left.

On the city wall of Lieyang Pass, Jin Jiancheng and Xia Yunfei, who had just arrived at Lieyang Pass, stood side by side and said with a smile: "You said he won't get angry, right?"

Xia Yunfei said calmly: "He may get angry, but he can't do it anymore."

Jin Jiancheng turned to look at him and marveled, "After staying with Marquis Jianning for so long, I have become very sharp-tongued!"

Xia Yunfei smiled innocently and did not refute, silently watching the King of Zhennan slowly return north with his team after lingering for a long time.

The 60,000 soldiers are gone, but they are still 60,000 strong and strong. They cannot bow, horse, ride or shoot, but they can still do things.

This bad breath can only result in knocking out teeth and swallowing blood, which will be repaid twice as much in the future.

When the delivery was completed, the Daxia army also began to formally build and defend Lieyang Pass according to the territory of Daxia, instead of temporarily managing it at the beginning.

Xia Yunfei and Jin Jiancheng led the Wudang Army and began to work on a series of things in the city.

Conduct registration screening and screening of Beiliang people staying in the customs;

Renovate the city defense to prevent people in Beiliang who are familiar with the city defense from secretly causing harm;

As well as selecting garrison candidates, allocating three rounds of defense and other matters, just arranging these things clearly and arranging them will already be three days later.

The situation in Beiliang has been reported for a long time. Even Jin Jiancheng and Xia Yunfei, who knew part of the inside story, couldn't help but sigh at Xia Jingyun's greatness. That wait for the day's generous move actually succeeded in taking the most critical step!

Shocked inexplicably, they also happily thought about those dreams of no war in the northern border, leading the army to expand the territory, and pointing their swords at the stars and the sea.

Then, the sudden arrival of a man from the north made the two savage men, who were fighting with thousands of troops without blinking an eye, instantly feel that one head was as big as the other. (End of chapter)