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| T/N : I thought you werehighly cultured and steeped in proprietytype of person, Yushu. |
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| What the Trantor imagined after tranting above chapter. |
True Dragon, Son of Heavenreferred toLiu Bang.
"Long ago, there was a poor farmer who lived in a wild and ruggednd, far from the great cities of China. One day when he wasing home from the fields, he came to a pond. There he stopped and stared in amazement. On the banks of the pondy his wife, fast asleep. A great scaly dragon loomed above her. Clouds ckened the sky, lightning shed, and the air shook with thunder. Monthster, when the farmer''s wife gave birth to a beautiful son, the couple was filled with joy. This boy grew up to be Emperor Gaozu, the first ruler of the Han dynasty."--adapted from a story recounted by Chinese schr Sima Qian in Shiji (Historical Records), c. 109-91 BC, viaAmerican Museum of Natural History
Image Credit |Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
When the ministers saw that something was wrong, they all held their breath for fear of angering this great god whom they had a hard time inviting to sit on the Dragon Throne. Even if he were not the Emperor, no one would dare to breathe loudly at this moment. The Sect Leader of the Mojiao Sect was even worse than theTrue Dragon, Son of Heaven. Between thedark and white paths, the former was always more frightening. The ministers suddenly began to worry that the one they had gone to so much trouble to request to return with them was a tyrant......
"Take the Governor of the Jinling, drag him out and chop him up!" Chu Changge threw the memorial fiercely to the ground and instructed coldly.
All the ministers were so shocked by this order that their hearts skipped a beat. They all looked at the new Emperor, who had given the first decree to kill a minister even before the enthronement ceremony had even taken ce. And they were at a loss as to what to do next.
In the end, the Minister of Rites picked up the memorial and nced at it before cing it on the table. Under the eager gaze of the crowd, he uttered his words which did not contradict Chu Changge''s, "This person should be killed."
The people, puzzled, looked at each other and began to take turns reading the memorial carefully. Thest one to read the folds was Old General Liu. Whenever he had to write a report to the court, he always asked his military advisor to do it for him.
He didn''t want to read the memorial. Who the Emperor wanted to kill was the Emperor''s business. But the cab would decide whether that person was worth being killed or not. He was only responsible for fighting the war. Thus, he didn''t care about such things. But seeing that everyone was silent after reading it, he didn''t want to be the only one who didn''t know the truth of the matter. That was why he absentmindedly opened the memorial.
Just after reading the first line, Old General Liu''s face changed. The more he read, the worse his expression became, and finally, in a fit of rage, he threw the memorial into the brazier and roared, "Keeping such people is a waste of national food. Death is not enough for him!" How dare a small governor to take the lives of millions of people as a child''s y, saying things like ''burning Jinling to suppress the gue''!
"This small official was ajinshiof the same Imperial Examination with the Governor of Jinling. As far as this small official knows, this man is loyal and honest. Although he has no great talent, he has never gone beyond moral bounds. He has been working hard in governing Jinling even if he has never performed any meritorious deeds. Apart from this one gue, there has been no major disturbance. It is not like him to say such things as ''burning Jinling'' or ''sacrifice something of lesser importance to preserve something crucial''." The Minister of Revenue said.
Chu Changge''s anger diminished slightly at his words. "Then, in your opinion, there is something else going on here?"
"Yes. This small official requests Your Majesty to allow this small official to investigate this matter. If the Governor of Jinling truly puts the lives of the people at risk by fighting the gue passively, it will not be toote to kill him as an example to others."
"Alright. I''ll give you a day. At this time tomorrow, I will wait here for you to report your findings."
Minister of Revenue: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty should refer to yourself as ''Zhen''." The Minister of Rites corrected for the nieth time.
Chu Changge also ignored it for the nieth time and said to Old General Liu, "Since you are here, I don''t need to read these memorials......"
The Minister of Rites interrupted Chu Changge and corrected him for the ny-one time, "Your Majesty should call yourself ''Zhen''."
The corners of Chu Changge''s eyes twitched as he gave him a sidelong nce and said, "If you could be so persistent in your official duties, you wouldn''t just be a minister right now."
"I am doing my official duties." The Minister of Rites responded inone strong beat and one weak beat in a measure of music.
Chu Changge was dumbfounded. He had forgotten that correcting the Emperor''s faults was the proper job of the Minister of Rites. This stubborn old man, who seemed to only talk about etiquette andw, had a bit of wisdom and courage in his head. Let''s be done with it. It was just a matter of time before he had to change the way he addressed himself anyway, and it was the same if he changed it early orter. "Zhen,Zhen......" Chu Changge said it twice in a row and cleared his throat again before speaking to Old General Liu. "Zhenwill not read your memorials. If there is anything you want to say, say them directly."
"Yes!" Old General Liu said, "Now that Emperor Tian and Emperor Ye, who are far away from Yanzhou and Western Shu, have started a war. The war has not yet reached our dynasty. Still, no matter who wins or loses in the end, Emperor Tian and Emperor Ye will becontent with things as they areand sooner orter, they willunch a war against our dynasty. Therefore, in my opinion, Your Majesty should consolidate the army, strengthen the border defences and actively prepare for war. Once either one between Emperor Tian or Emperor Ye is defeated, we should immediatelyunch an attack and reap the benefits from their fight."
"What my dear courtier said is very true." When Chu Changge uttered ''my dear courtier'', he clearly saw the Minister of Rites was about to open his mouth before closing it again. "SinceZhenhas decided to changeZhenmind,Zhenwill not let my dear courtier catch hold ofZhenagain. My dear courtier can focus on other things."[+]
A momentter, the corners of the Minister of Rites'' mouth twitched a few times ruthlessly. "It is this small official''s duty to urge Your Majesty to observe the rites andws."
"YetZhenthinks you''re addicted to catchingZhenin the act."
"Your Majesty is overthinking. Even if this small official had the guts to do so, this small official would not dare to cross Your Majesty deliberately."
"Is that so?" The corners of Chu Changge''s mouth slightly curled up. He suddenly found that being the Emperor was not as boring as he thought. At least fighting with the ministers was a challenging and fun thing to do. After looking at Minister of Rites with a smile, Chu Changge said to Old General Liu. "Although what General Liu said is reasonable, has anyone ever thought that it''s impossible for Emperor Tian and Emperor Ye not to understand the concept ofonce the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold? They know that no matter who wins, the Daye Dynasty will benefit in the end. So why do they still insist on fighting to the death?"
General Liu: "Your Majesty is right. About this issue, this General has also thought about it but could never figure it out."
Chu Changge returned the four memorials to him and said, "Thene back toZhenwhen you have figured it out."
Old General Liu took the memorials back. "Yes."
"Do all my dear courtiers have anything else to present?" Chu Changge asked.
All heads bowed in silence.
"Since there is nothing else to discuss, then let''s disperse." Chu Changgenguidly said as he sat on the armchair and waved his hand.
"When does Your Majesty intend to return to the capital?" It was still the Minister of Rites who spoke.
Chu Changge curled his lips into a smile and asked, "When does my dear courtier intend to control the gue?"
"This minister......doesn''t know."
"ThenZhenalso doesn''t know."
Even the Minister of Rites, who hadteeth made of copper and iron, was defeated. Hence, the rest of the ministers naturally would not make a fool of themselves by going against the wishes of the new Emperor, who ruledwith the power of a thunderbolt and the speed of lightning.
As soon as the ministers left the ''Imperial Study'', they began to talk.
"Lord Nie is indeed right. The Emperor looks unconventional and unrestrained, but he is a master at doing practical work."
"Yes. He handles the affairs of the state in an orderly manner. Although heins a lot, he does not shirk from his responsibilities after all."
"The Emperor has been dominated by the Empress. So how can he have noints? He will be fine after a while, though."
"Talking about the Empress, she''s truly admirable too! She''s the first person I''ve ever met who has nothing to do all day but doesn''t get depressed."
"It''s a skill to be idle to that extent."
"When she returns to the capitalter, she will have her hands full. I''m afraid she''ll be too busy with all the big and small matters of the harem."
"Speaking of the harem, Lord Yang, isn''t it time to prepare for the selection of concubines for the Emperor to fill the harem?"
The Minister of Rites smiled coldly and said, "If you want to choose, you can go and choose yourself. I won''t put my hand on this matter."
"This is the responsibility of your Ministry of Rites!"
The Minister of Rites: "You can go to the Emperor and use me of dereliction of duty."
"Lord Yang, just now, you never gave up on speaking about etiquette in front of the Emperor. Why are you now deted when the matter of the harem is mentioned?"
The Minister of Rites did not answer. He just pretended not to hear the question.
At this moment, Old General Liu suddenly remembered something. After a p, he leaned close to the Minister of Rites and whispered, "Yang Lian, did Nie Qing remind you to stay out of the matter of choosing a concubine?"
Yang Lian, the Minister of Rites, was slightly startled and asked in a low voice, "How did you know?"
Old General Liu chuckled. "I remembered the time the Empress said that I had a bad rtionship with Nie Qing. Your rtionship with Nie Qing has always been close. He must have warned you what things can be said and what cannot be said, right? You can''t say anything about choosing a concubine, can you?"
Yang Lian nodded. "Nie Qing said that no matter when or where never mentioned the selection of concubines in front of the Emperor and Empress."
"Did he say what would happen if you mentioned it?" Old General Liu asked.
Yang Lian shook his head. "He didn''t say. However, his expression at that time was solemn, as if only mentioning the matter of choosing a concubine would lead to chaos in the world."
Old General Liu repeatedly nodded with his heart palpitating at Yang Lian''s words. It was best for him not to mention it, even if the others beat him to death. It seemed that if there was anything he needed to speak with the Emperor in the future, he must first ask Nie Qing whether he could say it. Otherwise, if he identally stepped on the minefield, with such an unpredictable character of the Emperor, he might do something to retaliate against him back.
Chapter 165
Chapter 165
After dismissing the ministers, Chu Changge stretched his back and looked at the sky. He then strolled towards the Qionglou Pavilion. He and Murong Yunshu had arranged to have afternoon tea together there. Although it was still early, it would be just right for him to stroll. If he still arrived early, that was fine. He would just wait for her.
When Chu Changge arrived at Qionglou Pavilion, he found that Murong Yunshu hade long before him.
As soon as Chu Changge walked into the small pavilion, Murong Yunshu spotted him and smiled lightly. "You''re early."
"Isn''t Madam here earlier?" Chu Changge asked with a smile, with his heart very happy. "Is Madam so eager to see her husband that she has waited beforehand?"
"I just sat down." Murong Yunshu said.
Chu Changge nced at the tea that was about to reach the bottom of the cup in her hand and smiled lightly as he thoughtfully refilled it for her. He said as he poured, "This is the bestYuhou Longjing tea.It would be a waste if you were to drink it like a cattle."
Murong Yunshu''s face was slightly embarrassed. She hesitated for a moment, then picked up the cup of tea and drank it all in one gulp. She looked at Chu Changge with iparable frankness and requested, "Another cup."
The corners of Chu Changge''s mouth slightly twitched. "Madam, this is tea, not wine. You can stop acting as ifyour heroism has reached the clouds."
"I''m just thirsty." Murong Yunshu responded extraordinarily calm.
".......your excuse isme."
"I know."
"And yet you still use it?"
"I can''t think of a better one."
"......" Chu Changge looked at her helplessly for a few seconds, then couldn''t help but refill her cup again and stated leisurely, "You''ve always been a refined tea drinker. A cup of tea would take at least two to three-quarters of an hour for you to finish. With the amount of tea in the pot now, you had already drunk at least three cups before I came."
Murong Yunshu sighed in frustration as she questioned, "With an Emperor like you around, how are you going to get along with your government staff?" It was rare for her to tell a lie. Could he not be so wise? Could you please read this chapter at xinshou blogspot?
Chu Changge raised his sword-shaped brows andmented, "I''m not interested in what they care about, and what I care about is none of their business."
Murong Yunshu puffed out augh and said, "If those lively government staff of yours heard these words, I wonder how cold their hearts will be."
"It''s good to have a cold heart. With a cold heart, they won''t have to be afraid of heatstroke."
"......" This statement sounded so familiar. Murong Yunshu suddenly wanted to know what Big Chu and Little Chu usually talked about when they got together. Inexplicably, the scene of the small one and the big one crouching in the corner and whispering to each other came to mind. "Pfft" Murong Yunshuughed at the scene ying in her head. Luckily, there was nothing in her mouth. Otherwise, the Big Chu that was sitting across from her would have been in trouble.
"What are you thinking that made youugh like that?" Chu Changge asked, raising an eyebrow. He was not too happy that her mind was still wandering off while spending time with him.
"It''s nothing." Murong Yunshu tried to put away her smile, but the corners of her eyes couldn''t help but tilt upwards. "Nie Qing came to see me today." She changed the subject.
Chu Changge''s expression immediately changed when he heard her words. "What does he want from you?"
Murong Yunshu narrowed her eyes at him strangely and questioned, "Why are you acting so nervous?"
"No, nothing......" Chu Changge coughed twice to withdraw his nervous expression and asked as if he was not too concerned, "Is there something he wanted from you?"
"It''s nothing much. He and Feng Ling came to plead with me, hoping that I could help them go to Hua Tuo Mountain so that he could propose marriage to Feng Cheng. They asked me to talk to you about letting them out of town."
"So, what did you say?"
"I said ''people of the harem do not meddle in politics''." Murong Yunshu answered.
Chu Changge was slightly astonished by her words and then burst outughing. "You really are theziest woman I''ve ever seen."
Murong Yunshu''s expression was indifferent. "Right back at you."
"Madam, you are ttering your husband too much. This husband of yours doesn''t have your ability to put off trouble like that."
When Murong Yunshu heard what he said, she picked up the lid of the cup and slowly fanned the hot air from the mouth of the cup as she stated, "There are many troublesome people around who like to create trouble for you, so you have to learn the skill of pushing these troubles away. Otherwise, how can I have time to drink tea?" After saying that, she raised her pretty phoenix eyes to look at Chu Changge.
Troublesome people, who liked to create trouble......was he also counted as one? The corners of Chu Changge''s mouth trembled a few times as he expressed his feeling with a hurt face, "As the saying goes, a virtuous wife at home is better than a good minister of a state. For Madam to be so ''idle and virtuous'' is a bit unjust to not even share a little of it with her husband!"
"Can you not remind me again and again how troublesome it was for me to marry you finally?" Murong Yunshu smiled brightly.
The corners of Chu Changge''s mouth twitched wildly, "Madam, I''m the one in trouble now, and you can''t just run from your responsibility."
"At the root of it, it''s because you''re the one who created that troublesome little guy out of it."
"......you also have a part in creating him."
"When I gave birth to him, he was still a noblegongzi. Later, after hanging out with you for a long time, he became a local bully."
Chu Changge went speechless. Obviously, he and his son had bea benevolent father and a filial son. But in her eyes, how did they turn into fooling around with each other? If he took ten thousand steps back, even though Little Murong was now brazenly overbearing, with ack bellythat was as dark as charcoal, he had never been sleazy at all! He was a very talented little young man by all ounts. Just as bad as he was when he was a child, but not too obviously bad.
Chu Changge was proud of himself when he thought of how much he had passed on to Little Murong. Thatold freakhad passed on to him all that he had learned and created in his life. Although Chu Changge was toozy to learn many of thatold freak''s martial arts, he knew them thoroughly by heart and had no problem passing them on to Little Murong. If there was one thing he was most pleased with, it was Little Murong''s diligence and willingness to learn. These traits of his were also the point he was most puzzled by. He could always sit and never stood if he could. Even his father did not know what diligence was, so how could Little Murong be this diligent and studious?[T/C]