Reborn Lady - Chapter 219
After the new Emperor, Wei Ang, ascended the throne, he promulgated a series of measures to benefit the people, winning their hearts, and gaining approval from the Court and the Central Government. As a courtier supported by the first Emperor, the transition of power went smoothly.
However, Wei Ang perceived his position as still unstable. The three uncles, King Qin, King Dai, and King Yan, each held substantial territories, supported by tens of thousands of soldiers. How could he feel at ease?
Ascending the throne in March, Wei Ang called his chief assistant, Huang Ren, and Minister of War, Qi Tao, in April to discuss the matter of reducing the power of the vassals.
Both officials supported the new Emperor’s reduction of the vassals’ powers. Rather than procrastinating and causing serious troubles to his confidants, they believed it was better to act while he was on the throne. At the moment, tribes in the Xiongnu territory were fighting fiercely, providing an excellent opportunity for the Imperial Court to solve internal problems. At another time, the Imperial Court would have to worry about the two grassland powers taking advantage of the situation.
Since their powers were to be reduced, an order had to be given to the three vassal kings.
Qi Tao, the Ministry of War, suggested, “The king of Yan is the most powerful, so we should eradicate him first; then, the kings of Qin and Dai will be nothing to worry about.”
The first assistant, Huang Ren, countered, “The king of Yan has accumulated military exploits without fault, and he has long been famous. Another good show was performed in Pingcheng, and the people all praised him for his loyalty and filial piety to the first Emperor. If we deal with King Yan at this time, it may cause issues with the general public. It is better to cut down the king of Qin first. The Imperial Court can take advantage of this to cut down the vassals.”
Qi Tao questioned, “Aren’t you afraid of scaring the snake (making him alert)? If King Yan is prepared, it will be difficult for the Imperial Court to take action again.”
Huang Ren smiled and said, “If the King of Yan does not rebel, the court has no reason to touch him, but if he does, will he bring himself to perish with thousands of troops?”
Qi Tao reminded, “Don’t forget Guo Xiao; he is related to the king of Yan, and he holds a hundred thousand troops in his hand!”
Huang Ren reassured, “The Imperial Court can mobilize troops to defend around Pingcheng in advance to deter Guo Xiao. Also, he doesn’t dare. Besides, the late Emperor once praised Guo Xiao’s father and son for their loyalty. Guo Xiao will not fight against the court for his younger sister.”
Since ancient times, heroes had cherished their reputations, and there had been too many examples of killing their relatives for the sake of fame and righteousness. They could ignore even biological parents and brothers, not to mention a married sister.
The two argued, and the new Emperor, Wei Ang, who had been silent for a long time, still trusted Huang Ren more and decided, “First, cut off the King of Qin, and then the King of Dai, and we can deal with the King of Yan slowly.”
The three guards under the King of Qin were also not to be underestimated.
So the Imperial Court sent General Lu Long to attack the Qin land and first arrest him. At that time, King Qin was still indulging in the singers in the garden he had just built. While he was alone, all the guards outside had been beheaded by Lu Long’s soldiers.
Holding the imperial decree in his hand, Lu Long listed several crimes against the King of Qin. From then on, he would be demoted from his title to a commoner, and all his wives, concubines, and descendants would be exiled to Qiongzhou.
King Qin’s mouth was blocked, and he had nowhere to complain!
Lu Long sent his men to lead troops to arrest people in the palace of Qin. King Qin had more than a dozen sons, some of whom were unwilling to be captured without a fight. Injured by swords, even the wives and concubines of King Qin or his descendants fled around and were killed one after another; there were several accidental deaths, including small children.
For a moment, the cries in King Qin’s mansion were loud, and the nearby people hid in their homes tremblingly, not daring to go out. They could only listen to the fact that King Qin’s family, which once made the people in Qin awe and envy, became prisoners overnight. The royal blood members were no different from ordinary criminals.
In July, King Qin was deposed, and the entire family was exiled.
In October, King Dai refused to plead guilty but was powerless to resist. He chose to end his life by taking poison.
With King Dai’s death, his people were also exiled, this time to Zhangzhou.
When the news reached Pingcheng, winter had set in. All the men in the Yan Palace were aware of the events, and among them, Wei Yang and Wei Yan would inform their wives.
Xu Qingwan, a reserved individual, seldom discussed family matters with her sisters-in-law, let alone spread such significant news.
Ji Xianxian, on the other hand, was different. She was already talkative, and the incidents involving King Qin and King Dai left her anxious. The more she feared, the more she found herself unable to resist sharing the news with someone.
Ji Xianxian visited Chengxin Hall and disclosed everything to Yin Hui, “Tell me, will it be our turn next?”
Fear had drained the color from Ji Xianxian’s beautiful face.
She was the daughter of a prominent family and had been spoiled since childhood. When she first arrived in Pingcheng, she found the place too cold. However, regardless of the cold, it was still the Yan Palace, where she enjoyed good food and clothing. Now, with the exile looming, she heard that in those desolate places, men had to toil in the fields, and women had to do laundry and light cooking fires with their own hands. They lived in dilapidated thatched huts and wore dusty, rough cloth.
There was an even more terrifying prospect – some women would face bullying and humiliation due to their outstanding beauty, making life worse than death.
The more Ji Xianxian contemplated it, the more frightened she became, but Yin Hui, sitting opposite her, remained as calm as water.
“Third sister-in-law, aren’t you afraid?” Ji Xianxian asked in surprise.
Yin Hui wasn’t afraid, but she could empathize with Ji Xianxian’s fear at this time.
In her previous life, Yin Hui’s circumstances were no better than Ji Xianxian’s. She used to think that her father-in-law was like a deity, but even King Qin and Dai, who were princes, faced a downfall.
A prince might be considered regal, akin to heaven in the eyes of the common people, but in reality, there was an Emperor.
Wei Luo had never enlightened her about the outside world; she only heard about it from Ji Xianxian’s narratives, and it would often leave her fearful and sleepless at night.
At that time, Wei Luo was preoccupied with attending the funeral for the late Emperor and assisting her father-in-law with preparations. He was so busy that he left early and returned late, almost always sleeping in the front yard at night. The entire family could only gather at dinner time. Before and after dinner, Wei Luo talked with Xiao Heng. Once it got dark, he promptly returned to the front yard, leaving Yin Hui to watch him come and go helplessly.
It wasn’t until she fell ill that Wei Luo finally visited her.
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Anyhow_Mittipao
I really find it hard to like the ML