Chapter 1240 - 305: Campaign Against Chu (Part 4)

Chapter 1240: Chapter 305: Campaign Against Chu (Part 4)

They are members of the royal family, they are nobles.

Some members of the royal family and nobles can no longer wield a sword, or have never held a position in the military or in court, and even seldom attend court meetings.

But today, they took out the armor and weapons their ancestors once wore, which had been enshrined in their family’s ancestral halls for many years.

Of course,

The procession of the royal family and nobles was filled with tragic grandeur, yet there was a sense of the waning twilight of age.

This is quite normal,

In fact, even Lord Zheng is a noble, but what is he doing?

Even if he’s not compared to Lord Pingye, among the royal family and nobles, those who are capable have mostly served in the military, and those who remain in Yanjing are indeed primarily the old, weak, sick, and disabled.

"Is this your handiwork, Second Prince?"

Ji Chengjue was aware that because he had reduced the royal family’s and nobles’ salaries and food stipends, his reputation among them was extremely poor, so they naturally inclined toward the Crown Prince.

This is human instinct, and it’s also the instinct of a group.

Of course, Ji Chengjue was fully aware of the consequences of his actions, yet he chose to proceed regardless.

Leaving aside the discussion of selfless public service,

The legitimately upright officials looked down upon these "parasites of the nation," and since Ji Chengjue did not distribute those bank notes to the officials, the worse Ji Chengjue treated the royal family and nobles, the better his impression would be among the officials.

The civil officials of the Qian State would often provoke the nobles just to find an opportunity to spit at them and call them "parasites of the nation."

Although the atmosphere in Yan was not as exaggerated as in the Qian State, after the noble families were trampled by horses, the court was filled either with new scholars or commoners, naturally pitted against the royal family and nobles.

Offending this group unable to make it to the stage, and pushing these inept allies towards the Crown Prince, was a worthwhile move.

"I apologize for making you laugh, Sixth Brother."

"We share in the affairs of the nation."

The Crown Prince nodded,

remarked softly:

"Third Brother has already departed."

Now that Third Brother has left, let it bring more value.

Now that Third Brother has left, if we don’t cooperate with father and obey, father can make us follow Third Brother.

When killing chickens to warn monkeys, at least he killed a chicken.

What about father?

At this moment,

The Yan Emperor, with the Sword of the Son of Heaven at his waist, emerged from the grand hall, accompanied by Wei Zhonghe.

Instantly,

The entire audience fell silent.

Even Ji Chengjue and the Crown Prince immediately moved to their designated positions.

The Yan Emperor stood on the imperial steps; his stern gaze surveyed the audience, standing alone there, like a mountain looming before them. This was the might of the Son of Heaven.

"What are you all planning to do, my ministers?"

Hu Zhengfang did not speak, for at this moment, he did not have the qualification to do so.

Then,

The one who stepped forward was the Prime Minister.

Zhao Jiulang walked down to the imperial steps,

removed his official hat and placed it beside him,

and then,

he slowly knelt down:

"Your Majesty, the Chu Slaves have gone too far;

What crime did the Third Prince commit?

What crime did Noble Consort Ming commit?

What crime did Your Majesty commit?

What crime did Great Yan commit?

What crime did our ancestors’ temple of eight hundred years commit?

Now,

I beseech Your Majesty to issue a decree, to send troops to punish Chu!"

Instantly,

Behind Zhao Jiulang,

Civil and military officials,

Nobles and the royal family,

All knelt down,

Shouted in unison:

"We beseech Your Majesty to issue a decree, to punish Chu!"

"We beseech Your Majesty to issue a decree, to punish Chu!"

Thunderous voices echoed!

Yet the Yan Emperor spoke:

"Our Great Yan’s national treasury is currently depleted."

Ji Chengjue knelt forward, loudly declared:

"Father, how arduous was the founding by our ancestors, and how challenging was the preserving by the forebears, so much harder than the present challenges!

Our ancestors granted us their bone and blood,

Forebears bestowed upon us their spirit,

Bone and blood must not be defiled, spirit must not be degraded,

Though the national treasury is fatigued,

Our Great Yan’s sons possess robust and ardent spirit;

Since ancient times,

The Yan region lacks not men of gallant generosity!

This son is willing to reduce his salary to supplement the frontline, only hoping to punish Chu, break their Ing Capital City, destroy their Ancestral Temple!

Men of the Yan region,

Join together in confronting national calamity!"

In the rear,

The whole assembly of civil, military officials, nobles, and the royal family cried out:

"I am willing to reduce my salary to supplement the frontline, men of the Yan region, join in confronting national calamity!"

The Yan Emperor clenched his fists,

Stepped down from the imperial steps,

And kicked Ji Chengjue over,

Ji Chengjue was kicked down, his forehead hit the steps, causing a gash that bled, yet he immediately knelt back down.

"Rebellious son, do you not know that Chu is a great nation? Our Yan has been at war for years, the people are already worn out. If we start another national war, how will my subjects survive?

The commoners are my children. Today, I have merely lost a son, but I do not wish for my people to starve and wear mourning clothes!

The Crown Prince knelt forward,

kneeling down,

and said aloud:

"Father, your son requests for father to move and ascend to the West Zhi Gate to see the hearts of our Yan people!"

Zhao Jiulang raised his head,

and shouted:

"Proceed to the West Zhi Gate!"

Wei Zhonghe’s face revealed panic,

his duty had been snatched away!

The emperor hadn’t even issued an edict, yet this Prime Minister dared to usurp the decree in front of His Majesty!

But Eunuch Wei immediately showed a look of generosity,

and shouted loudly:

"Proceed to the West Zhi Gate!"

"You are presumptuous, presumptuous!"

Civil officials, military officers, royal family members, nobles, and the imperial guards escorted the Yan Emperor to the West Zhi Gate.

When the Yan Emperor’s Golden Dragon Banner was raised on the wall of the West Zhi Gate,

outside the gate, countless commoners erupted.

At first, they just shouted loudly,

some shouting long live His Majesty,

others shouting for the extermination of Chu slaves,

and some shouting for vengeance for the Third Prince,

until finally,

the cries of countless commoners gradually converged:

"Fight against Chu!"

"Fight against Chu!"

"Fight against Chu!"

"Fight against Chu!"

Below the city walls, a pile of wood lay.

A group of elderly men leaning on canes stood by the woodpile.

The scene,

immediately quieted down.

"Chu slaves have gone too far, His Majesty pities my people and is unwilling to deplete the nation’s strength to fight against Chu, but for us, the Yan region citizens, outwardly we’ve always kept our heads up. These words, even if we go below in the future, we dare to tell our ancestors that we have not tarnished your reputation in the slightest!

I am already seventy years old. If I were young again by three or four decades, I would surely don armor and mount a horse, following our Yan’s Black Dragon Banner to let the Chu slaves taste the sharpness of our Yan’s saber!

If I were twenty years younger, I would surely join the civilian camp to deliver provisions to our Yan soldiers and supply the horses and establish camps!

But I,

am already too old,

this body can no longer do anything.

The only thing I can do now,

is to step into this fire, saving my portion of food, so the lads in front can have one more meal to have the strength to kill the enemy!

Your Majesty, I am going,

Your Majesty,

fight against Chu!"

The firewood was set ablaze,

and the elderly man walked straight into the flames.

Then,

each elder first knelt and shouted three times to the Golden Dragon Banner on the West Zhi Gate palace wall for fighting against Chu,

afterwards,

voluntarily stepped into the fire.

They did not want to become burdens!

On the West Zhi Gate palace wall, the Crown Prince turned his head to look at Ji Chengjue standing beside him.

Ji Chengjue shook his head slightly,

this was not his arrangement.

Therefore,

this really was the spontaneous actions of the people and elders in Yanjing City, ten days later.

Because now not only officials know the treasury is empty, but the commoners have also been informed, the external propaganda being, His Majesty is unwilling to exert more pressure due to the empty treasury to raise troops to fight against Chu.

Watching one elder after another step into the fire, either screaming in agony or bursting into laughter;

under the Golden Dragon Banner,

the Yan Emperor’s hands tightly gripped the parapet, his fingertips already bleeding, tears streaming down his face.

At this moment,

the officials ascending the wall once more knelt:

"We implore Your Majesty, deploy troops to fight against Chu!"

"We implore Your Majesty, deploy troops to fight against Chu!"

Below the palace walls, the imperial guards knelt down:

"We implore Your Majesty, deploy troops to fight against Chu!"

"We implore Your Majesty, deploy troops to fight against Chu!"

Outside the palace wall,

the commoners also knelt down:

"Fight against Chu!"

"Fight against Chu!"

"Fight against Chu!"

The Yan Emperor let out a furious roar,

drew the Sword of the Son of Heaven,

raised it high,

and shouted:

"Today, I am determined to fight against Chu. If we do not conquer Ing Capital City, we vow not to return!"