Chapter 186
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Zhang Liangdong was left speechless by Yuan Li’s words, his face turning ashen.
After a long pause, he took a deep breath, and his fingers trembled as he whispered, “The late Emperor had his faults, but the current Emperor is not the late Emperor. He is the young Emperor Zhou Yan… As long as he is guided and assisted properly, how can he not become a wise ruler who stabilizes the country? Assisting a wise ruler and becoming a renowned minister of the generation, Duke Wen, is there anything wrong with that?”
The faces of the others turned extremely unpleasant.
Wasn’t he implying that their lord should play second fiddle to the Emperor and assist him for his entire life?
The entire world was conquered by their lord, costing countless efforts and manpower. It took nine years of hard work to achieve these results. Now, Zhang Liangdong wanted them to step aside as the great undertaking was about to be completed?
However, Zhang Liangdong’s question was direct and crucial. How could they openly say that they didn’t want to be subjects of the Emperor but wanted to replace him?
Guo Mao said, “Lord Zhang, please forgive my bluntness. Your intentions are indeed admirable, but how can we interfere with the Emperor’s decision? Do you think the Emperor’s abdication is just a rumor spread by outsiders?”
Zhang Liangdong immediately responded, “I dare not.”
Although he said he didn’t dare, he was clearly questioning whether the Emperor had been forced by someone.
Yuan Li smirked and looked deeply at Zhang Liangdong, no longer saying anything. He calmly said, “Since you want to see the Emperor so much, then go ahead. Someone, take Lord Zhang to meet the Emperor.”
Zhang Liangdong let out a sigh of relief.
Guo Mao immediately bowed, saying, “My Lord, I’m willing to accompany him.”
“No need,” Yuan Li said to Zhang Liangdong, “No need for companionship. So that Lord Zhang doesn’t mistakenly think I’ve done something to the Emperor, let him go alone.”
Zhang Liangdong felt somewhat ashamed. He gave Yuan Li a complex look and quickly left.
Watching his back, Yuan Li narrowed his eyes and turned to the silent Xiang Hongyun, saying, “You will return to Bingzhou tomorrow and temporarily take over the position of Bingzhou’s Governor. There aren’t many officials in Bingzhou. Take Wang Qianzhi with you and select some talented individuals from the Ministry of Government to take over the affairs of Zhang Liangdong and his disciples.”
After speaking, Yuan Li patiently waited for Xiang Hongyun’s response. Xiang Hongyun knew that his lord was testing him, testing how Zhang Liangdong’s student would choose. Would he choose to stand by Zhang Liangdong’s side in betrayal of Yuan Li, or would he betray his teacher and serve Yuan Li?
Xiang Hongyun calmly bowed and said without hesitation, “Understood, please rest assured, my lord. I will not disappoint your expectations.”
Yuan Li’s features relaxed, and he smiled, “Good! You are skilled in reforms and governance, while Wang Qianzhi is adept at law. You two will write a proposal on how to govern Bingzhou and show it to me. If it is feasible, we will implement it in Bingzhou.”
Xiang Hongyun’s eyes suddenly lit up, and a faint smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. “Yes.”
Guided by the servants, Zhang Liangdong arrived outside the Emperor’s quarters.
The Emperor felt impatient upon hearing that this person named Zhang Liangdong wanted to see him again. He had initially wanted to refuse, but since Yuan Li had sent him over, he reluctantly agreed to meet Zhang Liangdong.
As soon as Zhang Liangdong saw the Emperor, his eyes filled with tears of excitement. Seeing the Emperor’s rosy complexion and good spirits, he finally felt relieved. He respectfully bowed and said, “I am Zhang Liangdong, paying respects to the Emperor.”
The Emperor waved his hand casually, frowning as he asked, “Why have you been insisting on seeing me? I’ve said that I don’t want to see you, yet you still come. If you have something to say, say it quickly; I still need to eat and sleep!”
Zhang Liangdong was taken aback and cautiously asked, “Is it true that you don’t want to see me?”
The Emperor frowned displeased, saying, “I have already said it once, is your old age causing you to become deaf and unable to hear me?”
Zhang Liangdong shook his head repeatedly. He now realized that he had misunderstood Yuan Li. After a moment of daze, he regained his senses and said, “I came to see the Emperor with a request…”
He lifted his robe and knelt down, pressing his head against the ground, producing a heavy muffled sound. “I implore the Emperor to retract the abdication! The Great Zhou has been under the rule of the Qin clan for a hundred years, how can we hand it over to someone else? I beg the Emperor to revoke this decision!”
The Emperor was startled, and upon hearing what Zhang Liangdong said, he immediately thought that he was sent by Yuan Li as an emissary unwilling to accept the abdication. He became nervous and yelled, “You don’t need to persuade me any further! I have already made up my mind to abdicate to Duke Wen, and nothing you say will change it!”
Zhang Liangdong’s heart sank to the bottom. He continued to plead with the Emperor, but the more he listened, the more impatient the Emperor became. In the end, he pretended to be sleepy and had Zhang Liangdong escorted out.
The door closed heavily, and Zhang Liangdong stood in front of it with a bitter expression, looking as if he had aged ten years in an instant.
He stood there for a long time before finally staggering away.
In his heart, Zhang Liangdong comforted himself, believing that the Emperor simply did not understand the significance of abdication. Once he realized its importance, he would not speak like that again.
The next day, early in the morning, Zhang Liangdong came to Yuan Li once more.
He brought books and asked Yuan Li for permission to teach the Emperor to read and write.
Yuan Li glanced at him and casually granted the request.
Zhang Liangdong joyfully took the books and, with his disciples, found the Emperor, eager to teach him his knowledge as soon as possible. However, the Emperor was currently fast asleep, so Zhang Liangdong and his disciples had to wait outside.
In the presence of the Emperor, Zhang Liangdong placed great emphasis on etiquette. To show his respect for the Emperor, he refused the offered chairs and seat cushions, standing with his disciples outside the door, waiting.
They waited until noon.
When the Emperor woke up, Zhang Liangdong’s clothes were already soaked with sweat, and his legs were so weak that he could barely stand. He forced himself to stay upright while his disciples helped him inside. The Emperor was surprised to see Zhang Liangdong again and asked, “Why have you come again?”
His tone still carried impatience.
Zhang Liangdong forced a smile and said, “Your Majesty, I am here to teach you to read.”
“Read?!” The Emperor’s eyes widened in surprise, his rejection evident. “I don’t like reading. You can leave, and don’t come again!”
Zhang Liangdong did not expect the Emperor to react this way. He felt extremely disappointed and somewhat at a loss. “Your Majesty, since Duke Wen has not restricted you from reading and learning, you should make an effort! As the Emperor, only through learning can you govern the country wisely. Although I am not talented, I will wholeheartedly assist you.”
The Emperor was annoyed by Zhang Liangdong’s persistence, so he finally covered his ears with the blanket.
One of Zhang Liangdong’s disciples couldn’t bear it any longer and said, “Teacher has been standing outside the door all morning just to teach you to read. How can you—”
“Don’t say more,” Zhang Liangdong interrupted his disciple, and with a gentle expression, he said to the Emperor, “Has the Emperor not had a meal yet? While you eat, I will read to you.”
The Emperor didn’t know how much Yuan Li valued Zhang Liangdong, and he didn’t want to completely humiliate Zhang Liangdong. So, he acted as if the man didn’t exist, and while eating, he had beautiful maidservants attend to him and then played with crickets after the meal. He even prepared song and dance performances.
Zhang Liangdong read aloud by the Emperor’s side, his throat dry and his voice hoarse.
As Zhang Liangdong was reading books by the side, his throat became dry and parched. He swallowed saliva and hoarsely advised the emperor to abandon these amusements and focus on studying diligently.
He tried to dissuade the emperor from playing, but the emperor insisted on playing, disregarding his advice as if it meant nothing. After each day passed, Zhang Liangdong felt physically and mentally exhausted, and when he returned home, he sighed incessantly.
The next day, he came again with his disciples.
And he kept coming for seven or eight days in a row.
The more he tried to teach the emperor, the colder Zhang Liangdong’s heart became.
The emperor disliked studying and writing. Whatever Zhang Liangdong taught him, the emperor did as he pleased. His respectful attitude towards the emperor made the latter care less about him, and his actions became increasingly absurd. Days passed, but the emperor didn’t even learn a single word.
Zhang Liangdong’s disciples were all talented individuals, and the students they interacted with were also highly gifted. He never knew that teaching someone could be so difficult. Often, he would teach the emperor a few words, but the next day, the emperor would completely forget.
Zhang Liangdong became more and more tired. Sometimes when he taught the emperor, he felt like a wooden puppet, mechanically moving his mouth and monotonously reciting the contents of the books.
Two days later, Zhang Liangdong’s disciples panicked and told him, “Teacher, all our official positions in Bingzhou have been taken over by others!”
It took Zhang Liangdong a while for his numb brain to process this information, and he said in silence, “Those positions were originally granted by Duke Wen, so let them take them away. I am a subject of Northern Zhou; I shouldn’t be Duke Wen’s subject.”
“But…” the disciples gritted their teeth, “Our close subordinates and other officials who had a good relationship with us… have all been dismissed.”
Zhang Liangdong’s heart ached, and he suddenly started coughing violently. After recovering, he hurriedly said, “As long as the emperor is well, those things don’t matter.”
The disciples looked at each other with uncertain expressions.
Was it really worth it for their teacher to go this far for the emperor?
Could such a stubborn and foolish emperor truly become a wise ruler?”
However, the loss of their official positions was just the beginning. Soon, Zhang Liangdong and his disciples received letters from their families in Bingzhou, stating that those officials who had been dismissed due to Zhang Liangdong’s involvement were now coming to their homes every day, crying and causing a scene in front of their doors, making it impossible for them to stay there any longer.
Zhang Liangdong’s family also said that they had moved out of the Governor’s Mansion.
The places where these officials lived were specially arranged by Yuan Li as a benefit for his subordinates. When a new official took office, Zhang Liangdong’s family indeed needed to move out of the Governor’s Mansion. However, Yuan Li and Xiang Hongyun did not ask them to leave. It was Zhang Liangdong’s family who felt ashamed and left the mansion on their own accord.
Yuan Li didn’t act ruthlessly, nor did he have a small-minded mentality to force the families of his old ministers. Therefore, even when Zhang Liangdong and others were dismissed from their positions, Yuan Li didn’t take back their homes, allowing their families to continue living there.
Most of those who followed Zhang Liangdong were originally loyal to the former emperor and disagreed with Yuan Li’s ascension. However, after experiencing the loss of power and being neglected by Duke Wen, they were the first to regret and change their attitudes.
Some of them, after these days of hardship, had even developed hatred towards Zhang Liangdong.
They couldn’t come to Yuan Li and plead for mercy, so they vented their anger and regret on Zhang Liangdong and his disciples, causing unrest in their homes.
After reading the letter, Zhang Liangdong sat on the ground, dazed.
He finally began to doubt himself. Did I do something wrong?
Was my loyalty to the former emperor a mistake? Was my dedication to Northern Zhou and its reign a mistake?
Why did these people, who initially believed that Duke Wen shouldn’t change the dynasty, now regret it?
Could this Northern Zhou dynasty really just watch its own demise?
Zhang Liangdong felt unusually lost.
He brought five disciples with him, and upon hearing about the situation in Bingzhou, four of them hurried back to Bingzhou to settle their families. Only Zhang Liangdong and two disciples remained, persistently teaching and trying to guide the emperor onto the right path.
This time, Zhang Liangdong reiterated his advice to the emperor, persuading him to study diligently and to firmly secure the throne without abdication, and also mentioned Duke Wen’s threats against the emperor.
Seeing that the emperor was indifferent and still playing with the maidservant, a surge of anger overwhelmed Zhang Liangdong. He slammed the table hard and sorrowfully said, “Your Majesty! The world currently needs you, how can you waste your time like this? Do you really want others to take away your kingdom?!”
The Emperor, already annoyed, pushed the table over and threw the crickets in his hand at Zhang Liangdong, angrily saying, “I want to play, and you won’t let me. Are you the Emperor or am I the Emperor? You’ve been chanting like a monk in my ears day after day, making me fed up. Even the Imperial Tutor never bothered me like this, nor did Chen Wang. Why do you have the right to interfere with my entertainment?!”
Zhang Liangdong, covered in crickets and with disbelief in his eyes, looked at the Emperor and said, “Your Majesty, I am devoted to you and the Northern Zhou Dynasty.”
“I’ve said it before, I don’t want to be the Emperor! Whoever wants to be, let them be. I don’t want to handle government affairs, nor do I want to wake up early and stay up late reading and writing!”
The Emperor continued to vent his anger and threw a clay pot near Zhang Liangdong, causing a shard to cut his forehead, and blood flowed down his face. The disciples were shocked and rushed forward to protect Zhang Liangdong, staring angrily at the Emperor.
At first, the Emperor felt guilty after seeing Zhang Liangdong getting hurt. But as he was confronted by the furious disciples, his anger grew stronger. “You old man really irritates me! I’ve said that Duke Wen treats me well, and he even praised you as a great scholar with extraordinary talent! But I find your character to be poor, and your talent not that great. You’ve been lecturing me for so many days, preaching all those big words, but I haven’t remembered a single one. Just hearing your voice annoys me. You better get out of here and stop making me angry!”
With that, the Emperor ordered his servants to take Zhang Liangdong and his disciples away. The servants forcibly escorted them out of the palace.
Zhang Liangdong’s eyes were blurred by blood, and he was supported by his disciples. The pain from the wound on his forehead was nothing compared to the desolation he felt inside.
The Emperor… How could the Emperor be like this?
Did he really make a mistake?
With his disciples’ help, Zhang Liangdong was brought back to his residence. The sky had already turned dark, and there were only a few commoners rushing home on the streets.
Zhang Liangdong gazed blankly at the passersby, the children running past him, and the clean road beneath his feet. Gradually, a bitter feeling overwhelmed him, and tears welled up in his eyes. He suddenly reached out and grabbed a passing man, his voice trembling, “Come here, I have a question to ask.”
The man looked at him and was startled by the blood on Zhang Liangdong’s face. He kindly took out a cloth to wipe the blood and said, “Old sir, did you hit your head? Quickly wipe the blood and find a doctor!”
Zhang Liangdong was surprised by the man’s kindness and thanked him repeatedly. Then, cautiously, he asked, “Do you know that the Emperor has come to Youzhou?”
The man replied nonchalantly, “Of course, we all know. He came back with Duke Wen!”
Zhang Liangdong hesitated for a moment and asked further, “Do you know about the rumors that the Emperor wants to abdicate the throne…?”
Before he could finish, the man excitedly nodded, “Yes, I’ve heard about it. But they say Duke Wen doesn’t want to be the Emperor. We, the hundred thousand people of Jizhou County, are prepared to petition Duke Wen to accept the throne!”
Zhang Liangdong was lost in despair, “Don’t you think this is the work of traitors and villains?”
As soon as he said this, the man, who had been warm and friendly just moments ago, turned cold. He snatched back his cloth from Zhang Liangdong’s hand, glared at him fiercely, spat on the ground, and pushed away the disciple who was supporting Zhang Liangdong. Then, with a cold snort, he turned and left.
Curses and insults echoed faintly, as if they were meant to be heard by Zhang Liangdong: “What a heartless creature! Looking all polite and elegant in Youzhou but secretly criticizing Duke Wen. Truly bad luck! Eating well and dressing warmly in Youzhou, yet he dares to insult Duke Wen!”
Zhang Liangdong’s old face turned red in embarrassment.
After a long time, he finally regained his composure. He thought to himself that if even the common people reacted like this, what else was there for him to misunderstand?
The petition of the hundred thousand people in Jizhou County, regardless of whether it was orchestrated by Liu Jixing and others, at least represented their willingness to see Yuan Li ascend the throne.
The trend was overwhelming; indeed, the trend was overwhelming.
Zhang Liangdong stepped back, feeling more exhausted with each step.
He muttered, “Even in such an important matter, Ouyang Ting did not show any sign of opposition. I guess he must have agreed when the Emperor returned to Youzhou with Yuan Li… I never expected Ouyang Ting to approve such a rebellious act.”
He fell into silence. After a long while, he sighed, filled with weariness, “Does Ouyang Ting really believe it’s right? Then… then, perhaps I was wrong after all?”
He looked earnestly at his disciples on both sides, hoping they would give him a negative answer. However, when the disciples met his gaze, one quickly lowered his head, and the other stammered and couldn’t say anything.
Zhang Liangdong felt a pang in his chest, and he wearily closed his eyes.
The next day, Zhang Liangdong did not come to seek the emperor again.
The emperor was overjoyed, and he immediately began to draft the abdication decree, fearing that if he delayed for another day, there might be people like Zhang Liangdong attempting to teach him to read and write, disturbing his enjoyment of leisure.
In the eighth month of the eighth year of Zhou Yan, the emperor wrote the decree, stating that due to his inadequate ability, he had deeply contemplated and decided to abdicate, passing the throne to the country’s lord, Duke Wen Yuan Li.
In the decree, the emperor’s determination to abdicate was extraordinary, and he expressed his anticipation both directly and indirectly. He praised Yuan Li in every possible way, even writing mushy phrases like “If Duke Wen does not accept, I will have sleepless nights, weeping in sorrow, feeling like half of my body and mind are dead.”
With the decree issued, nothing could stop the inevitable. Auspicious signs appeared everywhere, and letters of excitement from all directions almost overwhelmed Yuan Li.
The people gathered in front of Yuan Li’s mansion, kneeling and begging him to accept the decree, to become the emperor as dictated by the will of heaven.
Everyone was eagerly awaiting the abdication ceremony and the founding ceremony, eagerly anticipating the day when the new dynasty would be officially born.
But the closer they got to success, the more patient Yuan Li became. He adhered to the etiquette of declining the throne and politely refused the emperor’s offers.
The emperor, of course, knew this custom well, and his enthusiasm was not at all diminished. He promptly issued a second decree and edict.
Until the twenty-first day of the twelfth month of the eighth year of Zhou Yan, the etiquette of declining the throne was finally completed.
On this day, heavy snow fell.
Yuan Li and Chu Hechao hurriedly arrived at the Yuan residence, covered in thick white snow on their cloaks. The servants quickly came forward to help them take off their cloaks and brought them two cups of hot tea.
Lady Chen tenderly wiped off the falling snow from Yuan Li’s head, saying, “Why didn’t you just send someone to tell us? It’s so cold with this heavy snow. Aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?”
Yuan Song stood to the side, looking at his son and Chu Hechao, wanting to say something but hesitated. He sighed and instructed the servants to bring another brazier.
Yuan Li looked up and smiled at Lady Chen, then secretly tugged at the back of Chu Hechao’s clothes, diverting his mother’s attention. Chu Hechao deliberately remained silent until Yuan Li turned to glare at him. Then, he cooperatively cleared his throat and said, “Madam, don’t worry. We drank a bowl of ginger soup before we came, and I made sure he wore plenty of warm clothes.”
“You’ve worked hard General,” Lady Chen turned her attention to Chu Hechao and asked with concern, “Did you wear enough clothes?”
“He did,” Yuan Li interjected with a smile, “Mother, you don’t need to worry about us.”
Lady Chen was repeatedly assured, then after everyone was seated, she asked in confusion, “In such weather, what brings you here through the snow?”
Sipping the hot tea, Yuan Li smiled mischievously in the puzzled gazes of his parents. He suddenly seemed to take pleasure in teasing them and said nonchalantly, “Oh, I just came to tell you both that I’m planning to become an emperor. From now on, you two will be the Grand Emperor and Empress Dowager. The founding ceremony and the abdication ceremony will be held in Luoyang. I’m here to ask if you both want to accompany me to Luoyang. If you don’t want to, it’s okay. I’ll only stay in the Luoyang Palace for a few years. Once the palace in Jizhou is completed, I will move the capital to Jizhou and return here again.”
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