chsdbacks Chapter 26, The Northern Qi Envoy
Chapter 26, The Northern Qi Envoy
The moment the emperor's loyal ministers stepped out of the palace, they all wished they could sprout wings and fly home immediately, practically running away.
Even the elderly people who usually have difficulty walking were walking very fast at this moment.
They were afraid that if they walked too slowly, the Holy Emperor would suddenly change his mind and start another game of whack-a-mole.
The Holy Emperor smiled happily as he watched the officials jogging out of the Taiji Hall.
These hypocrites always fear power but not morality!
He wanted to keep them living in fear and slowly torment their spirits.
He knew that they were only behaving themselves temporarily, but they would never compromise easily.
Given the opportunity, they would certainly resort to even more ruthless methods.
Throughout history, there have been countless instances of emperors suddenly falling into the water and dying, or being strangled by palace maids.
The emperor's sanctity was trampled underfoot time and time again.
Isn't this a kind of invisible competition behind the scenes?
The struggle between court officials and imperial power has been a constant throughout the history of the dynasty from the very beginning.
However, under the powerful oppression of the Holy Emperor, the officials had no choice but to physically eliminate him, forgetting their original intentions.
Lu Wenzhou glanced back at the fleeing officials, secretly pleased with himself, and bowed to report: "Your Majesty, we received a letter from Northern Qi yesterday. They will be sending an envoy to Daqing."
He was incredibly grateful for his choice back then.
So he remains the Prime Minister of Daqing, while those fools who have lost their minds will only receive a critical hit from the Emperor's Golden Gourd Hammer.
Lu Cheng searched through his memories and finally found relevant records about the Northern Qi Dynasty in some obscure and fragmented recollections.
As a country to the north of Daqing, the two countries have a long history of conflict. Neither side looks down on the other and both want to annex the other.
Strictly speaking, Daqing was still a branch of Northern Qi, but the Qing Kingdom obviously did not recognize this.
This matter has been going on for so long that even the people of Qing Kingdom consider themselves to be people of Qing Kingdom, not people of Northern Qi.
During the internal strife among the eight princes of Northern Qi, Lu Yuanfeng, the former military governor of Northern Qi, declared independence, seizing control of the territory that originally belonged to him. In addition, he conquered six prefectures and established Daqing.
An internal strife turned the Qi Kingdom, which once encompassed 42 prefectures and 186 counties, into the "Northern Qi Kingdom," and it lost its 16 prefectures and 56 counties.
Therefore, the connection between the two sides can be described as very deep.
The Northern Qi had not sent an envoy to the Qing Kingdom for a long time. The last time the Northern Qi sent an envoy was twenty years ago, when the Northern Qi envoy thoroughly humiliated the Qing Kingdom before leaving satisfied.
At that time, the Holy Emperor was only the Crown Prince, a prince who, in everyone's eyes, was about to die.
In fact, apart from the founding emperor and a few emperors like Emperor Taizong, most of the other rulers of the Qing Kingdom could only be described as rulers who defended the city.
The two countries have been able to coexist peacefully for so many years because of two reasons: firstly, Qing's unique geographical location, and secondly, the support of Southern Chu, which enabled it to resist Qi.
Whenever the emperor of Qing felt he could not resist, he would call upon his men to join forces with Southern Chu to beat up the Northern Qi dogs.
The State of Qing was a bulwark for the Southern Chu, and the State of Chu did not want Qing to be annexed.
It can be said that every emperor of the Qing Kingdom was very skilled at using the strategy of "vertical alliance".
On the other hand, it was also because most of the northern regions of the Northern Qi bordered the Qiang people and were frequently harassed by them, requiring most of the troops to be stationed on the northern border.
Lu Cheng toyed with the golden mace and asked curiously, "Do you know the identity of the person sent on this mission?"
A hint of joy flashed in Lu Wenzhou's eyes, and he immediately replied, "Your Majesty, the envoy sent by Northern Qi this time is ostensibly Fu Yunche, the Vice Minister of Rites of Northern Qi. He is a famous Confucian scholar in Northern Qi."
"But according to my intelligence, the Northern Qi General Fang Poyun and the Northern Qi Princess Gao Xiaoyue will also be accompanying them!"
Clearly, the purpose of the Northern Qi mission was not as simple as it appeared.
Fang Poyun, a general of the Northern Qi Dynasty, was hailed as the most outstanding young military officer in the Northern Qi army. He had a distinguished military record and once led 5,000 cavalry to defeat 50,000 elite Qiang cavalry.
As for the eldest princess of Northern Qi, she held great power and influence in Northern Qi.
On the contrary, the emperor of Northern Qi seemed more like a puppet controlled by the eldest princess and the crown prince of Northern Qi.
The Holy Emperor turned his gaze to Lu Wenzhou and nodded in satisfaction.
Regardless of how Lu Wenzhou obtained the information, he was clearly a useful person.
Just what the Holy Emperor needs are useful people!
"Consort Shu has arrived!"
Suddenly, the voice of a palace eunuch came from outside the palace.
Lu Wenzhou tactfully cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I take my leave!"
As the current emperor's lackey, he is the one who most hopes that the emperor will be safe and sound, and even more so that the emperor will be able to leave behind an heir.
The former crown prince, the crown prince's grandson, and even the lineage of the crown prince and the crown prince's grandson were all thoroughly purged.
The Holy Emperor exterminated three clans, excluding his own!
This has resulted in the current situation where there is no imperial heir.
If an heir to the throne is to be established, he can only be chosen from among the members of the imperial clan.
However, the chosen heirs were not of the Holy Emperor's bloodline, and were naturally inferior in terms of both status and legal principles.
If the emperor had his own children, the opposition from the officials would be much less.
The beasts in the court are a group that knows how to compromise.
They were powerless against the Holy Emperor, but he still had offspring, and they could still try to mold his offspring into the shape they desired.
Supporting a new master and making a name for oneself in history is the dream of every beast.
The Holy Emperor looked at Consort Shu as she walked into the main hall, and with a swift movement, he grabbed her in his hand.
"hey-hey!"
The Holy Emperor revealed an evil smile.
Next, naturally, is the time for the Holy Emperor to experience the dregs of feudalism.
……
Qing Kingdom border,
The Northern Qi delegation was moving slowly forward.
The flags fluttered in the sky.
The Northern Qi sent a delegation of 20,000 people, including the envoys and guards, all of whom were elite cavalrymen who had fought against the Qiang people on the grasslands.
In the center of the procession, a magnificent carriage moved slowly forward, escorted by a group of cavalry.
Inside the carriage, a woman dressed in a red palace gown sat upright, exuding royal majesty.
Opposite her stood a young man clad in armor, his expression cold and stern, exuding an aura of ruthlessness, his eyes revealing a chilling killing intent.
"Your Highness!"
"Your mission to the Qing Kingdom this time is extremely risky."
Fang Poyun looked solemn, hesitant to speak, his brows furrowed with deep worry.
Although he had heard that the emperor of Qing Kingdom was already old and frail, a man on the verge of death, it was still the capital of a country, so he dared not be careless.
If something were to happen to the eldest princess, he wouldn't know how to explain it to the court officials when he returned.
"It's alright!"
Gao Xiaoyue smiled and waved her hand, indicating that it was alright, and said in a calm tone: "Since you're here to gather intelligence, then naturally I have to come and see you in person."
"I won't be at ease until I see it with my own eyes!"
She needed to see that aging emperor with her own eyes!
If it is confirmed to be true, then it will be an opportunity for her Northern Qi. She can take advantage of the internal strife in Qing to go south, conquer Qing in one fell swoop, and accomplish an unparalleled feat.