GBP Chapter 23
Chapter 23
noon.
In Taiqian Palace.
Su Mengjiao sat behind the dragon throne, looking at the empty throne, but she was in a good mood.
Last night, Ye Chen suppressed the rebellion, and Yang Dechang's influence in the imperial guards was almost eradicated.
Shen Qiu even became the new commander-in-chief of the outer city's imperial guards.
Su Mengjiao's influence in the imperial guards expanded a lot in a short time.
"Will the Emperor not attend court today?"
Su Mengjiao asked in a cheerful tone.
"Empress Dowager, someone from the Yangxin Palace said that His Majesty has just gotten up and is getting dressed."
Shen Qiu's tone was still cold, but he suddenly added: "The emperor returned to his bedroom last night, it was indeed too late."
Hearing this, Su Mengjiao looked at Shen Qiu again.
Shen Qiu had never said anything good about the emperor in the past.
"Well, if the Emperor doesn't come today, then I'll preside over the morning court session. Don't rush me."
Su Mengjiao smiled slightly, inadvertently revealing a domineering aura that no one else could match, and her glance was full of extraordinary grace.
At this moment, accompanied by a bell ringing.
Outside the Taiqian Palace, the officials who had been waiting for a long time came in one after another.
"Long live the Queen Mother! Long live the Queen Mother!"
Staring at the empty dragon throne.
Yang Dechang remained expressionless and led all the officials to salute Su Mengjiao.
"If you have something to do, start the show, if nothing happens, leave the court!"
This is what the eunuch who delivered the message said.
At this moment, a minister immediately stood up.
"Empress Dowager, I heard that something big happened in the palace last night?"
Su Mengjiao looked at the minister and suddenly remembered that he was an imperial censor named Zhang Wencai.
The censors had the power to advise the emperor.
If you are not careful when responding to him, it will be recorded in history.
Su Mengjiao naturally had to deal with it carefully.
"Last night, someone led Tatars into the palace to cause chaos. We've already found out that they were members of the Tatar delegation!"
Su Mengjiao's tone was neither hurried nor slow.
But as soon as he finished speaking, there was an uproar in the court.
"Queen Mother, how is His Majesty?"
Zhang Wencai asked quickly.
"Your Majesty is safe, and the rebellion has been quelled."
After hearing this, the atmosphere in the court calmed down a little.
"And what about the Tatars, Queen?"
"They have all been wiped out!"
Hearing this, Zhang Wencai suddenly knelt down with a plop and said, "Empress Dowager, something terrible has happened!"
"what?"
Su Mengjiao frowned slightly, feeling a little uneasy.
Zhang Wencai's sudden behavior made her keenly aware that something was wrong.
After all, he had been dealing with powerful officials for three years.
She had already experienced many of these guys' tricks.
"The Queen Mother may not know that disaster is imminent!"
Yang Dechang stood up suddenly.
Su Mengjiao's eyes turned slightly cold.
"Prime Minister, what do you mean?"
"Queen Mother, even when the two armies were at war, they didn't kill the envoys. The Tatar delegation represents the Tatars. Now that they have all been destroyed, how could the Tatars just sit there and let it go?"
Yang Dechang spoke in a grave tone, "The 400,000 Tatar cavalry stationed on the border could have marched south at any time, but they had no clear reason to do so. If the northern border troops could truly hold the city, they might have marched south to plunder and gain some benefits."
"But now, the entire Tatar death group has been killed by Dayu. The Tatar Chanyu has this excuse and is bound to launch a massive invasion!"
"By then, those hundreds of thousands of border troops might not be able to stop us!"
"I, Dayu, am in danger!"
Yang Dechang said with a worried look on his face.
Upon hearing this, Su Mengjiao's pretty face immediately turned pale.
Su Mengjiao was very clear about the combat effectiveness of the northern barbarians.
In the past, the Tatars frequently went south, but they were only going south to raid the valleys and would not attack the cities with all their strength.
But if there is an excuse.
If the Tatar army marches south with all its might, the northern border towns may be able to hold out for a month or so at most, but they will definitely be unstoppable.
"Queen Dowager, the Prime Minister is correct. I propose that we immediately send envoys to negotiate peace with the Tatars! Only in this way can we quell the wrath of the Tatar Khan and preserve our country!"
Zhang Wencai also jumped out and said.
"I second the proposal!"
"I second this motion!"
All the officials stood up one after another.
The cheers were like a tsunami.
Su Mengjiao's cheeks were slightly tense.
The reaction of the powerful officials was beyond her expectations.
The officials' renewed pressure on her also caught her off guard.
The 400,000 Tatar cavalry were already terrifying enough, and now they had an excuse, plus there were other barbarian movements around Dayu.
Su Mengjiao felt that Dayu was really in a precarious situation.
She was completely panicked.
But at this moment.
"Your Majesty is here!"
"Long live our emperor! Long live the emperor!"
All the ministers bowed down.
Ye Chen strode into the Taiqian Palace, dressed in a dragon robe and exuding majesty.
And saw Ye Chen going up to the palace.
Su Mengjiao felt inexplicably at peace.
Then I was shocked.
When will the emperor be able to give her a sense of security?
Unconsciously, Ye Chen had become different from others in her heart.
Su Mengjiao's mood suddenly became complicated.
And wait until Ye Chen sat firmly on the dragon throne.
Zhang Wencai immediately stood up again.
"Your Majesty, the Tatar delegation was destroyed in the Great Yu Palace. The Tatar Chanyu has used this as an excuse to launch a massive march southward with 400,000 Tatar troops. I'm afraid that by then, even with sufficient money and food, the border troops will be unable to stop them!"
Zhang Wencai fell to his knees with a plop.
"Your Majesty, please reopen the peace talks with the Tatars!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Chen's face darkened.
This happens again and again.
These powerful officials are really persistent.
"Your Majesty, I believe what Master Zhang said is correct. Previously, the Tatars couldn't find an excuse, and the northern border troops could still hold off thanks to their strong cities. Now that the Tatar delegation has been wiped out, the Tatar Chanyu will definitely not let this opportunity slip away!"
Yang Dechang also bowed.
Hearing this, Ye Chen pondered for a moment, and the corners of his mouth suddenly curled up.
"Prime Minister Yang is right. I really hadn't thought of that before."
Ye Chen's tone suddenly became gentle.
Hearing this, Su Mengjiao, who was sitting behind him, was slightly stunned and looked at Ye Chen in surprise.
Yang Dechang raised the corner of his mouth, thinking that Ye Chen must be frightened.
Even though Ye Chen has become smarter, he is still young after all.
However, when he heard Ye Chen's next words, the smile on his old face immediately froze.
"I didn't expect the Tatar envoys to break into the palace and assassinate me. Should I not hold the Tatars accountable, but admit my mistake to them?"
Ye Chen suddenly put away his smile and looked solemn.
"Could it be that I shouldn't have killed the Tatars who entered the palace? Should I have allowed them to break into my bedroom and kill me, Censor Zhang, and Prime Minister Yang? Would that satisfy you?"
Ye Chen emphasized his tone.
In an instant, Yang Dechang frowned.
The expression of Censor Zhang behind him changed drastically, and he quickly bowed.
"Your Majesty, I, your servant, I dare not."
"You still don't dare?"
Ye Chen stood up with a bang.
"Last night, the Tatar envoys entered the palace with the intention of killing me. They entered the Imperial Garden unhindered. Furthermore, there are members of the Imperial Guard who have connections with foreign tribes. From this, it can be seen that the Tatars must have intended this all along!"
"If I had not set up an ambush to surround and kill these Tatars in the Imperial Garden, I would have been dead."
"With such evil intentions, I still have to send people to negotiate peace with the Khan of Tartar? Are you mentally ill or do you think I'm stupid?"
"Could it be that you, like Zhang Nan, the commander of the Imperial Guards, are secretly communicating with foreigners?"
"I've already said that anyone who dares to propose peace again will be executed! It seems that Censor Zhang has turned a deaf ear to my words."
"Somebody come!"
Ye Chen waved his sleeves, pointed at Zhang Wencai, and spoke in a firm tone, his voice like a bell.
"Drag him away and behead him!"