activa-t Chapter 376 One year later, Luo Hanfeng became emperor and had me executed by slow slicing.
Chapter 376 One year later, Luo Hanfeng became emperor and had me executed by slow slicing.
Xie Yuhe turned around and looked at Xie Tongchen kneeling in the middle of the hall with a blank expression. He never expected that his dear second brother would give him such a big surprise.
He was fond of the eldest daughter of the Right Chancellor's family; who in the entire Xie family and even the imperial court did not know this?
Xie Tongchen, that idiot!
Xie Yuhe gritted his teeth and glared angrily in Xie Tongchen's direction.
At this moment, the smile on the Emperor of Chu's face completely disappeared.
He stared at Xie Tongchen with a gloomy expression.
The reason why Jun Lanjin bestowed the marriage upon Xie Tongchen was explained clearly, and no one in the entire court could not hear it clearly, but Xie Tongchen, that fool, just couldn't understand it.
What else don’t you understand about this?
The emperor's purpose in marrying off a princess was twofold: first, to solidify the imperial family's position, and second, to provide the Xie family with a way out.
As long as the Xie family is willing to relinquish their military power, the emperor will turn a blind eye to their previous actions.
But Xie Tongchen was oblivious to the situation.
That's not all; the emperor even bestowed marriage upon his ministers twice, and both times they refused!
It is simply the most ridiculous thing in the world.
The Emperor's grace is boundless; both thunder and rain are expressions of his favor. How could the Emperor not be angry when his subjects show such disrespect to him?
"Hmph!" The emperor slammed the memorial onto the table.
He said coldly, "Each of you has your own reasons. What, is my princess so unworthy of your attention?"
"I'm marrying you as a princess, what more could you possibly want?!"
"I can tell you're not taking me seriously at all!"
"Your Majesty, calm down!"
Xie Tongchen trembled and immediately prostrated himself on the ground.
Even though Xie Tongchen knew that the Xie family couldn't anger the emperor at this time, he really didn't want to marry a princess.
He preferred to relinquish military power as he was.
"Your Majesty!" Xie Yuhe stepped forward, knelt on the ground, and said, "Perhaps my second brother is still immersed in the joy of victory and has not yet recovered. Please calm down, Your Majesty."
"My Xie family is willing to hand over the Tiger Tally and military power, but..."
Xie Yuhe paused for a moment, then said, "Some time ago, someone broke into the Xie family and stole the Tiger Tally. It has not been found yet. Please ask Your Majesty to wait a little longer."
The Chu Emperor was naturally aware of this matter.
His expression softened slightly, and he said coldly, "Hmph, I'll give you three days. If you still can't find it..."
The emperor didn't say what came next, but Xie Yuhe naturally knew.
The crown prince stood aside, his heart filled with trepidation.
With the Xie family's military power gone, they are essentially a starved camel with little use left.
So what else is there in him marrying Xie Jiaojiao as the Crown Prince's concubine?
"In this victory, Xie Tongchen has redeemed himself through merit. I am not a heartless person. I will bestow the princess upon you as your consort, as a reward for your triumphant return."
Xie Tongchen opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but was nudged by Xie Yuhe's elbow.
Xie Yuhe glared sharply at Xie Tongchen.
Xie Tongchen reluctantly shut up.
But he refused to marry the princess.
"As for you..." The Chu Emperor's gaze fell on Song Qingyang.
Song Qingyang lowered his head and remained silent.
Jun Lanjin stood aside and said, "Your Majesty, Song Qingyang is exceptionally talented, knowledgeable in astronomy and geography. He has also resolved two urgent crises: natural disaster and financial difficulties. I believe that Song Qingyang should be added to the cabinet to assist Your Majesty."
The Chu Emperor hesitated for a moment.
Crown Prince Luo Cheng'an became anxious.
This Song Qingyang is clearly Jun Lanjin's man. How can we let him enter the cabinet and have real power?
Luo Cheng'an stepped forward and said, "Father, this is unreasonable. Song Qingyang comes from a poor family and has no family background. He is also new to the court. I'm afraid he won't handle things properly."
"I urge Father to reconsider."
Jun Lanjin glanced at Luo Cheng'an and said, "According to what the Crown Prince said, the Crown Prince is indeed young but attends court affairs and morning court sessions in the palace, and occasionally helps His Majesty with state affairs."
"The Crown Prince is not young anymore and is quite experienced, so why didn't he make any contributions in this disaster relief effort?"
"I didn't even hear the Crown Prince speak up, but now that everything has calmed down and it's time to reward those who have contributed, the Crown Prince has suddenly spoken up."
"What merits has the Crown Prince rendered, and what has he accomplished?"
With just a few words, Luo Cheng'an blushed, his breath coming out through his nostrils, and he couldn't utter a word for a long time.
The Chu Emperor glanced at Luo Cheng'an with disdain, then immediately decided: "We will do as Zhiheng says."
Luo Cheng'an's words served as a reminder to the Chu Emperor.
Song Qingyang comes from a poor family and has no family background, making him the easiest to control. Cultivating such a person into a talent by his side would not be a problem if he were a spy for any faction.
The Chu Emperor was satisfied.
As for the Xie family, the Chu Emperor had no choice but to reluctantly release them.
With most of the remnants of the previous dynasty captured and the rest no longer a threat, the Chu Emperor could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
The Xie family was finally unsealed, and all the women in the Xie family breathed a sigh of relief.
The dark clouds that had been hanging over the Xie family finally dissipated.
Along with that came the emperor's marriage decree.
When Xie Ansheng received the marriage certificate, his expression was complex.
Holding the marriage certificate, he said, "It seems that His Majesty will only feel at ease if someone from the Xie family marries into the royal family."
Xie Tongchen married the princess and became her consort, meaning his future would be completely devoid of power.
This is equivalent to His Majesty sending troops to lead an expedition when he needs him.
When no longer needed, recall them and take back their military power.
It's completely nominal.
Xie Ansheng sighed and said, "Fortunately, the Xie family has finally overcome this great calamity."
However, Xie Yuze shook his head with a cold face and said, "Father, Mother, the crisis of our Xie family is not completely over yet."
"Why?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Ansheng, who hadn't yet fully relaxed, felt a surge of relief return.
Xie Yuze glanced at Xie Tongchen, then at the rest of the Xie family.
Now, he no longer needs to hide anything.
Xie Yuze instructed Xie Ansheng to summon the entire Xie family.
Old Madam Xie, Madam Xie, Xie Yuhe, Xie Tongchen, and Xie Jiaojiao all came over.
Xie Yuze went straight to the point: "Among the Xie family, only the four of us siblings can hear Xie Xing's thoughts. I presume that you, Grandmother and Father, already know this."
"In my heart, the world we live in is a book, and everyone is a supporting character to Xie Mingzhu and Luo Hanfeng."
Although Madam Xie already knew, hearing it again still chilled her to the bone and caused her heart to ache.
She clutched her chest, unable to believe what she was seeing.
The daughter she painstakingly raised turned out to be an ingrate who nearly ruined the entire Xie family.
Immediately afterwards, Xie Yuze uttered a bombshell:
“It’s true, Father, Mother, Grandmother, because I have already died once.”
what? !
Upon hearing this, everyone in the Xie family was shocked and looked at Xie Yuze in astonishment.
"Yuze, what nonsense are you spouting? You're standing right here perfectly fine!" Xie Ansheng's face was grim.
Xie Yuze shook his head and said, "Father, I'm not lying. I've already died once. A year after I died, Luo Hanfeng became emperor and had me executed by slow slicing."