Chapter Forty-Three: Severing Oneself from One’s Ancestors

Luodu, a secret chamber.

"That fellow, the Prince of Dai, actually said that?"

Beneath the dim lamplight, a middle-aged man wearing a black bamboo hat spoke with a mocking tone. Across from him, a vassal king who had attended the meeting at the Prince of Dai's estate responded with disdain.

"Indeed. She actually thought her actions were clever enough to deceive others. She fails to realize that everyone here has spent years clawing through power struggles to maintain their positions; who among us is easily fooled? Scholars crave power and opportunity; as long as they wish to hold office, which one of them would be willing to offend the Emperor? And those retired veterans—they are just like the scholars. Even if they have received favors from the vassal kings, they would not go so far as to oppose the Emperor because of it!"

The middle-aged man nodded.

"That is certainly her style, yet she is truly foolish to place herself out in the open like this. I imagine it won't be long before she pays the price for it."

Having said this, the middle-aged man waved his hand, signaling that the vassal king could leave. The latter rose, bowed, and retreated respectfully. Almost simultaneously, a woman walked slowly into the room.

"I summoned you today because there is a task I need you to carry out."

The woman performed a curtsy but remained silent. The middle-aged man glanced at her, dipped his finger into some spilled wine, traced characters on the tabletop, and then gestured for her to step forward. The woman approached, saw the two characters on the table, and her expression flickered before she quickly regained her composure.

There, written clearly on the table, were two ominous words: "Regicide."

...

At the same time, the controversy sparked by Li Chen continued to rage.

"Your Majesty, the Ancestral Temple is the foundation of the state! How can you tear it down?"

"Your Majesty, if you do this, will you not be cursed for forgetting your roots? You will surely incite disloyalty!"

The officials present, no longer concerned with court etiquette, vied to speak out.

"I implore Your Majesty to retract this order! Otherwise, the nation will cease to be a nation!"

A minister crawled on his knees toward Li Chen, kowtowing as he pleaded. Seeing this, several other officials followed suit, and within moments, a crowd of them were kneeling on the floor. Shen Wanyi watched the scene in panic, hesitating whether to speak, when Zhang Cong stood up.

"Your Majesty, if the Ancestral Temple is demolished, where shall the ancestors of our Great Zhou imperial house be worshipped? How can a country exist if its state foundation is destroyed?"

No sooner had Zhang Cong finished than another elderly minister stood up.

"Oh, late Emperors! Open your eyes and look! Our Great Zhou has produced such a muddled tyrant, one who would destroy the foundation of the state and deny our ancestors their peace!"

Provoked by his lead, a chorus of wailing broke out, making the atmosphere even more oppressive. Li Chen watched them, sneering inwardly.

*You people simply do not understand my heart! Keep arguing! Keep wailing! If I yield, I lose! Once you are all exhausted, the temple will be gone, and if the world falls into chaos, that would be for the best.*

"Enough! Why are you all making such a racket? I admit, my previous consideration was lacking!"

Hearing this, the ministers felt a glimmer of hope.

"If Your Majesty is willing to turn back from this path, it is not too late!"

Zhang Cong’s face lit up with joy, and the surrounding officials were equally excited. However, before their joy could last, Li Chen’s voice sounded once more.

"The number of students the Imperial Academy must accommodate is no small figure; the space of the Ancestral Temple alone is not enough. Therefore, it is not just the temple that must be demolished! The Hall of Supreme Harmony must certainly be torn down as well!"

Li Chen’s words struck like a bolt of lightning. In an instant, the crowd was weeping and wailing again, begging the Emperor to retract his decree.

*A muddled tyrant! Oh, a muddled tyrant! How could you do this? This is forgetting your ancestors; this is cutting yourself off from the legacy of your forefathers!*

"Your Majesty, if you persist, I would rather die remonstrating!"

An elderly minister with white hair and beard knelt trembling on the ground. He looked as if he might expire from excitement at any moment, yet he continued to shout about dying for his cause. Any other emperor might have been moved by such a scene, but Li Chen’s goal was not to restore the dynasty’s glory—why would he care about these things?

"Do not forget, I am the Emperor! Do you intend to defy an imperial edict? Do you intend to commit treason?"

Li Chen stepped forward, hands on his hips, appearing incredibly arrogant. But since he was the Emperor, there was nothing they could do to him. While they could not stop him, Li Chen was not necessarily able to suppress them completely either. After a brief moment of shock, Zhang Cong was the first to step forward again.

"Your Majesty! This is the path to national ruin! The Hall of Supreme Harmony was the residence of the late Emperors! You wish to tear down the temple, and now the hall—how will the world perceive this?"

As he spoke, Zhang Cong removed his official hat and knelt before Li Chen. "If Your Majesty will not retract this order, I would rather resign and return to my home!"

Li Chen looked at Zhang Cong and let out a cold snort.

"Minister Zhang, if I recall correctly, you were a jinshi scholar personally selected by the late Emperor. Do you truly wish to resign? Or do you think you can threaten me?"

Ordinarily, although Li Chen acted frivolously, he was quite generous toward his subjects. Consequently, his attitude today left many feeling flustered. Zhang Cong met Li Chen’s gaze, felt a shiver of fear, and quickly lowered his head.

"Your Majesty, that is not what I meant. I only hope that Your Majesty will not..."

"Good. Since it is not a threat, I assume you are truly tired." Li Chen interrupted Zhang Cong and looked at the others. "I know many of you are tired. Today, I grant your resignations and allow you to return to your hometowns! And for the rest of you, if you wish to resign, I shall grant every request!"

Hearing this, the crowd panicked. Everyone present held high positions, and having spent years working their way up, they were unwilling to see it end so easily. However, some saw this as a chance to make a name for themselves and simply followed Zhang Cong’s lead, removing their official hats.

Zhang Cong stood frozen for a long time before letting out a sigh. "I thank Your Majesty for your grace!"

With that, Zhang Cong rose abruptly and walked away quickly. At the same time, a familiar system notification rang in Li Chen’s mind.

[Congratulations, Your Majesty, on completing a muddled act. The Great Zhou’s national fortune has decreased by 500 points. Currently remaining: 8,550 points!]

[Based on the current decrease in national fortune, the reward will be issued shortly!]

Li Chen was overjoyed, knowing this was only the beginning. Loyal ministers offering advice only to lose their positions—what a perfect way to ruin the national fortune! If only he were ruthless enough to act like King Zhou of Shang and execute Zhang Cong, the national fortune might already be empty.

In the crowd, seeing that Li Chen had truly accepted the resignations of so many officials, Cai Jing pondered for a moment before suddenly standing up. Li Chen was startled, thinking this man also intended to resign.

"Your Majesty possesses far-sighted vision! Students and talent are the foundation of the nation; in the face of this, all else must give way."

Having said this, Cai Jing looked at the others and added, "Your Majesty, I believe that since we are clearing the Ancestral Temple and the Hall of Supreme Harmony, why not take it a step further? Level the grand hall between them as well and connect them into one! Then, this Imperial Academy will surely be magnificent and demonstrate the great importance you place upon it!"