Free Web NovelChapter 376: Chapter 377: Who Else Can He Count On?
Ever since the Emperor left for Yuqing Mountain, Prince Dongyang, Li Hao, had been temporarily tasked with the heavy responsibility of regent.
The first time Li Hao sat on the Dragon Throne and received the prostrations of the civil and military officials, he gazed down upon the world from his lofty position. Watching their cautious and reverent expressions, he finally, deeply understood the supreme allure of power.
No wonder his brothers had all schemed and plotted to seize the throne.
Once on that seat, one possessed the power to control the life and death of others.
Anything he desired, no matter what it was, countless people would scheme and plot to procure for him.
All of his desires could be easily satisfied.
Who could not love such a feeling?
In any case, Li Hao had fallen completely in love with it.
In just over ten days, Li Hao had become blinded by his lust for power, growing arrogant and conceited.
Before his departure, the Emperor had specifically instructed Li Hao to listen more to the opinions of the several senior ministers in the Central Secretariat.
At first, Li Hao did as he was told. No matter what those senior ministers said, he would listen attentively.
But gradually, he grew impatient.
’My own ideas are perfectly fine,’ he thought. ’Why must I listen to those old fossils?’
And then there were those officials from the Imperial Censorate, whose mouths spewed nothing but venomous attacks. Even if he merely sat with a slightly crooked posture, that group of officials would hound him with reprimands for ages. He was utterly fed up.
But since the Imperial Censor’s granddaughter was soon to marry him, he held his tongue and restrained himself for the sake of the impending union between their two families.
Today, Li Hao’s mind wandered for a moment during a court discussion, and he was unfortunately spotted by the Imperial Censor.
The Imperial Censor’s face immediately darkened, and he began to righteously reprimand Prince Dongyang.
The officials were masters of scolding, and the Imperial Censor, the "fighter jet" among them, had maxed out this particular skill. The moment he opened his mouth, he was citing classics and quoting precedents, rambling on and on without end.
Li Hao’s head spun as he listened, and the anger in his heart flared up.
He finally couldn’t take it anymore. He threw the memorial to the ground and shot to his feet.
"So what if my mind wandered? What can any of you do to me? If you’ve got the guts, go home right now and don’t ever come to court again!"
When had the Imperial Censor ever been so publicly humiliated? Fury instantly overwhelmed him, and compounded by his advanced age and poor health, he was so enraged that he fainted on the spot.
Chaos erupted.
The Imperial Censor was sent to the Imperial Hospital for treatment and regained consciousness not long after.
Li Hao thought that would be the end of the matter.
Unexpectedly, the next day he received a letter of resignation from the Imperial Censor. The man actually intended to resign from his post and return home.
As soon as word of this spread, it not only stunned the civil servants at court but also caused a huge uproar among the scholars in the capital.
The Imperial Censor had served as an official for twenty years and had always enjoyed an excellent reputation.
Although the old man had a sharp tongue, could a scholar’s sharp tongue truly be called venomous? No, that was called integrity!
Even when facing the Emperor or the nobility, as long as they had done wrong, the Imperial Censor dared to speak his mind without reservation. He was a man of unyielding integrity, admired by scholars throughout the realm!
And now Prince Dongyang had actually forced the Imperial Censor to resign and go home. This was outrageous!
A single stone stirred a thousand waves.
Scholars in the capital were abuzz with discussion. Some even gathered in groups to petition outside the Imperial Censor’s home, hoping he would change his mind, not resign, and continue to serve the people of the realm.
The civil servants at court also united, pleading with Prince Dongyang to retain the Imperial Censor and not let a senior minister’s heart grow cold.
Little did they know, the more they tried to dissuade him, the more Li Hao was determined not to grant their wish!
Li Hao didn’t think he had done anything wrong in the first place.
’So what if my mind wandered for a moment during the discussion? Was that reason enough for the Imperial Censor to publicly reprimand me?’
’Who does that Imperial Censor think he is? What gives him the right to scold me like I’m his grandson?!’
Now, seeing so many people pleading on the Imperial Censor’s behalf, Li Hao grew even more displeased.
’Didn’t I just say a couple of things to the Imperial Censor?’
’That old fossil has scolded me countless times before, and I never did anything about it.’
’To put it bluntly, he’s just being melodramatic!’
Li Hao had no intention of indulging him. He threw away all the memorials admonishing him, and in the end, he couldn’t even be bothered to review them anymore.
He summoned all the guards in the palace and organized a martial arts tournament, offering handsome rewards for the winners.
He completely ignored the discussions from the outside world.
The Imperial Censor had not truly intended to resign.
Initially, he had submitted his letter of resignation merely on an impulse, angered by Prince Dongyang’s words.
As the situation escalated, he found himself put on a pedestal, unable to back down. He could only bite the bullet and stand his ground.
He hoped Prince Dongyang would offer him a way out, allowing him to step down gracefully and resolve the major issue into a minor one, and the minor one into nothing.
However, he waited for several days, but Prince Dongyang never made a statement.
Prince Dongyang had actually accepted his resignation by default!
This time, the Imperial Censor truly panicked. His already frail body gave way, and he fell ill.
Yet even though he was sick, Prince Dongyang did not send anyone to ask after him, not even a single word.
This chilled the hearts of even more ministers.
Prince Dongyang was already so heartless before even ascending the throne. If he truly took that seat, would there be any future for old ministers like them?!
Although the Emperor was not in the capital, he knew everything that was happening there as if it were in the palm of his hand.
This naturally included Prince Dongyang’s recent actions.
The Emperor showed no expression, but inwardly, he was already extremely disappointed.
He understood Li Hao’s temperament, knowing he was devoted to martial arts and unskilled in strategy. But he had never imagined that Li Hao couldn’t even maintain the most basic facade of decorum.
As a ruler, he had publicly argued with a senior minister and then allowed the situation to escalate.
Even knowing there was a problem, he was unwilling to resolve it, unwilling to consider the bigger picture, and only concerned with his own amusement.
The Emperor’s heart grew heavy.
He only had a few sons left now.
If he couldn’t count on Li Hao, who else could he count on?
The Emperor leaned back, a weary expression on his face.
"Did I expect too much of Hao’er?"
Zuo Ji quickly said, "Your Majesty, please do not worry. Perhaps Prince Dongyang was just acting on impulse. After some time, when he has calmed down, things will naturally be fine."
The Emperor sighed deeply. "I can only hope so."
But as it happened, things went contrary to his wishes.
After his falling out with the Imperial Censor, Li Hao completely let himself go.
He stopped listening to the opinions of the senior ministers from the Central Secretariat, making decisions however he pleased. If any of those old ministers dared to say a single word more, Li Hao’s face would darken on the spot, and he would unleash a torrent of cold sarcasm and ridicule.
"My father the Emperor made me regent, not you. You’d best recognize your own positions and not act high and mighty just because you have some seniority."
These words made the senior ministers’ faces flush red and then turn pale; it was extremely humiliating.
Every time court was dismissed, they would look at each other and sigh in unison.
Before, they had held high hopes for Prince Dongyang, believing he could become the next Emperor.
But now, the mere thought of Prince Dongyang becoming the Emperor made them feel that the future was pitch black.
