The looting of the property of Prince Xiao’s Mansion resulted in the casualties of 3,200 civilians and hundreds of officials. The impact was extremely bad. On the same day, the Emperor summoned the left and right ministers, as well as the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Rites, and the nine admirals for questioning. Directly dismissed the chieftain of the nine admirals.
The next morning, the focus was on discussing this matter. After the Emperor questioned, the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment came out to answer first and pushed all the responsibilities to Xiao Wangfu.
Wealth touches people’s hearts. The origin of Prince Xiao’s huge property was unknown, and the people were angry, so they fight each other, causing countless deaths and injuries.
To prove the words of the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, the Minister of the Household Department also stood up and announced to the public the amount of property in the Xiao Wangfu that was “accounted” overnight.
Hearing the numbers reported by the Minister of the Household Department, there was a dead silence in the hall. Everyone’s eyes widened in shock, then looked at each other. Especially the generals were even more sluggish.
This, is this impossible?” The data reported by the Minister of the Household Department was more than The Eastern Country’s treasury revenue in ten years. How could Prince Xiao have such property?
Outsiders don’t know, but those who were soldiers know that the Emperor has been deducting the military salary of the Jinwuwei Army all these years, and Prince Xiao spent a lot of money and material resources every year to support the Jinwuwei Army. Because of that, the Jinwuwei Army often trains hungry, and the equipment was old and outdated. Compared with other garrisons, the Jinwuwei Army was extremely shabby except for the armor on their bodies.
They always thought that Prince Xiao was very poor and that he had exhausted his family property and the rewards of these years to support the Jinwuwei Army, but the reality slapped them hard.
“I calculated it myself, why is it impossible?” The Minister of the Household Department bluffed, very dissatisfied with others questioning his words.
Unfortunately, most generals were stubborn and don’t know how to read people’s faces: “Xiao Wangye can’t have so much money after adding up the rewards he has received over the years!”
“Of course, there is not so much. The sum of Xiao Wangye’s reward and salary should be less than half of the property of Xiao Wangfu.” The Minister of the Household Department had prepared it long ago, and presented a note: “Your majesty, this is what Xiao Wangye’s rewarded over the years. I have compiled Xiao Wangfu’s belongings into a booklet, and I request the Emperor to have a look.”
“Submit it!” The Emperor had a dark face, and everyone could see his dissatisfaction and anger.
All the ministers bowed their heads and did not dare to speak, especially the generals, whose eyes were even more confused.
In their hearts, Prince Xiao has always been a loyal general who serves the country and the people. They originally thought that Prince Xiao would lead troops into the city this time because he was forced by the Emperor.
After all, the last time Prince Xiao was assassinated was on the way to the capital. It was still vivid in their memory. If Prince Xiao doesn’t want to die, he must act first but judging from the current situation, they seem to take it for granted.
The eunuch presented the booklet to the emperor. The Emperor glanced at it and threw it angrily: “Good! I trust him so much that I hand over 300,000 military power to him. I never asked about the border, but I didn’t expect him to repay me like this!”
“The emperor calm down!” The civil and military ministers were so frightened that they knelt with a plop, especially the generals, they all trembled in fright.
These people were all on the side of Prince Xiao, and firmly believe that Prince Xiao was right. But what should they do now?
Although Prince Xiao was a member of the royal family, he was also a military general. Since ancient times, military generals will be suspected by the Emperor. And if they hold heavy soldiers and have great power, they will be suppressed by the Emperor. What they saw before was, the Emperor suppressed and murdered Prince Xiao. Every time they witness this, they felt sad. They seemed to be able to see their future from Prince Xiao.
In their eyes, Prince Xiao was devoted and loyal to the country and the people. He devoted his whole life to protecting the Eastern Country and the common people. Such a person should not be suppressed, and should not die in conspiracy and calculation. Even if he dies, he should die in the war zone.
There was no need for Prince Xiao to talk too much, and there was no need for him to win over people. As the first rank military generals, they will not just sit idly by and ignore the Emperor’s oppression. Not to mention last time when Prince Xiao had an accident, they stood firmly by his side. Take this time when Prince Xiao led troops into the city as an example, they also stood by Prince Xiao’s side and spoke for him.
Prince Xiao led troops into the city, no doubt it was a rebellion, the Emperor had trouble sleeping and eating for this matter, and secretly ordered the troops to come back. But they repeatedly dissuaded him, saying that Prince Xiao led troops into the city this time just for self-protection, and there was no intention to rebel.
After all, Prince Xiao was assassinated on the way back to the capital and almost died at the hands of the villains. To prevent the past from happening again, it was understandable to bring troops back to the capital.
Of course, the Emperor was dissatisfied, but later the Jinwuwei Army just stopped outside the capital and had no intention of entering the city. The generals became even more talkative. No matter how much the Emperor wanted to transfer troops, they didn’t cooperate.
They can’t be blamed for disregarding the Emperor’s order. It was because the Emperor’s deeds can make people’s hearts feel chill. They still remember that Prince Xiao was carried into the capital covered in blood. The illustrious Prince Xiao can only sit in a wheelchair; They still remember that on the day of Prince Xiao’s wedding, three hundred assassins besieged Xiao Wangfu without any rescue; They still remember that Prince Xiao, who had made great achievements in the war, could only sit in a wheelchair. They still remember how many generals and lieutenants under Prince Xiao were killed by the emperor with unwarranted charges when Prince Xiao was seriously injured.
They remembered, they all kept it in their hearts… The Emperor’s method of dealing with Prince Xiao chilled them and made them afraid. They were afraid that if Prince Xiao didn’t stand in the front, it would be their turn to be liquidated by the Emperor. Therefore, this time, when Prince Xiao led his troops into the city, they all sat idly by, ignored the Emperor’s anxiety and uneasiness, and continued to comfort the Emperor with their mouths.
Undoubtedly, in the confrontation between the Emperor and Prince Xiao, they stood on Prince Xiao’s side. Although they didn’t have a clear voice for Prince Xiao, they also endorsed Prince Xiao with their actions and words.
In their hearts, Prince Xiao was the God of War, the god of their group of generals. They saw in Prince Xiao a figure of a general who devoted himself to defending his family and defending the country even if he die but was oppressed by the Emperor because of his great achievements. They saw themselves in Prince Xiao and saw their loneliness and desolation that they were loyal but could not be trusted by the Emperor.
So, they stood on Prince Xiao’s side, stood firmly in Prince Xiao’s camp, and endorsed Prince Xiao. Even if Prince Xiao led troops into the city to rebel, they acted like they didn’t see it.
Because, in their point of view, it was not Prince Xiao who wanted to rebel, but the Emperor forced Prince Xiao to rebel. Prince Xiao’s move was not for the throne, but for self-protection. As a general, he had no choice but to protect himself.
However, reality slapped them hard.
The God of War in their hearts, the patron saint in their hearts, the god in their hearts who gave away their wealth for soldiers, suddenly have a massive amount of wealth through the war.
In their hearts, the God of War who was loyal to the country, who fights to protect the land, but was forced by the Emperor to lead troops into the capital, in fact, deliberately planned and accumulated a huge amount of wealth in secret, and have long had the intention to rebel.
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