Chapter 550 - 532: Battle for Position
The Jinluan Palace fell into dead silence. With Xie Xun’s words hanging in the air, the moment they were uttered, he left no room for negotiation—he intended to overthrow the Yuwen Royal Family and take the throne as emperor.
Grandmaster Zhang was stunned, and Elder Li was equally dumbfounded. They had considered the possibility that Xie Xun might vie for the throne, but they had confidently believed that Xie Xun’s hatred was solely directed at Yuwen Jing. Now, with Yuwen Jing imprisoned and his life hanging by a thread, it seemed logical that as long as the next emperor exonerated the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, Xie Xun wouldn’t care about the throne.
They were all children raised in aristocratic families; none of them wanted to carry the stigma of usurping the dynasty nor be reviled for eternity. Never had they imagined that Xie Xun still aimed to seize the throne.
"Xie Xun, you are delusional! Don’t think that just because you’ve imprisoned His Majesty, you can take his place. This is the Yuwen Family’s empire. Yuwen Jing may have erred, and we can depose him—that’s proper. Be it the Crown Prince or Prince Duan, their succession would be rightful and legitimate. But who are you?" A senior noble from the Yuwen Family pointed at Xie Xun and berated him fiercely, "Get off that dragon throne! It’s not your place!"
Five centuries of foundation built by the Yuwen Family could absolutely not crumble overnight.
Xie Xun stood with his longsword planted firmly in front of him, his expression detached and unbothered by the noble’s accusations. To return the throne to the Yuwen Royal Family? Impossible!
Elder Li said, "The words of Your Highness are reasonable. The Yuwen Royal Family is, after all, the legitimate lineage. His Majesty has a decree declaring his successor. Whether it be the Crown Prince or Prince Duan ascending, both would be rightful and authoritative. Does Young Marquis truly intend to commit usurpation of the dynasty?"
The civil and military officials were locked in a fierce debate over whether the successor should be the Crown Prince or Prince Duan, each refusing to back down. With arguments as sharp as needles against awls, the palace buzzed with unresolved contention. Now, Xie Xun stepped forward to offer them a third option, one they hadn’t anticipated. Yet this time, they united in opposition against him. No matter how bitterly they argued, it had always been a matter between the Yuwen Royal Family and noble clans. But if Xie Xun ascended the throne, with his temperament, who could hope to rein him in? No noble clan desired an emperor who centralized military power and governance entirely in his own hands.
Xie Xun’s character remained domineering, a general who had slaughtered countless on the battlefield. No one could predict what kind of fate such an emperor would bring to the common people.
Most important of all, if Xie Xun became emperor, with Ningzhou and the Twelve Prefectures following his current policies, noble clans would cease to occupy the power center—that would be a true imperial autocracy.
Military power, political authority, and financial control—Xie Xun would need no one to achieve his goals. The noble clans would face total reformation.
"Usurpation of the dynasty?" Xie Xun sneered coldly. "Take heed, this king has not been the Young Marquis of the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion for years. I am Prince Qin of the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry. Ever since I defected from the Capital City three years ago, I’ve been aiming to usurp the dynasty. Could it be you’re only realizing today that this king has been plotting this all along?"
Grandmaster Zhang hurriedly interjected, "Xie Xun, don’t speak recklessly! The injustices against the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion stem solely from Yuwen Jing—it is he who must pay the price for them. I know your aspirations are elsewhere, so there is no need to oppose the will of the entire populace. Yuwen Jing has erred; correct the mistakes, and the new emperor will surely redress the grievances against the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion."
"The grievances against the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion will naturally be redressed by me; there is no need for Grand Tutor to worry," Xie Xun replied. "But I have a question. The Crown Prince is still a child, his wisdom and mediocrity are yet unknown, and his temperament remains unclear. If he becomes emperor, Lin Helin will act as regent, leading to inevitable strife between the outer clans and the royal family. As for Prince Duan, he has spent the past few years idling away in the Capital City, completely detached while border wars erupt and natural disasters plague Jiangnan. He has accomplished nothing. I, on the other hand, have subdued the Beiman and stabilized Yangzhou. Apart from not bearing the surname Yuwen, what makes me unfit to be emperor?" Xie Xun’s tone was calm and gentle. "A ruler of a nation should seek to bring blessings to the realm, not to satisfy personal greed. You noble clans are blind to the suffering of the people, reveling in wealth and privilege while disregarding the plight of the masses. Sitting high above, you enjoy the offerings of this nation, yet you have done nothing for its people. If you cannot hold the people in your hearts, what right do you have to choose a monarch for the nation? Isn’t your hypocrisy laughable?"
Generous-minded scholars like Gu Jiaming and Liu An, who hadn’t participated in the disputes over the throne in the slightest, suddenly found inspiration in Xie Xun’s words, sparking new thoughts.
In recent years, the civil and military officials had struggled to keep themselves afloat; who could spare a thought for the common people?
Xie Xun was right—if they couldn’t hold the people in their hearts, what gave them the right to determine the future of the nation?
Mr. Wu erupted in fury, exclaiming, "Xie Xun, stop deluding the public! Rebels and traitors are still rebels and traitors. You harbor a ravenous ambition to claim the nation, but which among the civil and military officials would ever agree to such? Forsaking their duties, you persist—aligning yourself against the will of the people."
"Why don’t you go and ask the will of the people instead? Who truly deserves this throne?" Xie Xun remained composed. "Prince Duan, do you desire the throne?"
Prince Duan, who had remained silent thus far, felt a pang of anxiety upon being directly addressed. He had once harbored ambitions for the throne, but Yuwen Jing’s firm position as Crown Prince and the lack of support from the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion had stifled his aspirations. Despite reaching out to the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion and Xie Zhang, they had resolutely refused to assist him in seizing power. After marrying Feng Wan, Prince Duan had all but given up on his imperial dreams. Once Yuwen Jing ascended the throne, he tread cautiously, fearing any hint of ambition might spark Yuwen Jing’s suspicion.
Living a life on such precarious footing was tormenting; he didn’t want to endure it any longer. Now, with Yuwen Jing imprisoned, a golden opportunity presented itself. He was but a step away from becoming emperor.
If he could attain the highest rank, he would no longer awaken from grim nightmares about his precarious position.
"The throne isn’t something one can claim simply because they desire it," Prince Duan replied indifferently. "This king will defer to the judgment of the ministers."
"Very well, then. This king desires the throne. Who objects?"
Just as Elder Li was about to voice his objection, Marquis An Yuan spoke solemnly, "I, Marquis An Yuan, fully support Xie Xun. With military power, political authority, and the favor of the people in his hands, who else is fit to be emperor? Whether it is the Crown Prince or Prince Duan, would either of them sit securely on the throne? Once Jiangnan is pacified, the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry will march directly toward the Capital City—who could stop them? Relying on Zhongzhou’s Fang Chuning or Jiangnan’s Marshal Fang? Those father and son are neck-deep battling against Sannan as we speak. When the conflict ends, would they turn their blades against Xie brothers? Is that even possible? Since this throne will inevitably fall into the hands of the Xie Family, why wait until rivers run red? Wasn’t the bloodshed during the Beiman campaign already sufficient? Must we wait for the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry to storm Zhongzhou? Do none of you care about the lives of those in Zhongzhou? Or do you simply value your own kin more than the blood spilled tonight in the battles between the Jinyi Guards, Forbidden Army, and Kyoto Capital Guard? Lives from various noble clans have been lost; are they just weeds in your eyes as you sit here debating who should be emperor? Xie Xun is correct—you people are absurd, laughably so. What have you ever done for the people of this nation? What right do you have to select a sovereign for them? All you desire is to keep your grip on power, to support another puppet on the throne. Be it Prince Duan or the Crown Prince, it will still be the noble clans pulling the strings. The common folk will suffer endless misery from people like you. My family, my relatives through marriage—all support Xie Xun’s ascension to the throne. If anyone in my clan opposes, they either cut ties or sever family bonds. It’s that simple."
Why choose Prince Duan or the Crown Prince to create more trouble?
Vice Minister Chen and the former subordinates of the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion all stepped forward one after another. "We support Xie Xun’s ascension and the establishment of a new dynasty."
Marquis An Yuan added, "Since you all have the leisure to argue, why not think about what we should name the new dynasty? Don’t call it Yanyang—it’s too unlucky."