We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Upon hearing this, Wei Li froze completely, and the last trace of color drained from his face.

The young emperor on horseback was like a war god or Yama, his gaze cold and resolute, his imposing presence rendering him speechless.

That was undisguised killing intent, leaving no room for maneuver!

What is the concept of shared rule by powerful families, or the sharing of power? All of these are as fragile as paper in the face of the emperor's absolute control over the army.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

Seeing Wei Li's dejected appearance, Li Che ignored him and decisively gave the order.

"exist!"

"Take down all these traitors who are harming the country and the army!"

"Here!"

"Investigate all their crimes thoroughly and verify each one!" Li Che's voice was devoid of emotion. "Once the facts are confirmed, the ringleader Wei Li and his core cronies shall be executed immediately!"

"The heads should be processed with saltpeter and sent to various military towns in the Northwest, to be displayed in rotation!"

"The remaining accomplices will be severely punished according to the law, and all their property will be confiscated and used to fund the military and compensate the border troops for their suffering!"

His gaze swept over the prisoners, who were slumped like mud, and he added coldly:

"Male family members aged sixteen and above shall be exiled to border areas, and shall not be pardoned even if pardoned."

"The female relatives will be screened separately. Those who are innocent can be married to soldiers who have rendered meritorious service in defending the northwest border. All participants will be registered as official prostitutes!"

"I want the whole world to see what happens to those who devour the flesh and blood of soldiers!"

"Here you go!!!"

The Imperial Guards responded with a thunderous roar, their voices shaking the rooftops.

All the officials were arrested, shackled, and escorted by the Imperial Guards through the long street.

Chains dragged on the bluestone slabs, and the once high and mighty officials were now crying and begging for mercy in a sorry state.

Wei Li was placed at the very front, his official hat nowhere to be seen, his robes covered in dust, showing no trace of the dignity of a noble family's son.

The streets were packed with people.

The people were initially frightened and only dared to peek through the gaps in the crowd.

When the long line of convicts had passed halfway, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted in a shrill voice:

"Good! Well done!!"

"God has finally opened his eyes! These damned bastards have finally met their end!"

"Bah! Corrupt official! He's eating soldiers' rations and pay, isn't he afraid of choking to death!"

"Your Majesty did a good job! Long live the Emperor!"

Cheers erupted from all directions, and people picked up rotten vegetable leaves and clods of dirt and threw them into the procession of convicted officials. The crowd pushed and shoved forward.

Upon seeing this, the soldiers maintaining order quickly stepped forward and blocked them on the side of the street.

Li Che stood on the street, quietly watching the scene before him, feeling quite gratified.

The values ​​of ordinary people have always been simple and straightforward.

They didn't know what these corrupt officials had done, nor did they understand the impact of their corruption on them.

All they knew was that a corrupt official had been arrested by the emperor himself, and that those officials must be wicked to the core!

Amid cheers, someone recognized the figure on horseback.

"It's His Majesty! His Majesty is over there!"

"Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

"Your Majesty, look this way!"

Li Che still enjoys popular support in Chang'an.

The crowd surged even more violently, with countless arms reaching out towards Li Che.

Seeing the people's enthusiasm, Li Che dismounted and slowly walked towards the crowd.

This action instantly silenced the nearby people, and the distant clamor receded like the tide.

Li Che did not speak immediately, but instead led his horse slowly to the edge of the crowd, getting close enough for the people in the front row to see his face clearly.

Only after the cheers had completely faded did he speak:

"Fellow citizens of Chang'an, do you still remember that I have visited Chang'an?"

Someone immediately shouted, "We remember! We remember Your Majesty! That year you arrested all the villains who oppressed us!"

“My family received grain rations!” An old man squeezed to the front, his eyes reddening. “That winter, the whole family survived on the millet bestowed by His Majesty!”

"My family did too! We received a share of the money!"

"My daughter was kidnapped by the Liu family's lackeys to be their maid. She only returned alive because His Majesty conquered Chang'an!"

One call after another, like a relay race.

The sharpness in Li Che's eyes softened slightly, replaced by a gentle light.

The common people are grateful; they remember where every grain of rice and every penny came from, and who rescued them from the oppression of powerful families.

This memory is far more authentic than the eulogies written by historians.

He raised his hand to signal for quiet after the people had finished speaking.

The people obeyed and immediately stopped shouting.

"Today I am wreaking havoc here, not because I am cruel, but because the crimes committed by these parasites are too numerous to count!"

Do you know what they did?

The crowd held their breath, shaking their heads in confusion.

"The Northwest Border Army has guarded the nation's borders for twenty years," Li Che said, word by word. "When the Tibetans knocked on the gates, they risked their lives to fill them; when snow blocked the mountains, they endured the hardships in villages lacking food and clothing."

“But these people—” He pointed in the direction where the Imperial Guard escort team had disappeared:

"They embezzled the border troops' pay, using inferior and moldy grain to send into the barracks, and issuing rusty and broken swords and spears to the soldiers!"

"Because of these people, so many young men who should have returned alive died on empty stomachs, wearing tattered armor, and wielding swords that couldn't cut through people, under the swords of the Tibetans!"

He paused, then lowered his voice:

"Among them, perhaps are your sons, husbands, and fathers."

“This is my fault,” Li Che said slowly. “I failed to discover these parasites in time and failed to protect the soldiers who risked their lives for the country.”

The crowd fell silent for a moment.

Then, someone shouted:

"It's not His Majesty's fault!"

"Those corrupt officials deserve to die!"

"Your Majesty, please don't say that!"

Li Che did not respond to the words of comfort, but waited for the uproar to subside before continuing to speak:

"In the next few days, people will be arrested and killed in the city."

"Perhaps heads will roll, perhaps cries will echo through the streets."

He looked directly at the people and solemnly said:

"I ask you all to tell your families and neighbors not to be afraid or panicked, for those who were killed were all people who deserved to die."

"The imperial court investigated thoroughly and found the evidence conclusive; there was no injustice."

“I also promise you,” Li Che said sincerely, “Chang’an City is not the capital, but it is the foundation of my Great Qing in the northwest and the ancestral home of my ancestors.”

"For every corrupt official I kill here, I will appoint a good one; for every property I confiscate here, I will implement good policies here."

"Chang'an will only get better and better."

Li Che patted his chest: "This is what I said."

After a brief silence, cheers erupted like thunder.

"Long live! Long live! Long live the Emperor!!!"

Countless people knelt on the ground, countless arms were raised to the sky, and the shouts rose one after another.

Li Che did not speak again, but simply raised his hand and waved gently to the people.

He then turned around and looked at Li Yu, the Prince of Huai'an, who was standing alone at the edge of the crowd.

Uncle Wang was still kneeling, his official hat placed on the ground beside him.

Li Che slowly approached him, and after a moment spoke:

"Uncle Wang."

Li Yu's shoulders trembled, and she slowly raised her lowered head.

"Let's talk."

Li Yu opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing, and said with difficulty, "Your Majesty... I request that Your Majesty move to the official residence..."

“No need,” Li Che interrupted him, his voice calm. “Let’s talk at your residence.”

Upon hearing this, Li Yu was stunned.

He knelt on the ground, head tilted back, seemingly having grasped something, and tears gradually welled up in his eyes.

Going to the government office is for official business. Going to the residence is for family matters.

Going to the government office means meeting the emperor and a disgraced official. Going to a mansion means meeting a nephew and an uncle.

Although it's just a difference in location, the implications are worlds apart.

Li Yu's lips trembled violently a few times, and she couldn't utter a single word.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I will lead the way." He staggered to his feet, picked up the official hat from the ground, but did not wear it; he simply held it in both hands.

. . . . . .

"Welcome Your Majesty to the residence."

The Prince of Huai'an's Mansion was located in the southwest corner of Chang'an City, occupying most of the city's commercial district.

Vermilion gate with copper nails, five rooms and seven bays, twelve halberds lined up in front of the gate.

Crossing the main gate, one sees stacked stones forming a mountain, water diverted to form a pond, winding corridors and balustrades, and lush flowers and trees.

Although it was late spring in April, the peonies in the garden were still in full bloom, layer upon layer, their beauty dazzling.

Li Yu bowed and led the way, glancing at Li Che's expression from time to time out of the corner of his eye.

This house was bestowed by the late emperor. It was originally the old residence of the former military governor. After he moved in, he renovated several parts of it.

It is indeed very large in scale, even much larger than the Prince of Yan's mansion in the capital.

Thinking of this, he felt uneasy, and his steps became somewhat heavy.

Li Che simply walked with his hands behind his back, casually glancing at the garden scenery a few times, without any change in expression.

Chang'an is not the same as the capital. Although it is the capital of several dynasties, it is no longer the political center. Land prices here are not comparable to those in the capital, where every inch of land is worth its weight in gold.

Although the Prince of Huai'an's residence occupies a large area, its regulations do not exceed the bounds, and Li Che would not be angry about such a matter.

Passing through the hanging flower gate, Li Yu stopped and bowed: "Your Majesty, please sit for a moment. I will summon that unworthy descendant to pay his respects."

Li Che waved his hand: "Just call them over."

Before long, Li Yu's second son, eldest grandson, and several young grandchildren filed in and knelt down at the foot of the steps.

Li Yu's first wife died young, and his eldest son died in battle while guarding the border. Now, he only has two sons to care for him.

He is thirty-six years old this year, which is definitely not considered young in ancient times.

Li Che sat in the hall, took the teacup and sipped it, looking just like a relative who had come to visit.

"Is this the second son?" He looked at the middle-aged man kneeling at the front.

Li Yu hurriedly replied, "Yes, my second son, Li Chong, currently holds a nominal position in the Right Guard, but has no real power."

Li Chong dared not raise his head, but silently kowtowed.

Li Che asked a few questions about family matters, then beckoned Li Yu's grandson to come closer.

The child looked to be seven or eight years old, with fair skin, but he was a little timid. His grandfather had to push him a couple of times before he finally shuffled forward.

What books have you read?

"I've finished reading the Thousand Character Classic and am now studying the Analects."

Upon hearing that the child was reciting his own "Thousand Character Classic," Li Che smiled faintly and said to Li Yu:

"Like his father when he was a child, when I met my cousin Chongtang in the capital, he was just as taciturn, answering only one out of every three questions asked."

Li Yu was stunned, then his eyes welled up with tears. His Majesty still remembered his eldest son.

After about two quarters of an hour of conversation, Li Che instructed Li Yu to dismiss his children and grandchildren, leaving only Li Yu in the hall.

The tea had been changed, and Li Che put down his teacup, looked up at his gray-haired uncle, and calmly spoke:

"Uncle Wang, you're confused."