Chapter 174: Fear of Oars and Rudders Failing (Continued)

Those sharp minds in the court had guessed exactly right.

Zhao Jiu actually couldn't care less about the so-called False Qi. The appearance of such a jumping clown had been within his "expectations" from the start. He had no intention of making any superfluous political or military response to this matter, and even felt it wasn't as important as the project to fortify Dongjingcheng into a stronghold.

But since no one agreed with him, and since this issue was currently the number one hot topic across the entire realm, then they couldn't blame him for riding that wave of attention to do what he wanted.

After all, for both public and private reasons, Zhao Jiu had already resolved to put an end to that "history," and this was a gift-wrapped opportunity.

Hu Yin's earnest performance seemed unable to stop His Majesty from issuing a self-criticism edict... In fact, once Zhao Jiu had made up his mind and placed himself—the Son of Heaven, who was to some extent a victim—in the position of a sinner, as long as he was ruthless enough, no one could stop him anymore.

In truth, he couldn't think of anyone who could stop him either.

"Your Majesty!"

Just as everyone was looking at Hu Yin with mixed feelings, and it seemed things would follow His Majesty's wishes and stir up a big news story, suddenly, Chief Minister Lu Haowen made a move that caught everyone off guard. He knelt down before the imperial throne in full ceremonial obeisance.

The entire hall was stunned. This move even made Zhao Jiu, who had been indifferent all day, gasp sharply... After all, a Song dynasty Chief Minister, in theory, apart from the special ceremony at the start when he was formally appointed, had no need to perform such a ritual.

Historically, when Wang Anshi rode his horse into the palace grounds and was stopped by eunuchs at the gate, being forced to dismount signaled instability in his relationship with Emperor Shenzong, and he was soon dismissed from his post. This shows how weighty a Chief Minister was—let alone such a gesture as this?

To put it bluntly, if you forced a Chief Minister to kneel, just how willful did you, as the ruler, have to be?

In fact, Zhao Jiu hadn't expected this move from the other side either... As the saying goes, you can blame yourself, and I can bend the knee... Who among us escapes heaven's judgment?

"Lord Lu..."

Coming to his senses, Chief Eunuch Lan Gui almost jumped up, stepping aside, while Zhao Jiu quickly rose from the throne, stood to one side, his expression complicated.

"Your servant is guilty!"

Before Zhao Jiu could speak, Lu Haowen pressed his head to the ground.

Zhao Jiu was momentarily exasperated: "What crime have you committed?"

"Your servant is indeed guilty!"

Lu Haowen did not hesitate for a moment, raising his voice without pause. "During the reign of the Retired Emperor, the Six Traitors were employed, the state was unsettled, and amid extravagant prosperity, civil officials were idle and military officers indulged in pleasure. As a subject, I failed to recognize the perilous situation, failed to remonstrate unto death, and merely cultivated my reputation for empty fame—this was already a dereliction of a subject's duty!

"During the reign of Emperor Yuan, I was suddenly favored and elevated to a close minister, holding prominent posts in the Ministry of Personnel and Ministry of War. Yet I was only mired in factional strife, debating the old affairs of the Yuanyou and Yuanfeng eras. When war came, I failed to grasp the larger military picture, causing the front lines to collapse... At the Jingkang Incident, as the Minister of War in charge, my crime was immense!

"After the Jingkang disaster had already occurred, with the Two Sages under the control of the Jin, and Zhang Bangchang usurping the throne, I, who prided myself on being a famous Confucian scholar, could not die for my principles but instead wavered and associated with him—this is a crime beyond pardon! If Lord Li's words from back in Nanjing were followed, I should have been executed long ago!

"Yet my crime that cannot be pursued further lies in the Jianyan years, after Your Majesty ascended the throne. I failed to recognize Your Majesty's martial brilliance, and after just a few months of setbacks, I conceived thoughts of retreat and death... If I had done so, how could we have returned to the old capital today and witnessed this era of restoration?

"Today, the False Qi, based on trivial disturbances from those chaotic days, groundlessly speculates on Your Majesty's state of mind. If Your Majesty truly believes himself guilty and wishes to issue a self-criticism edict to set the record straight, why not first execute this guilty minister to rectify the court's discipline? Otherwise, I cannot accept it in good conscience!"

The hall was solemn. While all the other ministers hesitated over whether to follow suit, Zhao Jiu was the first to come to his senses. Standing beside the throne, he shook his head repeatedly:

"Lord Lu, why go this far?"

"Does Your Majesty think I am defending someone? Fighting for someone's dignity?" Lu Haowen raised his head, also losing his composure for once. "What I have said today comes from the bottom of my heart—it is the unbearable discourse I have kept buried in my heart these past two years, and the words that have surged within me since returning to the old capital... In the past, we witnessed the Jingkang Incident with our own eyes, saw the great edifice collapse in an instant, and could think of nothing but doing our best and leaving the rest to heaven. Who could have imagined that in just two years, we would return to the old capital? If I must express any indignant opinion today, it is only this: Your Majesty bears the countenance of a restorer and should carry out the work of restoration. Why must you repeatedly dwell on a few groundless ministers and baseless arguments? Are those old affairs truly so important?!"

Zhao Jiu stood there for a long moment before sighing: "If that's the case, Lord Lu, why must you yourself cling so stubbornly to old affairs? When that great calamity struck suddenly back then, who among us was innocent?"

"Your Majesty, that is precisely the point." Wang Boyan, hearing these words, also quickly knelt and hurriedly chimed in. "In truth, before we entered Nanyang, at the foot of Fangcheng Mountain, Your Majesty had already pardoned all previous offenses. Past matters should no longer be brought up. If a subject's crimes can be forgiven, why must Your Majesty's crimes still be discussed?"

"Is the Son of Heaven the same as a subject?" Zhao Jiu laughed again. "Wasn't that passage from the Analects clear enough? A ruler can pardon his subjects, but who can pardon the ruler?"

Wang Boyan broke out in a cold sweat, unsure of what to say.

"Your Majesty, times have changed." Xu Jingheng also finally knelt. "Since the ruler has pardoned his subjects, heaven should also pardon the ruler!"

"What does heaven rely on to pardon the ruler?" Zhao Jiu was still dissatisfied, but seeing that all the civil and military officials were about to kneel, he decided to temporarily calm things down. "Forget it. I will not issue the self-criticism edict for now."

The hundred officials in the hall all breathed a sigh of relief, bowing in unison but not kneeling along with him—so as not to create the appearance of pressuring the throne.

"But I still have a few words to say to you all today..."

Zhao Jiu's gaze swept over the four highest-ranking men in the court—the three chief ministers and the tearful Censor-in-Chief—and finally showed a hint of severity. "I am not dropping the matter today because you have convinced me with your reasoning. It is because I, unlike Lord Lu, am not so sincere. I am a hypocrite, and I am putting on a show for the sake of everyone's dignity... As for the matter of the ruler's guilt, it is already set in stone, recorded clearly in the annals of history. There will come a day when it cannot be avoided!"

Hu Yin, standing behind the three chief ministers, lowered his head even further upon hearing this.

"As for the clamor from some people recently, I must also remind you: the court currently lacks resources and manpower. What cannot be rushed cannot be done, and what cannot be done cannot be done. You are all high ministers with proper decorum—why must you imitate me, who knows no bounds and puts on airs? Can shouting a few slogans conjure up money and grain or solve problems?" Zhao Jiu continued sternly. "Also, a Chief Minister kneeling like this—once is enough, but it must not happen again! From now on, set a rule: those in purple robes are not to kneel casually in the court!"

Having said this, Zhao Jiu finally gave a resentful snort and swept out with his sleeves.

The outcome today—was it a mutual defeat?

PS: My state of mind has been strange these past few days... I feel like my mind is floating... I know clearly what this volume is about, but I always feel it lacks substance. It's not just exhaustion; I think there's a psychological issue too... Can you understand that feeling? Suddenly, for a few days, I feel like everything I do is garbage, like nothing can bring me good mood or joy... Games, novels, coffee, sweets, even cats can't bring me satisfaction. I dare not actively socialize with anyone in any way, dare not look at any feedback channels for my novel, dare not even read similar novels, let alone read novels at all... I just stare blankly at the news or a few boring game interfaces all day, and when I realize time has passed, I force out a bit of content.