Chapter 527: The Muddled Monarch

"It is truly said that the kind are bullied and the gentle are ridden; if Your Majesty agrees to this matter, you will have fallen for the powerful clans' scheme of sowing discord. I have said all that I should say; if Your Majesty issues this decree, in the eyes of Yan Wang, you will be a muddled monarch, and there will never again be a shred of father-son affection. Your Majesty, please take care of yourself!" Mi Yan was furious.

Ever since he entered the Imperial Court, he had been trying to get Zhao Heng to rely on Yan Wang to deal with the powerful clans.

But it is hard to persuade a ghost that is determined to die.

Zhao Heng wavered repeatedly, ultimately leaving him utterly disappointed.

"Scoundrel! How dare you speak to me like that! Get out, get out!" Zhao Heng was instantly enraged.

He could not afford to provoke the powerful clans, yet Mi Yan, a mere scholar from a humble background, dared to provoke him.

If not for the consideration that he was Yan Wang's uncle, he would have had the Imperial Guards drag him out and execute him right now.

Mi Yan chose silence, performed a salute, and exited the Imperial Study.

Once outside the palace gates, Mi Yan sighed up at the sky, "This Great Song is, after all, the Great Song of the powerful clans; the Royal Clan is also, after all, a powerful clan. Where has there ever been a place for those of humble origins? Is it because Yan Wang's mother came from a humble background that he must be like an illegitimate child, never receiving trust, or is it because..."

Speaking to this point, he suddenly realized something.

A layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.

"So that is it, so that is it." Mi Yan suddenly understood.

After thinking for a while, he mounted his horse and headed toward his residence.

On the way, he kept pondering whether Zhao Heng treated Yan Wang this way because of that incident from years ago.

"Watch out!"

Just at this moment, a voice suddenly rang out.

Following that, Mi Yan only felt a great force arrive, and he was dragged to the ground by someone.

A runaway carriage then slammed violently into the horse he had been riding.

"Boom!" With a loud crash, the horse let out a miserable cry and collapsed to the ground, and the carriage also overturned on the road.

Gazing at this scene, Mi Yan was stunned for a long while.

At this time, a hand patted his shoulder, "Lord Mi, someone has already lost patience with you; it would be best to go out less in the future."

Mi Yan turned his head to look, but the figure of the person who spoke had already vanished.

Swallowing his saliva, Mi Yan seemed to understand.

Returning to his residence, he immediately claimed illness and simultaneously submitted a memorial to resign from his post as Censor.

Dou Mansion.

After the morning court session, Dou Wei invited Han Zheng and the others to his mansion for a banquet.

Previously, he still harbored some fear of Zhao Heng.

But now, to him, Zhao Heng was merely a puppet temporarily sitting on the throne.

He could replace him at any moment.

The only reason he had not acted yet was that the Dou Family and other powerful clans were all recruiting soldiers, buying horses, forging firearms and Armor, and training armies.

Especially his Dou Family, after obtaining fine Warhorses from the Northern Di, was in the process of building an iron cavalry.

This would give the Dou Family an even greater advantage than the other powerful clans.

At the same time,

with the support of the Xiao Family, his Dou Family would undoubtedly become the number one powerful clan of the Great Song.

As long as the other powerful clans were willing to support them as the Royal Clan, just as they had acknowledged the Zhao back then.

His Dou Family could then replace the Zhao and become the new Royal Clan.

The Third Prince would then be able to ascend the throne in a logical and orderly fashion.

Of course, when that time came, he would naturally acknowledge that Zhao Mu was surnamed Dou.

However, just like the wars at the end of the Liang, the Royal Clan would not voluntarily admit defeat.

Just as an old tiger would not voluntarily yield its forest to a young tiger.

Between the two, a battle would always be necessary.

"It won't be long now." Dou Wei looked at the people at the banquet, imagining them submitting before his Dou Family just as they had once submitted to the Zhao.

"Brother Dou, if we can take back the Southern Three Commanderies this time, I, Han, will certainly prepare a generous gift." Han Zheng's words interrupted Dou Wei's reverie.

"A small matter, a small matter; it is just that I fear even if the Imperial Edict is issued, Yan Wang will not hand over the Southern Three Commanderies. The current Yan Wang is actually just like us, all like regional feudal lords," Dou Wei said.

Han Zheng was slightly disappointed; in truth, he also knew the hope was slim.

However, since Dou Wei had mentioned it, it was better than not mentioning it at all.

"In my opinion, Brother Dou's true goal is to sow discord between the Emperor and Yan Wang, right?" Xiao Cheng held a dancing girl in his arms, asking while teasing her.

"Exactly, those who know me, know it is Brother Xiao." Dou Wei gave Xiao Cheng a thumbs up.

Looking toward the direction of Yanzhou, he said, "At present, the only person Zhao Heng can rely on is Yan Wang. If the two of them borrow strength from each other, it will be very troublesome for us."

"The Prime Minister is brilliant; if the two father and son harbor suspicions, they can only fight their own battles, and thus they can be defeated one by one," Han Zheng clapped and praised.

The best situation for them right now was for Zhao Heng and his son to have no dealings with each other.

At the same time, both the Northern Di and Yan Wang were bogged down in Ningjin Dusi, unable to spare any attention.

In this way, once he and the Wang Family helped the Second Prince ascend the throne,

and they turned back to deal with the battered Yan Wang and Northern Di, the world would be settled.

Liang Kai held his wine cup and glanced at Dou Wei, then glanced at Han Zheng.

If Dou Wei's scheme could succeed, it would also be beneficial for his Liang Family.

After all, the fact that Zhao Heng had sent craftsmen to Yan Wang made him very unhappy.

Once their father-son relationship was alienated, Yan Wang could forget about getting any support from the Imperial Court.

Dealing with Yan Wang would then be much easier.

As long as Yan Wang is destroyed, with the strength of his Liang Family, he does not regard any other powerful clans as a threat.

Whether it is to place the Fifth Prince on the throne or to have other families acknowledge the Liang Family as the number one powerful clan, both are acceptable.

The three men had different thoughts, but all wore smiles on their faces.

Raising their cups of Wine, the three drank them in one gulp and laughed heartily.

After drinking for a while longer, a servant suddenly hurried to Dou Wei's side and whispered something in his ear.

Upon hearing this, Dou Wei laughed heartily again, "Gentlemen, let me tell you a joke. I was just trying to scare Mi Yan, and this Censor has claimed illness and refused to come out; it is said he even submitted a memorial to resign from his official post."

"Hahaha..." The crowd burst into laughter.

Wang Zi'an said, "These officials from humble backgrounds are still too green compared to us powerful clans."

"That is only natural. Our powerful clans have been passed down for two or three dynasties, and our family descendants have served as officials in the Imperial Court for generations; how could these unsophisticated, shabby people compare?" Xie Duan said disdainfully.

Although he had his own hidden agenda, his contempt for those of humble backgrounds was no different from the others.

"Hmph, since that is the case, let us spare his dog life for now," Dou Wei sneered.

The out-of-control carriage was exactly what he had arranged.

The Dou Family was currently making preparations in Jingzhou, and he felt that it was time to eliminate those in the Imperial Court who were an eyesore to him.

That old thing Yang Feng had packed his things and rolled out of Jingshi.

It was also time to make Mi Yan roll out of the Imperial Court.

Only then could the Imperial Court of the Great Song Dynasty return to the magnificent state it was in at the founding of the nation, when the hall was filled entirely with powerful clans.

Of course, the most important thing is this.

This would facilitate their gradual control of the Imperial Court, leaving Zhao Heng, this Emperor, with a title but no real power.

And they, the seven powerful clans, would hold the authority of the Imperial Court in their hands and command the world.

Imperial Palace.

While Dou Wei was feasting, Zhao Heng approved Mi Yan's memorial to resign.

His anger had not yet subsided, "Yan Wang is arrogant, and he is also arrogant; they truly do not put me, the Emperor, in their eyes."

Seeing this, Liang Cheng said anxiously, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Although Censor Mi spoke out of turn, it was for the sake of Your Majesty. One must still think twice about this Imperial Edict for Yan Wang. If Yan Wang truly becomes enraged and the powerful clans no longer have any scruples, how will Your Majesty suppress Dou Wei and the others in Jingshi?"

He had always disliked bringing up state affairs in front of Zhao Heng.

But Mi Yan had resigned, and with no one left to advise Zhao Heng, this Great Song empire would truly be finished.

In fact, Zhao Heng also understood that what Mi Yan said made sense.

He was merely angry out of shame.

Thus he said, "Even so, we cannot let Yan Wang do as he pleases from now on. In my opinion, we must still adopt the art of checks and balances."

After a pause, he said, "In my opinion, it is impossible to make Yan Wang spit out the Southern Three Commanderies. Let us simply choose one of the two conditions proposed by Dou Wei to save him from coming to make trouble. Issue an Imperial Edict ordering Yan Wang to send Changle Junzhu back immediately."

Liang Cheng sighed inwardly, bowed, and agreed.

The next day, the Imperial Edict departed from Jinling and headed toward Yanzhou.

Although Dou Wei was slightly dissatisfied, he accepted it.

In his view, this was enough to sow discord between Zhao Heng and his son.

Seven days later, the Imperial Edict arrived at Yancheng.