Chapter 1801: The End of the Rebellion of the Three Princes! (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
As the foreign countries digested the news, the situation in the capital of the Great Tang was still restless. It had been more than thirty years since such a treasonous conspiracy had taken place in the capital.
The Court of Judicial Review, the Imperial Clan Court, the Bureau of Military Personnel, and the various government offices worked together to assess the situation. The case was judged in just a few short days, and their determination was announced to the entire realm.
”First Prince Li Ying committed treason, spurning the relationship between father and son, and gathered the Imperial Army to assault Taiji Palace. With the approval of the Sage Emperor, the First Prince is to be stripped of his status as Prince and demoted to commoner status. He is to be imprisoned within the Imperial Clan Court and never leave again. Sovereign and subject, father and son, are to never meet again!
”Second Prince Li Ju and Third Prince Li Yao were also principal offenders in this coup. These two are stripped of their status as Princes and exiled to Lingnan, forbidden from stepping into the interior ever again!
”King Qi, Li You, burning with ambition, treasonously incited the First Prince into rebellion. For this unforgivable offense, his property is to be confiscated by the Bureau of Punishments, his family records seized, and the man to be demoted to commoner status. His entire family is to be banished.
”Beiting Protector-General Zhang Zheng and Big Dipper Great General Fumeng Lingcha colluded with the members of the Eastern Palace, mobilizing their soldiers without the decree of the Sage Emperor and engaging in rebellion. This offense cannot be tolerated. Zhang Zheng has already been executed, and Fumeng Lingcha's punishment is to be decided by the Bureau of Punishments and the Court of Judicial Review!”
……
A long list of names containing the primary offenders in the Rebellion of the Three Princes was posted throughout the capital and the Imperial City. It had been decades since the Great Tang had last experienced something like this, and the denizens of the capital were all focused on its developments.
”Treason! It's treason!”
”The Sage Emperor is both wise and powerful, a sovereign for the ages, but they dared to conspire against him! How bold! For these treasonous scum who know no father or sovereign, not even death is enough!”
”Not a single one of these criminals should be let go! They dared to conspire against the Sage Emperor? Even dogs and pigs are better!”
”That's right! Drag all of them out! Don't go easy on a single one! The heavens won't be satisfied until these people are dead!”
”Starting a rebellion is a serious crime! The realm won't learn from this and our descendants won't feel any fear unless all these people are seized!”
The indignant crowds packed the streets of the capital. The events of that night had completely overturned their understanding of the world and left them stunned.
Sovereign and subject, father and son, each had their proper role to play. This was the basis on which the culture of the Central Plains had persisted. It was one thing if the current sovereign had been some muddleheaded incompetent, but this was an age of peace, and everyone in the realm knew the Sage Emperor to be a wise ruler. It was precisely because of him that the Great Tang was able to attain its current level of power. The thought that someone would try to harm the Sage Emperor infuriated the people.
Conversations like this could be heard all over the capital.
A carriage was slowly moving through Vermillion Bird Street. On the outside, Zhang Que looked excitedly around at the gathered crowds.
”Your Highness! The First Prince has no chance of coming back from this one! And those traitors who worked with him! Though the realm is vast, there's no place that will hold them! I'd like to see if anyone tries to start a rebellion after this!”
Zhang Que turned to look inside the carriage at Wang Chong.
Wang Chong said nothing. In fact, he slightly frowned upon hearing Zhang Que's words, faintly concerned.
He had heard all of the conversations going on outside. Although the Rebellion of the Three Princes was over, its effects were only just beginning to be felt, and a storm was already beginning to brew.
This isn't good! Wang Chong said to himself.
In the original timeline, the First Prince had started his rebellion and killed many people. Once the Sage Emperor was back in power, he started up an investigation and had another large batch of people executed to calm the furious public. Both killings had been extremely widespread, and countless elites of the empire had been lost.
Wang Chong clearly recalled that when that storm was at its fiercest, anyone who was connected to those traitors in even the slightest fashion, even if all they had done was deliver firewood or pay a visit to their home, would be dragged in.
Everyone had been panicked and fearful in this period, and more damage would be done in this time than the Rebellion of the Three Princes itself had caused. This was Wang Chong's greatest concern.
The anger of the people was understandable, but if it were not controlled and were simply allowed to fester, it would cause even greater harm.
The empire was showing signs of instability, and there was still another calamity to come. He needed to minimize the effects of this current matter so that it wouldn't end up crippling the Great Tang for the next crisis.
Buzz!
As Wang Chong was thinking to himself, the carriage suddenly shuddered to a halt. Wang Chong frowned and raised his head.
”The King of Foreign Lands? Is the King of Foreign Lands inside?” An excited voice came from in front of the carriage. A commoner had noticed the carriage and blocked its path.
Bang!
An uproar immediately broke out around Wang Chong's carriage.
”It's the King of Foreign Lands! The King of Foreign Lands is inside! Everyone, come here!” someone shouted, and an excited flood of people soon swamped his carriage.