coobybook Chapter 496 The Affairs of the Former Emperor
Chapter 496 The Affairs of the Former Emperor
After the farce of smashing the jade ended, Li Muyang stayed at the Jia residence for a meal before leaving.
Of course, before leaving, he privately gave Jia Zheng a few pointers.
I also learned a lot of secrets.
There was a reason why the Qianlong Emperor disliked the Jia family.
This involves the scandal of the former crown prince and princes. The reason why the current emperor Liu Yan succeeded to the throne is that his older brothers all died!
All the reliable ones are dead, so the late emperor can only let this one, who was originally not interested in being emperor, but was still quite reliable!
The Jia family had two dukes, the Rongguo Mansion and the Ningguo Mansion. Jia Jing of the Ningguo Mansion was ostensibly a man of the former crown prince, but in reality, he was an undercover agent planted by the former third prince.
As a result, because the late emperor was old and in poor health, and the third prince was ambitious, he actually accused the crown prince of rebellion. In a fit of anger, the late emperor wanted to summon the crown prince to the palace for questioning.
As a result, the crown prince, misled by his subordinates, actually rebelled!
The matter eventually escalated, and the crown prince died in the palace in a confused state.
The third prince also failed to ascend the throne. The late emperor had a bad temper and had no tolerance for such fratricide! Because he was old and wouldn't last long, the third prince's utterly immoral succession would likely mean that none of his other children or even relatives would survive!
Even if he were allowed to live, the late emperor would not tolerate him!
So, with a three-foot-long white silk ribbon, the Third Prince went down ahead to wait for the late Emperor!
Of course, officially, the Third Prince died of illness.
In the end, the second prince died young, and the fourth prince was a spoiled brat with a weak constitution, so the throne fell to Liu Yan, the fifth prince. The current emperor won without lifting a finger.
Having just returned from a trip to the martial world, Liu Yan was summoned to the palace by the late emperor and inexplicably became the crown prince, leaving him completely bewildered.
The throne! It's within easy reach!
As for Jia Jing, he did do something decent in the end! He brought back the daughter of the Crown Prince who had been left behind to the Ningguo Mansion, which can be considered a proper arrangement.
Yes, it's Qin Keqing!
Of course, the current emperor knows about this!
Jia Jing knew he was guilty of grave sins, and in order not to implicate the Jia family, he sought refuge in a Taoist sect. Not long after entering the sect, he took drugs and died.
But everyone who has read *Dream of the Red Chamber* knows Qin Keqing's ending! She had an ambiguous relationship with her father-in-law, Jia Zhen! After their affair, she hanged herself in Tianxiang Tower out of shame and indignation.
All I can say is that Jia Jing at least acted like a human being, while his son and grandson were not human at all!
The Dream of the Red Chamber describes Qin Keqing as having a flirtatious personality, but she faced a situation where her father-in-law, Jia Zhen, wanted to possess her, while her husband, Jia Rong, was afraid of his authority and didn't care about her at all. What could Qin Keqing do?
Does telling Grandmother Jia and Jia Zheng mean they'll take action? If this scandal gets out, she'll still die.
So he only committed suicide after something really bad happened, because there was no turning back.
The entire Jia family was unaware of Qin Keqing's background, including Qin Keqing herself and Jia Zheng.
Grandmother Jia might have guessed something, but she would never say it! Jia Zhen was even more aware of it! Even if Jia Jing didn't say it directly! This shows how utterly depraved that guy was!
The reason Li Muyang knew, or rather guessed, this information was naturally because he calculated it.
However, Emperor Liu Yan of the Great Qian Dynasty certainly knew Qin Keqing's identity, not only because he had investigated it, but also because Liu Yan had met Qin Keqing's mother.
The Crown Prince's lineage has been decimated due to the rebellion; some have died, others have been demoted to commoners, and still others have been exiled. All of this was ordered by the late emperor to ensure Liu Yan's secure throne.
Liu Yan faced his elder brother's orphan. Even though their relationship wasn't great back then, they were still brothers, so he naturally had to pay some attention to him. As long as they didn't rebel, the person couldn't die!
It can only be said that the Jia family was a mixed bag! They had so many "protective charms," yet they all went awry! If they had kept just one, they wouldn't have ended up having their property confiscated!
After settling Lin Daiyu in, Li Muyang breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to enjoy the New Year in peace.
He clearly just wanted to go back to his hometown to rest, but who knew he would encounter all these things? He had to go and kill a dragon, confront the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, and finally visit the Jia Mansion.
I'm destined to be a workaholic! I can never sit still!
On the Daqian side, the entire national government was mobilized. With Emperor Liu Yan speaking, who would dare not support him? The ministers also knew that Emperor Liu wanted to appoint Li Muyang as the Imperial Preceptor. At first, a few people had objections, mainly because Li Muyang's reputation was mostly in the martial arts world and among the common people, with little official credit.
Appointing someone as the Imperial Preceptor all at once is a bit too much.
Why don't we learn from the Tang Dynasty and establish an Imperial Observatory? Let Li Muyang be its director?
Liu Yan naturally overruled the objections and explained that Li Muyang had helped complete the method for establishing the Immortal Dynasty and Divine Kingdom, and even used the slaying of the Black Flood Dragon and questioning of the Four Seas Dragon Kings as credit. The most substantial achievement was that Li Muyang had exchanged a batch of precious treasures for the Great Qian Dynasty!
Treasures from all corners of the world! They're priceless and unavailable!
The ministers had no choice but to grant the title. After all, Li Muyang was just a national advisor. His behavior didn't suggest he was interested in vying for power, nor was he a follower of Confucianism, Buddhism, or Taoism. He wouldn't compete with them for a share of the officialdom. Besides, Old Li was a doctor.
Who would mess with a doctor with such excellent medical skills!
Some people, even those with sick family members, are already looking for opportunities to get to know Li Muyang!
Thus, on the mountain not far from the palace, a new residence for the Imperial Preceptor was being built in an orderly manner.
With productivity levels changing, construction speeds will naturally differ as well. We must trust the players' abilities! Considering the system, building a Grand Preceptor's Residence before the Lantern Festival (January 15th of the lunar calendar) is a reasonable approach!
These things are not of much concern to Li Muyang right now. He is just waiting for Daqian to show up on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and bring Daqian into the human world along the way.
The remaining tasks were the work of Liu Yan and the officials of the Great Qian Dynasty, such as selecting the candidate for the City God. It was impossible for Li Muyang to be responsible for everything, let alone such a small matter.
Yes, this is a matter that truly concerns the fate of the Great Qian Dynasty! The person chosen to be the City God must be utterly loyal to the Great Qian! This place cannot be a breeding ground for corruption! Compared to Li Muyang, who is unfamiliar with the situation among the common people of the Great Qian, it is naturally more suitable for someone from the imperial court.
Li Muyang had also told Liu Yan that the first batch of City Gods would definitely have to pass the test of humanity. If they could not pass the test of humanity, then they could not become City Gods. Therefore, their character and loyalty could not be faked.
Of course, it's okay if you falsify it; the worst that can happen is that the first batch won't be filled.
You can find someone to fill in the rest yourself.
Liu Yan and Li Muyang were well aware that such things were unavoidable unless they personally went to investigate each case on-site; otherwise, some would inevitably slip through the net.
The problem is, Li Muyang has the ability; he can easily create clones to conduct on-site investigations throughout the entire Daqian Dynasty!
But his position dictates that he cannot interfere too much! Even if Liu Yan trusts Li Muyang, Li Muyang cannot manage matters like the selection of the City God to the point where everyone has to personally oversee the process.
Liu Yan may not care, but Li Muyang cannot afford to ignore it.
The selection of the City God is no different from the imperial examination! You know, there's a term called "disciple of the emperor"! If all the City Gods are chosen by Li Muyang, then what is Liu Yan?
However, Liu Yan could only rely on recommendations from his ministers when selecting officials. He couldn't personally visit and investigate each person; he simply didn't have the time. So, he had to make do with what he had.
Hopefully, the ministers of the Great Qian Dynasty won't disappoint His Majesty the Emperor too much. (laughs)
Fortunately, this list was prepared before the Lantern Festival, otherwise the officials of the Great Qian Dynasty would probably have had to work overtime during the Spring Festival this year!
This is not something Li Muyang should worry about.
He was still paying New Year's visits, welcoming the God of Wealth, and welcoming the Kitchen God...
Li Muyang wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he always felt like there was cold sweat on the foreheads of the statues of the God of Wealth and the Kitchen God when he was worshipping them with his parents.
Since Li Yunfei and Xiao Xuanyan didn't react, they should be fine... right?
It's just a bow, no problem!
In a world where everyone cultivates immortality, these traditional customs inevitably have a large following. People of all ages and genders believe in them, and even those who don't believe in them still feel awe.
It's no secret that during this period, all sorts of sages have emerged in China, as if divine intervention has taken hold.
I heard that some people have gone to the Heavenly Court's mortal offices in various places to block the gods from kneeling and worshipping them.
When people start believing in gods, they can sometimes be quite fanatical!
After several busy days, Li Muyang finally had some free time and breathed a sigh of relief. This New Year holiday was really exhausting!
Li Yunfei and Xiao Xuanyan's annual leave was coming to an end, so they went back to work in the capital early, leaving only Li Muyang and the three women to stay in their hometown for the time being to spend the Lantern Festival with their grandparents.
This made Li Yunlong, the eldest uncle, wary. After seeing Li Yunfei and his wife off, he quietly called Li Muyang to his study and asked, "Muyang, what has happened recently?"
Li Muyang tilted his head, looking completely bewildered, and asked, "Which aspect is Uncle asking about?"
Li Yunlong stared intently at his nephew, who was feigning ignorance. After pondering for a long time, he finally spoke up: "Your parents aren't the type to go to work overtime early unless it's something important!"
Li Muyang covered his face, suppressing a laugh: "Uncle, that's a bit too hasty! What if?"
Li Yunlong said with a stern face, "Stop fooling around! We're talking serious business!"
"Although it seems like there's no problem and it's exactly the same as in previous years, I can sense that some of our official departments are acting like they have some kind of secret, and they're much more tense and serious than in previous years."
"And another thing! What does it mean that your dad suddenly changed my car? Don't try to change the subject! I can tell! He set up a lot of magic arrays and barriers in the new car that I've never seen before!"
"Most importantly! They both left! But you stayed! What happened? Do you think it will affect the family?"
Li Muyang clasped his hands in admiration and said, "Uncle, you truly deserve to be a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator! Your vision is indeed profound!"
Li Yunlong showed no joy at the praise, only an embarrassed blush creeping onto his face. He smiled wryly and said, "You're really good at exaggerating! I know exactly how I got to the Integration Realm! It's all thanks to the nation's fortune! You look like you've reached the Integration Realm... I bet you're more than that?"