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The rest of the council hall was filled with veteran officials of the feudal states.
As Pang Yukun’s words fell, everyone looked at Xiao Ming. The Prince of Yong and the Prince of Huainan were indispensable to this smooth victory.
At this moment, Pang Yukun’s proposal to reclaim the feudal lords’ military power surprised the generals somewhat. Most of them were straightforward by nature, and for them, the Prince of Yong had been meritorious and faultless this time.
However, as generals, they could not participate in political affairs, as this was an iron rule set by Xiao Ming for the army.
“Senior Grand Secretary Pang, I know you are devoted to the country, but sometimes haste makes waste. The matter of the Prince of Yong is a royal matter, and I will resolve it in a royal manner,” Xiao Ming said tactfully.
Pang Yukun nodded upon hearing this. He was indeed a bit impatient. After Prince Zhao’s capture, he had been pondering strategies to weaken the feudal lords. For him, as long as the feudal lords of the Great Yu Empire were not eliminated, the country would never truly be at peace.
Having sidestepped the issue, Xiao Ming stood up and said, “I have seen the merits of all of you in this Western expedition. I have already drafted a list of commendations, and I will personally announce it during the morning court session in a few days.”
Lu Fei and the other generals were delighted. They had been somewhat worried about Niu Ben’s situation earlier, but Xiao Ming’s words immediately put their minds at ease.
After saying this, Xiao Ming prepared to leave, but then Niu Ben suddenly said, “Your Majesty, I have one more matter to report.”
“Speak.”
“As soon as I returned to Qingzhou Province, I received a report from Lei Ming. According to Lei Ming, the frequency of barbarian scouts appearing in the past two days has increased significantly, and barbarian scouts even shot a letter into Shanhai Pass during the night.” Niu Ben’s expression became somewhat angry.
“The barbarians are now withdrawing their troops from Goryeo precisely to focus on dealing with the Great Yu Empire. After all, we swiftly captured the Princes of Liang and Zhao one after another, which completely disrupted their plans and prevented them from taking advantage of the situation.”
Thinking of the letter Niu Ben mentioned, he asked, “What letter?”
Niu Ben seemed to find it difficult to speak, saying with difficulty, “Your Majesty, I dare not say.”
“What’s there to be afraid of saying?” Xiao Ming frowned. “When did you become so indecisive?”
Not only Niu Ben, but the expressions of Lu Fei and others were also very strange. After a moment of hesitation, Niu Ben took out a piece of cloth covered in writing from his bosom.
“The barbarian scouts said this was what their Khan demanded to be handed over to Your Majesty.” Niu Ben presented the cloth strip to Xiao Ming.
Picking up the cloth strip, Xiao Ming glanced at it, and his chest instantly surged with anger, almost bursting. He furiously threw the cloth strip away and cursed, “These barbarian vile creatures, akin to beasts, I will surely reduce them to ashes!”
Pang Yukun was somewhat puzzled. He picked up the cloth strip and looked at it. It read: “Great Yu, a despicable nation. From your Son of Heaven down to your common people, you are nothing but rats! Hiding behind your city gates and strategic passes is hardly a heroic act. How dare you call yourselves a superior nation? Why not call yourselves ‘Son Emperor’ to this Khan, lest war breaks out and I take your dog lives!”
“This is utterly arrogant! Your Majesty, I am willing to lead troops with General Niu Ben to suppress these barbarian foreigners.”
Pang Yukun trembled with rage. In his heart, Xiao Ming’s status was special. Anyone who dared to insult Xiao Ming in front of him, he would fight to the death.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Ming said, “This is a cunning trick of the barbarians, meant to enrage me and make me rashly attack the grasslands. The former Emperor also encountered such petty tricks. It’s been decades, and these barbarians still haven’t improved.”
Pang Yukun sighed and said, “Your humble servants are incompetent, allowing Your Majesty to suffer such humiliation.”
Although Xiao Ming was angry, he knew that impulsiveness was the devil. The more unscrupulous the barbarians were, the more it proved that they were desperate now.
Only insecure enemies would resort to such despicable means. For him, who was gradually gaining the upper hand, he only needed to wait for the opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to the enemy.
“All you beloved ministers, do not blame yourselves. If it benefits the nation, one should sacrifice their life; how can one avoid it for fortune or misfortune? What is this small grievance to me? I only hope that all of you, my beloved ministers, can work with me to revitalize the Great Yu Empire and return today’s humiliation in the future.”
As he spoke, Xiao Ming exuded an aura of grandeur.
Pang Yukun showed a look of shame upon seeing this. He suddenly knelt down and said to Xiao Ming, “Your Majesty, I am guilty.”
“What do you mean, Senior Grand Secretary Pang?” Xiao Ming looked puzzled.
Pang Yukun prostrated himself and wept loudly, “Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, my selfish desires have grown day by day. For my own self-interest, I constantly excluded old officials from Chang’an, and in official appointments, I mostly used my own people. I even selfishly opposed Your Majesty’s decree to abolish the four classes of society, disregarding its benefits to the Great Yu Empire. For all these things, I deserve to die ten thousand times over.”
“If it benefits the nation, one should sacrifice their life; how can one avoid it for fortune or misfortune!” Pang Yukun recited. When Xiao Ming recited this sentence with a serious expression, a long-forgotten sentiment surged within him. Was this not what he had once pursued? Yet now, his eyes were blinded by self-interest, completely ignoring his original aspirations.
Not only Pang Yukun, but the generals in the council hall also lowered their heads in shame. Lu Fei said, “Your Majesty, I am also guilty. In the past, I fought for the country and for the common people, but now I fight solely for military merits. I am truly ashamed.”
“I am also guilty.”
“I am also guilty.”
“…”
The generals knelt one by one behind Pang Yukun.
Xiao Ming was momentarily stunned. His biggest worry these days had been the change in these people’s mindsets. Sometimes, in the council hall, he saw Pang Yukun almost becoming a copy of Fei Ji.
His original intention in heavily relying on Fei Ji was not to counterbalance Pang Yukun, but to stabilize the powerful families and old officials. However, Pang Yukun’s performance increasingly disappointed him, which is why he had a backup plan. After all, what he least wanted to see was his own cultivated officials eventually being assimilated.
“No one is perfect; who can be without fault? To make a mistake is human, to reform is divine.” Xiao Ming smiled. He still remembered what Pang Yukun told him five years ago, that for the sake of the country, he was willing to go through fire and water. “As long as Senior Grand Secretary Pang can continue to assist me with all his might in the future.”
His single sentence today causing Pang Yukun to suddenly awaken was beyond his expectation.
However, he always looked only at the results, not the process. If Pang Yukun, the officials, and the generals reunited their hearts with him, that would naturally be a great blessing.
Because for him, he needed neither reformers nor conservatives, for no matter who prevailed, it would lead to the imperial court being controlled by one faction.
For example, in the late Ming Dynasty, after the Eunuch Party fell, the Donglin faction that came to power was equally troublesome.
His ultimate goal was still to have each minister perform their duties, and to have no factional disputes in the imperial court.
Pang Yukun stood up and bowed, saying, “Your Majesty, I hereby make a military pledge. If I ever again, for my own selfish gain, disrupt Your Majesty’s reforms, I will personally take off this official attire and go home to farm.”