ãYe Kuiliangâs announcement to abdicate and appoint Ye Yu as the new emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty was made during this morningâs court session.ã
ãAt that time, several people led by the eldest prince vehemently opposed it.ã
ãBut it was to no avail.ã
ãThe imperial decree had been issued, and the decision was final.ã
ãWhen Ye Yu, who was walking his dog in the outer city, heard the news, he was quite surprised.ã
ãWhatâs going on?ã
ãThe money sent by Grandpa Zhou Baiwan hadnât even been spent yet. And now youâre telling me the game is over?ã
ãUnable to make sense of it, Ye Yu decisively headed to the palace to ask Ye Kuiliang what was going on.ã
ãHis father was just over five hundred years old, in the prime of his life.ã
ãYe Yu couldnât believe that he would suddenly abdicate for no reason.ã
ãThere had to be some conspiracy!ã
ãYe Yu strode into the palace.ã
ãSuddenly, he saw ten princes kneeling outside the Yangxin Hall.ã
ãThey were all the princes who had not chosen to submit to Ye Yu.ã
ãYe Yu admired these people.ã
ãBecause it was only through constant rejection that he could squander even better.ã
ãIn fact, Ye Yu regarded these people as business clients. Relying on them, his talent for squandering was continuously triggered.ã
ãSo, facing the angry glares of the princes, Ye Yu completely ignored them and greeted them warmly.ã
ãYo, everyoneâs here!ã
ãThis remark made the princes even more furious.ã
ãIn their eyes, this was a way for the victor to mock the losers.ã
ãThe eldest prince, full of indignation, kowtowed towards the Yangxin Hall, shouting loudly: Ye Yu acts recklessly, even if he ascends to the throne, he will not be able to win the hearts of the people. Father, please retract the decree!ã
ãSoon, Chief Eunuch Sun Fu walked over, bowing.ã
ãThen he slapped the eldest prince.ã
ãSuch a scene stunned everyone present.ã
ãThis old traitor, has he defied the heavens?ã
ãSun Fu said in a deep voice: The former emperor decreed that the eldest prince Ye Kai has slandered the new emperor, a crime punishable by death.ã
ãBut considering the difficulty of the new emperorâs ascension and to avoid unnecessary killings, he is to be confined for ten years and receive a slap, carried out by Chief Eunuch Sun Fu.ã
ãAfter announcing the decree.ã
ãSun Fu immediately knelt in front of the eldest prince Ye Kai.ã
ãHe said in a low voice: Iâm sorry, this old servant is guilty, but I dare not disobey the former emperorâs orders.ã
ãThe eldest princeâs face turned deathly pale.ã
ãHe walked out of the palace in a daze.ã
ãThat slap had woken Ye Kai up; his spirit had dissipated, and he knew it was hopeless.ã
ãWhy would he continue kneeling here?ã
ãWith Ye Kaiâs departure, the other princes also understood that the situation was irreversible.ã
ãOne by one, they slowly rose to their feet.ã
ãSome even cupped their hands in salute to Ye Yu before leaving.ã
ãAlthough they said nothing, this gesture indicated their recognition of Ye Yu as the new emperor.ã
ãOnly the fifteenth prince, Ye Anming, remained kneeling.ã
ãHe roared at Ye Yu.ã
ãYou must have used some despicable means.ã
ãThatâs the only reason Father passed the throne to you, right?ã
ãToday, no matter what, I must see Father with my own eyes!ã
ãSun Fu hurriedly stepped forward and said: Fifteenth prince, please return. The former emperor ordered that no one except the new emperor is to be seen!ã
ãYe Anming shouted loudly: Impossible, absolutely impossible. Father loved me the most; how could he not see me?ã
ãYe Yu found this too noisy.ã
ãHe directly stepped forward and kicked Ye Anming in the face.ã
ãThe latterâs nose bled as he lay on the ground, looking at Ye Yu in disbelief.ã
ãYou dare to hit me?ã
ãYe Yu ignored Ye Anming and waved to Sun Fu: Take him away and give him a hundred slaps!ã
ãUnderstood!ã
ãSun Fu immediately agreed and then signaled to the nearby guards.ã
ãThe guards quickly stepped forward and dragged Ye Anming away.ã
ãSoon, the sound of slapping could be heard from outside, crisp and clear.ã
ãYe Yu then walked straight into the Yangxin Hall.ã
ãWhen he saw the figure sitting on the dragon throne, he could hardly believe his eyes.ã
ãYe Kuiliang, who was still in his prime just a few days ago, had now turned into a white-haired, withered old man.ã
ãSuch a drastic change was beyond anyoneâs expectations.ã@@novelbin@@
ãYe Yu hurriedly approached, asking what had happened.ã
ãYe Kuiliang smiled and said: Itâs an old injury from years of battles. I had been suppressing it, so no one noticed.ã
ãBut now, my time is near, and the old injury has naturally resurfaced.ã
ãI originally planned to have you ascend the throne after you had subdued all the princes.ã
ãBut now, I canât hold on any longer.ã
ãFrom now on, the Great Yong Dynasty is in your hands.ã
ãYe Kuiliang slowly stood up, vacating the throne, and gestured for Ye Yu to come closer.ã
ãYe Yu, with a solemn expression, walked forward and sat on the throne that everyone envied.ã
ãIn fact, ever since the competition for the crown prince began, Ye Yu had already figured some things out.ã
ãHe didnât need to resist the throne.ã
ãNo matter how wealthy his grandfather Zhou Baiwan was, he was just a rich merchant. How could he squander as easily as an emperor?ã
ãItâs just that Ye Yu didnât expect the process of obtaining the throne to be so smooth.ã
ãIt was truly like what was said decades ago, forging a path to the emperorâs throne with money.ã
ãThree days later.ã
ãYe Yu officially ascended the throne, declaring the new era as Mang! ã
(T/N; Mang (è½) often means ârecklessâ, and å½å·ä¸ºè½ means âreign titleâ a practice in imperialism where emperors would choose a name for their reign.)
ãThis proposal initially met with much opposition.ã
ãBut Ye Yu didnât care.ã
ãAmong the civil officials, a not-so-tall figure stepped forward.ã
ãThis was Sun Longhai, the first minister to pledge loyalty to Ye Yu.ã
ãDue to his meritorious service in supporting Ye Yu, his rank had risen from third class to first class.ã
ãSun Longhai, while grateful for his successful gamble, gave a determined look to Ye Yu on the dragon throne.ã
ãYour Majesty has treated me as a national scholar; I will repay Your Majesty as one.ã
ãSun Longhai immediately went into battle mode, transforming into the war god of the grand hall, verbally sparring with the scholars.ã
ãHis spittle flew from the front hall to the main gate.ã
ãWith his lead, many ministers who had also submitted to Ye Yu stepped forward.ã
ãWith overwhelming numbers, they successfully quashed the opposing voices.ã
ãThe proposal to name the new era Mang passed smoothly.ã
ãHowever, Ye Yuâs first decree nearly caused all the civil and military officials present to collapse on the spot.ã
ãâThe new emperorâs ascension is a great joy for the nation. Therefore, taxes will be exempted for three years, and every citizen of the Great Yong Dynasty will receive one tael of silver.ã
ãThis decreeâ¦ã
ãIt made the Finance Ministerâs face turn ashen as he fell to his knees, shouting, Your Majesty, you cannot do this!ã
ãOne tael of silver might seem little.ã
ãBut with millions of citizens in the Great Yong Dynasty, that amounts to millions of taels of silver, equivalent to half a yearâs taxes.ã
ãEven with the Great Yong Dynastyâs wealth, it couldnât sustain such expenditure!ã