Chapter 133.1 This Fake Is Real (1/2)
Chapter 133.1 This Fake Is Real (1/2)
To uphold the conscience of heaven and earth, secure life and fortune for the people, continue the lost teachings following the steps of past sages, and establish peace for all generations?
Zhu Yan’s jaw dropped. How can there be someone as thick-skinned and shameless as Wang Ke?
Wang Ke, what a bullsh*tter. How can this be coming out of your mouth?I have known you for so many years; do you think I’m not aware of your real character?The gall to say this!We can even leave out the distant past; let’s just focus on the time we were on the Divine Dragon Island. What the crap were you upholding for heaven and earth? You only knew how to play Mahjong and make money!You are not fit to say this!
Zhu Yan wanted to expose Wang Ke immediately, but his past experience on the island made him understand that he had to be careful when it came to dealing with Wang Ke. Although everything looked safe at the moment, he was worried that some righteous disciple would be lurking about, hiding among them. Wait, I need to wait a while longer, until Wang Ke finishes his round of bluffing and leaves this place alone. I can then follow him and go for the kill.
Not once did he believe Wang Ke’s words, but the hearts of those elderly officials had indeed been moved.
Do I still remember the bold ambitions of my younger self?It’s been so many years, and I’ve wasted my life away! Those ambitions are long gone! Some officials who failed to live up to their dreams wept miserably.
“Wang Ke, the Great Qing is no more. What’s the use of bringing up the past? The Great Qing is already dead!” The Vice-minister of Revenue sighed in grief.
Not only the latter, many other officials were at the moment unable to hold back their tears.
The Great Qing was no more.
No matter whether they did anything to help the state or its people, they mourned the overturning of an empire they had served their entire lives. The pain of the empire’s destruction and their dismal fate fueled their grief.
“Who said that the Great Qing Empire is over? As long as I, Wang Ke, am alive, the Great Qing will live on! The Great Qing Empire will last forever!” Wang Ke declared.
His voice interrupted everyone’s sobbing. All of them looked at Wang Ke in a daze.
“What did I just hear? The Great Qing is still alive?”
“Impossible. All the members of the royal family are dead. Only Zhu Yan is alive, but he joined an immortal sect. Immortal cultivators once told us that anyone who joins them has to cut off all ties in the secular world, and neither can they hold on to the throne in the Mortal Zone!”
The old officials shook their heads and said bitterly, “The Great Qing is long gone!”
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Zhu Yan’s eyelid twitched unstoppably at the moment, as he had a bad premonition. What is Wang Ke trying to do?Will he carry the whole Qing Empire on his shoulders?
Even I gave up, along with my emperor position. You’re now trying to save it?How are you going to do it?
Wang Ke replied, “Everyone, I’m not lying to you! Here’s the will of our previous emperor. I invited all of you to this event because I wanted to inform you of the situation! And to also tell you that the Great Qing is still alive; the empire shall continue to stand! The Great Qing still has an heir.”
“What? Zhu Yan’s will?” said the Vice-minister of Revenue in shock.
I… I didn’t write that! Zhu Yan thought as he looked at the scroll in Wang Ke’s hand.
“It wasn’t Zhu Yan, but Zhu Yan’s father himself! He left us a will back then!” Wang Ke said.
“Wang Ke, you said that the Great Qing still has an heir? Could the emperor have other sons?” asked the Vice-minister of Revenue, clearly astonished.
“Really? There still someone with a claim to the throne?” asked the other officials, similarly excited.
Zhu Yan looked at Wang Ke in shock. My father has an illegitimate son?How come I didn’t know it!
“Minister of Rites, why don’t you read this for us!” Wang Ke passed the imperial scroll to one of the old men.
The latter began to read aloud.
“I, the Emperor, know that I don’t have many days left. I leave this will of mine to be of timely help should my empire ever face the risk of breaking apart. The princes will fight for the throne after my death. If the immortal sects interfere and bring death to all of my sons, none of my kin would remain to inherit the throne… If that ever came to pass, the throne shall be given to Wang Ke! Wang Ke loves people like his children and cares for the world. His contribution to the Great Qing Empire is too much to be quantified! Under the above conditions, I, the Emperor, shall hand the throne to Wang Ke and make him the new Emperor of Great Qing! All my dear officials shall obey my will!”
Everyone was silent.
Zhu Yan’s eyes were round as saucers. He shouted, “Wang Ke, how shameless! How thick-skinned can you be, to actually forge such an edict! My father would have never written this! Loves people like his children? Cares for the world? You’re just trying to cover your face with gold! You’re a real piece of work! The edict is fake!”
He could not hold back anymore.
Damn it. This is my first time seeing someone take out a fake imperial edict!And in quite a grand way!
Zhu Yan could have exposed himself. But all the elderly officials were staring at Wang Ke at the moment, all their faces mirroring the former’s expression. No one took much notice of him.
“This black-robed man is a guard escorting the Vice-minister of Revenue, right? Well said. You are right! This imperial edict is fake! I wrote it this morning!” said Wang Ke with a nod.
“Uhh?” Zhu Yan’s face froze.
You have the gall to admit it?And you look very proud of yourself…How dare you! Damn it!
The elderly officials were about to risk their lives and pounce on Wang Ke, but everyone froze after hearing his admission.
“Everyone, if I were to say that this is a real edict… Would you attack me and tear me to pieces?” Wang Ke asked, looking at the old men.
“That’s right. We live as the Great Qing’s people and die as the Great Qing’s ghosts. We shall not tolerate you sullying our former Emperor!”
“That’s right, Wang Ke! The Emperor gave us a way to live; we shall be faithful to his ideals! We would rather die than have someone steal the Great Qing Empire!”
“Fake edict? Are you really thinking about passing it off as a real one? You would be looking down on our former Emperor!”
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The old men went on and berated the young man.
Wang Ke then glared at them and snapped back at them, “Hahaha! Live as the Great Qing’s people and die as the Great Qing’s ghosts? Well said! The Emperor gave us a way to live; we shall be faithful to his ideals! Looking down on our former Emperor? Well said! Fine, fine, fine. None of you fear death! Yet all of you are traitors to the empire!”
“What did you say?” Everyone stared back at him.
“Humph, what did I say?” Wang Ke asked gravely, “Let me ask you, the Great Qing Empire crumbled to pieces, and the military clans are currently fighting each other. Are you not aware of this?”
An old man replied, “Who doesn’t know of this? We have no way to help!”
Wang Ke questioned further, “The military clans are fighting each other and the people suffer. Aren’t you aware of this? We are experiencing a great drought this year. Natural disasters strike us endlessly; bones of dead people can be found by the roadside! And now? The military clans wage war against each other, causing countless civilian casualties. The entire empire is like a living hell, wouldn’t you say?”
“We… we cannot do anything!” another old man replied with a frown.
“Bullsh*t! You blame the military clans for waging war? Let me tell you, the commoners are suffering because of you!” said Wang Ke.
“Wang Ke, you…! You are turning matters upside down!” the group of old men retorted.
“I’m the one turning matters upside down?” Wang Ke continued asking, “Haha, let me ask you. If this imperial edict were actually real, would you abide by it? This would allow the Great Qing Empire to confirm its central power and pump out centralized commands to stabilize all territories and eradicate rebels as quickly as possible? Do these so that the common people can quickly settle down and live a peaceful life. Are you willing?”
“But yours is fake! It’s a fake edict! How can we abide by it?” the Vice-minister of Revenue objected.