94: Hand over the family tree and I will call out your names one by one!

“This old subject has followed the previous Emperor in campaigns across the north and south since childhood, experiencing fifty-one battles, large and small. With abundant combat experience, I am willing to be the vanguard, to clear away all rebels and traitors for Your Majesty. Furthermore, to demonstrate my loyalty, I am willing to bring my entire family, young and old, to the battlefield, just to prove to Your Majesty the loyalty of my whole family to Great Wu.”

“My loyalty to Your Majesty is witnessed by the sun and moon, and proven by heaven and earth!”

A white-haired old general knelt on one knee, requesting to bring his entire family, young and old, to the expedition. Even his great-grandson, who had just turned one month old, was to shed his blood for Great Wu.

The Great Wu Empress nodded in satisfaction upon seeing this.

“Good! Esteemed Minister Qin truly has a heart; he is even willing to bring his entire family, young and old, to the battlefield. But I remember Esteemed Minister Qin’s great-grandson just turned one month old…”

“Born a Great Wu person, dying a Great Wu soul. Since he was reincarnated into my Old Qin family, he was branded with loyalty to the monarch and patriotism from birth. If he dies on the battlefield, then this is his destiny. To die for the country, even in death, is glorious!”

General Qin’s voice trembled, and he heavily knocked his head on the ground, burying his head between his legs.

Beside him, the old generals who were familiar with him could clearly see his slightly upturned lips.

“Damn it! You shameless fellow!”

“Shameless scoundrel! Old villain!”

“I originally thought those civil officials were shameless, but I didn’t expect you, a martial official with thick eyebrows and big eyes, to be so shameless too!”

“You talk about taking your entire family, young and old, to escape in such a noble way, even saying ‘witnessed by the sun and moon, proven by heaven and earth.’ Where’s your face? You’ve truly lost all shame!”

When these subjects saw him pull off such a brazen move, their minds became active.

“Thump, thump, thump…”

All the old ministers in the court knelt down.

Their kowtows echoed loudly.

“This subject is also willing, like General Qin, to bring my entire family, young and old, to fight to the death with the rebels. We will not return until the enemy is defeated!”

“It was Great Wu that raised me, it was Great Wu that gave me the space to display my talents. Ah! I love Great Wu! This old subject is willing to bring my entire clan to the front lines, just to prove to Your Majesty that my entire clan are loyal and patriotic individuals.”

“Your Majesty, there is no need to divide troops for me. I only need the authority to recruit soldiers, and I can call upon my fellow villagers from ten miles around to bring their own dry rations and weapons to the front lines to save the country!”

“Your Majesty, this old subject is willing to exchange all my family’s assets for the opportunity for my entire clan to go to war!”

“…”

Originally, the Female Emperor Wu Yue thought these old ministers had no loyalty or patriotism, but she didn’t expect them to be such honest people.

It’s just… something felt off!

“Prime Minister, why are you joining in the fun?”

“And you, Minister of Justice, you want to go to the front lines too?”

“Deputy Minister of Hongru Temple, how does the war situation on the front lines concern you?”

“I say, what are you civil officials doing, not attending to court matters, but all scrambling to go to the front lines?”

Facing the Female Emperor’s questions to the civil officials.

The Prime Minister was the first to step forward: “This old subject, when young, also offered strategies to the previous Emperor to recover the land. Now that the nation faces peril, I, I cannot eat or sleep peacefully. I am willing to be a strategist on the front lines, not a mere observer in the Prime Minister’s mansion!”

The Great Wu Empress’s gaze fell upon a historian, who immediately spoke in defense: “Your Majesty, as a historian, it is very reasonable for me to go to the front lines to record the true battlefield, isn’t it? As for bringing my entire family to the front lines? This is not because I’m afraid of not being able to record everything; it’s just that more people mean more helpers to record history.”

The Minister of Justice felt the Female Emperor’s gaze, stiffened, and immediately said: “This old subject is proficient in various interrogation methods, and will surely be able to obtain relevant information from the many captives.”

Thereafter, no matter which civil official it was.

They all gave reasonable explanations for going to the front lines.

Wu Yue always felt that something was amiss, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She only thought that these old ministers had their pitiful self-esteem stimulated by the female generals who were about to go to war, which was why they were acting so enthusiastically.

So.

She waved her hand: “Then let it be as you proposed!”

After the court session, these ministers practically ran home to pack their luggage, summon their retainers, and rush to the front lines.

They didn’t want to stay for another moment.

And the actions of these ministers also caused a stir in the capital. Many people felt that the sky of Great Wu… was about to change.

They fled the capital one after another, heading to other places.

...

Shanhai Pass, General’s Mansion.

In the main hall.

Li Tian Ce, in a bright Dragon robe, sat on a Dragon chair carved from golden nanmu wood.

To his right was Chu Mo, in a Daoist robe, with an otherworldly aura.

The two sat side by side, causing the officials who had just rushed from the imperial court to pledge allegiance to Li Tian Ce, on both sides, to discuss animatedly.

“Who do you think that Daoist is, sitting equally with the Imperial Prince? What right does he have to sit equally with the Imperial Prince?”

“Imperial Prince? He’s already donned the yellow robe, don’t let others hear you, or you might lose your head.”

“To be able to sit equally with His Majesty, he must have rendered service in saving the Emperor. Do you think he will be enfeoffed as a King with Equal Standing in the future?”

“I doubt it! When the cunning rabbit dies, the hounds are cooked; when the flying birds are gone, the good bow is put away. The more glorious he is now, the more tragic his end will be, after all, how can others snore beside one’s bed?”

“I don’t think so. Most likely, this Daoist will be enfeoffed as the Imperial Protector!”

“…”

The officials whispered.

Li Tian Ce and Chu Mo remained silent.

With their hearing, they naturally heard every word these people said.

Gradually, everyone felt the atmosphere in the hall was very strange, and they stopped making noise.

“Are you all done talking?” Li Tian Ce looked at them expressionlessly.

The officials remained silent.

They looked at their noses, then their mouths, then their hearts.

The bird that sticks out gets shot.

They still understood this principle.

“You all abandoned Great Wu and came to pledge allegiance to My Great Tang. I must say, your choice was very wise! My Great Tang has just been established, and it is precisely the time to employ talent. All esteemed ministers, you have come at an urgent time!”

The officials repeatedly waved their hands, humbly saying: “Not at all, not at all. Your Majesty is of the previous Emperor’s Bloodline, and is also the legitimate heir, truly a Dragon Son of Heaven. How could we be so blind as to follow the demonic empress and act against Your Majesty?”

“Mm.” Li Tian Ce nodded in satisfaction, “Since that is the case, are all esteemed ministers willing to recommend the talented individuals in your families to manage this land for Me?”

Upon hearing this, the officials’ eyes immediately lit up.

The opportunity to have their entire families gain merit by following the Dragon had arrived!

Without Li Tian Ce even needing to speak, they eagerly vied to announce who in their families could hold what positions.

Beside them, Chu Mo, sitting on a white jade chair, picked up his teacup and took a light sip.

These people were seeking merit by following the Dragon, unaware that they were stepping, one by one, into an abyss.

When Li Tian Ce was sent out to make a marriage alliance, few ministers were willing to speak up for him, and no one was willing to risk their entire family being beheaded to help him ascend to the throne.

Now that he had a large army, they came to surrender?

Too late!

“I know that most of you esteemed ministers are from aristocratic families, and even if not, you are all related to them! Now, the nomadic tribes of the grasslands have submitted to Me, and the formidable passes on the border all bow to My heavenly might. However, My Great Tang, despite having vast territories, lacks capable talent to govern it. Therefore, I intend to adopt a feudal system, based on aristocratic families, to enfeoff lands and help Me jointly govern the world.”

At these words.

Everyone present widened their eyes, seemingly unable to believe their ears.

Enfeoff aristocratic families?

This, this, this…

A monarch of later generations actually wanted to adopt a feudal system to govern the world! A ‘Genius’, absolutely a ‘Genius’!

These people were already ecstatic beyond measure, but their facial expressions remained unchanged, showing no hint of it.

However, they were still worried that Li Tian Ce was testing them, so they tentatively said: “Your Majesty, although the feudal system is beneficial for governance, its drawbacks…”

Li Tian Ce waved his hand, “I don’t care about any drawbacks. The territory is too vast, and enfeoffment is imperative. Now, present all your family genealogies. I want someone to meticulously compile a list to arrange suitable enfeoffment lands for all esteemed ministers.”