Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors-Chapter 481 - 262: Who Says There Must Be a Prime Minister?_2

After Emperor Yingzong of Qi came to power, he indeed exiled those who were to be exiled and granted death to those who were to be killed, even though these people once held power during Emperor Qihui’s reign, and now they could not escape the cold reality of losing favor once they were no longer useful.

Even Tong Daofu could not avoid punishment despite his past achievements.

The reason for this was not necessarily that Emperor Yingzong wanted to reorganize the court or appease the grievances of the common people, but simply to use it as a pretext to eliminate the old ministers of Emperor Qihui from the court, so that he could consolidate more power for himself.

After removing these people, Emperor Yingzong promoted officials like Zhang Jingbang and Tang Qin. If he had been in power a little longer and hadn’t rushed into Jin Camp where he was detained, perhaps Qin Huizhi might have gained his favor.

These former ministers could have comfortably wreaked havoc on the nation under Emperor Yingzong’s rule, but the arrival of the Jin people shattered their dreams in an instant.

As a result, from top to bottom, these people naturally began to desperately plunder the city’s population according to Emperor Yingzong’s wishes.

Of course, how much of this was to cater to the higher-ups, and how much was out of sheer spinelessness, is difficult to say.

After all, when the Jin people departed, they intended to establish Zhang Jingbang as a puppet emperor, with Wang Shiyong as one of his capable generals, showing no bottom line. No matter how you looked at it, it seemed unrealistic for these two to entirely shift the blame onto Emperor Yingzong.

But at that moment, Prince Yun ascended the throne.

The two old ministers from Emperor Yingzong’s time naturally became anxious and restless.

They feared they would be purged by the new monarch just like Tong Daofu and other ministers from Emperor Qihui’s era.

Being dismissed from office was a minor matter, but if they were exiled or executed, then everything would truly be over.

"Prime Minister Zhang, what should we do now?" Wang Shiyong spread his hands, "Surely we’re not just going to sit around and wait for death?"

Zhang Jingbang pondered for a long time, then said, "Waiting for death is, of course, out of the question!

"The only solution at this time... should be to stand united with all the ministers in court, to advance or withdraw together."

Wang Shiyong blinked, "Stand united, advance or withdraw together?"

Zhang Jingbang nodded, "Exactly! Advance or withdraw together!

"The emperor has just ascended the throne and although his footing is not yet secure, he has the Western Army in his hand. Us ministers, if acting alone, simply cannot compete with him.

"Just like Minister Tang, who was executed right in court, what then?

"Afterward, the emperor needs only fabricate some charges, and no one will dare to question it.

"It’s like now, how the emperor uses the Wude Bureau to monitor your every move, trying to find some charges against you is simply too easy.

"In other words, the emperor’s casual chats with you are actually threats, letting you know that you are under his surveillance at all times! That means he can dispose of you at will!

"If you dare disobedience, Tang Qin will be your fate!"

Wang Shiyong turned pale, "But Prime Minister Zhang, why would advancing and withdrawing together ensure our safety?"

Zhang Jingbang responded, "Although the current situation is very unfavorable for us, there is one good aspect, which is that the previous emperor has already driven all those old-party ministers out!

"Consider, if Li Boxi were still around, the emperor could simply elevate Li Boxi to power and completely annihilate us all.

"But those major ministers led by Li Boxi have been demoted by the previous emperor. Now, everyone in the court is from our faction. Regardless of who served the previous emperor or who plundered for the Jin people, who among us could escape involvement?

"If the emperor decides to settle accounts, it would create a situation where everyone is in danger and widespread harm ensues.

"Therefore, only if we all unite and advance or withdraw together can we make the emperor hesitate. At least until the Jin troops retreat, we can all ensure our safety."

Wang Shiyong’s face looked a bit relieved as he realized, "What Prime Minister Zhang says makes sense! Although the emperor holds the Western Army, he ultimately still needs us for handling state affairs.

"If we do not cooperate with him, even if the emperor wants to replace us, it would not be possible to do so in haste.

"Plus, with the Jin threat still present, the emperor can only compromise with us for the time being.

"But... what if the Jin people retreat?"

Zhang Jingbang had already thought it through, "First of all, it’s not certain that the emperor can defeat the Jin people. Although the Western Army is strong, what was the outcome when Zhong Pingyuan advanced to the capital to rescue the king? As for the siege of Taiyuan, it was only because the emperor unexpectedly led the Western Army to support them that the Jin people were defeated. Otherwise, Zhong Pingyuan would have faced certain death.

"Right now, the Jin military is at its peak, with two large armies converging. If the emperor suffers a major defeat, we, as his officials, will still be of great use in negotiating peace, so we will naturally continue to be valued; if the emperor has both victories and defeats, and the situation becomes deadlocked, it will be difficult for him to move against us, and he will still need us to maintain the court and handle state affairs.

"Even in the worst-case scenario, if the emperor truly wins a great victory and the Jin people really retreat...

"It would still take a considerable amount of time. Once that period is over, it would not be easy for the emperor to settle old scores with us, and even if he were to charge us for other reasons later, the offenses could be considered less severe, preventing our total annihilation."

Wang Shiyong nodded in realization, "Prime Minister Zhang speaks wisely!"

After this analysis, Wang Shiyong understood that the only solution was to unite all the officials and find a way to render the new emperor’s decrees ineffective, thereby demonstrating their own power and forcing the new emperor to cooperate with them!

If these officials remained disorganized, then the new emperor would be able to kill whomever he wished.

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