The sun shone on the crowd, highlighting the look of confusion on their faces.
Without any order from Xiao Tianchi, several military commissioners immediately raised their voices and said,
"The sky in June is like a child's face. It's normal for the weather to change occasionally. If His Majesty were truly unworthy of his position as people claim, would the sky have cleared up?!"
"Exactly. We've only just learned about the continuous rainstorms, damaged water channels, and the raging floods in Cangzhou. We should be asking why the local officials in Cangzhou didn't report this major incident to His Majesty in the capital and take measures to rescue the people!"
"Since such a major incident occurred in Cangzhou, why didn't that man go to the local magistrate or the military commissioner of Cangzhou for help? Instead, he came to the capital to spread false rumors. His motives are despicable!"
Seeing that the crowd was starting to understand and snap out of their daze, the military commissioner of Hexi continued, "Look around. Is that man still here?"
The man covered in mud and wearing tattered clothes was nowhere to be seen!
It seemed that he had already left quietly after seeing the angry crowd charging towards the imperial carriage, thinking his mission was accomplished. Little did he know that the rain would stop within less than an hour, and the sky would clear up!
Thinking about their actions just now, the people on the scene couldn't help but feel scared.
Fortunately, the new emperor had ordered the guards not to harm the people. Otherwise, the scene would have been a bloodbath, leading to even greater trouble.
"Everyone, may I have a few words?"
Xiao Tianchi's voice came from the imperial carriage. The noisy crowd immediately fell silent.
"Before I ascended the throne, you all called me the Prince of Mu. I specifically requested the character 'Mu', which means peace and tranquility. I've always hoped for peace and prosperity in the world."
From the crowd, a bold commoner questioned, "If that's the case, why did you lead your troops into the capital, seize the imperial palace, and proclaim yourself emperor? Don't you know that this will cause chaos in the world?!"
Xiao Tianchi launched the coup d'état at night when most people were still asleep. When they woke up, there was a new emperor in Da Sheng, which took them by surprise.
It's true that this coup d'état didn't affect the people at all. Life went on as usual. But people are naturally curious. Since they had this opportunity today, why not ask for an explanation?
In the past, people wouldn't have dared to ask such questions. Xiao Tianye, the previous emperor, was very domineering. Whenever the imperial carriage passed by, people had to kneel on the ground and couldn't stand up or look directly at the emperor.
Under the strong pressure of imperial power, fear and submission to the emperor had become an instinct for the people.
But Xiao Tianchi used to be the Prince of Mu. He often walked around the city and sometimes stopped to talk to the people. He always had a smile on his face. Even after he became the emperor, he didn't make the people feel afraid. This was also the reason why those people were arranged to stir up trouble in the crowd just now.
Xiao Tianchi sighed,
"They say family scandals should not be made public, especially those of the royal family. But if I had hidden the truth, innocent people might have died unjustly, and the real culprits would have gone unpunished."
"Some time ago, by the order of the late emperor, I, along with the Prince of Xuan and the Prince of Ning, went south to investigate the assassination of the crown prince in Ningzhou. Not long after we arrived in Dongli Town, Cangzhou, the body of the crown prince was washed ashore. At that time, all the evidence pointed to the body being that of the crown prince. To ensure a proper burial for the crown prince, I escorted the body back to the capital."
Xiao Tianchi calmly revealed the inside story to the crowd.
"However, when I reached Jizhou, I received a letter from the Prince of Ning in Dongli Town. The Prince of Ning told me that there was more to the crown prince's death. The Prince of Xuan had bribed bandits to murder the crown prince. He had also been oppressed by the Prince of Xuan for a long time, and many of his achievements had been stolen."
"Even worse, the Prince of Xuan spread rumors about the crown prince and the late empress, falsely accusing me of having an affair with the late Empress Shen. And the late emperor - my elder brother - actually believed these rumors and even issued an edict to depose the empress and send her to the cold palace. But when Empress Shen married the late emperor and gave birth to the crown prince, I was sent by the Prince of Chu to suppress bandits far away from Lingyang. How could the crown prince possibly be my descendant?"
To listen to the story, the surroundings were very quiet, so Xiao Tianchi's words clearly reached everyone's ears.
"The late emperor misunderstood me deeply. If I had returned to the capital with that body, would I still be alive?"
"If the late emperor had been clear - headed and stopped and punished the Prince of Xuan in time, Da Sheng might still have been saved. But instead, he unjustly deposed the empress. When I led my troops into the imperial palace, he abandoned his wife, Empress Shen, and fled with Concubine Feng alone, fully committing the act of favoring his concubine and neglecting his wife, forcing Empress Shen to commit suicide."
A heavy sigh came from the golden imperial carriage.
"If the emperor treats his wife and legitimate son who have shared weal and woe with him like this, and if everyone in the world follows his example, won't families fall apart and the world be in chaos?"
"So, I launched the coup d'état and ascended the throne. It was truly a last - resort move. If I hadn't rebelled, I would be the one dead now."
"Don't worry, everyone. Since I'm now the emperor of Da Sheng, I will always keep the people's hardships in mind. After the grand sacrifice ceremony, I will send people south to Cangzhou to control the floods and help the people there rebuild their homes as soon as possible."
"I will also lead by example, recite scriptures every day to pray for the affected people, use the treasury silver to buy grain, and send elite soldiers to escort it all the way to ensure that it reaches the affected people and that every commoner can have enough to eat."
He stopped there and didn't say more. Finally, he left them with this, "I've had all the evidence I just mentioned posted on the imperial notice board. If you have time, you can go and take a look for yourselves."
After saying that, he raised his hand and said to the guards beside him, "Alright, continue on to the altar for the sacrifice."
Although the dark clouds in the sky hadn't completely dispersed, the rain had stopped. The rumors spread by the trouble - maker were self - refuted. Coupled with the impact of what Xiao Tianchi had said, no one tried to stop the imperial carriage this time. The golden carriage smoothly made its way towards the altar.
After Xiao Tianchi left, the people immediately rushed towards the imperial notice board. Sure enough, the two case files written by Xiao Wuchen himself were posted there.
Although the case files detailed the inside story of the crown prince's assassination in Ningzhou, the same handwriting but different signatures made people suspicious. Naturally, the credibility of what Xiao Tianchi had said increased.
"The Prince of Xuan must have been so bold because the late emperor favored his concubine and neglected his wife, which gave him the ambition to kill the crown prince and take his place."
"So, the late emperor was such a selfish and cruel man! The empress had accompanied him for so many years, but he sent her to the cold palace just because of some unfounded rumors. He's really despicable!"
"Alas, the empress is so pitiful. She must have been heart - broken when she learned that the late emperor had fled with the noble concubine and left her in the cold palace unattended, which is why she committed suicide."
"The crown prince and the empress are both pitiful people. Sigh..."
The area in front of the imperial notice board was crowded with people. Everyone was talking about the royal secrets. The tragic fates of the empress and the crown prince quickly spread to everyone's ears and were then brought back home by the people to be told to their relatives and friends.
The spy hiding in the dark, seeing that he couldn't stir up trouble among the people with rumors, gritted his teeth in annoyance. He immediately left the capital quietly and released several carrier pigeons.