Chapter 212: Country Name Tianwu
Qi Rongrong shrank back and opened her mouth to say something else.

Fu Zhonghai suppressed his anger and said, "You and the royal family have bullied me to this extent. I am sparing your lives only for An'er's sake."

"Since the new emperor has abdicated, he should enjoy the honor and respect."

"Don't say anything more, otherwise..." I was afraid I couldn't help it.

Qi Rongrong quickly pursed her lips: It’s good to be alive.

She turned her head and looked at the new emperor.

The new emperor was looking at Fu Chenan: "Master... Brother An... I will be obedient, please..."

He didn't say the rest, but everyone knew what he wanted to say.

He doesn't want to abdicate.

He had just become emperor and hadn't even spent the night yet!

Fu Chenan didn't respond.

Fu Chen looked at Qi Rongrong quietly.

Qi Rongrong lowered her head in embarrassment and guilt, avoiding Fu Chenan's sight.

Fu Chenan's eyes flashed with disappointment, and his tone became even more stern: "Your Majesty, please write an edict of abdication."

The hope in the new emperor's eyes dimmed, and he knew that his two-hour journey as emperor had come to an end.

When Fu Zhonghai appeared in the Qianqing Palace again, the civil officials were so frightened that they became numb. They leaned or sat with their eyes half closed, like fish left on the shore waiting to die.

When they saw the palace gate open and Fu Zhonghai and his son walked in wearing blood-stained armor, everyone fell silent.

The dust has settled outside, now it's the turn of the inside...

Fu Zhonghai walked straight to the top and raised the imperial edict in his hand: "The traitor killed the late emperor. Although I killed the traitor to avenge the late emperor, I was powerless to save the situation. The late emperor eventually died of his injuries."

"Before his death, the late emperor was grateful for the loyalty of the Fu family and left a will to restore the Fu family's reputation."

All the officials in the palace: ...

They should oppose such a statement that is full of loopholes.

But seeing the blood-soaked armor of the Fu father and son, they didn't dare.

Fu Zhonghai took out another imperial edict: "Your Majesty feels that he is too young to take charge of the overall situation, so he abdicated the throne to me. I cannot refuse, so I have to accept this important task."

Wait, didn’t the previous imperial edict say that the Fu family was full of loyal heroes?

How come the last imperial edict was followed by the abdication edict? !
Everyone in the world believed that the commander of the Fu family army, who was loyal to the emperor and patriotic, actually became the emperor? !

this! ! !
The remaining civil officials and young princes were all stunned, looking at Fu Zhonghai as if they had never known this man before.

One looks at the other: This is not right, do you want to object?
Look at this: If you can do it, go ahead, don’t look at me, I want to live.

Among all the ministers in the palace, there was not a single loyal and steadfast minister who dared to stand up and oppose Fu Zhonghai's two contradictory imperial edicts.

After a strange moment of silence, a voice rang out from the crowd: "Long live the emperor..."

When one person takes the lead, there will immediately be a second, a third...

Others also knelt down and shouted "Long live the emperor".

Fu Chenan looked at the scene in front of him and knew clearly: his father’s goal had been achieved!
Fu Zhonghai was very satisfied. He nodded slightly towards the people below with a cold tone.

"From now on, please do your part. If you find it difficult to do it, just tell me and I will give you a decent answer."

What decency?
Is it a decent way to die?

Or retire gracefully? !

The ministers were horrified, and they all kowtowed and answered in unison: "Yes!"

Within one day, the throne changed hands twice.

Shock the world!

No one expected that Fu Zhonghai would ignore the evaluation and contempt of the people of the world, brazenly ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor, changing the country's name to Tianwu and announcing it to the world!

As the only son, Fu Chen'an was named Crown Prince and temporarily in charge of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works.

When the new emperor came to the throne, the first thing he did was to settle the young emperor who abdicated.

The young emperor who was enthroned was named King Ping'an, and the Queen Dowager Qi remained the Queen Dowager Qi.

The mother and son stayed in Qinghui Palace to recuperate.

The second thing is to fill the vacancies in the court.

When the upper carrots are pulled out, the lower carrots will be moved up. Only when everyone performs their duties can the court function normally.

Most of the military generals in the court died in this battle, leaving many positions vacant.

More than a dozen veteran generals from the former Fu family army were brought in and finally qualified to stand in the Golden Palace and hold court.

The generals who had gone to the Fu family army from the camp outside Beijing also got several important vacancies.

For a time, a large number of generals who were tempered in war emerged in the Fu family army.

The Fu family army was full of joy and excitement. Following His Majesty to conquer the country was indeed very rewarding!

The third step, of course, is to win the hearts of the people.

At the next morning court session, in the Golden Palace where the blood stains had just been washed clean, Emperor Tianwu Fu Zhonghai issued his third decree: the people in all regions would be exempted from taxes for one year.

Anyone who reclaims wasteland and cultivates land will be exempt from tax for three years, and after three years, a 10% tax will be levied.

From now on, all farming people will only be charged 10% tax.

The taxes paid by merchants are also half of what they were before!
The people were in an uproar!

In the past, they had paid 30% tax. In the past two months, the treasury was empty, and the emperor ordered the tax to be increased to 50%...

Some people who had lost their livelihood even chose to hang themselves.

Ordinary farmers can only avoid starvation by living frugally.

But the new emperor didn't collect taxes for a year after taking office?!
The Minister of Revenue, You Huaizhong, strongly opposed it and cried bitterly.

"Your Majesty, the treasury is empty. If we don't collect taxes for a year, the people can get by, but how will we support the army? And the imperial harem..."

Fu Zhonghai sat at the head of the table and said in a gentle voice, "You Qingjia's words make sense. So, if taxes are to be levied, how much do you think should be levied?"

You Huaizhong said without hesitation: "The national treasury is empty, and the military salaries have not been paid for several months. And the court's salary has not been paid for a month..."

"At least we need to collect 30% tax, the same as before, to support it..."

Fu Zhonghai nodded slowly: "In other words, the You family feels that if they don't collect taxes for a year, the court won't be able to survive, right?"

You Huaizhong felt something was wrong.

But he had said this, so he could only grit his teeth and nod: "Yes!"

The voice above was still calm: "You Huaizhong is old and no longer able to share your worries. He is ordered to retire and return home. Cui Chaoyong, a doctor in the Ministry of Revenue, will take over as the Minister of Revenue."

This one sentence left all the civil and military officials in the court dumbfounded.

If I can't fulfill His Majesty's request, I will retire and return home?!

But even Cui Chaoyong can't meet this requirement, right?

It’s hard for a clever woman to make a meal without rice!

The other civil officials knelt down and pleaded for You Huaizhong out of sympathy.

Everyone said: You Huaizhong is only in his fifties, the right age to get things done. He has been working diligently for the country and the people over the years, and he does have his own difficulties...

Fu Zhonghai did not refute them, but just looked at the leader of the imperial guards, Dai Zhifang.

"Commander Dai, take your men to Shangshu You's house to see what's going on in the residence of Shangshu You, who is in charge of the Ministry of Revenue and said the treasury is empty."

"If life is really difficult, I will give him the gold and jade mountain in my bedroom as a reward."

The officials were shocked: Does this mean they want to confiscate our property?!

You Huaizhong kowtowed to the ground with a loud bang, feeling ashamed and angry: "I have devoted my life to the country, but I did not expect to end up like this. I have a clear conscience, late emperor, I am here..."

He got up and ran into the pillar.

Dai Zhifang seemed to have expected this, and in one quick step he grabbed You Huaizhong by the back of his neck and pulled him to his side.

"Your Majesty, Minister You's wife and children returned home with their belongings seven days ago."

Everyone suddenly realized: No wonder You Huaizhong dared to threaten by banging his head against the pillar, it turned out that his wife and children had already been sent away!

But Dai Zhifang's subsequent words made You Huaizhong feel as if he had fallen into an icy cave.

Dai Zhifang added: "I have ordered people to seize the boxes, objects and people, and the list of property has been handed over to Lu Daban..."

After Dai Zhifang finished speaking, Lu Daban handed over a list of intercepted property and people.

Emperor Fu Zhonghai didn't answer and directly ordered: "Read!"

(End of this chapter)