"Is this what you call democracy?"
"This is nothing but coercion!"
A minister, refusing to accept this, stepped forward to challenge him. Jia Lingyun waved his hand. Several Imperial Guard members stepped out from the ranks, blades in hand, dragged the man out, and stabbed him to death before the entire assembly!
"Ah!"
*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*
The shrill, agonizing screams and the sound of blades piercing flesh made the other ministers turn their heads away in horror. The man's chest had been shredded to pieces, and a heavy, metallic scent of blood began to permeate the hall.
No one dared to call Jia Lingyun bold or reckless anymore, because he had already proven just how bold and reckless he could be.
Seeing that things had taken a turn for the worse, the more observant officials tried to slip away to report the situation to the Grand Preceptor, Long Gu. At this point, only the Grand Preceptor’s intervention could stop the situation from spiraling further.
However, they found the doors to Qinzheng Hall tightly shut, and the perimeter was already surrounded by the Imperial Guard, sealed off so tightly not even a drop of water could get through!
"Ah!"
"I... I just wanted to go to the privy!"
*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*
Before the official trying to escape could retreat, he was seized by the Imperial Guard and stabbed to death!
Jia Lingyun said coldly, "I had hoped to get along with you all as an ordinary man, but all I got in return was alienation. I’m done pretending. I’m showing my cards: the position of Prime Minister is mine, and I am determined to have it!"
The faces of everyone in the hall changed. He was demanding the premiership out in the open!
"Lawless... simply lawless..."
"He kills without a second thought. The fool... not only a fool... he's gone mad!"
"This is... this is preposterous!"
"Even when Jia Tu was alive, he wasn't this arrogant!"
"Master Huang, hold your tongue!"
"Sigh..."
These "loyal subjects" of Dawei whispered among themselves, full of righteous indignation and boiling rage, though, in truth, their voices were quieter than the sound of Jia Ruoxiang passing gas! While they vented their dissatisfaction to one another, they were already moving toward the side that supported the motion.
"As long as the green hills remain, there’s no need to fear a lack of firewood. We shall compromise with this traitor for now!"
Seeing that some were still standing on the side of opposition, Jia Lingyun chuckled.
"I wanted to see just how strong the backbone of Dawei truly is. The time for a cup of tea has passed. Second Brother, order the Imperial Guard to do their work."
Jia Yi wore a look of concern. "Third Brother, if we continue this slaughter, won't it only increase the ministers' hatred toward us? With Father newly deceased, we should be winning them over!"
Jia Lingyun replied indifferently, "Second Brother, you overestimate the mettle of these men. They only revere the strong; they have no sympathy for the weak. Winning them over is out of the question, but we can make them submit! Democracy will always remain in the hands of the strong."
Jia Yi was deeply worried and hesitated to give the order to the Imperial Guard. "If we keep killing like this, we will surely incur the wrath of both heaven and men! Among these people are disciples of Grand Preceptor Long Gu and confidants of General Dian Chu. If you keep killing indiscriminately, you will drag them all into this mess!"
Jia Lingyun snorted. "Those who submit will prosper; those who resist shall perish! Second Brother, why do you still fail to grasp the severity of the situation? We are at this point, and you are still wavering? What are Long Gu or Dian Chu? If the Jia family is gone, is there any reason for them to exist?"
Those words struck home! Like a splash of cold water, they cleared Jia Yi's mind.
"Third Brother, let me ask you one thing. Since your goal was to be Prime Minister from the start, why, when the situation was already in our favor, did you not seize the moment and ask the Empress Dowager to issue a decree? Why go through the trouble of this 'democratic vote'? Isn't that just adding an extra step to a simple task?"
Jia Lingyun chuckled, his gaze falling on Fa Yun, who stood below the jade stairs. "A gale reveals the strength of the grass; a time of chaos reveals a loyal subject. If it were always smooth sailing, how could I see who was truly loyal to the Jia family?"
Jia Yi’s eyes widened, and he looked at his brother with newfound respect. It seemed… Third Brother… Third Brother had truly changed! If their father were watching from the afterlife, he would likely support Third Brother’s actions as well!
"Imperial Guard, proceed. Kill them!"
"Yes!"
The Imperial Guard showed no hesitation. They grabbed people at random and stabbed their hearts with wild abandon! In the blink of an eye, three bloody corpses lay not far from the ministers. Same method (stabbing the heart!), same result (the scent of blood!). Fresh blood spilled from their wounds, flowed to the feet of the ministers, and began to congeal.
The ministers were terrified. At this point, why bother arguing with a madman? Seeing that the next cup of tea was almost finished, the opposition finally stopped hesitating and began to move toward the supporting group one after another. Soon, the opposing side was completely empty!
Jia Lingyun sneered. He had thought they were men of iron, tough guys! Turns out they were just cowards who feared death! A bunch of spineless wretches!
"Very well! The time for voting is up. Empress Dowager, you see, it seems that my becoming Prime Minister is the will of the people. Since that is the case, I shall not be modest!"
Murong Qingqing was so angry she gnashed her teeth, and through her beaded curtain, she burned the image of Jia Lingyun’s hateful face into her mind.
"You... are you certain this is the result of a democratic vote?"
"Of course. If Your Majesty has any doubts, you may ask the ministers if this vote was democratic!" Jia Lingyun’s voice was commanding. "I have just sworn an oath with everyone before Heaven. Whoever dares to recant, let them draw their blades and end their own lives!"
The ministers prostrated themselves; even those who were reluctant knelt down on the ground.
"Greetings, Prime Minister!"
Murong Chong, still unwilling to give up on his own ambition to be Prime Minister, hurried forward and said, "Prime Minister, our dynasty has had an unwritten rule since its founding: the Secretariat must have two Prime Ministers, one Left and one Right. The Right is senior, and the Left is junior, to prevent a treacherous official from monopolizing power and disrupting the government!"
Jia Lingyun frowned slightly. "Why is there so much trouble? When my father was Prime Minister, I never heard of a Left Prime Minister."
Murong Chong’s face darkened. Did he really have to point out that his father had been a treacherous official?
"Prime Minister Jia was diligent and frugal, shouldering the burdens of the central government, which is why he exhausted himself to death. Therefore, to prevent such a thing from happening again, we must appoint a Left Prime Minister to assist the Right Prime Minister in handling state affairs!"
Jia Ruoxiang giggled. His father had indeed died of exhaustion—but not from state affairs; he had died from exhaustion in the bedroom! Spending every day chasing beauties and every night with them—of course he was exhausted!
Jia Lingyun finally understood. This old fellow Murong Chong was addicted to power and was desperate to sit in the Left Prime Minister’s seat! If that was the case, he would make sure he never got that satisfaction!
"That will not be necessary. What my father could do, I can do as well. Serving the people and being their servant—a little hardship and exhaustion are worth it!"
Murong Qingqing was stunned. "Serving the people... being a servant of the people..." These were nice phrases; perhaps she could use them herself the next time she went out for an inspection!
Murong Chong said earnestly, "How can that be? I understand your dedication, Prime Minister, but our Dawei has already lost one wise minister; we cannot let his son die of overwork on the job as well! I implore the Empress Dowager to issue a decree immediately to select someone to serve as Left Prime Minister to assist Jia Lingyun!"