Worldwide Awakening: My Soul Kinds Are Lost-Chapter 460: Usurpation Package (Enhanced Version)_1
After receiving the imperial decree, Wang Linchi and Zhang Lin rushed back to the Capital overnight.
Naturally, he knew this was preparation for discussing the regency or managing affairs after Emperor Jing’s passing.
Early the next morning, he entered the palace.
Emperor Jing was already drawing his last breaths. He did not meet the Crown Prince, who was already preparing for his ascension. As soon as Emperor Jing passed, the Crown Prince could take the throne; the aim was a seamless transition.
After the matter of entrusting the heir was concluded, Emperor Jing soon departed from the world, having held on by a mere thread of life.
Meanwhile, Wang Linchi had already obtained the Jade Seal.
This item was highly unusual; without even a close look, Wang Linchi tossed it into his storage space.
Then, he hurried to attend the new emperor’s coronation ceremony.
As for the late Emperor Jing, he would need to lie in state for a period, and his mausoleum also required construction.
An incident occurred at the coronation ceremony, primarily because the Jade Seal was missing. This caused the new emperor, already clad in his dragon robe, to look grim. For the beginning of his imperial career, this was a tremendous blow. Losing the Jade Seal during the ascension ceremony was tantamount to being publicly accused of unfitness to rule.
In the end, it was Grand Secretary Zhang Lin who stepped forward to resolve the awkward situation for the new emperor, allowing the ceremony to proceed smoothly.
However, they hit a snag at the very last step.
Fortunately, this time it wasn’t about something being lost, but rather an eunuch began to read the late Emperor’s final edict.
"By the Mandate of Heaven... It is ordered that Grand Academician Wang Linchi act as regent. He is bestowed with a king’s title, additionally conferred the status of Heaven Equivalent, granted the Huang Yue, appointed Grand Marshal in command of all military affairs, permitted to raise the Son of Heaven’s banner, granted the Nine Gifts, to be crowned with twelve tassels, to ride in a golden chariot drawn by six horses, to attend court without needing to hasten his steps, to not be announced by name during ceremonial praise, and to be permitted to wear his sword and shoes in the palace..."
Hearing this, Wang Linchi’s expression was one of utter shock. What kind of usurpation package is this? And an enhanced version at that!
After all this, was he the emperor, or was the one on the throne the emperor?
He could understand being given a king’s title, but all the privileges granted from the words "Heaven Equivalent" onwards changed the entire implication. "Heaven Equivalent" naturally meant equal to Heaven itself, signifying that he and Emperor Jing were on an equal footing.
The way everyone looked at Wang Linchi changed, including the new emperor, whose face was a picture of dismay. In this situation, even if Wang Linchi were to sit on the throne, it would be perfectly justifiable.
Whose coronation was this, really—his or Wang Linchi’s?
"The edict is complete. The new Emperor shall ascend the throne," the eunuch announced. He then rolled up the imperial will and, with small, quick steps, retreated from the platform.
The entire hall fell silent.
There was no issue with the new emperor’s ascension itself; the question was... who exactly was the new emperor?
Wang Linchi remained motionless. He had obtained what he came for, so the rest of the situation hardly mattered to him. As for the stares of others, what did they have to do with him?
Fortunately, the new emperor steeled himself and proceeded with the ascension, and the ceremony quickly concluded, though the process was far from pleasant.
"I never anticipated that the late Emperor trusted His Majesty Wang so profoundly," Zhang Lin remarked, his expression complex. "Just this morning, we were colleagues of the same rank. In the blink of an eye, he has become King Heaven Equivalent, and now I must address him as ’Your Majesty’."
More importantly, Wang Linchi acting as regent meant that the new Emperor Jing’s authority was effectively sidelined.
"Having received such immense imperial grace, I can only strive to do my utmost until my dying day," Wang Linchi said, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He had originally planned to cause trouble for the imperial family, but now he found himself in this position, making it difficult for him to act on his initial intentions. When people treated him well, he found it genuinely hard to act unscrupulously.
For now, he could only take things one step at a time. His reputation was paramount. He aimed to be a positive regent figure like Huo Guang, Yi Yin, or Zhuge Liang, not like Wang Mang or Cao Cao. This was crucial for his future attainment of godhood.
This move really caught me off guard, Wang Linchi cursed inwardly.
Theoretically, even if he desired the title of King Heaven Equivalent, it was something he should have acquired posthumously, not like this.
My workload has just increased tenfold; this is a terrible loss!
Wang Linchi felt a degree of helplessness. Conferring the title of King Heaven Equivalent upon a living person versus a deceased one were two entirely different concepts, primarily differing in terms of reputation. The former risked being seen as a power-hungry minister, while the latter was a mark of high honor.
"His Majesty, the new Emperor, likely harbors resentment towards Your Majesty now," Zhang Lin reminded him.
Actually, even without Zhang Lin’s reminder, it was obvious to any discerning observer.
"It’s of no concern," Wang Linchi replied, not minding at all. He even wished the resentment were greater. After all, when the time for reckoning came, he planned to follow the script of Yue Wumu. Otherwise, how could he achieve a perfect ending? A loyal official falsely accused and martyred is remembered far more widely than one who dies peacefully.
"Very well, Your Majesty, as long as you have your own plans. Do you intend to manage affairs in the Court next, or will you return to the south?" Zhang Lin inquired. This turn of events had naturally caused a deviation from their original plans.
"Since the late Emperor entrusted me with the regency, I cannot betray his good intentions. I plan to formulate a new national strategy, the ’Strong Policy,’ to supersede the ’State-Nurturing Strategy’."
"And within three years," Wang Linchi stated calmly, "I intend to conquer the surrounding states and complete the great fusion plan."
Zhang Lin, however, was anything but calm.
"Are you serious?" Zhang Lin’s eyes widened.
"What greater fame could there be than this?" Wang Linchi responded.
In that instant, Zhang Lin’s excitement was palpable. He didn’t care that Wang Linchi sought fame; the benefits Wang Linchi’s decisions would bring were simply unimaginable, especially with the plans for outward expansion.
"I am willing to serve Your Majesty with utmost loyalty," Zhang Lin declared, implying that their Great Family was betting everything on him for a significant return.
"There’s no rush for this matter," Wang Linchi said. "You must return to the south first. The northern and southern regions are crucial foundations. If that succeeds, the subsequent plans for Dajing will face no major obstacles."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Zhang Lin suppressed his joy and quickly departed.
As for the new Emperor? He was irrelevant. If he behaved, he could be a puppet; if he dared to cause trouble, they wouldn’t hesitate to depose him. The adage of the Great Families sharing dominion over the world was no empty boast.
After Zhang Lin left, Wang Linchi received a few more visitors, which only increased his irritation.
Since it has come to this, I might as well go with the flow. Even though the workload has increased and the difficulty has also risen, it’s not entirely without some benefit. My plan can be directly amplified.
Characterization, packaging, publicity, and public opinion all need to keep up.
Fortunately, I have great spiritual power, along with Wenqi. Otherwise, I might not be able to maintain this many memories.
Wang Linchi would subsequently require a vast number of memories to aid in further consolidating his position. He also needed sufficient resources to address issues of allocation.
Luckily, Dajing’s productivity was low, and many resources were currently unexploitable. As long as Wang Linchi could utilize them, he wouldn’t need to worry about allocation problems in the short term. As for later, that would be another matter entirely, one that Wang Linchi didn’t concern himself with anyway.
After they are temporarily sated, the collapse of the entire system will disrupt the established high productivity, leading to a societal fracture.
In summary, it’s difficult to transition from extravagance to frugality.
The entire system Wang Linchi was creating relied on his memories. The craftsmen of Dajing understood the ’how’ but not the ’why.’ If he were to withdraw, they would undoubtedly be unable to replicate his work, and the consequences of that would be self-evident.
...
In a later era, a youth opened his eyes, his expression filled with joy.
"Jing Shizong, Emperor Xuanwen, truly was a Heroic Spirit of Unparalleled Quality," the youth mused, looking at the summoned Emperor Jing. He checked the background again and confirmed that Emperor Jing had indeed leveraged the prestige of the Dongyue Tianqi Emperor of Life and Benevolence to achieve this Unparalleled Quality.
"Unfortunately, he’s not a combat-type Heroic Spirit, but rather one suited for enhancement and investigation. But that makes sense, considering he rose by clinging to powerful backers."
He then investigated further into what happened after Emperor Xuanwen’s death.
Seeing the outcome, his face twisted with rage.
"No! Not only did nothing change for the better, but it actually got worse!"
When he read that King Heaven Equivalent was put to death on an ’unsubstantiated charge,’ he was utterly aghast.
Then, after King Heaven Equivalent’s death, the dynasty’s remaining lifespan, originally about a hundred years, was cut short to just ten.
Without King Heaven Equivalent to stabilize the realm, the Northern Barbarians rebelled once more. Rallying under the banner of ’purging the court to avenge King Heaven Equivalent,’ the Rebel Army quickly swept across the lands north and south of the Yangtze River.
It turned out that EmpressLiyuan was not only incompetent but also frivolous. She believed that by killing King Heaven Equivalent, she could skillfully control the Court.
History proved, however, that when King Heaven Equivalent returned governance before his death, she not only failed to manage the legacy left to her but made a complete mess of everything.
Testimony from Heroic Spirits of the same period confirmed this. If she hadn’t meddled—if she had merely sat obediently on the throne and done nothing—Dajing could have endured for at least another three hundred years.
"Fool! Utterly foolish!!!"
