At this time, Zhang Shang, the minister of Chu State, saw that Liu Wu was so blocked by Chao that he couldn't speak, and he stood there with a red face, so Zhang Shang sighed, stood up, and said sharply: "Doctor Chao, as a prince, the king is in charge of armaments, people's livelihood, and a nobleman, as a courtier, how dare you despise the dignity and humility of the upper and lower levels, and the law of the court?" ”

Seeing that Zhang Shang, who stood up for himself at this time and didn't like it very much, Liu Wu was a little worried for a while.

Chao Cuo laughed and said: "Chao Cuo has heard that Zhang Gongshang, the minister of Chu State, is elegant and elegant, and dares to give direct advice, and it is really extraordinary when I see it today, and it is not worth it to get your words when the King of Chu is at the end of the road!" ”

Hearing the words "the end of the King of Chu", everyone in the hall was suddenly shocked, and Zhang Shang's face changed drastically and said: "Doctor Chao, you have to be cautious!" ”

Chao Cuo snorted coldly disdainfully when he heard this, and then looked at the wine and meat scattered on the ground in the hall, as well as Liu Wu, who was full of alcohol, and said sarcastically: "How unwise is Zhang Gong? Now it is still the mourning period of the Empress Dowager, the King of Chu still dares to drink and have fun, indulge in lust, obviously did not take the imperial edict in his heart, once it is better to say that it was an unintentional mistake, but this is the second time, do you say that Your Majesty can spare him? ”

Zhang Shang and Zhao Yiwu were speechless for a moment, both of them were upright and loyal people, otherwise they would not have been righteous and straightforward when Liu Wu rebelled, and they were killed by Liu Wu.

These words aroused the ferocity in Liu Wu's heart, he sat down with Shi Shiran, and then laughed and said: "Come on, come on, Liu Qi has long had the intention of cutting the feudal domain and killing me, and you will listen to his holy decree and lonely thoughts, and let the people of the old Liu family recognize the true face of this mean and unkind person." ”

Chao Cuo sneered when he heard this: "The king is really stubborn and unrepentant, does the king think you can still escape punishment today?" ”

Liu Wu said: "I won't mention whether the lonely can escape for the time being, but the lonely Chu country is rich in land and resources, and there are tens of thousands of people with armor, all of whom are lonely hearts. Hehe, it's not impossible to raise troops on the side of Qingjun. ”

"What's more, Lone is also a prince, Liu Qi can deal with Lone like this today, and he will be able to deal with other princes like this in the future, wouldn't he hear the sadness of the rabbit and the fox? Although the Central Imperial Court is Zhengshuo, its troops are insufficient, how can it resist the joint efforts of various countries? ”

Chao Cuo laughed when he heard this, and the tears of laughter were about to come out.

Liu Wu was puzzled and said, "Why are you laughing? ”

Chao Cuo said: "I laugh at the king like a frog at the bottom of the well, sitting in the well and watching the sky, I am talking about people like the king." ”

Liu Wu and the others still wanted to ask questions, but when they saw Chao Cuo's face suddenly changed, they said solemnly: "Liu Wu, the king of Chu, Zhang Shang, the minister of state, and Zhao Yiwu, the Taifu, still don't hurry up to meet the Empress Dowager's decree?" ”

Liu Wu, Zhang Shang, and Zhao Yiwu were stunned for a moment, it was not Emperor Jing's holy decree, it was actually Empress Dowager Dou's decree, could it be that things still had a turnaround?

Zhang Shang, Zhao Yiwu and others fell to the ground one after another, Liu Wu didn't want to lose his identity in vain, so he sat on it and said: "The lonely leg is inconvenient, Doctor Chao, you can read out the Empress Dowager's decree!" ”

Chao Cuo knew that Liu Wu had broken the jar, so he just snorted coldly and didn't say much, because there was no need to say much about a dead person.

"I Qin Feng Empress Dowager edict said: Gaozu beheaded the White Snake uprising in Pei County, more than 100 wounds, there is a great Han foundation, in order to consolidate the family and country, the princes are divided into various places, thinking that the world is a flat domain, today under the peace, all things are reborn, this is all thanks to the virtue of the ancestors, loyalty and filial piety."

"However, now there is King Wu of Chu, the grandson of Liu Jiao, the king of Yuan, and the son of Yingke, the king of Yi, I originally wanted him to become the uncle of the princes and the example of the clan relatives, but he was not lawful, did not obey my words, did not cultivate virtue, did not respect the elders, repeatedly violated the law of the country, rampant, and heinous! The dynasty rules the world with filial piety, and the families of the common people are also loyal and filial, and this act is really the work of my unfinished education, and the sin is in my body! ”

"I want to forgive the king of Chu for the crime of disrespecting the national law, but the country has the national law, the family has family rules, although the national law can forgive the king of Chu, but the family law is difficult to forgive the serious crime of the king of Chu for disrespecting the ancestors. My heart aches! Painful!! ”

This is the will promulgated by Emperor Jing in the name of the Empress Dowager Dou, and it is okay to say that it is the Empress Dowager's decree.

However, in terms of etiquette, unless it is clearly stated that the Empress Dowager is in the court, the Empress Dowager's edict is higher than the holy decree, and some dynasties even say whether their edict can leave the palace.

However, in practical politics, filial piety can provide another moral basis outside the ethics of monarchs and ministers, so it is often used by those who hold real power.

The Han Dynasty ruled the world with "filial piety", and the Confucian ethical system, filial piety precedes loyalty, so it is not impossible to say that the Empress Dowager's will is greater than the holy will.

Liu Wu, the king of Chu, had a blue face, the fists of his hands were clenched very tightly, and he said calmly: "Please forgive Liu Wu, the king of Chu, for not being able to obey the edict." ”

In fact, the holy decree and the empress dowager's edict have no legal effect, theoretically only the official decree must be executed, and even the emperor's edict is not a formal decree, and public disobedience will not be killed, of course, it is just that it will not be killed for the crime of "resisting the decree", but it is difficult to say about other crimes.

That's why Liu Wu, the king of Chu, said so.

Chao Cuo smiled slightly, disapproving, and after he finished reading the edict, two attendants walked in from outside the door, one holding a three-foot white silk in his hand, and the other holding a wine jug.

Chao Cuo arched his hand and said: "The king is also a descendant of Gaozu, so let's choose the same!" Don't disgrace the clan. ”

Liu Wu laughed when he heard this: "If you want to kill a lonely, how can it be so easy?" Where are all the lonely henchmen? ”

As soon as these words fell, dozens of guards kneeling on the ground stood up one after another, drew their swords in their hands, and blocked Liu Wu in front of him.

From the apse, hundreds of people wearing heavy armor also poured out, and it was obvious that Liu Wu had already prepared.

Chao Cuo said with a smile: "The trapped beast is still fighting, does the king want to rebel?" ”

"Rebellion? I hate not to raise troops early, otherwise how can I be humiliated by a villain like you? Liu Wu said with some regret.

"Where are the Guards?" Chao Cuo said.

"Captain Li Dare of the Royal Forest Military Academy is here." Outside the door, a radiant young general walked in, and behind him were no less than 100 soldiers of the Imperial Forest Army.

All of them are wearing heavy armor, holding strong bows and crossbows, and they are murderous.

Chao Cuo said to Zhang Shang and Zhao Yiwu: "Please wait and watch for the time being. ”

Zhang Shang and Zhao Yiwu glanced at each other, at this time, the queen mother's will had been issued, obviously Emperor Jing's intention to kill the king of Chu had been decided, and they couldn't, so they had to stand aside.

After seeing this, Chao Cuo smiled at the two of them, and then said sharply to Liu Wu: "It seems that the king will not choose any of them, so may, in this case, the Royal Forest Army, send the king on the road!" ”