0p0 Chapter 932 Letter
Chapter 932 Letter
"Summon the Dragon Guards to an audience!"
The eunuch's drawn-out voice rang out, and someone jogged out of the imperial study, heading straight to the palace gate.
The Dragon Guards had been ordered to wait outside the palace gates for some time.
The current captain of the Dragon Shadow Guard, Shadow Two, has a resolute face and a blood-red aura, indicating that he has fought his way through countless battles.
As Ying Er was led into the palace, he was constantly surrounded by sights and behaved with great decorum.
Upon entering the Imperial Study, Ying Er bowed and knelt down, inadvertently making eye contact with Yun Congsheng.
The latter remained calm and composed, while Ying Er silently lowered his eyes.
Last night, Shadow Two actually had a dispute with Yun Congsheng, as the Dragon Hidden Guards were willing to assist Lord Yun.
However, in Ying Er's mind, it should be done according to the late emperor's wishes, with someone else completing most of the work, and then the royal family stepping in to cooperate.
However, if Yun Congsheng told the Crown Prince about the imperial edict, it would go against the late emperor's wishes.
In Ying Er's view, this was disloyalty to the late emperor.
That's right, Yun Congsheng has already told the Fang family about this. The Dragon Hidden Guard won't take it seriously if they drag the Fang family into this mess, but the Crown Prince is the heir apparent, so it's different.
But Yun Congsheng had a strong argument.
"I received an imperial edict from the late emperor. The edict did not contain a single word forbidding me from revealing this matter to the crown prince."
The second actor was rendered speechless by the rebuttal.
Yes, it wasn't explicitly stated in the imperial decree, but it was a joint scheme by the late emperor and Chancellor Chen.
Yun Congsheng said calmly, "The late emperor has passed away, and Chancellor Chen has also died. They did not instruct me to continue implementing the plan."
This means that he only accepted the imperial edict; how to implement it was up to him.
Shadow Two was displeased, but there was nothing he could do.
Chen had a bad feeling from the beginning and told them to go into hiding, but he only instructed them to find like-minded people and continue on this path.
He did not leave a will specifying that he must not rely on the power of the royal family.
All eyes were on Shadow Two. Who wouldn't be curious about the long-lost Dragon Guard?
"Did you bring the late emperor's edict?"
The emperor cut straight to the point.
In the imperial study, all the ministers' eyes flickered.
A sense of tension filled the air.
Fang Yin could feel it; it was a palpable sense of vigilance and disgust.
The twelve articles of the late emperor's edict were not only aimed at aristocratic families, but at the entire scholarly community.
But the most affected were undoubtedly the aristocratic families. That's why, upon learning the news, they wanted to eliminate Chen Zijun and bury everything.
"Your Majesty, I dare not disobey the late emperor's decree. By order of the late emperor, I will enshrine him in the imperial mausoleum."
Shadow Two spoke truthfully.
Lord Yun said that the late emperor's edict cannot be fully revealed to the world, otherwise it would cause a tremendous upheaval.
The implementation of these twelve laws requires favorable timing, location, and human factors; they cannot be enforced through coercion or forced changes.
The atmosphere in the imperial study suddenly relaxed.
As long as the late emperor's edict doesn't appear, they can pretend they never heard of those twelve laws.
If you haven't heard of it, then there's no need to consider whether or not to obey the decree.
Yue Xiang glanced at the emperor without showing any emotion. Perhaps the emperor also didn't want to see the late emperor's edict at this time.
Once the imperial edict is made public, it will inevitably cause chaos, and the emperor is not confident that he can suppress it.
There was also the consideration of whether the emperor approved of the twelve legal provisions.
The late emperor is, after all, the late emperor; the world now belongs to the emperor.
No emperor ever acted entirely according to the wishes of the previous emperor; those who lacked their own opinions could never ascend to that position.
Even if you manage to climb up, it won't last long.
Their emperor was a wise ruler and would certainly not be willing to be "coerced" into following him.
With this in mind, the gentlemen felt reassured.
But a single imperial edict from the late emperor couldn't stir up any trouble; after all, there's an old saying: "When the person leaves, the tea grows cold."
The emperor nodded slightly and, as expected, did not ask for the imperial edict again. He simply asked Shadow Two to recount the events of the Dragon Hidden Guard over the years from beginning to end.
It began when the late emperor and Chen Zijun became a harmonious ruler and minister, sharing great ambitions.
They were all dissatisfied with the fact that powerful families controlled too much of the government. Every year, the Ministry of Revenue would review the accounts and find that land was decreasing "mysteriously". Talented people who passed the imperial examinations were either courted or suppressed by powerful families.
The emperor and his ministers were determined to work together to reform the government, but unfortunately, the late emperor suddenly fell seriously ill.
Although I recovered, I often felt powerless afterward.
The late emperor sensed that his days were numbered and knew that his plans with Chen Zijun had to be shelved.
Because every emperor's death and the ascension of a new emperor inevitably leads to turmoil in the court, if this is compounded by the suppression of powerful families, there's a real possibility that the dynasty could change drastically.
The late emperor changed his plans, intending to have the legal system implemented under the next emperor.
The next emperor had no tacit understanding with Chen Zijun, so he could only give Chen Zijun greater power and a way out.
The only way out is the Dragon Guard; they hope the Dragon Guard will protect Chen Zijun.
After the emperor ascended the throne, Chen Zijun used his power to investigate the secrets of those powerful families, but his excessive interference in politics eventually made him a thorn in the emperor's side.
The powerful families were not to be trifled with either. Seemingly quiet, they were actually stirring up trouble between Chen Xiang and his ministers, as well as between him and his wife, before plotting to kill him in one fell swoop.
"Prime Minister Chen had a premonition that something was wrong, so he entrusted some things to us for safekeeping. Please take a look, Your Majesty."
Shadow Two pulled a large oil paper package from his person.
I don't know what's inside; it's bulging.
The eunuch presented it, opened the oil paper package, and found two letters on top, and below that appeared to be books? A seal?
Yun Congsheng knelt expressionlessly, thinking to himself, "As expected, the Dragon Guards are unreliable. They claim to be loyal to him, but in reality, they know nothing about these things."
In the end, it was handed over to the emperor.
Yun Congsheng reminded himself that the true masters of the Dragon Hidden Guards would always be the royal family.
The emperor wasn't in a hurry to watch and gestured for Shadow Two to continue.
"We are under orders to protect the late emperor's edict and find a person with ambition and ability to receive it."
Everyone's gaze fell on Yun Congsheng, and they understood.
Oh, so Yun Congsheng was chosen to replace Chen Zijun and complete what she hadn't finished.
But what gives him the right?
One was a fifth-rank official, whose name was unknown.
Prime Minister Yue thought of Yun Congsheng's background; it seemed he came from a poor family? He ranked fourth in the imperial examination back then?
Perhaps that's why they're valued?
The Imperial Study was quiet for a while.
It was Yue Xiang who spoke first: "Your Majesty, regardless of whether the imperial edict exists or not, just regarding the case of Chen Zijun, it can already be proven that he was wronged."
The emperor turned his head to look at him. "Old fox," he thought, "with just one sentence, he's made it seem like the late emperor's edict was either true or false."
The emperor narrowed his eyes: "Prime Minister Yue's words make sense."
This means that we should not discuss the imperial edict of the late emperor at this point.
To be honest, the late emperor was quite distrustful of his successor.
Two imperial edicts were left behind; one was rumored to be with the Empress Dowager, and the other was in the hands of the Dragon Hidden Guard.
There shouldn't be a third course, right?
The more imperial edicts one has, the less valuable they become.
With the emperor's statement, the other ministers breathed a sigh of relief.
Fang Yin stood beside the Minister of War and clearly noticed that the Minister's back had relaxed considerably.
It seems no one wants the emperor to receive the late emperor's edict.
"Your Majesty, if Chen Zijun is innocent, the case from back then must be reopened, as must the two assassination attempts in the capital, the assassination attempt on Chen Yong's way to the capital, and so on. We must get to the bottom of all of these."
The Minister of Revenue spoke.
Although they had a general idea of the case, solving a case requires attention to detail and cannot overlook other aspects.
"Your Majesty, this case has dragged on for too long, causing several disturbances in the capital. If it is not resolved soon, there may be further troubles."
Another minister offered advice.
The emperor's gaze fell upon the Minister of Justice.
The latter rose and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am facing some difficulties with these minor details and do not know how to handle them."
"Oh?" The emperor raised an eyebrow.
"The people who chased Chen Zixi during his exile were suspected to be related to Princess Dongyue."
The Minister of Justice phrased it euphemistically.
The words "suspected" and "related" clearly imply that the other party is suspected.
Don't forget, Wan Sheng is still in jail and unwilling to come out. Why? He wants to show the emperor his stance: he will pursue the matter of the assassination attempt from back then to the end.
The emperor was silent.
He has two siblings.
He was cold and indifferent to the Eighth Prince, but he had indeed doted on Princess Dongyue since childhood.
If it weren't for the fact that Dongyue spoiled her son too much a few years ago, causing trouble and displeasing the emperor, she wouldn't have been banished to her fiefdom.
The emperor understood his sister and knew that she disliked Chen Zixi.
In his view, since the manhunt back then was unsuccessful, why bother to investigate it thoroughly?
Qingyan stood up: "Father, speaking of Aunt, I am reminded of something else."
"Speak," the emperor said, staring at him.
“My aunt’s fiefdom was in Quanzhou Prefecture. When Qing Min thoroughly investigated the salt smuggling cases in Quanzhou Prefecture and Jinzhou Prefecture, he found five major salt smuggling forces.”
"One of the leaders of the Blue and White Porcelain Gang was handsome and had a very close relationship with my aunt."
Close friends?
No one present was a fool; they automatically assumed he was Princess Dongyue's entourage.
It's not uncommon for princesses to keep several male lovers, but it's fine if they do it secretly; if it's exposed, it will damage the royal family's reputation.
The emperor regretted letting the crown prince speak; he knew the prince couldn't possibly say anything decent.
"Someone, order Dongyue to enter the capital within ten days, without fail."
The emperor ordered coldly.
A palace attendant hurriedly left.
"Father, there is another small force that belongs to the Third Princess. It has been taken over by Prince Ning himself. I wonder if Prince Ning has mentioned it?"
Qingyan was like someone applying eye drops.
The emperor glared at him.
"The salt smuggling cases in Jinzhou and Quanzhou have been solved by Qing Min, but there are still some loose ends that haven't been cleaned up. So, I'll have Prince Ping assist in the investigation."
Prince Ping represents the royal family; only with him present can the Third Princess and Princess Dongyue be properly interrogated.
Once Qingyan achieved his goal, he fell silent.
"My dear minister, is there still any difficulty?" The emperor's gaze returned to the Minister of Justice.
The questioning seemed gentle, but the anger in his eyes was undisguised.
The Minister of Justice felt he was innocent; it was the Crown Prince who forced the Emperor to make a choice, yet the Emperor was being blamed.
But he is a mature official who will swallow his grievances alone.
"No, I will close the case as soon as possible."
"Yes, I will have the Jingzhao Prefecture continue to assist in the investigation."
The emperor said coldly.
After discussing the important matters, Yue Xiang and the others left, but their steps were heavy and their moods were complicated.
No one expected that investigating a long-standing case would uncover a time bomb, a time bomb that could detonate everyone's bomb.
Yun Congsheng, a minor official of the fifth rank, has come into the view of the court officials.
In the end, only the emperor remained in the imperial study; he had dismissed the crown prince.
Now he gets annoyed whenever he sees the Crown Prince. That brat is too opinionated and never tells his father, the Emperor, beforehand.
The imperial study fell silent, and the emperor drank three cups of tea before calming down.
After calming down, the first thought in his mind wasn't whether or not to recall the Dragon Guards, what Dongyue and the Third Princess had done behind his back, or Prince Ning...
Instead, Chen Zijun suddenly appeared.
He held a grand court assembly on the first day after offering sacrifices to Heaven and ascending the throne.
It was Chen Zijun who led the court officials to pay their respects to him.
What was he thinking at the time? Chen Zijun was extremely disrespectful, and the court officials had to look at his expression before daring to respond to the emperor.
As the new emperor, he was at the height of his power and ambition, and wanted to establish the imperial examination system to select talented individuals and cultivate trusted confidants.
All the officials in the court had no objections, but Chen Zijun stood up to object, saying that the imperial examination should be regulated and the regulations should be followed, and the ruler should not act arbitrarily.
At the time, the emperor felt that he was the ruler of the world, so why couldn't he do whatever he wanted?
Chen Zijun is afraid that I will find someone useful!
Later, Chen Zijun knelt in the main hall and asked to marry Princess Mingzhu.
The emperor felt both resentful and humiliated.
Princess Mingzhu is my aunt, and we are already engaged. Chen Zijun still wants to marry her, which is tantamount to forced marriage.
They forced the emperor to agree.
The emperor, young and impetuous, naturally disagreed. It was only after the Grand Princess took the initiative to agree and even persuaded the emperor that he finally gave in.
In the emperor's mind, his aunt was someone who had compromised and had no choice but to do so in order to prevent him from antagonizing powerful officials.
How could the emperor not hate Chen Zijun even more?
Later, he wanted to go hunting in the spring, but Chen Zijun forbade it, saying it was a waste of resources and manpower. He wanted to grant a general amnesty, but Chen Zijun opposed it, saying that a wicked person returning home was like committing a sin...
There are many, many such cases.
Yes, after being emperor for many years, he has come to understand some things. What may seem like a good thing can become a tool for exploiting the people if done by the wrong person or at the wrong time.
But in the emperor's heart, he still loathed Chen Zijun; he was the monarch.
There are also rules to follow when a subject advises his ruler.
Later, when his aunt brought evidence, the emperor not only won over the imperial guards but also gained the loyalty of several generals and senior ministers, finally giving him the confidence to take action against Chen Zijun.
It went smoothly; Chen Zijun neither ran away nor resisted.
The emperor thought that a bloodbath might break out in the capital, and that Chen Zijun not only had troops, but also trusted confidants in the army.
At that time, the battle was won without bloodshed. Chen Zijun accepted the imperial decree, and nothing unexpected happened on the day of his death.
However, the emperor was worried when Chen's troops disappeared.
Only now do I realize that there was never any Chen family retinue.
The emperor's feelings were undeniably complex.
He looked at the oil paper package on the dragon table and finally moved it.
Two very thick letters.
One letter was addressed to Grand Princess Mingzhu, but the emperor did not touch it.
The other letter was addressed to the emperor.
The emperor paused slightly, then opened the letter.
The letter begins with Chen Zijun's confession.
"Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, the ruler. Your subjects should have been dutiful and cautious in assisting you, but due to the pressure of the situation, you have become arrogant in every way."
"I cannot sleep at night, and am tormented at all times. Your Majesty has great talent and ambition, but I have failed to fulfill my duty. I feel that I have let down the trust of the late emperor and have failed the way of the sages."
"However, I dare not forget the late emperor's instructions for a moment. The aristocratic families of the past are unfathomable. How many dynasties have been brought down and risen and fallen because of them? The aristocratic families are like a sleeping pack of wolves. When things are calm, there are no clues. When they wake up, there will be bloodshed."
"A subject receives the emperor's bounty..."
Chen Zijun not only explained the trouble caused by the aristocratic families, but also expressed his loyalty.
Then came guilt and regret for not being able to complete the grand plan he had devised with the late emperor, yet he still harbored expectations.
Your Majesty has received the letter and should regain control of the Dragon Guard. I wonder if there is anyone who can find a new way out for the court?