Yang Ge had been waiting alone outside the palace gates for a long time when he finally saw the person he was waiting for.
Shen Fa, dressed in hemp and wearing mourning clothes, walked out from Ziwei Palace with his eyes red and lowered. He gestured towards the palace and said to Yang Ge, "Let’s go, the senior eunuchs from the Imperial Stables have asked for you to enter the palace."
Yang Ge entered the dark palace gate with an expressionless face.
Shen Fa walked silently beside him.
The two men passed through the gloomy gate as paper money fluttered down like large goose feathers.
Yang Ge asked, "How did the Emperor die?"
Shen observed him and responded, "You don’t know?"
Without hesitation, Yang Ge replied, "Where would I find out from...?"
Suddenly, he stopped, turned his head, and looked incredulously at Shen Fa, "Do you suspect me?"
Shen Fa remained silent.
Yang Ge grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close, his angry spittle spraying Shen Fa’s face as he shouted, "You fucking suspect me?"
Shen Fa calmly reached out to pry his hands off, replying lightly, "Given my line of work, suspecting you is quite normal, isn’t it?"
Yang Ge exclaimed angrily, "If I wanted to kill him, I’d just break through and chop him with one stroke, who among you could stop me?"
"Yes, no one could stop you."
Shen Fa nodded, "So, is it wrong for me to suspect you?"
Yang Ge was stunned for a good ten seconds before he slowly let go of Shen Fa, expressionlessly smoothing out his crumpled clothes and said, "Shen, you are indeed loyal to your duty."
He was very angry, but it seemed not quite as angry as before.
This was Shen Fa, who valued loyalty to the sovereign and the state more than his own life.
This fella had never shown him this side before because there had never been a direct conflict with Emperor Xiping before.
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More accurately, all the conflicts he had had with Emperor Xiping had ultimately benefited the Emperor... Whether it was executing corrupt officials in Jiangzhe or when he slaughtered the King of Ning—a task impossible for the Emperor—weren’t these actions eventually beneficial for Emperor Xiping and the court?
As long as it did not contravene his principle of loyalty, this fella indeed deserved the title "friend."
But now, with Emperor Xiping gone, Wei’s great situation was faltering... everything had to take a back seat!
If it were possible to trade life for life, Yang Ge had no doubt that this fella would decisively pull out his sword and slit his own throat!
Unfazed, Shen Fa allowed Yang Ge to adjust his clothes and responded indifferently, "His Majesty was poisoned to death. The poisoner was someone who sneaked into the palace last year when you and Lord Xinguo went to Bright Summit, taking advantage of the weak palace defenses."
"Furthermore, the Crown Prince regards you as a brother, as a mentor, and heeds your advice completely. If he ascends the throne, he will surely be influenced by you. With your martial prowess, you could easily emulate Cao Mengde, control the emperor to command the lords, and achieve a peerless hegemony!"
"Tell me, why should I not suspect you?"
Yang Ge clapped for him, "What you said makes damn good sense, I almost suspect it was me who did it!"
"You don’t need to feel wronged."
Shen Fa turned and continued walking forward, "I don’t just suspect you; I suspect everyone. In these past two months, I’ve executed over fifteen hundred eunuchs, more than nine hundred palace maids, exterminated the families of seven surnames, and investigated every single official and warrior in the court..."
Yang Ge burst into bitter laughter, "Oh, threatening me, huh?"
"You know what kind of person I am, and I know what you are."
Shen Fa shook his head, "I am just telling you, I am not targeting you, Yang Ge, specifically."
Yang Ge scoffed lightly.
As the two men continued walking, the distance between them grew, the gap widening like a crack.
"On the contrary, His Majesty never doubted you, Yang Erlang."
Shen Fa continued softly, "Two months ago, the poison already invaded his organs, and he clung to life, grimacing in pain, waiting for the Crown Prince to complete the drainage project at Lu Ting...
"Until his demise, His Majesty was still entrusting you, Yang Erlang, to witness his care for the welfare of the people!"
Yang Ge laughed lightly, "Don’t give me that crap; those tricks are the ones I’ve played out. Don’t embarrass yourself by bringing them up."
"I haven’t harmed him, nor do I owe him anything, Shen Fa. I, Yang Ge, don’t owe you anything either. Last year when Yang Potian and those two old monks schemed against me, I was the one saving you guys from disaster, not you helping me. It’s your own incompetence that allowed the thief into Ziwei Palace, so don’t fucking throw your fits at me, and certainly don’t fucking pin the blame on me!"
Tears streamed down Shen Fa’s face as he choked out hoarsely, "Yes, it’s my incompetence, I failed to anticipate our enemy which allowed the thief into Ziwei Palace, it’s me who destroyed Wei’s prosperity..."
He was furious to the utmost, regretful to the extreme, wishing only that he could trade his life for another’s!
Wei might survive without Shen Fa, but it could not survive without an emperor!
Yang Ge’s face darkened, and he ignored him... this madman!
The two arrived at Qianqing Palace, one after the other. From afar, Yang Ge could see a large number of civilian officials and military generals, dressed in mourning robes, kneeling outside the hall sobbing with fluctuating intensity.
At the front steps of the palace, a eunuch dressed in mourning clothes and waving a duster shouted like a band conductor, "Cry!"
"The Emperor..."
The civilian and military officials burst into loud crying, beating their chests and stomping their feet, their cries like a fierce storm.
"Stop!"
With a sweep of his duster, the crying immediately ceased, turning into soft sobs, as if a light rain blurred the air.
"Cry!"
"The Emperor..."
"Stop!"
Yang Ge surveyed these officials who cried as if they had lost a father. Were it another time and place, he would surely have laughed out loud.