"First, I am not unable to protect my subjects; it’s those who are both greedy and corrupt, those treacherous officials who mislead the country and the people, why should I protect them?"
"Second, following the previous point, the individuals whom Marquis Luting executed were all treacherous and corrupt officials; where is this talk of indiscriminate justice coming from?"
"Third, Wei indeed has its own laws and the imperial court has its rules. But if laws and rules cannot deal with those treacherous and corrupt officials, why should Marquis Luting need to take action?"
"Fourth, you are numb and indifferent, turning a blind eye to the suffering of the common people. Do you delude yourselves into thinking Marquis Luting is as insensible as you, indifferent to the hardships of the world? Who do you think you are? What sort of conscience do you hold?"
He slapped the imperial desk and chastised loudly.
Shen Fa and Nangong Feiying hurriedly bowed deeply: "Your servant is terrified..."
They both understood; the emperor truly considered Yang Erlang one of his own.
These two were quite amusing...
The father disapproved of Yang Erlang but never used him.
The son used Yang Erlang but never guarded against him.
But that was also for the best...
As long as the emperor had his own ideas, even if they were wrong, it was still better than being swept away by Yang Erlang’s will!
"Your Majesty is far-sighted and wise, resolute and decisive, I fear that not even ten thousand volumes of books would suffice to match a fraction of Your Majesty’s wisdom," Shen Fa, bowing, complimented. Then continued, "But I still insist upon my opinion: we must restrict Marquis Luting and not afford him the opportunity to assert undue influence. Any remaining issues must be saved for later, to be personally addressed by Your Majesty... The people’s morale can only be buoyed, not deflated, Your Majesty!"
The consequences of court strife crossing the line were truly too heavy and painful.
The former emperor was the best example!
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Zhao Hong also finally understood the underlying meaning and, after pondering for a moment, tentatively asked, "What Shen suggests aligns with my thoughts, then... assigning Marquis Luting as an imperial envoy, bestowing upon him the royal sword?"
Shen Fa, Nangong Feiying: "Your Majesty must absolutely not..."
Zhao Hong: "Hmm?"
The two exchanged glances; Nangong Feiying stepped forward, cautiously whispered, "Your Majesty, you cannot take this blame upon yourself!"
He didn’t have the heart to tell the emperor directly: You can’t bear this burden!
Zhao Hong immediately saw the light and quickly said, "Then I will order Marquis Luting to be summoned to court..."
Shen Fa, Nangong Feiying: "Your Majesty must absolutely not..."
Zhao Hong: "Hmm??"
Shen Fa stepped forward, bowing respectfully and whispered softly, "Does Your Majesty think Marquis Luting’s beheadings at the execution grounds are too slow, and wish to give him a chance to kill them all in one fell swoop?"
Zhao Hong realized and again changed his statement, "Then I command the Ministry of Revenue to greet Marquis Luting outside the city on my behalf?"
Nangong Feiying said with a smile plastered on his face, "Your Majesty is wise, recognizing the crux of the issue at a glance... I fear, though, that group of corrupt officials wouldn’t dare to face Marquis Luting outside the city!"
Shen Fa continued, "If I’m not mistaken, the petitions for illness from many of the court officials have already been submitted to the Cabinet..."
The implication of their words: Who doesn’t have a bit of brains?
Zhao Hong grew angry and said loudly, "This won’t do, that won’t do, then what suggestion do you have for me?"
The two hesitated and looked at each other again...
Nangong Feiying racked his brain for a moment before whispering, "In this humble servant’s humble opinion, His Majesty should send an eunuch to welcome the guests on His Majesty’s behalf, to show imperial favor."
Shen Fa: "I believe that adding Marquis Luting as an Imperial Censor, specifically tasked with investigating the surge in grain prices across the provinces..."
Zhao Hong nodded thoughtfully as he listened, and at the end, he raised an eyebrow: "Just like that? Nothing else?"
Nangong Feiying: "For the Marquis Luting, that’s enough!"
Shen Fa also nodded: "Too much is as bad as too little!"
The three looked at each other, all feeling the anxious pressure of storm clouds looming over the city.
They could only do what they could to control the development of the situation.
But whether Yang Erlang would accept their restrictions...
No one had any confidence!
...
"Drive!"
The setting sun was like blood.
Yang Ge, clad in a crimson robe with four-clawed dragons, saber hanging from his waist, rode on Erhei’s back, leading over a hundred riders as they crushed the remnants of the setting sun and galloped towards Luoyang, with fluttering banners and the thunderous sound of horse hooves like muffled thunder.
Waiting outside the city gates for a long time, Nangong Feiying saw the banners from afar and shouted, "This servant Nangong Feiying welcomes Marquis Luting back to the capital on behalf of His Majesty..."
A group of eunuchs prolonged their chant in unison: "Welcome Marquis Luting back to the capital!"
Instantly, there was a cacophony of gongs and drums, and fireworks burst into the sky!
"Whoa!"
Yang Ge pulled on the reins, and the majestic Erhei reared up, its huge body casting a shadow over Nangong Feiying.
The hundred or so riders behind him also reined in their horses, stirring up a cloud of dust...
"Well met, Nangong!"
Yang Ge soothed Erhei and waved at Nangong Feiying, who was standing by the road.
Nangong Feiying came forward with a basin of steaming water, smilingly responding, "Thanks to your great fortune, everything has been well recently... You must be tired from the journey, please wash your face first."
"Hey hey hey, what’s the matter, Erhei? Don’t you recognize me anymore? Back in Dongying, I even fed you eggs!"
But because he got too close, Erhei seemed irked and bared its teeth, scaring him into retreating again and again.
"Enough, don’t pretend to be unaware!"
Yang Ge pushed Erhei’s muzzle aside, laughing: "I know you’re clear as a mirror inside about what I am doing in the capital. We’re all brothers, so stop beating around the bush with me... I’m asking you, where is Meng Ziqian, the Minister of Revenue?"
Upon hearing this, Nangong Feiying cursed silently, "Damn it." He hadn’t even dismounted and was already thinking about killing...
"Master Yang, if you have matters to attend to, we definitely won’t stand in your way!"
He stubbornly held out the basin of water: "It’s just that you’ve only just arrived in the capital, exhausted from the journey, haven’t even had time to catch your breath. If we let you go about your business now, how could we face the other brothers later?"