Chapter 46 The twentieth time I'm so angry!
Chapter 46
Ye Changming couldn't understand, so he turned to ask, "Why was General Yan willing to die in court today?"
Although the general consensus was to kill him, with the support of the prime minister and the emperor's softening stance, if Yan Danqing were to offer a few more explanations, he might have a chance to survive!
However, because of Yan Danqing's answer, he was ultimately killed amidst the clamor of the pro-peace faction.
Ye Pei sighed deeply:
"He killed Chizhan Lanze. People in the court all thought he had sabotaged the peace talks between the two countries and had ulterior motives. All the anger and killing intent were directed at him. If we forcibly protect him, the court may be in turmoil, and the people of the world may not understand."
"The current situation is unstable and cannot withstand further turmoil. I think that's why Yan Chunzhou gave up his chance. Otherwise... he has completely lost faith in Daliang and in us."
Then a thought made him very sad.
Even on his deathbed, Yan Danqing protected them, exchanging the tiger tally and a blood-written letter for their forgiveness. The Emperor forgave him and spared him severe punishment, only ordering him and Bai Chengguang to reflect on their actions behind closed doors…
Ye Changming sighed as well. If peace talks failed, the next step would be war between the two countries. And now that General Yan had been killed, the already weak advantage of the Great Liang would be further diminished.
He thought of something, and then felt something was off:
Why would Prime Minister Jiang want to spare General Yan's life?
"Who knows?" Ye Pei shook his head. "Maybe there are other schemes involved. After Chi Zhanlan Ce took out the letter yesterday, he couldn't wait to kill Yan Danqing and finalize the peace talks."
Upon hearing this, Ye Changming couldn't help but curse again: "Traitor! Spineless coward!"
Ye Pei rubbed his temples, as if he had just thought of something, and suddenly looked towards the backyard, asking in confusion, "Where's Xixi?"
Ye Changming's cursing stopped abruptly, and he shook his head: "I don't know, he ran out early this morning and hasn't come back yet."
His sister is hiding many secrets, but unfortunately he hasn't uncovered any of them yet. He deliberately stayed up early this morning to keep watch in the yard, but he couldn't catch her; he only saw her back...
Ye Pei immediately glared at him and kicked him, "You haven't come back all day? Then hurry up and go find her! If anything happens to your sister, I won't let you off the hook!"
Ye Changming: "..."
Ye Xiren has been elusive these past few days. She hasn't been home for a single day, and she wasn't home all night last night either. Who knows what she's up to!
Despite his inner complaints, he was still worried and went out to look for them with Fatty Gold and Skinny Silver. The group quickly disappeared through the doorway.
Ye Pei couldn't go out, so he waited anxiously inside. He knew that Ye Xiren could mobilize Yan Danqing's people, and they were already quite familiar with each other before he even saw them.
But now that Yan Danqing is dead and Xixi is nowhere to be found, he's really afraid something will happen to her...
Ye Pei waited and waited, and just as he was getting impatient and wanted to go out and search together, Ye Changming rushed back, covered in sweat and looking unusual.
"What's wrong? Where's your sister?" Ye Pei looked back.
Ye Changming, panting heavily, shook his head. "We haven't found Xixi yet."
Before Ye Pei could glare, he hurriedly said, "However, we have discovered something important. General Zhao and Ma Shan were stopped at the city gate by Prime Minister Jiang's men and were not allowed to leave the city. Prime Minister Jiang has already rushed into the palace."
"What?!" Ye Pei was shocked and didn't care about anything else. He asked again, "When did he enter the palace?"
Ye Changming pressed his legs, which were trembling from running too fast, and continued to answer breathlessly: "We discovered it in time; Prime Minister Jiang had just entered the palace."
They couldn't find her in the city, so Ye Changming quickly led his men to the city gate to find out if Ye Xiren had left the city. But instead of finding Ye Xiren, they met a worried Ma Shan.
He had seen Ma Shan yesterday, and he recognized him at a glance as the man who broke his leg. How could he be mistaken?
"quick!"
Ye Pei instinctively ran outside.
Although he didn't know what was going on, the general, who was about to go to war, was stopped at the gate. He instinctively felt that something was wrong and was anxious to go into the palace to find out.
However, the two rushed to the palace gate in a panic, only to be stopped outside. They then went to find Bai Chengguang and Zheng Wenjue, but still could not get in.
At present, Minister Jiang wants to have a private talk with the Emperor and will not see anyone else.
After calming down, Ye Changming asked again, "Are there any other methods?"
Ye Pei shook his head, his face grim. He didn't even know what had happened, and even if something had gone wrong, there was nothing he could do to stop Jiang Xiang...
What should we do?!
-
Inside the palace.
Jiang You hurriedly entered the palace with the secret letter in his hand. His face was filled with a complex expression, a mixture of joy and sorrow. Fearing that someone might sabotage things again, he ordered the palace gates to be sealed off, forbidding any disturbance.
He then quickened his pace and entered the Imperial Study.
"Your Majesty!" Jiang You entered, bowing as he held up what he was carrying.
Liang Yue's expression was complicated: "What does Prime Minister Jiang want?"
"Your Majesty, there may still be a possibility of peace talks between our Great Liang and Northern Yan. I have received a secret letter that Northern Yan has established a new crown prince!" Jiang You said hurriedly, his eyes looking at the bright yellow figure at the head of the table, as if he had grasped at a glimmer of hope, his eyes shining with endless light.
However, Liang Yue didn't share his joy. Instead, she lowered her eyes and asked him, "Where did you get this information?"
Liang Yue shook his head: "No, where you got the information is very important, because that information is false."
Jiang You was taken aback.
His voice trailed off abruptly, and he asked in confusion and bewilderment, "What... is it fake?"
How could this news be false, and how did His Majesty find out about it?
“After Yan Danqing died, someone came to me and said that today you will receive a secret letter from Northern Yan appointing a new crown prince. The purpose is to hold us back so that Northern Yan can capture Huai’an Canal.” Liang Yue said, raising his hand.
Two figures emerged from behind the curtain, a man and a woman. One was chubby with small eyes, clearly Liu Duoxi, the perfunctory and irresponsible Vice Minister. The other was a stranger.
Jiang You felt a strange sense of familiarity.
"This is the eldest daughter of Ye Pei, the Minister of Revenue, the Second Miss Ye." As if knowing his doubts, Liu Duoxi introduced her with a smile.
Jiang You was taken aback.
Is this Ye Xiren?!
It must be said that, just as Yan Danqing's presence is felt everywhere even when he is not in court, since yesterday, previously unknown young women have become "famous" overnight.
Ye Pei couldn't get in and was worried that he wouldn't be able to stop Jiang You, but he didn't expect that his daughter had already entered the palace and was waiting for Jiang You.
He was about to question him, but then he remembered that the other party had accurately stated that he would receive a secret letter after Yan Danqing's death. You see, at that time, he didn't even know that there would be a secret letter, let alone its contents.
Liu Duoxi still smiled, but her tone was firm: "Don't worry about how we know. The most important thing right now is, who gave you the fake secret letter?"
Jiang You frowned, staring intently at Liu Duoxi:
"Where's the evidence? How can you prove it?"
Beside Liu Duoxi, Ye Xiren, who was usually inconspicuous, suddenly spoke up: "The evidence is in Prime Minister Jiang's own hands. At Chenshi today, Prime Minister Jiang should have sent someone to investigate whether Northern Yan had established a new crown prince. When did you receive a reply?"
The secret letter from the "new crown prince" that he has now received is definitely not the result of his investigation this morning, and it won't be sent back so quickly.
Jiang You's pupils contracted, and he looked at Ye Xiren in disbelief. Thinking of what happened that morning, the two images instantly overlapped. She was so arrogant that she didn't even change her clothes!
Jiang You's eyes suddenly sharpened as he stared intently at her: "It's you?!"
Ye Xiren smiled slightly, fearless, "It's me."
Being stared at with such a terrifying gaze would have terrified her in the past, perhaps even too scared to speak. But now, having already killed him twice, what was there to be afraid of?
Jiang You's breathing became rapid.
Liu Duoxi walked up to Ye Xiren and narrowed his eyes:
"Prime Minister Jiang should calculate the time. If someone was indeed sent to investigate at Chenshi (7-9 AM), the news that has been sent back now must be about the situation in Northern Yan before Chizhan Lance died. If a new crown prince had been established at that time... Prime Minister Jiang, think about Chizhan Lance's terms for peace talks!"
"If a new crown prince had not yet been appointed at that time, where did the secret letter you received come from?!"
Two questions rained down on Jiang You, each more terrifying than the last. The emperor at the head of the table turned pale and lowered his head in dejection.
Yan Danqing is dead!
Regardless of which possibility it is, Northern Yan must still have a conspiracy, and they have already killed General Yan before they could unravel it... Thinking of this, Liang Yue's hands trembled.
Ye Xiren stared at Jiang You, a forced smile on her face: "Prime Minister Jiang, aren't you going to check the reply?"
Jiang You was equally alarmed. Being a clever man, he understood immediately. His face pale, he raised his hand, his voice hoarse: "Your Majesty, let me investigate first..."
Liang Yue waved his hand weakly.
Jiang You swayed slightly and hurriedly left.
The situation was critical and could not be delayed. Ye Xiren told Jiang You to see the "result" for himself, which left him no choice but to believe it. Moreover, with the Northern Yan conspiracy now discovered and Yan Danqing already dead, the Liang Dynasty was in an unprecedented crisis, making it even more urgent.
Jiang You hurriedly left, while Liang Yue, sitting at the head of the table, slumped down, before him lay the "evidence" that Liu Duoxi had already presented. The latest enemy intelligence sent by Huai'an Canal today did not mention the Northern Yan's appointment of a new crown prince...
Even though Chizhan Lance died, Mole and others immediately sent a message by carrier pigeon. Northern Yan did not have time to establish a crown prince and sent the message back. What secret letter did Jiang You receive?
Liang Yue murmured, "Let's wait for Prime Minister Jiang to investigate the person behind this."
Jiang You wanted to investigate not only the "evidence," but also who had interfered with his secret communication channels and sent him false information.
Ye Xiren looked at Liang Yue, pursed her lips, and suddenly said: "Before today, Jiang You was deceived by Chi Zhanlan Ce, who pushed for peace talks, manipulated Lu Qian, a spy from Northern Yan, to frame the Ye family, and even tried to kill General Yan Xiao to cut off the life of Great Liang."
"Now, because of a fake secret letter, General Zhao and General Ma are intercepted from going into battle... Does such a person who is only concerned with his own life and fears death, and only seeks to survive, really deserve the position of the only prime minister of the Great Liang?"
"Why? You trust him so much?" Ye Xiren didn't back down, but instead tilted her head back and asked.
Her eyes were stubborn, devoid of any reverence or loyalty to the emperor, only filled with the pent-up resentment and sorrow accumulated from her repeated, powerless deaths, and...
I disagree!
Why? Why would His Majesty rather believe a weak, incompetent, and cowardly person than a general who fights on the battlefield and is loyal to the emperor and the country?
"You!" Liang Yue was so angry that his hands trembled.
Liu Duoxi was so frightened that his face turned pale. No matter how good-tempered he was, this was still the emperor, an emperor whose life could be decided by a single imperial edict!
“Your Majesty, it was Miss Ye who was confused. She is an upright person and has a good personal relationship with General Yan, so she spoke without thinking. I hope Your Majesty will forgive her.”
Upon hearing "General Yan," all of Liang Yue's anger vanished instantly, and he slumped down, falling silent.
After a long pause, he waved his hand and ordered, "You may all leave now. Go and help Prime Minister Jiang find out the truth, and bring the person who played the trick to see me."
Ye Xiren pursed her lips and remained silent.
Liu Duoxi pulled her up, her body trembling, and hurriedly dragged her away from the Imperial Study.
They're all crazy.
He simply couldn't keep up with this young man's courage; his small frame belied a boldness that surpassed his 200-pound body...
Liang Yue sat inside, remaining silent for a long time.
He looked out through the open door. The sun had long since set, the last rays of light had completely disappeared, and darkness was about to engulf the entire world, as if all hope was lost.
A palace maid quietly entered and lit the candle.
How could he not trust the prime minister?
He adjusted the wick, and the candlelight flickered. In the interplay of light and shadow, he felt as if he had returned to last year, to the south, to the Prince Yu's residence.
At that time, the capital had just moved south, and war was raging. Under the iron hooves of the Northern Yan, everyone only knew how to run away. There was no one to fight, and the Great Liang had no chance of winning. He was worried about the future of the entire country. He was anxious day and night and wrote down his thoughts over the years, impulsively submitting a memorial.
That night, Prime Minister Jiang arrived at his cramped Prince Yu's residence with the memorial. At that time, the emperor was young, and after Jiang You executed the treacherous prime minister, the court was entirely in his hands, and he was responsible for approving all the memorials. He was already an uncrowned king.
Jiang You held the memorial, pointing to the shallow and one-sided content that he only realized after ascending the throne, and asked him about each point in detail, staring into his eyes to judge his attitude.
Regarding the governing philosophy, expectations, and the future of the entire Liang Dynasty...
They talked late into the night.
As dawn broke, when Jiang Xiang was leaving, he suddenly flicked his sleeve and slowly knelt down. With this kneeling, the young emperor "died of illness," and Jiang You welcomed him from the Prince Yu's residence into the Southern Capital Palace.
If he only wants power, and the young emperor is unable to govern, the whole country will be ruled by the powerful minister. Who can stop him from saying or doing whatever he wants?
Why put yourself under pressure?
Nothing more than...
He was considering the future of the entire Liang Dynasty.
The emperor was young, and the people were not loyal to him. He had no desire to be a hidden emperor; he only hoped for peace in the world and to be a good subject.
Last year, a new emperor ascended the throne, leaving behind a huge mess. The entire country was hollowed out by corruption, teetering on the brink of collapse, and the people were filled with anxiety.
Old and new conflicts, North-South integration, frontline warfare...
In the year Liang Yue ascended the throne, it was Jiang You and he who struggled to maintain stability in the court and support the front lines. The hardships they endured were beyond the comprehension of outsiders.
How much they had to bear, how could they dare tell anyone else? When they were working tirelessly in the Imperial Study, worrying about various disasters, wars, and provisions, how could anyone else have seen it?
The powerful minister and the emperor, if it were a peaceful dynasty they might have some good days, but in these times, amidst the storms and hardships, they carry the weight of the entire nation on their shoulders, and before them lie the people of Liang facing one desperate situation after another...
The emperor possesses the entire empire.
But once he sat down, he realized that from this position, he couldn't see the world at all; he could only see the Wende Hall beneath the dragon throne, this tiny world.
They didn't know who to trust, who they could rely on, and one wrong decision could determine the future of the entire dynasty.
Compared to two-faced officials who scheme behind the scenes, compared to ministers who claim loyalty but whose true intentions are unknown, and compared to the pro-war faction who only clamor for war but have no idea what situation they are facing...
Why shouldn't he trust Chiang Kai-shek?!
[Your Highness, have you thought this through? If you come with me today, from now on, you and I, ruler and subject, will share life and death with this crumbling Liang Dynasty.]
If Liang Yue can't even trust Jiang You now that he's come this far, who can he trust?
He slowly closed his eyes.
Even if Jiang You is at fault, it is... the fault of the two of them.
-
Meanwhile, Ye Xiren and Liu Duoxi found Jiang You.
He held the new secret letter in his hand, his whole body trembling. He seemed to have aged even more in an instant, his temples turned completely white, and he bent over, almost losing his strength and about to collapse.
Liu Duoxi quickly stepped forward to help him up.
Ye Xiren glanced at him, her expression indifferent: "It seems that Prime Minister Jiang has found out that there is a problem with the secret letter that establishes the new crown prince."
Ignoring her sarcasm, Jiang You gripped Liu Duoxi's arm, which trembled uncontrollably. The veins on his aged arm bulged, and his voice was hoarse: "Quickly, quickly urge General Zhao and the others to rush to the Huai'an Canal. Tell them not to worry about anything else, and to get to the battlefield first to stabilize morale..."
Liu Duoxi paused for a moment.
Upon hearing this, Ye Xiren continued to provoke, "By the time you realize it, it will be too late. By the time His Majesty obtained the evidence, he had already sent someone to urge them to leave."
Although it's useless, there's a high probability that everything will restart halfway through, and everything will come back to normal.
Jiang You finally breathed a sigh of relief and completely relaxed.
Liu Duoxi: "..."
Ye Xiren had no choice but to step forward and support the two old men from behind, as she couldn't just watch them fall to the ground together.
But she was very unhappy whenever she thought about what had happened before, and she continued to be sarcastic without stopping:
"It seems that Prime Minister Jiang isn't completely stupid after all. Now that he's found out the truth, he must have also found out who was behind it. The person who could interfere with Prime Minister Jiang's secret communication channels must be someone he trusts implicitly. Prime Minister Jiang has been betrayed again..."
Others may not know, but the two of them knew all too well that Lu Qian was originally Yan Danqing's man, but later betrayed him and joined Jiang You. In the end, he was a traitor who served three masters. When Chi Zhan Lan Ce entered Nandu, he immediately joined Chi Zhan Lan Ce!
Jiang You still considered Lu Qian to be one of his men, never expecting that Lu Qian had already betrayed him and even helped Chi Zhanlan Ce bury gunpowder under the imperial prison.
Upon hearing this, Jiang You's face turned deathly pale, his throat bobbed as if blood was rushing to his head and he was about to vomit blood.
Liu Duoxi glared at her.
It's still useful, don't make people angry!
-----------------------
Author's note: The first day without a male lead.
The first one without a male lead...
Yan Danqing: Once it cycles, there's only "one day" left!
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