Chapter 48 The List, Twentieth Time!
Chapter 48
Wende Hall fell silent once more.
The temporary "imperial palace" built in Nandu was simple, without time to carve dragons and phoenixes, and was only covered with a layer of bright yellow gauze, indicating that this was the power center of the Great Liang Dynasty.
However, the faint breeze blowing from the gate lifted the white gauze, revealing the old red lacquered round wood underneath. Even with all the effort to conceal it, the various traces still revealed the chaotic state of the main beam and the crumbling imperial court.
Ye Xiren stared blankly at Zhang Yuanmou.
He laughed at Yan Danqing for being "blindly loyal," a term she had once used to complain about Yan Danqing, now spoken by someone else... But for some reason, Ye Xiren felt a surge of anger, an uncontrollable rage about to erupt.
Liang Yue was so angry that he was panting and dizzy.
Inside the quiet Wende Hall, Zhang Yuanmou's loud laughter echoed. The next moment, Jiang You's increasingly furious voice resounded: "You're simply a madman!"
"You only have eyes for Liang Jin. Do you know that he is completely unfit to be emperor? Do you know that he is cowardly, timid, and utterly stupid? To avenge him, you drag the entire Liang Dynasty down with you. You are the truly blindly loyal and utterly foolish!"
If Emperor Xianzong hadn't only had one child, Liang Jin, he wouldn't have let him ascend the throne in the first place. That child was well-behaved, but... too well-behaved.
With the fall of the Northern Capital, Liang Jin was terrified from north to south, wanting only to survive. However, he was not talented, dull, timid, and young. If such a person sat on the throne, what would become of the Liang Dynasty? It was simply unthinkable!
Aren't the lessons of history clear enough?
"Yes, I am blindly loyal. Isn't General Yan also blindly loyal? It's just that I am loyal to Liang Jin, while Yan Danqing is loyal to Liang Yue!" Zhang Yuanmou sneered.
It's just a matter of each serving their own master, so what's the difference? There's no reason why someone loyal to Liang Yue is more noble than someone loyal to Liang Jin.
"Isn't the duty of a subject to be loyal to the emperor, protect the country, and uphold the state?"
Zhang Yuanmou countered with a question to Jiang You:
"If His Majesty is dull-witted, we will advise him; if His Majesty doesn't understand, we will teach him. You think he is weak and cowardly, but what about Liang Yue? He is not a wise man either. Are you going to change the emperor again?!"
That's outrageous!
If the emperor is unsuitable, will you replace him? And if the replacement is also unsuitable, will you replace him again?
An emperor is an emperor, and a subject is a subject. How can a subject overthrow imperial power and try to control the throne? That is not a subject, but a traitor!
"Jiang You, with all these actions, where is the way of a subject? You've read all the classics but they've gone to waste!" Zhang Yuanmou mocked endlessly. The more he had respected Jiang You before, the more he hated him the moment Jiang You murdered the emperor.
Jiang You took a deep breath and closed his eyes:
"I have no regrets."
He was not "loyal to the emperor" enough and lacked the "way of a minister," but he did not regret it. The person sitting at the head of the table was Liang Yue, who was far better than the young emperor. Just last year, he supported the front-line battle. If the young emperor had been above him, how could he have completely suppressed the dissent when there were dissenting voices in the court?
Only when the ruler and his ministers are of one mind and share the same convictions can this dilapidated and lost ship at sea move in one direction instead of remaining stuck in the same place.
Moreover, they are old. What if they die? Will the next powerful minister necessarily be a good minister? In this terrible situation, we do not ask for the great talent and strategy of the emperor above, but only for benevolence and patriotism, and to stand with the Great Liang through thick and thin.
“I don’t regret it either.” Zhang Yuanmou raised his chin.
He flicked his sleeves, put his hands behind his back, and stood straight in the Wende Hall. At this moment, he stood more confidently than Jiang You, worthy of the emperor in his heart, and would not regret dying.
The hall fell silent again; no one could utter a word.
Liu Duoxi sighed silently. Everyone has their own principles, their own stubbornness, and their own mistakes. No one is perfect; that's just human nature.
Ye Xiren suddenly spoke up: "Zhang Yuanmou, you said Yan Danqing was blindly loyal?"
She remained silent, and the people arguing naturally didn't notice her. A young girl like her was inconspicuous in such a setting, and no one paid her any attention.
Hearing the voice, Zhang Yuanmou looked at her, frowned, and seemed displeased that she had suddenly spoken.
Ye Xiren didn't care at all, shook her head and continued:
“I cursed him today too. Before you appeared, I still thought ‘blind loyalty’ could describe him, but that’s until I saw you…”
She thought to herself, how could there be such a stubborn person who had died so many times, yet still did not value his own life the most, and still adhered to the belief of being a subject of the Great Liang, putting so many people before himself.
Just now, she suddenly understood.
“He was never blindly loyal; on the contrary, he saw things more clearly and was more sober than anyone else.”
Ye Xiren smiled, her soft voice firm and resounding: "You disregard the people of Daliang and the fate of the nation, remaining loyal only to one person. To fulfill your 'loyalty,' you collude with Northern Yan and bring disaster to the people of Daliang. This is true 'foolishness.'"
Zhang Yuanmou was about to retort.
Ye Xiren shook her head, interrupting him: "But Yan Danqing, from beginning to end, has always been loyal to the 'people,' the people of Daliang, and all the people under heaven."
In this era where sages teach everyone to be "loyal to the emperor," one would do anything to benefit the emperor by sacrificing one's life; a loyal minister is one who is loyal to the person sitting high on the throne before him.
Yan Danqing had already overcome these obstacles and remained loyal to the "people" behind him. In fact, he had said long ago that he would not die for the court, but only for the more than three million miles of land and the tens of millions of people.
How can this be considered "foolish"?
He cared about the soldiers at Huai'an Canal and the countless people of Daliang. Rebellion was not the solution; it would only make Daliang more chaotic. So he risked his life and did everything in his power to try to find a compromise between the court, the garrison, and the people.
He is smarter and more clear-headed than many people.
If, in order to survive or because of his sense of injustice, he disregards the lives of the soldiers at the Huai'an Canal and abandons countless civilians in Daliang, then his beliefs will become narrow and limited...
Once you give up the first time, there will be countless more. Your faith will start to wane, and your path will only become narrower and narrower. Zhang Yuanmou has already shown Ye Xiren what will ultimately become of you.
If one cannot uphold one's original beliefs and instead takes a narrow path, in the end, one will become unrecognizable.
With just a few words, the hall fell even more silent.
Zhang Yuanmou opened his mouth subconsciously, but could not utter a sound or find any words to refute it. Jiang You closed his eyes and pursed his lips.
Ye Xiren stared blankly at the floor.
Unfortunately, Yan Chunzhou wasn't here, so he couldn't hear her praise him, nor did he witness the impressive scene where her few words silenced Councilor Zhang completely.
At the head of the table, Liang Yue murmured, "The people are the most important, the state is next, and the ruler is the least important..."
Jiang You opened his eyes, his gaze incredibly clear: "Yes, how can you compare to Yan Danqing?"
He no longer questioned Zhang Yuanmou about his betrayal; he had already grasped the crux of the matter, and further explanation was futile. Those who walk different paths cannot work together. His eyes were cold as he spoke each word with chilling precision:
"You committed the military rations fraud? Where is that batch of rations? What else did you do?!"
"Let things fall into chaos. If things fall into chaos, the Great Liang will perish. At that time, it doesn't matter if it's called Great Zhou or Great Yan. Someone will eventually destroy Liang Yue and establish a new dynasty."
Jiang You managed to squeeze out a voice: "You simply say that the Great Liang is gone, but do you know how many people will die, and do you know how the iron hooves of the Northern Yan will trample the Great Liang into?!"
“I have made mistakes, and after death I will face mountains of knives and seas of fire, and the deepest hell, but as long as I am alive, I cannot let the Great Liang perish before me.”
His body swayed precariously, yet his eyes seemed to burst forth with a final burst of life force, a force supporting his body and preventing him from collapsing.
Zhang Yuanmou said with sympathy, "But it's too late. Yan Danqing is dead, and the Great Liang has no chance of winning. You and Liang Yue are destined to watch the world you usurped fall apart."
Upon hearing the name "Yan Danqing," regret nearly overwhelmed the emperor and his minister. Ying Changping turned his head away, deeply distressed, while Liu Duoxi was heartbroken.
They could have survived!
What are Yan Danqing and Ye Xiren thinking?
He looked at Ye Xiren, only to see that her eyes were bright and clear, without any sadness, as if she was not heartbroken at all by Yan Danqing's death, and her heart was filled with the joy of getting closer to the truth.
Liu Duoxi: "???"
But recalling their previous discussions, Liu Duoxi stepped forward, frowned, and asked Zhang Yuanmou, "So, the Crown Prince of Northern Yan came to Nandu not for peace talks?"
I already guessed it, but I still want a definite answer.
“If he truly wants to negotiate, why would I help him?” Zhang Yuanmou replied with a smile, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Ye Xiren stared intently at him.
Twenty cycles later, this is the first time we've come so close to "evidence." Zhang Yuanmou is a witness; his existence and the military rations case are evidence, but it's not enough, not enough at all.
"How are the military rations replaced?" Ye Xiren asked.
Zhang Yuanmou scoffed: "So what if I know? Can I still get the military rations back? I can only say that I was unaware of it. I was just helping Chizhan Lance out. How would I know what he did?"
"Of course, even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you. I want you to die with this question along with the Great Liang!"
Ye Xiren clenched her fist, a flash of killing intent crossing her eyes.
Jiang You lifted his foot and walked step by step to Zhang Yuanmou. His voice was old and calm: "You conspired with the Northern Yan to intercept the grain supplies. Chi Zhanlan Ce knew this perfectly well, but instead of taking advantage of the situation to cause trouble, he sent a peace treaty without mentioning it at all. He didn't even bother to come and negotiate with my Great Liang. He deliberately concealed it..."
"He wanted to force us to kill Yan Chunzhou! His Majesty and I thought that Northern Yan was unaware of the military provisions, and fearing that we would reveal this to them, we rushed to sign the peace treaty, thus falling into their trap, didn't we?"
Zhang Yuanmou did not answer, but Jiang You knew him well enough.
"What else did you do?" he asked again.
Zhang Yuanmou didn't want them to know too much, so he remained silent.
"Was the secret letter an arrangement made before Chi Zhanlan Ce died, or after?" Jiang You continued to ask, staring intently at his expression.
Zhang Yuanmou remained silent.
"Before he died?"
Jiang You observed his gaze and slowly spoke:
"It seems to be after his death. In other words, after Chizhan Lanze died, the Northern Yan army immediately wanted to attack Huai'an Canal. To make things go more smoothly, the Northern Yan people asked you to forge a secret letter to delay the time."
Regardless of whether Chi Zhanlan Ce is alive or not, Northern Yan will go to war with Great Liang, and the "peace talks" they pinned their hopes on simply do not exist.
This conjecture is despairing and painful, yet it is a fact that must be faced.
Ye Xiren didn't miss a single word of Jiang You's analysis, and another layer of the truth was revealed.
The last batch of military rations sent to the Huai'an Canal was sabotaged by Zhang Yuanmou and Chi Zhanlan, and Yan Danqing received a batch of river sand instead. Afterwards, Chi Zhanlan's peace treaty arrived, but Yan Danqing's six letters requesting grain and petitions were intercepted by Jiang You, formally initiating peace talks. The Vice Minister of State Affairs, having betrayed the country, secretly sent messages to Chi Zhanlan, assisting him in pushing for Yan Danqing's execution…
Liu Duoxi gasped and murmured:
"So this is the truth. Northern Yan had no intention of negotiating peace. Chi Zhanlan Ce was cunning and treacherous, with wolfish ambitions. He used our court to kill General Yan. Fortunately, when General Yan realized there was no way to reverse the situation, he decisively attacked and killed Chi Zhanlan Ce."
If Yan Danqing hadn't killed Chizhan Lance, and if their peace talks had gone smoothly, the terrifying Chizhan Lance would still be alive after General Yan's death...
It was a nightmare!
After all, with Zhang, the councilor, acting as a go-between, those officials who believed that the Great Liang was utterly hopeless, and even those who had long been colluding with Chi Zhan Lan Ce, would likely immediately switch sides. The war at the front wouldn't even begin, and the rear would already be in chaos…
etc.
wrong!
Jiang You's pupils contracted, and he raised his voice: "Quickly, send more men to guard the Northern Yan delegation and don't let them leave. Also, send the corpses of Chi Zhanlan Ce and Yan Danqing to the palace!"
Oh no.
Zhang Yuanmou could target his secret communication channels, and he could also remove the people Zhang Yuanmou had arranged to guard the Northern Yan embassy.
Ying Changping felt a chill run down his spine. He responded but didn't bother with a formal greeting and hurriedly left.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuanmou scratched his messy hair and laughed loudly: "Hahaha, it's only now that Prime Minister Jiang has realized it? Too bad, it's too late! What do you think I'm wasting my breath talking to you here? Of course, it's to buy time. You went into the palace and then rushed out to investigate the secret letter. How could I not have noticed?"
"I had already notified the Northern Yan people before I came in. They have probably already left the city with the corpses and will never catch up."
Liang Yue's vision went black, and he slumped back into his chair.
Zhang Yuanmou added with a smile, "Oh, I forgot to mention, not only is Chi Zhanlan Ce's corpse there, but also General Yan's. They've probably all left the capital and been sent to the Huai'an Canal. Do you think we can still win this battle?"
He gave a positive answer to what was a question, and applauded.
They intended to do something with Chi Zhanlan Ce's corpse, but it was stolen by the Northern Yan people. Meanwhile, Yan Danqing's corpse appeared on the battlefield. What will the Yan family army at Huai'an Canal do?
I wouldn't even dare to think about it!
Jiang You swayed precariously, his finger trembling violently as he pointed at Zhang Yuanmou, carrying his last glimmer of hope:
"Impossible! I've already had people keep a close watch on Yan Danqing's body. The city gates are heavily guarded. They can't have escaped in such a short time. They'll definitely catch up..." He was practically going crazy as he spoke.
Zhang Yuanmou smiled at him and shook his head:
"Lord Jiang is so naive. Do you think there are many people in the Great Liang court who are secretly connected with Chi Zhan Lan Ce? Since he wants to kill Yan Dan Qing and has no intention of negotiating, he must have already calculated the fastest way out of the city."
Tight defenses? Those traitors were the "passageways" of Northern Yan, making it incredibly easy to steal the corpses.
Jiang You's eyes were bloodshot, and he was in so much pain that he was on the verge of collapse.
Liang Yue sat slumped down, his gaze fixed on the blade in his hand, despair creeping over him.
Only Zhang Yuanmou's laughter echoed in the Wende Hall, the night wind blowing, desolate and hopeless.
The next moment, Ye Xiren, who was standing next to her, murmured, "Yes, I also want to know how many people in the court have secretly made contact with Chi Zhanlan Ce, and what that passage route is like?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Yuanmou's laughter stopped, and he frowned as he looked at her.
Ye Xiren, however, was looking towards the palace gate.
It was almost midnight, with only half an hour left.
Footsteps sounded again, and Ying Changping, who had just left, returned in a daze, with a group of people behind him. The people in the hall were stunned when they saw them.
Ma Shan, Yan Shuang, Ye Pei, Ye Changming, Bai Chengguang, Zheng Wenjue.
A group of people strode in under the moonlight. As they drew closer, the candlelight flickered, and by its light, one could vaguely see behind them... two coffins were being carried, and a group of Northern Yan people were being tied up!
Leave the city?
We're waiting for you right at the city gate!
"Second Miss Ye, you have successfully completed your mission, stopping the Northern Yan people from leaving the city and capturing all the officials who were seeing them off!"
Ye Xiren seemed to hear her conversation with Yan Danqing.
Must one die?
Yes, I have to die once. Only when I die will those hiding underwater have no more fear and surface. Darkness will have nowhere to hide. Xixi, the rest is up to you.
At that time, Ye Xiren only replied with two words:
【rest assured. 】
She smiled slightly, reached out her hand, and took the roster.
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Author's Note: Little Rabbit: Ahhh, Xixi is so great!
Yan Danqing: What about me?
Rabbit: ? ? This round is your business?
Yan Danqing: …………
See you tomorrow!
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