Yun Qing sighed silently.
[So that's why you weren't making things difficult for me! You were waiting for me here all along!]
When it comes to disputes among those in power, most people just watch the show. And after what happened last night, the Prince of Pingjiang might not necessarily help him. Besides, the matter is plausible, so Yun Qing decided it was better to avoid trouble.
She was about to step forward when Xie Rang grabbed her sleeve.
Xie Rang's voice was cold as he stared at Liang Zhigong with a half-smile: "How good my Grand Tutor is is probably not for you to question, is it?"
Xie Rang didn't care. If he couldn't hide it, he couldn't hide it. In the past, he was weak and helpless and needed to put on a shell to protect himself. Now, he had bided his time and had gained some power. If he couldn't even protect his own tutor, what use was he?
Faced with the young emperor who suddenly revealed his claws, Liang Zhigong's expression darkened. He glanced at the Prince of Pingjiang with a sinister look, wondering how this fool felt about guarding the country for someone else.
He laughed: "This is the proper etiquette. Your Majesty is protecting Grand Tutor Li so much. Have you forgotten your roots? I'm afraid the late Emperor wouldn't be at peace even in the afterlife."
Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent. No one expected Liang Zhigong to be so bold. This was still in the imperial mausoleum, yet he openly dragged the late emperor into it as a shield. Was he afraid that others wouldn't know that the late emperor had favored eunuchs, leading to the current unbalanced situation?
Xie Rang's face showed more impatience when he mentioned the late emperor. The late emperor had never shown him any care and had even left behind a mess. It was already good enough that he hadn't dug up the grave to vent his anger. How could Liang Zhigong possibly think of using this to pressure him?
[What a coincidence! The little tyrant really is the kind of person who doesn't care about etiquette. If he really cared, he wouldn't have sent people to desecrate the imperial tombs later on! Tsk tsk tsk, that was a bad move!]
Yun Qing quickly switched to gossip mode. Anyway, once the little tyrant spoke, there was no turning back, and she was also very interested to see how Xie Rang would handle this matter.
When Xie Rang heard Yun Qing's thoughts, he almost couldn't hold back. He actually did it?
Well, as expected of him.
Amidst a turmoil in his heart, he maintained a composed demeanor, though his voice carried a light, chilling malice: "Speaking of etiquette, even ancestral worship at the imperial mausoleum demands perfection. Eunuch Liang, being incomplete, is probably not even qualified for such an occasion. As the saying goes, a new emperor brings a new court; life and death are decided by a single word from me, let alone etiquette. If we must argue, let's start with Eunuch Liang—"
As soon as Xie Rang finished speaking, Lin Chen drew his sword and aimed it directly at Liang Zhigong's waist.
Yun Qing exclaimed that it was wonderful.
[How awful! How can that little tyrant have such a mouth? I love hearing everything he says. He's mocking Liang Zhigong for not being a man; it's an absolute humiliation for him!]
Xie Rang subtly curled his lips.
Liang Zhigong was so angry that he was trembling all over. Ever since he had gained more and more power, no one had dared to openly mention this matter in front of him. Xie Rang was the first one to do so!
He sneered, his eyes darkening: "Very well... Your Majesty is truly remarkable."
Xie Rang ignored him and gave him a look. Lin Chen's movements immediately became more vigorous. He smiled insincerely and said, "Lord Liang, let's go."
Having said all that, Liang Zhigong could only invite gossip if he stayed any longer. He brushed aside Lin Chen's sword, flicked his sleeves, and left, with his attendants following him.
After this ordeal, the ministers finally realized that the young emperor was probably not the puppet they had imagined at all, and judging from the situation, the imperial tutor should be completely on the young emperor's side.
That makes the situation hard to predict.
Those who sensed that the situation might be about to change secretly glanced at the dark face of the Prince of Pingjiang, feeling utterly dejected. What on earth was going on?
"What are you standing there for? Continue! Do you need me to teach you?"
Xie Rang glanced at the ministers, each with their own agendas, and became less polite to them, since few of them were truly loyal to him anyway.
This time, the Prince of Pingjiang took the lead. He stepped forward and met Yun Qing, who was trying to retreat, with an ambiguous expression: "I never thought that after so many years of taming eagles, I would have the day when an eagle pecks at my eye."
What do you mean? Do you want to completely break ties with me?
Yun Qing returned the greeting calmly: "Your Highness is too kind. You flatter me."
Xie Rang was surprised and grabbed her sleeve, leading her to the back hall, completely ignoring the stares of others.
Yun Qing was suddenly pulled away, feeling helpless, wondering what she had done to offend him again: "Qi An, tell me what's bothering you, okay? I don't want to guess."
[Guessing and guessing, and then worrying about being wrong, how embarrassing if we're not on the same page later.]
Xie Rang was only slightly angry, and the anger dissipated completely during the walk. He asked, "He has already seen through our plan, so why is the Grand Tutor still being so polite to him?"
The Prince of Pingjiang was a prince, representing the royal family. No matter what, his status was naturally higher than that of his subjects. However, Xie Rang was still unhappy to see the Grand Tutor lowering his attitude towards him.
Neither he nor the Grand Tutor had so many rules, so why should the Prince of Pingjiang have them?
"You can't say that. He is, after all, a member of the royal family. From a standpoint of position, he is naturally opposed to Liang Zhigong. At least on this point, our goals are the same."
The Prince of Pingjiang had already foreseen the consequences of eunuchs seizing power. Rather than trying to negotiate with a tiger, he was more likely to choose to overthrow Liang Zhigong first.
Yun Qing curled her lips and looked at Xie Rang: "However, from now on, he will definitely be wary of us. There are still capable ministers in the court. It depends on His Majesty's ability to win them over."
The military officers aren't a big problem; they'll submit to whoever is capable. The difficult ones are the civil officials. These guys can easily smear someone's reputation in the history books on the slightest disagreement. That's absolutely unacceptable!
Yun Qing watched Xie Rang grow up little by little, and was confident that he would not become a tyrant who would be criticized in the future. However, he absolutely could not be smeared in other aspects either. She would have to find a way to deal with them one by one later.
Xie Rang's face showed a docile expression: "If they don't listen, then find a way to replace them. It just so happens that last year's Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) haven't been assigned to any places yet, so we can let them gain experience at lower levels."
During the imperial examination period, the late emperor was in relatively good spirits, but it is estimated that he had some premonition at that time. In the end, he did not send the newly selected Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examination) out to other places. They are all still in the capital doing some miscellaneous work. Except for the top three, none of them have a fixed official position.
[I almost forgot about this. These people were basically all wiped out later, so they can fill in now, lest they be left without some official position to protect them.]
Yun Qing nodded: "We can make arrangements when we get back. His Majesty's judgment is excellent."
She studied global history, but because she often looked too far ahead, she neglected the details of the present. Here, the little tyrant complemented her perfectly.
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