Chapter 831 Don’t Let Me Down
Liang Guangyi suddenly looked up at Tang Ning, with surprise in his old eyes.
Tang Ning said calmly: "Why, you don't believe it?"
Liang Guangyi opened his mouth: "Your Majesty..."
They have always had a grudge against each other. The hatred between the two has accumulated since the trouble between the East Palace and the He family. Later, when Xiao Yan began to emerge in the palace and affected the interests of the aristocratic families, they used all means to put each other to death. It was not surprising that Xiao Yan promised him the position of prime minister.
He wanted to balance the court, to borrow the power of the aristocratic families, to make the Qingliu faction cautious and not grow into a second group of "aristocratic families", and even wanted to use a soft knife to cut the flesh and gradually smooth out the edges of the aristocratic families, and completely eradicate them without resorting to violence...
He had thought of all these things, but he had never thought that Xiao Yan would say these words.
Liang Guangyi hesitated to speak, but Tang Ning saw through what he wanted to say. She only said very calmly:
"The court is in turmoil, power struggles raged, and everyone has their own selfish motives for right and wrong, simply because of differing stances. Your Majesty said you would do anything to protect your family, but you will never be confused when it comes to right and wrong. If the Great Wei Kingdom is ever to fall, you, Liang Guangyi, will definitely be the one defending it to the very end."
"I didn't believe it then, but I do believe it today."
Liang Guangyi's face changed instantly when he heard this. He was a smart man, and precisely because of his intelligence, he understood what the Queen meant. His fingers trembled, "Did Your Majesty know that Duan Zhiru and the others had returned to the capital?"
"Know."
"Guo Changming is corrupt..."
"I know."
"King Hui..."
"Everyone knows."
Seeing that most of the blood had drained from Liang Guangyi's face, Tang Ning said calmly, "Not only do I know all this, I also know that Prince Hui persuaded the clan members to secretly meet with the generals in the court. I know that although you have never met them, you secretly ordered people to protect them and cover up their tracks, and even used the Liang family's connections to facilitate their actions."
"Nie Hanqiu, the quartermaster escorting the grain and fodder to the northwest, is from the Min family. Cen Guang, the deputy commander of General Yin of Munan Pass, is a Liang family spy planted in the south. You knew that Duan Zhiru and Prince Hui were planning to seize imperial power while Your Majesty was away from the capital, but you allowed them to do so, hoping to profit for the aristocratic families once they took action."
Tang Ning's long skirt reached her ankles, and the pearls and jade on her waist highlighted her curves. She sat down casually, and the rings and bracelets made crisp sounds when they lightly touched each other.
"Your Excellency knows they can't stir up any trouble. You know that although I'm not as powerful as Your Majesty, with Cao Dejiang by my side, I can ultimately suppress them. You believe you have everything under control, so you stand by and watch them act rashly, even secretly aiding them in their fight against me, waiting only for the chaos at court to spread to the border before you step in to turn the tide and suppress them."
Tang Ning stroked the pendant around her waist with her fingertips, looking as if she was smiling.
"The Prime Minister wants to plan for the future of the family and wants to use this opportunity to force me to give in."
"As soon as I retreat, the advantage that the noble families have worked so hard to gain in the court will vanish into thin air. Your Majesty is far away in Southern Qi and will be unable to intervene in the court for even a moment. If we want the court to be stable and the border to be free from the burden of the court, your Majesty and I will have to give ground to the noble families."
"After the war with Southern Qi, even if His Majesty returns to the court, the situation will be hopeless. With the war in the northwest as a distraction, he won't be able to engage in a major conflict with you. Not only will the aristocratic families be able to regain power and dominate the court, but if His Majesty dies on the battlefield, you might even be able to support a new emperor as incompetent as the deposed emperor and restore the aristocratic families' glory."
As the Queen spoke, Liang Guangyi's palms trembled and cold sweat ran down his forehead. His inner shirt was soaked with sweat and stuck to his back. Even the sunlight coming in from outside could not dispel the continuous chill that came over him.
During this period, the queen's behavior was inconsistent and she repeatedly pressured the noble families. He had long noticed that something was wrong and had doubts in his heart.
It was not until the Queen took action against Shi Qingrong and the Shi family that Liang Guangyi vaguely guessed whether the Queen knew something.
He hesitated for a long time in the mansion, and only after thinking it over and over again did he decide to "apologize" today. However, he still had some worries in his heart. He was afraid that he was wrong and the queen knew nothing at all. He was afraid that he had overthought and gave others an opportunity to use his power.
Even when he took the initiative to tell the story of Duan Zhiru and others just now, he still had doubts. He was worried that the queen knew nothing and he would give her a handle for nothing. He was also afraid that he would make a mistake and completely cut off the family's retreat, but he never thought of it.
It turns out that the queen knows everything.
Liang Guangyi's face turned pale. "So the Empress has been waiting for this old minister?"
"yes."
Tang Ning said bluntly, "With your cunning mind, it's impossible not to see that someone is taking advantage of the situation with Guo Changming and the Shi family. You thought you had everything under control, and that even if Duan Zhiru and the others started a fight with me, you would have a way to deal with it. But you forgot that nothing in this world can be predicted. Besides Min San and Duan Zhiru, there are many people who want to cause chaos in the Wei Dynasty."
"You didn't expect that I would suddenly launch a strict investigation into the Ministry of Justice, and you didn't expect that I would not tolerate the aristocratic families for the sake of the overall situation."
"If it were just Duan Zhiru and King Hui, you could have called a halt at any time. But I suddenly intervened and forced all the noble families into this mess. They refused to retreat, and I pressed them aggressively. Furthermore, you noticed the other party's movements, and you knew that the situation was no longer under your control."
Tang Ning looked at Liang Guangyi, who was full of fear, and revealed his thoughts word by word.
"Although Liang Xiang had selfish motives, he never considered sacrificing Wei for his own selfish desires."
"You're afraid that if you continue like this, your family will be doomed, and that the chaos in the court will spread to the border."
"You're afraid of the corpses scattered across the land when your country is destroyed and your family is ruined. You're even more afraid that you, Liang Guangyi, will be condemned as a sinner through the ages, condemned by future generations for betraying the people of the Wei Dynasty."
Liang Guangyi's body tilted and he collapsed to the ground, his face pale. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but when he met the Queen's gaze he couldn't utter a word. The cold sweat from his hands even soaked the ground he was using to support himself.
He looked dazed, as if he was crying and laughing at the same time. After a while, he looked at Tang Ning with a hoarse voice.
"I have no excuse. It was my selfish desires that drove me crazy. I am willing to take the blame."
Tang Ning looked at Liang Guangyi, who seemed to have aged significantly in an instant. She saw the haggard look between his eyebrows and eyes, and the frosty white on his temples. She did not punish him, but just glanced to the side and said, "Eunuch Pan, help Liang Guangyi up."
Pan Xi, who had been standing there quietly, immediately stepped forward and stretched out his hand to help Liang Guangyi stand up.
Liang Guangyi did not move.
Tang Ning said, "You are already old. If you can no longer walk, how can you stand in the court?"
Liang Guangyi suddenly looked up.
Pan Xi whispered, "Prime Minister, let me help you up."
Liang Guangyi had been kneeling for too long and was mentally traumatized. When he stood up, his legs hurt so much that he couldn't stand steadily.
Pan Xi helped the man lean against him and said to Tang Ning, "Your presence in the palace today, regardless of the reason, proves that His Majesty was not wrong about you. Although you have strong selfish desires, you still put the country above your family. You have never wanted to cause chaos and suffering in the world to achieve your vision of a noble family."
"I am willing to trust Liang Xiang once again. Will Liang Xiang disappoint me?"
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