Chapter 872 Lost miserably
Liang Guangyi clearly didn't mean to kick someone when they were down, and even his voice was as calm as usual, but every word he said was like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart hard.
Cen Guang was executed on the very night of his rebellion, and all the letters sent back from Munan Pass were fake.
Even when Liang Guangyi knelt in the palace in embarrassment, arguing with the Queen for the Shi family, and when the aristocratic families and the Queen competed with each other, Liang Guangyi went from yielding to being strong, as if he was forced to change his attitude and regain control of the aristocratic families, helping them test and threaten the Queen, it was all an act...
All the facts they believed in were overturned, and the truth made them bleed so much that they almost fainted.
King Hui and his son slumped to the ground, no longer having the strength to struggle, while Min An and others beside them also looked pale.
"How is it possible..."
How dare the Queen?!
They never thought that Liang Guangyi would choose the Queen, let alone that the Queen would dare to make such a big move.
Obviously Xiao Yan was not in the capital, and obviously the country was in turmoil due to external and internal troubles. Song Tangning, a mere woman, was already being criticized for sitting in the court. However, she did not seek stability in the court, nor was she afraid of chaos in the capital after the aristocratic families rebelled. Instead, she set traps step by step.
Arouse their ambitions, tempt their greed to grow, until they are deeply mired in the mire.
Duan Zhiru and the other two had already caught the Queen's attention when they returned to Beijing. She could have dealt with them early on, but she allowed them to interact with each other.
Every time they met, every time they planned, every time they were complacent, the court was in chaos because of them. They thought they had forced the queen like a trapped beast and that victory was within reach, but they didn't know that everything they did was already under the control of the queen.
From the moment they began to plot rebellion, everyone had become a pawn in the Queen's hands.
It's already a dead end, but I'm still unaware of it.
"So you just watched us sink into this mess without giving us any warnings?" Min An asked in a hoarse voice.
Liang Guangyi looked at him and said, "You said I didn't warn you?"
His eyes suddenly became more stern, and his previous coldness turned into sharpness, staring directly at Min An and others.
"When you followed Prince Ji and Prince Ying and failed in forcing the emperor to abdicate, and when the Ministry of Justice investigated the Shi family and caused trouble, and even when you secretly colluded with Duan Zhiru and the other two to plot against Prince Hui, didn't I remind you to retreat when you should?"
"I have told you that times have changed. Your Majesty and the Empress are no longer comparable to the incompetent and deposed Emperor. I have also advised you that the Wei Kingdom is facing external and internal troubles and the court cannot allow for chaos. I ask you to be patient and make some concessions to preserve the stability of the Wei Kingdom so that the aristocratic families can plan for the future."
"But how did you do it?"
Liang Guangyi looked directly at Min An and said coldly, "You have set aside the Liang family and tied the fate of the family to Prince Hui without even consulting me. You have secretly acted in the court without my knowledge, forcing the Queen to rebel, inciting Cen Guang to revolt, and using the unrest at Munan Pass to force me to join you in the rebellion."
"You have eyes for the bright future King Hui promised you, and hearts for the boundless ambition to regain control of the court and surpass the imperial power. Not a single one of you was willing to listen to what I said to you. Now that something has happened, you blame me for not warning you?!"
Liang Guangyi's sharp words made Min An and the others' faces turn even paler.
The Fan family official was timid but said, "But you could have just told us that the Queen was plotting against us..."
Liang Guangyi: "Why?"
The man was stunned: "...What did you say?"
"I say, why?"
Liang Guangyi's eyes were frosty, and the words that came out of his mouth were extremely cold.
"You abandoned the Liang family to pursue imperial power. Why do you think I should take the lives of thousands of Liang family members to clean up the mess you created under your ambition?"
"I want the family to prosper, and I want you and the Liang family to look after each other. But your family's future and life and death are not my responsibility. Or do you think I owe you anything even though I've taken the trouble to plan for you and protect the family's interests all these years?"
"You are not surnamed Liang, and I am not your elder. Even if all nine of your clans are wiped out, what does it have to do with me?"
The man from the Fan family was choked by the question, and the expressions of several other court officials from aristocratic families beside him were also frozen.
In the past, Liang Guangyi always regarded the honor and disgrace of the aristocratic families as his own responsibility. Even though he was in a high position, he still tried to make profits for these aristocratic families everywhere. No matter when and where, he would rather give up part of the interests of the Liang family to take care of all the aristocratic families. This made them have an illusion for a time.
No matter what happens, Liang Guangyi will unconditionally protect them and make plans for the family.
But Liang Guangyi's words just now woke them up. Yes, although they were from the same aristocratic family, they were not from the same clan. Why would Liang Guangyi take the risk to remind them for their sake when he knew that the queen had already set up a trap?
Liang Guangyi has no obligation and no responsibility to use the Liang family's future and the lives of his clansmen to persuade them to turn back.
Min An and the others looked at Liang Guangyi with their heads down and their faces pale.
The Qingliu faction and the court officials promoted by the new emperor stood aside, watching the people from the aristocratic families who once held together and occupied most of the court fighting each other. Liang Guangyi made those people speechless, and they all felt a bit of gloating.
Qian Baokun said with a half-smile, "Lord Min, everyone in this world has selfish motives, and Prime Minister Liang is no exception. It's normal for him to abandon you to save the Liang family. Why are you so harsh?"
"After all, as Liang Xiang said, he is not your father or mother. A hundred years from now, none of your families will be offering him tablets, right?"
Liang Guangyi looked at Qian Baokun coldly, but before he could say anything, another upright court official spoke with a smile.
"Master Qian is right. It's just that Prime Minister Liang used to look down on the common people in the court. I thought he was aloof, but I didn't expect him to be so loyal to Your Majesty and Your Majesty."
"Sacrifice yourself and lie low, using yourself as bait to capture these traitors. When Your Majesty returns, you will surely reward Prime Minister Liang handsomely for his loyalty and courage."
"Lord Min, you guys deserved to die."
Puff——
Qian Baokun couldn't help but chuckle, and Cao Dejiang's mouth twitched. The court officials behind him were either weird or showed contempt, mocking the once powerful official.
Liang Guangyi stood in the crowd with an expressionless face, looking coldly at Qian Baokun and the others.
But at this moment, footsteps were suddenly heard outside the hall.
Everyone in the hall looked outside and saw the imperial guards rushing into Xinde Hall and then dispersing. Then they saw the imperial eunuch Pan Xi appear in front of the hall holding a whisk.
He glanced towards the hall and said, "The Empress has ordered that the traitor Prince Hui and others be brought to the Mingzheng Hall for an audience."
Everyone inside was stunned.
The Queen is back so soon? Didn't she say she was heading outside the palace to capture the Beiling people? Has she already caught them?
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