At the gate of Dali Temple, the Grand Secretary was about to go out with a knife when he was blocked by the Minister of Revenue.
The Minister of Revenue was still as carefree as before: "Where are you going? I just got two taels of good tea, come and taste it with me."
The Dali Temple Minister tried hard to suppress his impatience and said, "I have official business to attend to. You can have some tea if you want!"
The Minister of Revenue still blocked him and refused to let him go: "What can be delayed in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea? I wonder what kind of urgent official business it is?"
The Dali Temple official was impatient, but he couldn't kill the old man who was blocking his way: "Someone is killing someone in the street."
The Minister of Revenue said: "I heard about it too, but I heard that the Minister of Justice was there and saw it with his own eyes. You don't have to join in the fun."
Dali Temple Minister: "Are you deliberately delaying the Crown Prince's business?"
The Minister of Revenue was confused: "The Crown Prince asked you to do something? What is it? It can't be a murder case, right? I don't think you need to deal with such a small matter as killing someone in the street. Are you deceiving me and deliberately using the Crown Prince to pressure me?"
The two of them talked on and on for a long time, and the Dali Temple Minister gradually calmed down.
He stared at the old man and said, "It seems that the Shangshu doesn't want me to go out. You are a third-rank official, and I am also a third-rank official. I wonder how you can stop me from going out?"
The Minister of Revenue said: "I am a third-rank official, and you are a third-rank official. Why are you so angry? We are colleagues, what's wrong with keeping in touch with each other?"
The Dali Temple Minister sneered and immediately ordered: "Come here, on the charge of obstructing public affairs, invite our Shangshu to sit down and drink a cup of tea! Since the Shangshu wants to drink tea, just drink it yourself. When I come back from work, I will drink this tea with the Shangshu!"
After saying this, he dressed up, picked up his sword, strode out of the house and mounted his horse. The soldiers and horses that had been mobilized followed him, and everyone rode out of the imperial city.
The Minister of Revenue sighed. Anyway, he was still in office, so even if the Dali Temple Minister asked him to stay here for tea, no one would dare to touch him. I just wondered if his official position would still be useful when the Dali Temple Minister came back...
The Minister of Revenue was particularly unpretentious. He was invited into the house for tea with good temper. While he was picking and pinching the long and thin tea leaves that he had picked with great care, he was looking at the cloudless sky outside.
He sighed in his heart: It finally took some time. I wonder if this time of delay can have any effect on the matter over there...
As long as the Ministry of Justice arrests the person and cuts the Gordian knot, there will be no turning back.
-----
There is still room for recovery.
Princess Danyang's return put the officials from the Ministry of Justice who came to arrest the Minister of Revenue into a passive position.
Originally, the Ministry of Justice wanted to make a mess of the matter and put the Minister of Revenue in jail by using other cases. But now Mu Wan came back and confirmed in person that it was the Minister of Revenue... May I ask why the Ministry of Justice put a fourth-rank official in jail?
In the official system of the Wei Dynasty, apart from the first and second ranks which were empty titles, the highest official rank was no more than the third rank, and the next was the fourth rank. Without the emperor's decree, how could the Ministry of Justice detain a fourth rank official?
The Ministry of Justice was in a stalemate, unable to close their eyes and say in front of the princess that the man was not the Minister of Revenue, but just a fugitive... This was too much of an underestimation. The Ministry of Justice almost thought that the mission had failed, but someone on Mu Wanyao's side turned against them - Yan Shang put a knife on the Minister of Revenue's neck.
Mu Wan shook: "Yan Shang, put down the knife!"
The person she least wanted to expose her back to attack was him.
Yan Shang glanced at her lightly and then looked away. He was like a jade-like woman without emotions. If he was still troubled by his private affairs before, now he had no way out. The Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was not imprisoned, not even immediately... How could this matter proceed?
If we don't pry open the mouth of the Minister of Revenue, who will be responsible for the many lives lost in Yizhou?
Yan Shang himself became ridiculous and didn't care, but he was afraid that his plan would fail and no one would be able to touch these people in the Ministry of Revenue in the future. These people would not think they were wrong, and any small mistake would be covered by people like the princess... Only the people suffered, and only the civilians were sacrificed.
But they were so high up that they couldn't see that it was a human life.
Human life should not be so humble.
Yan Shang turned to the direction of the official from the Ministry of Justice and said softly, "May I ask, Sir, if two officials fought in public, should both officials be imprisoned for investigation?"
The eyes of the people in the Ministry of Justice flickered: "But he is a fourth-rank official after all..."
It means: Your official position is too low, and if you fight with a fourth-rank official in the street, it will be difficult for the fourth-rank official to be sent to jail.
Yan Shang said softly: "If a seventh-rank official is injured by a fourth-rank official, will the law not punish him?"
The eyes of the Ministry of Justice brightened slightly, and Mu Wanyao reacted and asked Fang Tong to stop them, but they were not as fast as Yan Shang. The Minister of Revenue, who was held hostage just a moment ago, was dazed when Yan Shang put the knife on his neck into his hand.
And the next moment, the tip of the knife in the Minister of Revenue's hand was against Yan Shang's chest.
Blood was spilled.
Mu Wanyao felt like she was going crazy: "Yan Shang!"
Yan Shang's face was pale, his chin slightly raised, his hand still grasped the hand of the Minister of Revenue, and they held the knife together. Blood was dripping from the tip of the knife, which was Yan Shang's own wound. If you want to bring down a high official, how can you cherish your life? The case officers of the Ministry of Justice immediately called for the arrest of the two and put them in prison together.
Yan Shang found an excuse for them, and the person from the Ministry of Justice immediately said, "Your Highness, please forgive me! These two are officials appointed by the court, but they fought among themselves, and the Minister even injured the other with a knife. It is reasonable and proper that they should both be imprisoned..."
Mu Wanyao stared at the increasingly dark blood on Yan Shang's chest. She saw the Ministry of Justice personnel taking action. She gave a signal and the guards of the Princess's Mansion all pointed their knives at each other. The Ministry of Justice personnel's faces changed drastically. Mu Wanyao's eyes were cold and said, "I have already notified the people from the Dali Temple. This case should be handed over to them. Now the two of them are fighting in front of my Princess's Mansion, which hurts my reputation. I will hand the person over to you only after I have figured out the matter."
The criminal department staff was surprised and puzzled: Dali Temple? How could the princess react so quickly and call Dali Temple?
The princess has torn her face off with them. This is using power to oppress people, using force to force people, no pretense!
Time waits for no one. The Ministry of Justice gritted its teeth and said, "The princess is interfering with public affairs. We must not show any mercy! Go!"
-----
The crowd was in a stalemate in front of the Princess's Mansion. The Ministry of Justice personnel approached the Princess's Mansion, and it seemed that the two sides were about to fight, but the savior from the Dali Temple had not yet arrived.
The Minister of Revenue suddenly chuckled, "So that's how it is."
He finally understood Yan Shang's plan, and finally realized that he would definitely go to jail today, and if he went to jail, what would be waiting for him.
The Minister of Revenue retreated, and Yan Shang kept staring at him. But when he saw him move, Yan Shang was held down by Fang Tong as soon as he moved. Fang Tong followed the princess's instructions and did not let Yan Shang move any more. Yan Shang was unable to stop him and watched the Minister of Revenue retreat five steps away.
The Minister of Revenue still held the knife in his hand.
The Ministry of Justice was also staring at him: "He's trying to escape! Everyone be careful, don't let him get away!"
The Minister of Revenue was immediately amused: "Escape? You little clerks, you underestimate me!"
He had no intention of escaping.
He stepped back five steps, facing the direction of the princess, and then he knelt down and kowtowed to her.
Mu Wanyao's face turned slightly pale.
She said with difficulty: "Get up! I am here and I will not let you go to the Ministry of Justice today!"
The Minister of Revenue looked deeply at the princess and smiled at himself. When he turned to Yan Erlang again, his eyes became much colder.
The Minister of Revenue who was kneeling on the ground said: "Yan Erlang, this trick of 'throwing a brick to attract jade' is good. Zhang Shiyilang is just an introduction. It turns out that the one you really want to put in jail is me. Who do you think you are?
"You are just seeking fame and reputation, and you want to use me to build your good name. 'Speaking for the people'! What a good name! But what have I done wrong? Was it me who was in charge of the Yizhou incident? Wasn't it me who sent you to provide disaster relief? Some money transactions in the officialdom are common, so what's wrong with that?
"You are so arrogant and inflexible, and you have pushed me and the princess to this point! You killed my cousin, but you still think it's not enough. You must kill me too before you will stop, right? I am also working for the people. If it weren't for the Ministry of Revenue and my mediation, I don't know what the current situation of Yizhou would be like! You force people like this, and you are nothing more than a 'cruel official'! How can you leave your name in history!"
No one treated Yan Shang's injuries.
Because of the blood loss, his face was slightly pale. He was being held by Fang Tong, facing Mu Wanyao's hateful eyes, how could he feel good?
The Minister of Revenue questioned him, and Yan Shang looked over with his dark eyes. Staring at the other party's imposing words, a hint of coldness also appeared in Yan Shang's eyes.
Yan Shang said softly: "I can't use the words 'speaking for the people', and you are not worthy of mentioning it. If I was doing this for a good reputation, I would not have followed the princess back to the city today. Do you have the nerve to say such things when you are doing things for the people? Seventy-two lives in Yizhou, or even more... You say you have done nothing wrong, then I ask you, what have the people of the world done wrong, and what have the people who have been deceived by you done wrong? Do they deserve it?
"You just took some money, but they paid with their lives.
"When I went to Yizhou to investigate a case, it wasn't just the officials that were involved. There were also the merchants who colluded with the officials, the wealthy families who bought grain from the merchants, and the common people who were forced to go up the mountain and become bandits... What was wrong with all of them?
"Do they deserve to be in such an official position? Do they deserve to suffer such hardships? Do they deserve that no one speaks up for them?
"I am not worthy to say that I am pleading for the people, and you are even less worthy to question me about it."
Although the sound was soft, it was deafening.
The Minister of Revenue looked pale, knowing that he could not win the argument with Yan Shang. He only left a cold sentence at the end: "Yan Erlang, I have a piece of advice for you. There are so many smart people in the world. Don't think that you can really control the situation and no one can turn it around."
Yan Shang immediately had a bad feeling in his heart.
The Minister of Revenue stopped talking nonsense with him and turned to Mu Wanyao. Seeing that Mu Wanyao was a little dazed, the Minister of Revenue bowed again.
“Your Highness!
“Yan Erlang wanted to use me to become a famous scholar, which would harm the princess’s reputation and the prince’s reputation… I have followed Your Highness since he was a teenager, and you have entrusted Your Highness to me one after another. It was I who made a mistake and failed to fulfill my duty as a loyal minister.
"I failed to manage my subordinates well, and I failed to restrain Yan Erlang. However, Yan Erlang is a man who seeks fame and reputation, and I cannot bear to see Your Highness accept his lies! I hereby remind Your Highness to be vigilant against him and not to trust him!
"I took the wrong path, and put Your Highness in a dilemma. You are also threatened by such a villain! I feel guilty and don't want Your Highness to be held hostage by him. I...will die to apologize!"
Mu Wan shook: "You——"
It was always too late.
No one was as resolute as the Minister of Revenue. As he spoke, he raised his knife, took a last deep look at the princess with tears in his eyes, and then committed suicide in public. No one could stop him!
He would rather die than go to jail or confess his crime.
He would rather die than let Yan Shang's plan go forward!
He saw through Yan Shang's thoughts and immediately tried to break the impasse by dying, causing today's events to become a dead end again!
Yan Shang's face turned pale. Seeing Mu Wanyao screaming, she pushed everyone away and stumbled over, kneeling beside the body of the Minister of Revenue. She held the Minister's hand, but couldn't wake him up no matter what. Mu Wanyao raised her head and stared at Yan Shang with hatred in her eyes, and Yan Shang's face turned even paler.
She was driven into a dead end step by step by him, and he killed the most capable person around her! She regarded him as an enemy.
The look she gave him made his heart feel like it was being cut by a knife and bleeding inch by inch.
Mu Wanyao's voice was slightly hoarse: "You are satisfied, right?
"You're satisfied with forcing me into a dead end, right?!"
"Stop people in front, kill people in the back... Yan Shang, who don't you think doesn't know your methods?"
The corners of Yan Shang's lips trembled, and his eyes were slightly red. He stood stiffly in the bright sun, his lips pale, and the blood on his chest made his clothes even redder. But he was also forced into a desperate situation by the Minister of Revenue.
The Minister of Revenue is dead!
Finally, he denied his guilt!
In the end, Yan Shang lost!
-----
The people from the Dali Temple arrived late and met the people from the Ministry of Justice in this crowded alley.
Mu Wanyao knelt beside the corpse and looked at the Minister of Revenue with great sorrow. Her mind was filled with anger and sadness, but this game should be over, right?
Otherwise, with the Dali Temple in place, what crimes could the Ministry of Justice handle? Could the Princess Mansion still pay for that ridiculous Zhang Shiyilang case?
The Ministry of Justice was embarrassed, knowing that with the death of the Minister of Revenue, they had lost the game. They were about to leave in disgrace, waiting for the princess to settle accounts with them in the future, when they heard a very light voice: "It's not over yet."
Mu Wan shook his head in anger: "What else are you going to do?"
That extremely light voice came from Yan Shang.
Just like being indestructible, I cannot let go today no matter what.
Having come this far, there is no way out... If he looks back, Mu Wan will blame him; if he moves forward, Mu Wan will still blame him... There is no way back!
Fang Tong held Yan Shang, and Yan Shang's body swayed slightly. Yan Shang took two steps forward, and his wide robe was blown up by the wind. He knelt down, not knowing who he was facing.
Yan Shang lowered his head and said softly: "I want to overturn the verdict."
No one in the Ministry of Justice understood: "What case are you trying to overturn?"
What case needs to be overturned?
Yan Shang raised his head and looked at Mu Wanyao, but Mu Wanyao turned her head away and didn't look at him. He looked at her quietly, extremely sad, and his voice was ethereal: "I said in the memorial before that the disaster in Yizhou was the fault of the governor of Yizhou. Now I want to review what I said that day.
"The disaster in Yizhou is not caused by the governor of Yizhou alone. It is the collusion of all officials in Yizhou and the collusion between all officials in Yizhou and the Ministry of Revenue in Chang'an... The Ministry of Revenue is not innocent. I have been in the Ministry of Revenue for several months, and I know what the Ministry of Revenue is like. The entire Ministry of Revenue is a pool of muddy water, and no one is innocent."
The official from the Ministry of Justice turned pale.
The Dali Temple Minister's face changed drastically.
Mu Wanyao suddenly raised his head and looked at him.
The Dali Temple Minister threatened: "Yan Erlang, you need to know what you said. As an official appointed by the court, you said that what you said in the memorial was wrong, and you want to review your previous memorial... The Censorate will not forgive you! Do you really want to do this?"
The corners of Yan Shang's lips trembled, but he said nothing.
The Dali Temple official turned cold and said, "You are suing the entire Ministry of Revenue by yourself. Do you have any evidence?"
Yan Shang said softly: "Am I not a witness?"
The leaders of the Ministry of Justice who came to handle the case began to feel uneasy, thinking that this was different from what was agreed upon at the beginning. Before coming here, no one had expected Yan Shang to play such a big game - even he, who was eager to see the excitement between the Crown Prince and the Ministry of Revenue, couldn't help but remind him: "You have sued so many officials and overturned your previous memorials. This means you admit that you covered up for them before and that you were in cahoots with them... Yan Erlang, no matter what others do, the law will punish you first.
"You can only sue others after you are cleared of all charges. The crime you committed, whether it was shielding someone or colluding with someone else... will be punished severely in the Ministry of Justice."
The Dali Temple official said coldly: "In the Dali Temple, you will also be severely punished."
Yan Shang said softly: "Yes, I know. I plead guilty and I accept the punishment. I accept my sins in full... I only ask that the sins of others should not be let go!"
-----
Yan Shang was taken away by the Ministry of Justice.
The Dali Temple was caught off guard by this situation. In order to avoid suspicion, they could only watch Yan Shang being taken away by the Ministry of Justice. After that, the Dali Temple Minister hurried to the palace to discuss with the Crown Prince. Immediately afterwards, Mu Wanyao also entered the palace to discuss the current situation with the Crown Prince in more detail.
Yan Shang was imprisoned this time and was tortured so severely that even if he didn't die, he would lose half his life.
Soon after, memorials from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Justice arrived on the prince's desk within just half a day.
The candlelight was dim. The prince threw the memorial at Mu Wanyao and gnashed his teeth, "What a good dog you have trained! He turned around and bit us! Yaoyao, this bite really hurts!"
Mu Wanyao closed her eyes and let the pieces of paper hit her. When she opened her eyes, her face was pale, but her voice was calm: "What's the use of blaming those? The most important thing now is the Insurance Department."
The prince laughed sarcastically, "Protect? How? Just wait and see. Starting tomorrow, all officials will come to report! If things get out of hand, even our father, who never manages anything, will intervene! We can barely protect ourselves!"
Mu Wanyao stood up abruptly and shouted with hidden anger: "We must protect it even if it is difficult! Are we going to admit defeat? Are we not going to struggle at all? Are our wings going to be clipped like this? No matter what big brother thinks, I will not watch my power being overthrown!"
She turned and strode out of the hall.
The prince stared at her back and finally confirmed that Mu Wanyao was still in his group.
The prince said softly: "Little sister, this time we lost a layer of skin, it was all caused by Yan Shang. I want Yan Shang to die, you don't mind, right?"
With his back to the prince, Mu Wanyao’s face was as pale as paper.
Her expression was empty.
The whole person is in a dazed state like a puppet.
But she held on, she turned around and answered the prince: "...I don't mind."
-----
After all, I've said it before.
It all depends on your ability.
After all, she had reminded him when she first started dating Yan Shang.
After all, she had already said—
If you disagree with me, I will kill you.
-----
What's wrong with this?
Is Yan Shang right? Are they going to be suppressed?
What did she do wrong that led her to meet Yan Shang, to bring Yan Shang into the fold, and to end up with enemies on all sides?
-----
The prince and Mu Wanyao were not wrong to worry.
Yan Shang was being tortured in the prison of the Ministry of Justice and was hanging on for his last breath. The next day, he sued all the officials of the Ministry of Revenue.
The Censorate and various court officials kept submitting memorials impeaching people.
Some of them reported to the Ministry of Revenue, some reported to Yan Shang...it was always a situation where everyone died together and the net was broken.
Yan Shang had made this situation so tragic that even if the prince's Ministry of Revenue fell, Yan Shang himself might not survive the prison of the Ministry of Justice. Especially since the prince had joined forces with too many people to focus on Yan Shang's crime of overturning the verdict, saying that he was unworthy of being an official, and that he was fickle. This kind of person who lied in his memorials did not tell a single truth... We cannot believe his complaint!
Others said that they were all birds of a feather. The Crown Prince should be investigated, and Princess Danyang should also be investigated, and the princess should be banned from participating in politics! All these disasters were caused by the emperor's tolerance of his children, which led to the current situation.
The ministers who were on good terms with Mu Wanyao also tried their best to explain the innocence of the Ministry of Revenue.
However, some ministers said that Yan Shang was a famous scholar who was not afraid of power, so he should be given a break and the Ministry of Revenue should be investigated first before rewarding Yan Shang. However, such voices are weak now and have not gained momentum.
In the chaos, even the Secretariat was destroyed.
Liu Xianggong spoke loudly in the court, spitting all the ministers' faces, and stopped those people with bad intentions from executing Yan Shang. But although Liu Xianggong scolded them away, he also knew that he was just relying on his momentum to make it difficult for them to say anything... These people still wanted Yan Shang to die.
Because Yan Shang opened up an unspoken loophole in official circles.
Not only did he expose the Ministry of Revenue's bribery, he also made all officials feel insecure, fearing that if they could not bring down Yan Shang, they would one day run into someone like Yan Shang, who would peel off their skin...
The emperor's mental state has improved recently, and due to special circumstances, it is no longer suitable for the crown prince to supervise the court... The emperor came to the morning court today.
Listening to the indignation below, the emperor's face remained calm.
Finally, the emperor temporarily removed the crown prince from his post and ordered the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice to jointly investigate the affairs of Yan Shang and the Ministry of Revenue. The Secretariat was in charge of the matter and would supervise it together with the Censorate.
This is a major case before the end of this year. The emperor has ordered the Secretariat to investigate everything and anyone found guilty of favoritism will be dismissed and investigated.
-----
As an eunuch, Liu Wenji had the honor to participate in the court affairs, but his face was pale and he had no chance to get a word in from beginning to end.
And he didn't know His Majesty's attitude.
It was just heard that this incident was caused by Zhang Shiyilang molesting a brothel girl, and now everyone, including the brothel girl, has been taken to the Ministry of Justice. If nothing unexpected happens, Zhang Shiyilang will probably die in this case.
Liu Wenzhi was in a trance.
I didn't expect Yan Shang to choose such a move to start the game... He asked the people from the Censorate to inquire about Yan Shang, leaving Yan Shang unable to take care of himself. In the end, when Yan Shang started the game, he still borrowed Zhang Shiyilang as a chess piece to avenge him?
It was like being hit in the face with a club.
Liu Wenji was extremely ashamed and was afraid that Yan Shang would die in this incident. If Yan Shang died in prison, did he also help?
Judging from what the ministers said, 80% of them felt that the Ministry of Revenue might be guilty, but the result had not yet been found out; however, Yan Shang was already guilty, and they even hoped that Yan Shang would be sentenced to death, and it would be best if he was executed directly.
These ministers might have a good relationship with Yan Shang on weekdays, but when the real fight came, no one showed mercy.
Then...the emperor's attitude is extremely important.
Because 20% of the ministers were still waiting and watching, wanting to know whether the emperor would guarantee someone.
Not to mention those ministers, even Liu Wenji, who was always by the emperor's side, couldn't guess whether the emperor would protect someone.
Liu Wenji could only use the opportunity of serving the emperor to carefully advise him: "...the one-sided voice in the court is too loud. Maybe they are afraid of Yan Erlang. But this just shows that Yan Erlang is right..."
The emperor glanced at Liu Wenji calmly and suddenly said, "Because Yan Shang is your fellow villager and Zhang Shiyilang ruined you, is that why you speak up for Yan Shang?"
Liu Wenji was startled, then knelt down: "Your Majesty, I would never dare to sacrifice public interests for personal gain! Yan Erlang did the right thing, so I speak for him..."
Liu Wenji was not surprised that the emperor knew his background. Since the emperor wanted to use him, how could he not investigate him?
The emperor must have known that Liu Wenji had no power. Even though Liu Wenji was sent into the palace by the princess, he had never been together with the princess... Liu Wenji could only rely on the emperor wholeheartedly. All power was given by the emperor, so the emperor could use a eunuch like him with confidence.
The emperor smiled and said gently, "Get up. I don't blame you."
The emperor was thoughtful: "I thought the last Yizhou incident was over, but I didn't expect them to go this far... Yan Suchen, I was right."
Liu Wenji's heart moved: "Your Majesty, do you want to protect him?"
The emperor sneered.
The emperor said slowly, "Let's wait and see what they are thinking, and see how far these ministers will go... Wen Ji, I have been thinking recently, if the ministers are strong and the emperor is weak, and the ministers are tough but wholeheartedly for the public, this world can probably make a transition, right?"
Liu Wenzhi was stunned.
What I was thinking was, is it true that the emperor’s health can’t take it anymore?
But now looking at the princes... he said cautiously: "Your Highnesses, each of you has your own strengths. Overall, the Crown Prince is still the stronger one. But this time... maybe the Crown Prince is wrong."
The emperor remained silent.
Murmured: "I hope he can wake up."
-----
However, the road was taken by others, and the emperor had no interest in his sons, so he just watched and said nothing.
-----
"Grandpa! Grandpa!"
When Liu Xianggong came back from court, it was the coldest time of the year, but he was sweating profusely, which showed how troublesome the court affairs were recently. He walked in front with his hands behind his back, and as soon as he entered the mansion, Liu Ruozhu chased him and called out.
Liu Ruozhu stomped her feet and chased to her grandfather's study. She said nervously: "Grandpa, I heard about a big case recently... Will Second Brother Yan be in trouble? Grandpa, will you protect Second Brother Yan? Second Brother Yan did nothing wrong!"
Mr. Liu sighed softly.
"He has affected the interests of too many people this time... I didn't expect him to be so tough and reckless. If I had known he would do this, I shouldn't have said anything like 'spare yourself when doing great things' when he asked me. He is not sparing himself, he has already risked his life."
Liu Ruozhu was in a panic.
Others said that she didn't believe it, and her grandfather also said so, which shows that Yan Shang is in a difficult situation.
Liu Ruozhu: "But he is right, but we all know he is right! Why didn't any ministers speak for him? Why didn't anyone stand up to support him? Is it because Second Brother Yan is weak and has no support behind him... But as long as it is the right thing, there should always be someone to support it."
Liu Xianggong said: "Now the smart people are waiting and watching...waiting to see your Majesty's attitude."
He smiled bitterly again: "But our Majesty...isn't he watching us? Our Majesty doesn't like to forcefully intervene. It has come to this point, and I don't know whether your Majesty wants to protect the prince or Suchen. We can only enforce the law impartially..."
Liu Ruozhu breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good to enforce the law impartially. I believe that you can figure it out... When I went out today, the people talked about this matter and they all said that Second Brother Yan was right. The people all support Second Brother Yan."
Her eyes were full of energy, and she tried her best to suppress her worries: "The people's hearts are with Second Brother Yan. It will be like the last time with the head of the Zheng family. Second Brother Yan will win the hearts of the people..."
Liu Xianggong said calmly: "Last time, he did not win the support of the people, but the support of the nobles. This time, he has rebelled against the nobles. Although we are all reluctant to admit it, but... the voice of the nobles is the most powerful. In addition to sympathy, will the people go to the Golden Palace for Su Chen, or beat the drum to appeal for justice?
“And I’m afraid if this really happens… the prince will even accuse Su Chen of being a man seeking fame and reputation.
"It is better to let me die."
Liu Ruozhu was stunned, and the light in her eyes dimmed. She actually knew in her heart that she just hoped that Second Brother Yan could have a good ending... With tears in her eyes, she said, "What should we do? Is there no one who can save Second Brother Yan? Grandpa, can't you save him too?
"And the princess... Princess Danyang, have you given up on Brother Yan?"
Mr. Liu smiled bitterly.
He said: "Princess Danyang didn't hate Su Chen enough to kill him. I think they had a good relationship in the past."
Liu Ruozhu said with tears in her eyes after a while: "Then...can I go see Brother Yan?"
Liu Xianggong shook his head: "Nowadays, the Ministry of Justice's prison is not accessible to ordinary people. What can you do there?"
Liu Ruozhu: "I... I at least want to let Brother Yan know that the people support him. He doesn't have to doubt it. Even if all the officials want him dead, there are people who know he is right. It's just that since ancient times, those who affect other people's interests have always had a hard time like him.
"I hope he doesn't give up hope and doesn't despair."
She choked up as she spoke, and stood in the dusk, crying so hard that she could no longer speak.
Mr. Liu looked back at her and saw that his granddaughter was crying and wiping her tears over and over again. He had always taught his granddaughter justice, love, and state affairs... However, only at this moment did Mr. Liu feel relieved that he had taught his granddaughter so well.
Liu Ruozhu pursed her lips and suddenly said stubbornly: "I, I must let Brother Yan hear the voice of the people... I don't care what the court thinks of him, I just hope to use my own power to let him know that there are people in this world who can understand him."
Liu Xianggong said: "...good boy.
“You are all good kids.
"...In this case, how can I not fight to the death to protect you?"
-----
The Ministry of Justice prison was dark, gloomy and damp.
Yan Shang woke up groggily, awakened by the pain of the whipping on his back. This time in prison was completely different from the previous time. The daily interrogation was no longer a formality. Every interrogation was accompanied by severe torture.
Every day and every night, time became meaningless. Yan Shang held on to his breath, knowing that those people must want him to die in torture, so he couldn't die - at least he had to see a good result before he was willing to die.
This time, he woke up in pain in the middle of the night. When he opened his eyes, Yan Shang saw the dim candlelight.
No one would light a candle here where he was imprisoned. Yan Shang propped his hands on the straw and looked up. He saw Mu Wanyao sitting against the wall opposite him, looking down at him.
Yan Shang looked at her blankly.
Mu Wanyao stared at his haggard appearance. Through his shirt, she could vaguely see the bloodstains on his white shirt, but she pretended not to see it.
Mu Wanyao whispered: "You have hurt me so much."
Yan Shang looked at her as if in a dream and stretched out his hand to her: "Shake..."
Mu Wanyao sat against the wall and didn't come over. She said calmly: "Yan Shang, I'm here to break up with you. We're over."
He didn't say anything, just looked at her.
Mu Wanyao didn't dare to look at him for too long, fearing that if she looked at him for one more second, she would become soft-hearted. But what right did she have to be soft-hearted now?
After a long while, Yan Shang whispered, "Okay."
Mu Wan was quiet for a moment, then suddenly laughed at himself: "Good?
"Because you feel like you're dying and don't want to implicate me, so you're saying hello?"
She suddenly stood up, anger surging all over her body. She walked a few steps to him, knelt down, grabbed his shoulders, and made him look up at her. She said angrily: "You are about to die, why are you still a good person? Are good people so important? Are the people so important?
"Why... you won't bow your head! Why... you won't bow your head until now!
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince asked me to come to you, saying that as long as you bow your head, he can spare your life... But I know you won't bow your head, but I still came... I feel... You make me feel like I'm watching you go to your death! It's obviously you who forced everyone to go to their death together, but now, you want me to watch you go first!
"Everyone wants you dead! Everyone wants you dead! Do you know that? Do you know that?"
As she spoke, her eyes turned red, she became more and more desperate, and tears rolled down her face.
Yan Shang looked at her, feeling sad.
He said something.
Mu Wan shook: "What."
Yan Shang said: "It should be you who doesn't want me. Because I am so bad and I am not worthy of you."
He slowly put his arm around her shoulders and whispered, "It's my fault. I don't have the ability to protect you, I'm naive and don't know how to keep a low profile, I have to go against everyone... But, I can't do it. I can't get past my conscience, I can't do it.
"I can't know that so many people have died, but I still pretend not to know, and only strengthen my own power and endure it. I can't endure it... This kind of thing, no matter how many years it takes, as long as I come out and admit it, I will die. Since ancient times, people like me, no matter how well prepared they are, how many can survive.
"Just be a princess who is high and mighty. Just abandon me. Just forget me. Just hate me."
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