Chapter 90 090 "Does the Prime Minister mean that His Majesty is unwise and unworthy?"...
As Luo Fu and Yang Yanzhen had predicted, at the chrysanthemum banquet in the palace, all the ladies of the court with a discerning eye noticed the absence of the Left Prime Minister's wife, Madam Xu.
The late emperor reigned for thirty-six years, and Yang Sheng held the position of prime minister for nearly half of that time. Yang Sheng's prestige among officials was so high that Xu Shi held the same position among the wives of officials. The fact that such a favorite of Empress Dowager Gao was absent from the first grand flower banquet held by Empress Xie immediately sparked a wave of private discussions.
From Deng to Luo Fu, the three sisters-in-law, they all became the target of others' inquiries and concerns.
Yang Yanzhen stayed by Deng Shi and Li Huaiyun's side the whole time, blocking all the probing with his smile as always, while Luo Fu was summoned by Princess Kangping.
"What's going on?" Kang Ping was indeed not as well-informed about official matters as Luo Fu, and she didn't press her brother about politics when she entered the palace.
Luo Fu only revealed half of the story: "My sister-in-law suspects that the Left Prime Minister may have offended the Emperor, but she doesn't know the specifics. Your Highness, please don't ask the Emperor."
Kang Ping wasn't that stupid, and he wasn't particularly interested in the matter.
"Let's go horseback riding again in a couple of days before it gets too cold. I've been too lazy to move around since winter started," Kangping casually remarked, changing the subject.
Luo Fu smiled and agreed, but she was somewhat shocked by the Princess's indifference to the Prime Minister. Even if she was powerless to interfere, she didn't need to. The Left Prime Minister had served the Great Zhou royal family diligently for more than 30 years. Such an old minister had been neglected by Emperor Xianping, yet the Princess didn't even have the slightest curiosity about the inside story.
In an instant, Luo Fu thought of herself a few years ago. If she hadn't heard Xiao Yu talk about Yang Sheng's achievements as prime minister, and if she didn't have a sister-in-law from the Left Prime Minister's residence who took good care of her, she probably wouldn't have cared so much about the Left Prime Minister being neglected by the emperor.
Or perhaps she was simply influenced by Xiao Yu, who always talked about grand principles like serving the country and its people, and wise rulers and virtuous ministers, which made her pay more attention to national affairs.
The banquet was packed with people, but Empress Xie didn't summon Luo Fu to accompany her, and Luo Fu didn't try to find out what was going on from Empress Xie.
She did have some private dealings with Empress Xie, but Luo Fu never forgot the hierarchy. If the nobles were willing, they could take the initiative to reveal information to her. However, if she asked too eagerly, she might annoy the nobles and thus be disliked by them, causing even the little bit of personal affection they once had to fade.
After the flower banquet, Yang Yanzhen went back to her parents' home and had dinner there before returning to the Marquis's residence.
His daughter left looking worried, but Yang Sheng was seething with anger. After returning to his room, he questioned his wife privately: "Why did you hide such a big thing from me?"
Xu's forehead wrinkles became more and more obvious. Looking at her domineering husband, she asked, "What if I tell you? Are you going to go to the Emperor to ask for a palace invitation for me? Or are you going to go to court and the Secretariat with a sullen face and openly tell everyone that you are unhappy because the palace did not send an invitation to your wife?"
Yang Sheng stared for a while, then suddenly cursed "You scoundrel!" and pointed out the window, saying, "It must be Chen Ruliang who went to the Emperor to spread rumors. The Emperor summoned Chen Ruliang as soon as he returned to the palace on the day of the birthday banquet. It must be him!"
Madam Xu's expression changed drastically: "You, you actually know so much about what the Emperor did?"
Yang Sheng: "What are you thinking? It was someone from the Secretariat who told me."
He didn't plant any spies in the palace, but there were plenty of officials in the Secretariat who wanted to curry favor with him. It was big news that Chen Ruliang was summoned to the Qianyuan Hall when he had only eaten half of his lunch, and his subordinates were willing to report it to him to curry favor.
Madam Xu breathed a sigh of relief, pressed her husband onto the bed, and said earnestly, "I didn't tell you before because I didn't want you to go to the palace with a sour face. I'm telling you now so you can prepare in advance. Tonight, all the high-ranking officials will know this news. When you go to the palace, you will definitely be subject to some speculation and scrutiny. You must stay calm and not cause any more trouble... Good heavens, Xiao Yu has been quiet for several years now, how come you've taken over his position!"
Yang Sheng: "...Who wants to pick him up? Don't mention him to me!"
Despite his stubbornness, lying on the bed with his back to his wife, Yang Sheng actually compared his recent misdeeds with Xiao Yu's two previous ones. The more he compared them, the angrier he became. Whether it was Xiao Yu's advice to the late emperor to stop the Northern Expedition or his petition to the late emperor to depose the unworthy former crown prince, it was trouble for the Xiao family, but for the emperor, the country, and the people, it was a commendable achievement. Being punished or demoted was worthwhile.
Then look at Yang Sheng. He only opposed the new emperor's appointment of a mediocre relative by marriage, and he only refused to invite that scoundrel Chen Ruliang to his birthday banquet. For these two things, he was neglected by the new emperor. When word got out, Yang Sheng felt aggrieved!
As Yang Sheng pondered this, he regretted it again. If he had known that the late emperor would have listened to Xiao Yu's advice, he would have also persuaded the late emperor to stop the northern expedition and petitioned the late emperor to depose the cruel crown prince. If he had achieved even one of these two great accomplishments, it would have surpassed all the meritorious but not famous achievements he had made in the past.
"Why are you sighing?" Xu suddenly nudged her husband.
Yang Sheng sighed again: "I was thinking, I'm already this old, and I'm still greedy. When several old ministers were alienated and demoted by the late emperor because of the Northern Expedition, I took it as a warning and sought stability. Later, Xiao Yu made two great achievements and became famous throughout the world, and I envied his upright reputation."
Madam Xu: "Don't be envious. Xiao Yu is so young, yet he came back full of energy after being demoted to Guizhou. If it were you, with your old bones, you wouldn't even be able to cross the mountains in Guizhou."
Yang Sheng chuckled twice, patted his wife's hand, and went to sleep.
The following day, September 16th, there was an early morning court session.
After a night of calm, Yang Sheng was prepared for the scrutiny from his colleagues that he would face today. So what if the emperor was angry that he didn't invite Chen Ruliang and retaliated in the same way? It was like a child throwing a tantrum. Yang Sheng would just not take it to heart with Emperor Xianping. As long as he was open and honest, his colleagues would stop staring at him after a few more glances.
It was pitch black outside the main hall. Once inside, Yang Sheng stood at the very front, and the officials behind him couldn't even get a glimpse of the Left Chancellor's expression.
Emperor Xianping sat high on the dragon throne, clearly seeing Yang Sheng's calm demeanor. Yang Sheng's contemptuous attitude, which showed he didn't take his coldness seriously, made Emperor Xianping clench his fists several times in anger.
After the court session ended, Yang Sheng led several high-ranking officials from the Secretariat toward the Secretariat, with two vice ministers accompanying him and six secretaries following behind. However, today was different from the past. Among the five secretaries who had previously kept their distance from Chen Ruliang, one of them took the initiative to talk to Chen Ruliang about official business. It was indeed official business that required their handover, but Chen Ruliang could see the other party's intention to get closer to him, so he showed a bit of flattery.
The six secretaries were assigned to the six ministries. Chen Ruliang was assigned by Yang Sheng to the Ministry of Works. The Ministry of Works often had disputes with the Ministry of Revenue over the approval of funds for construction projects. When the Ministry of Revenue refused to approve the funds, the Ministry of Works would write a memorial to the Secretariat, hoping that the Secretariat or even the Emperor could intervene on their behalf and order the Ministry of Revenue to pay the money promptly.
Chen Ruliang was tasked with assisting the two prime ministers in making initial reviews of such memorials. When he was unsure, he would consult the Vice Ministers of the Chancellery, as was customary. Knowing that the Left Prime Minister intended to make things difficult for him, the two vice ministers would make excuses to decline. Chen Ruliang would then go to the Right Prime Minister, Xue Chang, but Xue Chang was also a cunning old fox. Upon seeing Chen Ruliang, he would pretend to be very busy. After this happened several times, Chen Ruliang had no choice but to consult Yang Sheng directly each time.
Yang Sheng would then use such opportunities to reprimand Chen Ruliang. If Chen Ruliang was clueless, Yang Sheng would scold him for being useless; if Chen Ruliang's initial criticism was wrong, Yang Sheng would hurl even harsher insults; even if Chen Ruliang's initial criticism was reasonable, Yang Sheng would still nitpick. Of course, Yang Sheng didn't pick on Chen Ruliang every day. He was very busy, and besides, Chen Ruliang would only shrink back and remain silent after being scolded. After venting his initial anger, Yang Sheng would lose the desire to deliberately insult Chen Ruliang.
Around noon, Chen Ruliang arrived at the duty room, which was shared by the two prime ministers and two vice ministers, with a memorial from the Ministry of Works.
Yang Sheng glanced at him indifferently. Emperor Xianping had embarrassed him in order to protect Chen Ruliang, which naturally made Yang Sheng uncomfortable. However, his outburst today was somewhat like a fit of anger, so Yang Sheng took the memorial and dealt with it officially. He gave Chen Ruliang some pointers in a very good-natured manner, so that the Right Chancellor Xue Chang and the two vice ministers, who were secretly listening, would not have to watch the show.
Chen Ruliang's change from being anxious to feeling relieved was quite obvious. Perhaps seeing that Yang Sheng was in a good mood, Chen Ruliang hesitated for a moment after receiving the memorial and asked in a low voice, "This humble official has a private matter that I would like to discuss with the Prime Minister. May I ask if the Prime Minister would like to come in?"
The duty room was only so big that unless Chen Ruliang leaned close to Yang Sheng's ear, Xue Chang and the other two could hear even the softest voice. So, while the three of them seemed to be busy with their heads down, they were actually listening intently.
Yang Sheng was busy and had no patience to waste time on an eyesore, so he said directly, "There's nothing between us that can't be said to outsiders, so just say what you have to say."
Chen Ruliang glanced at Xue Chang and the other two with a troubled expression, took two steps closer to Yang Sheng, bent down, and said in a lower voice, "To be honest, Prime Minister, on the day of your birthday celebration, the Emperor saw that I hadn't come to wish you a happy birthday. After returning to the palace, he specifically summoned me for questioning. I explained that I hadn't received an invitation because we weren't close enough. Perhaps I was nervous and my expression was off when I met the Emperor, which led to some misunderstanding by the Emperor, which is why your wife... I was thinking, why don't I accompany you, Prime Minister, to see the Emperor and explain this matter thoroughly?"
After hearing this, Yang Sheng let out a cold laugh: "What, have I, Yang Sheng, fallen so low that I need you to speak well of me before the Emperor?"
Chen Ruliang hurriedly retreated, bowing deeply and apologizing, "This humble official had no such intention. This humble official simply did not want the Prime Minister to be..."
Yang Sheng couldn't stand his hypocritical act, so he slammed his fist on the table and stood up: "Stop pretending in front of me. If you really want to fulfill the relationship between me and the Emperor, you should ask to leave the capital, instead of shamelessly staying here, which not only delays state affairs but also tarnishes the Emperor's reputation as a wise and virtuous ruler!"
Chen Ruliang, who was still bowing his head in apology, suddenly raised his head, his face full of fear: "Prime Minister, what do you mean? Does the Prime Minister think that the Emperor's transfer of me to the capital is an unwise and immoral act?"
Yang Sheng's eye twitched violently. Just as he was about to clarify, Chen Ruliang, who was usually meek and submissive, angrily flicked his sleeve and glared at him with a look of grief and indignation, saying, "I know that I am not talented and learned enough, so I humbly accept whatever criticism or reprimand you may give me, Prime Minister. But His Majesty is the wise and virtuous ruler personally appointed by the late Emperor. I cannot tolerate His Majesty being insulted by you, Prime Minister, because of me!"
After saying that, Chen Ruliang strode outside.
Right Chancellor Xue Chang hurriedly chased after him, and once he was certain that Chen Ruliang was really going to file a complaint with the Emperor and no one could stop him, Xue Chang quickly turned back and grabbed Yang Sheng's arm, pulling him outside: "What are you still standing there for? Go and apologize to the Emperor quickly, don't let Chen Ruliang stir up trouble alone!"
Yang Sheng could guess what Chen Ruliang would say to Emperor Xianping, but what good would it do him to go? Words spoken out of the tongue are like spilled water that cannot be taken back. He could neither deny them nor humbly beg Emperor Xianping to forgive his slip of the tongue, because Emperor Xianping already held a grudge against him and wanted to use this as an opportunity to punish him. Even if he cried and kowtowed to beg for forgiveness, it would be useless.
"I'm not going!"
Shaking off Xue Chang's hand, Yang Sheng sat back down at his desk with a stern face, and said righteously, "The innocent are innocent. I have no intention of disgracing the emperor, so I am not afraid of the slander of petty people!"
Xue Chang clapped his hands in frustration, while the two vice ministers remained silent in fear.
In the midst of anxious waiting, the Imperial Censor Fan Yan arrived with a complicated expression. He was ordered by Emperor Xianping to take Yang Sheng to the Censorate for questioning. Xue Chang, along with two vice ministers and Chen Ruliang, who had accused Yang Sheng, were to go to the Censorate as witnesses to assist in the investigation.
The case is very simple: Yang Sheng did indeed say the words "sullied the emperor's reputation as a wise and virtuous ruler."
Fan Yan presented the confessions of Yang Sheng and others to the emperor.
Emperor Xianping said indifferently, "Yang Sheng has slandered and deceived the emperor. The evidence is conclusive. He shall be given a white silk ribbon to commit suicide."
Fan Yan knelt down and pleaded for Yang Sheng: "Your Majesty, the Left Chancellor spoke recklessly in a moment of impulse. Although he is guilty, please consider that he has served as Chancellor for twenty years..."
Emperor Xianping: "The Prime Minister, knowingly deceiving the Emperor, should have been punished even more severely. I have already shown him respect by allowing him to die a complete death. Enough said, you may leave."
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Author's Note: Imperial power is cruel, [poor thing]
100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow!
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