Chapter 91 091 Xiao Yu's Advice Leads to Yang Sheng's Departure from the Capital.
Emperor Xianping was determined to sentence Yang Sheng to death. The Grand Censor Fan Yan was powerless to dissuade him, but he argued that the case of executing a prime minister was of great importance, and that a trial solely by the Censorate would not be convincing to the officials and people of the realm. Therefore, he secured a joint trial for Yang Sheng by the Censorate, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Ministry of Justice. Thus, Emperor Xianping's decree reached the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice, and coupled with the delays in the trial, the case finally spread throughout all government offices in the capital.
The civil officials were headed by the Secretariat, but the Left Chancellor Yang Sheng was being tried. The Right Chancellor Xue Chang, two vice ministers, and even six secretaries of the Secretariat, including Chen Ruliang, were all summoned to assist in the trial. The five ministers from the six ministries hurriedly gathered together, only missing the Minister of Justice Zou Dong, who had gone to try the case.
"Should we try to persuade the Emperor?" Liu Baoxiu, the Minister of Personnel, asked with a worried expression, looking at Gu Xi, the oldest Minister of Revenue.
Gu Xi is sixty-six years old and is a true veteran of the founding of the dynasty. Whether it was the late emperor's unification of the nine provinces or the two northern expeditions against the Yin Kingdom, it was Gu Xi who did everything he could to prepare the military supplies. He is also the only one of the six ministers who has been firmly in his position since the founding of the dynasty.
Ministers like Liu Baoxiu of the Ministry of Personnel and Qi Chengfu of the Ministry of War followed the late emperor in the early days, but were promoted only after the original ministers were promoted to prime minister, died of illness, or were demoted. Ministers like Xu Lian of the Ministry of Works and Zou Dong of the Ministry of Justice were promoted from local positions based on their political achievements. Minister Guo Shouzhi of the Ministry of Rites had only replaced Xia Qiyuan two years ago.
Gu Xi stroked his beard, not in a hurry to make a decision, and said, "Let's wait and see. Perhaps the joint trial by the three judicial departments will yield different testimonies and verdicts."
What if the emperor changes his mind and forgives Yang Sheng? Wouldn't it be pointless for them to go now?
Xu Lian and Qi Chengfu nodded in agreement.
Liu Baoxiu looked at Guo Shouzhi. Before being promoted to Minister of Rites, Guo Shouzhi was one of the six secretaries of the Imperial Secretariat, serving directly under Yang Sheng for several years. After Xia Qiyuan resigned, it was Yang Sheng who recommended Guo Shouzhi to fill the vacancy of Minister of Rites.
Guo Shouzhi avoided Liu Baoxiu's gaze. Why was he looking at him? Anyone with eyes could see how much the Emperor hated Yang Sheng. Guo Shouzhi, who had been recommended by the Left Chancellor, was already a potential target of the Emperor's wrath. Why was he rushing to plead for Yang Sheng now? Was he afraid that the Emperor would give him an important position in the future?
"Old Gu is right," Guo Shouzhi said with deep emotion.
Seeing that no one was willing to stand up for Yang Sheng, Liu Baoxiu also fell silent. On one hand, he felt it was absurd that Yang Sheng would suffer such a calamity because of a single sentence, and on the other hand, he couldn't help but think that if Yang Sheng really did perish in this case, a prime minister position would be vacant in the Secretariat, and Xue Chang would probably fill the position of left prime minister, leaving the right prime minister position vacant...
Liu Baoxiu's heart beat a little faster. In terms of seniority, Gu Xi was more senior than him, but Gu Xi was more skilled in finance. Liu Baoxiu, as the Minister of Personnel, was the recognized head of the Six Ministries and was only one step away from becoming the Prime Minister.
When several senior officials decided to remain inactive for various reasons, Xiao Yu came to the imperial study to request an audience with Emperor Xianping.
Emperor Xianping knew what he was going to say, and said to Eunuch Xue, "Tell him that I will not see anyone today until the joint trial by the three judicial departments is over."
The eunuch Xue, who had walked out quickly, relayed the entire story to Xiao Yu verbatim.
Xiao Yu: "Please also convey my message to the Emperor, saying that the Censor is the Emperor's eyes and ears. If the Emperor does not see me, does he intend to abandon his eyes and ears?"
Eunuch Xue: "..."
Because it was too quiet inside and Xiao Yu's voice was not low, Emperor Xianping could hear him clearly: "...Come in."
Eunuch Xue breathed a sigh of relief; otherwise, he really wouldn't have dared to relay Xiao Yu's words.
When the two appeared at the door, Emperor Xianping gave Eunuch Xue a wink, and Eunuch Xue stopped outside the door. Only Xiao Yu walked all the way to the emperor's presence.
Emperor Xianping stood by the window with his hands behind his back, glancing at Xiao Yu out of the corner of his eye, and said coldly, "I know why you have come, but Yang Sheng insulted me first, which is a serious crime of deceiving the emperor. I will not let it go so easily just because he is a veteran of two dynasties."
Xiao Yu: "If the Left Chancellor has truly deceived the Emperor, I will never plead for him. However, after hearing about the case at the Censorate, there is one thing I do not understand. I humbly request Your Majesty to enlighten me."
Emperor Xianping: "What is it that you don't understand?"
Xiao Yu: "I do not understand why Chen Sheren accused the Left Chancellor of slandering the emperor."
Emperor Xianping secretly gathered his strength, pointed to Yang Sheng's confession handed to him by Fan Yan, and said, "Go see for yourself!"
Xiao Yu walked to the imperial desk, took out several confessions and looked at them, then returned to Emperor Xianping's side and said, "Your Majesty, I have finished reading them. I have long heard that the Left Chancellor once strongly opposed Your Majesty on the grounds that Chen Sheren's political achievements were mediocre and not worthy of being promoted to the position of Sheren. Although the Left Chancellor ultimately obeyed Your Majesty's decree, I believe that it is only natural for the Left Chancellor to dislike Chen Sheren for this reason."
Emperor Xianping said: "It is human nature, and I do not blame him for this. However, he should not be narrow-minded, abuse his power to bully others, and deliberately make things difficult for his subordinates. He should not insult me for being unwise and unworthy just because I did not appoint people according to his wishes."
Chen Ruliang's confession to the Censorate did indeed list Yang Sheng's malicious acts of deliberately making things difficult for him, and it was also confirmed by Xue Chang and the two vice ministers. Although the three of them were vague and seemed to be trying to smooth things over for Yang Sheng, they were all officials and knew the truth. It is believed that after the joint trial by the three judicial departments, more officials in the Secretariat will testify truthfully for Chen Ruliang.
Xiao Yu: "I also feel that the Left Chancellor's narrow-mindedness and unfair treatment of Chen Sheren are unwarranted. However, history records numerous instances of emperors making unwise decisions to appoint relatives and friends, especially when it involves the harem, which easily leads to unfounded speculation and fabricated historical accounts. His Majesty is certainly not that kind of foolish ruler, but officials and commoners in the capital all know that His Majesty favors Consort Li, and Chen Sheren happens to be Consort Li's maternal uncle. When there is a vacancy for the position of Imperial Secretary, His Majesty abandons many capable officials in the capital and favors Consort Li's uncle. The Left Chancellor is worried that commoners who are not familiar with His Majesty's virtue will misunderstand His Majesty's nepotism and use this to accuse Chen Sheren in the heat of the moment. This is precisely the Left Chancellor's loyal act of worrying about His Majesty's reputation being damaged, so how could it be slander against His Majesty?"
Emperor Xianping: "...How do you know that the Left Chancellor is not just holding a grudge against me for not heeding his advice, but has concluded that I am a foolish ruler, seemingly criticizing Chen Ruliang, but actually using veiled insults to openly humiliate me?"
Xiao Yu: "I am not a mind reader of the Left Chancellor, and I do not know what he is thinking. However, as His Majesty's eyes and ears, we censors are most aware of the public outcry this case will ignite once it reaches the common people. The common people are far removed from the court and cannot discern the talents and achievements of the Left Chancellor and Chen Sheren. They only know that the current prime minister, during an argument with Consort Li's uncle, uttered a statement that could be interpreted as either loyalty or treachery, and that His Majesty, in a fit of anger, executed the prime minister. Although the Left Chancellor is dead, he is remembered with a false reputation among the people. Chen Sheren, though he sued the Left Chancellor to defend His Majesty's virtuous name, will inevitably bear the infamy of the emperor slandering and framing loyal officials. Therefore, I urge Your Majesty to reconsider: is this truly the outcome you desire?"
Emperor Xianping pursed his lips. He knew that Xiao Yu had omitted one more sentence: after Chen Ruliang gained a bad reputation among the people as a treacherous minister, he, the emperor who listened to Chen Ruliang's slander, would naturally become a foolish ruler.
The following morning, the results of the joint trial by the three judicial departments were announced. Fan Yan, Zou Dong, and the newly appointed Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Xie Weiguan, all believed that the Left Chancellor Yang Sheng had indeed bullied Chen Ruliang by abusing his power. However, Yang Sheng finally agreed to explain that his original intention in saying that he was worried that the Emperor's reputation for virtue would be tarnished by Chen Ruliang, and that he was not slandering Emperor Xianping for being unwise and unvirtuous. The three judicial departments could not distinguish the truth from the falsehood of this statement, and it was up to Emperor Xianping to make the judgment.
Emperor Xianping's final decision was that Yang Sheng, despite holding the position of prime minister, was narrow-minded and intolerant of others, neglecting public duties for personal reasons and delaying state affairs, so he was demoted to the position of governor of Liangzhou.
Although Liangzhou is far from the capital, the governor of Liangzhou is a high-ranking official of the second rank. Emperor Xianping's punishment this time was fair, and no one in the court dared to object.
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With the case resolved, regardless of what the officials in the capital thought, Xiao Rong and Deng Shi, who received the news, breathed a sigh of relief. Although Yang Sheng usually looked down on them, they had been in-laws for over a decade, and like their eldest daughter-in-law, they hoped that Yang Sheng could be exonerated safely.
With tears in her eyes, Yang Yanzhen bid farewell to her parents-in-law and rushed back to her parents' home to visit her elderly father who had just been released from prison.
After his eldest daughter-in-law left, Xiao Rongcai whispered to his wife, "It's true what they say, fortunes change every ten years. Back then, our third son failed the exam because of Yang Sheng, but today Yang Sheng was able to save his life thanks to our third son's advice."
Deng sensed a hint of smugness in his voice and glared at him, saying, "When the third son failed the exam, you scolded him more fiercely than anyone else. What, are you still quite proud of him now? Aren't you afraid he'll lose face in front of the Emperor?"
Leaving aside other matters, after learning last night that the third son had pleaded for Yang Sheng, this man praised the third son to his eldest daughter-in-law. When he returned to his room, he couldn't sleep, fearing that the third son's plea would fail and he would be neglected by Emperor Xianping.
Xiao Rong: "..."
Constantly having his shortcomings exposed by his wife, Xiao Rong simply went to stay in his study, which he treated as a mere decoration.
When Yang Yanzhen returned to the Yang residence, his mother, Madam Xu, was packing her bags with tears in her eyes. Demoted officials all had to leave as soon as possible, and the old man, having lost face, did not want to stay in the capital any longer and wished he could leave right now.
Yang Sheng spent a night in Dali Temple prison. His body didn't suffer much, but the blow of falling from a height into the mud turned half of his hair white, especially when he learned that Emperor Xianping hated him so much that he wanted to give him a white silk noose.
Yang Sheng's two sons and daughters-in-law, along with their grandchildren, had already cried. Seeing his daughter arrive with tears in her eyes, Yang Sheng waved his hand weakly and said, "Why are you all crying? I'm perfectly fine. Go and persuade your mother. She's over fifty. Tell her to stay in the capital and not accompany me to Liangzhou to take up my post."
Yang Yanzhen's heart was torn in two. He wanted to persuade his mother that his father would have to go to Liangzhou alone. If he didn't, his mother would suffer in vain if she went with him.
Madam Xu whispered to her daughter, "Your father has enjoyed a life of luxury in the capital. How could he possibly endure the bumpy ride of a carriage over two thousand miles? If he were younger, I wouldn't mind not going; he'd have his concubines to serve him, so it wouldn't be a hardship for him. But he's already this old. If I don't go, tomorrow morning's farewell might be..."
As she spoke, she broke down in tears.
Yang Yanzhen cried with his mother for a long time, but in the end he couldn't persuade her to stay in Beijing.
The next morning, Yang Sheng and his wife set off early. After leaving the city, they discovered that Li Wei, Xiao Rong, and several colleagues had come to see them off, including the brothers Xiao Hu and Xiao Yu.
Duke Li Wei felt very ashamed because Chen Ruliang, who caused Yang Sheng's demotion, was the elder brother of his second wife, Lady Chen.
Yang Sheng stopped Li Wei from blaming himself, saying, "The Duke should only protect the country and must not get involved in court disputes in the future."
Xue Chang and his colleagues were all old foxes, so Yang Sheng didn't need to explain anything. Although Xiao Rong was incompetent, he could live a leisurely life in the capital, which was much better than Yang Sheng, who had been demoted and exiled. So Yang Sheng ignored Xiao Rong, patted Xiao Hu on the shoulder, and said as a father-in-law, "I have my faults, but Yan Zhen is innocent. You must treat her well."
Xiao Hu nodded, his eyes red.
Yang Sheng finally stood before Xiao Yu. Looking at Xiao Yu's young and handsome face, a face that remained so handsome even after being demoted once, while he, this old man, might never return, Yang Sheng felt increasingly conflicted. He sighed deeply and turned to leave.
What instructions did he give Xiao Yu?
He once warned Xiao Yu to be careful with his words and actions, but Xiao Yu gained the emperor's favor by speaking frankly and even saved his life.
Therefore, the methods he learned in officialdom were not suitable for Xiao Yu, and Xiao Yu had his own path to follow.
As the carriage carrying the disgraced old prime minister slowly departed from the capital, a red sun slowly rose from the distant eastern horizon. The soft morning light illuminated the vehicles and pedestrians coming and going on the official road, and also the few civil and military officials who stood at the city gate to see the old prime minister off. When Yang Sheng quietly lifted the curtain of the carriage at the back window and looked back, the first thing he saw was Xiao Yu, whose features were as gentle and refined as white jade.
It's a pity that Xiao Yu witnessed a life that could only be considered mediocre among the prime ministers of past dynasties, and he was destined to miss the magnificent official career that this young man was destined to have. Thirty years old is just the beginning of a civil official's career.
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Author's Note: It's complete! 100 little red envelopes, see you late at night for the second update!
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