Chapter 135 Chen Ruliang executed his entire clan, Yan Zhuang was beheaded, Consort Li... The late emperor had just passed away, and his coffin was carried to the Taiji Hall.
When ordinary people lay in state, their closest relatives keep vigil. But when it comes to the emperor, all the imperial relatives, civil and military officials, and noblewomen in the capital must enter the palace to mourn for the emperor. After the mourning ends, the ministers must take turns accompanying the new emperor, his consorts, and all the princes and princesses to keep vigil for the late emperor in the Taiji Hall.
The Crown Prince has already donned the dragon robe and ascended the throne, becoming the rightful third emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. He will only need to wait until after the late emperor's burial to choose an auspicious day for the enthronement ceremony. The new emperor's reign title has also been chosen, named "Yuanxing," and will be put into use after New Year's Eve and the first day of the Lunar New Year.
While etiquette is important, the physical condition of everyone involved in keeping vigil for the late emperor must also be taken into account. Consorts such as Empress Dowager Xie, as well as young princes and princesses, and senior officials in their sixties or nearing sixty, including the old imperial uncle, Liang Bizheng, Li Wei, Liu Baoxiu, Xu Lian, and Zou Dong, were sent back to their palaces or residences to rest early on by Emperor Yuanxing. Only a group of young or strong individuals were left behind.
Thirty-eight-year-old Xiao Yu and forty-three-year-old Pei Xingshu were among the most capable and senior civil officials who were required to stay here all night.
While others could only leave briefly to relieve themselves during the mourning period, Emperor Yuanxing could leave at any time to handle necessary state affairs. Of course, Emperor Yuanxing was still very filial to his late father and would not take advantage of his position to shirk his duties.
It was nearly midnight when Emperor Yuanxing glanced at the Second Prince, who was dozing off with his head down, and stood up, giving Xiao Yu, who was kneeling behind him, a meaningful look.
Xiao Yu immediately got up and followed the young new emperor to the side hall.
The entire palace was lit up tonight. Emperor Yuanxing stood by a window in the middle of a side hall, watching the gentleman approach by the light. His gaze lingered for a moment on the gentleman's red and swollen eyes, and Emperor Yuanxing couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering him: "Father almost killed you, sir. Do you really have no resentment towards Father?"
When his father ordered his teacher to be executed, he was confined to the Eastern Palace like the other concubines and was unaware of the news outside. Later, he was shocked to learn that if his teacher's wife had not gone to the execution ground with him and forced the executioner to reconsider his father's decision by sacrificing her own life, and had cleverly stirred up his father's feelings for his teacher, he, as the student, might not have even been able to see his teacher one last time.
As a son, Emperor Yuanxing could not resent his father, so he could only blame the treacherous officials who had bewitched his father for the injustices suffered by his mother and teacher.
The late emperor's coffin was placed next door. On this relatively peaceful night, both inside and outside the city, Xiao Yu, as a subject, didn't have as many people and things to worry about as the new emperor. All he had was remembrance of the late emperor. He lowered his eyes and replied, "When the late emperor was blinded by anger and insisted on deposing the empress, I resented him for being so foolish. When the late emperor wanted to cut off my head, I was filled with grief and fear, thinking only of my parents, children, and the lady who had accompanied me. When the late emperor rescinded his order and pardoned me, I was filled with gratitude. In my eyes, the late emperor will always be a benevolent and wise ruler."
If the late emperor had truly killed him, the world could condemn him as incompetent; but if the late emperor ultimately forgave him, then he would still be considered a benevolent ruler.
Scenes of the past eleven years of discussions between the emperor and his ministers on state affairs flashed through Xiao Yu's mind. He turned around and wiped away his tears with his sleeve once more.
Emperor Yuanxing: "..." As his son, he seemed to shed fewer tears than his father did for his father.
Having been around forty for years, Xiao Yu quickly composed himself and turned to ask, "Why has Your Majesty summoned me here?"
Emperor Yuanxing's eyes flickered slightly as he looked out the window at the long night and said in a low voice, "In recent years, Father has favored Consort Li. I think that if I arrange for Consort Li to be buried with Father, Father will be happy to have his beloved concubine by his side in the afterlife."
The Emperor's funeral was of utmost importance, so he first honored his mother as Empress Dowager, while the titles of Consort Li and other concubines and princes had not yet been changed.
Emperor Yuanxing hated Consort Li. Since Consort Li liked to curry favor with the emperor so much, he granted her wish!
Given Emperor Yuanxing's hatred for Consort Li, he didn't want to consult with anyone. He should have arranged for someone to send Consort Li off tonight. However, this summer in the West Garden, he had been earnestly persuaded by his teacher for whipping and dragging the Fourth Prince. After thinking it over, Emperor Yuanxing decided to inform his teacher first.
The image of the late emperor vanished instantly from Xiao Yu's mind, leaving only the new emperor and student before him who had uttered such shocking words. His swollen eyes blazed with fury: "How could Your Majesty harbor such evil thoughts? Human sacrifice is barbaric and cruel, a practice that flourished from the Shang Dynasty to the Qin Dynasty, only gradually being abolished by the Han Dynasty's promotion of Confucianism. If Your Majesty were to reopen this evil practice of human sacrifice due to personal grudges, future emperors of the Great Zhou Dynasty, as well as nobles and wealthy merchants throughout the land, would follow suit. Some would be sacrificed, while others would be sacrificed by hundreds of thousands. Does Your Majesty intend to become a cruel ruler so soon after ascending the throne?"
Emperor Yuanxing: "I have no such intention. I only wish to die with Consort Li... Never mind, it was my oversight. Fortunately, you reminded me in time. Rest assured, I will no longer consider the matter of being buried alive with her."
Xiao Yu stared intently at the new emperor opposite him: "Your Majesty, I dare not be at ease any longer. I will keep a close eye on Your Majesty's every move from now on, lest Your Majesty one day truly become a tyrant, and future generations accuse me of failing to properly educate Your Majesty!"
The soon-to-be-coming-of-age Emperor Yuanxing was slightly shorter than his teacher, but at this moment, he felt that the teacher opposite him was as tall as Mount Tai, making him ashamed and not daring to raise his eyes.
Kneeling before his father's coffin late at night, Emperor Yuanxing could feel the heavy, worried gaze of his teacher, making him feel uneasy.
The next day, Xiao Yu was no longer required to keep vigil. At daybreak, Xiao Yu and other officials bid farewell to the Empress Dowager and the new emperor, and a large group of officials walked out of the palace at the same time.
Pei Xingshu walked alongside Xiao Yu at the front. Seeing that this top imperial favorite, who could practically do whatever he wanted in the third dynasty of the Great Zhou, had a gloomy expression, Pei Xingshu asked in confusion, "Has something happened again?"
Xiao Yu replied absentmindedly, "None of your business."
Because it concerned Emperor Yuanxing's newly established reputation as emperor, Xiao Yu would not tell anyone, including his closest wife, about Emperor Yuanxing's desire for Consort Li to be buried alive with him.
Pei Xingshu: "..."
.
Emperor Yuanxing still wanted Consort Li to die, but he deeply agreed with the reasons why the Master opposed Consort Li being buried alive with the Emperor. As an emperor, he could not revive the evil custom of burying people alive with the Emperor, as it would be detrimental to the stability of the Great Zhou royal family and the people of the world in the future.
After New Year's Eve, it will be the first year of Yuanxing.
Because of the national mourning, the officials and people of the capital spent the New Year in an extremely quiet and cautious manner. When the late emperor was buried on the sixth day of the first lunar month, the officials and people of the capital all wept bitterly, crying out all the heaviness and helplessness of this period, hoping that the days to come would be easier.
As long as ordinary people behave themselves and don't rush to celebrate with red ribbons and colorful decorations, they can indeed live a peaceful life. However, the officialdom in the capital is destined to undergo a purge.
On the twelfth day of the first month, Emperor Yuanxing held his enthronement ceremony. The next morning, at the court, Yang Yanzong, the eldest son of the former Left Chancellor Yang Sheng and then serving as the Vice Minister of Rites, knelt in the center of the hall and tearfully recounted how his father, Yang Sheng, had been falsely accused by the treacherous minister Chen Ruliang of slandering and deceiving the emperor, which led to Yang Sheng being demoted to Liangzhou despite his old age and frail health. He later died unjustly in a foreign land and begged Emperor Yuanxing to avenge him.
Chen Ruliang stepped forward, his face pale, and knelt on the ground, shouting that he was wronged.
The trial and judgment of the case were to be handled by the relevant officials. Emperor Yuanxing interrupted the argument between the two and ordered Pang Weihan, the Right Vice Censor, to jointly try the case with the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review, since one of the officials involved was a former prime minister and the other was the current Minister of Works.
The officials looked at their close colleagues. It was no surprise that the new emperor wanted to settle scores with Consort Li's faction. But why did the Censorate choose Pang Weihan, the Right Vice Censor who had never been well-known, instead of Xiao Yu, the Censor-in-Chief who had handled many major cases, as the official in charge of the case?
After the court session ended, Pei Xingshu moved closer to Xiao Yu and guessed, "You had a somber face that night because you knew the Emperor didn't want you involved in the case?"
Xiao Yu: "...You used to pretend you didn't know me in the palace, why aren't you avoiding me lately?"
Pei Xingshu: "...Tell me why the Emperor doesn't use you, and then I'll decide whether to continue avoiding suspicion."
Xiao Yu ignored him.
But this matter could be discussed with the lady. After sitting on the bed at night, Xiao Yu complained to the lady about his brother-in-law: "You are judging a gentleman by the standards of a petty person. How could I be such a narrow-minded person as to care about who the emperor employs?"
Luo Fu glared at him: "Your brother-in-law is just concerned about you. If you really don't mind, why did you have such a dark face that night during the vigil?"
Xiao Yu: "...I knelt all night, and my knees hurt. I don't like to complain to others except for my wife."
Luo Fu: "...Don't complain to me either, I don't like to hear it."
Xiao Yu was aroused by his wife's sharp gaze, so he picked her up from in front of the dressing table, pressed her onto the bed, and tried to kiss her.
Luo Fu sensed that Xiao Yu truly didn't mind Emperor Yuanxing ordering the Right Vice Censor Pang Weihan to interrogate Chen Ruliang, but afterwards she still warned Xiao Yu: "That Chen guy almost caused the Empress Dowager to be deposed, and he almost killed you too. Even if the Emperor doesn't have evidence, he'll arrange for someone to add some. You're too straightforward. The Emperor doesn't want to let Chen off lightly, nor does he want to wrong you, so he assigned someone else. After the Three Judicial Offices finish their trial, if Chen Ruliang is sentenced too harshly, you're not allowed to be foolish enough to plead for him, or I'll divorce you first!"
She could accept that Xiao Yu offended the emperor for the sake of innocent soldiers and civilians, but a treacherous official like Chen Ruliang was not worthy of it!
Xiao Yu put his arm around his wife and said, "Don't worry, I'm not that old-fashioned."
Unless Emperor Yuanxing intends to turn Chen Ruliang and the others into human pigs, as long as the Three Judicial Offices determine the punishment according to the law, Xiao Yu will not get involved.
.
After Chen Ruliang was imprisoned, Zhao Yi, the commander of the Imperial Guards, and Xue Gonggong, the chief eunuch who served the late emperor, also came forward to expose Chen Ruliang for using slander to murder the Grand Censor Xiao Yu and the Empress Dowager. The case involved Chen Ruliang's entire household, civil and military officials such as Yan Zhuang, and Consort Li and others in the palace.
Emperor Yuanxing handed over all the cases to the Three Departments for trial.
Chen Ruliang's wife, Lady Fang, and Yan Zhuang, who was skilled in poetry but couldn't withstand torture, were the first to confess. They revealed that Chen Ruliang had framed Yang Sheng out of personal grudges, framed Xiao Yu out of jealousy, and framed the Empress Dowager in an attempt to support the Second Prince in seizing the throne. On the other hand, the palace maids and eunuchs who served Consort Li and her son also confessed to several vicious words they had uttered cursing the Empress Dowager and the new emperor. Consort Li had even spoken disrespectfully to the late emperor on several occasions.
Emperor Yuanxing ordered the Three Judicial Offices to read aloud the charges against Consort Li's faction at the court assembly. The evidence was irrefutable, and Emperor Yuanxing rendered the following judgment:
Chen Ruliang and Yan Zhuang spread rumors and plotted a rebellion against the emperor. The mastermind, Chen Ruliang, was executed along with his entire family, and Yan Zhuang was beheaded. Other officials who were involved in the rebellion were either demoted or exiled.
Consort Li was guilty of treason, and she and her five children were all stripped of their titles and reduced to commoners, and exiled to Lingnan.
Lady Chen, the wife of the Duke of Dingguo, knew that Consort Li was ambitious but instead of advising her, she secretly devised plans for her. She sentenced Consort Li to exile in Lingnan with Consort Li. Duke Li Wei of Dingguo was not strict in managing his household, but in consideration of his merits in protecting the country, he retained his official position but stripped him of his title. The title of Duke of Dingguo was then inherited by his younger brother, Li Chong.
Once the decree was issued, not a single official in the court raised any objections.
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Author's note: Hehe, I just exploded in one breath!
100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow! Please give me some nutrient solution! [shy]
P.S.: Don't worry, the third generation won't be a tyrant. I'm just really furious with Consort Li's faction.
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