Because of the "rebellious" dream the Imperial Concubine had, Zhu Rui hadn't been sleeping well for the past few days. Now, the irrefutable evidence of 600,000 shi of grain, directly linked to the Imperial Concubine's dream, sent chills down his spine.
Over the years, Xu Yan has cultivated his power and spread his followers far and wide, so much so that he is now deeply entrenched and his influence is deeply entrenched. If we're talking about someone capable of rebelling, there is no one else in the entire court besides Xu Yan.
He actually allowed such a high-ranking and powerful minister to stay by his side for so many years.
The fear of the unknown is always too intense to bear in one's imagination. As Zhu Rui thought about it, he felt a cold sweat running down his back.
Seeing that the situation was not going well, some of Xu Yan's followers immediately stood up to speak up for him.
"Your Majesty, over the years, Grand Secretary Xu has worked tirelessly day and night, devoting himself wholeheartedly to the country and its people. His loyalty to Your Majesty is evident to the sun and moon. It is far too hasty for Grand Secretary Song to conjecture that he harbors disloyal intentions based solely on these 600,000 shi of grain of dubious origin. I humbly request Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly."
"Your Majesty, I second that opinion. I do not believe that Grand Secretary Xu has any rebellious intentions. Grand Secretary Xu is not that kind of person. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider."
"Your Majesty, please reconsider."
Xu Yanyuan had been frowning and remained silent. But seeing these people pleading for him, he immediately thought: This is bad.
Zhu Rui was a suspicious person. Just a few days ago, he had a strange dream in his womb, and now this pile of grain matched that dream perfectly, clearly hitting him where it hurt. The situation was extremely unfavorable for him.
The fact that these people are now pleading for him makes him feel even more threatened.
As expected, Zhu Rui, upon hearing this, said unhappily, "Enough. I know how to handle this; I don't need you to teach me."
"Your Majesty," Xu Yan, seeing the unfavorable situation, could only feign ignorance, "I truly have no idea why this batch of grain ended up in my warehouse. There must be something wrong with it. For over twenty years, I have served Your Majesty with all my heart and soul. Now, I am old, and there are many things I am no longer able to do. I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's continued patronage; how could I possibly harbor any disloyal thoughts..."
Before Xu Yan could finish speaking, Zhu Rui interrupted him, "Grand Secretary Xu, you don't need to say anything more."
Yes, twenty years have passed. Unbeknownst to many, Xu Yan has been holding the reins of power for twenty years.
Whether he harbored rebellious intentions or not, he had indeed amassed considerable power, relying on his imperial authority to wield immense influence and control the court.
He sold official positions and titles, embezzled and accepted bribes. On the one hand, he built up his own faction and expanded his power base; on the other hand, he amassed countless riches. He had no idea how many followers he had, how much wealth he possessed, or how many private soldiers he maintained.
This feeling is terrifying. The thought of so much grain in his warehouse sends chills down one's spine.
His existence has always been a hidden danger, and now it's time to eliminate this hidden danger for myself.
Zhu Rui pondered for a moment, then finally made up his mind and said, "I hereby dismiss Xu Yan from his positions as Minister of Personnel and Grand Secretary..."
"Your Majesty!" Upon hearing this, Xu Yan immediately knelt down, his voice trembling with emotion. "This old minister is old and prone to senility, which has allowed others to take advantage of me. I implore Your Majesty to order the three judicial departments to jointly try this case and clear my name..."
The position of Grand Secretary is one that cannot be lost under any circumstances.
Having spent over twenty years cultivating his position in the imperial court, Xu Yan understood perfectly well that arguing with the emperor in front of all the civil and military officials was pointless. Zhu Rui had already spoken; if he were to refute him further, it would only enrage Zhu Rui and bring him no benefit.
The best course of action now is to first soften our stance, calm the emperor down, secure our position as chief minister, and then devise further plans.
The three judicial departments were all his men. Not to mention treason, even if it was embezzlement, as long as he could buy time to make amends, he could still get away with it.
Unfortunately, things did not go as Xu Yan had expected.
The emperor sitting on the dragon throne, the emperor he had served for more than twenty years, the person who trusted him most, insisted on finishing what he hadn't said before: "Hereby, Xu Yan is dismissed from his posts as Minister of Personnel and Grand Secretary of the Cabinet... The Three Judicial Offices are ordered to collect evidence as soon as possible and hold a joint trial at a later date."
After Zhu Rui finished speaking, he gently closed his eyes, revealing a decisiveness rarely seen in his eyes.
Grand Secretary Xu, over the past twenty years, you have done much for me, but I have not treated you unfairly. You have enjoyed all the wealth, honor, power, and fame that you were entitled to. Therefore, regardless of the outcome of the joint trial by the three judicial departments, you can no longer serve as Grand Secretary.
And so, I shall return to being an ordinary citizen and retire to my hometown.
"Your Majesty..." Xu Yan opened his old eyes and looked at the emperor in front of him, his eyes full of pleading, waiting for the emperor to change his mind.
Zhu Rui, however, had already made up his mind. He waved his hand and said, "Cuff him and take him away."
Inside the main hall, the lights were bright, and everything seemed to be as it always had been.
But something is already slowly collapsing in the shadows.
At this point, Xu Yan finally understood.
The ins and outs of this matter have not yet been investigated, and the truth is still unknown, yet Zhu Rui insists on removing him from his post. Clearly, the emperor no longer trusts him.
For over twenty years, he had sheltered the emperor from the storms of life and done so much for the court. Yet, this one incident shattered the trust between the emperor and his minister.
He was indeed in a high position of power, and the person on the dragon throne must be afraid that his power would overshadow his own. This time, he was going to take away everything that he had worked hard to achieve over the past twenty years.
Song Yue's strategy of sowing discord was brilliant; he used it ruthlessly and accurately.
Who could have imagined that he would suddenly intercept those 600,000 shi of grain and then suddenly put them into Xu Yan's warehouse?
This time, it was my own negligence.
Just as the Imperial Guards stepped forward to arrest him, Xu Yan pushed them away, glanced at Song Yue, and said, "Your Majesty, allow me to say a few more words."
"Speak."
"The case of Song Yue conspiring with Zhang Mao to embezzle taxes has not yet been investigated. This matter concerns my innocence, so I implore Your Majesty to also imprison Song Yue and order the three judicial departments to conduct a joint trial."
The three judicial departments are all his men. Even if he can't protect himself, he'll still drag Song Yue into it.
Even in death, he would make Song Yue pay with his life.
Zhu Rui pondered to himself, remaining silent.
As the emperor, he had his own set of considerations.
If only Xu Yan is imprisoned, his intention to eliminate future troubles would be too obvious. Having Song Yue also undergo joint trial by the three judicial departments can conceal his intention to get rid of Xu Yan, and the Xu faction will still have hope that Xu Yan will return to the position of Grand Secretary.
Xu Yan has many followers. Once he loses power, the court will be unbalanced, and his subordinates will inevitably become restless, causing turmoil. In that case, it will be us who will be in trouble. Putting Song Yue in prison as well will make Xu's faction feel better, and they will be less likely to act rashly.
"Take Song Yue with you," the emperor finally said.
As soon as the words left her lips, Qingchen's heart skipped a beat, and a chill seeped from the depths of her being, spreading to every part of her body. She suddenly looked at Song Yue, but he still looked so calm, as if he had expected all of this.
In the dim light, she saw him turn around and glance at her.
She stood in the crowd, her slender figure not particularly noticeable, yet he still managed to find her accurately.
With a gentle blink, in the Golden Palace, in front of so many people, before the Imperial Guards detained him, his gaze was serene and indifferent.
She unfortunately understood the meaning behind his gaze.
It was a sense of relief and peace that came from finally getting what he wanted. No matter what price he had to pay, no matter what kind of torment and framing he had to endure, he had finally managed to pull Xu Yan down from his position as prime minister and send him to prison.
In that instant, she finally understood why he had sent her to Yunnan, why he had pushed her away time and time again, and why he had pretended to have an affair with the imperial concubine.
In that look, she read the words that tore her heart apart—Forget me.
Because I cannot promise you a future.
After the court session ended, Qingchen hurriedly stepped out of the main hall under Xu Silin's gaze.
Outside the main hall, delicate petals danced in the hazy air. She wore a scarlet robe, and her back view appeared so hurried and anxious.
Xu Silin blinked and looked back at the Xu Party members who had surrounded him.
With his father in prison, the burden fell entirely on his shoulders. He still had many things to do.
Qingchen caught up with Zhao Qiran, and the two returned to her official residence and closed the door.
Seeing the slight tremor in her brow, Zhao Qiran spoke before Qingchen could speak, "I know what you want to ask. What your teacher did was a very dangerous thing. He didn't explain it in detail beforehand, and I didn't know he would... risk himself to bring down Xu Yan. But he must have anticipated it. Xu Yan's relentless pursuit and the Emperor's considerations were all within his expectations, so..."
"So what?" Qingchen looked at him, somewhat excited.
"He asked me to take care of his parents."
Qingchen's lips trembled slightly.
What does he mean by this? Did he foresee a bad ending and thus make arrangements for his final affairs?
The three judicial authorities haven't even tried him yet, so why does he have no desire to live at all?
Furthermore, why shouldn't he let her participate in his plans? Why did he only tell Zhao Qiran about his intentions? Why didn't he leave her a single word?
Tears welled up in Qingchen's eyes, and her eyes reddened. She used her cold fingertips to cover her eyes, but Zhao Qiran turned his head away, pretending not to see it.
"The three judicial departments haven't even tried him yet. Since he's innocent, he'll be fine. Right?" Qingchen was in a state of utter confusion, unable to even convince herself. "Lord Zhao, what can we do?"
Zhao Qiran simply shook his head. "Although both Grand Secretaries are imprisoned, this matter isn't over yet. Xu's faction will definitely try every means to get Xu Yan out of trouble, and will also take the opportunity to attack our side. When the two factions fight, many people will be involved. I intercepted the grain, and this time I'm afraid I won't be able to escape either; I'll have to go in and join your teacher. Most of the three judicial departments are Xu Yan's people, so how they will be tried and sentenced is still unknown. So what will happen to your teacher... Sigh, he distanced himself from you back then because he didn't want to involve you."
After speaking, he was silent for a moment, then said, "His painstaking efforts to keep you out of this matter have finally saved you. It seems that the cabinet will undergo a major reshuffle next year, and Qingchen, you are the most promising one. If you are admitted to the cabinet, learn from your teacher and do more for the people."
The words fell silent. Outside, the north wind rattled the doors and windows.
Qingchen's eyes were completely wet, and she stared at Zhao Qiran speechlessly for a long time.
Even Zhao Qiran has been implicated, and there are so many followers of the School of Mind; it's unknown how the Xu faction will deal with them.
In that instant, she felt so isolated and helpless.
After a moment of silence, Qingchen finally spoke, "Lord Zhao, I will find a way to save you."
wait for me.
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