Yang Zhong never expected that a sudden disaster would befall him.
His hometown of Shuoyang was left unattended, and he had no troops at his disposal. The capital was also completely besieged by Peng Rui, and not even a pigeon or a mosquito could fly out. He thought he could turn the tide after Yi De made a comeback.
Unexpectedly, Yang Quan, who disappeared many years ago, has reappeared and become the source of trouble!
Emperor Mingde summoned him in and repeated what Qiu Chengshi and the others had just said. Yang Zhong cursed Emperor Mingde in his heart for being incompetent, and also cursed Yan Shiren and Qiu Chengshi for being inhuman.
"A tyrannical ruler! A treacherous minister! Heaven has no favor to him, and Da Yong is in grave danger!" He couldn't utter these words when he saw Yang Quan, his eyes bloodshot from holding them in.
He finally understood what it meant to be wronged and unable to clear one's name.
Zhao Shu peeked through the crack and thought Yang Zhong was about to go crazy. To be honest, he had been very unlucky lately. First of all, he chose to protect himself when Wang Kuanqi was involved. Wang Kuanqi's direct descendants now hate him to death, and the Wang family who followed Wang Jiyang also ignored him.
That's nothing. The worst part is that a few days ago, Huo Baichuan demanded that he pay taxes, to make up for ten years' worth of taxes. Peng Rui, that martial arts expert, brandished his longsword and broadsword at his door, and he had no choice but to pay the taxes.
He thought that this would be the end of it, and that going any further would be outrageous. But then Shuoyang got into trouble, and he felt like banging his head against a wall. As the saying goes, misfortunes never come singly, and a slow boat always encounters headwinds. Before Shuoyang's matter was resolved, Yang Quan suddenly appeared.
Yang Quan had been imprisoned by Zhao Shu for more than five years, living a life that was neither human nor ghost. He had long wanted to end it all, but even death was not allowed. He was not the kind of person to betray his master. When he suddenly saw Yang Zhong five years later, this dignified seven-foot-tall man was moved to tears. Five years had passed, and he had finally seen his master again. His master had grown old...
Seeing Yang Quan's appearance, Emperor Mingde was even more furious, and Yang Zhong now had three regrets.
He regretted not killing Zhao Shu back then. If she hadn't invited Huo Baichuan, no one would have been so fearless as to actually dare to carry out the reforms.
Peng Rui regretted not killing Zhao Shu back then. If it weren't for her training of the imperial guards, Peng Rui wouldn't have had such high combat power. Almost all of his elite guards would have been wiped out.
San regrets not killing Zhao Shu back then. If it weren't for her, the Wang family wouldn't have fallen into Wang Jiyang's hands so early, Xie Yun wouldn't have gone to Jiangnan, and Yan Shiren wouldn't have come to the capital.
"Minister Yang, why did you frame the Fourth Prince?" Emperor Mingde changed his approach.
Yan Shiren and Qiu Cheng did not expose him at first. In the face of the old party, they were still on the same side as Emperor Mingde. Zhao Bi's matter could be dealt with later. First, they should take down the leader of the old party.
The nail that sticks out gets beaten. Let's see who dares to show their face. If they don't dare to show their face, they should just stay put and keep a low profile!
Yang Zhong knelt down tremblingly, his aged face filled with sorrow. "Your Majesty, whatever your orders are, I will do them. I truly did not frame the Fourth Prince."
"Hmph, you, Yang Zhong, have the guts to do it but not the guts to admit it. I ask you, is this person one of yours?" Emperor Mingde would not let Yang Zhong off the hook today. This old scoundrel had been opposing him at every turn and should have died long ago.
He wanted to deny it, but since Emperor Mingde had asked, he must be determined to make him take the blame, and there was no point in arguing. "It is true that he is my man, but he disappeared several years ago. I don't know who dismissed him so that they could frame this old minister today." His bloodshot eyes stared at Yan Shiren and Qiu Chengshi, and he felt that the man must have fallen into their hands.
But Emperor Mingde made it clear that he would not pursue the matter, and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to obey your orders, I only ask that Your Majesty give me the opportunity to find out the truth."
Yang Zhong knew his time was up, and the only thing he could do now was to leave a way out for the next generation so that they wouldn't fall too far behind. However, he still didn't understand why Xie Yun and the others agreed to the reform, cutting off their own flesh. It pained him deeply.
Actually, he wasn't wrong to protect his own little plot of land. But when many people are protecting their own little plot, and the land isn't just a little bit, but the whole village, or even several villages, belongs to them, then problems arise: what will the common people eat? Where will the imperial court collect taxes? What will the imperial court eat?
To this day, the imperial examination system is practically meaningless. Most people still enter officialdom through the recommendation of aristocratic families, which monopolize the officialdom. As a result, the emperor is essentially powerless. Farmers have farmed for generations. They are good citizens and the backbone of the country. The court collects taxes from them. If they are poor, the country is poor.
Poverty breeds weakness!
Weakness invites aggression!
Yang Zhong couldn't understand. If someone becomes an obstacle, then they should be kicked aside, or even killed.
Emperor Mingde flicked his dragon robe and said, "Since he's one of your men, there's nothing more to say. Guards, Yang Zhong has framed the prince; the evidence is conclusive. Throw him into the imperial prison and we'll hold another trial at a later date!"
Yang Zhong recalled the previous dynasty and those ministers who were unjustly killed in ancient times. Time later cleared their names, but the people were truly dead, and their families disappeared from the long river of history. Their descendants could no longer be found on the political stage.
Those monarchs who wrongfully killed their ministers, though called tyrants, that's their posthumous reputation. What use is a posthumous reputation to them?
Is this how his fate ends? No, absolutely not. Before Liang Yunsi could even step forward, he immediately said, "Your Majesty, from this day forward, I support the reform and the new policies. I beg Your Majesty to give me a chance to uncover the truth."
By beating around the bush, he could no longer express his change of stance. He was afraid that if he said the wrong word, he would become a wronged ghost. Even if Emperor Mingde dared not really kill him, Yan Shiren, Qiu Tangshi, and Huo Baichuan would dare.
Emperor Mingde's eyes flickered. Yan Shiren and Qiu Chengshi exchanged a glance, and then the three of them exchanged opinions almost imperceptibly. Qiu Chengshi then said, "Your Majesty is wise. Minister Yang is an important minister of the court. He has worked diligently for the country over the years. Even if he has not made any great contributions, he has certainly worked hard. Why not give him a chance?"
"I think Brother Qiu is right."
The two men sang in unison, and Yang Zhong was filled with hatred. He cursed the treacherous officials countless times, and what he hated most was that he would become a treacherous official like them in the future!
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