Chapter 97 Chapter 97 "Idiot."
In the fourth year of Pingxing, the Three Departments conducted a thorough investigation into the Shangsi Incident of the seventh year of Xining, and rehabilitated all those who had been wrongly implicated that year.
Only then did the world realize that Prime Minister Su Wang, who was once famous for his virtue, was actually the culprit of the conspiracy.
All the facts were brought to light, including the illegal activities in the years after the seventh year of Xining.
All those involved were dealt with according to the law, and the one who attracted the most attention was naturally the former regent Su Wang.
According to the original arrangement, the three courts would submit the case closing documents and the final sentencing results for the persons involved after sorting out the case.
However, the moment Shangguan Xu and Zhou Jingzhi opened the document, Gu Chou strode into the hall quickly after reporting.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, news has arrived from the Heavenly Prison. Su Wang has died in prison."
The moment he finished speaking, Shangguan Xu and Zhou Jingzhi turned around and looked at each other in surprise.
Shangguan Xuxian turned around and asked, "Why did he die?"
Gu Chou replied, "After the autopsy, the coroner said he died of prolonged fright."
Zhou Jingzhi lowered his eyes and said solemnly, "It seems that he can't digest what I said that day."
That day in prison, Zhou Jingzhi told Su Wang all of his arrangements for him in advance. There was no denying that his purpose was to make Su Wang suffer in the fear of losing the thing he cared about most in the days to come, to make him repent and to make him suffer.
This is the price he should pay.
Shangguan Xu glanced at Zhou Jingzhi's pensive face and lowered his eyes. "Su Wang has spent the rest of his life pursuing the admiration and praise of others. He thought he could become a wise minister whose reputation will be passed down through the ages. But now he has to watch himself being reviled by the masses, destined to be infamous for eternity. This disparity must be a huge blow to him, and he can't help but feel it."
Zhou Jingzhi nodded slightly. "I think he's been suffering from this blow ever since I told him my plan for him. These days, he's just been resisting it with his 'Prime Minister's dignity.'" He sighed softly and looked up at Gu Chou. "Since he's dead, the three courts' original plan for him can be waived."
Three days later, outside the palace, Shangguan Xu and Shangguan Li were saying their parting words.
Although it was true that Shangguan Li was coerced into doing what happened back then and that he had misappropriated the imperial seal, he asked to be punished even before the case was fully sorted out.
Shangguan Shi was an important official during the reign of Emperor Zhuang. He and Emperor Zhuang had a good relationship with each other, so after his death, his tomb was chosen next to Emperor Zhuang's mausoleum, together with Su Yu's tomb as a tomb for Emperor Zhuang to be buried with.
Shangguan Li was going to Emperor Zhuang's Suling this time. He would guard the caskets of Emperor Zhuang, Su Yu and Shangguan Shi despite being guilty. At the same time, he would also take Su Wang's body to bury it next to the Suling.
Although Su Wang was buried next to Su Mausoleum, there was no funeral ceremony. Funeral items were kept simple, and there was no tomb in his grave. This was a way of kneeling to apologize to Emperor Zhuang and his elder brother Su Yu.
The weather was getting colder and colder. When the cool wind blew, the loose hair on Shangguan Li's temples and forehead flew up in a disorderly manner, making him look a little desolate.
Shangguan Xu looked at his left arm hanging limply, without any movement.
Su Ning will also go to the cemetery with Shangguan Li this time. Now she is standing next to Shangguan Li. Although her temperament is still gentle, after experiencing these great changes, one can also feel that she is trying hard to hold on.
Shangguan Xu had mixed feelings.
"Brother, sister-in-law, the cemetery is cold in winter, so you should all take care of yourselves."
Shangguan Li raised his lips to smile, and his smile was still as warm as before. Shangguan Xu knew that he was comforting her in this way and told her not to worry. However, time has passed, and the smile is similar, but the meaning contained in it is completely different.
She suppressed the sour feeling and raised her lips to respond to his smile.
Shangguan Li said gently, "Your Highness, please take care of yourself."
He glanced at the sky, his eyelashes trembling as he blinked, then turned his gaze back and said, "It's almost time. We can't delay any longer. I'll be leaving first."
Shangguan Xu lowered his eyes, blinked a few times, and said softly: "Okay, take care on your journey."
Watching the two of them get on the carriage one after another, watching the carriage slowly disappear from sight, and listening to the sound of the wheels gradually going away, Shangguan Xu stood there for a long time without leaving.
Shangguan Li and his wife were not the only ones who left Chang'an that day.
Shortly after they left, Yao Zheng also left Chang'an with her brother.
After a lot of stimulation and Xun Yang's treatment, Yao Zheng has recalled all of that, but perhaps because he is too young, Yao Zhi has no memory of the past at all.
He just seemed to know that he did not belong to this kind of imperial city. Everything in his life had changed drastically. In the past, Aunt Azheng, whom he used to call aunt, turned out to be his biological sister, and he had nothing to do with his previous identity. His family was in Luozhou, and he was going to Luozhou with his sister to visit his family.
Once again watching the person she had been with day and night leave, Shangguan Xu lowered her head and sighed softly, and the next moment she felt a warm and strong touch on her left shoulder, and she was embraced by someone.
Shangguan Xu raised her eyes and looked at the person beside her. There was warmth in his eyes. The moment her eyes met his, it seemed as if she was not in the bleak autumn, but in the warm spring.
The sunlight brushed past his ears and the corners of his eyes, and she was able to catch his gentle and gentle smile at the first moment.
She heard him say, "A new day is coming, and things will be better for everyone."
——
In the fourth year of Pingxing, the conspiracy of the seventh year of Xining was made public to the world, and the culprits were all punished. What shocked the world even more was that Emperor Zhao did not die in the conspiracy, but instead rose from the ashes.
As for the young Emperor Yuanpingxing, he was not a son of the royal family, but was usurped by the criminal minister Su Wang. Therefore, he was deposed from the throne, and was given the title of emperor last year. He was then taken back and raised by his family.
In October of that year, Emperor Xining was restored to the throne and held a grand ceremony of his enthronement in front of the Taiji Palace. He changed the reign title to Zhaohui. His empress Shangguan Xu ascended the throne hand in hand with him and was worshipped by all officials in front of the Taiji Palace. The eunuch also announced the decree, "From now on, no matter how big or small the policy is, the emperor and empress will know it together." From then on, the Jin Dynasty entered an era of two saints ruling the country.
However, not long after the two saints came to power, news came from the western border - the entire country of Western Yan was invading and was about to overthrow the enemy.
The reason why Western Yan was able to arrive so quickly this time was because there was a person in their team who knew Dajin very well - Su Shang.
Su Shang rushed to Western Yan and surrendered to the King of Western Yan, and then incited his long-held desire to attack. Within a few days, Western Yan organized an army to invade the Jin Dynasty.
This time, the Western Yan was coming with great force, so the Jin Dynasty had to speed up the organization of its army to resist and counterattack. However, in addition to the military report, Zhou Jingzhi also received a private letter.
Su Shang asked him to go to the western border in person, otherwise Su Shang would leak more border secrets of the Jin Dynasty to the people of Western Yan.
Zhou Jingzhi will definitely go.
On the eve of his departure, Shangguan Xu helped him try on his armor and said worriedly, "He must have other plans by naming you to go. You must be careful."
Zhou Jingzhi looked at her hands as they were being tended to in front of her and said softly, "Don't worry, I'll pay more attention."
Shangguan Xu raised his eyes and looked at him quietly.
Emotions flowed in her eyes, back and forth, but he knew that there was more worry in them.
He smiled, held her hand and placed it on his chest: "Don't think too much, I know all his methods and I will take precautions."
"I'll wait for you to come back."
"Wait until I come back."
——
The army to resist Western Yan would be transferred from nearby places, so in order to save time, Zhou Jingzhi led only a few thousand cavalry and rushed to the border.
At that time, the war had been going on for more than a month, and even after the arrival of reinforcements from the Jin Dynasty, both sides were still at a stalemate.
The main force of Western Yan stayed in the city and refused to leave. After Zhou Jingzhi arrived at the central camp of the Jin army, he immediately began to discuss strategies to resist the enemy with the generals.
At this time, he received another private letter, but this time the letter was not signed.
"Now that the letter is being sent secretly, I don't know what the writer's intentions are. The contents are still untrustworthy."
"Your Majesty is now in charge of the army, and morale is greatly boosted. You don't need to worry about the truth of the letter. You can simply order the soldiers to attack the city. Those Western Yan barbarians will definitely not be able to hold it."
"Yes, we are definitely superior to Western Yan in terms of food and manpower now, so attacking the city is completely feasible."
On the day the letter arrived, Zhou Jingzhi and the generals were standing in front of the sand table. He told them some of the contents of the letter, and the generals began to discuss it.
He pondered for a long time and finally made a decision.
Although the main force of Western Yan was entrenched in the city, there were also Western Yan troops stationed in the surrounding mountains and forests. Therefore, in order to expel the Western Yan people, the city and the mountains had to unite to attack.
The decision made by Zhou Jingzhi went particularly smoothly. The Western Yan army in the mountains and fields was defeated and disorganized. Finally, the front line was reduced and it moved closer to the city step by step. At this time, the King of Western Yan, who also led the army in person, may have realized that Zhou Jingzhi's personal expedition had inspired the Jin army. He himself was not willing to lag behind and personally organized his army to prepare for the initiative to attack.
He had a military advisor who knew the king very well, and he relied on that military advisor to win the first few battles, so he had absolute confidence in his attack this time.
Moreover, the kings of the Great Jin had lived in peace for generations, unlike the King of Western Yan, who had been under the oppression of the Great Jin for a long time. Therefore, he had been studying military tactics and training soldiers, just wanting to one day wash away the humiliating history of decades of submission.
Sure enough, from the moment he attacked, the situation on both sides changed again.
The Jin army seemed to be retreating.
Finally, the King of Western Yan could no longer hold back and decided to "capture the king first" as the military strategy said. It was also at that time that the two kings had their first head-on confrontation, and Zhou Jingzhi also saw Su Shang for the first time after he fled Chang'an.
The King of Western Yan was naturally proud of his several consecutive victories, and he had already made arrangements for today, so he said a few arrogant words to Zhou Jingzhi.
"If you dismount and surrender now, I will still make you the king of Dajin."
Zhou Jingzhi was riding on his horse, acting as if he heard nothing and remained unmoved.
The King of Western Yan was furious and immediately ordered the ambushers to show up.
As he finished speaking, the ambush position was gradually filled with the noisy sounds of soldiers marching forward. The King of Western Yan listened and slowly smiled. However, the next moment he saw that the soldiers thrown down from the ambush position were actually Western Yan soldiers, and the flag erected high up was also the flag of the Jin army.
The King of Western Yan was stunned: "What's going on...!"
But before he could finish his words, a sharp sword pierced his chest. The King of Western Yan lowered his head and looked at his own blood hanging on the sword without reacting.
He listened to Su Shang's cold voice behind him:
"Idiot, you do whatever I tell you to do."
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