Chapter 98 Two Fools
While Qu Maoze was leisurely enjoying his life, the imperial court was in an uproar again.
Song Jin yawned and continued chatting with Qi Zheng: "Aren't they tired? Things are like this now, whoever says they've won, should the verdict be followed?"
Qi Zheng has been attending court for over half a year now. From initially being confused, he can now basically understand their intricacies. He said, "It will have some impact. Although Father is the Emperor, he often has to accept reason. If most people don't accept it, even if a decision is made by force today, it will be brought up again tomorrow."
Song Jin's lips twitched: "This is really tiring. He's the emperor, you know. Why didn't anyone object to the previous emperor's many outrageous acts?"
Qi Zheng sighed helplessly, "Things are different for everyone. If Father Emperor had acted the same way back then, the people wouldn't be living like this now."
While the emperor's power is indeed supreme, it is still subject to certain constraints. Especially since Qi Zheng is a wise ruler, and for the country to prosper and the people to live in peace, honest and upright officials are indispensable. However, these officials hold differing opinions, making it difficult to reach a consensus.
At the same time
One insisted on cultivating the land first, another insisted on traveling, yet another valued officialdom above all else, while still another prioritized craftsmanship.
If there were both good and bad aspects, that would be fine, but unfortunately, they're both good, and they can't be addressed simultaneously. So, they have to argue it out first to reach a conclusion, and then Qi Ye can decide which to prioritize.
Song Jin rolled her eyes at the arguing crowd and muttered to herself, "Stop arguing. If they were really assassinated, I don't believe they'd still be thinking so much. I just hope they don't come back to life and strangle the person. A bunch of hypocritical idiots, morons, even dogs wouldn't eat them..."
Qi Zheng heard her incessant muttering in his ears. He sighed helplessly inwardly, but his expression remained unchanged, solemn and composed. To the naked eye, he appeared completely unmoved, making it difficult to discern his true thoughts.
The other three princes beside him had shifting expressions.
If the assassination of the Grand Secretary were strictly investigated according to the law, it would have involved hundreds of officials who would have been executed, and if their families and servants were included, the total number of people affected would be over a thousand.
Leaving aside ordinary people, what about those vacant official positions, the successors, and the cases and projects that need to be handled?
There was indeed a lot of delay.
The infighting in the court is intensifying, with some feeling the impact is too great. Executing so many people at once creates too many vacant positions, making them easy targets for those with ulterior motives. Furthermore, many are not entirely clean themselves, and this mutual support could create opportunities for future favors.
Another part is purely profit-driven.
This incident has had a particularly significant impact on those under the influence of the Prince of Jin and the Prince of Li.
Before Qi Zheng returned, the three princes were evenly matched.
But look closely
As princes, the eldest, Prince Gong, and the third, Prince Li, naturally had intelligent and clever noblewomen as their in-laws. One was from the Yuan family, which produced two Grand Tutors and even two Empresses, and the other was the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Revenue.
Both their fathers were marquises, and their abilities were roughly equal. Their mothers came from a prominent family in the north, but by world standards, they were quite ordinary.
However, the Prince of Jin's family, and the Yue family, are one of only two Duke's mansions, namely the Duke of Ying's mansion.
His maternal family was the Zheng clan of Jiangnan, one of the three major clans in Jiangnan, with a profound heritage and many sisters, some of whom married into Yong'an City.
One is the Xuanping Marquis's mansion. The current Xuanping Marquis, Chang Wenshan, is the Prince of Jin's cousin, and he was previously married to Yang Yanjun, the daughter of the Minister of Rites. Their power should not be underestimated.
Secondly, there's General Jingzhong, currently the Inner Palace Attendant General. They're related by blood; aside from matters of great importance, they'll definitely side with their own people in ordinary times.
With so many powerful backers, and being the most resourceful of the three princes, he had a large number of advisors and had achieved considerable success in disaster relief, overseeing projects, and apprehending fugitives. Before Qi Zheng's return, he was a leading candidate for crown prince, so he naturally had no need to rush.
After all, the other two princes were inferior to him in both talent and power, and he was very confident in establishing a crown prince—unless Qi Zheng returned.
As soon as he returned, Qi Ye's attention was entirely focused on him, and the implication was quite clear.
If he has a biological son, why would he choose someone else?
If only Qi Ye wanted to make him emperor, the matter could still be resolved, but Song Shang also had this intention.
He remained unmoved by the offers of other princes and nobles, refusing to be swayed by either soft or hard tactics, yet he treated Qi Zheng, this clueless wild boy, with special regard.
Therefore he must die.
He died
Prince Jin and Prince Li had a chance to ascend the throne.
The Minister of Revenue has a chance to enter the cabinet and seize the position of Grand Secretary.
They reached a consensus and planned this flawless assassination, even hiring martial arts masters and江湖人人 (jianghu people) to cooperate, all to ensure the success of this assassination.
They succeeded; Song Shang was dead beyond any doubt.
But they also exposed themselves.
The group racked their brains but couldn't figure out how the matter had been exposed.
And it was because of Song Jin.
This really had nothing to do with them at first.
Who would care about Hou Qiaohe, a mere merchant girl?
However, the heir apparent of the Duke of Yingguo harbored resentment towards Song Jin because of her loss of face. Seeing her accused of murder, he wanted to teach her a lesson and fueled the fire by mobilizing a spy—Chun Yuan. His intention was to kill Song Jin and ruin this uncertain princess, so as to prevent their actions from being restricted.
Who knew that Song Jin, that crazy girl, wouldn't stay home in the middle of the night but would go hunting in the mountains with that wild boy Qi Zheng? They really are two country bumpkins, with absolutely no manners.
Seeing their long-hidden spy crippled while Song Jin remained unharmed was already infuriating enough, but then the Dai brothers suddenly turned their attention to their own family.
Hou Qiaohe was still alive! The Dai brothers had such audacity to file a false report and even target their family directly. And Hou Qiaohe was indeed in their cellar! Yang Wu, who was also one of their men, was captured and then committed suicide. They couldn't clear their name even if they jumped into the Yellow River.
They didn't know what the Duke of Ying's and the Minister's families were feeling, but Prince Jin and Prince Li were practically spitting blood with rage.
A conspiracy, definitely a conspiracy against them.
But who could it be?
The Song family? Impossible. If those brothers had the ability to find this evidence, these people would have fought them like mad dogs long ago, instead of only arriving now.
If we talk about others
Prince Jin and Prince Li strongly suspected Prince Gong. This whole affair has severely impacted them, while he remains unscathed, reaping the benefits of the situation.
But he shouldn't have this kind of brain.
The Prince of Jin and the Prince of Li couldn't understand it, but there was nothing they could do, just like when Song Jin was sued.
With witnesses and physical evidence all present, they couldn't produce any proof, and even if they were the ones who did it, they couldn't deny it. Their only recourse was to find someone to ease tensions and try to protect the Duke of Ying's mansion and the Minister's residence—not necessarily their positions, but at least their lives and the lives of others.
If their property were truly confiscated and they were exiled, the two princes would truly lose face and dignity.
Not only were they unwilling, but those behind them also disagreed. Seeing that the others had tried to persuade them without success, someone from the Duke's side stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, if you don't consider past relationships, won't you at least consider the feelings of Prince Jin and Prince Li?"
"Your Majesty, they are your children, raised by you too."
...
Seeing that the others had been defeated, the father of Prince Jin and Prince Li stepped forward to speak on behalf of the Duke of Yingguo's mansion and the Minister of Revenue.
They wanted to protect their son's father-in-law.
Although Qi Ye's attitude was clear, as long as he didn't establish a crown prince, as long as he didn't die, and as long as Qi Zheng didn't ascend the throne, they still had hope.
If it weren't for the Qi family behind him, would he have been able to ascend the throne smoothly?
Now they want to cross the river and then destroy the bridge.
They disagree
One by one, familiar faces knelt down
Qi Yangyun, the biological father of the Prince of Jin, was the Marquis of Mingzhong.
Qi Xingteng, the father of Prince Li, was the Marquis of Zhenjiang.
One was Qi Ye's nominal ninth cousin, and the other his twelfth cousin. Both of them had been ennobled as dukes during the attack on the previous dynasty. Even though Qi Ye disliked the Qi family, he still rewarded them for their contributions and granted them the title of marquis.
If they had just behaved themselves, Qi Ye wouldn't have insisted on bringing up the past. But they took advantage of the situation, each determined to push their sons towards him, even after so many people had died, they still wanted to send them over.
That's true, how could these people lack sons?
How could they possibly understand the bond between father and son, or mother and son?
Looking at their ugly faces, Qi Ye recalled that year in the snowstorm when he risked his life to escort provisions for the Qi family's garrison, only to return to find his mother's coffin in the wilderness.
That frail woman endured a month of cold and wind, eventually developing tuberculosis and dying that winter night. If the Qi family had had even a shred of conscience back then, and had hired a reliable doctor and provided her with medicine, how could she have passed away before the age of forty? If they had shown even a modicum of compassion, and given her a decent grave, allowing her to depart with dignity, how could he still harbor such resentment to this day?
Qi Ye saw again that year, when he left the Qi family and acquired a mansion, wealth, and a retinue outside. He also saw how they used his sister's life to force him to marry someone else, causing him to suffer from depression for many years.
He saw again how they had caused him to lose his son that year, leading to Amei's eventual death from depression, and how now that she had returned, they were constantly making trouble.
He suddenly smiled: "Ninth Brother, Twelfth Brother is right. If you hadn't brought it up, I would have forgotten about them. It is said that the emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners. Second Brother, Third Brother, what do you think of this saying?"
King Jin and King Li: ...
What can they possibly think?
Can the emperor be treated the same as a commoner when he breaks the law? This is ridiculous!
Those commoners, a single piece of clothing from them could buy their lives.
The Prince of Jin was disdainful.
Unfortunately, this time they had not provoked ordinary people, but Song merchants.
The life of a commoner can be suppressed at will, but the life of a prime minister can only be spared by finding ways to separate them.
The Prince of Jin pondered for a moment, then knelt down: "Even the emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners, let alone others. Minister Wen is foolish! Even if he coveted the position of Grand Secretary and wanted to usurp it, he shouldn't have been so ruthless. The old Duke of Ying was highly respected; he resolutely withstood the pressure to open the city gates, preventing countless innocent sacrifices. Later, he died in a fit of pique with Grand Secretary Song. How could Minister Wen have taken advantage of this, allowing the Duke of Ying's family to commit such a heinous crime? He's foolish..."
King Li was stunned.
What happened to being on the same side? Was it all just a joke?
When something goes wrong, the first thing to do is shift the blame.
If things continue this way, the Duke of Ying's mansion might be able to salvage some standing by relying on the old Duke and his mother, but the Minister of Revenue would be utterly doomed.
Prince Li knelt down, remembering the Minister of Revenue's instructions, and wailed, "Father, I was wrong! I shouldn't have kept quiet about my mistake. I knew about this as early as last month, around the Mid-Autumn Festival. Punish me as you see fit; I am willing to accept the punishment."
The Prince of Jin felt a jolt in his heart.
This matter is definitely not that simple.
Sure enough, Qi Ye's deep voice came: "How do you know?"
Prince Li kowtowed, tears streaming down his face: "That Mid-Autumn Festival, I suddenly decided to visit him, only to find Minister Wen drunk, burning paper money to pay respects to Prime Minister Song. He kept saying he was sorry to Prime Minister Song, that he shouldn't have listened to the instigation of the Duke of Ying's mansion, thinking it was just to teach him a lesson, but he ended up harming him. I know I was wrong, and Minister Wen also knows he was wrong. But Father, the Duke of Ying's mansion has wolfish ambitions..."
Prince Jin: "Shut up! This is slander! It's clearly Minister Wen who wants to replace Grand Secretary Song!"
Prince Li: "It's obvious that the Duke of Ying's mansion has wolfish ambitions. With so many people and so many entanglements, how could Minister Wen, a mere minister, possibly accomplish this?"
...
The two started arguing in court, each trying to shift the blame onto the other.
Qi Yangyun and Qi Xingteng were so angry that their chests ached.
Two idiots, how could they have two such idiots?
It was all agreed beforehand that the responsibility for this should be shifted onto the subordinates and the Song family, the matter should be escalated, and the matter should be postponed for now to save a few people, and then dealt with more slowly later.
Now that the two have done this, their temporary alliance has collapsed. Both sides are now wary of each other, and it's impossible for them to return to their previous harmony.
Qi Yangyun and Qi Xingteng were trembling with anger, but they still made a quick decision and shifted the blame onto each other.
Song Jin almost burst out laughing: 'Wait, why are they all talking about different things? Are they the same group?'
Qi Zheng also slightly curled the corners of his mouth and replied, "Of course, but my second and third brothers were adopted by Father Emperor at a young age and had special people to educate them. They had few opportunities to contact the outside world when they were young. Moreover, Marquis Mingzhong and Marquis Zhenjiang also have other beloved sons. Although they are bound by interests, there are always constraints."
For example, some princes worried that if they ascended the throne, their parents might have ulterior motives due to their other brothers. Naturally, they trusted their in-laws more.
Less provocation, that's all.
Qi Zheng sighed, "Chief Minister Song should have served as chief minister for another twenty years."
Song Jin rolled her eyes: 'I see now, you're just a die-hard fan of Prime Minister Song.'
I don't know what "brainless fan" means, but it's probably not a good term.
Qi Zheng explained: 'Chief Minister Song is indeed formidable.'
Song Jin knew this person was formidable, but that didn't stop her from being annoyed by him. She sneered, "He is formidable, isn't he? He got me locked up as soon as he arrived. Isn't that formidable?"
Do you really think she's stupid? It's one thing to just throw small things around carelessly, but to use a dagger and then throw it away after each use?
That bastard must have taken her dagger when he was dealing with Dai Yuanhua that day.
I'm so angry!
That old monster
Qi Zheng was speechless and could only remain silent, mourning for Qu Maoze in his heart.
It seems his journey to reunite with his family still has a long way to go.
The two stopped whispering and continued watching the other side as they went back and forth, shifting blame.
On the high platform, Qi Ye's expression grew increasingly cold and somber. As his expression changed, the families below, who had been making a lot of noise, gradually quieted down, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.
What did they just say?
But what they said is no longer important.
Qi Ye coldly looked at the kneeling people below, recalling how Song Shang often said he was soft-hearted. He had thought to himself, what did he have to be soft-hearted about? If he were soft-hearted, would the Qi family be in this predicament? Would the officials be so obedient?
But now it seems he was indeed soft-hearted. If he weren't, these people wouldn't be so hesitant now, even if he were to die.
He's only in his early fifties, in good health, and should live at least another ten years. These people just think he's about to die; they're quick to divide into factions, though.
Qi Ye sneered, his voice heavy: "You are all my good sons. Since you have all realized your mistakes, set an example. Prince Jin and Prince Li, having known the truth but failing to report it, are hereby demoted to Princes of the Second Rank, and their titles of Duke of Yingguo are revoked. From this day forward, the Duke of Yingguo, the Minister of Revenue, and all those who committed the act will be executed. All members of the Duke of Yingguo's household will be reduced to commoners, and all those residing in the household will be exiled to the northern deserts..."
Qi Ye solemnly pronounced his verdict, showing no mercy whatsoever; in other words, he was publicly declaring the King of Jin and the King of Li out of the running.
The difference between a prince and a duke is not small.
At least before, they treated Qi Zheng as equals; but if they met again in the future, they would have to bow.
The expressions of the Prince of Jin and the Prince of Li changed, and they immediately wanted to plead for mercy.
Qi Ye said in a deep voice, "The evidence against the Duke of Ying and Minister Wen is irrefutable. Apart from the plot to assassinate Prime Minister Song, there are other crimes they have committed over the years, a long list that has truly broadened my horizons. Considering their past diligence and their current acceptance of punishment, I think I will not list them all, to save them some face."
The words that the Prince of Jin and the Prince of Li were about to say were swallowed back down.
They weren't sure if there was any incriminating evidence against them inside. If not, it wouldn't benefit them; if there was...
The two pondered for a long time, then their eyes met, revealing a tacit understanding that had lasted for many years.
"Your subject obeys the decree."
"My father is wise."
...
With the court session over, the fates of everyone in the Duke of Ying's mansion and the Minister's mansion were already decided.
Song Xingzhi and the others still couldn't laugh.
Standing at the very front of the court, looking at the desiccated corpse, they knew it wasn't Song Shang, yet they still couldn't manage a smile.
The coffin lid closed gently, signifying that everything about the Song Dynasty had become history along with the remains; no more words about him would be recorded in the annals of history.
Eunuch Sun arrived with his men and said softly, "My lords, His Majesty has sent me to help you escort Lord Song back."
Song Xingzhi stroked the precious golden nanmu wood, a slight smile playing on his lips: "No need, we'll bring Father home ourselves."
Eunuch Sun hesitated: "The coffin is heavy, gentlemen."
Song Shenzhi waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "No need for further words, we can do it."
Song Shunzhi didn't say anything, but had already picked up the carrying stick and put it on his shoulder.
This coffin, made of Phoebe zhennan wood, weighed over a thousand pounds. It was quite a challenge for three people to carry it, but fortunately, Song Anzhi and Song Qingzhi, though not attending court, were waiting outside the hall.
The five brothers worked together to lift the coffin and walked step by step towards the outside of the hall.
A hemp belt bound her forehead, and her red clothes fluttered in the wind.
The surrounding ministers had not yet dispersed, standing in twos and threes to one side, watching the five brothers carrying the coffin, feeling a mix of sorrow and undisguised envy.
Although Song Shang is gone, his five children are all exceptionally talented.
Thinking about it, they couldn't help but shift their gaze to the girl in red. Looking at her, they felt as if they were seeing his reincarnation.
Made from the same mold
Facing the indistinct gazes of those people, Song Jin crossed her arms, somewhat annoyed: "Why are they looking at me? If they want to see me so badly, why don't they open my coffin and look inside?"
Qi Zheng didn't speak, but silently took out a hemp belt from his pocket and handed it to her.
Song Jin glared: "What do you mean? It's their business if they want to carry him back like this, what does it have to do with me? He's very heavy, and I'm just a weak woman."
Qi Zheng didn't speak, but picked up the hemp rope and gently tied it around her forehead.
Song Jin pouted: "You know that already."
That thing is fake. Even if it were real, it wouldn't concern her.
Qi Zheng looked at her quietly.
Song Jin slumped her shoulders and muttered, "Really? That feels so stupid."
A smile flickered in Qi Zheng's eyes. He gently patted her forehead and whispered, "Go ahead, I'll follow you."
Song Jin glared at him: "What does it matter to me whether you come or not? Besides, you're the one who comes along, but I'm the one who has to carry it. Do you know how heavy that thing is? I'm so unlucky. Ugh, so annoying. I owe him something..."
She stood there complaining, then sighed deeply, dejectedly walking slowly toward the coffin in front of her. She gradually increased her strides, taking the foremost wooden stick, and with a fierce glare at the five brothers, she gave them a menacing look.
"We really owe you guys something."
Upon seeing this, the five brothers slightly raised the corners of their mouths.
The coffin stopped, then resumed its journey, descending step by step along the main hall steps and exiting through the main palace gate.
Red Clothes and Golden Coffin
A hundred officials followed behind
...
September of the 20th year of Qing'an
Song Shang, the first Grand Secretary of the Great Yan Dynasty, died.
At the same time, with many officials missing from the court, an emergency imperial examination was held, with the date set for November 9th, the 40th day of his birthday.
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