"Of course I know that the late Emperor had such an order, but I am not sending you to the battlefield. I am only asking you to go to Cangzhou to capture a few bandits," Shang Dongyang said, choking with anger. This old stubborn man.
Yuan Zhouhan lowered his head further with his hands behind his back and said decisively, "Your Majesty, all the emperors of the past who entrusted military power to the Yuan family gave instructions that the Yuan family's troops could only be used to defend against foreign enemies, not for internal strife!"
"Is this internal strife? The Ninth Prince disrespects the new emperor; he is a traitor. I sent you to arrest the traitor, so why are you arguing with me about internal strife?" Shang Dongyang was so angry that he almost jumped off the dragon throne.
Yuan Zhouhan, however, remained calm and steadfast, his head bowed and hands hanging down: "As long as the Ninth Prince bears the surname Shang and has not openly betrayed the country, he remains the Prince Su, personally appointed by our ancestral emperor. If His Majesty orders me to arrest the Ninth Prince, he will certainly not surrender without resistance, and the two armies will inevitably clash. This would be internal strife, and internal strife would violate the will of our ancestral emperors. I cannot act disloyally or unjustly. Please forgive me for not obeying!"
"You...you...!" Shang Dongyang pointed at Yuan Zhouhan, his head throbbing with rage. He slammed his fist on the table and roared, "You disobey my orders, isn't that disloyal and unjust? This isn't allowed, that isn't allowed, what use are you to me, just to eat for free?!"
That's incredibly heartless of you to say.
These military generals may seem to do nothing on ordinary days, but when the country is in trouble, they are the ones who rush to the front line and take the lead, even if it means losing their lives at any moment!
Especially the Yuan family, whose ancestors three generations ago were a prominent family in the capital with many descendants!
They all died in battle during the reign of the ancestral emperor, in order to completely quell the wars in the surrounding countries!
The ancestral emperor was heartbroken when he saw this, which is why he issued such an imperial edict to the Yuan family, in order to preserve a bloodline for this loyal and righteous family and to retain a family of loyal ministers for the Great Zhao.
But in Shang Dongyang's mouth, the Yuan family, who caused internal strife by not raising troops, became the ones who ate for nothing!
How disheartening!
Yuan Zhouhan's eyes were red and moist, and his head drooped even further. His usually robust and burly body was bent like a shrimp: "Since that's the case, I am incompetent and old, so I will resign and retire to my hometown!"
Seeing Yuan Zhouhan like this, not to mention the other military officers in the court, even the unrelated civil officials felt uneasy and their hearts sank.
The late emperor was confused in his later years.
They originally thought that the abdication of the late emperor and the ascension of the new emperor would bring a new atmosphere to the Great Zhao Dynasty.
Unexpectedly,
The new emperor is even worse than the former emperor!
Shang Dongyang was trembling with anger. He didn't want to keep such a useless minister for even a moment longer: "If you want to retire, then retire. I don't believe that the Great Zhao can't function without you, Yuanzhou Han. You leave immediately and get out of the capital tonight. Never come back!"
"Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness!" Yuan Zhouhan forced back the tears welling up in his eyes, removed his official hat, and respectfully knelt down to perform the final rites of subject to ruler Shang Dongyang before turning and leaving.
All the civil and military officials watched Yuan Zhouhan's departing back and couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
Especially Wang Bingyao.
But Wang Bingyao said nothing. Thinking of his son's relationship with the Ninth Prince and his wife, he frowned deeply and felt a sense of crisis rising up inexplicably.
As expected.
In the evening, the Wang family received a message from the palace saying that Feng Zhengchang, the Minister of Rites, in order to curry favor with the emperor, suggested that officials in the capital who were on good terms with the Ninth Prince be detained in order to coerce the Ninth Prince and Princess Chonghe into coming to the capital.
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