Northern Dynasties

Chapter 1303 The Emperor Controls the People

The incident of Gao Wei being held hostage had caused quite a stir in the court, but Yuwen Zhi, the instigator, was still completely unaware of it.

At the beginning, Yuwen Zhi just wanted to teach Gao Xi a lesson. The so-called defense against external aggression was just an excuse. As the son of Yuwen Tai, he naturally had no good feelings towards Gao Huan's son. Although there was no chance for him to fight on the battlefield, teaching him a lesson was not a disgrace to his ancestors.

But after learning about Gao Xi's special background and the purpose of his visit to the Duke of Qi's mansion, Yuwen Zhi's mind immediately changed. The fact that Gao Xi and his brother Yuwen Pu were born of the same mother was a bit challenging to his cognition, but after being surprised, Yuwen Zhi quickly realized that this might be an opportunity.

"My family and the thief Gao are enemies for generations, and now Gao's heir is actually born to my mistress. This is really ridiculous!"

Yuwen Zhi glared and roared, "How can we tolerate such careless arrangements of the imperial court for the rewards? I must report this to the imperial court, rectify the chaos, and severely punish the officials!"

His companions all had prominent family backgrounds and were at an age when they were lawless. When they heard what Yuwen Zhi said, they all nodded in support and offered their own advice. After all, Yuwen Tai was once the leader of their Guanxi Bafu. Now his adopted son was the same mother as his sworn enemy Gao Huan's adopted son. This was really hard to accept.

However, although these young dandies shouted fiercely, when it came to actually taking action, they did not have any broad ideas. Although they each came from a good family background, most of them had not yet entered officialdom. All they could think of was to go home and report to their parents and have their elders report to the court.

In addition to these more normal ideas, some people also suggested that they should first control Gao Xi, and then threaten the Lady of Qi to make her give in. Yuwen Zhi also agreed with this. He thought that this was also a family scandal, and it would be best if it could be properly resolved in private.

The group discussed the matter in the residence of Yu Jin's son Yu Lan until most of the night. They became more and more excited as they talked. After the curfew ended at dawn, the others stayed there for a while to rest, while Yuwen Zhi returned home first to inform his family of the situation.

Yuwen Tai's underage children and some concubines all lived in the Duke of Qi's Mansion, but the brothers Yuwen Yong and Yuwen Zhi, who were already adults and had official titles, moved out of the Duke of Qi's Mansion.

Yuwen Zhi also had his own house in the capital, which was given to him by the court when he was conferred the title. However, he thought it was too simple, so he ordered people to renovate it. He still lived in his brother Yuwen Yong's Fucheng Mansion, and their mother Chi Nu also lived there.

Yuwen Zhi was only the assistant of the Grand Tutor Yu Jin, so he had more free time. But his elder brother Yuwen Yong was the Junior Minister of Guanglu, a proper official in the court, so when Yuwen Zhi returned home, Yuwen Yong had already left for the court.

Although Chi Nu was a woman, she loved drinking. When Yuwen Zhi returned home, she had already had a few glasses of fruit wine and looked a little tipsy. When she saw Yuwen Zhi walking into the room, she said unhappily, "You didn't come home last night. Where did you go? Your brother asked me to tell you that the patrols in the capital are very tight these days. Don't cause trouble at this time!"

After hearing this, Yuwen Zhi just laughed, grabbed the cup of wine on the table and drank it all, then said excitedly: "Mother, you are blaming me for not coming back now, but if you knew what I did yesterday, you should praise me for being smart!"

Chi Nu was already quite fond of this young man, and after hearing this, she also showed curiosity and asked, "Then tell me, what did you do yesterday that is worth bragging about when you go home?"

Yuwen Zhi did not keep the secret any longer and immediately told the story about Gao Wei and his own plan. After listening to it, Chi Nu's expression suddenly became excited: "Is this true? How can this be possible! How could that whore have accumulated good deeds, and her bastards have been given all the official titles? Could it be that as we speculated in the past, the current supreme ruler is also not immune to her..."

"Mother, shut up! Don't say any more nonsense like this!"

Although Yuwen Zhi was a reckless teenager, he still knew the importance of things. When he heard his mother's words becoming increasingly absurd, he quickly spoke up to dissuade her.

Chi Nu rolled her eyes and said bitterly, "What's there to be afraid of when it comes to gossip among family members? No matter what, the court will never convince the public with this approach! Who that Eastern thief He Liuhun chooses as his successor has nothing to do with my family. But there are virtuous elders among our clan, so how can we let the Eastern thief's fake son be our successor! Quick, send the servants to the imperial city to ask your brother to come back quickly, so that he can come forward and settle this matter!"

Yuwen Zhi felt unhappy after hearing this. He felt that he was the one who noticed the matter and had planned it first, but his mother asked his brother to go home right away, which made him feel more or less unfair.

Chi Nu naturally saw through her son's little trick, and immediately said, "Don't feel like you've worked so hard for nothing. Right now, the most important thing is to get things done. When the throne is passed to my son, we can discuss other things behind closed doors. If you start making a scene now, it will probably end up being a farce!"

After hearing what his mother said, Yuwen Zhi nodded reluctantly. He understood this logic, but he felt that since his brother Yuwen Yong was reaping the benefits of his mother's labor, he should be compensated sufficiently so that he could feel mentally balanced.

Because the message from his family was vague, only saying that something urgent had happened at home and urging him to return quickly, Yuwen Yong was a little panicked and quickly returned home. When he saw his mother and brother sitting in the hall, he asked in confusion: "Mother, what happened at home that requires me to return quickly? There is something going on in the court today..."

"Brother, please don't worry about the affairs of the court for now. Now there is a family matter and a great happy event waiting for you to take charge!"

Yuwen Zhi said with a smile, his face full of praise, and continued: "Brother, do you know what I did yesterday..."

Yuwen Yong listened to Yuwen Zhi's story, and his expression suddenly changed. Although he did not see Gao Xiaowan kneeling in front of the Suzaku Gate to cry out for justice this morning, he heard about it from his colleagues, and the atmosphere in the imperial city was solemn and tense today, and it was obvious that something big was going to happen.

When he heard Yuwen Zhi talking about kidnapping Gao Xi, his mind turned and he instantly connected it with Gao Xiaowan's cry for injustice. Before Yuwen Zhi finished speaking, he immediately said in a deep voice: "Did you kidnap Duke Linzhang? Where is he now? Is his life in danger? A murder happened in Beijing a few days ago. How dare you cause trouble in Beijing!"

Before Yuwen Zhi had the chance to take credit, he was scolded first. He was very angry and snorted coldly, turned away and stopped talking.

Chi Nu, who was standing by, also frowned and said to Yuwen Yong, "Why are you so impatient and scolding your brother without asking the reason? The Gao family's son is the son of the whore in the mansion. Your brother must have had his reasons for kidnapping him. You can take this opportunity to ask the court to return your father's official title to my family..."

Yuwen Yong was already upset when he learned that Yuwen Zhi had kidnapped Gao Xi. When he heard what his mother was going to say, Yuwen Yong's brows twitched wildly. He immediately waved his hands and said, "Duke Linzhang is the flesh and blood of Madam Erzhu left in Guandong. I have known this for a long time, and many officials in the court know this. What mother is planning is absolutely not allowed. The court bestows official titles and rank as a reward for scholars. Now that all the meritorious scholars are competing for advancement, not everyone can get what they want. My brothers and I have received a lot from our father's legacy. If we create trouble again and let others take advantage of it, then..."

  Snapped!

Before Yuwen Yong finished speaking, he was slapped hard in the face. Chi Nu glared at her son with her eyes wide open: "You knew about this earlier? If you knew about this earlier, why didn't you come home and tell me? You didn't even dare to report it to the court, and let your mother continue to be ignored and oppressed by that whore! How could I give birth to a cowardly and incompetent inferior like you? No wonder you have to suffer such difficulties and ridicule from the world! Justice is in the hearts of the people. The court granted injustice. Ordinary people would just keep silent and endure it, but how could my family be an ordinary family?"

“Yes, I really didn’t expect that you, brother, would be so timid! Since you knew about this in advance, why didn’t you dare to complain about the injustice? Also, before, even the bastard Gao from the east was granted a title, but my brothers and I didn’t even have an inch of land. You, brother, didn’t dare to report it to the court either. You had to ask the Taifu and other elders of the old mansion to reduce our fiefs and return them to us. Only then did my brothers and I get titles!” Yuwen Zhi also looked at Yuwen Yong with displeasure, and said bitterly, “Brother, you are timid outside and cold at home. It’s ridiculous that after I captured the bastard Gao, I was still planning to seek for you to inherit my father’s throne!”

Yuwen Yong's face was swollen from being beaten by his mother, and he was criticized by both mother and son. He was in a very bad mood, but he remained calm and looked at his mother and said, "Mother, you don't know that during the morning court today, the son of the Duke of Linzhang has come to the court to complain. The court will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly. If this matter is not remedied..."

"How dare you say this! That thief family was wronged and dared to complain. Now my family has been subjected to so many difficulties, but you dare not say a word!"

After hearing this, Chi Nu became even more angry. She pointed her finger at Yuwen Yong's nose and shouted angrily, "Get out! If I don't take back your father's title, you are no longer my son and you are not allowed to see me again!"

Being scolded and despised by his mother, Yuwen Yong had no choice but to retreat with his head down. However, compared with the quarrels and disputes at home, he knew that the subsequent development of the matter would be truly fatal.

Regardless of whether Gao Xiaowan went to the court to appeal for justice for this matter, it was very dangerous for his mother and brother to have such thoughts. He was now the Junior Minister of Imperial Households, and he knew a lot about the court's rewards for meritorious officials. He also knew that some meritorious officials were not satisfied with the official titles they had obtained, and they did not dare to speak out before, but only complained in private. But if they really found a reason, there would be another uproar.

Thinking of this, cold sweat suddenly broke out on Yuwen Yong's forehead. He wanted to persuade his mother and brother to calm down, but when he thought of their attitude just now, he felt embarrassed again.

  After weighing the pros and cons, Yuwen Yong directly beckoned the housekeeper and whispered to him that the mother and son in the inner hall must not leave the house, and no outsiders must be allowed to enter the house. Then he hurriedly left the house and rode his horse straight to the imperial city. Rather than passively waiting for the situation to deteriorate further, it is better to remedy the situation as soon as possible and take the initiative to cut off the situation in order to escape the disaster!

Knowing the urgency of the situation, Yuwen Yong did not dare to stop along the way. He did not enter the city through the Suzaku Gate, but went straight into the Guanglu Office from the Jingfeng Gate on the east side of the imperial city. To the north of the Guanglu Temple was the Imperial Guard City, where the soldiers of the Three Guards and Two Battalions were stationed nearby.

Although Yuwen Yong was the Junior Minister of Imperial Household, he could not enter the palace to pay homage to the Supreme Emperor at any time. He did not dare to ask for an audience through others, so he could only go to the Honor Guard Office to find his brother Yuwen Xian. Fortunately, Yuwen Xian stayed at the office today and did not join the Royal Guard, so Yuwen Yong found him quickly.

"Something big has happened in the family. If it can't be remedied quickly, it will probably bring disaster to the whole family!"

After the two brothers met, Yuwen Yong immediately said in a deep voice, and when Yuwen Xian heard this, his expression suddenly became serious. After listening to Yuwen Yong's story, he sighed again: "Sixth brother, this matter is really a bit reckless. Fourth brother, have you asked clearly whether Taifu helped you with the plan?"

After hearing this, Yuwen Yong's face suddenly became more solemn. He shook his head slowly and said, "I don't have time to ask you about this. Why do you ask this?"

"Recently, Grand Tutor Yu and other veteran ministers requested that my brothers be given fiefs. It seems that they care about old friends, but in fact, their intentions are not pure. Not to mention that the saint has treated old friends with great courtesy and kindness, now even the princes have not yet left the palace. My brothers are not talents for the country that are difficult to hide, so why should they rush to ask for titles? This time, they are asking for titles by relying on old friends to seek favor, which does not benefit my brothers much, but makes Grand Tutor Yu and others gain enough fame."

Yuwen Xian also frowned and said, "I felt something was wrong at the time, but it was inconvenient to speak out. Although these people are called heroes, they are still alienated from current affairs and have failed to follow the general trend to make new achievements. They are holding my brothers hostage to seek their old favor. If they stir up such a commotion again this time, their intentions will be even more sinister!"

The two brothers looked at each other and their expressions became more serious. They did not waste any more time and took advantage of the convenience of General Yuwen Xianxun's guard to go straight to Chengtian Gate and request an audience with the guard general on duty today. There was no need for them to kneel down and cry out for justice like Gao Xiaowan did.

Li Taigang had a rage in the Council of State, and explained the steps to rectify the security in the capital. After returning to the inner palace, he began to consider establishing a more complete and sound personnel system for the prefecture soldiers and city guards.

Just as he outlined some personnel structures, an eunuch came in to report that the brothers Yuwen Yong and Yuwen Xian were outside the palace gates asking for an audience. Because he had long known Yuwen Zhi's little tricks, when he heard that the brothers wanted to see him, Li Tai couldn't help but feel curious, so he put aside the affairs at hand and asked the officials to bring the two in.

"I, a guilty minister, kowtow to Your Majesty! My family is in a state of disgrace and I am incapable of managing and disciplining my family. Now that I realize what has happened, it is too late to repent. I dare not hide my guilt, but must quickly enter the palace to plead guilty and seek punishment."

After entering the palace, Yuwen Yong knelt on the ground with a plop, walked forward several feet on his knees, and then bowed his head in a sad tone and said: "Yesterday my brother committed a violent act in the alley, kidnapped Linzhang Duke Gao Xi in the street and ran away. Although it was said that he was motivated by family hatred and old hatred, the thieves have all been defeated by Your Majesty, and the matter has been settled. How can you act on impulse and abuse private punishment? I have failed to discipline my children properly, and my crime is the same as this. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

Li Tai heard that although Yuwen Yong admitted his guilt and asked for punishment, his tone still contained some intention of defending and exonerating him, so he said in a deep voice: "This morning, Gao's son made a scene in the imperial city, which has caused controversy. It turns out that this is the reason. The matter has been handed over to Jingzhao Prefecture for strict investigation. You two should go to Jingzhao Prefecture to explain the case and settle the matter as soon as possible. Do not cause any more trouble!"

Yuwen Xian also knelt on one side and continued, "The officials and I have come here to plead guilty, and what we have done is not just the case. In addition to the crime of kidnapping, there is another matter that needs to be reported. My brother was bewitched by evil words and actually had crazy and evil thoughts..."

When Li Tai heard them talk about Yuwen Zhi's plan, his brows furrowed immediately. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Things don't go well, and people have different opinions. What are your opinions on this? Do you think the court's granting of official titles is reasonable?"

When the two heard this question, cold sweat appeared on their foreheads. Yuwen Yong knelt on the ground and said in a trembling voice: "It has been several years since the matter was settled. My family has always been peaceful and without any trouble. We are all honored to enjoy this emperor's favor, and we don't doubt it. I don't know where the evil sentiment came from and why it grew. But if we can find out who is the evildoer, I will swear to never coexist with this beast!"

Yuwen Xian beside him also said: "The two instruments of punishment and reward, the emperor holds them to control the masses, and anyone who dares to question them is a traitor and I swear to punish them!"

"Since the Duke of Qi has a son as brave and strong as this, why should he worry that his legacy will not last long?"

After hearing the two's answers, Li Tai said with a smile: "I know what happened. You two don't have to worry about it anymore. Just focus on the matter. The officials will make a fair judgment."

However, after hearing this, the two did not stand up, but continued to say: "Your Majesty loves me deeply, and I am even more terrified and ashamed. My mother and brother have been bewitched and have refused to change their ways. I am now holding them in my house, and I cannot bear to see my loved ones suffer at the hands of the criminals. I beg you to personally bring them to the authorities for questioning. In addition, Duke Linzhang is now trapped in Duke Yongguo's villa, and I also beg you to personally rescue him to resolve the previous grudge, and arrest the rest of the people involved, and make sure that no one is left out!"

Li Tai accepted the statements of his two brothers in self-defense. Although he would not let Yuwen Zhi go, he also let them stay out of it. However, he did not expect that Yuwen Yong's attitude was so positive. He would rather bear the infamy of fratricide and make a thorough cut. He even volunteered to go to Yu Jin's house to search.

But thinking about this kid's performance in history, it is not surprising that he did this. Although his identity is different now, his style of doing things is still the same.

Because the matter involved a dispute over the selection of the heir of the Yuwen family, and there were some surging personnel undercurrents that were not convenient to show to the public, Li Tai nodded and agreed to Yuwen Yong's request after thinking about it. He ordered Yuwen Xian to lead a team of two battalions of armored soldiers to arrest the people involved, and also instructed: "Grand Tutor Yu is a founding father of the country. Now there is an unfilial son in the family who is involved in a crime. I believe he is unaware of it. When you act, you should also be respectful to Grand Tutor."