Daming: I can’t kill such a greedy prince-in-law?

Chapter 729: The Dilemma of the Huaixi Party (Subscribe please!!)
Ouyang Lun stood aside, looking indifferent, as if all this had nothing to do with him. He lowered his head slightly, but a barely perceptible smile flashed in his eyes. Zhou An was still kneeling on the ground, his head buried deeply, his heart full of regret and shame.

The atmosphere in the Taiji Hall was so oppressive that it made people breathless. Zhu Yuanzhang swept his eyes over the ministers and said in a cold voice: "I hope you will take today's events as a warning. If anyone dares to spread rumors and disrupt the government again, don't blame me for not remembering our friendship!"

All the ministers knelt on the ground and said in unison: "We will follow the instructions of the Supreme Emperor!"

Zhu Biao stood aside, frowning slightly, as if thinking about something. He glanced at Ouyang Lun, then at Zhou An who was kneeling on the ground, and felt vaguely that this storm might be far from over.

All the civil and military officials bowed their heads.

Too many things happened in today's court meeting, so many that they were a little overwhelmed. Until now, not only did they not figure out whether Lan Yu was okay or not, they originally wanted to use public opinion to shift the blame to Ouyang Lun. Even if Ouyang Lun was not dragged into the water, at least it would allow the retired Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and the Emperor Zhu Biao to give Lan Yu a lighter punishment, or even bring Lan Yu back. After all, as long as Lan Yu was not dead, the Huaixi Party still had great hope.

As a result, the trump card "Zhou An" not only failed to ruin Ouyang Lun's reputation, but instead harmed Li Shanchang!
Fortunately, Zhu Yuanzhang only ordered the Jinyiwei to search the mansion of the Duke of Korea. As long as no substantial evidence was found in the mansion, Li Shanchang would be safe.

Such a result was acceptable to all civil and military officials, especially other officials of the Huaixi Party.

Just when all the civil and military officials thought that today's matter was over, Ouyang Lun spoke again.

"Your Majesty, I think that this cannot be done by Li Shanchang alone. There must be many people behind him supporting him. We should ask Li Shanchang to hand over the list and punish those who spread rumors one by one! Investigate this matter thoroughly and rectify the government."

"Only in this way can we completely shut up the gossips!"

As soon as Ouyang Lun finished speaking, the atmosphere in the Taiji Hall suddenly became more tense. The faces of the officials of the Huaixi Party changed drastically, and they all looked up at Ouyang Lun, their eyes full of shock and anger. They never expected that Ouyang Lun would make such a cruel suggestion at this time, not only to hold Li Shanchang accountable, but also to thoroughly investigate other members of the Huaixi Party.

He abolished Lan Yu, suppressed Li Shanchang, and now he is heading straight for them to kill them all. Ouyang Lun has a very deep plan! !

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes flickered slightly, and a trace of unfathomable light flashed in his eyes. He slowly raised his hand, signaling the ministers to be quiet, and then said coldly: "Ouyang Lun, what do you mean by this?"

Ouyang Lun's expression remained calm. He bowed slightly and said respectfully, "Grand Emperor, Your Majesty, the meaning is very simple. There is a lot of public opinion out there right now, and people are saying all sorts of things. We must restore the truth at this time, so as not to lose the support of the people."

Zhu Biao frowned, looking back and forth between Ouyang Lun and Li Shanchang. He felt that Ouyang Lun's move was not simply to clean up the imperial court, but to take this opportunity to completely suppress the Huaixi Party.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face became solemn. At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang could completely follow Ouyang Lun's words and put Li Shanchang into prison. He could even use this as an excuse to uproot the entire Huaixi Party!

If this was a plan set up by Zhu Yuanzhang himself, he would naturally do it without hesitation.

But now that Ouyang Lun suddenly said this, Zhu Yuanzhang had to seriously consider Ouyang Lun's intention.

You have to know that in the past Ouyang Lun always looked like he didn't care about anything. Even when facing the relentless pressure from the Huaixi Party, he, Ouyang Lun, fought back moderately. However, it seemed a bit abnormal for him to attack one after another like today.

Could it be that Ouyang Lun was just pretending in the past? Now that he saw the opportunity to completely defeat the Huaixi Party, he stopped pretending?

This is very possible!
After all, judging from the current court situation, if Lan Yu and Li Shanchang were to fall completely, the Huaixi Party would decline as quickly as the Zhejiang East Party did after losing Liu Bowen and Yang Xian. Then, looking at the entire Ming court, no one would be able to be compared with Ouyang Lun, let alone compete with him.

Once Zhu Yuanzhang passes away, Ouyang Lun will surely have all the power in the court!
Thinking of this, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but hesitate. Just as Zhu Yuanzhang was still thinking.

The officials of the Huaixi Party could no longer hold back and knelt down to beg for mercy. An elderly official said in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty! Although Lord Li has made mistakes, he has devoted himself to the court for many years and has made outstanding contributions. This time, perhaps it was just a moment of confusion. Please, Your Majesty, remember Lord Li's past contributions and give him a lighter sentence!"

Another official also hurriedly echoed, "Yes, Your Majesty! Although General Lan Yu made mistakes, he has made great contributions to the Ming Dynasty. If this matter is implicated too many people, it will probably chill the hearts of the soldiers!"

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced coldly at the kneeling ministers, and said in a voice as cold as ice: "Are you pleading for Li Shanchang, or for yourselves?"

Upon hearing this, all the ministers fell silent and dared not say a word.

Wu Jingzhi stood up and saluted, saying, "Grand Emperor, Your Majesty, I believe that the laws of the court cannot be abolished. If we bend the law for personal gain because of the achievements of some people, I am afraid it will be difficult to convince the people in the future. I implore the Grand Emperor and Your Majesty to be vigilant and investigate this matter thoroughly to serve as a warning to others!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a moment. "We will let the Jinyiwei continue to investigate this matter. Whether it was Li Shanchang who did it will naturally be determined later. You don't need to say anything more."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes swept over the ministers again, and his voice was cold: "I hope you will take today's events as a warning. If anyone dares to form a clique and disrupt the government again, don't blame me for not remembering our friendship!"

All the ministers knelt on the ground and said in unison: "We will follow the teachings of the Supreme Emperor!" The officials of the Huaixi Party were surprised and delighted. They were almost in despair, but Zhu Yuanzhang did not deal with Li Shanchang directly. Instead, he asked the Jinyiwei to continue the investigation. There are many tricks in this matter, and perhaps there will be no follow-up to the matter while the investigation is ongoing!

There is no doubt that Zhu Yuanzhang's arrangement was completely biased towards Li Shanchang and the Huaixi Party. The emperor still needed the Huaixi Party! !

Officials other than the Huaixi Party were surprised at first, but then they realized Zhu Yuanzhang's decision. However, Zhu Yuanzhang was the emperor after all, the real controller of the entire Ming Dynasty, so they did not dare to object at all.

Zhu Biao stood aside, frowning, feeling vaguely uneasy. He knew that although today's incident had temporarily subsided, the power struggle in the court was far from over. The rise of Ouyang Lun and the decline of the Huaixi Party might just be the beginning of a new round of storms.

Ouyang Lun still stood aside, looking calm, as if all this had nothing to do with him. He lowered his head slightly, but a barely perceptible smile flashed in his eyes. As expected, Old Zhu was still Old Zhu!
The atmosphere in the Taiji Hall was so oppressive that it made people feel suffocated. All the civil and military officials bowed their heads, each with their own thoughts in mind.

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly stood up from the dragon throne, his eyes like torches, scanning the civil and military officials in the hall. His voice was low and majestic, as if carrying an irresistible force: "Lan Yu, as an important official of the court, has repeatedly failed to perform his duties, resulting in the tragic death of 40,000 soldiers of our Ming Dynasty, and betraying the trust of us, the emperor and the court. Today, I have decided to remove Lan Yu from all official positions, strip him of his military power, and confine him to the Duke of Liang's mansion. Without an imperial edict, he is not allowed to enter the palace to attend court, nor is he allowed to leave the capital!"

After these words were spoken, the hall fell into silence. Although the officials of the Huaixi Party were worried, they could not help but feel relieved when they heard that Lan Yu had not been executed. After all, the worst case scenario did not happen, and Lan Yu saved his life, which meant that many of the previous rumors were just rumors, and the matter ended here, and no more people would be implicated.

After Zhu Yuanzhang announced the punishment for Lan Yu, he glanced at the ministers coldly, then waved his hand and said, "Today's court meeting ends here, everyone please leave."

All the ministers knelt on the ground and saluted, saying in unison: "We respectfully bid farewell to the Emperor, Your Majesty!" Then, all the civil and military officials slowly left the Taiji Hall, each with their own ulterior motives and complicated expressions.

Although Lan Yu and Li Shanchang barely managed to get through, the Huaixi Party suffered heavy losses in this incident and fell into an unprecedented predicament. The following are the main losses and challenges faced by the Huaixi Party in this incident. As the military pillar of the Huaixi Party, Lan Yu held a large number of troops and had a very high prestige.

However, being dismissed from all official posts, stripped of military power, and confined in the palace meant that the Huaixi Party had lost its most important military support. Lan Yu's loss of power not only weakened the influence of the Huaixi Party in the army, but also made other generals and officials who were attached to Lan Yu feel uneasy, and they might even begin to waver in their loyalty to the Huaixi Party.

Although Li Shanchang, as the political leader of the Huaixi Party, has temporarily saved his life, his political reputation and influence have been greatly reduced. Handing over the list means that many people within the Huaixi Party will face liquidation, and Li Shanchang's prestige will also be severely hit. The unity and cohesion within the Huaixi Party will be greatly tested, and may even split.

The Huaixi Party was accused of spreading rumors and disrupting the government. Although Lan Yu and Li Shanchang were not executed, the reputation of the Huaixi Party was severely damaged. Other factions and officials in the court had a significant decline in their trust in the Huaixi Party and may even have begun to alienate them. The status and influence of the Huaixi Party in the court was further weakened.

Zhu Yuanzhang was already very wary of the Huaixi Party, and this incident made him extremely dissatisfied with the Huaixi Party's clique-building and self-interested behavior. Although there has been no large-scale liquidation of the Huaixi Party for the time being, Zhu Yuanzhang will inevitably strengthen the monitoring and suppression of the Huaixi Party. The Huaixi Party's future actions will be greatly restricted, and any disturbance may lead to Zhu Yuanzhang's thundering measures.

This incident caused panic and anxiety among many officials within the Huaixi Party. Lan Yu's loss of power and Li Shanchang's compromise created a power vacuum within the Huaixi Party. Many officials began to worry about their future and might even consider leaving the Huaixi Party and joining other factions to protect themselves. As a result, the cohesion and combat effectiveness within the Huaixi Party dropped significantly.

In general, although the Huaixi Party barely saved the lives of Lan Yu and Li Shanchang in this incident, its core strength has been severely weakened. Lan Yu's military power was deprived, Li Shanchang's political reputation was damaged, and the Huaixi Party's status and influence in the court declined significantly. At the same time, Zhu Yuanzhang's vigilance and suppression of the Huaixi Party will be further intensified, and the Huaixi Party's future actions will face greater risks and challenges. The internal demoralization and external trust crisis have put the Huaixi Party in an unprecedented predicament. How to regroup under such a situation will be the biggest problem facing the Huaixi Party next.

The night was dark and the Duke of Liang's mansion was silent. Li Shanchang sat in his study, looking tired, and the tea in his hand had already gone cold. There were light footsteps outside the door, followed by the respectful voice of his disciple Huang Zicheng: "Teacher, I am here to pay my respects."

Li Shanchang raised his head and forced a smile: "Zicheng, come in."

Huang Zicheng pushed the door open and saw Li Shanchang looking haggard. He couldn't help but feel nervous. He quickly stepped forward and whispered, "Teacher, are you okay with what happened today?"

Li Shanchang sighed, put the teacup on the table, and said slowly: "Not bad? Oh, I'm lucky to be able to save my life."

Huang Zicheng frowned, his tone filled with resentment: "Teacher, Ouyang Lun is really too much! He was so aggressive in the court today, and it was clear that he wanted to wipe out our Huaixi Party! If it weren't for the emperor's old friendship, I'm afraid..."

Li Shanchang waved his hand and interrupted him: "Zicheng, be careful with your words. The situation is delicate now, and you need to be careful with your words and actions."

Huang Zicheng gritted his teeth and whispered, "Teacher, I just can't accept this! General Lan Yu has been stripped of his military power and imprisoned in the palace; you are now being monitored by the Jinyiwei, and the Huaixi Party is now in turmoil. If this continues, I'm afraid our years of hard work will be destroyed!"

Li Shanchang looked deep and said slowly: "Zicheng, you know, although today's incident seems dangerous, it is actually because the emperor has shown mercy. Lan Yu is not dead, and I have not been questioned, which shows that the emperor does not want to completely break off relations. Although the Huaixi Party has suffered heavy losses, its foundation is still there, and there may be a chance for it to turn things around."

Huang Zicheng said anxiously, "But teacher, General Lan Yu has been stripped of his military power, and our influence in the army is no longer as strong as before. If you hand over the list, many colleagues in the court may be implicated and even resent us. The Huaixi Party is demoralized, and Ouyang Lun and others are eyeing us covetously. How should we deal with it?"

Li Shanchang was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Zicheng, you are right. The Huaixi Party did suffer heavy losses in this incident. Lan Yu lost power, and the morale of the army was shaken. When I handed over the list, my colleagues in the court would inevitably feel resentful. But you have to remember that the reason why the Huaixi Party has been able to stand for so many years is not only because of Lan Yu's military power, nor just because of my reputation, but because of our common interests and beliefs."

Huang Zicheng frowned and said, "But teacher, people are in panic now. Many colleagues have begun to waver, and some have even secretly joined Ouyang Lun's party. How can we stabilize the situation?"

(End of this chapter)