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

Since Li Shanchang was imprisoned by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Han State government has fallen into complete decline, and no one dares to set foot there anymore.

Lan Yu's Liangguo Duke's Mansion, however, became a new gathering place for the Huaixi Party.

However, the Liang State Duke's mansion is no longer as bustling as it used to be.

"General, now that Li Shanchang has been imprisoned, our situation is getting worse and worse!"

One of the Huaixi generals spoke up, his words seemingly expressing considerable dissatisfaction with Li Shanchang.

"I just don't understand what's wrong with Li Shanchang. The Emperor Emeritus and His Majesty have already made a decision, but he insists on refuting it and even tries to apologize with a bundle of thorns on his back. Now look what's happened! Not only did he fail to get things done, but he also got himself into trouble!"

"This has made our lives even harder!"

"That's right, if it weren't for the General's connection with the Crown Prince, we would have been completely wiped out this time!"

Others also spoke up.

"The Huaixi Party is completely finished. More than half of them retired early and returned to their hometowns. Half of them are in prison with Li Shanchang. Now only we Huaixi generals are left."

"Alas, Prime Minister Li was only trying to secure benefits for everyone, but the Emperor Emeritus is so ungrateful!"

“We military officers don’t often appear in the court, and in the future we may not even have anyone to talk to.”

These words made the expressions of everyone in the hall even more unpleasant.

Hearing what these people were saying, Lan Yu, who was sitting in the head seat, didn't look much better either.

Cough!

Lan Yu coughed lightly twice.

The entire hall fell silent, and everyone turned their attention to Lan Yu, waiting for her to speak.

"Gentlemen, from now on, do not mention the name 'Huaixi Party' again. The Huaixi Party has been completely eradicated by the Emperor Emeritus!"

“We are different from those civil officials who have countless schemes in their hearts. As military officers, we are judged by our military achievements. As long as we expand the territory of the Ming Dynasty, the court will give us important positions!”

"What you're worried about won't exist!"

Hearing Lan Yu's words, the expressions of the generals present relaxed considerably.

Just then, a military officer spoke up: "What the General says, I naturally understand!"

"But without Prime Minister Li and his faction in the court, it will be the Imperial Son-in-Law Ouyang Lun and his party that will dominate. We've made quite a few enemies with them before, and now..."

As soon as the military officer finished speaking, it immediately resonated with the others.

"Indeed! General, in the past, at least we had the old Prime Minister Li to keep the Imperial Son-in-Law Ouyang Lun in check. Now, if the Imperial Son-in-Law Ouyang Lun wanted to deal with us, it would be incredibly easy!"

"The Imperial Son-in-Law Ouyang is most skilled in management. In almost every war, he is in charge of logistics. If he makes even the slightest move, we will be doomed!"

"As a military officer, dying on the battlefield is nothing to be afraid of, but being stabbed in the back by one's own people is truly humiliating!"

"Isn't the Grand General and the Emperor Emeritus about to launch an attack on the grasslands? They'll definitely need our help then. Why don't we use the same tactics we used against Liu Bowen to coerce the Emperor Emeritus and get rid of Ouyang Lun?"

"No!"

Lan Yu immediately rejected his subordinate's suggestion, saying, "Ouyang Lun is not Liu Bowen. If we dare to do that, we'll be the ones who die!"

"Moreover, the Emperor Emeritus was threatened once, but he will never be threatened a second time!"

"Never do this unless absolutely necessary!"

After years of growth, Lan Yu is no longer the impulsive person he used to be, and he knows very well that Ouyang Lun is far more capable than Liu Bowen.

Li Shanchang is a living example. Although Zhu Yuanzhang orchestrated the Huaixi Party Case, Lan Yu knew that Ouyang Lun was definitely involved.

If he really goes head-to-head with Ouyang Lun, his fate will probably be even worse than Li Shanchang's!
Of course, if Ouyang Lun continues to target Lan Yu, Lan Yu will not wait to die; he will fight to the death!
"Yes!"

The subordinate generals all nodded in agreement.

Lan Yu is their current backer; if Lan Yu falls, they will be in real danger.

"Everyone must go to the execution ground in three days, and you all need to look normal. The Embroidered Uniform Guard will be watching the whole time, and the news will be reported to the Emperor Emeritus."

"If something really happens, I can't save you!"

Lan Yu immediately gave instructions.

"Yes!"

The others nodded.

Zongren Mansion.

Ouyang Lun lay leisurely in the rocking chair, having hardly ever interfered in the Huaixi Party case.

The Imperial Guards, the Ministry of Justice, and the Court of Judicial Review were essentially conducting a joint trial.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard naturally held a dominant position in this regard.

Guo Zi, the Minister of Revenue, arrived at the Imperial Clan Court carrying a large stack of documents.

"Your subordinate pays respects to Your Highness!"

Guo Zi bowed respectfully to Ouyang Lun.

"Oh! It's Old Guo! What are you doing here at this hour instead of running errands at the Ministry of Revenue?"

Ouyang Lun slowly opened his eyes, glanced at Guo Zi, and then immediately closed them again.

"During this period, the Imperial Guards, together with the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review, investigated the Huai Xi Party case. The Ministry of Revenue was responsible for inventorying the assets of the Huai Xi Party criminals and discovered that Li Shanchang had colluded with Huai Xi Party officials over the years, accumulating countless riches!"

"To prevent the imperial court from investigating, they also compiled many false account books, especially those for the government offices controlled by the Huaixi Party. Previously, the Huaixi Party had blocked the investigation, making it impossible to investigate."

"The results of this investigation have truly shocked me!"

"This subordinate dares not make decisions on his own, so I have come to report to Your Highness!"

After saying that, Guo Zi handed the thick ledger directly to Ouyang Lun.

Ouyang Lun had no intention of opening or looking at the ledgers that Guo Zi handed over.

"I won't look at the ledger. So what if the amount is large? Can it be more than I have?"

"Besides, the real reason why the Emperor Emeritus punished Li Shanchang was not because of corruption at all!"

"This is no big deal. Checking accounts is something the Ministry of Revenue excels at. You just need to do the checking. After you've confiscated the property from Li Shanchang and the others, just fill in the missing parts!"

“Li Shanchang and his group have been holding onto so much money for a long time, and much of it is of dubious origin. In the end, it will only increase, not decrease.”

"Yes, Your Highness!" Guo Zi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Ouyang Lun's words.

"Old Guo, is there anything else?"

Seeing that Guo Zi was unwilling to leave after finishing his report, Ouyang Lun immediately asked him questions.

"Your Highness, I have received some news that several prefectures in the Ming Dynasty are experiencing problems with their construction projects!"

"Through these investigations, it was discovered that these engineering projects were all directly related to the downfall of the Huaixi Party!"
"One problem is funding. Much of it has been embezzled by officials of the Huaixi Party. A large portion of the special funds allocated by the imperial court has fallen into the hands of the Huaixi Party!"

"Secondly, due to the embezzlement of special funds, the quality of these projects has also suffered considerable problems. These projects were all within the five-year plan. Once problems arise, the people will not be cursing Li Shanchang and the Huaixi Party, but you, Your Highness!" "So after learning about this, I came to see you, Your Highness, as soon as possible!"

After listening to Guo Zi's report, Ouyang Lun nodded slowly, appearing quite calm. "It's good that you're worried, but don't underestimate the common people. The Huai Xi Party case is making a big fuss right now, and many Huai Xi Party officials have been arrested!"

"Once it's published in the newspapers, any normal person will know what it is."

"Your Ministry of Revenue should investigate these matters thoroughly and make the necessary announcements. If you don't make announcements now, people will say we have a guilty conscience!"

"Yes!" Guo Zi nodded repeatedly. "With your words, Your Highness, I feel much more confident!"

"Oh, by the way, in three days, Li Shanchang and a group of Huaixi Party officials will be beheaded. You, Prince Consort, will probably be going too!"

Guo Zi asked cautiously.

"Isn't that obvious? The Emperor Emeritus has given a direct order; do you dare disobey?!"

Ouyang Lun rolled his eyes at Guo Zi.

"Your subordinate wouldn't dare, hehe." Guo Zi smiled awkwardly. "Given the Emperor Emeritus and His Majesty's trust in the Prince Consort, even if the Prince Consort really doesn't go that day, there probably won't be any problems."

"Heh, you know everything now." Ouyang Lun rolled his eyes. "Alright, if there's nothing else, hurry up and leave. I finally have a few days off, so don't bother me!"

"Tell the people below not to be late on the day of the execution, and to write me a 3,000-word reflection on it."

Guo Zi was dumbfounded when he heard Ouyang Lun's request.

"Huh?! Why don't you want to?" Ouyang Lun asked.

"Yes, yes! It would be our honor to receive guidance from Your Highness, the Prince Consort!" Guo Zi nodded repeatedly.

Three days later.

Ouyang Lun was preparing to go to the execution ground to witness the execution.

Ji Gang, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, rushed to the Imperial Clan Court and bowed to report: "Your Highness, Li Shanchang is requesting an audience with you in prison. The Emperor Emeritus has granted his request and has specially ordered me to come and invite you."

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Lun paused slightly in his teacup, raising an eyebrow: "Oh? Li Shanchang wants to see me before his execution?"

Ji Gang said in a low voice, "That's right. Prime Minister Li said there are some things he only wants to say to the Prince Consort."

"This was also his last wish."

Ouyang Lun put down his teacup, stood up and straightened his robes: "Very well, let's go see this old minister of the Ming Dynasty one last time."

Deep within the prison, it was dark and damp.

Li Shanchang, dressed in prison clothes with disheveled white hair, still sat upright on the stone bed.

Hearing footsteps, he slowly raised his head, a glint of light flashing in his cloudy eyes.

"Prince Consort Ouyang, I have finally waited for you," Li Shanchang said hoarsely.

Ouyang Lun gestured for the jailer to leave, then stood with his hands behind his back: "What instructions does the Duke of Han have?"

Li Shanchang suddenly burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the prison cell: "Instructions? Hahaha. This old man is now nothing but a dying man, how dare I instruct the most powerful imperial son-in-law of the court?!"

His laughter subsided, and he stared intently at Ouyang Lun: "I only have one question to ask—how long have you been planning this?"

Ouyang Lun shook his head: "The Korean public has misunderstood. There has never been a rivalry between you and me."

"Not a contest?" Li Shanchang sneered. "Since you entered the court, you have been plotting step by step, driving my Huaixi Party to the brink of collapse. Now the entire court is filled with your son-in-law's people, and you still dare to say it's not a contest?"

Ouyang Lun sighed softly and sat down on the stone bench: "Prime Minister Li, you are wrong. You did not lose to me, Ouyang Lun, but to the mighty torrent of history."

"History. The torrent?" Li Shanchang was taken aback.

“The Ming Dynasty has been established for over thirty years, yet you still cling to the old ways from the early Hongwu era.” Ouyang Lun poured a cup of wine and pushed it towards him. “But the world has changed. The people need to eat, and the court needs to develop. Yet you are still engaging in factional strife and seizing power. This is a path to your death.”

"I have never considered you an opponent, nor have I ever wanted to kill you!"

Li Shanchang's hand holding the wine cup trembled slightly. Suddenly, he threw his head back and laughed loudly: "What a torrent of history! What a way to die!" He gulped down the wine, coughing repeatedly as he choked. "Ouyang Lun, Ouyang Lun, only today have I truly seen through you!"

Ouyang Lun looked at him quietly.

Li Shanchang paused to catch his breath, then suddenly lowered his voice: "I have another question—was it you who suddenly advised the Emperor Emeritus that day?"

Ouyang Lun smiled but did not answer, and simply poured himself another cup of wine.

Upon seeing this, Li Shanchang's eyes reddened: "It really was you. You saved the lives of over a hundred members of my family." He raised his wine cup tremblingly, "This cup is to thank you for preserving my Li family bloodline."

Ouyang Lun raised his glass in a toast: "Lord Han, please."

The two drank it all in one gulp.

Li Shanchang threw his cup to the ground and stood up: "The time is almost up. Prince Consort Ouyang, I'll give you one last piece of advice—be careful of Lan Yu, he's more ruthless than me."

"Also, we must be careful of the retired emperor. He is even more ruthless than Lan Yu. I had thought about my own fate, but I did not expect it to come so soon!"

"When I was first imprisoned, the person I hated the most was you, Ouyang Lun. I believed that you were the one who caused all of this. If you, Ouyang Lun, had not appeared in the court, perhaps I would not have ended up like this!"

"But what you just said has enlightened me. I didn't lose to you, Ouyang Lun, but to myself and to the prevailing circumstances!"

"However, I do not want you to follow in my footsteps. With you in the Ming Dynasty, it will surely become very powerful!"

Ouyang Lun nodded slightly: "Thank you for the reminder, Lord Han."

Li Shanchang straightened his prison clothes and suddenly smiled with relief: "Let's go. This old man should be on his way."

The jailer opened the cell door, and sunlight slanted in.

Li Shanchang walked proudly to the execution ground, his back view even exuding a certain dashing air.

Ouyang Lun watched Li Shanchang's retreating figure and said softly, "Farewell, Duke of Han of the Great Ming Dynasty."

Upon hearing Ouyang Lun's words, Li Shanchang trembled, then turned around and smiled, "Ouyang Lun, I truly regret that if I had followed the Emperor Emeritus to Beiping back then, I could have become your friend!"

"Perhaps the situation would be different again, but unfortunately, there's no going back on what you eat in this world!"

"Ouyang Lun, I have studied your Ming Dynasty development plan every day. If it is realized one day, please come to my grave and tell me!"

"Definitely!" Ouyang Lun nodded slowly.

The execution ground in the west of the capital city was already completely surrounded.

The common people stood on tiptoe to look, while civil and military officials lined up on both sides, and the Imperial Guards stood at attention, holding embroidered spring knives.

A heavy silence hung in the air, and even the sound of the wind seemed particularly harsh.

Suddenly, the crowd stirred.

"They're here! They're here!" someone whispered.

A group of Imperial Guards escorted Li Shanchang and others slowly as they approached.

Although Li Shanchang was dressed in prison clothes, he walked steadily, his white hair fluttered slightly in the wind, and his eyes remained sharp.

The executioner announced loudly, "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Li Shanchang and others have committed heinous crimes and are hereby executed in accordance with the law as a warning to others!" (End of Chapter)