Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 417 A Master-Disciple Relationship

"Then what would it mean to be indispensable?" Shen Zhui asked again. "Has the Emperor gone mad, suddenly deposing the Crown Prince and making him the new Crown Prince? No one in the court would agree to that!"

“If they don’t agree, we’ll find a way to make them agree,” Shen Qingzhou glanced at him. “If I were Yan Liang, I would definitely find a way to achieve this condition as well.”

The group exchanged glances, clearly understanding Shen Qingzhou's meaning.

“If Prince Ning wants to ascend to the throne, the first obstacle will naturally be those of us who support the Crown Prince. But with so many of us, how can they possibly eliminate us all?”
"The most convenient and fastest way is, of course, to go through the Emperor. Yan Shu died at the Emperor's hands, and this is a thorn in the side of the Yan family!"

Lu Jia looked at them all and said, "Never underestimate the ruthlessness of the Yan family. They are ruthless not only to others, but also to themselves!"

After all, when faced with a desperate situation, the entire family was willing to sacrifice Yan Song's life to secure the future of the entire clan.

What kind of bottom line is there for a family like this?

So no matter how crazy the idea is, it won't surprise anyone.

"What should we do then?" Qin asked. "Should we go to the palace and tell the Emperor?"

"How can you tell someone something without any evidence?" Qin Qian glanced at him. "Isn't that just giving them a chance to protest their innocence?"

Shen Zhui snorted: "If you ask me, the Emperor is just like that—"

Before he could finish speaking, Lu Jia had already grabbed a handful of fish food and stuffed it into his mouth: "You're tired too, go back to your room!"

Shen Zhui jumped up and down, spitting out food, but Yin Liu and Fu Xiao joined forces to drag him away.

The people present didn't seem to think anything of it; instead, they smiled with amusement in their eyes.

Do they not know what Shen Zhui, that blockhead, is trying to say?
The previous emperor left behind a perfectly good court, but under the current emperor, it has been plagued by problems for decades. More than ten years ago, there was even a scandal in which a concubine was almost strangled to death in bed.

The empress, who arrived in time to save the emperor, later died when the emperor delayed her rescue due to his selfishness during the fire at Kunning Palace.

Of the eight princes born in succession, only two survived. Don't you all know why?

The two who are still alive are living such a miserable life under the Yan family. Their fathers and emperors turn a blind eye to their plight, and they play tricks on them all day long. They can't stand being called a tyrant.

The charges against the Yan family that were submitted to the palace were piled up to be at least three zhang high. The Yan family, spanning three generations, could have been executed ten times over. Yet the emperor was still playing some kind of imperial game, suppressing both sides in turn to show off his superiority!
Such a monarch forced many ministers who were unwilling to compromise their integrity to conform in order to realize their ambitions. Corruption, bribery, and flattery became the norm.
Even if the Yan family was eliminated through his hands, it was not because he intended to repent, but because of his considerations as a ruler.

When court officials and the common people support a monarch, they hope that such a leader can guide them toward stability and prosperity, not to push him to the throne to act arrogantly and manipulate power!

Since keeping it would be of no benefit to the country and the people, it might not be a bad thing if it were really gone.

Everyone was thinking the same thing, but it was just inconvenient to say it out loud. This guy was straightforward and outspoken, which suited their tastes, so why would they find it strange?
Shen Qingzhou said, "The Yan family's original intention was for themselves, not for the country, so the things that need to be done still need to be done."

"Yan Liang has been keeping a close eye on me, and he obviously knows that I did a lot of things."

"Jiajia, go to the palace early tomorrow morning to pay your respects to the Dowager Consort. Ask the Dowager Consort to quickly find out who serves the Emperor and give it to you."

"Then bring it out to me as soon as possible."

"No matter what, we must not let the Yan family seize the initiative. The direction the court takes has nothing to do with their crimes! If they succeed, it will do us no good!" Lu Jia nodded: "I'll go at dawn!"

"It's so lively."

Song En, who had been handling official business for Shen Qingzhou recently, walked in from outside. After looking at everyone, he said, "Did you all know that the Yan family suddenly held a grand execution for the Du family tonight?"

……

The courtyard of the Yan residence was filled with carriages.

Tonight, a grand funeral procession was held in the manor for Madam Yan. Everyone was required to gather in the mourning hall. From the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), mournful cries could be heard from the west, which also covered up any other unusual noises.

Yan Song's study was packed with people, each with an indignant expression on their face.

"Does His Majesty not know these things? Even if he doesn't know everything, he must have heard rumors about them!"

"Knowing about it but never stopping it, that's condoning it! Even if we did something illegal, it was the Emperor who fueled it, and he should be held responsible!"
“But now, as long as the censors submit a memorial to complain, he punishes them indiscriminately without distinguishing right from wrong. This is clearly not giving us a way out!”

"Exactly! Even if we are guilty, His Majesty cannot escape blame! If we are to be severely punished, His Majesty should first issue an edict of self-reproach!"

Everyone had different opinions, and the atmosphere became increasingly heated.

Yan Song sighed: "As a subject, the first and foremost duty is to be loyal to the emperor. Your discussions about the emperor are putting this old man in a very difficult position!"

“Why make things difficult for our teacher? There are not just a few of us, but a dozen or twenty! Behind us, there are dozens more people! Dozens of families!”

"The Emperor has ordered the investigation of thirteen officials. This is forcing us to kill each other. If we don't fight for our own survival, are we supposed to think about others?"

"Tomorrow we will jointly submit a memorial to the Emperor, requesting him to make a new judgment! If the Emperor is determined not to let this case go, then we ask him to investigate Lu Jie and Shen Bo with the same rigor!"

"I refuse to believe that neither of them has any scandals!" "That's right! When you walk by the river, you're bound to get your shoes wet. We had no choice in the first place, and I refuse to believe they can control themselves!"
"Besides, even if it's true that it's not true, can't we at least get some evidence?"

Yan Song said, "Shao'an's statement is rather unwise."

“My esteemed teacher, you are too kind!” After saying this, the official named Shao’an addressed the assembled officials, “How about we agree to this? Tomorrow morning, we will all gather at the palace and jointly petition the Emperor to grant his request for fair judgment!”

"The students second that!"

"The students second that!"

"The students second this!"

After a group of people started speaking, voices of agreement began to rise and fall.

Yan Song stood up: "Since you are all so united, it is clear that this is the will of the people!"
"I am not afraid of dying, but I have watched you all climb the ladder of officialdom step by step. How difficult it has been! As your teacher and students, I cannot stand by and watch you ruin your futures because of the collusion between the Shen and Lu families!"

"My teacher is wise!"

Yan Song invited everyone to sit down and served tea again: "Now that we have reached a consensus, let's discuss this matter carefully..."