Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 396 Questioning
"Someone is coming..."

Emperor Chongzhao looked wearily at his two sons kneeling with their heads bowed below the steps. His throat tightened, and he wanted to say something, but in the end, it all turned into a heart-wrenching cough.

Wang Chengxi quickly stepped forward to help him catch his breath.

Bloodstains appeared on the snow-white silk handkerchief again, a few dark red spots that looked particularly glaring.

"Your Majesty... take a breath and don't rush to speak."

Emperor Chongzhao weakly waved his hand to stop him.

After resting for a while, he finally mustered up some strength and glanced at the kneeling figures below the steps.

"Issue my...decree!"

"Grand Chancellor... Xiao Wenyuan... formed cliques for personal gain... raised private armies, and stormed the palace with weapons... His crimes are unforgivable. He is hereby dismissed from his post, his property confiscated... and executed by flogging in court!"

The words "beaten to death" struck like a thunderbolt.

Xiao Wenyuan felt a buzzing in his head and his vision went black.

He never expected that after all his efforts, he would end up being beaten to death in the Zichen Palace. And Emperor Chongzhao did this simply to uphold the punishment Li Zhao had once given him...

"Your Majesty, I...I am innocent..."

Xiao Wenyuan's body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground like a lump of mud. He was so exhausted that he barely had the strength to beg for mercy, and all that remained in his eyes was a deathly gray.

Having served as an official for so many years, how could he not understand that the emperor wanted to kill him to establish his authority and deter those who were eager to cause trouble?

Two imperial guards stepped forward, grabbed him, and dragged Xiao Wenyuan's limp body away.

A short while later, the dull sound of a cane striking echoed from outside the hall...

Mixed with Xiao Wenyuan's piercing cries of pain, it sent chills down one's spine.

Li Yan's face was ashen, and his whole body was as tense as a stone.

Could he be next?
"King Li Yan of Wei..."

Emperor Chongzhao was weak, and after saying these words, he paused for a long, long time, as if a blunt knife was hanging over his head, terrifying people, yet it lingered and wouldn't fall...

"Prince Wei, Li Yan... is utterly foolish and easily swayed by others... daring to privately mobilize the imperial guards and disrupt the palace... effective immediately... is to be imprisoned in the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs for reflection... without imperial decree... he is not to leave..."

Li Yan was stunned, then burst into tears.

In front of Li Huan and the eunuchs, he cried out for his father, trying to rush forward to plead for mercy, but was held down by the guards and dragged away...

Emperor Chongzhao closed his eyes wearily.

When she opened her eyes again, her gaze fell on Li Huan.

"Prince Duan, Li Huan..."

He paused, his voice carrying an utterly exhausted demeanor and disappointment.

"Although you have the will to protect the Emperor... you have been disrespectful in front of the Emperor... your words and actions have been careless... and you are also implicated with the Xiao family... Therefore, you are hereby stripped of your power to supervise the Ministry of Justice and the Capital Prefecture, and you are to return the seal of the Right Guard and have your princely salary reduced for one year..."

Li Huan took a slight breath.

This punishment, though seemingly the lightest, was not a warning, but a cold isolation—excluding him from the core power structure of the Great Liang Dynasty.

"Your subject accepts the decree and thanks Your Majesty for your leniency."

Li Huan kowtowed deeply, his forehead landing heavily on the gold brick.

There was no explanation, only complete submission.

Emperor Chongzhao looked at his drooping head, waved his hand weakly, and sighed softly.

"Go back and think carefully about... what is the way of the ruler and his subject?"

"My son, please retire."

Li Huan kowtowed again, then stood up and, maintaining a respectful posture, retreated step by step until he reached the palace entrance before turning around.

The cool morning breeze carried the stench of blood, and the bodies in the square had already been cleared away.

Several palace servants were bowing their heads and wiping away the bloodstains on the floor.

Li Huan stood on the steps, looking back. The palace lanterns swayed in the wind. The animal figures on the eaves cast shadowy shadows in the morning light, like lurking phantoms…

He suddenly remembered that many years ago, Li Zhao was just a three or four-year-old child. He was being chased around in the Imperial Garden by the lion dog his mother kept. He was clutching half a piece of osmanthus cake in his hand, but he managed not to cry out.

Her eyes welled up with tears when she saw him appear.

"Second brother, the dog bit me..."

At that moment, he chased away the vicious dog, brushed the dust off Li Zhao, and gently comforted him, as if coaxing a child, saying: "Don't be afraid, Second Brother will help you drive it away."

Li Zhao clutched the half-piece of osmanthus cake, his innocent eyes filled with admiration as he praised him for being amazing.

He felt a pang of tenderness at the time, regarding his younger brother as a rough gem.

Little did he expect that he was a wolf cub, hiding his true nature and cunning. One day, he would turn the tables and drive him to the brink of despair...

"Your Highness, shall we return to the residence?" the attendant asked cautiously. Li Huan nodded, gazing in the direction of the Eastern Palace.

"Let's go."
-
After daybreak, the Zichen Palace returned to its usual order.

It was as if the bloody battle of last night had never happened.

Wang Chengxi stepped forward to tidy up the table, his movements so light as if he were afraid of disturbing something, he was very careful.

Emperor Chongzhao leaned back on his pillow, as if all his strength had been drained away. His gaze was fixed on the stack of filial piety classics piled on the table, his expression complex and unreadable.

This son...

Was it genuine filial piety, or was there a deeper scheme at play? Having lived most of his life and witnessed the treacherous nature of people, he found it difficult to see through Li Zhao.

"Dr. Shu..."

He called out in a hoarse voice, his heart feeling like a tangled mess, making it hard to breathe.

Tian Shu stood quietly beside the dragon bed, like a pine or bamboo.

Hearing this, he stepped forward and replied in a low voice:

"What's your majesty's order?"

Emperor Chongzhao looked up at him, his eyes showing even deeper weariness.

"Dr. Shu, where are you from? Are your parents still healthy? How many siblings do you have?"

Tian Shu lowered his eyes and answered in a flat tone.

"I was born deep in the Yunling Mountains of the southern border. My family... originally had three brothers. I am the third."

Emperor Chongzhao looked at his handsome profile and was somewhat surprised by the answer. He nodded, but did not delve into it further, and simply chatted casually.

"What do your father and brothers do for a living?"

Tian Shu lowered his eyelids slightly, suppressing the turbulent waves churning in his heart.

He thought of the withered bones buried beneath the ruins of the old mausoleum, his father and brothers who died tragically, and his mother who cried until she went blind and died in despair...

“My father is a herbalist who makes a living by collecting herbs. My mother takes care of the household chores. I have two older brothers who go up the mountain with my father to collect herbs, and in their spare time they treat minor illnesses for the villagers… I am the youngest in the family, and I have been learning medicine in the mountains from my master since I was a child…”

Throughout, his words were concise and bland, devoid of any emotion, making it clear that he was a cold-hearted person.

Emperor Chongzhao listened very attentively and was quite interested.

"Brotherly love... is the most precious thing. Brothers and fathers in imperial families... alas, they may seem to be incredibly wealthy, but... true affection is hard to come by. In truth, the simple joys of family life among ordinary people... are truly enviable..."

Tian Shu remained silent for a moment before slowly raising his head.

“Your Majesty is right. It’s a pity… my father, mother and two elder brothers have all passed away. I am all alone in the family now.”

Emperor Chongzhao paused for a moment, then let out a long sigh.

"No wonder you have such a temperament... Why is that?"

"Your Majesty, a torrential rain destroyed our homes, and my family members all perished in the flash flood."

Tian Shu's voice was slightly hoarse, and he lowered his head, avoiding looking at Emperor Chongzhao, afraid of revealing the fierceness in his eyes.

The atmosphere quieted down.

Emperor Chongzhao did not press the matter further, but gazed at the top of the tent, lost in thought.

Wang Chengxi then stepped forward and gently reminded him.

"Your Majesty, it's time to rest."

He didn't want the emperor to be overly distressed, so he gestured for Tian Shu to step down.

Tian Shu nodded slightly, and was about to take his leave when a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

"Report——"

"Your Majesty, a military report from the Western Frontier—urgent dispatch from 800 li away!"

With the emperor's permission, a weary messenger strode in through the palace gate, knelt down with a thud, and held up an urgent report with both hands.

"Your Highness... launched a surprise attack on Yingchoujian... and burned a million shi of enemy grain..."

Wang Chengxi quickly took it and presented it to the bedside.

Emperor Chongzhao slowly sat up straight, tore open the sealing wax seal, and an uncontrollable excitement surged across his face, which then turned ashen as he muttered something to himself.

"Has Xiao Yan truly gone mad...?"

　Being away from home can be inconvenient. That's all for today, please forgive me, ladies... *kiss* Sending you kisses across the distance...

　　Li Zhao: I wish Ping An could give me one like this.

　　Xue Sui: I'll be there soon...

　　(End of this chapter)