Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 24 A major case (Part )
In August of the fourth year of Kaihuang, Dou Chi, the Duke of Deng and a hero of four dynasties, died at home at the age of 78. Emperor Yang Jian suspended court for three days to express his mourning. He then issued an edict to let Dou Chi's eldest son Dou Mao inherit the title of Duke of Deng, and the remaining eleven sons were given different favors according to their legitimate and illegitimate status.

As a Guanlong noble, Dou Chi was honored with great respect both during his lifetime and after his death. The court posthumously awarded him the titles of Grand Protector, General Zhuguo, and Governor of Yongzhou, and gave him the posthumous title of Gong, and he was buried in the imperial mausoleum.

In the posthumous title system, "Gong" means honoring the virtuous and righteous, "Gong" means respecting superiors, "Gong" means serving with steadfastness, "Gong" means treating guests with respect, "Gong" means loving the people and elder brothers, "Gong" means being able to correct mistakes, and "Gong" means being respectful and respectful. These are considered beautiful posthumous titles. The court's use of "Gong" as a posthumous title clearly recognized his achievements.

However, this recognition seems so ironic in the eyes of some insiders.

"Dou Chi,"

Yang Jian, who was in Daxing Palace, said quietly, "What a good thing for this old dog! He died so cleanly and neatly. They say that old men who refuse to die are thieves. This old dog is indeed very cunning. No wonder he has been able to serve for four dynasties!"

Although Dou Chi was given a beautiful posthumous title, Yang Jian had to give it. After all, he was a senior official who had experienced four dynasties. No matter how much he hated Dou Chi, he still had to give him the proper respect, which was also for the sake of the court's dignity.

Unless his property was confiscated and his clan was exterminated, and his titles and honors were stripped away, as long as Dou Chi died, the court had to give him the courtesy of a duke.

Of course, Yang Jian knew that Dou Chi's death was definitely not normal. There was no such coincidence in the world. Li Gongfu had just reported that Dou Chi was the mastermind behind Li Ziqi, and not long after that, Dou Chi died of illness at home. Everyone who knew the inside story also knew that Dou Chi could not have died of normal causes.

Either he committed suicide out of fear of punishment, or there was a darker hand hidden deeper inside who silenced Dou Chi.

Therefore, as soon as the news of Dou Chi's death came out, Li Gongfu went to Daxing Palace to apologize to the emperor.

"Li Gongfu, you scared the snake by disturbing its grass. You may have scared it, but you scared it too much and frightened it to death."

Yang Jian glanced at Li Gongfu, who was kneeling on the ground, and sighed, "Since Dou Chi is dead, this matter ends here. You don't need to investigate further."

"promise,"

Li Gongfu responded in a deep voice.

The dignified Duke Deng died in such an unclear manner. Both Yang Jian and Li Gongfu knew that there must be a big fish behind this, but Yang Jian no longer wanted Li Gongfu to investigate further.

It's hard to be a master if you're not deaf or dumb. Yang Jian has already realized that if he continues to investigate, the results may not be what he wants to see. What if a thorough investigation leads to the discovery of those princes? What can he do?
Rather than tearing off the last layer of fig leaf, which would eventually cause discord in the inner court and turmoil in the outer court, it would be better to end it with Dou Chi.

Yang Jian was silent for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Do you think Wang Yi really harbored long-standing resentment and hidden grudges, as Li Ziqi impeached him?"

Li Gongfu hesitated for a moment and replied, "I don't know."

Yang Jian said coldly, "Then go and investigate. I really want to know how true and false the memorial submitted by Li Ziqi is."

Seeing Yang Jian's gloomy expression, Li Gongfu suddenly realized and said, "I will go check it out right away."

Seeing that Li Gongfu understood his intention, Yang Jian nodded and then instructed, "This time, we must investigate more carefully and avoid any mistakes. I don't want to see anything like Dou Chi happen again. The court cannot accept the death of two dukes in such a short period of time. Wang Yi must not die."

Li Gongfu whispered, "I understand your Majesty's concerns and will certainly live up to your expectations."

Looking at the respectful Li Gongfu in front of him, Yang Jian suddenly felt a little tired. He waved his hand and said, "Then, go ahead. Remember, serve me loyally and you will have a bright future. I will not let you down."

Li Gongfu knelt on the ground and kowtowed, then slowly stood up and slowly left the palace.

The palace gate slowly closed. Yang Jian sat on the throne for a long moment, then sighed deeply. He looked at the notebook on the imperial desk, dipped his pen in ink, and made a line through Dou Chi's name. He flipped through a few pages, looked at Wang Yi's name, and shook his head.

"Brother Yijun, it's not that I must kill you, but I can't rest in peace until you die."

Duke of Yun, Wang Yi, whose courtesy name was Yijun!
Yang Jian's eyes swept across the empty palace and he whispered, "Beauty is fleeting, and beauty is fleeting. Once the flower falls, the white hair is hard to remove. Next year and the year after, who will have it and who will not."

"Brother Yijun, life and death are unpredictable. You and I can never be together until the end."

Yang Jian still had some feelings for this former close friend. If it weren't for Wang Yi's strong support, Yang Jian might not have been able to sit firmly on the position of prime minister, let alone usurp the Zhou Dynasty and become emperor in the future.

However, unlike Yang Su, Gao Jiong and others who were dependent on Yang Jian, Wang Yi had a status equal to Yang Jian during the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Although he later firmly supported Yang Jian in seizing power, to some extent he and Yang Jian had a cooperative relationship.

This was certainly a strong arm for Yang Jian when he usurped the throne. However, after Yang Jian eliminated the powerful figures in the Northern Zhou Dynasty such as Yuchi Jiong, Sima Xiaonan, and Wang Qian, and proclaimed himself emperor and established the system, looking back at his former collaborators like Wang Yi, they could not help but feel a little conspicuous.

Before things are accomplished, you can say that you share the kingdom, but after things are accomplished, you still have to break your promise and make some money.

Yang Jian devoted considerable effort to preventing Wang Yi and his ilk from gaining further power, either publicly promoting them or secretly demoting them, or even clipping their wings. Founding heroes like Wang Yi were neglected by the new dynasty, and after several years, their power dwindled to that of the Northern Zhou, so naturally they would harbor resentment.

Yang Jian would not be lenient towards those who might threaten the Yang family's kingdom and people. If he were to be lenient towards them, that would be the source of chaos.

Although Yang Jian wanted to kill, he still needed a reason to do it. He wanted to be a wise and benevolent ruler, but did not want to be branded as a person who killed meritorious officials. Li Ziqi's impeachment gave Yang Jian the opportunity to do so.

But opportunities are opportunities, and Yang Jian still deeply detested the behavior of Li Ziqi, Dou Chi and others who used him as a weapon to engage in factional strife.

He wanted to kill Wang Yi, and he would not let people like Li Ziqi and Dou Chi go either.

"Dexin,"

Thinking of factional struggles, Yang Jian thought of his dull cousin Lu Yongji.

Chen Dexin bowed, walked out of the corner in small steps, and said, "Your Majesty,"

Yang Jian asked, "What's going on in the Duke of Qi's mansion recently?"

Chen Dexin knew what Yang Jian was concerned about and said, "Your Majesty, the Duke of Qi has been staying indoors lately and refusing visitors. Even His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin has been turned away several times."

Yang Jian nodded and said, "It seems that my cousin is not as incompetent as he appears. He does have some good qualities. I don't expect him to share the burdens of the court. I just hope that he will stay in his place, live a peaceful and prosperous life, and live up to my mother's dying wish."

"By the way, is my cousin doing well in the Secretariat?"

Yang Jian was quite satisfied with his cousin's knowledge and interests, and casually asked about his nephew's recent situation.

This cousin's secretary was appointed by Yang Jian himself, so he had some impression of him.

(End of this chapter)