The struggle for the throne among nine princes—I really don't want to be the crown prince.

Chapter 366 Since we can't win an argument, let's just kill each other first.
The imperial court in the dead of winter was like a furnace, making many people feel uncomfortable.

Especially the Duke Yansheng who was impeached by Zhen Yan!

He never dreamed that the Crown Prince's strike would be so vicious!
The blessings bestowed by a virtuous person will last only five generations!

As a scholar, Zhen Yan actually dared to propose stripping him of his title as a descendant of a sage!
How could he have such audacity all by himself?

The one standing behind him must be the Crown Prince!
At this moment, he felt a little regretful. He had rejected the Crown Prince's request too decisively and too readily.

Now look what's happened; the Crown Prince has taken all his anger out on him.

But now that things have come to this, regret is useless.

He knew perfectly well that he couldn't withstand the offensive from the Crown Prince and Zhen Yan on his own.

He needs to find helpers and allies!

So after being impeached, he immediately invited Liu Shixun to his aid.

Previously, he inevitably had a condescending attitude towards Liu Shixun, somewhat looking down on him.

But now, he has to talk to them on equal footing.

"Lord Liu, Zhen Yan's impeachment of my Duke Yansheng's Mansion is ostensibly aimed at my Duke Yansheng's Mansion, but in reality, it's all about promoting the 'unified tax payment system for officials and gentry'!"

Kong Yujin said firmly, "If my Duke Yansheng's mansion falls this time, then the next step, 'officials and gentry paying taxes,' will be unstoppable!"

"Lord Liu, a storm is brewing, and one tree cannot hold it up!"

At this moment, Liu Shixun remained calm. He looked at Kong Yujin and smiled slightly: "Don't worry, Duke Yansheng, you have never been fighting alone."

"We have always been loyal to the imperial court."

"However, we hope that the court and His Majesty can see and recognize our loyalty."

Kong Yujin was taken aback. He sensed something different in Liu Shixun's words.

He felt that Liu Shixun was planning a big operation.

For a moment, he felt both excited and flustered.

He was afraid that Liu Shixun's operation would be too big and he would get involved, and that he might be implicated by him!
After all, he was the pampered and noble Duke Yansheng, and he didn't want to get involved in any major cases.

But given the current situation, he cannot back down.

After all, it was he who needed Liu Shixun, not the other way around.

"Brother Liu, I believe that with your abilities, you will surely succeed quickly."

Liu Shixun took out a delicate little gold watch from his pocket, glanced at it, and then said calmly, "Good news, it should be arriving soon!"

Just as Liu Shixun said this, Zhen Yan was walking on the road to the Imperial Stud, with several soldiers from the Infantry Commander's Office following him.

These people were specifically sent to protect him.

Even though Zhen Yan is famous now, she still has to go to work.

It's his turn to be on duty today, so he has to go.

At this moment, Zhen Yan also realized that since there was no way out, he could only become Hai Rui and a sharp sword for the Great Zhou Dynasty!
Only in this way can he live a good life.

I'm not afraid of being used; I'm afraid of being useless.

Perhaps, with the Crown Prince's guidance, he could truly make a name for himself in history.

Just as I was thinking this, I suddenly heard someone call out, "Lord Zhen!"

Zhen Yan looked up and saw a sixth-rank official walking towards him.

The man walked with a steady gait, and his brows revealed a shrewdness typical of those in officialdom.

He took a closer look and immediately recognized the person as Tian Wenjing, who had passed the imperial examination with him years ago.

However, Tian Wenjing was luckier than him. She passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, then entered the Ministry of Revenue, which can be considered as a steady rise in rank.

However, Zhen Yan repeatedly failed the imperial examinations, wasting many years before finally obtaining the minor post of Assistant Minister of the Court of Imperial Stud.

Although the two were both successful candidates in the imperial examinations, one worked in the Ministry of Revenue and the other in the Court of Imperial Stud. They did not interact much and their statuses were already vastly different.

At this moment, Tian Wenjing took the initiative to greet him, and Zhen Yan's heart skipped a beat, feeling that he had some ill intentions.

Is he going to insult me? What should I do if he calls me a attention-seeker to my face?

With his mind racing, Zhen Yan still replied in a deep voice, "Brother Tian, ​​it's been a long time."

"Lord Zhen, I have read all three of your memorials and I am truly impressed."

Tian Wenjing said sincerely, "Lord Zhen, you said what I dared not say."

"I used to have many misunderstandings about Lord Zhen, but now, after reading the memorial, I realize that you are the one who truly cares about the country and its people and has the world at heart!"

"Truly admirable!"

Hearing Tian Wenjing express her admiration so sincerely, Zhen Yan was very pleased, but he really wanted to reply to Tian Wenjing: I didn't want to do it either!

But I have no choice but to keep doing it; I have to find a way to make a living.

However, these difficulties are best kept to oneself and cannot be spoken aloud.

He cupped his hands in greeting to Tian Wenjing, maintaining a polite smile on his face: "Brother Tian, ​​you're too kind. I just saw something injustice and spoke the truth."

"Compared to Brother Tian's broad-mindedness, I am still far behind!"

Tian Wenjing grabbed Zhen Yan's hand and said warmly, "Brother Zhen is too modest. We share the same ideals. Why don't I treat you to a meal today and we can have a good chat after work?"

"I still have some questions I'd like to ask my elder brother."

Zhen Yan has been feeling stifled these past few days, with a lot to say but no one to talk to.

When he heard Tian Wenjing invite him to dinner, he couldn't help but be tempted.

After hesitating for a moment, he nodded: "Then... let's discuss it properly."

The two walked and talked, and soon they were almost at the Imperial Stud.

Just then, twenty or thirty young officials dressed in the robes of officials of the sixth or seventh rank surrounded them menacingly.

Several soldiers from the Infantry Commander's Office hesitated upon seeing these people. They were ordered to protect Zhen Yan, but these approaching men were all government officials.

Although they were from the Infantry Commander's Office, they couldn't afford to offend any of these important figures.

For a moment, the group looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

"Boss, what should I do?"

The veteran in his thirties who was leading the group glanced at the group of young officials and said, "It's nothing, they're all civil servants, it'll just be a war of words at most."

"We can just stand here and watch."

Hearing him say that, the soldiers all breathed a sigh of relief.

At the same time, he felt that he was being a little too nervous. That's right, these civil officials are best at verbal battles, but they don't have the guts to fight.

"Zhen Yan! You traitor! You have no emperor, no father, no teacher, you are simply the most wicked and rebellious thing in the world!"

A young official who looked to be in his late twenties started cursing at Zhen Yan as soon as he saw her.

Upon hearing this, Zhen Yan couldn't help but smile bitterly.

In the past, when he wrote memorials to criticize treacherous officials, he would at most curse them for being "unruly and without father."

Now, things have gotten even worse for him; he's now described as "without a teacher"!
However, that's not wrong, considering he just became a descendant of a sage.

It's not wrong to say he had no teacher.

But now, there's no turning back.

If he backs down at this point, he'll end up like Pigsy looking in the mirror—unpleasant to be seen from both sides!
Not only will he end up pleasing neither side, he might even lose his life.

"My lord, you say I have no ruler, no father, and no teacher? I, Zhen, absolutely cannot accept that!"

"I impeach Your Majesty precisely because of my loyalty to Your Majesty!"

"It was this loyalty that gave me the courage to point out to His Majesty what I felt was wrong."

"To respect Your Majesty is not only to listen to Your Majesty, but also to help Your Majesty correct your mistakes."

Tian Wenjing listened with her eyes shining.

He was right about him; Lord Zhen truly has integrity!
"As for your claim that I have no father or teacher—I can tell you that the reason I proposed that officials and gentry pay taxes together is for the sake of the dynasty's long-term stability!"

"If the skin is gone, how will the hair be attached?"

"If the imperial court is gone, how will we officials and gentry survive?"

"Therefore, the ills of the imperial court must be corrected! And there must be someone in the world who dares to be the first to act!"

“The descendants of sages idle away their days doing nothing, yet they enjoy the preferential treatment of the imperial court generation after generation.”

"This is not showing respect to a sage, but rather smearing the sage's reputation!"

"I believe that even if the sage were alive, he would never allow his descendants to enjoy the fruits of his labor so easily."

"When you read books, you must understand the spirit behind them, not just the literal meaning."

"Loyalty to the court and His Majesty is not something that can be achieved by simply shouting a few slogans."

"His Majesty wants to see your actions!"

Zhen Yan's words were spoken with righteous indignation and passion.

Tian Wenjing couldn't help but clap her hands in admiration: "Brother Zhen's words were truly insightful and moving, and I can only admire them!"

At this point, he turned to the young official in charge and said, "If you have nothing to say, please leave."

"Brother Zhen still has to go on duty here."

"I advise you to go back and think carefully about what Brother Zhen said, and figure out what it really means..."

Before Tian Wenjing could finish speaking, the young official leading the group suddenly shouted:
"We cannot coexist with traitors and Han foes! We are ashamed to share the same sky with such despicable, shameless, and fickle people!"

"So that the court will not be hindered by such villains, so that His Majesty will not be deceived by such villains, so that the country can remain stable and prosperous—"

"Fellow scholars, the imperial court has nurtured scholars for a century; today is the day to uphold integrity and die for righteousness!"

"Let's all beat this traitor to death!"

After saying that, the young man rushed straight towards Zhen Yan.

More than twenty young officials had been holding their breath for a long time, and upon hearing the order, they all rushed towards Zhen Yan.

Although they were scholars, they were young and impetuous, so they rushed to Zhen Yan in just a few steps, and some of them had already raised their fists.

Zhen Yan was completely dumbfounded!

He never imagined it would escalate to the point of physical violence.

"Protect Lord Zhen!"

The leading soldier shouted.

But seeing his men about to draw their swords, he quickly added, "Don't hurt the lords!"

The two contradictory orders instantly threw the soldiers protecting Zhen Yan into disarray.

In the ensuing chaos, Zhen Yan had already taken two punches to the face.

He was still dizzy and disoriented when he heard Tian Wenjing shout, "Brother Zhen, why aren't you running? Do you want to be beaten to death by them?"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhen Yan felt himself being pushed hard.

He didn't care about anything else, he pushed over a young man blocking his way and ran away.

Tian Wenjing stood in front of the group of young men who were chasing and beating him. In the shoving and pushing, countless fists landed on him.

Someone kicked him, and Tian Wenjing fell to the ground with a thud.

The bright red blood instantly stained the bluish-gray floor tiles.

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(End of this chapter)