Has the Han Dynasty been restored today?

Yang Yi's casual remark caused Chen Zhi and Fei Yi to be simultaneously astonished, or rather, suddenly tense.

Fei Yi had extensive political experience, and Chen Zhi was also familiar with many cases of power struggles.

If there is no suitable reason, why wait several days to submit this memorial? Yang Yi will definitely come up with a reason, and this reason may not be what Chen Zhi and Fei Yi want!

Fei Yi glanced around a few times, then tentatively asked, "Master Yang, is there... somewhere that went wrong?"

"There are no problems." Yang Yi said decisively, seemingly unconcerned about the possible reactions of Fei Yi and Chen Zhi. He calmly continued, "With the Prime Minister absent, it is proper to gather opinions from all sides regarding military matters, which is the only way to be responsible to the court. I suggest that all the generals from Hanzhong come to Mianyang to solicit their opinions, and then jointly submit a memorial on the matter of returning the army."

Yang Yi's tone shifted to a commanding one, becoming even more forceful than before: "Wenwei, you handle this matter! This afternoon, send letters to all the generals: Wu Yi in the west of Mianyang City, Wu Ban in the east of Yangping Pass, Gao Xiang in Chisaka, Deng Zhi in Wuxing, Liu Ba in the east of Mianyang City, Wang Ping in Nanxie Valley, and Meng Yan in Chian. Instruct these seven men to hand over their military affairs to their deputies and to arrive at the Prime Minister's residence in Mianyang before sunset tomorrow to participate in the meeting. There must be no delays."

"These seven people... Deng Zhi, Wang Ping, Liu Ba, and Meng Yan don't need much thought. Wen Wei, Wu Yi, and Wu Ban, you go and invite them personally. As for Gao Xiang, have Xu Yun go and invite him."

After saying this, Yang Yi nodded, seemingly very satisfied with his arrangement: "Let's do it this way."

While Fei Yi was still pondering how to politely decline Yang Yi's request, Chen Zhi spoke up before Fei Yi could:

"If Lord Yang wants to know the generals' opinions on military strategy, wouldn't it be enough to send them a letter?"

"How can such confidential military information be clearly explained in a letter?" Yang Yi seemed somewhat impatient. "Imperial Censor Chen, you don't understand military affairs. Just come with me to summarize the military reports and submit the memorials. When it comes time to reward merit, I guarantee you'll be among the top three!"

Seeing Yang Yi's resolute command, Chen Zhi couldn't very well argue with him directly, and could only sigh softly:

"Master Yang, I am not seeking credit; I am simply stating the facts."

"Let's stick to the facts. At a time like this, it's already difficult enough to stick to the facts." Yang Yi shook his head: "Imperial Censor Chen, Xiang Juda arrived half a day earlier than you, didn't he?"

Chen Zhi replied, "That's right. I estimate that it will take Xiang Gong another three or four days to reach Hanzhong."

Yang Yi's expression finally softened a bit: "Three days, four days... that's enough time."

Chen Zhi then said, "We already agreed in our conversation yesterday that, besides the military report, we would also investigate Wei Yan's alleged treason and award him merits. I wonder if Commander Jiang has made any preparations?"

Yang Yi said, "This is easy. I will summon Jiang Boyue now."

"I didn't mean to rush you." Chen Zhi chuckled. "I heard that it was General Wang Ping, who forced Wei Yan's army to retreat, and then Tiger Cavalry Supervisor Ma Dai chased after him and beheaded him. Both of them should be signed in the report to the court. Since Lord Yang has summoned General Wang Ping back, it would be better to verify it together then."

"In addition to this, we must find Wei Yan's head and verify his identity with his body. Wei Yan's entire clan has been exterminated, so we must also find the corpses of his family members, their belongings, gold and silk, correspondence, and Wei Yan's staff. Besides these, we must also find Wei Yan's guards, adjutants, and others in his army, and record their testimonies. We must also interview and record his actions over the years..."

Preoccupied with his own thoughts, Yang Yi listened to Chen Zhi's rambling on and on about the aftermath of his old rival, Wei Yan, and couldn't help but feel a surge of anxiety. These past few nights, he had frequently dreamt of Wei Yan's severed head, its eyes wide with fury.

"Alright, alright, let Jiang Boyue take you to handle all of these. Is there anything else?"

Chen Zhi cupped his hands in greeting: "Isn't Commander Fei going to summon the two Generals Wu? I came from Chengdu with my imperial credentials, and I've seen some clues on the way from Yangping Pass to Mianyang. Why don't I go with Commander Fei? That would put his mind at ease. His Majesty has also asked me to go and check on the various armies."

"Wenwei?" Yang Yi raised an eyebrow and looked at Fei Yi.

Due to differences in rank, age, and seniority, Fei Yi found it difficult to directly refuse Yang Yi's direct orders. Fei Yi, being astute, almost instantly grasped Chen Zhi's meaning.

"Very well, with the imperial staff in hand and Imperial Censor Chen vouching for him, General Wu can't very well refuse."

"Then it's settled." Yang Yi braced himself on the table with both hands, rising from his kneeling position, looking extremely tired. "I still need to discuss the grain supplies with Cuan Xi and Sheng Bo. You may go. Wenwei, make sure this matter is handled properly."

"Yes." Fei Yi stood up and bowed slightly. Chen Zhi also stood up and watched Yang Yi leave with Fei Yi.

Chen Zhi let out a long sigh of relief and turned to look at Fei Yi: "Since we're leaving the city, I need to retrieve the staff from the courtyard where I stayed last night. Would Commander Fei be willing to come with me?"

"Please." Fei Yi's face was tense, and he nodded slightly without saying anything more.

The two walked side by side in silence, and Liu Yin, who was following behind, did not hear anything.

However, in Chen Zhi's mind and in Fei Yi's mind, the two of them each had their own judgment on the situation.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, Chen Zhi said to Liu Yin with a stern expression, "Brother Xiuran, guard the gate carefully and don't let anyone in!"

"Yes, sir!" Liu Yin sensed that something was wrong, so he clasped his hands in obeisance, closed the courtyard gate from the inside, and stood silently with his sword about 10 feet inside the gate.

Chen Zhi and Fei Yi entered the house one after the other. Chen Zhi first gestured for Fei Yi to be quiet, and after checking each room, he spoke:

"Minister Fei, it's just the two of us here. Minister Liu guards the south gate, and the Prime Minister's private residence is to the north. My words are for your ears; can we speak frankly?"

"Okay." Fei Yi nodded, squinting.

Chen Zhi gestured for Fei Yi to sit down, saying, "If I'm not mistaken, Chief Secretary Yang's intention just now was to use the pretext of gathering the generals to discuss military matters to coerce and entice them into signing a petition supporting his takeover of the army!"

What do you think?

Fei Yi's face remained expressionless: "This is not unfounded; he is capable of such a thing. Imperial Censor Chen is His Majesty's envoy, a high-ranking official holding the imperial authority, and I, Fei Yi, am also a loyal subject of the state. We should not remain indifferent at this moment. We should invite Chief Censor Yang back to Chengdu to be questioned by His Majesty and the court."

Chen Zhi then asked, "What if Chief Secretary Yang doesn't do this?"

Fei Yi replied, "In times of emergency, one must act expediently. A loyal minister should do his utmost to uphold righteousness, regardless of the means. Taking the case of Wei Wenchang as an example, this approach can also be taken. With Imperial Censor Chen here, it is sufficient to stabilize the people, quell the rebellion, and relieve the distress."

"With my imperial staff?" Chen Zhi sneered a few times, shook his head and sighed, leaning forward to look at Fei Yi: "The staff is in my hands. Does having the staff give me the right to do things? Yang Yi used his position as the Prime Minister's Chief Secretary to suppress everyone. Do I, Chen Zhi, also want to use an imperial staff to suppress everyone?"

"Feisima?"

"To bring down Yang Yi just to save the day? I, Chen Zhi, will not do such a thing! I want to know how you will act after you bring down Yang Yi. If it goes against His Majesty's will, in my opinion, Hanzhong would be better off in chaos. Chaos is better; only in chaos can we see who is loyal and who is treacherous, and only in chaos can we see the true gold in the fire!"