Has the Han Dynasty been restored today?

"Brother Boyue." Chen Zhi strode out of the Fei family gate and cupped his hands towards Jiang Wei, who was still sitting on his horse outside the gate: "I wonder what His Majesty has summoned me for? I'm sorry to trouble you to come and find me in person."

Jiang Wei nodded, then glanced at Xu You and Fei Cheng, who had come out with Chen Zhi, and said calmly, "Fengzong, mount your horse and come with me. You'll know when we get there."

Chen Zhi sensed the seriousness in Jiang Wei's words and began to weigh the matter.

For Jiang Wei to come in person, rather than sending a mere eunuch or military officer, His Majesty must not be in the palace. Therefore, there must be someone of even higher rank with His Majesty and Jiang Wei, someone of such high rank that Jiang Wei could confidently leave to search for him without consequence…

It was at that time that His Majesty, Jiang Wan, and Jiang Wei were somewhere outside the palace, and they encountered an important matter that required a decision!

Since this is a major event, why should Chen Zhi be in such a hurry? It would be better to let things take their course and gather more information.

Chen Zhi smiled broadly, responded to Jiang Wei, and without mounting his horse, began to introduce the two men behind him to Jiang Wei:

"Brother Boyue, you have been serving in Hanzhong for a long time and rarely return to Chengdu. Please allow me to introduce you to your brother. This is my younger brother, Xu You, who is nineteen years old and has not yet entered officialdom. This is Fei Sima's eldest son, Fei Cheng, who is also nineteen years old. He is handsome and has the same style as Fei Sima."

"Greetings, General Jiang." Xu You and Fei Cheng bowed together.

Jiang Wei sighed inwardly. The two men bowed, and if he remained seated on his horse, it would be arrogant. Moreover, one of them was Chen Zhi's younger brother, and the other was Fei Yi's son; he should have responded properly.

Jiang Wei dismounted, cupped his hands in return to the two men, and smiled, saying, "A distinguished family, and outstanding young talents."

Chen Zhi then asked with considerable concern, "Brother Boyue, where did His Majesty summon me?"

Seeing that Jiang Wei hesitated slightly, Chen Zhi added, "There are no outsiders here, Brother Boyue, please speak freely."

Jiang Wei sighed deeply and shook his head, saying, "His Majesty is in the imperial prison, as are Lord Jiang and Minister Zhao. Lord Yang Wei... Lord Yang Wei committed suicide in the imperial prison."

"Suicide?" Chen Zhi's voice rose several octaves. "He just arrived in Chengdu yesterday, and today he committed suicide? Was it suicide or was it done by the Court of Justice?"

Jiang Wei said helplessly, "He must have committed suicide. The jailer delivered food to Yang Wei Gong this morning, and when he went to collect the dishes later, he found that he had broken two bowls and cut his wrists with the shards. Blood was flowing all over the ground, and he was already dead when he was found."

"How could he commit suicide? How dare he commit suicide?" Chen Zhi roared in fury. "What kind of order is the Court of Justice in? Is there no one to guard him? I brought him all the way from Hanzhong to Chengdu, a journey of 1,200 li, and he's already dying so quickly without even being tried. It's as if His Majesty was in a hurry to kill him!"

"Come on, Brother Boyo, mount your horse!"

Seeing Chen Zhi's anger, Jiang Wei couldn't help but frown. He bowed slightly to Xu You and Fei Cheng, and then rode away with Chen Zhi.

Jiang Wei knew in his heart that Chen Zhi's anger was justified.

Chen Zhi, acting as regent in Hanzhong, along with the officials of the Prime Minister's office and the generals of the army, coerced and seized power from Yang Yi, explicitly stating that Yang Yi would be brought back to Chengdu for trial. Moreover, for the sake of propriety, he merely sent someone to escort him, providing Yang Yi with a carriage along the way without any grievances. His intention was to bring Yang Yi back to Chengdu so that the Court of Justice could conduct an interrogation, making a final judgment on these chaotic events from an official standpoint and upholding the law.

Of course, during this process, Emperor Liu Shan's authority will be further strengthened, and Chen Zhi, the person in charge, will also receive credit.

At this moment, Yang Yi died in the imperial prison, and he died on the second day after arriving in Chengdu... The Former Han and the Later Han dynasties combined lasted for four hundred years. After four hundred years of stories, who doesn't know that those who committed suicide in the Court of Justice were all privately killed on the orders of the emperor?

There was no public execution, no confession or trial, no execution in the marketplace; instead, it was like an emperor hastily killing people after seizing power! What kind of situation is this? Yang Yi deserved to die, but he shouldn't have died like this!

……

Chen Zhi and Jiang Wei rode away on horseback. Xu You had no need to stay there. After bidding farewell to Fei Cheng, he prepared to go home. There wasn't enough time to ride out of the city this morning, but he could still shoot a few dozen arrows at home.

It wasn't that Xu You was diligent; horseback riding and archery were essential skills for scholars from wealthy and influential families in Chengdu. This was different from the peaceful century of the Later Han Dynasty, when wars were frequent, and anyone with a bit of ambition would want to serve in the Northern Expeditionary Army. Not knowing how to use a sword or spear wasn't a big problem, as opportunities for personal combat were rare, but not knowing how to ride or shoot would truly make one a laughingstock.

After seeing Xu You off, Fei Cheng was also in a hurry to return home to check the letter.

From the beginning of the year to September, since the army set out, this was the first time the Fei family had received a letter from Fei Yi through a messenger. Fei Cheng was a filial son, and having just heard Chen Zhi talk about the disputes in Hanzhong, how could he not want to know about his father's recent situation?

But when Fei Cheng entered the inner hall, before he could even greet her, he saw his mother, Madam Fei, sitting in the main seat with a solemn expression.

"Fei Cheng!" Madam Fei glanced at her son and said, "Go and fetch your sister."

"Oh, okay." Fei Cheng didn't understand, but he still did as instructed.

When Fei Cheng summoned his sister Fei Zhen, the two siblings stood side by side in front of their mother and bowed. Madam Fei did not say a word, but held the letter in her hand and kept looking at the faces of the two siblings with her brows furrowed, as if she were examining two objects.

"What's wrong with Mother?" Fei Cheng asked, puzzled. "What did Father say in his letter?"

Madam Fei said, "Your father said that the country is in danger and the court is in chaos. He was appointed to a critical post in the north and told us not to worry about him. He is in good health and has a good appetite, just like always."

"That's good." Fei Cheng said sincerely, "I haven't received a letter for more than half a year. I'm at ease knowing that my father is well."

Lady Fei continued, "Your father also said that the Imperial Censor Chen who just met you has performed meritorious service in the north, received the imperial staff, is highly regarded by His Majesty, and is also very capable. Fei Cheng, what did you think of Chen Zhi when you met him?"

Fei Cheng thought for a moment and replied carefully: "I am familiar with Xu You and know a little about his elder brother. His elder brother used to be His Majesty's tutor and later became a vice minister in the Censorate. He is also skilled in mathematics and quite talented. I originally thought that he was not very old and would be as kind as Xu You... But today when I met Imperial Censor Chen, I found that he did not talk much, but was calm and composed and had a great presence. I felt a little uncomfortable in front of him."

"It felt like when my father returned to Chengdu last year and took me to a banquet to meet Chiang Kai-shek, General Deng (Deng Zhi), and General Xu (Xu Yun). It didn't feel like I was in my twenties."

Fei Zhen was only sixteen years old. He was dressed in a plain, dark-colored robe without any adornment. His features were quite similar to those of Madam Fei. He had bright eyes and white teeth, and a touch of girlish elegance. He was very beautiful.

Upon hearing his mother and elder brother discussing this Imperial Censor Chen, Fei Zhen couldn't help but ask:

"Brother, this Imperial Censor Chen you're talking about is quite interesting. How old is he?"

Just as Fei Cheng was about to reply, he heard Madam Fei give a soft snort, slam the letter down on the table, and look at her daughter's face with a mixture of worry and a smile: "This man is twenty-four years old. Zhen'er, your father has betrothed you to this Chen Zhi; you should know that."

"My wife?" Fei Zhen exclaimed in surprise, raising her sleeve to cover her mouth and lips, her actions exactly the same as her mother's when she was surprised.

With a clatter, Fei Cheng lost his grip on the ceramic cup, which fell onto the table, spilling the honey water everywhere.