Wu Zetian was speechless at Zhang Shuo's words. The Duke of Zhou did act as regent for Prince of Zhou, but that was because Prince of Zhou was young; Yiyin also exiled her monarch, but that was because monarchs were tyrannical. When Prince Cheng turned over a new leaf, Yiyin returned the power to him.
Of course, even if monarchs were tyrannical, it was still a treacherous act for an official to do so. But that was thousands of years ago. For thousands of years, Yiyin and the Duke of Zhou had long been regarded as the role models of officials by later generations, becoming virtuous ministers who left their names in history. How could Zhang Shuo be convicted based on this?
Since Zhang Shuo had shed all pretense of cordiality with Zhang Shuo, he might as well say everything and said: "Your Majesty, Zhang Yizhi once promised me that as long as I testify for them, he will guarantee me the position of assistant minister and then the position of Prime Minister. I also understand that if I agree with Duke Wei today, once his crime is established, Zhang Shuo will not be punished. But I really dare not falsely accuse you! "
"Nonsense! You … Sage, I am wronged, I am wronged! Zhang Shuo deliberately framed me in order to exonerate Wei Yuanzhong. Please uphold justice for me! "
Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong panicked and quickly knelt in front of Wu Zetian. At this point, they could only deny everything and did not admit to having contact with Zhang Shuo in private.
Yang Zaisi, Su Weiwei, and the others looked at each other and chose to continue pretending to be deaf and mute. However, Yao Chong stepped forward and said loudly, "Your Majesty, Er Zhang has framed the Prime Minister. This is no small matter. I ask Your Majesty to investigate this case thoroughly!"
Seeing that Zhang Shuo not only failed to prove Wei Yuanzhong's crime but also made Zhang Shuo the suspect of framing Zhongliang, Wu Zetian was furious. She had received Zhang Shuo's testimony in advance and knew that Zhang Shuo had promised to testify for them. But now he had done the opposite, which made Wu Zetian extremely disgusted.
Wu Zetian slammed the table and stood up, saying in a deep voice: "Take Wei Yuanzhong and Gao Qi back to the prison and try them later!"
Yao Chong said anxiously: "Your Majesty!"
Wu Zetian ignored him and flicked her sleeves: "Zhang Shuo is an important witness of this case. Take him back to the prison and wait for trial!"
Yao Chong said angrily: "Your Majesty! Since we cannot prove Wei Yuanzhong is guilty, he should be released! "
Wu Zetian's face sank. Without saying a word, she turned around and left.
Yao Chong's face turned ashen as he walked out of the courtyard. Standing on the stone steps, he recounted the events that transpired in the hall to the ministers. This matter immediately caused a huge uproar among the civil and military officials.
The next day, during the court session, Zhu Jing, the Minister of Remonstrance and the Minister of Peace and Order, protested, "Your Majesty! Wei Yuanzhong has always been known for his loyalty. Today, Zhang Shuo used Zhang Shuo as a witness, but Zhang Shuo disproved Wei Yuanzhong's innocence. In such a situation, Your Majesty should release a loyal official. Your Majesty is still detaining Prime Minister Wei and High Temple Deputy, and even detaining Zhang Sheren, the witness.
There were even people who spoke fiercely, pointing directly at Wu Zetian. "At the beginning of the revolution, Her Majesty was the one who accepted admonitions. But now that she is old, she has become the one who receives flattery. Ever since Yuanzhong was imprisoned, everyone thought that His Majesty trusted the traitor and chased away the good and virtuous. Loyal officials and martyrs are grieved and kept their mouths shut. They fear the power of the brothers and it is useless for them to die. Now the taxes are heavy, the common people are suffering. In addition, the villain is tyrannical, punishment and reward are reversed. I am afraid the people will be uneasy and change will occur. They are fighting within the Vermillion Bird Gate and in front of the Daming Palace. How will His Majesty thank them? How will he defend them? "
Wu Zetian was enraged. She called for the Palace Guards and shouted angrily, "Drag them out, drag them all out!"
The court meeting ended on bad terms. Princess Taiping was delighted and invited Yang Fan to her residence. She said to him: "Erlang, this time you have made a mistake. Hee hee, Zhang Wei wanted to use Zhang Shuo as Wei Yuanzhong's evidence but now they are confused. The civil and military officials are angry and can be used by me. I plan to go to the palace tomorrow to remonstrate with the Empress and rescue Prime Minister Wei and Minister Gao from prison. "
Yang Fan had Wan 'er as his eyes and ears in front of the Emperor. No one understood Wu Zetian's current state of mind better than him. After Wu Zetian reported to the court, she angrily returned to the inner palace. The first thing she said was: "Zhang Shuo is really a villain. Despicable and hateful. Zhen is disgusted!"
What was a villain? Zhang Shuo did not say anything bad about Wei Yuanzhong and Gao Jian before the court, how could he be a villain? Wu Zetian's unintentional words not only showed that she knew that Zhang Shuo had bribed Zhang Shuo to falsify his testimony, but she was also angry that Zhang Shuo was telling the truth.
Yang Fan saw Taiping's naivety and could not help but shake his head. "Lingyue, don't get carried away. Now is not the time for you to go into battle."
Princess Taiping complained: "You, if I did not listen to you, they would have come forward earlier and perhaps they would have rescued them. Now you still want to stop them. Don't you understand the situation in the court? My two brothers have always been timid in front of the Empress. If I do not come forward, won't the loyal officials be bitterly disappointed? "
Yang Fan said seriously: "Of course I understand the situation in the court. But what can I do even if I understand? The one who decides this matter is the Emperor. Don't you understand the Emperor's intention? Zhang Shuo testified in front of everyone and the truth has been revealed. Why didn't the Emperor pardon Prime Minister Wei and Minister Gao and instead put Zhang Shuo in prison?
If you rashly come forward and anger the Emperor, won't you lose more than you gain if the Emperor deprives you of your right to open a government office? In the past, Gou Jian suffered hardships and committed all kinds of despicable acts. But the Yue officials and subordinates did not leave him in disgust. What are you worried about? Or are you too passionate about power and don't want to give up this opportunity to win the hearts of the people? "
Princess Taiping's expression suddenly changed. Yang Fan sighed and gently embraced her body. He stroked her hair and said softly: "As the commander-in-chief of the three armies, how can I easily take risks and charge and break through enemy lines? How about this: wait for three more days. If the Emperor still hasn't made a decision in three days, you will come forward and plead for Prime Minister Wei, Minister Gao, and Zhang Sheren. If the Emperor makes a decision that is disadvantageous to Prime Minister Wei, I promise you that I will conspire with you. "
Princess Taiping thought for a long time before lightly nodding her head.
… …
Wu Zetian flew into a rage in the Imperial Court, throwing several officials who had remonstrated out of the hall. But the officials did not stop there. As soon as she returned to the rear palace, memorials from the officials arrived, each one more intense than the last. Wu Zetian's disregard for the law had thoroughly infuriated these officials.
Many of the officials from the Crown Prince's faction and the Prince of Xiang's faction had no personal relationship with Wei Yuanzhong, Zhang Shuo, or Gao Jian, nor had they received any orders from the Crown Prince or the Prince of Xiang. Thus, they had always remained uninvolved, but now they angrily joined the ranks of remonstrators. This was not only because of their obsession with justice, but also because of the sorrow of a fox mourning the death of a rabbit.
The elderly Wu Zetian had an abnormally stubborn personality. She turned a deaf ear to the avalanche of petitions from the officials, only issuing an edict ordering the Prince of Hanoi, Wu Yizong, and the Prime Ministers to investigate this case together. Wu Yizong was one of the most ruthless officials after Zhou Xing, Lai Junchen, Suo Yuanli, and Qiu Shenji. Wu Zetian hoped that he could make a breakthrough and obtain testimony favorable to Zhang.
However, Zhang Changzong's slander had caused the deaths of the Crown Prince's son and daughter, as well as Wu Chengsi's eldest son, and had even caused the seriously ill Wu Chengsi to vomit blood and die. This matter caused the other members of the Wu and Li clans to empathize with it, and they all felt a common hatred for Zhang. Although Wu Yizong understood his aunt's intentions, he was also unwilling to assist Zhang in his abuse.
Even the chief judge was a bystander, so the hearing naturally yielded no results. The remonstrations of the officials only grew more and more intense. Seeing that the situation was about to spiral out of control, Wu Zetian brazenly bypassed the three departments of justice, ignoring the lack of witnesses or material evidence, and directly issued an edict to interfere in the administration of justice.
Wu Zetian accused Wei Yuanzhong of 'speaking insolently and deceiving the sovereign and offending his superiors' and demoted him to Gaoyao Commandant (in modern Gaoyao County, Guangdong). As for Gao Jian and Zhang Shuo, they were exiled to the south as Wei Yuanzhong's accomplices.
Shanghai Wan'er had served at Wu Zetian's side since she was 14. The most glorious 20 years of Wu Zetian's life were her last 10 years as empress dowager and her first 10 years as emperor. In these 20 years, Wan'er had always been by her side and understood her best.
Now that Wu Zetian had issued such an edict, even Shanghai Wan'er, who knew her well, was shocked. After finding a chance to tell Yang Fan of this edict that had not yet been officially announced, Wan'er sighed softly. She said to Yang Fan emotionally, "Her Majesty has changed …"
Yang Fan looked at her. Wan'er faintly said, "In the past, no matter what Her Majesty wanted to do, even if she knew that she had wronged you, or even wanted to wronged you, in terms of the law, she would always act flawlessly. But this time, Her Majesty made a decision that went completely against the law. This is the first time in Her Majesty's life … that she has publicly broken the law! "
Yang Fan was silent for a while and then sighed. "When a person is too old, not only will their body age and their energy be depleted, but their intelligence and thinking will also be affected. What is even worse is that many old people's temperaments will change greatly. They will become irritable and stubborn. If this person is only the head of a family, or if it is just a son being scolded a few more times, if this person is the ruler of a country …"
A smile slowly appeared on Yang Fan's face as he softly said, "But this is not necessarily a bad thing for us. This time, Her Majesty was unable to use the Three Law Division to convict Wei Yuanzhong. She could only bypass the Three Law Division and use the imperial power to suppress him. This means … her control over the court is becoming smaller and smaller. "
Yang Fan raised his eyes to look at the dusky sky and leisurely said, "The sun rises, but there will be a time when it sets. This sun is about to set … "
…
As soon as Yang Fan came out of the Black Tortoise Gate, Ren Wei pursed his lips at him.
Yang Fan raised his head and saw a Jadeite Oil Cleansing Carriage parked quietly on the opposite side of the wide street. It was bathed in the setting sun. Yang Fan saw the four tall and round female sumo wrestlers standing on the left and right sides of the carriage. He knew whose carriage it was and slowly walked over.
Yang Fan slowly walked to the front of the carriage. The door silently opened. Yang Fan very naturally stepped onto the carriage. The door closed behind him and the carriage began to move out. Princess Taiping's bodyguards surrounded the carriage while Ren Wei and the other Yang residence bodyguards stayed far behind. Princess Taiping looked at Yang Fan and said with a gloomy face, "Erlang, you are right."
Yang Fan silently sighed. Princess Taiping was silent for a while. She slowly raised her head and looked at him with hopeful eyes. She said in a low voice, "You said, you will help me."
Yang Fan nodded and softly said, "I will help you!" Receiving Yang Fan's promise, Princess Taiping's eyes suddenly overflowed with crystal clear tears. She suddenly threw herself into Yang Fan's arms and hugged him tightly. Yang Fan gently stroked her smooth neck. Princess Taiping leaned on his broad and strong shoulder, feeling his love. Tears gently rolled down from the corner of her eyes.
Since her mother acquiesced in her involvement in politics, her authority was heavier than before. Naturally, the pressure was also heavier than before. On one hand, she couldn't steal the limelight from her brother. On the other hand, she had to work hard to bear the responsibility that should have been borne by the Crown Prince. It was really difficult, like walking on thin ice.
There was no one to share her burden. Her two brothers' timid actions had disappointed her again and again, but she had to do her utmost to assist her brother. This bound her hands and feet, and she often felt powerless.
Anyone with a discerning eye could see that this political crisis was Second Zhang's counterattack against Li Tang's forces. His true target was the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince was so short-sighted that he was not willing to make the slightest effort for his loyal and devoted subordinates. Moreover, the Prince of Xiang was wise to his own safety and stayed out of the matter. Princess Taiping was both tired and sad.
Great Sir Mo sat upright on his horse, following Princess Taiping's carriage. He knew that in this political crisis, Crown Prince Li Xian and Prince of Xiang Li Dan's performance had greatly disappointed Princess Taiping, but … wasn't this what he wanted?
Great Sir Mo indifferently raised his head to look at the palace's overhanging eaves bathed in the setting sun. The sunset on the horizon reflected in his eyes. His eyes flickered with light, but there was not a shred of warmth.
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