"Your subject, Yang Fan, greets the Holy One!"
Yang Fan clasped his hands and stood up, his hands at his sides.
He knew that Wan'er was staring at him, but Wu Zetian was also looking at him. At this moment, he did not dare to be careless.
Wu Zetian asked, "What do you have to report to me?"
Yang Fan said with his hands at his sides, "Scholar Wang Qingzhi led hundreds of people from all over Luoyang to kneel outside the Meridian Gate and present a petition!"
Wu Zetian was startled and looked at Shanghai Wan'er in surprise. Wan'er was in charge of all the literature in the world, and most of these scholars were under her control. Wan'er gently shook her head, indicating that she did not know either. Wu Zetian then turned to Yang Fan and asked, "What do they want?"
Yang Fan nodded and said, "They beg the Holy One to make Wu Chengsi the crown prince!"
"Huh?"
When Wu Zetian heard this, her expression immediately darkened. She knew that Wu Chengsi wanted the crown prince position, but she did not expect Wu Chengsi to be so impatient. As for the crown prince, she had not yet made up her mind, and Wu Chengsi had impatiently made his move.
Different statuses had different mentalities. When Wu Zetian wanted to become the Emperor, Wu Chengsi, Wu Sansi, and the others had organized the people of Luoyang many times to persuade her. When she heard this news, there was only joy in Wu Zetian's heart.
Now that she was the Emperor, if Wu Chengsi did this again, he would inevitably be suspected of forcing her to abdicate. Wu Zetian was disgusted and said angrily, "The Crown Prince is not guilty. Why should I depose him? Even if I want to make a crown prince, that is my family matter. When did they have the right to interfere? Disperse them! "
Yang Fan made a sound of agreement. When he was about to turn around, he looked deeply at Wan'er. This gaze was filled with comfort, love, persistence, and an unwavering determination to never give up. Looking at Yang Fan's tightly pursed lips and the resolute line carved into them, the reluctance and grief in Wan 'er's eyes couldn't help but fade a little. Fame and fortune were all fleeting clouds. Glory, splendor, wealth and rank were just a scenery in her life. What she longed for was a lifetime companion. Yang Fan's resolute eyes comforted her anxious heart and gave her hope.
Yang Fan hurried outside the Meridian Gate. The Yulin Guards were surrounding Wang Qingzhi and the hundred or so petitioners. As soon as he saw Yang Fan come out, Wang Qingzhi immediately looked at him with eyes full of expectation. Just like Wan'er's longing gaze, there was a hint of hidden bitterness.
Yang Fan coughed softly and said with an expressionless face, "The Sage said, 'The Crown Prince is innocent, why should he be deposed? Even if I want to appoint a Crown Prince, that's Zhen's family matter. Since when is it their turn to point fingers? Disperse them! "As soon as Yang Fan finished speaking, he waved his hand. The Yulin Guards brandished their spears and moved forward. He shouted in a low voice," Retreat! "
"Crack! Screech! Screech! "
The Yulin Guards advanced three steps. The sharp tips of their spears were already close to their bodies. Perhaps approaching with spears in hand wasn't scary. What was scary was the resolute demeanor of the Yulin Guards and the pace at which they advanced.
They carried long, sharp spears, and in front of them were the petitioners. Under Yang Fan's command, they immediately advanced with spears in hand. It was as if they didn't see anyone in front of them. They had already reached the point where they considered everyone beneath them.
Their pace, every step they took, was the same firmness, the same distance, and the same speed. They didn't slow down or shorten their strides because there were people in front of them. It was as if even if there was a wall in front of them, they would turn a blind eye and slam into it.
The petitioners were scared out of their wits. They watched as the sharp spears neared their bodies, and the Yulin Guards didn't hesitate in the slightest. One by one, they cried out in fear and crawled backwards. There were even some who hastily jumped up, but stepped on the front of their own lapels. They lost their footing and fell to the ground. It was truly an ugly sight.
When Wang Qingzhi heard Wu Zetian's verbal command, he was also somewhat shocked. When he saw the might of the Yulin Guards approaching with their spears, his face couldn't help but change color. When he saw that the sharp spears were about to reach his chest, he subconsciously wanted to flee backwards. However, he suddenly saw Yang Fan's eyes. He saw that there was a faint smile in Yang Fan's eyes, but there wasn't the slightest murderous aura. His heart couldn't help but calm down. He suddenly shouted in a stern voice, "Stop! I have something to say! "
"Stop!"
Under Yang Fan's command, the sharp spears stopped abruptly just as they were about to reach Wang Qingzhi's chest. Those imperial bodyguards seemed to be emotionless machines, completely obeying orders.
Wang Qingzhi secretly broke out in a cold sweat. He composed himself and said in an impassioned voice, "The Son of Heaven has no private affairs! Establishing a Crown Prince, guarding a tool to inherit the throne, is related to the rise and fall of the dynasty. How can it be said to be the Son of Heaven's family affairs? Qin Shihuang unified the world, but because he didn't set up a Crown Prince early on, his posthumous edict was tampered with by people like Huhai, Li Si, and Zhao Gao. His great country fell apart because of this!
Emperor Wen of Sui was a hero of a generation, but he wrongly appointed the extravagant Yang Guang, who was fond of grandiose achievements. As a result, he unified the country and died in his second generation. The Crown Prince isn't the Son of Heaven's family affairs, but the affairs of the world! As a subject of the Great Zhou, Wang Qingzhi received the Great Zhou's salary. How could he not worry about the Great Zhou's affairs? If Your Majesty doesn't allow me to express my opinion, I am willing to die in front of the palace and remonstrate with my life! "
Wang Qingzhi had seen Yang Fan at the Wu Clan's banquet hosted by Wu Youyi, so he knew that Yang Fan was also a member of the Wu Clan. However, his request was stopped by Yang Fan just now, and he wasn't allowed to enter the palace to see the Emperor. As a result, he couldn't understand Yang Fan's thoughts. Now that he saw Yang Fan's warm expression, he knew that Yang Fan was being unreasonable and wouldn't really kill him.
As soon as he figured this out, Wang Qingzhi's timidity disappeared. His words were powerful and resonant, faintly resembling the sound of metal and stone. If someone who didn't know what was going on heard these words, they might really think that he was a great minister who was devoted to the country.
"Yes! We … we are doing this for the Great Zhou Dynasty, and we can die without regrets! We will remonstrate with our lives, we will remonstrate with our lives! "
A few important people beside Wang Qingzhi hurriedly shouted in response. However, they didn't know the relationship between Yang Fan and the Wu Clan, so it was inevitable that their voices lacked confidence. Their mouths shouted the slogan of facing death with equanimity, but their bodies were slightly leaning back. They were afraid that if Yang Fan turned hostile, they, who were willing to die, would run away faster than anyone else.
Yang Fan frowned and said to Wang Qingzhi, "Scholar Wang, this official is under the Emperor's orders to dismiss all of you immediately. I hope that Scholar will not make things difficult for me!"
Hearing this, Wang Qingzhi was even more confident. He cupped his hands at Yang Fan and said seriously, "I'll have to trouble General to send a message for me again. Just say that if the Emperor does not wish to summon me, this subject, Wang Qingzhi, and the hundreds of volunteers from Luoyang are willing to die in front of the palace to remonstrate with our lives!"
"This …"
Yang Fan hesitated for a moment, then said to Wang Qingzhi, "Then I'll have to trouble Scholar to wait for a moment."
Wang Qingzhi smiled and said, "Thank you for your trouble, General!"
Yang Fan signaled the soldiers to keep an eye on these people, then turned around and walked back into the palace. As he walked, he thought to himself, With such a big commotion at the palace gate, and I've deliberately delayed for a while, the Ministers in the Hall of Governmental Affairs should have received the news by now, right?
Yang Fan returned to Wucheng Hall and replied to Wu Zetian. He even added, "This subject saw that Wang Qingzhi and the others are in high spirits. Even though they are being attacked by swords and axes, they do not show any signs of fear. Their words and actions are indeed sincere, so they do not dare to act rashly for fear of killing the loyal. Would Your Majesty allow them to meet or disperse them?
Wu Zetian listened to his words and thought for a moment. She waved her hand and said, "Tell the leader, Wang Qingzhi, to enter the palace to meet the Emperor!"
Yang Fan hurriedly said, "This subject obeys the Emperor!"
Yang Fan arrived at the Meridian Gate and loudly announced the Emperor's edict. Wang Qingzhi could not contain his joy and quickly comforted his companions. He tidied up his clothes and followed Yang Fan into the palace to meet the Emperor. The two of them walked one after the other. Seeing that there was no one around, Wang Qingzhi took a step forward and said to Yang Fan in a low voice, "Thank you for your kind words, Lang General!"
Yang Fan smiled and said, "We are family, there is no need to say such things. However, the appointment of a Crown Prince is like the ascension of a new Emperor to the throne. It cannot be done without many requests. Scholar must be mentally prepared. "
Yang Fan paused and said, "Actually, when Scholar first asked for an audience, I could have led you to meet the Emperor. It's just that … there are only a few hundred people, the momentum is really too small. I purposely asked you to wait outside the palace gate for a while. This is also to help you expand your momentum and attract the attention of the court!"
Wang Qingzhi let out an 'ah' and suddenly understood. He said, "I see. Lang General has put in a lot of effort. I have misunderstood. I also wanted to find more people, but many people do not know His Majesty's intention. It is inevitable that they will be overcautious and fearful. So … "
Yang Fan's eyes flashed as he looked forward and whispered, "Be quiet! We have arrived at Wucheng Hall. When Scholar sees the Emperor, you must be careful what you say! "
Wang Qingzhi swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth. He only made two sounds and immediately took a step back.
As it turned out, when Wang Qingzhi had led his people and shouted slogans all the way to the palace gate, Yang Fan should have led him into the palace. Wang Qingzhi was not a commoner. He was originally a scholar of the court. Since he said he had political matters to report to the Emperor, Yang Fan, as a general in charge of the palace guards, had no reason to stop him.
However, Yang Fan used the excuse that most of the people who came with him were commoners without scholarly honors. They gathered in front of the palace gate and were an eyesore. He detained them and took them to Wucheng Hall to meet the Emperor. At that time, Wang Qingzhi was somewhat displeased. He did not understand why Yang Fan, who was also a member of the Wu family, would obstruct him. Now that he heard Yang Fan's reason, his resentment naturally disappeared without a trace.
The Prime Minister on duty in the Hall of Governmental Affairs today was Li Zhaode. Li Zhaode had already heard that someone had gathered at the Meridian Gate and requested to depose the Crown Prince.
Not all of the palace servants served the Emperor and the concubines. The Prime Minister and scholars who ran errands in the palace also had many palace servants serving them. The palace servants serving the concubines were mainly active in the inner court, while the palace servants serving the prime ministers were mainly active in the front palace.
These palace servants went in and out to deliver official letters. They moved around the palace frequently and had especially good eyes and ears. Wang Qingzhi and the others were blocked at the palace gate. When Yang Fan entered the palace to ask for Wu Zetian's permission, there was a little eunuch who went to the palace gate to deliver official letters. He saw and heard everything that happened in front of the palace gate.
He immediately ran back to the Hall of Governmental Affairs like a parrot and told Li Zhaode what had happened outside the Meridian Gate. Hearing this, Li Zhaode couldn't help but fly into a rage.
Li Zhaode was an arrogant person with an explosive temper. He was the most straightforward and unyielding of all the Prime Ministers in court. He was also a core member of the Li Protector faction. Hearing that Wang Qingzhi had gathered people to make trouble, imitated Fu Youyi's persuasion, and made a ruckus outside the Meridian Gate, requesting to depose the Crown Prince and replace him with the King of Wei, Li Zhaode was immediately unable to restrain his anger.
He threw down the official business he was working on and angrily rushed to Wucheng Hall. When he reached the gate of the Hall of Governmental Affairs, he suddenly remembered that if he rashly rushed to stop it, given the current Emperor's unyielding personality, he would probably be angry. If Wang Qingzhi took the opportunity to use flowery words to persuade the Emperor, once the imperial edict was issued, what was done could not be undone. He would not be able to stop it.
Li Zhaode's mind turned and he hurriedly called over the little eunuch who had reported the news. He asked, "Where is the Xiangzhou scholar who came to the capital to report the good news this morning?"
…
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