In the Tang dynasty, whether civil or military, as long as one was of the older generation and had served in the court for ten-some years, there was no one who did not know of Zhang Shougui and understand him. Duke Jiu's name was renowned throughout the world, and he was publicly acknowledged as a virtuous minister. Yet Zhang Shougui had still rebutted and insulted him.
And if the Tang Dynasty's War God Wang Zhongsi had not resigned his military authority and retreated bravely to protect himself, returning to the palace and becoming the Crown Prince's Junior Guardian, Zhang Shougui would have long ago become irreconcilable enemies with him. And Li Linfu was a member of the imperial household and the Prime Minister of the Tang dynasty, a position that Zhang Shougui coveted.
In the entire Tang dynasty, other than the Holy Emperor, Zhang Shougui had no qualms about anything. There was almost no top-class individual that Zhang Shougui had not come into conflict with.
This sort of impression was deeply ingrained in the minds of the civil officials.
"… Moreover, the evidence of Zhang Shougui deceiving the sovereign is irrefutable! Haicheng, take out the evidence! "
As the old official spoke, he took two steps forward and spoke to Supervisory Censor Ye Haicheng.
Whoosh!
Ye Haicheng spoke righteously. He didn't say anything else. With a flick of his wrist, two pieces of paper fluttered in the air and appeared in front of everyone.
"This letter was personally written by Zhang Shougui's subordinate, a high-ranking officer who has followed him for ten-some years. He is also one of Zhang Shougui's former subordinates and has always been loyal to him. He had originally intended to conceal this matter. After all, Zhang Shougui was his superior, but after several nights of suffering, for the sake of those who were about to die, he decided to speak of this matter. Ruler, subject, subject, father, son. Zhang Shougui has truly failed to be a subject. Your Majesty, please investigate this matter! "
"Buzz!"
The letter in Ye Haicheng's hand caused the hall to fall deathly still. All the generals paled, and even The King of Song slightly paled. The Confucians were not people of the martial path, so they would never joke about such a matter. It was clear that they had concrete evidence.
Zhang Shougui was the second most authoritative figure in the military. From a certain perspective, his influence in the military was even greater than that of Wang Chong, and his seniority was not something that Wang Chong could compare to. The militarists were already being forced back again and again by the Confucians, and the situation was extremely bad. If even someone like Zhang Shougui was captured, no one dared to imagine the consequences.
"Your Majesty! Not only that, Zhang Shougui had even dared to bribe an emissary. Niu Xiantong was just a eunuch, but he actually had nearly ten million taels of gold yuan certificates on him. Just where had he gotten all this money from? Moreover, not too long ago, Niu Xiantong had sent a memorial to the First Prince. The contents of this memorial were inverting black and white, bragging on Zhang Shougui's behalf, making the defeat at the Huang River a great victory, and even begging the Imperial Court to reward him. Because of the severity of the matter, the First Prince consulted us old officials. The First Prince can personally testify for this matter. Your Majesty, please punish them severely no matter what! "
Another civil official walked out from the ranks, but what he said was one disaster after another. The situation was getting worse and worse for Zhang Shougui.
The Imperial Court was deathly still. Even those generals who wanted to argue on Zhang Shougui's behalf were trembling, unable to speak. The Confucians had come prepared. The two letters of denunciation from Zhang Shougui's subordinates were already extremely unfavorable. Moreover, they had the support of gold yuan certificates and the First Prince's personal testimony!
The Eldest Prince was His Majesty's eldest legitimate son. Anything that involved the Eldest Prince was a sure thing. No matter how difficult it was to accept, this was a fact that they had no choice but to acknowledge.
The Andong Protector-General Zhang Shougui and his Youzhou army, skilled in war, had actually suffered a crushing defeat at the Huang River, losing to the Xi and the Khitans. And they had even falsely claimed a deer as a horse to deceive His Majesty.
"How could this be? Can not even Zhang Shougui be saved? If this is the case, who will dare to contend against the Confucians in the future? Won't our martial path and the military path forever be suppressed by the Confucians? The Tang Dynasty will have crippled its own martial arts? Once the barbarians invade, who will be able to contend against them? "
Below the First Prince, an old military official with grizzled temples, had a heavy heart. He had been in the Imperial Court for several decades, but he had never encountered such a perilous situation. Upon entering the hall, this old official almost subconsciously turned his head and expectantly looked to the end of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, to that tall and slender figure near the gate.
The entire military was in grave danger. Although he knew that this was an impractical idea, if there was anyone who could reverse the tides and change everything, it was probably the King of Foreign Lands.
"Buzz!"
Just at this moment, a strange feeling welled up in his heart. The old military official turned his head and was stunned to find that almost all the generals in the court were looking at the young figure at the end of the hall, just like him.
"Haaah!"
Wang Chong mentally gave a long sigh. He could clearly sense the mood. Zhang Shougui's matter had caught everyone off guard. An invincible military official with elite soldiers under his command had actually suffered such a crushing defeat. To many people, this was something they would never have imagined.
"Lord Zhang! You truly are a hero for a lifetime, but a fool for a moment! "
Wang Chong mentally shook his head. In terms of pure ability to command, there was no need to doubt Zhang Shougui's ability. Back then, when Youzhou in the northeast was in turmoil, Zhang Shougui had been stationed in Longxi and sent to Youzhou to put out the fire. And Zhang Shougui did not disappoint. He successfully established the Andong Protectorate army and firmly suppressed the Xi, the Khitans, the Western Turkic Khaganate, and the Goguryeo Empire, which had been wreaking havoc on the border.
Even someone as arrogant as Yeon Gaesomun, the King of Goguryeo, had turned from a tiger into a cat in front of him. All he could do was defend, not counterattack. For ten-some years, he had been unable to sleep, fearing that Zhang Shougui would lead the Youzhou army into his base.
This was a true hero of the Tang dynasty. Even Wang Chong would heartily sigh in praise when he heard some of his deeds.
Zhang Shougui himself was probably in the dark about the battle of the Huang River, but Wang Chong knew what was going on. The strength of the Youzhou army was renowned throughout the world. If they had not worked together from the inside and schemed against the Khitans, they would have never lost to the Xi and the Khitans.
On Mount Kangzhamou, a figure suddenly appeared in Wang Chong's mind.
As expected, this greatest threat to the Tang dynasty had begun to push aside Zhang Shougui. But Zhang Shougui had never noticed this. Wang Chong had warned him, but alas, he had been too conceited, conceited to the point that he would not listen to any advice, conceited to the point that he believed he could control both the Hu and the Han, control everything.
He had never once believed that the 'bird' he had raised would have the courage to turn around and attack him.
This is the last time I can help you! Take it as me returning your favor! "
As these thoughts flitted through Wang Chong's mind, he quickly turned his head in another direction. There, a general was fidgeting, apparently waiting for something. When he saw Wang Chong's gaze, he immediately calmed down.
"Begin!"
Wang Chong shot him a glance.
"Your Majesty! This subject has a memorial to present! "
Just when the atmosphere was extremely oppressive, a loud voice suddenly rang out in the hall. Under the gazes of countless people, the general strode out with his ceremonial tablet in hand.
"This subject has a letter from Youzhou, from Andong Protector-General Zhang Shougui. This subject hopes to present it to Your Majesty."
Whoooah!
These words came out of the blue, and the entire hall was in an uproar. All the civil officials, including Ye Haicheng, looked at each other. Suddenly, their expressions became incomparably serious.
What's going on here? How could there be a private letter from Zhang Shougui to the Holy Emperor?
Ye Haicheng's mind was in turmoil. This matter had originally been in the bag, but now, things had taken a completely different direction. For a moment, he didn't even know what to do.
"Bring it up!"
At this moment, the Holy Emperor's dignified and resounding voice came from the hall. His voice was suffused with an awe-inspiring strength that instantly silenced the entire Imperial Court. The general held a letter with both hands, lowered his head, and respectfully walked up to the letter.
When he reached the steps, Gao Lishi quickly stepped forward, took the letter, and placed it in the Holy Emperor's hands.
For a moment, the mood in the Imperial Court was extremely strange. Everyone's eyes were focused on the letter in the Holy Emperor's hands, all of them speculating about the contents of Zhang Shougui's letter.
Time slowly passed. In the hall, the Sage Emperor had a dignified expression, his face devoid of emotion. But to those old officials who were familiar with the Sage Emperor, the Sage Emperor's taut brow had clearly relaxed after reading Zhang Shougui's letter.
"Your Majesty! In the battle of the Huang River, Zhang Shougui was blinded by greed. He feared that the Holy Emperor's rebuke would affect his chances of entering the capital and becoming Prime Minister, so he thought of bribing an angel. Just as Supervisory Censor Ye Haicheng said, there is no doubt about it. Zhang Shougui is duty-bound. Your Majesty, please punish him severely! But Zhang Shougui also had his reasons for doing this. Everyone knows of Zhang Shougui's obsession with the position of Prime Minister. Ten-some years ago, if not for an accident, Zhang Shougui would have already become the Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty. Everyone in the world knows of this.
"Victory and defeat are commonplace for a soldier. As the Andong Protector-General, Zhang Shougui made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty. Moreover, although Zhang Shougui was muddle-headed, in the end, he still remembered Your Majesty's favor. He reined in his horse at the brink of the precipice, realized his error, and confessed to Your Majesty. A flaw cannot obscure a jade. I hope that Your Majesty will see clearly! "
The general bowed his head and respectfully said.
In the hall, the civil officials, led by Ye Haicheng, had extremely nasty complexions. The general's words had reduced Zhang Shougui's crimes to the minimum. If the Holy Emperor had listened to his words, then this operation to deal with Zhang Shougui would have completely failed.
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