History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 453 Yuanzhao Yuanzhao dies!
Time flies, spring goes and summer comes, the grass and trees grow taller and the grains flourish.

Having fulfilled the emperor's wish and moved their ancestral graves to Bohai County, the Gao family returned to the capital. The procession was led by Duke Gao Meng of Bohai. As he waved his arm, the cavalry slowed their pace. Looking at the city gate that was close at hand, a multitude of emotions welled up in his heart.

"Look, what a majestic general!" a farmer's wife who had set up a stall by the roadside exclaimed in praise.

“Yes, yes,” the surrounding vendors chimed in.

Gao Meng found the words agreeable and turned around to say, "Tell everyone to keep their mounts under control and not to disturb the people."

His cousins ​​Gao Zhi and Gao Zhan rode on their horses from both sides of the procession, repeatedly issuing the order: "The Duke of Bohai has ordered that we are about to enter the city, and the people must not be disturbed!"

After the Gao family passed, the vendors spat, using the dust they exhaled to bury their disgust for the officials deep within their grime. If it weren't for the pressure of making a living, and if they weren't afraid that the officials would kick their stalls with their horses to show off their power, who would bother to curry favor with these corrupt officials!
At another city gate, two messengers on horseback, carrying messenger flags, entered the city one after the other, bringing news from Yangzhou that enraged the emperor!
All the high-ranking officials from the Secretariat, Chancellery, and Ministry of Personnel on duty were summoned to the Qinghui Hall. As Wei Yao guessed, the emperor's last maternal uncle, Gao Xian, had died.

The document states that on the night Gao Xian arrived in Yangzhou, the Liang army launched a night attack on the supply camp. Governor Yuan Zhen personally led troops to provide support, and Gao Xian volunteered to accompany him. However, Gao Xian's eyesight was poor, and he was shot and killed by an arrow in the dark, which enraged Yuan Zhen's subordinates, who hacked Gao Xian to death.

On the stone floor of the main hall lay a wooden box containing Gao Xian's head, which had been brought back by the postman. In a separate document written by the Prince of Pengcheng, it was stated that many military officers in the camp believed that Gao Xian's crimes were unforgivable. In order to appease the army, they could not send Gao Xian's whole body back to the capital, and could only send back his mutilated head. The body of Governor Yuan Zhen was escorted by carriages and horses and was soon transported back to the capital as well.

The emperor asked his officials, "Military affairs are of utmost importance. Who can replace the governor of Yangzhou?"

A guard peered out of the palace gate. The eunuch Yang Fan knew there was another urgent matter, so he quickly went over, brought in a document, and whispered to the emperor: "Gao Meng, the Duke of Bohai, has returned and is requesting an audience. This is a letter urgently sent from Bohai Prefecture, saying that... the newly moved grave of the Gao family was struck open by lightning. This matter has caused a sensation, and the officials of the prefecture and county are finding it difficult to stop the people from talking about it."

The emperor's face grew increasingly flushed as he listened, and his breathing became rapid. Wei Yao acted decisively, scolding Yang Fan: "Hurry and summon Imperial Physician Cui!"

When the imperial physician Cui Yu arrived, the emperor had already caught his breath and his complexion had returned to normal. Cui Yu dared not be careless and slowly needled the acupoints with gold needles. The emperor saw that more guards were entering the hall but were stopped by Yang Fan. He couldn't help but feel tired and looked at Wei Yao.

Wei Yao understood and went over to ask what had happened. The guard reported, "Princess Jinan knew that Gao Meng and others were at Sima Gate, so she led a group of palace maids and eunuchs to beat Gao Meng."

As early as a month ago at the banquet at the Prince Yong's mansion, Wei Yao learned from the Prince of Pengcheng that Gao Meng was hiding the fact that he had a son. At the time, she felt that no matter how widely the news spread in the streets and alleys, it was not as good as telling the Princess of Jinan. The Prince of Pengcheng praised her for her brilliant idea. Today, the "brilliant" opportunity is right in front of us, and the timing is perfect.

Wei Yao feigned composure and returned to the emperor to inform him: "It's nothing. Princess Jinan learned that Gao Meng had returned to the capital and went to Sima Gate to see him. The princess brought many attendants, which startled Gao Meng's horse, causing him to fall and get injured. I told him to go back and recover first, and he will come to pay his respects to Your Majesty tomorrow."

After the imperial physician Cui removed the needles, the emperor's earlier discomfort and anxiety completely dissipated. He then waved to the officials, saying, "Brother Yi, you and Wei Yao stay here."

After the attendants had left, the emperor asked Wei Yao, "Tell me, what happened to Gao Meng?"

Wei Yao bowed and replied, "Princess Jinan heard from somewhere that Gao Meng has a son in Pingcheng. The princess had been holding a grudge for several days, so she pulled Gao Meng off his horse at Sima Gate and scratched his face."

The emperor sighed. His mother's family was truly beyond saving, no matter how much he tried to support them! Was it truly fate? All his painstaking planning had been utterly ruined in a single day!
No, it's definitely not fate.

But now is not the time to investigate the truth.

The Emperor said, "Today we must appoint a new governor for Yangzhou and replace the Grand Tutor with someone else to return to the capital."

Wei Yao immediately replied, "Your Majesty is slightly unwell. May I write a letter on Your Majesty's behalf and send it to the Grand Tutor?" The Emperor nodded.

Wei Yao continued, “The situation in Yangzhou is urgent. No one is more suitable to serve as governor than Guangwu Earl Yuan Ying. Your Majesty can send another member of the imperial clan, a minister who is on good terms with the Grand Tutor, to personally deliver a letter to Yangzhou, citing Your Majesty’s slight illness as the reason for requesting the Grand Tutor to return to court to assist in state affairs.”

If Yuan Yi, who was standing next to him, still couldn't understand the emperor's intention to keep him, then all his studies on his official career would have been in vain.

He bowed and requested, "Your subject wishes to go to Yangzhou."

The emperor's worries did not lessen. He instructed Yuan Yi to prepare for the departure, and then led Wei Yao to the east corridor, saying, "Do you think Yuan Xie can return to court with Yuan Yi?"

Wei Yao: "Among my colleagues in the court, only Yuan Xie's thoughts are beyond my comprehension. What I fear hearing and seeing is all that Yuan Xie has made me hear and see."

The emperor thought to himself, how could he not understand his sixth uncle? The other man had great prestige in the army and among the people, and he never made a mistake, which made him more and more wary of him every day! He really regretted it now. He shouldn't have suspected Wei Yao of suggesting that Yuan Cheng go to Yangzhou, and instead issued an edict to his sixth uncle, Yuan Xie.

Wei Yao changed the subject: "The Gao family has suffered one misfortune after another, which is too suspicious. There are no more than five people in the court who could have orchestrated this. Like Your Majesty, I suspect Yuan Xie, who is not in the capital. But this is a critical moment. Your Majesty can suspect him, but we cannot let him suspect Your Majesty. Therefore, I request that we increase the guards around the Grand Tutor's mansion to protect the Princess and other relatives."

The Emperor: "Very well." His mind was in turmoil. He was thankful that Wei Yao had reminded him of this; otherwise, if it had been used by the traitorous minister, Yuan Xie's hundreds of thousands of troops...

Thinking of this, he asked, "The cases of Tianbiao and Tianheng haven't been solved yet?"

Wei Yao: "I suspect General Wuwei Yuan Zhi and Palace Attendant Yuan Zhao, but these treacherous ministers have been plotting for years, being extremely careful, and have not left any evidence in the cases of Lu Mu and Liu Huo. What I have now discovered is... The reason why Cheng Lingqiu, the Vice Minister of Agriculture, was dismissed from his post in Xuzhou and immediately took up his post after being recalled to the capital was that he first bribed Cao, the elder sister-in-law of the Governor of Xuzhou, to reduce his punishment in Xuzhou. Cheng Lingqiu also gave money to Yuan Hui, the former Attendant-in-Ordinary, to obtain the position of Vice Minister of Agriculture. The money that Cheng Lingqiu gave to Yuan Hui was from a bet he made with Palace Attendant Yuan Zhao, which he won from the bet."

The emperor's anger finally found an outlet!

He snapped off a flower branch and said bitterly, "They are taking advantage of my youth."

Wei Yao also said with resentment: "It is my fault. I was always concerned about my position as the Vice Minister of the Court of Justice. I always wanted to present the evidence to the traitorous minister and demonstrate the justice of the law."

The Emperor said, “Your concerns are valid. You don’t need to worry about Yuan Zhi and the other two.”

Late the next night, Yuan Zhi, who was on leave at home, had a dream. In the dream, he stood on a high city wall and could command thousands of troops below the city with a wave of his hand. He ordered these troops to rush into the imperial city, surround the court officials like sheep, and then with a swift stroke of his sword, the imperial city became a dead city.

The raging fires symbolized his ambition to restore order to the court!
But the flames in his dream were so real that they scorched him awake.

Oh no, his mansion is really on fire!
The smell of kerosene means someone wants to kill him!
Yuan Zhi risked everything, pulling the blanket over his head and rushing out the door. The moment he stepped out, several sharp arrows pierced his chest. He bulged his eyes, trying to see who had killed him, but it was too late.

His body was thrown back into the fire.

At the same time, Yuan Zhao, a palace attendant who was fast asleep in the office, was also pressed down by several large hands. He didn't even have a chance to see who was pressing him down before he was smothered to death.

The Big Dipper twinkled in the night sky, as if to comfort the innocent souls killed by Yuan Zhi and Yuan Zhao: those who unjustly kill others will surely die a terrible death!