Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 339 There's a Sky Above Our Heads
Yan Shu and his wife led Yan Liang to Yan Song's study in three quick steps. As soon as they reached the door, a stack of documents flew over their heads!
The couple hurriedly took it, bowed, and went inside, weakly calling out "Father."

Yan Song, still in his official robes with his ceremonial cap to one side, cursed the two of them, "You bastards!" and then slammed his fist on the table: "This is the mess you two have made! This is the household you've been put in charge of!"

The couple hurriedly knelt down, and Yan Liang followed suit.

Yan Song gritted his teeth: "It's such a trivial matter, what's the big deal? If the younger generation doesn't follow the rules, they should be severely punished as a warning. If you sense anything is wrong, you should nip it in the bud immediately!"

"But you were arrogant and complacent, and you protected and indulged them, so that time and time again, things got out of control in your hands!"

"A tall tree catches the wind, don't you understand that principle? Or do you think that just because your father has been in charge of the cabinet for so many years, no one will care if things turn upside down?"

"Have you forgotten that there is also a sky pressing down on my head!"

"Grandfather, please calm down!" Yan Liang knelt down and pleaded, "It's not that Father and Mother are incompetent, but the Shen family's actions this time were completely unexpected, and there are many suspicious circumstances behind the matter. As a result, the measures that were taken in advance were all broken through by He Ping, and he did so very quickly! Neither of you two expected this, so there must have been some oversights..."

"Get out of my way!" Yan Song glared at him. "I know him better than you do!"

After saying that, he turned to Yan Shu and said, "I warned you long ago to curb your greed. It's one thing to accept some tributes from your subordinates, but you even dared to covet military pay!"
"It's one thing to have done it, but I warned you a while ago not to try to plant any spies in the Shen family. But you went your own way and insisted on sending the Lu family's girl in!"
“How could a girl raised in the city have any sense of the big picture? If Jin hadn’t made such a fuss, how could the Shen family have taken the opportunity to cause trouble?

"As a result, not only did the Yan family lose face, but you were also demoted. Such a loss outweighs any gain, all because of your arrogance and recklessness. Is there any reason to argue about this?!"

The angry rebukes grew louder and louder, leaving Yan Shu and his wife red-faced and speechless.

Seeing this, Yan Liang dared not utter a sound. His parents were being scolded, and he was merely watching from the sidelines, which was truly unfilial. However, he was now in a dilemma and could only bury his head deeply to avoid witnessing it.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone else coming to the door. This time, it was a staff member from the mansion, followed by one of Yan Song's students, who was also an official working in the Six Ministries!
Yan Liang sensed something was wrong and raised his head.

The two had already entered. The official skipped all formalities and simply bowed to Yan Song, saying, "Master! The situation in the palace is not good. Just now, I heard from the Six Ministries that His Majesty has issued an edict ordering the Embroidered Uniform Guard to bring Brother Ling Chuan into the palace for questioning!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Song was filled with rage and kicked Yan Shu in the shoulder: "You beast! Your death is nigh!"

Yan Shu knelt down and wept, crying, "My son has done wrong, Father, please save me!"

Yan Song put his hands behind his back and took a deep breath, ignoring him.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, He, has come to request an audience by imperial decree..."

At present, the servants' reports have also been simplified.

Yan Shu was stunned for a moment, then grabbed Yan Song's leg and cried out, "Father, please think of something!"

He knew that Yan Song was just saying things in anger. As long as Yan Song was not implicated and the emperor did not directly punish Yan Song as well, he would definitely be able to find a way to save himself!
Yan Song glared at him hatefully: "Get out first!"

After saying that, he picked up the Zhai Guan next to him.

Yan Shu immediately got up and helped him put it on, then followed him step by step as he walked outside.

He Ping and his men were already standing outside the gate of the Yan residence, where Yan Qu was to deal with the situation.

“Lord He.” Yan Song stepped forward.

He Ping cupped his hands in a fist salute: "Your Excellency, I have been ordered to escort Lord Yan to the palace and dare not linger."

Yan Song said gently, "I'm sorry to trouble you to come all this way, sir. I haven't yet had an audience with His Majesty today, so I'll go with you."

After saying that, he glanced back and said, "Let's go."

He Ping watched as the father and son got into the sedan chair, then he also got on his horse and turned it around.

……

Beneath the palace gate, beside the drum of petition, the crowd that had gathered earlier still remained, but the drumbeats had stopped, and Madam Jin was no longer present, so it was clear that she had been taken away.

The gates of the Qianqing Palace were also filled with a dense array of Imperial Guards.

When the eunuchs saw Yan Song, they bowed and greeted him, carrying a whisk: "Grand Secretary, please wait. His Majesty only invites Lord Yan to come in."

Yan Song glanced inside the hall: "I would be grateful if you could go in and inform His Majesty. I think His Majesty will not refuse."

The eunuch looked hesitant, but eventually nodded and went inside.

He came out shortly afterward, his face even more troubled: "His Majesty said that he would speak with the Grand Secretary later. For now, let Lord Yan go in by himself."

Yan Song stopped abruptly, having no choice but to give up.

Yan Shu had been to this place countless times and had seen countless officials in such a panicked state, but this time he was the center of the fray, and he felt an indescribable desolation. His gaze swept over the rows of flying fish robes, and he entered the door holding his breath.

The emperor sat on the couch, his hair hanging down his shoulders, leaning against the pillow as he looked over, making his phoenix eyes appear even more piercing.

Kneeling in the hall were Jin Yun, Jin Shi, and several officials, all of whom looked familiar and vaguely resembled officials from the Ministry of War.

Over the years, Jin Yun had become quite plump and strong, always adorned with gold and jade, and his hair was always neatly combed and shiny. But at this moment, his face was covered in sweat, as if he had been frightened several times. His official robes were also wrinkled, as if he had been dragged around several times in the past half day.

Jin was naturally disheveled, and her eyes were especially bloodshot. When she saw Yan Shu, her bloodshot gaze turned into knives, making her look like a madwoman.

Besides, Shen Bo, who was accompanied by the Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Ministry of War, was also by the emperor's side!
Shen Bo sat on the brocade stool under the emperor's bed, a seat that Yan Song had usually occupied for many years!

At this moment, he was dressed in fine clothes and wore a tall hat, looking over with a cold expression. Beneath his seemingly calm face, one could not discern his true intentions.

Seeing this, Yan Shu's heart sank into an abyss!

He first bent his knees and kowtowed. The emperor then asked, "The Jin family father and daughter revealed that you took the 300,000 taels of silver, that you gave Jin Huai the poison before he left, and that you also silenced the coroner from the Dali Temple who performed the autopsy. Are they telling the truth?"

"Your Majesty, I am innocent!"

Yan Shu shouted loudly, then burst into tears and prostrated himself on the ground. "Our Yan family is loyal to the Emperor, as Heaven and the sun and moon can attest! My father devoted his entire life to the court, working tirelessly for the country. My family would rather die for the Emperor than ever think of embezzling military funds."
"The Jin family has done me a great disservice!"