Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 373 Am I a Wise Ruler?
"You know that too?" the emperor sneered. "Then guess what I'm going to ask?"

Li Quan looked down at the ground: "Just now, Gao Hong slandered this old servant, and his words were so detailed and convincing that it's only natural that His Majesty believed some of it."

"What His Majesty wants to ask is naturally why the evidence submitted by Gao Hong has been turned into evidence accusing the Yan family of forming a faction."

The emperor gritted his teeth: "Since you know, then explain!"

"Your Majesty, Gao Hong lives deep within the palace and has formed a faction with the Yan family. Without sufficient manpower, this is absolutely impossible. With so many people gathered around him, there will always be one or two who refuse to join him in his corrupt ways."

"The reason why I knew in advance and was able to prepare was because someone close to him tipped me off."

"The person has already been arranged to wait outside the hall. If His Majesty wishes to interrogate him personally, this old servant will bring him in immediately."

Upon hearing this, the emperor looked towards the door and saw a familiar-looking eunuch standing outside the shop, trembling as he peered into the room.

Li Quan said, "This man is one of Gao Hongshou's apprentices. Last night, he came to tell me that Gao Hongshou had formed a faction with the Yan family and that he planned to plant false evidence in my room last night so that when he came to accuse me today, he could prove my guilt!"

The emperor gave him a cold look: "Let him in!"

The young eunuch entered, and knelt down halfway there, crawling on his knees to the Emperor's side: "This servant greets Your Majesty!"

Li Quan gestured: "Tell me everything Gao Hong instructed you to do last night! Also, bring out the evidence Gao Hong originally intended to present to the Emperor!"

"Yes," the little eunuch stammered, "Master, no, last night when I brought Gao Hong a midnight snack, Gao Hong suddenly grabbed me and asked if I wanted to take a step further in my career."

"He even said that once he brings down Eunuch Li, the Grand Eunuch will be his for the taking. Then everyone in the family will rise to power, and someone like me can become his right-hand man!"

“I dared not refuse, so I agreed. Then he gave me a jade pendant and told me to put it in a secret compartment in Eunuch Li’s room.”

"He said he would persuade the Emperor to send people to search for traces today, and then this jade pendant would become the ironclad evidence to kill Eunuch Li and His Highness the Crown Prince for their collusion!"

"This servant has been in the palace for several years, and I only recently received a raise. I would rather die than get involved in such a thing."

"After thinking it over and over in the middle of the night, I found Eunuch Li and told him about it, hoping he could plead for me."

“Eunuch Li, Eunuch Li said that you can run away but you can’t hide. I betrayed Gao Hong, and he will definitely take revenge on me.”

"He then gave the younger brother directions, and the younger brother cleverly switched the evidence."

At this point, the young eunuch handed over another bundle he was carrying: "This is what Gao Hong is preparing to hand over. Please, Your Majesty, please take a look!"

Li Quan took the document, opened it, and presented it to the emperor with both hands: "These things do indeed correct the old servant and His Highness the Crown Prince, but they are all forgeries. There are obvious fresh ink stains in many places, making it clear that they are temporary forgeries. Your Majesty may summon people from the Dali Temple to authenticate them."

The emperor took it, flipped through a few pages, and then threw it down: "Very good! Very good! They all treat me as a tool to eliminate dissidents!"

Li Quan knelt down: "This old servant had no choice but to do this, please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

"Forgiveness?!" the emperor exclaimed. "Back then, when you knelt and pleaded with me to establish an heir, you used the excuse that a country cannot be without a ruler for a day! Now that the Yan family's crimes are being exposed one after another, and settling these matters is unreliable, haven't you ever harbored any resentment towards me in your heart?!"

Li Quan slowly sat up, looking at him with tears in his eyes, and said, "If Your Majesty speaks of this to this old servant, you might as well issue an order to have this old servant cut into a thousand pieces!"

The emperor glared at him fiercely.

"You're all birds of a feather! You're all birds of a feather! Do you think I don't know that you all think I'm not a wise ruler!"

"If this old servant has such a heart, I am willing to be a slave for eternity!"

"go away!"

The emperor grabbed a bowl from the table and smashed it at him. Unable to bear the two consecutive outbursts of anger, he swayed and slumped back onto the couch. Li Quan bent down to pick it up, tossing it, along with the broken pieces of porcelain, into the spittoon. Then, kneeling, he looked at the emperor:

"In this world, are things really just black and white? The Emperor's appointment of Shen Bo to pacify the Northwest is already a great achievement for posterity."

"From the day His Majesty ascended to this throne, he never intended to let down the people. The Yan family was guilty of heinous crimes, but His Majesty's initial intention in appointing them was because they had genuine talent and learning."

"You did not intend to appoint corrupt officials and go against the world. Even if things don't go as planned, the Emperor is still trying to restore order. Why should we slander the Emperor?"

"Even if this old servant supports establishing a crown prince, it's because whether it's the current crown prince or Prince Ning, they are both His Majesty's own flesh and blood!"

He spoke slowly and in a low voice, which sounded incredibly loud in the quiet hall.

The emperor glared at him for a long time, then swallowed hard a few times. "I don't trust any of you anymore. Do you think I'll believe anything you're saying?!"

A mouthful of blood gushed from the corner of his mouth, dripping down his dragon robe.

"Your Majesty!" Li Quan exclaimed in alarm, scrambling to his feet and rushing to the bedside. "Your Majesty, what's wrong? Summon the imperial physician! Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"

"go away!"

The emperor roared, "Get out of here!"

Li Quan retreated, his face pale.

Upon reaching the palace gates, he immediately ordered a eunuch, "Summon the imperial physician at once! Any delay will result in punishment!"

The little yellow dogs ran away.

Li Quan steadied himself, then looked at the distraught eunuch behind him and said sternly, "Stay put! If you want to live, don't run around. Don't come out until you're summoned!"

"...Yes, yes, I obey!"

The young eunuch scrambled away, and Li Quan withdrew his gaze, turning back into the hall.

Last night, he and Shen Qingzhou successfully switched the beams and pillars, and naturally took precautions against any oversights. That's how the little eunuch was dealt with in advance.

Naturally, the so-called evidence of collusion with the crown prince that was later presented to the emperor had also been manipulated.

Once inside the curtained room, the emperor was already sitting cross-legged on the couch, his eyes closed, meditating. Li Quan brought him a cup of water. He opened his eyes, pulled open a small drawer under the kang table, took out a pill, put it in his mouth, thought for a moment, and then added another one, swallowing it with water.

Li Quan looked at him with concern.

The emperor put down his cup: "After Gao Hong dies, have He Ping have him thrown into a mass grave outside the city! Confiscate all his property!"

"...Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Issue another decree to Yan Song, demanding another 500,000 taels of silver, ordering him to gather the funds and hand them over within ten days. If there is any delay, I will have He Ping personally lead men to the Yan family to collect it!"

"Yes!"

"After everything is done, issue an imperial decree to the Shen family as well."

Upon hearing this, Li Quan glanced up.

The emperor sat quietly for a moment, then said slowly, "After Shen Bo returns to the capital from his inspection, appoint him as Minister of Personnel."