Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 654 Game
Huang felt a buzzing in his head, so frightened that he almost covered his ears, as if that would make it seem like nothing had happened.

How could someone as clever as the Imperial Attendant dare to contradict the Emperor again and again? This time, he simply interrupted the Emperor; even Prime Minister Wang wouldn't dare to do that.

The eunuch Huang dared not utter a sound, and the inner palace was completely silent.

The Emperor's face was now filled with anger, his eyes filled with disappointment in Wang Yan: "It is because I have been too lenient with you that you dare to be so presumptuous."

Wang Yan lifted his robe and knelt on the ground, but his voice remained clear and resonant, without the slightest hint of backing down: "Your Majesty's words are golden and precious; this humble subject is filled with trepidation and has no choice but to comply."

Seeing Wang Yan kneel on the ground, the Emperor's anger did not diminish in the slightest. Instead, he pointed at Wang Yan for a long time without being able to speak, and then simply turned around and went to the back hall.

The eunuch Huang hurriedly led his men over to serve tea to the emperor.

“Your Majesty,” Huang, the eunuch, spoke up for Wang Yan, not because he favored Wang Yan, but because the Emperor could not appease his anger until this matter was resolved. “The fact that the Imperial Attendant knelt down to beg for forgiveness clearly shows that he knows he was wrong.”

"Do you think he repented because of his arrogance?" the Emperor said. "He was afraid that my words would hinder his marriage with Lady Xie."

"He is not kneeling before me, nor before the Liang Dynasty, but before Lady Xie."

"To lose one's mind for a woman like this is worse than a fool in the marketplace."

Wang Yan's kneeling also had another meaning. Civil officials of the Great Liang Dynasty would not kneel to the emperor casually. It was either to express gratitude, plead guilty, or to remonstrate to the death.

The emperor didn't say it outright because he didn't want to escalate the situation to the point of remonstrating to the death.

Cold sweat poured down Huang’s back again. He said in a low voice, “This old servant thinks this might not be such a bad thing. As His Majesty often says, ‘No one is perfect.’... Those who cannot be found to have made a single mistake, upon closer examination, are actually quite terrifying. They are either reincarnations of saints or they are hiding their true nature too well.”

"If Lord Wang wants to marry a noblewoman, which family wouldn't want that? Wouldn't it be better to form a marriage alliance for the Wang family? Putting aside everything else, any of the prominent families would be better than that Lady Xie. If Lord Wang is thinking of himself and the Wang family, he won't be so focused on protecting Lady Xie."

At this point, Huang, the eunuch, felt a chill in his heart for some reason, as if he had dug a huge pit for himself.

The Emperor looked at Eunuch Huang and said coldly, "I think you're just being clever."

Despite saying that, his complexion improved considerably. The Emperor took a sip of tea, but his face still showed hesitation. The Prince of Huai and Wang Yan had given him a big problem.

As the emperor, one cannot easily doubt one's chief minister. Once the news gets out, not only will the officials of the Privy Council question it, but other officials will also submit memorials criticizing him. If Xie Yizhi is truly to be punished, relying solely on the testimonies of a few people is useless; solid evidence is needed. Therefore, a thorough investigation is essential, and the investigation process will likely cause quite a stir.

If it weren't for Wang Yan's memorial mentioning the rebellion of the demonic sect leader Wang Ze, he wouldn't have made such a hasty decision. The Wang Ze rebellion made him endure the most difficult sixty-five days since his ascension to the throne.

An investigation is definitely necessary, but deciding who to send is proving difficult for the officials.

Wang Yan's investigation had both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage was that Wang Yan was a capable minister, but the disadvantage was that he was the son of Prime Minister Wang, which could easily cause factional strife. Countless officials would be drawn into it, with the two factions accusing each other and fabricating charges. Countless officials would be demoted as a result, leading to disorder in the court and exhaustion of national strength.

The emperor frowned. Moreover... Wang Yan was also involved with Lady Xie, which would easily lead to criticism. Yet, Wang Yan was unwilling to abandon Lady Xie.

Therefore, Wang Yan is even less suitable to investigate this case.

The rear hall remained silent. The eunuch Huang quietly went to the front hall, intending to signal Wang Yan to rise. Whether the Emperor had simply forgotten or intended to punish the court attendant, the matter shouldn't linger too long.

As Eunuch Huang approached, about to speak, Wang Yan raised his head first. Eunuch Huang was startled; Wang Yan appeared perfectly normal, just as he always did when summoned for an audience.

No wonder the Emperor was angry; there was no fear in his eyes at all. If Lord Wang were to become the Prime Minister of Liang, the Emperor would probably have to say goodbye to the phrase "rule of state" altogether.

Wang Yan took out a folded piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to the eunuch Huang: "Please give this to His Majesty."

Instead of reporting matters in the main hall, he secretly passed things through a eunuch. When this became known, the eunuch Huang felt that his head was in danger.

The eunuch Huang felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

Why didn't Lord Wang bring it out when His Majesty was in the main hall?
Clearly, Lord Wang wanted to wait until the Emperor had vented his anger and focused all his attention on the case before offering his advice.

If the Emperor can figure it out himself, that would be even better, and Lord Wang would be spared this ordeal.

They're really cunning down to the last strand of hair.

Huang, the eunuch, couldn't allow the stalemate between the emperor and his minister to continue. Moreover, he surmised that the emperor preferred Lord Wang to handle the matter, only lacking a proper reason. With this in mind, he reached out and took the paper, then quickly walked back to the inner palace.

“Your Majesty,” said Eunuch Huang, “Lord Wang asked this old servant to bring this over. Would Your Majesty like to see it?”

The Emperor glanced at the note, then looked towards the main hall, his gaze complex. He seemed to understand why Prime Minister Wang always spoke of his eldest son with such a mixture of pride and worry. He feared his son had created a massive mess… one that the entire Wang family couldn't fill…

Therefore, from some perspectives, if Wang Yan were willing to get married, it might be a good thing in the long run, at least there would be someone to restrain him and make him know to be more restrained.

I wonder if Lady Xie is that kind of person.

The official unfolded the paper, which had four characters written on it: "Regardless of whether it is new or old."

Regardless of whether it's new or old, it refers to...

This case does not involve the New Party or the Old Party, and has nothing to do with the reform movement. If anyone takes the opportunity to incite partisan strife, they should be suppressed with swift and decisive measures.

Can Wang Yan really do it?
The Emperor closed the paper, pondered for a moment, and looked at Eunuch Huang: "Summon the Imperial Secretary to draft an edict, order the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review to oversee all documents, send officials from the Censorate to supervise, and dispatch personnel from the Ministry of Justice to assist..."

Upon hearing this, the eunuch Huang subconsciously thought of Wang Yan. Had the Emperor decided to discontinue the position of the Court Attendant?

The Emperor paused for a moment, then spoke again: "The Imperial Attendant Wang Yan, in his detailed investigation, instructed the Imperial Attendant to thoroughly investigate the matter and to present the results to me as soon as possible."

The eunuch Huang replied, "This old servant will take care of it immediately." In the end, the case still fell to the court official. I wonder if Prime Minister Wang will be happy, angry, or worried when he finds out.

……

The Prince of Huai waited outside for a long time before Wang Yan came out of the main hall, knowing that the power struggle between Wang Yan and the Emperor had come to an end.

Prince Huai was about to step forward when, for some reason, a strange emotion suddenly flashed through his mind.

For a moment, he suddenly felt that Wang Yan looked very...annoying. Perhaps...he had guessed the Emperor's intentions and felt a sense of empathy for him at this moment?
(End of this chapter)