A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 257 Burying people
He was entrusted with an important task and sent out of Beijing.

Disappearing from the center of power is tantamount to disappearing from public view, and then being forced to commit suicide.

If they are not executed, the meritorious officials now and in the future will not feel panic.

As for why a perfectly healthy person would commit suicide, that's not something outsiders can discuss.

Most of the Yuan Gong families today have original sins on their hands, and the imperial court can make a promise that if one person dies, the whole family will not, forcing them to make a choice.

Of course, there is no shortage of people in the world who are extremely self-centered and unwilling to sacrifice themselves even if it means sacrificing their entire family. In such cases, the court will inform their clansmen that one person's death can save the whole family. Yuan Gong families are all large clans, and it is believed that there will be decisive individuals who can solve the problems for the court and bring life to the family.

The claim that being stabbed eighty times in the back constitutes suicide is not from the court, but from his family. Who can say otherwise?

This is the way to deal with influential figures: first lure them away from their positions, then use someone else to do the dirty work.

The imperial court always played a glorious role in this. I was giving you important responsibilities, so how could you say I was bad?

You were killed by yourself and your own people. What does it have to do with me?

Mo Zimo, Huo Guang, and Chen Mo finally saw the Prime Minister's "Murder Manual," and cold sweat instantly broke out on their backs—it was terrifying.

Zhang Tang remained expressionless, thinking of the death of Zhu Fu Yan and Dong Zhongshu's perilous journey to Jiaoxi. These two great talents were both victims of the old prime minister's tactic of using others to kill them; one died, and the other was left with irreparable psychological trauma.

Now, the old prime minister is going to take action against the group of founding heroes again.

The Cao family, descended from Cao Can, the first Marquis of Pingyang; the Wang family, descended from Wang Ling, the first Marquis of Anguo; the Yong family, descended from Yong Chi, the first Marquis of Shifang… all had merits, but also original sins.

Among those who made outstanding military achievements during the establishment of the Han Dynasty, Cao Shen made the most contributions, conquering a total of two vassal states and 122 counties.

Two vassal kings, three vassal state prime ministers, six generals, and one each of prefect, military commander, military officer, and imperial censor were captured.

Therefore, in the sixth year of Emperor Gaozu's reign, Emperor Gaozu and the feudal lords separated the tally as a token, so that the titles of the enfeoffed would be passed down from generation to generation without interruption. He enfeoffed Cao Can with 10,630 households in Pingyang County as his fief, and gave him the title of Marquis of Pingyang.

In the second year of Emperor Hui's reign, Xiao He died, and Cao Can succeeded him as Chancellor of the Han Dynasty. He followed Xiao He's laws without making any changes, leaving behind the famous story of "Cao following Xiao's rules".

However, behind this beautiful story lies the fact that during the three years that Cao Can served as chancellor, the power of the founding heroes of the Han Dynasty and the imperial princes expanded wildly. This eventually led to a coup d'état that destroyed the Lü clan and secured the Liu family's rule many years later.

It took four generations of emperors and more than sixty years for the Han Dynasty to weaken the two powerful families and princes who had fully grown up.

As for Marquis Wang Ling of Anguo, Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang once regarded him as his elder brother. During the chaos at the end of the Qin Dynasty, when Emperor Gaozu raised an army in Pei County, Wang Ling also raised an army at this time. As a stable general, he led troops to the north to pacify the former Wei territory of Dongjun, and then marched west to pacify Nanyang County.

Emperor Gao, who was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Wu'an of Chu, also led his troops westward. Every city he passed through surrendered. When Emperor Gao arrived at Danshui, Marquis Gao Wu and Wang Ling also forced the surrender of Xiling County in Nanjun of Qin.

After Wang Ling and Emperor Gao's troops entered Nanyang County, Zhang Cang, a man from Yangwu County, was almost beheaded for breaking the law, but was saved by Wang Ling.

When the two armies arrived at Ba Shang and Emperor Gao entered Xianyang, Wang Ling refused to submit to Emperor Gao and instead gathered several thousand followers to establish his own regime in Nanyang County.

It wasn't until Wang Ling's mother was boiled alive by Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King, that Wang Ling truly pledged allegiance to Emperor Gaozu.

This is why, when Emperor Gao was compiling a list of meritorious officials, Wang Ling was ranked only as the twelfth of the eighteen marquises established at the beginning of the Han Dynasty, based on his status as a "guest" in Fengyi.

Original sin, dissatisfaction.

Marquis Yong Chi of Shifang was even more remarkable. Yong Chi was originally a powerful clan in Pei County. In the first year of Qin Er Shi (Hu Hai), when Emperor Gaozu rebelled against Qin, Yong Chi followed him.

However, Yong Chi had always looked down on Emperor Gao. When Emperor Gao led his troops out, Yong Chi surrendered Fengyi and surrendered to Zhou Shi of Wei. Emperor Gao was furious and returned to attack Fengyi, but failed to capture it. Emperor Gao hated Yong Chi very much because of this. So he incorporated the troops of Dang County and attacked Fengyi again, but failed to capture it again. Finally, he borrowed troops from Xiang Liang and attacked Fengyi for the third time, finally driving Yong Chi away.

Later, Yong Chi submitted to the State of Zhao and then to Emperor Gaozu. In the sixth year of Emperor Gaozu's reign, Emperor Gaozu rewarded his meritorious officials and enfeoffed many marquises. Hearing that some people were dissatisfied and complained every day, he asked Zhang Liang for advice. Zhang Liang said that His Majesty should reward the person he hates the most, so that everyone would have the hope of being rewarded.

Yong Chi then received the title of Marquis of Shifang.

The greatest traitor under Emperor Gao, without exception, whose original sin was grave.

Today, it is time to repay the debt.

The contemporary Marquis of Anguo, Wang Pifang, and the contemporary Marquis of Shifang, Yong Huan, are both under investigation by the Imperial Censor. The Censor-in-Chief possesses a wealth of evidence against the two marquises and their respective mansions. Moreover, as the great-grandsons of the "original marquis," Wang Pifang and Yong Huan are already advanced in age and are likely to submit to their descendants.

Only… Zhang Tang thought for a moment, “Old Prime Minister, the Pingyang Marquis’s Mansion, the court cannot pardon his crimes.”

Whether it was Marquis Cao Xiang of Pingyang, who defied the imperial decrees, or his mother, Princess Pingyang, who always flattered His Majesty, both were on the court's kill list.

The reason why the mother and son were able to live so long is undoubtedly because the mother, Princess Pingyang, was the eldest daughter of Emperor Xiaojing and the elder sister of His Majesty, and her son was His Majesty's nephew and son-in-law. In addition, she had a relatively clean background.

However, the Imperial Censor, who was directly impeached, had already obtained evidence that the Marquis of Pingyang's household colluded with county officials to deliberately create disasters, destroy dikes, and flood fields in order to seize land.

They also obtained conclusive evidence that Princess Pingyang had engaged in immoral and debauched behavior, thus undermining the previous emperor's system.

To kill two birds with one stone, Princess Pingyang "favored handsome young men," and among the handsome young men favored by Princess Pingyang was one named Dong Yan.

This is Dong Yan, who was appointed General Ping Le by His Majesty and was favored by the Princess and His Majesty. Dong Yan entered and left Princess Dou's residence with his mother when he was thirteen years old. Before being favored by Princess Dou, he lived in Princess Pingyang's residence.

To put it more clearly, Dong Yan served two generations of princesses of the Han Dynasty. In fact, it was Princess Pingyang who instructed Dong Yan to serve Princess Dou after she had grown tired of him.

This matter has not yet been reported to the emperor, but Zhang Tang is determined to take this opportunity to make a name for himself as the Embroidered-Robed Censor, so that all the subjects of the country will tremble at the mere mention of his name.

Princess Dou, Princess Pingyang, Marquis Pingyang, and Zhang Tang will not be spared. How could the Cao family possibly choose to sacrifice one person to save the whole family?

The complex relationships between His Majesty, Princess Dou, and Princess Pingyang made the eyes of the three brothers, Mo Zimo, Huo Guang, and Chen Mo, light up.

Dong Yan, a favorite of two generations of princesses and a favored minister of the emperor, was known throughout the land for his high status and favor. To some extent, he was also a "model among men," albeit in a derogatory sense.

What is it like to be a dragon prince or princess?

Think carefully!

Gongsun Hong tapped Mo Zimo and Huo Guang on the head with his finger, and the intense pain instantly wiped away their thoughts.

Gongsun Hong looked at Zhang Tang with exasperation and said, "Then do it!"

"Knowing that the Emperor and Empress Wei hate Princess Dou and Princess Pingyang, why don't you take action immediately?"

"Do you have to pick a day to bury someone?"

(End of this chapter)