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

Chapter 26 Blood-stained

On a sunny day, Gongsun Hong's two-person palanquin would normally be parked at the foot of the stone steps of Chengming Hall. Today, with the sudden downpour, the two eunuchs on duty had already carried the palanquin to the eaves outside the hall and were waiting for the Prime Minister to come out.

According to the Han dynasty system, princes or elderly and sick ministers could be granted the privilege of riding in a two-person palanquin at Weiyang Palace by special decree.

The so-called double-person sedan chair is nothing more than a specially made chair with the back and sides sealed with a single piece of wood, leaving only the front open for people to sit on. In rainy or snowy weather, a cover can be added on top, and a curtain can be added in front. Two bamboo poles pass through the sides of the chair, and it is carried by two people either by hand or on their shoulders.

Gongsun Hong was appointed prime minister, and his old age was real, but his illness was fake. Based on this, he had been enjoying the privilege of riding in this palanquin since the fifth year of Yuanshuo. The rain at the turn of summer and autumn came and went quickly. The eunuch on duty added a cover to the palanquin and a curtain in front of it. But now, the sky has cleared up again.

Gongsun Du helped his father walk from Chengming Hall to the main hall gate, almost shuffling along. The short distance of five zhang felt like three years to Gongsun Du.

In a short while, the outer court and the inner court underwent a sudden change, and the second-in-command of both courts, the Imperial Censor and the Grand Master of the Palace, both perished.

Although the father did not utter a word until His Majesty stormed off, how many of the central government officials were truly confused?

Zhang Tang was merely a pawn; the real mastermind was his father, the prime minister.

The threshold of the tall Chengming Hall was right under their feet, but Gongsun Du couldn't step over it no matter what he did. At this moment, Gongsun Hong put his hands together to help his son slowly step over with one leg first, and then slowly step over with the other leg.

The eunuchs on duty carrying the palanquin dared not be negligent. One of them immediately raised the palanquin poles so that the front poles touched the ground, allowing the prime minister to step over them. The other eunuch lifted the curtain of the palanquin so that the prime minister could sit in the palanquin.

Gongsun Hong seemed not to see the palanquin and walked directly down the stone steps of the main hall.

The eunuchs were all dumbfounded.

Zhang Tang, who followed the Grand Tutor out of the palace, shook his head at the eunuchs. "Grand Tutor, he wants to talk to his son."

Following Zhang Tang, ministers, marquises, and members of the imperial family from both dynasties also emerged from the palace. The three groups of people moved at varying distances, with the group moving quickly in front and slowly behind.

"father!"

Gongsun Du's cry was almost like a heroic sacrifice: "You old man have been stirring up trouble for His Highness, but no one will be there to protect my son from the storm. After your death, I'm afraid I'll be torn to pieces."

He had no ambition, or rather, apart from Gongsun Hong, none of the Gongsun family's children and grandchildren had any ambition.

No matter how inspiring Gongsun Hong's experiences were—from herding pigs at sea to becoming a scholar, then a court attendant at the Golden Gate, rising to the position of Left Inner Historian, Imperial Censor, and finally becoming a prime minister and a marquis—none of them could motivate the Gongsun family.

Gongsun Du was delighted by his father's rising through the ranks, but he was thinking that after his father's death, he could inherit the title of Marquis of Pingjin, which was equivalent to "the Marquis of Bao, the Prime Minister," and live a life of leisure and idleness.

As for the position of prime minister, don't be ridiculous. He's lucky if he can govern a county, let alone a large country. He doesn't have that ability, you know?

Seeing that his father was nearing his end and that he was about to be granted the title of marquis, his father, who had always been on the same side as His Majesty, suddenly turned against him, not only abandoning the ship but also personally killing several of His Majesty's trusted generals.

Just thinking about His Majesty's furious outburst after the court session made Gongsun Du shudder. How could he withstand His Majesty's retribution after his father's death?
Gongsun Hong stopped, slowly turned his head to look at his son, his face full of panic and tears. "My son, for the past ten years, the Han Dynasty has been ruled by only one person, the Emperor."

There are disastrous winds and auspicious rains; the disastrous winds have blown me, and the auspicious rains have also drenched me. Fortune and misfortune have always gone hand in hand. Therefore, I held the belief that I did not seek merit, but rather that avoiding mistakes was merit enough, and thus rose to the position of Chancellor of the Han Dynasty. Everyone calls me a "clay-sculpted Chancellor," but how many people know the merits I have made?

Those who understand me are only those who know me from the Spring and Autumn Annals! Those who condemn me are only those who know me from the Spring and Autumn Annals!

His Majesty's imperial might grows stronger day by day. If we do not fight back, after me, every prime minister of the Han Dynasty will be like a clay sculpture.

"Unusually, Your Highness possesses some of the bearing of a sage king, attempting to summon wind and rain from the depths of a hidden dragon. The storms that have arisen today are not to harm you, but to save my Gongsun family."

After saying this, Gongsun Hong released his son's hand and continued walking forward alone, albeit with difficulty.

Gongsun Du's eyes remained clear, but as he watched his father's figure gradually recede into the distance, he felt that his father's figure was growing taller and taller, so he hurriedly followed his father's figure.

Chengming Hall is the core area in the northern part of Weiyang Palace. It forms an axis with Xuanshi Hall and Wenshi Hall. Its land includes Cangchi Pond. It was originally a royal garden, with water from Jueshui River. It is shaded by trees and has no high roof.

The prime minister has his own residence, while the high officials only have their own offices. After turning a corner, they went their separate ways. Coming out of the palace walls of Chengming Hall, there was only one road leading to the forbidden gate. After the rain, the sky was clear, the sun shone on the water, and the willows were still in the wind. Zhang Tang was originally walking in front, but as he walked, the Commandant of the Guards, Li Guang, caught up with him.

The ministers, nobles, and members of the imperial family in both the central and outer courts were in turmoil, knowing that there was still fighting ahead. Their minds were in turmoil, and they tacitly slowed down their pace.

Li Guang suddenly overtook Zhang Tang and stopped in front of him. The stone path was only a few feet wide. He stood in the middle, turned around, and their eyes met. Under the blazing sun, they stood facing each other.

"You dragged my younger brother off his horse. I thought His Majesty would reward you with a position in the Imperial Library, but it turns out you're still going to end up here." Li Guang's loud voice didn't diminish at all, even in a place like Weiyang Palace.

The dukes, marquises, and members of the imperial family stood still, even holding their breath, listening quietly without judging, as if engaged in a hand-to-hand battle.

"The positions of the Three Dukes are a matter of fortune to obtain and fate to lose. Does the Minister of the Imperial Guard not have to live without these positions?"

Zhang Tang wasn't afraid of him at all. Although his voice wasn't as loud, his tone was no lower than Li Guang's. "Or is it that the Li family is still dreaming of 'becoming a marquis with the title of prime minister'? Does the Minister of the Imperial Guard know that he has no destiny to become a marquis in this life?"

This wasn't just sour grapes; it was downright malicious. The difficulty of being granted a marquisate remained a deep wound for Li Guang. If he hadn't accepted the seal of the King of Liang back then, if he hadn't gotten lost on the northern expedition, if… This place happened to be at a bend in the road, and Li Guang's position was somewhat disadvantageous. His face was directly in the sunlight, and with his eyes wide open, he was painfully pierced by the sunlight. Suppressing his raging anger, he replied, "My Li family has never had the intention of rewarding a marquis with the title of Prime Minister, nor has it ever thought of rewarding a marquis with the title of Prime Minister!"

"Oh, so you don't want to?" Zhang Tang said calmly.

Another knife!

The nobles, marquises, and members of the imperial clan, seeing Li Guang nearly pass out from anger, his temples bulging and his hands clenched into fists, couldn't imagine how chaotic the scene would have been if it weren't for Weiyang Palace.

There are two types of people who love to argue: one type remains calm no matter how furious you are, and the other type will pick a fight with you and then walk away.

When Zhang Tang faced Li Guang, he used the second method: when Li Guang's anger was rising, he left the stone road, detoured to the grassland, and walked past.

Li Guang couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood as the sunlight shone on the azure surface of the Cangchi Pond, staining the palace with blood.

(End of this chapter)