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

Chapter 280 Ascending the Palace
Murder is the weapon of the weak.

It is also the most taboo thing in politics.

This not only represents the abuse of force, but also that swords could be used against anyone at any time.

Today, it is the old prime minister.

Who will it be tomorrow?

The officials, nobles, and members of the imperial family of both the Chinese and foreign dynasties were united in their hatred of the enemy.

They are determined to eradicate the so-called chivalry, the so-called divine judgment, and the so-called life and death standards.

The 144 prefectures of the nine provinces of the Han Dynasty were carried on the shoulders of these people, not by wandering knights or bandits.

Fairness and justice are not for these troublemakers to talk about!

Zhu Anshi.

Most officials of both Chinese and foreign dynasties had heard of the name "Yangling Hero," who was a brutal and ruthless villain who bullied others with force.

During Your Majesty's reign, he was wanted by Your Majesty for violating the law by force. After hiding for a period of time, he unexpectedly reappeared and caused such a big incident.

It is tolerable and unbearable.

Some of the princes and ministers who arrived later, from an outsider's perspective, vaguely sensed that something was amiss.

The old prime minister, who was summoned to court, was assassinated, and the officials sent out of the capital were robbed and killed. Although both were killings, they felt like they were not the same thing.

But I can't understand why the old prime minister is still alive, and why he should be separated from the affairs of the deceased officials, powerful families, wealthy merchants, and big businessmen.
Given the achievements of the old prime minister, few throughout history have been able to match him. The sin of failing to assassinate the prime minister of the Han Dynasty is even more serious than the sin of killing the governors of Liaodong and Liaoxi.

Whether it feels right or wrong is not important. What is important is that these wandering thieves and bandits are wreaking havoc on the world and massacring government officials. They are no longer ordinary bandits and must be dealt with severely.

There is no shortage of true "insiders" in the world, and Shi De, the Crown Prince's tutor, clearly showed a strange expression.

The Crown Prince's steward, Xu Anru, subtly slowed his pace, placing himself a few steps behind the princes and ministers, maintaining a delicate distance between himself and them. Under the cover of his footsteps, he spoke in hushed tones so that others could not overhear him.

"What are you thinking about, Wan Shi Jun?"

Wan Shijun, Shi family.

When Shi Fen first served as a minor official, he attended Emperor Gao. Emperor Gao admired his respect and summoned his sister to be a concubine, making her a court lady.

During the reign of Emperor Xiaowen, he rose to the position of Grand Master of the Palace and was appointed by Emperor Xiaowen as the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince. When Emperor Xiaojing ascended the throne, Shi Fen's eldest son Shi Jian, second son Shi Jia, third son Shi Yi, and fourth son Shi Qing all rose to the rank of two thousand shi (a unit of grain) because of their virtuous character, filial piety, and meticulousness in handling affairs.

Emperor Jing then said, "Shi Jun and his four sons are all officials with salaries of two thousand shi (a unit of grain), and the honor and favor bestowed upon them as subjects are concentrated in his family."

Shi Fen was addressed as Lord Wanshi.

The Manseok family originated from this.

In the fifth year of Yuanshuo, Shi Fen, a veteran minister who had served six emperors—Emperor Gao, Emperor Hui, Empress Lü, Emperor Wen, Emperor Jing, and the current emperor—died. The following year, his eldest son, Shi Jian, also died of grief and longing. Prior to this, Shi Fen's second sons, Shi Jia and Shi Yi, had already died. Of the four sons, only the youngest, Shi Qing, was still alive, but he soon followed his father and brothers in death.

His Majesty's unconventional act of choosing a tutor for the Crown Prince angered the Crown Prince. In the first year of Yuan Shou, the Crown Prince declared that if Shi Qing dared to become the Crown Prince's tutor, he would have him killed and his entire clan exterminated. As a result, Shi Qing, while serving as the Prefect of Pei County, opened the granaries to distribute food to the disaster victims and then hanged himself.

The Shi family was officially taken over by the third generation. Shi De, the grandson of Shi Fen and the son of Shi Qing, took over the title of Wan Shi Jun.

Thanks to his father's act of breaking the deadlock, after the Crown Prince took power, Shi De was appointed as the Crown Prince's tutor.

This was originally a high-ranking and powerful position, with a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain), commanding the Crown Prince's household officials and managing the logistics of the Crown Prince's palace. Unfortunately, the Crown Prince's palace was never completed. The Crown Prince went directly from the Northern Army to the Weiyang Palace. The Crown Prince was the emperor of the Han Dynasty, and the affairs of the Crown Prince's palace were the affairs of the Han Dynasty. The Crown Prince's Chamberlain had little power to handle these matters.

As for the Crown Prince's retainers, looking across the outer court and the central court, from the Grand Marshal and General-in-Chief to the Chancellor, who among them is not a subject of the Crown Prince? Who can the Crown Prince's Chamberlain possibly control?
In short, the Crown Prince supported the Shi family by holding the position of Crown Prince's Chamberlain.

Similarly, Xu Chang, the Marquis of Baizhi, who was to become the Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, contracted an illness that prevented him from serving as Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince. He barely managed to break the deadlock and has recovered quite well in the past two years. Since he cannot serve as an official, he stays at home to recuperate.

Xu Chang's son, Bai Shaohou Xu Anru, took over as the Crown Prince's Household Steward in place of his father.

Hearing Xu Anru's low question, Shi De slowed his pace and replied in sync, "The people who assassinated the Prime Minister and those who robbed and killed the Confucian officials and cruel bureaucrats of the court were not the same group of people."

"Why would Wan Shi Jun think that way?" Xu Anru asked calmly, walking steadily forward.

"Young Marquis, the one who assassinated the Prime Minister was His Majesty's man."

"Oh?"

Xu Anru seemed somewhat surprised, "Then why does Lord Wanshi believe that the court officials who were robbed and killed were not killed by His Majesty?"

"Because Confucian officials and cruel bureaucrats are also His Majesty's people, His Majesty cannot cut off his own hands and feet."

"I didn't expect that Lord Wanshi would have such a good eye for people."

"Young Marquis, you flatter me."

Shi De's humble words and the undisguised arrogance on his face made Xu Anru's lips twitch. Was this man really unable to understand human language, or was he pretending not to understand human language?
"Lord Wanshi, aren't those court officials you speak of subjects of the Han Dynasty?"

"He is a subject of the Han Dynasty."

Who is the emperor of the Han Dynasty?

"Your Majesty and the Emperor."

"Is he His Majesty's man, or the Supreme Ruler's man?" Xu Anru asked, her words tumbling out.

Shi De's smile faltered. "He is also one of the Supreme Lord's men."

"As Wan Shijun said, the wandering knights and thieves are all His Majesty's men. The old prime minister was assassinated by the wandering knights and thieves. According to Wan Shijun, His Majesty wanted to kill the old prime minister. Regardless of whether it is true or not, I will believe it for the time being. Then, in this Han Dynasty court where you are in me and I am in you, who killed those officials who were sent out of the capital?"

"Naturally, it's the better choice..."

Before Shi De could answer without hesitation, Xu Anru's heart nearly jumped out of her chest. She interrupted, "I must remind Wan Shi Jun that you should not say anything that is detrimental to unity."

Shi De had all his words stuck in his throat; he had nothing left to say except what he couldn't say.

As Xu Anru ascended the steps, he said, "As colleagues, I urge Wan Shi to read his family letters more often and understand the true meaning and difficulty of our father and grandfather's way of life."

After Shi Qing's death, the family's tradition of filial piety and respect for elders declined further. If this continued, the clan would soon perish.

Shi De paused, then followed before the official in charge of etiquette could inspect him.

The palace guards had never seen such a well-dressed prince and minister in such a disheveled state, nor had they ever seen such a gentle and refined prince and minister in such a fierce state. They continued towards the Xuan Shi Hall.

If it weren't for Grand Marshal Wei Qing entering the palace beforehand, judging from the scene alone, many imperial guards would have thought that the old prime minister and his men were forcing the young emperor to abdicate and rebel.

Although the commander of the Imperial Guards knew the reason, he still ordered the guards to hold their weapons firmly and be ready to respond to the orders of the Emperor and the Grand Marshal.

Flags are raised, officials are on duty and alarms are sounded, Crown Prince, ascend the throne!
(End of this chapter)