Xiao Yan immediately bowed to Xiang Yu, "Thank you for bringing this important news, brave warrior!"
Xiang Yu waved his hand, "My lord, there is no need for such formalities. Time is of the essence. You and your wife should go to the palace to pay your respects to Empress Lü as soon as possible. The longer we delay, the more dangerous it will be for the Prime Minister."
“That’s right! Lady Tong, this matter cannot be delayed, and only if Lady Tong goes in person will there be a chance to persuade Empress Lü,” Zhao Ping echoed.
Madam Tong nodded repeatedly, "Yan'er, please entertain the two of you well. I will head to the inner palace now."
"No need to trouble yourself, I'll head back to the prison now. The Prime Minister is still waiting for my message. Farewell." Xiang Yu had become somewhat worried about Xiao He's safety after hearing Zhao Ping's analysis, so he thought it best to return to the prison or keep an eye on Liu Ji as soon as possible.
"In that case, we will not keep the brave warrior any longer," Zhao Ping said, cupping his hands in greeting.
"Thank you for your help, brave warrior." Xiao Yan bowed deeply.
"May I ask your name, brave warrior?" Madam Tong asked.
Xiang Yu stopped in his tracks and laughed, "King Xiang! Hahaha..."
Wang Xiang? Wang Xiang?
Zhao Ping pondered for a moment, then murmured, "For the Prime Minister to have met this man in prison, it seems his life was not meant to end!"
...
Weiyang Palace, Council Hall.
Zhou Chang stormed to the door, his anger palpable. "Is His Majesty inside?"
"Uh, yes, my lord, please wait. His Majesty has said that no one is allowed to enter." The guard reached out to stop Zhou Chang.
"Get out of the way!" Zhou Chang was not only fierce in character, but also quite strong. He squeezed his way into the main hall.
"Why did Your Majesty... Xiao, Prime Minister Qiqi..." Zhou Chang hadn't finished speaking when he saw a disgusting scene: Liu Ji, disheveled, was embracing Lady Qi right there in the main hall!
"I didn't see anything, I didn't see anything!" Zhou Chang panicked instantly. He dared not linger there and immediately turned and ran. What if he accidentally saw Lady Qi naked again?
"How dare you! Guards! Seize the one who trespassed into the main hall!" Liu Ji said with a dark face.
"Yes, sir!" The guards agreed and swarmed forward, subduing Zhou Chang on the spot.
"Release me! Why did you arrest me! You tyrant!" Zhou Chang struggled for a moment to no avail, then glared at Liu Ji and cursed him.
"A tyrant? Heh heh, I'll show you what a tyrant I am today! Make him kneel down!" Liu Ji said, then walked up to Zhou Chang, lifted his leg and straddled Zhou Chang's neck, asking, "Say it again! What kind of emperor am I?"
Zhou Chang was both ashamed and furious. He straightened his neck, raised his head, and said, "Your Majesty, you are the same Jie and Zhou as the ruler!"
Chapter 188 Xiao He Must Die
"Your Majesty is none other than the tyrants Jie and Zhou!"
"Hahaha..." Liu Ji laughed uncontrollably, clearly amused by the reply. "Well done, Zhou Chang! How dare you call me an emperor like Jie of Xia or Zhou of Shang? Do you really think I wouldn't dare punish you for such a grave offense of disrespect?"
"Isn't Your Majesty the Emperor? What crime has Prime Minister Xiao committed? Why has he been unjustly thrown into the imperial prison!" Zhou Chang roared, thinking to himself, what wise ruler would engage in such sexual acts in the main hall of his office? And even ride on the neck of a minister to question him?
"Heh heh, Lord Zhou's information network is quite impressive. Don't you know that on my way back, over a thousand people blocked my road, crying out their grievances against Xiao He? Not only that, Xiao He also attempted to seize my Shanglin Garden. What wrong did I do by throwing him into the imperial prison?"
Liu Ji wore a smile, but his heart was burning with anger. He thought that even if the other ministers knew about this, they would wait until the morning court the next day to plead for Xiao He. However, he did not expect that Zhou Chang, that fool, would barge into the hall and witness his intimate moment with Lady Qi.
However, Liu Ji was indeed a little wary of people like Zhou Chang, who dared to say anything, interfere in anything, and fear no one, yet he also gained a reputation for being strong and outspoken.
If Zhou Chang were imprisoned simply because he said a few words of criticism, his reputation as a tyrant and incompetent ruler would be firmly established, since Zhou Chang had not been accused by the people.
Zhou Changping calmed himself down. "As for the matter of blocking the road and crying out for justice, didn't His Majesty already tell Prime Minister Xiao to apologize to the people himself? As for the matter of Shanglin Garden, His Majesty has no evidence and is framing the Prime Minister without any proof. Is it wrong for the Prime Minister to make good use of wasteland to benefit the people? If the Prime Minister really coveted bribes from merchants, why would he give away all his wealth to the country?"
"Shut up! When did I frame him? I only suspected him. If the investigation is thorough and the Prime Minister is found to be innocent, how could I wrong an innocent person? Of course I would release him." Liu Ji was naturally guilty. He had fabricated the story out of thin air and maliciously framed him, but Zhou Chang exposed him to his face, showing no respect for the emperor.
“Your Majesty! The Prime Minister is not young. He has followed Your Majesty in campaigns since the uprising in Pei County, and has made countless contributions. How can Your Majesty bear to let the Prime Minister suffer imprisonment because of some suspicion? I heard that he was even put in torture? This is really chilling to the hearts of all the officials and the people!” Zhou Chang burst into tears as he said this.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Liu Ji could not release Xiao He just because of Zhou Chang's few words, so he had no choice but to step off Zhou Chang's neck and help him up with both hands.
"Old Zhou, I am more heartbroken than you are by the Prime Minister's mistake, but I have my own reasons and must give an explanation to the people. But rest assured, I am a close friend of Xiao He and I will never let him suffer any injustice."
"You may return now. Tomorrow morning at court, I will discuss this matter with all the civil and military officials. Then you will understand my good intentions. Can't the Prime Minister even bear a single day of imprisonment for the mistakes of the common people?"
Zhou Chang frowned. Yes, he had been too hasty. Everyone knew that His Majesty and Xiao He had a good relationship. How could His Majesty be so heartless to Xiao He? It seemed that he had been overthinking things.
When the morning court arrives tomorrow, there will surely be many people pleading for Xiao He. At that time, His Majesty may take the opportunity to release Xiao He and then have him apologize to the people. That would be far more sincere than apologizing without being punished.
"In that case, I shall take my leave. Prime Minister Xiao is utterly loyal to Your Majesty, and I hope Your Majesty will consider this carefully."
"Of course, Lao Zhou, don't take today's events to heart. I was just joking with you. Didn't you see something you shouldn't have? Let's call it even, shall we?" Liu Ji secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It's always easier to fool someone as honest and simple as this.
Zhou Chang blushed, "Your humble servant would not dare to resent Your Majesty, nor would I dare to spread such rumors."
"That's good, go back and rest," Liu Ji said kindly.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I take my leave." Zhou Chang bowed and slowly retreated, shaking his head as he went. He had originally intended to plead for Xiao He, but he hadn't expected to stumble upon Liu Ji's good fortune. In his confusion, he was dismissed without really understanding what was happening.
Fortunately, His Majesty implied that Xiao He should be released after the morning court session tomorrow, which would give the Xiao family an explanation.
Zhou Chang felt much better after thinking about this, though his neck was a little sore.
As Liu Ji watched Zhou Chang disappear from sight, the gloom on his face deepened. "Immediately convey my order: tighten security in the Imperial Prison, and imprison Xiao He in solitary confinement. Without my decree, no one is allowed to meet with Xiao He, not even to deliver a message!"
"Here you go!"
...
Zhou Chang's unexpected intrusion into the palace served as a wake-up call for Liu Ji, reminding him that killing Xiao He was not so easy. This time it was Zhou Chang, but tomorrow it would likely be the entire court. Therefore, this matter had to be resolved today.
The reason why Liu Ji did not completely eliminate Zhang Liang was because Zhang Liang's achievements were too great and his prestige too high. Without making any major mistakes, killing him would inevitably be opposed by the entire court.
It was acceptable to kill any of the non-royal kings, including Han Xin, because it did not affect the interests of the core members of Liu Ji's faction. But Xiao He was different; he was an old man who had started the uprising in Pei County and had made countless contributions.
To be honest, Xiao He's forced purchase of land from the people this time aroused public anger and completely disrupted Liu Ji's plans. Otherwise, he could have simply found a servant of the Xiao family to falsely accuse Xiao He of treason, and then secretly prepared some evidence to kill Xiao He.
It can be easily explained in hindsight that Xiao He was very cunning and took advantage of Liu Ji's suppression of the rebellion to plot something treacherous. His long-term efforts to win over the people of Guanzhong can also be used as evidence.
I ask you, who else would go to such lengths for the people and the country? Even donating their entire fortune. Isn't it all just to gain merit and prestige?
Putting aside everything else, just considering the prestige Xiao He has accumulated over the years, if he were to rebel in Guanzhong while Liu Ji was away, the number of officials and common people who would support him would far exceed those who were loyal to Liu Ji.
Moreover, Xiao He knew too many of Liu Ji's secrets. If he were to reveal those outrageous and ungrateful deeds, Liu Ji's image in the eyes of the people would immediately collapse.
Because these words came from Xiao He, and Xiao He had enough prestige, people were willing to believe them.
Of course, after Xiao He tarnished his reputation, his prestige also declined significantly, and he basically posed no threat to Liu Ji's rule.
Therefore, Liu Ji intended to let Xiao He go, but he did not expect that Xiao He would plead for the Shanglin Garden on behalf of the people. If Xiao He had really succeeded in doing so, and then apologized to those who had forcibly bought the land and asked for forgiveness, Xiao He's lost prestige would have returned immediately.
Liu Ji finally realized that he could not give Xiao He, a man of outstanding talent, any chance to turn things around. He immediately accused Xiao He of accepting money from merchants and used this as an excuse to imprison him.
Having broken off relations to this extent, Xiao He would have had no chance of being released without strong resistance and intervention.
After dressing properly, Liu Ji summoned Guo Meng and led his men to the prison in secret.
It concerns his own reputation, his agreement with the Black Dragon, and will also affect the important matter of deposing and installing the crown prince, so...
"Xiao He must die!"
Chapter 189 No Regrets
Chang'an, the residence of Marquis Liu.
Zhang Liang, dressed as a Confucian scholar, gently put down the silk scroll and murmured, "This Zhao Ping is truly a talented man. He even thought of asking Empress Lü for help, which saves me some trouble."
"I don't understand. Why do we think that asking the Xiao family for help from Empress Lü shows that Zhao Ping is a talented person? Couldn't it just be a case of grasping at straws in desperation?"
The person speaking stood respectfully beside Zhang Liang; he was Zhang Liang's eldest son, Zhang Buyi, a name that truly reflected Zhang Liang's mindset and expectations.
Zhang Liang smiled slightly, "I have no doubt. The fact that Zhao Ping was able to come up with a plan to save his life for the Prime Minister is enough to prove that he is no ordinary person. Furthermore, what Empress Lü did to Peng Yue is enough to make the Xiao family give up the idea of seeking help from Empress Lü."
Someone must have persuaded Madam Tong and the two sons of the Xiao family; the most likely candidate is Zhao Ping. Prime Minister Xiao is imprisoned and is probably still in a state of panic, besides, he's not good at such scheming and intrigue.
Zhang Buyi suddenly realized, "I see. So, Father, will you still be involved in the matter of deposing and installing the Crown Prince?"
Zhang Liang gestured for his son to come closer, then whispered, "I'm afraid we have no choice but to get involved, but we must not take the initiative. Even if it's just to offer advice to Empress Lü like last time, we must wait for her to come to us. Otherwise, His Majesty might start having ulterior motives again. It's not easy to keep His Majesty from suspecting anything."
The position of Crown Prince is crucial to the foundation of the nation. Although Liu Ying is somewhat weak-willed, the country has been burdened by years of war and desperately needs an emperor like him to allow the people to recuperate. The more Liu Ruyi resembles His Majesty, the less suitable he is to inherit the throne.
"I misjudged His Majesty back then, and had no choice but to retire and protect myself while enjoying the fruits of victory. We've finally managed to wait until His Majesty's death is imminent, and to have an identical second emperor is simply to trap ourselves."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Buyi's face lit up with joy. "In that case, when the Crown Prince ascends the throne, Father can..."
"Foolish!" Zhang Liang interrupted his son. "Do you think Empress Lü is an easy person to get along with? Even if Crown Prince Liu Ying successfully ascends the throne, don't think too much about it."
Protecting the crown prince only allows our family to maintain the status quo. Having already given up on the court struggles, trying to go back would inevitably mean encroaching on the interests of others and needlessly making enemies, putting the Zhang family in danger.
"Do not doubt it! You must know that if Empress Lü or the succeeding emperor discovers that the Zhang family is merely trying to protect themselves and harbors ulterior motives, they will surely face certain death!"
"Hiss..." Zhang Buyi gasped, and subconsciously asked, "What if Empress Lü also died?"
Zhang Liang scoffed, "That depends on whether Liu Ying, without Empress Lü, can secure his position in the empire. I'm afraid my father won't be far from death then. Don't doubt it, at this point, it's already quite difficult for the Zhang family to obtain a hereditary marquisate. Just live well with this marquisate. Let it be passed down for as many generations as possible. Two generations won't be a loss, three generations will be a gain. Everything depends on fate."
Zhang Buyi fell into deep thought after hearing this, feeling increasingly resentful. After a long while, he asked, "Father, do you regret it?"
Zhang Liang gave a bitter smile, "It's no use regretting it now. My fate was sealed the day I refused Xiang Yu's offer..."
Chang'an, the imperial prison.
"We pay our respects to Your Majesty!" The jailer and his guards bowed in salute.
"Where is Prime Minister Xiao being held? Has anyone disturbed him?" Liu Ji glanced at the jailer on duty.
"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Xiao is being held in solitary confinement in a secret room, where no one can disturb him," the jailer replied.
Liu Ji nodded and said, "That's very good. Lead the way, I'm going to see Prime Minister Xiao."
"Yes, sir." The jailer responded and entered the prison to lead Liu Ji and his party.
Liu Ji pinched his nose and fanned himself. The smell of this prison was truly unpleasant. If it weren't for the need to provoke Xiao He in person to reap resentment and to prevent his subordinates from leaking information or refusing to comply, he would never have come to such a place.
Soon, the jailer led Liu Ji and the others to the door of the secret chamber in the imperial prison.
"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Xiao is inside. Does Your Majesty have any further instructions?"
"Go outside and keep watch. No one is allowed to come and disturb us," Liu Ji waved his hand.
"Yes, sir." The jailer bowed and slowly withdrew.
Squeak...