"Nonsense!" Old Mu was a rough character, so naturally, his words were crude. "Damn it, stop causing unnecessary panic. Our Great Zhou is thriving, how could we have reached a point where enemies are at the gates? Are you out of your mind? Even if that day cos, it will be our Great Zhou soldiers defending the city, how could it be a civil official? When would Ye Zi’an ever have the chance to open the gates?"
"And Lord Pri Minister, being the head of all civil and military officials, are you so free after having too much to eat that you’ve got nothing better to do?" Old Mu wasn’t one to speak courteously. "Focusing on trivial matters all day? And can’t you at least focus on matters with solid evidence? Who told you that Ye Zi’an knelt just for himself? Who told you that?"
"You... how utterly vulgar!"
Lord Pri Minister’s face turned purple-red from Old Mu’s scolding, cursing the old man in his heart for being impossibly rude.
"Hmph, I may lack refinent, unlike you who are always sour." Old Mu shot back, then turned to the Emperor, speaking in detail, "Your Majesty, regarding the matter of Ye Zi’an, I have sothing to say."
"Speak!" The Emperor waved his hand with a cold expression. He had no problem with Ye Zi’an being alive, but had issues with these ministers, with their small-mindedness.
"Your Majesty, rumors say Ye Zi’an knelt publicly for dical treatnt, but this isn’t true. The people of Shandong weren’t sick with a strange illness; they were poisoned by soone with malicious intent. The Mu Family’s divine doctor said this poison was a newly developed toxin from four poisons, and he only identified two. The remaining two toxins were unknown. Later, the poisoner sent a letter to Ms. Yang, Ye Zi’an’s wife, stating that if she dared to kneel publicly for her husband, they would provide the other two toxins. Ms. Yang naturally went, believing that once they had the toxins, both Ye Zi’an and the people of Shandong could be cured. Ye Zi’an only accompanied her after learning this."
"In any case, it shows the Ye family couple is loyal and virtuous. This was clearly a matter that, once done, could bring them many benefits. Should they just turn a blind eye and do nothing? If they did, wouldn’t you gentlen then impeach Ye Zi’an, accusing him of doing nothing while the people of Shandong died? Lord Pri Minister, don’t you agree?"
Lord Pri Minister, hearing this, flicked his sleeve, unwilling to engage him further. Still, he thought to himself, this old warrior’s rhetoric is getting smoother.
"But..."
"Alright, alright, stop arguing." Seeing the officials below ready to speak again, the Emperor hurriedly waved them off, "There’s no need to say more about Ye Zi’an. He did nothing wrong in this matter. Stop taking the court’s salaries without doing anything proper, just picking fights with colleagues. Think more about how to do sothing for the people, how much tax revenue we can collect this year, how to ensure the people have enough food to eat, those are the real issues, understand?"
"Court dismissed!"
The Emperor, after a fit of complaints, left.
Old Mu coldly laughed several tis at the pri minister’s group before leaving.
He thought this incident at the court would be over, but it wasn’t the end.
That night, a letter sent from Shandong arrived in the Capital City, reaching the hands of three people: Old Mu, Baili Yan, and the Emperor. After reading it, Old Mu went to find Baili Yan imdiately, and the two talked in the study for a long ti before parting ways.
At the sa ti, in a dark house in the Capital City, a man in a blue robe and mask was also reading a letter.
User Comments
0 comments from readers