Just when Yu Shiyue was baptized by Yu Shaobao's outlook on life, the Qianqing Palace also welcomed a long-lost minister.
"Your Majesty, Yang Hong, Marquis Changping, is here to see you."
Zhu Qiyu sat on the throne and looked at Yang Hong, whom he had not seen for a long time. He could feel with the naked eye that this veteran of many battles was finally dying.
In fact, since he ordered Yang Neng and Yang Jun to be transferred back to Beijing, Yang Hong naturally realized something with his intelligence.
Therefore, during these days, he was on leave most of the time, and he was basically nowhere to be seen in the morning.
Zhu Qiyu understood that Yang Hong was making a difficult choice.
Now, Yu Qian has returned to the capital.
This decision, no matter how difficult it is, can only be made!
"Come on, Marquis Yang is here, but what do you want to say?"
After exhaling softly, Zhu Qiyu asked with a gentle smile on his face.
But Yang Hong did not dare to relax at all. He still lowered his head, knelt on the ground and said.
"I dare not deceive Your Majesty. I am here this time to plead guilty to my son Yang Jun and my nephew Yang Neng."
Zhu Qiyu suppressed his expression, ignored the memorial he had already received, and asked.
"Oh? What happened to the two of them that makes it worthy for you, Marquis Yang, to make this trip yourself?"
Yang Hong took out a memorial from his sleeve and said.
"I feel ashamed and have failed in my discipline. My son, Yang Jun, has been entrusted with important responsibilities by His Majesty's grace. However, he behaves wildly and unprovoked. Three days before going to Beijing, I had a banquet with friends. They got into a fight over a disagreement. I ordered Tao Zhong and Yao to death with a stick. Expensive and bold."
"After returning to the capital, I ordered him to face the wall in the ancestral hall and think about his mistakes. Under the family law, he told him all the things he had committed. In addition to killing officials with sticks, during the period of guarding the border, he was extravagant and greedy. He kept it for his own use, acted arbitrarily and oppressed the soldiers, causing resentment among the army."
"My nephew Yang Neng knew that Yang Jun was behaving like this. Not only did he not report it to the court, but he also covered up for him and deceived the court. It is also a serious crime."
"The two men have truly failed His Majesty by behaving like this. Now, I have imprisoned these two people in the ancestral hall. This is their confession of guilt. I dare not deceive Your Majesty, so I have come to present it to Your Majesty for your disposal. "
After saying that, Yang Hong kowtowed deeply to the ground, but raised the memorial in his hand high.
Therefore, Huai En, who was standing beside him, immediately walked down the imperial steps, took the memorial, and placed it on the imperial desk.
Zhu Qiyu pondered for a moment, picked it up and read it carefully, with no surprise on his face.
There are four descendants of the Yang family, Yang Xin is the son of Yang Hong's second brother Yang Lin, and Yang Neng is the son of Yang Hong's third brother Yang Zhong.
The two of them lost their father when they were young, but they were adopted by Yang Hong and learned a lot of skills.
Especially Yang Xin, who is both civil and military, loves soldiers like a son, and has followed Yang Hong to guard the Xuanfu for many years. He is famous, full of merits, and has a first-class character and strategy. He is regarded by Yang Hong as his successor.
Yang Neng is a little worse, not as good as Yang Xin in martial arts, but he is good at strategy, has a calm but decisive character, strict military laws, and can make decisive decisions in every battle.
It should be said that Yang Hong put a lot of effort into treating his two nephews, and all of them were outstanding people.
However, relatively speaking, his own two sons are not so satisfactory.
Yang Jie, the legitimate son, has a gentle personality, is humble to others, and is also very good at reading. However, his body is very poor, he has never practiced martial arts, and he cannot go to the battlefield.
In these years, Yang Hong guarded the border and rarely returned to Beijing. The father and son rarely had the chance to meet each other.
The concubine Yang Jun is even more useless.
Although Yang Jie made Yang Hong feel sorry for him, he was still peaceful in the end. He was not lacking in filial piety and etiquette, and his reputation in the capital was very good. In recent years, the Yang family's ability to gain a foothold in the capital was entirely due to Yang Jie's management.
But when Yang Jun is mentioned, Yang Hong feels a headache.
He asked himself, he treated the three children Yang Xin, Yang Neng and Yang Jun equally, but it happened that both Yang Xin and Yang Neng became talented.
Only Yang Jun, except for his excellent martial arts, had nothing to show for himself in other aspects.
He is addicted to drinking and extravagance, acts daringly and behaves shamelessly.
Yang Hong had broken countless family magic tricks, but they had no effect at all.
During the Battle of Wala, he was the only one who abandoned the city and fled. If it weren't for Yang Hong's achievements in guarding the city for many years, he would have been exiled to guard the border.
In fact, this is what really alarmed Yang Hong.
With Yang Jun's virtue, the emperor actually wanted to promote him to take charge of the regiment.
Just thinking about it made Yang Hong feel frightened.
He hesitated for a long time before entering the palace this time, but as Yu Qian returned to Beijing, Yang Hong knew that it would be too late if he didn't make a decision.
After closing the memorial, Zhu Qiyu's face became solemn, rather angry, and he said angrily.
"It's unreasonable. The Yang family is a loyal family, but they never thought that such an unscrupulous son, Yang Neng, would be born. Knowing that Yang Jun was so evil, he still dared to deliberately protect him. It really brings shame to the Yang family."
As he spoke, Zhu Qiyu changed the topic, his eyes fell on Yang Hong, and asked.
"Since Marquis Yang personally came to deliver the confessions of self-incrimination to the two of them, what do Yang Marquis think should be done with these two people?"
At this moment, Yang Hong seemed a bit older. Such a veteran of hundreds of battlefields actually seemed a bit humble at this moment.
He lowered his head and said: "Your Majesty, the two of them are so audacious, I should not intercede for them, but after all, they are my nephews, and Yang Neng is the only flesh and blood left by my deceased third brother.
.”
"Therefore, I have the courage to ask Your Majesty to forgive the crime of these two people. I am willing to let them step down from their official positions, stay in the house, and discipline them strictly. I have neglected to teach my own children, and I feel ashamed to be in charge of military affairs again.
, Your Majesty, please remove me from the post of Admiral of the Rear Army Commandery Office in Beijing to serve as a warning to the court officials."
Yang Jun's behavior is not small, but it is not big either.
With a man like Yang Hong who has made great achievements in war, although these crimes can make him suffer a little, they are far from being completely dismissed from office and will never be used again.
Not to mention, if Yang Hong was implicated, even his capital camp would be taken away.
If Yang Hong was serious about this matter, with his power in the army, it would not be a problem to suppress it.
But when he took it out now and presented these two "confession letters", it was tantamount to making the matter worse.
If no one mentions these things, they will be in the past.
However, once there is a truly important person, it is no small matter to show him in court.
Yang Hong is now handing over the knife himself.
You are a swordsman and I am a fish and meat!
Zhu Qiyu's attitude towards the knife presented to him was naturally...
"Yang Hou's words are serious. Although Yang Jun has committed a serious crime, Yang Neng is just covering up. He is a tiger general who has served the country. Why should he be completely dismissed? Not to mention that Yang Hou does not know about this. If I
To take away the honor of the Yang family because of one thing, wouldn’t it mean that there is no distinction between right and wrong, and that one’s merits and demerits are unknown?”
The emperor's clear and gentle voice echoed in the palace.
But Yang Hong felt a little chill in his heart. After entering the palace, he raised his head for the first time, with a hint of pleading in his eyes.
"Your Majesty, veteran..."
"No need to say anything, Marquis Yang!"
As soon as Yang Hong opened his mouth, his words were interrupted by the emperor. Then, the emperor said in a calm but unquestionable tone.
"Yang Jun will be handed over to the Justice Department for disposal. As for Yang Neng, all errands will be suspended and he will be banned from the house. Marquis Yang will discipline him well. As for Marquis Yang's own management, everything will remain as before."
As soon as the words fell, everything was settled.
Yang Hong lowered his head feebly and kowtowed.
"I... obey your order."
He didn't say anything more, because he knew that the emperor in front of him seemed gentle but was actually sharp. It was useless for others to persuade him to do something that he had made up his mind to do.
However, when he walked out of the palace gate, this veteran who had been roaring on the battlefield almost tripped over the threshold, which made people sigh in their hearts...
The hall became empty, Zhu Qiyu leaned on the back of the chair and sighed softly.
Of course he knew Yang Hong's purpose.
Yang Jun's matter was just a cover. Yang Hong's real purpose was to get out of the upcoming storm.
However, there are some things that cannot be easily escaped.
Even though Zhu Qiyu is the emperor, many things cannot just be ignored.
Turning his hand and clasping up the two memorials of Yang Hong, Zhu Qiyu found two new memorials in his hand. These two memorials, one thick and one thin, were signed by the same person.
Yu Qian!
The thick one is called "Please rectify the border towns and military camps", and the thin one is called "Please add the doctor of the Ministry of War."
It should be said that purely from the name, it is obvious that the former will bring more severe shock to the court. However, Zhu Qiyu's eyes have always fallen on the thin memorial at the back, and he has not moved away for a long time...
"What did you say? Yu Qian, are you crazy?"
In the Yu Mansion, Yu Cifu, who had just received the baptism of his outlook on life and was ready to devote his life to the Ming Dynasty, almost jumped out of his chair after hearing Yu Qian's next words.
The tea cup on the table was shaken by this movement and the tea splashed, soaking Master Yu's robe, but he didn't care, stared at Yu Qian closely, and asked.
"Tingyi, do you know what you are doing?"
Relatively speaking, Yu Qian, who was the instigator, was much calmer. He even waved his hand in a mood and asked the old servant serving at the side to clean the table and replace it with a new cup of tea for Yu Cifu.
Then, Fang calmly said.
"Brother Shi Chao, don't worry, I naturally know what this means."
"I have all promoted him, Hong Chang, and Fang Gao. Xiang Wenyao has always had a good relationship with me. There are even inexplicable rumors in the court because of this."
"Now that I have recommended Ji Shi, Hong Chang, and Fang Gao to be the doctors of the Ministry of War, and I have recommended Xiang Wenyao to be transferred to the position of minister of the Ministry of War, some people will inevitably accuse me of forming a clique for personal gain and using public weapons for private purposes."
"But, so what? I act and sit upright, and I am not afraid of being impeached by others."
Yu Qian said these words in an understatement, as if the person in the words was not him.
However, Yu Shiyue showed no signs of being appeased, and instead became more and more agitated.
He frowned tightly, walked back and forth in the room, opened his mouth several times, but finally swallowed his words.
Yu Qian didn't say anything, just looked at him, sipping the tea in a leisurely manner.
After going back and forth for a few times, Yu Shiyue seemed to have finally figured out what to say, and stood opposite Yu Qian, frowning tightly and said.
"Tingyi, don't try to avoid the important and take the easy!"
"The seriousness of this matter goes beyond the impeachment of a court official?"
"It's not unclear to you how powerful the Ministry of War is now. There are four departments of civil servants in the entire Ministry of War, including military selection, staff division, chariot driving, and arsenal. Now you have to promote three of your own confidants to take charge. The remaining one,
Although there is no promotion, the person in charge is also your person."
"Not to mention, you want to transfer Xiang Wenyao to be the minister. If you submit this memorandum, it is not just as simple as being impeached for forming a party for personal gain? You are trying to turn the Ministry of War into your own back garden!"
Yu Qian said nothing, but his look clearly made Yu Shiyue more irritated.
He walked around the room twice more and then said.
"Tingyi, I know that the Emperor's trust is greater than yours, but you are challenging the Emperor's bottom line. No emperor in this world will tolerate you being so domineering, let alone the current His Majesty?"
"Before, you told me that the more flowers bloom, the harder it is to walk on thin ice. Why are you so confused now?"
For this reason, Yu Qian could no longer remain silent and spoke.
"Brother Yu, before was before, and now is now. Times have changed, and the court situation is no longer what it was before, and Yu Tingyi is not the same Yu Tingyi who cared about his life and reputation."
"As for Your Majesty, Brother Yu, believe me, Your Majesty is wise and wise, and you will understand."
Yu Shiyue looked at this idiot and once again felt helpless.
He simply sat on the chair, drank all the tea on the table, calmed down his anxiety slightly, tried to make himself calm or looked calm, and said.
"Tingyi, there are some things that I can probably guess even if you don't tell them."
"However, you have to understand that in all dynasties, powerful officials never ended well. Your Majesty is wise, but there are many things that His Majesty cannot control himself."
"What's more, once you embark on this road, it will be difficult to turn back. Even if Your Majesty has no doubts now, do you, Yu Tingyi, still need me to remind you of the dangers of the court situation and the changes in the future?"
The study fell into a state of calm again, and the faint sound of the crackling charcoal fire could be heard clearly.
After a long time, Yu Qian spoke.
"For the sake of the country, why waste one's own life! Today's court situation requires a powerful minister, so why not be a powerful minister for once for Yu Tingyi?"
Yu Qian said these words very calmly, but with an inexplicable sense of heroism.
However, only Yu Shiyue, who was sitting opposite him, could clearly understand what kind of determination was hidden behind this heroic spirit.
This time, when Yu Shiyue fell silent, he didn't know how to persuade him or just let it go. After all, this was "Yu Shihui". Who could persuade him to do what he was determined to do?
Yu Qian paused briefly, and when he saw Yu Shiyue stopped talking, he knew what he was thinking.
Rarely, Yu Qian said with a hint of pleading.
"Brother Shichao, you and I have known each other for many years. You should know what kind of person Yu Tingyi is. This time, I need your help!"
Yu Shiyue's expression was complicated and he didn't say anything for a long time.
After a while, he sighed and said.
"Tingyi, you are too ambitious and I am ashamed of myself. However, after many years of friendship, I will take one more risk with you this time!"
"Just tell me what you need to do..."
Yu Qian should be happy that his request was granted, but at this moment, not only was there no joy on his face, but it was filled with unspeakable heaviness.
The atmosphere in the study was a bit dull. Yu Qian took a deep breath and tried hard to suppress his emotions.
"Brother Shichao, I need..."
The sun disappeared without knowing when, and dark clouds once again filled the sky, and goose-feather-like snowflakes fell one after another.
Yu Shiyue left, and Yu Qian walked outside the door in person. The former's figure had long since disappeared, but Yu Qian still stood in the corridor, not moving for a long time.
Snowflakes fell on his shoulders, dyeing the top of his head white, and the cold wind howled, rolling up his clothes and flying around without stopping for a moment.
Yu Mian stood by and hesitated before deciding to step forward to persuade his father.
However, he stopped just after taking two steps.
Because, when he got closer, he was surprised to find that his father, who had always been resolute and upright, had an inexplicable glint in his eyes at this moment.
In the snow under the corridor, Yu Qian stood like a sculpture. No one knew what he was thinking at the moment, and no one knew how long he stood there.
When a new day comes, what people will see will still be the extremely tough Yu Shaobao. Of course, perhaps, it will also be the Yu Qian they have never seen before...
This chapter has been completed!