Chapter 401: Heavy and Light

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

“The heir is loyal. Even though he’s young, crippled, and sick, he’s still a man. Why shouldn’t he bring a sword and take over the 50 prefectures of Guanshan? What’s hateful is that Marquis of Ningyuan, who has received the emperor’s kindness, was the commander-in-chief back then. He couldn’t escape responsibility for King You’s injustice and only lost his title. It’s really too easy on him. He should have volunteered himself to quell the chaos and prove his merit, but he still relied on his leg disease and said he couldn’t lead the army. No matter how serious his leg problem is, can it compare to the heir? It’s simply the biggest joke in the world…”

Of course, there were also many people who felt that the heir, Yin Huaixi, was old, weak, and disabled. They felt that the emperor was too rash—

“Ridiculous, this is really ridiculous. I admit that King You has been a hero for a lifetime, but the case against King You is still being investigated by the three divisions. Yin Huaixi is a criminal, so how can he lead the army? Moreover, Yin Huaixi is only 15 years old. He hasn’t officially led troops into battle in the past. He doesn’t have any experience in leading troops and is only talking about strategies on paper. How can he quell the rebellion? He’s also crippled and can’t go to the battlefield. What right does he have…”

“Who does he, Yin Huaixi, think he is? He’s just a piece of trash, yet he dares to invite his own troops to quell the chaos in Shandong? Haha, this court of civil and military officials actually made a fool of themselves and played along with him. How ridiculous…”

“That’s right. This Prince You is simply ignorant. How big is the rebellion in Shandong? How can a young boy like him interfere? In my opinion, there’s no need to settle this mess. Since we’re going to lose anyway, we might as well send someone to negotiate with Li Qiguang…”

Many people argued because of disagreements.

“Shut up. Gan Luo paid homage to a minster at age 12. Li Shimin led the army at the age of 14. Huo Qubing fought against the Xiongnu at the age of 17. Sun Ce 18 dominated Jiangdong. On the other hand, the heir fought against the Di people with his father at the age of 12. How can the bandits of Shandong be as fierce as the Di people? How can you know that the heir can’t return to the court with a huge victory?”

“Heh, Yin Huaixi is just a cripple. What right does he have to be compared to Tang Zong, Huo Shuai, Gan Xiang, and the others? Hmph, he’s simply ignorant…”

“When the heir was twelve years old, he resisted the Di people and was harmed by a traitor. His legs were disabled, but he still had ambition. He helped his father redress his grievances and took on the title of the guilty son. It’s easy for him to invite himself to Shandong to quell the rebellion. So what if he’s crippled? The heir is disabled but not mentally disabled, unlike some people whose limbs are intact that are not even as good as a cripple…”

“Not only is Yin Huaixi crippled, but I heard that he also has a short life. If he’s asked to go to Shandong to quell the rebellion, he’ll probably meet the King of Hell before he even arrives…

“Who did you say had a short life? Say it again if you have the guts…”

“So what if I did? Yin Huaixi is a cripple with a short life…”

“Ah, someone’s been hit, someone’s been hit…”

Everyone on the streets was discussing this matter. It had only been a month since the palace examination. Due to the case of King You’s injustice being reopened, the Imperial Court had not released the rankings for a long time. Many scholars stayed in the capital. Teahouses, restaurants, and inns could be seen everwvhere. The scholars chatted and even fought because they had disagreements and disputes…

Yu Zongshen lowered the curtain and returned to the Yu Residence. He went straight to An Shou Hall.

Old Madam Yu sent someone to invite Zhou Linghuai over.

Yu Zongshen looked at Zhou Linghuai and couldn’t help but think of Prince Yin, who lived in the palace but no one could figure him out. The two of them were both sickly and crippled. They were even the same age.

Recalling Young Master Yin’s appearance carefully, she suddenly realized that he had only revealed his true appearance on the day Ye Hanyuan knocked on the drum.

However, at that time, when the emperor was interrogating Ye Hanyuan, everyone in the hall was in a panic, so no one would take a closer look at his appearance.

She could only vaguely see a long scar on the right side of Yin Huaixi’s face.

Later on, in order to avoid questions, he kept wearing a mask.

He shook off the chaotic thoughts in his mind and said, “The emperor has ordered the Ministry of War to manage the troops and rations. The Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Court have to cooperate fully.”

Old Madam Yu pondered for a moment and frowned. “Young Master Yin’s reason for asking to quell the rebellion is spot-on. No one can refute him. It’s obvious that he’s shrewd.”

No matter what Yin Huaixi’s motive was, just based on these three reasons, there was no better candidate than him to quell the rebellion.

The emperor understood that even if he had scruples, he had no choice but to agree.

The court officials understood even better that even though they knew that it was inappropriate for Yin Huaixi to lead the troops, no one dared to step forward and say no.

Yu Zongshen pondered for a moment and said, “King You is innocent. Although the Marquis of Changxing is guilty of a heinous crime, killing a good general by mistake is also a loss of virtue, benevolence, and righteousness to the emperor. It’s a loss of morals, dignity, and reputation. It’s impossible for the emperor not to have scruples.”

At this point, he paused slightly.

After a while, Yu Zongshen continued, “Although the emperor’s eyes are red with killing intent and he looks like he won’t stop, when the trial of the Marquis of Changxing’s three divisions is over and it’s King You’s turn to truly clear his name, he will be let off lightly.”

When Old Madam Yu heard this, she understood and sighed again. “This is the mind of an emperor. The more people you kill in the beginning, the more fearful the court officials will be later. The more worried they are that the more extensive the implication will be, the more trouble will fall on them. After all, no one in the court dares to touch their conscience and say that they’re innocent. When a dog is anxious, it’s inevitable that it’ll jump over the wall. The court officials who have always been in conflict will instead join forces to stop the emperor. Although the emperor is the king, he still needs the court officials to assist the country. It’s impossible for him to ignore the opinions of the court officials. At that time, it won’t be easy for King You to clear his name.”

Everyone knew that the emperor was in a fit of anger. No one was willing to provoke him.

In addition, although the emperor had killed many people at the moment, they were all scapegoats pushed by those in power. However, he had not touched the interests of those really powerful cabinet aides and generals.

Naturally, they were happy to let the emperor kill to his heart’s content. After venting his anger, they would be safer.

Once their own interests were involved, the court officials would use all kinds of underhanded methods.

Yu Zongshen thought of the actions of some of the old ministers in the cabinet and agreed deeply. “Indeed, King You is being persecuted by the Marquis of Changxing, as well as the officials and nobles of the north. There’s no doubt about it. According to my understanding of them, they will definitely use some groundless accusations. It’s not a serious crime, but it’ll damage his reputation. If King You’s reputation is tarnished and he loses his virtue, the emperor’s mistakes won’t be so serious. At that time, in order to take into account King You’s reputation, it’s only right that this matter will be lightened.”

The court officials could still say that King You had lost his virtue, which was why the court officials and nobles in the north had joined forces to resist him.

After all, these people had harmed the royal family’s bloodline. It was a heinous crime, so they had to be beheaded.

If the rumors spread, who would know if they were true?

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