bestfiction Chapter 406 Death is not a pity
Chapter 406 Death is not a pity
When Prince Yong left the capital, he was accompanied by a luxurious carriage and beautiful women, but when he returned, the carriage was replaced by a black coffin, and the women were replaced by white banners fluttering in the wind.
Yun Shang did not suppress the news; instead, he had people spread the word that Prince Yong, Li Xuan, had been killed by the rioters.
The news spread like wildfire to all the states of Dazhao.
Yu Wan received Yun Shang's letter in advance, learning that Prince Yong had died, and felt somewhat regretful that she had not witnessed how he died.
However, Yu Wan quickly put this regret behind her.
She had to make thorough preparations before news of Prince Yong's assassination reached the capital.
The death of Prince Yong is not a pity, but Yun Shang must not be implicated by him.
Before news of Prince Yong's death reached Shengjing, the incident of Prince Yong's massacre of innocent people resurfaced and became a hot topic of discussion. Just as the people's indignation reached its peak, news of Prince Yong being killed by rioters reached Shengjing.
The timing was perfect; the already indignant people of Shengjing City were overjoyed upon hearing the news.
The public's emotions were completely ignited, and in no time, the talk of the town throughout Shengjing was—
"Do you know that the wicked Prince Yong is dead!"
"I know, I know. I heard he did too many evil deeds and was punished by being hacked to death by rioters."
"There's something else you probably don't know. The Emperor sent Prince Yong to quell the rebellion, but it turned out that those so-called rebels were actually refugees driven to desperation by the famine. As soon as the imperial army arrived, the refugees obediently surrendered. However, Prince Yong was ruthless and ordered the killing of those unarmed civilians..."
"That's a full five thousand three hundred people, all of whom were killed by Prince Yong!"
"A crime!"
"So, Prince Yong deserved his fate. I heard that it was the families of the murdered rebel soldiers who killed Prince Yong. They risked their lives to avenge their families."
These whispers and discussions in the streets and alleys quickly reached the ears of Emperor Wenjing and his court officials.
Upon learning of this, the Left Chancellor Xie Shifu sighed heavily several times, his expression a mixture of joy and worry. "Even though Prince Yong's crimes are unforgivable, these common people have slaughtered members of the imperial family. The Emperor may not let them off easily..."
When the news reached the palace, according to the imperial eunuchs, Emperor Wenjing remained silent for a long time after learning of the matter, showing no sign of joy or anger.
The court officials were unsure of Emperor Wenjing's meaning.
Just as various factions were secretly speculating about the emperor's intentions and the people were discussing it heatedly, Yun Shang and his party escorted the coffin of Prince Yong to Shengjing.
Their journey was not smooth.
Because the evil deeds committed by Prince Yong had already spread throughout the Great Zhao, almost every time they stopped in a new place, indignant people would throw things at Prince Yong's coffin.
Rotten eggs, rotten vegetable leaves, and even filth and feces.
Li Hai was already terrified to death from witnessing the killing of Prince Yong, and now he fell ill and lay in bed the whole way, unable to even speak.
Therefore, when Emperor Wenjing summoned him, Li Hai was carried into the palace.
Despite widespread rumors that Prince Yong was killed by rioters, Emperor Wenjing still wanted to thoroughly understand the details of what had happened.
Therefore, after Yun Shang and his party arrived in the capital, they were summoned to the palace by Emperor Wenjing without even having time to rest.
Emperor Wenjing sat upright on the dragon throne, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger.
Prince Qi, Prince Chen, Prince Su, Prince Jin, and several other princes stood respectfully below, their postures upright and their expressions varied.
Following them were a group of high-ranking officials, dressed in court robes, their expressions solemn. The atmosphere in the imperial study was oppressive and completely silent.
After bowing, Yun Shang calmly glanced at the princes before respectfully lowering his head.
"Yun Shang." Emperor Wenjing looked him over for a moment before saying in a low voice, "Tell me the whole story of how Prince Yong was murdered."
Upon hearing this, Li Hai, lying on the stretcher, instantly recalled the bloody and terrifying scene before Prince Yong's death, and his whole body trembled subconsciously.
However, everyone present was focused on Yun Shang and did not pay attention to his subtle reaction.
Yun Shang remained calm and composed, bowing as he reported, "Your Majesty, we were ordered by Your Majesty to go to Huizhou to quell the rebellion. Our original intention was to appease the people and quell the unrest. However, upon arrival, we discovered that those so-called 'rebellious people' were nothing more than destitute people driven to desperation by the famine."
"These people were starving and naked, and they were hoping for relief from the imperial court. However, some officials in Huizhou were incompetent and turned a blind eye to the suffering of the people, which led them to a desperate situation. They had no choice but to rise up in rebellion."
"When His Highness Prince Yong learned of this, according to the usual practice of the court, Prince Yong should have prioritized pacifying the people and opening the granaries to distribute grain. However, the prince refused to open the granaries and even ordered a massacre after the people surrendered."
"A total of 5,300 lives were lost."
Yun Shang spoke calmly, but everyone present was terrified.
Emperor Wenjing's face grew increasingly grim. He stared intently at Yun Shang and said in a deep voice, "Continue."
Yun Shang continued, "When the people learned that their loved ones had been brutally slaughtered, they were devastated. Although they were unarmed, they were driven by hatred and sought revenge against His Highness Prince Yong at all costs... The incident happened suddenly, and when we arrived, His Highness Prince Yong had already died under the hacking and slashing of the rioters."
"We are incompetent and failed to protect His Highness Prince Yong. We beg Your Majesty to punish us!"
At this moment, Li Hai, lying on the stretcher, also let out a suppressed sob.
He struggled to get up, repeating, "The facts are indeed as Lord Yun said... We are guilty, please, please punish us, Your Majesty!"
Given his appearance, how could the emperor punish him?
Emperor Wenjing looked at the two men and remained silent for a long time.
In the silence, Xie Shifu slowly stepped forward, bowed, and said, “Your Majesty, the refugees’ massacre of Prince Yong is an act of treason. However, the root cause is Prince Yong’s improper actions and the dereliction of duty by the officials of Huizhou, which has driven the people to the brink of despair. If the people are severely punished now, it may chill the hearts of the people and incite a greater popular uprising. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider.”
An old minister from the cabinet stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, “What Prime Minister Xie said is absolutely right. The most urgent task at present is to appease the people and rectify the officialdom in Huizhou. The matter of His Highness Prince Yong has already happened and cannot be undone. If we cause further unrest by punishing the people, it will not be a blessing for the country.”
Two renowned senior officials stepped forward, and some officials from humble backgrounds who cared about the people also submitted memorials.
"Your Majesty, the laws of the land cannot be abolished. Even if there is a reason for the crime, the common people who kill a member of the royal family cannot be completely innocent. However, they can be punished leniently to demonstrate the benevolence and majesty of our dynasty."
"The people have been forced into a corner, so please, Your Majesty, show leniency."
The Imperial Study was filled with the sounds of court officials offering their advice and remonstrances.
Emperor Wenjing, seated on the dragon throne, wore a face displaying both heartache and anger. Only after his court officials had finished speaking did he finally address them with sorrow:
“The Prince of Yong has committed such a heinous crime, and I am also at fault.”
"If I hadn't repeatedly indulged him, this wouldn't have happened..."
He let out a heavy sigh.
"It is my fault."
When the emperor says such things, any sensible minister should naturally agree.
As a result, many of the ministers spoke up.
“This is Prince Yong’s nature; it’s hardly the Emperor’s fault.”
"His Majesty is already overwhelmed with state affairs, how can he possibly keep an eye on how Prince Yong is doing all the time?"
Those who echoed the emperor were mostly officials from powerful families, each with their own agendas.
Whether Prince Yong lives or dies is not important; what is important is that no one else should be implicated.
This matter must end here.
What they least wanted to see was an emperor who, after experiencing repeated setbacks, still wanted to be diligent in his duties.
It's one thing if there's a group of officials in the court, led by Xie Shifu, who oppose them, but if the emperor suddenly joins their camp, the situation will be extremely unfavorable for these aristocratic families.
When the emperor is inactive, powerful families can seize power.