NFBE Chapter 243 Exploiting the Emperor's Guilt
Chapter 243 Exploiting the Emperor's Guilt
Overwhelmed with grief and indignation, the chieftain of the Mengli tribe, carrying the woman's cold body, stormed into the Xiaozhou government office, demanding an explanation from Wang Xunzhen.
Wang Xunzhen, however, sat on the high seat, legs crossed, his face full of disdain, claiming that the woman had encountered misfortune after getting lost and that it had nothing to do with him.
The Mongol people naturally refused to believe it.
They searched everywhere for the truth and finally discovered that Wang Xunzhen had sent people to kidnap the woman. The woman refused to submit and was brutally murdered.
When they presented the evidence to Wang Xunzhen, Wang Xunzhen not only showed no remorse, but instead became enraged and ordered his men to beat the Mengli people with sticks and drive them out of the government office.
After that, Wang Xunzhen intensified his suppression of the Mongol-Li ethnic group.
They deliberately provoked trouble, maliciously levied taxes, and committed numerous other misdeeds.
The chief of the Mengli tribe sent people to appeal multiple times, but Wang Xunzhen held absolute power in Xiaozhou, and the news was blocked.
During this flood season, a group of officials led by Wang Xunzhen went so far as to send people to destroy the dikes above the Yuanbei River!
The floodwaters surged in, instantly destroying the homes of the Mongol people.
Left with no other choice, the Mongol people sought help from the prefectural government.
But Wang Xunzhen and his group did not help those in distress; instead, they mocked and ridiculed them from a superior position.
The Mongol people finally rebelled.
Yu Wan assumed that the Mengli tribe had no choice but to rebel, but she did not expect that they would suffer such a tragic fate.
In the original story, the Mongol tribe rebelled because the chieftain's son died a tragic death.
But now, more than one person has died.
Yu Wan clenched her fists slightly, her eyes filled with coldness. "What is the current situation of the Mengli tribe? Now that Prince Chen knows about this, he shouldn't stand idly by, right?"
Yun Shang nodded slightly. "The prince secretly sent people to provide relief, delivering some supplies and medicines, and reached a cooperation agreement with the Mengli people."
After hearing all this, Yu Wan understood everything.
Wang Xunzhen has been committing all sorts of evil deeds in Xiaozhou under the name of the Prince of Xiang. This time, he even blew up the dam, forcing the Mengli people to rebel. Once the truth is revealed, will Emperor Wenjing still protect his son?
Losing the emperor's favor would make overthrowing the Prince of Xiang a piece of cake.
Emperor Wenjing has already dispatched the Court of State Ceremonial to investigate the Yuanbei River, and now they are just waiting for news from the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial.
Yu Wan asked Granny Sheng to wait a little longer.
They waited for three days, only to receive news that Cui Huai-ren, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, had disappeared.
Yu Wan was stunned when she learned of this.
How did Cui Huai Ren disappear? Was it the work of the Mongol-Li people?
When the news reached the palace, Emperor Wenjing angrily threw down the memorial, his face contorted with rage.
"They even dared to attack the envoys sent by the imperial court for peace talks. The Mongol-Li people have some nerve!"
"It seems I have been too lenient with them." Emperor Wenjing's face darkened, and he completely ignored the advice of several senior ministers.
"Yan Lin!"
The emperor roared, and a guard in golden armor with a sword stepped forward respectfully. "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
Among the assembled officials, Yun Shang slightly raised his eyes, his gaze falling on the man named Yan Lin.
Yan Lin, born into humble circumstances, was the top martial arts champion ten years ago. During a hunt, he risked his life to save Emperor Wenjing, and since then he has been highly valued by Emperor Wenjing. Now he holds the high position of commander of the Imperial Guard and is Emperor Wenjing's trusted minister.
Emperor Wenjing's face was stern, and he said in a deep voice, "I order you to immediately lead one thousand elite imperial guards to Xiaozhou! Join forces with the Xiaozhou garrison and deal with those traitors from Yuanbei River for me!"
Upon hearing this, the ministers in the hall displayed various expressions.
The ministers who advocated peace wanted to persuade him further, but Emperor Wenjing had already stood up and said impatiently, "My mind is made up. No one should mention it again. If anyone pleads for those Mongol-Li people, they will be punished along with them!"
Upon hearing this, all other sounds ceased.
Emperor Wenjing flicked his sleeve and strode away.
The court officials dispersed, and Yun Shang also left the palace.
Instead of returning to the Yun residence, he secretly went to the Prince Chen's residence.
He knocked on the back gate of the Prince Chen's residence, and the gate quickly opened from the inside.
Mingwei had been waiting there. Upon seeing Yun Shang, he immediately said respectfully, "Lord Yun, the Prince is waiting for you in the study."
Yun Shang walked briskly to the study.
Prince Chen was standing in front of a map, deep in thought.
Upon seeing Yun Shang, Prince Chen nodded slightly, gesturing for him to come closer.
He pointed to a spot and said, "Father has given an urgent order. Yan Lin will likely choose this route to reach Xiaozhou as quickly as possible."
Looking at the route marked on the map, Yun Shang said calmly, "It's about time. By the time Yan Lin arrives in Xiaozhou, the Prince's men will have everything ready."
Prince Chen nodded thoughtfully. Then, as if remembering something, he turned to look at Yun Shang and asked, "Why not just tell Father what Wang Xunzhen did in Xiaozhou?"
Yun Shang raised his eyes, looked deeply at Prince Chen, and asked, "Does Your Highness want to hear my truth, or something more agreeable?"
Upon hearing this, Prince Chen understood that what he was about to say must be some extremely disrespectful remark.
He smiled helplessly, "The truth may not be pleasant to hear, but I prefer to hear the truth."
So Yun Shang slowly said, "Emperors are suspicious. If Your Highness tells the Emperor directly why the Mengli tribe rebelled, the Emperor might suspect that Your Highness has some connection with the Mengli tribe in private."
"Why not let His Majesty send someone to investigate himself?"
“Yan Lin is the Emperor’s confidant, and the Emperor will surely believe his words without a doubt.”
"Yan Lin came from humble beginnings. Although he was incorruptible, he was a kind-hearted person. If he discovered that the Mengli tribe's rebellion had a reason, he would certainly not act rashly, but..."
Prince Chen frowned. "What if Father Emperor sends someone else?"
"In recent years there has been no war, and military officers have been idle at home for a long time without being promoted. If the Emperor sends other military officers, those officers will inevitably hide the truth in order to gain merit."
Yun Shang shook her head slightly, "No."
"His Majesty will not send any other military officers."
"The Mongol-Li people of Yuanbei River are of great importance. The military generals in the court are more or less connected with the princes. The emperor will not allow the princes to come into contact with the Mongol-Li people."
"Although Yan Lin is going there on orders to quell the rebellion, he is not a reckless person and will surely probe the situation first."
"The prince has made all the arrangements. Once he arrives, someone will present him with the key evidence so that he will know the injustice suffered by the Mengli people and the evil deeds of Wang Xunzhen."
Yun Shang said calmly, “When the emperor learns the truth about the Mengli tribe’s rebellion, the angrier he will be, the more guilty he will feel towards the Mengli tribe. The emperor’s guilt is the key to the Mengli tribe’s survival.”
After hearing these words, Prince Chen nodded slightly, "That's very good."
"However, we must not let our guard down during this period. I will send more people to keep an eye on the movements of all parties to ensure the smooth progress of the plan."
Yan Lin has his own style of doing things. He is more adept at delivering a fatal blow to the enemy silently. Therefore, he did not send an official letter to Xiaozhou before going there this time.
The officials of Xiaozhou were completely unaware that the commander of the Imperial Guards had already led a thousand elite troops to Xiaozhou.
Seven days later, Yan Lin led the elite Imperial Guards to Xiaozhou without making a sound.
Just as Yun Shang had predicted, Yan Lin also harbored doubts about the rebellion of the Mongol-Li people in Yuanbei River.
What Yun Shang and the others didn't know was that when Yan Lin went to the capital to take the imperial examination, he received a meal from the Li people of Yuanbei Hemeng. It was because of this kindness that he was determined to find out the reason for the Li people of Yuanbei Hemeng's rebellion.
After Yan Lin entered Xiaozhou, he ordered a thousand elite Imperial Guards to break into smaller units and secretly investigate.
This investigation uncovered everything.