One winter night, Wan Yanliang gathered all the ministers in the hall to sit around the warm four-corner stove under the dim light, drinking tea and talking in secret.
There was heavy snow outside the house, and the winter wind blew the snow on the eaves sadly. Under the Zhu Heng Bi tiles, a group of soldiers in iron clothes stood around, guarding a secret place.
Their frozen knees were already hard to move. Occasionally, someone on duty would relax and prepare to leave, but they could not move even an inch.
The heavily locked courtyard door was suddenly opened, and two halberd holders escorted a well-dressed man in. The man was limping and struggling, and he managed to walk over with the help of the halberd holders.
"Who is approaching?" The soldier on duty at the door on the last floor drew his long knife, held it in his hand, and scolded him with a cold face.
The man holding the halberd came forward and complained to his ear, then bowed in front of him: "This is what the king ordered."
After hearing this, the soldier on the other end put the long sword into the scabbard and bowed in return: "It's your consort, please!"
The man holding the halberd replied, helped the man up, and walked inward through the red door into the main hall of the courtyard.
Looking into the room, there were about five ministers, all wearing fur clothes, sitting on the armchair facing the door. Wan Yanliang was posing with his hips, hanging his long gown, and looking at the heated debate with dark eyebrows.
The wolf teeth on his forehead looked particularly bright under the dim light. He was stroking the chair with his right hand, and flicking the earrings with his left hand, looking very wild.
Suddenly someone knocked on the door: "Your Majesty, the prince's consort has arrived!"
"Come in!" He pouted.
Only then did he see the lame man clearly. He entered the room and untied the velvet from underneath, and walked with a stick. His face couldn't hide the haggardness, and he limped forward. It was none other than Princess Dai's consort, Captain Tang Kuobian. .
Everyone looked at him and stood up quickly to greet him.
Wan Yanliang also stood up and came to help him: "What's wrong with my nephew-in-law? He's limping."
Tang Kuo bian puffed out his cheeks and said nothing. He frowned and lowered his head.
Wanyan Bingde plucked the bead on the brim of his hat: "Why else? It's naturally the emperor's good deed."
Wan Yanliang asked again: "I'm scolding you again, for what reason?"
"I had a few arguments with the princess, and she went back to the palace and told the story to the emperor, and the emperor... gave me thirty canes!" He said angrily, and then turned his face away.
"It's normal for a husband and wife to have a little quarrel. How could he blame you for this? It's so ridiculous!" Wanyan asked again in vain, but refused to answer and carefully sat down on the high chair covered with velvet carpets.
"I was thinking that even if I was beaten to a cripple by him today, I would still come and conspire with you, uncle, on how to bring down this foolish king!" He sat down and put his velvet hat on the table. Above, eyes gnashing with rage.
Bingde sneered: "We are discussing the matter, and you are here just in time! Such a king who does not distinguish between right and wrong should have stepped down long ago."
Wan Yanliang sat back, continued to play with his left earlobe, and looked into the faces of everyone else and said: "The Solitary King has sent heavy troops to arrest several deputy leaders of the Henan Prefecture Rebel Army, and they will be escorted to Beijing in the near future!"
He stood up and walked around: "Now, His Majesty is quite suspicious of the two imperial brothers, thinking that Chang Sheng and Zha La are the people behind the rebel army. If these deputy chiefs insist that they are responsible for the rebellion, then... …The emperor’s younger brother will be killed.”
Tang Kuobian hesitated for the slightest, and frowned and asked: "Uncle? Why did you kill Uncle Chang Sheng when you deposed the king? He is a pure and kind man!"
After hearing this, Wan Yanliang waved and held his waist: "Alas...don't you understand yet? If you want to isolate the emperor, you must cut off his wings..."
Tang Kuo argued and understood, but still couldn't bear it and hung his head in embarrassment.
He tried to argue, and a smile arose: "The lonely king knows that your nephew-in-law has a kind heart and cannot bear to be murderous, but since ancient times, when two forces are fighting for hegemony, one person will be injured, and some innocent people will lose their lives. , you should understand this."
Bingde smiled again, squinting his eyes and hooking his shoulders: "Captain, those who achieve great things must not be kind to women. Think about it, if we don't quickly remove this foolish king, there is no guarantee that he will be able to live forever." , chop off your and my heads."
Tang Kuobian was quiet for a moment, then raised his head and asked: "Then... what if we frame a crime and are investigated and punished?
"
Wan Yanliang stood with his hands behind his back: "No! The emperor and Concubine Chang Sheng have a secret. He naturally wants to kill his husband and seize his wife, and take the beautiful lady as his own."
"Of course they turned a blind eye to the false accusations against us!"
"We can easily deal with these two people!"
Wan Yanliang stood on the high platform and laughed, buckling his waist and loosening his muscles.
"Bingde, you secretly tell the ministers at the Yushitai that they must follow the wishes of the lonely king, and what else!"
He turned his head to Wanyan Wudai, who was quietly drinking tea, and said, "Wudai, on the other side of Dali Temple..."
Wu Dai immediately stood up and bowed: "Everything will be done according to the public opinion. The punishment of Ling Chi in the prison is scary to everyone, so they don't believe that the deputy chief refuses to accept it."
"That's very good, the lonely king is at ease!" Liang sighed with relief, holding the tea with one hand and sipping it happily.
"In addition, the emperor's close minister, Daxingguo, was always scolded by innocent people before. He has been holding grudges for a long time and has secretly defected to the lonely king!"
He put down the tea and said: "There are also the old monk Li and San Hutu, the chief servant of Shangshu Ling. They are all close ministers of the late king and have returned to us, especially Hutu. My father once saved his life. He must It’s just obedience.”
One of the disciples, Shan Zhen, said with a smile: "These people have an extraordinary role. Daxingguo takes care of the emperor's daily life. With him, it will be easier for us to do things!"
"Yes! Yes!" everyone replied.
"We have to wipe out the emperor's power before we can proceed to the next step!" Wan Yanliang said again.
After Tang Kuo heard the argument, he thought for a long time and then asked: "But... Uncle Wulu and Uncle Zongxian are loyal and good people. If they try their best to protect the emperor, it's hard for us to do anything!"
"Especially Wulu, he has a good reputation within the clan, and it is effortless to gather manpower!" Wudai raised his head and nodded as he spoke.
Wan Yanliang was silent for a long time, turning the lid of the porcelain cup around the rim again and again, staring at the tea with a complicated expression.
Bingde quietly turned his head and patted Wulu on his right shoulder, clasping his hands and chatting in a low voice: "Oh, don't mention King Yong in front of the king. The girl that the king liked before was given to Wulu by the Holy Emperor in marriage. In the king's heart It must be taboo..."
Wudai lowered his voice in fear and said: "Oh, I forgot about this matter, I won't mention it anymore!"
Wan Yanliang listened to the two people's private discussion, his Adam's apple moved up and down slightly, he stood up, and the two of them also sat upright.
"Wulu is a cowardly person, but he is just doing his job honestly. There is nothing to fear from him!"
Bingde immediately bowed his head in front of him and said, "Yes, yes, there is nothing to be afraid of!"
Liang glanced sideways at Wu Dai, whose cheeks were red, and said with his hands behind his back: "In the future, don't mention Wulu in front of the King Gu. The King Gu will definitely settle the matter with him if he takes possession of the King Gu's wife. Understand clearly!"
Wan Yanliang was slightly angry, and everyone was so frightened that they stood up and bowed: "Yes, I understand!"
After a moment of silence, Liang raised his smile and said, "Well, what happened today is not something outsiders can understand. I hope you all will be more considerate and we can get out of this sea of suffering earlier!"
Everyone lowered their faces and replied, "Yes, the official must be more diligent! Be more diligent!"
He Anxin looked at the expressions of several ministers, showing no signs of arrogance, and then settled down to have tea.
In recent years, the confinement of the guards and inspectors has been strict, and the few of them were afraid that they would be suspected by the soldiers patrolling the city if they returned late, so they simply had a cup of tea, said a few words each, and then left the small courtyard one by one and returned to their mansions.
Not long ago, several deputy leaders of the rebel army escorted by the Ministry of Punishment really couldn't stand the punishment of Lingchi's knife and hanging. Under the severe torture, they had to give in and killed the two emperor's brothers who were the masterminds behind the scenes.
The people at Yushitai were even faster in their investigation. Based on the confessions submitted by the Ministry of Punishment, Wanyan Yuan (Chang Sheng) and Wanyan Zhali were convicted of the crime, and they only waited for the emperor to speak.
Early in the morning, the snow outside was enough to cover the boots. In the Xuanzheng Hall, hundreds of officials stood, holding wat boards in their hands, all of them were frightened and trembling. Only Wanyanyong, Wanyanliang and other ministers looked particularly calm.
The emperor on the dragon throne read the memorial in his hand carefully. The more he read, the more annoyed he became.
Finally, he threw the memorial down in anger, pointed at the door and shouted: "Wan Yanyuan is so brave, he dares to gather Meng'an in private, and even incites the soldiers to revolt in order to take my place. Don't you want your head?"
"Your Majesty, calm down!" The ministers knelt down.
The right Prime Minister Wanyan Zongxian in the first row on the right, with a white beard on his chest, stood in the center holding a wat tablet, picked up the memorial, looked at it with open eyes, and then bowed in front of him: "Your Majesty, if you are looking for it, there must be someone there. Hidden truth, how can you convict the two emperor's brothers based on a few confessions? I think this is just one-sided words and cannot be trusted."
Wanyan Bingde, who was standing behind him, raised his eyebrows and said, "Master Prime Minister, don't you know whether the affairs of Sheji are light or serious? Since there is testimony first, it must not be groundless. If Wanyan Yuan and Zha La really rebelled, Heart, can you bear it?"
He walked in the middle and said: "Your Majesty, I think I would rather kill a hundred by mistake than let one go!"
Zongxian turned around and scolded him angrily: "You! The insurgent's military nickname is "Emperor's Brother". If you are so rash, then nearly half of the people in the whole dynasty should be punished?" "
The emperor was silent, looking at Wugu Lun Wo Lun, who was kneeling in the second row from the left, and asked, "What do you think of this matter, Wo Lun Qing?"
Wo Lun thought for a long time, shook his old body, spread his sleeves and knelt in the center:
"Your Majesty, I believe that Yuan and Zhala were raised by me and the eldest princess since they were young. Considering their nature, I know best. They are rough and honest, similar to the late emperor (Wanyan Yi, Wanyan Yuan, Wanyan Zha La's father, who was named Huizong), is definitely not a person who committed rebellion. There must be something hidden in this confession. I hope the Holy One will see clearly!"
Wan Yanliang brushed his sleeves, sneered, shook his body, looked at him arrogantly, and then stood in the center: "Uncle! You think this court is your princess's palace! How can you have selfish motives when the state affairs are important? Furthermore, how do you know that these two people have a disloyal heart when people's hearts are separated from each other?"
"Your Majesty, I believe that this matter is related to the country and must be severely punished..."
"Da Sima?" The emperor called Wan Yanyong.
He held the wat board in his hand and walked in the center. He closed his eyes lightly and took a deep breath. It took him a long time to speak: "Wei Chen is here!"
He paused for a long time and then said: "Your Majesty! You are a holy king, so you have a certain idea in your heart. The humble ministers are stupid and don't know what to say!"
He couldn't bear the ruthless murder of his clan brothers, but he couldn't persuade him to stop it, so he had to choose the wisest choice and remain neutral. Wan Yanliang was quite satisfied after hearing what he said, and even more arrogantly raised her head and glanced at him with a smile.
"Where are the ministers' families?" the emperor asked again.
Everyone mingled in private and made comments, not wanting to bring down the emperor's face, so they left it at that.
"I am stupid and do not know what to say. Please make a decision, Your Majesty!"
The ministers were neutral, and the emperor was quite satisfied. He nodded and stood up, walked down the red staircase step by step, stroked his red clothes and said: "Then I will rule impartially. Wan Yanyuan and Zha La attempted to rebel, and their crimes are unforgivable." , they were detained and returned to the capital, and together with their son, they were executed by beheading."
"Wanyan Tesi, the guard in front of the palace, was not careful in his duties and was sentenced to death for the same reason!"
When the order came out, the loyal ministers were stunned, the female officials were all elated, and Wan Yanliang felt relieved, secretly rejoicing at this bloody good thing.
