Chapter 166: Wrath of the Han (1/2)
Dong!
Within the royal palace, the dragon bells and dragon drums reverberated in harmony.
The news of Wang Chong’s imprisonment spread like wildfire across the entire capital, and before the morning assembly began, a white-haired old official appeared in the inner palace. His emaciated body was trembling, and an indignant look was on his face. His pale head struck the dragon bell forcefully time and time again, and it didn’t take long for crimson blood to ooze from the impact.
“There are no precedents of indicting one with the crime of ‘blindly interfering with court matters’. Your Majesty, are you making history by indicting a person for his earnest opinion?!”
Old Censor He Can knocked his head on the dragon bell time and time again with an incomparably agitated and sorrowful expression.
As an official of the previous era, the censor of the former emperor, He Can, was loyal to the country, and he spoke and admonished without bias or fear. Out of respect for his upright personality, the former emperor once bestowed him an Immunity Token. However, due to his old age, having exceeded seventy to date, he had retired and returned to his homeland.
It had been thirty years since he was involved in governance, but upon hearing about Wang Chong’s arrest, the old censor’s agitation and indignance prompted him into action. As soon as he received the news, he ordered his offsprings to prepare his official robe, and carrying the Immunity Token from the former emperor, he walked through the palace gates, headed straight for the inner palace.
“In the two centuries since Great Tang’s establishment, there has never been such a matter. If Your Majesty were to indict him because of this matter, Your Majesty will go down in history as an inept emperor!! ——”
…
This was just the start of the shock wave that Wang Chong triggered.
As soon as the morning bell was struck, the officials rushed straight into the assembly hall.
“Your humble subordinate, Zhang Yakun, pleads for Your Majesty to spare Wang Chong!”
The moment as everyone stepped into the hall, ‘dong!’, an influential official kneeled heavily on the ground. Then, following suit, the second one, the third one, the fourth one…
“Your humble subordinate, Lu Lin, pleads for Your Majesty to spare Wang Chong!”
“Your humble subordinate, Xu Hanwu, pleads for Your Majesty to spare Wang Chong!”
“Your humble subordinate, Sun Taijia, pleads for Your Majesty to spare Wang Chong!”
“Your humble subordinate, Gu Tong, pleads for Your Majesty to spare Wang Chong!”
…
All of the officials had a grim and agitated look on their faces.
“Zhang Yakun, Lu Lin, and Xu Hanwu, what are you all doing?”
Upon seeing the sight, Zhou Zhang and the others were dumbfounded. However, as soon as Zhou Zhang said those words, another even shocking event occurred.
“Your humble subordinate, Shang Guan, wishes to submit a formal report against Zhou Zhang!”
“Your humble subordinate, Li Yunlin, wishes to submit a formal report against Liu Yu!”
“Your humble subordinate, Zhang Song, wishes to submit a formal report against Zhou Jue!”
“Your humble subordinate, Liu Feng, wishes to submit a formal report against Zhang Kuai!”
…
“Your humble subordinate, Zhou Ren, wishes to submit a formal report against Great General Abusi!”
Dong dong dong, figure after figure kneeled heavily to the ground. Eventually, even Great General Abusi was dumbstruck.
In an instant, the vast royal court suddenly fell silent.
For some reason, seeing the furious gazes on the heads turning to look at them, Zhou Zhang and the others vaguely understood something, and a chill suddenly struck their hearts.
Disdain!
Overwhelming disdain!
For the first time, Zhou Zhang and the others felt stigmatized. For the first time, they understood the sensation of being held in disdain by hundreds of officials of the royal court.
Wang Chong had said that the ‘Hu formed a faction by themselves’, but these officials didn’t pay much heed to it initially, thinking those were just the babble of an immature youth. Ironically, when so many Hu generals united in their criticisms against Wang Chong, it only proved the authenticity of his claim.
Go Seonji was from Silla!
Fumeng Lingcha belonged to the Qiang tribe!
Geshu Han was a Türgesh!
Abusi was from the Tongluo nomadic tribe!
Ansi Shun was a Turk!
…
But this time, all of these people from different ethnicities had banded together under the Hu banner in order to deal with Wang Chong. Such a happening had infuriated all of the Han officials.
When they heard that Wang Chong was captured during daybreak, their anger crescendoed at new heights, triggering them into action.
‘Hu forming a faction of their own’, wasn’t the evidence lying right before them?
Wang Chong’s memorial was initially met with apathy, but given the current situation, who would dare continue thinking so? What they found the most infuriating was that Zhou Zhang and group, despite being the head censor, actually spoke up for outsiders!
Enemies were loathsome, but inner spies were the lowest of scum!
Zhou Zhang and the others didn’t know that they had already been stigmatized as stout supporters of foreign tribes. Right now, anyone who dared to speak up for the Hu would become the enemy of all of the Han officials!
Silence loomed within the royal court.
Other than Zhou Zhang’s group, Abusi, and the other Hu generals, all of the Han officials kneeled to the floor.
“Your Majesty, Wang Chong is just a fifteen-year-old child, and his loyalty to the country is evident in his words. If he’s indicted over this matter, won’t the hearts of the entire population turn cold? Your Majesty, please reconsider your decision!”
Dong! When the Duke of Xu, an official whose standing wasn’t inferior to Go Seonji and the others in any way, kneeled down, the emotions of those within the royal court were brought to even greater heights.
These words didn’t just represent Duke of Xu’s view, it was also the true thoughts of all of the officials kneeling here.
The royal court fell deathly silent.
Watching this sight amidst the crowd, innumerable emotions struck Wang Gen’s heart.
“Chong-er, do you see this?”
All this time, Wang Gen felt that Wang Chong should have never written the memorial. However, at this instant, he finally realized that Wang Chong’s decision was the correct one.
When the news of more than eighty percent of the royal court kneeled down to plead for Wang Chong’s release during the morning assembly spread, the entire capital flew into an uproar.
…
Wang Clan.
“Let me go, let me go!”
Upon hearing that her Third Brother Wang Chong had been arrested and locked in the Imperial Prison, the Wang Family’s little sister flew into a rage. Four guards, eight servants, and six maids tried desperately to hold onto her, but they were unable to withstand her immense might.
Peng!
A guard was sent flying straight into the walls, and the immense impact caused the wall to cave in. Wang Xiao Yao’s immense strength wasn’t something that an ordinary person could endure.
“I want to enter the royal palace! How dare he capture my Third Brother, I want to kill that wretched emperor!”
The Wang Family’s little sister bellowed furiously.
“Young mistress, you mustn’t!”
“You can’t say such things!!”
“You could be executed if others were to hear your words!”