Chapter 1250: Personal Letter! (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
In the Great Tang, whether one was a civil official or general, as long as one had spent ten to twenty years in the court, one would understand Zhang Shougui. Duke Jiu was renowned throughout the world as a sage minister, but Zhang Shougui still butted heads with and cursed at him.
And if Great Tang War God Wang Zhongsi had not voluntarily resigned from his military post and retired to the palace for his own safety, becoming the Crown Prince's Junior Guardian, Zhang Shougui would have long ago come into conflict with him. Li Linfu was a member of the imperial household1 and also the Prime Minister of the Great Tang, and this was exactly the position that Zhang Shougui longed for.
In all of the Great Tang, besides the Sage Emperor, Zhang Shougui practically feared no one. As long as a person was at the top of their class, Zhang Shougui had probably gotten into conflict with them.
This impression was deeply-rooted in the minds of the civil officials.
”…Moreover, the evidence that Zhang Shougui has deceived the sovereign is unquestionable! Haicheng, submit the evidence!” the old official said to Investigating Imperial Censor Ye Haicheng as he took two steps forward.
Whoosh!
With a righteous air, Ye Haicheng flourished his wrist, revealing two pieces of paper to the assembled officials.
”This letter was personally written by one of Zhang Shougui's subordinates, a high-level general who has followed him for ten-some years, an old comrade who has always been sincerely devoted. He had originally planned to conceal this incident. After all, Zhang Shougui was his superior. But after several nights of torment, for the sake of his deceased comrades, he decided to speak of this matter. Sovereigns must act like sovereigns, subjects like subjects, fathers like fathers, and sons like son. Zhang Shougui has truly failed in his role as a subject. Your Majesty, please consider this!”
Buzz!
When Ye Haicheng revealed the letter, the entire hall fell deathly still. The generals all paled, and even King Song slightly grimaced. The Confucians were not members of the martial path, and they would never use a matter like this to make a joke. It was clear that they had firm evidence.
Zhang Shougui was the number two figure in the military, and from a certain perspective, his influence over the military was even more far-reaching than Wang Chong's. And his seniority was definitely not something Wang Chong could match. Under the assault of the Confucians, the militarists had given ground again and again, and the situation was extremely unfavorable. If even someone like Zhang Shougui were seized, none of them dared to imagine what would happen next.
Another civil official stepped forward. ”Your Majesty! That is not all! Zhang Shougui also dared to bribe an imperial emissary! Niu Xiantong is only a eunuch official, and yet he now suddenly possesses nearly ten million taels of gold in gold yuan certificates. Question him on where he obtained this money! And not too long ago, Niu Xiantong presented a report to the First Prince, and the contents of this report reversed black and white, praising Zhang Shougui and turning the defeat at the Huang River into a major victory, even appealing to the Imperial Court to reward Zhang Shougui. The severity of the situation caused the First Prince to seek us old officials out for guidance. The First Prince can personally provide testimony on this matter. Please, Your Majesty, pass down a harsh judgment!”
His words added to the disaster, turning the situation even more against Zhang Shougui.
The court was eerily quiet, and even the most ardent defenders of Zhang Shougui couldn't help but fall into trembling silence. The Confucians had come well prepared this time. Two letters written by Zhang Shougui's subordinate exposing the matter were already incredibly hard to deal with, and now there were the gold yuan certificates and the First Prince's personal testimony!
The First Prince was the Sage Emperor's eldest son, and if any matter involved the First Prince, that matter was essentially settled. No matter how much they didn't want to accept it, there was one thing that everyone had to admit.
The experienced and veteran Andong Protector-General Zhang Shougui and his Youzhou Army had suffered a miserable defeat at the Huang River, losing to the Xi and Khitans, and then they had dared to claim that a deer was a horse and try to deceive His Divine Majesty.
A graying old military official felt his heart sink. How could this be? Can not even Zhang Shougui protect himself now? If this happens, just who would dare to contend against the Confucians in the future? We militarists will be forever under the grip of the Confucians, and the Great Tang will cripple itself. Once the foreigners invade, who will be there to oppose them?
This old official had spent decades in the court, but he had never encountered such a dangerous and challenging situation as this. He almost subconsciously turned to the back of Taihe Palace, to the young and slender figure standing near the entrance.
The military was in a crisis, and though this was truly a rather unrealistic line of thinking, if there was anyone who could reverse the tides and change this situation, it was the King of Foreign Lands.
Buzz!
The old military official felt a strange feeling, and then he realized that almost all the generals in the court were, just like him, staring at that young figure in the back of the hall.
”Haaah…”
Wang Chong sighed. He could clearly sense through the mood in the hall that Zhang Shougui's matter had caught everyone off guard. An important general who had won every battle and had raised many elite soldiers and powerful generals had actually suffered such a tragic defeat. For many people, this was simply unimaginable.
Lord Zhang! Truly a hero for a lifetime, senile for a moment!
Wang Chong couldn't help but mentally shake his head. In terms of command ability, Zhang Shougui was definitely no weakling. When Zhang Shougui was presiding over Longxi, Youzhou to the northeast had suffered a generation of chaos and upheaval, so he was dispatched to put out the flames. And Zhang Shougui had not let down the hopes placed on him. He had succeeded in establishing the Andong Protectorate army and was able to firmly suppress the four major foes wreaking havoc on the border: the Xi, the Khitans, the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, and the Goguryeo Empire.
Even the King of Goguryeo, Yeon Gaesomun, a peerless sovereign of a generation, turned from a tiger to a cat in front of him. He was forced into a defensive position, unable to mount any sort of counterattack and forced to spend many a sleepless night wondering if Zhang Shougui would lead his Youzhou Army to attack his forts.