Dugu Jingyao is reborn as Li Chu's beloved

Chapter 431: So Biased

Since the outbreak of the An-Shi Rebellion, the entire Tang Dynasty has been plunged into chaos and turmoil. Witnessing the nation's decline and the suffering of its people, the Emperor was filled with worry and anger. He knew that this war had not only severely damaged the nation but also exposed numerous flaws and corruption within the court.

Therefore, the emperor secretly made up his mind to eradicate the pests that were eroding the foundation of the court and restore a clear political environment to the world.

Soon after the An Lushan Rebellion was quelled, the emperor was eager to take action. He wisely chose to start small, investigating those petty corrupt officials who had been engaged in corruption, bribery, and oppression of the people.

Doing so can serve as a warning to others and give those high-ranking officials a chance to reflect on themselves and reform themselves. After all, in the past, these people had made great contributions to the country and could be considered the pillars of the country.

Within two months of Yang Guozhong's imprisonment, significant results were achieved in the investigation and handling of petty corrupt officials.

With the concerted efforts of the Crown Prince, Li Chu, Li Mi, Guo Ziyi, and the Dali Temple, most of the cases were brought to a close. Those petty officials who had acted recklessly were punished, either dismissed from their posts or exiled to the frontier.

As corrupt officials were brought down, many positions in the imperial court became vacant. During the selection process for new officials, it was gratifying to find that nearly half of the candidates were from humble backgrounds who had been granted official positions and titles due to their genuine talent and outstanding abilities.

They came from humble backgrounds but held great ambitions, eager to contribute to the country and its people through their own efforts. Of course, in addition to these noble sons from humble backgrounds, some of the newly appointed officials came from various aristocratic families, even including members of the crown prince's family.

However, the emperor did not interfere too much in this situation, because he understood that as long as the appointment of these people did not disrupt the delicate balance of power in the court and did not breed new termites, then appropriate checks and balances of power were necessary to maintain the stability of the court.

Therefore, as long as everything is within the controllable range, the emperor chooses to turn a blind eye and let the situation develop naturally.

It was originally thought that after the court was cleaned up and as time passed, the prince and Li Chu would forget about Yang Guozhong.

However, at this moment, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Li Chu, Prince of Guangping, had already made up their minds to punish the Yang family severely. After careful consideration, they racked their brains and came up with a brilliant plan.

It turned out that they secretly sent someone to induce Yang Guozhong's extravagant and idle youngest son to go to brothels to seek pleasure. As expected, this dandy boy soon caused trouble there.

At the time, he had taken a fancy to a beautiful prostitute and wanted to take her by force. However, she had already been spotted by another client, leading to a heated argument. Yang Guozhong's youngest son, known for his arrogance and dominance, was not one to back down easily. Without a second thought, he engaged in a violent brawl.

The fight escalated and ended in tragedy - Yang Guozhong's youngest son accidentally beat the other party to death!

This had caused a major uproar. After all, a loss of life was no small matter. Even worse, the deceased's family was adamant and unwilling to let the matter go. So, during the morning court session today, the man presented a petition to the Emperor.

In the court, he tearfully accused Yang Guozhong's son of crimes. According to him, Yang Guozhong's son, lusting after women, had openly snatched prostitutes from brothels, leading to conflicts with his son. And, most outrageously, Yang Guozhong's son had mercilessly beaten his own son to death!

After hearing these words, the emperor suddenly felt a splitting headache. In fact, the emperor had already made up his mind before. If he could find a suitable excuse, even if no one in the Yang Mansion held an official position, for the sake of Yang Guifei, he would not punish them too harshly. At least he could let them continue to live a life of wealth and glory, and be an ordinary rich man.

But who would have thought that now that Yang Guozhong has lost his official position, his son still relies on his relationship with his aunt, the imperial concubine, to act recklessly and lawless outside!

The emperor couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Alas, this is truly disappointing! If this continues, even if I wanted to let him go, it would be extremely difficult..."

Everyone held their breath and waited for the emperor's response. The hall was dead silent, and only the heavy breathing could be heard clearly.

The Emperor sat on the Dragon Throne, his expression frighteningly gloomy, his piercing eyes seemingly capable of piercing a human heart. Finally, as if making up his mind, he slammed the dragon table and roared, "I can't believe Yang Guozhong couldn't even teach his own son! He's so indulged, allowing his son to act so lawless and recklessly! Come, pass on my decree—Yang Guozhong condoned his son's murder and is guilty of this. From this day forward, his mansion is confined. No one may set foot outside without my decree! As for his son, Yang Xi, his murderous acts are beyond the reach of Heaven and justice. His crimes are truly heinous. He is to be exiled three thousand miles away and will never return to the capital!"

The entire court was stunned by these words. This decree was truly beyond everyone's expectations. Li Chu, standing by, pondered, "I thought the Emperor would severely punish Yang Guozhong and his son, but I never imagined he would be so biased. Even though his son committed murder, he was merely imprisoned, and Yang Xi was only exiled. Perhaps the root of all this is Yang Guifei's favor with the Emperor!"

Li Chu, indignant at this, was about to step forward and voice his dissatisfaction and doubts to the emperor. However, the crown prince sensed his intention and quickly gave him a look, signaling him not to act rashly. Li Chu understood, and although he was filled with resentment, he suppressed his anger and chose to remain silent.

Seeing this, the Crown Prince took the lead and stepped forward, kneeling respectfully in obeisance. He spoke loudly, "Your Majesty is wise! This fair and strict handling of the matter not only demonstrates your majesty's benevolence and generosity, but also upholds the dignity of the law. I deeply admire you!"

Seeing this, how could the other ministers dare to say anything? They followed the prince's example, kneeling and kowtowed, shouting in unison: "Your Majesty is wise and wise! Long live your Majesty!" For a moment, the entire court echoed with thunderous praises.

The Emperor sat on the dragon throne, his eyes slowly sweeping over his sons, grandsons, and numerous ministers standing below. They all lowered their brows and appeared exceptionally well-behaved and obedient, a sight that pleased the Emperor greatly. He nodded slightly, a barely perceptible smile on his face, and said, "Well, everyone, get up!"

Upon hearing the emperor's decree, everyone below thanked him in unison and then cautiously stood up. At this moment, Gao Lishi, standing nearby, saw that everyone had already stood up and shouted at the top of his voice, "If you have something to report, please stand up. If not, please leave!" His resounding voice echoed throughout the vast palace.

However, there was no sound from below. Gao Lishi, seeing this, shouted again, "Withdraw from the court!"

As soon as the words fell, everyone bowed to the emperor, expressing their respectful farewell. Only after the emperor left did they dare to stand up and slowly turn around to walk out of the hall. For a moment, the only sounds in the hall were the rustling of footsteps and clothing.

Since the Crown Prince and Li Chu stopped talking about the execution of Yang Guozhong, the Emperor's health seemed to have improved suddenly. He often summoned the two to the Shangshufang to discuss state affairs.

However, after what happened in the court today, the emperor once again used his poor health as an excuse to let the prince and Li Chu return to handle government affairs on their own.

In fact, the emperor was very clear in his mind. He knew very well that once he discussed politics with the two of them, they would probably again express different opinions on the punishment decision he had made before.

Therefore, in order to avoid this situation from happening, the emperor simply chose to send them away to avoid adding trouble to himself.

After the Crown Prince and Li Chu arrived at the Eastern Palace, they discussed it and decided that if they wanted Yang Guozhong to die, they had to kill Yang Guifei first. Otherwise, the Yang family, with their years of power, could still stir up trouble, and might even rebel like An Lushan and Shi Siming!

After the two finished their discussion, Li Chu returned to Prince Guangping's Mansion.