The next morning, before dawn, the palace gates were already bustling with activity.
Yuchi Jing, holding a cudgel, scanned the officials waiting for the palace gates to open with murderous intent.
"If I find out who did this, and I don't dig up their ancestors' graves, I'll spell my name backward from now on!"
Cheng Yaojin, a sack slung over his waist and a cigar clamped in his mouth, expressionlessly pulled him aside.
"Why bother talking to them? Just do it later. What's with this cryptic wordplay."
"Damn it, these days are killing me!" Chai Shao clutched his stomach, sitting in his wheelchair, his face ashen.
Among the officials, some were indignant, some sympathetic, but equally, some were gloating!
Yu Shinan, holding a lighter in one hand and a fire starter in the other, was carried in a sedan chair that was reduced to a mere frame. He happened to see someone stifling a laugh, and his face instantly turned livid.
"Guards! Drag that scoundrel out!"
As the words fell, seven or eight household guards instantly rushed out from behind him, darting towards the person he pointed at. kanδん
"Presumptuous! This is the entrance to the Imperial Palace, Yu Shinan, what are you doing?"
Xiao Yu, seeing this, quickly stepped out to stop him.
Yu Shinan stepped out of the wooden frame, his eyes fixed on that person.
"He's laughing at my broken sedan chair. Those assassins that day must have an inseparable connection with him!"
"Could it be that the Duke of Song is also implicated in this matter?"
Xiao Yu's face immediately darkened; this was not a matter to get involved in.
He turned his head and saw Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde staring at him, so he gave an embarrassed chuckle.
"Suit yourself, suit yourself!"
With that, he slipped into the crowd.
This fellow was already fifty-five this year, and it was unknown how he managed to run with the speed of Liu Xiang taking flight.
As soon as he retreated, Yu Shinan's guards had already dragged out the person he had pointed at.
Yu Shinan glared fiercely at him, stroking his bare chin, feeling greatly insulted.
"Our body, hair, and skin are gifts from our parents; we must not harm them."
Although shaving the head and trimming the beard had been accepted by most in the military and among the populace, he still adhered to the old ways.
Old Yu was seventy-two this year, and next year would be a significant birthday. He feared he might not be able to grow his beard as long as it was before he died.
Although, in historical records, he lived to be eighty, who knew if he could live another eight years after this fright!
"If I'm not mistaken, you are from the Dali Temple, aren't you?"
"Speak! Under whose orders did you dare to inflict such a grievous harm upon me!"
"My beard, which I cultivated for over fifty years, was burned off. You might as well have stabbed me to death!"
"I-I am Tie Guodun, the Shaoqing of Dali Temple's Department of Punishments. Your Grace, the Duke of Yongxing, please understand, this incident of you being stabbed has nothing to do with me!"
The schadenfreude on Tie Guodun's face had vanished. He now lay on the ground, terrified and paralyzed.
He could already see Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde approaching!
Yu Shinan was just a civil official, but those two were genuine gods of war!
Yu Shinan bent down, his face full of wrinkles shaking in anger. As he opened his mouth, his snow-white jade dentures were revealed.
"Nothing to do with you? If it has nothing to do with you, why were you laughing your grandma's leg off!"
"You're just a fourth-rank official, yet you dare to mock me. Who gave you the courage!"
"Even if it truly has nothing to do with you, I will still charge you with the crime of insubordination!"
"As the Shaoqing of the Department of Punishments, what is the penalty for insubordination!"
"Speak!"
This last word was almost a roar.
Tie Guodun trembled violently from fright and quickly replied.
"For servants who commit insubordination, the penalty is beheading!"
"For officials who commit insubordination, forty strokes of the cangue for ten days! Separate punishment for other crimes."
As soon as he finished speaking, before Yu Shinan could decide on his punishment, Cheng Yaojin pushed through the crowd.
"Old Yu, why are you spouting legal statutes to him!"
"Get out of the way, let me handle this!"
Saying that, he directly kicked Tie Guodun to the ground and brought his massive cudgel down heavily.
"Duke Lu, spare me, spare me!" Tie Guodun pleaded repeatedly.
But Cheng Yaojin was not one to hold back.
"Bang!"
"You dog, how dare you mock me!"
"Bang!"
"Who the hell gave you the guts!"
"..."
Tie Guodun was thrashed back and forth on the ground, and after a few blows from the cudgel, he was more air coming in than going out.
His mouth gaped open, and fresh blood continuously gushed out.
Cheng Yaojin cast a fierce glance at the officials: "Playing dirty tricks? This is the consequence!"
With that, he said to the Imperial Guards guarding the palace gates.
"Send this fellow to the Hundred Riders Division to extract his confession!"
"Yes!"
Someone immediately came forward, dragging Tie Guodun away.
Inside the palace, at the entrance of the Taiji Hall, the dragon chair, riddled with bullet holes, was brought out.
Li Shimin was already waiting there. Seeing a guard running from the palace gates, he asked calmly.
"Is the fight outside over?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, it's over. Duke Lu beat him half to death and sent him to the Hundred Riders Division!"
"Then open the palace gates!"
"Yes!"
Not long after, Deng Dengjie appeared outside a small gate of the palace entrance. He flicked his horsetail whisk and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"The auspicious time has arrived, open the palace gates, all officials to pay homage!"
As his voice fell, the heavy palace gates made creaking sounds and opened to the sides.
The civil and military officials entered in order of their rank and nobility.
Upon reaching the square in front of the hall, they saw Li Shimin already seated there and quickly proceeded to their respective positions.
Unlike the morning court, the grand court assembly had fixed positions for each official, and any deviation would result in punishment.
After taking their positions, the ceremony of saluting and paying homage commenced.
Unlike in the past, when grand court assemblies were accompanied by a musical ensemble playing background music, this time, not even a single trumpeter was seen.
Witnessing this scene, and recalling the recent political reforms, the officials' hearts tightened.
Li Shimin rose from the dragon chair and walked to the middle of the steps, surveying the assembled ministers.
"The matter of political reform has been stalled for over half a month."
"I believe all your esteemed ministers have come to a conclusion. Today, at this grand court assembly, let us speak our minds freely!"
"Those who agree, those who disagree, all speak your piece."
"It concerns the fate of the nation, so speak your minds!"
The scene was deathly silent; no one stepped forward.
After half an hour, Yuchi Jingde stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, how about this: those who support stand on the left, and those who oppose stand on the right."
"This way, it will be clear at a glance!"
Li Shimin nodded slightly, and Deng Dengjie, standing beside him, quickly shouted.
"Granted..."
In the past, one could still speak vaguely, but with Yuchi Jingde's suggestion, all avenues of retreat were effectively sealed.
The crowd suddenly moved.
Cheng Yaojin, Yu Shinan, Chai Shao, and others walked directly to the left side.
Indeed, a few stubborn individuals stood on the right.
But most people remained standing still, not moving.
"What, still trying to muddle through day by day?"
"All of you, move!"
"Otherwise, you will all be dismissed and investigated!"