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Thus, Liu Shu and others urged the Minister of Justice, Marquis of Han County, Liang Pi, to submit a motion to impeach Yang Su. Liang Pi was no ordinary person; he held considerable prestige both in the court and among the people.
A few years ago, when he was the Provincial Governor of Xining, the local chieftains had gathered to present him with gold as a congratulatory gift. Liang Pi placed the gold beside him and lamented to them, "This gold cannot feed the hungry nor clothe the cold. You have fought and bled over such useless things for decades, and now you bring it all to me, yet you wish to kill me for it!"
In the end, he accepted nothing and returned it all. The chieftains of the Barbarians were moved by his words and ceased their attacks. Liang Pi's act of returning the gold became a celebrated tale.
During a court assembly, the Emperor questioned Liang Pi on why he sought to impeach the Left Minister. Liang Pi, small in stature and unremarkable in appearance, stepped forward and pointed at Yang Su, saying, "I have heard that I do not wield power for my own benefit; my wielding of power harms my family and threatens the state. The Left Minister, Duke of Yue, Yang Su, has been fortunate enough to gain more weight in authority as his power grows. Those who oppose him face severe consequences while those who flatter him are rewarded. His rise and fall depend solely on his whims."
"What he promotes is not loyalty or integrity; it is merely relatives and sycophants being placed in positions across provinces and counties. With peace in the realm, there is room for ulterior motives. If there is even a slight disturbance in the four seas, it will surely lead to disaster!"
This meant that under Yang Su's tyranny, only relatives or flatterers could rise through his influence. If this continued, he would inevitably become like Wang Mang, Cao Cao, or Huan Xuan—powerful ministers who brought chaos to the state.
Yang Su quickly knelt down to plead his case. Yang Jian momentarily recalled Yang Su's years of service and labor and tried to soothe him while sternly reprimanding Liang Pi. He then ordered for Liang Pi to be dragged away.
After the assembly dispersed, Liang Pi requested an audience with the Emperor, but the Emperor was not in the mood to see him. However, Liu Shu accompanied the princess into the palace and delivered Liang Pi's final blow.
"Your Majesty," Liu Shu began, "Yang Su has monopolized power and favor; during his command as a general, he has committed heinous acts without restraint. On the day when both the Crown Prince and Shu Wang were stripped of their titles amidst widespread shock among officials, he alone raised his eyebrows in delight—clearly hoping for national turmoil so he could elevate his own status."
The princess also added her encouragement. After Dugu Qialo's passing, Yang Jian had grown increasingly suspicious and fickle; seeing his most trusted daughter and son-in-law speak this way made him shiver at the thought of Yang Family's current power.
He then instructed Liu Shu to convey a decree to the Yang Family: "The Minister should not involve himself in trivial matters but should report every three to five days regarding major issues!"
The words sounded pleasant enough, but how many major issues could there be in court? Moreover, if there were truly significant matters, they would undoubtedly be decided solely by the Emperor himself. The Chancellor's role was meant for handling matters that the Emperor could not manage.
The underlying intention was clear: outwardly showing respect while stripping away power.
Liu Shu accepted his orders eagerly and stormed into Yang Residence to announce the decree. In front of Yang Su’s servants and children, he mockingly declared, "With new branches sprouting from willows, can this lone poplar still stand tall today?"
Yang Su stopped his sons, who were about to rush forward, and ordered someone to escort Liu Shu out of the residence. Liu Shu left with a hearty laugh.
At that moment, Li Jian Cheng was leading a group of people, watching the excitement at the newly constructed Zen Temple. This royal temple had been ordered by the emperor during the queen's illness for the purpose of prayer and blessings.
Occupying half a block, the temple featured a seven-story wooden pagoda that stood three hundred thirty feet tall and measured one hundred twenty steps in perimeter. Inside the pagoda was enshrined the Buddha Tooth Relic of Sakyamuni, attracting hundreds of citizens to worship daily since its construction began.
In front of the pagoda stood a tall flagpole, erected by Your Majesty after the queen's passing to honor her memory. It soared over ten zhang high, majestically reaching for the clouds. The large banner at the top fluttered in the wind, creating a grand sight. However, today’s strong winds prompted Xiao Family's young members beside Li Jian Cheng to caution him, "It might break soon; we should stand back."
The monks in the temple were in a flurry, anxious about the fate of the banner pole dedicated to accumulating blessings for the queen. If anything happened to it, it could lead to serious repercussions from His Majesty.
Li Jian Cheng looked up and agreed that it was indeed precarious. As they moved further away, although the pole remained intact under the monks' protection, the ropes securing the banner were suddenly snapped by the wind. The Soul Banner was swept away, prompting the monks to rush after it. They managed to retrieve it with great difficulty but found themselves unable to rehang it due to the fierce winds.
Failing to rehang it immediately would incur blame. Just then, a young man stepped forward, shouldering the Soul Banner and biting down on its rope. Taking a deep breath, he sprang up like a nimble monkey, agile and swift. Amidst gasps of astonishment from onlookers, he climbed to the top of the pole and secured the banner with remarkable skill.
The young men behind Li Jian Cheng were equally amazed by his prowess and shouted that they would treat him to drinks later, eager to learn how he had honed such skills.
However, just as he secured the banner, he seemed to lose his grip and fell backward off the pole like a falling leaf. Those who had been watching rushed to retreat in fear of his imminent demise.
Only a few older monks instinctively moved forward as if to catch him; surely there was a Bodhisattva among them.
Yet, as if awakening from a daze, the young man adjusted his position and used his hands and feet against the wooden pole to slow his descent. As he neared the ground, he kicked off with his feet and landed gracefully while rolling several times before springing up like a lively fish.
With a triumphant smile on his face amidst continuous gasps from the crowd, he bowed in acknowledgment towards all directions, clearly having performed this act intentionally.
The onlookers clapped and cheered unconsciously, with some even taking off their silver ornaments to throw at him.
However, the young man let those valuable items fall to the ground without picking them up, simply smiling and bowing in return.
The Abbot Elder of the temple stepped forward respectfully to express his gratitude, stating that there would be a generous reward. Yet, the young man, clearly more reverent towards Bishamon, clasped his hands together and replied, "The Empress has done great service for the State. I am fortunate to have contributed a small part; my heart is content and there is no need for the Elder to offer a reward."
The Abbot Elder held his hand until he learned his name, then finally released it. The crowd then discovered that the young man's name was Shen Guang, a member of the Dou Family. One young man raised an eyebrow and approached Li Jian Cheng, saying, "Jian Cheng, I believe I have heard of his reputation; it is said that his horse racing skills are unmatched in the world."
Li Jian Cheng was somewhat surprised. "He must be just over ten years old; how can he possess such talent?"
The other man thought to himself, "Aren't you the same?"
Intrigued, Li Jian Cheng stepped forward. Although many people surrounded the young man, they instinctively parted ways upon seeing the renowned Li Langjun from Capital City.
Despite his young age, since making a name for himself, Li Jian Cheng had been associated with emperors and empresses or high-ranking officials like prime ministers and princes. It was said that among the younger generation and even officials below the third or fourth rank in court, none had the qualifications to be mentioned in the same breath as him.
To truly understand how well someone is doing, one must not only consider who they associate with but also what caliber of people they are at odds with.
Rumors suggested that those who were not on good terms with Li Langjun included Emperor Duke of Yue, Duke of Bao, and He Ruobi. As for Yuwen Huaji, he was no longer worthy of being included in that list.
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