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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 156: Aftermath
Yang Xuangan paid no mind to Hao Xiaode's troops, and he despised this man for daring to demand the position of General. Thus, he chose to ignore him.
Li Mi, who had only been idly playing his hand, found himself unexpectedly using it today. However, he also noticed something unsettling about Hao Xiaode's gaze; there was no hint of deference in his words.
Li Mi's expression remained unchanged as he solemnly thanked him. Hao Xiaode accepted it with ease, saying, "Brother Fa has encountered great misfortune, and your escape today is a momentous occasion. We should return and celebrate your safe return!"
The once lowly rascal who could only bow and scrape before Li Gong now dared to call him brother. Li Mi's face did not betray his anger, but inside he was seething.
Yet there was no other choice; he could only follow along for now.
Soon, news of the escaped prisoner reached the Emperor's ears. Consequently, Yang Xuangan's corpse was subjected to dismemberment by five horses, then ground into paste and scattered on the streets alongside animal waste.
Three full days later, the Emperor's fury reignited at night, commanding that the remains be burned. The stench was overwhelming, yet the Emperor seemed somewhat relieved.
Li Jian Cheng and others received orders to return to court. On their way back, they learned of Yang Xuangan's fate and understood the Emperor's stance on the matter.
This was not merely a punishment according to law; it was a deliberate act of extrajudicial execution. This would not only apply to Yang Xuangan but also extend to others implicated in the affair.
It wasn't just the noble families and officials who might be affected; even those like Yuwen Shu and Li Jian Cheng, who had achieved merit in suppressing rebellion, felt a weight on their hearts as they returned to Chang'an.
Upon arriving in the capital, they went directly to court. The Emperor sat sternly on his dragon throne, wishing for all under heaven to know how furious he was.
Once everyone had gathered, the Emperor spoke: "Xuan Gan commanded hundreds of thousands to respond; this shows that too many people are untrustworthy. When numbers gather, they become thieves. If we do not eliminate them thoroughly, we cannot deter future transgressions!"
Many civil officials wanted to speak up. What did it mean that the people of the world should not be too numerous?
The emperor was the Sovereign Father of all, and the people were supporting their Sovereign Father. Yet now, this father had begun to complain about having too many children, suggesting that some should be killed.
Thus, the emperor appointed two Confidants, two individuals known for their sycophantic ways, who suddenly gained immense power over life and death.
After the grand court meeting concluded, Li Jian Cheng and the other Confidants were retained. The emperor's stern demeanor softened slightly as he first mercilessly berated Yuwen Shu, even threatening to kill him.
This was regarding Yuwen Shu's protection of the remnants of Yang Xuangan's rebellion. Li Jian Cheng and Yu Shiji dared to intervene, but really, it would only take a decree for execution; there was no need to waste words at this moment.
As a result, Yuwen Shu narrowly escaped death and was once again honorably demoted to commoner status. However, his continued presence indicated that it was merely a façade; he remained a favorite of the emperor.
Once this matter was settled, the pressing issue was still dealing with the aftermath of Yang Xuangan's rebellion. The focus was not on Yang Xuangan himself or those who followed him in revolt.
Rather, it was about why so many people were willing to risk their lives to follow Yang Xuangan. Yet the emperor clearly did not wish to consider these matters.
As his Confidants, they felt compelled to offer some counsel. However, Yu Shiji and Pei Yun found it difficult to speak up since their own sons were involved and had even fled.
In the end, it was Xiao Cong who spoke up: "Your Majesty, I believe it is not wise to carry out widespread purges at this time. Instead, you should grant amnesty to all and demonstrate your supreme benevolence to win over the people."
Yang Guang scoffed: "They have already begun to rebel; what is there for me to forgive?"
Uniting officials and alleviating the burdens on the common people was truly the only remedy at this moment.
Unfortunately, the emperor was reluctant to accept this remedy. Li Jian Cheng had anticipated this and thus stood silently with his head bowed, showing no intention of speaking.
Yang Guang now only feels that he has been too lenient and merciful in the past. All his tolerance and concessions have been seen as weakness in the eyes of his ministers and the common people. No one fears his authority, which is why they dare to treat him this way!
...
Li Jian Cheng, under imperial orders, had Wei Fusi, who was being escorted back, tied to a wooden post not far away, crying out in despair: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am innocent! Why do you treat me this way? I am the only one who did not flee, the only one who has been loyal to you, Your Majesty!"
Five fierce horses stood nearby, but according to the Emperor's wishes, Li Jian Cheng was still waiting for the Court Civil and Military Officials to arrive.
Old and young alike were dressed in official robes and carried bows and arrows. No one spoke; there was no need for a leader. After standing still, they all faced Wei Fusi's direction and drew their bows together.
A dense rain of arrows fell, and the cries abruptly ceased, as countless arrows pierced through him.
The officials remained silent, watching as Wei Fusi was taken down like a porcupine, his head and limbs tied with thick ropes. As the knights shouted and the horses neighed, a man who had just died could not even be preserved as a whole corpse.
The crowd felt somewhat numb. In just over a month, countless scions of noble families and literati officials had been executed under the pretext of being remnants of Yang Xuangan.
Just yesterday, the Emperor had issued an edict regarding Yang Xuangan's siege of the Eastern Capital, stating that grain had been distributed to the people. Those who received rice were all buried south of the capital.
How many people were there? Perhaps twenty or thirty thousand? Hasn't the Emperor's wrath subsided yet?
Perhaps not; now it wasn't just those connected to Yang Xuangan. Even those who had shared drinks and hunts with him years ago were implicated.
These fair-weather friends were never remembered by Yang Xuangan when he needed men most during his rebellion. Yet now the Emperor had found them all—those who would lose their heads would lose their heads; those who would be exiled would be exiled.
The entire Guanzhong was permeated with the smell of blood. Li Jian Cheng was puzzled; Yang Guang had truly gone mad, showing no trace of his former self.
When it was time to feign ignorance, he did not. When it was time to show leniency, he did not. All he thought about was establishing authority and instilling fear across the realm.
Now, fear had indeed taken hold, and it was effective. From Shandong in the east to Ningxia in the west, from Hebei in the north to Jianghuai in the south, there were uprisings everywhere.
It was precisely because of this overwhelming fear that no one wanted this Sovereign Father anymore.
Li Jian Cheng looked at the list left to him by Yang Xuangan; these were Yang Family confidants he had not yet had the chance to employ. It was laughable that, under such a thorough purge by the emperor, only six or seven of these people had died.
Li Jian Cheng could not comprehend who those twenty or thirty thousand killed truly belonged to.
It wasn't until the spring of the tenth year of Great Undertaking that the matter of Yang Xuangan finally came to a close. The emperor's fury subsided, and he generously rewarded the two confidants who handled this case.
The success of these two inspired many others to follow suit. Within just two or three months, a faction composed of ruthless officials emerged, led by none other than Yuwen Shu.
With their vigorous efforts, the court finally became what the emperor had hoped to see—submissive and obedient, with no one daring to disrespect the authority of the Son of Heaven.
…………
(End of Chapter)
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